Elaina was struck still, as much so as id she’d locked herself with [Personal Restraint], frozen only by the sight of the girl climbing out of the pond. Flora, the same girl who’d comforted her at the lake after fencing class, the girl who’d saved her life at the beginning of the attack the other night, was right in front of her, stark naked, and she didn’t even seem to care.

The light breaking through the clearing struck the woman’s skin, shining off the droplets of water dripping down off of her. Her body was entrancing, long legs and slightly thick thigs leading up to a slim stomach, crotch completely bare. Her breasts were smaller than average, but still so lovely, two perfectly molded mounds of flesh that seemed unaffected by gravity, adorned with small, adorable pink nipples. Elaina had barely seen them through Flora’s wet shirt the first time they’d made, but in the flesh they were maybe the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen.

“I did tell you we’d meet again, you know,” Flora said, wringing out her long hair. 

“Nope.” Elaina turned to see Tira shaking her head. “Nope nope nope. Not her.”

“Wait, you know each other?” Carline asked.

“Yeah,” Tira replied, looking away while blushing. “That’s why she told you not to tell us her name; she knew I’d veto.”

“Nuh-uh!” Flora threw her hands down, causing her chest to shake up and down, Elaina’s eyes bobbing up and down in tandem. “I just wanted to surprise Elaina!” It worked.

“Hold on,” Elaina said, shaking her head to try to clear her mind, “how do you two know each other? Why can’t she join up?”

“We know each other cause we’re in the same year!” Flora replied.

“No, we know each other because this woman is constantly breaking the rules. She sneaks out after curfew every other week. And can’t you put some clothes on?”

“No, I’m still drying. And you catch me sneaking out after curfew every other week. I actually do it much more often!”

“That’s not something to be proud of, and that’s why she can’t join us. She has no regard for the law.”

“Well, I mean…” Elaina started. She didn’t want to finish the thought with Flora’s status as a potential party member still up in the air. Tira was the one who said we’re committing treason though, after all.

“Listen,” Carline said, eyes glued to the naked woman in front of her, “Tira, she’s not like, uhm, bad or anything. Just a little… rebellious.”

“Yeah, rebellious! That’s what I tell her every time she catches me.”

“Well she gets on my nerves besides,” Tira said, turning her gaze, looking over Flora’s head and towards Carline. “I know you know her, but… Gods, she’s just so irritating.” Irritating wasn’t the word Elaina would use. Eccentric? Sure. Distracting? Very. 

“Tira, why don’t we just, you know, hear her out?” Elaina asked. “I mean, from the looks of things—” She glanced back over to Flora, looking up her body once more, catching a deceptively innocent looking smile on the woman. “She looks like she’ll fit in, is what I mean.” 

Tira looked over as well, blushing again before turning away. “I mean… You’re probably right. Gods, is this what you’re always sneaking out to do?”

“Yup! But normally I do it in the lake, late nights or rainy days so I can be sure I’m not seen—by too many people, at least.” Flora looked directly at Elaina while speaking that last bit, winking. 

“You know there are showers to bathe in, right?” Tira asked.

“Yeah, but it’s not the same as being outside.” She stepped forward into the flowers, looking up into the sky and spinning around, long wet hair whipping around her. “I wish I’d known about this grove before. It’s so nice to be naked under the sun again. You three have a wonderful spot.” Every step of hers was like she was performing a dance, the wide smile on her face almost drawing Elaina’s attention away from the slight curves of her body.

Tira groaned. “Carline, she really is going to fit right in, isn’t she?”

Carline nodded, wide eyes never leaving Flora. “She is. Trust me.”

“Oh, right,” Elaina said, momentarily breaking her staring at Flora and turning to Carline. “How do you two know each other.”

“Carly and I grew up together! Our family manors are right next to each other.”

Elaina raised an eyebrow. “Carly?”

“Yeah, Carly! It’s what her closest friends call her.”

“It’s what you call me,” Carline muttered, looking down slightly and blushing, the first time time Elaina had seen her eyes peel away from Flora’s body.

“Exactly! And I am your closest friend, right?” The woman bounded over to Carline, wrapping her arms around the poor girl and squeezing tight.

“Flora! You’re still wet!” Carline was trying to push away, half-heartedly it seemed, causing her face to rub all over Flora’s chest, a deep feeling of jealousy running through Elaina. Carline’s words were protest, but her face was blushing and smiling.

A sigh came from behind, Elaina turning to see Tira shaking her head. “I guess we’ll give her a shot…”

Elaina nodded. “Once she’s in though, there’s not really any going back.”

“In what?” Flora said, releasing Carline. “Is it for your practicum group? I already have one, but I guess I wouldn’t mind switching to be around Carly and Laina.” Laina?

“Uh, yeah, practicum group,” Tira said. 

“What’s a practicum?” Elaina asked. Tira closed her eyes, wincing. The woman’s arms were crossed, but the wince was so pronounced Elaina’s imagination could practically see her placing her palm to her face anyway.

“Uhm, if she doesn’t know what a practicum is, why am I actually here?” Flora asked. Elaina winced too, realizing her mental fumble.

“She’s knew, doesn’t know all the terminology,” Tira said. “We are looking for a group member though.”

“Okay, but why me?”

“Carline recommended you. And against my better judgment, I’m going to trust her on this.”

“So I’m in?” Flora asked, leaning forward and beaming at Elaina.

Elaina swallowed, still taken aback by the woman’s nudity. “Well, I mean, if you’re the right fit. What’s your aspect?”

“It’s—” Carline started.

“A surprise!” Flora said, cutting off Carline and smiling. 

“Come to think of it, I don’t even know her aspect,” Tira said, mumbling to herself. “It’s an internal one, right?”

“Yup!”

“And pray tell, miss troublemaker, how are we supposed to guess it?”

The girl’s smile twisted, an impish grin forming in it’s place as she walked up to Elaina. “By touching me, of course!”