“Damn, she really went like 'fuck this shit, I'm out',” Echo said with a giggle. The crowd hummed with a light murmur after Zakiya stormed off, leaving the other leaders stunned.
“Good riddance,” Aurelia spat with a pout.
“Yikes, I wouldn't touch you with a ten foot pole,” Bianca said, giving Aurelia the stink-eye.
“I stand by what I said. What, you think she gets a free pass just because she's a fucking–”
Zuri grabbed Aurelia's arm with a vice grip, her green orbs piercing through her superior. “You're NOT going to say that word again here,” she growled through gritted teeth.
“Unhand me, young lady,” The queen barked back.
“No. Not until you apologize to that woman for the disgusting things you've said.”
“Like hell, I'm going to do that. You can't tell me what to do, you're just a spoiled princess."
Zuri's grip on Aurelia's arm tightened further, the royal's green orbs narrowing with malice. "I might be a princess, but at least I have manners and decency, things you seem to sorely lack."
"Decency, huh? Is defending those lower than you and calling them your equals what you consider decent, Princess?" Aurelia sneered, trying to pull her arm free from Zuri's grasp.
Zuri didn't budge, her jaw clenched tightly. "Defending those 'lower than me'? You know how ridiculous that sounds, right? Every person deserves respect, no matter their wealth, status, or skin color."
The tension in the air thickened as the two women stared each other down. Sarolta intervened once more, her tone firm.
"That's enough, both of you. We're here to discuss serious matters, not squabble like children. Zuri, release Aurelia."
Zuri grudgingly released her grip on Aurelia's arm, though her eyes still had the fire of anger in them.
"Thank you," Sarolta nodded at Zuri before turning to Aurelia. "And you, please refrain from insulting others with racial slurs. That behavior is unacceptable in this nation and I will not hesitate to dole out a punishment.”
Aurelia rolled her eyes and looked down at her arm where Zuri let go. Her hands were deeply imprinted on it, huffing as she gave Zuri a final glare.
Zakiya walked back onto the stage and sat back down in her seat, her arm crossed. She turned to Zamazenti. “What did I miss?” she asked.
Zamazenti shrugged with a crooked smirk. “Just Aurelia being Aurelia, eh?”
Zakiya sighed, leaning back into her seat. She caught sight of the handprints on Aurelia's arm and looked over to Zuri. “Thank you, Zuri.”
Zuri blinked, responding to Zakiya's thanks with a single, hesitant nod.
“Now, moving on,” Sarolta continued, taking center stage once more. “Attention, everyone. We will now be discussing the cause of the sugar shortage taking place in this world. In order to assist us with this topic, we have a special guest here today. Everyone, give a warm welcome to our top scientist from Yushalia's Research Institute of Supernatural Human Ability, Dolores.”
After Sarolta's introduction, a woman strolled onto the stage with the world leaders. She was tall, her rich brown skin glowing in the sunlight. Its warm, ebony hue resembled a luxurious piece of silk, soft to the touch and soothing to the eye. She possessed an hourglass physique, silky black straight hair that reached her elbows, and sepia eyes behind a pair of black glasses. Donning a black and white pencil dress with a thin black bodysuit underneath, Dolores's black high heels clicked against the floor as she stepped up to the microphone stand beside Sarolta.
The crowd roared as they watched the researcher take the spotlight, with oohs and catcalls shaking the stadium. The crowd rained compliment after compliment, many of them too lewd for TV, as Sarolta sighed with worry that the crowd's focus would be somewhere naughty instead of the upcoming topic.
Zuri watched from her spot, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes at the lewd comments about Dolores. She agreed that the scientist was beautiful and curvy, but the men’s words were making her feel uncomfortable.
"Ugh, some of these people need to control themselves," Zuri muttered under her breath, shaking her head in annoyance.
Sarolta shared the same sentiment as Zuri, shaking her head at the crude comments from the crowd.
"Thank you for the warm welcome, everyone," Dolores began, her voice carrying an air of dominance but also professionalism. "But let's get ourselves together and focus on the task at hand."
The crowd slowly quieted down as Dolores's commanding tone grabbed their attention.
Dolores nodded in appreciation and cleared her throat before speaking into the microphone.
"Now, I would like to start by discussing the science behind the sugar shortage. It's a complex situation, but I will do my best to break it down for everyone here."
Sarolta nodded and stepped back, giving Dolores the floor.
“As we all know, sugar is vital for food production and food processing in our world," Dolores continued.
The crowd nodded in agreement, some even murmuring in acknowledgment as they tried to focus on the topic instead of the beautiful scientist before them.
Stolen novel; please report.
