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"Powerful speech! I like you!" My dark haired roommate said the minute we all trooped out of Absensual Hearing class, from which I gained absolutely nothing.
"I mean…that … I don't know where that came from. I just felt like I needed to say something to defend myself…" I wasn't usually that forward. I mean, it was something new. It felt like words from someone else were pushed out of my own mouth, or could people enchant others into saying such words? Did someone make me do that?
"Darling," she placed a finger on my lips, "I can trade you real confidence. Do you wish to have real confidence…"
"No, no, no, Athie!" Heart, the elf said pushing the dark haired girl with a dangerous allure away. Athie was who you'd call a baddie. She had piercings on her ears and nose, silver chains and chokers on her neck. Her white shirt was cropped, so her milk white belly was in tje open, and her tie was knotted in cabin attendant fashion around her neck, while her skirt was ridiculously short.
Still it was better than Natalie's, who had a thigh slit for a short skirt.
"She's a Djinn, okay. She's going to grant your wish, and take something ten times bigger from you. Don't ever make a bargain with her," Heart warned, jamming her knee playfully into Athie's butt. Athie giggled.
Natalie stepped in, fondling her blue hair, "So guys, let's talk about her being in our room. The guys aren't saying anything about it. No one is saying anything about it Tomorrow is the Mysia Welcome, and she's obviously going to get killed,"
"Well baby," Athie started, "Our room is for the best. I mean, I don't know how Genevra could think she'd rope you with us… anyway, we don't take disappointments. You have to have some kind of power. All six of us are like really good when it comes to our abilities, and magic. There's gonna be rumors that we weren't all that after all. One of us is a weakling. No, you have to be good at something," she said, sounding really serious.
I tightened my textbooks around my chest.
"What are you good at?" Heart asked, in her golden voice, folding her arms, "Are you super smart?" She asked, and I was about to say yes, but if you asked me what I learned in Absensual defence? No. I learned nothing. I tried concentrating, but it was useless.
"No," I said softly.
"Can you seduce? Charm?" Natalie asked, unwrapping a candy she took out of her bag.
To someone who never got kissed not to talk of seduced?
"No."
"Can you fight?" Heart asked.
I was literally my parents' Rapunzel. Perhaps I'd be really good if I was given a fry pan.
"No,"
"She's boring," Athie said, and began to walk away.
"Wait, wait, wait…" Heart pulled her, "Okay, now, look, uh, one thing about this whole thing is: if you're not strong, they can use you against us. You're the weak link. You're the closest to us. You're like… we can't just isolate you, and… I don't know if you get me. A wolf pack for instance shouldn't have a mortal in with them. Obviously, the enemies will get to that mortal, or human if you prefer. You have to have something special about you…"
"Which she doesn't," Natalie said, then suddenly turned as the boys walked out of the class, laughing, "Hay hay, did you eat my chips?" She asked.
"They were yours?" He asked, teasing as he walked away.
Only Damien came to me. Damn, they were carbon copies.
"So, you're interesting. Where did you get that little speech you gave from? Don't mess with me?" He asked, then laughed, "You're literally a little cat."
"Actually, yeah," Heart suddenly said, taking my hand and Damien's hand, dragging us towards the boys.
"What? What are you doing?" I asked my bag bouncing on my back.
She stopped the boys, and placed me in their middle. I stood stock-still.
"Faux, Damien, Hayden… she's a cat," she said, and I tried to sneak out of the circle, but she stopped me, while Athie and Natalie caught up with us.
"Yeah, a cat who pretended to be a tiger." Damien said, with a little laugh.
"She's your little cat," she added, and I looked at her. She was smiling sweetly at the boys, "It's your duty to protect the kitten who was pushed into our dorm. It would be extremely shameful if she came back with a broken arm. Also, Natalie was told to take care of her, but who can do better jobs than Natalie? You all, gentlemen…"
"Bullshit," Hayden said, preparing to walk away, but she pulled him to stand behind me, "I saved this cat last night, and all she could say was she didn't need it."
He suddenly turned my shoulder to face him, pushing my chin up, "Didn't you?"
"Uh, I mean…" I began, my fingers fidgeting.
"What's in it for us if we look after her?" Faux asked, a grin on his handsome face.
"You get your wish," Athie was quick to say.
They all burst into laughter, including Hayden.
"And get trapped for life?" Faux asked, "Give something better."
"Is there any tough girl you want in your bed? Or any one you want a bit of blood from, Hayden? Anyone you want to play 'catch' with, Damien? Any merfolk you want to lay with, Faux?" Heart asked.
The guys had grins on their faces.
"Anyone I want blood from?" Hayden asked, then looked at my neck. My blood ran cold. No, I was not about to get bitten by a vampire, "How about from the cat we're protecting?"
"Hm," Faux came closer, "That's true. How about the cat we're protecting?"
Definitely no!
Damien tucked my hair behind my ear, "It seems like a really nice idea… playing 'catch' with someone powerless. So yeah…how about the cat we're protecting?"