"So those two actually left," Adam said as he came out from between the trees.
"They did. Now, would you mind explaining what you're wearing?" Rowena's voice suddenly asked in an amused tone.
Adam turned to see that, within the energy shield, Rowena was lying on her side while resting her chin on her elbow as she looked up at him with amused eyes.
"How long have you been awake?" Adam asked in surprise.
"Not long," Rowena replied with an innocent smile.
[OfficialAphrodite (Felinia 7): Damn liar.]
[OrangeeyedStace (Felinia 7): What's she scheming? Why didn't she admit that she's been awake all along?]
[OfficialLorelie (Felinia 7): I have my suspicions on why, but I think you're going to have to ask her to find out for sure.]
"So are you going to tell me why you're wearing such a ridiculous outfit?" Rowena asked again.
"It's from a nineties cartoon back on Earth. I had the form bracelet I'm wearing scan it and add it as the defensive armour before we left the ship," Adam explained.
"You never told me we could change the defensive armour on them."
"Didn't I?"
"No. You only told me how to set the normal clothing on it."
"Oh, my bad. I will explain it later when we get back to the ship."
"Probably best to save it until we get back with the others, since I'm sure you forgot to teach them as well."
[Beczontop (Imperial Down): Damn straight he forgot. He needs to teach us how to change that.]
[Tessisdabest (Imperial Down): You know he can't hear you, right?]
[NonpareilRaphilia (Aaru): What's this bracelet that you all keep mentioning?]
[Beczontop (Imperial Down): I'm afraid that's a secret between Adam and me. 😋]
[Tessisdabest (Imperial Down): What do you mean, Adam and you?]
[OrangeeyedStace (Felinia 7): Hmmm? 🤨]
[Beczontop (Imperial Down): It's a joke, a joke.]
"That's technically not true. I did tell Lorelie," Adam replied.
"What's this? Showing favouritism?" Rowena teased as she winked at him.
[LadyErkath (Deverinian Prime): Hang on a moment. 🤔 He taught Lorelie how some sort of bracelet that lets him change his clothes works.]
[OfficialLorelie (Felinia 7): …]
[OfficialMuriel (Aqua Primus): Diva Lorelie's outfit change from her shows? Are you saying that this bracelet is what lets her change outfits?]
[LadyErkath (Deverinian Prime): Why don't we ask the woman herself? Lorelie?]
[OfficialLorelie (Felinia 7): 😮💨 Yes, it's the same thing. My ability to change clothes on stage comes from a piece of tech Adam gave me.]
[Phoenixempress (Fenix Nest): That boy treats you way too well.]
[OfficialLorelie (Felinia 7): I know. 🥰]
[NonpareilRaphilia (Aaru): I wonder if I can persuade the streamer to sell one to my husband so that he can buy it for me as a present.]
[OracleRomy (Elysium): Does it really count as a present if you set the whole thing up like that?]
"So how long are you going to wear that ridiculous costume?" Rowena asked as she looked Adam up and down while trying not to laugh.
"You don't like it?" Adam asked as he struck a martial arts pose.
Rowena was about to reply when a soft groaning sound came from Liluth, who still lay next to her.
As Adam and Rowena turned to look at her, Liluth's eyes fluttered open before she rubbed her eyes and held her ear while groaning and asking, "Oww, what happened?"
"You and everyone else got hit with a stun pellet that was thrown by a group of kidnappers who were trying to kidnap you," Rowena explained as she smiled at Liluth kindly.
"Kidnappers?" Liluth asked in shock before she looked around in panic and fearful eyes, only to see that everyone else was still unconscious.
"No need to worry, our heroic saviour here protected us both and everyone else," Rowena stated as she tried not to laugh while saying heroic saviour.
Liluth looked at Adam curiously before asking, "Thank you, sir. But who exactly are you, and why are you wearing such a weird outfit?"
[Phoenixempress (Fenix Nest): You see. Even Princess Liluth thinks it's strange. I'm not the only member of royalty who thinks so.]
[Justiceistruth (Earth): It's official. These aliens have no taste.]
[Whostolemyduck (Earth): They just didn't grow up watching the show.]
"I'm glad I'm not the only one who finds it weird," Rowena said to Liluth with a wink, who smiled back.
"It's my hero outfit," Adam said as he struck another pose.
"Hero outfit?" Liluth asked in confusion.
"Why do you keep making those strange poses?" Rowena asked.
[OfficialLorelie (Felinia 7): I was honestly wondering the same thing.]
[OrangeeyedStace (Felinia 7): I don't know whether to be embarrassed about what he's doing or proud of how he protected them. 😵💫]
"It's what the heroes did in the cartoon this outfit is from," Adam replied.
"Cartoon?" Liluth asked in confusion.
"It's a type of TV show from his home planet," Rowena replied.
