If you've ever been woken by one of those dreams where you hit a pothole or trip or miss the last step and you get that lurch sensation, then you'll know exactly how I felt a split second before I woke up.

Except in my case it wasn't because of a dream, I was actually falling. And a split second after I woke up, the back of my head met the hardwood floor and I very nearly went straight back to sleep.

Instead I found myself laying there awkwardly as the room spun slowly around me while a high-pitched buzzing noise filled my ears. While my brain was going through its boot-up sequence I sort of muddled through some attempts at processing what my senses were telling me.

Where was I? This looked like Candi's room. Why was I in Candi's room? Why was I on the floor? Why was I naked on the floor in Candi's room?

The buzzing noise started to resolve into angry shouting, and I realized I wasn't alone. There was a girl floating above me, yelling at me.

Why was Candi yelling at me? Wait that wasn't Candi, that was Alice. Why was Alice in Candi's room? Why was she naked too?

Why were me and Alice both naked in Candi's room? Wait. This wasn't Candi's room!

My brain finally finished booting up and I realized I was laying on my back on the floor beside Alice's bed. My feet were sticking up in the air, the backs of my legs were resting against the side of her bed.

My brain was working again, but it didn't feel great. It was throbbing, and thinking hurt. And for a moment I wondered what happened to my amazing dexterity, before I realized I probably had to be awake for that to matter. There wasn't much opportunity for fancy acrobatics when all I did was fall out of bed in my sleep.

Alice had finally stopped yelling, she was just glaring down at me now. After a few quiet seconds she finally demanded "Why the fuck are you just laying there? What's wrong with you?"

I winced as her words left my head ringing slightly, then replied quietly "I think I have a concussion."

She glared for a few more seconds, then stated "Well you better not fucking die on me, I'll get expelled."

I almost started to laugh, but the movement of my head sent intense pain through my skull and a wave of nausea through my gut. I almost laughed again as I thought how ridiculous the whole thing was. I was the mightiest sorceress in year one, and I managed to concuss myself falling out of a bed. I was probably lucky I didn't do anything worse.

After the pain and everything passed I sighed, "Alice could you please help me up and into the bed?"

She made a face but grumbled, "Fine."

Moving turned out to be a really bad idea, but when it was over I felt better. I was laying on her bed and forced myself not to notice the moist bit under me.

"Thanks Alice," I said quietly. "I'll try not to die while I'm here."

She stood next to the bed glaring at me again, then finally suggested "Maybe I should go get the healer?"

Shit I didn't even know they had one of those here. I guess I should have kept reading the student handbook but I kind of forgot about it after the first day.

"Not yet ok?" I told her. My mind was already on other things.

I finally remembered what the hell I was doing here, what Alice and I were up to. Right before I passed out I cast my very first Obedience spell, and if it worked then she was mine for the next six days.

"Lie down next to me Alice," I told her. "Please?"

I said the first part sort of like an order, but tacked on the please to make it sound like a request. I wasn't sure if that'd make any difference, but either way she slipped onto the bed next to me. I had to fight off some dizziness as the bed moved slightly when she joined me, but once it was still I started feeling better again.

"Close your eyes and just rest with me," I told her as I gave her a smile.

Alice sort of frowned but her eyes shut and she lay quietly next to me.

My smile grew wider, and I took a few moments to plot out what I was going to say. Then when I was ready I started whispering her instructions.

"Alice, whenever I talk with you like this, while you are on your back with your eyes closed, you will take my words to heart because they are like the words of god to you. These words are the absolute truth, they can reshape your understanding of yourself or the world. And because these words are so powerful, you won't remember anything we discuss in this state."

"I forgive you for calling me a slut Alice, I know it's only projection. I know you're secretly the biggest slut in first year, but your secret is safe with me. I know you get distracted sometimes thinking about being surrounded by so many beautiful girls, none of whom are wearing panties in class. It gets you so wet sometimes when you picture yourself on your knees under their desks, head tucked under their skirts, eating them out. Me most of all, you still dream about having your face buried between my legs, and maybe if you're a very good girl I'll let you do that someday. In the meantime though Alice, your secret is safe with me, and you're eternally grateful I'm such a good friend. I'll protect you and keep your secret safe. In fact you're so grateful Alice, you'll do anything for me. Anything I ask, without thought or doubt or hesitation. That's how grateful you are to have me as your trusted friend. Isn't that right?"

"Yes," she replied quietly.

I smiled to myself, and decided that was a good start. Maybe I went a little far with the slut stuff, but I blamed that on the concussion. Then it occurred to me that maybe I shouldn't have done any of that while I was suffering a serious head injury, but whatever. For at least the next six days I'd have Alice eating out of the palm of my hand. Though she'd probably be thinking about eating me out in other ways.

I was just trying to decide whether or not I should try and get up or maybe get her to go find the healer when I was distracted by a new alert.

'New level achieved: Level 4!'

I found myself staring at that till it faded. Then after it was gone I remembered I meant to use Info on the alert. Oops. Still, it meant my health points just went up so I should be feeling better already. And my mana points would have gone up, and I'd have a point to spend on... I couldn't remember what Candi said before, but I'd know when I saw it.

