Natalie wondered whether it was going to be a trend that she and Jordan lost trol the first time she upgraded a skill, theled into a bizarrely casual routine. Because despite their busy day, Natalie’s css still o be atteo, and so the two of them had ended up together, ‘gathering’ al energy before she headed off to the party.

  It was unfortunate how much of a staple public bathrooms were being in Natalie’s life. She couldn’t wait until she had a dormitory room to retreat to—an actually private space to handle all this in. Until then, Natalie o grope her best friend in the safety of the barrack’s public facility.

  “We’ve got a few things to test,” Jordan said easily, as if Natalie didn’t have her hands oits, massaging away. “First, whether kissing and groping together gives more energy, rather than one or the other. For that matter, whether the ‘tier’ wiped the old one away, when you got it. Does kissing still give energy?”

  “I think so,” Natalie said, fairly fident in her answer. Intuition didn’t always show up when puzzling over one’s css, but when it did, it was usually reliable. Natalie retty sure any of the previous ‘colleethods’ would work when she upgraded her Harvest skill. The progression just indicated the ‘maximum act’ she could earn energy from. So, kissing was still oable. Though, whether both in the same session would give more, she wasn’t sure. It was a good question.

  A good question she only paid half a mind to. She was distracted. It was hard to be a studious professional when she had her hands on her best friend’s tits. And, she couldn’t even zo, either. Assuming the newly upgraded groping requirement had the same meics as kissing, then Natalie had to enjoy herself. Going about the motions didn’t provide half as muergy. So she basked in the sensation of her hands against Jordan’s small, shapely tits, and the noises Jordan made—interrupting her oh-so-professional discussion—whenever Natalie pinched or squeezed harder than normal.

  It might sound bizarre, but funny enough, this event—groping—was less promising than kissing Jordan. Natalie had never in a million years expected her and Jordan to have a ‘friends with bes’ situation going, but she khey existed, and they made seo Natalie. Having fun with a friend’s body? Getting some relief from each other? Not that big of a deal.

  But Jordan’s mouth on hers? The way her tongue moved, and how she felt Jordan’s moans in her own mouth? Much more dangerous thoughts started to creep ihey became intimate in that way. More so than when she had her hands on Jordan’s tits, or even down lower. Thoughts Natalie still wasn’t aowledging, much less addressing.

  So. Having Jordan’s blouse popped open, Natalie hands on her bare tits, rolling in circles and squeezing. No big deal.

  Kind of.

  “Sed,” Jordan said. “We o find out whether ‘thhness’ actually matters, like we assume it does. Or is it just enthusiasm, like with the kissing? Does how muy body you cover matter? Are my tits enough for the full value, as long as you get your money’s worth, so to say?”

  “Mm,” Natalie agreed absently. “Should … test it, yeah.”

  In her peripheral, Natalie saw Jordan’s lips quirk in amusement. It didn’t register. Natalie’s attention was occupied. Tits were amazing in any situation, but Jordan’s tits? They were on the smaller side—Jordan had a lean rogue’s build—but fuck, they were so perfect. And her nipples were so cute. Natalie was struck with the sudden urge to lean forward and give one of the hard nubs a nibble. But that would, uh, be taking things too far. Right? Maybe she should try and find out.

  “You aren’t listening,” Jordan said. Natalie could hear her roll her eyes. “I guess I should let you finish. But we do o test it. So, do you want to be thh today, or just my boobs? You pick.”

  The words slowly hit her brain. “Er.” She thought about it. Her kneading hands slowed as she thought, but she didn’t pull back from pying with Jordan’s tits. “I guess … we’ll go light today.” She couldn’t keep the disappoi out of her voice, which was maybe tohtforward.

  What did Jordan think about all of this? For all Natalie felt like she could read Jordan easily, when it came to this, she couldn’t. Partially because Jordan was keeping her reas hidden. Did that mean Jordan didn’t want to be here? That she was doing this just to help Natalie, and Jordan’s careful trol meant she was hiding the fact she was unfortable? The idea had Natalie’s stomach twisting. But why else would Jordan be moderating her reas?

