Alda let out a nice big sigh of relief as she stood up. After all, even if it was CPR, going mouth to mouth with another woman was just not her thing. She proceeded to stand there and quietly listen to the other two talking...wait, two? What was Rhonda doing? Her eyes darted around, trying to locate her younger sister...nope, not there...or there...oh hey, that guy was cute. She wouldn't mind doing some lab tests with him...urk, not the time for that! Searching, searching...nope, no purple hair in sight. Yep, she was toast.
Returning to the conversation she was technically a part of, the researcher only caught the tail end of what Dharma and Agnis were discussing...which meant she only heard the part about dirty, secret love techniques. Admittedly, she was a little curious about exactly what those techniques were...not like she got a lot of chances to put those kinds of things to practice anyway, though. "Um, thanks, but, I d-don't have a boyfriend!" Oh please, oh please oh please let that be relevant to the conversation she skipped most of looking for her sister...
"I'm back!" The elder sister immediately relaxed upon hearing those words, as Rhonda popped back in, seemingly from nowhere. "Sorry about that, I just bumped into a gentleman that happened to be the boss of the boss of my boss. It's always good to have a big network when you're in PR, even inside the company you work for, you know! So, what'd I miss?" She leaned on Alda a bit, who remained completely silent, what with her being entirely unqualified to answer the question.
Dharma's Unnecessary Yacht
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"No boyfriend? What a shame! Well, you're a researcher for Heart Payne Pharmaceuticals now! The prestige and wealth will send boys flocking!" Agnu announced proudly, pressing one hand to her wet bikini top. "Or girls, if you're into that. I can't imagine the number of heart-throbs you entertain, Madam President!"
Dharma's eyebrows tensed for a moment; about the only conceptual heart-throbs she was thinking about were Agnis Agnu's and how she would love to stop them by ripping the heart out of her chest. She also didn't particularly want to talk about how she had never been in a relationship in front of her employees. "Best not to discuss such things, even in familiar company," she answered, smiling and tilting her head aside cryptically.
"Oh, hello!" Agnis greeted Rhonda again, unpreturbed by her inability to get anything out of Dharma. "We were just discussing dirty, filthy romance! Do you have yourself somebody?" she inquired brazenly. She briefly attempted to lean on Dharma as familiarly as Rhonda had her sister, only to nearly go toppling into a waiter carrying a tray of cocktail weiners. The president had, of course, immediately pulled away, leaving her unsupported. "Ha ha! Excuse me, I must be a little tipsy!" Waterlogged was more like it. "So tell me about your favorite dirty sex stories! I'll tell you one if you tell me one!"
Dharma's eyebrows tensed for a moment; about the only conceptual heart-throbs she was thinking about were Agnis Agnu's and how she would love to stop them by ripping the heart out of her chest. She also didn't particularly want to talk about how she had never been in a relationship in front of her employees. "Best not to discuss such things, even in familiar company," she answered, smiling and tilting her head aside cryptically.
"Oh, hello!" Agnis greeted Rhonda again, unpreturbed by her inability to get anything out of Dharma. "We were just discussing dirty, filthy romance! Do you have yourself somebody?" she inquired brazenly. She briefly attempted to lean on Dharma as familiarly as Rhonda had her sister, only to nearly go toppling into a waiter carrying a tray of cocktail weiners. The president had, of course, immediately pulled away, leaving her unsupported. "Ha ha! Excuse me, I must be a little tipsy!" Waterlogged was more like it. "So tell me about your favorite dirty sex stories! I'll tell you one if you tell me one!"
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"Well, it'd be nice to have one for a change..." Alda sighed, what with being nearly as unqualified to discuss dirty, filthy romance as Dharma. Well, at least her sister knew her fair share...
"Ah, nah, I don't have one right now. Wouldn't mind if I did, though!" Both sisters watched Agnis's attempt to mimic them, though only the one with purple found something slightly off with it...eh, probably just her imagination. "Heh, a dirty story, huh? I've got a few...but I think I'll go with the one that happened during a business tri-"
"Oh god Rhonda, not that one! Not in front of the president!"
"Why not? We're all adults here, and in the end it actually helped the company out."
"But...oh, fine..."
"All right, it was on a trip to Netopia last summer, where I was part of a team to push for a certain big contract. You know the one. I get there, and I notice that the boardroom I'm going to make a presentation in is, to a man, well, men. And I had been told to dress casually that day, so I was wearing a sun dress instead of business attire. So, to add some sex appeal to the presentation, I ducked in a bathroom a little bit beforehand, and took off my bra and panties, so they'd get to look at perfect curves, and since the numbers didn't really favor us, I was hoping they'd be a little too enticed at my figure to stare too hard at the figures, as it were. But, well..." Rhonda looked a bit nervously off to the side, clearly getting to the embarrassing part for her. "Turned out that the air conditioning for the entire floor was broken, and it just so happened to be hitting record highs, AND we couldn't get relocated or rescheduled. So, there I was, in a stuffy, windowless room that was probably in the triple digits when I started, and wearing nothing on my body but a dress, sandals, and a smile. And it didn't take too long until the dress was a formality. I was sweating so hard that my dress was basically completely clinging to me. You could see everything. At one point I seriously considered just taking off my dress, to see if anyone even cared, but I just couldn't risk it. But I did drop my pointer on purpose at one point, so everyone there could look away from the data for a second and focus on my ass. Pretty sure some of them took pictures, too. And after all that, everyone left, completely stunned, probably stunned into silence from heatstroke and the fact they I presented them with a LOT more than they bargained for...when the CEO closes the door. Unlike most of the bored, he was actually pretty hot himself. Mid 30s, looked like he exercised a lot...he locked the door, and basically gave me an ultimatum. Do him, and get the contract, or don't, and don't. Naturally, my dress is down to my ankles at this point..."
