ROLEPLAY HQ - fluttering-wings

Jeff walked through the gates of Alfea, breathing the cool, moist air. He was dressed for the weather, wearing a black jacket and dark green shirt that matched that of his specialist class. It felt good to be back at the school - he was far past the point of enjoying time with his parents back at home, and the summer had dragged on for what seemed like an eternity. In his first year at Alfea, he'd been an timid freshman, but now that he'd been training for two years, he entered his first junior semester with newfound confidence, ready for real-world training. As was par for the course on move-in day, the campus was a bustling, chaotic scene. Returning students greeted each other warmly, catching up on all they'd missed during the summer. Many also kept an eye on the wrought-iron entrance gates, eyeing the new incoming freshmen. It was obvious to tell them apart, as they came in wide-eyed when they set their gaze on the sprawling campus, looking like newborn baby doe. Jeff quickly ran upstairs to his dorm to drop off his bags. The three other empty beds suggested that he was the first one there, and he figured he'd return later once everyone had settled in. He walked back downstairs to the front lawn, sitting on the steps of the main building and people watching, looking for familiar faces.

Jessamine was excited for another year at Alfea. Her first year as a freshman was intimidating, but now that she was a junior, she had things down. Being able to control her element and slowly master is was certainly exciting for her, she was looking forward to see what she could do this year. It was move-in day of course, and for freshman, theirs was later in the week, Freshman had to get accustomed to Alfea, getting introduced and experiencing things on their own, with guidance of course. Jessamine hadn't slept the best the night before due to her excitement, so move-in day felt terrible. She got to her dorm and saw the three other beds, one girl was in there already seemingly. Stuff was there, but the person wasn't. Jess wasn't too concerned, she knew that she would run into her roommates eventually, be it in the dorm or classes. She dropped her stuff on her bed, knowing that there will be time to unpack later. Her goal right now was to get energized, and she needed something to eat and drink. Jessamine exited her dorm and headed towards the main building, yawning and checking her phone.

Jeff was watching students pour in when he got a text from the Headmaster - all upper class specialists were to report to the training grounds for orientation that afternoon. Still looking at his phone, Jeff spun around to head in that direction - and ran straight into a girl headed out towards the main building, the impact knocking the phone out of his hands. Jeff stepped back, caught off guard. "Hey! Sorry about that." He looked at the girl for a second, familiar from their past classes together but not someone who he'd socialized with much before now. "...Jessamine, right? I think we had botany together last year." He kneeled down to pickup his phone, which now had a small crack on the edge of the case. "No worries, its an old phone anyways." Jeff flashed a smile, eyes traveling over Jessamine's platinum blond hair and glossy lips. "It feels good to be back, doesn't it? I forget, what element are you, again?"

Jess had a tighter hold on her own phone, yawning and checking for her schedule online. Seeing the text, she groaned and started heading that way. That's when she bumped into someone, she was so careless! "Ah, shit I'm sorry.." She looked up at Jeff as he asked who she was. "Ah, yeah. We had botany and I honestly would've flunked that class if you didn't help me with some notes in there." She added, laughing weakly. Jessamine watched as he picked up the phone, feeling bad that she saw the crack. "Are you sure?..I mean..alright." Jessamine shrugged, her own eyes briefly glancing over his smile and sharp jawline. Then looking up to meet his gaze. "Oh, I'm Water." She smiled warmly, agreeing with him. "It does feel good, I almost was getting bored over summer. You can only do so much to help people with activities in summer with water." Jessamine plainly joked, giggling a bit.

Jeff raised an eyebrow. "Ooh, water fairy, huh? I'm looking forward to seeing what you've been working on in class." He looked down at the ground shyly. "I've gotta get to specialist orientation, so I'll catch you later, ok?" Jeff waved at Jess and headed off for the training grounds. He'd only walked a couple more feet when Jeff got clobbered by a force approaching from his blind spot - he stumbled off balance and caught himself, turning to see his friend Paul. "Should have known it was you!" he said as he embraced his classmate. "Five minutes into the school year and you're already flirting - who's the new girl," joked Paul. Jeff blushed. "It's not like that - I was just saying hi." Paul shot Jeff a look of doubt. "Uh-huh, those rosy cheeks of yours would suggest otherwise," at which point Jeff's face turned an even deeper shade of red. He quickly moved to change the subject. "You get the text? Specialist orientation at the training grounds right now. I was just heading over." Paul decided to let him weasel his way out of the conversation at hand, and the two headed to the orientation. The training grounds were a sprawling outdoor pavillion, with water features and large concrete platforms that provided a variety of challenges for specialist battle. The specialist headmaster stood at the front of the pavillion on a raised marble platform. After a moving speech about the dangers that lay at their doorstep, the specialists were split into pairs to spar. The sun started setting and orientation came to a close. Jeff was exhausted and headed back to his room, eager to see who his roommates would be this year.

She smiled, watching Jeff seemingly be intruiged. "Yeah, it's pretty neat what I've learned." Jessamine noted him being a little shy, making her giggle a bit. "Yeah, I'll see you around!" Jessamine waved back, watching him head off. Of course as she started heading to her own destination, she crossed paths with her long time best friend, Amber. Amber smirked at Jessamine. "Ooouh, already set your sights on a boy?" Jessamine looked over her shoulder and then back to Amber. "What? No, no. We were just chatting." Amber playfully hip bumped her. "That's how it all starts~" The rest of the day was basically refreshing the returning students, having a brief orientation, and then lunch. Jessamine never understood why things had to be refreshed into their mind every year, she never forgot them. It was basic stuff anyhow. Once that was done with, she collected her things and started heading back to her own dorm, wondering if anyone else was there yet she could meet.

Unlike the empty suite where Jeff had dropped his bags off earlier, the dorm was now bustling with activity when he returned. Paul was the first to spot him, greeting him at the doorway. "Bet you weren't expecting me as a roommate, were ya?" Paul grinned as he put an arm around Jeff, bringing him in close. Paul was a big guy, and Jeff grimaced as he wrestled out of Paul's grip. "Yeah yeah, there's usually a couple surprises in there, aren't there," Jeff quipped. Jeff looked up to see his other suitemates, Pete and Chuck. They had trained together before, but other than that he hadn't interacted with the other two much. The conversation quickly turned to discussion of their schoolmates, as teenage boys conversation often does. "I was down at the gates this morning, there's a new freshman that's really cute," remarked Chuck. "Psh," remarked Paul, "Jeff's got his eye on another junior already," elbowing Jeff in the ribs. "We were just talking, ok? No big deal." "Oh? Who's the lucky girl?", Pete inquired. Jeff stayed silent, but Paul answered for him. "It's that girl Jess. Water fairy. You know they've got all kinds of tri-" Jeff shoved Paul, interrupting him mid sentence. "Hey hey! Just kidding around," Paul said, backing down. "What about courses. Orientation was pretty intense today." "For sure," said Pete, "I hear there's some kind of threat they're not telling us about. You know how the teachers like to keep things quiet." "Well, there's always a rumor that there's still more Burned Ones out there. Who knows if thats the case, if it's not I guess we're just doing all this training to look good." The boys laughed, and continued their conversation into the night. Eventually, they all settled into bed. Jeff closed his eyes and began to dream.

Jessamine reached her dorm and of course now, her roommates were there. She gave everyone inside a warm welcome. "Hello!" The girls seemed not...as welcoming. At least one especially, one just seemed quiet and one was already asleep. It was awkward to say the least. Jessamine sighed and quietly went ahead, unpacking her things and settling herself in the dorm. Once she was in the bathroom, brushing her teeth, a girl popped her head in. It was the shy one, Genevieve. "Hey...uh, you're really pretty. My name is Genevieve, my power is Light. I hope...we can be friends?" Jessamine spit and rinsed her mouth, looking to the girl with a smile. "Of course. For a moment there I thought no one wanted to be my friend. It's nice to meet you, Genevieve." And with that, the two of them did some brief chatting before it was time to sleep. Jessamine got into her bed and curled up, drifting off to sleep.

Jeff dreamt about being on the school grounds, a shadowy figure following him through the halls. Every time he turned around, there was nothing there, but he could feel it getting closer and closer with every step. Finally, when the figure was right behind him, he felt a hand grab his shoulder, spinning him around. Before he could see the figure, Jeff woke up, jerking upright in bed. He rubbed his eyes, glad to be out of the dream. He checked his clock and, seeing that he was already late, ran down to the dining hall for breakfast. He spotted his roomates at one of the tables, already chowing down on their meals. He headed towards him, when Jessamine's platinum blond hair caught his eye. Their eyes met, and he smiled at her, his cheeks turning pink from being caught looking. Jeff sat down with his housemates and joined the discussion. They were all talking about their upcoming botany class, and the new instructor who would be teaching it. "He gives me a weird vibe," said Paul. The others nodded. "Yeah, Professor Ambrose always looks like he hasn't gotten a wink of sleep," added Pete, "and his mood backs it up". Jeff hadn't yet met this professor, but it didn't sound good. The boys finished their breakfast and headed towards the greenhouse. Jeff snuck in one more glance towards Jessamine as he exited the hall.

Jessamine woke up and yawned, stretching above herself. It was the first day of her classes. She got dressed and headed to the dining hall. Thankfully she slept peacefully, no dreams or nightmares had bothered her. Once she was in the dining hall, she got her breakfast, greeted her friend and sat down. Jessamine glanced around and saw Jeff, casting a small smile to him. Jessamine wasn't entirely tuned into the conversation at her table. Something about an attractive professor. She ate until she was full, smiling to herself. Jessamine didn't see him glance before he left though, she was getting ready to toss her garbage away and head to her class.

Jeff entered the greenhouse, one of his favorite locations on campus. The whole room smelled richly of earth, and green plants of all different types covered the floor and walls. One section had flowering plants of every color under the rainbow; a section in the corner had carnivorous plants, slowly swaying back and forth as they searched for prey. In the center of the greenhouse was an open space that had stools for the students and a small blackboard for the professor. Jeff took a stool near his friends and began chatting, facing their stools towards each other in a circle. They were cracking jokes back and forth, and didnt even notice Professor Ambrose enter the room. As they were talking, vines began to creep up their stools and grasp the legs. All at once, the stools jerked around so that they all faced the blackboard. The boys jerked back in panic, staring wide eyed at the professor. He did not look amused, deep circles under his eyes and his lips forming a scowl. In a shrill, nasal voice, he spoke. "Students will remain quietly seated until class begins, and continue to be obedient until the lesson has ended." The boys shot glances at each other. The professor wrote the words HEALING POTIONS on the board and began the lesson. Jeff could tell this was going to be his least favorite class of the semester.

Jessamine always loved the greenhouse. She admired how it was always so perfectly taken care of, and she even had helped water the plants before. She enjoyed spending her time here, and certainly was going to do so again this year. She found a seat, of course the boys and girls had separate sections in the greenhouse, so that teachings could go smoothly. The similar situation happened, vines taking hold of their legs and jerking them to attention. A bunch of girls yelping in surprised echoed in the greenhouse, making others chuckle. The female professor, Miss Dritel, was more kind, yet stern. She chuckled to herself and wrote the same on the board, beginning her teachings. Jessamine sighed to herself, this was something she was already familiar with. But she listened, her leg occasionally shaking. Her friend had to stop it, placing a hand on her knee. "Jess, relax." "Ugh, it's hard. This stuff is easy..."

Professor Ambrose droned on and on about the different types of healing herbs, their effects on the human body, the concentrations required reagents...Jeff was zoning out more and more by the minute. The first week was always recapping things they'd learned already, and Ambrose spoke in a monotone voice that could put an elephant to sleep. Jeff's glanced over to the girls' side of the greenhouse, glancing at Jessamine again. She was very pretty, how hadn't he noticed her before this year... Jeff was so distracted that he did not notice that Jess' friend had spotted him. She giggled, alerting him to the fact that he had been caught. Jeff panicked, turning forward in his stool and making a loud scraping sound on the floor. Unfortunately, the sound caught the attention of Professor Ambrose, who cleared his throat loudly. "Mr. Monroe? Perhaps you can answer the next question." The whole greenhouse, girls and boys, turned to face Jeff. "Shit..." he muttered. (edited)

Jessamine could feel Jeff's, and other student's pain. This was easily the most boring part of the year, and she would love to skip things if she could. But she knew that her best friend wouldn't let her at all. She groaned to herself, thankfully their professor was a bit nicer and understanding. As things went on, she began to lose her focus. She yawned and ran a hand through her hair, but as a scrape was heard in the greenhouse, she glanced in its' direction. That's when she saw Jeff, and Professor Ambrose singling him out. It wasn't fair how he did that to his students, she was glad she didn't have him as a professor. Her personality would clash with him when provoked, she very much so was known for setting her foot down when needed. She was nice, but when pushed she was firm. Everyone's attention was on Jeff, and she did her best to smile to him, hopefully a sign to him to let him know that he was at least okay! It was an intimidating situation, and she waited for the question that the looming Professor would ask.

"Mr. Monroe, can you tell me the ingredients needed to create a Zanbaq potion?" asked the professor. Jeff let out a sigh of relief - he could make a Zanbaq potion with his eyes closed. "Arabian jasmine, essence of orange, liquid flame, and black charcoal." The professor scowled. He obviously was not expecting Jeff to have answered the question correctly. "Very good, Mr. Monroe. As I was saying, the uses of..." Jeff zoned out from his monotone drawl once again. He looked back at the girls and was surprised to see Jessamine smiling at him. He returned the smile, raising her hand slightly to give her a little wave. It wasn't long before the class was over, the teachers and students dispersing to head to the dining hall for lunch. Jeff hung back for a bit, walking over to the flowering section of the greenhouse. He was an excellent specialist, but his real passion was in potions, and he enjoyed spending time in the greenhouse whenever he could, studying the different plants and their purposes.

Jessamine smiled in relief that he had answered correctly. The professor they had was no joke, an intimidating man at the very least. As both classes went on, she realized more and more that she really needed something to do after this class to snap her out of her bored state. When Jeff met her gaze and waved to her, she gave a small wave back. Of course her friend beside her nudged her side. "Jess, pay attention! You'll get called out too!" Jessamine giggled and turned her attention back to the professor, practically counting the minutes in her head. When classes were dismissed, she looked towards Jeff. She was curious about what he was to do next today, maybe they could talk more and hang out during lunch! She watched him walk in the greenhouse, and started walking towards him. Once she was near, she finally spoke up. "Hey!"

Jeff was studying a delicate orchid when he heard a familiar voice behind him. He turned to see Jess behind him. Everyone else had left for lunch, it was just them and the plants left in the greenhouse. Seeing her in a crowd was one thing, but being alone Jeff felt his attraction for Jess rush through him like a gust of hot energy. "Hey! What're you still doing here, huh?" Jeff made eye contact for a moment but got nervous and quickly looked away, back down to the plant he'd been looking at. "Botany is my favorite class, there's so much we can learn from the plants." He scowled. "Well, it used to be, before Professor Asshole took over." He grinned at the joke, looking at Jess again and holding the eye contact longer this time. "Wanna go grab lunch? It's a really nice day out, maybe we can eat out on the front lawn." He could only tolerate so much of his suitemates every day, and he was starting to feel a connection with Jess the more they bumped into each other.

She smiled and met his gaze. It was a feeling she hadn't felt before, and it was...nice. Jessamine felt some type of attraction, but she couldn't pinpoint what kind yet. "Oh hey. I hung back, I saw you were hanging out in here and I decided to accompany you. I enjoy just, being around them. Sometimes I'll even help water them, especially if people get too busy." She chuckled a small bit, no one liked that Professor, why was he still even teaching? "Lunch? I mean, that sounds perfect. I love being outside. I'll take you up on that, otherwise my friend was probably going to kidnap me and tell me all about her newest link." Jess sighed shaking her head a bit. "So, yeah. I'd love that." She confirmed, looking to him and his eyes again. They were unusually pretty, and she really liked them. Would it be weird to compliment a guys eyes?

Jeff and Jess headed down to the dining hall for lunch. As usual, the meal was fit for a king - roast beef, vegetables, mashed potatoes, rolls, cake - the whole package. Jeff loaded up his plate and waited by the door for Jess to join him. He glanced over at the dining tables and noticed that both his and Jess' friends were watching them, the girls giggling to each other. A subtle smile came across his lips as Jess came to join him. The two went outside, taking a seat on the stone benches that surrounded the field. Jeff started chowing down on his food, suddenly aware of his hunger. Wanting to prevent an awkward silence, he covered his mouth so he could speak. "So, how was move in day for you? How are your suitemates?"