  Out of an unscious desire to steer them away from that subjeatalie blurted out: “I got caught, by the way.”

  Jordan blinked in surprise, and so did Natalie. Natalie’s mouth teo work separately from her brain.

  She grimaced, realizing she had to follow through. It was best she did, anyway. She had a policy of fiding everything in Jordan. Some advi what to do about that disaster robably in order.

  But expining what she’d been doing? Ergh. So embarrassing. Without eveioning she’d been caught, which made it twice as awful.

  “I, um,” Natalie said. She kept her eyes locked firmly on Jordan’s tits, knowing she’d squirm under Jordan’s amusement. “I was testing [Illusion] in a … not so appropriate way. And got caught up in things. Apparently, the skill works better when the images are,” Natalie cleared her throat, face burning, “well, lewd. I thought the bathroom was empty, but I guess it wasn’t. I think someone heard me taking care of myself. Maybe saw.”

  That had been an ordeal to get out. But she managed. At least while squeezing Jordan’s breasts, talking about lewd matters didn’t feel as embarrassing.

  “Taking care of yourself?”

  “Please,” Natalie huffed. “You don’t need me to spell it out. You know what I mean.”

  Jordan absorbed that. Her previous question, at least, hadn’t sounded like she was ughing at Natalie. Natalie rexed at that. Jordan had always been able to take everything in stride. “Well. You don’t know who?”

  “No clue. Maybe they didn’t even catch me. Just … they left right after I finished. Snuck out, it sounded like. And I wasn’t being super quiet.”

  “That might be a problem.”

  “No shit. Any advice?”

  “What’s there to say? I guess … keep a. Someone might try to bckmail you.”

  “Bckmail?”

  “That’s how Te works, isn’t it? All scheming politis?”

  “Liz seemed nice.”

  “I get the feeling Liz isn’t the ‘normal politi’,” Jordan said dryly.

  Natalie agreed. For being a highborn, she was ridiculously bubbly and outgoing—and seemingly g ulterior motives. Was it an act, enuine? Natalie’s other cssmates were definitely more reserved. She wouldn’t be surprised for any of them t-arm Natalie into something. At least Natalie wasn’t important, which made her a not-very-relevant bckmail target.

  “Yeah,” Natalie said. “I guess.” She groaned. “I really didn’t his to deal with. I’ve got enough going on.”

  “Maybe don’t jerk off in public bathrooms?” Jordan suggested. “And to who, anyway?”

  “To who?”

  “Who’d you make the illusion of?”

  Natalie started, then blushed, remembering how the first time—the first test—it had been Jordan who had popped into her head. “Does it matter?”

  “Was it me?”

  “No!”

  Jordan bli the loud, instantaneous reply.

  “Um,” Natalie said, reining the rea in. “I just mean … I wouldn’t, of course— it wasn’t— it was Tess.”

  “Tess?”

  “My magic tutor.” Natalie shrugged. Her face burned red as she kept her gaze firmly on Jordan’s tits, the bizarrely safer option pared to her eyes. “She’s cute. I dunno. But I felt seriously creepy doing it. I don’t know her at all.”

  Jordan was quiet for a bit. Finally, she said, “Well. If using strangers makes you feel weird, then use me, ime.”

  Natalie froze. She looked up. Jordan wore an amused expressioly as she’d expected. Just teasing Natalie.

  But also … she sounded like she meant it?

  “Really?”

  “Sure. It’s hardly different than this.”

  “Right,” Natalie said. She’d already been red-faced, but this topic of versation had her face melting. She tried to py it off, to middling success. “I’ll, uh, keep that in mind.”

  A brief silence fell over the two of them.

  “You’re done, right?” Jordaually asked. “It’s been a while.”

  Yeah. Natalie had been groping for more than a few minutes. Her skill probably didn’t require that much effort to max out, not that she khe exact specifications. Just, it was so much fun. Jordan seriously had some amazing tits.

  Relutly, she withdrew her hands, then checked in on her energy supply.