The tale continued, as Rhonda told everyone, in rather graphic detail, about what went down on that conference room's table. And chairs. And floor. "And, to this day, I hear that company's entire board has a sun dress fetish! Although, that CEO tried to weasel his way out of the unwritten agreement...but I had my PET record the whole...thing between me and him, so let's just say that I 'convinced' him that it was best for everyone to pick Heart-Payne!"
Alda's face was beet red, having heard much more about her sister's anatomy in that story than she ever wanted to hear. Also, the way she so casually treated extorting the head of a corporation. "Yeah, and I can actually corroborate it, too. I went with her, as part of an unrelated project. And since I was off that day, I came with her. And guess who was in the hallway, mortified at the soft moaning coming through the wall, with her sister's bra and panties tucked away in her lab coat? Granted, I'd taken it off well before that point, so sweat wasn't making her stuff show, but still..."
"Ah, nah, I don't have one right now. Wouldn't mind if I did, though!" Both sisters watched Agnis's attempt to mimic them, though only the one with purple found something slightly off with it...eh, probably just her imagination. "Heh, a dirty story, huh? I've got a few...but I think I'll go with the one that happened during a business tri-"
"Oh god Rhonda, not that one! Not in front of the president!"
"Why not? We're all adults here, and in the end it actually helped the company out."
"But...oh, fine..."
"All right, it was on a trip to Netopia last summer, where I was part of a team to push for a certain big contract. You know the one. I get there, and I notice that the boardroom I'm going to make a presentation in is, to a man, well, men. And I had been told to dress casually that day, so I was wearing a sun dress instead of business attire. So, to add some sex appeal to the presentation, I ducked in a bathroom a little bit beforehand, and took off my bra and panties, so they'd get to look at perfect curves, and since the numbers didn't really favor us, I was hoping they'd be a little too enticed at my figure to stare too hard at the figures, as it were. But, well..." Rhonda looked a bit nervously off to the side, clearly getting to the embarrassing part for her. "Turned out that the air conditioning for the entire floor was broken, and it just so happened to be hitting record highs, AND we couldn't get relocated or rescheduled. So, there I was, in a stuffy, windowless room that was probably in the triple digits when I started, and wearing nothing on my body but a dress, sandals, and a smile. And it didn't take too long until the dress was a formality. I was sweating so hard that my dress was basically completely clinging to me. You could see everything. At one point I seriously considered just taking off my dress, to see if anyone even cared, but I just couldn't risk it. But I did drop my pointer on purpose at one point, so everyone there could look away from the data for a second and focus on my ass. Pretty sure some of them took pictures, too. And after all that, everyone left, completely stunned, probably stunned into silence from heatstroke and the fact they I presented them with a LOT more than they bargained for...when the CEO closes the door. Unlike most of the bored, he was actually pretty hot himself. Mid 30s, looked like he exercised a lot...he locked the door, and basically gave me an ultimatum. Do him, and get the contract, or don't, and don't. Naturally, my dress is down to my ankles at this point..."
The tale continued, as Rhonda told everyone, in rather graphic detail, about what went down on that conference room's table. And chairs. And floor. "And, to this day, I hear that company's entire board has a sun dress fetish! Although, that CEO tried to weasel his way out of the unwritten agreement...but I had my PET record the whole...thing between me and him, so let's just say that I 'convinced' him that it was best for everyone to pick Heart-Payne!"
Alda's face was beet red, having heard much more about her sister's anatomy in that story than she ever wanted to hear. Also, the way she so casually treated extorting the head of a corporation. "Yeah, and I can actually corroborate it, too. I went with her, as part of an unrelated project. And since I was off that day, I came with her. And guess who was in the hallway, mortified at the soft moaning coming through the wall, with her sister's bra and panties tucked away in her lab coat? Granted, I'd taken it off well before that point, so sweat wasn't making her stuff show, but still..."
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Everyone's faces went on a roller coaster of emotions as Rhonda's story continued: Agnis and Dharma's faces looked a little like someone had taken the happy and sad masks respectively and painted them red. As the story drew to a close, Agnis pressed one hand to her chin thoughtfully. "Blackmailing a business associate with sexual relations! I've never tried that. Maybe I should...!" she mused. Dharma promptly shoved her back into the pool, this time with no subterfuge. Thankfully, she wasn't suffering from inadequacy-induced blood pressure trauma this time, so she sputtered and swam back up.
"That was a REVOLTING story, Rhonda, and if you had not offered it to me in confidence I would have you strictly disciplined for it. We at Heart-Payne Pharmaceuticals applaud ourselves on having the highest ethical standards in the business! A lost deal is nothing compared to the sort of allegations we stand to face from such lewd and rash behavior!" the president fumed, genuinely furious. "Please exercise better judgment in the future and understand that these actions have consequences. Black stains bleed together and before you know it, your entire reputation and career are in jeopardy. You could be unhirable," she finished coldly, grabbing a drink off of the tray of a nearby waiter without uncrossing her arms.
The real reasons for her anger, of course, had nothing to do with ethics or worry for Rhonda. She was simply insulted to learn that any girl would surrender her body to the service of blackmail when there were so many other neater, less disgusting ways to go about it. She briefly imagined sexual relations with some of her regular associates and shuddered at the thought (granted, the thought would make her shudder no matter who she envisioned as the partner, because nobody could meet the standard). Rhonda also seemed to have some of the loose-lippedness that nearly made Agnis too much of a liability to keep around...
