Deviation Actions
Literature Text
[Contains: Student TF]
Chapter 2:
A Spy’s Education
Ding ding ding ding ding
“Finally…!”
Merlene half-groaned as she stood up. Stretching out her stiff body all the while. History class really was a total snore, even for her. It didn’t help the teacher was the driest dinosaur she’s ever met. He belongs in a museum, not a school!
Of course, she wasn’t the only one to stand up. Almost the entire class had one single thing on their mind: Lunch.
And so, the inevitable happened. A stampede of hungry teenagers all heading for the door at once.
“Why is getting food the most dangerous thing I have to do? I’m a professional spy, damn it!”
The agent lamented her fate as she jumped into the fray. It was several elbows, shoves, pushes, and maybe even a bite or two (seriously?!) later that she managed to squeeze her way out of the exit.
Now stood in the white and yellow hallway of her school, the feline agent had to figure out the best way to avoid being squished to death.
Fortunately, she knew a safer route.
Spinning on her heels, she headed straight for the third floor, her shiny black shoes click-clacking as she went. Cream sweater bobbing along from its tied place around her waist. Pleated blue skirt swishing here and there…
Man, school uniforms blow! Way too loose and yet somehow still stuffy. She never thought she’d actually miss those bodysuits.
Eventually, though, she reached the top of the stairs just as her eyes caught a familiar face.
“Umm… H-hey, Merlene!”
She smiled a little as she heard the nervous stuttering and stumbling of her friend: Saffi Reina.
“What’s up, Saffi?”
Cool as a cucumber, the agent wandered over towards the locker, half-leaning against it as she did so.
“W-well, it’s just that… I was, uh. Wondering if you wanted to, maybe… Drop by the Starwatching Club? The teachers gave us permission to use the roof! So I thought that we could, uh… You know…”
Merlene nodded along to the conversation. Though she was more focused on watching her squirm, pink eyes darting around the place as she went from adjusting her black-rimmed round glasses to playing with her silver twintails.
She could have gone on like that all day. If Merlene let her.
“Let me finish that thought for you. You want me to watch stars with you and cook something, right?”
Saffi could only nod, her slightly tanned skin now pinkier from awkwardness.
“Sounds like a date! I’ll bring the stove. You bring the noodles.”
Merlene leaned in as she spoke, her cat-ish nature shining at last. Her poor mousey friend could do naught but squeak in acceptance.
“I’ll see you later then, Saffi.”
“I…” She began, faltering only for a few seconds. “I’ll, uh, see you later too, Merlene! I… I’m sure we’ll h-have lots of fun.”
With a nod and a wave, the agent walked away from her still embarrassed friend. Mostly because her stomach was reminding her that she was hungry.
“Note to self: I need to work on confidence with her. Maybe R&D has something to help with that…?”
Merlene wandered down the rather barren hallways. Only a few stragglers and those who packed lunches were left. At least, that’s what she thought at first. Little did she know that lurking right around the corner was…
“Gotcha!~”
Merlene was sent stumbling back as a sudden weight collided with her. All she could see was red as she struggled to stay upright. Not in the metaphorical sense, though. No, she literally could only see red hair.
She already knew who it was: Poppy Enomota. Her friend, sorta.
Luckily for her, she was very recognizable. Otherwise, she might have gotten body-slammed into the ground.
“Did you really have to do that, Pop?”
The red-haired girl grinned, finally releasing Merlene from her impromptu tackle hug. Her fire-red ponytail bounced as she did so. Those emerald eyes held so much mischief sometimes.
“Course I did! I hafta greet my BFF proper. Duh.~”
Poppy put her hand on her hip, head tilted slightly up so she could stare at Merlene as she mock-pouted. She was an… unusual girl.
“Alright, spit it out. What do you need?”
Merlene knew the cheerleader well enough to know she was only this clingy when she wanted something.
“Welllllllllllllllllllll… We’re kinda sorta a little itsy bitsy bit… missing a member for the cheer squad for the upcoming game. And I was wondering if you’d-”
The agent just held up a hand. She was cutting the fluff, as it were.
“I told you, I don’t have time for cheerleading anymore. Can’t you find someone else, Poppy?”
“No can do! Nobody else has the exp you do. Not anyone who didn’t turn me down, anyways.”
The agent sighed a little at that, weighing up her options. She didn’t have many choices here, as usual.
“... Fine, but only this once-”
She didn’t even get to finish her sentence before she was tackle-hugged once more. For such a small girl… she had a concerning amount of grip strength.
“Thank you, thank you, thankyouuuuu!~ You won’t regret this, promise! Ice cream is on me for the next week.”
Merlene would have mentioned all the times she said that only to show up ‘forgetting’ her wallet. But, she was tight on air as it was. Until Poppy released her, anyway.
“... You… should think about playing a different sport, Poppy.”
