Friday, September 7th, Fitzgerald Fencing School 5:05 pm "Next!" Fencing practice opened with an excellent victory, a strike against the quarte and then another on the tierce, with hardly any time at all for the opponent to react. The second challenger lunged too quickly, striking well but leaving himself open; his opponent made capital out of this behavior and struck not twice, but thrice, ending with a reprimanding tap on the mask. "Next!" Now she was getting into greater trials. The third fight lasted for at least a minute without any clear victor. The two foils slashed, danced, and thrust, their masters matching every move perfectly; all activity in the school was put on hold so the other students could watch. A hit was finally made on the seconde, when the challenger lifted their guard for but a second, and victory came on its heels as the champion slashed the quinte. "Next, please!" The audience applauded greatly as a fourth opponent came...and went. Rain Howlet took a deep breath, removed her mask, and loosened her jacket. Defeating three opponents in a row was usually where she stopped her warm-ups, but today, she couldn't resist adding a forth notch to her victories. Those left in her wake were a little shaken; her observers were either fearful or starry-eyed. More than a few female fans squealed and rushed up to her, offering towels and water bottles, hoping just to brush their fingers against her brilliance. Even Fitzgerald looked on with renewed approval. Rain had every right to be proud; she had redeemed herself from her earlier neglect and was now back in her groove. "You were wonderful, Miss Howlet! Four in a row? That's a record for you! Will you marry me, Rain? You're an inspiration, Miss Howlet! I've warmed up this towel just for you! Here, this mineral water is much better for you than this other junk. Hey, I was a Howlet fan long before you! Can I have your autograph?" "Don't crowd me, girls," she chuckled. Rain sat down on a bench and fanned herself, then made sure to stretch to keep herself limber. Whew... After drying off and taking a few sips, she was joined by her mentor and coach, who glanced down in satisfaction. "Your performance is excellent- far better, in fact, than I was expecting. It seems my doubts about your commitment have been put to rest. We can approach the regionals quite confidently this year." "Don't put all your hopes on me, sir," Rain smiled humbly. "Humbert and Straik have been exemplary, and Price has improved more than me. Still, I have to admit that whatever I'm doing, it's paying off." "That it is. Continue this performance and we will be well set to take the championship. Just do not forget to rest. There are only two days left." "I know. Um, Mr. Fitzgerald, just out of curiosity, will you be watching the other big game on Saturday?" "You mean the men's and women's football games against Turing and Lovelace? Of course. I'd like to bear witness to their results. The men's team has proven itself beyond my expectations, but I'd still like to see how they fare against Turing University. As for the women's..." He adjusted his glasses, and even though he was a civil man not prone to irrational emotion, Rain could tell he was warding away a smile. "Time shall tell, shall it not? A pity I shall miss a majority of it, but this comes first. I trust you will not...run out of me again." "Whatever would I do that for?" she smiled. "I'll just catch the results later. This is where I belong." "I'm glad to hear that," he smiled. "Get back to your training once you've rested. And square off against Price. I would like to see just how much he's improved." "Yes sir." After a few more minutes, Rain buttoned her jacket, donned her mask, and walked over to Price to challenge him. She was a warrior poised for greatness; by this time Saturday, she would have the glory she had worked so hard to earn. And people dream dreams that transcend time Held in the arms of a still sea As they looked up at the birds and clouds It set their ephemeral souls on fire on a thousand mornings I bet they're taking flight to where the light is headed Now is the time to launch your dreams Off into the frontier that is carrying boundless dreams Farther and farther, dive in the sky "On the Road to Lovelace" Fridays mean a lot of things to a lot of people, but for the fifteen women on Carnegie's soccer team, Friday signified either a beginning or an end, a change in their brief sports lives and perhaps a change in their lives as a whole- that last barrier between general innocence, and total commitment- or total failure. As soon as classes were over, the players would board