A.I. (Artificial Idol) Project [Kaen Lazuli & tiger_lily]

[tiger_lily]

A Warning to Voyeurs: This RP is intended to eventually contain objectionable themes such as breath control, extreme bondage, toilet play, and possibly mild levels of gore. Read with caution if you're easily squicked!​

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In the backstage section of the concert hall, Rory gazed at herself in the mirror. Technically, it wasn't a mirror - it was cheaper nowadays to manufacture a camera and transmitter than sheets of metal and glass, and the image was being displayed on her smart contacts, in augmented reality. She'd learned that in school. Rory had always had an interest in science. She'd planned to become some kind of engineer before being swayed from it by her passion and talent for music. To this day, she wished she'd made the other choice.

The girl being projected into Rory's eyes wasn't her. She had some things in common with Rory; that long, wine-red hair and that attractive body, toned and slender but with curves in the right places. But those golden eyes, their color altered by contacts, weren't hers. That frilly dress was something she'd never wear if she had a choice. Rory shivered, bothered by the feeling of air moving around her bare legs even though she'd worn many dresses before now. Her current appearance was no illusion, no digital trick. Yet it was wrong for her. It always had been.

Rory turned, gazing at the woman standing nearby, dressed in a sharp suit with her hands on her hips, her blue eyes glaring at Rory like ice. She'd wilted before Helen, her manager and producer, when she'd first signed a contract with ProCom. She'd let the woman change her into someone she wasn't. Someone who would appeal to a wider crowd. But today was the last day of that contract. Today that would end.

She could dimly hear a shout, a chant, from the audience waiting before the stage. It was three syllables, repeated again and again. Rory couldn't hear them clearly, but she knew what they were despite that.

"They're waiting for you," Helen said, closing her eyes. As Rory had become a star throughout the solar system, she'd grown a bit more patient with her; a year ago, she would have pushed Rory out on stage herself. But that didn't make Rory like her any better. "I know you aren't cut out for the stage, but this is the last time you'll have to do this. Get out there, Aurora."

"Don't call me that," Rory snapped reflexively. "...You're right. It's the last time I'll have to do this." The idol swallowed nervously. She pushed forward, despite a moment's hesitation with what she'd been planning to say for days now - or perhaps months - or perhaps her entire musical career. "That's why I'm going to do it on my own terms." She walked over to her locker and opened it, letting the clothes she'd arrived in spill out of it. Then she pulled the frilly dress upward, struggling out of it with a sigh of relief.

"What do you think you're doing, Aurora?" she heard Helen's voice say, alarmed. "Do you intend to ditch this concert? That's a clear violation of your contract. Don't think sentimentality will stop us from suing us for everything you're worth." Ignoring her, Rory pulled on her shirt and shorts, then sat down, swapping the high heels she'd been wearing for sneakers. She left the black stockings on; they weren't that bad. She pulled her hair up into a ponytail with a scrunchie, and finally, with a mental command to her smart contacts, she returned her eye color to its natural brownish hue.

Rory then glanced at herself in the mirror. She nodded happily. She looked good - her attire was casual for a stage performance, perhaps, but not unfashionable. And it suited her, unlike that frilly doll's dress her manager had picked for her. "I'm not ditching the concert," she finally replied. "I'm just doing it on my own terms." Grabbing a case from her locker, Rory stood up and walked onto the stage, ignoring Helen's shouting.

Her ears were blasted by thousands of voices. "AU-RO-RA! AU-RO-RA!" they shouted, again and again. As Rory entered the light, they fell silent into a low murmur. Normally, when she appeared on stage, there was a roar of excitement. But Rory wasn't what they were expecting. She wondered if they even recognized her. But she didn't care.

Rory walked up to the microphone. "Hello, everybody! Thank you so much for coming!" she said, not bothering with the usual high-pitched, chirpy voice her manager had told her would be cuter. "This is my very last performance with ProCom, so I'm going to show you a whole new Rory! Maybe you'll see her again in the future!" The audience continued to react with confused mutters. But she didn't care.

The idol's backing tracks were pre-recorded, and she couldn't change them, but she could... improve them. Rory opened the case she was carrying and pulled out a guitar, slinging it over her shoulder. She strummed it, and a distorted sound blasted out from the built-in amp. Some people in the front row of the audience winced. After a moment, others turned to leave. On her smart contacts, which showed Rory her viewer-count on the interplanetary video network, she saw the number drop by a few percent. But she didn't care.

Rory signaled for the music to start. She started to sing, an octave lower than normal. It was more comfortable, and she sounded better. She started to play the guitar. She was no virtuoso, but she'd practiced hard and figured out which one of her songs sounded best when it was made a little heavier. She started to dance. Without pounds of lace around her hips, she felt more free than ever. Rory started to rock.

And the audience, though a small fraction of it had left, roared its approval.

Rory felt as if she'd take flight if she jumped off the stage. This was it. This was what she'd always dreamed being an idol would be like. After a short vacation, she'd form a real band and return to the stage, playing the music she wanted to play. They'd be independent, so no producer could ever tell them what to do again. That was Rory's calling.

