Date Night(Saber)

[Mani4c]

Mani4c stood near a sidewalk cafe near the center of Cyber City, tapping his finger on his arm nervously, "Come on, where are you Baretta?" Mani4c's anxiety was quite odd for him, what could possibly have made him so worried? A covert mission, a daring sting operation ready to begin? No, it was something far FAR more terrifying...Mani4c was about to go on his first date with Baretta since the two became romantically involved, and as a result, was suffering from a first time jitters.

<Relax Mani4c, she'll be there.> "What if she bailed? What if she realized that I'm probably gonna screw this up and-" Alexi cut his partner off, <Now hold on there, Baretta knows you Mani4c, she knows that no matter what, you want her to be happy. No matter what happens, she will not judge you if you make a mistake.> Mani4c sighed, his frayed nerves not being soothed in the slightest. In all honesty, he was nervous for another reason, his refit had de-aged him somewhat, making him closer to Baretta's age in terms of appearance, this was something he specifically requested, so the younger look was not unexpected.

What was unexpected was the sudden influx of what could only be described at hormones that came with the change, apparently his younger body came with a slightly younger mindset, which included a libido and all the awkward anxieties that came with a young man who was essentially going through the tail end of puberty without warning.

Which leads back to Mani4c's nervousness, he had already felt the more primal emotions that his viral form gave him, and he was expecting that to be the worst of it. Instead, he was now saddled with all the same desires, with the addition of his incredibly devoted love for Baretta. A combination that caused him to become a nervous wreck at the idea of extended periods of close contact with her, his worries about being a poor boyfriend now compounded with the fear of making an ass of himself with the woman of his dreams. Mani4c's thoughts drifted back to the present, the viral avatar releasing a forlorn sigh, "Puberty BLOWS."

[Saber]

"Oh please, you're the same age as you've always been, you just had a cosmetic change, that's all." Baretta was walking down the street to the left of Mani4c, not really done up with any fancy makeup, but she did have less formal clothes on, more casual than her usual look "Besides, you look closer to early twenties, and you're not exactly human, you shouldn't even have to worry about such a trivial thing."

Getting closer, she leaned in and gave Mani4c a soft peck on the cheek, before taking his hand with hers "Now, what do you say we get this date started, hmm?"

[Mani4c]

Mani4c sighed, blushing slightly when Baretta kissed him, "It doesn't feel trivial when I have thoughts about you and me in the back of my head all the time." Alexi chuckled, deciding to give the two lovers some privacy. <I'm gonna leave you two alone, have fun.> (Exit Alexi)

Mani4c led Baretta down the street for a few blocks, not really saying much due to a mixture of anxiety and his eagerness to show her where they'd be eating.

After about 10 minutes, Mani4c stopped in front of a very swanky restaurant, "The Kings Hall" restaurant was famous for it's absolutely exquisite accommodations, to say nothing of the food. The fact that Mani4c had booked a reservation here of all places was incredible!

Mani4c looked at Baretta and smiled, "Oh, it get's better..." Mani4c lead Baretta into the restaurant, walking up to the greeter and pulling out a gold embossed card. "Mani4c and Baretta, Private Lounge." The greeter looked at Mani4c, who was wearing his normal attire, and at Baretta, who wasn't done up whatsoever. "Please allow me to see the card sir." The greeter's voice was what one would expect, snooty British butler. Mani4c handed the greeter the card, the tuxedo wearing program swiped the card through a small reader, attempting to verify Mani4c' claim.

When the reader deemed the card genuine, the greeter handed the card back to Mani4c, "My apologies sir, we get so many counterfeits that I find it hard to believe that anyone reserves the lounge anymore." Mani4c just shrugged, "Hey, no big deal."

The greeter nodded and turned to face a pair of polished oak doors, "The private lounge is through that door sir, enjoy your meal." Mani4c smiled and gave the greeter a 40 credit tip before leading Baretta into the lounge.

