(65) Shopping

Ego’s a fickle thing, too little of it and you’re always a moment away from a nervous breakdown but too much and you can turn into an egoist.

“She actually won…” I repeat for nth time today.

“That she did.” Haruna concurs.

We’re walking back from the match, partially confused and excited… Maybe that’s just me.

I know this might sound insensitive, but deep down I hoped Aya would lose that duel… I know, I know, the whole point of me instructing her was so she could take Anna down but think about it, now that she defeated her once she’ll have to contend with Anna again in the Grand Finals — No, I’m not doubting for a second that Anna will make it to the finals, those duelists in the losers bracket just don’t compare — Now that Aya has won once, she’ll be less motivated to keep training and maybe even believe she’s got the deck down; which is utterly untrue by the way, without miss-plays, that duel would’ve lasted three turns.

Have you ever heard of mount stupid? There’s a quote from a philosopher whose name I don’t remember that goes: “To be ignorant of one’s ignorance is the malady of the ignorant.” It explains the effect well, basically the less you know about the topic, the more ignorant you are about what you don’t know. This leads to overconfidence.

Now what’s that got to do with Aya? Well, I hoped if she lost against Anna — A much more experienced Orcust player — she’d realise her lack of experience and double down on theory to take triumphant underdog victory in the grand finals; The match that actually counts! But now, why would she? She’s gotten all the affirmation she needs to conclude she’s good, maybe even better than Anna…

‘Worst thing is, beating her with her own deck won’t help matters. Aya will just think I’m a special case.’

“Yuumiiii, you’re doing it again…” Haruna trails off on my righ— Behind me, apparently.

I turn back and say. “Oh, sorry, just got a lot on my mind.” I glance around and see we’re in a service district. “…Where were we going, anyway?”

Naeko responds with a sigh and tells. “That’s what I was about to ask. I thought a strip club would be nice to celebrate, but I’m not sure you’d want to tag along.”

I furrow my brow. “What are you saying? I love strip clubs!” I say enthusiastically. Strip clubs here might as well be called brothels, sex for @’s and everything, without a single “Don’t touch” sign in sight.

She snickers. “Haha! Yeah, you would, you slut!” she says playfully. “But now seriously, I think both me and Haruna have enough lesbian action going on. We were thinking about going to a MALE strip club.”

“Ohhhh……” I trail off, my eyes widening, and say with a nervous laugh, “Haha… You girls go alone then. I’ll go do…. whatever!”

Naeko puts on a comforting smile and places a hand on my shoulder. “Don’t worry, we'll only watch and touch a bit. I wouldn’t go all the way there and then ask you to make out with me, tasting of… You know what.”

I let out a breath of relief. It’s true, I’m the one that said I just wanted to be sex friends with them, but I don’t know if I could handle knowing that my girlfriends were getting pounded by dudes while I’m somewhere else. I know, I’m the lesbian here and they’re clearly all bisexual, but Haruna asked me to join their… troop — Let’s say it that way — While knowing fully well what my preferences were. “Thanks, girls…”

With a smirk, Haruna takes a step closer and teases. “I promise, with Nanako getting out of the clinic later today, we’ll make it up to you~.”

And that’s why I’m currently wandering around the shopping district alone. And yes, I changed clothes before making my way here. I’m presently in the same clothes as yesterday. I like it like this, a hell of a lot less attention.

‘But makeup sure is a nightmare and I don’t even use THAT much.’ Lady trouble has been cropping up more and more frequently, but I’ve been keeping up with the ‘Natural’ stuff, like periods and whatnot, but the clothes and cosmetics? Jeez, I was yesterday years old when I learned that there are at least 10+ types of panties… Of course Yuumi’s memories have been a tremendous help on all that, but she was too young to learn about some things and I’m left guessing. There’s no way I’m using GlobalNet for that and old-world internet doesn’t have much information on holographic bras… Which is a search prompt I’m sure Ness is still laughing about.

As I walk through the dense walkways of the shopping district, I spot a store that piques my interest. “‘Sail Tech?’ That’s a weird name for an electronics retailer…”

But the name doesn’t drive me away, and my curiosity about technology in this world means I make my way to the store. Strangely, the inside is not dissimilar from stores back home, just with a lot of alien decoration choices, like holographic displays of what I assume are video game releases.

‘Wait, how the hell do spaces like this exist here? Wasn’t digital distribution supposed to make stores like this disappear? Even for the physical stuff, there’s no reason to shop if there’s fifteen minute Express Tube delivery available. Guess it’s true that some people just enjoy shopping for stuff in person, even here.’

I absentmindedly walk around the store, sometimes glancing at the shelves. I’m not here for anything in particular, just looking around at the shelves and displays.

‘Strange seeing so many games with dueling as a focus.’ FPS and RPGs seem to make up most of the shelf space, with pure dueling a close second and a plethora of other genres following those.

Turning away from that aisle, I discover a showcase of mobile devices and tablets that with a respectable crowd surrounding it. A little glance up and I soon realize the reason it’s surrounded by two security guards.

