[Crossover, Atlas Corp, Dragon TF]

"Tea, Lady Seiryu?"

"...How did you know I was craving a drink, Lecroix?"

"I've studied your routine. You always ask for tea around this time of day, with very little variance. So I thought I'd try and get you a cup right when you wanted it."

"I see. I suppose it's a good thing that you chose to accept my offer to become an assistant for the time being..."

A strange scene was taking place within Atlas Corp's Biotech Department, as the Saint Beast assigned to such matters was currently staring at a red-clad girl who had only just arrived in this world a week or so ago. And yet despite this, she had taken to this foreign world with ease, fitting in like she had been born there...

Maya Lecroix was her name. Or rather, that was the name that she had given them after a little misunderstanding between her and the forces that found her. When she arrived in this world, tossed through dimensions, she was in her Magical Girl guise as Vita Rose. It was partly due to those powers, and the fact that she had managed to take out a lot of the common employees that were on standby in case of dimensional havoc, that she had been offered a simple deal.

She no doubt wanted to return to her world. And Atlas Corp wanted to investigate the fabric between dimensions to make the trip more viable. After all, two of the Heroines that served Mimoto had managed to disappear and cross over to another dimension themselves, no doubt the one Maya came from given the information that she was willing to share. Which was why the deal, serving Atlas Corp for some time in exchange for a place to stay and quick updates regarding the dimension situation, was rather tempting.

And thus, she ended up as Seiryu's assistant. A role that managed to catch the blue-haired dragoness off guard. She didn't exactly want one, since she was more interested in just pursuing her scientific interests. But when Maya proved to be capable in regards to preparing all the test subjects and everything else that needed to be done, she relented and accepted the girl by her side.

"I simply wish to return back home to my friends and family." Maya replied as she gently placed a cup of freshly brewed tea in front of the good dragon, smiling softly in the process. "While I don't exactly agree with most of the methods you employ, if it means that I get home, then it's something I'll have to deal with."

Seiryu narrowed her eyes. That's right. Not only was the girl really good at reading her moods and accommodating for her current needs and wants, but she also protested some of the less moral methods that the blue dragon had used. Which was why progress was slowing down, despite all the tasks that Maya managed to fit into a day. She had to wonder how the girl was able to keep up...

The blue dragon closed her eyes as she slowly sipped from her cup, all while letting several thoughts rush around in her head. How was she going to handle the matter of progress slowing down to allow for more moral treatments? How was she going to handle Maya's continued presence? And beyond that... Why couldn't she stop looking at that girl?

"Is something the matter, Lady Seiryu?" Maya asked, while gently sliding a plate of homemade cookies onto the desk as well. It was a recipe that she had gotten from Byakko, that adorable kitten, who had told her that one way to make Seiryu talk was through snacks around teatime.

Seiryu narrowed her eyes and just finished her cup. All while gently pushing the plate aside, though not before grabbing one of the cookies and scarfing it down. They were just as tasty as they looked, but she had more pressing concerns on her mind.

Maya's continued presence was... Not toxic for her, but it did leave her with a bit of a problem. The longer she stared at her, the more she wanted her. In more ways than one. She wanted her to be there for her at all times... And she wanted her to spoil her. As a proper servant should. No, she wasn't a servant. Even with this arrangement, she was... an assistant...

It wasn't hard to tell that something was really bothering Seiryu. Her face was completely red, and it seemed like a bit of steam started to pour out of her ears. It was like her charismatic lack of emotion had been shattered completely, leaving her inner thoughts visible to anybody that had cursory knowledge of reading emotions...

And that, in turn, left Maya with a blush of her own. There's no way that she could be thinking of something like that, right? Byakko had told her a lot of things to catch her up to speed with the inner workings and relationships within Atlas Corp, but... If what she was seeing was right, then...

"...Are you thinking about me, Lady Seiryu?"

Seiryu slammed her claw against the desk purely due to her reflexes. Before quietly simmering in her pent up emotions. "Yes." She muttered, before clearing her throat. "I am thinking of you, Lecroix. I'm thinking of how much you've done since you ended up in my care. How much it feels like the reverse, with how you've been able to deal with my particular quirks. So now I must ask..."

"Why?" It was a simple question, though one that Seiryu didn't have an answer to. It was also a question she never really asked, because she didn't care about the why. Everything she did in life was through nothing but instincts or personal curiosity. Which was why a lot of her inventions and her projects were dubiously moral. Nobody was allowed to question her natural curiosity and where it led, even if that would result in several humans getting transformed into bimbos or worse. Maya was the first to not only show pushback, but also care for her at the same time. It forced her heart to pound against her chest...

