章節 90: Irrate

As Will was checking the Quest notification that appeared before him, Fionnadh was inspecting her body, a look of confusion adorning her face.

"Something wrong...?" asked Will, dismissing the notification and staring at Fionnadh with his right brow raised.

"My body...it hasn't changed..." stated Fionnadh, meeting Will's gaze as she explained, "Once our contract was formed, my physical form should have changed to reflect thine desires. That I haven't changed is...peculiar. Dost thou truly find this form appealing?"

"You wish..." said Ohta, speaking for the first time in quite a while as he made his way over with his hands in the front pocket of his hoodie, staring up at Will with a particularly annoyed look as he stated, "This idiot has the drive and proclivities of an automaton. If you were looking forward to him spreading your fluffy cheeks and going to town, tough luck. There's a long line ahead of you, and only the person at the front stands a chance..."

"But humans, more so than even beasts and Demons, are slaves to their desires. It is their greatest weakness, as well as the reason their end was deemed necessary..." stated Fionnadh, gazing at Will's lower half as if she were expecting it to speak for him.

Shaking his head, Will contended, "You've got things backward. Humans aren't slaves to their desires by default; they are manipulated toward that end by those with malicious or self-serving intentions. There is a reason most children aspire to help others and be heroes and not villains. People yearn to be good and to receive praise and recognition for their efforts. It is when they work hard and aren't justly rewarded that most deviate from the path of righteousness and morality..."

"I doubt droopy-ears here signed the contract to receive a lecture..." said Ohta, sporting his usual half-lidded look as he reminded, "The Silver Cats are waiting, and the situation over there isn't exactly sunshine, rainbows, and lollipops. You should hurry and question her so we can go..."

"That was my intention..." affirmed Will, nodding. Then, even though he was 99% certain it was the case, he asked, "The Father you and the other Saighba'an refer to, it's Plæner, correct?"

"You are mistaken," responded Fionnadh, leaving Will and Ohta more than a little confused.

"Then who is it...?" asked Will.

"I cannot say," responded Fionnadh, her words curt but without a trace of deception.

"Are they related to Plæner in some way?" asked Will.

"They are," confirmed Fionnadh, nodding.

"In a literal or a metaphorical sense...?" asked Will.

"Both," responded Fionnadh.

"So, it's not Plæner, but someone who is related to him in a literal and metaphorical way..." muttered Will, caressing his chin and smiling as he asked, "Could it be Plæner's child, or perhaps the leader of the Angels that once attempted to cleanse the world?"

"I cannot say..." repeated Fionnadh, but the slight shift in her expression, tone, and body language as she averted her eyes indicated that Will was on the right track.

"How many of you are there?" asked Ohta, inserting himself into the line of questioning.

"We are legion...ever growing, ever vast..." responded Fionnadh, a slight frown marring her face when Ohta retorted, "If you don't know, just say so. Trying to sound intelligent or mysterious when you're just a sacrificial lamb is beyond pretentious. And put some clothes on..."

Looking at Will, Fionnnadh's frown deepened as she questioned, "Is this petulant child someone dear to thee? I will not suffer their insults..."

"Keep talking like I'm not here, and I'll wear your furry ass like a glove..." threatened Ohta, holding up his right fist for emphasis. Fionnadh's coat became noticeably fluffier at this, similar to a small animal attempting to make itself appear bigger before a predator, but only for a brief moment as Will inserted himself between her and Ohta, his attention focused on the latter as he stated, "I can handle this..." in a faint but firm tone.

"It's your method of handling things that's the problem..." countered Ohta, his frown deepening into a look of frustration as he asked, "Why did you form a nearly equal contract with someone who attempted to kill you? You had all the leverage in the situation, but you allowed your life to be used as collateral against someone who would literally fucking die unless they entered a contract. That makes no fucking sense..."

'Ah...he's jealous...' Will realized, exhaling a faint sigh from his nose as he placed his hands on Ohta's shoulders and smiling as he said, "You're right, Ohta...at the very least, I should have discussed things with you first. But, just as I trust you to make your own decisions, you need to trust mine. I'm not completely without foresight, you know..."

"You could have fooled me..." muttered Ohta, his expression turning from frustrated to pouty and his cheeks darkening the moment Will placed his hands on his shoulders and spoke gently to him.

"Now, let's see..." said Will, removing his hands from Ohta's shoulders and turning to face Fionnadh, who had been observing their interaction with curiosity.

"Try these on..." said Will, pulling out and tossing a bundle of bluish-white fabric that Fionnadh caught out of the air before spreading open to reveal a pair of cotton panties that matched the color of her fur and had a pair of lapis-blue strings and a modified seam at the back to accommodate a tail.

Regaining an annoyed look, Ohta narrowed his eyes and questioned, "Why the hell are you carrying around a pair of panties?

"Believe it or not, I just acquired them," asserted Will, purchasing several other items from the System Shop, including a predominately white, blue-trimmed, qipao-styled tunic with a loincloth-like front and a triangular split at the back.

