How Long Since the Last Crazy Stuff Thread? [Reid]

    It was understandable. This was the first time Nereid had access to arms and legs. Kinda? Amelie couldn't really be sure about it, but she could guess, to an extent!

    Yet, as expected, the clam that was now disguised as a human was quick on her wits; she got used to the rules this small game had quite fast. Faster than the time it took her to regain her balance, actually! "I mean, while Shibuya has its own dangers, I'd say that... yeah. Not even close to what might happen to somebody in Terminus if they're careless. I think we'll have fun!"

    Where to go first, though? That was a good question. The brunette thought that Reid would display some kind of innate curiosity towards the alien world, but if she wanted to be led, that was fine as well. Amy smiled right away, taking one of the digimon's hands within hers.

    After some 'dragging' around, the duo found themselves in a medium-sized shopping.mall. "Remember the two friends I'm setting up on a date for tomorrow?" She told her now-blonde friend. "I want to give them a small surprise, so to speak. So, we're gonna prepare that right now. Think you're up to it?"

    Whether Reid agreed or not, the first stop was rather obvious; it was off-season, and by a stretch, but one of the shops there was still selling all kinds and models of swimsuits. Those were important!

    Again, maybe what was probably a smart decision! There wasn't anything wrong with the so-called 'cautious approach'. Ultimately, the Syakomon would get plenty of time to get used to the nuances of the foreign world. Rushing wasn't necessary, luckily.

    Buying appropriate swimwear for the two would-be lovebirds was, however! "Yup. You're my accomplice in the shipping business now. Ain't that great? Now, let's get to it!"

    Reid seemed to be a bit on the edge regarding making her own decisions about it, but that was okay! Amelie would try to take her hand and lead her around a bit. "Yeah, basically, I'm trying to think about something that'd look good on them." She made a pause, the realization dawning on her; Nereid didn't know how Katherine nor Akemi looked! That had to be fixed.

    She brought out her cellphone, browsing through the device's pictures until she found one with the three girls smiling at the camera. Nevermind the fact that both Kath and Kemi were blushing a bit, and that was an obvious nod at the somewhat sudden nature of the picture, but that only made the image all the cuter! "Here they are; Katherine and Akemi. Aren't they a cute couple? Anyhow, I'm thinking about giving them three options. One in case they feel daring, one that'd be of mostly good taste and the 'boring' option, in case anything else fails."

    Eventually, and after some browsing, the brunette would bring out an aquamarine bikini. It was kinda pretty, and it seemed to be of Katherine's size. "What do you think of this one? It seems like a good safe option."

    A partnership had just been formed! Amy allowed herself to smile at the development; those were great news. "That's a good question, Reid. The truth is that shipping can go as deep as you want for it to go. After all, every ship is different from each other, and they all require special attention. Some ships mean mutual and unbreakable affection between the involved parties. Others... well, others aren't as genuine, I'm afraid. To say the least, a third-rate ship doesn't even deserve fourth-rate attention."

    That was the most important lesson to be learned regarding shipping. While, in a perfect world, things were amazing between two individuals, reality could differ greatly from that perception if pushed enough. Either by one person not really being worthy of another, or just the combination of two beings resulting in a whirlwind of toxicity. This knowledge was something that Nereid would have to keep close to her heart, if she wanted to become a successful shipper.

    Indeed. Akemi and Katherine made a cute couple together, even though they seemed to be awfully oblivious about it. Or consciously oblivious, maybe? It was an interesting thing to reflect upon. In any case, what about the picture in question? There was a funny story about that one.

    "Oh, that one? It's from a photo booth. See, the three of us are a trio of best friends, and hang out together a lot. Or at least we should, but Sham doesn't want to screw up Katherine's timeline even more, and Amelie and Akemi's friendship is currently being stalled out by slow posts. But! As you can see, I think that there's definitely more than what meets the eye between those two. I'm sure they'd take a liking to you. You're a good girl and you're giving me a hand at bringing them together, after all! I'm sure that, once everything has been said and done, they'll want to know who was the mastermind behind this ploy."

    It was amazing, yet Nereid didn't disappoint; it was obvious that she was giving her best, and that contented the brunette. "One-pieces, huh... I guess their situation would have to be very awkward for them to use those, but it never hurts to be on the safe side. Let's browse!"

    Said and done, the brunette began to separate all the pieces that caught her eye. Four or five were the final finalists, each of them shown to Reid in a succession. "What color would look good on them? I was thinking something like... blue, and maybe white or black, but I'm unsure. What do you think?"

    Reid was quick on her wit; that much was obvious. Either that or ships just came naturally to her. Could it be that she was shipping prodigy? Maybe the Syakomon's fate was to eventually surpass Amelie on sheer prowess; considering how she took the whole business as a fish to the water, it wasn't very unlikely!

    "Good." The brunette smiled. "Tracing the beginning of a ship is important. Identifying the causes of why there might be reciprocated affection between two beings is important. Otherwise, you might cause a misunderstanding, or just plainly fail. None are good outcomes."

    The decision was made. Black and white, huh? I guess that at the very least, it would mean that their swimsuits would match. "Smart choice." Setting aside the chosen pieces, Amy decided it was time to take the next step in the shipping lessons.

    "Well, we have three pieces already, and we're missing three more, so... I'll let you pick the next swimsuit; we've left two daring options, and one good taste option. I'll look for some alternatives in the meantime, but you're free to pick whatever catches your fancy! I want to see what you come up with."

    What would she pick? Would it further the shipping effort? Time to find out if Nereid was a good student!

    The logic made perfect sense. That's why it had been reasoned in the first place, after all. "If a ship doesn't have a reason to it, nothing but failure can be expected. It doesn't need to instantaneously have a meaning, but in the long-term, it's impossible to advance without a shared goal. The intricacies of it are both complex and fascinating, don't you think?"

    However, that wasn't something they would discuss right now. Nereid was going through her first test as a shipper, and, to say the least, was excelling at applying the lessons learned. Once she back, the girl's gaze went through each of the swimsuit options, finally nodding with approval and giving the disguised Syakomon a thumbs-up. "That'll do! I think that they're quite cute. Wonder if they'll make for good souvenirs? Maybe if the first date goes well, they'll be able to use the others down the line!"

    Not necessarily when going to the beach or a pool, even. But that was something up to her friends. Anyway, once the swimsuits had been selected, they were bought and now Nereid and an Amelie that was carrying a couple of hangs on her arms were en route to their next destination. "We're gonna get some ingredients. It's a common saying that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, but it's not very different with girls, if you ask me!"

    She made a pause while they were walking. Maybe she was missing something? Probably. "Or, if you think there's a higher priority, we could do that, as well!"

    "Ready to spread the love, huh? That's a good thing! I'm sure that you'll be able to bring together a lot of potential couples in due time, Reid. Bringing them happiness is among the most selfless things that can be done about it."

    Genuine words, in the way of a genuine friend! All things considered, there wasn't a lot more that Amelie could teach the Syakomon. Nereid had inhaled every piece of knowledge she had provided, and even had managed to display an ample amount of taste. She couldn't have hoped for a better student.

    Convinced that, at least on that front, the two friends would have a good time. To say the least, she was banking on the fact that her date might not go as planned, and the duo would come to her rescue if that were to case! An escape route of sorts, if it became necessary.

    Regarding the food? Once again, the Syakomon was correct. "They're called bentos, but yeah. I don't look like it, but I'm actually a pretty good cook. So, we'll get some stuff from the market and then proceed to cook! Everything, from meat to vegetables to drinks to whatever we might need. The sky's the limit!"

    Just like that, the two would advance, expecting nothing less than complete victory.