The little cabin was lit by a few candles as Nina sat down at the desk, carefully flattening the paper out before she took her pen and wrote, 'Dear Sergei....' Nina sighed, looking at the sheet as she considered what to do. Becoming an Otome once more and using the Neptune Emerald made her realize her place was among the Otome, but what was she to do about Sergei? 'I care for him,' Nina admitted to herself as she looked out the window, 'but I don't love him. Maybe I never did....' "You have a very serious expression on your face," Mashiro noted as she emerged from the shower, wrapping a fluffy towel around her slim body. "Sorry," Nina smiled slightly, "just thinking about what to do with Sergei." Somewhat tentatively Mashiro said, "I suppose it depends on what you've decided to do about being a Otome." Nina took a deep breath, "I intend to stay a otome, assuming the headmistress approves." Arika bounced up from where she sat on one of the beds, throwing her arms around Nina as she happily cried, "Of course she'll approve!" "Arika," Nina blushed as she fended off the exuberant girl, "get off me." Mashiro chuckled softly as she watched Nina blushing, once again marveling at the close friendship between the two. Despite everything that happened between them and all the time that had passed, they still were almost as close as they were when they were schoolmates. 'Of course, things are a bit different now,' Mashiro thought, feeling a blush color her own cheeks. She had talked to Natsuki Kuga about it, and the elder otome had explained it was perfectly normal for a ruler and their otome to have such a relationship, but she still wondered.... "So you're breaking up with Sergei?" Arika asked innocently, her arms still wrapped around Nina. "I need to let him go," Nina admitted, "I like him, but he's not my father, not the man I loved before. It's not fair to me or him to keep holding on this way." "I understand," Mashiro nodded seriously, "and if you need any help, you can always call ojme." "Thank you." Nina finally got Arika off her as she sat back with a sigh. "I noticed there's only two beds here," she said, "do you want the single, Mashiro?" Mashiro firmly commanded herself not to blush, but Arika replied before she could formulate a clear response. "It's all right," Arika said cheerfully as she sat down on the side of the bed, "Mashiro and I always sleep together." Mashiro blushed, "Arika!" Arika looked at her quizzically, "Yes?" Mashiro looked at her otome in a exasperated way as she sighed, "You don't have to put it so bluntly, Arika." Arika smiled slightly, "It's not like Nina's surprised, are you Nina?" Nina blushed as she nodded slightly, "A few of the teachers at Windbloom discussed it, though I never went to the advanced course." Silently she added, 'And like most students I was well aware of Nao's nocturnal activities....' "Advanced course?" Mashiro asked tentatively, not entirely sure that she really wanted to know the answer. Arika leaned forward as she gestured excitedly, "Two of the meister otome come in and give a demonstration of various techniques." "Seriously?" Mashiro blinked, blushing once more. "Yeah," Arika nodded eagerly, "Ahn was visiting, and she demonstrated with meister Meia. It was... educational." "I've met Ahn," Mashiro shook her head ruefully, "and now I'm going to have to concentrate not to think about her doing THAT." "Just stay away from her when she drinks," Arika advised seriously. Nina nodded, having heard the rumors as she noted, "Ahn gets out of control when she drinks alcohol." Mashiro's eyes widened, "Is she the one who molested you, Arika?" "Molested?" Nina repeated, surprised. Arika blushed, "It's not quite that bad, Mashiro. She just... well, cuddled me to her breasts then tried to strip everyone naked." Mashiro blinked a few times then said dryly, "If that's your idea of not that bad, I don't want to hear about a disaster." 0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0 Juliet Nao Zhang sneezed suddenly, the redhead shaking her head ruefully. "Someone must b talking about me," she noted. Yukariko Steinberg smiled as the brown haired woman asked, "You're surprised?" "No, not really," Nao conceded cheerfully. They sat together on the beach as the light began to face, the water of the lake lapping peacefully at the shore. She looked over at Yukariko curiously, "Why did you agree to see me?" Yukariko nervously pushed her short hair back, "Maybe I was hoping I could save you." Nao actually snorted with amusement at that thought. "Don't try to joke, please," Nao laughed as she lay back, her robe opening to reveal a very scanty swimsuit. With a gulp Yukariko looked away, faintly ashamed at the stirring within her body caused by her beauty. "I'm not joking," she protested. Nao reached out to caress her cheek, turning Yukariko's head to face her's. "You're a beautiful woman," she told the older woman softly, "you shouldn't let that beauty go to waste." "Nao...." Yukariko moaned softly as the girl's hand cupped her neck then slid down over her collarbone. "Is that a Nao no," Nao purred as she kissed her teasingly, "or a Nao yes?" "Hmm," Yukariko sighed with pleasure as Nao licked her cheeks, the girl's hands roaming daringly over her own conservative suit. "No," Nao nibbled teasingly at her ear, "or yes?" Choking back a moan Yukariko pulled the young woman close as she gasped, "Yes!" 0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0 Nina settled onto the bed and lay back, trying very hard not to lesaten to the giggling as Mashiro and Arika got comfortable in the bed. It was bad enough knowing the two woman slept together, but even worse was how they had almost seemed to tease her. First Mashiro had stripped down, revealing a slim young girl's body blossoming into woman hood. While small her beasts were well formed, and her hips were already beginning to take on a more rounded shape. On the other hand Arika was farther along in her development, her perky breasts bouncing a bit as she strode from the bath to where Mashiro waited in the bed. 'Do they have to walk around naked?' Nina thought despairingly, wishing she could hide her blushing face. Mashiro and Arika exchanged a hidden smile, seeing the blush on Nina's face and her hungry eyes. "Arika," Mashiro instructed, "you lay down first, then I'll climb in." "Right, Mashiro," Arika chuckled as she climbed in, then Mashiro snuggled in beside her, Arika throwing a arm around the smaller girl. 'They'd better not do anything,' Nina thought to herself grimly, 'or I'll get a bucket of water and dump it on them.' Mashiro gave a contented sigh as she settled, then rested her head on Arika's beasts as she sighed, "Thank you." Without really thinking about it Nina turned in her bed, watching Arika and Mashiro laying there together. 'They really do fit together,' she mused as Arika pulled a blanket over them, 'even though they're more like lifelong friends.' "Sleep tight, Mashiro," Arika murmured, tenderly stroking her hair. Nina blushed, imagining those fingers running her own black hair. It had been a long time since she'd let someone touch her in anything resembling an tender way, in fact the last time she could recall such a tender touch... it had been when she bathed with Arika and Erstin well over a year ago. They lay there for awhile, only the sound of their breathing echoing then Mashiro spoke up softly, "Nina?" Nina gulped, hoping the two of them did not know what had been going through her mind. "Yes?" she answered. "If you like," Mashiro offered, "we could push the beds together." She smiled slightly, "It gets cool overnight in the valley, and it'd keep us warmer." Nina silently wrestled with temptation, but it was a losing fight. "Is that okay, Arika?" she asked politely. "Come on over," Arika grinned happily.
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