Regardless of any water droplets flung onto him from Jenny, Jon seemed to be perfectly content hearing that Rania seemed to have calmed Jenny down somehow. "Yes, Jenny?" he asked in a remarkably conversational tone, given the tension in the air. He stiffened up again, however, when he felt Jenny's arms on his shoulders. "Jenny," he hissed in a pointed whisper, sounding like he either planned to chastise her or at least remind her she wasn't well, before Jenny furthered her advance by pushing her bare breasts upon his back. That got him to shut up for a bit while she talked. "Rania? What are you talking about?" he murmured quietly. If there was any reaction at all upon this topic, it was hard to tell, given that his back was straight and rigid as always and his face was completely covered. "Pretty?" he parroted back, sounding a bit scoffing. "I suppose. She has a sense of responsibility that others lack, I'll give her that, but she never goes quite far enough. She's so taken with this idea of... personal achievement, you know? I've always thought she lacks the understanding of a bigger picture, ways to help others that go beyond personal glory. Real service... that's something she doesn't comprehend. It requires obedience to the NetPolice, first of all," he lectured. If there was a way to defuse the sexiness out of a naked girl and naked guy hugging together in an empty locker room, he'd found it.
Still, he wasn't blind to what Jenny was doing. "Jenny... I don't mean to scold you, especially given my role in all of this, but we are both currently... without," he emphasized, obviously meaning clothes. "It's quite indecent of both of us to be gossiping in such conditions." From her position, Jenny could see that he'd clasped both hands at his lap for modesty's sake, blocking her view of something she might otherwise be interested in. It looked like, the immediately blocked area aside, he was pretty hairless, most likely by means of shaving... he did seem pretty serious about swimming. "Why, are you interested in Rania?" he asked, a question that seemed especially tonedeaf and incredible given the circumstances. "Or... do you imagine you're setting me up with Rania? There's nothing to set up, I assure you of that. She's got to mature before I'll be interested in any relationship like that." He seemed to feel her breasts against his back again and adjusted his sitting position. "Mature in terms of character, that is." That sounded a bit guilty... If Jenny was reading into it, she could certainly begin to understand that Jon preferred a body with a different build than Rania's own.
For her part, Rania had already retrieved the swimsuit; it didn't take that long, after all, to find one abandoned on a weekend like this. She had not reintroduced herself, however; she instead peeked out from behind a locker, watching Jenny's hips wiggle as she hugged Jon from behind, both of them completely naked. Her face had gone red as a beet again, but she tried to stay quiet and hidden for now... It looked like Jenny was, er, "recovering," and like maybe she and Jon had discovered some chemistry, whispering together in that position... She did not feel it would be proper to interrupt that. Worse yet, Jenny might begin to be hard on herself again. "Best to let them... h-have fun," she thought, having a hard time saying that even in her head. She couldn't help but feel jealous of Jenny, but that thought was far eclipsed by her terror that either Jon would start angrily reprimanding Jenny, Jenny would start bashfully reprimanding herself, or... possibly worse... that Jenny would keep up her current method of attack and she might be watching something altogether different in a few moments.
Dentech University All-School's Athletics Meet and Open Day
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That was how one was supposed to start this kind of thing, wasn't it? Jenny's thoughts had finally caught up to her mouth words, but they were still scrambling. That was how one started; coyly asking leading questions about a friend, to put the guy off balance a bit, and because you couldn't just ask them about yourself or anything so blunt... So... she'd done that, but... Now she wasn't sure what to do with the response, or where this type of flirting was supposed to go from there. A small frown crossed her lips, though there was no-one to see. It also didn't sound like there was actually anything saucy or interesting going on with Rania and Jon either, which, she had to admit, was a little bit disappointing.
As much as she would rather have hidden it, a small start had passed through her when Jon asked if she was actually interested in Rania herself. A crimson blush flared back into her cheeks more voraciously than it had yet today and she was shaking her head before she caught herself.
"Uhm... Ah, no... no, I'm not a... Ah... I'm... Shhh." Sure, maybe the only non parental figure she had ever kissed had been another girl, but it was precisely because it was a girl, and she wasn't interested in women, that Jenny was able to reassure herself that it didn't really count as a first kiss anyway and could be safely stricken from the record. She pressed on Jon's shoulders enough to push herself upright again, then fanned at her face with a hand quickly. So much for practising being sexy. The momentary faltering had allowed her inner gossip to take the helm back from her hormones, enough for her to murmur in a tone that spoke of her disappointment.
"Well, that's no fun at all. And having to work for the NP seems like a really silly requirement on whether you want to go with someone or not... don't they have rules against that, anyway? Like, workplace fraternising and stuff?" While Jon's responses might have drained most of the sexy out of the air, the diversion seemed to be helping Jenny's ability to actually talk in full sentences too. She reached out to poke him gently in one shoulder with a finger. "I mean, what if you fell in love with some girl, and then later you found out she's got a navi that works for the Mafia? You'd just dump her, no matter how you felt? That's silly."
Where was Rania, anyway? She was taking a long time... and in the cool of the change rooms she was actually starting to get a bit cold, even dried off now. Getting back out into the sun would be good, as soon a she could do it with something approaching proper clothes on. The racier of her thoughts and ideas gave a last futile struggle to drive the girl to hormone-controlled mistakes, then relented with a and Jenny took a last, vaguely regretful peek over Jon's shoulder before backing away fully. She was feeling just a little bit mischievous though, and let her steps carry her along the bench, reaching a hand down to silently draw Jon's bathers along it to the other end from where the boy sat. then she picked them up and hung them on one of the clothing hooks above the bench there as well. Pefect.
