Joe took a sharp breath and woke up, startled by a large, writhing figure whose blurred vision could barely see in the dark room. His whole body twitched strangely in shock, but he managed to control himself and didn't scream. When he discovers that the ominous shadow is none other than Maggie's head and the curls around it, his pain quickly fades away like a fleeting dream. As usual, the girl woke up shortly before he woke up, and quietly lingered beside Joe, watching him sleep. The man thought it would be terrible if she wasn't that cute.

Other than that, he wasn't thrilled by this rude awakening.

"Uh...... You can't do that anymore," he complained.

"What to do? She asked innocently.

It hangs over me like this every morning. I know it makes you happy, but it's not fun to have a little heart attack every time you wake up. ”

"I apologize. I'll try to correct this habit. ”

"Please."

He wasn't quite sure why that was the case. After she decided to "synchronize their sleep cycles" (Maggie

ESE means "go to bed together") a few days later, she started doing it. After sharing the virtual reality pod with the girl for so long, Joe did so without reservation. The first few weeks had taken away any tension he might have had from physical contact and skin-to-skin contact, otherwise he would never have slept in the same bed with someone as lovely as Maggie.

It was all well and good, but Joe still felt a little uneasy. Like any normal man, he wants to indulge in other nocturnal activities with cute girls around him. The problem is that he doesn't know how to raise this subtly and deftly. Maggie wanted to experience all sorts of things at least once, so he had a feeling that she would agree to do it as soon as he spoke. The first time was more or less a "free pass", but will there be a second time? Or the third? What if Joe's performance was so bland that Maggie decided she never wanted to act again?

The solution is simple. Joe just wanted to make sure their first time was special, and it wasn't just "quick shouting before lunch" or something. He felt the need to deepen their intimacy first, which is why he offered a special outing. Maggie liked the idea so much that she immediately made the necessary arrangements. She has been looking forward to the trip and today is a big day. She packed some of her essentials into a small duffel bag and smiled from ear to ear. Her good attitude was positive and contagious, making Joe float a smirk of his own.

He did notice a small detail of the girl's preparation, but he wasn't quite sure.

"Wait, you're going to take Azgodkalar?" He raised his eyebrows in confusion.

"Yes. Is there a reason why I shouldn't go?"

"Some. Are you sure pets are allowed at the resort?"

“…… Wait a minute. ”

Maggie stared beyond the horizon as Joe noticed her coiled hair twisting tighter for a moment.

"Their policy states that pets without fur are allowed," she declared.

"Well, that's good. But snakes are cold-blooded, right? Is it possible on such a hot day?"

“…… You know the word 'cold-blooded' is misleading in its naming, right?" She narrowed her eyes.

“…… What?"

"Cold-blooded. Adjective. Refers to animals whose body temperature changes in response to changes in their environment, such as fish and reptiles. ”

"Oh. Oh! No, I know. I mean, isn't that dangerous? It doesn't overheat or anything, does it?"

"Thank you for your concern, but not necessarily. Round pythons have been genetically engineered to be more resilient than their original genomes. As a result, they are able to withstand temperatures of up to forty degrees Celsius, which is much higher than the average temperature of twenty-nine degrees Celsius in our destination. ”

"That's good. How about swimming? Can it swim?"

"Not sure. However, even if it can't, Azgod'Kala

It will also be learned quickly. It really turned out to be one of the best to learn specimens. Allow me to demonstrate. ”

The girl raised her hand and gave a thumbs up. In response, her pet snake crawled from the back of her neck onto her shoulder. It coils the ends of the small tail in the shape of a spring, with the tip of the tail upturned upwards and then lifts the tail slightly. It took Joe a moment to realize that Azgodkala was mimicking his master's gestures in his own way. It's concise, but it also has some confusing implications.

"You...... Teach snakes to trick themselves?"

"Yes. Do you want to see more?"

"Well, of course."

Joe actually has something else to say, but Maggie is so passionate and eager to show off the results of her pet training that he can't say "no".

