trans_9 | Work and Play

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Work and Play

Aine panted, holstering her gun in the under the shoulder holster it came with. The Intar she collected from Weapon's storage was working well. Not needing to charge her own power when into the weapon was different though. The lack of bullets did help, and while it was not a killing weapon. Which really was more options than anything, the event with the blood drinkers proved that the ship was hardly a unified front. So having the choice between putting them down, or putting them down and finishing them with her knife was a blessing. Also Stacy wouldn't give her the other weapons she looked at.

She had spent the past hour testing the weapon, giving targets to fight with. Covering range tests, fire rates, accuracy, and a few test fights against AI opponents provided by Stacy. They were simple gunfights, no reason to remove the safety protocols. If you are hit in a gunfight like that, you're dead, healer or not.

Right now, though, she sniffed the air. She was sweaty and tired, and wanted to at least rinse off. She piled up her jacket, weapons, and holsters in the corner, "Give me a stream, clear water, clean. Afternoon sun, and..." She looked down at herself, now that the plantsuit was with her other items, "Something suitable for the water."

She started washing up, her preference would be to wash normally, sans clothes. However she knew this was both not a private location, and that her age seemed to be an issue with many. So she decided this should be a fair compromise if anyone came in. While she was out of that wretched suit, she might as well check her gemstones. That which let her powers flow freely, moving her fingers methodically from one gem to the next, a faint light escaping them as she checked them.

She looked around the fake world she was in, while her fingers checked the gems on her back. It was a very pretty creation, fake, but pretty. "Give me... flowers," several red blooms appeared on a tree and the grass near the stream. "No... blue flowers." All the flowers turned blue. That was neat to play with, this was quite a place.

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Negi was wandering around when he noticed the sensoriums were open again. Intrigued, he walked into the nice place and turned the corner. The young boy mage went three shades of red at the washing girl and stumbled backwards, only to slip on the slick grass and went tumbling head over heels into the clearing.

Aine blinked a few times at the young boy who fell into this illusion made for her practice and now relaxation. He probably wasn't from a world like her's, otherwise nudity wouldn't be that big a deal, let alone this. Ah youth, this might be the first time he saw a girl like this, would explain why he reacted in such a way. Children of other worlds seemed to be so... coddled. She did have this odd feeling, about him, a twinge in her Silver Heart.

She laughed a little at the boy, "You alright there? That was quite an entrance." She went back to examining the gemstones in her palm, wondering about that feeling she had.

Still blushing completely red, he tried to avert his eyes. "I'm fine," stammered Negi. Light take it, what was with him and naked women?! "Just a little startled."

He really hoped she wasn't the type to haul him over and wash him up. He smelled from a lack of washing up.

Aine sniffed the air a moment, "You're rank, kid." She could understand, the ship's air was not that helpful to staying clean, nor was the ship. She definitely didn't like the looks of any of the ways she'd been told you could wash yourself here.

She hopped out of the water, unashamed while not totally naked, and rushed toward him, "Kid, I know this ain't the nicest place, but you need a wash." The look she gave outright shouted she was not giving him a suggestion. Nor was there much way he could talk her out of this.

When she got near however the gems in her body began to glow, slightly. It felt weird, very very weird. It was... different, from any magic she's sensed. Mostly because it felt so strong without any visible effort. This changed her look from the stern mothering figure before, to a very confused person, staring at the gems in her palm, "What are you kid?"

"Meep!" exclaimed Negi in shock. Another girl going to force him to wash up? It was like a running gag! "Well um, I just um..."

Then he noticed her confusion and blinked. "Well um, I'm just a school teacher and... are you sensing my magic?"

So the kid played make believe as a school teacher? What a dull thing to pretend to be, the magic however... that was obviously no game. His Soul burned stronger than anyone she had ever met, magic in his world must be much easier to manifest. She could deal with that after she dealt with the first issue.

"You got two options. Get undressed and get in the water, or I will throw you into the water fully dressed." Smell first, magic causing her gems to glow later. She again had that look of complete seriousness, that she meant every word she said.

"Meep!" repeated Negi in shock. "W-wait, let me get undressed first!"