That done, the younger woman went looking for her friend, glancing about for her as she passed the corner of the lockers. Her towel was still done up in her hair, leaving the rest of her completely exposed, but the detail didn't seem to be much on Jenny's mind, so long as there were no boys involved. The other thought that didn't seem to bother her, at this stage, was the likelihood that she was wandering away while Jon was, in all probability offering her a formal and dry response to her question.
As much as she would rather have hidden it, a small start had passed through her when Jon asked if she was actually interested in Rania herself. A crimson blush flared back into her cheeks more voraciously than it had yet today and she was shaking her head before she caught herself.
"Uhm... Ah, no... no, I'm not a... Ah... I'm... Shhh." Sure, maybe the only non parental figure she had ever kissed had been another girl, but it was precisely because it was a girl, and she wasn't interested in women, that Jenny was able to reassure herself that it didn't really count as a first kiss anyway and could be safely stricken from the record. She pressed on Jon's shoulders enough to push herself upright again, then fanned at her face with a hand quickly. So much for practising being sexy. The momentary faltering had allowed her inner gossip to take the helm back from her hormones, enough for her to murmur in a tone that spoke of her disappointment.
"Well, that's no fun at all. And having to work for the NP seems like a really silly requirement on whether you want to go with someone or not... don't they have rules against that, anyway? Like, workplace fraternising and stuff?" While Jon's responses might have drained most of the sexy out of the air, the diversion seemed to be helping Jenny's ability to actually talk in full sentences too. She reached out to poke him gently in one shoulder with a finger. "I mean, what if you fell in love with some girl, and then later you found out she's got a navi that works for the Mafia? You'd just dump her, no matter how you felt? That's silly."
Where was Rania, anyway? She was taking a long time... and in the cool of the change rooms she was actually starting to get a bit cold, even dried off now. Getting back out into the sun would be good, as soon a she could do it with something approaching proper clothes on. The racier of her thoughts and ideas gave a last futile struggle to drive the girl to hormone-controlled mistakes, then relented with a and Jenny took a last, vaguely regretful peek over Jon's shoulder before backing away fully. She was feeling just a little bit mischievous though, and let her steps carry her along the bench, reaching a hand down to silently draw Jon's bathers along it to the other end from where the boy sat. then she picked them up and hung them on one of the clothing hooks above the bench there as well. Pefect.
That done, the younger woman went looking for her friend, glancing about for her as she passed the corner of the lockers. Her towel was still done up in her hair, leaving the rest of her completely exposed, but the detail didn't seem to be much on Jenny's mind, so long as there were no boys involved. The other thought that didn't seem to bother her, at this stage, was the likelihood that she was wandering away while Jon was, in all probability offering her a formal and dry response to her question.
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Jon's head turned slightly, though it was still hidden beneath a towel, as he heard Jenny's reaction when questioned about her feelings towards Rania. "It's perfectly fine if you are," he attempted to calm her, shifting slightly on the bench as he did. "Truth be told, she's a fairly responsible person all around; her sense of civic responsibility is not up to my own standard, but well exceeds those of most. I can hardly discourage you if you wish to pursue her." If one wasn't privy to his personality, it might seem like he was teasing her.
He raised his neck, perhaps acting with indignation, at Jenny's correct diagnosis that his lack of interest in his long-time classmate was not very fun and that his romance requirements were unnecessarily restrictive. "Ha ha ha," he managed to laugh, "no no, there are no rules against fraternizing in the police force. You have to understand that in many ways the NetPolice are simply citizens, just citizens with a great sense of personal responsibility. Now, I myself would cherish a rule like that; it would keep everyone more focused on their objectives. However, I concede that in a world where the police must compete on even footing for membership with both the mafia and a ludicrous group of bikini-clad women using spears in a world where automatic weapons could be considered substandard, they cannot afford to be so selective with their membership."
The riotous, fun debate continued, with Jon extolling more of his virtues. "It might sound uptight, but I couldn't consider becoming romantically involved with a woman who does not properly appreciate the work done by the NetPolice. Imagine policing a world where the mafia are presented as a public alternative to the police force... the infinite space of the net, where all weapons are legal and the citizenry includes not just humanoids, but also beasts, robots, ghosts, dragons, minotaurs... whatever fantastic creature you can imagine roams with very few restrictions of movement. Only the NetPolice can be relied upon for this monumental task, and frankly, I believe it is the responsibility of all of us on our side to support them. If we do not, the net shall fail," he explained, gesturing with one hand so that his member was hidden only by one. "Falling in love with a mafia supporter would be a great failure in judgment; I'm not certain I could raise my head proud in such a moment. Still, anyone who would place a fling over their civic duty doesn't deserve to wear the NetPolice badge."
Jon apparently didn't deserve to wear anything, badge or otherwise, as Jenny snatched his one garment, excluding the towel, and hung it away from his easy reach. Rania saw it and raised an eyebrow. Between the teasing and the trickery, though, it looked like Jenny was in a good mood, even though it also seemed like Jon was being his usual, socially repellant self. Rania counted that as a blessing. Furthermore, they hadn't jumped into anything worse in terms of lewdness... and after thinking about it, she was glad about that as well.
Rania wasn't hard to find when Jenny looked for her; she took that moment to fully emerge from behind the locker, carrying the change of swimsuit. "Here you are! Luckily, they aren't particularly size dependent... so you don't have to worry about stretching it," she said with a smile. "So, what did you and Jon talk about? I only caught the back end about the NetPolice, and I could have guessed that part, unfortunately. My navi's part of the NetPolice, you know, but um... I don't know that I've ever seen a navi that does less for the force than he does, but, well-"
"Listen to yourself... that's not the sort of thing you should admit out loud," Jon sighed deeply. "And what is your navi doing right now? Anything to fix that reputation?"
