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Description
Haven't fired up the old renderer for a while! Mainly I wanted to test some new assets and try and remember how to do it.

She might, maybe, be a version of Ceri from Return to Ty Gwyn prior to her Adaptions.

We'll see..

Return to Ty Gwyn - 117th December, 2038Dear Mx Clough,Following the merger of Explore IG and ThoughtLink earlier this year we have made great strides to integrate the businesses and achieve operational synergies.Regrettably, as a result of this process we have taken the difficult decision to make the position of Executive Creative Director redundant as a discrete role at ThoughtLink, with immediate effect.We would like to thank you for your years of service with ThoughtLink, and your valuable creative contribution to making the agency the success it has become. Details of your severance package are attached to this email, we trust you will find them acceptable.I wish you the very best for the future.Kind regards,Roul Fabron,CEO, Groupé Explore--------“Motherfuckers!” Ceri shouted, into the silent darkness of her apartment.She’d suspected this was coming; it was the usual story when one hyper-competitive creative agency consumed another. But to do it at 6pm on the last Friday before Christmas! And to casually say ‘valuable contribution’ as if she hadn’t established the creative voice of the agency from nothing.“Motherfuckers!” Ceri shouted again. The lighting system of her apartment reacted to her voice, illumination flicking on through the minimal space and casting her reflection on the floor-to-ceiling windows on the far side. She was immediately certain they had singled her out, as the only Adapt at the executive level at ThoughtLink. Roul and the group board were conservative, any opportunity to hustle her out of the ranks was one they weren’t going to pass up.Ceri nudged the door to her apartment closed with a flick of her hips and stalked inwards towards the kitchen area, the tips of her feet clicking on the tiled floor. With an expressive gesture she dismissed the email message from the slim visor she wore over her eyes.“Ada… call Tal,” she barked. “And provide wine. Merlot. Large.”There was a chiming sound from the ceiling as the apartment’s AI system acknowledged her instructions.“Calling Talvin Premium,” the apartment said.She moved closer to the window as she waited for the call to connect, staring down at the lights of the city. Even to herself, even after several years as an Adapt, her reflection still sometimes felt alien. The narrow, pointed chin and slightly slanted, almond shaped eyes with deep brown irises weren’t too unusual, although they were not features she had been born with. The enlarged and oddly proportioned ears that protruded through her straight, shoulder length black hair were a little weirder, especially combined with the headband she habitually wore that supported a pair of short, resin antlers in a rich bronze colour, and the permanent black makeup that decorated her top lip, the crease of her philtrum and the underside of her nose.Below the neck, things got stranger still. Ceri was wearing a well-tailored black leather jacket over a white vest top. The jacket hugged her slim shoulders, modified perfectly to encase them and demonstrate that she had no arms. High waisted and skintight jeans flowed over her hips and down her legs, disappearing into the sockets of the elegantly curved prosthetic blades that acted as her feet. On her regular blades she was a shade above two metres tall, an increase of more than thirty centimetres over her natural adult height.Ceridwen Clough was proud to live her life unashamedly as an Adapt but in this moment of vulnerability, as she reeled from the news of her unceremonious firing, it was still a hard image to take in.Over an empty shoulder she watched the kitchen’s automation slide a wine tumbler from storage onto the counter, and then fill it with a dark red liquid and finally insert a straw. After several agonising rings, Tal answered the phone.“What’s up, doe,” their well manicured, slightly accented voice called over the apartment speakers. “Hope you’re feeling festively fabulous this evening.”Ceri felt almost guilty that she was going to have to kill the mood.“They finally did it, Tal,” she said, barely gasping the words. “They canned me.”Tal’s change of tone was immediate.“Motherfuckers,” they snapped. “I’ll be right there, get a bottle open.”---Ceri knew that if Tal said ‘I’ll be right there’ then she had at least twenty minutes to kill before they actually showed up, even though they lived in the same building. Her best friend had many admirable qualities, but general organisation and time keeping were not among them.She decided to use the time to get out of her work ensemble and into something better suited to putting the world to rights with a large glass of wine, or three. The first glass was there on the counter waiting for her, and she stepped over to sip from it through the straw, having to duck down on her blade feet to reach it.