049

2.12 - Peek

Camille blushed furiously as she scurried from the bathroom. When she'd seen Natalie--the red-headed girl from class--scrambling through the halls of the training facility, she hadn't known what to think. Red faced and visibly flustered, in a clear rush to get somewhere, the sight had caught Camille's attention. She'd followed almost by instinct.

Which was weird, she knew. Especially because she had hidden her pursuit, slinking around corners to not be seen. But she hadn't been able to help herself. Natalie had been in such a

state

, and so Camille had been equally curious why.

And then following her

into

the bathroom? Even stalking her had been weird enough, but in? That'd crossed the line, even if the first part hadn't.

But, again, her curiosity had been piqued. She'd never stood a chance when it came to resisting her curiosity. Sticking her nose where it didn't belong was, essentially, Camille's most fundamental flaw. Or virtue. That same inquisitiveness was why Cara Gylver had taken notice of her. Camille had discovered that at Tenet, her country drawl and "unrefined speech patterns" suggested to many that she was a woman of slow wits, or at best, a lackadaisical mind, but the opposite was true. As her adoption into House Gylver loudly proclaimed. The infamous 'House of Ingenuity' cared for little besides keenness of mind.

So, seeing her classmate flee down the hall, flushed and excited looking... she had followed. Against better judgment. And propriety.

And then not just to her destination, but in. If she lied to herself, she had needed to use the restroom, anyway. She hadn't entered with

intent

to intrude. It was just a coincidence she had gone into the same bathroom her fleeing target had.

Well, no. Even she couldn't lie to herself

that

blatantly. She guessed she was just a nosy person.

Inside, Camille had discovered a reason to the girl's flustered state. An answer she had

distinctly

not expected. Unexpected answers, she had found, tended to be the best. Her favorites.

This one, though. She hadn't made her mind up on what she thought about it. Whether it adhered to that trend. Her head was still spinning, sorting through what she'd discovered.

Because Natalie--her

classmate

, who had trounced her and Elliot in spars this morning--had been masturbating,

loudly

, in a public restroom.

Sure, she'd probably fled to this secluded part of the facility explicitly seeking privacy, and Camille

had

slipped in as quietly as possible, not letting the door squeak as she inched it open, but still. It was in

public.

Did she have that little discretion?

And she had a cock.

The more... important surprise.

Yes, she'd peeked. Outrageously nosy, as she'd already admitted--even to the point of perversion, apparently. She'd already chased a red-faced girl across the facility, then followed her into the bathroom, purposefully hiding her feet by sitting on the sink and raising them. And while Camille wouldn't have invaded the girl's privacy if nothing untoward had started happening, Camille had felt the faint hum of magic, and a few moments later, the

noises

had started.

Noises that said Natalie was very much enjoying herself.

So, she'd looked. And seen a cock. On a girl. Camille didn't know what was going on with

that

. Her first thought had been the obvious--Natalie simply presented as a woman, but had been born a man. Camille of course had no problems with that, but she had a feeling it wasn't Natalie's situation. It didn't feel right. Camille suspected something else. Something less typical.

So, Camille was

doubly

intrigued.

Beyond being mortified, of course. At herself,

and

Natalie. She'd caught her classmate jerking off to an illusion she'd conjured. And, Architect above, it had been a

detailed

illusion. Those curves--the black lingerie. How was it so finely crafted? And who was it?

A friend of hers?

How indiscreet, if so. The idea thrilled through Camille. What an... interesting ability. And what

shamelessness

to use it in that way.

Regardless of the who, what, and why, Camille was interested, even more than when she'd first pursued Natalie across the facility. Her cheeks might be burning hot enough they felt like they'd melt off, but she wasn't a prude. And it wasn't Natalie's fault she'd been spied on. Camille

had

invaded her privacy, in a pretty direct way.

Though, at the same time, seriously. It was a public restroom. She knew they were crammed in the barracks for the short term, but really? She couldn't just deal with that, for a week or two, until she had actual privacy?

All of it was irrelevant. Camille's mind kept coming back to the same thing. A girl with a cock. Natalie's curves, combined with the way her hand had been working frantically up and down. The image was so seared into her brain that she couldn't tear her attention away from it. She almost regretted having to leave. Maybe she could've... inserted herself into that event. She suspected Natalie would've been amenable to the idea.