For a moment, Rania narrowed her eyes contemplatively... what was MeleeMan doing, exactly? She hadn't checked back on him at all... Perhaps that was her trying to distance herself from him for a bit so she could get into touch with her wild side, living vicariously along with Jenny. "Just a bit longer... it'll be interesting to see how the mission went without my interference. This might prove Jon's point about the net needing policing," she joked, smiling a bit. "Well, Jenny, just say 'when' after your dressed. Then Jon can er... finally make himself presentable."
"Indeed," he agreed, nodding his towel slowly while his fingers tapped against the bench beneath him.
He raised his neck, perhaps acting with indignation, at Jenny's correct diagnosis that his lack of interest in his long-time classmate was not very fun and that his romance requirements were unnecessarily restrictive. "Ha ha ha," he managed to laugh, "no no, there are no rules against fraternizing in the police force. You have to understand that in many ways the NetPolice are simply citizens, just citizens with a great sense of personal responsibility. Now, I myself would cherish a rule like that; it would keep everyone more focused on their objectives. However, I concede that in a world where the police must compete on even footing for membership with both the mafia and a ludicrous group of bikini-clad women using spears in a world where automatic weapons could be considered substandard, they cannot afford to be so selective with their membership."
The riotous, fun debate continued, with Jon extolling more of his virtues. "It might sound uptight, but I couldn't consider becoming romantically involved with a woman who does not properly appreciate the work done by the NetPolice. Imagine policing a world where the mafia are presented as a public alternative to the police force... the infinite space of the net, where all weapons are legal and the citizenry includes not just humanoids, but also beasts, robots, ghosts, dragons, minotaurs... whatever fantastic creature you can imagine roams with very few restrictions of movement. Only the NetPolice can be relied upon for this monumental task, and frankly, I believe it is the responsibility of all of us on our side to support them. If we do not, the net shall fail," he explained, gesturing with one hand so that his member was hidden only by one. "Falling in love with a mafia supporter would be a great failure in judgment; I'm not certain I could raise my head proud in such a moment. Still, anyone who would place a fling over their civic duty doesn't deserve to wear the NetPolice badge."
Jon apparently didn't deserve to wear anything, badge or otherwise, as Jenny snatched his one garment, excluding the towel, and hung it away from his easy reach. Rania saw it and raised an eyebrow. Between the teasing and the trickery, though, it looked like Jenny was in a good mood, even though it also seemed like Jon was being his usual, socially repellant self. Rania counted that as a blessing. Furthermore, they hadn't jumped into anything worse in terms of lewdness... and after thinking about it, she was glad about that as well.
Rania wasn't hard to find when Jenny looked for her; she took that moment to fully emerge from behind the locker, carrying the change of swimsuit. "Here you are! Luckily, they aren't particularly size dependent... so you don't have to worry about stretching it," she said with a smile. "So, what did you and Jon talk about? I only caught the back end about the NetPolice, and I could have guessed that part, unfortunately. My navi's part of the NetPolice, you know, but um... I don't know that I've ever seen a navi that does less for the force than he does, but, well-"
"Listen to yourself... that's not the sort of thing you should admit out loud," Jon sighed deeply. "And what is your navi doing right now? Anything to fix that reputation?"
For a moment, Rania narrowed her eyes contemplatively... what was MeleeMan doing, exactly? She hadn't checked back on him at all... Perhaps that was her trying to distance herself from him for a bit so she could get into touch with her wild side, living vicariously along with Jenny. "Just a bit longer... it'll be interesting to see how the mission went without my interference. This might prove Jon's point about the net needing policing," she joked, smiling a bit. "Well, Jenny, just say 'when' after your dressed. Then Jon can er... finally make himself presentable."
"Indeed," he agreed, nodding his towel slowly while his fingers tapped against the bench beneath him.
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"I'm not a dyke!" As Jon began t belabour the completely acceptable option of Jenny pursuing her new friend with lesbian intent, Jenny's own flustered reaction came as a short squeak that cut him off somewhere where towards the end of his encouragement. She immediately realised what she'd said and her hands sprang up to her mouth, almost as though she wanted to press both fists into it to cancel out the indelicate words.
"Oh gods, I didn't mean... that was really rude. I didn't mean to say that, I shouldn't use that word, I know, I'm terrible. Sorry, sorry!" It took until Jon had continued on with his diatribe about the proper management of the netpolice and concluded with his disparaging remarks regarding True Love, that Jenny managed to recover herself somewhat.
"I'm not talking about a fling! I mean love! Real love! Romantic love! Moonlight walks, Picnics on the beach, long phone calls at night, poetry! Like, proper love. what if you fell in love with someone, and she was so amazing for you, and being with her meant the world to you, you know? you'd still just call it all off if you found out she had a navi who was mafia? But that would be so romantic! It would be just like a story book!" If Jenny was aware of how brutally her teenage, never-been-kissed naivety was showing right now, she didn't seem to be aware of it.
"And hang on... if you're saying you could never consider going with someone outside of the NetPolice... but, you also want a rule that prevents people in the net police from dating each other? do you, like.. do you actually want to stay a virgin your whole life?" Unconsciously, she had lumped Jon in with herself on hat score, presuming that, despite his good looks, his attitude to love and romance had kept the girls well clear. This mostly unconscious deduction had also gone a long way to dispelling her nerves over his handsome features. The towel helped too, of course, but she was actually feeling very close to comfortable speaking to him, now. Though given his views on love, she felt much more justified and less sneaky about moving his swimmers.
When Rania returned, Jenny was quick to accept the new swim suit, and held it out to give the piece a good look over. As usual, she was unconcerned about being starkers in front of Rania, and didn't appear to consider it in the same frame of reference as for a cute boy.
