Understanding (Part 1)

Your eyes narrow as you mull over Harmony's last statement. "Cockatoo," you growl, "You wanted to say something else at first. What was it?"

Harmony's shoulders slump as she turns her head away, though her hands do not release her bunched up skirt. "... I..." she starts to say but then falters.

"I need to know what you're actually thinking here so we can address this. You've told me so much being the best matters to you, so all this lashing out can't help with that. ESPECIALLY now that it's hurting other people. Be honest with me Cockatoo. Please."

That seems to strike a nerve and she looks back at you, her green eyes flashing with frustration even as she is still red in the face. "I only ever want to be BROUGHT to my lowest in front of you!"

You keep your gaze firm, even as your interest is peaked, and allow her to continue

"E-Ever since our duel... I... I have enjoyed... our times together... and I do wish to continue as we have. We must. And yet... yet... the two times... my arousal... has been the highest were when you first had me... ingest your sperm... in front of the others at the ritual and... do you remember that time you had me return to my dorm with only my cloak and that... undergarment to preserve my modesty?"

Tara smirks and snaps her fingers, causing Harmony to reflexively clench for a second before she looks down momentarily to glare at the fairy. "Yes. THAT."

You nod, your lips quivering. As much as you want to laugh, you want to let her get through this explanation more.

"It was that moment when... those three students almost discovered me," Harmony resumes as she looks up at you again, her anger losing its steam, "I thought... what if I revealed myself and they demanded their way with me for their silence? And as each one... took me... his friends would be watching. This fairy would be watching. And, more importantly, YOU would be watching. And all of you would know that I... a mighty and proud Ashcroft... was a just a common, shameful, dirty, sexual plaything."

She finally lets go of her skirt as she squeezes her eyes shut. Tears leak out of the corners of her eyes, her face flush, heavy sobs causing her chest to heave enough to convince Tara to leave and return to your shoulder. Yet, at the same time, her body continues to squirm in that way it does when she is aroused, and instead of going back to her sides, her hands rest over her crotch. Her fingers twitch and you wonder if she is aware that she is ever-so-slightly playing with herself despite, or maybe because of, her shame.

Despite everything, you feel a little bad for her and reach out a hand to rest on her shoulder. A full on hug feels wrong right now, but Harmony clearly needs some kind of basic human comfort to ground herself. Her hands move away from her crotch area to rest over yours and she takes a minute to deeply breathe in and out. She slowly stops visibly and audibly shuddering, drawing strength from your gentle touch until she can finally open her now red-rimmed eyes again. "I am not..." she pauses, giving herself a moment to collect her thoughts, "... I am not upset. It is just that these feelings are so... STRONG! About something I never thought I would ever have feelings about at all! And it clashes with something else I hold dear, so I just... just.... act out before I realize what I'm doing!"

You nod. "I get it, Cockatoo. You care about your name and legacy sure, but I'm guessing there's a part of you that actually LIKES being the smartest in the class all on its own merits. And just... being on top in general."

She nods. "You may not believe it, from what you have seen of me, but I prefer a teacher's praise to their scorn."

You grin a little. "So wanting to be the big, proper, role-model student, is hard to reconcile with... well... given what we've talked about before and what you confessed just now, I guess we could say it's your desire to be lead around naked on a leash in public before finding a nice spot to offer yourself at."

Harmony lets out a short, snorting laugh and tries to smile. It does reach her eyes even though her lips still quiver. "I feel I should stress that would only happen if you were the one holding the leash... and watching those who took up the offer."

An unexpected flare of jealousy at the thought of other, random men having their way with Harmony shoots through you, much like it did with the time you saw Amelia blowing those same three first years Harmony had almost exposed herself in front of. "I'm only speaking in hypotheticals," you say, "But for now just... we'll work on finding better outlets that DON'T involve you hurting other people once we have the pecking order settled, okay?"

Harmony nods, kissing the top of your hand before extracting herself from your grip and picking up her cloak. "... I still intend to win," she says, "but I will find some way to... properly make amends to... Amelia... for the harm I have caused."

She pauses. "And I know you were told to leave... Amelia... be," she adds, gritting her teeth for the second time as forces herself to properly say the other woman's name, "but you should check in on her anyway, once I depart. Even if she does not want to see you, a woman always appreciates a man who makes an effort to show they care with their own words."

"I think I will. Thank you."

Harmony grunts thoughtfully as she throws the cloak over her head and you open the door to step out into the hall, feeling an invisible hand briefly brush against your spine before its owner makes a stealthy retreat down the hallway to the exit.

Well. That was a fetish you were not expecting to learn someone had tonight. Least of all someone like Harmony. Useful to know, and explains why she can be so utterly horrid sometimes. Yet... even after what she has done, you KNOW there is a genuinely good person in there somewhere. You have seen enough flashes of it, even now with her seemingly genuine remorse over her actions, that you want to keep trying to pull it outward. Let her finally be open to others and especially to herself. A smart, skilled woman who you could see yourself loving beyond the lust that first bound you together. Still a while to go to get to that point though.

"Oh. Hey, Stud."

The unexpected, but all too familiar, voice causes you to start slightly before you turn to face its source.

Amelia is standing there, not looking her best by any means. She is dressed in a loose fitting, purple t-shirt that Wyvern House's emblem on display in the front and equally loose, black sweatpants. Her posture is a tired looking slouch, her eyes listless in that way of someone who has clearly been trying to sleep but failing to find any meaningful slumber. She is ever so slightly trembling, her lips quivering even as she still tries to give you a smile. "Really wanted to see you all of a sudden and here you are. Didn't even need to knock."

You do not really want to risk starting this conversation out in the open, as you are hit by a feeling that Amelia is going to need as little interruption to her momentum as possible once she starts talking, so you wordlessly wrap an arm around her shoulders and gently guide her into the room. Once the door is closed, she leans fully against you, closing her eyes and breathing in and out slowly and deeply for several seconds. When she opens her eyes again, she lets you guide her to the bed. Not to lay down upon it but to sit on the edge, side-by-side.

Tara, for her part, seems to realize that three may be a crowd instead of a threesome in this case. Thus she takes off from your shoulder to lay upon her coin bed, though she still observes the two of you from there instead of settling down to sleep.

"How are you?" you ask.

"A little better than I look right now, probably," she replies, "Nurse said a spell like the one Richie Bitch hit me with doesn't do any actual brain damage or anything like that. But... still had one hell of a panic attack because of it. Heart's still pounding. She said if it's not any better after resting tonight and tomorrow to come see her again."

You nod, remaining silent as you continue to let her lean against you, unsure how much intimacy is appropriate given the situation. For now, she seems to appreciate your gentle warmth, nuzzling her cheek against your shoulder as her slender, slightly callused hands rest on your chest. Eventually, she licks her dry lips and says, "And... she also said talking about what I saw with someone I trust would help too."

"What about Viki?"

"I tried but... she wasn't in what I saw," Amelia replies before lifting her head to look you in the eye, "You were."