Chapter 63 The Prodigious Nim, Part Thirty-Two
{Melisa}
Three days.
Three days left till the tournament.
The first rays of dawn crept through the curtains. Melisa slowly woke up.
She stretched languidly. Yawning, she sat up and found that Raven hadn't come back yet from her morning run.
[Ah, god, that girl works way too hard.]
It was inspiring, in a way. After all, Melisa had her own training to attend to later.
As she dressed, her mind drifted to the day ahead. The classes, the spells, and, of course, the looming tourney.
In her honest opinion, she was basically ready.
Out of all the other students in Melisa's class, the only ones who could compete with her in the realm of magic were Isabella and Jaylin.
[Jaylin,] Melisa thought, suddenly. [Man, she hasn't talked to me at all. Does she really hate me that much? Even though we spent years living together?] Melisa shrugged. [Not much I can do about that, I guess.]
With a final adjustment of her shirt, coat, and pleated skirt, Melisa stepped out into the hallway, ready to face whatever challenges the day might bring.
---
The first classroom was already buzzing with activity as Melisa entered.
Students huddled in small groups, comparing notes and probably swapping some gossip.
Melisa's eyes scanned the room, seeking out one face in particular. And there, in her usual spot, was Isabella.
As if sensing Melisa's gaze, the kitsune girl looked up, her face breaking into a blinding smile.
[Hm?] Immediately, Melisa noticed something was up.
Not in a bad way. As in, Isabella looked borderline radiant with joy.
She bounced to her feet, waving Melisa over with an enthusiasm that was impossible to ignore.
Melisa made her way through the horde of students. She ducked her head, feeling a few eyes on her as she went to her seat. Which, of course, meant Isabella's seat had arrived.
As she approached, Isabella got up and stepped aside, gesturing grandly to the empty seat.
"After you you, my lady," she said, making her voice deeper with a playful wink.
Melisa rolled her eyes, but she couldn't suppress the grin that tugged at the corners of her mouth.
"Why thank you, kind miss," she replied, playing along.
She settled into the seat, and immediately, Isabella plopped herself down on Melisa's lap, wrapping her arms around the nim girl's neck.
Melisa just giggled.
Yeah, by now, she was way too used to this. Used to the feeling of the girl's light body on hers. Used to the way the other students whispered about them, words like "shameless" and "gross" reaching her ears.
[They're just jealous,] Melisa thought. [Bet they wish they had their own cute, fox girls, huh?]
She wrapped her own arms around Isabella's waist, holding her close.
"Well, someone's in a good mood today," Melisa observed, quirking an eyebrow at her cousin's barely contained excitement.
Isabella grinned.
"Oh, Melisa," she said, her voice low and conspiratorial, "I have something amazing to show you after class. Something that's going to change everything!"
Melisa's curiosity was instantly piqued.
Isabella was always enthusiastic, but this was different. There was a fire in her eyes, a sense of purpose that Melisa had rarely seen before.
"Is it urgent?" she asked. "I have training sessions with both Raven and Armia today. I don't want to keep them waiting."
But Isabella shook her head, her expression turning serious.
"Trust me, Melisa," she said. "Just for today, let me keep you to myself. At least, for a few hours. This... this is the future."
Melisa's brows shot up.
[Well... Alright, then.]
---
The Alchemist's Tower loomed before them soon, that spire of stone and glass reaching towards the heavens as always.
Melisa followed Isabella through the winding corridors, their footsteps echoing in the hushed stillness.
Finally, they reached what was pretty much Isabella's personal laboratory by now. Technically all students were allowed to use it but Isabella was here more often than any other
Isabella practically vibrated with excitement as she led Melisa to a workbench in the corner.
There, lying on a red towel, was an object.
It was a slender twig. About the length of her forearm. The wood was a rich, dark hue, polished to a high shine, but looked like it would break with minimal effort.
And running along its length, etched into the very grain, was a pattern.
[... Is that a spellsign?]
Of course, Melisa recognized the object.
As soon as she saw it, she knew what it was.
"This, my dear cousin, is..." Melisa tuned her out.
She didn't need to be told. She'd seen it on tv and read about it in books back on Earth.