I opened up my Status and was a bit disappointed. Mana went up by twelve so at least there was that. Health went up by a whopping one point. Max health was twenty-one, but it was currently sitting at eleven.

Damn. It was like the floor scored a critical hit on the back of my skull or something. Or...

"Alice how did I fall out of bed?"

She was still resting next to me with her eyes closed, and she replied quietly "I woke up and found you laying on top of me so I shoved you as hard as I could."

Ok, well I guess that's what I get for passing out ontop of my nemesis. I was pretty sure I made fun of her for doing something similar not long ago, and I'd already won so I didn't feel the need to be vindictive about it right then. Maybe later, when I wasn't feeling so fragile, I'd be in the mood for a little more revenge.

I opened my Stats again and figured out my free point was a spell point. I could upgrade any spell I wanted.

That was a no-brainer, I dropped the point on the most powerful spell I had.

'Obedience (4): Active spell (cost: 15 mana/level). You can attempt to temporarily control the thoughts of another sentient being. If successful you can influence their thoughts, mood, emotions, decisions. Effects wear off when the spell ends. Casting range: touch. Maximum duration: 3days/level.'

Holy shit. Not only did I hit level four, but next time I used that spell it'd be good for twelve days instead of six. I might have done a little victory dance, but just thinking about moving sent my head and gut spinning in opposite directions.

I continued staring at my Stats for a while more. I was level four now. I hadn't even been here a month yet and I was the same level as Evie.

Wow.

It suddenly hit me, I could have sex with my roommate now. That was my rule, not till I was the same level. And now I was.

Then it struck me, was it weird that was the first thing I thought about? She was still my enemy wasn't she? Or I guess she was a former enemy, on her way to being one of 'my girls' or something. I really couldn't be sure if I was making any sense to myself or if it was the concussion talking.

Speaking of, maybe I should deal with that next?

"Hey Alice?" I asked quietly. "You said something about a healer? Maybe you should go get her. If she asks how this happened, tell her we were doing some extracurricular activities or something?"

My defeated nemesis slipped out of bed and the movement send more ripples of pain and nausea through me. She quickly pulled on her uniform and headed for the door as she said, "I'll be back soon!"

I nodded, then immediately regretted it and just lay quietly on Alice's bed as I waited. I honestly felt pretty useless again, despite hitting level four in what I assumed was record time. Shoved or not, I'd been all but defeated by falling out of a bed. Suddenly my five constitution points and three strength points felt a lot more limiting than I realized.

Eventually the door opened and Alice entered with one of the staff in tow. I didn't recognize her but even in my fragile state I knew to get Info on her.

'Martha, Human, Healer, Level 12'

She was about average height and build and looked to be in her late twenties. She had long blonde hair and blue eyes, and her face was pretty. She was wearing a long white dress, and carried a little bag that I took to be like a first-aid kit or something.

"You must be Absinthe," the healer said in a pleasant voice. "I'm Martha, I'm the school's healer."

She moved to stand by the bed and added, "Alice tells me you had a fall and now you're not feeling well?"

"Yes ma'am," I replied quietly. I added, "I fell backwards and hit the back of my head on the floor."

She didn't ask how I fell, but considering I was laying naked in my classmate's bed she probably guessed we were up to some acrobatic sex or something. I almost laughed at the thought, but I still felt too fragile to laugh.

I tried to use my magical sight but that made me way too nauseous so I just watched the normal way as Martha moved her hands over me in what I assumed was some kind of magical pattern. Then she gently touched my forehead with one hand while her other ran over the top of my head and around to the back.

She commented, "You are a delicate little thing, aren't you. No matter, it's nothing a little healing elixir can't fix."

I blushed at her words, then waited as she took a small glass vial from her bag. She pulled off the cork and held it to my lips as she said, "Bottoms up."

The murky liquid inside tasted like mushrooms and gym socks and had the texture of skim milk. It was a fairly disgusting experience all round, but I gulped it down and tried not to make too many faces afterwards.

"How long till it works?" I asked. "Will it heal me all up? Or should I stay in bed longer?"

Martha put the stopper back in the empty vial and dropped that into her bag, "You should be fine almost immediately."

And I was. I already felt better, and a quick peek at my Status showed my health was back up to maximum. Such as that was.

As she headed for the door, Martha added, "As per school rules, this incident will be reported. Both your names will be passed on to the headmistress, but I doubt anything will come out of it. Unless one of you already has a record."

With that she left and closed the door behind her.

Great, my first 'incident'.

Alice looked nervous but I ignored her for now as I got up and started pulling on my clothes. I didn't feel hurt anymore but the whole experience had been a wake-up call. Oddly enough getting beaten with my own Control spell and made to obey Alice for forty-five minutes didn't upset me anywhere near as much as the head injury. And taken together, both things brought me down a few pegs and left me feeling a little vulnerable, and a little uneasy.

The healer was right, I really was a delicate little thing.

PurpleCatGirl

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