(OOC: This takes place the morning after Somnambulism 101.)

Susan had always been an early riser; she rarely even bothered setting her alarm. If she was a bit more tired than normal today, that was just an after-effect of last night's wonderful encounter.

She stretched languidly as she remembered. It almost seemed too good to have been anything but a dream. A beautiful girl practically sleepwalking into her room, then going to bed with her almost immediately after waking up, couldn't possibly be real, right? And yet, the lovely nude form of Pia lying next to her proved it had happened.

Even in a place like this, wonderful things still happen, she thought as she rose from the bed, trying not to disturb the blonde. For all she knew, the girl might normally get up around this time too, but, if not, Susan felt she could let her sleep for another hour or so without worrying that she might be missing an early class.

As she dressed for her morning run, another thought crossed her mind. I'd better leave her a note in case she wakes up while I'm out. She placed a feather-light kiss on Pia's cheek. After all, I don't know what's happened to you here, and I don't want you worrying that I've been kidnapped by demons or something.

For once, Pia slept fitfully. No bad dreams, no waking up in panic. She may have made a little half smile, maybe a tiny little sigh of contentment when Susan kissed her. Then she rolled over to the spot were Susan had slept, as if to absorb the warmth she had left there.
But as the morning light grew stronger, Pia slowly awoke. It was a gradual process, but soon she was sitting up, yawning and getting her bearings.

At first she looked around herself with the non-comprehension of someone who was just awake. She noticed that Susan was not there. At first she believed she had been dreaming. It did sound like a dream, and a good one too. She had gone asleep, then found herself in the arms of a beautiful girl, and they had made love.. Pia smiled when thinking of it.

But it wasn't a dream. Pia looked around herself, and found that she was in another's room. Just alone. Pia took stock of the situation. It was early, so she had plenty of time to get to her room. She would need her key card. Luckily, she had a spare with her neighbour. My glasses! There was a short burst of panic, but Pia calmed down quickly. They had to be in her room.

Waking up after such a night, how was one supposed to act? Pia remembered another morning like that, and felt a pang of loss. Luckily, something caught her attention. Susan had left her a note! Quickly, she got up a read it.

In fact, Susan had already finished her run and was returning to the dorm; she hadn't thought when writing the note that she didn't know when Pia might read it.

Pia breathed a sigh of relief. It was stupid, perhaps, but she had gotten used to strange things happening here at this island. While the chance that Susan might vanish in thin air right might be small, Pia still had her irrational fears. Even better, this meant that Susan wanted to talk to her and get to know her. That was even better. Like many shy people, Pia was a bit afriad of rejection.
And breakfast sounded about perfect.

Pia hurriedly tided the bed, then went to take a quick shower.

Susan got back to the room while Pia was in the shower. While she had a brief moment of worry that the other girl had left, the sound of the shower and the presence of Pia's pajamas reassured her that this wasn't the case. Good thing I took a shower in the gym. I should be ready to go by the time she's done. She got out a uniform to change into; while she didn't have class today until the afternoon, she'd never been clear on the dress rules for the cafeteria, and she'd been doing her best to avoid the basement even before Ryu had pretty much confirmed her suspicions about what went on down there. Her t-shirt and shorts landed in the laundry basket as she began to change for the day.

After a short while, the sound of running water stopped. A short while passed, with some sounds of Pia rummaging around. Suddenly she paused, and her voice called out.
"Susan? Is that you?"

Pia stepped out into the room. She had borrowed a towel, and had it wrapped around herself. Somehow, she felt self concious, for some reason. It was irrational, thinking about what had happened between them last night. But last night had been easy, in it's own way. Her somnabulism had done much of the job for her. Now it was a new day. Pia was a bit red on her cheeks, and maybe it was not all the hot water from the shower.

"Hi! Welcome back!"
Pia could not help but smile.

Susan smiled back. "Good morning! Sleep well?" she asked as she finished buttoning her blouse. She'd got over any self-conciousness about dressing in front of others long ago due to taking part in sports so much. "And, were you going to borrow something to wear to go back to your room or just use your pajamas? I think we're close enough sizes that anything should fit you well enough, and I've got plenty of spares, so don't worry about that," she added as she pulled on her skirt. "I learnt pretty quickly that it's a good idea to have spare clothes available all the time here." That should subtly hint at a topic Susan didn't want to bring up directly; if Pia knew about the monsters, she'd probably understand why, and if she didn't, Susan wouldn't look completely insane. She hoped that Pia didn't understand, but doubted that the monsters would have left her unmolested. She's just too attractive, and looks too vulnerable, for me to imagine some of the things here ignoring her.

"Yeah, keeping a few extra sets handy at all times is a good idea.. Things sometimes happen..", Pia replied. Was that a small shadow over her face? Even if still smiling, she felt a little pang of pain. She was not sure if Susan had learned that lesson the same way as she did, bit she feared so. It felt unfair. Was no-one she liked going to be spared?