Melisa's breath caught in her throat once she made the connection.
[A wand. She's invented a wand.]
Immediately she backtracked a little on that statement.
[Or, maybe, she's in the process of inventing it.]@@novelbin@@
Sure enough, as Melisa focused on Isabella's words, she heard:
"... can actually draw spellsigns for us. Think about it," Isabella said. "Most people have unsteady hands. That's just how we are. Having something like this, a tool to grip that you can use to draw spellsigns with, that alone would be useful!
But," she gazed down at the prototype with the kind of look that Melisa feared would strip her naked in an instant if she used it on her, "that's just the beginning. I think, based on what I told you about materials, these things could even enhance spells! Becoming invaluable, even to experienced mages."
Melisa's mind reeled.
The kitsune was right.
Assuming no one else had made anything like this, such a tool could revolutionize the way magic was cast.
"You're right," Melisa said, her voice tinged with awe. "This could change everything."
But Isabella was already moving on, her mind leaping ahead to the next challenge.
"I tried casting with another twig," she said, a note of frustration creeping into her voice. "But it broke. The material couldn't handle the strain of the spell."
She began to pace, her tail swishing behind her in agitation.
"We need something stronger," she mused, her brow furrowed in thought. "A material that can withstand the force of magic being channeled through it."
Melisa's eyes widened as an idea struck her.
"My dad," she said, excitement building in her chest. "He's a construction worker. He works with all kinds of materials. It's worth asking him, I think."
Isabella spun to face Melisa, her eyes sparkling.
"Of course!" she exclaimed. "That's a wonderful idea!"
Melisa grinned, basking in the praise.
But now, seeing the way Isabella looked at her, the sheer admiration and gratitude shining in those emerald eyes... it filled Melisa with a warmth she had never known before.
Unable to contain herself, she surged forward, wrapping Isabella in a tight embrace.
The kitsune girl stiffened for a moment, caught off guard.
But then, slowly, she relaxed into the hug, her own arms coming up to encircle Melisa's waist.
"I'm so proud of you," Melisa murmured, her face buried in the soft fur of Isabella's ear.
When they finally pulled apart, Melisa was stunned to see a faint blush coloring Isabella's cheeks.
Gone was the sultry, seductive persona that the kitsune girl usually projected. In its place was something softer, more vulnerable.
Almost... bashful.
Isabella ducked her head, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth.
"Thank you, Melisa," she said, her voice uncharacteristically shy. "That... that means a lot."
And then, before Melisa could react, Isabella leaned in and pressed a kiss to her lips.
It was different from the kisses they had shared before. There was no "heat" behind this one, no urgency. Instead, it was just tender.
That didn't last long, though.
As they broke apart, Isabella's eyes sparkled with mischief, the familiar gleam of desire creeping back into her gaze.
"We should celebrate," she purred, her arms still wrapped around Melisa's waist.
"Hey," Melisa smiled back, but looked away. "I told you, I have stuff to do."
"No, no," Isabella shook her head. She hesitated for a moment before saying, "I don't mean that we should go kiss in a closet." Her grin widened.
[... Oh.]
Melisa gulped.
Isabella continued.
"After the tournament, let's do something more special, maybe?" She asked softly. "Just the two of us... Late at night."
Melisa felt a shiver run down her spine at the implication. Enjoy new tales from My Virtual Library Empire
She knew exactly what Isabella was suggesting.
The same thing Melisa could feel inching closer and closer every time they'd kissed before. Isabella was suggesting they full-on sprint over that line.
And, Melisa found herself saying:
"... Sure." Her response even surprised her. "After the tournament."
Isabella grinned with the satisfaction of a wolf that had just watched a rabbit hop onto its dinner plate.
"Then it's a date," she said, leaning in for one more quick kiss. "Go ahead and get to training. I want to go over this a little more."
Melisa nodded slowly, feeling breathless.
"Okay."
As she left the lab, Melisa's mind was already racing ahead, imagining all the ways they could "celebrate" Isabella's groundbreaking discovery.
Of course, she knew what Isabella had in mind.
[Holy shit... It's going to happen,] Melisa realized. [Isabella and I are going to fuck!]
What do you think?
Total Responses: 0