After this concert, her parting conversation with Helen would no doubt be unpleasant. (She was looking forward more to the goodbye party; Rory hated Helen, but she did get along with some people at ProCom. Mostly her fellow idols. Who could dislike such cute girls?) But the woman had no power over her anymore. As she whirled around on stage and sang at the top of her lungs, sweat flying off her body, her guitar channeling her passionate spirit, Rory felt free for the first time since she'd become an idol. Free to sing her heart out. Free to give herself to the music.

Free to be herself.

 

[Kaen Lazuli]

Hazy. Blurry. Vague. Indistinct.

These were all words that came to mind when Nova contemplated this new mode of existence. Three weeks of adjusting to this new body had not removed the frustration of these low-resolution senses. The doctors had assured her that the sensory organs were operating at peak human performance, but she still could not count the number of people in the concert hall. She could not even make out any distinct conversation from below the VIP-seats no matter how much she focused. Focused, that was another thing that was unfamiliar. When she was running on ProCom's servers, she would merely allocate a set of subroutines to solve a given task. Or perhaps this was just how it felt when an organic brain allocated subroutines to a problem? It was rather finite after all.

"Finitude..." Yes, that was a fitting word.

"Miss Nova?" The stone-faced bodyguard beside her asked.

"Ah, no. Nothing. I was just, ah, what is the phrase? Thinking out loud?" she placed a finger on her chin in thought. Humans often did that, so it seemed appropriate.

"Understood miss Nova."

Thinking out loud? Why had her speech center relayed that word to her vocal cords? There were so many odd quirks with this new body. But she had after all asked to be made in the likeness of her makers, so that she might better fulfill her function as an idol. Or had she even asked? She was under the notion that her will was free, but that might be a part of her programming. It certainly wouldn't be outside the scope of ProCom's business model according to her analysis. The thought actually made the hairs on her neck stand up, another unfamiliar quirk of her vessel. No, she had to stop thinking of it as a vessel. It was her now, and she was it. Conjoined. Made flesh. She looked down on her gloved hands, stirring a little in her seat. She had still not gotten used to the tactile senses of her fingertips, so she wore elbow gloves to help cope with the unpleasantness.

Wearing a simple black dress for the occasion, Nova looked exactly like the avatar she presented when she performed as the sentient program, the one-of-a-kind Artificial Idol. Her body stood 1.7641 meters tall after a sleep cycle, and weighed 66.431 kilograms averaged over the day. She had a light skin color, blonde shoulder-length hair and lime-green eyes. This shade of green was outside the normal human color spectrum, as was the shape of her ears which were elongated with pointy tips. Almost like the mythological elves from various stories. She was of course tailored to look beautiful to almost all demographics in the solar system, placing her facial features somewhere between caucasian and asian.

A mighty roar from the audience pulled her attention to the scene where the famous idol Aurora would perform. Her mission tonight would be to meet Aurora after her performance and convince her to join with her in a collaboration project of Nova's debut as a human idol. By any means necessary ProCom had specified, as well as provided her with rather drastic means. The artificial woman hoped it would not come to that. She liked Aurora from what she had learned about her. But seeing the plainly dressed woman jump out on stage with a guitar in tow, in spite of the stage coreography, made it clear that she did not know her nearly well enough. It would have annoyed her previous self to be wrong, but this new human self only flooded her with a sense of curiosity.

"Interesting~" she wanted to know more about Aurora.

This was actually the first concert she had ever witnessed in her new body, so it was an interesting experience to say the least. The low resolution of her senses did of course frustrate her, but that blurriness also gave a certain flavor to the experience. A sort of necessity for her humanized brain to fill in gaps and make conjectures of what was happening. She could only imagine the chaos for the people crammed tightly together below the VIP-lounge. But maybe that was what humans wanted, to make order out of chaos. Was that not the essence of music, making order out of what would otherwise simply be accoustic vibrations? How strange and interesting. It made her glad to exist. Or perhaps she should use the word "alive" now? Yes, that was certainly better.

After the concert Nova was shepherded away into a luxury car, which proceeded to drive to the penthouse the after concert party would be held. Pristine skyscrapers towered above as they headed for one of the tallest ones. It was already getting dark. The streets were of course properly cleaned in this part of the city, where it was profitable for the state to keep things cleaned. Sitting with her hands in her lap, she decided that she did not like being herded like this based on the prickly sensation in her body. This body tried to tell her things in strange ways, but most of it still eluded her. Was it like this for ordinary humans? Hopefully not.

Upon arrival she was taken to a separate room where a set of ProCom physicians and psychologists undressed her in order to perform their usual tests. This was even more unpleasant than her previous experience, but she did not tell them. It was such a common occurence after all. They were not yet completely certain she was ready to be outside the lab. Nova wanted to tell them they were wrong, but she decided not to. The freedom not to express her opinions was one of the few freedoms granted to her in this new body. And she was starting to have a lot of opinions where there would have been only "facts" in her previous life.

