Chapter 286: 23: Exposed

Danika started her weekend off late. It felt like it had been awhile since she had really slept in. Shinichi's text reminded her that they were working with a VR studio, and he added: "I asked and three of us can stay after we're finished and play in VR for a few hours tonight."

She read that and decided that she'd try again for a human or elven moonlight woven transformation belt. Before she'd thought that she was trying to get a humanoid transformation mostly to please Shinichi, but she suddenly really wanted to hug him.

She realized that he hadn't mentioned what sort of race he might choose if he really reincarnated his character. Maybe this would be their only opportunity to meet as humans within the game.

When she asked he replied only: "I want to surprise you."

Despite her late start on the day, she finished her exercises and various household chores before logging in to play. She remembered to log in from her phone first, and moved some of the remaining seaweed compost into the circle around the little guild hall tree.

Once she logged in through the VR-medi pod, she began by watering her replanted garden. She patted her little apple tree fondly and was glad to see her bees working industriously among the new flowers. Hikaru followed her around the whole time, and Danika realized that she hadn't really paid much attention to her pet lately.

"I'm sorry," she told the little beetle contritely.

Hikaru pulsed its light at her, but it didn't seem to be upset.

When she finished with her own garden, she exited her stone space and laid her pebble into its harness before flying over to examine the seedling guild hall from this view. It was almost as big as her apple tree now, and in VR various tiny rooms and levels were visible along its slender trunk.

The guild hall tree had absorbed the clover around it in a circle almost as wide as it was tall. That actually seemed a little creepy to Danika, but Shrubbery had sounded like it was just to be expected.

She checked her supply of human and elven hair, and then messaged the people on her friend list, asking if she could have more. She wondered what it said about her character that no one even asked what she wanted the hair for, they each just sent her some. Even Justin the Grey sent her a handful of short brown hair clippings.

She was ready when the moon rose, and didn't waste even a second of weaving time.

--

When Aishin, Nao1, and SilentSky logged in, she was still snatching down moonlight and trying to tie the essence of human or elf into it.

"We're going to try food!" Nao1 announced.

"Okay," Danika answered with a distracted air.

"Want me to stay here with you?" Aishin asked.

"You want to try the food too though right?" Danika questioned in return.

"Yeah, but it's alright, I do have a VR set available at home," he replied evenly.

"Go ahead, I'll catch up to you when I run out of moonlight," she told him wryly.

He smiled and bent to run a fingertip over the top of her head before following Nao1 and SilentSky into the city.

--

The moon was about to slip over the horizon but she decided to go ahead and make one last try. She reached for the moonlight and pulled the strings out, tied the short dark (probably) human hair and yanked on the string.

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She was successful. She fumbled at the catches that held her pebble harness on, with one small clawed hand, and let it slide off. Then she undid the knot which held her cat shape belt into its form and it quietly dissolved. She tied the new belt of light around her middle in its place.

Danika checked her menus for the direction, and zipped toward the city center. The traveling merchant gave her a cheerful wave as she passed overhead. Danika spotted a crowded food stall and came to a halt. She really wanted to try to sneak up on Aishin.

She looked around for an untrampled location, and zipped down to the ground. She laid her hand on the invisible belt, and triggered her skill.

In hindsight, Danika realized that the crowded market square had been a bad place for her first attempt at transforming into a human. Unfortunately she only realized this after the transformation had completed. She was naked except for her storage band and the dragon cuff wrapped around her other wrist.

She glanced around frantically, and spotted her tail ring lying on the ground. She snatched it up and then, before more than a few dozen eyes had turned in her direction, she triggered her invisibility.

She knew that it wouldn't stop everyone from detecting her. Elves could see magic, and there were spells and tools that could see through illusions, but at least most people wouldn't see the naked idiot. She hurriedly searched the square for the nearest outfitter.

Someone suddenly wrapped a cloak around her, and Danika turned, with startled eyes, to meet the gaze of someone she recognized.

Justin said dryly, "Invisibility doesn't work on everyone, and only minors will see the default underwear, the rest of us see you as completely naked."

Danika bit back a sharp reply and said simply, "Thank you."

She clutched Justin's cloak tighter and took a stumbling step in the direction of the outfitter she'd finally spotted. She reminded herself that the controls for walking on two legs should be the same as four, but it was hard not to think about how her legs moved as she stepped forward again.

Justin watched her for a second and then said critically, "You're walking like a mermaid who just got legs! You really need to climb out of your little VR pod and move around on your own two feet more often."

Danika stopped moving and turned back to face him. "Why are you always so annoying when you're actually doing something nice!?" she demanded.

"Always?" Justin asked with a frown.

Danika saw the shimmer of his menu screens pop up and she turned back toward the outfitters and tried to hurry.

"ZipZing?" Justin asked with surprise. He stepped forward quickly and caught up easily. He grabbed her arm and said, "Hey! Don't ignore me."

Danika almost fell as he unbalanced her, but his grip also steadied her. "Let me buy clothes before you yell at me," she protested.

"I've never yelled at you," Justin argued, but he released her arm.

"You just yelled 'hey don't ignore me'," Danika pointed out dryly. Talking to him was actually distracting enough that it made walking easier and she stepped into the crowded little tent with relief.

Justin followed her right in, but he did wait until she'd picked out a random tunic and a pair of leggings, paid for them and equipped them before speaking again.

"Why did you transform suddenly when you didn't even have clothes for that shape?" he questioned.

Danika blushed and shoved his cloak into his arms. "I forgot that I'd need them, it's the first time I've transformed into a humanoid," she explained.

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