If the restaurant itself was meant to invoke a royal families banquet hall, than the private lounge was the throne room. The entire room was a mixture of rich crimson and white and yellow gold, the dark maroon carpeting adding to the grand appearance of the room.

A small circular mahogany and brass booth sat in the center of the room, with a circular, solid marble table sitting in the middle of the booth, with a polished gold candelabra sitting on the table, it's three crimson candles already lit. To finish off the sumptuous accommodations, the booth was equipped with a privacy barrier, which hid any and all sights and sounds from within the booth. Mani4c looked over at Baretta and squeezed her hand gently, a loving smile on his face. "Hey, you deserve the best, so I get it for ya."

[Saber]

Baretta gave the greeter a kind smile, thanking him for his hostpitality before following the man into the restaraunt. She marveled at the entire restaraunt, but was taken aback by the beauty of the private lounge. When Mani4c squeezed her hand, commenting that she deserved the best, she blushed and gave him a warm smile, squeezing his hand in return "You spoil me, do you know that? Keep this up and I might start expecting this from you all the time~"

[Mani4c]

Mani4c leaned down and pulled Baretta into a gentle kiss, pulling away with a sly grin on his face. "You say that like that's a bad thing Baretta." Mani4c lead Baretta to the booth, allowing her to sit first before sitting next to her. Mani4c was blushing slightly, his...active imagination was starting up again, and he felt his body flush a bit. "U-umm, anyways, this place has everything, salads, pasta, casseroles..." Mani4c was counting off the wide offerings that the resturant offered on his fingers. "Steak, fish, pork, lobster, crab and clams..." Mani4c was interrupted by another greeter, this time a young woman wearing a pleated white shirt, black vest, and a pair of dress pants and shoes. "Hello, and thank you for choosing The Kings Hall. My name is Silph, can I start you off with some drinks?"

Mani4c looked at Baretta, "We can't get buzzed, you wanna get some wine?"

[Saber]

Baretta smiled and nodded, agreeing "That sounds like a good idea, I've been meaning to try this new taste sense patch that I purchased from the Cyber-human relations shop. Feel free to pick out an appetizer while I look through the menu."

[Mani4c]

Mani4c nodded and looked through the menus that were already placed on the table, finally pointing at one of them. "I'd like to order this." Mani4c was pointing at a picture of a platter that contained various appetizers, including shrimp, what appeared to be about 15 pieces of various sushi dishes, and a spattering of various multinational foods. "Oh, the worldwide platter, nice. And the wine?" Mani4c nodded, "I don't drink much, but...how about one dry wine, and one that's a bit more fruity." Silph nodded, "Alright, they'll be ready in about 5 minutes." Silph turned and left the room, locking the doors behind her.

Mani4c turned to Baretta, his face turning red again, "H-hey, Baretta...I, umm, I'm glad that you agreed to do this with me, and I'm sorry if I cock it up a bit later on." Mani4c also wanted to broach another, more...sensitive topic, regarding his troublesome desires constantly rearing their heads. But he wasn't sure just how to approach the subject.

[Saber]

Baretta smiled and let out a chuckle, finding Mani4c's anxiety both cute, and refreshing "I'm not really concerned about that, Mani4c. Even if you did slip up, you're not exactly a professional at dating, neither of us are. I'll just be happy if this date ends without me fearing for my life at high speeds or having to jump back into my duties as an officer." She gave him a flirty wink, before going back to the menu "Hmm...Chicken Alfredo over rice noodles, sounds interesting...What's thai peanut chicken? Sounds like it;ll be hot..."

[Mani4c]

Mani4c shrugged, "I don't like Thai food honestly, so I couldn't tell you. I can tell you that their Fettuccine Alfredo is amazing, especially when you eat a bit of it and a piece of this place's steak, the flavors mix perfectly." Mani4c closed his menu, having decided on his meal.