a bus and take a journey to another city, where the final practice match would be held to determine their fate. Last week, the men had proved their worth in a surprising but narrow victory over Anolis, 3-2 after a grueling game and an intense tie-breaking penalty shot. They had less to fear in this next match, for they were guaranteed to stay regardless of the outcome, but the future was not so certain for the women, who dreaded and fretted over tomorrow's fateful match. The hours trudged lazily as they waited for classes to end, each tick of the clock adding another knot in the stomach and stealing away one last opportunity for peace. It was the most exciting and most agitating moment yet. In addition, there was a regional fencing meeting being held the same day in the same city, mere miles away. Fitzgerald and Rain would naturally be in attendance; he planned on catching the last half of the soccer game once he had some free time. Rain's matches would overlap most of the game, but Fitzgerald promised to "be there" for her during her most critical trials. She might have had an attention deficit disorder, a tendency for rebelliousness, and a fondness for that other team, but she would keep her devotion and repay her teacher for all his efforts. She would work wonders. She would finally make him proud. "Bullshit!" Lauren exclaimed as she heard Rain's speech. "After how he treated you, you're gonna side with that prick? Unbe-fucking-lievable." "You guys don't understand," she said. Rain had slowly gotten better acquainted with the team, enough to meet them for lunch or walk with them to their next class, despite their conflicting personal interests. She had grown fond of many of them and even loved a few. Therefore, she felt she could be more honest with them- more, but not completely. "He might be an A-hole, but Fitzgerald brought me to where I am today. My parents got me through the door but Fitzgerald was the one who pushed me. He believed in me and he stuck by me even when I felt like crying, or quitting, or staying home in bed. I know he seems cold, but he actually does care. I'm a valuable investment to him and he doesn't want to see his efforts go down the drain. It's the same with you all and Leena." "Not even!" Valencia exclaimed defensively. "Leena's a sweet, caring person; Fitzgerald is just..." She muttered something in Spanish which would've made her parents blush. "I didn't say they were the same; they just use the same methods. They're both very strict and very fair. He had every right to rebuke me when I ran out to watch your game. It would be like you abandoning your fashion designs," she said to Valencia, "and you leaving an important psychology test." "I'd do it for my friends," Lauren snorted. "People're more important than some test, or a game." "Look, I don't even know why we're arguing about this. I'll come by once my match is over and watch what I can. It's the least I can do. Just because my teacher doesn't like your team, that doesn't mean I feel the same! I'm on your side, okay? I want you to win. Just give me my liberty and I'll give you yours." "That seems fair enough." Rain looked up and saw Freya waving at her. They shared a class together, so of course she overheard a little. "As long as you try to make it, we'll be happy. And even if you can't, we'll be sure to tell you all about it." "Believe me, I wish I could see all of it. And I wish you all could come to some of my meetings." "Terra would probably like to go," Lauren muttered as she scratched her head. "Is there gonne be...uh, whaddya call it? Not fencing, but...that Japanese thing with sticks." "Kendo," Freya said. "Right, that. She'd get a boner for that shit." "No, it's strictly a fencing meet, although I hear some of the contestants had kendo training. Anybody ever hear of Ancelin Yi?" Everybody shook their heads no. "Well, she won the nationals two years in a row, and she's come back to reclaim her title. What about Mihoshi Kagure?" "Oh, do you mean Yuki Kagure?" Freya exclaimed. "I know her! She and Shiki were close friends before we moved here. She's tough. I mean, she's a really cute and sweet person, but I don't think Shiki's ever beaten her. Of course, Yuki's never beaten her either..." Rain nodded. "She's the one that took Yi's title away from her, and she'll be there, too, along with at least five other people that could wipe the floor with me if I'm not careful. So we're both up against strong odds. I need your support just as much as you need mine. Couldn't you send that Essylt chick? You don't need her, right? I mean, she's not an athlete." "She's not a screamer either," Lauren