Chihiro changes Celestia's mind for her.

[- The target will want you to do something. The user can enter a desire in the text field, or select from a list of presets. The effect remains and a new effect cannot be set until the user does the desired action. (Cost: 7; Effect: Continuous)]

Chihiro had purchased the effect, but now that he had it, he wasn't sure what to do with it. "I'm... not sure how I feel about playing with someone's desires, either," Chihiro admitted, not realizing the irony of it in his own situation. Furthermore, even though he now knew (thanks to his truth-telling effect) that Celestia was bluffing with her threat, it didn't change the fact that she was a natural bluffer. Her pressure was affecting him, and Chihiro could feel the silence growing uncomfortable. His creativity wasn't up to the task of coming up with an effect to deal with her... maybe there was something in the preset list that he could use?

He tapped his finger on his personal display to bring up a short drop-down list. Immediately, his eyes went wide. The first option available burned in front of his virgin eyes like a neon sign in a red light district:

["FUCK HER ASS"]

Chihiro couldn't say the words, even in his head. Still, his mind started to consider the possibilities. "The awareness is off, so I shouldn't be in danger of her finding out I did something to her... B-but how can I possibly make her want something like that? And how bad is she going to want it? W-wait, actually... If I make her want it, she won't stop wanting it until I give it to her, right?! I'm not even sure I want Celestia to know I have the body to... to do that yet! No way, that's way too dangerous!! There has to be an option that's high-impact enough to make her less hostile, but low-impact enough that... th-that it's not that!"

It seemed, as Chihiro scrolled down, that most of the options were like that. He supposed he shouldn't be surprised, understanding how the app seemed to work, but he also began to have a theory... Some of these options seemed way too powerful for a mere 7 gems. If there was an effect like "Target will let you fuck her ass," wouldn't it be much more expensive? That seemed to be a hint to the limits of this effect.

Still, there was one option listed that Chihiro thought was tame enough to give a test run.

By now, Chihiro had been standing silent long enough that Celestia was beginning to get concerned. Not concerned for Chihiro's well-being, of course; Celestia was getting concerned that, if Chihiro did have some sort of power to control her behavior, the sneaky little shrew might be queuing something up in secret as the silence drew on. If it was coming to this, she'd need to change her plan; instead of blackmailing Chihiro, her instincts were telling her she should leave, right now. She'd do it, if she wasn't so certain she'd find herself stuck in retreat with her fingers up in the air and an idiotic expression on her face, thanks to Chihiro's power.

"Think, Celestia... Remain calm. A resource gap between you and your opponent is nothing new, is it? Simply observe her behavior. Find out what she wants and what she doesn't, her goals and her weaknesses. Once you're in her head, everything will open up and she'll be an open book to you." Betraying no emotion, Celestia calmly read Chihiro's body language. Once she did, she saw a tell so obvious she could hardly believe she missed it. "I really did get carried away. How could I miss the flushed face and trembling lip? Her eyes went to my waist, then glanced away, didn't they? Why, I can practically hear her heart hammering in this close proximity. There's some fear, yes, but also... hesitation. Embarrassment. Arousal, obviously. How amusing... I shouldn't be surprised. She already revealed her twisted lesbian desire with that programmed prank a moment ago. Well, well... I might hold some cards here, after all."

She couldn't help but allow herself a small smile. For all the power Celestia had feared Chihiro had, the programmer was a **** to her base urges. She had something Chihiro wanted. That meant negotiating, targeting, and exploiting that desire were all still on the table. If Celestia thought rationally, she...

... "No, let's be frank here. I truly hold every card, don't I? This needn't be about what Chihiro wants, then. Let's focus instead on what I want. I want Chihiro to call me sexy," she spontaneously decided. "The word must be right on the tip of her stuttering tongue. Let's have it, then, shall we? Let's yank it out."

The newly invigorated Celestia cleared her throat, then leaned in even closer to Chihiro, until there were no more than a few inches between her own pale face and Chihiro's rosy skin. She was sure her chosen perfume, ordinarily selected mostly to her own taste, would be driving the romantically stunted lesbian wild. She didn't bother hiding her smile from the other woman any longer, putting on an expression she imagined would look disarmingly warm and inviting, like her previous threats were all teasing jokes. "How do I look to you right now?" she asked simply, conversationally, disconnected from anything she'd said before.

Chihiro didn't look as surprised as Celestia had expected. She clammed up, saying nothing.