“Ada… set room ambience to preset… quiet night in.”The speaker in the ceiling chimed it’s acceptance of the command. At the windows, purple velvet curtains slid closed silently on their tracks to block out the fifteenth floor view across London. The bright main lighting dimmed to almost nothing, softer individual floor-standing and table lamps coming on in their place. Music started playing, quietly, and a mild incense scent was introduced through the air conditioning.Satisfied, Ceri walked through to her bedroom, the lighting pattern following her, and then into the open doorway of her walk-in closet. She turned around in the small space, carefully setting the tips of her feet on the markers on the floor, and gave an involuntary shiver, rolling her shoulders. The closet door slid closed, it’s mirrored rear surface reflecting her in the dim lighting.“Ada… nightwear. Default modesty setting.”Of all the changes that being Adapted had brought to her life, learning to relax and trust the automation had been the hardest. She tried not to tense up too much as manipulator arms emerged from over her shoulders, each one multi-articulated and ending in an air suction pad that could lightly grip garments without damaging them, or her.The pads removed her antler adorned hairband first, pulled her hair back into a ponytail, and then settled on the sides of her jacket and hissed as the suction increased. The garment was slipped from her armless shoulders and pulled back into the storage system. Unlike many Adapts, Ceri had chosen to have her existing apartment remodelled rather than move into specialised accommodation; rather more than a quarter of the total floor area was now given over to semi-permanently sealed storage that was the domain of the automation.The manipulators returned for her sleeveless white vest. Rather than having to deal with pulling tight fitting clothing over her head, most of her wardrobe was configured with zip, velcro or magnetic fastening along what would normally be seams. Two of the arms gripped the front and rear of her vest, while the others popped the fastenings on the sides so that the garment would pull loose for easy removal.This process was repeated for her bra, which was of a stretchy, elastic fabric, her high waisted, dark blue jeans, and finally her knickers which were unfastened at each side and then pulled away between her thighs in one swift motion.Now fully disrobed, Ceri studied her naked reflection while the automation selected her nightwear. Aside from the surgical changes, she had worked hard for her physique and continued to work hard to stay in shape. The little dimples above her hips pleased her, as did the definition of her thigh and abdominal muscles. The small mounds of her breasts sat pertly above her stomach, the shape of her upper torso flowing smoothly into armless shoulders that ended in carefully crafted points. There was no scarring, no damaged flesh, nothing to indicate she had ever had arms at all.The manipulator arms brought her a pale blue, halter neck nightdress in a soft jersey material; it was fitted around her body and fastened at the seams, leaving her shoulders exposed and falling to around mid thigh length. Ceri shifted on her feet, turning to see how the fabric hung over her curves.“Ensemble complete,” the apartment AI announced. “Would you like to remove your current lower limb prosthetics, Ceri?”Ceri glanced down at the stylish, artificial blade legs that accentuated her modified body. As much as they were an integral part of her self image, they also didn’t really suit curling up on the couch with a good friend.“Yes please, Ada,” she replied. She thought about the glass of wine on the kitchen counter, and how the kitchen counter was definitely not in reach of the couch. It had been a mistake not to specify a secondary drinks dispenser in the lounge area. “Select slipper pad prosthetics. And uh, give me a utility belt.”A different set of manipulator arms emerged around her, these were more substantial and fully padded on their ends. They curled around Ceri’s waist and gripped her, lifting her slightly and taking her weight. More manipulators below her waist worked to loosen and remove the sockets that attached her blades to the remnants of her calves. The limbs were taken away to storage and the arms returned with a fresh set; these were padded, mid-brown cylinders that fitted over her stumps and provided a soft, supportive walking surface embellished with a stylised paw print design. The front of the cylinder had a raised extension that rose to just above her knees, thus enabling her to switch to a stance on the joints if she wished.Once the new stump boots were secured Ceri was lowered back to the ground at her revised, lower height and the supporting arms were released. The final requested touch was presented and fastened around her shoulders; a wide grey belt adorned with various panels and sockets that gathered and cinched the fabric of the nightdress above her breasts.