The viral avatar then glanced at Baretta, he swallowed nervously before speaking up, his voice an odd mix of anxiety and Seriousness. "H-hey Baretta, I need to tell you something." Mani4c subtly hit the switch that activated the booth's privacy screen. "When I confessed to you in my viral form a short time ago...I honestly thought that would be the end of it...but it wasn't." Mani4c took a deep breath before continuing. "E-every time I'm around you, my heart goes a mile a minute, I feel nervous yet giddy at the same time. And I...I..."

Mani4c blushed deeply, "I fantasize about us sometimes. I can't shake this desire for you, and I worry that I might go too fast, or that if we ever get to that point that I might hurt you by mistake because of how strong I am. I just...I dunno, I want you to know how I feel around you, that I don't just love you emotionally. I understand if you don't share that kind of affection for me, and I won't bring this up again if that's the case. But, that's why I get so nervous, I'm scared of my desires for you, I guess..."

[Saber]

Baretta set down her menu and listened to Mani4c vent out his frustrations, and concerns about how he felt around her. Truth be told, she was flattered, and a bit concerned herself, for his sake "Mani4c, I cannot deny that I'm still trying to grasp the fact that you have a human's physical desires towards me, not just emotional. But this isn't something that you have to just avoid altogether. Maybe once I've gotten used to the thought, I'll be open to that idea, but that will take some time, and a lot less stress from job related problems...Despite this date, we still have some cleaning up to do in the city, and we're going to be very busy with that to even think of other things."

After deciding on her own meal, she closed her menu and gave him a stern glare "However...There is one thing I would like to discuss with you about, concerning your viral form...While I am flattered that you put my happiness and safety above all else, I am not some defenseless little girl, nor do I appreciate how you act towards your peers while I am around, or if I am concerned. You need to get control of how you behave around people that are not your enemy, or I'm locking that form for use only when I authorize it. Clear?"

[Mani4c]

Mani4c nodded when Baretta acknowledged his concerns, and she had a valid point, not that he was exactly planning on pursuing that part of their relationship, at least not this early or with so much to be done regarding keeping the peace. "Thanks Baretta, I appreciate you being so understanding, and I agree that we should focus on the more important things before we try anything physical."

Then Baretta brought up his protectiveness, particularly when he was in viral form. Mani4c blanched slightly, he honestly wasn't aware of how hostile he behaved, even towards friends. Sure he felt the added aggression in terms of emotions, but to actually lash out at co-workers and friends...he would have to be more mindful of that in the future. "I...I'm sorry about that, I honestly don't remember being that hostile, I'm aware of the increased aggression, but if I'm acting like a dick to my friends...Thanks for letting me know, I'll try to keep a lid on it."

[Saber]

Baretta folded her hands and rested them on the menu as she waited for Silph to return "Thank you. This form is too dangerous if your actions cannot be controlled, if I continue to see any repeated signs of aggression, or violence towards our peers, I will respond accordingly. But until then, I'll place my faith in you to at least give it your best effort. Viral aggression is not easy to restrain, if Viral Mani4c was any example of this."

[Mani4c]

Mani4c sighed, "Viral was always more irritable than truly aggressive, before this shit anyways. I think that he's still in there, he's buried himself beneath his base instincts, succumbing to the urge to hurt people and become stronger just so he doesn't have to think anymore...I've been there myself, before I met you and Saber." Mani4c's expression was a bit guilty, proving that he wasn't proud of having those thoughts. "It just seems so easy, let your lower brain take control, forget about thinking, just sink into darkness so the pain goes away...But that's not a solution, it just makes the feral you that's left behind create misery for other people. But with Lilith gone and his death seeming inevitable, he just gave up when he fell into that sphere, and now he's a goddamned monster. I'm afraid that if something happens to you I might be the same way, or Saber if he loses Mirror. Or hell, Justicar, he already slipped into that feral mindset when that megacorp fucker took the original Amp, can you imagine what would happen if some bastard took her out?."