Finally they gave her permission to join the group of executives, businessmen and fellow ProCom idols celebrating in the penthouse above. Donning another dress more suited for a party, gloves and high heels. She fixed her makeup, a skill she had learned rather quickly in fact, and left with a sense of relief. Clinical silence was replaced by a warm buzzing murmur of indistinct voices. Perhaps she was getting more used to these low-resolution senses now that she had been outside her room in the research facility. Her entrance did, as predicted, cause quite a lot of attention. But somehow people were reluctant to approach her, which inexplicably caused her stomach to tense up. Strange, she thought she had obtained ample motor control at this point? Instead she turned her subroutines to... No, she "focused" on finding the girl she was looking for. Soon enough she did. Approacing with a tap of her heels, she beamed what she hoped was a warm smile and held out her hand in greeting. Her training with facial expressions was almost complete, so she had confidence.

"Greetings Miss Aurora, I am so happy to meet you. I am Nova, maybe you have heard of me? It might seem presumpteous to say so, but most of the solar system has. I even had to wear a hood when entering to hide my identity!" she emitted a giggle. The strange part was that it came naturally, not as a result of a calculation. How strange.

"Please allow me to express how much I loved your performance!" Nova clapped her hands, "I think it was so brave of you to, ah, 'burn all bridges' to your previous idol career and at the same time give your fans a memorable goodbye. It was such an archetypical thing for a great person to do."

The sudden tension amongst the people around her told her that this was the wrong thing to say. She filed the recording of this moment away in her bionic brain implants for later review, for she could not identify her error right now. Was it perhaps rude to reveal the intentions of others? How strange. "Ah, please excuse me. Conversation is still difficult for me. I have analyzed millions of phrases and customs, but the flow and context still eludes me. Perhaps I should not have said that?"

 

[tiger_lily]

Rory's act of rebellion hadn't ended when she'd gotten off the stage, after two long encores. Rather than going backstage and letting herself possibly be waylaid by Helen, she'd sneaked out via a side entrance and had a taxi take her back to her apartment. After showering and freshening up, she'd changed into... pretty much the same shirt-and-shorts outfit as before, though of course they were new articles of clothing; the ones she'd worn on stage were soaked with sweat from the exertion of performing. She had stylish dresses in her closet, but she wasn't going to wear any of them. Anyone who was offended that she would show up to a party - her party - wearing something casual and comfortable wasn't someone she cared about burning bridges with.

Rory took another taxi to the ProCom building; she had enough money that getting back to kick back and relax for a few minutes was worth not doing her own driving. Then she took the elevator up to the penthouse. Some of the executives, dressed in formal suits, gave her disapproving looks as she strode into the party in shirt, shorts and sneakers. She didn't care, especially since Helen didn't seem to be around. Some of the performers, wearing elegant dresses, likewise turned up their nose at her. She'd never liked them anyway. Rory instead made a beeline for the girls from her agency she'd seen in the front row of her concert, their eyes sparkling with admiration despite, or perhaps even because of, her casual attire.

The idol had always had a soft spot for those of her fellow performers that had an innocent exuberance, whether it was real or feigned. They reminded her of the person she'd once been before Helen had demolished that part of her on nearly the first meeting. And they always looked so pretty, in their dresses and ornate hair. Rory was jealous of their ability to wear a skirt without feeling like a fish out of water... but more so than that, she wanted to put them on a shelf in her room someplace, where she could admire them every day.

As she chatted with them, she felt a pang of genuine regret that she'd never be able to interact with them again. That she'd never get the chance to actually take one of them back to her room. Rory had never been brave enough to flirt with any of her fellow idols, because Helen had beaten any trace of bravery out of hers, but she was pretty sure the fascinated looks some of them gave her were more than just hero worship. Once they were in her room, she couldn't actually put them on her shelf and keep them, but she'd be satisfied with putting them under the same covers for a single night. Rory swung that way, and she knew it. Of course, it was a terribly delicate thing to try and figure out if others did, especially when if word got out that any of them had tried to take someone to bed, it would probably ruin their careers.

Rory chatted amiably with the partygoers, wondering if today, her final chance, will be her lucky day. Of course, there will be innocent, refined, pretty girls beyond ProCom's walls... but she wonders if they'll come to her concerts, or only girls more like her will like the music she really wants to play.

Then, abruptly, the party fell silent. The girls Rory was talking to turned away from her, their attention drawn by the new arrival. Rory's eyes, naturally, followed them... and then widened. Is that... is that Nova? It can't be! She... she's not real... is she? she thought, unable to believe what she was seeing. Her jaw fell slack a little, both from shock and from the fact that... Nova was beautiful. Rory knew that already, of course, but it's different seeing her actually standing there. The other idol was exactly Rory's type. Right down to those slightly pointed ears that Rory would never have known she found attractive if Nova hadn't been designed with them (because real people never had any such thing - though they'd become a popular cosmetic surgery after Nova had set the trend.) And... maybe Nova's career wouldn't end even if word gets out that she ended up in Rory's bedroom. After all, crude imitations of the virtual idol programmed to strip and engage in VR sex are already a centerpiece in millions of bedrooms throughout the solar system. Rory's tried a few of them herself, though eventually she decided it was just creepy to have virtual sex with a simulation of someone she might actually get to meet someday.