There was a few things that could put the Fear of God into Negi. One was a strong girl threatening to hurl him into the bath.

Off came his plantsuit and his staff was set to the side with the pactio card. There wasn't much else and he blushed as he eased into the water before she could hurl him bodily into the water.

It was nice when a few things worked out right. She could still cause fear in small children that needed to behave, always a plus. She hopped back into the water, "I expect you to be able to wash yourself." She kept the glaring going, at least for now. Make sure he knew she was serious. She didn't need to mother him, just get him to behave like a proper kid.

"Now then, so your magic must be pretty strong. Since it can cause my gems to react," that was not something that usually happened. Three or four stories exist about warriors strong enough to cause that, never a thing she ran into. Even with a few generals she met. But the gems were attuned to the soul of the owner. For another soul to cause a reaction was rare. "So why pretend to be a school teacher?"

She'd actually been looking around for a Sensorium to meditate in: she felt a little tired, and needed to be alone with her thoughts. Socializing and training was all well and good, but would mean nothing if you didn't concentrate on taming the inner self within, and there were many questions on Katara's mind lately, from instruction with her new teacher to where her brother was these days. She missed him.

When she stepped into the nearest available space, she saw that it was occupied, with someone that was attempting a bath. She was going to turn away when she noted the jewels at her back: for some reason, they kept Katara mesmerized, and she stared at them in wonder. The nudity didn't both her, of course. It was uncommon, but were most things on the ship.

"You know, there should be a fountain back in the city," Katara said, and I know there is a pool in the hotel where me and my buddies stay. Maybe you;d like to try that instead?"

"Right." At least it wasn't completely like Asuna where she'd start scrubbing his head. Splashing water around, he started to wash up.

"But... I am a school teacher," said Negi in confusion. "But yes, my magic is very strong. It's constantly running through my body."

"You're a kid, why would you teach at a school?" Felt a little odd saying that, since that was what everyone's looks told her about her being a soldier. "Shouldn't you be a bit more used to the world before you teach about it?"

Well, that was obvious, anyone without magic in their body was dead. However for anyone to have that much magic was- "You're more than a school teacher." This wasn't a question, "You're a warrior aren't you." Still not a question. It made sense, soul and life grew stronger in fights. It was the way of the world, her world anyway.

"It's part of my training," admitted Negi as he continued to wash up. "And I'm no ordinary ten year old."

And he nodded. "Not by choice, but yes, I'm a warrior. A fairly strong one by any measure since I fought in several battles over the year."

"I was already here," Aine answered, studying one of these false flowers she asked for. The scent, it was very realistic. Did fake flowers produce fake fragrance? How very peculiar detail to pay attention to. Everything else was plenty, but to include scents, that's really something. Most Greys and Oranges didn't bother that far with their Soul.

"I needed to get some target practice," Aine explained, "When I finished I decided to clean up a little before heading back into the ship." She didn't seem to try to hide. While she had a single article of clothing on, thanks to the sensoriums creation, to keep her from being completely naked. It didn't cover one of the main things that could draw a gaze. "Water feels a lot nicer than... the other things in this level for hi-gene. I also didn't want to go anywhere to get cleaned up."

"That makes sense, to a point," Katara commented. "Anyone can walk in on you here though. It's why I thought you might prefer to go down to the city instead. You're less likely to have someone spying on you there. But I've never seen you before, so you're probably new to the ship anyway." She extended her hand, trying to follow the tradition of some of the people on the ship.

"I'm Katara, of the Southern Water Tribe. I'm sorry for staring, but I've never seen anyone with jewels on their back before. They're very pretty. What are they for?"

"Really, I couldn't tell," This kid, her grandfather might have been at this kid's level, and he felt he had to mention he wasn't normal. Still didn't change the fact that a kid that young teaching makes very little sense.

"Wait, a year? You've only been fighting for a year," What the hell was this kid made of? What the hell kinda planet is he from?

Negi nodded as he washed up his hair. "Yeah, I started to learn martial arts considering I kept on getting into fighting situations."

He rinsed his hair off and added, "I've learned attack magic too."