[Saber]

Baretta sighed and closed her eyes, thinking back to when Mirror first was abducted, remembering how unstable Saber had become. "I remember when Saber first gained dynamic emotions, when Mirror was first abducted. He was so distraught. Granted, that was due to the virus infecting his system, but what he showed that day was true pain. Back then I feared that he might lose himself...I was almost ready to force him to sit back, since his emotions were no longer under his control." She opened her eyes, her gaze serene, and calm "That battle we endured during the first megacorporation incident had a heavy toll on all of us, but when I saw the relief in Saber's eyes, I knew everything was going to change...Viral prefers isolation, Mani4c, you do not, and now you have the full support of the entire police force on your side. And Saber has his family, not to mention he, Dagger and Justicar have the AUGMENTs and Surge. As long as we all fighting as one, the risks will be much lower. Besides, we're all backed up on physical storage, you don't have to worry about losing me completely and neither do they for their loved ones."

[Mani4c]

Mani4c nodded when Baretta told him that she and the others were backed up and that he wouldn't have to worry about the others losing control of their emotions due to grief. "I know, it's just...I know Viral's still in there, the hatred in his tone when he spoke to Lilith, his anger with me for the pain I caused him...he's in there still, but whatever that...THING that's controlling his body is, is manipulating his emotions. I've spoken to him about his illness, about losing Lilith. He wasn't angry, he was distraught, he had lost everything that gave him purpose."

Mani4c leaned back, closing his eyes as he recalled Viral's words. "He told me 'The only reason I stayed with the NPD is because I was strong, I could punish the people who needed to be punished. And because Lilith wanted me to be the kind of man that she knew I was.'... He lost both reasons for existing in one moment, he was ready to die...and now some fucking monster is wearing his skin and insulting his name..." Mani4c clenched his fist. "And the worst part is...I can't prove that it's not him, all anyone sees is a monster who's finally showing his true colors."

Suddenly, Silph walked into the room, a massive platter of food balanced on her splayed fingers and two bottles of wine in her other hand. "One worldwide platter and a couple bottles of wine, just as you asked." Mani4c quickly deactivated the privacy screen and helped the server place the items on their table before sitting back down.

Silph pulled out a notepad and stylus and looked at the couple, "So, what will you guys have for lunch this afternoon?" Mani4c clasped his hands together, "I'll have the Delmonico Steak, cooked rare, and the Fettuccine Alfredo as a side please." Silph smiled and jotted down Mani4c's order. "A man who knows what he likes, and who has good taste at that." Silph looked at Baretta, "And for you ma'am?"

[Saber]

"I'll have the peanut chicken on rice noodles please, with a small bowl of lamb curry on the side." Once Silph was gone, and they were alone again, Baretta continued their discussion "...I won't lie, I felt that way as well...But how can we prove that this monster is impersonating Viral, or simply fueling his actions?"

[Mani4c]

Mani4c sighed, "I don't know...I just don't know. I heard about The Doctor wanting to test some kind of "cognitive scanner." Maybe it can scan deeper portions of Viral's code than our normal scanning units can. I have to ask him."

[Saber]

Baretta sighed as well. It seemed that whatever was affecting Viral was going to be difficult to identify "...I suppose all we can do is wait then...Let's just try and focus on enjoying ourselves then, shall we? I can't wait to see what this food tastes like."

[Mani4c]

Mani4c nodded and looked at the platter, deciding to take a couple of pieces of sushi to start off with. "I've never had sushi, but Onimaru gushes about the stuff constantly." Mani4c popped a piece of Sushi into his mouth, chewing with a thoughtful expression on his face, he shrugged before swallowing the food. "Not bad, kinda weird eating raw fish though."

[Saber]

Baretta gave Mani4c an odd look "You sound like you've had cooked fish before, from how you're talking." She reached over and grabbed a small round fried morsel, inspecting it curiously "Wonder what this is like." She tossed the bite into her mouth and her expression changed several times. First confusion, then intrigue, then finally approval as she finished tasting the appetizer "That was actually pretty good. What's the label on that...Calamari? Fried squid...H-uh, never thought I'd enjoy squid." Her eyes then shot over at Mani4c, glaring at him "If I hear even one tentacle joke escape, I'll choke you with all of this food."