Mercilessly, she continued sipping her drink, resting one elbow upon her other horizontally positioned arm while saying nothing. She didn't unload on people like that very often unless they were one of her in-the-know researchers, but she figured she was safe in doing so this time, since it coincided with looking like an ethical boss. "I trust we're not going to hear of you using such tactics again? How you view your sexuality on your own time is your business, but Dharma Heart-Payne is never having sex..." she finished, taking another sip. Realizing what she had just said, she shook her head and corrected herself. "That is, no employee of Heart-Payne Pharmaceuticals should have sex on the company dollar or FOR the company dollar."
"That was a REVOLTING story, Rhonda, and if you had not offered it to me in confidence I would have you strictly disciplined for it. We at Heart-Payne Pharmaceuticals applaud ourselves on having the highest ethical standards in the business! A lost deal is nothing compared to the sort of allegations we stand to face from such lewd and rash behavior!" the president fumed, genuinely furious. "Please exercise better judgment in the future and understand that these actions have consequences. Black stains bleed together and before you know it, your entire reputation and career are in jeopardy. You could be unhirable," she finished coldly, grabbing a drink off of the tray of a nearby waiter without uncrossing her arms.
The real reasons for her anger, of course, had nothing to do with ethics or worry for Rhonda. She was simply insulted to learn that any girl would surrender her body to the service of blackmail when there were so many other neater, less disgusting ways to go about it. She briefly imagined sexual relations with some of her regular associates and shuddered at the thought (granted, the thought would make her shudder no matter who she envisioned as the partner, because nobody could meet the standard). Rhonda also seemed to have some of the loose-lippedness that nearly made Agnis too much of a liability to keep around...
Mercilessly, she continued sipping her drink, resting one elbow upon her other horizontally positioned arm while saying nothing. She didn't unload on people like that very often unless they were one of her in-the-know researchers, but she figured she was safe in doing so this time, since it coincided with looking like an ethical boss. "I trust we're not going to hear of you using such tactics again? How you view your sexuality on your own time is your business, but Dharma Heart-Payne is never having sex..." she finished, taking another sip. Realizing what she had just said, she shook her head and corrected herself. "That is, no employee of Heart-Payne Pharmaceuticals should have sex on the company dollar or FOR the company dollar."
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"Well, the only reason it happened the way it did was due to the ultimatum...but I'll take your words to heart in the future." Next time a big wig wanted to bang her for company favors, she waited until nighttime. And she'd make sure that Dharma was out of the loop. And maybe Alda, since she now had mental images of her sister that could never be erased. "Rest assured, such a thing won't happen again."
"It better not! ...But if it does, do me a favor, and make sure I don't find out. I have to keep a lot of things in my mind, and images of my little sis throttling some guy are the last thing I need! in there!" She already had lots of things she didn't want to remember...like how she ended up groping breasts three times today...and none of them were hers. "So, subject change!...Um...so...how about that, er...local baseball team?"
"Eh, they're about .500, and they're on a 4 game skid. At this rate, I don't think they'll make the playoffs. A shame, since they started the year with high hopes of winning it all. ...Sorry. I'm just used to having to talk about that nonsense whenever it's brought up." Truth be told, Rhonda wasn't big on sports. But it was a great ice breaker, for business purposes or otherwise, so she did keep herself knowledgable. "Anyway, I...Alda? What's wrong? You look like you're about to throw up."
In an attempt to purge her mind of the...things that she had just heard her sister had done, the elder sister had swiped a drink from a nearby server's tray, and downed it all in one gulp. At which point she just...froze. She was prepared for alcohol being in it, but that..."I-I'm all right. That's just...a lot stronger than I thought it'd be." She took a couple of deep breaths, which did little to help that she really did look like she was about to hurl. Oddly, it actually did make her feel a bit better, so the looks were deceiving. "So long as I don't get in a car in the next 15 minutes or so, I'm good!"
"Really? You look green...well, green where you aren't normally..." Okay, real subject switch! "So, Miss Heart-Payne! Not that I'm complaining, but is there any reason you whipped up this party? It came about rather suddenly, the way I hear it. Say, there isn't any news you wanted to share with the company, is there? Anything you'd like to spill to PR so we can get a little head start on it?"
"Nothing from my department, that's for sure...I've been working late the last several weeks, and we've barely made any headway..." One thing the pharmaceutical head could take solace in was that there was at least one employee trying to satisfy her insane desires. "Still, if another branch has come up with something, good for them!...Good for fucking them..." Yeah, if someone really had done something, there might be just a SMALL bit of resentment from the biochemist...
"It better not! ...But if it does, do me a favor, and make sure I don't find out. I have to keep a lot of things in my mind, and images of my little sis throttling some guy are the last thing I need! in there!" She already had lots of things she didn't want to remember...like how she ended up groping breasts three times today...and none of them were hers. "So, subject change!...Um...so...how about that, er...local baseball team?"
"Eh, they're about .500, and they're on a 4 game skid. At this rate, I don't think they'll make the playoffs. A shame, since they started the year with high hopes of winning it all. ...Sorry. I'm just used to having to talk about that nonsense whenever it's brought up." Truth be told, Rhonda wasn't big on sports. But it was a great ice breaker, for business purposes or otherwise, so she did keep herself knowledgable. "Anyway, I...Alda? What's wrong? You look like you're about to throw up."
In an attempt to purge her mind of the...things that she had just heard her sister had done, the elder sister had swiped a drink from a nearby server's tray, and downed it all in one gulp. At which point she just...froze. She was prepared for alcohol being in it, but that..."I-I'm all right. That's just...a lot stronger than I thought it'd be." She took a couple of deep breaths, which did little to help that she really did look like she was about to hurl. Oddly, it actually did make her feel a bit better, so the looks were deceiving. "So long as I don't get in a car in the next 15 minutes or so, I'm good!"
