{lisa}
lisa panted, lowering her sword.
She felt like her body was on fire.
She and Raven had been training for a few hours. They'd gone over various stances and swings and blocking techniques and footwork and spacing and...
[Oh gods, my arms are about to fall off.]
Raven noticed lisa's fatigue. Her cold, grey eyes assessed her and then the woman nodded to herself.
"I think that's enough for today," she said, sheathing her own blade. "You've made good progress, lisa. We can pick this up again another ti."
lisa nodded gratefully.
[SALVATION!]
The two of them began to gather their things.
"Hey, thanks for taking the ti to do this for , Raven. I really appreciate it," lisa stated.
"You are welco," Raven replied casually, without glancing her way.
As lisa got ready to go, her gaze lingered on Raven.
[She's so hard to read,] lisa mused. [There's definitely more to her than ets the eye. I agree with Javir on that much. But dangerous? I just can't see it. She doesn't really give that vibe.]
Part of the reason lisa had tripped her earlier had been to test her. To see what Raven did in response. But, if she was so sort of assassin, wouldn't she have done sothing then?
[Unless she's just that confident that I wouldn't harm her, even with my sword at her throat like I had it.]
Setting that aside, sure, Raven was skilled with a blade. Exceptionally so. And, certainly, there was a certain coldness to her. A distance that lisa couldn't quite breach.
But in the monts she and lisa had shared so far...
[She just seems so human,] lisa thought. [It's hard to view her that way.]
She wanted more ti with her, though. More opportunities to gauge Raven's personality. So, she asked:
"Hey, Raven? Would you maybe want to grab a bite to eat? I don't know about you, but I'm starving after all that training."
Raven blinked, surprise flickering across her features.
"I... I don't think that's a good idea," she said, her voice low. "We should probably just head back to the dorms."
But lisa wasn't ready to give up that easily.
"Oh, co on," she insisted, a playful grin tugging at her lips. "It'll be fun! We can chat, get to know each other a little better. Plus, I know this great little cafe just off campus that makes the best sandwiches in Syux."
Raven looked back at her. Her expression didn't change, but her tone did.
"I don't know, lisa..."
"Please?" lisa widened her eyes, giving Raven her best puppy-dog look. "I promise I won't bite. Unless you're into that sort of thing~"
She punctuated the last bit with a wink.
Raven raised a brow but, soon, she found herself nodding.
"Fine," Raven sighed. "I suppose a quick bite wouldn't hurt. Lead the way."
---
{Raven}
Raven sat on the edge of her bed, the room silent save for lisa's soft snores from across the room.
The nim girl was fast asleep, her face peaceful and untroubled, blissfully unaware of the turmoil raging in Raven's mind.
[I should be sleeping too,] Raven thought, glancing at the clock on the wall. [But I have a job to do.]
Slowly, silently, she rose from her bed, her bare feet making no sound on the cold stone floor.
She padded over to lisa's bedside, her eyes tracing the delicate lines of the girl's purple face.
[A nim looking so innocent,] Raven mused, her eyes narrowing. [So vulnerable.]
Before she knew what she was doing, Raven had drawn a knife from the sheath at her thigh, the blade glinting in the moonlight that filtered through the window.
She held it over lisa's sleeping form, the point hovering just inches from the girl's throat.
[It would be so easy,] Raven thought, tilting her head. [One quick thrust, and it would all be over. My mission would be complete. I'd be free to return to the temple.]
But even as the thought crossed her mind, Raven knew she couldn't do it. Not yet. Not until her Master gave the word.
She sighed.
[I wish they'd let just get on with it. All this... fooling around is unnecessary. If keeping a low profile is what you want to do, will that not only get harder with ti?]
Still, as much as she hated it, Raven couldn't kill this girl just yet. She was under orders.
For a while, she just stood there, looking down at the girl.
[Soon.]
And, with a shaky breath, Raven lowered the knife, slipping it back into its sheath.
She stepped away from lisa's bed. Silently, she slipped into her black hood and robe.
She couldn't kill lisa yet, but another poor soul in the city was less fortunate.
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---
{Armia}
Armia strode through the hallways of her family's estate, her footsteps echoing on the polished marble floor. Beside her, Darien sauntered along, his hands tucked casually into his pockets.