A decision slowly solidified in her mind. One not made consciously.

It seemed, over the next week, Camille had a classmate she'd be trying to make friends with. She had some things to learn. Some... questions she wanted answered. Hopefully first hand.

Very

first hand.

***

Natalie slunk from the bathroom, so mortified she thought she might genuinely curl up and die. It would be a nice, tidy solution to her problems. Unfortunately, she had to face the reality of the situation. She'd been caught.

Or, probably. She didn't have any guarantees of anything, which was almost worse. The bathroom door had swung closed... and she hadn't been that quiet. If there'd been someone inside, they'd known what was going on.

But surely they hadn't peeked? Maybe they'd come in and left immediately. There

had

been a trash can directly next to the door. Maybe they'd come in to use that, then left quickly? Without noticing?

There

did

exist a universe where Natalie hadn't been caught. She didn't believe she was fortunate enough for it to be this one, but Natalie could cling to the hope like a overboard woman did a raft.

It wasn't fair. She'd had an overwhelmingly enticing idea--one relevant to her class--and she'd wanted to test it. There weren't any private facilities for her to do so, so she'd had to make do. It wasn't her fault. And maybe she'd gotten carried away, but she was only human.

Ugh. Excuses.

Either way, the event was over. Probably, nothing would come of it. That was what she told herself. She had other things to worry about, ones more important than whether a voyeur had spied on her in the bathroom. There wasn't anything she could do to confront the problem, so she'd just ignore it.

Or try to.

So embarrassing.

2.13 - Caught

Natalie wondered whether it was going to be a trend that she and Jordan lost control the first time she upgraded a skill, then settled into a bizarrely casual routine. Because despite their busy day, Natalie's class still needed to be attended to, and so the two of them had ended up together, 'gathering' carnal energy before she headed off to the party.

It was unfortunate how much of a staple public bathrooms were becoming in Natalie's life. She couldn't wait until she had a dormitory room to retreat to--an actually private space to handle all this in. Until then, Natalie needed to grope her best friend in the safety of the barrack's public facility.

"We've got a few things to test," Jordan said easily, as if Natalie

didn't

have her hands on her tits, massaging away. "First, whether kissing and groping together gives more energy, rather than one or the other. For that matter, whether the next 'tier' wiped the old one away, when you got it. Does kissing still give energy?"

"I think so," Natalie said, fairly confident in her answer. Intuition didn't always show up when puzzling over one's class, but when it did, it was usually reliable. Natalie was pretty sure any of the previous 'collection methods' would work when she upgraded her Harvest skill. The progression just indicated the 'maximum act' she could earn energy from. So, kissing was still on the table. Though, whether both in the same session would give more, she wasn't sure. It was a good question.

A good question she only paid half a mind to. She was distracted. It was hard to be a studious professional when she had her hands on her best friend's tits. And, she couldn't even zone out, either. Assuming the newly upgraded groping requirement had the same mechanics as kissing, then Natalie

had

to enjoy herself. Going about the motions didn't provide half as much energy. So she basked in the sensation of her hands against Jordan's small, shapely tits, and the noises Jordan made--interrupting her oh-so-professional discussion--whenever Natalie pinched or squeezed harder than normal.

It might sound bizarre, but funny enough, this event--groping--was

less

compromising than kissing Jordan. Natalie had never in a million years expected her and Jordan to have a 'friends with benefits' situation going, but she knew they existed, and they made sense to Natalie. Having fun with a friend's body? Getting some relief from each other? Not that big of a deal.

But Jordan's mouth on hers? The way her tongue moved, and how she felt Jordan's moans in her own mouth? Much more dangerous thoughts started to creep in when they became intimate in that way. More so than when she had her hands on Jordan's tits, or even down lower. Thoughts Natalie still wasn't acknowledging, much less addressing.

So. Having Jordan's blouse popped open, Natalie hands on her bare tits, rolling in circles and squeezing. No big deal.

Kind of.

"Second," Jordan said. "We need to find out whether 'thoroughness' actually matters, like we assume it does. Or is it just enthusiasm, like with the kissing? Does how much of my body you cover matter? Are my tits enough for the full value, as long as you get your money's worth, so to say?"