"As you just saw, it can reflect my pros or cons."

She gave another thumbs up, then another thumbs up, both as before.

"It also helps to emphasize my repeated confusion about human irrationality."

The girl put on a bewildered expression and tilted her head to the side, which made the snake stand up and twist its body into the shape of a question mark.

"In the end, I taught it an alternative, albeit not optimal, mode of transportation."

She took the snake in the palm of her hand, raised it above her head, and then made a spinning motion with the fingers of her other hand. And then Azgod'Kala

Bite the tip of its tail with your mouth and bend its tiny muscles, turning it into a wheel in an instant. It rolled down Maggie's arm, slammed lightly into her cheek, and then piled up in a small pile on her shoulder. The girl smiled and gently stroked the little one's spine as a reward for it. Azgodkala seemed to be enjoying it all as her body lost all its tension and hung over her shoulder like a wet noodle.

Joe was so impressed by this that he completely forgot to ask the snake if he was capable of learning the trick in the first place.

After the two got up and walked around, the couple packed their bags and headed towards the train station. Their destination was at the other end of the subway after a three-hour ride. Jo immediately thrust herself into the boat's entertainment suite, while Maggie silently browsed the scenery as they sped by, just like the last time. However, unlike her trip to the big city of Dave-157, this particular trip was much more enlightening and entertaining for the girl. The second half of the supersonic train's route takes her through a vast tropical jungle that has not yet been touched by a growing industry. It is almost full of life, providing a girl with an opportunity to observe the flora and fauna of the planet in their natural habitat.

Admittedly, what I saw was nothing worth writing about. Butte

po

D-4 is a life-sustaining planet, but has never formed its own ecosystem. When the British colonists first arrived, they thrived there with life on Earth as part of their efforts to transform the planet. Most people would think of such flora and fauna as unremarkable, but Maggie is not the majority. She didn't have the opportunity to delve into human homes, so the transplanted flora and fauna still piqued her interest. If anything, she's a little too interested. She considered doing some minor damage so that the subway would make an emergency stop and give her more time to enjoy all the wildlife. Thankfully, she dismissed the idea almost immediately. She could always come back later to delve into this overgrown area, so that her curiosity would be satisfied, and it wouldn't be worth delaying her and Joe's plans.

Indeed, although it is interesting to observe nature under a microscope, that is not the purpose of this outing. The couple will spend the next few days at Amelia-10, a huge resort that spans about 130 kilometers of beaches. It's a very popular tourist attraction in the entire Batton area, and it's almost impossible to book for the next six months. Luckily, the "diplomatic status" attached to Maggie's citizenship allowed her to use a hotel room reserved for visiting foreign dignitaries. Of course, it's all on the government's bills.

The hotel room wasn't a concern for the couple, though. As soon as they got off the train, they rushed frantically towards the beach. Well, to use an analogy. The train station is far from the ocean, so no matter how much they run, it is impossible to get there. Still, they rushed to the taxi rank. It didn't take long for them to come to the seemingly endless stretch of golden sand and crystal clear waters. The couple found some locker rooms and changed into swimsuits. In Maggie's case, she proudly brags about the red and black tethered bikini Joe picked for her. The man was just wearing a pair of loose swim trunks with a wave pattern and a white T-shirt. He's a little worried about getting too much sun, and for good reason. In the middle and lower levels of a large city like Dave-156, natural light is extremely rare.

However, when Joe sets foot on the beach, he faces another, more personal problem. That said, everyone on the beach looks like they jumped out of a movie. The women are all beautiful, well-proportioned, and dressed in gorgeous swimsuits that can be more expensive than a 10-year space movie subscription. Of course, none of them can compare to Maggie's cuteness. It was those people who really annoyed Joe. They were all tall, dark-skinned, handsome, and athletic men. Compared to them, this guy is like a pile of sticks and rags for men. He felt a little out of place, but he didn't want to let that feel bother him too much. Sure, those guys all look great, but he has the best girls in the whole system, probably the best in the whole universe.