"Hey, Darien," Armia said, glancing at her brother. "I was thinking we could train together today. I need to work on my technique for the tournant."
Darien shrugged, an apologetic grin on his face.
"Sorry, sis. I've got plans today. Maybe another ti?"
Armia frowned.
[Of course he's busy,] she thought bitterly. [He's always busy when I need him.]
"Co on, Darien," she pleaded, trying to keep the irritation out of her voice. "This is important. I need to be at the top of my ga if I want to stand a chance in the tournant."
Darien raised an eyebrow, a skeptical look on his face.
"Why do you even need to train so hard, anyway? It's not like there's anyone in the Prestige Class who can match your level of swordsmanship."
Armia hesitated, crossing her arms and tapping her foot against the floor.
"That's because... I'm not planning to use a sword."
Darien blinked.
"What? But you're the best sword fighter I know. Why wouldn't you use your strongest weapon?"
Armia sighed, running a hand through her hair.
"Because using weapons and engaging in close-range battles does not befit a lady," she explained, her voice firm despite the uncertainty swirling in her gut.
[And that's what I want to be,] she thought, a fierce determination burning in her chest. [A lady. Not just another brutish darian, but a true woman, graceful and refined.]
It was her deepest desire, the goal she'd been working towards for as long as she could rember. She couldn't give an inch if she was going to prove that to everyone. And, that ant she'd win this tournant in the most graceful way possible.
Darien, however, just looked even more perplexed.
"I... Isn't the whole point of that tournant to show off how good you are at fighting?"
Armia shook her head, a small smile tugging at her lips.
"There's more to combat than just brute force, Darien. I want to show that I can be just as effective, just as powerful, without resorting to such... indelicate thods."
Darien snorted, rolling his eyes.
"If you say so, sis. But if you're not going to train with , why don't you just practice with soone from your class?"
Armia raised a brow.
"Yes, because I have soooo many friends to choose from. Right."
Darien took a mont to think.
"What about that nim girl from before?"
And, Armia imdiately blushed.
"A-Absolutely not!"
Darien's eyebrows shot up.
"Why not? She seems like a good option. You two are already working together on that other project, right?"
Armia shook her head vehently, her cheeks burning.
"It's just not going to happen, okay? Drop it."
But Darien, sensing there was more to the story, wasn't about to let it go that easily.
"Co on, sis. What's the big deal? Did sothing happen between you two?"
[... He's not going to let this go. Fuck!]
Armia sat down heavily on the couch, hunching over as if trying to make herself smaller.
"Last ti lisa and I t to work on our project, we... we ended up sitting quite close to each other."
Darien nodded.
"Alright..."
Armia squird, her face feeling like it was on fire.
"And, well... as we were working, I found myself... getting a bit, um... excited."
Darien's eyebrows twitched.
"Excited? What do you an?"
Armia groaned, burying her face in her hands.
"You know..." Armia was about to pass out. "Excited. Down there."
There was a beat of silence, and then...
"Wait," he smirked, "are you saying you got a boner?"
"Darien! Keep your voice down!"
But it was too late. Darien was already doubled over, howling with laughter.
"Oh my gods, Armia! I can't believe it! You, the prim and proper lady, popping a stiffy for a nim girl! This is too good!"
Armia grabbed a nearby pillow, slamming it into Darien's face with all her might.
"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" she hissed, her scales standing on end with mortification. "It's not funny!"
[This has to be one of the most embarrassing monts of my life,] she thought miserably, her shoulders slumping in defeat.
As if reading her mind, Darien sobered up, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes.
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry for laughing. But seriously, Armia, it's not that big of a deal. Right? I an, you can't help who you're attracted to."
Armia's head snapped up, her eyes narrowing.
"I am not attracted to a nim!" she snapped.
"Sure you're not. That's why your soldier decided to stand at attention when she got too close, right?"
Armia groaned, flopping back against the couch.
"Ugh, I shouldn't have said anything."
Darien shrugged, his expression turning serious.
"Look, sis, I get that you're embarrassed. But unless you can suddenly develop a social life and find soone else to practice with, you're going to have to get over it and ask lisa for help. At least, as far as I can tell."
Armia sighed, knowing he was right.
[Gods above, give strength.]
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