"Go-goodnight, June."

The blankets were kept pulled over her head as she tried to calm her racing heart. Why was seeing this girl half naked making her so embarrassed? They both had the same figure.. same private places. Her heart rate showed it was a bit more than just seeing her naked. If she kept on this thought process she may never sleep..

The blanket lowered slowly and she stared up at the dark ceiling. She shifted, trying to find a comfortable spot, but after about twenty minutes she sat up. Zeph leaned over and rested her head against June's bed. Counting to see how even the whitette's breathing was. After figuring the girl was asleep she slowly climbed up onto the bed and slid between the covers. She tried not to move the bed too much and keep from waking June. What she didn't think of was the fact that as soon as she touched her teacher it would be likely wake. Still, Zeph moved a little closer. Then finally, she lifted her head and laid it on June's shoulder so she could curl up against her side.

"Aww. You're sweet." June mumbled half awake. She didn't fight the position at all, rather she laid an arm across her friends stomach to pull her closer before passing out again.

____DAY TWO____

June was sound asleep still, as if nothing could wake her. It was early morning, probably just early enough for local stores to open. Luria was definitely awake, as was Arceia. The latter of the two was also on her way to the former's room to take her shopping. If Zephyra were to rush right out, she may see Arceia in the hall. If not, she may be in for a surprise.

Instead of speaking, the redhead just snuggled a bit closer and soon fell into a peaceful sleep. The best sleep she had had in months really. When she awoke the next morning she was reluctant to move let alone get dressed. A soft groan showed her protest of her already fully awake brain. A brain that was piecing together that the soft swell under her cheek was definitely not a pillow. Far too warm for that. Instead of jerking away, Zeph slowly sat up and looked down at her sleeping friend. A contentment fell over her as she looked at the girl. Now she really didn't want go. It felt right being here.. but she wanted to surprise June. And for the first time in a while she wanted to wear a dress. Something that made her feel.. beautiful.

With that in mind, the Gael moved from the bed and pulled the covers up around the girl. Instead of wasting time getting dressed, Zeph pulled on one of her frock jackets and wrapped it as well as she could around herself. Since her jackets were fitted for when she wore her wrap the front didn't come close to buttoning.

Being as quiet as possible, she slipped from the room and made her way to Luria's door. Lifting a hand she gently rapped her knuckles against the wood and crossed her arms over her chest to hold in her hear while waiting.

A quiet response came from behind the door. It was Arceia and Luria both greeting her, each with their own bow.

"Good morning." they said in near unison. Arceia spoke up next. "Are you here to join us for a little shopping?"

"Zephyra would come with us?"

Arceia brushed her bangs behind her ears and held that position for a moment, as if awaiting an answer. Before one could be given, she smiled and tilted her head, stepping out of the doorway to allow the younger girl in. Luria's room looked much the same as June's, with the exception of it holding a literal pile of chain links on a desk, a spindle that seemed to have been used moments ago due to the spring coil still on it and a small wet spot - presumably drool from a Luria that had fallen asleep at her desk. This was reinforced by how messy her hair currently was.

She literally couldn't get away from this woman.. Zeph returned their bows, then clutched her jacket more tightly around her body. Maybe she should have changed before making her way into the semipublic eye.

"I wouldn't want to intrude on your plans."

She watched Arceia move past her then stepped in to Luria's room. A soft smile was given to the girl as she moved over to her and gently shifted a few strands of her hair.

"Did you sleep on your desk?"

Before the other could even answer she giggled softly and stepped back.

"Looks like you've got a lot done already though."

Her head tilted toward the desk as she clasped her jacket together again.

"Uhm.. about the reason I came over. I wanted to see if you would mind helping me find a dress. Would you mind if I tagged along?"

Luria kicked at the ground a with, her head low and a blush on her face. Yes, there was plenty done, and yes, she had fallen asleep there. In fact, it had only been two hours ago, but she couldn't say that.

"OOh, there's no intrusion. Our plans were to head into town anyway." Arceia offered,having not truly left just yet. "I've got my car, so it would be much faster to tag along if you've errands to run."

Luria couldn't help but nod. "She's right... We were heading into town for our own errands anyway, you should come with us. Where is sister?"

"Probably still sleeping." Arceia said with a bit of a giggle. "She's so cute when she's helpless and asleep. Wouldn't you agree?"

She was clearly teasing. Even still, Luria nodded with a shy smile despite the question clearly being directed at Zephyra.

Glancing over her shoulder allowed her to catch sight of Arceia and she smiled softly.

"Thank you. I just have a single errand though. I didn't bring any formal wear, since I was only planning on training."