“Configuration complete,” Ada confirmed.Ceri stepped forward, the closet door responding and sliding open. The change in stance and balance always took a few steps to compensate for, but the fleece-lined slipper prosthetics were designed for comfort. With those, and the soft nightdress sliding against her body with each movement, she was feeling more relaxed already.She was about fifteen centimetres down on her natural height now, slightly over a metre and half tall and a significant difference from where she stood on the blade legs. The change in perspective around her apartment was yet another reminder of her life as an Adapt.Balancing on her stumps, Ceri walked back to the kitchen and pressed a shoulder against the counter near the tumbler of wine. This required a command from the Blink interface that ran in her visor. Her eyes flicked over the icons and selected the right function on her utility belt. A magnetic stand unfolded from one of it’s panels, in line with the glass which was infused with metal particles. The drink slid across the counter in a worryingly rapid motion, but connected safely with the stand without spilling a drop. In appreciation, Ceri ducked her head to find the straw with her lips, and took a long pull on the wine.The doorbell rang while she was halfway to the couch, stepping carefully to avoid her drink sloshing too much in the glass attached to the belt around her shoulders. Ceri flicked the camera view up in her visor, confirming it was Tal, and then gestured for the command to unlock the door.“Darling!” Tal called, running across the open plan space to embrace Ceri. Tonight they were wearing thick-soled white trainers, iridescent gold leggings and a body-hugging tunic in a complementary shade of forest green. With a full face of makeup and bright orange hair swept into carefully waxed peaks, it was clear Tal had been warming up for a night out.“You idiot!” she shouted happily as they almost swept her off her stumps. “I’m carrying precious alcohol!”Tal lifted her into their arms, Ceri’s truncated legs instinctively wrapping around their waist, and planted a kiss on each cheek.“Well now I’m carrying you, carrying precious alcohol. I’m not sure which is more precious.” Tal grinned, reaching forward to grab a sip through the straw. “The booze, probably. I love you, Ceri. I’m so sorry about those shits, fuck them and their stupid… marketing.”Ceri laughed warmly, pressing herself into Tal’s chest. “I love you too, thank you for coming.”“Babe, I couldn’t abandon you in your hour of need, even if I am bailing on VIP at Crucifix for this.”“Well I appreciate it,” Ceri said, pecking a kiss back on Tal’s cheek. “I would also appreciate you putting me down. On the couch will be fine.”Tal snorted with amusement, carrying Ceri into the lounge area and carefully lowering her to her seat. They unclipped the drink from her utility belt and placed it on the wide arm of the couch where she would be able to reach it.“Is there one of those for me?” they asked. “Do I have to give your flat some magic words to pour one?”Ceri laughed. “Ada… another glass of merlot, please.”The speaker chimed. “Very well,” Ada said smoothly, and repeated the ritual to produce a second tumbler of deep red liquid. “Good evening, Talvin Premium,” it added. “And if you don’t mind my pronoun is ‘apartment’.”----Several refills later Ceri was reclined against Tal on the couch, curled up along their torso in exactly the way her blade prosthetics wouldn’t have allowed. She was warm and comfortable, and not a little drowsy, having expelled most of her negativity about her severance towards her extremely patient best friend. Now she just felt exhausted.“So what are you going to do next?” Tal asked, stroking fingers through her hair as they sipped their wine.Ceri yawned. “Fall asleep, probably. You make a good pillow, you know that?”“I think you’re a few steps closer to a pillow than I am,” Tal retorted. “I’ve seen the rest of the Adapt catalogue, remember? Anyway, I meant generally. Like, your next plan for your whole life.”That provoked a frown. “Can I say it’s too soon to think about? I’m still… to be honest I’m still processing what happened.”Tal regarded the dregs of wine in their glass. “Well if you need time to consider it can I propose a switch to day drinking? Y’know just classic… in the pub, darts, crisps.” They flicked one of her empty shoulders. “I’ll win at the darts, obviously.”Ceri laughed, Tal’s forthright humour was such a tonic. “Maybe I could be tempted. I mean, even if I had a plan, it’s too close to Christmas to do much about it.” She squirmed against her friend, trying to get her weight in the right places to shift position and roll over to face them. “Really it’s a good opportunity to just have a rest, isn’t it? Perhaps I should thank them for it.”Tal ducked forward to kiss her forehead. “Not sure I’d go that far. But yes, I’d say so. You’ve been non-stop at this for, like, years. You deserve a break.”Ceri settled again, laying her cheek on Tal’s chest, feeling the soft tunic and closing her eyes. “I could go away somewhere. Somewhere hot. There’s an Adapt resort in the Maldives, it’s meant to be amaaaazing.”Now Tal frowned. “You know what you should do?” they said. “You know what you’ve been avoiding for years because you’ve always claimed to be ‘too busy’?”