After a few more congratulations, Ventus is asked about when she can visit. 

Truthfully responding, Ventus says, “I don’t know. I haven’t been here long, so I doubt I qualify for leave. I’ll let you all know if I learn elsewise, but until then I’ll message you all when I’m available next. Love you all.”

Stretching her tails and spine, Ventus then checks to see if either Desi or Lilith logged on. Seeing her messages unread she sighs and decides to go to the mess hall.

Waving as she passes Todd, she makes it a few more steps before getting called over by him.

“Hey Ventus. You’re needed back in Lamu’s office, official things apparently.”

Nodding, Ventus changes directions and heads up to Lamu’s office. Knocking on the door, she waits to be let in for once. 

The door slowly slides open, and Lamu is on the phone as it opens. “Yes I know, she’ll be ready for the press release. No she doesn’t know, but she’s about to find out. Yes sir, goodbye.”

Looking up, Lamu smiles at Ventus, looking tired. “You’re to report for a press release come morning. Wear the kimono you bought, I’m sure Lily will be more than happy to help if you’ve never worn one before.”

Blinking in surprise, Ventus stands there for several moments before nodding, “I can do that I suppose, but how do you know Lily will know how to help someone put on a kimono? Also, will I be required to speak?”

Lamu chuckles before pulling up a feed on his phone. Showing it to Ventus, he responds, “This was before the Eruption but she was rather famous for her Japanese inspired cosplay.”

Blinking as she scrolls through the feed, her tails start to stir the air when she sees Lily in a Miko outfit. “Oh, that looks beautiful. But wait, how do you know about this Lamu?”

Shrugging, Lamu answers, “Oh that’s easy. Everyone drafted typically goes through background checks. Yours hit a snag at first due to your name, but was rapidly cleared up after our conversation. For the awoken with uncleared backgrounds, they’re put in a supporting role. Should I ask Lily to visit your room at her earliest opportunity?”

Nodding, Ventus eagerly says, “Sir, yes sir. I’ll go right back, still have plenty of food stored.”

Nodding, Lamu turns to go back to paperwork before blinking. “Ventus, how much can you store with that ability?”

Ventus shrugs, uncertain. “I don’t really know. I’d need to ask Echo, since she’s the one that taught me, but I haven’t found a limit yet. The only limitation I’ve found is the range of moving things into it or taking things out.”

Nodding, Lamu slides several forms out of the way, before filling out another rapidly. “You’re joining my expedition squad for now. That’s too useful, and you’re clearly good in combat as well. I was considering it due solely to  your precognition ability, but the rest of this makes it a certainty.”

Shaking her head, ears splayed. “I don’t think that’s a good idea sir. My precognition ability, as you put it, is only useful in my line of sight. While I would be happy to join your expeditions on occasion, Desi and Lilith are to return here in the future, right?”

Chuckling at where he sees the conversation going, Lamu adds, “You are of course free to form a squad when we aren’t on expeditions. Also, you’ll be allowed to wear any outfit you want as your uniform, given the likelihood of it getting damaged, our normal gear isn’t suitable.”

Ears perking up at the outfit statement, Ventus says “Done, where do I sign?”

Lamu shakes his head as he gets a message, “You don’t, you objecting wasn’t going to actually do anything. Also, you should probably head to your room now, and hurry, Lily’s waiting outside.”

Laughing, Ventus teleports out of the office, straight to her room. Opening the door, she smiles at Lily. “Come on in, I’ll get the kimono I’m meant to wear tomorrow for the press release. Also, any chance you still have that Miko outfit?”

Shaking her head in amusement, she gestures to the package in her hands, “Funny you mention that. Upon seeing you, I rushed to grab it, good thing my old home was nearby. A white Youko wearing the outfit of a Miko makes sense, given their supposed connection to the spirits, and Inari.”

Ventus backs away, tails waving and ears twitching, “Come in come in, close the door behind you please, and I’m ready.” Not caring that the door is still slightly open, Ventus starts undressing, first removing her short heels before reaching to pull her blouse off. 

Lily stammers and rushes in, slamming the door closed. “Do you not have any sense of decency, Ventus?” You can’t just undress with the door open.”

Ventus pauses, before chuckling, “I guess I was far too eager, sorry about that. Then again, it isn’t as though they would see anything.”

Looking confused, Lily asks “What do you mean they wouldn’t see anything? They’d see your undergarments.”

Shaking her head, Ventus continues to remove her blouse, revealing silver/black material covering her torso. “You say that, but that isn’t actually true. For some reason when I woke, I had this material on me, and it shifts when I flow mana into it. It used to be ruby red, but now it’s the color of my mana.”

Frozen, Lily stares at Ventus’ mana garment, a look of envy emerging from her eyes before shaking her head. “That’s lucky, can you manipulate the color at all? Also, does that mean you haven’t washed yourself properly?”

