On August 20th, Mia had been given a map of Urasaria, declined Aimee's escort, and was stepping up to the first-year building when a muscular, orange-haired woman opened the door for her.

"Thank you." said Mia, and the woman nodded as she followed beside down the hall.

"No problem. You a first-year?"

"Yes."

"Cool." she chimed. "Me too, uh. Sylvia. Still got a few minutes until orientation."

Sylvia thought Mia was attractive, but admittedly thought that about every female student she'd seen so far. Thinking herself slick, she'd resolved to keep her options open.

"Mia." said Mia. "Er, are they going to assign mentors today?"

"Think so." nodded Sylvia as they walked. "Probably going to ask us if we've used our Revenants. Heard they uh, do that every year, sincs it's technically illegal."

"I - it is?"

"Yep. Remember in highschool orientation? It's like -"

" - er - sorry, I didn't have a Revenant in highschool -"

" - o-oh." laughed Sylvia. "Sorry. They did that then too, yeah. But - sorry. I don't think anyone actually gets in trouble for it, though."

"I suppose." nodded Mia. "Er, I only became a host last week."

"Nice. Did you buy one, or -" - Sylvia winced - " - sorry, I'm being kinda nosy. New school jitters. Especially this one."

"It's alright." laughed Mia. "But it's … a bit complicated."

"Nice."

Mia nodded as they came up to the double doors at the end, and Sylvia opened them to the empty gymnasium. The first-year students were lined horizontally, facing the second-years with Hirogane & Saya standing between them. Mia saw the redhead student from earlier in the second-year line.

Hirogane counted down the first-years. He had run this for twenty years; he rarely bothered double-checking now. "I assume all of you broke the law and tested your Revenants. If you haven't, talk to me - I can suggest a career in a parish."

Nothing but silence & Sylvia's elbow prodding Mia.

"My name is Hirogane. If you get injured, come see me or Saya in the infirmary immediately. I don't ask questions, so long as you and your mentor are alive." He yawned. "...during your first year at Urasaria, you'll be given an experienced mentor. They'll teach you how to use your Revenant, hunting down scum, and what protocol to follow."

A black-haired Japanese woman with thick eyebrows muttered something in the second-year line. Mia watched her brush an eyeball off her shoulder, no disgust coming at the gore.

Hirogane took a tablet out. "Second-years, starting with… Marisa Gwynvere. You're assigned to Mia Schultz."

A woman with long black-hair & a frilled rainbow dress came up from the line. Mia felt Sylvia tense beside as Marisa grinned at them.

"Mia-Mia! Come with me."

Mia stumbled forward and felt a bit embarrassed, but quickly figured the rest were probably staring at Marisa too. The two set off to a wall with a rack of melee weapons, and she noticed Marisa's badge read 'LAVENDER MENACE'.

"Sooo, nice to meet you." chimed Marisa. "All good to summon your Revenant?"

"E-Er, nice to meet you, as well. I-I believe so. Should I summon it now?"

"Sure thing."

Mia nodded, Worldwide's scarabs appearing on her sleeves. "Worldwide. Er, I believe they only can burst in to flames."

"Cool." said Marisa, having known it already. "Kinda gross, but neat, like. So. I don't want to tell you mine yet, 'cause - I want us to duel first, and you can try to, like counter me. Right? Remember, hosts are pretty durable, so - don't be afraid of hurting me too bad."

Mia pressed her nerves down. "Y-Yes, er - is there something that would be well-suited? To a fire Revenant?"

"I - yes. Is there, er - something that would be well-suited?" chimed Mia, pressing her nerves down. "To a fire Revenant?"

Marisa shrugged. "We can just start with a sword for now."

Mia nodded, picking one off the rack, and felt oddly familiar handling one.

"Just be careful with it, right?" chimed the fashionista, and ripped part of her dress's fabric out, sword forming as it hardened.

"A-Alright."

"Let's go!" said Marisa, and in the next instant -

- the two clashed with metal and rainbow blade, more familiar rushing in to Mia, grip & balance returning to her as Marisa's blade shot back -

- and her too-slow swipe caught only the flat of Mia's blade; a swift bash threw Marisa's sword off of her, and in a single sweep seeking her torso -

- that cleaved halfway through her dress and stopped right before her skin, Mia grunting as her sword swept out again -

" - Boudoir!" shouted Marisa; a dozen rainbow strands erupted out of her dress, pulling Mia's sword back in -

- and her dress hardened to trap the blade within the fabric -

- but a swift fire scarab set Mia's blade alight, forcing Marisa to release it as the two stepped back again. Mia swept her left palm over her blade, snuffing out the orange flame & leaving the metal heated as they clashed again. Inch by inch, the pressure of Marisa's strikes forced her further back, and as she swept back & against the wall -

- another rainbow web erupted out of Marisa's dress -

- but Mia swept left just in time to avoid it as it stuck against the wall. Scarabs swarming her wrists, her blade clashed with Marisa's again as the fashionista stomped down -

- and a strand from below yanked Mia on to her back; Marisa's blade craned her down as the two grunted, pressing hard against the other -

" - sure you wanna block like that?" said Marisa -

" - w-what?" grunted Mia -

- and the next scene was instant. Boudoir's sword softening, Mia's blade split it in half -

- and two Boudoir halves were at her neck in the next, swift strand coiling around her blade and leaving a grinning Marisa. "I can change Boudoir's consistency, so, like -"

- two fire scarabs flew in to Marisa's gloves and burst open -

- and the orange flame burnt clear holes through Marisa's gloves & hands; she shrieked as she staggered back -

- and Mia's blade was at her throat a second later.