"Really? You look green...well, green where you aren't normally..." Okay, real subject switch! "So, Miss Heart-Payne! Not that I'm complaining, but is there any reason you whipped up this party? It came about rather suddenly, the way I hear it. Say, there isn't any news you wanted to share with the company, is there? Anything you'd like to spill to PR so we can get a little head start on it?"
"Nothing from my department, that's for sure...I've been working late the last several weeks, and we've barely made any headway..." One thing the pharmaceutical head could take solace in was that there was at least one employee trying to satisfy her insane desires. "Still, if another branch has come up with something, good for them!...Good for fucking them..." Yeah, if someone really had done something, there might be just a SMALL bit of resentment from the biochemist...
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Dharma turned her head and pretended to be interested in a nearby waiter (which was probably a more suspect action than if she had simply closed her eyes and taken a nap) when the subject approached sports. It was well and good that Rhonda had confirmed her future would be free of debauchery (or at least free of talking about it), but Dharma would almost rather listen to that again than be forces to discuss something as pedestrian as sports. Since the early days, organized sports ha been a way of keeping the masses placated... and as far as she knew,she was still one of the only people she knew who was not part of the masses.
Thankfully, this have her some time to lecture her navi privately again while Agnu picked up a few freebie observations on sports teams. When she was done, she was happy to find that the subject had returned to work. "Well, if you were expecting for me to announce that I'm retiring or marrying, I'm sorry to disappoint you. No, although I will never manage to nail down a single date for it due to everyone's busy schedules, I would like to hold one of these events every year to remind Team Heart-Payne that my family appreciates everything you do," the president explained with her big fake smile. "Of course, since my father's passing, my family consists only of myself."
"All the more reason to jump on that marriage!" Agnis pitched in, raising her drink in celebration. Dharma pretended not to hear her, which caused her face to redden and contort with unmasked anxiety again.
"I know work has been stressful lately," she continued, focusing almost solely on Alda; she'd be damned if she knew what was so hard about PR. Rhonda seemed like the easy-going type, so maybe nothing was difficult about it. Maybe one just needed to have nice thighs to go with her skirt. She shivered, remembering Rhonda's story again. "I push my researchers so hard because I have grand ambitions for all of us. We've always been market leaders; my father put down the groundwork for us to become great during his generation. Now, under my vision and with your support, I feel confident that we are going to create entirely new markets altogether."
"Inspiring!" Agnis cheered, giving her most enthusiastic clap possible considering she was also holding a martini glass. "Come to think of it, you girls probably joined after Dharma became president. It's a shame you never got to meet the former president, then."
"Indeed. He was a great man and we all miss him, few more than I," Dharma agreed. It was half-true; her father was one of the few legitimate business-men that she'd ever admired, one of the only men who was not an egotistical conquerer on her list of great men. Even he had a weakness though; and while the doctors said it had been disease that killed him, she knew in her mind that a pharmaceutical genius would never allow himself to go out that way... he had been plagued with a heart that could be hurt. The moment she realized that, she decided to make certain she never shared that fate.
And yet she did not miss him. She respected him for what he was:a brilliant scientist, chemist,and company president. But if he hadn't died, she never would have become what she was now: not just company president, but a future ruler of men, a private puppeteer of human lives. So she couldn't miss him, not honestly.
"Well, my father was a great man," she spoke at length, smiling and closing her eyes thoughtfully. "So is yours, Agnis." She supposed she wasn't lying there, even if he had somehow spawned the pandering, spineless Agnis Agnu. He was also quite rich,and that counted for something. "We were lucky to have them both."
"And we're lucky to have each other!" Agnis laughed, throwing one arm around the president in an overly familiar (and drunk) gesture. Dharma smiled falsely, only resisting the urge to tip Agnis over into the pool again by the force of her distraction; she had started thinking about her father again. "Say, you all are good at operating while you socialize."
"It's no difficult feat," Dharma replied with a shrug, partially to get Agnis off of her.
"Boil is no good at it... She's so needy! If she's not getting attention all of the time she can't do any work!" Agnis chuckled, not realizing how similar she and her navigator were in that respect. "Dharma has shown you two Phero, right? I think she's adorable! Don't you just want to kiss her and squeeze her? I mean hug her!" Agnis rambled, waving her drink and looking a little tipsy (or maybe she was waterlogged).
Thankfully, this have her some time to lecture her navi privately again while Agnu picked up a few freebie observations on sports teams. When she was done, she was happy to find that the subject had returned to work. "Well, if you were expecting for me to announce that I'm retiring or marrying, I'm sorry to disappoint you. No, although I will never manage to nail down a single date for it due to everyone's busy schedules, I would like to hold one of these events every year to remind Team Heart-Payne that my family appreciates everything you do," the president explained with her big fake smile. "Of course, since my father's passing, my family consists only of myself."
"All the more reason to jump on that marriage!" Agnis pitched in, raising her drink in celebration. Dharma pretended not to hear her, which caused her face to redden and contort with unmasked anxiety again.
"I know work has been stressful lately," she continued, focusing almost solely on Alda; she'd be damned if she knew what was so hard about PR. Rhonda seemed like the easy-going type, so maybe nothing was difficult about it. Maybe one just needed to have nice thighs to go with her skirt. She shivered, remembering Rhonda's story again. "I push my researchers so hard because I have grand ambitions for all of us. We've always been market leaders; my father put down the groundwork for us to become great during his generation. Now, under my vision and with your support, I feel confident that we are going to create entirely new markets altogether."
