in which nymphs are good for more than one thing

[subtly_artistic]

At least four people conclude that Bella and Celo have had sex and mention this to Bella. The fact that the door was open the entire time he spent hanging out in her room is apparently immaterial (since she wouldn't have been breaking any rules if she'd had sex with him that way, and no one was loitering in the hall supervising them the whole time). She contradicts them on this. Three people don't believe her. Miki does, and is immediately promoted to Bella's favorite out-of-class friend.

In Intro Psych for Subtle Artists, there's a discussion of what subtle artists do with their own minds, and how this differs from everyone else. Bella has already talked to all her subtle arts professors about her own peculiarities, and Professor Murray has her talk a bit about how she's used lucid dreams for introspection, self-modification, and memory boosting. Professor Murray then explains that people who aren't subtle artists can only rarely lucid dream, and even those who can don't find it an effective jumping-off point for any heavy-duty self-searching.

One of the elves in the class looks at Bella oddly through her little talk.

But she doesn't say anything, so Bella ignores her.

Comments

[subtly_artistic]

Bella lurches away from him. They are not hugging friends. "Thanks," she mutters anyway.

[pythbox]

"Yeah," he says distantly. He looks around. The elves who were more or less mobile are gone, taking one of his favourite enchanted daggers with them; the elves who were unconscious have stayed that way. No one is dead, or likely to die without help.

[subtly_artistic]

Bella gets to her feet; her knees wobble. "...I don't know the, um, official status, of elf students here, I think it might be different from everybody else, do you suppose there's any point to reporting them?"

[pythbox]

"Do I care," he wonders flatly. The answer appears to be no.

[subtly_artistic]

"...Oh. I'll. I'll find out for myself, then, I guess. ...Thank you."

[pythbox]

He rubs both hands over his face. "Fuck, I need to get laid."

[subtly_artistic]

"...I. Wish you the best of luck."

[pythbox]

He climbs to his feet again. It takes him a couple of tries. He's not physically injured, but he seems exhausted.

[subtly_artistic]

"Do you need help?"

[pythbox]

"Somehow I don't think you can carry me," he says dryly. "Whatever, I'll be fine."

He starts walking. His coordination improves with every careful step.

[subtly_artistic]

"If you have a standard - booty call, or whatever - I could see if I can reach them from here," she offers. They're heading in the same direction. "I don't know exactly how the needing sex thing works."

[pythbox]

"One of the satyrs is usually a good bet," he says. "Know where to find any?"

[subtly_artistic]

Bella closes her eyes and looks. Even the very gentlest detection of minds can tell apart different species.

She finds one satyr.

[Celo's name] quote needs to get laid end quote. He's halfway between Thatcher and the dining hall, on the path that goes around the little hill.

[pythbox]

Awesome! says the satyr. Thanks!

"Anything?" says Celo.

[subtly_artistic]

"Found one. Told him where you are. He says 'awesome, thanks'. I didn't get his name."

[pythbox]

Celo grins weakly. "Thanks," he says. "Might wanna clear out when he gets here, we're gonna be busy for a while."

[subtly_artistic]

"That's my plan. I'll wait for him with you if you want."

[pythbox]

"...Maybe a good idea," Celo acknowledges.

[subtly_artistic]

Bella nods. She waits.

[pythbox]

The satyr comes bounding into view. He doesn't even ask about the unconscious elves littering the path; he heads straight for Celo.

"You look like shit," he greets.

"I know, right?" laughs Celo, holding out his arms. "C'mere and make me feel better."

Bella's presence is no longer required.

[subtly_artistic]

Bella trots off briskly in the direction of Thatcher Hall. She goes to the dorm ball room, writes up a complete description of what happened between her and the elves (summarizing Celo's involvement only as "violent rescue by another student"), and submits it to both her R.A.s, the student council, and four likely looking faculty a-mail addresses from the university weavesite. And her intro psych teacher. She doesn't send it to her parents, but she implies that she might, in the last paragraph after her paste of (distressingly minimally worded) school harassment policies.

[pythbox]

Celo doesn't come back to his room that night.

[subtly_artistic]

There is a hall meeting the following afternoon, with pizza and cupcakes to entice everyone to show up, which works on about three-quarters of everyone. Bella shows up more because she's actually potentially interested in having input on the possible hall bonding activities that could be decided on. (The current contenders are apple picking, going swimming in a lake up-province, and making the RAs arrange a scavenger hunt. None of these strongly interest Bella, but someone could come up with something else.)

[pythbox]

When people are just starting to lose attention and leave, Celo takes the opportunity to announce, "By the way, anybody who wants to fuck me this weekend, now's your chance, because I'm going out tonight and coming back Sunday."

[subtly_artistic]

Bella notes this information. She, unlike two of the other hall residents, does not raise her hand; she just goes back to her room. (The vote was in favor of apple picking; she'll have the hall practically to herself most of the weekend, apparently.)