Her attention was turned back to Luria when she spoke and her smile grew.

"June is still sleeping, in fact." This was said to Luria, but she murmured over her shoulder to Arceia. "She's cute no matter what she's doing."

Then her eyes widened a bit and her mouth clamped shut as she realized what she had just said. Can anyone say awkwaaard?

This elicited a laugh from Arceia as well as a small glint of jealously from Luria.

"You're right about that." she sighed. "But back to business. I'll take you into town if you like."

Arceia had to give some thought to the situation before her. Deep down, she knew June was off the table now. She herself was married and had a daughter even. So this lingering love she held for her cousin, and the hatred she had felt... Why was that still there? Some unseen force, maybe some parallel dimension had them as eternal enemies. Or maybe it was lovers. She wasn't sure which one would make more sense for her to feel this way. But she was happy now too. And she had been for quite some time.

Even still, she knew she had to settle things with her nemesis before she could move on. And so here she was.

"In fact I insist. You've never been to the area, and are far too young to wander out yourself. June would have my head if anything happened to you."

Dipping her head in a nod, Zeph shot a little grin in Arceia's direction. "That would be greatly appreciated, Lady Arceia. I wouldn't even begin to know where to begin looking."

With a hand still clasping her jacket closed she bent at the waist in a bow.

"If you wouldn't mind giving me half an hour to get a shower and dressed, I would appreciate it. I didn't have much energy last night to do so."

Whenever she spoke to the Chancellor, her speech was formal. A habit that was hard to break when she spoke to someone with more power than herself, thanks to her father. Manners had been beaten into her brain so even when told to relax it was likely she would continue her soft spoken ways.

After hearing a confirmation and promising to meet them back in Luria's room, she hurried off for June's room to get her clothes. She couldn't help but pause to take in the whitette's peaceful features, but then hurried herself in collecting her needed belongings.

It didn't take her long in the bathroom. Only towel drying her long locks since it was warm enough to let the dry on their own without catching cold. Zeph had also opted to not wear her wrap since it would be unlikely that she would be wearing it with her dress. So putting on regular clothes took a little longer than expected and felt awkward in the chest area to say the least. Even so, twenty eight minutes later she was knocking on Luria's door. Her personal bank card in her black slack's pocket as well as some of the cash she had brought with her.

"By all means." Arceia gave her a nod and decided to wait there. While Zeph was gone, Luria got back to work and Arceia sat dutifully with one leg over the other in a standard suit for a woman, albeit a slightly longer skirt than need be. She mused back and forth about how to handle what she has seen and heard, and decided it was best to simply coach Zeph through this little event. If they had feelings for each other like Arceia suspected, she would try and get them together. If she didn't, then at least Zeph would be more prepared to identify when someone does.

When she returned, Arceia and Luria got up from their respective spots, the mass of rings on the desk seeming more organized than before, and Arceia gave Zeph a very obvious and shameless examination. She basically undressed her with her eyes, now that she was aware of a fuller figure tucked away, as if she was already planning something for the occasion.

"You certainly bind well." she giggled. "Alright then, to then car we go."

Without asking or exploring further details, Arceia lead them through the building. That same girl from before was in the halls again, still watching. It was as if she was following them. But enough of that. Upon reaching Arceia's car, she opened the back seat for Luria and front for Zeph, then got into her own. It was a sporty little thing, black on the outside and j side with some purple accents to the LED display that was clearly customized. Certainly more teenage than a chancellor would have for a vehicle.

Okay, so maybe a v-neck shirt wasn't the best idea. It was hard not to reach up and pull the material closed over her skin. Not that it would have worked anyway. The material was already tight on her.

"Uhm.. thanks, I guess." The blush that lined her cheeks showed she was certainly not use to being checked out, nor complimented. "I've had enough practice at it.."

Zeph quietly followed after that, watching around them with interest. When she caught sight of the girl a soft smile touched her lips and she lifted her hand in a wave. Her stride was never broken though, she had already held the group up enough as it was.

When they reached the car, the redhead's eyebrows rose. Should she really be getting into a vehicle like this? It looked like a metal coffin on wheels.. Too late now. Might as well enjoy a little thrill while she could. She bowed her thanks to Arceia and slid into the passenger seat. Despite the outside of the car she was happy to find she wouldn't be folded up like she normally was in vehicles. One downfall of her height.

"You have a very nice car, Lady Arceia. It.. suits you."

Even though it wasn't what a Chancellor would generally drive, Zeph couldn't see the violet eyed woman driving a town car or something boring like that.

