Pausing briefly with her tongue still sticking out, Jocelyn looked into Jacky's face with innocent green eyes. The mall cop gave a short salute. "I'll continue this course and disregard any new information from your navi!" she reassured her new acquaintance, then, despite the protests of the man in question, resumed licking his fingers and palm. Once the girl had left, carrying the only voice of reason with her, Hyde resumed her same antics under the sway of her alter ego. Jocelyn gasped when she learned that, despite her efforts, the treatment she'd administered so far had been useless. "It's honestly no wonder that so much formal training is required to become a medical professional. These techniques are both unintuitive and difficult to remember in their full sequence, if you don't mind my saying," she complained, pressing her hands into her lap and listening. "So, I should apprehend her... give her any sort of compliment... and then... try to lock down her tongue with my own? That sounds quite difficult..."
"My dear girl. I'm still somewhat preoccupied, but I must say that's quite something you're going on about. Perhaps you ought to refrain from any rash action until I have time to advise you on the matter?" Sleuth proposed, from the nearby segway.
"No, no, my friend. A man's health is at stake! I simply cannot wait while I have tools available to me that can help!" Jocelyn responded, showing a noble spirit paired with a supernatural vulnerability to exploitation. "Jacky may not understand, but in the end, she'll certainly be thankful once the-"
"Damn, stupid as hell!" the criminal sitting nearby Jocelyn interjected, beginning to look irritated again.
Jocelyn frowned and shook one finger. "I understand that you're not grateful, but that's no reason to insult poor Miss Jacky. Think of her wounded credibility as a doctor, now that Hyde has proposed treatments that she never knew to offer! You shouldn't be so unkind to strangers," she scolded the hapless man, who looked increasingly baffled by Jocelyn's misinterpretation. "Please, don't interfere. I'll handle the girl properly when she returns and acquire the saliva that you need."
"Oh, dear. I had best hurry up this interrogation," Sleuth murmured from nearby.
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While Hyde thought that her operator was returning well in time to 'assist with the treatment,' Jocelyn had begun to wring her hands with worry, thinking that Jacky had left. Once the unfortunate victim of her own navi's prank was close enough, Jocelyn sprang to her feet with amazing speed, locking both arms around the shoulders of her prey and pressing her sizable bosom into that of the captured operator. She pulled them tighter into a hug, looking pleased with herself as their faces nearly met. "Jacky... That shirt looks great on you. I always like the way you look in a tie, you know? It makes you look like a real cop," she chuckled, saying words that didn't make any sense; she really had pulled out 'any sort of compliment.' "You shouldn't worry that you're not dressed like other mall cops. After all, it's only because you're so trusted that you get to wear whatever we collaborate on!" Hopefully, Jacky wasn't being tricked into thinking she was a mall cop yet, as she'd need her full rationality and collection of her senses to protect herself. "Now, hold still!" she instructed her captive, leaning in to try to lock their lips together in a kiss.
"D-Damn... I shoulda' just tricked her into lettin' me go," the nasty stir-fry thief remarked, flabbergasted at how easy Jocelyn was to trick into doing just about anything...
... And doing just about anything she was. If she managed to get their lips together, she would relentlessly pursue Jacky's tongue, attempting to wrap it with her own in the way the most intimate of couples might. In her case, however, the goal was to collect as much of Jacky's saliva as possible... something she wouldn't really accomplish this way, even if she managed to make a lot of tongue-to-tongue contact. Of course, there was no real technique to Jocelyn's method, either from the standpoint of making out or trying to collect saliva.
"Jocelyn? What are you doing over there? My dear, do remember that I can be fired for failing to watch over you properly! Think about my career, here!" Sleuth pleaded, becoming increasingly worried about what her operator might be getting into.
The Gloria Scott Shopping Mall
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Knowing neither Jocelyn nor Jacky was looking now, as Jocelyn had already started walking towards Jacky, Hyde wrapped her arms around herself and fell to the floor, making muffled laughs and gasps in what appeared to be a mixed state of mirth and ecstasy. "Oh my! I haven't gotten anyone like this yet! It feels so gooood..." Her only regret was that with her PET turned the current way, she couldn't get a view of it herself. She could tell from the sounds and the man's disbelieving expression, however, that things were probably going close to how she hoped. Aaah... aah... hold on, I'm drooling, aah..." Realizing she was, in fact, drooling, and not just a little bit, she rose to her feet and carelessly wiped her wet mouth on the back of her cape. On the off chance the one man who could look at her saw her doing so, she even made a point of waving to him and grinning. "Ooh, Jocelyn's nice... I wonder if there's a way I can get her as my operator...?"
---
Jacky approached Jocelyn tentatively, and addressed her mere moments before she realized how well-founded that caution was. "Ms. Jocelyn... I didn't see the authorities, but-"
Like a bear trap, Jocelyn seemed to snap and enclose Jacky with mechanical speed. Jacky was helpless to defend herself, and was forced into silence as she listened to the strange compliments she was being paid. At first she was assuming Jocelyn had suddenly swung into a very affectionate state of mind, but when she started talking about a tie, Jacky immediately realized what must have happened. "In just the short time I was gone...? But when things stop making sense, she's normally the one to blame."
Luckily, Jocelyn's "now hold still" acted as a warning shot to Jacky. Her body wasn't strong, but her reflexes were sharp, and she had a feeling she understood what was coming next. "I have to put an end to this nonsense..." Even internally, she wouldn't admit to herself that it also had a lot to do with protecting her first kiss. That thought was based in far too much sentimentalism. It was much more appropriate to think of it as protecting her dignity.
With that in mind, Jacky made a point to move her face out of the way like a fussy child as Jocelyn ineffectually went for the lip lock. The end result caused her face to become covered in the mall cop's saliva, as Jocelyn could not manage to make a connect with her advances.
Jacky knew she'd have to find a way out of this in a moment, but for now, she had something more important to do. Her glasses lop-sided on her face from the misguided mall cop's attack, Jacky attempted to shout around Jocelyn and to the supposed thief. "Sir! Perhaps you should run now? Either run for the door and try to find the medical professionals, or... or if they're not coming, just go to a different establishment and use their s-" she sputtered, as Jocelyn's tongue threatened to invade her mouth momentarily. "Ms. Jocelyn, please! Didn't I tell you not to listen to- pfft pbt!"
---
Hyde was feeling so good now, but she had a feeling her fun was about to reach its climax. The man looked fed up with his quality of care at this medical facility, and it was quite likely he really would try to flee the coop. Was there anything left to still capitalize on...? Realizing the jig might well be up, Hyde decided to push her luck as far as it would go. "Ms. Jocelyn, I think I know why Jacky is resisting so much! I can't believe I didn't realize this earlier, but Jacky probably doesn't feel qualified to help not because she isn't a qualified medical professional, but because she isn't a mall professional! Why, it would look ridiculous if any random person off the street started sucking an injured man's hand! Perhaps people would recognize her as your ordained helper more easily if you were to help her into a uniform more similar to yours? One without pants?!" Hyde's voice rose a bit as she came right out and said it, but she couldn't help it. Too much fun...! "Then the two of you can treat the patient together...!"
---
Jacky heard Hyde's words, becoming even more humiliated as she realized that meant Hyde's voice must be carrying well enough for people in a good radius to hear. "Oh, no!" she gasped, hearing the end of Hyde's statement. She realized she need to address that in a way that couldn't be misinterpreted, and fast. "Ms. Jocelyn, please! The uniform is the farthest thing from my mind. I don't want to dress like, er..." Jacky couldn't come right out and say "you," thinking that would be a bit rude (it was commendable that she was thinking about Jocelyn's feelings at all at this point). "Dress like a mall cop! Please, cease and hear me out!" She wanted to have faith in her fellow human being and what she would have, until today, assumed were minimum faculties of reason... but that didn't stop her from putting her hands on her belt line and trying to keep it in her feeble grip.
---
Jacky approached Jocelyn tentatively, and addressed her mere moments before she realized how well-founded that caution was. "Ms. Jocelyn... I didn't see the authorities, but-"
Like a bear trap, Jocelyn seemed to snap and enclose Jacky with mechanical speed. Jacky was helpless to defend herself, and was forced into silence as she listened to the strange compliments she was being paid. At first she was assuming Jocelyn had suddenly swung into a very affectionate state of mind, but when she started talking about a tie, Jacky immediately realized what must have happened. "In just the short time I was gone...? But when things stop making sense, she's normally the one to blame."
Luckily, Jocelyn's "now hold still" acted as a warning shot to Jacky. Her body wasn't strong, but her reflexes were sharp, and she had a feeling she understood what was coming next. "I have to put an end to this nonsense..." Even internally, she wouldn't admit to herself that it also had a lot to do with protecting her first kiss. That thought was based in far too much sentimentalism. It was much more appropriate to think of it as protecting her dignity.
With that in mind, Jacky made a point to move her face out of the way like a fussy child as Jocelyn ineffectually went for the lip lock. The end result caused her face to become covered in the mall cop's saliva, as Jocelyn could not manage to make a connect with her advances.
Jacky knew she'd have to find a way out of this in a moment, but for now, she had something more important to do. Her glasses lop-sided on her face from the misguided mall cop's attack, Jacky attempted to shout around Jocelyn and to the supposed thief. "Sir! Perhaps you should run now? Either run for the door and try to find the medical professionals, or... or if they're not coming, just go to a different establishment and use their s-" she sputtered, as Jocelyn's tongue threatened to invade her mouth momentarily. "Ms. Jocelyn, please! Didn't I tell you not to listen to- pfft pbt!"
