[Illium] Turning Wheels (*Closed*)

"Ana, if there's one woman on Illium who does not need my pointers it's you!" She sighed with an exaggerate attitude. "There are so many in this city who could need them though.... thanks." She took back the drink and took another sip before setting it down.

"Supersonic Screwdriver," she repeated, if nothing else then just for Ana. Intoxicating fluids and cocktails was one of those few fields where Ana's knowledge was really theoretical. With all the advancement, nobody had yet to make a paste with taste. At least according to Ana.

What was it with chirality that this didn't seem possible, considering the many many silly flavors that came in tubes for everyone else? One of the mysteries of the universe.

The universe. Taleeze had been feeling an urge for a change of scenery lately, as it had happened before on Illium. The last few months with the tension about the salarian union had left a mark on the town. Time for one of those trips and since everyone was sitting together...
"Speaking about spreading pointers, I'll probably going to be making a bit of a club tour at the beginning of the new standard year. Nevos of course but one or maybe two other places. Niacal is booming, maybe that's an option. Just for a couple of months... weeks, before I miss my lawyer too much!" She caressed Skylars face, with whom she had discussed her plans upfront of course.

"Letting her roam?" Ana joked at Skylar, who laughed.

"We don't all keep our girls on a leash," she chuckled back.

"You can borrow one if you'd like?"

"I'm sure." Skylar shook her head, laughing still, and accepted her drink from a waiter with a smile. "One can't stop a maiden from being a maiden," she went on philosophically, looking fondly at Taleeze. "I'd be a fool to try."

She raised her glass.

"To the asari we love," she proclaimed; Charisma nodded and touched their hands together, and Ana picked up her slim drink canister and joined in.

Taleeze looked from one to another, with wide eyes. "Hey..."

Taleeze blushed a little but with a chuckle raised her glas as well. "I'll happily join on this, you lovely, lovely alien lot!" She touched hands with the three others.

"I don't get out this way as often as I'd like," Daia noted, setting the aircar down and opening the doors for herself and Taleeze to disembark.

The landing pad was raised on pylons above the waters of the Gemstone Lakes, near the south-eastern shores - it was here that most of Nos Astra's hanar population (indeed, most of the hanar on the entire planet) had made their collective home. Buildings, platforms and walkways were suspended above the calm waters, for the convenience of visitors, and collaborators on the various economic ventures that had brought the Primacy's people here. Under the surface the bulk of the enclave could be glimpsed through the reflecting sunlight, intricate submerged structures, and hanar going here and there about their business, swimming with a speed and agility quite surprising to one accustomed to seeing them swaying sedately along in open air.

"Used to have a client in the old settlement, before the war," Daia went on conversationally. "But honestly, 'house calls' out here are probably better kept on the infrequent side, you know how hanar are with propriety in their own communities. I think Eafina only convinced the officials to let us use the location because it's for public health. Ah, there they are."

She pointed and led the way along one of the walkways, towards a raised platform looking out over the expanse of lake beyond - and surrounded by various opaque privacy fields screening it off temporarily from the nearby buildings. A security guard waved them through, and passing through the screens they found a number of photo shoots already in progress, various dancers and escorts serving as models, posed against the scenic backdrop, or in discussion with their photographers.

"Hello you two," Eafina said, appearing to one side - she had a holographic pad in one hand and a stylus in the other, and kept glancing at it and making minute notes. "Glad you made it, the weather's turned out nice. How's this sound to you, 'Love life, love safe'? I'm trying out taglines for these," she explained. "Don't want it to be too confrontational... you know, 'get yourself checked!', it's off-putting - but not too far on the fun side, either."

“Yeah, hanar can be so weird.” Taleeze remembered a certain example from CDN as they made their way down to the scenes for the shoots. Taleeze had her extreme heels in her hand while walking barefoot. Just safer that way.

“I still would like to find a hanar VJ to do a hanar lighting set with the electronic costume. I think it’s an underrated market! The people love it and I know some of the hanar guests do too but I can only do as much as VI check if it’s not emitting profanities by accident… hm, well, maybe it should just emit the right profanities. And you’ll never get the fine undertones right without a hanar designing the sequences….”