A simple smile was what she got as an answer. "I was taught to be diligent and caring at a young age, Lady Seiryu. It's why I work hard to live up to the expectations pushed onto me." Maya explained, before picking up a heart-shaped cookie and chewing through it slowly. It tasted a little funky, she had to admit, but it was the taste that Seiryu preferred. Perhaps she'd come to like it, if she were to stay here for longer.

...Expectations. Indeed, Seiryu was familiar with expectations. It was partly why she buried herself in research. As a dragon, she had certain expectations placed upon her by her peers. Expectations that she abandoned in pursuit of greater knowledge. She knew how they could shackle somebody down. And yet here Maya was, proving that expectations weren't all bad. At least, that's what it looked like on the surface.

"I see." Seiryu muttered as she slowly got up from her chair, walking over towards the windows that faced the inner parts of Atlas Corp's Biotech labs. All while trying to figure out what words to say. All while her tail curled around itself, tied itself into a knot, then undid itself and did the procedure all over again as she just kept on thinking.

Maya tried her best not to chuckle at the sight. All while reaching for the cup and the plate. Just so she... could... Eh..?

The sound of a girl collapsing echoed behind Seiryu, and she watched Maya hit the ground. She wasn't hurt, though it was clear that she was most definitely exhausted. The labored way she drew breath, and the almost dim look in her eyes as she tried to gaze towards the dragon. Seiryu knew those signs. All through her own experiences.

"...No wonder I felt off about the way you dove straight into work like this." Seiryu muttered as she came closer, gently putting her clawed hand on the girl's forehead. "You're not feverish. But you definitely have some sort of imbalance. You should rest, Lecroix. No more work for you for the time being."

"I can... I can still work..." Maya muttered, even as the blue-haired dragon started to pick her up. "T-They... They all expect me to keep this up and never show weakness... I can still..." She muttered, in a much more hushed tone.

"And who are they, Lecroix?" Seiryu retorted, as she stopped right before stepping out of her office. No, she wasn't going to carry her back to her room. Not if she was just going to try and sneak out. Instead, she let her sit down in a nearby chair. One that was nice and soft, which was usually used by Byakko or any of the other higher-ups whenever they stopped by. "As far as I can tell, 'they' aren't in this world." Her emotions had been reined in. And yet, it was clear that her words came from a place of empathy. Most illogical, concerning who spoke those words.

Maya trembled a bit as she sat in that chair, before looking down at her knees. "...Everyone. They all look at me and see a girl who's done her best. And thus they expect the best from me. At all times." She muttered. There was no point in being coy or deceitful around the dragon. She probably had ways to force the truth out of her at any rate.

Seiryu nodded as she started to pace back and forth in front of this girl. It seemed they were way more alike than she thought at first. It's just that Maya was able to hide her afflictions a lot better. "Then why do you continue to do so, even in this world? Those that want to see you at your best don't exist. They won't blame you for faltering." She paused, before shaking her head. "No, those words don't matter to one like you. You'd blame yourself for faltering. Instead, I know what to do." Words wouldn't work on somebody like Maya. At least, not for the sake of breaking past her issues.

"What are you going to do..?" Maya asked, wincing as she felt the Saint Beast's claw clamp down on her head. Or at least, that's what it felt like at first. But then the grip turned out to be much gentler than it initially appeared. All while she felt her hair getting stroked. All while the blue dragon stared straight into her eyes...

"Free you from the shackles of your own expectations." Seiryu said, her voice almost booming as she did so. All while those azure eyes of hers gradually started to swirl. Pulling the Magical Girl's focus deeper and deeper into those azure depths. "I do not need an assistant that works herself half to death. Nor do I need a machine that carries out all of my orders. I need an assistant that..." She paused, as her cheeks flushed a little red once more. "I need an assistant that can keep me focused. I need an assistant that can keep me company. One like you, Maya."

The more she spoke, the more her words started to drown out Maya's thoughts. It was getting harder and harder to think about anything but the dragon in front of her. All while her exhausted body rested, unable to make a single move. All she could do was breathe and watch those swirling eyes. She should've been resisting. This wasn't the first time that somebody tried to brainwash or hypnotize her. And yet...

It was a lot gentler this time. She would've expected somebody like Seiryu, who was openly callous and amoral, to go straight for her ability to think independently. But instead her fall was a lot more gradual. As if she was being slowly lowered into the deep depths of her thoughts, where they couldn't reach her. Where only that which Lady Seiryu wanted her to know would reach...

