OTHERS (Formerly The Scarlet Effect)

37 - Trial and Error

Zeriah and Stella are there when Brink and I arrive at the Meeting Hall.

"Look who it is Zeriah! The wonderful, the amazing...Aurora!" Stella bounces up from her seat and skips over to me to swing me into a hug. "How are you?"

My brain is woozy from the spin, but I shake it off with a chuckle. "Fine, you?"

"Absolutely spectacular! Come sit!"

"Hey, where's my greeting?" Zeriah pipes up, his arms held wide open.

I laugh to myself and grant him a one-arm hug. He's lanky, so reaching up to embrace him full-on would be plain awkward. However, when his body is in my arms, he's strong and tight--no awkwardness to be found.

Brink clears his throat behind us, cueing Zeriah's next phrase, "Okay, now we sit."

Stella initiates the conversation as usual. "We were just discussing your new outfit. It will be done in an hour."

"You're saying I don't have to wear this ugly white thing anymore?"

Brink sighs while Stella and Zeriah giggle. "You are absolutely right. You are going to be so hot in it too, I can already tell," she sings.

My face blushes and my eyes drift to the floor. "You are hot enough already, believe me," Brink tells me telepathically.

Incoming...super discomfort.

"Good to hear," is all I can think to say back.

After a while of chatting, Stella takes my hand and leads me out of the room. She acts twice as excited as I do for my outfit, but her enthusiasm certainly rubs off on me. I'm nearly squealing when she reveals the finished product.

Like the others', it's black, sleek, and leathery. What separates it from the rest is the glowing scarlet stitching throughout the entirety of the suit.

"You have your own electric current now," she winks, and I know exactly what she means. "Time to embrace the red, Aurora. You are going to look fierce. Here, put it on!" She wiggles it at me like it's her favorite gift at Christmas, but I do what I always do and hesitate.

I click the button my the experimental suit and it snaps off of me, leaving behind just the leather garments. "Please tell me these don't have to come off too."

She shakes her head. "Only if you want. I removed mine. But to be fair, I'm not taking my suit off for anyone around here," Stella slyly grins.

I frown. "And I am?"

Stella rolls her eyes at me. "Please." She clicks the button on my new suit so it gradually detaches into pieces and hovers around my body. How does it know it belongs to me?

"It's been programmed. Like everything else in this place."

I wasn't expecting a response, but of course, reading my mind tends to fix that.

The suit molds to my body shape and seals itself along its edges. Fascination swarms me as I watch the stitching weave together and interlock firmly as though it is alive. When it's finished, I roll my joints around in their sockets, testing the suits flexibility. It takes such little effort to move comfortably. Nothing overly constricts my body whatsoever.

"Aurora, you look stunning! Just as sexy as I predicted." Stella crosses her arms and surveys me from head to toe, nodding as she does. "Fits like a glove. Oh, wait! I almost forgot!" She spins around and slides out a drawer, pulling out a pair of two bright red gloves, matching my suit perfectly. I spread my fingers as she slides them onto my hands and tucks the edges beneath my leather sleeves. "Voila! You are complete and beautiful! Shall we show the others?"