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Vivian wakes in a start, gasping for breath, eyes wide and searching the room around them. For a short moment to us and an eternity to them, they're back at the Academy. After frantic darting back and forth, they spot Stazia, sitting at a desk in the corner of the room, and calms at the sight.
Stazia looks up from whatever new medicinal study she's gotten her hands on, and locks eyes with Vivian. It had been a few days since Stazia had moved her desk from facing the wall to facing the couch where Vivian sleeps. She smiles at Vivian, and asks, "You here?"
Vivian collects their breath, then nods their head.
Stazia doesn't wait to go back to her studies, leaving Vivian with a simple, "Good."
Vivian looks at Stazia. Vivian has been looking at Stazia a lot recently, usually through the bottom of a bottle, but has been looking nonetheless. Sometimes, they see Stazia looking back. They ponder this for a moment, still staring. Eventually, Vivian breaks their gaze, and with a practiced motion grabs the bottle by the couch. They raise it to their lips, taking a deep swig of the filth that they call a drink. Stazia commented once that something about Vivian's time at the Academy must've made them immune to liver damage. That thought now shocks through Vivian with every sip.
This time, when the thought catches up with the liquor in their system, they can't beat it down with more alcohol. The bottle's run dry. They drop it to the floor, which then shatters on the hard wood.
"Vivian," Stazia begins to chastise, but Vivian has already stood up and began to walk out of the room. So, Stazia goes to follow them.
Stazia is shocked as she watches Vivian walk straight past their stash of alcohol, and even more shocked when they walk straight past their emergency stash of trance powder. Instead, Vivian walks straight to the front door. Stazia carefully approaches.
"Vivian?"
Vivian wraps their hand around the doorknob, which rattles, locked. They mutter something under their breath, a hushed panic. Stazia puts a hand on their shoulder.
"Vivian?"
Vivian spins, violently batting Stazia's hand away. Stazia sputters. Concern flips to rage flips back to concern when she sees tears welling in Vivian's eyes.
"I'm sorry," Vivian whispers, their arms falling to their side and their head dropping, like a puppet with its strings cut. "I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry." Their voice is getting louder.
Stazia hurries to Vivian, cupping their cheeks with her hands, and begins to hush them. For the second time in minutes, Vivian calms at her presence. They look up, gently raising their head to lock eyes with Stazia. Stazia locks eyes right back.
Beat.
"Stazia," Vivian whispers, not with lack of strength but as if speaking any louder would break whatever spell has suddenly fallen over the two of them.
"Vivian," Stazia whispers right back.
Then they are kissing. It is so soft, so gentle, that it is impossible to say who leaned into whom. However, it's Vivian who most definitely breaks the kiss.
They begin to say something, but Stazia is already surging forward at their neck. It takes a few kisses but eventually Vivian lifts their chin up further to make room for Stazia's attack. Stazia is relentless, kissing and licking and biting, desperate to make Vivian just relax for once. Getting frustrated at her lack of results, Stazia pushes Vivian up against the door, teeth still attached to their throat. At this, Vivian visibly shudders, and all tension leaves their body.
"Finally," Stazia teases, her breath heavy against Vivian's collarbone.
Before she can resume, however, Vivian pulls Stazia up from their neck and goes in for a kiss. They collide, mouths quickly parting. Vivian wraps their arms around Stazia, holding her close, as if were they to let go, Stazia would be gone forever. Stazia responds in kind, using the hug to pull Vivian in deeper. Slowly but surely, Stazia moves her hands up Vivian's back, exploring with her fingers just as her tongue explores Vivian's mouth.
Suddenly, Stazia stops. Vivian feels Stazia's fingers clench, not in pleasure, but in pain. Stazia pulls away, holding her head. Vivian immediately knows what happened. They bring their hand to Stazia's shoulder, placating, which Stazia immediately, violently, bats away.
So they stand and watch, watch as the person closest to them bends double and begins to cry out in pain from the venom coursing through her body. They watch as she throws up, then collapses to the floor. They stop watching as tears of agony stream out of her eyes, instead turning back to the door. They whisper apologies, unlocking the door and running out into the dark, dark night of Duskvol.