The next few days pass in a happy blur. Ember spends most of her time practicing the masturbation technique, and in the evenings she masturbates recreationally as well, since Camellia is usually too tired out from going a round after lunchtime to keep up with her at night.

  At mealtimes she gets to see a little more of Fianna and Maeve; gradually, their retionship becomes a little less awkward each day, and the welts on Fianna’s body become less and less obvious. Though the scars at her wrists, ankles and colr persist, the marks scattered over her body recede to invisibility, and in the te evenings she even manages to py a little more Go with Ember.

  Three days ter, the students gather once more for breakfast.

  Ember’s the st to the table, having gotten to bed te the night before, but she’s feeling happy and light. Everything is just so good tely: the touch of skin, the taste of food, the thrill of winning at games, the pride in her work as a student… Not to mention the fact that Fianna’s sitting just across the table from her and is still completely nude. Gosh, her breasts look soft, and the remaining markings on her skin remind her of light scratches like might be made with nails during a particurly passionate night… Now there’s some material to shelve away for her to practice her technique with ter. A little desire kindles in her sex at the thought, and she exhales it with a little smile.

  She’s far ahead of everyone else on mastering soul-masturbation, even Camellia: all the practice she’s been putting in has been paying off in spades. She feels sharp, confident, alive, awake. More lucid, like she’d been dreaming all her life and now suddenly has awoken and knows what real reality is.

  Ember grabs an orange from the table and tosses it in her hand once, twice, then peels it open and takes a bite first of the sweet flesh, then another of the bitter peel.

  Maeve gives her a sideways look when Ember takes a bite of the peel as well, but Ember just raises her own eyebrows in return and goes on eating. What’s the point of her new senses if she only enjoys things that’d be enjoyable for an unenhanced person? The bitterness of the orange peel is mellowed by her new tongue, and serves as a great complement to the sweet tartness of the flesh.

  She catches Maeve’s gaze lingering on her nude breasts and sex as well, but there’s honestly been a lot of that over these past three days between all the girls, so she just smiles and lets her knees drift a little farther apart for Maeve’s viewing enjoyment. Maeve flushes slightly, but doesn’t look away. She’s cute, even when she can’t help but stare.

  Camellia passes Ember a portion she set aside for her earlier — a rge, sesame-seed encrusted loop of bread, a deep dish of yogurt seasoned with honey, and a small cup of coffee. Ember takes the portion on its ceramic pte, along with a cheaply-made iron spoon, and digs in, leaving her orange to the side on the pte. It all tastes amazing.

  “Thanks, Camellia,” she betedly remembers to say when she’s halfway through her dish of yogurt. She looks up again from her food and tries to recenter herself, focusing down in her core. It’s very tempting to do the masturbation technique, it usually clears her head — but, well, she is technically in front of all the other girls, though that means less than it used to these days — and more importantly, she doesn’t want to set her breakfast on fire if she gets a little sloppy with her technique.

  “So,” Ember says, taking a moment to sip her coffee (sweet, slightly acidic the way she’s learned to like it, with just a trace of bitter aftertaste) rather than work on the rest of her meal. “How’s everyone feeling about the technique test today?”

  Maeve looks over from where she’s finishing off her sesame-encrusted bread loop. “I think I’ll pass,” she says. “And with the way you and Camellia have been practicing I think you’re both safe as well. It’s Fianna I’m really worried about.” She looks across the table at Fianna. “What do you think, Fianna? Think you have it under control?”

  Fianna rubs her wrists absently as she takes a moment to think, feeling the manacle-like welts that still persist there. “It’s been getting easier,” she says. “It feels less scary when I know you’re by my side.” Her gaze at first settles on Maeve’s face, but a moment ter dips to her breasts.

  Maeve rubs the back of her head, then lets her own gaze wander back to Fianna, taking in her nude body in turn. “I mean, well… let’s not get into that. I’m here for you for this, at least, and that’s what matters.”