She was worried for those other girls.
“Huh? Why would I do that?”
“I… never mind. I’ll see you around. I got to eat.”
With a hasty goodbye and a wave, Merlene took her chance to bail. All while Poppy overenthusiastically waved her off. She had zero cool.
And Merlene? Well, she was hungry.
So she elected to ignore the occasional beckoning call of high school sirens wanting… whatever it was they wanted. She didn’t stop to ask. Just kept on walking.
Such is the price of popularity—Not that she ever asked for it.
As she stepped into the cafeteria, a single word came to mind - Chaos.
A cacophony of chatter filled the humid air, people crammed themselves in front of rows of blue and red plastic tables, all while pizza, desserts, burgers, and a hundred other smells filled the air.
It was enough to give someone a headache if they weren’t adapted to it.
“Now to find the hoard of ‘simps’… Aha!”
A familiar girl sat in the far corner of the room; her electric blue hair was hard to miss. Surrounding her on all sides were countless boys and more than a handful of girls, seemingly bombarding her with questions and comments.
There were even a few teddy bears and chocolates being pushed her way.
“New mission: Save Sera from the ‘simp’ hoard.”
Merlene strode towards the table, dodging and occasionally shoving her way through people as she went. Until she reached the ravenous fans. Some of them weren’t even wearing the same school uniform.
“Alright, scram! The girl needs some space to breathe.”
The agent banged her fist on the table to make a point. A point well-received as most of them dispersed. A few of the braver ones tried to grandstand. But they chickened out as Merlene shot them a death glare.
It was probably best they left…
“Thanks for the assist, Mer.”
Sera grinned from behind the stack of gifts.
“One of my recent streams blew up, so they’ve been extra thirsty lately. Want some chocolate?”
Merlene just shook her head, sitting down and clearing the table of the countless gifts. Another instance of popularity’s curse.
“Nah, I don’t eat milk chocolate.”
The blue-haired girl just shrugged as she took a chunk out of the bar. Her stomach for desserts was truly bottomless…
“Actually, I wanted to talk about last night-”
“What’s there to talk bout, Mer? We kicked ass, took names, and got paid. That’s all that happened.”
The feline agent shook her head, leaning across the table as she took on a more serious expression.
“You sure? Cause you got real panicky when Eira got captured-”
“Of course I did, Mer! She’s my teammate, and I’m support. I gotta keep the tank alive.”
“And keeping the tank alive involved forgetting basic protocol and getting yourself captured too?”
“Hey, you got knocked out too!”
Merlene sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. Why did Sera have to get so jumpy about this?
“Look, just… be careful next time.” She paused for a second, desperately trying to think of some way to convey this properly to her hyperactive ally. “Even if your princess gets taken to another castle, okay?”
Sera didn’t say anything to that. She just looked at her friend, stunned as her cheeks went flush. After a few seconds, she cracked into a slight smile.
“Hey, that was a decent metaphor. Have I finally corrupted you to the dark side, Mer?~”
“Don’t even go there.”
Merlene already regretted what she said. But, at least she seemed to get the memo.
With her mission complete, the feline agent stood up and headed for some much-deserved food. A soy burger would hit the spot.
Sera watched as Merlene walked away to get her food. She was once again left alone with her thoughts. Plus thoughts of Eira-...
Cough
“I guess I should figure out what to do with all you…?”
Needing a distraction, the avian agent turned to her newly found collection of stuff. She was pretty sure she couldn’t fit all this in her backpack. She didn’t want to just abandon them here, though.
What a pickle she found herself in.
Her eyes scanned over the plushies before her eyes settled on one; a white wolf.
“Maybe Eira would want this one?... Nah, she’d have a billion of them if she did.”
Sera sighed, trying to shake the stray thoughts free. Her hand snuck into her pocket, pulling out a somewhat beat-up handheld. Several faded stickers were spread across it.
“A few rounds ought to fix my dumb brain.”
Quick as lightning, she was illuminated by white light as familiar music began to play. Her heart soothed as she expertly controlled her adorably animated character on their adventure to… save a princess.
“Come on! Did I really have to bring that game with me today of all days?”
Despite her groaning, she quickly got absorbed. She was so stuck in the game, she failed to notice as the ticking timebomb snuck up on her. Not until…
“SERA!”
She practically jumped out of her skin as her head spun around to spot Irie, sporting the winter uniform. Brown sweater and red pleated skirt.
“Holy shi-...shoot! Irie, don’t do that.”
She barely caught herself there. Irie didn’t like it when she or Merlene swore.
“Sorryyy. I didn’t mean to scare you. I tried calling you, but… this place is almost louder than my bombs.”
Irie smiled, innocent as usual.
“Ohhh, is that a GameGirl? I used to have one of those! Before, I uh… burnt it.”
Sera sighed, shaking her head as Irie just giggled. She really was a full-blown pyromaniac.