[New Dragonfruit DFphone XXV: Feel the innovation!]

‘It’s like they tried to come up with a decent slogan, gave up, and just threw down the most generic corporate tag line ever.’

I turn away from the showcase and move to see the various devices on display. Phones, tablets, smartwatches, even some duel disks — With ‘Non-Functional, Display Only’ labels on them — I notice the lack of computers and laptops but considering what phones can do, it’s not surprising that laptops aren’t being sold, but I find it difficult to believe desktops would turn obsolete.

Other than the Dragonfruit showcase, I encounter a plethora of other brands on display, like Cerberus, which reminds me of Samsung with its large proportions and wacky feature sets but still displayed right beside Dragonfruit. And another noticeable brand called ‘Boteng’ with similar looking devices but price tags half the others. I’ll let you guess what that one reminds me of.

‘Maybe they’re just uncommon?’ I think to myself while moving away from the mobile devices aisle. I clearly already have what’s considered best in class in this category and even if that wasn’t the case, my wallet should get more time to recover.

Onto duel disk brands, most of the devices on display are from Dimcorp or the aforementioned mobile brands, excluding Boteng, which is strangely absent from this lineup. Additionally, there’s a brand called ‘Pixycoms’ which occupies a good amount of space compared to the mobile brands but nowhere as prominent as Dimcorp. I’m guessing they might be a newer company because there’s a single model on display named ‘Duel Terminal.’

Suddenly, a familiar tune plays on one side of that store that I quickly identify as the TV or, more accurately, stationary holographic display section. Making my way there, I see they’re playing a highlight from the last duel of the tournament. Aya’s last attack specifically.

I’m not the only one drawn by the unfamiliar tone. Some people also join me close to this section.

I look around and think ‘Crap, I should get out of here before I get recognized.’

That decision probably was the correct one, because as soon as I walk away from there, the part where I grab onto the dragon and ride up to Dingirsu gets shown, the video focusing on me and Haruna.

From there, I get deeper into the store and spot a section that answers my earlier question about what happened to desktop computers.

[Build your own!] Is plastered on a holographic sign in the celling with a pin-up of a girl riding what I assume to be some cpu of sorts.

‘Actually… Now that I think about it, I remember Yasuna using one back in the red dorm… I wouldn’t expect her to be one for things like this but hey, if Naeko can be a space and rocketry expert then Yasuna can be a computer nerd, kinda hypocritical of me to say something like that considering my previous job and hobbies but you know what they say: it takes one to know one.’

Obviously, I keep walking and my surroundings quickly change to what I would assume a microcenter or globaldata would look like — Not that I’ve actually been to a physical specialized computer part retailer ever, just much more convenient ordering parts online — Which reminds me that looking around here is mostly pointless, I don’t have the space to bring a whole tower back down, but just being around stuff like this brings a calm to my mind, so many new things to learn, systems to figure out and troubleshooting to mull over. I’m pretty busy at the moment, but when things finally calm down, I might waste some @’s.

‘Oh yeah, my D-Wheeler arrives at the end of the month. I haven’t thought about it, but I’ll probably need some sort of license to drive that outside the track, maybe even on it… The D-Wheeler and turbo dueling, action dueling classes, exam season probably also close by which I’ll have to pass to keep my sparse schedule… Shit… I’m going to be very busy when I get back to the academy, that isn’t even considering the stuff I have to deal with before that!’

I hadn’t felt this way since college, well maybe not to that extreme. I don’t have three assignments to hand in before the weekend or any of that. But after college, I chilled out a lot more and I’ve been running on that rhythm ever since. ‘Looks like I’ll have to change that. Good thing my brain and body can handle it... Or at least it should. I’m only 18!’

After browsing the parts section for half an hour, I finally walk to the exit. Moors’ law seems to be well and alive here. Funny seeing numbers that high on parts not in the five-figure price range, but compared to what I was expecting from so much technology around me, everything seemed at least comparable with the speculation of what components would look like in 20 to 40 years. Fast and dense, but not stupid.

I pass through the contactless checkout — The most common system for checking out, basically it reads the items you have with you when you walk through the detectors and withdraws the amount from the @ wallet on your phone, I’m pretty sure there was something similar to this back in my world but this is very streamlined — receiving a notification on my phone.

[Thank you for Visiting Sail Electronics. Your total amount comes out to zero @. Let us know how we can improve by completing this optional survey…] I stop reading there and swipe the notification away. It almost amazes me that some things just can’t help but stay the same.

‘What should I do next?’ It’s too early for dinner and I’m not feeling hungry enough for a snack. ‘Maybe just get some coffee? But there are so many stores around here to check out!’

I end up falling into the trap of consumerism and look for another store to check out, ending up in a cosmetics store close by a women’s clothing retailer…

After returning to the hotel room, I look at my @ wallet balance and shiver.