grumbled. "You wouldn't be able to hear her." "Yeah, but I could flirt," she pouted. "She's straight." "That's never stopped me before." Freya suddenly cleared her throat: the instructor was approaching and class would soon begin. "As fascinating as this conversation is, Rain darling, we should really, um..." She made several impatient gestures and stepped inside, assuming her classmate would do the same. Rain glanced innocently at her friends and groaned. "Damn. Rotten timing. Hey look, I'll catch you princesses later, but try not to think too poorly of me for my choices. I used to be an enormous wreck before Fitzgerald took me under his wing. Now I'm only a small wreck. See ya!" Lauren and Valencia waved at her, exchanged glances, and headed off for their own classes before they could be counted late. - Valencia Durante, Hobbies: drawing, music, fashion, geometry; reserve goalie- All things must pass, and this includes class. The day eventually wore down enough so that school closed and people rushed out to enjoy their weekend- but there would be no holiday for the soccer teams. Warren and Bracton were already organizing and loading their boys: they waved at their sisters-in-arms and wished them luck. Kathlyn was mysteriously absent from the lineup as Leena stood before the bus, clipboard in hand. She offered no further explanation other than Kathlyn had to "do things" and she couldn't make it. "That's too bad," Lauren sighed. She had a crush on the older woman; she couldn't help it. "Well, Curly and Larry couldn't make it eithah," Shannon said, pointing to Freya. Just as she said, Shiki and Maria were nowhere in sight. "We only had enough money to send the sixteen of us," Leena said. "Speaking of which, you're all going to have to share hotel rooms, so I may as well tell you your living arrangements." "What? Aww! No fair! Can't we pick who we want to be with?" Leena expected them to protest and was prepared for it. "There's not enough in the budget to give you individual rooms, and if I let you choose who you wanted to stay with, I know you would probably stay up late and not rest properly. Besides, this is a good chance for you to get to know some of the people outside your circle. I drew your names in random order to make it as fair as possible, so if you don't like who you're living with, just wait for the next away game. Threal, Andre, Nazario, you're rooming with me. Don't groan; you should be so lucky. I'm better than any alarm clock." "I think it's faih," Shannons shrugged. She liked Jennifer, and as long as the Coach was there, Fausta would behave herself. Jen and Fausta actually liked the idea of sharing quarters with their Coach, though for very different reasons. Leena continued: "Berkeley, Hawthorne, Ofdensen, Tu, you're rooming together." "Aw, sweet! I got all the cool people!" Lauren grinned and put her arms around Elisa and Alice. "Dude, did somebody just say 'best road trip ever'?" "Seriously?" Fleur snorted. Lauren stuck her tongue out. "Shut up, I love these people. Me and three sexy women in the same room? Ain't no better thang!" "I'm glad you approve," Leena muttered wryly. "Next up: Hohenheim, Beckett, Nguyen, Khovansky." "Sounds fun," Freya said. She and Nadia grinned at each other; Kasumi looked a little worried. "Oh hell, this can't be good. All that energy in the same room? At least I'll have you to balance that out." "D-don't be so s-s-sure," Amy murmured. "I k-kind of have th-th-this thing w-with sugar." "Awesome!" Nadia squealed. "We must feeding you with the pixie sticks! See Amy go fun!" "You'll be expected to have all lights out by 9:30, so no sugar," Leena warned sternly. "The rest of you will be together in the same room. I'd advise you to sit next to your roommates while on the bus so you can get all your chatter and conflicts out of the way. We'll eat dinner on the way, so don't worry about food, and we'll have a light breakfast in the morning. Our game's being held at one o'clock tomorrow, so I want everyone relaxed and ready. The bus ride will take us about two hours, so I hope you brought something to keep you busy." Felicity, Valencia, Fleur, and Arina looked at each other, more or less satisfied with the arrangement. Valencia had wanted to be with Kasumi, but understood how that could be a distraction. Fleur didn't care for Valencia's cheer, but she liked the other two; however, Felicity had changed a lot since the last game, and more people were noticing it as time progressed. Arina, as always, accepted the decision quietly. "How's your foot?" Valencia asked as everyone started boarding the bus. Fleur revolved it and tapped her