Witnessing Will produce several items he had no reason to carry normally, Ohta felt confused and skeptical but ultimately accepted he was speaking the truth. As for Fionnadh, she stared at the clothes Will had produced for her before meeting his gaze and questioning, "For what reason dost thou present me with these articles? My form is flawless and pure, and I do not fear the gazes of others..."

As she spoke, Fionnadh caused the faintly glowing, icy blue protrusions on her chest and the equally faint glow between her legs to vanish. At the same time, the slightly darker fur around her chest, neck, shoulders, and mons thickened, along with her mane-like hair and rabbit-like tail growing larger and fluffier.

"Will this suffice...?" asked Fionnadh, not wanting to wear clothes as she felt they were unnecessary and would only restrict her freedom to move and phase through objects.

"It's definitely an improvement..." affirmed Will. "But if you can adjust the length of your fur freely, it might be better to make it as short as possible and wear clothes. People fear your kind, and for good reason. Unless you want to spend all your time lurking in shadows, you should try to blend in as much as possible..."

"Oi...was that bit about lurking in shadows directed at me...?" Ohta asked, but Will just shook his head and elected not to address the accusation as he kept his focus on Fionnadh.

"Liks this...?" asked Fionnadh, retracting the fur covering her body until all that remained was smooth, ashen-white skin that was transitioned to dark grey near her hands, feet, and the tips of her ears. She kept her mane, but the fur on her tail had receded completely, leaving a tiny, pointed nub just above the cleft of her butt. The absence of fur made it clear just how lithe and athletic her body was at a glance, but what occupied Will's focus was the swirling patterns adorning her long, floppy ears, back, abdomen, hips, and outer thighs like shimmering bluish-white tattoos.

Nodding, Will smiled and remarked, "If you could conceal your cloven feet, anyone who saw you like this and hasn't met a Saighba'an directly would think you were a Zoan with recessive traits and a slightly unusual complexion."

"I see..." muttered Fionnadh, looking slightly annoyed and conflicted as she gazed at the clothes Will had prepared for her. She genuinely didn't care about the impression of others or fitting in, but since Will was in the superior position of their contract, she was technically obligated to do as he willed. He hadn't actually included any clauses that forced her to obey him, but as there similarly weren't any provisions preventing him or Ohta from killing or torturing her, she decided it was best not to antagonize or oppose them outright.

"I cannot alter the structure of my feet, but if thou insists, I shall defer to thine judgment and don the garb thou hast provideth..." stated Fionnadh, failing to conceal her frustration as she carefully slipped into the panties Will had provided, pulling them up until they were snug around her waist. They were less restrictive than she expected, but she didn't like how the fabric pushed against her tail until Will suggested regrowing its fur in that specific area, allowing it to serve as a cushion.

"What about a bra...?" asked Ohta, remarking, "She's not exactly packing melons, but she's not flat."

"Mmm...I don't think it's necessary..." said Will, having never felt them directly but fairly certain that the breasts of Saighba'an were cosmetic as even the breasts of the more well-endowed members of Fionnadh's kin retained their shape instead of bouncing around while they were moving at high speeds.

"Thou hast my gratitude..." expressed Fionnadh, believing that Will was being considerate. He even provided her with a dark, bluish-grey boiler suit after she struggled with getting the qipao over her head due to her ears and mane. The latter protruded from her back, neck, and the space between her shoulders, not just her scalp, so it was much easier for her to slip into clothes than pull them over her head.

"How is it...?" asked Will, raising his brows as Fionnadh played with the boiler suit's golden zipper, pulling it up and down with a look of intrigue.

"It's more comfortable than I presumed it would be," conceded Finnoadh, followed by her squatting down, stretching each of her legs, and shifting from side to side as she added, "But the fabric is too loose and produces friction at the seams..."

"Give me a moment..." said Will, editing his shop's search parameters to filter for compression bodysuits. By overlapping the viewport within the interface with Fionnadh, he could see what it would look like directly, so after finding one that matched her aesthetic, he invested a few hundred Karma to purchase one that was dark grey, nearly blue, with bright blue trim and lines on the side that matched the hue of her markings.

"This looks excessively restrictive..." remarked Fionnadh, but when she tried slipping it on, she found it surprisingly easy as the fabric perfectly and snuggly conformed to her body. Ohta couldn't help frowning at this, as the suit accented her butt and thighs, but Fionnadh found it was close to perfect as it allowed her to move and contort her body without friction or chaffing.

"I was mistaken," said Fionnadh, adopting a slight smile as she met Will's gaze and expressed, "This garment is more than satisfactory. But I find it curious that thou was able to provide it..."

"Consider it one of life's mysteries..." Will said jokingly. However, as Ohta was feeling irritated by how unnecessarily sexy the outfit made Fionnadh, he interpreted it as Will being flirtatious. Thus, sporting a deep frown, he suddenly removed his shoes, pulled his hoodie over his head, and began shimmying out of his shorts and briefs as he declared, "You're helping me pick a new outfit..." in a tone that left room for questions but no argument.

"Okay...?" responded Will, raising his brows but not really surprised as he reopened his shop and overlayed the display with Ohta. What did surprise him was that, in place of boxers or a new pair of briefs, Ohta had him start by picking out a pair of panties...

...