---
Hyde was feeling so good now, but she had a feeling her fun was about to reach its climax. The man looked fed up with his quality of care at this medical facility, and it was quite likely he really would try to flee the coop. Was there anything left to still capitalize on...? Realizing the jig might well be up, Hyde decided to push her luck as far as it would go. "Ms. Jocelyn, I think I know why Jacky is resisting so much! I can't believe I didn't realize this earlier, but Jacky probably doesn't feel qualified to help not because she isn't a qualified medical professional, but because she isn't a mall professional! Why, it would look ridiculous if any random person off the street started sucking an injured man's hand! Perhaps people would recognize her as your ordained helper more easily if you were to help her into a uniform more similar to yours? One without pants?!" Hyde's voice rose a bit as she came right out and said it, but she couldn't help it. Too much fun...! "Then the two of you can treat the patient together...!"
---
Jacky heard Hyde's words, becoming even more humiliated as she realized that meant Hyde's voice must be carrying well enough for people in a good radius to hear. "Oh, no!" she gasped, hearing the end of Hyde's statement. She realized she need to address that in a way that couldn't be misinterpreted, and fast. "Ms. Jocelyn, please! The uniform is the farthest thing from my mind. I don't want to dress like, er..." Jacky couldn't come right out and say "you," thinking that would be a bit rude (it was commendable that she was thinking about Jocelyn's feelings at all at this point). "Dress like a mall cop! Please, cease and hear me out!" She wanted to have faith in her fellow human being and what she would have, until today, assumed were minimum faculties of reason... but that didn't stop her from putting her hands on her belt line and trying to keep it in her feeble grip.
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"Whoops... That wasn't very good spit swapping at all, I'm afraid. I'm terribly sorry," Jocelyn apologized, still embracing her new acquaintance in a way that would have been uncomfortable even if they were a couple. "Well, I'm not medical professional and far be it from me to criticize your technique, but Miss Hyde informed me that I must have some of your saliva if we're to continue the operation. That means that we have to make mouth to mouth contact! It just seems to me that it would be... far easier... if you'd hold still!" she gasped as she continued making attempts at locking lips.
The criminal who'd been Hyde's meal ticket to start all of her nonsense agreed with Jacky's assessment completely and stood up, then began tiptoeing away while Jocelyn's back was to him. The mall cop herself was distracted by Hyde's new advice, which, while mad, made sense in the warm, accepting, non-judgmental, and completely blank void of Jocelyn's reasoning. "I see what you're saying. You should know, however, that this isn't really a typical mall cop's uniform here. Still, if you think it would help her feel more attuned to the task at hand, I will do my best to assist!" she responded, quickly slapping both gloved hands onto the sides of Jacky's pants. After hearing the would-be mall cop's complaints about not really wanting to be a mall cop, however, Jocelyn was forced to pause. "Really? You don't want to be a mall cop? I must say, I'm surprised... It's quite nice! You meet all sorts of people and maintain a fair wage despite the relative lack of rigor in the work. My navi is a detective and I gather that she works much harder for far less pay!" It was probably a good thing Sleuth wasn't quite finished with her business yet to hear that. "I understand your complaints, but I have to think that you will enjoy life as a mall cop if you give it a try, not to mention that, as Miss Hyde said, you may be more efficient at administering medical treatment. Therefore, I have to...!"
Jocelyn bent her knees and squatted, sticking her tongue up from the side of her lip as she attempted to stick both thumbs into the upper hem of her new partner in cop-life's pants. She'd then attempt to yank them down hard, trying to ignore the belt entirely, which probably wouldn't work, at least not fully. Finally, a voice of reason came from an unlikely source: the segway-mounted PET that held Jocelyn's navi. "Woooah there, Frisky!"
Seemingly not hearing, Jocelyn persisted.
"... That's you, my dear Jocelyn," Sleuth clarified.
Now on her knees and still tugging, Jocelyn looked back over her shoulder. "Oh! What's the matter?" she asked, as if that wasn't obvious.
"I'm afraid you're being taken by a con-artist. Despite her relatable Creamland accent, that Hyde appears to be a mean-spirited sort, intent on using your naivety against you. Ordinarily, I'd tell her 'well done,' and 'that's quite amusing,' but in this case, you're my charge that I have sworn to protect from danger and, to some very limited extent, public humiliation. Therefore, I ask that you cease trying to pants this new acquaintance and, furthermore, cease giving blind heed to the words of our shady friend," the detective warned her operator. "I dearly apologize for any trouble that Jocelyn may have caused you, my good woman, but know that she means well."
Obeying her own navi's words above all others, Jocelyn dropped her grip on Jacky's pants and backed up, her face showing an expression of innocence and dismay, despite the heinous actions she'd just performed. "I'm sorry... Sometimes, I just feel so compelled to help that I don't really know how to proceed. That causes me to lend an ear to those I shouldn't. I hope I haven't inconvenienced you," she apologized, wiping her gloves across Jacky's cheeks to wipe some of the saliva off. If her pants were down, well, she wouldn't bother with those. After all, it was still socially acceptable not to wear pants, which she knew to be true by the fact that no one was instructing her to put some on.
"Yes, an apology owed. I pray that you'll consider accepting. However, that rot aside, I have something far more important to announce!" Sleuth continued, feeling proud of herself. "I have cleared all of the ghosts from the mansion to which I was assigned and received a sizable cash sum for my efforts! A mystery solved, a bundle earned, and now on to the next adventure," she chuckled.
"Wow! Just what do you suppose the next adventure will be?" Jocelyn reacted excitedly; apparently, her tone of regret was already forgotten.
"I was thinking we may start by heading towards Suitachi's Navi Shop. It's a bit of a trip, but, well, you need an excuse to get changed anyway. A bit of the skivvies are showing through the shirt, you naughty fox!" Jocelyn teased her operator.
Startled, Jocelyn began covering the wet spots, as though she had suddenly developed a sense of modesty. "Geez, Miss Hyde, Miss Jacky... I wish you would have informed me," she pouted, looking red in the cheeks, amazingly embarrassed for the first time this morning. "I'll go see Rodney and get changed... I don't suppose the two of you would tend to Sleuth and my segway while I'm gone, would you? It shan't be more than a moment," the mall cop requested. "Thank you very much for considering it."
"Why don't you just ride your segway?" Sleuth asked, although she didn't particularly care.
"Because it's so slow, silly Sleuth! This is a situation that requires some expediency," she finished, apparently placing the loss of her decency above responding to a reported theft and injury in terms of urgency. "Wait right here!"
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"Wait, don't-!" Sleuth called out, but it was too late; her operator was already running to the office. The sight of Jocelyn running was something that was erotic no matter what she was wearing, thanks to her upper body baggage, but it was even worse when all she was wearing was high-end lingerie and a partially transparent silk night-shirt. The worse problem here was that Sleuth had been left alone before having the opportunity to request Jocelyn refresh her clothing, leaving her clad in only a strapless, leopard-print bra and matching thong underwear. It hadn't been so bad to wear around Mr. Prog, who was not only quite accommodating, but also certainly alone and relatively unopinionated. On the other hand, she was now left with two strangers, both of whom were likely to begin interacting with her and probably would eventually want to see who they were talking with. "Bloody hell... Well, who cares? I'm a woman of the world."
Crossing her arms and sinking her chin to her neck, she thought about the situation that had just transpired. She was doing a fair job of rebuilding her own arsenal, having just accumulated fifteen-thousand zenny and having tested out her excellent new CircleGun weapon. On the other hand, she was doing a miserable job of keeping Jocelyn in line or teaching her anything. It occurred to her that she ought to reallocate her efforts: she'd had a good adventure, solved a mystery, and increased her war chest, but now, it was time to refocus her efforts on her operator's well-being. "Say, Miss Jacky, Miss Hyde? I trust you're both thinking now that the otherwise adorable muppet is off her rocker and fruitier than a wild-berry tart, after that brief demonstration? Sadly, you're quite right. Jocelyn lived a very, very sheltered life and grew up, how shall I say... weird? No, that's not the right descriptor... Hopelessly naive, rather. A bit spoiled and more than a bit stupid, but worst of all, terribly, terribly naive. As is, I hardly see how she can protect herself in this world of ours, let alone learn to be a productive member of society. That is why, my good ladies, I was hoping I might convince you... rather, appeal to your instincts as good-hearted creatures... to help me civilize young Jocelyn. I'll be in the market for another task and, I was thinking, if Jocelyn participates with someone else to guide her, we might be able to make some real progress, especially now that she hopefully has seen that her blind trust can be a weakness. Assuming, of course, that your navi is really up for a humanitarian task like this. She seems a bit nutty herself, from the brief bit I've heard."
Truth be told, she was having a very hard time acting authoritative while standing around considerably-over-half-naked, even if nobody was really looking. She thought she'd risk one of them coming over before she'd ask for help and be exposed that way, though. "Well, we'll have to do a bit of shopping once Jocelyn returns, but after that, if you'd like to accompany us when we return from our travel,, I assure you'd be doing humanity at large a favor by helping to curve the poor girl's propensity for nonsense." Even now, Sleuth felt like she was forgetting something... "Oh, right. The Stir Fry Bandit. I'm no less concerned about him than I was when I first heard the story," she thought to herself. A good motto for detectives: let the harmless ones go, unless someone's paying you or it's keeping you up at night.
