Bracelets. Just bracelets.

The next thing Hope knew, Lightning was shrieking. She quickly drew inwards, proud warrior flushing crimson and crossing an arm over her tits, and a hand over her pussy.

In place of clothing, now there was just endless bare skin, rather impressive cleavage hidden behind one arm and a hint of her ass visible as she squirmed.

And bracelets. Lightning was well aware of those; they were the only hint of clothing she could feel on her. No matter how much power they might have, she refused to put up with this.

“Hope, what-” she began.

“I don’t know!” he said immediately. “I thought it was meant to be a powerful armour, not…”

Lightning screwed her eyes shut, trying to focus. If she could use her magic, change garbs again-

“It won’t work,” she said suddenly, eyes widening.

“What?” Hope said.

“Changing garbs. It won’t work,” Lightning said. She faltered. “I’m stuck like this.”

She squirmed, looking around the plain interior of the Ark.

It had always been minimalist. Normally she’d prefer that, but not now, not now it meant there was nothing to hide behind.

There were two shelves, but they were little more than over-elaborate S-shapes, and were sparsely packed as it was offering no real cover.

That left Hope’s desk, and the computer. On the circular platform that made up their HQ, that was the only thing that might conceivably serve as a place to hide herself.

Quickly, nervously, Lightning sidestepped; she felt her lower hand momentarily slip out of position flashing her pussy for a moment. She quickly drew her legs together, flushed.

“Hope, tell me why I can’t…” Lightning said, hoping to distract him.

Hope quickly picked his jaw up off the floor and turned back- damn, back to his desk, facing the screen. Lightning took the opportunity to dart to the side of it, crouching in a position that still felt humiliating, but was hardly worse than standing naked in front of him.

“I don’t know,” Hope said. “Some problem with the spell, maybe. There are a couple of odd readings, but nothing seems…”

Lightning squirmed, hyperaware of every square inch of her body.

“Uh, there is a problem though,” Hope said.

“I’m well aware of that,” Lightning said.

“Not that,” Hope said, and hesitated. “Not just that. The enchantment that keeps time paused her isn’t endless, neither’s the magic that keeps the whole of the Ark and Yggdrasil working. It’s all connected to you, Lightning.”

“Which means?” Lightning said.

“That it’s liable to all come crashing down,” Hope said, and hesitated. “Unless you get back out there, fight the Chaos, save souls. Like you usually do.”

“I can’t do what I usually do like this!” Lightning said.

Hope hesitated. “You, uh, have to. Without the Ark, without the Savior, humanity is doomed. There’s not long before…”