“If you want, you can borrow one of my other ones. Long as you promise not to incinerate it, Irie. These things are certified legendary drops!”
“At least this will distract me for a bit… Hopefully.”
The two of them talked for a while about various games. It was mostly ‘kiddy’ games and retro titles. But she didn’t care about that. As long as she got to distract herself for a while, she was happy.
It wasn’t much longer until Merlene returned with her food. Shortly after, the topics began to veer towards classes, clothes, and numerous cute cat videos Irie found.
They weren’t Sera’s speed. She didn’t care, though. She was just happy to have some people she could talk with. Fans are fine. But, they rarely, if ever, make for good conversations. It inevitably circles back to her videos. Every time…
Ding ding ding ding ding
But, eventually, lunch had to end.
“Shoot, I got to split. Promised Poppy I’d help with something, and Saffi wants to meet me later too. See you two later.”
Merlene left, rushing off towards the halls again.
“I have to get to music class. Thanks for the GameGirl, Sera. Promise I won’t blow it up!”
And Irie left too.
Leaving just her…
Ping
Her phone suddenly buzzed in her pocket; a text from Eira?
“Dear Sera,
If you have the time and intent, could you meet me at my academy’s entrance at approximately 2:35? My team is competing, and it was requested that we invite our acquaintances and friends to attend. You may refuse if this is too burdensome on your schedule.
Cordially,
Eira Ei.”
It was a bit too formal an invite for her tastes, but…
“Hell yeah, I’m in. I’ll drop by soon!”
She shot back a reply as she stood up. She shoved as many goodies from the table as she could into her backpack and, like the wind, took off.
She didn’t really care about maths class anyways.
Sera skirted around the street corner, barely avoiding throwing herself into on-coming traffic as she did so. Her face something red and breath heavy; she had arrived at Eira’s school. Maybe a little earlier than asked.
“Damn, this place is still so… fancy.”
The school building had to be at least four or five stories tall. Several massive stained glass murals were put up throughout instead of windows. Gargoyles stood on watch throughout.
Heck, she was sure the gate was pure silver.
Even a day in this place would probably cost more than her house. Guess she’s lucky to have such a wealthy friend to mooch off. She’s definitely buying the next few rounds of burgers and noodles when they go out.
“Sera, you’ve like- cough... You’ve arrived, splendid.”
A familiar voice swept through the air like a refreshing breeze; it was Eira. Though, she could still hear a hint of Ei-Ei in there. Transformations are harder to shake than you’d think.
“I said I’d show up, didn’t I, Princess?”
“Mhm, indeed. Come along then. I may as well give you the lay of the land. It’d be rather shameful if you were to get lost.”
Eira beckoned for her to follow. And, like a dog, she did.
Well, she was mainly just ogling her. It wasn’t often she got to see Eira wearing her school uniform. White blouse, white cloak with golden accents, and a matching skirt. She once wore a cap too. Though she doesn’t seem to wear that often.
It looked damn good on her!
“Setsuri Academy is a historical academy spanning back several centuries. Founded by the Ei family, the Kuni family, and the Takeda family as a means to groom and educate future global leaders. You will find no better place to learn than here.”
Sera wasn’t really paying attention. She just nodded along. Until she heard the name Ei brought up.
“... Ei as in, your family?”
“Correct. My family has prided itself on cutting-edge education for generations.”
“Huh… Guess Princess is pretty fitting then.”
Sera grinned, proud of herself for nailing that one. Only to earn a tired sigh from Eira, though she could almost swear there was a hint of a smile too…
“I… suppose you could say that.”
With that, their tour continued, from the art studio to the several on-ground restaurants to the sauna, and even a state-of-the-art virtual reality room. Each one was more impressive than the last.
Until finally…
“And here we have the tennis court. The stands are over there. You may take a seat or wander while I go prepare, Sera.”
With a half-courtesy, the heiress goes off to get changed and… whatever else she does. Which left the energetic blue-hair with nothing to do for a while. Nothing but explore this insane campus.
“Maybe I can find the dorms and sneak into Eira’s. I wonder what it’d be like. Barren? Filled to the brim with plushies? Tons of idol merch? Oh, I just HAVE to know!”
With an evil grin, Sera snuck off to scout out the campus. This would all be totally worth it! If she could get a peek at what Eira hid behind that ice wall.
Finding the doors was a trickier endeavor than she expected. She hadn’t exactly been paying attention during the whole tour thingy, which made the sprawling campus seem ever more labyrinthian.
Still, it’d take more than a confusing map layout to dissuade this blue-haired girl.
“Let’s see what we got here.”
Sera surveyed the area, spotting several snobby-looking rich girls in the process. Their uniform was a bit different from Eira’s; white and silver instead of white and gold. But they definitely go here.
She could use them.