The criminal who'd been Hyde's meal ticket to start all of her nonsense agreed with Jacky's assessment completely and stood up, then began tiptoeing away while Jocelyn's back was to him. The mall cop herself was distracted by Hyde's new advice, which, while mad, made sense in the warm, accepting, non-judgmental, and completely blank void of Jocelyn's reasoning. "I see what you're saying. You should know, however, that this isn't really a typical mall cop's uniform here. Still, if you think it would help her feel more attuned to the task at hand, I will do my best to assist!" she responded, quickly slapping both gloved hands onto the sides of Jacky's pants. After hearing the would-be mall cop's complaints about not really wanting to be a mall cop, however, Jocelyn was forced to pause. "Really? You don't want to be a mall cop? I must say, I'm surprised... It's quite nice! You meet all sorts of people and maintain a fair wage despite the relative lack of rigor in the work. My navi is a detective and I gather that she works much harder for far less pay!" It was probably a good thing Sleuth wasn't quite finished with her business yet to hear that. "I understand your complaints, but I have to think that you will enjoy life as a mall cop if you give it a try, not to mention that, as Miss Hyde said, you may be more efficient at administering medical treatment. Therefore, I have to...!"
Jocelyn bent her knees and squatted, sticking her tongue up from the side of her lip as she attempted to stick both thumbs into the upper hem of her new partner in cop-life's pants. She'd then attempt to yank them down hard, trying to ignore the belt entirely, which probably wouldn't work, at least not fully. Finally, a voice of reason came from an unlikely source: the segway-mounted PET that held Jocelyn's navi. "Woooah there, Frisky!"
Seemingly not hearing, Jocelyn persisted.
"... That's you, my dear Jocelyn," Sleuth clarified.
Now on her knees and still tugging, Jocelyn looked back over her shoulder. "Oh! What's the matter?" she asked, as if that wasn't obvious.
"I'm afraid you're being taken by a con-artist. Despite her relatable Creamland accent, that Hyde appears to be a mean-spirited sort, intent on using your naivety against you. Ordinarily, I'd tell her 'well done,' and 'that's quite amusing,' but in this case, you're my charge that I have sworn to protect from danger and, to some very limited extent, public humiliation. Therefore, I ask that you cease trying to pants this new acquaintance and, furthermore, cease giving blind heed to the words of our shady friend," the detective warned her operator. "I dearly apologize for any trouble that Jocelyn may have caused you, my good woman, but know that she means well."
Obeying her own navi's words above all others, Jocelyn dropped her grip on Jacky's pants and backed up, her face showing an expression of innocence and dismay, despite the heinous actions she'd just performed. "I'm sorry... Sometimes, I just feel so compelled to help that I don't really know how to proceed. That causes me to lend an ear to those I shouldn't. I hope I haven't inconvenienced you," she apologized, wiping her gloves across Jacky's cheeks to wipe some of the saliva off. If her pants were down, well, she wouldn't bother with those. After all, it was still socially acceptable not to wear pants, which she knew to be true by the fact that no one was instructing her to put some on.
"Yes, an apology owed. I pray that you'll consider accepting. However, that rot aside, I have something far more important to announce!" Sleuth continued, feeling proud of herself. "I have cleared all of the ghosts from the mansion to which I was assigned and received a sizable cash sum for my efforts! A mystery solved, a bundle earned, and now on to the next adventure," she chuckled.
"Wow! Just what do you suppose the next adventure will be?" Jocelyn reacted excitedly; apparently, her tone of regret was already forgotten.
"I was thinking we may start by heading towards Suitachi's Navi Shop. It's a bit of a trip, but, well, you need an excuse to get changed anyway. A bit of the skivvies are showing through the shirt, you naughty fox!" Jocelyn teased her operator.
Startled, Jocelyn began covering the wet spots, as though she had suddenly developed a sense of modesty. "Geez, Miss Hyde, Miss Jacky... I wish you would have informed me," she pouted, looking red in the cheeks, amazingly embarrassed for the first time this morning. "I'll go see Rodney and get changed... I don't suppose the two of you would tend to Sleuth and my segway while I'm gone, would you? It shan't be more than a moment," the mall cop requested. "Thank you very much for considering it."
"Why don't you just ride your segway?" Sleuth asked, although she didn't particularly care.
"Because it's so slow, silly Sleuth! This is a situation that requires some expediency," she finished, apparently placing the loss of her decency above responding to a reported theft and injury in terms of urgency. "Wait right here!"
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"Wait, don't-!" Sleuth called out, but it was too late; her operator was already running to the office. The sight of Jocelyn running was something that was erotic no matter what she was wearing, thanks to her upper body baggage, but it was even worse when all she was wearing was high-end lingerie and a partially transparent silk night-shirt. The worse problem here was that Sleuth had been left alone before having the opportunity to request Jocelyn refresh her clothing, leaving her clad in only a strapless, leopard-print bra and matching thong underwear. It hadn't been so bad to wear around Mr. Prog, who was not only quite accommodating, but also certainly alone and relatively unopinionated. On the other hand, she was now left with two strangers, both of whom were likely to begin interacting with her and probably would eventually want to see who they were talking with. "Bloody hell... Well, who cares? I'm a woman of the world."
Crossing her arms and sinking her chin to her neck, she thought about the situation that had just transpired. She was doing a fair job of rebuilding her own arsenal, having just accumulated fifteen-thousand zenny and having tested out her excellent new CircleGun weapon. On the other hand, she was doing a miserable job of keeping Jocelyn in line or teaching her anything. It occurred to her that she ought to reallocate her efforts: she'd had a good adventure, solved a mystery, and increased her war chest, but now, it was time to refocus her efforts on her operator's well-being. "Say, Miss Jacky, Miss Hyde? I trust you're both thinking now that the otherwise adorable muppet is off her rocker and fruitier than a wild-berry tart, after that brief demonstration? Sadly, you're quite right. Jocelyn lived a very, very sheltered life and grew up, how shall I say... weird? No, that's not the right descriptor... Hopelessly naive, rather. A bit spoiled and more than a bit stupid, but worst of all, terribly, terribly naive. As is, I hardly see how she can protect herself in this world of ours, let alone learn to be a productive member of society. That is why, my good ladies, I was hoping I might convince you... rather, appeal to your instincts as good-hearted creatures... to help me civilize young Jocelyn. I'll be in the market for another task and, I was thinking, if Jocelyn participates with someone else to guide her, we might be able to make some real progress, especially now that she hopefully has seen that her blind trust can be a weakness. Assuming, of course, that your navi is really up for a humanitarian task like this. She seems a bit nutty herself, from the brief bit I've heard."
Truth be told, she was having a very hard time acting authoritative while standing around considerably-over-half-naked, even if nobody was really looking. She thought she'd risk one of them coming over before she'd ask for help and be exposed that way, though. "Well, we'll have to do a bit of shopping once Jocelyn returns, but after that, if you'd like to accompany us when we return from our travel,, I assure you'd be doing humanity at large a favor by helping to curve the poor girl's propensity for nonsense." Even now, Sleuth felt like she was forgetting something... "Oh, right. The Stir Fry Bandit. I'm no less concerned about him than I was when I first heard the story," she thought to herself. A good motto for detectives: let the harmless ones go, unless someone's paying you or it's keeping you up at night.
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"I assure you, I'm not abject to criticism of my techniques!" Jacky retorted, still feeling compelled (for whatever reason) to try to keep up conversation and try to appeal to reason. "It's just-" she started again, before yielding to the need to protect her mouth again. Furthermore, it quickly became apparent she was about to enter round 2 of her skill test, and this was an area she felt she had a distinct disadvantage in.
"Wait stop!" she gasped pauselessly and fruitlessly. Jacky didn't normally entertain such thoughts, but then again, she wasn't in a normal situation: she found herself helplessly imagining Jocelyn as some sort of vampire who would, after sucessfully kissing her or exposing her, transform her into an air-headed pantsless mall cop as well. Would she be doomed to eschew her dignity and her future?
Spurred on by her thoughts of mad danger, Jacky felt a surge of strength that she thought she might be able to use to counter Jocelyn's next advance... until her breath suddenly hitched, as she realized something even more terrible. She wasn't sure if Jocelyn had realized it, seeing as she was wearing gloves, but her thumbs had gotten into more than just Jacky's pants, and had snagged one layer more than she had probably intended. "Aaaah... noooo..." Jacky began to cry.
Luckily for her, she quickly realized Jocelyn's assault wasn't going to be as big of a deal as she'd first imagined. Jacky didn't have nearly the strength to resist Jocelyn alone, but Jocelyn apparently wasn't going to make any attempt to remove Jacky's belt. With that in mind, locking her legs together and pulling her pants up as well as she could was a fairly effective counter-strategy. "Does... does she know how a belt works? Does she dress herself?" the operator found herself thinking.
Even with her defenses in place, Jacky understood that she was fighting a losing battle. Jocelyn seemed to have limitless energy and enthusiasm for her work. To her dismay, Jacky found that her garments were indeed starting to creep down very slightly in the back, where she wasn't holding up. Luckily, the labcoat she was still wearing would keep her crack from peeking out, as she was fearing might otherwise be the case.
