No, that something was off...

Wait, Shantae took inventory about herself, for something was feeling really weird, much like that feeling of being watched. Looking over herself, she made sure she wasn't missing anything, but no, just her usual seashell bikini with rubber thigh highs and tiptoe heels. Shantae was annoyed at the latest mandate by the Mayor yesterday that she needed to dress in "attractive beach fashions" if she were to represent the seaside town properly, but Shantae begrudgingly accepted the demand, knowing this was just some ploy to get her into something super skimpy like the red shells held by tiny strings. After all, being fired again was not preferred, especially since she didn't get paid yet for this month. Seriously, the shells were pretty bad alone, but the bright red heels and shiny stockings were just plain ridiculous and only served to make her job harder to maneuver in...

Mincing along into town, trying to ignore the jangling of the mandated collar around her neck that said 'GENIE' on the tag, she was greeted with the usual leers and wolf-whistles of the townsfolk, getting a good view of her tanned skin in the tiny outfit as she headed to her uncle's workshop.

"Come on babe, don't cover up like that, you're being real shellfish there depriving us from them curves~" Came a jeer from a sailor,

"Hey sweetheart, how about you stand by my stall awhile and shake them hips for me, get some customers coming in!" a bark from a fish marketer,

"Mm-mm~ Honey, come by the dancer parlor for a spell, shake that money maker for some REAL cash~" Whistled the nearby dance hall owner,

And it only continued, her giggling and shaking her booty at each one until finally she reached the workshop, gasping and blushing furiously as she slammed the door closed. Next time, she's going down the alleyways instead of main street.

"Ah, Shantae! Good, you're here!" Shantae glanced over to the large green-suited fellow with a large white beard over by a console, waving in her direction from across the workshop. "H-hi uncle Mimic..." Stammered his niece in reply, shuffling in the too-tall heels over to him. Her uncle didn't seem to notice her garb on most days, just grumbling annoyedly that the mayor would even make you wear such a thing.

So here she was, looking over her uncle's shoulder to check out some new invention he managed to build, either this was going to be something he found the blueprints for from the old world, or he's got something really interesting that isn't a "Toh-Stare", whatever that is. "So uncle, you got something new today?" Shantae inquired, trying to take her mind off the bad start today was going in.

"Ohoho~ It's a doozy of an invention this time, I assure you, and hopefully with no interruptions as per usual with these society-changing inventions like the Dynamo from a long ways back!"

Before Shantae could say how karmically triggering that sentence is, they were indeed interrupted by...