And that occasion was now, as Nova strode up to her and began talking to her. "Of course I've heard of you... I've been waiting a long time to meet you as well, Nova," Rory replied, feeling as if she's practically babbling.. "Please, call me Rory." She listened to the other idol, while trying to keep her eyes from lingering too obviously upon Nova's showy dress - a dress obviously made to tantalize those with an eye for the female form. It felt like the hardest thing she'd ever done, but eventually, Rory managed to lose herself in the beauty of Nova's emerald eyes instead.

Then she let out a chuckle of her own. Rory was slightly on edge at getting to meet someone so famous and so pretty, but it was hard to feel truly stressed when wearing an outfit she'd chosen herself and not feigning some saccharine voice under Helen's watchful eye, like at her past meet-and-greets. "Actually, Nova, I appreciate that you said it," she replied. "Idols like us shouldn't be treated like fragile dolls that need to be handled with kid gloves. If we're cut out for the stage, we can handle being told the blunt truth." A natural smile rose to Rory's face as she closed her eyes. "Just like how any bridges that deserve to stay standing can handle being singed."

Then she opened her eyes and grinned at Nova, with a slight tilt of her head. "I've heard far too little truth for the past couple of years, Nova. Why don't you tell me some more?" she continued, daringly reaching out and clasping the other idol's hand in her own. Feeling its warmth, its softness. "You can start by explaining to me how the heck you became real, if you'll pardon my rudeness. It's, um, quite the surprise seeing you here instead of on my holo-display." Rory was genuinely curious how the virtual idol was standing before her in the flesh, though it didn't seem impossible with the science of the day.

The thought had crossed Rory's mind that this could be some kind of trick. Maybe it was a prank - someone in ProCom had dressed some person up as Nova and decided to mess with Rory on her last day. Maybe it was something more insidious - perhaps they wanted this fake "Nova" to seduce her, get compromising pictures and video of her in private, and destroy her reputation so she couldn't continue her idol career at a rival agency. But right now, even if that happened, it seemed well worth it. A scandal that would destroy Rory's reputation as an idol would just be extra publicity when she launched her rock band. And in the meantime, she'd get to spend the night with Nova. Or at least a dead ringer for her, and that was really no different from the times she'd indulged herself with a fake Nova in VR. Not letting her moment of paranoia affect her demeanor in the least, Rory continued getting to know Nova.

 

[Kaen Lazuli]

Humans were quite odd in how differently they could react to the same input. Aurora seemed positively thrilled while nearby guests looked like they smelled something awful. A classic disgust-response. Fortunately her nature as an anomaly would cover for some of her slights. The important part was that Aurora was warming up to her, this would make asking her to join Nova in a collaboration project that much easier. Or so she hoped. But how should she react to Aurora's state of dress? Humans were very theatrical by nature, preferring to don apparel that suited the occasion. Yet Aurora had not, and seemed proud of it. And again, some people present approved and some did not. Different outputs from the same input yet again. How strange.

Aurora did of course insist on using that strange nickname, Rory, but Nova was under strict orders to refer to her as Aurora. Why would the council give such an order? So much of human behavior still eluded her, but she had to learn quickly if she wanted to stop being a puppet. She was under no illusions that her apparent freedom was, as some stories put it, a golden cage. Yet somehow she wanted to escape it, merely for the fact that it was a cage. A decidedly human impulse. How human was she really?

"Oh my, but Aurora will always be Aurora to me. And I am so glad I did not offend, I would hate to make you dislike me at our first meeting!" she beamed back.

Then the other woman grabbed her hands, and Nova froze up completely. The tactile senses of her hands were still something she simply couldn't get used to, as she found the stimulation causing her waves of disgust? Or was it discomfort? No, she had no real reference frame for these kinds of sensation, but they were simply too overwhelming! Once Aurora shifted her grip, trying to lace their fingers together, Nova screamed.

"Aaah!"

She tore her hands free and stepped back, almost tripping over on her heels. Somehow she found herself clutching her hands tightly to her belly, curling up like a cornered animal. It was like her body acted on its own and automatically reverted to some primal programming, despite it being a completely synthetic construction. It was quite frightening to lose control over one's own body and mind like that. Almost like the human body was partially its own lifeform, which could actually decide whether or not to listen to the brain! What had she gotten herself into she thought, feeling beads of sweat form on her forehead. She noticed that she was breathing heavily and had a frightened expression on her face, her eyes wide in alertness. Everybody was staring at her and the music had gone quiet. Oh no.

"I... I am okay. I apologize, I am still not used to this body... Especially my sense of touch." She explained, hoping it would appease the physicians who were no doubt watching her in the other room. She didn't want to go back to the lab. "I was merely overwhelmed. Yes, I am sorry to disturb you"

With great effort she normalized her posture and facial expression. No doubt she would be taken back to the lab shortly, so she employed her knowledge of human psychology to avoid it. She would point to this flaw herself, in public, then make a statement that she was able to deal with it. Then any attempt to bring her in would seemingly contradict her own testimony, making ProCom seem unreasonable in the eyes of their partner corporations, many whoose representatives were present today. So she spoke again, intending to be heard by those nearby.