"For the past few months, the consumption of sugar has been increasing rapidly," Dolores continued, pulling up a graph on the screen behind her. "As you can see here, the rate of sugar consumption and production is on a steady increase, with no signs of slowing down. This is a major problem, as sugar is not just a sweetener, but also a preservative and a key component in many food products. The reduction in supply will not only impact the taste of food but also its shelf life and nutritional value. There are also the economic implications to consider.”
"Economic implications..." Helka said under her breath.
"Now, the reason for this decline in sugar production is a mystery that myself and my team of scientists have been trying to uncover, and we have made a striking discovery," Dolores explained, crossing her arms under her ample bosom. "The increase in consumption of sugar alongside its struggling production rate is not due to any shortage of sugarcane or sugar beet, which are the primary sources of sugar," Dolores explained. "Instead, it is due to a new species amongst us. They are known as…the Aranaki.”
The screen changed again to images and animations of what seemed to be ordinary humans, but are shown performing supernatural feats of strength.
“The Aranaki are a relatively recent discovery. They were first spotted a few months ago, but their population has been growing rapidly. The Aranaki have been spotted everywhere from large cities to remote villages, and are becoming a real problem for the population. They require a lot of sugar to survive and thrive, and they have been consuming vast amounts of it, leading to the current sugar shortage. The Aranaki are extremely difficult to detect and capture. They look like ordinary people, so they can easily blend in and hide in plain sight. The only way to identify them is through their high sugar consumption and their unique powers when they experience sugar overload."
“Pardon me, Dr. Dolores,” Bianca spoke up. “But what happens if the Aranaki consume too much sugar?”
"When the Aranaki consume enough sugar, they undergo a physical and mental transformation. Their senses become enhanced, and their physical strength is greatly increased. They become impervious to most forms of physical harm, and their speed, agility, and reflexes are heightened to superhuman levels.”
The audience was captivated by Dolores's words, but even more so by her alluring form. Zuri's irritation was slowly growing as she watched the men's ogling with disdain until it reached its boiling point.
“Can you guys calm down for two minutes! This is important information being given here!” she yelled into Aurelia's microphone with a scowl, eyeing the crowd.
The room fell silent at Zuri's scolding. Dolores continued her speech, oblivious to the men's wandering gazes.
"Thank you, Zuri, for bringing our attention back to the matter at hand," Dolores said, nodding in agreement. "It is important to stay focused on the issue and not let our minds wander too much.”
The leaders nodded in agreement, and the crowd tried harder to focus on the presentation.
Dolores cleared her throat and went on with her explanation, using diagrams and other visuals to help the audience understand the science behind the Aranaki’s consumption of sugar. "The Aranaki's bodies have adapted to be incredibly efficient at processing sugar," Dolores explained, gesturing at a diagram of an Aranak's biological system. "They can extract the energy and nutrients from sugar at an incredible rate, which is why they require such a high intake of it," she continued. "This is also what gives them their temporary overpowering abilities when they consume enough sugar."
As Dolores wrapped up her presentation, Sarolta posed the final question to the researcher. "Dolores, is there anything else we should know about the Aranaki before we conclude this interview?"
Dolores took a moment to gather her thoughts before speaking, adjusting her glasses and standing taller. "Yes, there is one more important thing."
The audience leaned forward with anticipation.
"The Aranaki have one more ability that we've discovered," Dolores continued, shifting her stance and crossing her arms. "Aside from their sugar intake and overpowering abilities, the Aranaki also possess a unique and dangerous power."
The audience was riveted, their gazes fixated on Dolores as she continued her explanation, trying to pay attention to her words. "The Aranaki have the ability to use a substance called Aranite," Dolores explained, holding up an opaque crystal as dark as obsidian. "Aranite is a natural energy source that is unique to the Aranaki. This energy substance is incredibly potent and can be used by the Aranaki for various purposes, such as creating energy fields, creating artificial structures, or even powering up their already extraordinary abilities."
The crowd let out a collective gasp at this new information. "Aranite?" Evgeny said. "That's a powerful substance."
Dolores nodded gravely. "Yes, it is. Aranite is an extremely potent substance, and the Aranaki can produce it in large amounts. This makes the Aranaki extremely powerful and dangerous."
The audience, despite their best efforts, couldn’t help but let their gazes roam over Dolores's body again as she spoke.
"Can you guys just focus on the information?" Zuri hissed into Aurelia's microphone once more.
Some people guiltily averted their gaze, pretending to focus on the presentation. “Uhh, yeah, sorry. We'll try to focus on the info.”
Zuri rolled her eyes at the men's insincere apologies and focused her attention back on the presentation. Dolores continued her explanation with a neutral expression on her face, paying no mind to the perversion sweeping the audience.
"As you all can see, the Aranaki are a unique and fearsome subspecies that we're only just beginning to understand. We're still delving into their full capabilities, but it's clear that they pose a significant threat to our world."