Finally, someone came to her aid, and Jacky was allowed a moment to catch her breath. It took her a moment to register that the unknown voice was coming from the cop's own segway.
---
Hyde had come down off of her high after seeing the man run away. She supposed she was proud of the fact that she'd managed to control a human being to make a grown man run in fear, but she was a bit disappointed in the current situation she was left in. The man's expressions had been acting as a channel by which she could witness the results of her actions. With him gone, she was left audio-only.
That audio quickly turned sour as someone finally stepped in. Through a bit of peaked listening, Hyde quickly pieced together that the voice must belong to Jocelyn's Navi. "Why would she take so long to step in, though...? Well, no matter. I'll put a mental flag to get back at her later... for now..."
---
Jacky frowned, straightening her pants again, and figured she shouldn't object if Jocelyn wanted to clean her face. She suspected that the other operator probably lent ears to those she shouldn't a bit more often than "sometimes," but said nothing. She couldn't honestly respond with "Don't worry about it!" or "It's nothing!" or "I get that all the time!" to accept Jocelyn's apology. "I understand," she replied, although that was also a fib. Finally, she got around to straightening her glasses, and once again felt like a proper human being, having done so.
"I'd be curious to know what kind of mission your Navi was involved in that required both exterminating ghosts and a LifeVirus," Jacky wondered aloud, walking over to the PET to collect it. She found Hyde looking dazed and confused on the other side of the screen. She imagined any harsh words she had would either fall on deaf ears or innocent ignorance, so she decided to save it. She turned with her same sullen frown to Jocelyn as the operator expressed displeasure at having not been told she was dressed perhaps just slightly indecently. "Yes, please, go get changed. We'll watch the segway... both of us," she ended with a sigh, glancing back at her PET. It only occurred to her after Sleuth said something that it was odd Jocelyn wouldn't choose to take the segway with her, but she didn't really care either.
Jacky didn't have a lot of experience talking to Navis yet, but she thought it might be rude to simply leave Sleuth talking to thin air. Besides, the Navi sounded relatively sane compared to what she'd been dealing with in the past moments. With high hopes, Jacky made her way to the segway, beginning to hold her PET up...
As she came into view for Sleuth, the Navi could see Jacky's face fall as if disappointed upon seeing her in her current state of attire. The operator put the PET back up, deciding perhaps it was best if Hyde didn't meet Sleuth right now after all. She listened to Sleuth's explanation eagerly, as she was certainly interested in learning the origins of Jocelyn's current personality. She seemed receptive to the idea that she should help out, as well. In fact, to her, it seemed as though that was probably more important than exploring Hyde's condition. "Of course. We'd be happy to help," she responded. It might be surprising that Jacky would so willingly sign herself up for what she'd just been through, but she felt confident that now that she had experience with Hyde under her belt and could decide situations more on her own terms, she'd be able to stave off disaster. "I'd be fascinated to learn more about your circumstances as well."
"And I as well," Hyde finally piped up, sounding as though she was in a proper frame of mind again. "Am I going to meet Ms. Sleuth?"
"In due time," Jacky responded, pushing her glasses up on her nose with a finger. "I don't think it's necessary at the moment."
"Ah, I see," Hyde returned, sounding a bit dejected. "That's a shame."
Jacky remained pensive and taut a moment longer, looking like she expected a blow.
"It's just... when I don't get to meet new people, I tend to get soooo f*ckin' bored? You know? And my f*ckin' mind starts to go damn straight to the f*ckin' gutter and I just get f*ckin' carried away when I get bored. You know?"
Jacky, looking frustrated, began to contemplate turning down Hyde's volume in spite of her vow not to.
"Sl*t damn f*ck sh*t balls," Hyde continued, clearly just rattling them off now without really speaking in a proper sentence. The focus was clearly on projecting her voice.
"Sleuth," Jacky finally spoke, still wincing and shutting her eyes, "I should explain that Hyde has a condition which, in short, causes her to temporarily swing between personalities. Basically, she transforms between her regular persona, a respected medical professional and researcher, and-"
"BALLS. DAMN! F****CK. Oh. What was I... Jacky, did Jocelyn go somewhere?"
"That," Jacky finished, running a hand across her mouth. "Would you like to meet her?"
"Wait stop!" she gasped pauselessly and fruitlessly. Jacky didn't normally entertain such thoughts, but then again, she wasn't in a normal situation: she found herself helplessly imagining Jocelyn as some sort of vampire who would, after sucessfully kissing her or exposing her, transform her into an air-headed pantsless mall cop as well. Would she be doomed to eschew her dignity and her future?
Spurred on by her thoughts of mad danger, Jacky felt a surge of strength that she thought she might be able to use to counter Jocelyn's next advance... until her breath suddenly hitched, as she realized something even more terrible. She wasn't sure if Jocelyn had realized it, seeing as she was wearing gloves, but her thumbs had gotten into more than just Jacky's pants, and had snagged one layer more than she had probably intended. "Aaaah... noooo..." Jacky began to cry.
Luckily for her, she quickly realized Jocelyn's assault wasn't going to be as big of a deal as she'd first imagined. Jacky didn't have nearly the strength to resist Jocelyn alone, but Jocelyn apparently wasn't going to make any attempt to remove Jacky's belt. With that in mind, locking her legs together and pulling her pants up as well as she could was a fairly effective counter-strategy. "Does... does she know how a belt works? Does she dress herself?" the operator found herself thinking.
Even with her defenses in place, Jacky understood that she was fighting a losing battle. Jocelyn seemed to have limitless energy and enthusiasm for her work. To her dismay, Jacky found that her garments were indeed starting to creep down very slightly in the back, where she wasn't holding up. Luckily, the labcoat she was still wearing would keep her crack from peeking out, as she was fearing might otherwise be the case.
Finally, someone came to her aid, and Jacky was allowed a moment to catch her breath. It took her a moment to register that the unknown voice was coming from the cop's own segway.
---
Hyde had come down off of her high after seeing the man run away. She supposed she was proud of the fact that she'd managed to control a human being to make a grown man run in fear, but she was a bit disappointed in the current situation she was left in. The man's expressions had been acting as a channel by which she could witness the results of her actions. With him gone, she was left audio-only.
That audio quickly turned sour as someone finally stepped in. Through a bit of peaked listening, Hyde quickly pieced together that the voice must belong to Jocelyn's Navi. "Why would she take so long to step in, though...? Well, no matter. I'll put a mental flag to get back at her later... for now..."
---
Jacky frowned, straightening her pants again, and figured she shouldn't object if Jocelyn wanted to clean her face. She suspected that the other operator probably lent ears to those she shouldn't a bit more often than "sometimes," but said nothing. She couldn't honestly respond with "Don't worry about it!" or "It's nothing!" or "I get that all the time!" to accept Jocelyn's apology. "I understand," she replied, although that was also a fib. Finally, she got around to straightening her glasses, and once again felt like a proper human being, having done so.
"I'd be curious to know what kind of mission your Navi was involved in that required both exterminating ghosts and a LifeVirus," Jacky wondered aloud, walking over to the PET to collect it. She found Hyde looking dazed and confused on the other side of the screen. She imagined any harsh words she had would either fall on deaf ears or innocent ignorance, so she decided to save it. She turned with her same sullen frown to Jocelyn as the operator expressed displeasure at having not been told she was dressed perhaps just slightly indecently. "Yes, please, go get changed. We'll watch the segway... both of us," she ended with a sigh, glancing back at her PET. It only occurred to her after Sleuth said something that it was odd Jocelyn wouldn't choose to take the segway with her, but she didn't really care either.
Jacky didn't have a lot of experience talking to Navis yet, but she thought it might be rude to simply leave Sleuth talking to thin air. Besides, the Navi sounded relatively sane compared to what she'd been dealing with in the past moments. With high hopes, Jacky made her way to the segway, beginning to hold her PET up...
As she came into view for Sleuth, the Navi could see Jacky's face fall as if disappointed upon seeing her in her current state of attire. The operator put the PET back up, deciding perhaps it was best if Hyde didn't meet Sleuth right now after all. She listened to Sleuth's explanation eagerly, as she was certainly interested in learning the origins of Jocelyn's current personality. She seemed receptive to the idea that she should help out, as well. In fact, to her, it seemed as though that was probably more important than exploring Hyde's condition. "Of course. We'd be happy to help," she responded. It might be surprising that Jacky would so willingly sign herself up for what she'd just been through, but she felt confident that now that she had experience with Hyde under her belt and could decide situations more on her own terms, she'd be able to stave off disaster. "I'd be fascinated to learn more about your circumstances as well."
"And I as well," Hyde finally piped up, sounding as though she was in a proper frame of mind again. "Am I going to meet Ms. Sleuth?"
"In due time," Jacky responded, pushing her glasses up on her nose with a finger. "I don't think it's necessary at the moment."
"Ah, I see," Hyde returned, sounding a bit dejected. "That's a shame."
Jacky remained pensive and taut a moment longer, looking like she expected a blow.
"It's just... when I don't get to meet new people, I tend to get soooo f*ckin' bored? You know? And my f*ckin' mind starts to go damn straight to the f*ckin' gutter and I just get f*ckin' carried away when I get bored. You know?"
Jacky, looking frustrated, began to contemplate turning down Hyde's volume in spite of her vow not to.
