{Rin}

"Oh my god, I've been looking forward to this for the past two weeks!" Gwen said, to Rin's left. "I came over here last Friday, but you weren't here. Did someone else already take you away by then? Oh well, it's fine. Anyway, how have you been?"

"... Good."

Rin paled, trying her hardest to ignore the woman to her right as she sat on the bench between Gwen and Elisa.

[By the Divine, by the Divine, by the Divine, what is even happening right now!?!?]

She was still in shock. Out of all the things that could have happened tonight, this had not been on her list of possibilities. And yet, Elisa was right there, with one arm thrown behind Rin's back and her legs crossed as she leaned close to her.

"So, uhm... Should we get going already?" Gwen asked. "Oh, wait! Let me introduce you," she then added, as though remembering that she'd brought someone with her. "This is Elisa. I told her about you and your... services," she said with a big wink, "and she told me she wanted to see you for herself."

"Gwen really talked you up to be something borderline magical," Elisa said, and Rin could tell she was putting on a slightly deeper tone than normal. "I'm pretty excited to see what you've got, **Triss**."

The way she said her name sounded very much like she was making fun of her.

But, Rin was too nervous to really hone in on that.

Gulping, Rin put on a smile and said:

"I-Is that right?"

Suddenly, that confidence that normally came with adorning her white hair and assuming this role was all but gone, and it was all she could do not to start shaking.

[... I can't handle this. This is too sudden.]

"So, um... Shall we?" Gwen asked, with a bit of a blush and a smile.

At that, Rin took a deep breath and finally, looked up at Elisa. Looking into the woman's eyes, she tried to calm herself down.

[Okay, Rin, stop. Don't worry about it, treat her like a regular customer, and you'll-]

She was then taken out of her thoughts when Elisa pulled her gently toward her. Eyes wide, Rin froze up as she saw Elisa smiling back at her.

[...] With her head blank, Rin just stared back into Elisa's eyes, until finally, the noblewoman moved forward.

And, when their lips met, Rin just about melted.

[... Soft.]

She heard Gwen gasp lightly behind her, as Elisa reached up and placed her hands around Rin's arms, as though holding her steady.

That moment felt like it lasted for an eternity.

And yet, it was over far too soon. As Elisa separated herself, Rin nearly tried to follow her movement to keep it going, before she realized Elisa didn't intend on continuing.

"Wow. That was hot," Gwen said, giggling.

Elisa chuckled. Then, she stood up and licked her lips, with her eyes still set on Rin, before she spoke.

And, what she said made Rin's jaw drop.

"Sorry, but I just remembered I actually have some responsibilities I need to get to before the night ends," she said, looking right at Rin the entire time as she spoke. "Maybe another time?"

Rin opened her mouth to respond but found no words to do so with.

"Really?" Gwen protested.

"I know, I know. A bit of a downer, but, yeah," Elisa shrugged. "Sorry."

"Well, I guess it's okay," Gwen replied.

"Y-Yeah," Rin added, with a raspy voice. "Totally."

She knew she must have seemed out of it, but that was because she was out of it. That kiss had basically set her face on fire with how hard she blushed.

"Awesome. You two have yourselves a good night though," Elisa finally stated before turning around and walking away.

Rin reached up and touched her lips as she finally took a deep breath and analyzed what just happened.

[... Wait, what?] She thought. [Why did she...?]

"Well, then. Uhm, sorry that I don't have a friend this time, but are you okay with just me?" Gwen asked shyly, and Rin snapped out of it.

"Y-Yeah, definitely," she said, turning around to face Gwen and, suddenly, it was a lot easier to do her Triss act. "We should probably get going."

With that being said, the two of them moved toward what was quickly becoming the usual hotel. Rin, however, couldn't get Elisa's confident expression out of her mind.

[It didn't feel like she was looking at me. It felt like she was looking *through* me,] she thought. [But, whatever, it's over now.]

---

{Elisa}

In the end, it simply didn't feel right.

