358 Swimsuit Shopping

Finished with their address of the parliament, Monda acted on the subtle suggestion from Archbishop Muarikyo to escort them out of the room. Diana obviously voiced a protest in response, though it was nothing more than a token effort in the end. Her desire to sit through an entire session would have been communicated to a few people over the course of the morning, so she could not be seen as enthusiastic about leaving. Far more important in her mind was extricating themselves from the situation, if only to allow conversation and debate to happen without Donovan present. His presence would only serve to make honest dialogue difficult.

Diana had little idea what to think of his performance. In a purely diplomatic context this would have been nothing short of a catastrophe, what with his shaming, scolding, and frankly condescending attitude towards the assembled legislature. Relations would have been metaphorically nuked were the Holifanians any variety of modern polity on Earth, so much so that she could not immediately recall any instances of such from history. She didn't doubt they happened (tanking relations could be a legitimate diplomatic objective in some scenarios), she just hadn't been given a history lesson focused on them because, well, why would it be necessary? In the positions her educators had predicted the two of them being in, what good could possibly come of getting on a polity's bad side? There was legitimately no need to go over it because doing so was such an obviously bad idea she would never even try!

And yet here she was, finding the option to have been viable.

"I didn't mess it up, did I?"

"Nothing beyond repair, honey." Diana took hold of his hand, merrily swinging it back and forth as they walked their way out of the building. "We'll make a statesman of you yet!"

Content though she may be with his performance it was important to signal that this sort of approach was not something she considered admirable. Admonishment might be fine as a stratagem when you are an Emperor addressing your own parliament, but when you haven't the excuse of sovereignty an attempt at suppression might instead provoke further aggression.

"Too harsh?"

"I cannot believe many diplomats would have survived similar outbursts in a greater power's court before the industrial revolution, so yes."

"Then I better count my blessings, namely their ability to figure out steel, lathes, and the steam engine." She sensed a hint of that same aggressive disappointment in their capabilities he displayed in the chamber. "I'm sorry about that, Monda. I intended to build a modicum of rapport using our shared accomplishments so I could provide a good idea of the gulf between us, but I couldn't think of anything that would qualify."

"Oh, um, it'll be fine . . . I think." The young Archbishopess was still visibly discombobulated by Donovan's actions, her prior assumptions pertaining to the behavior of foreign representatives and the competence of her elders violated in a manner that left her with much to think about. "E-even if there were a few people who appeared upset at your suggestion, the majority looked like they either approved of the motion or did not care. All else being equal, the violation of both procedure and doctrine by various bishops will be seen as a greater problem in the immediate, so I don't anticipate too much resentment."

"They didn't step out of line that badly, did they?"

"It's not about what you think, Donny." She squeezed his hand to focus his attention back on her. "Following procedure is an important part of managing their image. Jumping in with no regard for others suggests a lack of discipline and respect for rules and order, and can paint a picture of immaturity."

"The failure to uphold doctrine is the bigger issue, though." Monda let out a subtle breath of discontent as they exited the air conditioned threshold of the parliament building. The clear skies were nice, but it also meant a humid and muggy mess of an atmosphere as the water of yesterday's rain evaporated. Needless to say, all three of the women in the entourage were worried about what that humidity would do to their hair. "Dealing with our image abroad is my job to some extent, but one of our bishops prioritizing the mortal desire of salvation over the act itself presents something much worse domestically. We are supposed to be the foundation of the faithful, so when word of this sort of thing gets out it gives detractors even more to latch on to."

"Mm, yes, I suppose that would be the case for a theocracy." Diana really wanted to dig into what 'detractor' meant for a religious state, however now was not the time for such questions. "So what do we want to do now? My plan to sit in was sort of ruined, and it doesn't look like the Archbishops will be available to work with us any time soon. Do we want to go to the beach today?"

"What do you plan to go to the beach in, Diana? I don't recall you having any bathing suits, so I hope you don't intend to flaunt about in the nude." When she looked up at Donovan in confusion, he gently squeezed her hand in return. She brought a pair of bathing suits with her luggage just in case she needed to wash herself in Donovan's presence before she felt close enough to risk nudity . . . though they weren't exactly humble articles either. They were bikini adjacent, covering a little bit more than necessary, but with the size of her assets the distinction probably didn't mean much. "And don't say your underwear, part of me thinks that would be lewder."