"Sl*t damn f*ck sh*t balls," Hyde continued, clearly just rattling them off now without really speaking in a proper sentence. The focus was clearly on projecting her voice.
"Sleuth," Jacky finally spoke, still wincing and shutting her eyes, "I should explain that Hyde has a condition which, in short, causes her to temporarily swing between personalities. Basically, she transforms between her regular persona, a respected medical professional and researcher, and-"
"BALLS. DAMN! F****CK. Oh. What was I... Jacky, did Jocelyn go somewhere?"
"That," Jacky finished, running a hand across her mouth. "Would you like to meet her?"
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Realizing that Jacky was approaching the segway, Sleuth began to babble out a few words of warning. "Erm, hold there just a moment, my friend! I need to-!" she began, but it was pretty hard to get it out fast enough; she would have only had maybe a second to do so between when she realized the operator was moving and when the operator actually arrived. "Hey, don't give me that look! My clothing was sacrificed to that dangerous mission I just mentioned. An unfortunate, highly fashionable casualty. I always put the mission first," Sleuth lied, as running around half-naked had been mostly a whim of hers born out of a temporary fit of boredom. "But I'm happy to hear that you're willing to help! You'll be doing a lot of individuals a kindness here, I assure you: myself, Miss Jocelyn, Miss Jocelyn's father, the mall-goers, and the even the countless unseen bodyguards expertly hidden around the mall and behind surveillance equipment. Perhaps there could even be some good connections in it for you? Like me! My, you're getting quite a deal out of this!" It sounded like Sleuth was trying to sell a junker, even after Jacky had already agreed to go along with it. "And if you want to hear a story, my good lady, I have some crackerjack yarns that will knock you out of your slacks far more effectively than my operator so ineptly just attempted to!"
As Hyde rattled on some extremely colorful language, no better suited for polite company than Sleuth's current attire, Sleuth began to think that the pair she'd just met had quite a story to tell on their own. "Oh, I know what you mean, old girl! There's something about boredom that just brings out the worst in all of us professionals. I, for instance, tend to walk around in my underwear and try to frame the events of a mystery to pin complex criminal activities on unassuming house-workers. You attempt to converse in illegible sentences, utilizing the native tongue of swarthy sailors. Not so different, you and I," Sleuth chuckled. She really wanted to meet her new acquaintance now; her inquisitive nature had her itching for action. Jacky shed some more light on the situation, causing Sleuth to return a big, excited grin that was probably the opposite of what Jacky wanted. "What a splendid character! She'd throw a monkey wrench into any proper mystery, I imagine, with her unpredictable nastiness and love for mischief. Riveting!" Hyde continued swearing. "And she sounds like she enjoys male genitalia and a good shag almost as much as I do, based on her vocabulary!" the detective joked, although, truth be told, listening to Hyde's language, while a fascinating sample of character study, was becoming somewhat grating. "If it's all the same to you, my dear Jacky, let us wait until Jocelyn returns before exchanging cards in person. A first impression is important and clothes can make the woman, after all, therefore, I would like to give Hyde the mistaken impression that I am a high-class detective, rather than the nosy dick that I actually am."
Jocelyn returned with surprising swiftness, now dressed in an outfit much more befitting of a mall cop, if not extremely outdated: a small, bell-shaped hat sat upon her head, a short-sleeved blue t-shirt, and long, black slacks. Now that she was dressed for the part, she was all ready to... leave on her trip. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Miss Jacky! Rodney wasn't happy that the thief escaped and that I'd gone over budget with my wardrobe for the day, so I had to spend a short while explaining myself to him. I hope that you and Sleuth have gotten acquainted now," she reintroduced herself, looking hopefully to Jacky.
"Oh, yes! On that note, I could really use my usual clothing back. You know, for the sake of appearance," Sleuth reminded her operator.
"Of course, of course. I'd be embarrassed if people saw me wearing only my undergarments as well. Modesty is important," Jocelyn concurred in a flurry of unintentional hypocrisy. "Don't worry though. I don't think modesty is actually so important. What's important is that everyone is happy~" she finished, clapping her hands together. "If it makes other people happy when you walk around with most of your hiney showing, then by all means, my friend."
"Let's switch topics!" Sleuth interjected, clapping her own hands now to drown out her operator. Once her clothing had been refreshed, Sleuth straightened up her hat, cleared her throat, and continued. "Thank you for agreeing to spend some time with us, Miss Jacky, Miss Hyde. We're off to spend some of our cash. Let's reconvene here upon the morrow; it will be a bright new day, we can give the mall some time to calm down from the awful fright they must be experiencing after today's heinous crime wave, and we'll be better suited for our next mission thanks to some fancy new upgrades. Does that suit you? Splendid!" Jocelyn, as if on queue, mounted the segway, gaining a bit of height over Jacky. "But first... to the office again! Your charger must be rested and watered, by which I mean you can't take your segway out of the mall."
"Thank you, I was confused for a moment!" Jocelyn responded. And thus, Jacky was abruptly left alone with Hyde, an abrupt and somewhat unsatisfying conclusion to her offer to help out. She'd have to wait for "the morrow" before learning what Sleuth had in store.
((To navi shop))
As Hyde rattled on some extremely colorful language, no better suited for polite company than Sleuth's current attire, Sleuth began to think that the pair she'd just met had quite a story to tell on their own. "Oh, I know what you mean, old girl! There's something about boredom that just brings out the worst in all of us professionals. I, for instance, tend to walk around in my underwear and try to frame the events of a mystery to pin complex criminal activities on unassuming house-workers. You attempt to converse in illegible sentences, utilizing the native tongue of swarthy sailors. Not so different, you and I," Sleuth chuckled. She really wanted to meet her new acquaintance now; her inquisitive nature had her itching for action. Jacky shed some more light on the situation, causing Sleuth to return a big, excited grin that was probably the opposite of what Jacky wanted. "What a splendid character! She'd throw a monkey wrench into any proper mystery, I imagine, with her unpredictable nastiness and love for mischief. Riveting!" Hyde continued swearing. "And she sounds like she enjoys male genitalia and a good shag almost as much as I do, based on her vocabulary!" the detective joked, although, truth be told, listening to Hyde's language, while a fascinating sample of character study, was becoming somewhat grating. "If it's all the same to you, my dear Jacky, let us wait until Jocelyn returns before exchanging cards in person. A first impression is important and clothes can make the woman, after all, therefore, I would like to give Hyde the mistaken impression that I am a high-class detective, rather than the nosy dick that I actually am."
Jocelyn returned with surprising swiftness, now dressed in an outfit much more befitting of a mall cop, if not extremely outdated: a small, bell-shaped hat sat upon her head, a short-sleeved blue t-shirt, and long, black slacks. Now that she was dressed for the part, she was all ready to... leave on her trip. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Miss Jacky! Rodney wasn't happy that the thief escaped and that I'd gone over budget with my wardrobe for the day, so I had to spend a short while explaining myself to him. I hope that you and Sleuth have gotten acquainted now," she reintroduced herself, looking hopefully to Jacky.
"Oh, yes! On that note, I could really use my usual clothing back. You know, for the sake of appearance," Sleuth reminded her operator.
"Of course, of course. I'd be embarrassed if people saw me wearing only my undergarments as well. Modesty is important," Jocelyn concurred in a flurry of unintentional hypocrisy. "Don't worry though. I don't think modesty is actually so important. What's important is that everyone is happy~" she finished, clapping her hands together. "If it makes other people happy when you walk around with most of your hiney showing, then by all means, my friend."
"Let's switch topics!" Sleuth interjected, clapping her own hands now to drown out her operator. Once her clothing had been refreshed, Sleuth straightened up her hat, cleared her throat, and continued. "Thank you for agreeing to spend some time with us, Miss Jacky, Miss Hyde. We're off to spend some of our cash. Let's reconvene here upon the morrow; it will be a bright new day, we can give the mall some time to calm down from the awful fright they must be experiencing after today's heinous crime wave, and we'll be better suited for our next mission thanks to some fancy new upgrades. Does that suit you? Splendid!" Jocelyn, as if on queue, mounted the segway, gaining a bit of height over Jacky. "But first... to the office again! Your charger must be rested and watered, by which I mean you can't take your segway out of the mall."
"Thank you, I was confused for a moment!" Jocelyn responded. And thus, Jacky was abruptly left alone with Hyde, an abrupt and somewhat unsatisfying conclusion to her offer to help out. She'd have to wait for "the morrow" before learning what Sleuth had in store.
((To navi shop))
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Jacky seemed to trust Sleuth's excuse that her clothing had been a necessary sacrifice. After all, her limited experience with Jocelyn already seemed to indicate that loss of clothing was an occupational hazard anyone could face at any time merely by associating with her. As such, the operator was able to regard Sleuth a bit more approvingly (or at least objectively) as she completed her explanation.
To most people, being suddenly told about a group of ninja bodyguards might seem like a bad joke, but Jacky didn't find it that hard to swallow. She had a logical mind, and it had unfortunately taken some very practical turns as she'd assessed Jocelyn's situation: particularly, how had she managed to stay safe (and for that matter, employed) with only a Navi to look out for her? The operator's ridiculous endowment combined with her incredible naivety seemed like something all kinds of predators would try to exploit. She appreciated Sleuth giving her an answer to one of her burning questions, but she could have done without the crack at her earlier peril.