They eventually reached the spot and Taleeze greeted the purple Eafina
“Hey. Sounds good to me. But I still think, the ‘get checked’ line should be on there somewhere, maybe next to the vidcall number or so.” She looked around and saw a few familiar and a lot of unfamiliar faces, she waved a couple of hello’s.

“People still take sexual safety for granted, as it used to feel like for a while before the war, but even then it was deceiving. But now, with all the refugee travel … So what are we going to do today?” she held on to Daia’s shoulder as she slipped into her shoes.

“There was that thing where I cover myself with that checklist datapad… and I remember something about ‘no surprises’… wait no, that was ‘be safe, be checked’, right? Yeah… I still think ‘get yourself checked’ should be used somewhere, some people don’t get it unless you issue an order.”

"True enough," Eafina nodded. "Gives me an idea actually, we could do one that's 'Get checked. Now.', forceful, pair it with a picture of Miss Lash, or Daia, you still have that Justicar outfit? We'll get some shots another day. Situational use." She made another note on her pad, then looked around while Taleeze was putting her shoes on.

"I think he's finished with David... yes, here he is," she said, as a hanar approached, being trailed by a trio of high-market camera drones. "Taleeze, this is Elakainor - his work was in the 'Illium New Wave' exhibition last month, I thought you two would make a good team for this."

"This one is delighted to make your acquaintance," the hanar intoned. "This one looks forward to exploring your fabulous aesthetic possibilities! Please," it added, gesturing towards a vacant area of the platform, where a low bench and what seemed to be an abstract sculpture had been positioned, "do enlighten this one regarding your datapad idea."

"What'd you have in mind for yours?" Eafina asked Daia.

"Ana suggested extreme bondage and 'play safe' as the tagline, which I like, but," she replied, raising a slim clothes bag she was carrying, "for today I thought Naughty Nurse? Save the hardcore for back at the agency where we've got more props and whatnot."

"Sounds good. Okay, Lirian's just finishing up with the dynamic duo," she indicated the area next to where Taleeze was being led, where a turian was taking some final photos of a pair of maidens with matching body art, "get changed and see what you come up with."

Taleeze laughed at Daia's mentioning of Ana's (probably not completely serious) suggestion and greeted the photographer.
"Hello, yes, I am Tal. I've seen some of your works I think, you do shoot for 'Azure' magazine occasionally, right? I liked the false color series they were running last year, I think that was you... at least it was a hanar." She was still wearing her loose dress as she climbed followed the hanar. She sat her bag down, took a dark framed datapad out and looked at the setting.

"Well the idea was to have just that datapad covering my private parts, with the checkboxes for clothing and all that on it, but only the top one, the multi-safe test, actually checked? also, I have brought the pildavi outfit for the thing with the penalty? 'sidline STD' or something, 'score safe', I have no idea what they will put on there, but we can do that at the end because the clothing leaves marks on the skin."

She posed a bit with the datapad for him to get an idea, the looked at the art piece. What was that even?
"Just tell me what poses you want me to do and we can start."

"This one has had work featured in the publication you mention," Elakainor said, bobbing along beside Taleeze. "It finds the lack of rigidly defined mores most liberating!"

Arriving at the proper spot, the hanar halted and raised three tentacles, each sprouting a slim wrap-around omni-tool interface. The camera drones began moving about, testing angles and lighting conditions.

"This one believes it comprehends the spirit of your idea," it said, studying its displays; a slight play of muscles beneath its outer skin produced a crease in its flanks which, to one familiar with hanar, might have been called 'thoughtful'. "This one agrees with your reasoning regarding the competitive sporting theme also. If you would please disrobe when comfortable doing so and position the padd in the manner proposed, it shall commence creating art!"

"Lirian!" Daia was exclaiming meanwhile, once the photographer had completed his previous set. "I had no idea you were in town!"

"Daia? Spirits, what's it been, ten years since Fornax, eleven? What's new? You've been in films!"

"Got a bondmate too."

"No! You?"

"Yes me, smarty-plates!" She paused in struggling into an improbably minimal medical uniform to give the turian a swat on the chest and laughed. "So how'd you go on the Citadel, did that pan out...?"

"Eh, credits were good, but I started getting homesick, so..."