"Well, I learned that I don't actually know how to flirt or act sexy at all, and that mister Charisma is no fun to practice on in the slightest. I'm starting to rethink that idea about kidnapping him and just tying him up in a bedroom somewhere... It'd have to be with a gag. He's got a cute body and a pretty face, but... Definitely a gag." All said within easy earshot of said Mister Charisma, seemingly with no concern for Jon's opinion on the matter. In turn, Rania had learned roughly how long it took Jenny to get the measure of a person, from barely intelligible nervous giggling, to comfortable joking derision, one pool accident and a long speech about how insignificant love was later.
Quickly now, she stepped into the swim suit and pulled it up, shrugging her shoulders and adjusting the back and the bust of it a little until it sat more or less comfortably. She wished she had a mirror... one size was well and good, but it felt too tight across the chest, and around her hips, and the shy part of her was resolutely determined that she simply didn't have a body fit for swimsuits in public. That same worried voice was also afraid that it might be a bit too thin for her to feel happy about, too. the solution presented itself quickly though; she grabbed her towel again and wrapped it back around herself. There. Now she was obviously wearing swim wear, but was also properly covered up too.
"I'm dressed." She murmured when she was done, and bent towards the bench, rolling her still damp dress and underclothes in a second spare towel to help them dry out faster, though secretly her eyes were fixed surreptitiously on Jon, off to the side, to see how he'd deal with his far-off swim wear.
"Oh gods, I didn't mean... that was really rude. I didn't mean to say that, I shouldn't use that word, I know, I'm terrible. Sorry, sorry!" It took until Jon had continued on with his diatribe about the proper management of the netpolice and concluded with his disparaging remarks regarding True Love, that Jenny managed to recover herself somewhat.
"I'm not talking about a fling! I mean love! Real love! Romantic love! Moonlight walks, Picnics on the beach, long phone calls at night, poetry! Like, proper love. what if you fell in love with someone, and she was so amazing for you, and being with her meant the world to you, you know? you'd still just call it all off if you found out she had a navi who was mafia? But that would be so romantic! It would be just like a story book!" If Jenny was aware of how brutally her teenage, never-been-kissed naivety was showing right now, she didn't seem to be aware of it.
"And hang on... if you're saying you could never consider going with someone outside of the NetPolice... but, you also want a rule that prevents people in the net police from dating each other? do you, like.. do you actually want to stay a virgin your whole life?" Unconsciously, she had lumped Jon in with herself on hat score, presuming that, despite his good looks, his attitude to love and romance had kept the girls well clear. This mostly unconscious deduction had also gone a long way to dispelling her nerves over his handsome features. The towel helped too, of course, but she was actually feeling very close to comfortable speaking to him, now. Though given his views on love, she felt much more justified and less sneaky about moving his swimmers.
When Rania returned, Jenny was quick to accept the new swim suit, and held it out to give the piece a good look over. As usual, she was unconcerned about being starkers in front of Rania, and didn't appear to consider it in the same frame of reference as for a cute boy.
"Well, I learned that I don't actually know how to flirt or act sexy at all, and that mister Charisma is no fun to practice on in the slightest. I'm starting to rethink that idea about kidnapping him and just tying him up in a bedroom somewhere... It'd have to be with a gag. He's got a cute body and a pretty face, but... Definitely a gag." All said within easy earshot of said Mister Charisma, seemingly with no concern for Jon's opinion on the matter. In turn, Rania had learned roughly how long it took Jenny to get the measure of a person, from barely intelligible nervous giggling, to comfortable joking derision, one pool accident and a long speech about how insignificant love was later.
Quickly now, she stepped into the swim suit and pulled it up, shrugging her shoulders and adjusting the back and the bust of it a little until it sat more or less comfortably. She wished she had a mirror... one size was well and good, but it felt too tight across the chest, and around her hips, and the shy part of her was resolutely determined that she simply didn't have a body fit for swimsuits in public. That same worried voice was also afraid that it might be a bit too thin for her to feel happy about, too. the solution presented itself quickly though; she grabbed her towel again and wrapped it back around herself. There. Now she was obviously wearing swim wear, but was also properly covered up too.
"I'm dressed." She murmured when she was done, and bent towards the bench, rolling her still damp dress and underclothes in a second spare towel to help them dry out faster, though secretly her eyes were fixed surreptitiously on Jon, off to the side, to see how he'd deal with his far-off swim wear.
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"My word, control yourself," Jon criticized, not having patience for Jenny's emotional outbursts or anyone else's. "It's fine, we're hardly being discrete to begin with. But there's no need to actively draw folks in here." Jenny had more to say and Jon listed, but his impatience was clear even through his towel. "Please, don't think that I'm the type who would tell Romeo and Juliet to keep it to themselves so that the families wouldn't war. This is different, though. If you're asking me if I'd choose my feelings or duty, I would pick duty every time. I don't have the luxury to consider otherwise."
Her further questions caused him to stay quiet for a bit, as if carefully considering his answer (or perhaps he was just stewing in his own logic trap). "... I'm planning for two possibilities. The ideal would be that none of us fraternize so we all stay on target. If that is not possible, then I would wish to find someone who shared a passion for protecting the net via the NetPolice," he explained, slowly but firmly, seeming relieved that he'd managed to explain that one to his own satisfaction.
Rania's reaction to Jenny's synopsis was surprised laughter, until she realized that Jon was hearing all of it. Then it was considerably more awkward laughter. "U-Um, right! Charisma. I always tell him, if he wants people to join the NetPolice, he ought to use less talking and more... w-wait, no, I don't, I um... I always tell him he should talk less," she amended, almost stumbling into agreeing verbally with Jenny's assessment that Jon had a sexy body.
