[i]With Titan? I don't think she knows what that is.[/i]

Then this must be when she learned. Because what else could you call it? Madeleine's skin is covered in fireworks and ice dancing all across her. And even that, even then it does not obliterate the mindfulness of the fingers touching her skin. Melting her tired muscles. Massaging, caressing, brushing-against-but-not-quite-worshipping, torturing, yes torturing, everywhere except one specific place, why did she, why would she..?

But all of that means nothing. Because this is just to cover her in cubegel. All of this excitement is in service to preparing an aural anti-hypnosis training session, and [i]that[/i] is only about defeating Taowu. What Lios said about Titanomachia was correct - the arena was always with her. There was always someone else in the room. It was correct. It [i]should[/i] be correct, except...

Except those eyes are looking at her. And then she asks the question. Such a boring, petty, mundane question. And as the words fall from her lips, Madeleine feels as though she's melting. Training is gone. Taowu has faded into nothing. In the moment, in just this one moment, it is only Madeleine and Machia. And she is dressed in nothing.

"Ah, ah, aaahhhhhh~" she sings.

"Th-this f-feels... really weird." she recovers. Her legs twitch like traitorous jelly underneath her, and her tail is dancing a samba. But she turns her head down, and she meets those eyes with her own. 

"IiiI! Had to have them, mmmgh, m-made custom. There's a, oh god what [i]is[/i] that, a woman in the C-Cat District who speciAAAAl[i]izes[/i] in modified ears. Name is, uh, CA, Cassidy. Lowe. I think. Sssshee said it once, and she talks... a lot. I HAA, had her take my measurements. It c-c-c-cOSt my l-last stipend. But she finished... a week ago. They, nnnnffffff, are, are beautiful. I have a, a, a, a gun. To do the, piercings myself. So I, mmf, you know."

She has lost track of what is sweat and what is spicy medical slime on her body and if there is anything else that fits the vague description of this feeling she is forgetting right now. Her back is tense and her legs are not, her hands are gripping each of her forearms and slipping free and for a moment all she can do is pant. 

Pant and look. Watch. Stare with burning amber eyes. She bites down on her lip and with a giant shudder forces herself to continue. 

"They are... mnGHH! Comfortable for a while but I... can only wear them for, for, for a, a, AH! A few hours! I c-can rotate ok but it's, a little... StIFf and I, uh. Um. Wh-why are you stopping? Be thorough. They're, because of the bar they get... stuck upright. Can't fold or fl-flutter. So it, gosh, cramps. But I do... like them. Do you... think they're pretty?"