“Or Japan,” Ceri mused, on the edge of unconsciousness. “I was reading about an onsen the Foundation took over, the hot springs are supposed to be better than…” She paused and lifted her head again. “What?”Tal flicked her shoulder again. “Your family, genius. How long has it been since you went home?”Ceri jerked more awake. “I couldn’t. Tal, you know that. I haven’t even spoken to Dad since I Adapted. They… they just wouldn’t get it.”“They deserve a chance to get it, though. Your mum, bless her, she tried so hard. Remember she was the first visitor you had after your surgery? She sat waiting with me in the clinic the whole time while they were working on you, she was terrified something was going to go wrong.”“Well nothing went wrong,” Ceri grumbled. “That’s not the point,” Tal said. “The point is that she was there for you. Even though she was certain you were joining some transgressive, nymphomanic sex cult she was willing to see you through it, she respected your choices.”“I guess but…” Ceri sighed. “Can I think about it?”“Not for long,” Tal replied. “It’s Christmas next week and we’ll need to make plans if you’re going to go. I reckon we can fit in one, maybe two full days of directionless boozing and then you need to make a decision.”Ceri nodded and settled her head back on Tal’s chest. “Okay.”“So am I putting you to bed now?” they asked, softly. Ceri nodded in place.Sighing, Tal set their wine glass on the low table beside the couch and carefully stood up with Ceri’s truncated body in their arms. With her own arms and part of her legs amputated, she was easy enough to carry even for Tal, who was slight of stature and not as committed to physical maintenance as Ceri was.She was carried through to her bedroom and placed on the wide, low bed that was positioned in the centre of the space. Carefully, and awkwardly, Tal unfastened her soft stump coverings and laid them to one side, then arranged her nightdress and pulled the top sheet over her body. “I love you,” Ceri mumbled, her eyes closed.“I love you too, beautiful,” Tal said, leaning down to kiss her. “I’ll call you in the morning, okay?”“Mmm hmm.”Leaving their friend to drift fully off to sleep, Tal collected the empty glasses and returned them to the kitchen, and then left the apartment. With good luck and a favourable tube connection they might still make the best of the action at that VIP club night.Detecting the cessation of noise and motion, a few minutes later Ada lowered the lights in the apartment further to night time setting.

Description
Haven't fired up the old renderer for a while! Mainly I wanted to test some new assets and try and remember how to do it.

She might, maybe, be a version of Ceri from Return to Ty Gwyn prior to her Adaptions.

We'll see..

Return to Ty Gwyn - 117th December, 2038Dear Mx Clough,Following the merger of Explore IG and ThoughtLink earlier this year we have made great strides to integrate the businesses and achieve operational synergies.Regrettably, as a result of this process we have taken the difficult decision to make the position of Executive Creative Director redundant as a discrete role at ThoughtLink, with immediate effect.We would like to thank you for your years of service with ThoughtLink, and your valuable creative contribution to making the agency the success it has become. Details of your severance package are attached to this email, we trust you will find them acceptable.I wish you the very best for the future.Kind regards,Roul Fabron,CEO, Groupé Explore--------“Motherfuckers!” Ceri shouted, into the silent darkness of her apartment.She’d suspected this was coming; it was the usual story when one hyper-competitive creative agency consumed another. But to do it at 6pm on the last Friday before Christmas! And to casually say ‘valuable contribution’ as if she hadn’t established the creative voice of the agency from nothing.“Motherfuckers!” Ceri shouted again. The lighting system of her apartment reacted to her voice, illumination flicking on through the minimal space and casting her reflection on the floor-to-ceiling windows on the far side. She was immediately certain they had singled her out, as the only Adapt at the executive level at ThoughtLink. Roul and the group board were conservative, any opportunity to hustle her out of the ranks was one they weren’t going to pass up.Ceri nudged the door to her apartment closed with a flick of her hips and stalked inwards towards the kitchen area, the tips of her feet clicking on the tiled floor. With an expressive gesture she dismissed the email message from the slim visor she wore over her eyes.“Ada… call Tal,” she barked. “And provide wine. Merlot. Large.”There was a chiming sound from the ceiling as the apartment’s AI system acknowledged her instructions.