"We? He held out an arm to Maggie.

"Let's go." She grabbed it with joy.

"It's a bit empty," the man said.

"In what way?" The girl asked, and her pet interrupted her.

"I mean, this place should be booked for months, right?" So why are so few people going out?"

"From what I've observed, a significant percentage of tourists are either asleep or have a hangover from the party. They are unlikely to leave their hotel rooms before noon. ”

"Hmm. Well, I guess we have more space. ”

The matter was settled, and the couple confidently strode across the beach in search of a good spot, claiming that the day was theirs. Naturally, these words attracted the attention of many people, most of whom were directed at Maggie. Some people openly took pictures and some videos were recorded, but no one really approached the couple. If anything, they seem to have given way for some reason. Joe was a little confused, but still grateful for the extra personal space. After watching too many romantic comedies, he's expecting some beefy lads to show up and try to snatch his girlfriend. He was actually a little sad because he missed out on that clichéd experience.

A few minutes later, a staff member approached them and earnestly asked them to move to another part of the beach. Apparently, the couple entered the glitte without knowing it

s sa

d Cove, a semi-private and very unique sandy beach. This explains why the number of participants is relatively small, not to mention their attitude. These people are rich and powerful snobs who really don't want to breathe the same air as the rabble like Joe and Maggie. The man awkwardly apologized to the waiter and left the area with the girl. He wanted to say it politely, but he was angry inside. And not just those sassy bastards, but also the taxi driver who sent them here without saying anything. Joe kind of wanted to write a sternly worded letter to his company, but he decided to focus on what's important rather than dwelling on it.

Anyway, after resolving the misunderstanding, the couple hopped on the intercity tram and came to a much more relaxed and casual beach. This area is much denser with tourists, and their class is about the same as Joe's. Maggie is one of the more prominent ones here, but at least the people here are much friendlier. The two of them managed to find an empty umbrella to rent, and were later warmly invited by another couple to play volleyball. But they had to refuse. Joe, because he doesn't know "vola."

ia

Volleyball" is what, Maggie, because she came here to swim instead of bouncing a glowing inflatable cube in the dark.

That's what the girl did. She grabbed Joe's hand and almost dragged him into the water. Then, for Azgodkara's sake, she had to leave immediately. This little snake has no difficulty swimming, but it hates the sea water terribly. This is conveyed by squeezing Maggie's wrist like an exasperated bracelet. The girl felt a little sorry for the development, but she had to leave Azgod 'Kala

, basking in the sun with their other stuff while she and Joe go swimming.

Actually, it would be more accurate to say that he went to find the sink. He struggled to float on the surface because he couldn't swim at all. He practiced in the virtual world, but it turned out that reality was as difficult as ever. Of course, he was not in danger of drowning. He brought a swimming mask with an internal gas displacer, not to mention that Maggie was also by his side. The girl had no difficulty at all moving under the water and did not struggle to drag Joe's hand. In a way, the guy gave up on swimming altogether, allowing Maggie to take him wherever she liked.

When she dragged him a few kilometers off the coast so she could get a closer look at the marine wildlife, he somewhat regretted his decision. They got so deep that a search and rescue drone appeared to pick them up, only to be chased away. The couple embarked on their exploration of the ocean, which allowed them to discover more than fish and algae. They stumbled upon a seabed strewn of starship wreckage. The fragments are so old that it is barely visible under the corals and the algae growing around them. Maggie loves suspense, so she struggles to figure out where the hell this piece came from. Thankfully, Joe was there to control her enthusiasm, otherwise she would have dug up the whole place and destroyed the coral colony in her search for answers.