"Pardon me?" Jon asked in a harsh, indignant voice; evidently he wasn't super happy with the compliment about his appearance, at least in light of the criticism over his words. "Don't mistake my empathy for your plight and whatever wrongs I've done you as a blank check to forego common decency. I won't be robbed of my dignity by a girl who places tittering romance on a pedestal without understanding civic duty," he barked, although... he was already sitting naked on a bench with a towel over his face, about one step away from actually being gagged. He grabbed onto the side of the bench for his swimsuit, groped for it a few times, then finally flung the towel off of his head and looked back to the girls; thankfully, Jenny was dressed by that point, but it was telling of something that he hadn't been sure before he looked. "Where the blazes have you put my swimwear?!" he snapped, either having put together that he was being played for a fool or otherwise just being frustrated in general.
Rania's eyes darted over to where they were hanging, then back to Jon. She somehow felt easier staring at him now that he was being a jerk again, about how Jenny had. "Well, while we're putting out there, she's right, you know! Who's going to want to join the NetPolice if you make them sound like a bunch of celibate, no-life-outside-work sticks-in-the-mud?" she answered back; she could match his righteous fury under the right circumstances. "How about this: admit that you're just being a doof about the whole 'everyone has to join the NetPolice' thing or we won't tell you where your swimsuit is!"
"Ludicrous! What did I just say about civic duty? You'll never get me to say something like that," Jon scoffed, crossing his arms defiantly. "With words like that, I bet even your navi could teach you a thing or two about duty."
That reminded Rania: she really ought to check what her navi was up to. Checking didn't make it very clear, but it did reveal that he had a raging boner for some reason... despite only two men being around. She wondered how much she ought to read into that. Regardless, it was an uncomfortable reminder of the fact that she was partially to blame for going through what turned out to be a Bloodhound berserker recruitment app to create him, and that his lust extended beyond just bloodlust, as was the case for many of that family. At any rate, she didn't feel like jumping into that just yet, so she set aside her PET again. "I wouldn't go that far," she responded to Jon, rolling her eyes.
Her further questions caused him to stay quiet for a bit, as if carefully considering his answer (or perhaps he was just stewing in his own logic trap). "... I'm planning for two possibilities. The ideal would be that none of us fraternize so we all stay on target. If that is not possible, then I would wish to find someone who shared a passion for protecting the net via the NetPolice," he explained, slowly but firmly, seeming relieved that he'd managed to explain that one to his own satisfaction.
Rania's reaction to Jenny's synopsis was surprised laughter, until she realized that Jon was hearing all of it. Then it was considerably more awkward laughter. "U-Um, right! Charisma. I always tell him, if he wants people to join the NetPolice, he ought to use less talking and more... w-wait, no, I don't, I um... I always tell him he should talk less," she amended, almost stumbling into agreeing verbally with Jenny's assessment that Jon had a sexy body.
"Pardon me?" Jon asked in a harsh, indignant voice; evidently he wasn't super happy with the compliment about his appearance, at least in light of the criticism over his words. "Don't mistake my empathy for your plight and whatever wrongs I've done you as a blank check to forego common decency. I won't be robbed of my dignity by a girl who places tittering romance on a pedestal without understanding civic duty," he barked, although... he was already sitting naked on a bench with a towel over his face, about one step away from actually being gagged. He grabbed onto the side of the bench for his swimsuit, groped for it a few times, then finally flung the towel off of his head and looked back to the girls; thankfully, Jenny was dressed by that point, but it was telling of something that he hadn't been sure before he looked. "Where the blazes have you put my swimwear?!" he snapped, either having put together that he was being played for a fool or otherwise just being frustrated in general.
Rania's eyes darted over to where they were hanging, then back to Jon. She somehow felt easier staring at him now that he was being a jerk again, about how Jenny had. "Well, while we're putting out there, she's right, you know! Who's going to want to join the NetPolice if you make them sound like a bunch of celibate, no-life-outside-work sticks-in-the-mud?" she answered back; she could match his righteous fury under the right circumstances. "How about this: admit that you're just being a doof about the whole 'everyone has to join the NetPolice' thing or we won't tell you where your swimsuit is!"
"Ludicrous! What did I just say about civic duty? You'll never get me to say something like that," Jon scoffed, crossing his arms defiantly. "With words like that, I bet even your navi could teach you a thing or two about duty."
That reminded Rania: she really ought to check what her navi was up to. Checking didn't make it very clear, but it did reveal that he had a raging boner for some reason... despite only two men being around. She wondered how much she ought to read into that. Regardless, it was an uncomfortable reminder of the fact that she was partially to blame for going through what turned out to be a Bloodhound berserker recruitment app to create him, and that his lust extended beyond just bloodlust, as was the case for many of that family. At any rate, she didn't feel like jumping into that just yet, so she set aside her PET again. "I wouldn't go that far," she responded to Jon, rolling her eyes.
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Jon's reactions, while more measured and less absolutely authoritarian than they might have initially seemed, were still filed away into the 'soulless and boring' category by Jenny now that she had mentally dismissed him as anything beyond potentially enjoyable eye candy that she had no interest in doing anything beyond looking at. Her hormonally charged heart... yes let's say 'heart', found it appalling that he would actively hope against any romantic hook ups for himself, and was viewing the potential as a less desirable alternative. The gossip in her was pleased that Rania seemed, at least at some internal level that she didn't want to admit to, agreed that Jon would be better all around if her were gagged.
Despite everything, though, she did flinch slightly when Jon grew a bit more riled, and winced. Ok, maybe gossiping about him like eh wasn't directly present had been pushing it too far... but it was just a giggle that's all, nothing serious! Without realising it, she backed closer to Rania slightly and used her free hand to grip her towel tighter, checking the adjustment of it and making sure the twist wasn't going to slip. True to form, she was heartened, then when Rania answered him back with something more confident that Jenny was feeling, and she nodded along with the reasoning; surely even if he was all entirely about the success of the NP, then he'd have to acknowledge that creating an image likely to reduce their sign-ups wasn't clever... right? Apparently not, though she couldn't help but smother a giggle anyway while he glanced around for his misplaced swimmers. Surely he couldn't miss them for long — he had to see them within the first glance about or two at the most, since she'd only moved them a little way, so she didn't feel like she'd crossed any particularly damning lines with her prank.