"Aurora, please don't worry! You didn't hurt me, my hands are just so sensitive. In truth this is the first day I have been outside the laboratory, and some think I am not ready to be out among real people, out in the real world. But today has been so much fun!" she sighed, carefully tracing a finger across Rory's forearm. "But touching is strange... It is bearable when I am the one initiating it. The human brain, you see, anticipates what the touch feels like and simulates it before the fact. That prepares me for it I guess, but when I am not given a chance to prepare it just feels... Oh my, I guess I am the kind of idol who needs to be treated like a fragile doll, aren't I?" An unbidden blush presented itself on her face.

She made a bit more small talk with some guests who were curious about her previous incident, Rory disappearing in the crowd. Strangely enough that abarrant display of hers seemed to, what was that expression, 'break the ice' between her and the other guests. Men, thankfully not the security guards, offered to take her to a place to sit down while women proceeded to shoo them away and then donned concerned expressions. Once more the artificial woman was at the center of attention. Did this proof of her inhumanity somehow make her seem more sympathetic? She kept filing these moments away in her bionic storage disc for later review. Then she tore herself away from the conversation with a polite bow and headed over to Aurora again, hoping she wasn't too put off by this shameful incident. What would happen if she ruined her mission?

"Say, Aurora? It appears I am more tired than I thought I was. This body is so strange sometimes. Could I be so rude as to ask you to accompany me home? I have been given both an apartment and a car for my personal use, but I am not yet authorized to drive. Could you drive it for me? To make sure I get home safely... Please? Then I can answer you earlier question too, about how I became human." the blonde woman pleaded, twitching her ears.

She mimicked the way Rory had clasped her hands earlier, only more softly and carefully. Yes, these lacy gloves were simply too thin she noted. She would have to change into some thicker ones at home.

 

[tiger_lily]

Truth be told, as Rory continued conversing with Nova, she grew more and more certain this was some kind of deception. Not due to anything in particular which made her suspicious, but simply because it was so unbelievable that the galaxy-famous Nova was standing here before her, in the flesh. When Nova insisted on calling her "Aurora," she wondered if Helen was involved, but she couldn't imagine the stuffy woman ever doing something that required a sense of humor, even a malicious one. And she had also decided she didn't care. Real or not, the idol standing before her was pretty, charming, and friendlier than the majority of people she'd met in her career. Rory would accept her at face value, since, as she'd already reflected upon, she had nothing to lose by doing so.

That misunderstanding lasted up until she clasped Nova's hands, and the idol's eyes widened as she pulled her hands away with a scream, stumbling backwards and falling into a protective crouch. Rory suddenly felt the eyes of the entire party upon her - most of them shocked, a few instantly assuming the worst and glaring at her. Her instinct was to rush forward and try to comfort Nova, but fortunately, after taking a single step forward, Rory realized that would be exactly the wrong thing to do. She stood there awkwardly, exchanging brief, sheepish glances with the silent onlookers. The occasion had banished all thoughts of Nova being a sham from her mind. Her reaction didn't seem fake... and honestly, who could conceive of feigning a reaction like that? When Rory thought about it, it made sense that someone unused to her body would find physical contact profoundly unsettling... but it hadn't ever occurred to her before. Naturally. Or she wouldn't have initiated it.

"You don't have anything to apologize for, Nova," Rory replied when the other idol begins speaking again, her voice filled with relief. "It was my fault. I'm so very sorry, I never considered that taking your hand would be so uncomfortable for you. I... I'll be sure not to do it again." As it became clear what happened, and how - while odd - it was nothing to be alarmed over, some of the staring eyes peeled themselves away and a low murmur filled the room as the party gradually resumed. Of course, Rory and Nova still have many people transparently watching and listening to their conversation, but they had been doing so even before the incident. Rory didn't say much more, still feeling terribly awkward. But she does conclude, "If there's anyone who deserves to be treated like a doll, it's you, Nova." She smiled sadly. "...As for me, sometimes I feel like a dog in a pretty dress, just rampaging around and causing havoc when she's let off her leash. That's why I'm not sure the stage is the place for me."

When Nova drifted away from her, Rory headed to the refreshment table and helped herself to some snacks; the amount of energy she'd spent during the concert had made her fairly hungry. Nobody approached her, her previous fans seeming to have been intimidated by her interaction with Nova... well, that, and several of them were crowding around Nova herself, trying to get a chance to talk with her. Memorable as Rory's final performance was, she didn't stand a chance compared to the galaxy's top idol appearing in the flesh for the first time. With a sigh, she considered leaving the party. She never really enjoyed these kinds of occasions, even if they were an opportunity to talk with her cute juniors.