Jacky remained quiet and let Sleuth do most of the talking. The Navi seemed like the sort who'd want to dominate a conversation, and Jacky didn't have half the imperative to interrupt, anyhow. "Truth be told, I don't know how much sexual experience or appreciation of the male form she is in possession of. I think it would be fair to assume, though, that she primarily wields that vocabulary as a blunt instrument in the service of shock entertainment."
Jocelyn returned, and Jacky felt another sigh of relief escape her as she saw Jocelyn had apparently been talked into dressing like an actual mall cop by somebody. That relief turned to despair again as she quickly learned whoever she'd been talking to was most likely the one who'd convinced her to dress down in the first place. She frowned deeply and adjusted her glasses once again. "I really don't think you should be that willing to concede," she muttered, but her low volume made it more or less a speech to herself.
She shook her head at Sleuth's offering of appreciation. "Not at all. I feel an imperative to help out." Once again, Sleuth dominated the conversation, and before she knew it Sleuth and Jocelyn had ridden off into the sunset. Apparently, she was to meet them again "upon the morrow," although she really had no idea what time that should be. She hadn't given them any way to contact her, either. "I guess I'd better be punctual..."
The operator stood for a moment longer, contemplating, before drawing her PET again. "You went quiet suddenly," she told her Navi. Indeed, the Navi had slowed down cursing as the other pair had departed. "Something on your mind?"
"Hm?" Hyde tilted her head, seeming to find the question odd. "Ah... I'm not sure if I'd been saying anything..."
"Yes, you certainly were." Jacky adjusted her glasses again, a quick, severe motion.
"Ah! Well then, I do apologize. As usual." Hyde bowed and squirmed a bit uncomfortably. "However, I am looking forward to making the acquaintance of another Navi. I'm sure there's something we can do to help out Ms. Jocelyn, but for my part, I'm more interested in meeting Sleuth. Did you know that I haven't had any contact with another Navi since my forced leave of absence?"
Jacky wasn't aware of that, could hardly believe it, and certainly wasn't thrilled to learn it. "No. The professor didn't mention that."
"Yes, well... I suppose we should head home and worry about it further tomorrow?"
Jacky nodded, and made her way out of the mall. Making her way down the sidewalk, she looked both ways. Seeing no one around, the operator addressed her Navi in a bit of a stuttery whisper. "What Sleuth was saying back there... d-do you have that kind of... experience?"
"I'm not sure what you're talking about," Hyde responded, adjusting her hat on her head. "Although, if I was going to do something like that, I would only do it with someone about, hm... thiii~iiis big," she commented, her face still looking innocent and her tone more or less conversational as she held up her cane and measured along its entire length with her free hand.
"Mm," Jacky whipped her face away from her PET where she'd been holding it close and kept on walking.
To most people, being suddenly told about a group of ninja bodyguards might seem like a bad joke, but Jacky didn't find it that hard to swallow. She had a logical mind, and it had unfortunately taken some very practical turns as she'd assessed Jocelyn's situation: particularly, how had she managed to stay safe (and for that matter, employed) with only a Navi to look out for her? The operator's ridiculous endowment combined with her incredible naivety seemed like something all kinds of predators would try to exploit. She appreciated Sleuth giving her an answer to one of her burning questions, but she could have done without the crack at her earlier peril.
Jacky remained quiet and let Sleuth do most of the talking. The Navi seemed like the sort who'd want to dominate a conversation, and Jacky didn't have half the imperative to interrupt, anyhow. "Truth be told, I don't know how much sexual experience or appreciation of the male form she is in possession of. I think it would be fair to assume, though, that she primarily wields that vocabulary as a blunt instrument in the service of shock entertainment."
Jocelyn returned, and Jacky felt another sigh of relief escape her as she saw Jocelyn had apparently been talked into dressing like an actual mall cop by somebody. That relief turned to despair again as she quickly learned whoever she'd been talking to was most likely the one who'd convinced her to dress down in the first place. She frowned deeply and adjusted her glasses once again. "I really don't think you should be that willing to concede," she muttered, but her low volume made it more or less a speech to herself.
She shook her head at Sleuth's offering of appreciation. "Not at all. I feel an imperative to help out." Once again, Sleuth dominated the conversation, and before she knew it Sleuth and Jocelyn had ridden off into the sunset. Apparently, she was to meet them again "upon the morrow," although she really had no idea what time that should be. She hadn't given them any way to contact her, either. "I guess I'd better be punctual..."
The operator stood for a moment longer, contemplating, before drawing her PET again. "You went quiet suddenly," she told her Navi. Indeed, the Navi had slowed down cursing as the other pair had departed. "Something on your mind?"
"Hm?" Hyde tilted her head, seeming to find the question odd. "Ah... I'm not sure if I'd been saying anything..."
"Yes, you certainly were." Jacky adjusted her glasses again, a quick, severe motion.
"Ah! Well then, I do apologize. As usual." Hyde bowed and squirmed a bit uncomfortably. "However, I am looking forward to making the acquaintance of another Navi. I'm sure there's something we can do to help out Ms. Jocelyn, but for my part, I'm more interested in meeting Sleuth. Did you know that I haven't had any contact with another Navi since my forced leave of absence?"
Jacky wasn't aware of that, could hardly believe it, and certainly wasn't thrilled to learn it. "No. The professor didn't mention that."
"Yes, well... I suppose we should head home and worry about it further tomorrow?"
Jacky nodded, and made her way out of the mall. Making her way down the sidewalk, she looked both ways. Seeing no one around, the operator addressed her Navi in a bit of a stuttery whisper. "What Sleuth was saying back there... d-do you have that kind of... experience?"
"I'm not sure what you're talking about," Hyde responded, adjusting her hat on her head. "Although, if I was going to do something like that, I would only do it with someone about, hm... thiii~iiis big," she commented, her face still looking innocent and her tone more or less conversational as she held up her cane and measured along its entire length with her free hand.
"Mm," Jacky whipped her face away from her PET where she'd been holding it close and kept on walking.
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After acquiring their navi upgrades at Suitachi's, the dynamic duo of Sleuth and Jocelyn had returned to Netopia and promptly headed home for the night, it being far too late to start on their new mission at the time. In the morning, they'd taken up a new mission, and with the two of them each having a renewed sense of purpose, they headed in to work. "Thank you for asking me to assist with this mission, Sleuth! I won't let you down, I promise," the operator beamed, clapping her gloved hands together as she rolled out from the staff office on her prized segway. Today, she was dressed in her ordinary uniform; although she'd been given the day off-duty, she figured it wouldn't hurt to wear the outfit around regardless. In truth, that wasn't exactly good practice for security personnel, but she wasn't aware and nobody seemed to care enough to tell her. There were usually far more worrisome topics to address, where the young lady was concerned. "We're lucky there was a mission so well-suited for our talents, though."
"I dare say you're correct, my dear Jocelyn," Sleuth responded, feeling plucky and go-get-em in the morning sun. She reflected for a moment that it was odd that the sun in the outside world should energize her, with her being a navi and all, but there was something about the mood that was infectious. "Your recently honed skills in the art of budgeting for night-wear and my expertise in exorcism should make us invaluable in this affair. But in all seriousness, I'm just happy that it happens to fall into the realm of one of your confirmed talents. Not that there is anything wrong with your pool of skills, but let's just say... it's not the widest pool to wade through," Sleuth murmured, ending up sounding more critical than she meant to.
Thankfully, Jocelyn took no offense. "Indeed. God favors hard workers! That's what daddy always taught me and I've endeavored to live my life my those words," she sighed, shielding her eyes and staring cheerfully up to the glass roof of the outer-most part of the food court, where the sun shone beautifully down upon the scant early-morning mall crowd. At these times, the only people who tended to roam around were those who were obligated to be there by there jobs. "I'm sure Miss Jacky will be happy to work with us. She seems quite a capable woman herself, even if she lets her emotions cloud her judgment some times."
"Well, I agree with you that she'll be a help and a willing aid, anyway," Sleuth shrugged, not wanting to go the painful route of trying to explain the previous Hyde-instigated incident to her operator. "For this mission, our goal is primarily to help our employer, but let us not forget that our secondary goal is for you to foster growth in some of the wits you've long needed to nurture. Practicality, knowledge, rationality, skepticism, faith in your own ideals, a set of ideals to have faith in... all are traits you must grasp hold of. Honestly, you're like a blank slate that needs to be painted upon. That said, please don't offer to let anyone paint on you... unless it coincides with the mission. Then, we'll evaluate the option carefully before continuing," she warned her operator.
"It all sounds terribly difficult," Jocelyn sighed, closing her eyes and pressing one hand daintily to her cheek. "I hope you'll be able to guide me through it. At any rate, back to Miss Jacky! Let's find her and inform her of the mission. Luckily, I know just the way to get her attention!" Still equipped with her segway and all of her equipment, Jocelyn retrieved her trusty radio, which was capable of linking directly to intercom. "Ahem! Miss Jacky! Please meet Miss Sleuth and I in the food court at your earliest convenience. On your way here, if you could kindly log into the GNA mission board and stamp your approval on our task, it would be much appreciated. Sleuth has left the request open for you. Thank you! Everyone, have a lovely morning~" she finished, then promptly replaced the mic in its slot. That likely would have bugged most of the mall, if the weren't use to it, for one, and if Jocelyn's voice wasn't so darn sunshiney and pleasant.