"TV show? Home planet?" Liluth asked as her confusion grew.
Rowena sat up and looked around before leaning towards Liluth with a finger over her lips and saying, "We can tell you, but you have to promise to keep it a secret."
Liluth nodded with a happy smile since this was such a novel and new experience for her. No one had spoken to her like this before; it was like she was just a regular person and not a famous princess.
"Could you please remove that ridiculous outfit and this energy shield, darling? It's a bit of a distraction," Rowena said as she smiled sweetly at Adam.
"Just admit that you like looking at me," Adam replied as he performed another pose.
[AlamoMatador4thewin (Earth): He's really taking the opportunity to strike these poses, isn't he?]
[RealOtaku (Earth): Can't really blame him. He got the green Hero Saviour outfit on his first attempt, and it's probably the most famous of all time.]
[Noobkiller9000 (Earth): which is strange considering it only appeared in the show for a short while before being replaced by the white Hero Saviour.]
[Thewhitesoverign (Felinia 7)White is the best after all. 😁]
"I liked looking at you before you wore that outfit, you don't need to wear it to get my attention," Rowena replied in a flirtatious tone that made Adam freeze mid-pose.
After he registered what Rowena had just said to him, Adam coughed in a slightly embarrassed way before standing up straight and saying, "Defensive form: Power Down."
[RealOtaku (Earth): OMG, it's actually the same catchphrase to cancel the transformation... almost.]
Rowena, Liluth and the chat watched as Adam's transformation undid itself. The helmet and gloves disappeared, while the boots shrank back into trainers and the green faded away as his clothes returned to their original colour.
"It's you," Liluth couldn't help saying in a surprised tone as she recognised Adam as the man who had approached her before.
"Hello again," Adam said with a smile as he pointed the force staff half he was holding at the one that was releasing the energy shield before pressing a section that deactivated the energy shield.
"How did you do that? That was an energy shield, right? How can you produce one from something so small? Is it a piece of new tech? Can you tell me where to buy one? What was with that outfit of yours, and how did you suddenly change out of it? Oh, wait, are they both from that planet you say you're from? What did you call it again? Earth?" Liluth asked as she bombarded him with questions.
"Whoa, whoa, calm down," Adam replied as he held his hands up in a calming gesture before asking, "Why don't you tell me why those men were trying to kidnap you? Is your family rich or something?"
"You don't know?" Liluth asked in shock as Rowena watched on with a knowing smirk.
[OrangeeyedStace (Felinia 7): He doesn't know.]
[OfficialLorelie (Felinia 7): So he really doesn't know.]
[Superior4horns (Vinox 3): It's true, he doesn't know.]
[NonpareilRaphilia (Aaru): How's it possible that he doesn't know?]
[Phoenixempress (Fenix Nest): Well, he has only been in the known universe for a short time. Still, even I'm surprised since Princess Liluth is just that famous.]
"I'm afraid not. We have only just arrived on Solarian Prime, and so I don't really know anyone here," Adam replied honestly.
Liluth looked at him in surprise for a moment before narrowing her eyes and staring at him intently as if trying to figure out if he was being honest.
"It's the truth; he really doesn't know who you are," Rowena said with a smile.
"Do you?" Liluth asked as she turned to Rowena.
"I do," Rowena answered honestly.
"You know her?" Adam asked in surprise.
"I do, however, don't ask me to introduce you since she will do that herself if she so wishes," Rowena replied before giving a playful wink to Liluth, who smiled back at her.
[LadyErkath (Deverinian Prime): Rowena just wants to extend her entertainment.]
[OfficialAphrodite (Felinia 7): Naturally.]
[HackerSu (Trillion): Why do you think Princess Liluth looks so happy about that?]
[Tessisdabest (Imperial Down): Probably because she doesn't want Adam to know who she is just yet, in case he changes the way he is acting with her. Right now, he is treating her just like any normal girl and not the princess she is.]
[RealOtaku (Earth): Is this one of those scenarios where she has never been treated like a normal person in her life and just wanted to experience that. She also wants normal friends and no people who are nice to her and fawn over her just because she's a princess?]
[Tessisdabest (Imperial Down): Most likely. How did you manage to guess all that?]
[RealOtaku (Earth): It's a common trope for stories and movies involving princesses here on Earth.]
[1000yearsofdeath (Earth): It's totally something that shitty author Sweeper would write into one of his novels.]
[StealthAssassin9 (Earth): Ugh, totally. Just thinking about it makes me wanna puke. 🤢]
[Phoenixempress (Fenix Nest): You seem awfully knowledgeable about this, Tessisdabest.]
[Tessisdabest (Imperial Down): Errr, well, I heard Princess Tessa speaking about it once with Becky.]
[Beczontop (Imperial Down): That's right. Tess has spoken about this before.]