ankle firmly. "It doesn't feel perfect, but the doctors say I should be fine. What about your hands? Are they ready?" "I hope so," she breathed nervously. "I've been practicing a lot." "If you can't do it, you know who we'll have to replace you with," she warned. Lauren was flirting with her roommates and didn't hear a word. Valencia appeared confident in her abilities but just as confident in Lauren's. There was no fear of "being replaced" in her eyes. She decided to sit next to Felicity and offered her a smile. "Nervous?" "Are you kidding?! I'm excited! I can't wait!" "Whoa, really?" This definitely wasn't the same woman Valencia knew. The old Felicity would have sighed glumly and shrugged her neighbor off. She certainly wouldn't sound so positive. For awhile she wondered if Felicity had been captured by aliens and replaced with a clone. "I can't wait either!" Jennifer exclaimed. Of course, nobody knew about her wager with Robin, so her outburst was just as confusing. Regardless of their feelings, everyone except Fleur cheered when the bus started rolling, and chatter exploded. Some girls even started singing, and soon the whole bus was alive with music. Flintstones, meet the Flintstones, they're a modern Stone Age family! From the town of Bedrock, they're a place right out of history! Let's ride with the family down the street, through the courtesy of Fred's two feet! When you're with the Flintstones, have a yabba-dabba-doo time, you'll have a good time, we'll have a gay old time! Flintstones, meet the Flintstones, they're a modern Stone Age family! From the town of Bedrock, they're a place right out of history! Some day, maybe Fred will win the fight! Then that cat will stay out for the night! When you're with the Flintstones, have a yabba-dabba-doo time, you'll have a good time, you'll have a gay old time! You'll have a gay old time! "WILMAAAAAA!!!" "So what's this about your sugar?" Kasumi asked. Amy smirked. "I s-sort of have a p-p-problem with it." "You diabetic?" "N-no... Y-you know how kids g-get hyper if th-they eat too m-m-much? I get sugar r-r-rushes too." "Oh jeez, seriously? You don't strike me as the type. I mean, you're always so quiet and private..." "I have m-m-my reasons. J-just try n-not to give me too m-m-much sugar." "That shouldn't be much of a problem with our diet," Kasumi replied. Freya and Nadia were yammering like jackhammers; it was a wonder they could understand each other. The thought of those two people together in the same room, one bouncing off the walls and the other trying to follow in spite of her health, was a fairly unsettling thought- and then there was Amy with her sugar rushes! Kasumi was afraid she had been put with the wrong group. Of course, what she didn't realize was that Freya was moody, private, and fairly antisocial outside of familiar circles, and using so much energy came at a great expense. She also didn't know that Nadia's perkiness was merely a defensive measure against a dark history: it was her way of being secretive, so that nobody would suspect how horribly insecure, nervous, and shaken she was. Kasumi had problems of her own, too: we all put up defensive fronts. The barrier around our hearts is designed to keep people away, for fear that being vulnerable, even for an instant, will destroy us. Human beings are cruel, fragile, selfish, stupid people, and oftentimes the stronger you act on the outside, the more delicate your heart is. The secrets, lies, and tragedies traveling with them on that bus would flatten any resolve if left naked. Perhaps in this regard, Jennifer really was the most exceptional out of them all. She had nothing to fear and nothing to be ashamed about, except for her own mediocrity, and if that was all that held her down, then she was better off than the lot of them. - Fleur Lacroix, Hobbies: manipulation, shopping, real estate; right midfielder- It was the team captain's duty to board the bus first, and Fitzgerald's to board it last, and somewhere in between was Rain Howlet- not quite a star, but certainly a wunderkind. Since everybody boarded alphabetically and Rain's name came fairly early in the list, she had her choice of seats and sat next to a window on the left side. She watched numbly as the other students came on: Price, Kurtz, Diaz, Fairchild, Brooks, Merisan... In spite of her accomplishments and Fitzgerald's investment in her talents, she was disregarded by her peers and viewed as little more than a hanger-on. Rain was pessimistic most of the time, but she was also a realist: she knew they had nothing personal against her, and even if it was something as petty as jealousy, there were at