Utena felt vaguely silly, walking into the Silky Doll. True, she knew by now some of the reasons behind the meeting being here, from the tradition she and
other Sabres had inherited. She probably knew a bit more than most, since she'd actually come to know the Original Four as some of the younger Sabres saw
them as close friends rather than unattainable ideals or superior officers.
Still, she was walking into a lingerie shop, and despite the fact that Utena had no illusions about how attractive her
body was capable of being, the entire concept just felt a bit silly to her. Which, in turn, led her to feeling silly coming here.
The girl at the counter (AJ, read the nametag) spotted her almost immediately and glanced around with an air of conspiracy bound to attract the attention of
almost anyone in the store....if there'd actually been someone in the store, that is. As it was, her very conspiratorial signal towards the rear elevator
went unremarked by the lack of any customers, and Utena smiled to herself at the girl's obvious enthusiasm. She wondered which one of the Sabres the girl
was, really. And also why exactly Sylia'd chosen her to be her given desk-sitter for Utena's clearly expected arrival.
As she went down the elevator, she heard noises coming from off to the side of the main area. The lower areas of the Silky Doll were more Sylia's private
refuge and working space than any serious base for the Sabres(most of which got rapid remodels of their place of residence to mount a mini-hardsuit hangar
shortly after they were fully accepted for precisely that reason), and as Utena stepped into the next room, she found herself blushing at yet another reminder
that Sylia Stingray, like most other people, actually had hobbies that clashed considerably with the persona most people saw her in.
Sylia herself was wearing fairly casual clothing as opposed to her usual elaborate business attire and slowly stepping from side to side, aiming a shutter
camera at the small stage(there wasn't much of a term otherwise that fit) whereupon Utena was exposed for the first time to a reality about one of her
friends that she'd never realized.
Juri had a talent for modeling.
The redhead was reclining atop a set of cushions that was draped in sheets, her only accouterments one of Sylia's more conservative designs, a long, elegant piece that extended from
head shoulder to ankle. A V-slit in the chest area gave tantalizing glances at Juri's ample endowments, and one artfully placed bare leg hinted at just the
right level of sultry invitation without throwing itself at the viewer....which was only amplified as Juri caught sight of Utena and her expression changed to
a rather sardonic half-smile of amusement.
Sylia seemed to pick up on that, snapping a few pictures from various angles before standing up straight. "That's just what I needed, Juri. Well done.
The change of expression at the end made the entire thing work," she noted, before glancing over her shoulder as Juri chuckled throatily. "...or I
suppose I could thank you, Utena."
"Uh...I...um....yeah," Utena replied eloquently. "....you....asked for me?"
"Both of you, actually, but Juri got here early because I also wanted to get some test shots of her in. However, I think these will go straight to editing
to figure out where to place them in the catalog without a need to re-shoot," she noted. Juri nodded, standing up and striding over to the other two women
with all the elegance of a queen despite what she was wearing. Utena idly felt a pang of envy for her friend's innate grace and poise, but shoved it aside
as they stepped into the office, sitting down across the desk from Sylia.
"You're probably wondering why I called you here," she began with a bit of a wry quirk to her mouth. At Utena and Juri's equal looks of
vaguely curious assent, she continued. "The main reason is that, effective as of tomorrow, the two of you are being....promoted, as it were."
"Promoted? In Riot?" Utena asked. As the supergroup's co-leader, Sylia certainly had the pull to do so, but rank in Riot had more commonly been
given out when necessary rather than any particular earning of a promotion, so Utena wondered why the two of them had been selected.
"Not precisely," Sylia said, negating her wonderings. "More effectively, you're being promoted within the Sabre organization itself, rather
than Riot. Our numbers are still, despite all of Crey's setbacks, growing, and myself and the other three of the initial circle can't be expected to
handle all the day to day operations. Especially since I've esseentially remained aloof while Linna and Priss ran the boot camp and Nene handled the larger
mass of you," she noted with a sardonic smile that got a rough chuckle from Utena as she acknowledged the point.
"More to the point, the two of you are both Heroes of the City." She cut off Utena's objection. "I realize you're still have yet to gain
your level 50 clearance, but we all know it's only a matter of time and application. And between Maria Jenkins calling you in to deal with the latest
Praetorian advances and your tendency to assist the Legendary on any number of task forces, it's inevitable you'll reach that peak within a few
weeks," she noted.
"Yes, but if it's security levels, Lost reached there long before I did," she noted, even as Juri watched the discussion quietly, measuring
Sylia's reasoning.
Sylia nodded. "Yes, Lost did indeed reach hero of the city status before you, Utena, but Lost is....not well-suited, in this case, for what I'm asking
you two to do. Security levels aren't everything. The two of you also have demonstrated command judgment, the ability to lead others in the field,
discretion, and essentially what I expect in every way from women I'm entrusting with the care and leadership of my girls," she noted firmly.