She pulled herself together. She was feeling fresher and happier now than in months, and she was not going to let the damnable island ruin that.
"Well, uh, if I could borrow an uniform, I would be very grateful.. I will clean it and return it, off course!"

"If we can spare the time to find my room, so that, I can get my glasses and things, breakfast is on me."

The shadow that flickered briefly across Pia's expression didn't escape Susan's notice. A similar shadow passed over her own features; didn't the monsters leave anyone unmolested? She wasn't going to press the matter just now, though; last night had been one of the rare times she'd been able to forget about the horrors of this place, and she wanted to hold on to that feeling as long as she could.

"Well, uh, if I could borrow an uniform, I would be very grateful.. I will clean it and return it, of course!"

"Not a problem," Susan said, getting out a spare blouse and skirt. "Of course, it'll probably fit you just as badly as it fits me," she added with a grin. The fact that the uniforms were always too small was the source of a lot of jokes on campus.

"If we can spare the time to find my room, so that, I can get my glasses and things, breakfast is on me."

"No need to put yourself out like that. I'd planned that we'd head for your room first. I didn't think you'd have brought everything you'd need with you last night. Besides," she said with a wink and a joking tone, "It lets me find where you live without looking like I'm stalking you." She turned serious again. "Which room is yours? I'm pretty sure it's in this building." While she'd learnt that there are ways of entering the dorms without a key, those were for monsters; it was unlikely a student would be able to find one, especially while sleepwalking.

"My room is number 193. That is in the west wing." Pia doubted she would have gotten that far last night.

She took the blouse and skirt offered, and quickly got dressed. She and Susan was not that far off in size, so they fit OK. Pia readied herself as fast as she could.

"I hope I did not lock the door, but luckily, one of my neighbours have my spare key card. It's always good to have one extra available. That way I won't have to get a janitor or someone to open my room for me."

Susan breathed a mental sigh of relief when she heard Pia's room number; she'd been subconsciously worrying that Pia might have negotiated the stairs in her sleep and might do so again, but they both lived on the same floor. "Okay. That's just down the hall somewhat, I think."

From appearances, the uniform actually fit Pia better than it did Susan; at the least, the skirt was a far less indecent length, since Susan was a couple of inches taller. "Well, shall we go?" Susan asked as Pia finished dressing.

When Pia explained about giving her spare key card to a neighbor, she nodded. "That's a good idea, given the... things that can happen here. I'd probably do the same if I knew any of my neighbors better."

Yup. She definitely knows!

Susan's last comment had more or less proven that. Pia assumed that meant she was a victim too. Pia hated the thought, but oddly, she felt a touch of relief too. At least that meant she would not assume Pia was insane or something. Maybe she even had someone she could confide in now, the times things got especially bad. Did Susan have someone to look after her?

"Well, if it isn't too far off, I can keep a spare for you.", Pia offered.

"Do I look decent?", Pia said. "I guess we can go now, if it is okay."

"Well, if it isn't too far off, I can keep a spare for you."

"Oh, thank you. That could come in handy someday." I hope it doesn't, but I doubt I'll be that lucky.

"Do I look decent?"

"As much as anyone can in these uniforms. The skirt length actually looks like a deliberate choice, instead of the usual 'I outgrew this a while back, but it's all I have that's clean' look."

"I guess we can go now, if it is okay."

"Yeah. Let's go." Susan went into the hall, locking the door behind Pia as the other girl followed her out, and started off towards Pia's room. "So, why'd you decide to come to this school?"

Pia giggled a bit at Susan's comment on the Shokushu uniform sizes. It had taken Pia quite a while yo get used to the lenght of the skirt, or rather, the lack there off. For several weeks, Pia had been sure every living being on SHS was peeking up her skirt.

"Why I came her?", Pia had to think a little. "Stupidity? I don't know.. I was not sure what I wanted to do after school, really. I was kind of thinking of taking a year abroad, but it never got beyond idle ideas. Then, during my last year, my class went to this convention, with various universities having stalls and such. I met a recruiter from SHS, wrote down my name and address for more information, and then forgot about it. A few months later, the woman called me, even told me I was accepted, and that I could get reduced entrance fees. So I thought I'd take the chance."

"So, how about you?"

Pia's first answer pretty much confirmed what Susan already suspected. She couldn't think of any other reason than the monsters to consider coming here 'stupidity,' even semi-jokingly. Despite the rules being strict and occasionally arbitrary, the school itself was pretty good, and the island was a nice place, if rather too isolated.

"Well, after my father caught me getting a little too close with one of the other girls from my class, he pretty much told me he'd only pay for college at one of a few he'd selected with really strict reputations. There was no way I was going to be able to pay my own way, so I picked the one that took me the furthest away from him. I think he thought that a strict school would somehow stop me being a lesbian." She paused briefly before adding, "I think you know how well that idea worked. Oh, here we are." Pia's room was a bit further than she'd thought it would be, but not by much.