"S-Shit." laughed Marisa.

"I - what -" - Mia's eyes widened as she saw the dripping holes, ghastly apertures with charred veins - " - I - are - are you alright -"

" - I'll be fine." chimed Marisa, stepping back and head turning. "Saya!"

Saya came up to them, and Blackburn refilled their wounds.

"All good." chimed Marisa, and Saya nodded, eyes on Mia.

"Is Worldwide working alright?"

"Apparently." grinned Marisa, and Mia nodded.

"It is. Thank you."

Saya nodded and left. The grisly image had already passed from Mia's mind, and she wondered if that was Worldwide too.

"…man, though." laughed Marisa, turning back. "You're really good with a sword. Did you practice before today?"

"I-I haven't." laughed Mia. "Er - could that be the Revenant?"

"Maybe. Like, if you have - I mean, it definitely helps, but some Revenants give you experience like that, too. Like, if you can summon a sword or something. It might just, like, be the general fitness or whatever, though. Uh. I wanna try something, too Can you, uh…" Marisa ripped a ball from her glove, handing it to Mia. "Try to set this on fire."

"Alright." nodded Mia, and a single scarab set it alight -

- and was just as quickly snuffed, Marisa nodding as Boudoir's ball hardened. "Sweet. Yeah, so like, I can extinguish for you and all that too, right?"

"That sounds good, yes."

"Sweet. Let's train more, Mia-Mia."

+++

Two hours later, Mia-Mia and Marisa walked out of the first-year building. Marisa tried to keep note of anything to tell Aimee later.

"And my classes start tomorrow, right?" said Mia as they walked down the stairs.

Marisa nodded as they came down to the rows of housing. "Yeah. Classes are super easy, though. Like, it's usually about uses for your Revenant and stuff like that."

Mia nodded, admittedly already frustrated over her Revenant's narrowness - but she figured most were at the start. "Er, also. When does my - my paycheck come in?"

"October 1st."

"What?"

"Yeah. You don't get paid until your first month." Marisa winced. "Uh, speaking of…" She turned and pointed near the fourth-year building. "There's a free cafeteria. Never eat there. Just go to - do you know Luna?"

"Yes. Er, and Saya."

Marisa smirked quite homosexually. "Aww, yeah, they're so cute. Did she tell you about where she worked before Urasaria?" Without waiting: "Uh, also, like - before I forget. One-star housing is pretty crappy, but I'm two-star, so, do you want to move in with me for the year?"

"Is that allowed?"

"I won't tell anyone if you don't."

Mia laughed as they came in to her street. "I-I'd like to see my house, first, but - if you have a spare room, then yes."

Marisa nodded. "Believe me, you'll know what I mean."

They came up to Mia's house in the one-star row. Key readied, Mia unlocked it and tried the door -

- and the two burst in to laughter as the doorknob fell off.

" - my first day?!" laughed Mia, already turning -

" - yep -" cackled Marisa - " - like, that happened to me my first day too -"

" - I - you win." said Mia, setting back off with her. "I-I hope your house is better than that."

"Yeeep, it's actually presentable." Marisa laughed again as they left the row.

"Good." Mia smiled and shook her head. "I'll move in, then, y-yes."

As they walked in to the two-star row of presentable housing, Mia remembered that Aimee had come in an hour through their training to talk Marisa off to the side, and asked Marisa if they knew each other. A little nervously, the fashionista shrugged. "Kinda. Uh, mostly when she calls me up to her office."

"When she calls you up to her office?"

Marisa nodded. "It's not her fault, it's just like, something she has to do every time someone gets reported. And I get reported a lot, since..." She turned. "Uh, I guess I should like, get this out of the way. My family lives nearby. They're really struggling, and I've got legal immunity, and I feel bad if I don't..."

"You steal for them?" (Marisa nodded.) "I understand. Completely."

"Yeah. I just - I hate that they can't enjoy life without feeling guilty. So, I steal stuff for them." She paused. "Uh, and for me, too, but that's because our salary sucks, like."

"$500 a month." muttered Mia and Marisa laughed.

"I make $1000, but yeah. Like, being a student sucks sometimes, but you get to have superpowers and be surrounded by other lesbians."

"I did notice your hero name." grinned Mia and Marisa laughed.

"Do you know where it's from?"

"It's - lesbian, isn't it?"

"Yeah. There was some like, feminist group that said they were worried about 'the lavender menace' taking over, so I thought it'd be a cool hero name."

Mia nodded as they went up to a presentable house. Marisa set her glove to the knob, Boudoir's strands unlocking it, and in they stepped to the kitchen, living room across & hall right.

"Much better." said Mia.

"So yeah, like - they'll update your key and mailbox and all that if you want to move in. Uh. Guest room is second to the left."

Marisa led her to the guest room and Mia nodded.

"I'll move in, then. Er, I need to get my stuff out of the infirmary."

"Need any help?" (Mia's head shook.) "Cool. I'm gonna take a shower, but, uh, use these, or..." She ripped her strands off and handed them to Mia. "Or just knock really loud."

"I will. Thank you."

"Sure thing." she said, leaving down the hall.

Mia went outside and left for the infirmary. For a moment, she wondered if Marisa's forwardness was indicative of some crush on her, and resolved to be more assertive this year.