"... I hope our employer isn't too close. You're being rather loud about our secret mission. Then again, I don't think anyone would suspect you or I of doing any real, straight-laced detective work," her navi chuckled dryly.
"I dare say you're correct, my dear Jocelyn," Sleuth responded, feeling plucky and go-get-em in the morning sun. She reflected for a moment that it was odd that the sun in the outside world should energize her, with her being a navi and all, but there was something about the mood that was infectious. "Your recently honed skills in the art of budgeting for night-wear and my expertise in exorcism should make us invaluable in this affair. But in all seriousness, I'm just happy that it happens to fall into the realm of one of your confirmed talents. Not that there is anything wrong with your pool of skills, but let's just say... it's not the widest pool to wade through," Sleuth murmured, ending up sounding more critical than she meant to.
Thankfully, Jocelyn took no offense. "Indeed. God favors hard workers! That's what daddy always taught me and I've endeavored to live my life my those words," she sighed, shielding her eyes and staring cheerfully up to the glass roof of the outer-most part of the food court, where the sun shone beautifully down upon the scant early-morning mall crowd. At these times, the only people who tended to roam around were those who were obligated to be there by there jobs. "I'm sure Miss Jacky will be happy to work with us. She seems quite a capable woman herself, even if she lets her emotions cloud her judgment some times."
"Well, I agree with you that she'll be a help and a willing aid, anyway," Sleuth shrugged, not wanting to go the painful route of trying to explain the previous Hyde-instigated incident to her operator. "For this mission, our goal is primarily to help our employer, but let us not forget that our secondary goal is for you to foster growth in some of the wits you've long needed to nurture. Practicality, knowledge, rationality, skepticism, faith in your own ideals, a set of ideals to have faith in... all are traits you must grasp hold of. Honestly, you're like a blank slate that needs to be painted upon. That said, please don't offer to let anyone paint on you... unless it coincides with the mission. Then, we'll evaluate the option carefully before continuing," she warned her operator.
"It all sounds terribly difficult," Jocelyn sighed, closing her eyes and pressing one hand daintily to her cheek. "I hope you'll be able to guide me through it. At any rate, back to Miss Jacky! Let's find her and inform her of the mission. Luckily, I know just the way to get her attention!" Still equipped with her segway and all of her equipment, Jocelyn retrieved her trusty radio, which was capable of linking directly to intercom. "Ahem! Miss Jacky! Please meet Miss Sleuth and I in the food court at your earliest convenience. On your way here, if you could kindly log into the GNA mission board and stamp your approval on our task, it would be much appreciated. Sleuth has left the request open for you. Thank you! Everyone, have a lovely morning~" she finished, then promptly replaced the mic in its slot. That likely would have bugged most of the mall, if the weren't use to it, for one, and if Jocelyn's voice wasn't so darn sunshiney and pleasant.
"... I hope our employer isn't too close. You're being rather loud about our secret mission. Then again, I don't think anyone would suspect you or I of doing any real, straight-laced detective work," her navi chuckled dryly.
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Jacky was already in the food court, having arrived obscenely early in an attempt to meet up with Jocelyn no matter when "upon the morrow" was supposed to be. Waking up was one of the many employable talents the student had already attempted to foster. That said, she was fast asleep, passed out at one of the tables. She'd lost so much sleep worrying about the next day and dealing with various Hyde-related antics in the middle of the night, even going to bed early hadn't done much for her. As a result, the ordinarily composed operator lay with her head face-down in her arms, which rested on the table before her.
Hyde had considerately spent a minute or two trying to rouse her operator before launching into as many antics as she could with no one to stop her. However, all of her cursing, fart noises, and flashing of skin fell on deaf ears. Her operator appeared to be out cold, and there really wasn't anyone around to get the attention of. "What kind of mall cop is that Jocelyn? Maybe she's off duty," the Navi mused sourly.
Bored out of her mind, Hyde decided not to waste her efforts and sat cross-legged, taking a swig of her brew to let her dull nature take over again. Back in a calmer state of mind, the new Hyde tried a couple more times to wake Jacky before realizing the last thing she needed to do was raise her voice enough to attract some strange passerby and alert them to an unoperated PET and a defenseless girl. The Navi decided to simply stay quiet and meditate...
... Even for her, that got pretty boring pretty quickly, so Hyde spent some time browsing information boards. This was the activity she was currently engaged in when Jocelyn's voice suddenly split through the mall.
"zzzzmgrguuh can ONLY BE PROVEN, NEVER DISPROVEN," Jacky suddenly shouted, jolting back to life. "Wah? Uh... Hyde?"
"Welcome back to the world of the waking," Hyde greeted her operator with a bow. "You seem to have dozed off. Jocelyn appears to have used a mall PA system to try and contact you."
Jacky blushed deeply as the picture of what happened cleared up in her head. "How long was I... No, never mind. More importantly, what did Jocelyn say?"
"Jocelyn instructed us to meet her in the food court, and advised we accept a mission she requested from the GNA in the meantime. Apparently, this is the task Ms. Sleuth was informing us of... she may be using this to try and facilitate deep thinking in her operator."
Jacky scowled, looking like she just wanted to roll back over and fall asleep again. "Deep thinking? We're already in the food court," the operator complained, still feeling groggy. "Surely she must have realized that, with no further instructions given, we'd simply return to the location from the previous day."
"I really don't think that's fair to Ms. Jocelyn. There's a plant right behind you, see? If Jocelyn approaches from inside the mall, she can't see you here. Only from the outside. Did you consider she may have arrived before you and been performing her early duties?"
Jacky couldn't argue with that, and she had chosen a pretty bad spot to try and be noticed... "Fair enough," Jacky returned, rising to her feet and removing her frames to brush sleep from her eyes. She wasn't wearing her labcoat today, and the eye flakes fell lightly onto her plain turtleneck. "It's nice when I can count on you for responsible feedback."
Hyde knew that was a bit of a loaded compliment, intentionally or not, and smiled a bit tightly. "Yes, well, I'm happy to provide it. Shall I go and find out about our mission while you meet up with Jocelyn?"
"Yes, thank you," the operator said, brushing herself down and returning her glasses to her face. Excluding the slight dark rings beneath her eyes, Jacky had more or less regained her average level of presentability. Not giving much more thought to the fact that she had just allowed Hyde to go and participate in communication with a global Net entity of considerable clout, not to mention more or less determine her own course throughout the day, Jacky quickly spotted Jocelyn and made her way over.
The mall cop looked like she was radiating energy this morning, and in spite of her reservations, Jacky was happy to see it. She needed another person with energy to spare. "Good morning, Jocelyn. Hyde's currently investigating the GNA request, so soon she should be ready to engage. How are you?" The operator stifled a yawn and offered Jocelyn a small smile, blissfully unaware that the type of mission which had been requested would require the two of them to act as partners in more than just Navi operations.
Hyde had considerately spent a minute or two trying to rouse her operator before launching into as many antics as she could with no one to stop her. However, all of her cursing, fart noises, and flashing of skin fell on deaf ears. Her operator appeared to be out cold, and there really wasn't anyone around to get the attention of. "What kind of mall cop is that Jocelyn? Maybe she's off duty," the Navi mused sourly.
Bored out of her mind, Hyde decided not to waste her efforts and sat cross-legged, taking a swig of her brew to let her dull nature take over again. Back in a calmer state of mind, the new Hyde tried a couple more times to wake Jacky before realizing the last thing she needed to do was raise her voice enough to attract some strange passerby and alert them to an unoperated PET and a defenseless girl. The Navi decided to simply stay quiet and meditate...
... Even for her, that got pretty boring pretty quickly, so Hyde spent some time browsing information boards. This was the activity she was currently engaged in when Jocelyn's voice suddenly split through the mall.
"zzzzmgrguuh can ONLY BE PROVEN, NEVER DISPROVEN," Jacky suddenly shouted, jolting back to life. "Wah? Uh... Hyde?"
"Welcome back to the world of the waking," Hyde greeted her operator with a bow. "You seem to have dozed off. Jocelyn appears to have used a mall PA system to try and contact you."
Jacky blushed deeply as the picture of what happened cleared up in her head. "How long was I... No, never mind. More importantly, what did Jocelyn say?"
"Jocelyn instructed us to meet her in the food court, and advised we accept a mission she requested from the GNA in the meantime. Apparently, this is the task Ms. Sleuth was informing us of... she may be using this to try and facilitate deep thinking in her operator."
Jacky scowled, looking like she just wanted to roll back over and fall asleep again. "Deep thinking? We're already in the food court," the operator complained, still feeling groggy. "Surely she must have realized that, with no further instructions given, we'd simply return to the location from the previous day."
"I really don't think that's fair to Ms. Jocelyn. There's a plant right behind you, see? If Jocelyn approaches from inside the mall, she can't see you here. Only from the outside. Did you consider she may have arrived before you and been performing her early duties?"
Jacky couldn't argue with that, and she had chosen a pretty bad spot to try and be noticed... "Fair enough," Jacky returned, rising to her feet and removing her frames to brush sleep from her eyes. She wasn't wearing her labcoat today, and the eye flakes fell lightly onto her plain turtleneck. "It's nice when I can count on you for responsible feedback."
Hyde knew that was a bit of a loaded compliment, intentionally or not, and smiled a bit tightly. "Yes, well, I'm happy to provide it. Shall I go and find out about our mission while you meet up with Jocelyn?"
