Ch 1.40: usations


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“She left a few minutes ago. Prisma was looking for her. Come to think of it, she was looking for you too.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">ina ran back outside, darting down the hallway. <span style="font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline">That can’t be good, right?<span style="vertical-align:baseline"> There were only two ways into themon room from the outside, and she hadn’t seen them whileing in, so they had to be the other way. It wasn’t a long run before she heard voices from around the corner.


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“I just want to know the truth, Carline.” Prisma’s voice. ina stopped running, creeping up to the side of the wall.


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“I told you the truth,” Carline replied. “I’m just stronger now!”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">Prisma let out an exasperated sigh. “I know how strong you are. It’s been a few years, but we’ve sparred before, remember?”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“Yeah…” Carline’s voice sounded pained, embarrassed even. “I know I’m not the best fencer, but I wouldn’t cheat, I promise! ina wouldn’t either.”


    <span style="font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline">Cheat? Oh, shit.<span style="vertical-align:baseline"> ina balled her hand up, punching the air. <span style="font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline">That’s what that look was. <span style="vertical-align:baseline">Carline and ina were strong now, too strong, and Prisma had noticed. Were they going to be found out before Alonse got back?


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“I talked to your other opponents, Carline, both yours and ina’s. You didn’t do anything to them like what you did to me, but ina did, to all of them. I know someone was helping you two, using their external aspect to bolster you. They did it on her the whole time, and then you once her matches were over.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“No! That’s— I mean, it’s not like that!”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“Then what is it like? You know you two can’t go around doing this, or you’ll get caught sooner orter.” Prisma’s voice was thick with frustration, like she was holding back anger with every word. “She fought <span style="font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline">Waine,<span style="vertical-align:baseline"> Carline. If he realized what you two were doing, that she cheated against him, he’d go ballistic. You know that, right? He’s already pissed you wouldn’t join our practicum team, not to mention that you’re hanging out with her. I get that you’re roommates, but I just— I don’t want him going after either of you anymore; I want it all to be over!”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“Why does it have to be over?” ina yelled, stomping out from behind the corner. “We’re not cheating, and we didn’t do anything wrong before either.” Prisma looked at ina with wide eyes, blushing. Carline just looked at the ground with her hands crossed.


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">ina realized the absurdity of the situation after a moment of silence. She was still soaking wet, shivering even, but the other two had already dried and changed, only their hair wet.


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“Why are you still soaked?” Prisma asked.


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“Don’t change the subject! You were looking for us, right? You wanted to use us of cheating, right?”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“What else am I supposed to think you two were doing? I wouldn’t put it past you, anyway.” Prisma crossed her arms and red at ina. “After all, you went braless just to distract me too, right?”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“What? That was an ident! I keep telling everyone I had aundry issue!”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“Well it was very distracting!”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">Both girls blushed, looking away. <span style="font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline">So, it bothered her that much?


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“Hey, uhm,” Carline said, stepping in between the other two. “I think there’s been a misunderstanding?”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">Prisma huffed, stepping around Carline and looking back at ina. “Were you really not cheating?”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">Cheating? It was hard to say. She couldn’t turn off the increased physical abilities from having a ss, after all. It wasn’t like her aspect; they were just <span style="font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline">there. <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“We weren’t cheating,” ina decided. “I’m stronger than you think I am, and Carline’s gotten stronger since youst fought her too.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">Prisma narrowed her eyes, considering, then walked past ina, looking round the corner she’de from. “Alright then, prove it. There’s no one else around, so I know no one’s enhancing you right now.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“Prisma,” Carline said, “I don’t think—”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“Fine.” ina had had enough of nonsense usations. She walked over to Prisma and grabbed her by the waist.


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“What’re you— Stop!” ina lifted, hoisting Prisma up as the girl braced herself on ina’s arms with her hands, kicking her feet in the air. “Put me down!”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">ina did, cing her back down with a slight grin. Prisma was blushing, straightening out her skirt and backing away. <span style="font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline">It’s nice to not be the embarrassed one every once and a while.<span style="vertical-align:baseline"> “See? Carline can do it too, just as easily, if you need more proof.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“No no!” Prisma said, backing way. “That’s fine; I believe you.” She finished fixing her skirt, then coughed in her hand before bowing down. “I’m sorry for using you of cheating. I can see I was wrong. You''re just… really strong, I guess.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">ina blinked at the sight in front of her. Prisma Fireguard, one of the most important people in the country as far as she was aware of, was bowing and apologizing to <span style="font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline">her, <span style="vertical-align:baseline">ina “didn’t have ast name just a week ago” Weaver. “Uhm, well, I ept your apology?”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“Me too,” Carline said. “Come on ina, we should probably get going.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“No. I want to talk to Prisma, alone.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">Carline bit her lip, shaking her head. “Uhm, are you sure?”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“Yeah.” ina needed this. “Go on ahead, I’ll catch up.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">Carline looked like she was going to say more, but eventually started walking. “I''ll, uhm, see you around, Prisma.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“Yeah…” Prisma said. Carline walked off, leaving the other two alone.