She noticed her friends were snickering, and she stuck her tongue out at them, then smiling. She knew she was going to get pestered later about this. She grabbed her food, insanely excited to dig into it. She was starving. As they sat on the stone benches, she started to eat. A more...reserved way, but she wasn't going to judge him on how he ate. Eat away! "Move in day was okay, my uh, suitemates are interesting. One is shy, her name is Genevieve. Then the others...well, one was asleep when I got there to sleep, and the other was listening to music doing her own thing." Jess shrugged, taking a bite of mashed potatoes. So buttery~

Jeff nodded at Jess as he listened to her talk about her suitemates. "Yeah, I knew the guys in my suite from last year, so it's pretty chill in there. Can be a lot of energy sometimes though, sometimes I just need to have some time away, ya know?" Jeff was looking at Jessamine as he talked, when a figure in the background caught his eye. It was Professor Ambrose, and he looked....sneaky. He was looking around, as if he was making sure no one was watching him. He had a jar of something in his hand, and he was walking out the campus gates. Instead of walking down the road towards town, he turned off the path and disappeared into the thick forest that surrounded the school. "Thats weird," he mentioned to Jessamine, "Professor Ambrose just snuck off into the forest. I wonder what he's up to. I get a weird vibe from him - and it's not just because he called me out in class." Jeff chuckled nervously, remembering the feeling from earlier that day. "I kinda want to follow him. What do you think?" Jeff raised an eyebrow at Jessamine, letting her know they were about to get into mischief if she joined him.

"I don't blame you. The issue I'm having is that well..I don't know my suitemates that well. Sure I know of them but, I don't know them." She shrugged, continuing to eat and enjoy her food. They always made good food here at Alfea. Jessamine furrowed her eyebrows as he spoke about the Professor, looking behind herself to see if she could catch a glimpse of anything. But alas, he was already long gone. She turned to look at Jeff again, hearing his proposal. "Well...I mean, what's the harm? Worst case scenario is that we catch him doing something weird?" With that, she got up and took a few last bites of food, including cake. "Let's go after him and see!"

Jeff was surprised, and pleased, that Jessamine had decided to join him. Students weren't allowed to leave the school grounds without permission, so it was actually a bit dangerous to follow the professor. He felt adrenaline start to flow through him at the prospect, getting excited at the unknown that awaited them. They looked around and then snuck out the gates, going into the forest where the Professor had ventured off course. As a specialist, Jeff was trained in tracking and was able to pick up on the path the professor had taken. They followed it into the woods, and he was glad that it was still midday so that they could see their surroundings clearly. He had the weird feeling that something was watching them... Eventually, they reached a lake in the forest, and Jeff paced back and forth. "I lose the trail here...lemme look around and see if I can find something." He glanced at the still, mirror-like surface of the lake, and then at Jess. "So, water fairy - wanna show me what you've learned here at Alfea?" He smiled at her and motioned at the water.

It wasn't like her to randomly want to run off and leave the property, especially in such potential dangerous ways. But, with the Professor acting odd, and them having the opportunity, she took the chance. She followed him into the forest, trusting his ability to track him down. Jess had no idea how to track anything or anyone down. Once they reached the lake, she glanced around to see if there was any sign of him anywhere. But sadly, nothing. When he asked about her ability, she rose an eyebrow and looked over him. "Oh? Do you want me to do some type of elaborate display?" Jessamine teased, looking at the water. But, she opened her hands, seemingly able to pull up a pillar of water from out of the lake. It was like it had a current within itself, swirling up and over Jeff, almost touching him. "It would be a shame if you got all weeeeeeeet." She teased him, giggling a small bit.

"No no nonono," said Jeff, laughing and backing away from the lake and the column of water that Jessamine had created. "That's really impressive though, I know a lot of water fairies in our class can barely hold a sphere together. You've got skill Jess...with looks to match!" Jeff smiled at her. He was peering at the pillar in the lake, when he noticed something. "Hey...do you see something there below the water line? It looks like a staircase, right below the surface. I can't find the professor's tracks anywhere, its like he walked straight into the lake. Can you clear the water around that so we can take a better look?" Jeff reached around to his back, double-checking that his specialist's sword was sheathed on his uniform. Something told him they were about to get into a situation where they might need it.

She giggled at his reaction, shrugging the compliment off. "It's nothing, really...but, thank you." Jessamine smiled, letting the water retreat into the lake. She couldn't help but blush at said compliment, but she could worry about that later. "Oh?" She asked, furrowing her eyebrows. As he asked for her to clear the water, she nodded. Her hands hovered in front of her, palms pressed together. It took a lot of force, but she was able to part the water and reveal the seabed underneath, and whatever else may be there.

Jess parted the water above the dark spot that Jeff had spotted, revealing a staircase underneath the water, with a sealed doorway at the bottom to keep the water out from whatever lay behind it. Jeff didn't say anything this time, but he was quite impressed by Jess' water skills - it was one thing to create a shape, but a whole separate feat to part an existing body of water. Jeff headed down the stairs, inspecting the door at the bottom. The door appeared to be made of solid stone, and Jeff could not see any markings or keyholes that might reveal the key to unlocking it. It appeared to be a dead end in their search for Professor Ambrose. "Come on down here, Jess," Jeff called out to her. "I know that there's gonna be something good behind here, but I cant figure out how to open it. Do you have any ideas?"

Jessamine did her best to keep it parted as she followed him to the mysterious stairs. The sand squishing beneath her feet as she walked, afraid she could sink down at any second. Once she got to the stairs, she looked over the door with him. "Huh...well, maybe it is one of those doors where you press a stone, or pull a book and it reveals the way. You know? I've read books explaining such, maybe it's like that here?" She suggested, her hands starting to wander over the stones, applying pressure over each one. It had to be something like that, nothing else made sense. That was when a stone was pushed in. But...nothing happened. Jessamine pushed on the seemingly wall before them but it didn't budge. "...Multiple stones?"

Jeff stood at the bottom of the stairs, watching Jessamine follow him down. He was impressed at her talent - it was clear she was still concentrating on keeping the water from flooding the staircase again, and it formed a wall of liquid around the top step. Watching the water flow around the top made Jeff a bit nervous, but he trusted that Jess knew what she was doing. Jess started pressing on different parts of the wall, until she pressed a stone and it sunk backwards, making a grinding, rumbling noise as it did so. They both stepped back from the wall, watching the stone move. However, when it stopped, nothing happened. Jeff got closer to the wall, looking more closely at the stone that had moved. The edges of the stone were worn, from being pushed inwards over and over. "Start looking for stones that have rough edges." He started looking closely until he found two more stones, pushing them inwards as well. "It looks like they're equally spaced, so I bet there's two more stones on your side as well."

She watched Jeff press on the stone, finding more. She nervously searched for them on her side as well, trying to keep her focus on the water. It was difficult, even some water splashed down the steps occasionally. But she knew she could hold it off, it was just draining her. As Jessamine ran her hands over the rocks, now looking for the detail he pointed out, she finally found the rocks that opened the door. It was an odd and mysterious hallway, furthering the theme of stone along the walls. It was certainly man-made. She looked to Jeff nervously before taking a step inside. Once they were both inside though...she lost control of the water. All they heard after the door closed behind them was the rushing of water filling up the staircase again. "Shit...I'm sorry."

They stepped inside and hear the water flood the stairway as the door closed behind them. "It's ok, shoulda seen that coming." Jeff put his hand up behind his head, scratching the back of his scalp as he looked around at the corridor. It stretched on for quite a while, was made of the same stone as the door they'd unlocked. Every couple meters, a magical flame lit the path, and the end of the corridor was bathed in a warm glow. "I guess the only way out is forward now!" They walked down the corridor, careful not to make any sound and alert anyone to their presence. At the end, the corridor split up - they were standing at the top of stairs that led down to a large circular room. Up at the top of the stairs, where they stood, the ground split up into a circular balcony that overlooked the room below. Jeff spotted movement down below and held his hand out, stopping Jess from moving any closer and risk being seen. He pointed at the balcony path, motioning her to duck low and go around so they could watch what was happening below. Down below, they spotted Professor Ambrose. He had several herbs in his hand, and he was speaking to someone who was shrouded in black robes and mysterious smoke. The robe had a cowl that covered the persons' face, so they could not see who it was. However, their voice was high pitched and the only way Jeff could describe it was...evil.

22:27

"Do you have the reagents, Ambrose?" "I do. It was not easy to get these past the headmistress. I expect you have my compensation?" "Not just yet, Ambrose. There is more you must do before I grant you your reward." Ambrose's face looked pained. "I have held up my end of the bargain. What more do you wish for? "There is one more set of ingredients you must bring me, and then I shall keep up my end of the deal. Magically imbued forms of the four primary elements - enchanted water, faerie fire, crystallized earth, and living air. You will bring these to me." Ambrose's displeasure deepened as his scowl grew. "These are not simple items - the water I can create myself, but the other ingredients I will need faeries to create for me. What do you need this for?" "That is not for you to be concerned with," the evil voice snapped. He smirked at Ambrose. "And you happen to have an entire school of faeries at your behest. Bring me them if you wish for your part of the deal to be fulfilled. Quickly." "Very well." Ambrose looked very unhappy. He turned and started walking back up the stairs, towards where Jeff and Jess had entered the room. (edited)

Jessamine saw Ambrose and the mysterious figure. She was confused, listening in on their conversation. What did all this mean? And why did they need things requiring the faeries help? That felt unsettling to Jessamine, she looked to Jeff worriedly. But, that look didn't last for long. Ambrose was headed their way! She tensed, unknowing of where to escape or where to hide.

Jeff looked around the room, with only seconds to spare before they were in Ambrose's field of view. The hallway had many alcoves where they could hide, but there was no way they'd be able to move over there without him seeing them. Jeff pointed to the parts of the balcony around the corner, away from the staircase. "Stay low!" he whispered. The two teens scooted around to the edge of the balcony, and just in time. Ambrose reached the top of the stairs and started walking out towards the end of the hallway where they'd entered. "Come on, I think he's going to be our ticket out of here." They crawled back towards the top of the stairs. When Jeff looked down at the lower level, the other person was no longer there. No time to think about where he'd gone. They followed Ambrose down the hallway as quietly as possible.

She ducked down and hid, practically holding her breath. They were so close too, it almost made her blush if it weren't for the risk and danger they were in. Jess nodded in agreement, Ambrose was their only way out at the moment, or possibly ever. She followed Ambrose with him, being as quiet as physically possible. If there was any water that could potentially make noise when walked on, she silently cleared it away. Jessamine didn't want to take any chances. They followed Ambrose until he finally opened the door. It seemed effortless, the water parted without him even lifting a finger after he opened the door. It seemed he did something different to get out, but that was to be figured out later. Jessamine carefully took his wrist and guided Jeff up to the door quickly after Ambrose exited. "Get ready to swim-" She whispered hurriedly, taking in a deep breath. Before they knew it, the water rushed in over them, and settled in to fill the staircase and up to the door.

The door opened and the two students faced a wall of water, crashing down on them. Jeff took a deep breath and his body tensed up as the cold water hit them. Luckily, the lake was rather shallow. He grabbed Jess' arm and motioned to her not to come to the surface yet - if they emerged from the water now, they'd definitely be discovered. They had to hold their breath as long as they could. After what seemed like an eternity, Jeff couldn't hold his breath any longer and they emerged from the water, gasping for air once they reached the top. He looked around to see if they'd been discovered - the clearing was empty, it looked like Ambrose had left to return to the school. The two swam back to the shore of the water and stood up, soaking wet. Jeff did his best to be respectful and not stare at Jess, their wet clothes sticking to their bodies and leaving little to the imagination. "Wow, what was that all about? Do you think we should report it to the headmaster? Or maybe we should just keep an eye on him and see what happens. By the way, you don't know a spell to dry us off, do you?" Jeff grinned at Jess - it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if she didnt know that incantation just yet.

She stayed under while Jeff pulled down on her arm. At first, she was confused, but it made sense not to go yet. She held her breath, closing her eyes as she did. When they finally emerged, she gasped for air and swam to shore as quickly as possible. When they got there, they were completely soaked, their clothes weighing down on them as the water quickly dripped off of them. It really didn't leave much to the imagination, herself pulling on her shirt away from her front, sighing a bit. "Mmh? Oh, yeah no I got us." She chuckled and brought her hands towards both of them, slowly sucking all the water out of their clothes, out of their hair, and off of their bodies. Once she got all she could, she tossed the large orb of water back into the lake where it belonged. "...As far as reporting it...I'm not sure. We don't know what may happen, we could get scolded for leaving the premises without telling anyone."

"Oooh, good point." Jeff hadn't considered that aspect of the situation. "It'll just have to be our little secret for now." He smiled at Jess. "Thanks for drying us off! Your magic skill is really impressive, Jess." Jeff and Jess headed back over to campus, being careful to sneak into the front gate so that no would would notice that they had left the grounds. They reached the grassy lawn, and Jeff turned to face her. "Well, I've got specialist training now. I know something is up with Ambrose, but can I just say that I had a lot of fun doing that? Not every day I get to have an adventure with a faerie. Jeff looked into Jess' eyes, hesitating about what to do next. He leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her cheek. "I'll catch you later, Jess." What Jeff hadn't realized is that his buddy Paul had been watching the encounter from afar. Jeff was walking down the hall when he heard a familiar voice. "So, looks like you're getting close with your water fairy, hmm? Spill the beans, Jeff!" Jeff blushed. "Maybe. She's cute, isn't she? And she's really good with her magic." "Oh? And how would you know that, considering they're not supposed to use their magic out of class and studies?" Jeff turned a deeper shade of red. "Uhh...just from seeing her in class." He trusted Paul, but he wasn't sure he should share what they saw just yet. "So, when do you see her next?" "Well, we've got botany class tomorrow. Maybe we'll bump into each other after classes though." Jeff smiled at his buddy as they walked off to specialist training.

Jessamine shrugged it off and smiled to Jeff. "Ahh, it's nothing really. Just can't so much in the classes." She smiled, heading back to the campus with Jeff. She had hoped no one will see. Once they stood on the lawn, she smiled to him and nodded. "Yeah, it was really fun." Jessamine found herself gazing back, then her face briefly heating up as he kissed her cheek. It was adorable, it melted her heart. "Catch you later." Jessamine smiled like an idiot, making her way to her dorm. Once Jessamine got into a building, her close friend bombarded her. "Tell me everything!!" Jessamine furrowed her eyebrows. "What do you mean?" "I saw you leave with Jeff!!! You guys snuck out to eat together, then what?!" Jessamine cleared her throat and smiled faintly. "Ahh.." "Oooouh I knew it!" "N-no nothing like that! He and I just uh...wanted to hang out! And it's super loud here at lunch hour." Jessamine fibbed, running a hand through her hair.

The rest of Jeff's classes passed by quickly, mostly because he was thinking too much about what had transpired with Jess. It was especially obvious in specialist training that his mind was somewhere else - he kept getting distracted and letting his opponent land hits with their practice swords. By the end of the day he'd collected quite a few bruises as a result. He couldn't get his mind off Ambrose, and needing the four elements. What was he up to? Were the fairies at the school in danger? Maybe there was something on Ambrose's computer that would help them put the pieces together and learn more about what he was doing. After classes, Jeff headed down to the grassy field in front of the school. The sun was setting, and students were now out of class and enjoying the warm weather. He picked his usual spot, on the steps of the main building. Lots of people were on their phones, but today Jeff was choosing to people watch instead - specifically, watching for anything that could lead him to find out more about Ambrose's behavior. And, of course, watching to see if Jessamine would make an appearance.

Jessamine didn't pay much attention to her classes for the rest of the day. She was trying to figure out why Ambrose was acting so weird. Why he needed these oddly specific things, and why would the faeries need to help. She knew damn well that she wasn't going to help him, even if it risked her failing a class. As they day came to a close, an announcement was made all across Alfea. Attention all students. As a welcome back and greeting to new and returning students, we will be holding a dance this Friday in the grand ballroom! It is not a formal dance however, it is a semi-formal dance. So come and let loose, and enjoy the atmosphere Alfea has to offer! Visit the gardens, our outdoor pools, our greenhouse and many more rooms decorated specifically for the occasion! There will be plenty of games, contests and more! The theme is....Whimsical Night under the Starts! We hope to see you there! Jessamine listened to the announcement, raising an eyebrow. It was weird to announce a dance the same week it was to be held. But she didn't care much, now she had to start thinking about what to wear. As she walked around aimlessly, not exactly tired yet, she pulled out her phone to check. Wondering if anyone had messaged her. She then bumped into someone yet again, looking up from her phone.

Jeff heard the announcement about the school dance, and right away he knew who he wanted to invite. However, he soon had a realization - he didn't really know much about Jess! They'd flirted a bit back and forth, and now they had been on this adventure together, spying on Ambrose. However, what they hadn't done was gone on a date or anything like that. He was nervous if he just asked her to the dance out of the blue, maybe she wouldnt be interested. Jeff hoped that he would bump into Jess again that night, but he hadn't expected that it would be literal! Jess was checking her phone as she walked down the steps. He saw her ahead of time and waited for her to look up so that he could wave hello. Instead, he watched her get closer...and closer...until... bump "Heya, must be something good on there, huh?" Jeff grinned at her. "So hey, I had a lot of fun with you today, even though it was maybe a bit dangerous." Jeff looked at the ground and then back at Jess, his lips slightly curved into a smile and his eyes studying her longingly. "Maybe we can try something a little less action packed. Do you wanna grab coffee with me right now? I've got a late night study session, and I wouldn't mind being caffeinated."