Before the car could be started, the Gael quickly wrapped the seat belt around her. She enjoyed a thrill, sure, but she really didn't feel like dying today. So seat belt it was.

"So.. where are we headed to first?"

Silence always seemed so awkward, but talking to this woman that had hurt June.. it was a bit awkward too. She really didn't want to like her, but so far she had only been kind to her.

"This old thing? I've had it for ages." she joked, starting the car after seeing Luria get in and secure herself. In fact, she decided to tell the story of the car to pass time after answering the question she was asked.

"We're headed just to the town nearby. Get ready for a lot of Nessie tourists. We're going past the bulk of them though, so it should be okay."

The Loch Ness Monster was the most popular tourist attraction in the country, and one of the most popular on Earth. Driving through that crowd would be tough, especially during Summer, but it wasn't a big deal. Then, much like that one sidequest in majora's Mask, Arceia decided to tell a story about youth, related back to the car.

"I got this old thing when I first graduated. Well, a few months after. During my final year I lived in a tiny apartment with my cousin and her son. We were both smart, me being a business major and her being a defense attorney - we chose to live in a smaller space so we could afford the things we wanted." she let out a small sigh, probably in nostalgia. "That was, until I adopted Kiwi. My daughter. Sammy was her attorney to get Kiwi's parents arrested for abuse. When that worked I immediately volunteered to take her in, because I was not about to let some foster family that didn't know or care about her story take her."

Point. Get to it.

"Anyway, I got the car after we won a case against a woman who sexually assaulted her students. It was my reward to myself for being such a good assistant."

And in telling that story, the author made a nice timeskip so he didn't have to explain the gate a second time out of laziness.

"How about you? What sort of things are you doing when you graduate?" Uh, Arceia? "Oh, silly me. You're so young, that's probably a loaded question."

Indeed, the story did take the redhead's attention away from their surroundings as she focused on the speaker. Like any good student would. One of these days this girl's curiosity would get her in trouble, if her wonderlust didn't make it happen first.

"That was very kind of you. Not many people would take in a child. Especially not at the age you were. Big responsibilities. But children often ground people when they need it most."

For one so young, Zeph seemed to be far beyond her years. Probably from all the books she read when not training, riding or at her mother's side. Which was fairly often. She had already exhausted the Gable's library and had a start on the school's library.

She was a little perplexed by Arceia's question, but smiled when she commented on her youth.

"Aye, but even though I'm young I have shoes to fill. It has been made know to me since I was but a toddler. I will take over my father's business when the time comes. Though.. I would rather teach riding skills to those that wish it. I'm sure I'll have time somewhere in there to do so. I've contemplated hiring someone to run the numbers. An assistant of sorts. We'll see."

Woah. Where did all that come from? She wasn't even in her second year yet and she already had so much laid out. Zephyra clasped her hands in her lap and looked out the front window, watching the town as it drew near. Letting the silence now take hold as she contemplated a bit more of what the future would hold exactly.

".. But nothing is ever set in stone."

"You may even meet her yourself. She attends Astraea Hill as well." Arceia laughed a little. "I adopted a girl who was only a few years shy of adulthood herself."

Ah,and then came a surprise. A loaded question met with a loaded answer. This one had plans, even if they were mostly Plans given to her rather than made by her. It was refreshing but also cause for some concern. Luria, who had stayed silent as she often did, decided to speak up.

"You're too young to have that much of a plan, the rest of us are going to fall behind." she said, in a tone that made it hard to tell what was and was not a joke.

"NNot in that phrasing, but I can sort of agree." Arceia took control again. "You have goals and objectives, but you also have time allotted for yourself in there. That's good. But don't let having all of that in the future stop you from enjoying the now. You're a kid, you have plenty of. Time in the future to worry."

"Perhaps at some point, I will. Does she attend Lilum?"

Then her attention was drawn away by Luria. Grasping the side of the seat, Zeph turned so she was facing backward between the two front seats and offered a grin to the girl.

"I would never think of leaving my friends behind."

She tossed in a wink for good measure before turning back to Cei and settling comfortably in the seat.

"It's never stopped me before. So why should it stop me now? Just because someone else has plans for me, doesn't mean I'm not my own person. I have things I want to do, places to see. People to meet. Anyway, I can't see my father passing off the reigns to me anytime soon. So I have plenty of time to do as I please. Maybe if he waits long enough I'll find someone who would rather take my place."

Freedom. The thought of such glorious freedom had lifted her spirits much higher than they were before.

"Anyway. Why care about the future now? I have the whole summer to be away from all that and spend time doing what I love."