Nyx & Grendeeny

  At the dorm, Alaric and I were busy doing some squats, building our bodies, it was advisable for mages to both be magically and physically adept. It helped a lot when faced with situations where magic isn't the feasible solution.

What's even crazier, we didn't use body enhancements.

Then again, I've never really used body enhancements before. Crosses are born with just enough magical energy to have their life sustained but anymore applications than that drastically shortens the lifespan.

So, I didn't have the alternative of using them.

"Hey, Nyx. What'd you say after school we go get some protein shakes? I know a great place.."

"No can do buddy."

Unfortunately, I had to turn down his offer.

After school, there were other somewhat important plans. I'd already agreed to it three days after the dungeon exploration practical and here we were now.

...

After school, I made my way to the girls dormitory for a planned meeting.

...

"Here you go."

Handed a key, by Luciana Griffiths; she was the close friend of Grendeeny Steiner and also the vice president of the student's division Social Affairs.

I made the inquiry as to what the purpose of the key was and she informed me it was the spare to the social affairs building.

As she spoke I slotted the key into my pocket, but, my mind was completely focused on the information she relayed.

"All our other members are busy helping preparing students mentally for the new term... Miss Grendeeny is always early so I suppose you may not need it, but just in case."

  I clearly understood, and proceeded to thank her for the heads up whilst also promising I wouldn't let her nor Grendeeny down.

"Trust me, Luciana.."

Her face seemed flushed just before she averted her eyes. I couldn't tell why.

Naturally, Luciana was a woman with enviable facial features, from her perfectly toned skin to her burgundy colored hair. A bespectacled fine lady.

Perhaps, she was feeling a bit sick? Although there was no need to dwell around that possibility too much.

She took her leave, and with haste too.

"Just don't make it weird, anyways, happy to help."

She bid me farewell.

"Well she's nice... and pretty too."

...

  I made my way to the social affairs department right after, using the key to open the surprisingly locked door. A surprise because I'd expected Grendeeny to be here long before me.

Nevertheless, I decided to make myself feel comfortable by doing some cleaning which drew my attention to three other doors within the department.

I approached the first one with the hope it'd be a broom closet, yet it wasn't.

And then opening the second one I saw Grendeeny, but in her undergarments. Lavender colored brassiere and kitten patterned panties. Glorious.

"Oh hello Miss Grendeeny."

  Her face turned a bit red out of embarrassment, she was only about putting on her shirt as I walked in on her. She uttered a high-pitched gasp.

"Oh my goodness!" she shouted.

I was no pervert, rather a morally conserved fellow so I bowed my head and acted like nothing happened. Closing the door once more.

"I'm extremely sorry."

I could hear her screaming from just behind the door, an especially loud and high-pitched female voice.

Ah geez, I didn't plan for this to happen. I suppose she really liked kittens, not my best moment but I couldn't help but notice the kitten motif on her underwear.

...

Moments later, we were in the dinning portion of the department. On the notably fancy table, she set teacups but in a rather distressed manner. Her face was still of a faint red colour, and her bright purple eyes diverted from my clear line of sight.

"This tea is sourced from a select combination of magicubella and some special herbs grown on campus by the gardening club. It's one of my favorites and I hope you like it too.."

[Magicubella] :: plants with the highest amount of magicubes, as such when associated with a diet helps to increase one's magical power although to a barely noticeable degree. Unless consumed in excess, which may sometimes lead to epigastritis.

  She spoke extremely fast, and she still didn't want to look at me, and because of this I felt like I'd done something wrong.

There was a very good idea of what it was.

After a deep breath, "Miss Grendeeny, although it was an accident, I'm sorry I barged in on you." I bowed as a way to show my sincerest apologies, it must've been what had her shut down all this time.

"You already apologized, but I promise it's not a big deal. I usually don't change in there but occasionally when I spend the night here working, I tend to carry spare clothes and sleep here... And just so you know.."

She didn't complete the sentence, majorly because of her sudden pause and direction of gaze toward the side. I stood upright again wondering why.

"Hm?" I uttered.

"Not that it's any of your business, but most of my underwear are more mature than my kitten collections." from directing her gaze away from me she slowly turned away. The embarrassment was unbearable I suppose.

"Acknowledged." I aforementioned. But she had an entire collection of kitten panties? I wish I hadn't known.

"And also.." she had more to say, "..don't tell anyone about this." and I wholesomely agreed and even swore on my honor that I wouldn't.

Yet, she was still embarrassed, covering her face while she uttered a small cry.

"Ah Geez!"

  Finally, we were past the uncomfortable stage and we could now well discuss with one another.

As I helped her set the books in the social affairs library a particular one caught my attention. It was an especially old book, so I asked Grendeeny what it was and her response came as unexpected.

"Oh, this is one of the oldest treasures here. It's one of the original research books belonging to the late Augustus Karmichael."

  I was immediately intrigued, there was never a chance to read any of his books because I didn't have access to the original copies, the published variants lacked a lot of important information about his theories so there wasn't as much heart when it came to reading them.

Grendeeny told me this one in particular had to deal with his theories surrounding anti-magic and the mana cycle as well as the ability of plants to use magic.

At least the latter was already a law now, magicubellas are the first discovered plants with the ability to sustain itself through sourcing mana from magicubes.

The plants were originally called nodellas but was coined together with magicubes (dense mana in the atmosphere) and since then was called magicubellas.

"I'll show you them.."

...

She took me outside to their small garden where she showed me the magicubellas, but for the few minutes we stayed there she was just silent. Smiling.

"Miss Grendeeny? Are you okay?" I asked.

"Oh, it's nothing... I'm just happy someone who isn't a member is actually expressing a little interest. I do love teaching."

"Surely I can't be the only person interested in learning from you." Itʼd be extremely astonishing if it was so.

"I don't know, maybe you're not the only one. But people act weird around me because I'm from one of the top houses, it's hard to know who's interested when they keep their distance. Sometimes I try to believe they're just being kind and respectful but whenever I want to spend time with them... They politely decline." the more times she gets rejected, the harder it is for her to open up.

It was a bit disheartening. "But not with you, talking to you makes me happy." she added. So I had to oblige her even more..

"Well since that's the case, I'd love if we kept these sessions going for a while, if you'd like." I rested on one knee, since she was on both knees as she explained the magicubellas to me.

It'd be much easier to hear her now.

"Well I don't mean to scare you off, but I do read a lot on magic theories, so I have a lot I could teach.." she was a class higher than me in the senior division so yes, she could teach me a lot.

I agreed to her proposal nonetheless, a lot to teach meant a lot to learn. And I was all about learning.

Having gently taken the book from her grasp, and displaying it to her.

"Can I have this? I feel I could learn a few things here.." I politely requested.

"Of course I don't mind."

We still had lots to talk about, as such I didn't leave just yet.

It was fun to know she was invested in helping me learn more about magic, she was still under the impression that I had no magic.

The first Cross in the academy, a number of people knew my name. It wasn't anything to be proud of, but I didn't let it bother me.

"Shoot! Our tea will get cold!" I exclaimed.

"I forgot!" she replied.