“Calling Talvin Premium,” the apartment said.She moved closer to the window as she waited for the call to connect, staring down at the lights of the city. Even to herself, even after several years as an Adapt, her reflection still sometimes felt alien. The narrow, pointed chin and slightly slanted, almond shaped eyes with deep brown irises weren’t too unusual, although they were not features she had been born with. The enlarged and oddly proportioned ears that protruded through her straight, shoulder length black hair were a little weirder, especially combined with the headband she habitually wore that supported a pair of short, resin antlers in a rich bronze colour, and the permanent black makeup that decorated her top lip, the crease of her philtrum and the underside of her nose.Below the neck, things got stranger still. Ceri was wearing a well-tailored black leather jacket over a white vest top. The jacket hugged her slim shoulders, modified perfectly to encase them and demonstrate that she had no arms. High waisted and skintight jeans flowed over her hips and down her legs, disappearing into the sockets of the elegantly curved prosthetic blades that acted as her feet. On her regular blades she was a shade above two metres tall, an increase of more than thirty centimetres over her natural adult height.Ceridwen Clough was proud to live her life unashamedly as an Adapt but in this moment of vulnerability, as she reeled from the news of her unceremonious firing, it was still a hard image to take in.Over an empty shoulder she watched the kitchen’s automation slide a wine tumbler from storage onto the counter, and then fill it with a dark red liquid and finally insert a straw. After several agonising rings, Tal answered the phone.“What’s up, doe,” their well manicured, slightly accented voice called over the apartment speakers. “Hope you’re feeling festively fabulous this evening.”Ceri felt almost guilty that she was going to have to kill the mood.“They finally did it, Tal,” she said, barely gasping the words. “They canned me.”Tal’s change of tone was immediate.“Motherfuckers,” they snapped. “I’ll be right there, get a bottle open.”---Ceri knew that if Tal said ‘I’ll be right there’ then she had at least twenty minutes to kill before they actually showed up, even though they lived in the same building. Her best friend had many admirable qualities, but general organisation and time keeping were not among them.She decided to use the time to get out of her work ensemble and into something better suited to putting the world to rights with a large glass of wine, or three. The first glass was there on the counter waiting for her, and she stepped over to sip from it through the straw, having to duck down on her blade feet to reach it.“Ada… set room ambience to preset… quiet night in.”The speaker in the ceiling chimed it’s acceptance of the command. At the windows, purple velvet curtains slid closed silently on their tracks to block out the fifteenth floor view across London. The bright main lighting dimmed to almost nothing, softer individual floor-standing and table lamps coming on in their place. Music started playing, quietly, and a mild incense scent was introduced through the air conditioning.Satisfied, Ceri walked through to her bedroom, the lighting pattern following her, and then into the open doorway of her walk-in closet. She turned around in the small space, carefully setting the tips of her feet on the markers on the floor, and gave an involuntary shiver, rolling her shoulders. The closet door slid closed, it’s mirrored rear surface reflecting her in the dim lighting.“Ada… nightwear. Default modesty setting.”Of all the changes that being Adapted had brought to her life, learning to relax and trust the automation had been the hardest. She tried not to tense up too much as manipulator arms emerged from over her shoulders, each one multi-articulated and ending in an air suction pad that could lightly grip garments without damaging them, or her.The pads removed her antler adorned hairband first, pulled her hair back into a ponytail, and then settled on the sides of her jacket and hissed as the suction increased. The garment was slipped from her armless shoulders and pulled back into the storage system. Unlike many Adapts, Ceri had chosen to have her existing apartment remodelled rather than move into specialised accommodation; rather more than a quarter of the total floor area was now given over to semi-permanently sealed storage that was the domain of the automation.The manipulators returned for her sleeveless white vest. Rather than having to deal with pulling tight fitting clothing over her head, most of her wardrobe was configured with zip, velcro or magnetic fastening along what would normally be seams. Two of the arms gripped the front and rear of her vest, while the others popped the fastenings on the sides so that the garment would pull loose for easy removal.This process was repeated for her bra, which was of a stretchy, elastic fabric, her high waisted, dark blue jeans, and finally her knickers which were unfastened at each side and then pulled away between her thighs in one swift motion.Now fully disrobed, Ceri studied her naked reflection while the automation selected her nightwear. Aside from the surgical changes, she had worked hard for her physique and continued to work hard to stay in shape. The little dimples above her hips pleased her, as did the definition of her thigh and abdominal muscles. The small mounds of her breasts sat pertly above her stomach, the shape of her upper torso flowing smoothly into armless shoulders that ended in carefully crafted points. There was no scarring, no damaged flesh, nothing to indicate she had ever had arms at all.The manipulator arms brought her a pale blue, halter neck nightdress in a soft jersey material; it was fitted around her body and fastened at the seams, leaving her shoulders exposed and falling to around mid thigh length. Ceri shifted on her feet, turning to see how the fabric hung over her curves.