Freya lived a fairly average university life. She was by no means a straight A student, neither was she close to failing any classes. She partied, but not too hard and not every night nor every week. Importantly, she was happy. She emerged from her accommodation building satchel strung over shoulder ready to take on the day.

A new semester was hitting the Royal University campus. This would be her first actually living on campus. Her first year she stayed at home, it was only a forty minute drive, but a new experience seemed rather appealing. Plus having a space entirely her own could perhaps lead to less awkward encounters of the non-child like kind. 

Birds chirped as the sun rose passed one of the brick buildings in the east. Trees swayed and rustled in the light breeze accompanying the bird song as a percussionist accompanies a flutist. Most other students wore earbuds or headphones, but something about the sounds of nature truly helped Freya feel connected to the world around her. Secretly, she also loved to pick up on bits and pieces of gossip and create myriads of tales surrounding them. Today one boy was pleading to what Freya assumed was his girlfriend. Freya connected the likely dots but pretended that the girlfriend had found a stash of peanuts under the loose floorboard in the bedroom. Something the girlfriend was highly allergic to. They’d been together for five years and only just moved in, oh my how could he be so selfish. Freya giggled to herself at the mild absurdity. It was a palpable excitement in the air though as everyone rushed to classes or meandered for coffees. A stark contrast to end of semester aura of exhaustion and dismay. 

Eventually she reached her destination; one of the more modern buildings on campus. It was only five years old created specifically for the sciences. Sleek grey panelling encased large glass panes; both these designs and the original buildings were appealing to Freya, even if for different reasons. This was going to be her first lecture in a second year astronomy class. Though not a deep interest, it was rumoured to being a bit of a bludge subject and with elective points up her sleeve Freya figured she would explore the stars (so to speak). 

There was already a handful of students inside by the time she arrived to the auditorium. A light chatter echoed together in the room making it nigh impossible to pick apart anything of interest. Slightly dismaying. Freya shrugged and looked across the crowd. Seating plans didn’t exist, but it was a truth that many students liked a certain consistency and a seat selected day one likely wouldn’t change. It was also a chance  to make a friend. Her eyes scanned seeing a corner of disinterested boys at the back, a sporadic assortment of over eager looking people and a group of girls down the front. Her stomach sank a little, there wasn’t anyone quickly catching her eye as a fun friend to make. She knew not to judge a book by its cover, but still, it was nice to try and find someone that seemed appealing. Nearly resigned to a fate of having someone choose to sit next to her (Freya was expecting the auditorium to fill up considerably more with how popular the course was,) she began to trudge towards the stairs, but then the door swung open.

Swung implies a large push, it wasn’t like that. It was in fact a very normal opening of the door. No grand announcement, nothing. Just your average run of the mill push, but, the one doing the pushing made Freya’s heart skip a beat. A young woman, similar in age to Freya if not the same, walked into the room. Raven black hair with purple ends framed a face of elegant beauty. Black lips sat under a thin nose that barely had to work to keep perfectly spaced rich blue eyes apart. The woman wore a dark brown blouse and black skirt adorned with golden trails of thread resembling a kintsugi bowl. A thin chain hung over the edge of the skirt. The blouse did little to hide the well endowed chest. It wasn’t anywhere close to popping out, but it was there all the same. The woman quickly scanned the crowd before finding a wall seat with as few people around as seemingly possible.

Freya nodded to herself. Now or never. With a feigned confidence she strode up the stairs towards the row and began edging along it. A quick glance revealed the woman was watching her. Up and down her eyes travelled. Drinking in everything. Freya blushed as she became acutely aware of how underdressed she was in comparison. A white tee and jean shorts. It wasn’t anything atrocious. It was simple. Comfortable. But it wasn’t eye catching. In this moment, Freya wanted to be eye catching. Maintaining a rhythm of movement was tough when each step felt infinitely scarier than the last. But then a faint scent of rose, sandalwood, and a touch of something else greeted Freya’s nostrils. Somehow, it helped her to feel a little calmer. Unknowingly, her hand had clasped around her leather satchel strap. It was like peeling a banana peel from the banana as her sweat stuck slightly. She wiped it off as best she could as she stood above the woman. 

“Hi I’m Freya, do you mind if I sit here?” She said a little too quickly.

The woman brought a hand to her chin momentarily before speaking. Freya had been so lost in her own anxiousness she hadn’t imagined a voice, but she doubted that she would’ve assigned anything as angelic as she heard. The words floated effortlessly. They hung in the air… almost daringly. “Of course not. Lovely to meet you Freya, I’m Beatrice.” She offered a slender hand with dark pointed nails.

Freya shook it quickly noting just how smooth the skin was. Her hand tingled as they slid apart, part of her yearning to hold on a little longer. A lust had formed in her mind. A lust like no other. 

“Is everything alright? You look a little red?” There it was again. The angelic melody cooing in her ears. A teasing undertone as though she was purposefully luring Freya in. 

Freya met Beatrice’s beautiful blue eyes. There was no concern behind them. Freya didn’t know what emotion they hid, but they seemed to flare with something. “No. No, perfectly okay. I must have just caught some sun earlier. That’s all.” The redness deepened, burning like coals at the base of a fire.

“Well, do be careful in the future... I would hate to see you damaged, but I do understand how enriching and relaxing the sun can be.” Beatrice lightly stroked Freya’s arm.

Firework-like shivers erupted in Freya’s body.

“O-Oh. I normally am. I was just caught enjoying the atmosphere today.” Freya held Beatrice’s gaze with an attempt to hide her blatant lie. The corners of Beatrice’s mouth curled upwards slightly. A faint smile. It made Freya smile too.