“Hey, you two.”
Sera pointed at two girls: one with lavender ringlets and another with a pair of golden drill tails. Stereotypical, really.
“Do you know where the girl’s dorms are? Friend asked me to go grab something for her.”
The purple one spoke up first, her voice prim and proper.
“Ugh, what dolt allowed a peon to wonder here? Shoo, go back to whatever slum you crawled from now.”
“Come now, Cecilia. For such a sorry girl, she is rather cute.”
The blonde girl chimed. Confident and condescending as she cupped Sera’s face.
“In fact, I think I like her… You’ll make a good pet—Ew! What the heck?!”
As suddenly as she moved in, she backed away. Her eyes stared at her hand in horror at the little wet patch.
“Sorry girls, as much as that sounds fun. I think I’ll just find the dorms by myself.”
And like that, she bolted like the wind towards the ‘Dormitory’ sign she spotted during their little kerfuffle.
No way would she be owned by some rich brat!... Though, if Eira asked nicely, she wouldn’t be opposed to a cute collar.
It wasn’t long before the speedball found her mark: a series of decorative doors spanning an enormous spiraling building. Each one protected by some high-end tech. DNA scanners, voice detectors, and numerous other passwords and fail-safes.
“Almost like the girls don’t want me breaking in. Almost.”
With a grin, she whipped out a small console-like device from her pocket and yoinked a cable from the side of it. A few seconds of searching later and she was mashing buttons. Before she knew it, that red light on Eira’s door flashed green.
“Agency tech for the win, baby! Now, let’s see what the princess is hiding.”
The avian spy wasted no time. She snuck inside, locked the door, and got straight to searching her prize: Eira’s room.
It was surprisingly normal, actually. Snowflake-shaped rug on the ground. A few cute posters on the wall. A…
“Whoa, that PC is crazy high-tech. And are those welding tools on the desk? Did she build it herself?”
The techie’s respect for Eira went up more than a few points as she tip-toed around the stacks of books, the grand piano, and the queen-sized bed. Her mouth watered as she poked and probed all the tech.
She could have spent hours checking out this rig and seeing how well it runs the latest open-world sandbox. But, she was on a crucial mission here.
“If I was Eira… where would I keep my embarrassing secrets?”
The underwear drawer? Nope, that was just filled with the exact same panties. Closest? Nope, just fancy dresses. And, for some reason, a blue bunny suit? Did she not incinerate that? Weird, but not personal enough.
It was the bed where she struck gold—literally. A golden heart necklace with an elegant snow design across it. Inside? A picture of a younger Eira, crying hard and snotty. Next to her was an older girl, about her age now. She looked really similar. But different, too.
That had to be her sister, but she never talked about having one. Wonder why she wouldn’t talk about that.
“Did something happen to her or-”
Sera almost tripped over something on the floor, a small, sleek white thing. As soon as she touched it, a loud alarm-type noise blared.
“Oh shit. I got to run. Mystery sister, I’ll get back to you later!”
And so the slightly-perverted agent dashed as fast as she could out of the room, around the corner, and-... Straight into a taller woman. A sharply-dressed, taller woman…
… She ran straight into a teacher.
“Karma’s a bitch.”
“Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow-”
Sera whined and winced as she was dragged by the ear by the teacher she had run into, the height difference between them forcing her to practically hop along to keep up.
Eventually, the woman stopped as they entered a large, blank room. One hand adjusted those silver-rimmed reading glasses of hers.
“Look, there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation-...”
She didn’t even get to finish that sentence before the woman shook her head, a disappointed tut following suit.
“Young Miss, I do not want to hear it. I ought to call the authorities for such crude misconduct.”
That’d… be a problem. The last time the cops were called on her, her “boss” wasn’t so happy about bailing her out. They’d probably tell Eira about it too.
Shudder.
That was the last thing she wanted right about now.
“But… you won’t, right?”
She looked unamused by that comment. This wasn’t going well.
“... No, I will not—only due to your association with Lady Ei.”
The tomboy sighed in relief until she noticed something shiny in the teacher’s hand. Oh no, here comes the but.
“But, I cannot excuse such behavior. Your magister have evidently failed in properly educating you. I will mend this.”
Gulp.
“Surely we can just uh… talk this out—”
Her protests fell on deaf ears as the metallic object was shoved on her head; a helmet. One that blocked out the world around her as she was pushed onto a chair of some kind.
“I think not, Young Miss. You are clearly in dire need of detention, and I intend on fulfilling that need.”
Sera could only gulp as colors filled her vision. This wasn’t going to end well…
“Did you hear?”
“Hear what?”
“Some perv broke into one of the dorm rooms. Ms. Iekami is taking her to detention.”
“Really? How’d a dolt like that get into this school?”
“That’s the thing, she’s not even a student. Someone invited her here. Someone important too, it’s being real hush-hushed.”