Either way though, Jenny was getting cold feet in more ways than one, and it was about time to escape the change room. Holding onto the towel that held her damp dress and underwear, and keeping her other hand to the twist on the towel around her body, she stepped quickly to the door before turning back to look at Jon again. The blush she was still experiencing kind of spoiled the effect, but only a little.
"Well, I think you've done your civic duty today, at least. I'm feeling much better now," A nervous giggle escaped before she could catch it. "I think it's time we got out of here. Don't stay in the here too long, or someone might think you're being naughty! Coming, Rania?" With last tiny wave for Jon, and a flick of her eyes to Rania so she could shoot her a grin, she ducked through the door and back out into the relative safety of the open public.
The first stop, once she was outside was to make her way quickly back to where she and Rania had gathered their other things, so she could put the towel holding her wet gear with the rest. While she was there, a casual glance at her PET showed that Courser needed something, and she bit back a short curse. What was it... oh some of the editing programs. The thought hadn't occurred to her that courser couldn't reach everything, when some of it was in her private folder. That was silly. She should probably relocate the applications, but that would take time and courser needed the things right away, it seemed. She hesitated, dithering for a few moments, and if Rania had followed her and caught up by this point she might wonder exactly what the problem was, but she wasn't about to tell anyone that she was nervous just unlocking the folder for her navi because it held a bunch of photos she'd taken, purely for the purpose of improving her own self image, when she'd been feeling a bit saucier once. Eventually, she bit the bullet and gave her navi the permissions he needed, but just doing so chased another fire across her cheeks that would be very hard for anyone else to understand.
Despite everything, though, she did flinch slightly when Jon grew a bit more riled, and winced. Ok, maybe gossiping about him like eh wasn't directly present had been pushing it too far... but it was just a giggle that's all, nothing serious! Without realising it, she backed closer to Rania slightly and used her free hand to grip her towel tighter, checking the adjustment of it and making sure the twist wasn't going to slip. True to form, she was heartened, then when Rania answered him back with something more confident that Jenny was feeling, and she nodded along with the reasoning; surely even if he was all entirely about the success of the NP, then he'd have to acknowledge that creating an image likely to reduce their sign-ups wasn't clever... right? Apparently not, though she couldn't help but smother a giggle anyway while he glanced around for his misplaced swimmers. Surely he couldn't miss them for long — he had to see them within the first glance about or two at the most, since she'd only moved them a little way, so she didn't feel like she'd crossed any particularly damning lines with her prank.
Either way though, Jenny was getting cold feet in more ways than one, and it was about time to escape the change room. Holding onto the towel that held her damp dress and underwear, and keeping her other hand to the twist on the towel around her body, she stepped quickly to the door before turning back to look at Jon again. The blush she was still experiencing kind of spoiled the effect, but only a little.
"Well, I think you've done your civic duty today, at least. I'm feeling much better now," A nervous giggle escaped before she could catch it. "I think it's time we got out of here. Don't stay in the here too long, or someone might think you're being naughty! Coming, Rania?" With last tiny wave for Jon, and a flick of her eyes to Rania so she could shoot her a grin, she ducked through the door and back out into the relative safety of the open public.
The first stop, once she was outside was to make her way quickly back to where she and Rania had gathered their other things, so she could put the towel holding her wet gear with the rest. While she was there, a casual glance at her PET showed that Courser needed something, and she bit back a short curse. What was it... oh some of the editing programs. The thought hadn't occurred to her that courser couldn't reach everything, when some of it was in her private folder. That was silly. She should probably relocate the applications, but that would take time and courser needed the things right away, it seemed. She hesitated, dithering for a few moments, and if Rania had followed her and caught up by this point she might wonder exactly what the problem was, but she wasn't about to tell anyone that she was nervous just unlocking the folder for her navi because it held a bunch of photos she'd taken, purely for the purpose of improving her own self image, when she'd been feeling a bit saucier once. Eventually, she bit the bullet and gave her navi the permissions he needed, but just doing so chased another fire across her cheeks that would be very hard for anyone else to understand.
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"You're feeling better, are you? Well... that's capital," Jon replied, his lack of a smile betraying the fact that he was now significantly less invested in whether Jenny's recovery was going well or not, now that he'd been the made the butt of her jokes. Speaking of him and butts, he needed to find his swimsuit quickly; he couldn't imagine he had a lot of time left before other girls started coming in.
Ordinarily, Rania's helpful side would have offered to stand outside and be a guard while he got dressed, but today, her mischievous side was winning out big-time. She'd be more than happy to direct traffic into the room with no prior explanation, if given the opportunity. She had to admit... she was feeling a little better herself. On the other hand, it looked like Jenny was blushing again. Perhaps her show of bravado was all just an act? It made Rania feel a bit relieved to see that the two of them had both been a bit nervous just then, despite their prank. "Well, it's definitely going to be weird being around Jon for a while. I guess if he lectures me again, I can just imagine he's in his birthday suit and I'll get a good chuckle," she joked... although, she had to admit, laughter wasn't exactly what she'd likely inspire if she thought of him nude on a daily basis.
"Huh, so even you do that, huh? I guess that explains why you always look so embarrassed when I'm talking," MeleeMan sneered from his PET, announcing his return.