"Mm," Natalie agreed absently. "Should... test it, yeah."

In her peripheral, Natalie saw Jordan's lips quirk in amusement. It didn't register. Natalie's attention was occupied. Tits were amazing in any situation, but

Jordan's

tits? They were on the smaller side--Jordan had a lean rogue's build--but fuck, they were so perfect. And her nipples were so

cute

. Natalie was struck with the sudden urge to lean forward and give one of the hard nubs a nibble. But that would, uh, be taking things too far. Right? Maybe she should try and find out.

"You aren't listening," Jordan said. Natalie could

hear

her roll her eyes. "I guess I should let you finish. But we do need to test it. So, do you want to be thorough today, or just my boobs? You can pick."

The words slowly hit her brain. "Er." She thought about it. Her kneading hands slowed as she thought, but she didn't pull back from playing with Jordan's tits. "I guess... we'll go light today." She couldn't keep the disappointment out of her voice, which was maybe too straightforward.

What did Jordan think about all of this? For all Natalie felt like she could read Jordan easily, when it came to

this

, she couldn't. Partially because Jordan was

keeping

her reactions hidden. Did that mean Jordan didn't want to be here? That she was doing this just to help Natalie, and Jordan's careful control meant she was hiding the fact she was uncomfortable? The idea had Natalie's stomach twisting. But why else would Jordan be moderating her reactions?

Out of an unconscious desire to steer them away from that subject, Natalie blurted out: "I got caught, by the way."

Jordan blinked in surprise, and so did Natalie. Natalie's mouth tended to work separately from her brain.

She grimaced, realizing she had to follow through. It was best she did, anyway. She had a policy of confiding everything in Jordan. Some advice on what to do about that disaster was probably in order.

But explaining what she'd been doing? Ergh. So embarrassing. Without even mentioning she'd been caught, which made it twice as awful.

"I, um," Natalie said. She kept her eyes locked firmly on Jordan's tits, knowing she'd squirm under Jordan's amusement. "I was testing [Illusion] in a... not so appropriate way. And got caught up in things. Apparently, the skill works better when the images are," Natalie cleared her throat, face burning, "well, lewd. I thought the bathroom was empty, but I guess it wasn't. I think someone heard me taking care of myself. Maybe saw."

That

had been an ordeal to get out. But she managed. At least while squeezing Jordan's breasts, talking about lewd matters didn't feel as embarrassing.

"Taking care of yourself?"

"Please," Natalie huffed. "You don't need me to spell it out. You know what I mean."

Jordan absorbed that. Her previous question, at least, hadn't sounded like she was laughing at Natalie. Natalie relaxed at that. Jordan had always been able to take everything in stride. "Well. You don't know who?"

"No clue. Maybe they didn't even catch me. Just... they left right after I finished. Snuck out, it sounded like. And I wasn't being super quiet."

"That might be a problem."

"No shit. Any advice?"

"What's there to say? I guess... keep an eye out. Someone might try to blackmail you."

"Blackmail?"

"That's how Tenet works, isn't it? All scheming politicians?"

"Liz seemed nice."

"I get the feeling Liz isn't the 'normal politician'," Jordan said dryly.

Natalie agreed. For being a highborn, she was ridiculously bubbly and outgoing--and seemingly lacking ulterior motives. Was it an act, or genuine? Natalie's other classmates were definitely more reserved. She wouldn't be surprised for any of them to strong-arm Natalie into something. At least Natalie wasn't important, which made her a not-very-relevant blackmail target.

"Yeah," Natalie said. "I guess." She groaned. "I really didn't need this to deal with. I've got enough going on."

"Maybe don't jerk off in public bathrooms?" Jordan suggested. "And to who, anyway?"

"To who?"

"Who'd you make the illusion of?"

Natalie started, then blushed, remembering how the first time--the first test--it had been Jordan who had popped into her head. "Does it matter?"

"Was it me?"

"No!"

Jordan blinked at the loud, instantaneous reply.

"Um," Natalie said, reining the reaction in. "I just mean... I wouldn't, of course-- it wasn't-- it was Tess."

"Tess?"