"Inspiring!" Agnis cheered, giving her most enthusiastic clap possible considering she was also holding a martini glass. "Come to think of it, you girls probably joined after Dharma became president. It's a shame you never got to meet the former president, then."
"Indeed. He was a great man and we all miss him, few more than I," Dharma agreed. It was half-true; her father was one of the few legitimate business-men that she'd ever admired, one of the only men who was not an egotistical conquerer on her list of great men. Even he had a weakness though; and while the doctors said it had been disease that killed him, she knew in her mind that a pharmaceutical genius would never allow himself to go out that way... he had been plagued with a heart that could be hurt. The moment she realized that, she decided to make certain she never shared that fate.
And yet she did not miss him. She respected him for what he was:a brilliant scientist, chemist,and company president. But if he hadn't died, she never would have become what she was now: not just company president, but a future ruler of men, a private puppeteer of human lives. So she couldn't miss him, not honestly.
"Well, my father was a great man," she spoke at length, smiling and closing her eyes thoughtfully. "So is yours, Agnis." She supposed she wasn't lying there, even if he had somehow spawned the pandering, spineless Agnis Agnu. He was also quite rich,and that counted for something. "We were lucky to have them both."
"And we're lucky to have each other!" Agnis laughed, throwing one arm around the president in an overly familiar (and drunk) gesture. Dharma smiled falsely, only resisting the urge to tip Agnis over into the pool again by the force of her distraction; she had started thinking about her father again. "Say, you all are good at operating while you socialize."
"It's no difficult feat," Dharma replied with a shrug, partially to get Agnis off of her.
"Boil is no good at it... She's so needy! If she's not getting attention all of the time she can't do any work!" Agnis chuckled, not realizing how similar she and her navigator were in that respect. "Dharma has shown you two Phero, right? I think she's adorable! Don't you just want to kiss her and squeeze her? I mean hug her!" Agnis rambled, waving her drink and looking a little tipsy (or maybe she was waterlogged).
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"Well, I for one appreciate the appreciation! Although, I sorta wish there was more to it than that. There hasn't anything big to promote since I was hired, and it's all been standard fare so far. I like the work and all, but it'd be great if there was something super exciting to promote..." Then again, that'd involve late hours and lack of sleep...but that was part of the excitement, in a way. Also, she found it a little sad that Dharma was the only member of her family left. She had her parents as well, but even if she didn't, she'd still have her big sister. Well, big in that Alda was older. Rhonda was pretty sure that in every other way she was bigger.
"Oh, don't worry about me, Miss Heart-Payne. The lab's been really busy as of late, but it's nothing we can't handle! Great minds are working around the clock to make your dream a reality!" Sure, there wasn't a whole lot resulting from all that work so far, but they were, at the very least, not slacking off or anything. "And actually, we've been around since the days of the last president! I never got a chance to meet him, though."
"Which is too bad, since everything I've heard about him has been nothing but praise." With that, Agnis put her arm around her boss, who the PR specialist noticed wasn't very pleased. She couldn't really blame her; the probably drunk woman was getting obnoxious. Also, she acted like basic multitasking was witchcraft or something. "It's not hard at all, no. Though in our case, it helps that SmogMan's a highly capable Navi. ...Er, not that Phero isn't, mind you!" Gah, what a faux pas, making it sound like her boss's Navi was inept or something. Maybe that wasn't how she'd interpret it, but damage control was something you couldn't have enough of in her line of work.
"Tell me about it...work is sooooo much easier with SmogMan around! I can just run simulations on chemical compositions instead of having to do the real thing, it's a lot cheaper, and there's no risk of accidentally creating a highly toxic gas that could kill a city block in seconds!" Now that was a 'fun' week. Which reminded her, she needed to make sure she could legally leave the country again, because having to turn down scientific conferences because of that was pretty embarrassing... "By the way, what time is it? My PET's clock's been busted for two days, and I keep forgetting to fix it."
"Don't ask me, I don't even have my PET with me right now."
"Miss Heart-Payne? Agnis? I need to know, it's kinda important..."
"Oh, don't worry about me, Miss Heart-Payne. The lab's been really busy as of late, but it's nothing we can't handle! Great minds are working around the clock to make your dream a reality!" Sure, there wasn't a whole lot resulting from all that work so far, but they were, at the very least, not slacking off or anything. "And actually, we've been around since the days of the last president! I never got a chance to meet him, though."
"Which is too bad, since everything I've heard about him has been nothing but praise." With that, Agnis put her arm around her boss, who the PR specialist noticed wasn't very pleased. She couldn't really blame her; the probably drunk woman was getting obnoxious. Also, she acted like basic multitasking was witchcraft or something. "It's not hard at all, no. Though in our case, it helps that SmogMan's a highly capable Navi. ...Er, not that Phero isn't, mind you!" Gah, what a faux pas, making it sound like her boss's Navi was inept or something. Maybe that wasn't how she'd interpret it, but damage control was something you couldn't have enough of in her line of work.
"Tell me about it...work is sooooo much easier with SmogMan around! I can just run simulations on chemical compositions instead of having to do the real thing, it's a lot cheaper, and there's no risk of accidentally creating a highly toxic gas that could kill a city block in seconds!" Now that was a 'fun' week. Which reminded her, she needed to make sure she could legally leave the country again, because having to turn down scientific conferences because of that was pretty embarrassing... "By the way, what time is it? My PET's clock's been busted for two days, and I keep forgetting to fix it."
"Don't ask me, I don't even have my PET with me right now."
"Miss Heart-Payne? Agnis? I need to know, it's kinda important..."