[

Balance: 9 023 @

Movements:

23/SEP/34MT: The Diva Space: -432 @

23/SEP/34MT: Moonlighting Maquillage Appstore: -300 @

23/SEP/34MT: Moonlighting Maquillage: -502 @

22/SEP/35MT: MDS Promotional Space Station Recreation Services: -55 @

22/SEP/35MT: MDS Promotional Space Station Recreation Services: -55 @

22/SEP/35MT: MDS Promotional Space Station Recreation Services: -135 @

22/SEP/35MT: Punk Lament: -317 @

22/SEP/35MT: Blazing Topic: -612 @

10/SEP/34MT: Dragoon City Tourism -126 @

01/SEP/34MT: NWDA Student Accounting and Payments +10 000 @

15/AUG/34MT: Dragonfruit Health Services -450 @

01/AUG/34MT: Dragonfruit INC -7 499 @

01/AUG/34MT: Amazing Dog! Hotdog Stands -600 @

01/AUG/34MT: NWDA Student Accounting and Payments +10 000 @

….

]

‘I seriously need better self-control.’

I got sucked into the atmosphere of those places and ended up spending way too much for my liking and for things I don’t know if I’ll ever wear... But it’s nice to have the option. Also, I had to get a proper suitcase, wouldn’t want to get that fancy dress and fragile makeup I got crumpled up with the rest of the clothes stuffed in that bag.

‘But what do I do now? They’ll probably return with Nanako before dinner time and that’s still a ways away.’ Glancing around the room, my eyes fixate on the bag with the items I just bought. ‘Guess I’ll experiment. I need practice, especially with the heels.’

I dress down to my underwear and grab that bag, making my way to the bathroom. Being a four person suite, it’s decently sized for this and I get myself comfortable.

The first outfit I try on comprises a sleeved fishnet leotard, a dark-purple under-boob crop top and blue-denim booty shorts, black and white knee-high stockings finish the look.

‘The fishnets feel weird on my bare boobs… The padding down there is a lot better and I could even wear a low-thong if I really wanted to go out in public in this.’

While shopping for clothes, I took the opportunity to get measured. To my dismay, I regret to inform that I’m not the owner of DD’s… They’re just D’s… That was hit to my self-esteem I was not expecting to receive today.

To compensate, my butt and thighs… Well, let’s just say thicc with two Cs describes me pretty well.

‘When did I start to care so much about what I look ?’ I look down at my banging body in this extremely provoking outfit and can’t help but bite down on my lip. ‘I should show them.’

I take my duel disk out and open the camera app on the phone portion. With it attached to my disk, it  floats up in front of me and I move to around the bathroom, trying to find a place where the wall in the background is bare, seeing the preview on a floating holographic window.

Moving around to find a pose, I end up dissatisfied with how my hair looks, and grab my duel disk again.

The Dragonfruit Health app helps me here. Not needing physical tools helps me keep the bulk down. I straighten my long purple hair, using a projected brush, and grab a hair clip to tie it into a flowing ponytail.

While I’m doing that, I also decide to change the color of my nails. I got a bunch of colors of nail polish to try out, and for this outfit I chose a light-pink.

A lot of the tools for this are included in the Dragonfruit health app but for more speciality stuff, I have another application that cost me 300@ for a 'basic' toolkit.

One thing that can’t be projected is chemicals — Well, some can, but that requires specialized projectors and only for simple instant effect chemicals that don’t need to be mixed and only act as a catalyst, because a direct line of sight is required. — So I get some nail level 0 base remover which, from the label, I can tell, isn’t acetone.

The way makeup and cosmetics work, at least here, is with a base system. You apply what’s called a level 0 base that sinks into your skin, nails or hair, protecting it, and then can only be removed with a chemical specially designed to neutralize it. This means there’s no such thing as waterproof makeup, all makeup is waterproof. But it can be sort of confusing because every brand offers different bases and by proxy different removers that don't work with each other.

By the way, the reason that’s called a ‘Level 0 base’ is because you can put bases between layers of makeup, so if you want to keep something and remove the rest, you can do it selectively. It also prevents the feeling of caked on makeup by semi-merging layers into the level 0 base.

Anyway, that’s besides the point. With my now pink nails, I move to the position I figured out before and snap a pic.

<A/N: I’m not going to try to generate such a complicated outfit with AI, so here’s the reference for this outfit: https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/104308848. Use your imagination for the hair color and lack of fox ears and tail>.

“Woah… Fuck me, I look hot…” is my immediate reaction. “I’m sending this to the girls.”

And that’s what I do. < “Hey, how do I look? [Attachment]” - Yuumi >.

Strangely, I quickly get a response. < “Slay girl!” - Haruna >.

‘Weren’t they in a strip club?’

< “Ooohh, you’re definitely getting it tonight.” - Naeko >.

< “Yeah, she is. Get my dildos warmed up for me. It's strap-on time.” - Nanako >.

I look up from my phone with a heavy blush, can’t say I’m not looking forward to it.

With that done, I decide to try on another outfit. This one with what I’ll soon consider one of my worst enemies… High-heels…