“Ensemble complete,” the apartment AI announced. “Would you like to remove your current lower limb prosthetics, Ceri?”Ceri glanced down at the stylish, artificial blade legs that accentuated her modified body. As much as they were an integral part of her self image, they also didn’t really suit curling up on the couch with a good friend.“Yes please, Ada,” she replied. She thought about the glass of wine on the kitchen counter, and how the kitchen counter was definitely not in reach of the couch. It had been a mistake not to specify a secondary drinks dispenser in the lounge area. “Select slipper pad prosthetics. And uh, give me a utility belt.”A different set of manipulator arms emerged around her, these were more substantial and fully padded on their ends. They curled around Ceri’s waist and gripped her, lifting her slightly and taking her weight. More manipulators below her waist worked to loosen and remove the sockets that attached her blades to the remnants of her calves. The limbs were taken away to storage and the arms returned with a fresh set; these were padded, mid-brown cylinders that fitted over her stumps and provided a soft, supportive walking surface embellished with a stylised paw print design. The front of the cylinder had a raised extension that rose to just above her knees, thus enabling her to switch to a stance on the joints if she wished.Once the new stump boots were secured Ceri was lowered back to the ground at her revised, lower height and the supporting arms were released. The final requested touch was presented and fastened around her shoulders; a wide grey belt adorned with various panels and sockets that gathered and cinched the fabric of the nightdress above her breasts.“Configuration complete,” Ada confirmed.Ceri stepped forward, the closet door responding and sliding open. The change in stance and balance always took a few steps to compensate for, but the fleece-lined slipper prosthetics were designed for comfort. With those, and the soft nightdress sliding against her body with each movement, she was feeling more relaxed already.She was about fifteen centimetres down on her natural height now, slightly over a metre and half tall and a significant difference from where she stood on the blade legs. The change in perspective around her apartment was yet another reminder of her life as an Adapt.Balancing on her stumps, Ceri walked back to the kitchen and pressed a shoulder against the counter near the tumbler of wine. This required a command from the Blink interface that ran in her visor. Her eyes flicked over the icons and selected the right function on her utility belt. A magnetic stand unfolded from one of it’s panels, in line with the glass which was infused with metal particles. The drink slid across the counter in a worryingly rapid motion, but connected safely with the stand without spilling a drop. In appreciation, Ceri ducked her head to find the straw with her lips, and took a long pull on the wine.The doorbell rang while she was halfway to the couch, stepping carefully to avoid her drink sloshing too much in the glass attached to the belt around her shoulders. Ceri flicked the camera view up in her visor, confirming it was Tal, and then gestured for the command to unlock the door.“Darling!” Tal called, running across the open plan space to embrace Ceri. Tonight they were wearing thick-soled white trainers, iridescent gold leggings and a body-hugging tunic in a complementary shade of forest green. With a full face of makeup and bright orange hair swept into carefully waxed peaks, it was clear Tal had been warming up for a night out.“You idiot!” she shouted happily as they almost swept her off her stumps. “I’m carrying precious alcohol!”Tal lifted her into their arms, Ceri’s truncated legs instinctively wrapping around their waist, and planted a kiss on each cheek.“Well now I’m carrying you, carrying precious alcohol. I’m not sure which is more precious.” Tal grinned, reaching forward to grab a sip through the straw. “The booze, probably. I love you, Ceri. I’m so sorry about those shits, fuck them and their stupid… marketing.”Ceri laughed warmly, pressing herself into Tal’s chest. “I love you too, thank you for coming.”“Babe, I couldn’t abandon you in your hour of need, even if I am bailing on VIP at Crucifix for this.”