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"Big things are on the way, I assure you," Dharma chuckled, closing her eyes and smiling her favorite smile: the "I'm masking a diabolical plot with something that sounds good for the general population" smile, which, on the outside, carried only the latter intention. "When the time comes, PR will have the important task of magnifying global awareness of our product. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Your sister and I have a lot of work to do as well."
She turned to Alda and flipped her hair over her shoulder, nodding solemnly in a way that showed she understood the legitimate concern of (public) experiment-related catastrophes and the genuine convenience of navis in helping to mitigate those errors. "Yes and navis are so... affordable these days," she played along, doing her best to avoid saying "expendable" or "replaceable." "But-hm? The time?"
"Haha! As if we would wear watches with our swimsuit!" Agnis laughed in something accidentally approaching a snort.
"It's almost sundown, Madam President," Phero pitched in, free go speak up now that she and SmogMan had finished their business.
"Well, there you have it," Dharma shrugged. "Don't stay on my behalf. I would hardly be showing my appreciation by monopolizing your time on your day off."
She turned to Alda and flipped her hair over her shoulder, nodding solemnly in a way that showed she understood the legitimate concern of (public) experiment-related catastrophes and the genuine convenience of navis in helping to mitigate those errors. "Yes and navis are so... affordable these days," she played along, doing her best to avoid saying "expendable" or "replaceable." "But-hm? The time?"
"Haha! As if we would wear watches with our swimsuit!" Agnis laughed in something accidentally approaching a snort.
"It's almost sundown, Madam President," Phero pitched in, free go speak up now that she and SmogMan had finished their business.
"Well, there you have it," Dharma shrugged. "Don't stay on my behalf. I would hardly be showing my appreciation by monopolizing your time on your day off."
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Both Hydes wordlessly acknowledged their supreme boss with a nod, but Alda looked like she was trying to suppress a big smile. "I didn't even notice it was that late...I guess I should head home, then. There's something important I need to do tonight!"
"Oh, you mean that-" And with all of four words, SmogMan found himself momentarily muted. His lack of facial expression implied that he realized why he'd been rendered unable to speak...or maybe he was just too lazy to change it. Either was entirely possible.
"Really? You never said anything about anything to me. So it's definitely not a date...oh, you're not making a booty call or anything, are you? Because there's nothing wrong with that! A girl's got needs, and sometimes to satisfy those needs you've got get a little s-"
"No no NO!" Alda's annoyance, and lack of embarrassment, made it pretty clear that her mystery task actually had nothing to do with getting lucky. "It's got nothing to do with guys! I've just got some work I need to get done. Nothing anyone else here would care about!"
"Oh. Boring!" Rhonda nudged her sister with her elbow in an attempt to needle her further, and was a little surprised when she returned the favor. Hard. Ow. "Anyway, I think I'll stay a bit longer. It's not like it's a long ride back to my apartment." Or any ride, for that matter; it was a 10 minute walk from the dock to her door. She could just stay and relax, without having to worry about work or...wait, work. Crap. "Ohhhhhh, I just realized that I was supposed to check in with someone today. I imagine he's still here, because he's definitely not one to leave a party earlier, but I shouldn't put it off. A publicist's job is never done!" She made a quick scan, but if she saw whoever she was talking about, she made absolutely no signs of it. "Of course he's not going to make this easy...it was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Heart-Payne, Agnis. Alda, guess I'll see you tomorrow. Take care, everyone!" With that, the younger sister rushed off, in search of the mystery person.
"Right, bye Rhonda!" After seeing her sister off, it suddenly dawned on Alda that she was by herself with a pair of big wigs. Ugh, she could feel the butterflies in her stomach already. Luckily, she was already on her way out. "Guess I'll get going too. Thanks for throwing the party, Miss Heart-Payne!" And just like that, Dharma was left to her own devices. And Agnis. Poor, poor Dharma.
"Oh, you mean that-" And with all of four words, SmogMan found himself momentarily muted. His lack of facial expression implied that he realized why he'd been rendered unable to speak...or maybe he was just too lazy to change it. Either was entirely possible.
"Really? You never said anything about anything to me. So it's definitely not a date...oh, you're not making a booty call or anything, are you? Because there's nothing wrong with that! A girl's got needs, and sometimes to satisfy those needs you've got get a little s-"
"No no NO!" Alda's annoyance, and lack of embarrassment, made it pretty clear that her mystery task actually had nothing to do with getting lucky. "It's got nothing to do with guys! I've just got some work I need to get done. Nothing anyone else here would care about!"
"Oh. Boring!" Rhonda nudged her sister with her elbow in an attempt to needle her further, and was a little surprised when she returned the favor. Hard. Ow. "Anyway, I think I'll stay a bit longer. It's not like it's a long ride back to my apartment." Or any ride, for that matter; it was a 10 minute walk from the dock to her door. She could just stay and relax, without having to worry about work or...wait, work. Crap. "Ohhhhhh, I just realized that I was supposed to check in with someone today. I imagine he's still here, because he's definitely not one to leave a party earlier, but I shouldn't put it off. A publicist's job is never done!" She made a quick scan, but if she saw whoever she was talking about, she made absolutely no signs of it. "Of course he's not going to make this easy...it was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Heart-Payne, Agnis. Alda, guess I'll see you tomorrow. Take care, everyone!" With that, the younger sister rushed off, in search of the mystery person.
"Right, bye Rhonda!" After seeing her sister off, it suddenly dawned on Alda that she was by herself with a pair of big wigs. Ugh, she could feel the butterflies in her stomach already. Luckily, she was already on her way out. "Guess I'll get going too. Thanks for throwing the party, Miss Heart-Payne!" And just like that, Dharma was left to her own devices. And Agnis. Poor, poor Dharma.