After a thorough examination of the wreckage, the girl came to a somewhat disappointing conclusion. There are no buried treasures or ancient secrets to uncover. In fact, there was no crash at all. All these bits and pieces on that early freighter model were retired when it was too old. During terraforming two centuries ago, some of its remains were placed in the ocean as artificial reefs. It's a strange way to recycle and repurpose outdated technology and materials. Maggie finds the topic a little interesting, though there's nothing more exciting than the wrecked space pirate fleet she low-key hopes to find.

Joe, on the other hand, doesn't care about the garbage at all. He watched intently as the pale-skinned beauty gracefully navigated the gentle currents, the diluted sunlight dancing around her. It's a whole new way to enjoy and appreciate Maggie's cuteness. Once again, she kept him breathing. Literally. In fact, no. That's his mask. His girlfriend dragged him to about 20 meters below the surface, which was beyond the depth recommended by the ventilator. This inexpensive equipment is designed for novice swimmers who have just left the coast, rather than a long dive into a coral reef or something. It only lasted so long and then it was completely ineffective, so Joe suddenly ran out of breath.

Joe managed to stay calm and tugged the arm Maggie had used to drag him away. When she turned her attention back to him and noticed that there were no bubbles coming out of his mask, she immediately understood what was wrong. She placed her other hand on Joe's face and focused for a moment. With a barely audible click, she repaired the ventilator and restored it to oxygen-production.

"Ah, thank you. I knew I should have found a better model," he complained.

It was impossible for his voice to reach Maggie underwater, but that didn't stop her from hearing him. She feigned a worried expression and said a few words to him bluntly.

"Failure is mine. I should have noticed the glitch sooner. ”

"It's okay, it's okay. Honestly, I was a little disappointed that you fixed it so easily. ”

"Who are you? How?"

"I ...... Kind of wish you could share your breath with me. Mouth-to-mouth, you know?"

It's another movie cliché that Joe loves so much that he wants to try it out in real life. Admittedly, he didn't know exactly how the girl breathed. She didn't have any equipment and didn't grow a pair of gills. However, her chest still expands and contracts, with occasional bubbles coming out of her nostrils, so there must be air circulation going on.

"We can do that if you want," she said with a shy smile.

"Yes, please."

After a while, the masks were removed and their lips closed. Joe couldn't help but close his eyes, and Maggie's heat filled his entire body. He even put his arms around her and pulled her closer, prompting her to return his hug. Then they were rudely interrupted by the exploding search and rescue drone. The humanoid-sized submersible robot received a fault signal from the mask and came to the rescue. This seems to make Maggie angrier than Joe because of how she blew up its little electronic brain with a mean look.

The man questioned whether it was really necessary. Then his girlfriend pulled him to redo the underwater kiss, which convinced him that, yes, it was true. This time, their hug was held for almost ten minutes until both were satisfied. Maggie fixes the emergency response device and drags Joe back to the surface. They started walking towards land, although it was clear that the guy's head was somewhere in the clouds. It wasn't until they returned to shore and were reunited with Azgodkalar that he finally picked himself up.

"Is it really okay to use your brain power like that?" He asked. "Won't you get tired anymore?"

"In general, yes. However, I took three days off," she replied happily.

"Do you have a holiday?" He asked categorically.

"Of course, Joe. I am now an employee of the third largest British Empire. Therefore, I have certain rights and privileges that come with my responsibilities. One of them is to temporarily suspend my computational work at my own discretion. I've made the most of this option so that I can dedicate myself to the trip. ”

"I see. I gotta say, it's been worth it so far. ”

"Indeed."

"Now, let's see if I can tan without getting burned?"

"..."

"It's a metaphor, Maggie." He sensed her confusion.

"I know. I'm just wondering why you think increasing melanin is necessary. ”

"Oh, nothing, really. It's just one thing you do when you go to the beach. ”

"I understand. In that case, I'll work with you. ”

Joe tried to imagine what Maggie's skin would look like if it weren't for her dazzlingly white skin. Not so appealing.

"I don't think you look good like that."

"I can always restore the ship to its default state afterwards," she noted.

"So...... Oh, you just want to see if you can get a tan?"