Jessamine blushed faintly, embarrassed she had bumped into him once again. She looked up at him and chuckled, pocketing her phone. "Ah, yeah. I'm sorry. I really need to start paying attention, huh." She watched him talk, maintaining eye contact with a softened smile. "Coffee? I'm down. What are you studying for?" Jessamine asked, placing her hands in her hoodie pockets, relaxing in front of him.

"It's no worries. If I'm being honest, I'm glad you bumped into me again." Let's head over to the cafe and I'll tell you all about it. Unlike the dining hall, which was a sprawling maze of long tables and benches, the cafe was a much cozier location. It was located off to the side of the main hall, a dim cozy space with small coffee tables and plush chairs. They went over to the barista to place their orders.

~~~

"I'm gonna have a cinnamon latte. Like I said, it's gonna be a late night. What are you gonna have, Jess?"

She smiled at him as he expressed his excitement about bumping into her. She nodded and walked with him to the cafe eagerly. When they settled into the Cafe, she hummed in thought. "Honestly, I'm not sure. What do you suggest?"

Jeff put a hand on his chin and looked up, thinking about what Jess might like. "Well, definitely anything with caffeine will do the trick! They make a really delicious lavender latte here if that sounds good. Also, their spiced tea if you're more of a tea person. OOH also their chai! If you can't tell, I get excited about caffeine." Jeff grinned at her with anticipation, being into Jess but also truly interested to see what she'd choose. A drink could say a lot about someone!

Jessamine hummed in thought, looking over the menu while listening to Jeff. "I think...I'll have..." She paused for a few more moments, mulling over her choices. "I wanna try their spiced tea."

Jeff smiled widely. "Good choice!" He turned to the barista. "One cinnamon late and one spiced tea. "Let's find some seats, ok?" They looked around and Jeff settled on a pair of giant plush purple chairs in the corner. In the center of the space, a magical fire burned, seemingly hovering in the air. "SO. You asked what I needed to study." Jeff pulled out a book, A Study of the Burned Ones. "Light reading, I know." Jeff rolled his eyes. But the headmaster says all specialists need to have this stuff memorized in case Solaria is ever attacked again." Jeff glanced at Jessamine's bag. "What about you? How are your classes going, got anything to study with me tonight?"

Jessamine smiled and sat down, getting comfortable right away. When he brought out the book, she looked over it and shrugged a little casually. "Hey, better prepared then not. You never know." When he asked about her classes and what to study, she rubbed the back of her neck. "Ahh...classes are annoying as usual. But." She placed her bag on her lap and opened it, bringing out a book. Botany: Plants, Flowers and more! "I've been reading up on plants and stuff, especially how to care for them. I know it's like...weird? To be in botany as a water fairy, but I dunno. They're so pretty. I can't help it."

"I mean, that kinda makes sense to me! Plants need water to survive, they're mostly made of water...do you know how awesome of a gardener you'd be, being able to control the water!" As they were talking, the server came over with their drinks. Jeff chuckled at Jess as he took a sip of his coffee. As smoothly as possible (Narrator: it was not very smooth), Jeff casually brought up what he'd really invited Jess here for. "So, did you hear the announcement about the dance coming up? Kinda short notice, right?" He glanced up at her, trying to see her reaction to the subject.

Jessamine giggled shyly and shook her head. "Maybe...I'd like to try it out someday. Have my own plants and flowers." She shrugged, nodding politely to the server as her tea was placed before her. "Ah yeah...it's weird, right? Like I'm not the only one a little sketched out?" She asked him, picking up her drink to sip.

"Hah, yeah, a little bit. Like, I don't even have fancy clothes to wear or anything like that! I guess I'll make do. It'll probably be fun, you know there's gonna be all kinds of mischief going on. Hey, so are you going with anyone yet?" Jeff looked down at his coffee, embarrassed but hopeful.

Jessamine smiled faintly and shrugged. "It'll totally be fun. But yeah...no one yet." She took a sip of her tea, sighing to herself. "I have yet to find a dress too..."

Jeff took a sip of his coffee, trying to delay and build some confidence for the question he was about to ask. "Do you want to go with me? I...I've been enjoying spending time with you..." Jeff started to panic a bit, worried he was making Jess uncomfortable. "...and we could keep an eye on Ambrose together. I bet he'll be up to something while everyone's busy."

Jess smiled faintly behind her cup of tea, setting it down and looking to him. She eyed him over, trying to get a read on him. "..Yeah. I'll go with you." She smiled again, looking up into his eyes. "He might be. But we should enjoy the dance too. Okay?" Jessamine added, smirking very briefly. "Now, what color are we going to wear?"

Jeff couldn't hide the wide grin that appeared on his face. "Of course! Trust me, it's gonna be a great time. Hmmm....what color. I feel like you should go with something that shows off your water side! So blue maybe? Oooh, or maybe kind of like a teal? I feel like you faeries get to have all the fun, I'm usually stuck wearing black and green. If I'm really lucky my uniform has a pop of blue." Just then, a scream echoed down the halls. Everyone in the cafe stopped what they were doing to try and figure out what was going on. Jeff and Jess could hear a commotion going on in the same direction of the scream. Suddenly a student ran over and let the crowd know what was happening. "Faerie Fire outbreak in one of the classrooms! They're trying to put it out now!" Jeff looked at Jess with a mix of shock and concern. "Faerie fire was one of the reagents Ambrose needed. Let's go check it out." He stood up, a little sad that his date with Jess was ending prematurely, but also anxious to find out what they could about what happened.

She smiled to him and chuckled. "Well, do you guys have to wear the same suit? You might be able to match me." She hummed in thought, tapping her chin. "Maybe teal.." As she heard the scream, chills ran down her spine. Hearing such a thing was never good. Jessamine looked to the girl and rose an eyebrow. Faerie Fire.. It was like Jeff knew what she was thinking. Ambrose needed that. She got up and left her stuff behind for now, quickly jogging with the girl to the commotion.

They ran back to the scene with the girl. In one of the classrooms, a fire was raging, but not just any normal fire - this one glowed in every color of the rainbow, bright blue flames and dark reds, vivid purples and even sickly green sparks, licking at the chairs and tables. The instructors with water and earth skills were standing at the threshold to the class, trying to use their magic to put it out with jets of water and loads of dirt. Ben was watching the scene unfold, when suddenly he spotted a shadowy figure down the hall, out of the corner of his eye. He couldn't make out who it was, but they were carrying something...glowing. He looked back at the classroom. It was the same glow as the faerie fire. Convinced that it was Ambrose, he nudged Jessamine. "Hey, I just saw someone down there and it looked like they had a vial of faerie fire with them. Let's go check it out. The two students slowly backed away from the scene of the fire and followed the figure down the hall, first walking slowly to avoid suspicion but picking up pace once they were out of view of the other spectators.

Jessamine was slightly impressed with how the fire looked, even with it being incredibly dangerous to be there. She wanted to help the teachers, but they insisted that everyone get somewhere safe. When Jeff nudged her, she furrowed her eyebrows and listened. Someone got away with a vial? It had to be him! She thought, nodding in agreement. The would have to pursue him to even see if it was Ambrose. As they backed away, she made sure no one followed, then fixating her eyes on the figure getting away. Jessamine would try to catch up, and at the same time not leave him behind her. The figure rounded a corner, and when they did the same, they were met with a dead end. Where could he have gone?

Jeff and Jess turned a corner. An solid brick wall stood in front of them, the shadowy figure nowhere to be found. "Damn, where did they go," muttered Jeff. Something strange was afoot. Jeff looked again for any evidence of a secret passage, but this time there appeared to be no rough bricks, no secret lever to be pulled. "I think we lost em," Jeff said, frowning. "But we know that whoever it was, theyre hunting down the reagents we overheard Ambrose talking about. Which means they're going to be trying to get a hold of the other ones as well. We should do some research tomorrow, maybe we can catch them in the act before they get another. Jeff turned to Jessamine. "C'mon, I'll walk you back to your dorm. We can try and figure this out tomorrow." He looked down, a little embarrassed but smiling. "So, teal accents huh? Lets see if we can come up with any ideas." Jeff pulled out his phone, doing an image search for semi-formal teal outfit ideas as the walked back towards their rooms.

Jessamine sighed to herself and looking around desperately for something. But she couldn't seem to pick anything out, how did they escape so quickly? When he mentioned that they're likely going to try to find the other reagents, she nodded in agreement. "Yeah, maybe we can try to get a step ahead of them and see what one they'd go after next?.." She asked, though she was a little tired and all this thinking wasn't very clear either. She nodded a small bit and ran a hand through her hair. "Yeah, only if you want. Hopefully we can hang out more sometime. That just...mentally drained me, I feel like I'm going to need a nap..."

Jeff looked up at Jessamine as she replied to him, and it was only then that he realized he'd probably tired her out for the day. After all, they had been through a lot, chasing Ambrose through a mysterious underground passage and then running after this mysterious figure. "Of course! It's getting late anyways, let's head back. They reached the lawn outside the dorm rooms, with the Faerie suites on the right and the specialist's house on the left. Jeff turned to face Jess, who was yawning. Night had fallen and streetlights lit the entrance to the building. The boys and girls were technically not supposed to pay visits to each other's dorms, though plenty of students broke this rule. Not wanting to impose, Jeff took Jess' hands to say good night. "Thanks for coming out to coffee! And for helping with the water cavern today, no way I would have been able to do that without you." He paused, looking at Jess with a nervous look on his face. "You're really cool, Jess." He leaned in and gave her a soft, simple kiss on the lips, then moved back, looking to see if she was repulsed, or wanted more.

Jessamine smiled thankfully as he didn't object to her wanting to rest. A lot was on her mind, and a lot to process. So much had happened in a short amount of time. When they reached the lawn, she let out a soft yawn, covering her mouth. The closer she got to her dorm, the sleepier she felt. When Jeff took her hands, her gaze fixed onto his. "Awh, it's no problem. I don't mind this." She'd answer. Then seeing this nervous look... Something was about to happen. Was it what she..? Oh my gosh. He kissed her. He kissed her. Jessamine was caught off guard at first, looking into his eyes again when he seemed to look for a reaction. And...she politely pulled him back in, using their hand holding as leverage. She stepped forward and placed an equally soft and gentle kiss, unable to stop smiling behind it.

Jeff was so nervous - he really liked Jess! He'd felt a connection with her and now he was worried that he'd just ruined it. What was he thinking? It was only the first date, and she was hard to get a read on! The prettiest girls always were, and he felt like there way no way - And then, interrupting his spiraling train of thought, he felt Jess' hand tugging him back towards her, their lips meeting again. He felt the smile behind her lips and couldn't help doing the same, immensely relieved to know she felt the same way. He let go of her hands and moved his around her waist, one traveling up to the small of her back to embrace her. The kiss ended, and although Jeff's teenage mind was racing, he knew for sure that he'd already taken a chance - time to take it slow. He continued to hold onto Jess for a moment, looking into her eyes and smiling at her. He wasnt looking down anymore, wasn't nervous anymore. "Have a good night. Meet me for breakfast tomorrow, ok?" Jeff let his hands travel away from her, backing up, not wanting to break eye contact first. He finally turned and walked back towards the specialists hall, grinning like an idiot.

18:00

It was that ridiculous grin that gave him away when he entered his dorm - without it, he might have been able to get away without a questioning from his suitemates. Paul was the first to notice. "Ohhhh Jeff, I know that smile. What happened. Was it Jess?" Jeff tried to hide his happiness but it was a pointless endeavor. "Tell us! What's going on. I saw you two at coffee!" Jeff replied sheepishly. "It's nothing. She's gonna come to the dance with me." The room went wild, shoulder slaps, hooting and hollering filling the space. If only they knew about what Jeff was declining to tell them. He turned the subject onto them, hoping to move on from further interrogation. "Who are you guys bringing?" The distraction was successful, as the others began talking about their dates, or who they intended to ask. The next morning, Jeff arrived at the dining hall bright and early, finding a smaller table to sit at as he waited for Jess to join him. He had time open in the afternoon, and his mind - well, part of it - was back on figuring out where Ambrose would be trying to acquire his elemental reagents, so they could catch him in the act.

She slowly hugged him close to her as their kiss continued. Her mind racing as she felt his hands on her, doing one of the many things that can make a girl melt, holding her close by the small of her back. Jessamine could've kissed him for far longer, but he did step away, which was fair and respectable. When he stepped back and pulled his hands away, she did the same, adjusting some hair behind her ear. "Yeah, ill do. See you tomorrow, sleep well." She gave him a small wave before he turned to leave, maintaining that eye contact with a smile and blush. When he finally turned his back, she couldn't help but smile like an idiot, giggling to herself as she made her way to her dorm. When she got to her dorm, most everyone was already asleep, and she didn't want to wake anyone. She got ready for bed and went to sleep happily. As the next morning came about, Jessamine didn't sleep too well. She was excited, happy, and yet also worried. Partially of course with Ambrose and his antics, but now...something was happening between her and Jeff, and so quickly too. Jess hoped that...he is still a good guy, at least. Jess made her way to the dining hall, yawning to herself and scanning the hall for Jeff. Once she found him, she gave a small wave and made her way over. "Hey!"

Jeff caught sight of Jess, heading his way, and for a moment he forgot to breathe as he waved back. As he waited for her to head over, he took out some books that he'd found about elemental reagents. "Ok, so I've been looking at the reagents that we overheard them talking about - it seems like they've already got faerie fire, so no point figuring out how they're gonna get that. Crystallized earth though...check it out." Jeff opened the book, flipping to a page covered with text, with a picture of a large leafy plant in the center. "This plant, Radissus Chrysalis, can create crystallized earth in its flowers. However, to do so..." Jeff gulped as he read the next part of the page to Jess "...it needs to be fed the blood of an earth fairy." Jeff looked up from the book to lock eyes with Jess, and for a moment he forgot what he was saying. He couldn't help but break out into a smile. "Uhh...oh, thats right. this Crystal Radish plant. I bet you there's some in the nursery. We've got botany this afternoon, let's try and find it and keep an eye on it. I bet you Ambrose or whoever he's working with is gonna come looking for it." Jeff moved his hand onto the table, placing it on top of Jess'. "We've still got a couple hours till classes. Did you have any ideas on where to find the enchanted water? Or living air? We could look through more books and try and figure it out. Or, uh, if you had something else you wanted to do, that's cool too." Jeff blushed at the last sentence.

Jessamine sat down and listened to him talk. It was amazing what he had found out...how long did he spend researching this? She looked over the picture of the Radissus Chrysalis, raising an eyebrow. It looked familiar. "Yeah, I think there are some in the nursery. Though I'm almost one hundred percent positive they're closed off, along with more of the 'dangerous' plants." Jess sighed, looking up to him again. Admiring his features and smiling to herself. "Well..enchanted water..There's a natural spa that's located a bit off campus. It's said to have some healing properties in it when swimming alone, and I think there's a cave hidden nearby, and a more concentrated power source too. I think that's how we can get enchanted water, we'll have to combine them somehow.." She looked to their hands and then him once more, blushing lightly himself. "I don't mind anything really.."

Jeff listened to Jessamine tell him what she knew about the enchanted water, marking that item as done on his mental checklist. So, they had an idea of where to find the crystallized earth, and also the enchanged water. The faerie fire was already taken, so no point in hunting that down. The only other one left was the living air, and neither of them had a clue about where to find that. Jess mentioned the natural spa, and how it had magical properties when swimming alone. Jeff raised an eyebrow at her. "Swimming alone, eh? What about swimming not alone?" He grinned at her, squeezing her hand. Come on, it'll be fun. Grab your bathing suit and meet me at the front of the school in 15 minutes. We can do some, uh, research and see if there's anything suspicious. They got up from breakfast, still holding hands as they walked to the front of the dining hall. "I'll see you in a little bit." Jeff gave her a quick kiss, and in the background he could hear his suitemates hooting and hollering. He rolled his eyes at them and smiled at Jess, then ran off to his room, leaping the stairs to the specialist's hall three at a time. He put on a white tshirt and board shorts, something that wouldn't make it extremely obvious he was going off swimming somewhere. Once he was ready, Jeff came back down to the front entrance of the school to wait for Jess. While he was waiting, Jeff spotted one of Professor Ambrose's TAs walking towards the gates. The student was dressed in black, with dark circles under his eyes. He looked around warily before darting out of the gates. Hmm, looks like we're not the only ones sneaking off this morning, Jeff thought to himself. Jeff took his usual seat at the front steps, waiting for Jessamine to come down and join him. He tapped his leg up and down rapidly in excitement, daydreaming of what they'd discover at the spa - and, he supposed, if they found a clue about the elemental reagents, that'd be nice too.

She smiled at him at the mention of swimming together. It sounded like an adorable date for some reason. Was it one, hidden underneath what they had to do? She wasn't sure. But, she agreed, nodding to him. "Sure, okay. We'll go." . When they got up she walked with him, smiling sheepishly as they held hands. She looked up to him and nodded, caught off guard by the small kiss. She returned it of course, giving a small wave as he walked off. Jessamine couldn't help but giggle and rush to her dorm to get her swimsuit. Once she got there, she changed and put a see through top on, along with shorts. Not too obvious thankfully, as long as she quickly makes her way out there. When she finally got outside of the school, she looked around for Jeff, immediately spotting him on the steps. She sped over to him and kneeled down from behind, giving him a hug. "Boo!"

