After a day of roaming the school commons, touring seemingly endless dormitories, athletic and science facilities, and classrooms, including the most impressive music sub-complex, the students returned to their assigned rooms for some rest and then preparation for the informal outside events that would last well into the warm Arrhazon City night.

M’traliel paired llhaesa to room with Khahishra, and the two seemed a good pairing in terms of personality and interests – until someone mentioned politics. Khahishra was the daughter of a government bureaucrat, and while she was not adamantly defensive of the government nor supportive of its policies on inequality, when the topic rolled around and Llhaesa gave a quick and obviously well studied opinion, Khahishra became noticeably less animated and more withdrawn.

This was someone who was no stranger to defensiveness, a result of being the daughter of a government bureaucrat and who loved her dad, not someone who would defend her father’s employer or its errant policies.

Llhaesa immediately sensed Khahishra’s unease, and resolved to avoid politics for the duration of orientation. She moved into safer territory for discussion, the more universally acceptable talk of music, of her love of keyboards in any format, and “how about you, Khahishra? What is your favourite?”

The two roommates chatted about music, talking on their favourite musicians, songs, and instruments. They talked about home life and their families, what their old schools were like, of any boyfriends – or at least Khahishra talked of boyfriends…

Khahishra was an 18 year old well versed in dating, in boyfriends, and in sex. Surprising to Khahishra, lhaesa, who curiously chose to not capitalise the first letters of her name, had little in the way to offer on dating. No boyfriends, no sex. Boring.

Little did either know one of those three would find its end date on this night. What llhaesa did not initially share was that her attractions were to women, and though being a lesbian in Arrhazonan society was of no concern, she simply chose to keep her sexual interests to herself.

After an hour of Khahishra talking of her dating exploits, Khahishra mentioned her surprise that the attractive llhaesa, someone she privately felt was one of the most beautiful women she ever met, had little prior interest in dating others.

Deciding she needed to get this out of the way, llhaesa offered up that she was lesbian, and that she simply was too busy with music and schoolwork to be spending much of her time with social pairings. “At some point I will find interest, but it took so much to get here, Khahishra, I could not afford to divert my attention to such things.

Trust me, I am as horny as the next woman, and I will act when the opportunity is right.”

Khahishra smiled, giggling inside. Llhaesa certainly was forthright, not at all bashful about sharing how she felt. This would be an interesting year. “I will hold you to that, llhaesa. Was there anyone in orientation that attracts your interest?”

“Yeah, but I am not going to share that thought, not yet. We shall see where things take us. For now, I am here to learn, to play music, and build a career.”

“You said you play piano, right?”

“Yes.”

“I heard a rumour a few weeks ago that some hotshot pianist would be in our incoming class this year. You wouldn’t happen to know who that might be, would you?”

Llhaesa smiled, not needing this to feed her ego, she was confident in her ability, and would let it take her where it may. “No, I have no idea who that might be, Khahishra.”

“Oh? That is funny, because I asked Professor J’sirhl earlier today. Would you care to know what his answer was?”

“I suppose you intend to tell me anyway, so sure, why not?”

“He told me ‘the same person he saw enter the building with me – a blonde haired woman, the tallest in the class, one look and you know who I mean’.

Now I wonder who that might be.”

Llhaesa blushed; she should have known her reputation would spread even before she ever sat down to actually play a piano at her new school. It would indeed be an interesting four years.