"Oho? Nervous someone might make a pass?" Seeing an opportunity to tease him, she pounced, intentionally drawing his hand closer on the backswing so it would rub against her rear. "Afraid someone might try to steal me from you?"

"Yes." Donovan's counter came immediately, taking advantage of her tensed up arm to backstep and drag her around in a spin - literally pulling her off her feet and into his arms. "I'm far too jealous a man."

Stunned at the affectionate counter, Diana could do nothing but stare back up into his eyes as her faced flushed pink. It was yet another reminder of how much stronger he was - equal parts reassuring and concerning in this context - and the danger aroused her. Unfortunately, the front door of a government building was no place to act on her desires, so a brief smooch and grope of the posterior was all she'd get to sate the budding desire.

"Let's get everything we need for the Sanctum and a few sets of clothing, then have a nice dinner with the archbishops. We can spend all day at the beach tomorrow." Ignoring the wolf whistle from Bishop Kayes, he raised Diana back up onto her feet and brushed her hair back into position. "Then we'll go for something a bit more romantic for supper."

"Okay. . ." Dazed, her hand remained firmly intertwined with Donovan's. It would take some time to fend off the blush, however, both for her and the observing parties. Monda was obviously quite flustered by the sudden show, having not witnessed much of such behavior and only really having heard of it in stories - romance novels and Kayes' recount of courting her predecessor. 

". . . lucky." Titanyana, on the other hand, was blushing more out of jealousy than embarrassment. Fortunately or otherwise, her longing mutterance went unheard by both the object of her desire and the recipient of its affection. Words alone could not describe how much she wanted such situations to happen to her.

"So, Monda, would you mind taking us to a swimwear store? Maybe just some place with general beach supplies, I imagine we'll be wanting towels and umbrellas as well."

"O-o-o-o-of course! Yes, um, beach store, right away! Just, uh, wait right here, and I'll call for a car."

- - - - -

The preponderance of one piece swimwear in the shop was all the evidence Diana needed to concede Donovan's cryptic point. There were two piece sets here and there, though they mostly took the form of shirts and swim tops covering far more than even her sports bra. That said, she'd managed to find items here and there that clearly played with the line of acceptable impropriety for Holifanian swimwear. 

Her favorite design thus far was a two piece suit that got tantalizingly close to showing cleavage accompanied by a V-like bottom that rode up to her hips and left most of her legs exposed. It rode the thin line between showing too much and too little quite nicely, at least as far as what was available. It had the added benefit of requiring a second person to tie the top together from behind. Unfortunately it did not come in any of her preferred colors at her size, but it did for Titanyana . . . and the shape was exactly what she needed to accommodate her tail - instant buy.

Diana would have to settle for her second option, a neat one piece with a lower half mirroring that of Titanyana's suit but with an upper half that exposed the very top of her chest. It didn't look like a particularly lewd piece otherwise, and with Titanyana's attempt at trying it on Diana was of the opinion that the exposure was more a function of how much larger than the norm she was rather than it being an intentional design decision. Either way, the tighter fit got a slight rise out of Donovan - not as much as the other one but enough to justify a purchase.

The hundred other articles of clothing in the cart were impulse purchases; various sundresses, shirts, spare swimsuits, underwear, footwear, and accessories she felt she might wear at some point and wanted to get a hold of while they were available. As good as the quality might be  at the Sanctum, the clothing available to her there was marketed more towards noblewomen or working women, when most of what she desired was a mix of the flashiness and ruggedness both extremes offered, not to mention the hand-crafted nature of it all. Diana wanted clothing, not art or a tool. 

"Is there anything you don't want?"

"Uhh, underwear." Diana responded to the humorous question with complete seriousness. Fashion was everything for a girl like her, so when cost was no issue she was going to take full advantage of it. "It's better than the handmade stuff, but nothing compared to what I brought with me. No offense, Monda, but I'm glad I overstocked."