“Well I appreciate it,” Ceri said, pecking a kiss back on Tal’s cheek. “I would also appreciate you putting me down. On the couch will be fine.”Tal snorted with amusement, carrying Ceri into the lounge area and carefully lowering her to her seat. They unclipped the drink from her utility belt and placed it on the wide arm of the couch where she would be able to reach it.“Is there one of those for me?” they asked. “Do I have to give your flat some magic words to pour one?”Ceri laughed. “Ada… another glass of merlot, please.”The speaker chimed. “Very well,” Ada said smoothly, and repeated the ritual to produce a second tumbler of deep red liquid. “Good evening, Talvin Premium,” it added. “And if you don’t mind my pronoun is ‘apartment’.”----Several refills later Ceri was reclined against Tal on the couch, curled up along their torso in exactly the way her blade prosthetics wouldn’t have allowed. She was warm and comfortable, and not a little drowsy, having expelled most of her negativity about her severance towards her extremely patient best friend. Now she just felt exhausted.“So what are you going to do next?” Tal asked, stroking fingers through her hair as they sipped their wine.Ceri yawned. “Fall asleep, probably. You make a good pillow, you know that?”“I think you’re a few steps closer to a pillow than I am,” Tal retorted. “I’ve seen the rest of the Adapt catalogue, remember? Anyway, I meant generally. Like, your next plan for your whole life.”That provoked a frown. “Can I say it’s too soon to think about? I’m still… to be honest I’m still processing what happened.”Tal regarded the dregs of wine in their glass. “Well if you need time to consider it can I propose a switch to day drinking? Y’know just classic… in the pub, darts, crisps.” They flicked one of her empty shoulders. “I’ll win at the darts, obviously.”Ceri laughed, Tal’s forthright humour was such a tonic. “Maybe I could be tempted. I mean, even if I had a plan, it’s too close to Christmas to do much about it.” She squirmed against her friend, trying to get her weight in the right places to shift position and roll over to face them. “Really it’s a good opportunity to just have a rest, isn’t it? Perhaps I should thank them for it.”Tal ducked forward to kiss her forehead. “Not sure I’d go that far. But yes, I’d say so. You’ve been non-stop at this for, like, years. You deserve a break.”Ceri settled again, laying her cheek on Tal’s chest, feeling the soft tunic and closing her eyes. “I could go away somewhere. Somewhere hot. There’s an Adapt resort in the Maldives, it’s meant to be amaaaazing.”Now Tal frowned. “You know what you should do?” they said. “You know what you’ve been avoiding for years because you’ve always claimed to be ‘too busy’?”“Or Japan,” Ceri mused, on the edge of unconsciousness. “I was reading about an onsen the Foundation took over, the hot springs are supposed to be better than…” She paused and lifted her head again. “What?”Tal flicked her shoulder again. “Your family, genius. How long has it been since you went home?”Ceri jerked more awake. “I couldn’t. Tal, you know that. I haven’t even spoken to Dad since I Adapted. They… they just wouldn’t get it.”“They deserve a chance to get it, though. Your mum, bless her, she tried so hard. Remember she was the first visitor you had after your surgery? She sat waiting with me in the clinic the whole time while they were working on you, she was terrified something was going to go wrong.”“Well nothing went wrong,” Ceri grumbled. “That’s not the point,” Tal said. “The point is that she was there for you. Even though she was certain you were joining some transgressive, nymphomanic sex cult she was willing to see you through it, she respected your choices.”“I guess but…” Ceri sighed. “Can I think about it?”“Not for long,” Tal replied. “It’s Christmas next week and we’ll need to make plans if you’re going to go. I reckon we can fit in one, maybe two full days of directionless boozing and then you need to make a decision.”Ceri nodded and settled her head back on Tal’s chest. “Okay.”“So am I putting you to bed now?” they asked, softly. Ceri nodded in place.Sighing, Tal set their wine glass on the low table beside the couch and carefully stood up with Ceri’s truncated body in their arms. With her own arms and part of her legs amputated, she was easy enough to carry even for Tal, who was slight of stature and not as committed to physical maintenance as Ceri was.She was carried through to her bedroom and placed on the wide, low bed that was positioned in the centre of the space. Carefully, and awkwardly, Tal unfastened her soft stump coverings and laid them to one side, then arranged her nightdress and pulled the top sheet over her body. “I love you,” Ceri mumbled, her eyes closed.“I love you too, beautiful,” Tal said, leaning down to kiss her. “I’ll call you in the morning, okay?”“Mmm hmm.”Leaving their friend to drift fully off to sleep, Tal collected the empty glasses and returned them to the kitchen, and then left the apartment. With good luck and a favourable tube connection they might still make the best of the action at that VIP club night.Detecting the cessation of noise and motion, a few minutes later Ada lowered the lights in the apartment further to night time setting.