Unbuttoning her skirt, and tossing it to the ground, Ventus answers. “I’ve washed properly, I can shift it around silly. As for changing color, I haven’t tried, but maybe. Actually, let me try that now, any color I should attempt?”

Thinking for a moment, a short answer of white is Lily’s only response.

Nodding, Ventus concentrates, flowing her mana into the mana fabric leotard. It quivers before violently rubbing against Ventus’ body. Slowly, white seeps into it, struggling against the pulsating color of Ventus’ mana.

Minutes pass with Ventus fully concentrating on altering her mana outfit. While doing so, Lily pulls out a measuring tape and starts taking Ventus’ sizes. After getting all but Ventus’s breast measurements, Lily waits, seeing that Ventus’s leotard is now mostly white.

As the white takes over, it starts moving faster and faster. Towards the end, it rapidly takes over the rest of the outfit. Opening her eyes, Ventus sees Lily holding her measuring tape between her hands, a note pad by her. “I’ve got most of your sizes, just need your breasts now, so please raise your arms. I’ll handle it.”

Nodding, Ventus raises her arms, wincing as the tape sinks slightly into her sore breasts. “That is unpleasant.”

Quickly finishing her measurements, Lily chuckles, “Well my Miko cosplay won’t need much modifying to fit you. Why was it unpleasant though?”

Ventus flushes silver, which turns slightly black from sheer embarrassment, “I’m still growing apparently. Suffice to say a lot of things changed when I awoke.”

Blinking in surprise, Lily nods mechanically. “Okay, then I’ll teach you how to modify clothes yourself, so that you can ensure your outfits always fit. 

Smiling, Ventus’s tails wave. “Sure thing, which of the three options do you wish to do first?”

Lily laughs, a genuine, mirth filled laugh. “Kimono first, since that will have the lowest waiting period. Do you have it in here?”

Pulling it from the pocket, Ventus hands over the box. “Here you go, it cost two weeks of Vincent’s salary. I’m not fully happy with it, but it will certainly look good.”

Opening the box, hands quivering upon recognizing the brand symbol on the box, she pulls out the beautiful silver silk kimono with the black flowers and vines. “Oh this will look stunning on you Ventus. Shift your outfit  to a hadajuban please.”

Seeing the slightly blank look on Ventus’ face, Lily pulls out the hadajuban that was packaged with Ventus’ kimono. “This, you’re not so big that you’d need to bind your breasts tightly, so that’s good given how you’re growing again. There’s also a nagajuban in here, but we’ll get that on you after you’ve made your hadajuban.

After shifting her outfit into a delicate hadajuban, Ventus smiles at Lily. “Okay, next?”

Lily helps Ventus into her nagajuban and then into the kimono, talking through each of the steps as she helps Ventus put it on. After tightening the obi, Lily steps back and smiles. “That looks amazing, Ventus, you just need some make up, and then you’ll be ready. Go look in the mirror, and I’ll start altering the miko outfit.”

Walking over to the mirror, taking small steps so as to not disturb the fabric, she grins upon looking into the mirror. “Wow, that’s me? I’m stunning.”

Lily chuckles, and snaps a few pictures. “Want me to take a few pictures with your phone as well? After we’ll apply makeup, see what works. I’m thinking some rose around your eyes. Your lips won’t need any help though.”

Nodding, Ventus unlocks and hands her phone to Lily. “Please take the pictures, I want before and after hehe.”

Lily nods and snaps several pictures from different angles, making sure to get Ventus’ tails in each shot. After she pulls out her eye shadow kit from her purse. “Ah good, plenty of rose eyeshadow remaining, let’s make you pop.”

Sitting on her bed, Ventus stays very still as Lily applies the eye shadow. Gasping as she steps back, Lily  immediately snaps some photos with both devices. “That looks amazing, Ventus! Do you mind if I post this on my social media, to show off my work?”

Shaking her head, Ventus responds, “I don’t mind, but can I share it with my partners first? I don’t want them seeing me on social media before I would have sent it to them.”

Nodding, Lily agrees, and Ventus sends a message to Lilith and Desi before thinking. With a chuckle she sends it to Avery and Lamu as well. To Lamu she asks, “This pretty enough?”

Almost immediately, she receives pings from Lilith and Desi, saying they just got off their shift, and that Ventus looks amazing. Soon after, Lamu responds with an affirmation, saying that it will work perfectly.

Smiling at Lily, Ventus nods, “Go ahead and post it now. I’m going to get out of this so I don’t dirty it too much, and so it is ready for tomorrow. Can you be here around sunrise in case I need help?”

Nodding, Lily says, “Yes,” before packing everything up. “It’s late, so I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Sleep well Ventus, and be sure to wash your face off first.”

Ventus prepares for bed after slipping out of her clothes, only wearing her mana outfit as a hadajuben. Making sure to wash her face twice, she gets the makeup off, and then turns in for the night, exhausted but content.