Jeff was looking across the lawn for Jess when a pair of arms came from behind him, wrapping themselves around his torso. Jess' familiar voice came from behind him, a playful "Boo!" as she squeezed. Jeff's face quickly turned into a wide grin. He turned his head. "Heya! All ready?" Jeff stood up and turned around to face Jess - she'd been behind him before, but now that he stood up he couldn't help but be distracted by her shorts and swimsuit. He blushed as he looked up and their eyes met, realizing he'd been caught admiring her. Jeff took her hand and they walked across the lawn, back out to the front gates. It was a warm day, so Jeff hoped no one would think it odd that they were both in swimwear. He turned to Jess as they made their way to the front. "Ambroses' TA snuck out of here just a little while ago, I saw him go out the front. Wonder where he was headed..." The two reached the front, and Jeff turned to her again, struggling to contain his excitement at the prospect of another adventure with Jess. "Well, you're the one that knows where this place is - lead the way!"

She smiled at him and stood upright, laughing faintly as she noticed him distracted by her attire. She playfully rolled her eyes and poked his chest. "Eyes up here, Jeff." Jessamine teased him, when their eyes met she gave him a small smirk. Caught red handed. She walked with him hand in hand, turning her head to him as he mentioned the other that seemed to sneak away. "His TA? Now that's even more weird. You don't think that maybe like, him AND his TA are working together on this, do you?" Jess asked, humming in thought. It was odd, all too weird. When they got to the front, she smiled widely to him once the lead was offered to her. "You'll love it. Come on." She playfully tugged on him, leading the way to the springs mentioned earlier. After a bit of walking, and navigating through a brief forest near the school, down a path, and then into a cave, she found the springs. It was fresh water in the mountain cave, glowing on its own while small flecks of it drifted up into the darkness of the cave, lighting it up for only a moment. The real light source was the moss that glowed on the ceiling, illuminating the cave in a blue light, fading in and out like it was breathing. The water itself glistened, almost shimmering, like glitter had been dumped into the water. It was an unusual blue, nothing like a normal spring would look like. A tiny waterfall from within the caves' walls funneled into this spring, and a stream led out of the cave. Though once the water passed under sunlight, it looked like your average stream. "Here we are."

Jess took Jeff by the hand and led him through the pine forests. It was a bright, sunny day but the canopy of trees blocked much of the sunlight, and it was cool and shaded down on the ground. Suddenly, a path appeared in the middle of the brush, leading to the cave Jessamine was talking about. They entered and Jeff was in awe. The cave was dark, except for the bioluminescent moss that covered the ceiling, its brightness fading in and out, reflecting off the magical waters of the springs. His mouth hung open in amazement before he came to his senses. "Wow, this is...incredible Jess. How did you find this place?" Jeff took off his shirt, hanging it on a rock near the water. Even with the glowing moss, it was quite dark and he wanted it nearby so that he could find it easily again. Jeff dipped his foot into the water, expecting it to be a cold mountain spring, and was surprised to discover that it was quite warm, the perfect temperature for a soak. The magical properties of the water make it feel different, like a soothing vibration creeping up his skin. "Oh my god, this is amazing." Jeff stepped into the water, walking in until he was waist high. They'd adjusted to their dim surroundings now and could see more clearly in the dark cave. The light from the moss reflected off the water, creating shimmering patterns that showed off Jeff's chest. He looked to Jess, whose curvy silhouette he could make out at the water's edge. "Coming in? You'll need to show me what makes this water so magical."

Jess smiled at Jeff's reaction, giggling a tiny bit. "I'd have to keep that one a secret for now. I'll tell you one day." She smirked, letting her vision adjust to the dark cave once they were inside. Truth be told, she merely stumbled upon this cave when she snuck away from campus during her freshman year. Not a very exciting story, and she could certainly wait to tell him about it. For now, she watched Jeff undress himself, and she couldn't help but admire how his body glistened from the light within the cave. When he settled into the water, she gave him a small chuckle. "Isn't it awesome? If you have any cuts, bruises, aches. Literally anything, this place got you. It's so cool like that." When he finally invited her in, she couldn't say no. Jess went ahead and pulled the cover up off of her upper body, and then slid off her shorts. It reveal a basic yet attractive swimsuit, a simple bikini in a dark blue color. The color is what made her look even better, her skin and hair, even her eyes just seemed to stand out more. After she undressed, she placed her clothes beside his on the rock, and carefully stepped into the spring. "Ahhh...yes. So perfect to relax in." Jess made her way over to him and settle besides him, relaxing against the wall of the spring. Thankfully, some rocks where there, likely placed by her to act as seats. She sat herself down on a smooth rock, sighing in relief. "I could stay here all day."

Jess took off her top and shorts to reveal her swimsuit - Jeff did his best to maintain composure and keep his mouth from hanging open. She knew exactly what she was doing, she didn't need him pointing it out. Still, he couldn't help but smile as she waded into the water to join him, making her way over to him in the deep end of the spring and taking a seat on a stone ledge. Jeff scooted up next to her and put his arm around her shoulder, laying back against the stones and letting the water lap up against his chest. "Absolutely, its so relaxing and the temperature is perfect." He looked down at his body in the water and realized Jess was right - little knicks and bruises he'd gotten during training were fading away. "Wow, talk about a recovery soak. If only the other specialists knew about this." His grin dropped as he realized the thoughtlessness of what he'd just said, quickly following up. "I won't tell them though. Our little secret." His hand squeezed around Jess' shoulder, bringing her in closer. Just then, they heard the voices of two men, echoing down the corridor. Jeff swam over and got their clothes, hiding them behind a rock on the opposite side of the cavern. As the footsteps drew nearer, Jeff recognized one of the voice. He turned to Jess and whispered, "Shit - it's Ambrose. I bet the other person is his TA. We've gotta figure out what they're up to, lets see if we can listen in." Jeff led Jess down to the end of the pool, where the glowing moss was thinner and the water was least-lit. They sank down into the shadows of the water, the tops of their heads poking out, listening for what Ambrose and the other man had to say to each other.

She smiled to him as they got close in the water, letting herself scoot close to him. She liked the feeling of his arm around her shoulder, she was just getting comfortable with him. They were certainly having a moment, especially when he brought her closer, making her giggle at his slip up. "Our secret." Jess agreed, turning her head to look at him. Something compelled her to make a move, it was almost too perfect...he may have even seen her start to lean in for only a second before it was interrupted. Her eyes went wide as she heard the voices, she watched him get out and hide their clothes. She went with him to the darker side of the pool, letting out a gentle sigh. She didn't say anything for the fear of revealing their location, and so she grabbed his hand. He would suddenly feel, almost like a bubble sensation in his throat, nothing too discomforting as it went away. She then dipped her head under and motioned for him to come down with him. Jess was able to breathe underwater, and so could he once he went under. She beckoned him to come under again and again, pointing to her throat and nose, hoping he could understand. Now their main focus was to stay under, and do their best to listen in.

Jess grabbed Jeff's hand and suddenly he felt something strange in his throat. Jess dipped under the water, taking Jeff's hand and pulling him with her. Once he was under the water, he realized that they were able to breathe - Jess must have performed a water spell on them. It was a new sensation for him, it felt like little bubbles of air were tickling his throat and lungs when he breathed the water in. As much as he wanted to appreciate this new feeling, Jeff turned back to the matter at hand. They could hear the voices getting louder, but under the water everything sounded muffed. Jeff turned to his side so that he could lift the side of his head slightly above water, just high enough to get his ear out so that he could hear what they were saying. "Yes, you must retrieve it from the deep end of the spring." The voice belonged to Ambrose. Jeff strained to hear the other voice, but it was soft and hard to understand against the sound of the water echoing throughout the cave. "I don't CARE if you can't swim. It's not that deep. Get it. I don't have time for this, I have to return to classes. GO. Fill the vial and bring it to me." The other person began to wade into the water, though Jeff dared not lift his head out of the water to see the face.

09:44

As the person waded to the deep end, splashing and attempting to swim, Jeff ducked back underwater and pulled Jess back into the darkest section of the pool. Just a couple feet away, the other person thrashed suddenly. "I...I thought I saw something move!" Jeff knew the voice as that of the TA. He pressed himself against the wall, hoping they had not been spotted. Now completely underwater, he couldn't hear what they were saying, only more muffled speech. After what seemed like an eternity, he heard the person get out of the water and then, no more voices of movement. Jeff poked his head above the water. They were alone again now. So, Ambrose had the vial, and he was headed straight to class. Perhaps this presented them with an opportunity. Jeff turned his attention back to Jessamine, smiling at her. "We're just getting into all sorts of trouble, aren't we." They had plenty of time to discuss Ambrose before returning to class. In the meantime, water breathing provided them with a rare opportunity to try something Jeff would have only dreamed of before meeting this water fairy. "Now, where were we before we were interrupted?" Jeff wasn't about to let Jess think that he hadn't noticed her earlier advances. He placed his hand around Jessamine's waist, taking her back under the water and pulling her close to him.

Jess gave him a smile as he came under the water, glad he had caught on. She watched him turn his head to listen, her herself not able to hear much due to being underwater. She would just have to ask him later. Her heart was beating really fast as she grew more and more anxious. She was unsure what was happening. When Jeff pulled her to the darkest section of the pool, her fear grew. She saw someone get into the pool, and she did her best to try to make out whom it was. She could've sworn it was the teacher assistant of Ambrose, but she couldn't be too certain. Jess waited...and waited...and waited. Seeing the TA scurry away, and then silence. Nothing but the empty sounds of the water filled her ears. When Jeff poked up, so did Jess. "Phew.. yeah, it seems so." She giggled and shrugged, suddenly finding herself blushing. He had caught her advance earlier, as she had hoped she didn't overstep doing so. When he brought them back under, she certainly made sure the spell stayed intact. Her heart started to flutter again, this time with excitement. Jess' eyes looked up to him, the water glowing around them with small, magical, luminous flecks. It could only be assumed that was what made the water be enchanted, yet underwater they almost acted like fireflies that stayed alight.

It was honestly the most amazing, magical encounter Jeff had ever experienced. He pulled Jess down into the magical waters, pinpricks of light glowing all around them. The ability to breathe, combined with the darkness of the cave and the bioluminescent water, made it feel like they were floating through space together. The blue glow fell on the curves of Jess' body, setting her silouette in sharp contrast to the inky depths behind them. Jeff reached a hand around Jess' waist, drawing her up to him so that their bodies were pressed against each other, feeling her heart beat against his chest. His other hand reached up and cradled the back of her head, her long hair flowing freely in the waters. They kissed and Jeff slipped his tongue in, playing with hers and feeling the vibration of their lips brushing against each other. It was quite a new sensation, breathing the water that flowed down their throats as they kissed. After some time, Jeff moved his lips down, biting on Jess' neck. He pulled back so that he could look at Jessamine. Her eyes glowed, reflecting the light of the enchanted water. Jeff waited to see if Jessamine was enjoying herself and wanted more, or if she was ready to emerge from the dark, warm waters.

She couldn't really process that it was happening. The water around them was so quiet, yet everything felt so loud. The blue glow illuminated Jeff's body, revealing all that there was to show. It truly was a magical moment, nothing could compare. Jess felt her heart jump, still focusing on the spell. It was easy, thankfully. She didn't need much mind power, it was moreso a recast so that they didn't drown. When he pulled her in, she couldn't help but place her hands on his chest, closing her eyes as the kiss took place. Those same hands eventually changed place and went around to his back to pull him against her. Jess blushed wildly as his bit onto her neck, that completely took her off guard. But it was...interesting. She looked up at him and smiled, kissing his cheek in return. The real question was, to stay in the water or climb out to further things...

Jess gave Jeff a soft kiss on his cheek. Maybe I'm going too fast, he thought to himself. Jess had drawn him in close, and he embraced her for a while in the water, enjoying the feel of their bodies next to each other, the warm spring surrounding them and making it feel like they were floating. Jeff broke their embrace and floated up to the surface, raising his head so that his eyes were above the water, slowly - just in case anyone was still in the cave with them. The cavern was dark and empty, and steam from the springs wafted into the air. Jeff tugged in Jess' hand, letting her know it was safe to emerge. The two swam to the edge of the pool, grabbing the clothes that Jeff had stashed earlier. As they were getting ready to go, he thought about what had happened in there with Ambrose and the TA, turning to Jess to discuss it. "Ambrose said he needed the vial, and that he had to get straight to class. That means that he probably has the vial on him. Maybe we should follow him after class and see what he's up to? I bet he'll want to do something with the water quickly, before it loses its potency. They emerged from the cave, and Jeff squinted against the daylight as his eyes adjusted to the brightness. The cool breeze blew against his wet shorts, giving his goosebumps. "Let's get changed into our regular clothes and we can head to class early to see if Ambrose is up to anything". They'd caught him in the act of taking another element, now it was just a matter of figuring out what he was up to.

As Jess was pulled up, she felt off...did she ruin the moment? She got out and started to wildly think on how to salvage the moment. She really wanted him to know she was into him. "Maybe, yeah. How are we gonna get close enough though, you know? I feel like he might catch that we're trailing him. And I'm not sure I have a spell that can somehow get the vial to us.." Jess murmured, walking out of the cave with him. Her eyes squinted and took a bit to adjust. After he had mentioned getting dressed and heading to class early, she had to take a moment. Jess took his hand and pulled him in close to her, leaning up to kiss his lips for a few moments. She kept it brief, she didn't want to take up too much time so it didn't ruin their plan. "Okay, let's head back and get dressed. See what we can catch, yeah?" Jess added, taking his hand once more and starting to walk with Jeff back to campus.

Jeff and Jess emerged from the cave and started to head back to campus. Jess took his hand and stopped moving, grabbing him and pulling him back towards her. Their lips connected and Jeff savored the moment, playing with her tongue, enjoying the sweet taste of Jessamine. Maybe he'd read the signs wrong... Jeff let their lips part, feeling quite foolish - you had an opportunity in perhaps the most romantic setting in the world, AND YOU WERE IN YOUR BATHING SUITS, AND YOU BLEW IT. He looked into Jessamine's icy blue eyes, smiling at her as his hands moved up the side of her body. The two kept walking and their discussion returned to the matter at hand. "Yeah, I think we can find him red-handed if we head to class a bit early and see what he's up to." As they got nearer to campus, Jeff changed subjects. "Are you excited for the dance on Friday? Do you know what you're gonna be wearing?" He could help but grin, recalling his excitement to be there with Jess. They got back into campus and Jeff took Jessamine back her dorm to change. He turned to her at the front door - their hair was still damp from their dip and it gave Jess a bit of a wild look that really did it for Jeff. "I'll wait here while you change back into school clothes. Unless..." Jeff trailed off, his cheeks turning bright red as he waited to see Jess' course of action.

She was happy with the result of their kiss. Hopefully things can progress. While they walked and talked, she was brainstorming as well, what will happen if they do catch him? When he asked about the dance, she perked up and looked to him. "I'm very excited to go. Especially since I have a pretty cool date now too." She teased, playfully hip bumping him. "Yeah, I have two dresses in mind...I just hope I'm not going too formal, you know?" Once they made it back to campus, hoping that people didn't notice them sneaking back in, they made her way back to her dorm. She knew her friends would all likely be off at classes already, or doing their own thing. Jessamine looked up into his eyes and seeing him blush, giggling a small bit. Her mind wandered briefly, biting her lip in thought. "You can come in." She smiled, unlocking the door and walking in, beckoning him to follow.

Jeff was already blushing when Jess invited him in, and he turned an even deeper shade of red as their eyes met and his lips curved upwards into a toothy smile. He walked through the threshold and entered the suite, taking it in. The specalists dorms were the same size, but they tended to be pretty boring - white walls, undecorated furniture, pretty utilitarian. The fairy suite, by comparison, was a kaleidoscope of color. Decorations hung from the walls and the ceiling, and colored lampshade cast pops of color across the room, combining and generating a rainbow of shades of light. It had only taken them a few minutes to get back to school from the caves, and they were both still a bit damp. Water dripped down from Jessamine's long platinum hair, casting dark water marks on the shoulders of her top. They walked back to Jess' room, which was painted blue, with blue sheets and covered in water-themed artwork. Jeff sat on the edge of the bed, which was big and high and covered with a fluffy white comforter. He tilted his head up, looking at Jess standing in front of him in the bedroom, waiting to see what she wanted to do. "So..." he said, looking into her eyes, a coy grin on his face.