least three people on the team who were better than her, and maybe four who were on her level (Fitzgerald didn't have any "average" students). They ignored her simply because they had other concerns besides befriending her, and their own decisions about where to sit, and who to sit next to. Odds were that Rain would be with someone completely random, someone that didn't necessarily desire to be with her, but chose it simply because it was the first seat available. Nothing to complain about. "Could I sit here, please?" Rain looked up and noticed Price standing in the aisle, and gestured so he'd get out of the way. Rain didn't know anybody on the team she could really call a friend. She got along with most of them, and even chatted when she (or they) was in the mood, but she wasn't close enough to anyone to care. The thought that "things would be different if you were with that other team" crossed her mind, but she dismissed it. This was her path and she wanted to stick to it. Fencing had been one of the few activities her parents suggested that she actually liked: it kept her focused, in excellent shape, gave her goals, and put her in constant contact with other people. The team might not have been as close as she liked, but this was generally the best thing that had happened to her, and she had her patient mentor to thank for it. "All right, we are all here." Fitzgerald appeared at the doorway, glancing down the bus to double-check his count. "We shall be underway momentarily. Since you all are adults, I trust you will behave as such, and not cause me any embarrassment, nor the driver any strife. We will arrive at the city in about two hours, so feel free to recreate quietly until then. Also, be sure your rooming arrangements are correct. If you fail to report any mistakes, you will have to live with them while we are up there. Are there any questions? ...Very well, then. You may proceed when ready, driver." Fitzgerald took his place at the front of the bus, apparently content to sit by himself. Price took a deep breath and crossed his arms. "I don't suppose you brought something to do, Howlet." "I don't have any books, if that's what you mean. Dyslexia." All lies. No way was she trusting him to handle the Trinity Blood manga she bought at Parody. "Portable games, then?" A light went off in Rain's head, and she dug through the carry-on she had brought. Jen had loaned her a Game Boy DS with some games just for this trip; she kept a PSP for herself. "Enjoy," she said, handing them to him. "But be careful. That belongs to a friend." Not necessarily a true statement, but at that moment, with everyone carelessly chatting away as if their neighbors didn't even exist, and Rain as another face in the crowd despite her talents and quirks, her acquaintance Jen sounded like the best friend in the world. Admit it: you'd rather be with them. But there's nothing I can do about it. I'm here, now, by my own choosing. But you do want to be with them. They're much more fun than this bunch. Rain felt her heart wrenching. Damned conscience. With Price hogging the game and everyone else wrapped in their own tiny world, Rain felt abnormally lonesome. This was not a new feeling for her- she thought she had gotten used to empty lunch tables, activity groups, playgrounds, therapy sessions, and classrooms. The so-called group dynamic of fencing had been all for me and me for all, with people only cheering and supporting if you caused the team to advance. Rain had thought that was how things always went, and this grim outlook was what had attracted Fleur to her side. Ah, Fleur! Ironically, she was the one who delivered Rain to something new and exciting, a different world where people greeted her by name, smiled at her, walked with her to class, played with her, and even flirted (Alice and Lauren were one thing, but Valencia and Odessa?). "Having never felt alive until..." sounded cliché, but after tasting the fruits of real friends and real interaction, Rain could not abide these bland, ordinary people. They were not bad and they were not stupid, but they seemed lifeless and even meaningless. Even her legion of fans was little more than a cluster of vapid, starry-eyed, fickle airheads, swearing allegiance to whatever was "in" at the moment. Rain wondered how they would feel towards her if she drastically lost. And how would the soccer team react in the same situation? Damn. Thinking about it made her feel worse. "Price, are you done yet?" she groaned. He was intently focused on the game- just like a boy. "I just started! Gimme a minute." Rain checked her watch and sighed in frustration. She looked out