There was quite a different reason MeleeMan was usually embarrassed when MeleeMan talked, but she didn't bother pointing that out now. What she did do was to go ahead and give him a costume refresh, being that, with his skinsuit exposed like that, he might as well be naked anyways. "MeleeMan, I'm really not sure if I want the answer, but... what were you doing without your pants on?" she asked, lowering her eyebrows. Ordinarily the sight may have been a bit titillating for her, but she was feeling far more worried about what he'd gotten into than anything else.
He thought to himself that this would be a great time for a your mom response, but given that Rania's mother had vanished when she was a baby, he figured that remained in poor taste. "I was helping some cheerleaders and wrestling with a hot as hell student council president, since you asked," he answered matter-of-factly, while stretching his arms above his head. "They were some bad cheerleaders, that's for sure, but CourseMan and I got 'em straightened out. And the other girl, man, she was two hands full. But when I'd finished up with her-"
"I'm just going to assume you're talking about fighting and leave it all at that," she snapped, becoming a bit red again. "So what, school-age looking girls are inside your comfort zone after all?!" she thought indignantly. Then again... there was no way any girls really went for MeleeMan, right? She felt a bit reassured if she just remembered how repulsive he acted on a daily basis. Probably best if she ignored him for now and talked to Jenny instead. At first she figured the two were about to go back to their positions judging the swimmers... but then she remembered Jenny had a leg injury and that a lot of time had elapsed already. "Hey, Jenny, it looks like they've already filled our spots while we were gone. Sorry you didn't get to meet any boys... unless you count Jon, and we probably got a better look at him than either of us really needed. But er... the cheerleaders gave you some money too, right? I was just about to head to Scilabs to spend mine, if you want to tag along?" she offered.
Ordinarily, Rania's helpful side would have offered to stand outside and be a guard while he got dressed, but today, her mischievous side was winning out big-time. She'd be more than happy to direct traffic into the room with no prior explanation, if given the opportunity. She had to admit... she was feeling a little better herself. On the other hand, it looked like Jenny was blushing again. Perhaps her show of bravado was all just an act? It made Rania feel a bit relieved to see that the two of them had both been a bit nervous just then, despite their prank. "Well, it's definitely going to be weird being around Jon for a while. I guess if he lectures me again, I can just imagine he's in his birthday suit and I'll get a good chuckle," she joked... although, she had to admit, laughter wasn't exactly what she'd likely inspire if she thought of him nude on a daily basis.
"Huh, so even you do that, huh? I guess that explains why you always look so embarrassed when I'm talking," MeleeMan sneered from his PET, announcing his return.
There was quite a different reason MeleeMan was usually embarrassed when MeleeMan talked, but she didn't bother pointing that out now. What she did do was to go ahead and give him a costume refresh, being that, with his skinsuit exposed like that, he might as well be naked anyways. "MeleeMan, I'm really not sure if I want the answer, but... what were you doing without your pants on?" she asked, lowering her eyebrows. Ordinarily the sight may have been a bit titillating for her, but she was feeling far more worried about what he'd gotten into than anything else.
He thought to himself that this would be a great time for a your mom response, but given that Rania's mother had vanished when she was a baby, he figured that remained in poor taste. "I was helping some cheerleaders and wrestling with a hot as hell student council president, since you asked," he answered matter-of-factly, while stretching his arms above his head. "They were some bad cheerleaders, that's for sure, but CourseMan and I got 'em straightened out. And the other girl, man, she was two hands full. But when I'd finished up with her-"
"I'm just going to assume you're talking about fighting and leave it all at that," she snapped, becoming a bit red again. "So what, school-age looking girls are inside your comfort zone after all?!" she thought indignantly. Then again... there was no way any girls really went for MeleeMan, right? She felt a bit reassured if she just remembered how repulsive he acted on a daily basis. Probably best if she ignored him for now and talked to Jenny instead. At first she figured the two were about to go back to their positions judging the swimmers... but then she remembered Jenny had a leg injury and that a lot of time had elapsed already. "Hey, Jenny, it looks like they've already filled our spots while we were gone. Sorry you didn't get to meet any boys... unless you count Jon, and we probably got a better look at him than either of us really needed. But er... the cheerleaders gave you some money too, right? I was just about to head to Scilabs to spend mine, if you want to tag along?" she offered.
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Outside and away from the strangely surreal black-box scenario in the change rooms, the real world and everything in it was catching up to Jenny. As much as the soft blush warming her cheeks was from something much more private, she was still trembling a little and her heart quavered while she reflected on the past short while. It didn't seem real; she couldn't' believe she'd done any of that. After setting her things down she paused to put hands to her cheeks, and then sat down, shifting her towel slightly so she could more easily, and fanning at her cheeks. Rania's approach gave her a target to vent the racing thoughts in her mind to, whether the other girl was up for it or not.
"I can't believe we just did that, that was so...! I mean... He was, just, totally... He was like completely naked, and I... I've never seen... I mean, not for real, you know? I can't... That was so awesome, hehe, It was... Oh gods, I'm such a terrible person. That was so mean!! I can't believe I did that! That was terrifying, I was so excited! It was like... like, there's no way that just happened, right? I can't believe that. I've never done anything like that before! Oh gods I can't calm down... I'm so nervous. Do you think we'll get in trouble? I don't know what I was thinking, that was just... That happened, didn't it? Like, for real? I've never been... you know... naked near a guy, before, you know? I didn't think... oh gods..." As some point, between the momentary short gasps for breath while Jenny babbled, Rania managed to get her own suggestion across, and the younger girl trailed off, looking back over towards the sporting events.