Jess smiled as she brought him into the dorm. She had no idea what could happen here, but she at least knew they were definitely into each other. Each of her roommates had their rooms decorated accordingly, and she was happy with even her own room. It also made her room look pretty neat, a blue hue cascaded across her room, the shapes of light almost looked like water flowing itself across the walls. When Jeff sat on the bed, Jessamine removed her top to reveal her soaked bikini top. She fixed her hair a bit after that, smiling at him. "Sooo.." She teased, walking over to lean down gently to kiss him. Jessamine wanted to make an advance, and wanted to take her time. Allowing enough time to also be rejected, if he desired so. Jessamine would slowly get onto the bed over him, having him lay down while they maintained the kiss. Her legs straddled his waist, and her damp upper torso was pressed against him. Jess' wet hair rested on her back and over her right shoulder, the ends touching his body wherever they landed. Her lips softly made out with him, getting to the point where she pulled herself away and got up, taking off her shorts, revealing her in the familiar bikini from before. "Should I...undress fully for you, mmh?" Jess asked in a rather flirty tone, biting her lower lip as she stood before him once more. This time, Jess had a completely new demeanor then just a few minutes ago from when they first walked in. She wanted him. (edited)

Jeff laid back on the big, fluffy bed as Jess came over, straddling him as they kissed. Her hair left wet strokes like a watercolor brush on his chest, tickling his skin and arousing him as she pressed into him. He watched Jess as she backed away, slipping her shorts off so that she was back in her bikini, leaving little to the imagination. She smiled, asking Jeff a question she already knew the answer to, but it was the way she bit her lip that drove him off the edge. Jeff sat up with his legs hanging off the edge of the bed and pulled her towards him so that she could grind up against him. Jeff leaned in, kissing Jess' neck and moving up to her ear, where he tugged on her lobe with his teeth before replying, "allow me." He returned to her lips, kissing her as he untied the back of her bikini. It fell to the ground, revealing a pair of perfect, perky breasts. For a moment, Jeff was stunned. When he regained control of his senses, he whispered to Jess, "you are incredible," cupping one of her breasts in his hands, rolling her nipple between his thumb and index finger until it became firm with arousal. Jeff moved his lips down to her chest, kissing her and sucking on her other nipple. His hands moved around to her backside, sliding down to her ass and grinding her against him. Jeff was hard by now - that was made clear by the bulge in his shorts that Jess pressed against. He still had his shirt on, and was waiting for Jess to take the opportunity to correct that. "Maybe I'm the one you should be undressing," he said, passionate kisses breaking the sentence into spurts of words. Jeff pulled back a bit so that he could look into her eyes, and said the words that Jess was thinking. "I want you."

Jess shuddered as he took her in, her hips grinding against him. It felt all too good, it was really starting to happen. Her desires clouded her mind, all she could think about was him. When he kissed her neck she couldn't help but bite her lower lip once more, a long exhale exiting out her nostrils. His kiss and tease on her ear made her tense up, it was so attractive. 'Allow me.' It almost rung in her ears, he had taken the lead and removed her bikini top. Part of her wanted to cover herself, but...she was on a self journey to accepting her body. To most, she had perfect curves, nothing to complain about. Her own mind nitpicked at herself, and she wanted to combat that. Once he spoke, it made her feel even better. He called her incredible, whispering that under his breath melted her. As he tended too her breasts and nipples, she couldn't hold back. A quiet groan escaped her, once she started grinding against him again she felt a small wave of pleasure. The teasing, it made her want more. His words breaking through his kisses on her chest got to her clearly. Her hands trailed down and teased at the bottom of his shirt, she was eager to feel him anywhere. When he pulled back, confessing wanting her, she took the opportunity to remove his shirt. Carefully pulling it up and over, tossing it behind her onto the floor. There he was, muscle and all, her hands wandering over his torso. "I want you too."

Jeff pulled Jessamine back in and brought his lips back up to hers, gently slipping his tongue into her mouth and playing with hers as his hands moved around to her bare back. He wrapped his hands around her wrists and pulled her in, her breasts pressd against his chest, and leaned backwards so that Jess was on top of him on the bed. With his hands still on her wrists, he rolled over with her so that he was on top of her. Jeff ceased their kiss, hovering over her for a moment, holding her down so that she would be denied his lips if she reached up for them, teasing her. He looked down on Jess, hands tracing the curves of her chest and stomach. Jeff kissed her again, moving his lips down to her neck, then her breasts, then her stomach. He slipped the bikini off her waist, revealing her shaved pussy and glistening pink clit. Jeff moved his hands up her legs and inner thighs, spreading her apart and moving his head down towards her. He slipped a finger into Jess - she was wet, and feeling her arousal drip down his fingers turned him on even more. Jeff was still kissing her stomach and chest, and moved his head down further south as his finger searched for Jess' g spot. He moved his mouth down and started sucking on Jess' clit, licking her soft pearl with his tongue. She tasted sweet and clean, and Jeff enjoyed making her squirm with pleasure. He found the soft pearl at her clit's center and started licking it, making a deep humming sound so that his lips vibrated against her. He felt her start to tense up with pleasure, and pulled back from her, looking up at her. "Should I continue?" he asked, a grin on his face that told Loni he knew the answer, but wanted to hear her say it.

Even though she wanted him, for an odd reason she wasn't prepared for him to act so swiftly. He brought her back in and she kissed him longingly, her wrists trapped in his hold. Jess couldn't help but let out a small moan, it was insanely attractive that he just...took charge. That moment, being flipped onto her back, her wrists held hostage, and...him. Lingering above her and admiring her body in entirety, it sent chills up her spine. When their lips met again, she briefly leaned forward as he pulled away, almost not ready for his departure. But, his lips wandered, going down the slopes and curves of her body, making her tremble in excitement. Jess was intensely turned on, and once her had removed the last bit of fabric that blocked him from her, it was evident. His touch...pushing her legs wide open like a door for him to enter. Jess closed her eyes and let a hand travel to his scalp, giving him some attention in turn. Slowly massaging it, biting her lower lip as he started to pleasure her. The moment he began pleasuring her with finger and mouth, Jess let out a weakened moan, biting her lip to quiet herself further. It felt so...so good. His humming furthered it, making her tense up and moan again. As his question rose, she opened her eyes and looked to him, lightly propping herself up. "Please..it feels so good, Jeff."

Jeff leaned his head back in and continued to pleausre Jessamine, feeling her thighs on either side of him, trembling with anticipation. Jess' moans became faster and louder, and he felt her tense up as she reached her climax. Jeff brought Jessamine to orgasm and felt the release within her as she squirmed under his body, writhing with pleasure as the sensation shot throughout her. He enjoyed watching her body buck around, her back arching, as she climaxed onto him, her cum running down his fingers. Jeff was about to switch places with Jess and have his turn, when muffled voices sounded on the opposite side of the front door to the suite. Jeff's eyes met Jess' with an excited panic. "I'm fucked if someone reports me here. Where do you have to hide? I'll lay low until you can get your suitemates out of here. "

Jessamine relished in her orgasm, the feeling afterward. She felt so good. She was more then eager to do the same for him, starting to put her hair up once she was situated herself. That was when she heard the voices. Her eyes went wide, as boys and girls weren't supposed to be in the same dorms. Her gaze flickered over to him, yet he seemed...slightly excited. She rose an eyebrow and chuckled faintly, her voice going into a whisper. "Just hide in my closet. They probably just wanna invite me to somewhere or something." She pointed to the closet, getting up and quickly getting dressed. Also wiping herself of any fluids that were...evident. She quickly fixed her hair and walked out to greet her suitemates, closing her door behind herself. "Hey guys, what's going on?" Ashley rose an eyebrow and smiled to Jessamine. "Hey. We were just about to invite you to go out and party. Some good food and some cuties waiting there for us." She winked, her skin basically glowing. A benefit of being a light fairy, supposedly. "And you can bring your new boyfriend~" Jess' face got red, giggling awkwardly. "Ahh...it's not uhm....it's not like that, we're just spending time together, you know? Besides, I have a lot of work to do." Cheryl lightly ruffled Jess' hair, shaking her head. "Come on, let's go out! You haven't gone out lately, you keep running off doing who knows what. We miss you, Jess! We'll even help you pick out an outfit tonight, yeah?" She spoke, carefully starting towards Jess' door!

Jess walked over to the closet, giving Jeff one last lingering kiss and then stuffing him in. He sunk into a pile of clothes and looked out onto the room from between the bars of the closet door. Jess was cleaning herself up, and as he watched her get dressed, he could help but be annoyed that he was trapped at the bottom of a clothes pile rather than out there with her. Jess opened the door, and Jeff could hear muffled talking outside the threshold. He couldn't see who was on the other side, but warm orange light poured into the room through the doorway. More muffled talking and then Jeff saw one of her suitemates enter the room, headed straight for the closet. "We'll even help you pick out an outfit tonight, yeah?" Uh oh, thought Jeff. He sank as low as he could into the pile of clothes, making sure his body was entirely covered. Cheryl opened the door to the closet and light spilled into the slpace. Jeff's training in stealth and camoflauge was finally paying off as she shuffled clothes on the rack, not even noticing the human-shaped mass on the floor. At one point, Cheryl lifted up one of the shirts covering Jeff and he thought his cover was blown for sure. He could feel the light shining through, revealing his presence. At the last second, he heard Jess' voice, and her distraction was successful, causing Cheryl to turn around for a moment. Jeff took the opportunity, sneaking behind Cheryl and making his way towards the bed. When she began to turn back towards it, he dove underneath, hitting the floor with a thud. "What was that?" asked Cheryl. Jess would have to come up with something good to explain that. She needed to get her suitemates out of there, and fast, before he was discovered.

Jessamine walked in with her friend, smiling nervously. Hopefully Jeff wouldn't make a sound, or give himself away. She hoped he had hid himself well, even with the brash choice... "You know, I'm not feeling too up to it anyways, you know?" Jess answered some, tucking some hair behind her ear. he would watch with some horror as Cheryl picked up something that clearly was aiding Jeff in his camouflaging. Then well...she had to come out with the 'truth', at least to tell Cheryl. For now. "I got my period, okay? I don't....really feel like going out." Cheryl looked to Jess, allowing Jeff to duck and hide under her bed. "Well why didn't you sa-What was that?" She'd ask, starting to look behind herself. "You know, it might be those weird little gnomes that can come in your room and wreck stuff. I got it, don't worry! You guys go and have fun!" Jess would totally make up a lie, attempting to usher Cheryl out. She would look at Jess all confused like. "What do you mean, you're acting weird, Jess..." Welp, time for some acting to be put to the test. Jessamine ran a hand through her hair and sighed, looking to Cheryl apologetically. "I...I know, and I'm sorry. Look, I...I was working on something in here for your birthday coming up and I didn't want you to see." "Awwwwwwh, Jess!" Cheryl smiled and pulled Jess in for a hug. "That's so thoughtful of you, why didn't you say in at the start of all this? I would've let you be!!" Jess giggled awkwardly. "Yeahhh...so head on out so I can work on it! You can't see what it is!"

Jeff tried to muffle his laughter as Jess used every trick in the book to get Cheryl out of her room. His cover almost got blown when he ducked under the bed, but Jess successfully distracted her and got her to turn the other way. Gnomes??? What will she come up with next, he wondered. After what seemed like an eternity, she finally managed to get her suitemate out of the room and closed the door. Jeff crawled out from under the bed, relieved - though, not nearly as relieved as Jess looked. Jeff walked up to her and put his arms around her waist. "May I say that your performance was excellent," he said, smiling as he approached her for a kiss. "The hard part is going to be figuring out what you're getting her for her birthday." Jeff glanced down at his watch. "Damn, we don't have much time until class...we'll have to get out of here soon if we wanna get over there early and see what Ambrose is up to." The muffled voices of Jess' suitemates could still be heard on the other side of the door. "However...it seems like we'll have to stick around here for a while longer so your sutitemates don't get suspicious. Maybe i'll climb out the window and you can leave through the front." Jeff pressed himself into her, pushing Jess up against the wall and leaning his head back towards her neck. "It looks like," he said, kissing her neck in between words of his sentence, "we'll have to kill a few more minutes here if we want them to think you're busy in here. We'll have to be quiet though. Or at least, I will be. Where were you at before you were so rudely interrupted, Jess?"

She was so relieved to get out of that situation. She smiled to Jeff, giggling lightly before meeting him with as kiss. "I tried. But yeah, figuring out her birthday present is going to be a rough one. You might have to help me since...part of it is your fault." She teased him, wrapping her arms around him as they rested on his shoulders. She pouted as he mentioned the time, though her friends and suite-mates were still around. She couldn't leave now, Jeff was still here! And she still had business to attend to with him.. Jess bit her lip excitedly as he pressed her against the wall, closing her eyes while he kissed her neck. He was so...so attractive...she felt like he awakened something within her, a drive that she hadn't felt so strongly before. As he spoke, her hands slowly wandered on his shoulders and upper back. "I believe...I was going to return the favor, for you? May I?" She asked him quietly, running a hand through his hair as she gazed into his gorgeous eyes. If he had let her, she would kneel down, her back sliding down the wall as she became eye level with his groin. Jess would start to tease him back to arousal, her hot breath, soft fingers and dainty kisses would all touch him. Around his thighs, his shaft, above on his lower abdomen. Glancing up at him here and there, wanting him to be pleasured as well if not better then what he gifted to her.

As Jess slid down to his crotch, Jeff brought his hands up to her head, running his fingers through her hair and cradling her scalp as she unbuckled his belt and took his cock out of his pants, arousing him to a full erection. Her fingers worked his shaft and played with his balls, almost causing him to let out a loud, deep moan. He caught himself and snapped his mouth shut, hoping no one had heard him. Jessamine was kissing and stroking him, but Jeff was starting to lose control of his desires. Both hands wrapped around her head, his fingers working their way between her hair and grasping, softly but firmly. Jeff guided her head onto his cock, his head parting her soft, pouty lips. Starting gradually, he slid himself into Jess' mouth, feeling her tongue lick his head and her saliva drip down his shaft. It felt so good that Jeff couldnt help but salivate a bit, watching this gorgeous fairy down at his crotch, pleasuring him. Jeffs grasp on Jessamine tightened as his cock began to throb, approaching climax. His grasp around her head tightened and he slowly but firmly brought Jess' head closer to him, until her lips touched the bottom of his shaft and he could feel his cock hit the back of her throat. Jess would either have to finish him off, or move beyond foreplay. He let out a quiet, low moan, letting her know he was getting close.

Jessamine followed his guidance, making sure she pleasured him as best as she could. She'd begin bobbing head, her goal was to finish him. Her gaze looked up at him, her tongue cushioning his shaft while his head hit the back of her throat. She did her best not to gag, even pulling back slightly before going full in. Her mouth and desires full, her work began as she started to suck him off. Jess did this for a few minutes, feeling him get closer and closer, his shaft throbbing in her mouth. His moan only encouraged her, making her do more until she physically couldn't. Her hands holding his thighs as she bobbed her head onto him, softly moaning to add a new sensation. Once he came, she took in his cum and swallowed, a small bit of spillage onto her chin but otherwise she managed. Jess would take the time to swallow and then lick him clean, smiling up at him. She couldn't wait to experience more with him, but unfortunately time had come to move on with the day. Her suitemates had departed to go to their respective classes, as the silence in the dorm proved it. She sat back to lean against the wall and continued to look up at him. "Aheh...hopefully that was good for you."

When Jess felt him get close, she began to moan with pleasure, an action that took Jeff over the edge. His hands gripped the sheets of her bed as he climaxed, shooting hot white cum down Jessamine's throat. She took it and swallowed, her hands working his shaft until she had taken every last drop of his orgasm. Jess licked Jeff clean, only furthering his pleasure, before sitting back against the wall, smiling at him, apparently quite pleased at her performance. Jeff fell back onto the bed, his chest heaving as he regained his breath. "Y....yes. That was good for me," Jeff replied, and even if she were not looking at him, she would have heard the grin in this voice. Jeff came over to Jess, leaning in so that he could feel her skin brush against his. He took her head and lifted it up to look at him, then leaned in and kissed her. Enjoying the taste of himself on Jess' breath, exploring the mouth that had so recently been pleasuring him. He finally pulled back, their lips reaching for each other and his mouth watering, wanting to taste Jess again. The dorm was all quiet now, it seemed like it was just the two of them left. Jess started to get dressed and Jeff put his clothes back on. They took off, headed to the botany lab to see if they could sneak up on Ambrose and figure out some clue about what he was up to before class started. Jeff glanced at Jessamine as they left the dorm, his desire for her swelling within him. They'd have more time to get back to...that, later. "Let's be quiet as we get close to the lab," Jeff said as they walked down the hall, "if he hears us coming, we won't have a chance of seeing what he's up to with those reagents."