"When you lead, people follow, and so I'm asking you to lead your fellow Sabres as effectively as you do others."
Utena frowned slightly at the praise, as did Juri, much to Sylia's well concealed satisfaction. Juri's cool sense of competence could have masked a
slight egotism about her own abilities, but Sylia had been almost certain that she was much more critical of herself than anyone guessed. Faced with such a
jump in status and responsibility, her hesitation at accepting it was precisely what Sylia had hoped for.
Utena, by contrast, was the opposite. She excelled constantly and always seemed surprised by the fact she succeeded despite many among the Sabres, Riot, and
Legendary acknowledging her as one of the Sabres' premier combatants. Yet that inherent lack of belief she could succeed despite past evidence kept her
striving to improve herself, and she'd succeeded very much on that point.
"You're probably thinking that you're not ready for this, and to a degree, you're correct. You'll have to learn new things to succeed at
it, because being a designated leader is different than being the one people look to in a fight. Yet, what I've seen of you two gives me every confidence
that you will do just that. However, this transition will not be widely announced...yet," she noted, drawing their attention again.
"For the moment, you'll be working more often with training and assisting the less experienced Sabres. Linna and Priss already handle basic training,
so you'll be dropping in from time to time to assist those that have "graduated" but have yet to quite learn the ways of the street, as it were.
Also, Juri, if you don't mind, I have a slight project for you as well," she noted. "Specifically, young Mia."
Utena giggled at the look on Juri's face for the microsecond it took her composure to reset itself. "What would I be doing, specifically?"
Sylia smiled slightly. "Astra has been looking for someone whom she can test her skills against for some time. A means by which she can improve. I think
your tutelage would suit her well, and your bladework is exemplary. Since Utena has recently been selected to assist Mrs. Jenkins in Peregrine, you also have
more free time, though I imagine Utena will assist you when she has time free. And, frankly, I hope that some of your professionalism will rub off on her.
She's very enthusiastic and a natural prodigy, but she needs to mature a little, and I'd rather she learn it from you than from the school of hard
knocks this city can occasionally provide," she said with a pragmatic air that caused Juri to nod slowly in agreement with the logic.
"Well, with that done, I won't take up either of your time. But be aware that you girls are gaining these positions because you are among the foremost
of what I see as the next generation of Sabres since my initial group. We formed the foundation, but women like you are going to be the future. I look forward
to seeing you pass the legacy down to those still learning," she smiled softly.
---
"Oh, silver blade, forged in the depths of the beyond. Heed my summons and purge those who stand in my way. Lay
waste."
other Sabres had inherited. She probably knew a bit more than most, since she'd actually come to know the Original Four as some of the younger Sabres saw
them as close friends rather than unattainable ideals or superior officers.
Still, she was walking into a lingerie shop, and despite the fact that Utena had no illusions about how attractive her
body was capable of being, the entire concept just felt a bit silly to her. Which, in turn, led her to feeling silly coming here.
The girl at the counter (AJ, read the nametag) spotted her almost immediately and glanced around with an air of conspiracy bound to attract the attention of
almost anyone in the store....if there'd actually been someone in the store, that is. As it was, her very conspiratorial signal towards the rear elevator
went unremarked by the lack of any customers, and Utena smiled to herself at the girl's obvious enthusiasm. She wondered which one of the Sabres the girl
was, really. And also why exactly Sylia'd chosen her to be her given desk-sitter for Utena's clearly expected arrival.
As she went down the elevator, she heard noises coming from off to the side of the main area. The lower areas of the Silky Doll were more Sylia's private
refuge and working space than any serious base for the Sabres(most of which got rapid remodels of their place of residence to mount a mini-hardsuit hangar
shortly after they were fully accepted for precisely that reason), and as Utena stepped into the next room, she found herself blushing at yet another reminder
that Sylia Stingray, like most other people, actually had hobbies that clashed considerably with the persona most people saw her in.
Sylia herself was wearing fairly casual clothing as opposed to her usual elaborate business attire and slowly stepping from side to side, aiming a shutter
camera at the small stage(there wasn't much of a term otherwise that fit) whereupon Utena was exposed for the first time to a reality about one of her
friends that she'd never realized.
Juri had a talent for modeling.
The redhead was reclining atop a set of cushions that was draped in sheets, her only accouterments one of Sylia's more conservative designs, a long, elegant piece that extended from
head shoulder to ankle. A V-slit in the chest area gave tantalizing glances at Juri's ample endowments, and one artfully placed bare leg hinted at just the
right level of sultry invitation without throwing itself at the viewer....which was only amplified as Juri caught sight of Utena and her expression changed to
a rather sardonic half-smile of amusement.
Sylia seemed to pick up on that, snapping a few pictures from various angles before standing up straight. "That's just what I needed, Juri. Well done.
The change of expression at the end made the entire thing work," she noted, before glancing over her shoulder as Juri chuckled throatily. "...or I
suppose I could thank you, Utena."
