Otherworld Avatar

After cleaning up and changing, Lily joined Mia and her stepmother for lunch. Her father was still in town, so it was just the three of them. Ranea asked a few questions about their business at the temple, but otherwise they ate the meal in silence. Afterwards, the girls retired to their rooms, where Lily asked Mia to borrow the diary of Stella, the previous Avatar of Dahlia. She wanted to read more about her predecessor, and Mia gladly complied.

It was interesting to read the thoughts of another Avatar, the way they dealt with the expectations and the pressures of the position. Stella's case was different, of course, as she was chosen at birth, and spent her whole childhood preparing for the role. The diary started after she had turned eighteen, and talked about her training in the temple, mastering her skills and learning to communicate with Dahlia. It chronicled her budding romance with Clare, the girl she would end up using Soul Link on. Unfortunately, it was short on details of what Lily herself could expect from her powers in the future, as the volume ended with Stella entering her first dungeon.

To Lily's disappointment, Mia told her that the other volumes did not survive the Deluge, leaving the rest of Stella's story to be told through various biographies and legends written after her death in the Sundering. Still, Lily very much enjoyed reading the diary, and in her customary manner, she lost track of time. It was already dark outside when Mia knocked on her door to invite her to dinner.

At least some things are the same here and on Earth, Lily thought as she stepped into the hallway.A good book can really suck you in.

Mia was once again wearing a beautiful silk kimono, and Lily let out an involuntary sigh when she saw her. They made their way to the dining room together, and at least this time there was no rain outside to add to the romantic atmosphere.

I should really make a move. Maybe tomorrow, after we finish at the Guild, Lily thought as she sat down to eat. The food was great, and Lily was starting to get used to the lavish meals at the manor.

When they finished eating, Mia spoke out:

"I've been thinking about the bet the whole day, and I think I have decided what to ask of you."

"Oh, you have? Well let's hear it then," Lily said with more confidence than she actually felt.

"I want you to go out on a date with me tomorrow," Mia blurted out quickly. "After we are done with the Guild, of course."

Lily's heart raced as she heard the request. Truthfully, she would have accepted even without the bet, but she couldn't really admit that to Mia now, could she? Instead, she just nodded.

"I'll make sure it's the best date of your life," Mia said with a determined look, and Lily giggled.

"Sounds fun, and you can show me around town, too," she replied, and Mia let out a sigh of relief. She was glad that Lily found the idea appealing, and wasn't just fulfilling her obligation. With that settled, they made their way back to their rooms. Mia stopped in front of her door before entering, hand on the doorknob.

"Oh, one more thing, I didn't thank you properly for last night," she said, turning to face Lily.

"I told you that you don't have to thank me for everything. I -"

Lily was interrupted by Mia reaching up and giving her a soft kiss. It was a small thing, merely a peck on the lips, but it meant the world to her. Before she could kiss Mia back, the smaller girl pulled away and rushed into her room with a hurry, leaving her alone in the hallway.

What just happened, Lily wondered as she tried to calm down. She didn't expect Mia to kiss her like that, and her heart raced like never before. Should I follow her in, or is that going too fast? No, I should wait and see how the date goes. Yeah, Lily, you are in a different world, remember that. A kiss like that might be how people thank their friends around here for all you know, better to wait and see what her intentions are on the date.

It was hard, though. All Lily wanted in that moment was to follow Mia in and kiss her back, let her know she wanted her, but once again her innate caution prevailed. After a while, her brain started working again, and she made her way to her bed. Going to sleep was hard, as she could not stop thinking about Mia.

I've had crushes before, but it was never this intense, Lily thought as she lay awake in her bed. Just thinking about the next day made her more nervous than she ever remembered being. I feel like a teenage girl back in highschool falling in love for the first time, which is stupid. Or is it? After all, this is my first time falling in love in this world, and I am the Avatar of the goddess of love. Falling for the first girl you meet is very cliche, but what chance did I have when Mia is so great. It's not just her beauty. She's a nerd like me, yet she is so confident most of the time. And the way she blushes when she is embarrassed is so cute. How can I not fall in love? Lily let out a deep sigh. She's been alive for only a handful of days, and yet things were moving very fast. Well that's what you get when you sign up to be a hero, I suppose. I do sometimes think if I made the right choice, back in the void, when I chose the purple portal. Maybe things would have been simpler if I took a different path. Then again, I wouldn't have met Mia.

Lily's thoughts ran wild as the hours slowly ticked away, and it was long past midnight when she finally fell asleep.