Jess smirked faintly at his response, how he acted. Laying on the bed, then watching him come forth to kiss her. She did so happily, closing her eyes as their lips met, her wanting to just make out with him for the rest of the day. But alas, time was not on their side. The dorm was quiet, and that was their signal to finish up and head out. She got up and got dressed, quickly fixing herself so she didn't look as rough from their intimate time together. After they got dressed, they headed to the botany lab. Her desire still remained within her, something drew her to him. Wanting to do so...so much. But it had to wait. It hurt, but it had to. Her mind wandering regardless, until Jeff spoke, bringing her back to reality. "Mmh? Oh, yes." As they got closer, Jess found herself getting quieter and quieter. Then finally, the door and sign to the botany lab was just before them. Jess took the initiative to peek around to see, well, anything possible. It was...oddly dark, barely any lights were on but...someone was in there. She turned to look at Jeff. "I can't see much but...someone is in there. I just can't tell if it's Ambrose or not."

From outside, they could hear muffled conversation on the other side of the door to the lab. Jeff slowly turned the knob on the door and it inched open with a loud creaking that made him grimace as they pulled back, hoping no one would find them. The muffled conversation stopped - whoever was inside had obviously noticed. Jeff heard footsteps approaching and quickly wrapped his arms around Jessamine, grabbing her and pulling her backwards into the shadows of a column next to the door of the lab. The door swung open, and they were just feet from Ambrose, looking down the otherwise empty hallway. He peered down the hall in one direction, then the other. A torched burnt directly above them, making their surroundings very bright but washing their corner in shadow, enough that Ambrose did not notice them standing right in front of him. After a moment he returned to the lab, closing the door firmly behind him. Jeff's heart sank a bit. There was no way this was gonna work, the door was way too loud and they were lucky they hadn't been caught already. He placed his lips next to Jess' ear and whispered to her, "Come on, lets go and see if we can get in through the greenhouse entrance." They crept to the end of the hallway, where solid wooden doors opened up to the backside of the school, the fields where the botany students learned about different trees and herbs. They ducked as they crept over to the greenhouse - this time, the door was heavier and swung open more silently, letting them enter the class.

19:43

Jeff and Jess ducked behind giant monstera leaves as they tried to figure out the best vantage point to see the conversation taking place near the front door. Finally, they crept behind a giant fern that gave the good coverage while letting them have a full view of what was happening. Ambrose was there with his TA, who was cowering before him. Ambrose had the vial they'd seen at the spring earlier and was holding it up to the light casting through the greenhouse windows. "Yes...yes this will do nicely. Add it to the cauldron." The TA added the liquid and pleaded to Ambrose. "Please, I've done what you wanted. I have training." "Very well. Remember, if you tell a soul of this task it'll be your life," Ambrose barked. "Oh, and one more thing." Ambrose grabbed the TA's wrist, bringing their hand over to him and reaching out with a small knife. "No!" the TA shrieked. Ambrose made a small cut, collecting the TAs blood in a glass vial and wrapping a strip of cloth around it. "That wasn't so bad, was it? Off you go." The TA left, nursing their cut palm, and Ambrose turned to the cauldron, consulting the pages of a large black tome which was sitting next to it. After reading a few lines, Ambrose went off into the storeroom, looking for another ingredient. Jeff turned to Jessamine, trying to figure out what their next move should be. He remembered the words that were in the botany book they'd read earlier: "Radissus Chrysalis can create crystallized earth in its flowers....after being fed the blood of an earth fairy."

Jess did her best to stay quiet as Jeff caught her off guard, pulling her into the shadows. Those conversing noticed that other's were listening, and she practically held her breath. She watched as Ambrose walked out, scanning the area for unwanted visitors before returning within the lab. Jess let out a breath of relief, the fact they weren't seen was a miracle. When Jeff whispered into her ear it made her shudder against his body, and he surely felt that. But she had to keep her head straight for now, and not let her mind wander. They snuck into the greenhouse and hid behind some plants, watching a rather unpleasant scene unfold. The TA and Ambrose...it was terrible to see. But...thoughts pieced together in Jess' mind. Ambrose would only do that if he needed to. The TA must be an earth fairy! Her gaze looked to Jeff in turn, alarmed and worried. "Jeff.." Her voice was low. "His TA must be an earth fairy, why would he harm him like that? Her concern grew as she realized how close Ambrose was to achieving his goal. "Do you think he just got that earth ingredient?"

Jeff and Jessamine continued to watch Ambrose scurry around the greenhouse, fetching ingredients. "I don't think he has it done yet, or he wouldn't have needed that blood." Jeff waited for the opportunity to do something to foil Ambrose's plans - although as far as what they'd do, he hadn't quite figured out yet. Ambrose set the vial down on a bench while he went to climb a ladder and Jeff knew their chance had come. "Come on," he whispered to Jess, trying to crouch down and move to the next plant, getting closer to Ambrose's bench. They finally scurried over and were now right in front of the lab supplies with the vial of blood, along with several other empty vials. Jeff glanced over - Ambrose was still at the top of the ladder, looking for an ingredient in some shelves, totally oblivious to he and Jess behind him. "We can't just take the vial, he'd catch us as soon as he realized what happened." Jeff paused, thinking of their next move, when he spotted a scalpel next to the rest of the equipment. He motioned to Jess to be as quiet as she could, and crept next to the lab supplies. Jeff made a small cut on his finger with the scalpel, dripping some of his blood into a fresh vial. When he had the same blood as the TA's vial, he swapped the two out, pocketing the TA's vial. Jeff got back to the spot where Jessamine was crouched down. The sun was growing higher in the sky, casting beams down through the greenhouse windows and lighting the plants up in a translucent green. "Come on, let's go. Class is about to begin." It seemed like they'd foiled his plans, at least for the time being - though they'd still need to follow him to see what he would do once he discovered the blood was a dud.

20:38

Jeff and Jess has nearly made it out the back door to head out to the front of the classroom, through the hallway. As they reached the back of the greenhouse, Jeff hit a shovel, knocking it to the ground with a loud CLANG. They froze in position at the back of the class. Ambrose's cold, drawling voice sounded from the front of the class, making chills run down Jeff's spine. "Jeffrey and Jessamine, I didn't see you back there. Looking for something?"

Jess hummed in thought and nodded in agreement and followed Jeff as they snuck around. It was hard to truly dissect what Ambrose's intentions were, but she felt it was nothing good. Jess' eyes went wide as she saw Jeff do possibly one of the riskiest things possible. His blood went into the vial and he swapped it out. Jess did her best to keep an eye out, making sure Ambrose kept his nose in his shelves. When he mentioned class starting soon, she realized as well they would have to get out carefully. She nodded and they both crept out, a shiver going up her back. Fuck. She bit her lip in fear, hearing Ambrose clearly spot them. She had to come up with something on the spot, or anything could look suspicious. She looked to Jeff with a smile, then Ambrose. "Oh, I'm sorry Professor! I was just looking around for more plants, and maybe a fresh water source nearby. I was just curious though, Jeff was helping me and we decided to walk around and try to see what we could find! But I don't think we can find much without using the greenhouse, and I know there's restrictions on that." She smiled to the Professor, doing her best to sell her lie.

Ambrose raised an eyebrow, looking at them with an air of extreme suspicion. "Yesssss.....go on then. I'm performing...an experiment in this area." He eyed the vials on the counter and Jeff held his breath, hoping Ambrose wouldn't see any difference after the switch. Luckily, Ambrose seemed oblivious for the time being. He scooted himself over between them and the labwork, shooing them off. Jeff and Jess walked quickly back to the front of the classroom, and Jeff felt beads of sweat perspiring from his forehead. "Wow, that was super close. Eventually he's gonna see that the blood doesn't work and he'll know who switched it. Let's hope we've got this figured out by then." The two of them got to their seats just as class was beginning. As students began to file into the classroom, Ambrose tucked the vials away and came up to the front podium. Class passed quickly, and everyone rushed outside, feeling the cool morning air hit their faces. A sharp, pleasurable contrast to the humid, hot air of the greenhouse. Jeff and Jess wasted no time getting out of there, and Jeff was relieved to not be in the same room as Ambrose for the time being. "Ok. So we've got the reagent - this blood - but we don't have the plant. and Ambrose is gonna know it's us. Aaaand, we still don't have a clue where the living air comes from. And the dance is tomorrow!" Jeff ran his hands up his stubble and through his hair. "Ok, we've got this. Where to from here?""

Jessamine sat down at her desk, feeling quite anxious. She couldn't shake the feeling that Ambrose might be getting onto them, and she could've sworn he gave her a certain look during the lecture... As class went by, she also would glance over to Jeff here and there, making sure he was just fine. Happy that at least they have been spending time together. That he wasn't one of the guys that like to hit and quit it. Jess smiled once outside, letting out a big sigh of relief. A lot of tension was released, and she felt calm. Turning to Jeff, he started recapping. Panic settled in a small bit, the week had gone by so fast! "Oh shit, Jeff...I don't even have my dress I think...how are we gonna do all this." She would mumble to herself softly.Jess ran a hand through her hair, suddenly everything felt unachievable. "Okay...uhm. I'm sure maybe the library has more answers? Maybe?" As she looked over Jeff in their conversation, something also clicked within her. She..really liked him. It took her a few moments after she previously spoke, her gaze drifting over him and slowly back up to his eyes. Jess realized then what she was doing in the middle of a conversation, blinking a few timed and shaking her head. "No, yeah, library! It's gotta have something!"

Jeff and Jess walked down the corridors of the school grounds, sunlight filtering through a trellis of vines that flanked the hallway. Jeff smiled with amusement when Jess began to join his panic, watching the recognition dawn on her as she realized how much they had going on the next couple days. She's cute when she's panicking. I mean, when isn't she cute though. Jeff realized he was getting distracted and tried to focus on the matter at hand. Jess was talking about heading to the library to look for more information on Ambrose's plan. Something she'd said, though...about her dress for the dance. Were they going to miss out on being college students just to see some stupid shit a professor was up to? Jeff's attention turned back to Jess, who he now noticed had also been distracted, as her eyes moved across his body. That confirmed his decision. He took Jessamine by the shoulders and turned her to face him. "No. I-I mean, yes, the library is probably the right place to go, but we can look into it more later tonight. It's gonna be busy right now during classes anyways. Let's go into town and do some shopping, how does that sound?" Jeff flashed a grin at Jess. "Get ready for the dance tomorrow. I won't sneak a peek at your dress, promise." He wanted to spend more time with her, and it didn't have to always be some dangerous endeavor. Not to mention, sometimes things you were looking for ended up popping up where you least expected them... "So, head into town with me for the afternoon?"

Jess was clearly panicking. Doing her best to try to sort out was seemed to be impossible, even with it being just that. They couldn't do it all, especially now with how much they had already done. When Jeff placed his hands on her shoulders, she easily calmed down some and took a deep breath in. She listened to what he had to say and his points, since they were valid and made sense. They could easily be caught if the library was too busy, along with classes. When he proposed shopping, she smiled widely. It was one solution they could knock out right now, plus spending time with him even more on a more relaxing level seemed nice. She would return the smile to him as he promised not to sneak any peeks at her choice of dress once she found it. "Alright. That sounds like a plan to me then. But you better keep that promise and not peek! I'll know if you do!" She teased, reaching up to boop his nose playfully. Jess was already feeling a bit better, especially with something nice to look forward to with him. Especially with him.

Jeff's grin widened as Jess accepted his plan to head into town. He wrapped his arm around her waist as she leaned her head into his shoulder, and they headed out towards the town that sat directly adjacent to the school. The town was bustling with all types of people - fairies of all elements and specialists, school employees, business people, military officers. Many were out on their lunch hour, others were enjoying a day off. At first, the shops in the town were fairly standard - the grocery, the bakery, the laundromat - but then Jess and Jeff turned the corner down an alleyway marked "Mages' Row". This part of the city looked older, and the narrow road was crowded with people. The shops here were exclusively related to magic. Some had potions and scrolls, others powerful magical artifacts. A bookstore window revealed tomes stacked across every inch of the shop from floor to ceiling. The couple reached a shop near the end of the alley, painted all black with gold trim on the doors. The sign outside read: Madame Miriam's Magical Mall - Formalwear for Fairies, Specialists, and other Magic Users. In the window of the shop stood two mannequins. The male wore an outfit reminiscent of the specialist's uniform, except all the details were black and the accents were in fine leather. The female wore an azure blue dress - the colors were like that of the ocean, and at the ends of the dress rather than frills or lace, a magical effect made the dress appear like the tides, rising up and down as the waves on a beach would. "This is the place I hear everyone's been going to, Lets see what we can find." He smiled at Jess and looked happily into her eyes. So focused on her that he neglected to notice the TA from earlier, sneaking around the alley with an air of guilt.

Jess comfortably walked with him to the town across the way. It was oddly convenient, but also it was surely planned for the placement of the school as well. She saw all types of folk out and bout, doing their everyday things and more. It made her smile, she was feeling...normal. When they got to an older part of town, it felt far more magical. It made her smile even wider, seeing the shops that were laid out. "Wow.." She'd murmur, eyeing over what was in the displays of each store. And that's when she set her eyes on a dress she had never seen before. They stood before the shop, her jaw practically dropped. The dress was beautifully crafted, surely enchanted with how the dress literally flowed. Jess was purely stunned, but she knew better. It was going to be out of budget, but perhaps she could take inspiration from said dress to find something else. When Jeff spoke up she pried her eyes from the dress and to him. "Y-yeah! That dress is gorgeous, I really hope we can find things like it!" She exclaimed, taking his hand and heading into the store. Once they stepped within, the exterior matched the interior. Black elegant walls with gold trim lined the entire store. Each wall carved with intricate designs, giving a more luxurious feeling. It almost made Jessamine feel like they wouldn't afford anything in the store. Numerous spots to sit, plush cushioned seats throughout the store, along with mirrors. A dressing room near the end of the store, on the right wall was found as well, where more seats and mirrors were to be found. "Holy shit Jeff...are you sure we can find something here?" She'd ask, squeezing his hand tightly.

They entered the store, and even though Jeff wasn't normally much of a shopper, his eyes lit up like a kid in a candy shop when they walked in. The entire store was lit with magical flames. Decorations and clothing hung in midair, magically suspended, and everything had a touch of wizardry applied to it. Jeff noted the men's section, where fine leather garments offered a stylish upgrade to the wool and cotton specialist uniforms that the school gave students. However, if anything, they were here for Jess. He led her towards the back of the store, where the floor opened up to a large space surrounded on the outside by different elegant dresses. As they walked around the perimeter of the dresses section, Jeff peered at the price tags. Many of the dresses had magical effects applied, like the dress with the wave skirt that they had seen in the window; however, these garments came with a price to match. As they made their way towards the back of the area, they came across a dress that appeared plain and unanimated. Jeff looked at the label next to it. Ready-to-Imbue dress. Made for magical enchantments, add your own for a unique outfit. FOR SKILLED FAIRIES ONLY. Suddenly, a thought came to Jeff like a lightbulb going off. "Oh crap! I said I wasn't gonna see what you picked. Lemme go look at the guys' stuff. Come find me near the front when you're ready." Jeff made his way to the front of the store where the men's section was located. He found an all-black specalists formal uniform, fine wool top with an engraved leather breastplate. Outside the shop, unknown to Jeff and Jess, the TA stood near a lightpost, peering around nervously. They appeared to be waiting for someone to meet them there in the poorly lit alleyway.

Jess couldn't help but admire the whole aesthetic of the store. It was simply gorgeous. She would walk with him to the back of the store and eye over all the dresses. So many were so expensive, so many tags were out of her budget. "Damn.." Jess eyed over the dress that seemed a bit plain, furrowing her eyebrows. She couldn't read the tag yet but her curiosity was peaked. When Jeff realized he shouldn't lurk about, she couldn't help but giggle and kiss his cheek. "All good, have fun~" Jess would examine the plain dress some more, putting it on in the dressing room once she found it. She brushed her hands over the dress, wondering what she could do.. She smiled faintly and touched her arms, a mesh-like illusion would appear as sleeves on her arms. But it looked like dew drops, like mist encapsulated her arms within. Jess grinned at that. She could change it up however she pleased. After trying on more dresses, she ended up picking up the plain one afterall. "I think I can do a lot with this.."

Jeff shuffled through the shirts and pants, looking for the formal uniform in his size. Finally, he got it all and headed for the dressing rooms to make sure everything fit properly. He ducked into a dressing room painted in the same black and gold accents. One entire wall of the dressing room was a floor-to-ceiling mirror. Jeff took off his outfit, starting with his shoes and pants and then moving to his sweater and shirt. Stripped down to just his boxers, he hung up the clothes and took the formal outfit off the rack. Trying it on, he looked at himself in the mirror. The outfit was definitely his style, and his tan skin offered a pleasing contrast to the matte black leather tones. Jeff frowned slightly as he zipped up the pants. The size ran a bit short, they didn't quite cover his ankles like they should have. He took off the outfit, stripping down to his boxers again. He poked his head out of the dressing room and spotted Jess at a nearby display. Jeff motioned at her to come over to him. Maybe he wanted her help getting the right size pants - surely he didn't have any other intent, calling her over to join him while he was barely dressed.