And there was much that Lady Seiryu didn't allow inside her mind. That need to be perfect, that need to live up to others' expectations... All of that was washed away, with every thought that vanished from her mind slowly making a warm feeling spread across her body. All while Lady Seiryu's hand continued to stroke away at her head and her hair...

Thanks to the way that Lady Seiryu was hypnotizing her, Maya was nowhere near aware of the scales slowly spreading across her body. There weren't a lot of them, but they were definitely there. Slowly making her look more and more like a dragon. In fact, the location of a lot of these scales matched the ones that Seiryu herself had. Some on her cheeks, some down her neck, and especially near her hands and feet, which gradually shifted in shape to account for her new draconic nature, turning into talons and claws...

It even extended all the way to her back, where the young lady was forced to let out a powerful moan as her outfit tore itself apart to allow for a set of wings to spread themselves. Wings that were almost as big as Lady Seiryu's, which honestly made the two look more like siblings rather than a researcher and her assistant.

Perhaps that was because of how much Seiryu saw a kindred spirit in Maya. A kindred spirit that had been saddled with expectations. One that just didn't run away from those expectations, and was overwhelmed by them as a result.

As her transformation slowly came to an end, Seiryu's eyes stopped swirling and pulling the girl into the depths. All while moving her clawed hand onto her cheek, squeezing ever gently as she had Maya keep staring straight at her. She was so... Beautiful. Not that Seiryu truly knew what beauty was, but if she were to use anything to describe the feeling she felt when looking at Maya, before or after her transformation... It was beautiful...

Maya's eyes slowly filled back out as the hypnotic influence on her mind faded. All while she let out a soft gasp, a bit of pleasure rushing out of her body as she grew more and more accustomed to the role that Lady Seiryu wanted her to fill. A role that... hold on...

She blinked rapidly. All while slowly reaching for her draconic features. Her tail, which she had neglected since she was sitting down. Her claws, her talons, her wings, everything. She was definitely a dragon. So Lady Seiryu had some expectations in mind for her. And yet she scanned her mind... There were no defined expectations for her. Even though she wanted her to be her assistant, she didn't give her any guidelines or anything to follow in that regard...

"Lady Seiryu..?" Maya asked, as she looked to the blue dragon that served as her superior. "I... What did you do to me?" She asked simply. She understood that something had happened. Not the full extent of it, because those thoughts and worries had been drowned by the azure blue eyes and the pull of her draconic influence.

Seiryu softly smiled. "I freed you. I told you, I did not want a perfect assistant. I just wanted an assistant that could be by my side and keep me company." She explained, satisfied with her handiwork. And in the presence of another dragon, she felt like the weight of responsibility and expectations had been lifted from her shoulders. All while she slowly returned to her seat.

"So... I can do what I want, as long as I help you, Lady Seiryu?" Maya asked, just to make sure that she understood everything correctly. All while her tail gradually started to swing back and forth as gently and as puppy-like as it possibly could. She was growing used to her new form quite quickly...

"Indeed. You may even leave and find a new place to roost, should you desire. If you wish to help me in an insignificant way, you may do that as well. All I require is that you stop by and keep me company here and there." Seiryu explained, as she slowly closed her eyes. "That's all I need from an assistant..." She muttered, as she slowly started to drift off to sleep...

Right before she heard the sound of another cup being gently placed in front of her. A fresh cup of tea. How did she make one so quickly? And more importantly, why..?

Seiryu's face turned several shades of red as she slowly opened her eyes to meet Maya's once again. Only this time, she was the one staring deep into those ruby eyes. They weren't swirling, but they were filled with an emotion that she wasn't used to experiencing. L-Love? Was it love? She couldn't tell for sure. All that she could tell was that looking into those eyes made her sweat...

"Then I choose to keep serving you as I did before." Maya said, all while she picked up another cookie from the batch that she still hadn't finished, popping another heart into her mouth. Only to shiver all over as the delight of the taste rushed through her. How Seiryu had been able to keep her emotions and her delight in check when she ate even one of those cookies... It was a mystery to her, but she wasn't about to complain about the flavor dancing around in her mouth.

"...W-Why?" Seiryu had to ask the question once more. Even though she thought she had an idea of what the answer might be. An answer that would terrify her to the very core of her logical soul.

Maya smiled. And she leaned forward, all to place a little kiss on the blue dragon's lips. "Because I like you, Lady Seiryu." She chimed, her feelings unbound and unrestrained. All packaged neatly into that smile of hers.

Thus, Seiryu discovered something she had never experienced before. All while her 'assistant' remained happy to help, as their relationship would stretch on into the future...