Elisa had certainly gone over there with the intention of getting to taste Rin once more, but she couldn't bring herself to go through with it.

Not because she was morally opposed to the action. Not at all.

Rather, because it felt cheap.

As she walked through the dimly lit Liberan streets, she pondered why she felt like that. It wasn't too hard to find an answer, though.

She wanted to earn it.

Tonight's experience, especially seeing how Rin reacted to her, made it clear that she was at least a little attracted to the noblewoman, and that meant that there was a real chance here. That Elisa could potentially win her over, and if she did, then getting to share a bed with her again would feel much, much better, if she achieved it on her own, instead of just buying Rin's services.

It almost felt like a challenge the world itself had placed in her path. Like the Divine was asking Elisa if she really was serious about growing as a person, and that maybe Rin's affections were to be the measuring stick for that.

If viewed that way, then, the new fire in Elisa's heart could be explained very easily. She had something to prove, and a woman she wanted to impress. That combination was a very, very good motivator for the noblewoman.

Still, the fact that she didn't want to spoil the prize before she truly earned it didn't mean she couldn't let herself have a taste, hence the kiss.

That part was pure self-satisfaction, and it tasted as good as she hoped it would.

[Maybe someday,] she thought, smirking to herself as she walked back to the Academy.

As she thought back to Rin's image, she felt her heart begin to speed up just a little. That white hair suited Rin, though Elisa preferred the black, and bathed in moonlight as she was, she'd looked beautiful back there.

Reaching up and touching her two lips, remembering the feeling of Rin's on her own, she smiled.

[Hopefully, someday.]

---

{Rin}

The next morning had been... awkward. Elisa had acted as normal as ever, but as for Rin, she couldn't look back at the woman without remembering what that moment had felt like. Gwen was nice as ever afterward, but even while she was on her knees pleasuring her, Rin's mind had been filled with thoughts of that sunlight-haired woman.

Almost to the extent where she'd forgotten what happened with regards to her brother's things until she was reminded by a certain ashen-haired teacher who knocked on her door.

As Rin opened up, with Elisa laid down on her own bed behind her, she found Cara standing outside, holding a box.

"Hey," Cara said. "They brought his stuff."

"Oh, a-already?" Rin asked.

"Yeah. When we said that the guy's sister was here, they were pretty quick about getting it back to you. They got it on a train almost immediately. Most of it, anyway."

"What do you mean?"

"... So," Cara shook her head, "I don't quite get it, but apparently, your brother had asked for someone specific to come around and pick up one of his things. They're keeping that specific thing, whatever the hell it is, back at the Guild, but the rest of his stuff was sent over to you."

"Oh..." Rin replied, narrowing her brows.

[Sounds weird, but okay.]

"Anyway, here you go. May I?"

"Yeah."

Cara stepped into the room, placing the box down on what she identified as Rin's bed, and then stretched her arms a little before walking back to the door.

"Anyway..." Cara said, without looking directly at Rin. "If you... Never mind."

She went to walk out to the hall, but Rin chased after her.

"Wait, what? If I...?"

"..." Cara sighed, turning to look at her. "If you want to talk a bit, it's fine. I'm just saying since I know that this is probably a heavy subject for you."

Rin was honestly stunned. To hear the person many of the students considered to be the most grouchy of all the teachers say something like this was surreal.

"Uh... Yeah," Rin nodded. "I'll let you know."

"Alright."

With that, Cara departed and Rin went back inside. The box sat atop her bed with almost a presence of its own, as Elisa looked back and forth between it and Rin.

"Uh, what is that thing?" Elisa asked, curious.

With a slightly sad look, Rin walked over to her bed and placed her hands on it.

"It's... My brother's stuff."

"You have a brother?" Elisa asked, her brows raised.

"Had," Rin quickly corrected, and she seemed to get the message.

"Oh, shit. Sorry to hear that."

"Nah, it's fine, it was a while ago, but... I wasn't expecting this," she said, quietly. "I-I'll open it later, though. I think I should probably get to work first."