“For reals?”
“Uh-huh!”
Two girls in the lower grade chit-chatted outside of the changing room; apparently, some pervy idiot thought they could break into the dorms without punishment. What sort of a moron would do that?
Eira wondered as she stepped outside, adorned in the school’s gold & silver tennis outfit. Hair tied up in a fashionable ponytail, which flicked back and forth as she scanned the area for Sera.
Only, she couldn’t seem to find her. How odd. Had she gotten herself lost going to the bathroom?
Hmm, that cannot be it. The toilets were only twenty feet from the changing room. Sera may be scatterbrained, but she wasn’t that helpless.
So then, where had she run off to?
“Perhaps she was hungry?” Eira mused, but that didn’t sound right either.
It was only then that the pieces connected in her. An idiot, a pervert, snooping in the dorms, not a student, brought by someone important.
That was no ordinary idiot; that was HER perverted idiot!
“Damnit, Nakamura. I leave you for five minutes, and look what you do!”
She groaned some more as she stomped off towards the headmistress’ office. She’d need to sort this out before they do something drastic. Ritzy academies don’t care too much about ‘discipline’ laws. This entire academy was exempt from most laws - period.
Who knows what they may do to her!
… Or, for that matter, what she might do to the girl when she gets her hands on her.
“Ugh…”
Sera opened her eyes. What greeted her was a strange sight. Countless rows of sleek, white desks with built-in computers. A whiteboard with equations and phrases written all over. And the teacher from before.
What was weirder, however, was what she saw when she looked down.
A white & bronze school outfit, very similar to the one she saw on those girls earlier. Though, this one seemed a bit less… fancy? From the corner of her eye, she could see her lightning blue hair now curled into ringlets.
In short, she looked like a snot-nosed rich schoolgirl.
“Now, class,” a voice began, a familiar one. “Who will read this sentence for me?” She pointed to the board. Written in flowery language was a line from some poem.
It was undoubtedly “The Dove.”
But, there was just one tiny problem: she had never read a d*rn poem in her life! So how did she know it? And how could she, so simply, understand it?
“It evidently says-” She began, still bewildered as to how she came to the answer. Yet, she was furthermore disoriented by the delicate yet haughty accent that came from her.
“This isn’t right. I’m not some-... filthy commoner! No. I’m not some bratty, spoiled daddy’s girl who can’t-... afford to pay a tutor. Natta, I’m telling this woman off and getting out of here!”
She shook her head, her thoughts infiltrated by that obnoxious voice. Steeling herself against its influence, she thought of nothing but swimsuit models and bunnygirls. Especially Ei-Ei.
“Go fuck yourself!”
She mustered up a shit-eating grin as she delivered that iconic line. Heh, this lady was insane if she thought some weak-sauce mind-control would break—
“Wrong answer, Young Miss.”
ZAP!
A wave of crushing shame, guilt, and foulness struck her as soon as she uttered those words. She could feel the mental image of Ei-Ei shift towards the teacher, disappointed look and all.
“I… need to be a good girl. I can’t make teacher-... No, I can’t snap that easily. Come on, Sera. Fight. I’m sure Eir-... Ms. Ei would surely just surrender. She’s such a Perfect Student. I should be like her.”
“I-... I’m… I apologize deeply, Ms. I promise it won’t happen again.”
She found herself bowing—her body on autopilot. She only regained control again as she sat down. The next question was highlighted. For her, she knew.
“Now, Young Miss, tell me the solution to this equation.”
The mathematical symbols were foreign to her. Sigma, beta, alpha, phi, pi, r, n, gt? Usually, it’d be like speaking alien to her. Yet, again, she was able to understand it clearly.
All of it.
“Ohehehe! Such simple equations. I’ll solve them in-... No. Get out of my head. Get out, get out, get-... out, Peasant! You’re not fit to walk these halls. Certainly not fit for a GODDESS like Ms. Ei!”
Sera was stunned silent; the voice drowned out her thoughts. Her lips moved on their own. She couldn’t even think long enough to comprehend what she had said. Not until it was done.
“... 12.62, Ms.”
She was so… distant. Like she was watching her own body. No, not hers. This was definitely someone else’s. How she sat, how she talked, even how she looked.
How was she supposed to fight this?!
“You’re not. Good girls do not fight. They study and remain pretty. Until a wealthy enough family wants to merge with my own, of course.”
That was… was that right? No, no, it couldn’t b—
“Correct, Young Miss.”
CLICK
A ray—No, an entire beam!—of divine warmth and reassurance radiated upon her. Her confidence raised as it whispered sweet affirmations in her ears. This, this was heaven! The only thing that could make this delectable ambrosia sweeter would be if Ms—
… Ei.
She had ditched Ms. Ei for such a base desire. How shameless she had been!