Taleeze did as told, putting the dress in the grass next to the bag. She then called up the correct page on the pad and struck a few poses, doing various facial expressions or putting on hand over her breasts - some regions in Alliance space weren't keen of bare mammary glands in advertising, not even for charity events, this would give the organization more to chose from. Asari couldn't care less.

The hanar seemed to be content with what he had eventually.

Taleeze greeted Lirian with a wave, as she climbed from the pad: she did not know her but a friend of Daia's was always welcome with her.
"Hey there."

"So, do we have this take?" She asked the hanar. "What's up next, anymore nudes or can I dress?" Maybe the photographer had something else he wanted to do.

While he browsed through the shootings results, Taleeze took the opportunity to offer a hand to Daia's friend.
"You're a friend of Daia's? I think we haven't met yet."

The hanar swooshed this way and that as the camera drones worked, muttering to itself about lighting and composition, as well as keeping up a steady stream of polite encouragement and the occasional specific direction for Taleeze.

"This one begs your indulgence a moment before proceeding to the clothed images," it said. "Your figure bears a striking similarity to the proportions found in the watercolour works of the Honoured Matriarch Atinva, as it is sure has been noted in complimentary fashion by others. This one is unsure if such work may find use in the current publicity efforts, but feels it would be a shame to pass up the opportunity. If you would be so kind as to take inspiration from the Honoured Matriarch's work?"

The hanar called up a series of artworks from one of its omni-tools, which displayed in large format, easy for Taleeze to see - classic Serrice-naturist style nudes, with Matriarch Atinva's recognisable elan for colour.

"Pleasure to meet you," Daia's photographer said, while the asari did some practice poses and adjusted her costume to stay where it was supposed to. "No, we wouldn't have. Used to work for Fornax here, but management changed and I got a better offer. About the same time this one left the mag," she said, nodding to Daia, then doing a mild double-take at her. "Spirits, haven't got shy in your old age, have you?"

"Sexy sells," Daia giggled. "In this case, sexy sells safe sex."

"No kidding. Okay, let's start with head-to-toe shots, just like the old days..."

"Forgive this one's curiosity," Elakainor said, lining up a shot of Taleeze as she copied one of the poses from the watercolours. "It wonders if you have pursued modelling extensively? It understands your work at the respected Apricity is performance oriented."

Taleeze had no idea about Matriarch Atinva’s works but it maybe was meant as a compliment, she guessed.
“Uh, I am afraid you would have to show me a few examples first but sure, I guess. Oh, that’s fairly nice.” The pictures were okay, she knew the style, although was not familiar with the artists. The asari figure in question had, while a different shade of skin, a similarity in shape, that much was true.

“Yeah, we could do that, sure! I haven’t done much magazine modeling, not much beyond promotion shooting really, some clubs do more online advertising than others. But of course, if you want pictures taken for something else than the charity effort, we would need to make a basic compensation and legal arrangement.”

When she was on the Citadel, she had an arrangement for a catalogue shooting for Ariake though. She took on a few poses, sprawling over the piece of art.

“I see myself more as a dancer than a model really but Daia over there had some influence in me being small parts of recent IE movie productions. Nothing pornographic, mind you, but ‘acting’ was a fun experience.” She airquoted.

"Oh, no," Elakainor waved a tentacle in a manner probably meant to be reassuring. "This one does not propose any additional use of the images it is creating today! It is merely behaving in accordance with Miss Meressus's direction to 'allow inspiration to strike where it may'. Its inquiry regarding modelling was motivated purely by curiosity." The hanar took a few more angles of Taleeze on the odd sculpture, and was evidently satisfied with the results.

"This one is prepared to proceed to the competitive sports theme," it announced, making adjustments to the drones' virtual lenses.

"Clothes on, clothes off," Daia joked from her perch nearby; through a series of reveal-one-bit-at-a-time shots her costume had mostly come adrift, and she was on to poses with just the position of her limbs hiding whatever she felt needed to be hid at any given moment. Meanwhile Elakainor's interest seemed piqued at Taleeze's mention of her film work.