"If they want to look, that is their concern," Aine shrugged, "Camps didn't generally bother with personal showers, or gender split showers. I'm used to it." She eyed the extended hand, an odd greeting pose. Aine put her hand over the silver heart, the silver plate on her chest, with gems like on her back and arm. She then offered a bow to the other woman.

"White Aine of the Daingein," She considered the people name, of course her first thought is she's a Blue. "Pretty?" Aine looked at her own gems a moment, "They were installed when I was eight, everyone in my people gets them as a part of joining the military. They help amplify my Soul to use my abilities." Nobody ever called the Manastones pretty before, what an odd thing to think.

"Your world must in worse shape than mine," Aine offered, kid so well trained at magic at such an age. Working, a warrior, and people thought her world was odd.

"What Nature is your attack magic?" He had a card, and there were card users, but the staff seemed more his weapon. Given the robe, that was the classic of fairytale magic. Which meant Form wasn't something she had to ask about.

Katara sighed inwardly. Whenever she bowed, people looked at her strangely, so she started to do the handshake thing, It just figured that it would be the exact opposite effect in this situation. "Not that I'm saying there's anything wrong with that: I mean, the body is the body. People just tend to be, uh, particular about it on the ship, and even in their worlds. I don;t really care."

The gesture was unique though.

Katara tried not to look embarrassed. "I didn't mean to insult you! It's just...I'd never see anything like that before, and I wanted to pay you a compliment. Now I'm just really curious. Your soul has abilities? What can it do?"

"Well, sort of yes," admitted Negi, finishing cleaning up and stepping out of the water.

"My innate nature is wind and thunder mostly..." said Negi with a distant expression. "And... darkness."

"I didn't plan to stop wearing the 'clothes' Stacy provided me," there was a definite distaste in describing the plantsuit as clothes. And, for the record the thought had crossed her mind to just neglect the plantsuit, save the detail it would make carrying her weapons more difficult. She would rather find clothes. "However if after my training I want to relax with a cool bath. I hardly see how they can complain about walking in on me naked."

"Nono, I'm not insulted. Just that they aren't noticed like that. Beauty is saved for features, clothes, nature, and fighting skills." She rarely gained compliments, she was given a few for her calmness in the battlefield, while she was healing one boy he compared her to an angel. The most cliche of compliments a White can get. Aine was calm as she explained, "I'm a White, my soul extends out as a divine power to heal injuries. My guns are with my clothes, they help focus my power."

Katara nodded. "Trust me, I can agree with you on the plant suit. If it were up to me, I would be wearing my water tribe clothing most of the time. I guess the plantsuit is helpful in certain ways, but I really would prefer to wear my own kind of clothes." She could see what the girl was talking about though. "I agree there, its just...people from different places have different hang ups, or wouldn't think twice about looking at you in the bath. People on the ship can be strange like that."

"Oh!" Katara exclaimed. "You can heal injuries too? I can, but I don't need jewels for it, just water. It's a part of my element, and some of us are born with the power of waterbending. It means we can use the water as a weapon, in healing or even as a shield if we need to."

"You... just listed three natures," What sort of world was he from, and he listed that like it was normal. And the third one was Black, kid didn't look like a Necromancer.

"Where I'm from, at your age I was only starting to learn how to use my one Nature," she glanced down at her Silver Heart, "Light."

"Where I come from, it's natural to have more than one innate nature," explained Negi. "Gravity, Wind, Thunder, Earth, Fire, all sorts of natural powers. The rare few have a darkness or light alignment but innates even like Sand works too."

"Again, it is none of my concern who decides to stare at me," Aine lay back on the water to get her hair wet. She wasn't seeing what the big deal was, if they had such hang-ups over nudity they can just leave the area. If they cannot control their eyes it is another weakness that can be exploited. "Still don't see the problem with my activities, if my nudity was a concern for you, you would have left already. For instance."

A Blue with the power of healing? What a strange concept. However... a shield might be a good way to manifest her own Light, "The gems aren't why I heal. White is the Nature of my Soul, the gems simply help to take it from my core and turn it into something tangible. Like turning grain into bread."

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Work and Play

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