the window, looked back at her watch, and elbowed him. "I'm serious, man. We're almost there. Just find a place and save it." "Okay, god! Thanks for letting me have it." He returned it sourly; Rain took a deep breath and stowed it in her bag. "I only asked for it back since we're almost- " "Fine, whatever makes you happy," he murmured. What a baby! Just because she defeated him three times at practice today... "What's your problem?" she snorted. An icy silence wedged between them and stayed there as the bus slowed down, swerved into a parking lot, and opened its doors with an exhausted hiss. "About time," Diaz grumbled. "Two hours my ass!" Rain snickered and waited for Price to move. The captain, being the captain, would be the last one out. It was still light outside when they emerged, standing awkwardly and anxiously before their hotel. Fitzgerald went over the rules and regulations for hotel conduct, not that many of these thoroughbreds needed to hear them, and herded them inside so they could check in. The ladies would have one floor to themselves, while the men had another, with five rooms each. Unlike Leena and her tightening soccer budget, Fitzgerald could afford two people to a room- not that it was an improvement. Rain felt a little less isolated with one other person in the room: Brooks was a decent enough human being, but she was fairly colorless even compared to the others, and went to bed early, asking that Rain not disturb her. She had to play her DS in another room, with the volume turned down, cursing to herself as she repaired the damage Price did to Jen's save file. - Rain Howlet, Hobbies: fencing, dark comedy, Kafka; no position- "Uh-oh," Jennifer said as Leena unlocked the door. "I sense a disturbance in the Force, as if a voice suddenly cried out 'oh crap'." "The hell?" Shannon grimaced. "Forget it. It's a nerd thing." Leena turned on the lights and set her belongings down next to one of the beds. There were only two, so that meant they had to share. "We have about two hours before we need to turn in, so do whatever you feel you have to. I'll be going around the other rooms at 9:30 to make sure their lights are out." "Will we be waking up at six o'clock again for our ritual?" Fausta asked. "Yes. Lovelace's field is a few miles from here, so we'll use the bus. After that we can eat breakfast, but don't load up. I don't want anybody slowing down on me." "And after the game?" "Well," she smiled gently, "I suppose no matter what the outcome, you all deserve to have some fun. I'll take you someplace nice before we go home." "I'm taking my showah now," Shannon announced as she headed for the bathroom. There was only one, so they would have to take turns. As for sleeping arrangements, Shannon said she didn't mind sharing a bed with Jen: it was Fausta she didn't trust. Jennifer was engaged with her PSP for the rest of the day while Fausta took out a book and Leena went into another room to use her cell phone. Meanwhile, Nadia and Freya had stripped down to their underwear and started a pillow fight, so Kasumi had to scramble to hide all the breakable objects. Amy stood mesmerized as two gorgeous, half-naked women squealed, wrestled, and fought, and felt her stomach churn as they asked her to join them. "But you have to undress," Freya pointed. "It's the rule. Bra and panties only." "I love this game," Nadia purred- although she would have loved it even more if Felicity and Elisa were playing! "Und-d-dress? W-why?" "Because it's the rule!" Freya smiled and was about to lift Amy's shirt over her arms when she stopped herself and realized what she was doing. Playing with Nadia like this was one thing, but she once had a crush on Amy, and it would mean something entirely different. She hadn't even realized this until just now, but Amy certainly remembered, and she backed off bashfully. "Whah? What iz thiz? Why you not show pretty Amy body? I bet you are being most gorgeous lady and could defeat evil Freya with ultra pillow bomber." "Nadia," Freya said, and she dipped into an elementary Russian she picked up while studying abroad. "[It is not good for her and me to be this way. We had falling out. It is big story.]" "[Don't you like Amy? I like her. Come on- ] Sorry," she said, reverting to English very suddenly, "I have been confused by change. Want to play? Kazoome, play?" "I guess so," she muttered. She wore a sports bra and boxers: girly undergarments weren't her style. Nadia giggled and swatted her behind, then bopped her with a pillow. Freya sat down, put an oversized shirt on, and invited Amy to sit near her so they could talk. "You know, with everything that's