"Yes."

"It's just sunbathing, though. Is it really that important?"

Joe knew it was best not to question Maggie's strange motives, but in this case, he couldn't help himself. He liked her as she was, and felt that the change in skin color would somehow tarnish his impression of her. It's a stupid and selfish idea, but he likes to think that he will be allowed to do it once in a while.

"This is an experiment that is valuable to my ongoing research into the human condition."

In fact, while it may seem inconsequential, the process of tanning can reveal the secrets that helped Maggie perfect her mostly human veins. In fact, she's been working on it ever since she first met Joe. The result of her first attempt was that her body was about 71% human, which she later raised to 93%. However, her goal is not 100%. It was easy for her to conjure up a complete human body. The problem with this is that if she pours her immense consciousness and spiritual power into it, such a container will shatter instantly. At the same time, she believes it is important to be in line with her streamers to the maximum. The solution proposed by Magraslak in The Observer is to use a modified human body that can withstand this pressure.

This is easier said than done, because genetics is not an area that Maggie is particularly interested in or particularly good at. She needs to crack the mysteries of the human genome and hence why such seemingly inconsequential experiments as tanning are necessary. Admittedly, she may have found these things online, but, as usual, it would rob her of the joy of discovering things on her own. Since then, she has made great progress and has set a personal goal of increasing her boat's humanity rating to 95% without compromising its integrity. However, this increase does not serve any practical purpose, mainly to get Maggie a high score.

Joe didn't know anything about it, and he didn't want to know the specifics. At her insistence, he shrugged his shoulders and said "Okay", and that's it. They spend most of their time bathing in sea water and sunlight, but their skin tone does not change significantly. By night, Joe was exhausted. He wanted to use his brains on Maggie to increase their intimacy, but the underwater drama exhausted him, and as soon as they entered the hotel room, he fainted.

The couple spent the remaining two days on the beach, just like the first day, only less diving and more careless splashing in the shallows. They also took part in some other location-appropriate activities, such as a rocket banana boat ride, water sports, and eating too much seafood. Maggie also competed in some random ocean trivia competitions, which resulted in her being disqualified because she was doing well in this area. She was a little disappointed, but not surprised. All the official competitions she tried to participate in ended in this way, because she did not subscribe to the idea of "backing down". "Well, except for the community baking competition a few weeks ago. She was kicked out of the shop because anyone who ate her handmade Starberry cupcakes would hear strange noises whispering unintelligible words.

On the third day, another noteworthy event occurred. Maggie builds what she calls a sandcastle. However, the structure she carved had some strange, seemingly impossible geometry that made Joe's brain hurt a bit. He had a feeling that some kind of space magic was involved, although the girl repeatedly assured that it was not the case. All the onlookers who saw it agreed with the man that there was something wrong with that thing. The military apparently agreed, as Agent Johnson, wearing a camouflage-patterned one-piece swimsuit, appeared in front of the statue with a sour face, stomped on the statue, and left without saying a word. Joe was a little surprised by her sudden appearance as she was supposed to stay with Dave-156, but he knew it was best not to question it.

Aside from these little troubles, the couple had a great time before heading home that night. Joe is a little disappointed because he hasn't been able to take their relationship to the next level as he would have liked, but he's happy with how things turned out anyway. He left Amelia 10 feeling a little closer to Maggie, which was a clear sign of progress. It will take him a while to muster up the courage to take the big step in his bedroom, but that weekend at the beach is a good start.

However, this short vacation had an unfortunate and unexpected side effect. Several people, without her knowledge or consent, took photos and videos of the beautiful girl in a black and red bikini and circulated them online. This happens quite often, but this particular batch of images is picked by an automated algorithm that belongs to an authority. The message traveled interstellar for about a week, after which Maggie received a sternly worded letter.

This is the representative of Melinda Sparksthal, the heroine of "First Love".

da Spa

klesta

Sparksthal's portrait rights were "stolen" by her.