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“Are we good now?”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">Prisma opened her mouth, fumbling for words. “What— what do you mean good?”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">What did she mean? “I mean, can we just move past everything? Start over, be friends?”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">Prisma sighed and walked past ina, keeping her back to her as ina turned around. “No. I already said that. I can be cordial with you, friend<span style="font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline">ly <span style="vertical-align:baseline">even, but not <span style="font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline">friends.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">ina''s heart sank. It wasn''t the pain from earlier. No, this was more final than that. Her own eptance was changing the sensation, weighing it down.


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“Okay… So that''s that then?”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“Yeah.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">That was it. Friendly was all they could ever be now. ina still didn''t understand fully, but there was a peace in the finality of it all. Maybe with time, that sinking feeling would go away too.


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">Prisma turned around, looking over ina’s entire body. It almost looked like there was a tear in her eye. “Come with me back to my dorm.” Prisma started walking, and ina stood there.


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“What?”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“Hurry up. I have something to give you.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">ina shook her head, making sure she''d heard everything properly, and then ran off to catch up to Prisma, walking alongside her.


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">It felt normal, walking through the school with Prisma again. The halls were quiet, most people either in their indoor sses or huddled up around the fires in themon rooms, and the two students walked through them like nothing had ever been amiss at all. If it weren’t for ina’s soaking and cold clothes, it would have felt <span style="font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline">perfectly<span style="vertical-align:baseline"> normal. <span style="font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline">Why are we going to her dorm though?


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“You really are impressive at fencing,” Prisma eventually said. “With practice, you’ll be very good. I may need to step up may own efforts if I want to remain at the top.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“Oh, uhm thanks, I guess.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">Prisma nodded. “I do want to be friendly with you, like I said. We’re ssmates, after all, and we have two important courses together. Just, don’t…”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“I get it.” <span style="font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline">I think. <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“We’re like, acquaintances, I guess?”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“Yeah, that’s a good way to think of it.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“Hey, earlier, I wasn’t really trying to eavesdrop, but… you said you didn’t want Waine to freak out?”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">Prisma’s eyes nced over for just a moment. “I wish you hadn’t heard that. It wasn’t really proper of me to say to Carline either, but I have a certain degree of familiarity with her. Those words were meant for her ears, and she understood them.” Well, that was that too. ina could tell pushing the matter further wouldn’t be productive.


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">They continued walking for a few minutes before they came to another dorm entrance, one that looked exactly like the one to ina’s own. “Uhm, I’ll wait here?”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">Prisma flushed, looking confused and embarrassed both. “What? No, you have toe up!”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“Oh,” ina said, confused herself. “Is that okay?”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“It’s fine. You obviously can’t stay after curfew or anything, but it’s not even lunch yet.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">Prisma marched into hermon room, ina following behind. This room was filled with students just like the one for ina’s dorm, still all sitting by the fire, chatting away. She recognized some faces from her fencing ss, but none by name. A few of them nced at the two new arrivals as ina followed Prisma straight through the crowd, though none of them payed too much mind. <span style="font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline">Probably more confused about my clothes than anything else. <span style="vertical-align:baseline">They walked up the stairs and into Prisma’s room down the hall. She locked the door, leaving her key inside of it as they entered.


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">ina had half expected some sort of grand bedroom like Tira’s, but no, it was the same exact room that ina herself had, save for a couple of decorations on the dressers and nightstands. One in particr stood out to ina, a picture of someone about Prisma’s age, who looked quite a lot like her.


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“Is that, uhm, Kohpicia?” ina said, pointing to the portrait.


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">Prisma looked at it from the center of the room, hands together in front of her, fingers ying across each other. “Yeah, Koh. I didn’t know you knew about her.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“I don’t really. Professor Ranlit mentioned her.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">Prisma smiled at that. “She would. Koh was always her favorite, of course. Even outside of sparring, they always got along great.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">ina smiled back. “She sounds nice. I wish I could’ve met her.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“Yeah, she is. Maybe if she was here, things could’ve been different after all.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">Prisma stood there, staring at the portrait on her nightstand while ina waited in the corner of the room. “So, you had something to give me?” She still had no idea what that could be.


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">“Yeah.” Prisma undid her jacket, pulling it off an cing it on her bed. “I really am sorry about everything.” ina was having trouble following the logic, but she was enjoying the sight at least. Prisma in just that shirt was so good at drawing her attention. She could see the faint hint of ck bra underneath the fabric, and she found herself wishing she’d paid more attention in the rain earlier. “I wanted to make it up to you, just a little.”


    <span style="vertical-align:baseline">And then Prisma reached into her skirt, undoing the sp and letting it fall to the floor.