{lisa}
lisa lay motionless on her bed, her face buried in her pillow as she tried her best to suffocate herself.
[I'm going to die,] she thought, her entire body burning with embarrassnt. [I'm actually going to die right here, right now, and honestly? That might be the best outco.]
She rolled onto her back, staring up at the ceiling.
[Maybe I should just... never do that again. Ever. For the rest of my life. Yep, that's it. lisa Blackfla, the Nim That Never Touched Herself.
Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?]
Just as she was considering the logistics of becoming a celibate hermit mage, the door creaked open once more.
lisa sprang to her feet so quickly she nearly toppled over, her face flushing an even deeper shade of purple.
"I'm so sorry!" she blurted out, her words tumbling over each other in her haste. "I didn't an to— I was just— Oh god, I'm so embarrassed."
The dark-haired girl held up a hand, cutting off lisa's rambling apology.
"It's fine," she said, her voice cool and controlled. "I should have knocked. It was my error."
lisa stopped.
[Whoa,] she thought, blinking. [Her voice is... Amazing.]
The girl who'd just spoken now, whose grey eyes quickly ran up and down lisa's body, had a voice that lisa could only describe as being like water being poured slowly from a pitcher.
[Her voice is so deep, too, for soone as... tiny as she is.] Raven was lisa's sa height, and sotis lisa felt like an ant as she walked around the Academy.
She stepped fully into the room, closing the door behind her.
"I'm Raven," she said, giving a small, formal bow. "I believe I'm to be your roommate."
lisa blinked.
"Oh! Um, nice to et you. I'm lisa," she replied, automatically extending her hand for a shake. "lisa Blackfla."
Raven flinched back. That act made lisa flinch too.
[Eh?]
Raven's eyes widened slightly before she quickly brought her features back into neutrality.
lisa stayed frozen, her hand hanging awkwardly in the air between them.
[What was that about?] she wondered, slowly lowering her arm. [Ah, no, my bad. Maybe she's just not used to physical contact.]
Deciding not to make a big deal of it, lisa forced a smile.
"So, uh, welco to our room, I guess? Sorry again about... earlier. I promise that won't be, like, a regular occurrence or anything."
Raven nodded, her grey eyes scanning the room with an odd amount of intensity.
"It's fine," she repeated, moving to the empty bed. "I'm sure we'll get along well, lisa Blackfla. It is a pleasure to et another talented mage."
Sothing about the way Raven said her na sent a small shiver down lisa's spine, but she brushed it off as lingering embarrassnt.
lisa watched as Raven ticulously unpacked her belongings, each movent precise and calculated. The silence stretched between them, thick and uncomfortable.
[Co on, lisa,] she thought, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt. [Say sothing. Anything!]
"So, uh, where are you from?" lisa asked, wincing internally at how forced it sounded.
Raven paused, her hand hovering over a neatly folded shirt.
"I'm from the eastern provinces," she replied, her voice still so achingly smooth. "A small town called erfall."
"Oh, cool! I've never been there. What's it like?"
"It is quaint." Raven answered quickly. "Lots of farmland. Very peaceful." Raven's eyes didn't et lisa's as she spoke, focusing instead on her unpacking.
"What about your family? Do you have any siblings?"
"One brother," Raven answered just as promptly. "He's younger. Wants to be a baker."
Each response ca quickly. Efficiently.
[Huh,] lisa thought, frowning slightly. [That sounded... rehearsed? Like she was reciting lines from a play.]
lisa frowned, but she pushed on. It didn't matter.
[This is my chance,] she realized, a spark of excitent igniting in her chest. [After eight years, I might finally have one friend!]
Taking a deep breath, lisa stood up, careful to maintain a respectful distance from Raven. Clearly, the girl appreciated having so space to herself if the way she flinched earlier was any indication.
"Hey, I was thinking of taking a walk around campus. You know, get so fresh air, maybe explore a bit. Would you like to co with ?"
Raven's hands stilled, her eyes flickering with... sothing.
Surprise? Uncertainty?
For a mont, she seed to be weighing her options, a internal debate playing out behind those stormy grey eyes.
Finally, she nodded.
"Yes," she said, her voice softer than before. "I think I'd like that."
lisa bead, her heart soaring.
"Great! Let's go then!"
---
{Raven}
Raven walked beside lisa, her eyes darting over the nim girl's form.
The purple skin, the horns, the tail. All of it scread 'other', 'dangerous', 'disgusting'. Yet here lisa was, strolling along as if she belonged, her skirt swishing with each step, exposing flashes of thigh.
[It would be so easy,] Raven thought, her fingers twitching towards the hidden blade strapped to her thigh. [One quick movent and it'd be over. No one would even notice until it was too late.]
But she restrained herself, rembering her master's words. Not yet. Not here.
"So, what do you think of the Academy so far?" lisa's voice cut through Raven's murderous thoughts.
Without thinking, Raven replied:
"It's nothing compared to where I trained."
The words were out before she could stop them.
Raven's heart skipped a beat, realizing her mistake.
[Fool! That's not part of your cover story!]
But lisa's eyes lit up with interest.
"Oh? Where did you train before? It must have been impressive!"
Raven swallowed hard, her mind racing.
[I can't take it back now. I'll have to improvise.]
"It was... different," she said carefully. "More focused on practical applications than theory. The training grounds were underground, carved into the bedrock. Not like these airy classrooms and sunlit courtyards."
lisa smiled, fangs peeking out slightly.
"That sounds fascinating! I'd love to hear more about it soday."
Raven found her gaze drawn to those lips, the way they curved upwards, how they parted just slightly as lisa spoke.
She shook her head, snapping herself out of it.
[Ahh, there it is,] she reminded herself sternly. [Rember what you were taught. Nim are manipulators. They use affection as a weapon. Don't let your guard down.]
But as they continued their walk, Raven couldn't help but notice how lisa's eyes sparkled when she talked, how her laughter seed to brighten the air around them.
[Stay strong,] she told herself. [Don't fall for her tricks. You have a mission to complete.]
As they rounded a corner, a tall woman with sunlight-colored hair approached them, her eyes lighting up at the sight of lisa.
"lisa! How are you settling in?" the woman asked, her voice warm and rich.
lisa bead, her tail swishing behind her.
"I'm doing great, thanks. Oh, let introduce you—this is my new roommate, Raven. Raven, this is Javir."
Javir's gaze shifted to Raven, her eyes sharp and assessing.
Raven felt a chill run down her spine, her muscles tensing involuntarily. There was sothing in the older woman's gaze, a flicker of... suspicion?
[Does she know?] Raven wondered, her heart rate picking up. [Is my cover blown already?]
For a mont, the air between them crackled with tension. Raven's hand twitched, ready to reach for her hidden weapon at the slightest provocation.
But then Javir's expression softened, and she offered a polite smile.
"A pleasure to et you, Raven. I'm afraid I must get back to my office—papers to grade, you know how it is. You two enjoy your walk."
With a quick bow, Javir turned and strode away, her robes billowing behind her.
Raven watched her go, eyes narrowed, every muscle in her body still coiled tight.
"So, shall we continue?" lisa's voice made Raven flinch, her hand jerking towards her thigh before she caught herself.
lisa's eyes widened slightly, but her voice remained calm.
"We don't have to if you're not feeling up to it. I know it can be overwhelming, eting new people..."
Raven took a deep breath, forcing her muscles to relax.
"No, it's fine," she said, her voice carefully controlled. "Let's keep going. I'd like to see more of the campus."
As they resud their walk, Raven couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. But by who?
Javir, or soone else?
Reviews
All reviews (0)