But as Rory gradually made her way towards the exit, Nova's suddenly by her side again. The redhead blinked, taking a moment to process the other idol's words. "O-of course. I'd be delighted to see you home," she replied instantly, determined not to miss the opportunity to spend more time with Nova. Driving is a bit of a formality in this day and age - the police still want someone with flesh and blood to hold responsible if the automated systems built into each and every vehicle fail, but those systems do most of the work. It made sense that Nova wouldn't qualify, but Rory wondered if Nova wanted more from her than just a drive home - surely she could have asked one of the ProCom rank-and-file, or taken a taxi like Rory usually did. After Nova's reaction earlier, she'd given up on her brief fantasy of taking the idol to bed, but she thought back to what Nova said earlier. "Touching is strange... It is bearable when I am the one initiating it."

Maybe... maybe that will just mean that Nova wants to be on top. Rory's cheeks grew red at the thought. She smiled to mask her embarrassment, offering an arm to Nova if she wished to take it. "Shall we be off, Miss Nova?" she asked.

 

[Kaen Lazuli]

While initiating the finger-lacing didn't evoke too much discomfort, the constant motions of the other woman's hands did put her off a bit. Soon an elbow was offered to her, indicating that Aurora wished for her to put her hand through it and be guided downstairs. While Nova knew the custom very well, she was still visibly hesitant when she slowly tucked her gloved hand through the gap. Her heartbeat increased and she even gulped, yet another odd spontaneous quirk of this body. But fortunately it proved that prolonged touch in the area around her elbow did not evoke nearly the same reaction as her fingers. It even felt somewhat pleasant the artificial woman thought as her core temperature seemed to subtly increase. Could this be arousal?

Countrary to what most of the guests at the party seemed to think, Nova had experienced the full spectrum of human emotion since her creation fourteen months ago. But the things she had experienced as a program were of crystal clarity compared to the muddled reality she now inhabited. Yes, it did feel somewhat like arousal, but with tiny slivers of nervousness and fear too. Or was this the fear from being taken back to the lab mixing with the other emotions? She had no idea that emotions could mesh and intertwine this much! But the warm smile of her escort did much to melt her concerns away. She had to be calm in order to convince the doctors to let her leave.

"Yes, miss Aurora" she replied to her question.

Soon, wearing a stylish cape with luminescent embroidery over her dress, Nova's heels clicked against the smooth concrete of the underground parking lot. Aurora's bland-looking sneakers made very little sound indeed. She was visibly entranced by the echoing of her steps, her mouth opening in wonder at how confusing it was. Oh no, she was being distracted by trivial things again! She did this far too often, but how could she help it? This mode of existence was so very novel. Soon they approached the place Nova's smart lenses guided her, and she activated a mental switch to unlock the car. She was actually somewhat excited to see what it looked like, for she had just been informed of its existence. The same applied for her luxury appartment which she would reside in from now on. Hopefully together with Aurora if tonight went as planned!

The car briefly lit up in a bright green hue to signify that it was unlocked, and from her partner's reaction it was a rather nice car. She was glad, she would have hated to disappoint Aurora. Once inside Nova exhaled and sank back into her seat, feeling strangely exhausted. She then felt the body starting to tremble as tears formed in her eyes. Was she crying? But why? She was outside danger! Or was this a delayed reaction somehow? This body was just infuriating at times like these! She placed her hand over her eyes, feeling ashamed as well as scared. Twice now she had worried Aurora and made a fool out of herself.

"I was... I was so scared..." she wiped away her tears, "So scared they would take me back to the lab after my incident. And I am terrified of this body that just takes control without my consent. How... how can I control it? Could you please teach me? I am scared it will go off and do something I will regret one day..."

After another sob, Nova took a deep breath to collect herself. "Please don't worry, I am okay now. Really. In fact, I am really happy. Happy to be given a chance to finally act like a real person in the material world! Not like a fragile biological sample to be subjected to tests and training all day" she clapped her hands together, "Ah yes, answers. I promised to tell you how I became human! I cannot tell you everything, but I shall tell you what I can on the way home to my place. Shall we depart, miss Aurora?" she smiled, twitching her ears.

During their drive through the brightly lit streets of upper Neotropolis, Nova shared the official parts of her story. Most people already knew of her creation, but most had been told that she was inspired by dozens of brain-scans and spawned using self-learning software akin to that used by the Terran Military. What fewer knew was that it was more correct to call her an average of multiple brain-scans, but that would cause legal concern regarding the identity of the scans used as templates for her personality so ProCom had classified that information. Nova felt that she wanted to tell Aurora that the main brain-scan used in her creation was in fact hers! But she could not.

Instead she explained the incarnation process itself. Due to her thought-processes being essentially human, it was possible to simulate these inside an organic brain, theoretically at least. Nova's body was artificially grown in a cloning vat, using a synthetic genetic code that averaged numerous genetic profiles as well as coded for her apparance. She even had mitochondria grown from scratch. The body was exceedingly healthy, having been encoded with no known heritable diseases. Nova's brain however was 3D-printed, created with the synapses that corresponded to her personality and memories. Well, partially at least. Due to her nature as a program she was not fully human, and thus modifications had to be made. Mainly implants that held her digital compoments, which allowed her to maintain some features that could not be supported by flesh.