The audience nodded in agreement once more, though their minds were still preoccupied with Dolores's physical appearance. Zuri let out a frustrated huff and shook her head again. She couldn't help but wonder if they were even listening to anything Dolores said.
“So what did you all learn today?” Zuri barked, eyeing the lustful crowd as if scolding a child.
"Well, we definitely learned something," one man muttered.
The people around him chuckled, some of them continuing to stare unabashedly at the scientist.
"Yeah, we learned that the Aranaki are powerful and dangerous…and stuff and stuff," another man replied.
The men around him chuckled, their gazes never straying from the curves of the scientist on stage.
"And uhh, we also learned that they have this Aranite stuff, yeah" a third man chimed in.
"But let's be real, we didn't really learn much else," another man joked, “Except that this scientist is a total hottie.”
Those around him laughed in agreement, a few even catcalling and whistling at the scientist before them.
“Order! There will be order in this stadium!” Sarolta raised a hand and swung her arms outwards, signaling the crowd to quiet down. She then smiled and thanked Dolores. “ Anyways… Thank you, Dolores, for sharing your knowledge with us today. We appreciate your hard work and the dedication you and your team has put into uncovering these findings."
Dolores cracked a light smile and nodded in acknowledgment. "Thank you for having me. I'm happy to have contributed to this discussion. It's crucial to stay informed about the Aranaki and their potential impact on our world."
As the presentation ended and Dolores stepped off the stage, the men in the crowd started whistling and catcalling again, their eyes glued to the sway of her hips as she walked away.
One of the men stood up from his seat, whistling loudly. “Hey, Dolores! Where are you going, baby? Come back and let us admire you some more!”
Some of the men around him wolf-whistled and catcalled again, their eyes glued to Dolores's rear.
Zuri, Sebastian and Bianca exchanged uneasy glances, silently agreeing that this had gone too far.
Dolores simply raised an eyebrow and continued to walk off the stage, her hips swaying as she went.
The men in the crowd continued to stare at her, some even calling out after her, trying to get her attention.
One of the men in the VIP group, feeling particularly bold, got up from his seat and started to follow Dolores off the stage, his eyes fixed on her rear.
“Hey, babe,” he called out, “Don’t leave us hanging. We weren’t done admiring yet.”
The leaders all bristled at the man's audacity, exchanging glances that said ‘someone needs to stop this.’
Dolores, sensing the man's presence behind her, stopped in her tracks and turned around, her hands on her hips.
The man, seeing Dolores turn around, smirked and sauntered up to her, eyes roving over her body.
“Hey there, gorgeous,” he purred, “Don’t leave without giving us a show first.”
Dolores gave the man a cool, unimpressed look, her eyes narrowing.
“I'm a scientist, not a stripper," she said coolly, "And last I checked, I'm being paid to give a presentation, not give you a show and be ogled like a piece of meat."
The man chuckled with a shrug. “Oh c'mon. Meat, shmeat, know what I mean? You can't blame us for admiring such a beautiful body,” he said, his hand reaching out to brush against her thigh.
Dolores dodged his hand with catlike reflexes, her expression hardening.
"Don't touch me," she said, her voice low stone cold.
The man let out a low whistle, clearly amused by her reaction. "Feisty…I like that," he said, taking another step towards her and reaching out for her hip.
Dolores dodged his hand again, her patience at its limit.
"I'm serious," she warned, her voice tight with anger. "One more move and I'll deck you."
"Oh, I'd like to see you try, sweetheart. I bet you're all talk and no action, aren't you?” he taunted with one more reach aimed at her chest.
Before the man could even react, Dolores's leg shot out, her foot connecting with his groin in a swift and powerful kick that sent him flying back several meters. The man let out a strangled cry, crumpling to the ground clutching his nether regions. The crowd around them gasped in shock, the room falling completely silent.
The leaders all exchanged looks of surprise and admiration.
Dolores fixed the man with a cold glare, her foot still poised in the air.
"I hope you've learnt your lesson," she said, her voice steely as she lowered her foot before walking off of the stage as she originally intended.
The man whimpered, still clutching at his crotch, clearly in no position to argue as he watched her walk off.
“Nice kick,” Bianca muttered, a hint of a smile on her lips.
"Remind me never to piss her off," Evgeny said with a roaring laugh, shaking his head in disbelief.
A collective silence hung over the room, the crowd still reeling from the unexpected interaction. However, the silence was broken by the sound of clapping, which quickly spread through the room as the audience showed their appreciation for Dolores's bravery and intelligence.
As the applause died down, Sarolta and the other leaders turned to each other, nodding approvingly.
“She’s a tough cookie,” Zuri said, her lips parted in awe.