been going on, I almost forgot." "It's okay," she murmured, glancing at Freya's face. "I've s-sort of f-f-forgotten ab-bout it as w-w-well. Are you f-f-feeling all right?" "Huh? Oh, you mean after that incident at the hospital? No, I'm okay. I just can't cheer as loud as I want to, but you'll do fine." Amy smirked proudly, an expression that was, quite frankly, unusually sexy. She looked like a tough kid from the street but spoke like an adolescent, an odd combination to say the least. "Y-you know it. I've n-n-never lost before. Hey." Amy touched Freya's face and leaned in to kiss her cheek. "R-really, don't w-w-worry ab-bout me. I...feel like...I can...trust you." Obviously this had a deeper implication than Freya realized, but she wouldn't know about it for awhile. Amy undressed, almost right in front of her (Nadia was right about her being gorgeous), and took up two pillows, wielding them like nunchucks. "D-don't sit like a b-b-bump on a l-l-log, Freya! I n-n-need your help!" "Oh! Yes ma'am!" Freya stripped and jumped on Kasumi; Amy tackled Nadia and the four of them battled each other until they were left breathless and exhausted. They could barely move, even to turn the lights out, but somehow managed and settled in for a rather rewarding rest. Kasumi, for her part, was glad to be proven wrong. "Damn it," Lauren groaned as Leena knocked on their door. "Just when it was getting good!" Alice smirked cattily and fastened her bra back. She didn't know how things had evolved to strip poker. One minute Lauren was being her usual goofy self, suggesting they play cards, keeping the games nice and friendly- but the next, she had pushed the more risqué version around. Elisa and Terra both backed out, but Alice decided to go along: she wanted to be included, and she was actually having a lot of fun. She was also down to her underwear and losing badly, though Lauren couldn't tell if it was on purpose or not. She just had her socks and holey jeans taken, and was disappointed that the game ended so prematurely. "And that's why you shouldn't gamble," Elisa pointed. "You got it wrong, Berkeley!" Lauren grinned. "This is why people should! Hey, you don't have to put your clothes back, you know. We're all girls here. I sleep naked all the time." "Please abstain for today at least," Elisa sighed. She didn't trust herself with the other women and so asked Terra to share her bed. Terra knew Elisa had a girlfriend, but couldn't help but stare at how lovely she looked, especially in her nightgown. She slept silently and beautifully, wheezing very softly and groaning happily, like a baby might. Lauren and Alice were giggling, wrestling, and laughing in the bed; they'd probably be zombies come the morning. Tu sighed and tried to shut her eyes, but Elisa tossed in her sleep, draping an arm around her back, and scooted closer to cuddle with the mysterious object. "Mmm...goodnight, Mr. Coconut." Terra's eyes opened with a start. What the hell...? "And you're sure you're okay?" Arina smiled sweetly at Fleur; they were sharing the same bed since neither Felicity nor Valencia wanted to spend the night with her. Lacroix sighed and rolled her eyes. "For the last time, yes! Why are you always on my case?" "Because I like you," Arina answered. She reached out to touch Fleur's face, and giggled eerily. "Um, okaaayyy... Do you want to have sex or something? Is that it?" "Don't be absurd," she answered quietly, sounding a little offended. "My sex life involves men, but my intellectual life encompasses everybody. When two people become close like this, others always assume that sex is a part of their relationship." "I wouldn't say we're close." "I'd like to think we are." "You're weird," Fleur grumbled, "even for me." "But you like me, don't you?" Lacroix raised her eyebrow, puzzled, and decided to end the discussion right then and there. She pulled Arina's face close and kissed her squarely on the mouth. "Let's just say that I would have said yes, but...since you don't want to..." "You misinterpreted me," Essylt sighed, wiping her mouth. Fleur giggled and turned her around so they could spoon. Arina smelled fantastic and she was as soft and warm as a fur coat. "I'm just fucking with you." "That's what I'm afraid of." Fleur laughed and squeezed Arina gently. "Don't tell me you're not curious. Not you. Not a psychologist." "Pipe down," Valencia groaned. "Some of us are trying to sleep." "Yeah, seriously," Felicity mumbled. Arina giggled. "Darling, let me rest for a moment. I can evaluate you another time." "And who says courtship is dead?" Fleur murmured.
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