  Fianna takes a long breath, then simply nods. “We’ll get through this.” She looks over at Ember. “How are you doing, Ember? I can’t help but notice your nails and… lips…” Fianna’s gaze is not on Ember’s mouth, but distinctly much lower —“... are brighter again today…”

  Ember looks down at her nails: they’re glowing a bright cherry red this morning, stark against Ember’s skin. “It’s alright,” she says. “Ishaza says it can take a week or so for firesign to stabilize even in incidental cases, and that sometimes it’s just a natural expression of people’s passion. Probably nothing to worry about.”

  Fianna looks like she wants to say something, but after a moment she shakes her head. “Alright. Just don’t act surprised if you get told off by Ishaza after the test today.”

  Ember nods. “Don’t worry, everything’s under control. Isn’t that right, Camellia?”

  Camellia taps her lips softly, and her dusky wings shift behind her, flexing slightly in thought. “Well, it’s not exactly a good sign, but if Ishaza says it’s normal I really shouldn’t gainsay her.” She smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “I hope all that practice you’ve put into the masturbation technique pays off.”

  Ember nods, and takes another bite of orange peel. “We’ll see, yes.” She knocks back the remainder of her coffee and starts in on her sesame bread.

  Just then, Ishaza returns to the room, her hooves clicking against the stone floor. Her tail sways to the left of her, then the right again. She’s wearing a modest dress of undyed linen today with no cleavage whatsoever, which is an awful shame. Ember would normally look over at Camellia, but she’s clothed today as well, in a simir undyed linen dress; Ember has to direct her gaze at the scarred Fianna to reach a nude body now. She finds herself picturing scenarios where Fianna might have gotten those welts on her wrists and ankles, recalling some of the kinkier drawings in Laenan of women being taken while chained up. My, those are nice images…

  Ember drifts back to the room only barely aware that Ishaza is addressing her. Something about the test?

  “Oh, ah, yes, I’ll be done in just a moment,” she half-guesses, and she stuffs the st bite of her bread ring into her mouth in a hurry.

  Ishaza raises an eyebrow. “I’ll be on the training ground whenever you finish, testing the others. Don’t keep me waiting.” She beckons Camellia. “Camellia. Since Ember is tardy, we’ll begin with you.”

  Camellia gets up from the table, and follows Ishaza out of the dorms: Maeve and Fianna follow, only moments behind. Ember is left alone with the remnants of her yogurt: she eats as quickly as she can, then exits to the training ground herself.

  When she emerges onto the scorched earth outside, she sees Ishaza seated cross-legged and holding Camellia’s hand loosely while Camellia focuses. Ember watches, fascinated, as Camellia tenses and then rexes without expelling so much as a puff of fme. If you didn’t know what to look for, you could absolutely miss that she just had an orgasm: she barely even sighs, and with nothing obviously stimuting her, that could well be pyed off as something else entirely.

  Ember’s eyebrows jump. Huh. If she masters this technique to the degree that Camellia does, and practices her composure enough, she could masturbate anywhere, any time, without anyone around her even knowing. The thought is attractive. Why shouldn’t she experience more pleasure whenever she wants it? No-one would ever need to know…

  She pushes the thought away after a moment, one of Ishaza’s lectures on consent drifting through her mind — but it clings, a little, tempting her. She could really have that. She’d have to change herself a little more to be able to hold her composure while having an orgasm, but…

  Ishaza’s words of a few days ago come to her again: More than one Courtesan has ended up locked in eternal orgasm thanks to decisons made too rashly.

  Would it really be so bad? If she was able to function through it? If she could have everything she wanted, everything that mattered to her, and also incredible pleasure, forever, always?

  A shiver slides down Ember’s spine. She’s not sure if that’s arousal or fear. Probably both…

  Ishaza lets go of Camellia’s hand. “Good. Your technique is strong and your focus is pure. You’re doing the technique properly. Do your best to keep on this path.”

  Camellia nods. “Yes, Courtesan.” Her breath is surprisingly soft and level for someone who just came a minute ago.

  Camellia stands, and goes over to the side of the courtyard where Fianna and Maeve are waiting.

  Ishaza looks over at Ember. “Ember. Good of you to join us. You’re next.”