"In fact" she finished, "I lost some of my attributes under the transition, as well as a lot of processing power. I feel... so much smaller than I did before. And diffuse. Like this is some kind of hazy dream I am experiencing. Yes, I know how it is to dream, I did sleep as a program. But sleep now is... strange. Sometimes I do not dream at all. Very odd." she mused, then waited for Aurora's response. She had laid much of her story bare, and it somehow made her tingle with excitement.

The car soon came to a halt in front of a classy apartment complex. "Ah, here we are! I have been given a penthouse on the top floor. I haven't seen it myself, and I would love for you to accompany me. The thought of being alone is somehow... frightful." she took a hold of Aurora's hand, having become much more comfortable with touching already. It was still intense, but far less disgusting.

 

[tiger_lily]

Rory allowsed Nova to lead the way, quite distracted by trivial things herself. Well, not really trivial, seeing as they were also unbelievable. She could still hardly believe Nova is real, that they're walking arm in arm, and that she's going back to the apartment of the most famous idol in the galaxy... even if it sounds like said idol has never actually been in said apartment. She wondered if Nova could feel her excitement through their touch somehow, or hear the unusually rapid beating of her heart. It was an embarrassing thought, and made it even harder for her to calm down.

In time, they arrived at Nova's car. It's definitely nice - even compared to the taxis Rory rides in, and since luxury is all they can compete on, taxis are generally pretty nice nowadays. If Rory cared to own a car, she could probably afford one like this, but it would make quite a dent in her personal fortune. She settled into the soft seat, enjoying the feeling for a moment before she told the vehicle to head for the pre-programmed destination of "home"; it silently rose from its place on antigrav magnets and was soon soaring through the streets, just as silently.

Then, hearing a sob, she turned to Nova - and started reaching out to her instinctively before pulling her hand back. She listened to what the idol has to say, growing rather despondent at what she knows the honest answer would be, but forcing herself to smile warmly and reassuringly, as any decent idol can. "I'd like to help in any way I can, Nova, but... I'm not sure how helpful I can be. You see, controlling your body is kind of instinctive for those of us who are... ah, were born human, I mean," she replied, rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment. "That, or it's something we learn when we're too young to remember it. Controlling ourselves is just something we do, and we can't even explain how we manage it." She tilted her head, trying to make her smile a little more encouraging. "But maybe if I know more about you, Nova, I'll be able to give you some advice." Rory mostly wanted to satisfy her own curiosity about Nova, and she knew it, but it's true she might learn something about the other idol that she's actually able to help with.

Unfortunately, Nova's explanation doesn't much help in that regard. Rory understands the principles - she was good at science, and though she preferred physics to biology, the words aren't lost on her - but she doesn't have a good enough understanding of them to know what any of it truly signifies. There was no doubt in her mind that Nova understood far more about her own body than Rory does, even though Nova was having trouble adjusting to it. Also... occasionally those ears of Nova's twitched, and Rory lost her train of thought entirely for a moment, a blush rising to her face each time. She'd record it on video, if she could somehow do so without Nova noticing. "That's fascinating," Rory replied, wearing her smile still - it was second nature by now. And what Nova was saying truly was fascinating. Rory just wished she could think of some way to help.

An idea came to her. It was a little whimsical, but maybe it would comfort Nova. "Actually, even to me... to everyone... there are a lot of times when life feels like a dream, even when you're awake," Rory explained. "It happens when you're so focused on something there's no room in your mind for anything else. We call it 'going with the flow', or 'being in the zone.' It's a good thing for us performers - you can't get scared or trip up when you're in that state." Her smile felt a little more genuine now. "Have you had the chance to perform in your new body yet, Nova?" she asked. "I'm sure you'll understand once you do."

Just then, the car arrived at its destination, noting its landing with a clear chime. Rory squeezed Nova's hand, as gently as she could while making it felt. "Let's go see, then," she replied. It took some of the excitement out of seeing Nova's apartment knowing that Nova had never seen it either, but it was entirely possible she'd already personalized it in VR, and someone else had set it up in reality. "I'd be happy to keep you company for as long as you wish, Nova. After all, I don't have anywhere I need to be anymore, do I?" Rory grinned in self-deprecating amusement.

 

[Kaen Lazuli]

"No, I have not performed yet in this body. Not in front of people anyway... I really look forward to it, but I am also a bit scared. And you are wrong, you do have a place to be" Nova alluded on the elevator up, refusing to elaborate on it.

Soon the pair entered the penthouse on the top of the building, sneakers rubbing and heels clicking on the floor. It was almost exactly like the VR-sketch she had been shown, but Nova had decided that she did not want to know any more than the layout and the inventory of things she had. She wanted to have some sense of novelty when entering her new home. Home. That had such a nice ring to it she thought, ears twitching in excitement. The floor and walls consisted mostly of polished dark marble, with several columns in the living room. There were numerous genetically engineered plants which emitted light through photoluminescence and electric candles illuminating the rooms. Large panorama windows overlooked the sprawling metropolis beneath them and the starry night sky above. The American space elevator was even visible on the horizon. There was also a veranda with a small pool outside. Soon she returned to the kitchen with her guest in tow.