"Yes, thank you," the operator said, brushing herself down and returning her glasses to her face. Excluding the slight dark rings beneath her eyes, Jacky had more or less regained her average level of presentability. Not giving much more thought to the fact that she had just allowed Hyde to go and participate in communication with a global Net entity of considerable clout, not to mention more or less determine her own course throughout the day, Jacky quickly spotted Jocelyn and made her way over.
The mall cop looked like she was radiating energy this morning, and in spite of her reservations, Jacky was happy to see it. She needed another person with energy to spare. "Good morning, Jocelyn. Hyde's currently investigating the GNA request, so soon she should be ready to engage. How are you?" The operator stifled a yawn and offered Jocelyn a small smile, blissfully unaware that the type of mission which had been requested would require the two of them to act as partners in more than just Navi operations.
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Before Jocelyn could even begin to think about how to pass the time while waiting on Jacky to show up, the other operator set aside the concern by appearing immediately and greeting her, indicating that she must have been in the food court already when the summons was given. "Good morning! I'm doing very well, but I'll be doing even better once we head off to the Shamus Austin Mall and start serving the general good, as our mission handler has requested of us! I'm not certain if Hyde has explained it all to you or if you've looked into it yourself, but there are nasty doings afoot, very serious. It sounds like it may be theft... or, attempted theft? Either way, an item has gone missing and we will most likely be responsible for retrieving it and finding out who took it. Of course, that's all in a day's work for me, but I'm not certain if you have any prior mall cop experience. Therefore, if at any time you need any pointers or someone to help you understand the correct methods to use, please look no further than myself," Jocelyn offered. At this point, Jacky might find Jocelyn's confidence on the subject to be blind and misguided, but Jocelyn felt it genuinely herself, at least.
"Jocelyn, please keep in mind that our employer might not be... how should I say it... picking the operations that you're best suited for quite in the same way that Rodney does," Sleuth warned her operator, leaning on her cane as she spoke. "That means that we may ourselves doing something more ill-suited to our talents. There will also be limits to how thoroughly the rest of your security team can watch over you. All I'm saying is, it is of paramount importance that we take caution in how we conduct our business in that mall. Remember: this mission is about gaining prudence and judiciousness, and neither of those things will come unless you start by considering your own safety." That said, when Sleuth got into her own leg of the mission, she'd probably be pushing everyone's buttons like she always did without a thought or care for her own well-being.
"Yes, of course. Remember, I passed training and got certified to become the mall security officer that I am today! I believe I know a thing or two about how to handle myself in a mall security investigation," the operator reminded her navi, taking a bit of offense. "Now, let's hurry Jacky! The mall in question is but a short distance away. I should warn you, Rodney has said a lot of unkind things about them already. He considers them competition, and thus, to some extent, I'll have to think of them that way myself. But, in truth, I like to think that all malls can join hands and live in harmony... growing the sanctity of all malls with togetherness, in harmony! I'm sure that we can obtain a beautiful world like that," Jocelyn sighed happily. "That all starts with this mission. They'll see that two malls can come together in one happy communion."
"... My dear, we already have an abundance of objectives to keep in mind. Let's not add silly ones on top of those," Sleuth sighed in a far less cheerful way. "Remember: she who keeps her head in the clouds may soon find it minced by a passing helicopter! There's a phrase that goes something like that, anyway. Not that helicopters are chief amongst my concerns in this upcoming case."
After what seemed like eons of rambling, Jocelyn headed outside... still riding her segway. "The ground is quite even, meaning that, over a small distance, I can safely ride from here to the neighboring mall! It's quite convenient, isn't it?" she chuckled, smiling at her new caretaker. "I think it gives me an air of authority, even when I'm not on my 'home turf,' so to speak!" It did give her some added height and possibly make her look a bit more authoritative, but nothing Jocelyn did would ever make her look menacing to lawbreakers.
((Heading to mission topic in Netopia))
"Jocelyn, please keep in mind that our employer might not be... how should I say it... picking the operations that you're best suited for quite in the same way that Rodney does," Sleuth warned her operator, leaning on her cane as she spoke. "That means that we may ourselves doing something more ill-suited to our talents. There will also be limits to how thoroughly the rest of your security team can watch over you. All I'm saying is, it is of paramount importance that we take caution in how we conduct our business in that mall. Remember: this mission is about gaining prudence and judiciousness, and neither of those things will come unless you start by considering your own safety." That said, when Sleuth got into her own leg of the mission, she'd probably be pushing everyone's buttons like she always did without a thought or care for her own well-being.
"Yes, of course. Remember, I passed training and got certified to become the mall security officer that I am today! I believe I know a thing or two about how to handle myself in a mall security investigation," the operator reminded her navi, taking a bit of offense. "Now, let's hurry Jacky! The mall in question is but a short distance away. I should warn you, Rodney has said a lot of unkind things about them already. He considers them competition, and thus, to some extent, I'll have to think of them that way myself. But, in truth, I like to think that all malls can join hands and live in harmony... growing the sanctity of all malls with togetherness, in harmony! I'm sure that we can obtain a beautiful world like that," Jocelyn sighed happily. "That all starts with this mission. They'll see that two malls can come together in one happy communion."
"... My dear, we already have an abundance of objectives to keep in mind. Let's not add silly ones on top of those," Sleuth sighed in a far less cheerful way. "Remember: she who keeps her head in the clouds may soon find it minced by a passing helicopter! There's a phrase that goes something like that, anyway. Not that helicopters are chief amongst my concerns in this upcoming case."
After what seemed like eons of rambling, Jocelyn headed outside... still riding her segway. "The ground is quite even, meaning that, over a small distance, I can safely ride from here to the neighboring mall! It's quite convenient, isn't it?" she chuckled, smiling at her new caretaker. "I think it gives me an air of authority, even when I'm not on my 'home turf,' so to speak!" It did give her some added height and possibly make her look a bit more authoritative, but nothing Jocelyn did would ever make her look menacing to lawbreakers.
((Heading to mission topic in Netopia))
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Jacky's eyebrows peaked behind her thick frames after hearing of a theft. "No, I haven't heard anything about a theft. I have to wonder why the person in question hasn't contacted the NetPolice or even mall security. We'll need to apply some scrutiny to our mission in order to ensure we aren't inadvertently stepping into shady dealings ourselves. And, ah... I don't have any prior mall cop experience," she added unnecessarily. "I suppose if there are any areas which wouldn't be apparent to the average civilian, I'll have to rely on your expertise."
The operator continued to listen warily, again marveling that Jocelyn had passed training and become certified to be a mall cop. After hearing her back story, she was more or less convinced that Jocelyn had somehow been handed the position as a favor from a powerful benefactor. Then again, she supposed she couldn't count her as a reliable narrator of even her own circumstances.
Still frowning, she watched as Jocelyn boarded her means of transportation and started making for the other mall. "I'll... follow your lead," she sighed, walking at the leisurely pace that was afforded by following someone riding a segway outdoors. "Although I have to wonder if they're going to allow you in the mall riding on that..."
Jacky found herself considering the other mall. What if she had walked there instead of to Gloria Scott to begin her acclimation to Hyde? She might never have met Jocelyn, and might be in a completely different situation...
"I'm curious to see how these two malls compare," Hyde spoke up. "It's most interesting that they were constructed directly apart from each other. I wonder if they specialize in different commodities?"
"Yes and no," Jacky replied. "The two malls have nearly the same commodities, but offered by different brands. To be honest, I think some often mistakenly believe the two malls are related, and are two halves of one complex... In reality, I understand they are in fierce competition. Of course, that's based on my limited understanding. It's quite a peculiar situation, and worth studying if one has an interest in economics. Did you handle the mission request, by the way?"
"Oh yes, I issued a response. Nothing out of the ordinary," Hyde commented. As far as she knew, that was the truth.
"Mm... thanks, then." Curious to learn the circumstances of their mission, Jacky pressed onward.
The operator continued to listen warily, again marveling that Jocelyn had passed training and become certified to be a mall cop. After hearing her back story, she was more or less convinced that Jocelyn had somehow been handed the position as a favor from a powerful benefactor. Then again, she supposed she couldn't count her as a reliable narrator of even her own circumstances.
Still frowning, she watched as Jocelyn boarded her means of transportation and started making for the other mall. "I'll... follow your lead," she sighed, walking at the leisurely pace that was afforded by following someone riding a segway outdoors. "Although I have to wonder if they're going to allow you in the mall riding on that..."
Jacky found herself considering the other mall. What if she had walked there instead of to Gloria Scott to begin her acclimation to Hyde? She might never have met Jocelyn, and might be in a completely different situation...
"I'm curious to see how these two malls compare," Hyde spoke up. "It's most interesting that they were constructed directly apart from each other. I wonder if they specialize in different commodities?"
"Yes and no," Jacky replied. "The two malls have nearly the same commodities, but offered by different brands. To be honest, I think some often mistakenly believe the two malls are related, and are two halves of one complex... In reality, I understand they are in fierce competition. Of course, that's based on my limited understanding. It's quite a peculiar situation, and worth studying if one has an interest in economics. Did you handle the mission request, by the way?"
"Oh yes, I issued a response. Nothing out of the ordinary," Hyde commented. As far as she knew, that was the truth.
"Mm... thanks, then." Curious to learn the circumstances of their mission, Jacky pressed onward.