"None taken." Monda was poking her head out from the changing room curtains, nervously looking around for other customers. She'd displayed great interest from the start, but it wasn't until about an hour ago that she finally relented to Diana's repeated invitation to join in, however she made it clear that her position as the Archbishopess of Chastity meant that others should not see her in 'lust provoking' scenarios - which explained the somewhat bulky robes she donned. "I'm a little curious about it, actually. Do you think I could try it on?"

"My bra?" Diana looked towards the modern marvel hanging over the wall, then to Monda, who stepped free of the curtains once Donovan turned around. In terms of height she looked to be about the same, a fair bit shorter but nothing serious. Adjusting the bra again would be a slight hassle, having a high value customer for a possible bra-business would be invaluable. "Sure. I think this one looks good, by the way."

"Oh, um, thank you. I think I like it as well." Her selection was remarkably more modest than either of Diana's choices. It was a pink and white full-body one piece, covering everything from just below her shoulders to the thighs. Had it been skin tight it might have wrapped right back around into the realm of erotic, but there was enough lacey fixtures and slack about the waist to come off closer to cute than anything else. "I'll put it back once you're done."

"You aren't going to buy it?"

"In terms of personal finances, I can't use them while acting in my official duties, and I can't warrant this as a purchase essential for my duties." Diana caught the beginnings of a frown forming as Monda twirled in front of the mirror. Considering how she was selected as the Archbishopess, and at such a late age, Diana could only imagine this provoked some bittersweet memories of shopping with friends. "A shame, too."

"Put it in the cart."

"EEK!" Donovan had turned back around, evoking a shriek from the young Archbishopess.

"Diana accidentally got the wrong size of something, so she gave it to you as a gift." He was nonchalant about it though.

"Donovan, remember her rule?"

"Diana, I recognize she may be showing off more skin than normal, but that hardly qualifies as something that will invoke lust in me." He had a point. "I mean no offense Monda, but you look like a spoonbill."

"Donovan."

"What's a spoonbill?" Titanyana, irked by the shrill sound, was far more interested in the opportunity to learn more about Terra

"A kind of tropical bird."

"How do you even know what that is?"

"The absurdity of Arc's hypotheticals would give you an aneurysm." He shrugged, recognizing the absurdity. "Anyways, just throw it in and wear it tomorrow. Consider 'forgetting' a suit of your own, and we'll bring this spare tomorrow."

"O-okay, I'll do it, so please turn around!"

"Mhm, yeah, no problem."

- - - - -

"It, rm, feels a bit tight still." Donovan massaged the bridge of his nose, attempting to banish the noises coming from behind him from his mind. "Can it be loosened any more?"

"A little bit." They'd been at this for the better part of ten minutes, completely disregarding his presence. "Give me a second."

It was after yet another sigh that Titanyana stepped out, wearing a sundress instead of swimwear this time. She'd look tired before this escapade began, but the exhaustion on her face went beyond merely a lack of sleep.

"That one looks good on you." The compliment perked her up, but the melancholy remained. Gently, she grabbed his wrist and brought his  hand to her cheek so she could rub against it. "Something wrong?"

"Hrmm." She stepped towards him, keeping hold of his hand while resting her forehead on his sternum. "I feel defeated, somehow."

"Defeated? By what? The clothing?" His mind immediately went to her tail. He knew there had been some difficulty accommodating it even with personal, to-order clothing, so he had to imagine there would be issues finding something to wear in a store full of standard, prefabricated articles. "You don't need to do any more if you don't want to. I'm sure there's plenty enough in the cart as is."

"It's not the clothing." She turned around and pressed her back into his stomach, still holding onto his arm. 

"Alright, its as loose as I can make it. Try it on now."

"What is it then? Just shopping in general?"

"No, I'm having plenty of fun trying on all the clothes." She took his hand and put it onto her chest. The move came out of left field, especially since she wasn't wearing an upper undergarment and this was a very thin sundress. "I-I'm not too small for you, am I?"

"What do you mean by-"

"HOLY SHIT!!!"

"What's wrong!?"

"Now wonder the bra didn't fit! Monda, you're like one or two cup sizes bigger than me!" All of the sudden Titanyana's question made much more sense. "What are you? G? H?"

"W-what does that mean?"

"I'm not too small, right?"

Donovan was beginning to regret suggesting they go shopping.