Jess wasn't paying much attention, she was eyeing other things while he was in the men's section. When he waved her over and she finally caught sight of it, she walked over after setting her dress down. "Huh? What's wrong?" She couldn't help but let her eyes wander though. He looked so good. What did he need? Or was he feeling risky? Jess blushed a little though regardless once she noticed that he was practically naked. "Jeffff...~ If you wanted to do something crazy you could've told me." She teased him, leaning in to kiss his cheek. "But really, what's up?" Her eyes drifted past him into the dressing room, taking a sneak peak at what he had chosen. Then she started to get ideas. "Ohhh...that's going to look amazing on you." Jess spoke, then glancing to him and the suit a few times, like she was dressing him in her mind. "...Something doesn't seem right though..."

Jess came over, and blushed when she realized that Jeff was just in boxers - exactly the reaction he'd been hoping for. He grinned at her and slid his hand along her side, letting her know he was up to no good. He glanced around to make sure no one was watching them before leaning in, kissing Jess' neck and making his way up to her ear. He whispered the request in a slow, deep voice that carried a smile up to no good without having to see it. "I like the outfit, but the pants are a bit too long. Can you get me the next size down and join me in here? You can tell me what you think." Jeff pulled away from Jess' ear when he was done talking so their eyes could meet again, hoping he'd flustered her a bit further. He gestured to the racks of specialist's formal pants along the wall, teasing her: "See you in a second?" Jeff closed the dressing room door, waiting for Jess to return.

Jess felt her body shiver as he touched her side. She...suddenly didn't care that they were in public, that he was intimately kissing her neck. She closed her eyes and enjoyed that moment, listening to his voice speak... When he pulled away she looked up at him with a certain gaze she wouldn't have been able to decipher herself. She picked up on his plan, she didn't think he was so brave to do so like this. But Jess was into it. He left her speechless as he looked into her eyes and closed the door, her face would clearly be red. She turned away and headed to the rack he gestured to, picking up a random size that she could assume would be smaller. Jess admittedly didn't even look at the size to get the next one down. She just wanted to see what he had in store for her. Jess quickly walked back over to the door and knocked a few times. "I-It's me." She stuttered. Oh, gods, he got her tongue. What could he do to her that would make her completely dissolve into his grasp?

A grin grew across Jeff's face as he heard Jess knocking on the door, stuttering nervously. He had caught her off guard. Perfect. Jeff cracked open the door, looking around to make sure no one was looking. When he was satisfied with their privacy, his eyes locked with Jess'. He wasnt sure if the fiery desire he saw in her eyes was looking into her emotions, or whether it was a reflection of his own. He pressed his hand against her stomach, grabbing the folds of her clothes and pulling her into the dressing room, closing the door behind her. Now they were alone in the room. Jeff was still wearing only his boxers. He took the pants from Jessamine, toying with her. "Y...You picked up a 22. That's a foot too small." He grinned widely at her. "Were you even trying to find the right size?" He threw the useless pants behind him, wrapping his hands around Jess' waist and pulling her in. For a moment he considered another playful comment, but his desire got the best of him and he instead brought his lips to hers, feeling the tingling electricity of their energy brushing up against one another.

Jess couldn't help but blush quite a bit as he pulled her into the dressing room, hearing the door click shut behind her. Hoping no one saw, that they wouldn't catch on anytime soon.. Jess truly didn't even bother to get the right size. If they were to do something, she wanted that. Anything else could wait. "Ah...I was distracted." She admitted, looking up into his lustful eyes. That alone set something off in her, he was so alluring with his mannerisms and just...him. She really, really liked him already. When his lips connected to hers, her eyes shut and her arms wrapped around him. Jess pushed her body against his, not wasting any time. She felt herself grow warm, anticipating his touch on her skin. This was such a risky thing, yet it excited her so much she didn't care.

Jeff's hands moved down to Jess' hips, tucking his thumbs under the waist of her shorts. His hands moved up under her shirt, fingers feeling hot buzzing pleasure as they ran against the soft skin of her stomach. His strokes moved to Jess' back, his grasp tightening and bringing her in closer as their tongues swiped playfully at each other. Jeff took Jessamine in with all his senses. The sight of her, eager for his affection. The feeling of her skin pressed against his. The sweet smell of her drifting into his nostrils. The taste of their tongues brushing together. The sound of his breathing blended with hers. Jess excited him in every way, and he quickly became hard, the thin fabric of his boxers becoming taut against his erection. Jeff pulled away from the kill, the amusement in his voice evident as he spoke. "I believe you are in my debt from earlier today?" He raised his eyebrow and struggled to contain the grin creeping across his face as his gaze connected with Jessamine's.

Jess became enveloped in his hold. Deepening their kiss while his hands traveled all over her body, his fingers sending electricity over her skin. She could feel his excitement press against her through his boxers, once he had broken away from the kiss Jess was basically already speechless. His question hung in the air as she stared at him, seemingly with mischief and interest in her gaze. Without much else of a word spoken, Jess kneeled down before him, breaking their eye contact. Her hands traveled over his thighs and down to his loins. Briefly teasing him before she pulled his length free, bringing it to her lips quickly after. Licking and kissing along his shaft to only further tease him for a while. Jess'gaze looking up at Jeff, admiring him and how he looked from below. After a few minutes of her lubing him up with her own saliva, she finally pulled the trigger and let his length enter her mouth. Jess started to bob her head slowly, taking her time and yet also not wanting to make any obvious sounds.

With Jeff's question, Jess' face lit up. Jeff saw an eagerness that only made him more aroused as she lowered herself to her knees so that her face was at his crotch. By the time Jess unbuckled his pants, he had been struggling to contain himself, and his cock fell out of his pants easily, falling into Jess' hands. The pads of her fingers grasped him and sent vibrating pulses of energy down his shaft and through his body. Jess licked him, making his cock throb with pleasure. Jeff had thrown his head back, enjoying the task she was performing, but opened his eyes to look down when he felt her stop. Jess' platinum blonde hair fell to her sides as she looked up at him longingly before returning her gaze to his length. He pressed the tip against her lips and she let it enter, taking him slowly into her throat. Unable to contain his pleasure, Jeff let out a low, growling moan, as quietly as he could contain given the circumstances. His hands moved up to Jessamine's head, running them through her hair and taking thick chunks into his fingers, getting a firm grasp on her. He slowly began pushing her down onto his shaft, mirroring the movements of her head as she enjoyed bobbing up and down on his cock, encouraging her to take him more deeply with each thrust.

Jess smiled to herself as she started to please him with her mouth. Jeff's moan, his smell, his hands on her head, it was so much she almost wanted her own pleasure, but she knew that was far too risky. She would take care of him and hopefully not get caught. When he took the reins on her head, she let him push her if he needed. She was able to take a lot, practically deepthroating him in a mere few seconds. Jess let out a softened, muffled moan on his shaft. Her hands rested on his legs, steadying herself as she bobbed. At one point she gazed up at him, with his fingers in her hair, a mess. Her mouth and throat devouring him, attempting to be as quiet as possible. But she loved all of it, it was so risky and public, and yet they were having such a private moment.

Jeff looked downward, appreciating Jessamine's skill as she bobbed up an down on his shaft smoothly, each thrust sending waves of pleasure through him. She was sucking him off with such enthusiasm that there was no doubt in his mind that she was quite enjoying herself - and that fact made Jeff even harder for her. Jess moaned as she took Jeff completely, the tip of him grazing the back of her throat. Jess let out a muffed moan and Jeff couldnt help but grin at her. "Shhh...." he whispered, as his hands wrapped around her face, fingers running through her hair. Right on the other side of the door were their friends and neighbors; the fact that this was happening so close to them, and yet in secret, was the biggest thrill of all. Jess was gazing up at him and the sight of her was all that Jeff needed to send him over the edge. His fingers still around her head, cock still deep down her throat, he began moving her back and forth rythmically and consistently, his cock throbbing as he felt the cum build up inside him, ready to release.

She would gaze up at him as Jeff caressed her face and head, his fingers running through her hair. It was euphoric, she enjoyed so much of the risky intimacy, hoping there could more in the future. For now, her goal was to continue to pleasure him, moving back and forth. As he would begin to move her along with her bobbing, she closed her eyes, aiming to finish him off. Entirely in her mouth as well. Her hands started to move from her thighs, trailing up her body to add a little spice, and maybe something else for Jeff to gaze at. Her hands lingered over Jeff's, entangled in her hair while she pleased him with her mouth. Noises could be heard outside the door. Footsteps. People walking by, chatting about clothes, laughing. All while Jeff and Jess were doing a lewd act in public. Getting caught would surely get them in trouble, and she certainly didn't have anything that could help them hide or get away quickly. She just focused on getting him off smoothly and quietly, pushing the neckline of her shirt down so her breasts eventually emerged, using a hand to bring them out for him.

Jeff let out a low growl, his hands running through the platinum blonde strands of Jessamine's hair, gripping them in his fists as he came to climax. He felt the hot cum that had been building shoot out of him in spurts, hitting the back of Jessamine's throat. He could feel her swallow his seed, and the movement of her throat muscles sucking him dry took him to a new level of ecstasy. When he had finished completely, he slowly pulled his cock out of her mouth. The slow, deliberate movement sent pleasure traveling through his body one more time as he felt the resistance of her, sucking out the last of his cum. Jeff grinned as the tip came out, making a little popping sound as it fell out of Jessamine's lips. Jeff stood over Jessamine, looking down at her with immense satisfaction. He wanted to take her right there, but their adventure in the dressing room had been risky enough as is. He helped her to her feet, bringing her in close and kissing her again, the taste of the forbidden deed lingering on her tongue. Just then, a knock sounded on the door. "Sorry, just a minute!" called Jeff, his voice cracking at the surprise of needing to speak. He stifled a laugh, looking at Jess. "Sounds like our fun is coming to an end. Any ideas how to get out of this unnoticed?" He looked around, his eyes falling on the extra pair of pants. "Here, just act like you were getting me those extra pants. I'll follow behind you in a minute." Jeff smiled at her, running a hand through her hair to straighten it up from their adventure.

Jessamine felt his climax, her hair being taut as he gripped it. His seed shot down her throat, catching her off guard but she knew it was coming regardless. She swallowed, feeling his length slowly pull out of her mouth. Once freed, he helped her to her feet, his gaze spoke a thousand words. She fixed herself and made sure her shirt was situated before he brought her in for a meaningful kiss. Bringing herself close against him, she wanted more as well so badly...but they had already done enough. And that proved true as someone knocked on the door. She thought for sure they were caught, her eyes going wide and looking to him worriedly. Jess blushed though as he spoke, nodding in agreement to his plan. It had to work, hopefully... Jess took the pants and nodded, with his help she made sure she looked like nothing happened. Once composed and ready, she stepped out, acting like she was mid conversation. "Alright babe! I'll see you in a second then, I'll put these back."

A few seconds later, Jeff popped out of the dressing room, carrying his new outfit with his original clothes back on. A salesperson was clearing out the stalls, likely the person who'd knocked - they gave him a strange look as he briskly walked past, struggling to keep his smile hidden as he made his way to the cashier. He was halfway to the cashier when he spotted Jess putting the pair of pants back on the shelf. He turned to head towards her and as he was headed her way, something outside caught Jeff's eye in the window. The TA was still there, except now they were talking to someone that Jeff didn't recognize - definitely not someone from the school, they wore rough heavy garbs and their hands and face were stained black with some kind of soot or powder. Jeff came over to Jess, motioning to her towards the scene outside. "Wonder what they're up to." As they continued to watch, the TA's gestures became more nervous and frantic. It appeared they were in the middle of explaining something when the other man's hand made a fist and slammed through the air in a sharp movement. The TA, shocked, stopped talking and then hung his head down, following the man out of the square. Jeff looked to Jess. "Follow him, ya think? We can come back for the outfit later."

Jess looked to Jeff as he got over to her, grinning in a flirty way until he motioned to the window. Her gaze shifted and watched the two converse, it was truly odd... When Jeff offered to follow them, she got nervous. They were on a time limit themselves. "Jeff I...the outfit..the ball.." She sighed a bit, rubbing the back of her neck. "Okay, fine. We come back later and get it." Jess would then proceed to lead Jeff out and follow the TA and the mysterious person.

Jeff sensed Jess' hesitation - he knew how much the dance meant to her, and he didn't want to ler her down. He glanced at the hours on the front door of the shop - it closed in an hour. Hopefully this wouldn't take that long. He took Jessamine's hand and folded his fingers into her own, grasping it and hoping to instill some confidence in her, that this was the right plan. "We'll be back in time, I promise." He tugged at her arm and they both peeked around the corner of the shop door, watching the two men as they left the square. Once there was enough distance between then, they started to follow the men down the street - when they turned into a narrow alleyway, they approached cautiously, not sure if their cover would be broken when they turned the corner. Jeff peeked his head around the edge of the brick wall - the two men stood in front of a doorway to an unmarked shop. The front walls and door were painted matte black, and butcher paper covered the windows. He beckoned to Jessamine to join him and observe the scene. The door to the shop opened, and much to Jeff and Jess' surprise, Ambrose greeted the two men. Apparently this was no surprise to the TA though, as the look of despair on his face seemed to indicate that he had been inspecting him. The three had some short conversation, and then ducked into the shop. Jeff was about to turn the corner and investigate, but suddenly Ambrose's head peeked back out the doorway, looking down the alley straight in their direction. Jeff jerked back around the corner, pulling Jessamine with him. "Whew, that was close. Not too close, I hope."

09:42

After a few seconds, they gingerly peeked back around the corner. The door was closed now, and the alley was empty. They approached the suspicious storefront, and Jeff took a bent paper clip out of his pocket, a sly grin appearing on his face. "Specialist's motto: never be caught unprepared." After a couple seconds, a click could be heard within the lock and the door cracked open.

Jess squeezed his hand gently in return, smiling faintly. His promise that they'll be back in time before the shop closed. "Okay." She would follow him as he lead her off, trusting his footsteps and judgement. Jessamine kept herself flat against the wall as he peeked around. When they went to go around the corner, Jeff suddenly reeled back and she was pulled to him. Her breathing quieted, listening for anything that would signal that they were found. When there was nothing, they went to the store and she witness Jeff picklock the door. She giggled a bit and nodded to him after he spoke. "Well hey, I'm glad one of us will always be ready for something then." Jessamine teased, peeking her head in the door. The inside was close to a warehouse mixed with an abandoned shop that was reinhabited. Crates and boxes stocked everywhere on shelves, broken equipment laid on the ground. Abandoned counters and registers, cobwebs lining the ceilings and...a crow? A bat? Something of the like was perched on the exposed beams of the place. But in the back corner, was something a bit more organized. Potions, questionable ingredients, even a small cauldron was tucked away. Anything anyone could possibly need was stored away in the back area, but everything was considered taboo. A black market of sorts, it wasn't a normal stock. Most of said ingredients weren't accessible to even the fairies at the school. Jess backed her head away and looked to Jeff. "It's...pretty rough in there. Do you think we should sneak in, and if we can unnoticed?"

They entered the shop, which looked like a hoarder's paradise - boxes of equipment covered the shelves from floor to ceiling, some neatly labeled, others haphazardly thrown together into their bins, sorted by a category left to the seeker to determine. The lighting in the shop was dim and the walls felt like they got narrower as they rose, making it feel like the entire building was closing in on them. In the back of the shop, however, they could see brighter lights flickering and the soft bubbling of alchemy equipment. Jess peeked around to survey the scene and then turned back to Jeff, worried about the trouble they were getting themselves into. "We've come this far. Ambrose has two out of four parts of...of whatever he's doing. And he's about to get the third. And you know he's up to no good." Let's at least see what happens here. Jeff peeked back over the edge of the corner, trying to get a good view of the scene unfolding. Ambrose was nearly glowing with rage. Someone is onto us. A vial of fairy blood doesnt just get up and walk away. We require another sample. But professor, you know what the spellbook says about a double draw. You won't be able to use my bl- SILENCE! Ambrose pounded his fist on the table, making Jeff jump back. A wooden floor beam behind them creaked. What was that. Jeff did not need to look back around the corner to know that their attention was now focused on the source of the sound down the hall. It seemed like their options were limited - be discovered and fight, or try to escape down the hallway but risk compromising their identities to Ambrose. Jeff turned to Jessamine. "Any ideas?" he asked desperately, his eyes searching the shop for something that might be able to assist them.