"Oh, come now!" Celestia giggled coquettishly, almost purring. "You can say it. I'm not trying to make fun of you. Maybe I just want to hear you say it? Please, tell me. How do I look to you right now, in one word? Chihiro?" She focused her bright red eyes directly into the other woman's brown eyes, demanding.

Again, Chihiro surprised her. In spite of Celestia turning on the charm and drawing in close enough for a kiss, Chihiro seemed to be cooling down. When she finally said a word, she didn't sound like she meant it. "... Scary?"

"Scary?" Celestia repeated, her eyes narrowing in dissatisfaction for only a moment. "I'm sorry if I bothered you with all that teasing a moment ago, but that was just a silly game between two girls, Chihiro! That was like an act. This, on the other hand, is a real moment. I ask you to understand the difference. Now, how do I look to you in this moment, Chihiro? Tell me what you really think."

"... Are you trying to get me to, um... call you... s-sexy?" Chihiro stuttered. For some reason, this didn't sound much like a question.

For Celestia, it was vexing. Of course, what Chihiro had guessed was exactly what Celestia wanted Chihiro to do. However, calling her out on it instead of giving it to her was the exact opposite of what she wanted. Still, maybe this was just Chihiro being awkward? That made sense. The mousy woman wouldn't leap into suddenly calling another woman 'sexy' that easily. Celestia couldn't deny being disappointed, but she didn't need to let that show in her face. Instead, she worked to guide her **** partner. "Is 'sexy' the word you want to use? You can just nod your head. You don't have to actually say it."

Chihiro seemed to be considering it, gulping. Again, the careful, hesitant behavior struck Celestia as strange. Why did she feel like Chihiro was considering her options as an opponent in a game? Had she somehow misjudged Chihiro's earlier body language? What Chihiro said next, however, shattered her impression. "I mean... y-you're not really sexy, right?"

"... I beg your pardon?" Celestia asked. She was so stunned that she couldn't keep her shock out of her face. She attempted to recover, working hard to put her warm, seductive smile back on. "By anyone's grading system, I'm clearly an 'S+'. I understand if you're bashful, but I can read your body language. Are you going to try and say you don't find me attractive? I'm not that easily fooled."

"Well, sure, um... yes, you're attractive," Chihiro admitted, shifting in place and looking embarrassed to be saying it. "B-but you're not exactly... sexy, right? When I think of that word, I think of someone who, uh... confidently shows off their body! Someone who isn't afraid to flaunt it in a racy swimsuit!" Suddenly, as if a switch had been flipped, Chihiro seemed to be full of conviction, as if issuing a proud declaration.

Now, Celestia was no longer just shocked, she was upset. "Hold on just a moment. Are you telling me, the one and only Celestia Ludenberg, impeccably kept and well-dressed in the finest designer fashion, the image of poise and womanly grace, that you would have greater sexual interest in a shameless hussy who bumbles around the beach in a skimpy outfit? You're going to say that to my face? That you find that kind of woman sexier than me?"

Chihiro was turtling up again, but she didn't seem to be yielding on that point. "I mean... y-you asked how I feel! You're classy, sure, but that kind of woman is, um... s-sexier."

By this point, a frustrated vein was clearly pulsing in Celestia's forehead. She felt she hadn't just been rejected, but categorically denied. Suddenly, her pale face slacked in recognition. "Wait a minute. Wait just a minute! This is about that swimsuit I didn't agree to wear, isn't it?! Are you holding a grudge because I didn't put on that moronic trashy flag swimsuit you tried to make me wear? Yes, that's it! You're trying to drive me to put it on, aren't you?" In a rollercoaster of realizations, a new one hit her. This one brought a smile to her face as she continued to rattle out conclusions that, if she'd been thinking clearly, she'd have done better to keep inside. "You... can't make me wear it, can you? In spite of that silly gimmick you used to control my hands and face, you can't make me put on the swimsuit, so you're trying to trick me into putting it on myself. You're doing so because you think I'll look ridiculous. You're planning to get sexual satisfaction out of my humiliation, just like when you **** me to make that face. But... you haven't thought it all the way through."

Wearing a peaceful expression once more, Celestia finally gave Chihiro some breathing room and made her way to the swimsuit rack. Without hesitation, she plucked the (presumably ill-fitting) American flag-print swimsuit on its hanger and began heading for a dressing room. "Wait right there," she commanded sharply, pointing a thin finger Chihiro's way. "I'll open your eyes to just what you're trying to look down on. Then, you will be helpless and you will tell me what you really think."