"Uh...I...um....yeah," Utena replied eloquently. "....you....asked for me?"
"Both of you, actually, but Juri got here early because I also wanted to get some test shots of her in. However, I think these will go straight to editing
to figure out where to place them in the catalog without a need to re-shoot," she noted. Juri nodded, standing up and striding over to the other two women
with all the elegance of a queen despite what she was wearing. Utena idly felt a pang of envy for her friend's innate grace and poise, but shoved it aside
as they stepped into the office, sitting down across the desk from Sylia.
"You're probably wondering why I called you here," she began with a bit of a wry quirk to her mouth. At Utena and Juri's equal looks of
vaguely curious assent, she continued. "The main reason is that, effective as of tomorrow, the two of you are being....promoted, as it were."
"Promoted? In Riot?" Utena asked. As the supergroup's co-leader, Sylia certainly had the pull to do so, but rank in Riot had more commonly been
given out when necessary rather than any particular earning of a promotion, so Utena wondered why the two of them had been selected.
"Not precisely," Sylia said, negating her wonderings. "More effectively, you're being promoted within the Sabre organization itself, rather
than Riot. Our numbers are still, despite all of Crey's setbacks, growing, and myself and the other three of the initial circle can't be expected to
handle all the day to day operations. Especially since I've esseentially remained aloof while Linna and Priss ran the boot camp and Nene handled the larger
mass of you," she noted with a sardonic smile that got a rough chuckle from Utena as she acknowledged the point.
"More to the point, the two of you are both Heroes of the City." She cut off Utena's objection. "I realize you're still have yet to gain
your level 50 clearance, but we all know it's only a matter of time and application. And between Maria Jenkins calling you in to deal with the latest
Praetorian advances and your tendency to assist the Legendary on any number of task forces, it's inevitable you'll reach that peak within a few
weeks," she noted.
"Yes, but if it's security levels, Lost reached there long before I did," she noted, even as Juri watched the discussion quietly, measuring
Sylia's reasoning.
Sylia nodded. "Yes, Lost did indeed reach hero of the city status before you, Utena, but Lost is....not well-suited, in this case, for what I'm asking
you two to do. Security levels aren't everything. The two of you also have demonstrated command judgment, the ability to lead others in the field,
discretion, and essentially what I expect in every way from women I'm entrusting with the care and leadership of my girls," she noted firmly.
"When you lead, people follow, and so I'm asking you to lead your fellow Sabres as effectively as you do others."
Utena frowned slightly at the praise, as did Juri, much to Sylia's well concealed satisfaction. Juri's cool sense of competence could have masked a
slight egotism about her own abilities, but Sylia had been almost certain that she was much more critical of herself than anyone guessed. Faced with such a
jump in status and responsibility, her hesitation at accepting it was precisely what Sylia had hoped for.
Utena, by contrast, was the opposite. She excelled constantly and always seemed surprised by the fact she succeeded despite many among the Sabres, Riot, and
Legendary acknowledging her as one of the Sabres' premier combatants. Yet that inherent lack of belief she could succeed despite past evidence kept her
striving to improve herself, and she'd succeeded very much on that point.
"You're probably thinking that you're not ready for this, and to a degree, you're correct. You'll have to learn new things to succeed at
it, because being a designated leader is different than being the one people look to in a fight. Yet, what I've seen of you two gives me every confidence
that you will do just that. However, this transition will not be widely announced...yet," she noted, drawing their attention again.
"For the moment, you'll be working more often with training and assisting the less experienced Sabres. Linna and Priss already handle basic training,
so you'll be dropping in from time to time to assist those that have "graduated" but have yet to quite learn the ways of the street, as it were.
Also, Juri, if you don't mind, I have a slight project for you as well," she noted. "Specifically, young Mia."
Utena giggled at the look on Juri's face for the microsecond it took her composure to reset itself. "What would I be doing, specifically?"
Sylia smiled slightly. "Astra has been looking for someone whom she can test her skills against for some time. A means by which she can improve. I think
your tutelage would suit her well, and your bladework is exemplary. Since Utena has recently been selected to assist Mrs. Jenkins in Peregrine, you also have
more free time, though I imagine Utena will assist you when she has time free. And, frankly, I hope that some of your professionalism will rub off on her.
She's very enthusiastic and a natural prodigy, but she needs to mature a little, and I'd rather she learn it from you than from the school of hard
knocks this city can occasionally provide," she said with a pragmatic air that caused Juri to nod slowly in agreement with the logic.
"Well, with that done, I won't take up either of your time. But be aware that you girls are gaining these positions because you are among the foremost
of what I see as the next generation of Sabres since my initial group. We formed the foundation, but women like you are going to be the future. I look forward
to seeing you pass the legacy down to those still learning," she smiled softly.
---
"Oh, silver blade, forged in the depths of the beyond. Heed my summons and purge those who stand in my way. Lay
waste."