{lisa}
lisa's morning began with her waking up alone at the dorm.
Lots of moving around, or fucking around maybe, had made this last night be particularly exhausting and so, lisa had opted to sleep in at the academy. Now, she was stretching her arms in the air as she looked down at a note she wrote for Raven's benefit. Just to let her know she hadn't been kidnapped or sothing.
[Not that she'd be too concerned, I think,] lisa thought as she put on so thigh-high socks. [I've been spending so much less ti at the academy lately. Even my professors look surprised when I actually show up for class, huh.]
She gave herself a look in the mirror.
[... Did my chest get even bigger?] lisa pouted a little. [It's gonna get hard to walk around at this rate.]
Alas, her breasts were not her main concern at the mont. No, that was the fact that she actually had a na attached to the arson of Javir's manor.
[Right! Ti to go see what Dad thinks about this Rax guy.]
lisa ventured out into the early-morning streets of Syux. She got a few looks as she made her way down. So cause the people recognized her as lisa Blackfla, that girl from the academy. So cause of her growing titties. So cause people were probably worried she'd try to attack them or sothing.
[The latter number is getting a bit high for my taste,] lisa thought. [I need to help Aria fix this ASAP.]
She kept her head low for a little while until she bumped into soone.
"Oof."
"Ah, uh," the man she ran into placed his hands on her shoulder to steady her, "my... lisa?"
[What?]
lisa looked up.
"Oh, Dad."
"..."
They stared at each other for a beat.
lisa laughed.
"Oh shit, oh wow, I was just heading to Kimiko's house!" lisa declared.
"Ohhh wow," listair blinked a couple of tis. "I was about to head to work."
"Well," lisa smiled up, "how about you give a sec? I was actually going to ask you sothing."
"About?"
"Rax," lisa said. "Do you know anyone by that na?"
The instant that question left lisa's lips, listair's face darkened.
"Yeah... I do." He gestured toward a nearby alley. The kind were lisa would usually be attacked by the Shadow Mages or sothing. "Let's talk over there."
They walked over. listair leaned against the alley wall, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"To answer your question... I do know him."
"Oh, okay, perfect. Can you-"
"He's my friend."
lisa stopped.
"Been my friend for nine years, actually," he said quietly. "Since we first ca to Syux. Works at the sa construction site. He's..." listair shook his head. "He's been my best friend in this city."
[Oh fuck,] lisa thought, her stomach dropping. [Not just so random terrorist. Dad's actual friend?]
She vaguely rembered seeing another nim at their house years ago, bringing food and chatting with Margaret and listair and such. Though, in those days, lisa had basically been an arcane hermit, spending almost every hour of the day experinting with magic in her guest room.
Was that him?
"Wait," she held up her hands. "So... your friend tried to burn down Javir's house?"
"Maybe." listair shook his head. "Maybe not. Could be he... didn't know we were living there. Forgot, or sothing."
"Yeah," lisa latched onto that possibility. "Yeah! I an, not everyone knows where we-"
"The whole nim community knows," listair cut her off. "It's been gossip for years. The Blackflas, living with a human mage."
[Well shit,] lisa thought.
If Rax had ordered the attack knowing they lived there... knowing Hazel was there...
It wasn't hard to guess where listair's mind was at.
"Still," she tried, "could've been a mix-up with the orders. Wrong house, wrong ti..."
She trailed off. Even to her own ears it sounded desperate.
[Humans enslaved nim. Humans lied about our magic. But trying to murder a child? That's a special kind of fucked up.]
"That's what I'm going to find out," listair straightened up. "I'm heading to talk to him now."
"Like hell you are," lisa stepped in front of him. "Not alone."
"lisa-"
"Dad." She crossed her arms under her increasingly impressive rack. "Your friend might have tried to murder our entire family. Including Hazel. If you think I'm letting you walk into that conversation alone, you've clearly forgotten who raised ."
[And if he really did try to kill us,] she thought, [well... I've got so new spells that need testing.]
listair smiled a little.
"Ah, damn it. Your mother would say the sa thing."
"Damn right she would. Probably with more swearing." lisa grinned. "Besides, I can always flash my tits as a distraction if things go south."
"lisa!"
"What? They're getting big enough to qualify as deadly weapons at this point."
Again, listair shook his head. Out of disbelief again too, but of a different kind entirely.
The joke landed, breaking so of the tension. She could see the smile he was trying to hide.
"Fine," he said. "But let do the talking."
"Sure," lisa fell into step beside him as they left the alley. "I'll just stand there looking intimidating. And probably getting ogled by half the construction site."
[And trying not to think about how many tis this guy may have sat at our dinner table,] she added silently. [How many tis he smiled at us while planning to burn us alive.]
The morning sun hit her face as they erged from the alley. Sowhere in the city, Hazel was probably just waking up, asking Margaret to make her favorite breakfast. Safe. Alive.
No thanks to Rax.
[If he really did this,] lisa thought, her magic stirring beneath her skin, [being burned alive is going to seem like a rcy compared to what I'll do to him.]
She glanced at her father's face, seeing nine years of friendship warring with the need to protect his family.
[One way or another,] she decided, [we're getting answers today.]
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