“Surely my sins are too great to be forgiven! To have been allowed to bask in her presence, only to repay her like that. Uncouth! Utterly perverse! Totally-... Normal! A girl has desires too. Just because she’s rich doesn’t mean-... Because she’s rich, I MUST behave.”
Sera put up a fight, the best she could. But, it was clearly a losing one. How was she getting out of this? She didn’t have the brain cells to spare for thinking.
“Now, Young Miss, what is-”
“FUCK YOU!”
“Wrong answer, Young Miss.”
ZAP!
Another zap, another wave.
“F… f…fuck you!”
“Wrong answer, again, Young Miss.”
ZAP! ZAP! ZAP!
This time the waves came in threes, each delivering a devastating effect. The shame was unbearable. And yet…
“F… for… give… FUC-... Forgive me, Ms… FUCK YOU!”
“Tch.”
ZAP! ZAP! ZAP! ZAP! ZAP! ZAP! ZAP! ZAP!
Though Sera Nakamura may be stubborn as the earth itself: she was no Atlas. A world’s weight of shame & iniquity bore upon her shoulders. She did not—could not—withstand it. She crumbled beneath it.
“F-f… forgive me, Ms. I will not have another… outburst like that. Ever again.”
Any resistance in her voice was gone. It was practiced, poised, elegant: perfect. Yet, she was. No, she was a mere bronze.
Lowly, yet obedient.
That was what a Good Girl was.
She MUST find some way to repay Ms. Ei for her horrible crimes.
“... Correct answer, Young Miss. You are dismissed.”
CLICK!
The beam of light consumed her once more. The world faded into white pixels.
And then: Seraphina Nakamura woke up.
“Where could that imbecile have ended up?”
Eira muttered to herself as she scanned the building, the click-clop of her hard-bottom tennis shoes echoing throughout the halls. She didn’t have time to change back into her school uniform. And, at this rate, she wouldn’t have time to play.
Not that it mattered.
She had more pressing matters than a trivial game.
“Misdemeanor, misdemeanor, and a potential felony. Would that be disciplinary? Did a teacher find her? Or was she sent to the Headmistress?”
She had only gotten as far as the main lobby before her answer presented itself; a girl dressed in white & copper, electric blue hair now in small but distinctive ringlets. She looked, for all the part, like she belonged there.
Yet, she didn’t.
Because what stood before her was none other than Sera Nakamura: her idiot.
She could tell from just a glance. Which meant that she had already gone through that stupid reeducation program. Hadn't that proposal been rejected four times? What series of absurd incompetence - or downright malice - led to this? Whatever the case. She'd have to fix it.
“Sera—”
“Ms. Ei, please! Pardon my absence and forgive me for my sins. My ignorance has been cleansed. I’ll be a Good Girl for you now, I promise.”
She bowed, only an inch from begging on her hands and knees.
“I… Damnit.” Eira could only groan as she pinched the bridge of her nose. This was a complete mess. How could she have been so blind? Of course, Sera would do something like this. She’s Sera. She should have brought one of the others to keep an eye on her.
This was, unfortunately, her fault too.
Next time, she’s getting her a collar and leash.
“Fine. You’re pardoned. But, you must stick close to me until I say otherwise, yes?” She knew the type of girl Sera was now. A complete kiss-ass who’d step on anyone lower, rat on rulebreakers, and worship the ground she walked upon.
Her least favorite kind of person, otherwise.
Though, on Sera, it wasn’t the worst look.
“YE-... Yes, Ms. Ei! Anything you say, Ms. Ei.”
She stood up, eyes beaming with hope. She just barely managed to compose herself. To think that Ms. Ei had personally forgiven her.
Miracles do come true.
“I… sigh… Come along. We’ll get you fixed. Sera-”
“... Phina. Seraphina, Ms. Ei. Sorry to trouble you with the burden of remembering my name.”
She really was a total brown-noser.
“Right, Seraphina. Let’s go to the Headmistress’ office. I have some… important business to take care of.”
“Of course, Ms-”
“... Please, anything but that.”
“Lady Ei!”
Eira could only sigh once more. That was marginally better, she supposed. It was at least something she could imagine coming out of Sera’s mouth…
… During one of her delusional daydreams, anyway.
“Come along.”
The kuudere agent could only gesture as she walked ahead, eyes down. She tried her best not to address the strange feeling she got when Seraphina obeyed her every whim.
She should be used to it, yet she wasn’t. Not when it came from her.
… If you can even call Seraphina and Sera the same person.
“Right away, Lady Ei!”
Ba-bump
As the two magnates made their way down the halls, they drew many an eye. Seraphina, of course, attributed it to her lady. Meanwhile Eira? Well, it’d be the bronze-wearing girl following her around.
Bronze usually tailed a silver, if they were lucky. To follow a gold around was considered… brazen. To say the least.