"My magic tutor." Natalie shrugged. Her face burned red as she kept her gaze firmly on Jordan's tits, the bizarrely safer option compared to her eyes. "She's cute. I dunno. But I felt seriously creepy doing it. I don't know her at all."

Jordan was quiet for a bit. Finally, she said, "Well. If using strangers makes you feel weird, then use me, next time."

Natalie froze. She looked up. Jordan wore an amused expression, exactly as she'd expected. Just teasing Natalie.

But also... she sounded like she meant it?

"Really?"

"Sure. It's hardly different than this."

"Right," Natalie said. She'd already been red-faced, but this topic of conversation had her face melting. She tried to play it off, to middling success. "I'll, uh, keep that in mind."

A brief silence fell over the two of them.

"You're done, right?" Jordan eventually asked. "It's been a while."

Yeah. Natalie had been groping for more than a few minutes. Her skill probably didn't require that much effort to max out, not that she knew the exact specifications. Just, it was so much fun. Jordan seriously had some amazing tits.

Reluctantly, she withdrew her hands, then checked in on her energy supply.

2.14 - Party

Natalie could hear the loud, thumping music nearly from the Union Plaza. The healer's guild was in the back right of the five-pronged star, at least from the direction Natalie approached, and as she closed the gap to the white and green building--green was the color of healers, the same way gray was for tanks, or red for fighters--it started to vibrate in Natalie's head.

She found herself grinning in anticipation. She'd been honest when she'd said that she hadn't come to Tenet to party, but that the pseudo-university was infamous for them? Well, she didn't consider that a bad thing. Plus, after the events of the past few hours--or, gods, honestly the past week--she could use a few drinks. Time to cut loose and burn off some stress. Company with Sammy was sure to do that. A girl with who her relationship hadn't become so suddenly complicated, like Jordan. Not that Jordan's company was ever

stress-inducing

, just, it'd become... again, complicated.

People were strewn about the benches, yard, and the pointed edge of the plaza leading up to the guild. Tons of them. Dozens and dozens, probably close to a hundred, outside alone, bleeding from the healer's guild and out into the Union Plaza, encroaching on other guild's territories. Half the campus had to be here.

Some stood about, drinking and talking, others playing various sorts of drinking games. They'd appropriated tables from somewhere and set them up outside, the inside of the guild apparently too cramped.

Natalie even saw some couples getting probably a bit too frisky for public, emboldened by how the sun had set, and, presumably, the alcohol buzzing in them. Natalie only smirked, glancing sideways as the couples so shamelessly--and not half as subtly as they thought--groped each other. It boded well for her. Managing the less appropriate parts of her class really might be easier than she'd first thought. The Tenet campus had redundantly made itself clear:

not

a prudish place to be.

Inside, the healer's guild was cramped, as expected of the packed outdoors. She blinked as her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, and the flashing, magical effects zipping around the room to add ambiance. The music was even louder in here, though she grew quickly accustomed to it. Definitely, it wasn't the same atmosphere as parties back home. Or, kind of. Same basic package: stands with drinks, cliques clumped together laughing and drinking, dim lighting and the smell of alcohol in the air.

But everything was dialed up. And the crowd, the sheer number of people, was dialed up twice over. There were so many people. Natalie had been reminded constantly that she'd crawled out of nowhere-land and to the capital city of Valhaur, but here, she was given another huge one. Seriously, half the campus must have come to this party. It was

packed

.

Her eyes sought out Sammy. In face of the enormous press of bodies, she was suddenly concerned about whether she'd even be able to find her. Sammy was waiting for her, right? Watching the doorway from wherever she was, maybe the upper balcony? But people were streaming in and out, and Natalie didn't want to stand in the way. She scanned around the enormous lobby, and higher up, tracing the stairs and the upper landing. But it was too dim. No success.

Shrugging to herself--she'd find Sammy eventually--she waded through the crowd, headed for the drinks table. Sammy was Natalie's first priority, but getting buzzed was a secondary mission. Might as well attend to that one first, then tackle the other afterward.

She briefly noted the people here. She'd come dressed the way she usually did, though with a bit more effort than normal, and that was probably a good thing, because even with the extra effort, she looked kind of scruffy. She wasn't

alone

in that style, but most of Tenet's studentbase had a casual form of dress that was only a step or two below Natalie's formal.