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Eager to stop becoming involved in conversations involving booty calls,Dharma waved away first Alda, then Rhonda. Agnis did so as well, although she'd go on about such a gossipy subject as long as anybody (if drinking didn't knock her out first). "The party is a great way to get in touch with your business associates! I wouldn't Ming keeping in touch with those two a little more often~" Agnis chuckled, still red-faced, but not out of pitifully high blood pressure this time. "The cute younger sister or the sexy older one though? Hmmm... How about both?!"
Dharma's ordinary distaste for Agnis was all the worse given the conversation topic, so, seeing no witnesses around, she promptly tripped Agnis back into the pool. "It is nice to meet useful people," she mused. "Especially ones well suited to replace those who are equal parts useless and repulsive."
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The president made a quick stop to make sure Phillip was still breathing after passing out earlier; thankfully, he was, although he gave a big, unhealthy cough as soon as he spotted Dharma's clothes. "Please, Madam President, put on something so that you don't catch a cold..." he suggested / begged, as he often did.
"You know, the experiment didn't work as I had hoped. I was probably foolish to use myself as the model for this design..." she sighed, straightening her hair as she spoke.
"Well, most will probably just see this as your usual eccentric behavior... I don't think it will lower your stock in anyone's eyes-"
"Of course not! I meant that everyone was so distracted by my elegance and usual countenence that there was no way to obtain reliable data on the usefulness of the outfit as a tool. Although... perhaps you're right. There's really no reason to... expose myself to ordinary peons," she sighed, starting to grow slightly red in the face herself. She was usually pretty confident but she'd skirted too many lewd topics tonight to pretend that she wasn't regretting going out there half-naked. "Phillip."
"Yes, madam president?" the head researcher asked, now sitting up in his bed.
"I've discovered a harsh reality that is going to impede my research into 'love,' its related behaviors, and most importantly, how to manufacture and sell it. Namely, I am wholly adverse to... lewd, disgusting sexual acts... but beyond that, to the concept of love itself. It's something meant exclusively for the unwashed masses who don't know any better. So from now on, I'm not using myself or my body to research it any further."
"What of your father? He loved your mother dearly and she reciprocated love. Without that love, you would have never been born," Phillip offered in a matter of fact voice.
"That could have conspired with or without love. Love ruined my father and, to me,it is never going to be anything more than a drug. A dangerous one with fatal side effects," Dharma snapped in response. "But one that I can and must eventually sell to the common man. Yes, one day... We shall see the foundation of my love empire!"
Being too ill to provide a counterargument, Phillip rolled back over onto his sheetless bed, pulling his labcoat over himself like a blanket.
"One day, men will line up down the alleys with cash in hand, begging to purchase my love! I will have a reputation as he ultimate lovemaker!"
And then Phillip had another coughing fit.
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"Madam President, you shouldn't shout things that you know are going to upset Phillip ," Dharma's navi offered, appearing on her PET screen as Dharma entered her bedroom below deck.
Dharma sighed as she unhooked her swimsuit, but not before flipping Phero's PET so she wouldn't watch. The thing sounded (and looked) like a bungee-jumping harness as it came off. As she struggled to remove her wedgy and peel the thing off, it occurred to Dharma that she really had gone overboard... but it really had felt good, in a weird way, to appear so differently in front of everyone.
Most people would have tanned during that party, but Dharma's fair skin didn't tan easily. She hadn't gotten wet during the whole party, despite tossing so many into the pool, but now the shower sent streams of moisture down her jet-black hair and pale white skin. "We have business to attend to after I've prepared, Phero. I must board a smaller ferry bound for a certain convention... the Bee Rider... I think that's the name, Bee Rider... vitamins for children that HP is bringing into development are going into an early product test. You know, the love for one's children is something else entirely... but perhaps even more attractive as a merchandising opportunity. There's no lewdness involved there."
"Bottling and selling the love of a parent? How could that be possible?" Phero wondered, thinking that she wouldn't mind giving the president some to see if it improved her view towards her navi.
"So many children seek the approval of their elders... and parents want the adoration of their children as well. You'd be surprised what demand such a product could generate," she chuckled... at the same time, she found herself fighting back tears.
There had been a point where Dharma Heart-Payne had loved too. She'd loved her father and mother, more perhaps than they had loved her... before her mother left. Then her Dad went chasing her Mom... so much for the love of one's child. In her mind, Dharma knew that there was no chance he could have left his daughter like that, in charge of an entire company with no family to look after her, if there was anything real to love. In the end, love was an illusion; something that looks a lot stronger until you have it in your hands. If others figured that love was worth purchasing, she would sell it to them. But she was one drug dealer who never planned to use her own product.
Wrapped in a black towel, Dharma sat down and arranged her wardrobe. Back to the basics: jet-black labcoat, black tie, black shirt, black skirt, black tights, black shoes, black unmentionables. She sniffled slightly, cursing Agnis and the Hydes for bringing up the subject of her father. By the time she was putting on her jacket and finally picked up Phero's PET, she had still not done anything about the redness of her eyes. "Did you go swimming?" Phero inquired. "I've never seen your eyes red that way... It could be a reaction to the chlorine."
"I got shampoo in my eyes just now, that is all. Let's worry less about my reactions and more about yours," her operator retorted. "I'm certain we will have the opportunity to perform more chemical tests in the field after I make my brief appearance. With my yacht tied up, we're going to have to wait for another ferry to take us back... and while the timing is right to our location, from is another matter."
Phero was intensely curious about the president's condition, noticing several other telltale factors that pointed towards hee operator having shown actual emotion while she wasn't looking. "Are you upset because so many people saw you naked? There's nothing wrong with nudity among friends! A good friend taught me that."