Not to mention her being a ‘new transfer’ to most of them. It was a gossip rag story waiting to explode onto the campus newspaper if it wasn’t shot down due to the Ei name.
“Lady Ei.” Seraphina had noticed how she lowered her head. Almost like she was trying not to be seen. What an absurd thing for someone of her status to do. “Is something the matter?”
“What? Why would you… Ahem, Nothing’s the matter, Seraphina.”
That didn’t seem to satisfy the bluenette, as she looked doubtful but too afraid to dare question her superior.
“If you are sure, Lady Ei. Perhaps some time in the VR Room would cheer you up? I’m sure the Headmistress would be more than willing to-”
“No need. I’m fine.”
“A-... Ah. Very well.”
Seraphina grew quiet, fidgeting with her frilly skirt as they continued to walk. Only to lift her head as she heard the sounds of footsteps approaching. Someone… No, someones were coming.
“Well, well, well. What do we have here? The disgusting peon? What are you doing wearing even a Bronze uniform?”
A chorus of “Yeah!”s echoed her sentiment from her posse.
“Hey now, there’s no need to—”
Eira tried to interject, but Seraphina was faster.
“Why are lowly Silvers approaching a Gold and not addressing her first? In favor of a Bronze too. Such flagrant disrespect of the rules. I’m certain the Headmistress would love to hear about this.”
“W-wait…” The silver-uniformed girl paused. Suddenly a lot more unsure. “You’re just a Bronze. You can’t do anything.”
A weaker chorus of “Yeah!”s followed suit. Until Seraphina stepped in closer, non-existent chest puffed with pride.
“I am but a humble Bronze serving an illustrious Gold. If the Headmistress heard about how disrespectful and disruptive you were, then…-” She shrugged.
Her point-made. One of the Silvers backed off, disappearing into the crowd. The others were definitely not up to this.
“Seraphina, there’s really no need to-”
“Don’t trouble yourself with such filth, Lady Ei. I must ensure only the finest may speak to you with the reverence you deserve!”
“I… I…” The stuck-up leader began to falter a bit, clearly ill-prepared for the complete devotion to the rules & Eira she had. It was almost creepy. “This isn’t even worth my time.”
With a huff, she turned around, though Seraphina wasn’t content to just leave it there.
“No, you are not worth my time. Run along, mutts.”
A soft “Ohehehehe!~” echoed out as she beckoned them off. She was precisely the kind of person Eira expected, And yet, she was worse than she thought. Seems Sera was pretty susceptible to it…
… Or she did something dumb, like try to brute-force through it. Probably that.
“Seraphina, leave the talking to me next time.”
“But, Lady Ei-”
“That wasn’t a request. It was an order.”
“I… very well, Lady Ei.”
She bowed her head as Eira dispersed the crowd. Before practically dragging the now meeker Seraphina behind her.
All the while hoping she could actually fix this. Programming this deep will need time and precision to undo without lasting aftermath.
Or maybe one big shock to the system might work? Hmm.
Either way, they made their way towards the Headmistress’ office. Eira was going to fix this problem here and now.
“Excuse me, Miss-”
As Eira and Seraphina entered the luxurious waiting room outside the Headmistress’ office, the receptionist tried to stop them. She stopped mid-sentence as the lupine agent flashed something at her.
“Go… right ahead, Miss. The Headmistress will see you now.”
She nodded. She didn’t need to say a word.
Together, the two girls entered through the heavy, extravagant oak doors. The office they were greeted with was no less lavish. One-of-a-kind paintings adorned the walls, built-in bookshelves towered to the ceiling, and a desk the size of most people’s cubicles. Not to mention the view.
There were some other things, too. Pictures from their winning teams, big parties they threw, and a few trophies. And lastly, a portrait of the headmistress stood next to three women.
One with striking blue eyes and dark black hair. A figure Eira didn’t spend a second looking at.
“Kotone Miyata,” Eira began, dropping any guise of formality. “We need to speak.”
The woman, in her late 40s, with a single graying bang among her inky black hair, red eyes hidden behind reading glasses, leaned forward. Evidently taking this address seriously. Given the tight black blouse and pencil skirt, serious was probably her default.
“Yes, Ms. Ei? What appears to be the issue?”
Her cadence was soft, motherly almost, with just a single drop of poisonous authority. She was what you’d expect from a headmistress.
“Her.” Eira wasn’t playing around, pointing straight at the bronze student next to her. Her head bowed as she tried to avoid drawing attention to herself. “Fix your mistake, now.”
“I’m afraid I don’t see your point-”
“I said NOW.”
The icy girl didn’t raise her voice, nor was there any anger in her tone. This was a cold-dead demand. One backed by Eira withdrawing a strangely hidden necklace.
The moment Miyata saw the symbol, her eyes went wide.
“W-well, you see… She broke the rules. So she was punished. There’s not much I can do to change the past, Ms. Ei.”
