Isabelle Vargas-Holt, Witnessing Oaths

"The science lab storage? That should be locked, shouldn't it?" Isabelle shakes her head, correcting herself before you have a chance to response. "No, wait, duh. Magic."

Jenny can't help a little smirk, shoving a textbook into her locker. "Yeah. We're pretty well past the point of hoping any sort of school policy is going to be this chick's downfall."

Rhys considers that. "I don't know; the hall monitors here are very professional." The prince shudders a little. "I walked past one lady, and I sort of thought about running in the halls? I could feel her disapproval pierce my soul."

"Good point." Jenny gives Rhys a bemused glance. "So at least we know that wherever she is, she's probably not running." Her eyes run down the prince before she looks back up, shooting Isabelle a raised eyebrow. "Hey, where's Donna?"

Isabelle 'tsk's. "She said she was going to keep an eye on the school grounds, but she went off with Morgan Dupree and her whole gang. She's one thousand percent trying marijuana for the first time."

"Hm." Rhys considers that for a moment. "Well from everything I've heard about that, she's either about to totally ruin her life or go on a fun-filled romp with strong adult themes. Should I be worried?"

Jenny laughs at that, clapping a hand onto the prince's shoulder. "Don't worry; I'm sure she'll be fine. I'd be more worried about her being off by herself at all, right? What with the invisible asshole running around and everything?"

"Oh. I'm not worried about that." Rhys's eyes take a bit of a dark cast. "Donna can handle herself. And The Queen is protected by more than just her own powers. Trying to take her unawares would be a mistake to regret for a long time."

This is all fascinating, but you're on a clock here. "Look, here's the point." You spare a moment to check the time on your phone. "We've got...about a half hour window where the science lab will be empty. After that, clubs will start moving around and it'll be harder to bounce people away without making a thing of it. Assuming she hasn't left a big folder labeled 'MY VILLAINOUS PLAN' in there, can we find out much in that time?"

Now it's Isabelle's turn to smirk, planting a hand to her hip as she confidently pushes up her glasses. "I can handle that."

God she's so fucking cute when she's all proud of herself. You can't help sidling up beside her, wrapping an arm around her waist to sink your hand into her back pocket. "Yeah? Been reading ahead of the class, have you?"

To her credit and your pleasure, Isabelle manages to play it cooler than her rapidly reddening neck would otherwise indicate as she drapes her arm across your shoulder. "I might have come across something in the book that can help us out. I guess you'll just have to wait and see."

Jenny rolls her eyes as you give Isabelle the 'Oooo' she clearly desires, the Korean girl looking at Rhys and gesturing towards the two of you. "Don't worry about them, Rhys, they aren't deranged or anything. They're just obnoxious."

"Oh! That's good to know."

Isabelle clears her throat in an attempt to get back on topic. "Either way, I'm going to need some more mana to work this particular spell. I'm pretty much out; do you guys have anything on you?"

Jenny shakes her head as you pull out your flask, giving it a little shake. Aw blah, that's right. You haven't had a chance to get a refill from Jessie or Sydney yet. You offer your girlfriend a frown. "Sorry, me neither." Isabelle purses her lips at that, seemingly rethinking her plan when an option strikes you. "Oh! We could check in on the Lovebirds!"

Judging by Jenny's gleeful expression, she agreed with your proposal. Isabelle seems a little more hesitant. "Well that would work...but didn't we agree to give them their space?"

Jenny pounds her fist into her palm. "**** times, Isabelle. We've got to go and check out what they're getting up to. It's for their own safety."

Rhys tilts his head to one side in curiosity as Isabelle sticks her tongue out at Jenny. "Who are the Lovebirds?"

You give Isabelle a questioning look, and when at length she sighs and nods, you turn back to wink at Rhys. "Why don't we show you?"

As the four of you walk through the empty mid afternoon halls of your school, you're once again impressed by the efficacy of your warding runes. At this time of day, there's no reason that you shouldn't have at least a little company, but due to the influence of your runic protections fellow students and teachers who might otherwise come this way opt for alternate routes instead. It's simple, it's subtle, and it works. Unless there's a fire or something, you're assured to have the place all to yourself. With one particular pair being the notable exception.

Jenny seems especially excited as you approach your destination, rubbing her hands together with glee. "God, they're just so fucking wholesome. If you'd ever told me that watching two teachers smooch would be this much fun, I'd have called you crazy. But man would I have been wrong."

Isabelle huffs a little. "We only need to get a peek, Jenny. We're not going to stick around long enough for it to count as peeping."

Jenny puts on an exaggerated pout, and you can't help agreeing at least a little. You did a good thing with Ms. Hayden and Mr, York! The librarian and track teacher had been hopelessly infatuated with each other, but seemingly unable to break through to actually finding one another. But thanks to a guiding hand from the combination of your coven's magics, the two were able to bare their hearts to one another and join together as what appears to be a rapturously happy couple. In the following days, you discovered that witnessing acts of loving devotion from a couple forged by your powers under your wards was just as potent a source of mana as the stuff gushed by any of your cows. But you all agreed not to be creepers about it, and to give the lovebirds some privacy. But now time is of the essence, and they are the only source of a power available. You're certain they'd understand.