"... Please forget everything that friend said to you, then," Dharma murmured with a frown. She then stepped into her high heels and went down the hall, headed out of her yacht and to the harbor.
((Headed to Yoka))
Dharma's ordinary distaste for Agnis was all the worse given the conversation topic, so, seeing no witnesses around, she promptly tripped Agnis back into the pool. "It is nice to meet useful people," she mused. "Especially ones well suited to replace those who are equal parts useless and repulsive."
------------
The president made a quick stop to make sure Phillip was still breathing after passing out earlier; thankfully, he was, although he gave a big, unhealthy cough as soon as he spotted Dharma's clothes. "Please, Madam President, put on something so that you don't catch a cold..." he suggested / begged, as he often did.
"You know, the experiment didn't work as I had hoped. I was probably foolish to use myself as the model for this design..." she sighed, straightening her hair as she spoke.
"Well, most will probably just see this as your usual eccentric behavior... I don't think it will lower your stock in anyone's eyes-"
"Of course not! I meant that everyone was so distracted by my elegance and usual countenence that there was no way to obtain reliable data on the usefulness of the outfit as a tool. Although... perhaps you're right. There's really no reason to... expose myself to ordinary peons," she sighed, starting to grow slightly red in the face herself. She was usually pretty confident but she'd skirted too many lewd topics tonight to pretend that she wasn't regretting going out there half-naked. "Phillip."
"Yes, madam president?" the head researcher asked, now sitting up in his bed.
"I've discovered a harsh reality that is going to impede my research into 'love,' its related behaviors, and most importantly, how to manufacture and sell it. Namely, I am wholly adverse to... lewd, disgusting sexual acts... but beyond that, to the concept of love itself. It's something meant exclusively for the unwashed masses who don't know any better. So from now on, I'm not using myself or my body to research it any further."
"What of your father? He loved your mother dearly and she reciprocated love. Without that love, you would have never been born," Phillip offered in a matter of fact voice.
"That could have conspired with or without love. Love ruined my father and, to me,it is never going to be anything more than a drug. A dangerous one with fatal side effects," Dharma snapped in response. "But one that I can and must eventually sell to the common man. Yes, one day... We shall see the foundation of my love empire!"
Being too ill to provide a counterargument, Phillip rolled back over onto his sheetless bed, pulling his labcoat over himself like a blanket.
"One day, men will line up down the alleys with cash in hand, begging to purchase my love! I will have a reputation as he ultimate lovemaker!"
And then Phillip had another coughing fit.
-----------
"Madam President, you shouldn't shout things that you know are going to upset Phillip ," Dharma's navi offered, appearing on her PET screen as Dharma entered her bedroom below deck.
Dharma sighed as she unhooked her swimsuit, but not before flipping Phero's PET so she wouldn't watch. The thing sounded (and looked) like a bungee-jumping harness as it came off. As she struggled to remove her wedgy and peel the thing off, it occurred to Dharma that she really had gone overboard... but it really had felt good, in a weird way, to appear so differently in front of everyone.
Most people would have tanned during that party, but Dharma's fair skin didn't tan easily. She hadn't gotten wet during the whole party, despite tossing so many into the pool, but now the shower sent streams of moisture down her jet-black hair and pale white skin. "We have business to attend to after I've prepared, Phero. I must board a smaller ferry bound for a certain convention... the Bee Rider... I think that's the name, Bee Rider... vitamins for children that HP is bringing into development are going into an early product test. You know, the love for one's children is something else entirely... but perhaps even more attractive as a merchandising opportunity. There's no lewdness involved there."
"Bottling and selling the love of a parent? How could that be possible?" Phero wondered, thinking that she wouldn't mind giving the president some to see if it improved her view towards her navi.
"So many children seek the approval of their elders... and parents want the adoration of their children as well. You'd be surprised what demand such a product could generate," she chuckled... at the same time, she found herself fighting back tears.
There had been a point where Dharma Heart-Payne had loved too. She'd loved her father and mother, more perhaps than they had loved her... before her mother left. Then her Dad went chasing her Mom... so much for the love of one's child. In her mind, Dharma knew that there was no chance he could have left his daughter like that, in charge of an entire company with no family to look after her, if there was anything real to love. In the end, love was an illusion; something that looks a lot stronger until you have it in your hands. If others figured that love was worth purchasing, she would sell it to them. But she was one drug dealer who never planned to use her own product.
Wrapped in a black towel, Dharma sat down and arranged her wardrobe. Back to the basics: jet-black labcoat, black tie, black shirt, black skirt, black tights, black shoes, black unmentionables. She sniffled slightly, cursing Agnis and the Hydes for bringing up the subject of her father. By the time she was putting on her jacket and finally picked up Phero's PET, she had still not done anything about the redness of her eyes. "Did you go swimming?" Phero inquired. "I've never seen your eyes red that way... It could be a reaction to the chlorine."
"I got shampoo in my eyes just now, that is all. Let's worry less about my reactions and more about yours," her operator retorted. "I'm certain we will have the opportunity to perform more chemical tests in the field after I make my brief appearance. With my yacht tied up, we're going to have to wait for another ferry to take us back... and while the timing is right to our location, from is another matter."
Phero was intensely curious about the president's condition, noticing several other telltale factors that pointed towards hee operator having shown actual emotion while she wasn't looking. "Are you upset because so many people saw you naked? There's nothing wrong with nudity among friends! A good friend taught me that."
"... Please forget everything that friend said to you, then," Dharma murmured with a frown. She then stepped into her high heels and went down the hall, headed out of her yacht and to the harbor.
((Headed to Yoka))