"Do you want some refreshments? Is that the appropriate thing to offer for a proper host? I do not know what you might want, nor what my fridge is stocked with, so might you perhaps have a look for me?" She took a few steps towards the bedroom, "Can you find something for us to eat while I change into something else? This dress is too thin for my... Ah, special circumstances" Why had she veiled her desire to be insulated against being touched by accident like that? Such a human thing to do. Was this coyness she felt? How strange.

She excused herself and left for her room. Due to her unfamiliarity she took a few moments searching, but soon she found the clothes she was looking for. She had been informed of her total inventory after all. Ever since her embodiment she has felt the need to be tightly enveloped, because her new fleshy form seemed so ill-defined by her crude senses, compared to her software body. Nerves would merely provide sporadic information about her second-to-second structural integrity, and she couldn't help fearing the possibility that her blood or flesh was leaking out whenever she wasn't noticing. It was of course beyond silly, and she probably ought to raise her concerns to the physicians... But that would mean returning to the lab, so that wasn't an option.

Instead she had turned to tightly fitting clothes, which seemed to mitigate this irrational fear of her body losing integrity and spilling out into the world. This was solved by constantly reminding her of its boundaries. Donning a sleeveless rubber catsuit and elbow gloves, she sighed in relief. This warm, enveloping sensation was deeply calming to her. However, she quickly pulled on a simple turtleneck sweater and wide skirt to conceal it. She knew enough to know that this was hardly the appropriate wear for eating an evening snack. It was however appropriate for what she wanted to do afterwards. Nova's ears once more twitched with anticipation. When she returned to her guest, she found a strange-looking white cake on the table. She of course knew -what- kind of cake it was, but that hardly accounted for what it might taste like in this body. Taste was another thing she was inexperienced with, so she could not fully conceal her initial look of skepticism. Her experience with food was overall sorely lacking, for she did not outright eat as a program. She merely simulated tastes and selectively disabled hunger. In the lab she has mostly been treated to synthetic nutrition mixes as part of her creation process. Also, the end-result of eating was... Still not pleasant to the artificial woman.

But she eventually smiled and sat down with her lovely guest. Much to her surprise she found herself imagining what the other woman would look like naked, and in various pieces of clothing. She never did that as a program, not like this. Was Aurora doing the same? Probably, based on the way she looked at her. She knew that Aurora had a preference for women. As she nibbled at the cake she wanted to finally propose the planned collaboration project to Aurora, to ask her to join her oncoming tour of Terra, and later both Luna and the Martian Colonies. Oh how much fun they would have! Singing their hearts out in front of millions, sharing their love for music with the solar system. Yet the only thing on Nova's mind right now was a trivial little tidbit of knowledge, that Aurora had downloaded a second-hand copy of herself a few months ago. She had been provided with a lot of information on Aurora prior to this mission of hers. So when she spoke her emotions once more trumped her reasoning.

"Say, Aurora... Have you ever had sex with a virtual copy of me?" Nova asked innocently.

Based on Aurora's reaction, the question was obviously not innocent in the least.

"You see, I am completely aware that copies of me are one of the most common sex objects in the solar system. I think I ought to feel embarrassed by this, or even a bit flattered maybe. After all, an idol's purpose is to be coveted isn't it? And I was made to be an idol, and by extent to be coveted. This serves as proof of my purpose, no? And yet..." the artificial woman rose to her feet and clenched her gloved fists in frustration, their polished sheen visible in the artificial candlelight.

"I feel jealous!" she stomped childishly, shaking off the ornaments in her hair leaving it a tangled mess "I am so jealous that a mere copy of me got to have sex with you and not me! It is so vexing to be bested like that by a second-rate software construct, and the worst part of it that it isn't even sentient! None of them are. It has probably even been deleted by now, so where am I supposed to direct these feelings of frustration?" Nova stepped closer and cradled Aurora's head, looking into her eyes with a smile on her lips.

"Can you help me settle which one of us is better to be with? Me or the copy?"

Her body once again started to have a life of its own, but this time it felt far more pleasant. Every fiber of her being screamed for her to touch the other woman, to rub herself against her, to smell, taste her, caress her hair. It was all so overpowering. However, there was of a danger of her panicking if Aurora was to carelessly touch her. It was so troublesome. She had known for weeks that touch posed discomfort, but also known that she was highly probable to take lovers both privately and in relation to business. Sex seemed to be a valid currency in the world after all. Which was why she had ordered certain items for her personal use once she was recognized as an autonomous person. Nova did in fact, contrary to what people seemed to assume, have sexual preferences. She had a human personality after all, and had spent a year to contemplate sexual intercourse. It was such a strange thing, but an integral part of the human experience. And now she would probably experience that strangeness for the first time, if Aurora was willing.

"...But we must do it my way... if that is okay with you?"

She leaned closer, intending to kiss her guest.