Also, they're real hot and it's fun to watch hot people kiss. So yeah, sorry not sorry.

Isabelle reaches the door to Mr. York's office first, cautiously shifting her head to glance through the window. Thanks to your wards, they shouldn't notice any of you spectating so long as you stay relatively quiet and out of the way, but there's no reason not to be prudent. You're a bit surprised, though, when Isabelle turns back with a furrowed brow. "Ms. Hayden's not here yet."

Really? That's odd; normally she's slipped into his office for some intense necking the moment school hours are over. You peer through the window yourself and sure enough, it's just Mr. York. And he actually looks pretty stressed out? The lanky yet fit track coach paces around his office in what can only be called a state, seemingly muttering something to himself as he repeatedly makes the same presentation motion with his right arm. He pauses only long enough to check his phone and obsessively re-read a text, nervously grabbing a handful of his salt and pepper hair, and then it's back to pacing and mumbling and motioning. This is odd. You frown towards Jenny. "You don't sense anything wrong, do you? I don't."

Jenny slowly shakes her head, genuine concern replacing her previous look of amusement. She starts to reply, then raises her eyebrows at the sound of heels clacking down the hall. "Is that her?"

It is. You quickly slide your hand along the wall beside Mr. York's office, finding the rune you placed there and tapping out a sequence as the footsteps begin to round the corner. A shimmering note rings out with a faint prismatic pulse as Emilia Hayden appears at the end of the hallway, looking rather nervous herself but more importantly completely ignoring you and your friends. The librarian has foregone her usual demure bun, her silvered brown hair flowing loose around her shoulders as she quickly starts towards Mr. York's office. Her usually bright blue eyes are instead clouded, her charming little button nose scrunched up with apprehension as she walks right past the four of you and reaches for the doorknob. Before she can take hold of it, she quickly jerks her hand back and breaks into a sort of anxiety dance, the librarian letting out a little whimper of stress as she hops from foot to foot, her heavy breasts wobbling in the tight confines of her delightfully snug cardigan. She abruptly jerks to a halt, hands clenched tightly into fists as she grits her teeth and adopts a serious expression. Then she lets out a held breath, shakily takes hold of the doorknob, and strides purposefully inside.

The four of you immediately glom onto the door, all jockeying for space as you peek in at the unfolding scene. Jenny is having trouble getting a view as she tries unsuccessfully to shoulder he way around Isabelle. "I can't see; what's happening?!"

"Nothing? They're just standing there?" Isabelle's right; Ms. Hayden's sudden entrance did manage to break Mr. York out of his reverie, but right now they are both simply standing stiffly and staring at one another. At length, they manage to offer each other timorous little waves, the two of them shuffling towards one another like a pair of skittish fawns.

Jenny finally manages to squirm her way under Rhys's arm, popping her head up past the window. "Aw, what! This is lame; why are they all shy now?! Wait." She furrows her brow, squinting at Mr. Hayden as he fumbles for something in his pocket. "Are they...?" Her eyes shoot wide open at a sudden burst of movement from both of them. "Wait. No. No! No way!"

She claps a hand over her mouth to stifle her shriek of delight as Mr. York drops to one knee and Ms. Hayden pulls her hand from her pocket, the two simultaneously presenting one another with an engagement ring and what looks to be a positive pregnancy test. You and Isabelle are in just as much of a state, your girlfriend's hand desperately finding yours to give it a bone-cracking squeeze as you do your best to **** back your own cheer of approval. Mr. York and Ms. Hayden stare at each other for a moment that lasts a goddamn eternity, and then they collapse into each other's arms.

Jenny all but shudders in glee, her face beaming as she grins at passionate embrace. "Oh my god, this is the best. They're gonna have the dorkiest baby ever." She twists her head back towards you, only to balk at an unexpected sight. "Rhys, are you crying?"

Sure enough, utterly unembarrassed tears are flowing down the prince's cheeks as he gazes at the two lovers, his eyes welling up and a hand pressed to his heart. "It's so beautiful. Perfect moments are so rare; I cannot thank you all enough for the chance to witness one." He lets out a sigh of contented bliss. "True happiness like this is a blessing to everyone it touches. Thank you. Thank you."

Jenny's expression of bemused glee softens at the elf boy's effusive gratitude, though she works up enough of the usual Jenny Park snark to poke him in the ribs. "Hey. It's hard to deflect when you insist on being so damn sincere."

Rhys smiles at that. "I'll work on that."

You start to offer your own reply, only to recoil back dizzily as a torrent of energy surges out of the office and directly into you. Isabelle and Jenny are clearly feeling it too, your girlfriend holding onto your hand even harder as your friend clutches onto Rhys's side to stay upright. The double shot of an engagement and impregnation reveal fills you up from head to toe, and just when it feels like you're going to overflow you stagger, the bottom of your reserves falling out from under itself to make room for even more mana. By the time you finally manage to straighten up and catch your breath, you realize you're easily holding double, maybe triple the power you've ever managed before.

Jesus. You need to start playing matchmaker more often.