Dungeons and Dalliances
7.108 – Emporium V

After Malice's [Capture Core Upgrade Frame], and to a lesser extent the [Kinetic Catalyst Mallet], Natalie's expectations had been set high. So [Primordia's Embrace] didn't exactly make her jaw drop. Still, it was a mythical piece of gear, so she was more than a little excited.

She appreciated that the 'major' boost was to Tenacity, both physical and magical, providing an all-around boost to defense. While she was specializing in a damage-tank style, she was a tank first and foremost, and being able to absorb hits was a core requirement of that role. She'd been getting tons of offensive boosts recently, which meant her regular tanking ability was lagging in comparison. This helped close the gap.

Even more appreciated was the much-needed replacement of a taunting effect—she'd lost her previous one, being the erotite armor's set bonus.

Primal Allure's description seemed to imply collateral damage though. Nearby targets, not enemies. Target likely meant 'anything nearby'.

So her teammates were probably in the line of fire. That might be detrimental. Being distracted in a fight was never good. That said, it probably wouldn't be too dangerous. Also, the effect would synergize with [Stylish], since that ability scaled with how interested her teammates were in her outfit.

Even if there were upsides and downsides to Primal Allure, it was a taunting effect. She had desperately needed another of those. While she could keep the attention of monsters by being too much of a nuisance to ignore, a real taunting effect helped wrangle crowds—and boss monsters that could shrug off even Natalie's considerable ability to grab their attention by smashing their skull in with a giant hammer.

Finally, there was Vital Flow. That effect cemented the item as astonishingly good. A huge defense boost, a passive and persistent area of effect taunt, and a bonus to incoming healing—which was especially good seeing how Natalie had recently gotten a skill that self-healed. Meaning it wasn't just a healer-tank synergy, but with her own class as well.

Natalie shook her head in amazement. "Like the other two, it's perfect," she told the automaton, whose face lit up so brightly that Natalie couldn't help returning a smile. "That said, appearance-wise, it's … a little…"

She put a hand out, and the automaton passed the item over. Natalie tugged at the tan band of cloth. At first glance, it seemed too small to fit around her chest, but it was much stretchier than it looked. She paled as she realized what that combination meant.

"It's not gonna come close to covering me, is it?" she muttered.

It wasn't like skimpy clothing was new to her though. After taking a deep breath, she told the automaton, "I'm going to try it on, if you—want to turn around?"

Did automatons have a sense of modesty?

Seeing how this one had her tits out—and had nipples, so it wasn't like they were bare metal like usual—clearly she didn't. Or not in the same way as humans.

"If you'd like me to, I will," the automaton said, slightly confused—oblivious.

Natalie hesitated, then shrugged. "Your choice." She started to undo the straps and buckles of her breastplate.

She tried to keep her cheeks from heating up, but she was undressing in front of a stranger. A naked stranger. Who was an automaton, so it shouldn't matter, because automatons didn't even have a sense of what sex was. Right? The whole 'nipples' thing was seriously throwing her off.

With her top bare, she slid the flexible band of cloth over her head and pulled it around her chest. As expected, it was a tight fit—yet surprisingly comfortable despite the pressure. Honestly, she appreciated the tightness. It would help keep things secure during a fight.

There wasn't nearly enough cloth, vertically speaking, to cover more than three or four inches. And with the way the piece of gear hugged and squished her tits in so firmly, propping them up—Primordia's Embrace was an apt name—much more of her tits were on display than not. The armor emphasized them in a way that even the erotite bra hadn't.

Natalie squirmed side to side as she tried, in a futile effort, to adjust the cloth up and down to cover herself better. But no, her cleavage was on display, and so was an indulgent view of underboob, and no amount of fussing was going to change that.

"At least Jordan will like it," Natalie sighed, hands dropping to her sides as she gave up. "You have a mirror or something?"

"I think it looks great, Mistress. You have amazing breasts. Very fuckable."

Natalie nearly choked on the air. "Excuse me?!" Had the automaton said what she thought she had?

"Er—?" the automaton said, blinking in surprise at Natalie's reaction. "I assumed it was a compliment? One of my previous clients said it to a teammate, when she tried on similar gear. She seemed to appreciate it."

"Right." This automaton was throwing her for a loop. "It's … a compliment, yeah. T-Thanks." Damn the stutter. She was definitely losing the battle to keep her blush away.

"And yes, we have a mirror, Mistress. Let me roll it out for you."

A minute later, the automaton returned with a mirror on wheels, a tall, eight-foot slab of glass with an intricate woodwork frame. Natalie picked up her hammer and approached to take in the sight of her new ensemble.

She sighed at what she saw. She was going full cavewoman, wasn't she? That seemed to be the dungeon's next theme for her. Not particularly 'paladin-y', in her opinion, but then again, if she was championing the oldest urge in existence, that which drove life itself, she supposed going back to humanity's roots was thematic.

Still, cavewoman? Loincloth, huge wooden mallet, and a tan breast-wrap? A bandeau that did way too good of a job propping her boobs up. She was mortified at how revealing it was and how much attention it brought to her tits, but she had to admit it made them look amazing.

She picked at the cloth idly a second time, uncomfortable at how much skin was on display. More even than her previous armor set. At this rate, her next would be a pair of pasties and nothing else. Underwear if she was lucky.

"I'll buy it," Natalie sighed, not really conflicted over the decision, considering how good the item was. But she was mentally resigning herself to what she'd be wearing around for several months. "How much do I owe you?"

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