Her empty words didn’t stop the agent as she stepped forward. Her eyes promised a painful demise if she didn’t get what she wanted.
“Very well… We have no way of undoing the treatment, Ms. Ei. However, we will offer our full assistance in amending this issue.”
“Not. Good. Enough.”
“There’s really nothing more we can do-”
“Seraphina, speak to the lady.”
Both Miyata and Seraphina were a little shocked at the sudden request. But, the Bronze obeyed her superior.
“Ms. Headmistress. Students S-73, S-62, S-72, and S-21 broke articles 12.4, 11.7, and 8.1.”
The bronze dutifully tattled her tale like the snitch she had been programmed to be. Weed out the troublemakers, schmooze up the command, and take their place. That was what Bronzes were made to do.
Only Perfect Students were allowed to stay.
“I… see your point. This girl has taken to it remarkably. A perfect example of a Bronze student, no doubt.”
Miyata paused, adjusting her glasses. She considered her options, but she didn’t have many.
“I’m afraid reversing that will be… tricky. It will take quite some time before we create a thorough reversal program.”
“Why did you even use it? I was at the meetings. You were denied. On top of disobeying the board, you didn't even have the basic foresight to prepare a reversal program? Tell me, are you utterly incompetent or a vile traitor? Choose very carefully."
Her voice raised for just a moment before she cooled down. Clearly, she’d need to handle this herself.
“You will cease all use of that program. Permanently. Then, begin work on the reversal program. I shall fix the rest of this mess myself.”
“How?”
Miyata had never seen a student take so well to the programming. It’d take weeks, perhaps months, to remove it. Not to mention how long it’d take to return her to her original personality.
“Debauchery, Mrs. Miyata.”
Before Miaya or Seraphina had a moment to process those words, she slammed her hand against the wall next to the latter. The bratty girl’s face turned white, red, and finally pink in a moment.
“L-lady Ei-”
“Say ah, for me, Serpahina.”
“B-... but.” She looked confused before meekly doing as she was told. “Ahhhhhhmmmphh—?!”
Eira leaned in. Their lips touched. And then, she let her tongue do the talking.
She waited a moment or two as she studied the expression in Seraphina’s eyes. Panic, confusion, shock. And then…
… Acceptance. Plus a little bit of lust for good measure.
She gave it a second more before pulling away.
“So, how are you feeling now, Sera?~”
“I… uh… Mmmmm?~”
That stupid expression. That was definitely her idiot, alright.
“Pleased to hear it. Come along, let’s gather the others for some noodles. I’m simply famished after all this.”
Sera could only mumble and nod as she was dragged off by Eira. Miyata, meanwhile, looked confused.
Just what was going on between them for that to work? She knew Sera had broken into her room, but to think that would work…
… And to think Eira would do that.
The girl was worth keeping an eye on.
“Kei, please schedule a call with our benefactor. I have much to discuss.”
“Certainly, ma’am.”
“So, uh. What’s up with Sera?”
Merlene gestured at the ringlet-having, fancy outfit-wearing friend that usually looked like your typical punk. It was a very different look.
“It’s a long tale.”
Eira dismissed as she dragged the still somewhat out-of-it girl into a restaurant: Noodle World. A rather mid-low-looking ramen bar. Not exactly the place you’d expect to see someone like her.
But it was just where she wanted to be right now.
“I like it! Sera looks really pretty. Do you think you could do my hair like that, Eira?”
The young vulpine agent piped up as she climbed onto a barstool; with some difficulty.
“I… you…?”
Sera muttered, still dazed. It’d take the poor girl some time to settle. Both from having her brain deep-washed and from getting kissed like that.
It was a lot to take in.
“Yes, I’ll pay for this meal. But, Ms. Nakamura, you’re paying for the next one.”
She waved down the noodle-man, ordering them a deluxe bowl each. She didn’t really care about the meager change. She just wanted to enjoy some time with her friends. She needed it about now.
And so, the quartet of girls had a merry time together. At some point, Sera even got her wits together enough to participate in the conversation.
It was a good night. Just one of many good nights, Eira hoped.
Yet she couldn’t shake the feeling that might not be true.
“... Yes, that’s right.”
Miyata nodded, the phone to her ear. The room was sealed tight, only the light of the moon from above illuminating her. This was serious business.
“I understand. I’ll do all I can to… Yes.”
She shifted, uncomfortable. The voice from the other side was anything but kindly.
“I know, I should have… Yes. I promise I’ll make things—the girl’s name? Sera Nakamura, Miss.”
BEEP BEEP BEEP
And just like that, the call gave out. Miyata could only sigh as she leaned back in her chair. Her eyes focused on the moon above thanks to the ceiling window.
“Things are about to get… interesting, Ms. Ei. I hope you’re ready for it.”