"Go...? Huh..." She hadn't realised that it was already well after lunch time, and the 'interlude' in the change rooms had taken far longer than either of them had anticipated. "You think we can just nip away like that? I mean, I guess you're faculty, right, so, I'm not technically breaking any rules, if you want to. Sure, why not!" Ever easy to convince in the company of friends, Jenny nodded and began to pack up the rest of her things. "Oh... but my dress is still damp. I can't really go about in public like this, can I?" She bit her lip, then unrolled it from the other towel, shaking the garment out and holding it up in the sunlight. It was certainly still damp, and largely still transparent, at least a little bit, but it was only 'damp' and not 'wet, at least dried enough that it wasn't going to drip anywhere. Close enough. she shrugged softly and pulled the dress over her head, reaching back to do it up. Even if it wasn't quite opaque, it looked fine when it was over the borrowed swimsuit. After that, she resettled the towel so that it could drape over her shoulders casually and catch most of her hair, while still leaving it out to dry faster. That done, she collected the rest of her things and turned to Rania, the image of a girl dressed for the beach while still being presentable for informal town trips.
"There, how do I look? Presentable? I'm ready when you are!" Or at least, as ready as she was likely to get at this point. Even so, it seemed she was very definitely going to wait on following Rania's lead if they were leaving campus.
----
((CourseMan Returned from ->Elec East High))
((Likely following Rania to -> The Navi Shop))
"I can't believe we just did that, that was so...! I mean... He was, just, totally... He was like completely naked, and I... I've never seen... I mean, not for real, you know? I can't... That was so awesome, hehe, It was... Oh gods, I'm such a terrible person. That was so mean!! I can't believe I did that! That was terrifying, I was so excited! It was like... like, there's no way that just happened, right? I can't believe that. I've never done anything like that before! Oh gods I can't calm down... I'm so nervous. Do you think we'll get in trouble? I don't know what I was thinking, that was just... That happened, didn't it? Like, for real? I've never been... you know... naked near a guy, before, you know? I didn't think... oh gods..." As some point, between the momentary short gasps for breath while Jenny babbled, Rania managed to get her own suggestion across, and the younger girl trailed off, looking back over towards the sporting events.
"Go...? Huh..." She hadn't realised that it was already well after lunch time, and the 'interlude' in the change rooms had taken far longer than either of them had anticipated. "You think we can just nip away like that? I mean, I guess you're faculty, right, so, I'm not technically breaking any rules, if you want to. Sure, why not!" Ever easy to convince in the company of friends, Jenny nodded and began to pack up the rest of her things. "Oh... but my dress is still damp. I can't really go about in public like this, can I?" She bit her lip, then unrolled it from the other towel, shaking the garment out and holding it up in the sunlight. It was certainly still damp, and largely still transparent, at least a little bit, but it was only 'damp' and not 'wet, at least dried enough that it wasn't going to drip anywhere. Close enough. she shrugged softly and pulled the dress over her head, reaching back to do it up. Even if it wasn't quite opaque, it looked fine when it was over the borrowed swimsuit. After that, she resettled the towel so that it could drape over her shoulders casually and catch most of her hair, while still leaving it out to dry faster. That done, she collected the rest of her things and turned to Rania, the image of a girl dressed for the beach while still being presentable for informal town trips.
"There, how do I look? Presentable? I'm ready when you are!" Or at least, as ready as she was likely to get at this point. Even so, it seemed she was very definitely going to wait on following Rania's lead if they were leaving campus.
----
((CourseMan Returned from ->Elec East High))
((Likely following Rania to -> The Navi Shop))
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Rania didn't quite recoil, but did raise her hands as though saying "time out" when Jenny started spilling all of her doubts and confessions. "O-Okay, sure! But keep your voice down!" she whispered, motioning with her hands going from chest level downward to indicate that, fun though it was, they ought not to go around publicizing the day's misadventure. "No, er... Jon doesn't report to authorities; he basically considers himself the authority. If Jon's upset with us, the only one you should expect trouble from is Jon himself. And I can take care of Jon!" she winked, flexing one arm and placing her hand on her bicep. "He needs to be knocked down a peg more than anyone I've ever met, so I don't think we did anything wrong. That said... I wouldn't expect him to be so obsequious the next time you meet him. Well, not to either of us, at least. Anyways, just stick up for yourself and Jon'll leave you alone I bet; put him in his place and all you have to worry about is an ear-full."
With that warning/reassurance received, Jenny still had another misgiving, namely that maybe they'd be reprimanded for walking off. Rania smiled and shook her head. "You were injured, remember? Nobody's going to make you stay in the water or run around the pool after you hurt your leg," she reminded Jenny, although maybe she wasn't so badly injured at this point. "And er... if we stay here, that chewing out from Jon is going to come sooner than anticipated." Once Jenny dressed back, she looked very pretty and presentable, which made Rania happy; it was much better to see her that way than nervous and shivering. "Looks good to me! Let's get on the move. MeleeMan made a little spending money and I'm sure he's ready to use it. Jon's not the only grouch around here."
"I heard that," MeleeMan snapped, proving her point. Rania gave Jenny a wry smile as the duo head to the shop together, leaving the excitement of sports day behind.
((Heading to Scilabs))
With that warning/reassurance received, Jenny still had another misgiving, namely that maybe they'd be reprimanded for walking off. Rania smiled and shook her head. "You were injured, remember? Nobody's going to make you stay in the water or run around the pool after you hurt your leg," she reminded Jenny, although maybe she wasn't so badly injured at this point. "And er... if we stay here, that chewing out from Jon is going to come sooner than anticipated." Once Jenny dressed back, she looked very pretty and presentable, which made Rania happy; it was much better to see her that way than nervous and shivering. "Looks good to me! Let's get on the move. MeleeMan made a little spending money and I'm sure he's ready to use it. Jon's not the only grouch around here."
"I heard that," MeleeMan snapped, proving her point. Rania gave Jenny a wry smile as the duo head to the shop together, leaving the excitement of sports day behind.
((Heading to Scilabs))
