CHAPTER 13 - THE FIRST DAY 5

In the late afternoon, it was time for Artistic Expression & Performance. This was the class Aegis shared with the one and only Liora Vale, and thus, she was very excited.

There was a mild hint of unease in her, at the same time. Mainly because...

[After this, it'll be time to go do... literally everything you can only do on day one.]

A tall order, given that she couldn't save scum through this. But, she would have to give it a shot.

That was later, though. Right now, she had a love interest to seduce.

She walked into the room.

The classroom was nothing like the others. Instead of desks, there were cushions and easels scattered around a circular space. Musical instruments lined one wall, lutes, harps, even a particularly fancy-looking piano.

Paint supplies occupied another section, and there was a small stage at the center.

[Artsy as hell. Perfect for making Liora swoon over my creative soul.]

Students filtered in with Aegis.

"Blah, blah blah, HA! Blah, blah blah," they spoke to each other, their words going in one of Aegis's ears and out the other.

She was trying to spot someone specific, after all.

There she was.

Liora Vale sat near the window, clutching her worn notebook. God, she had that quintessential "sweet girl" look, with blonde curls, bright blue eyes, and a resting smiling face.

... Which contrasted greatly with how wild she was in bed.

Aegis felt a twitch down there, pushed those thoughts out of her mind, and inhaled slowly.

[Okay, okay, settle down. SETTLE DOWN! Settle down... Game plan.] She closed her eyes. [Be confident but not aggressive. Flirty but not pushy. Liora's not looking to be used.]

Aegis strolled over, claiming the cushion beside her.

"Mind if I sit?"

"Oh! No, please." Liora scooted over slightly. "You're Aegis, right? From the assessment rankings?"

"Guilty." Aegis grinned. "And you're Liora. I remember your singing from the artistic test."

Pink dusted Liora's cheeks.

"You do?"

"Hard to forget. You made half the room cry." Aegis leaned slightly closer. "In a good way."

"I just... sang from the heart." Liora fidgeted with her notebook. "Nothing special."

"I respectfully disagree. That was—"

"Oh, Aegis."

[Oh no.]

Lune appeared beside them, pink eyes unreadable. Without asking, she claimed the cushion on Aegis's other side.

[Fuck. This wasn't part of the plan.]

"Lune." Aegis forced a smile. "I forgot you took this class."

"I paint." Lune set down her supplies and tilted her head at Aegis. Like Aegis was a total dumbass. "You know this."

"Right. Of course."

Liora looked between them.

"You're roommates?"

"Yes."

"Yeah, yeah, Lune. Lune's great. Anyway—"

The door burst open. Professor Loralei floated in (literally floated). She was an older woman with blue hair that flowed past her waist and that "I've spent more time in front of a piano than I have in front of my children" look.

"Welcome, darlings, to the only class that matters." Her voice was musical. Aegis always liked this little speech. "The politicians, they believe their words hold weight but only we can stir the heart with them. The sorcerers, they believe their innate power makes them special but anyone could grow their mana pool through meditation. How many of them have the patience to go from sporadic scribbles on a canvas to vibrant portraits of reality? And, the warriors... they believe their deeds in combat will put their names in the history books, but we're the ones who will truly build a legacy, spoken of for centuries to come!" She smiled at her students. "Here, we create. We express. We bare our souls and hope they're pretty enough to frame~"

Several students shifted uncomfortably.

"But first!" Loralei clapped. "I must know what I'm working with. Let's see your current skills, shall we?"

She scanned the room, then pointed directly at Aegis.

"Ahh, if it isn't the top scorer. Aegis Starcaller, care to show us your artistic soul?"

[What? Why me first?]

Outside her thoughts, however, Aegis maintained a confident facade.

"I'd be honored, Professor." Aegis stood, mind racing. "Any particular medium?"

"Dealer's choice, darling. Dazzle us."

Immediately, Aegis grabbed a canvas and paints, setting up at an easel. The class watched expectantly.

[I will literally just do the same trick as before. Random splatters, profound bullshit, Charisma carries the day. Easy.]

She splashed black paint across the canvas. Added some red. A bit of white. It looked like someone had murdered a rainbow.

"This piece," Aegis announced, "represents the duality of—"

"Stop."

"Eh?"

Loralei floated closer.

"I saw your assessment performance, darling. Try again."

[Shit.]

"I... what?"

"Art isn't repetition." Loralei's smile was as genuine as Aegis's growing terror. "As much as I enjoyed the painting you made then, I do not want to see the same exact artistic strategy again. Show me something new. Perhaps... sing for us?"

Aegis's stomach dropped.

She could bullshit visual paintings. She could bullshit poetry, probably.

Music?

That required at least some amount of actual skill.

"Of course." She moved to the stage, grabbing a lute. "I'll just—"

She strummed once. The sound was awful. Like a cat being strangled by another, angrier cat.

[Fuck fuck fuck. Think!]

"Actually—" Aegis opened her mouth to sing and—"GACK!"

She clutched her throat, eyes wide. A strangled wheeze escaped.

"My voice!" Aegis rasped. "Something's wrong! I can't—"

The class immediately started panicking.

Liora jumped up. Of course she'd be the first to act.

"Professor, she needs a healer!"

"Oh my." Loralei frowned. "That did sound painful."

"I'll take her!" Liora grabbed Aegis's arm. "The infirmary's not far!"

Before anyone could object, Liora dragged Aegis from the room.

They hurried down the hall. Aegis blinked. She didn't think Liora's grip would be quite this strong.

[Country girl strength, huh?]

"Don't try to talk," Liora said. "Save your voice. The healers will—"

"Stop."

Liora paused.

"What?"

As cute as it was seeing Liora worry like this, it was, of course, not needed.

Aegis straightened, clearing her throat normally.

"I'm fine. Voice is perfect."

"But... you just..."

"I lied." Aegis laughed awkwardly. "Couldn't sing in front of everyone, so I faked losing my voice. Clever, right?"

Liora's expression shifted. The concern drained away, replaced by something... else.

Something that looked vaguely like annoyance.

"You lied."

"Well, yeah, but—"

"You made me worry. Made me leave class. For a lie?"

Her HUD flashed:

[RELATIONSHIP UPDATE: Liora Vale]

[Affection -5]

[What? But I was just— oh no. Oh fuck. I forgot, Liora's the pure-hearted type. She hates dishonesty more than anything.]

"W-Well, I—"

"I should go back." Liora turned away. "Professor Loralei will wonder."

Aegis wanted to slam her head against the wall.

[First romantic misstep in the new world. Of course it's with the sweet one.]

Before Aegis could even say anything, Liora was already walking, leaving Aegis alone in the hallway.

[MISSION FAILED: First Impression with Liora]

[Reputation: Suspicious Liar]

"Fuck." Aegis actually did hit her head against the wall this time. "Stupid. So stupid."

She'd been so focused on avoiding embarrassment, she'd forgotten Liora's core trait—valuing honesty above all else. In the game, lying to her at certain spots could even lock you out of her route entirely.

[Smooth, Aegis. Real smooth.]

She trudged back toward the classroom, mind racing. She'd have to fix this. Grovel, probably. Maybe a grand gesture?

Aegis decided then and there that she didn't like the taste of failure. But, she couldn't let her mind linger on that tase for too long.

After all, she was still in the first day of school.

And, the first day of school in Queen of Hearts had a lot more left to give.