"Forgive this one if it is in error," it ventured, "but did you portray the heroic Captain Lorin alongside Miss T'Nara in the conclusion to the Citadel trilogy?" The hanar changed overall colour slightly. "This one has viewed some portions of said film. For artistic reasons naturally. It felt Copulates As Would A Virtuoso's performance was a suitable homage to the character of Blasto in the eponymous film series." Its colour, evidently a blush of some kind if the translator's tone of voice was any indication, intensified a little more. "This one has seen each Blasto adventure many times."

„Oh, okay.“ Taleeze replied. She hoped there would be no unpleasant surprises with pictures from the shooting but Eafina was someone to be trusted in handling such things so she was not concerned.

Eventually they had enough pictures in. Elakainor was flipping a few to let Taleeze see the results. There were afew she really liked. Some she thought were a bit unfavorable though.
“Would you just can this and this one, they are terrible, look at that… I look like a beached skafa there, goddess.” She wasn’t really shocked, just amused.
“The rest is great, I hope I can get copies through Eafina. And now for sporty Taleeze.”

The dress she had brought was a standard plain APU dress, not of a specific team but with APU logos. The League were planning to run ads for the campaign as well so she had received clearance for this combination.

Eventually she slid into a pair of pildavi shoes and got back to the stage. On her omnitool she opened the referee app and started to go through basically the full program of foul call gestures and colors. Eventually she called up a few of the slogans on her tool as well.
“Sideline STD”… “fun 1, STD 0”…

“Oh yes, that was me. But I don't know... it really wasn't such a big thing, hardly heroic in comparison. I was happy enough not to anger my mate with my performance, she's a Commando." she laughed. "But thanks for the compliment. I also love Blasto, I have even been to the big Con a year ago.”

"You do not!" Daia protested amiably, as Elakainor obediently deleted the images Taleeze disliked. "Seriously? A beached skafa would be-" She slumped inelegantly sideways across the bench she was posing on, waggling her hands, and looked up sharply at the sound of her photographer's camera drone at work.

"Did you- You did, didn't you? I am going to murder you so hard..."

"Isn't that just typical," Lirian sighed, chuckling. "She gets herself a bondmate and suddenly it's all cold shoulder and death threats to everyone else."

"This one believes these sporting images will be most persuasive!" Elakainor said, while Daia resumed her serious posing, still trading playful barbs with Lirian all the while. "It is only passingly familiar with the practice of pildavi, but it understands the importance attached by a great majority of the asari people to the game is comparable to that of the faithful to their chosen sarophantialamenus teams." A pause, then 'blushing' again: "This one was an epistemological centre-forward during its education, but lacked the skill at discourse to pursue a career in the sport."

The mention of the convention got a reaction - a fluttering of the aquatic steering surfaces, which in a species with a face would have been wide eyes.

"BlastoCon!? You were most fortunate! This one wished to attend, but to have done so would have been discourteous to the sensibilities of its co-habitant at the time. Blasto is... not respected among those of a certain critical persuasion in the Primacy." A pause. "Much of the Primacy."

“Yeah, thank you Daia! Now I do feel fat!” Taleeze replied, making a sad face. But she immediately had to laugh when she noticed the pictured have been taken. Some photographers just never could let such a moment slide.
“I’ll make you an offer for those!”

The shooting continued with the sports themed subjects. While familiar with a variety of odd sporting activities (even trapball now, thanks to Daia), she had practically no idea about sarophantialamenus. She knew hanar water ballet and something like a diving contest but not this. So many sports channels and so little time.

The mentioning of Blasto Con interrupted her musings.
“Yes, I know,” she plied on the subject of the controversy. “I have met hanar that were not particularly fond of the project as well.” She had to think about humble_hanar for a second. “It’s a bit similar to those asari that take offense in the way our species is depicted in foreign and even our own media. While being a success with the audience, the movies of Extranet Playground always get some Le’ku in a twist somewhere. I guess that’s just the way it is, don’t let that reduce your fun.

There were only very few hanar on site – if you don’t count all those cosplays. I had backstage tickets, courtesy of IE, at the time so I was able to get a meet and greet with Bubin and Cerulean. It was quite a thing.” She should have a look if there would be another one. There was another movie in the works… she had actually forgotten the number but the title was something about ‘…saving the Council’ from what she remembered.

“Alright, I am done. Is there anything else you want to shoot?”