"Jeff...we might need to fight here. Running will only allow them to get closer to their plan." She started to scan the room, not finding much to aid them in a fight. There were some broken pieces of wood, cardboard, and maybe even a stray nail or two. But Jess knew that wasn't going to be enough. Her hands came together and started to form a small ball of water, not growing yet. "I might be able to trap them so they can't breathe, or I can make them slip. Something to disorient them, I know we can't fight head on and win." Jess spoke a little quietly, looking to Jeff. "Unless you do want to try and make a run for it, I can maybe instead make a distraction so that they don't watch us leave."

Jeff peered around the corner - Ambrose and his assistant were getting closer. There was no time to decide. He looked over at Jessamine, who had created a ball of water that was undulating and floating in between her hands. A distraction would be their only chance of avoiding detection. He turned to Jess. "Okay, on three, send the water at their faces. Hopefully it will give us enough time to get out of sight." Jeff glanced back down the hall one last time. Ambrose had a crazed look in his eyes - the dim hallways cast sinister shadows on his face, flickering against the firelight of the torches. The TA peered from behind him fearfully, seemingly anxious about the situation he found himself in. Jeff hunched down and prepared to take off running when the ball of water hit their adversaries. "One...two..THREE!!!"

Jess nodded, suddenly getting rather nervous. When he confirmed to have a distraction and run, she let out a soft exhale. But she confirmed and nodded, making the ball a bit bigger and...hotter? When he counted down, she tossed the hot water ball in their faces. Once it collided, Jess took off running. It took her a second to get up since she was seated, but she darted out behind Jeff, hearing Ambrose and the TA exclaim in pain. She had made sure it was hot enough that it would likely burn them, but...she added something else. She had added a small magical element where if they had tried to gather any evidence, likely the burns, that there would be none. A harmless distraction, leaving them with a hot face, steam rising off of their skin.

Jeff and Jessamine tore down the hallway, away from the two men who were holding their hands to their faces, hot steam floating up as if they were in a sauna. The two tore down the crowded hallway, ducking below boxes and bending around equipment that jutted out in the path. Jess was ahead of Jeff, and he was following her back towards the front of the shop, turning back every few seconds to make sure Ambrose and the TA hadn't caught up to them yet. Suddenly, he heard Jessamine yelp out in pain. He looked to see that she had hit her leg on a chest, it's edge sharp and metallic, a drop of her blood smeared acrosss the edge where it had torn into her. There was no time to do anything about it and the two continued rushing to the front, tearing out of the shop and turning a few corners before coming to a stop to catch their breath, once they were sure they'd made it out of there. "Are you alright?" asked Jeff, glancing down at Jessamine's leg. A long, thin cut extended across her leg, a thin line of crimson red blooming from the center.

Jess ran with Jeff, panting heavily. She wasn't as well trained physically as he may be, and she was growing winded quickly. Jessamine navigated around the obstacles as best as she could, though it wasn't good enough. Her leg scraped some metal and it cut into her leg, making her yell out. She didn't have time to stop yet though, limping as she ran. Once they rounded a few corners and stopped, she was teary-eyed, out of breath, and scared. When Jeff asked if she was okay, she looked down at her cut. It had been bleeding some since the initial cut, and dripped a little down her leg. She brought forth a small ball of water and started to clean it. "I think so...it really hurts.."

Jeff took a square of fabric out of one of his utility pockets and tore a strip off, making a bandage and applying it to Jessamine's wound. "That was too close for comfort. I think we need to let things cool down a bit here and lay low. We can look into the living air, we still don't know anything about that." There was a silence, and Jeff blinked at Jessamine. He was forgetting something..."Oh crap! The store. Let's go." The two hurried back to the clothing store, but it was too late - they rounded the corner just in time to see the clerk flip the sign on the front door to CLOSED. Jeff grimaced, ready to incur Jessamine's wrath. "Oh crap. Ok, I know I promised you we'd get back in time. And I know the dance is tomorrow. Look, I'll just run back here first thing in the morning. Let's see, when do they open tomorrow..." His eyes moved down the column of days, a sinking feeling in his chest as he read the words CLOSED where he'd expected hours to be listed. "Oh shit. Look, I promise that I'lll figure this out." For once, the puzzle with Ambrose was not front and center in Jeff's mind.

Jessamine nodded in agreement as he mentioned laying low. She didn't want them to be caught, and this surely rose suspicions in Ambrose, she couldn't doubt that. As Jeff stared at her for a second, it dawned on her at the same time. The store! She ran with him to get back to the store, hoping that they were still open. But once they got there, it was closed. Jessamine took in a deep breath and sighed in disappointment. He promised. It wasn't his fault but...now she didn't have a dress for the dance. As Jeff kept apologizing and saying he would figure it out, she folded her arms. "Jeff, you knew I wanted to get this dress and go to this dance with you. To enjoy time together and just enjoy...life. Things. In the midst of all this chaos lately. And now we can't go, at least I can't. I don't have anything." Jessamine kept her gaze away from him after she vented, it was so clear she was upset. Her eyes watered and her arms folded just seemed to get firmer. "I'm just going to go. Enough has happened today."

Nothing made Jeff feel like he had sunk so low as the feeling he got when he looked to meet Jess' gaze and she wouldn't even look at him. He knew that he'd fucked up now. "Please Jess, I know I fucked up. I just....I got so caught up with this mystery, I kinda just forgot about living our lives just you and me. I...I'm sorry. I fucked up. Let's get back to school. I'm going to figure this out - I haven't given up yet. The walk back to school seemed so much longer, the silence hanging in the cool air like icicles above them. Jeff instinctively went to kiss Jess goodbye, but sensed her sadness and turned his head down at the approach. He then raised his head again to look at her. "Look at me." His hand moved to her chin, tilting her head up so that their eyes met. "I promise you we will be at that dance tomorrow, Jessamine. And it will be exactly as you dreamed." Jeff leaned up and placed a soft kiss on Jessamine's forehead, then headed back to his dorms. He had a lot of people to talk to if he was going to try and pull the strings necessary to save the day.

21:40

The next morning, Jeff woke up early, skipping breakfast so that he could head into town. Waiting in front of the clothing shop, one of his roommates approached, bringing with him a girl that Jeff recognized from school but had never been introduced to. "This is Estelle, my friend from potions. She's the clerk I was telling you about." The girl waved at Jeff and smiled. "Talk about last minute shopping," she said with a smirk as she unlocked the shop doors. A few minutes later, Jeff had his clothes - and Jessamine's dress - in hand and was headed back to the school. Knowing Jessamine would be at breakfast, he left the dress on her bed with a note. I told you I wouldn't let you down, and I kept my word. See you in front of the ballroom tonight. That night, Jeff dressed up in his new outfit. It fit like a glove, and Jeff couldn't help but notice a few heads turn as he passed other excited students, all headed to the dance. He reached the front entrance, where giant balls of water and fire decorated the threshold to the ballroom. Jeff fidgeted as he waited alone, hoping that he'd convinced Jess to give him another chance.

Jessamine walked in silence alongside Jeff. She had hoped at least that he knew she wasn't mad, just...disappointed. She was looking forward to the dance and moreso spending time with Jeff. Even potentially furthering their relationship into something more solid. But it just felt out of grasp now. She listened to him say that he was going to figure this out. Jess had no idea how he could manage that, everything would be so last minute. When he lifted her head, she sniffled some and gave half a smile. She didn't want him to feel so terrible, especially since it showed he wanted to make things right. His promise to her meant a lot, and when he placed a kiss on her forehead, it made her smile. "Okay...sleep well." She would say to him as he left, making her way to her dorm that night. Jessamine woke up that following morning, her mind racing. How was he going to be able to pull this off? She sat with her friends that morning, who were all bustling and excited for the dance. It was hard for Jessamine to join in the conversation, she was just worried and unsure. Her friends even started to ask her questions about her and Jeff, and she shrugged them off for now. "I just wanna eat guys, please.." After she had eaten, Jessamine made her way back to her room. And there it was, the dress, and a note. She read it, and couldn't help but smile. "He wasn't kidding," Jess said to herself, letting out a chuckle. That night, Jess dressed up in her new outfit. It fit her body nicely, as she had hoped. She did her hair, giving them some nice waves while she applied some light makeup. Some silver strappy heels to pair, and she was ready for a night with Jeff. She made her way to the front of the ballroom, scanning the area a little before her gaze set upon him. She almost felt nervous, but she continued to walk towards him. "Hey," Jess spoke up, giving a small wave once she was close enough to do so.

The ball was a place to see and be seen. Physical aspects of all the elements swirled in the sky above the venue, advertizing the event for miles. The students were all dressed in their best outfits, ready to show off their moves. And all came in pairs - all that is, except Jeff, waiting at the entrance, hoping he had not fucked up beyond forgiveness. After what seemed to him like an eternity, the answer arrived, and it was more than he dreamed. Jessamine's silhouette slunk back and forth as she swayed towards him, the dress accentuating every curve on her body, the edges of her form glistening in iridescent rainbow sparkles. Jess gave him a way and said hey, and Jeff struggled at first to even use his words. "Jess, you...you look like a dream. Am I even awake right now? Pinch me!" He grinned at her. "I'm so glad you decided to come. I'm sorry I got all caught up in that stuff. This is gonna be our night." Jeff extended his elbow for Jess and the two of them entered the hall for the dance. The lights were down low, and the dance floor glowed brightly in blue and red, green and yellow in the reflection of the elemental energy that flew overhead in the air. Everyone was there - Jeff & Jess' roommates, all their classmates, the teachers and staff. Jeff's eyes darted among the teachers until they settled on Professor Ambrose. Good, he's here - that means he's not up to something somewhere else, Jeff thought to himself. Jeff realized he was getting distracted again and turned his attention back to Jessamine. "So, where to first. Check out the buffet? Get a drink? Or hit the dance floor?" Jeff grinned as he took in the scene and began to get excited about the prospect of a night of partying with Jessamine and their friends.

Jessamine was clearly entranced for a short bit by the decorations and presentation for the dance. It was simply extravagant, and she loved it. It made her so happy to see. Jess smiled and blushed even as he complimented her. She couldn't resist pulling him into a hug before she took him by the elbow. "It's going to be an amazing night." And with that, she linked arms with him and headed in. She noticed him distracted for a second, and she sighed a little under her breath. It was a habit at this point, she realized it. Jessamine also realized that he was still trying, as he turned his attention back to her. "I'd love to dance with you, actually. Can we do that?" Jess asked, playfully hip bumping him and giving his cheek a kiss.

Jess wanted to dance first. The one thing Jeff was a bit nervous about, what with his two left feet. "S-sure....let's go!" He mustered up some confidence and headed out onto the dance floor with Jessamine. Students were pouring into the hall from all around the campus, ready to have fun. The music was pumping a high energy beat, and as Jess and Jeff moved out onto the dance floor, it was clear this was no ordinary human dance. Each fairy was taking advantage of the magical setting to show off the skills they'd learned that year. Wisps of flame danced around the fire fairies, sizzling when they brushed against a water fairy's droplets. Leaves and motes of pollen floated through the air where an earth fairy had passed. The entire scene was captivating. Jeff turned to Jessamine, who was dancing next to him on the dance floor. He was excited to see what kind of magic she had in store for the night. Just then, the music switched to a slower song. Jeff approached Jess from behind, wrapping his arms around her and leaning his head in to kiss her neck. "This is so crazy...I feel like I don't know what I'm going to see next!" Jeff looked around the hall, mesmerized.

Jessamine danced with Jeff, enjoying the harmless elements that surrounded them as a showcase. She allowed herself to let loose and dance with him, even helping guide him at one point so he was more comfortable dancing. Even adding in her own flair of display, letting small droplets surround the two as light reflected through them, acting as tiny disco balls. When the music switched up to a slower aspect, she felt her companion wrap his arms around her and kiss her neck. She giggled, turning in his arms to face him. "I can't wait either, but for now.." She stated, moving his hands to rest on her hips. Jessamine rested her hands on his shoulders, and started leading him in a slow turning dance. Something that he could certainly keep up with. As they slow danced, the elements surrounded them in a more romantic way. Dimly lit candles floated above the students, the leaves turning to flower petals that rained down around all. Jess smiled and looked to Jeff after glancing around, seeing her friends with their crushes. "Well, does this impress you?"

The event hall was lit up like a christmas tree, between the decorations in the air and the enchantments that each fairy was producing, a magical aura that surrounded them and their partner like an elemental bubble. It was clear that the fairies had all put time and effort into learning the hardest spells they could to show off at the ball that night, but none could hold a candle to the effect that Jessamine had when she began her enchantment. The droplets of water she produced acted like prisms, casting rainbows across the entire hall. Students couldn't help but turn to see where the source of the rainbows was, the prisms' reflections gathering around Jess and Jeff in an aura of iridescent color. Some of their classmates even lost their concentration, breaking their spells and sending sparks or fire or sprays of water into the air. Jeff's mouth was still hanging open as he turned slowly in dance with Jessamine, trying to muster up a response to her question. "Does...does this impress me?" He broke into laughter. "Jess, this is amazing, and you know it. I mean look at you, its like it's effortless you you. " He grinned at her as they continued to float through the hovering droplets Jess had created. Flower petals began to rain down on the students as another slow dance came on - the scene could not have been more romantic. Jeff leaned in close, kissing Jessamine slowly, making sure his lips lingered on hers when they connected, tasting her sweetness on the tip of his tongue. As their lips touched it was as if the water droplets reacted to their arousal, rotating and casting a mesmerizing display around the two. The song finally came to a close and the thumping beat from the speakers changed to something a bit more fast paced. Jeff broke the kiss, knowing the moment had passed but not wanting to accept that fact. He opened his eyes, looking at Jessamine's soft features, waiting to see what part of the ball she wanted to explore with him next.

Jessamine felt her face redden rather deeply at Jeff's reaction and praise. So many students had worked so hard, and she felt like she totally showed them up. She laughed faintly and shook her head. "Ahh..it's nothing...I just wanted it to be special for us, that's all." She had to admit, this was the best she could do for now, surely down the line she would learn something more impressive. As petals rained around them, and another song came on, Jess felt her heart thump. Their eyes met and she knew what was coming, kissing him slowly yet so deeply and sweetly. Her arms brought herself close to him, while their bodies swayed to the music. It was probably the most romantic thing ever to her, she could stay there all night just like that. When the song came to a close, and the music fired up again, he broke the kiss. Jess looked to him longingly, it was clear she had wanted more. But, there was so much more to explore here. "Want to grab some food?" She asked lightly, reaching down to take his hand. "I don't think I ever told you this either. But you're a pretty good kisser." Jessamine teased him, lightly hip bumping him.

Jeff blushed deeply as Jessamine complimented his kissing skills. "Thanks," he said with a nervous chuckle, as the two made their way to their buffet. The spread was magically arranged, of course - the champagne magically drifted down the pyramid of glasses, the prime rib station cut itself, and the deserts floated in midair above a chocolate fountain. This was certainly a special spread, even for Alfea. Even though they were supposed to be adults now, the two of them smiled like kids in a candy shop as they loaded their plates up with delicious food. Jeff and Jess made their way to an unoccupied table with their plates and started chowing down. After all the chaos of running around trying to get Jess' dress figured out, plus the adrenaline from the occasion, Jeff had worked up quite the appetite. As he shoveled steak and mashed potatoes down, he turned to Jessamine with a half-full mouth. "Mmmph...can you, believe how this, mmmph, place came together? Its amazing" Jeff blushed deeply when he realized Jessamine had been watching him, covering his mouth. "Sorry," he said with a grin after he'd swallowed. "Anyways, I was saying this place looks amazing. This night has been perfect so far, hasn't it?" And it was true - the night had been wonderful, not a single thing had gone wrong and Ambrose had been the furthest thing from Jeff's mind at that moment.

It was truly amazing to see the setup of the food. Her appetite had been greatly increased, and she couldn't resist filling up her plate and making a mental note to grab desserts later. She was able to eat more than one dessert. Jess sat down with him at a table, beginning to eat. She couldn't contain her laughter though, as he ate with his mouth half full. She would shake her head and smile, not holding it against him. "I don't blame you. The food is really good, and well...I'm enjoying my time here with you. I'm really happy that you did what you could in the end, Jeff. It...means a lot to me, to be here tonight." After she finished her bite, Jess looked over him, feeling that he had done so much for her and that she truly felt beautiful and important. Throughout the evening, her thoughts were only focused on Jeff, the dance, and the fun she was having. She even playfully nudged his leg with her foot after they finished eating. "Feeling like dessert? I saw some cake and brownies over there that I'm dying to have."