Varuni Arvel met me at the wayshrine in the Brass Fortress. She wasn't wearing her usual medium armour, just a thin silky dress that resembled the light armour, without the metal parts. Even her Mechanist's Tiara had been swapped for a more delicate model.
"I hope we're going somewhere warm," she told me. "Sotha Sil said this would be better for this trip, but it's a bit chilly to wear here."
"We certainly are going somewhere warmer," I replied. "You might even find that's more than you need."
When we stepped away from the shade of the wayshrine, and the full sunshine of Stros M'kai fell on her, she agreed.
"It gets hotter than this in the Alik'r desert. At least here, the seas keep the place more moderate. It will be a bit cooler in the evening, when the party starts, too," I reassured her.
As we walked through town, she explained why Seht had chosen her for this 'mission'. He felt that she deserved a vacation, after taking on Gascone's job, on top of her own, during the Shadow incident. Plus, she was good friends with Luciana, and half of this was about her. The Proctor had mentioned to Seht what she'd said to me about that hug I gave her; that it was a bit disappointing with both of us being armored. That had got him thinking about how to improve her sense of touch, and his research needed some more data.
Varuni's new Tiara was a recording device, that would pick up her tactile sensations. She was already getting some new input from the silky material of the dress, that was unlike anything she felt in her armour.
"And of course, Sotha Sil isn't a woman, so he can't use his own information," I remarked.
"He told me he'll have to use a whole new method of touch sensing for Luciana's new body," Varuni told me. "The current one uses mechanical devices, levers, gears, etc. He'll replace those with something crystal-based. That's using Ayleid technology, rather than Dwemer. New materials, too. Mythril and Titanium for lightness, and plant-derived ones for flexibility, where thing need to bend and stretch, rather than hinge."
"That sounds like a major project," I remarked. "and all for Luciana."
"He thinks she's worth it, and the research won't just benefit her, anyway."
When we got to Hunding's, a few of the other guests had already arrived. I found Ulliceta gra-Kogg at the top of the steps that lead down to the beach, examining Isobel's back. Isobel was as naked as the first time I'd met her.
"The one problem with using weapons you don't have the right skills for, is that your muscles complain when you move the wrong way," Isobel told us.
"Well you did stop before doing any damage," Ulliceta reassured her. "I'll give that a quick massage, and it'll be good as new."
She led Isobel over to one of the rush-seated benches near the patio wall. "Lie down on that, face down, and I'll go fetch some oil."
Ulliceta was soon back, and took off her own dress, and started work.
"Ooh, that feels good!" Isobel purred. "Almost worth the discomfort of doing it in the first place."
"What does she mean?" Varuni asked me.
I couldn't explain, but I could show her. There was another bench next to the one Isobel was using. I told Varuni to lie on that and I'd demonstrate. "No, take your dress off, or the oil will ruin it."
Hmm, no underwear. That saved me the problem of having to persuade her out of it.
Ulliceta glanced over to see if I was doing it right. This was supposed to be theraputic massage, not just fun. But apparently my technique passed muster, and she said nothing.
Varuni filled the silence for her. "I hope the tiara is recording this," she remarked. "It's definitely not the same as hugging in full armour."
Of course that remark interrupted the session a bit, as she had to explain it to the others. Which she did without bothering to put her dress back on. Being naked apparently wasn't an issue for her.
"Come on, we'd better go wash the oil off, before everyone else gets here and wants a massage, too," Isobel added, taking Varuni's hand and leading her down to the beach.
I watched them discuss going in the water, recalling how all the water in Clockwork City was dark and oily, unlike the clear blue ocean here. I hoped they knew a water-breathing spell, as they stayed down a lot longer than I could hold my breath.
Sure enough, when they climbed back up the steps Varuni told me she'd taught Isobel the spell. And it was the first time she'd used it herself; it was just something she'd learned as a precaution.
"Were those things we saw fish?" she asked Isobel. "We don't have those in Clockwork City. And no birds, until Nocturnal's crows arrived."
As if on cue, a gull wheeled overhead, and headed back twords the port. A couple more were perched on the big rock beyond the pilings, but you could barely see them from here.
Isobel pointed out that the fish they'd seen were tiny little ones, and nobody should swim out beyond the pilings, where the slaughterfish lurked. "Those ones won't just nibble at you, and tickle, they'll bite chunks off."
I suddenly found myself teleported to the top of the tower. Azura and Nocturnal were there, as were Seryn, Darien Gautier, and a very pretty Breton woman, who turned out to be Meridia.
Seryn was looking embarrassed. She'd invited Gabrielle to the party, without knowing that would be a problem for Meridia.
"It's only a problem because you decided to wear that body," Azura was telling Meridia. "She can't change hers, and you really don't have to change either. Twins look alike the whole lives, not just at one party. If they can work with it, so can you."
"Azura's only doing the petite, but incredibly cute, Breton thing, because there's no Bosmers here," Nocturnal added. "Otherwise she might have picked the same look."
"And because that's what Seryn knows," I added.
Darien was confused. Yes, Gabrielle and Meridia looked just the same, apart from the hair, but what was wrong with that? If anything, he thought Meridia looked better when she wasn't glowing. "But I haven't seen you naked before, either, so that might be swaying my opinion."
"And I haven't met Gabrielle, so I don't have an opinion," I added, being the only other male mortal. "But if she looks like that, I'd probably want to."
Darien looked a bit put out by that remark, but he glanced over at Seryn, liked what he saw, and decided that this party was going to be good for all of us, if we could bring Meridia around.
"I know you've devoted a lot of effort to getting your 'perfectly ordinary Breton' to have the emphasis on 'perfectly', but there was always the chance that someone could just luck into it," Nocturnal added. "So I'm doing 'perfectly ordinary shrike' because I decide what shrikes can do." And she laughed, infectiously.
"Good point," I added. "Don't all the lesser daedric women get built on the same model? We only have the one Mazken, if she decides to join us, but she'd look just like any of her sisters."