“I understand Frey, getting lost is so easy when you’re enjoying yourself.” The tender arm stroking settled into a rhythm. Her pretty perfume continued to waft between them. With each breath the scent deepened. Each note feeling richer.

Freya found herself blinking while staring at Beatrice. Her eyes were getting awfully heavy. Maybe she hadn’t slept as well as she thought the night before. Beatrice was whispering things to her melodiously but she couldn't quite pick up on what she was saying. Freya was too focused on how exhausted she felt.

“You look tired Frey. It’s okay if you want to rest your head against my shoulder. Just until class starts.” While her arm continued to stroke Freya’s, Beatrice’s other reach around gently guiding Freya’s head to her shoulder. There was no resistance, and it quickly rested like a stone. A small smile along Freya’s lips. “Good girl. That’s it, just relax and listen. I’ll tell you when class starts,” Beatrice whispered.

Freya found Beatrice’s shoulder so easy to rest on. And when she heard Beatrice whisper “Good girl,” her brain all but shut off. She was obviously going to keep listening so she knew when class started. Beatrice’s rich perfume was so potent it quickly overtook any other smell lingering in the room. And the softness of her caresses kept Freya focused on her words that continued to flow like a river into her mind. A river she should accept and drink in. It was such a peaceful and calming river after all. And Beatrice was so soft and kind to help care for this beautiful river that Freya should accept and listen to. The river made Freya happy. Freya was happy with the river.

Freya jumped groggily as voice penetrated the serenity she was in, calling her name excitedly. Lead weights made it nearly impossible to open her eyes, but slowly the auditorium, right, Freya was in the auditorium for a lecture. Not by Beatrice’s river. But the lecture wasn’t starting yet. The room was almost 3/4 full now. Freya was surprised as she hadn’t noticed anyone else entering. A quick turn to Beatrice showed a disgruntled frown as she glared at another guy sitting in the row in front who was turned looking at them. 

“Freya! Hey! I didn’t expect to see you in here. I thought you’d be doing some more difficult subjects.”

Ah. Toby. Freya had shared a handful of classes with him the year before. She was fairly certain he had asked her out a handful of times, but she never took him up on the offer. He wasn’t unattractive by any means, just not her type. Freya guessed he hadn’t gotten the memo.

Before she could answer Beatrice whispered into her ear “It’s alright Frey, wake up.” The words were gentle, but coated in annoyance. Instantly a fog that had been hanging over her mind cleared. A sudden rush of the increased chatter around them threatened to overwhelm Freya’s ears if not for the continued stroking of her arm from Beatrice.

“Ah Toby. I did choose some harder subjects this semester and wanted something a little easier to back them up. Plus I am expecting a very full load next semester.”

“Oh cool! We’ll have to share timetables sometime. Maybe study together?” He winked. Whether purposely or not, Toby completely ignored Beatrice. His entire attention was wholly focused on Freya. He continued to drone on about something, but Freya had zoned out from him as she focused on the fingers against her arm. How soothing they were. How relaxing they were. How easy they were to follow. She smiled a little. Her eyes registered Toby’s smile growing tenfold without considering why.

His incessant chattering finally ceased when the professor up front tapped the microphone beginning the lecture. Beatrice’s stroking of her arm slowly came to cease. Though it wasn’t sudden, the shift from touch to nothing jolted Freya’s mind as though a lifeline had disappeared.

Freya shook her head and zoned in to the lecture at hand. A brief fire burned in her cheeks as she scrabbled around in her bag to grab her laptop out to start taking notes. Something that easily could have been done beforehand.

“You can share those notes with me right Frey?” The sultry voice sung quietly in her ear.

“Yes, of course Beatrice,” Freya said near automatically. “I am a good note taker after all. It’s nice of her to notice” Freya thought to herself as she began to type away. She was so focused on taking a good set of notes, that there was no notice taken of just how inattentive Beatrice was. The lecture flew by. It was only introductory stuff anyway. Fire exits, expectations of study, general course overview, yada yada. 

A familiar petting of Freya’s arm tore her attention back to Beatrice as the lecture wrapped up. Her silken words dripped honey in her mind as she whispered “Won’t you join me after class my dear?”

Freya near whimpered as she felt her body clinch with a wave of bliss. A voice in her mind was whispering. She wanted to. Desperately. But she had class. “It would be lovely Beatrice, but I have my class straight after. I find it easier getting everything done in one fell swoop and having the rest of the day off.”

A look of shock and disgruntlement flashed across Beatrice’s face. Freya recoiled slightly as the stroking of her arm halted. It quickly resumed as Beatrice’s face turned gentle once more. “I understand. I’ll see you next week then? Make sure to arrive early so we can catch up.”

Freya nodded. She would arrive early next week so the two could catch up. The pair stood and embraced in a tight hug. Freya didn’t realise that Beatrice was nearly a foot taller and found her head nestled against the ample cleavage. Not that she was complaining. They were so soft, and the aroma of Beatrice’s perfume clung to them with such vigour and such allure that Freya couldn’t ward off a smile. 

“Best get to class now Frey.” The words were stern. Commanding. Freya knew they were right. She nodded dreamily as she broke the hug and began to walk away. She stopped at the end of the row, taking one last deep breath savouring the scent of Beatrice before finally leaving. Freya felt strange. Not in a bad way, nor in a good way either. Simply strange. As the fog in her mind began to evaporate into the ether she began to understand why. Something had happened in that auditorium. What exactly? She could not be sure yet, so she mulled over the events.

Arrived, perused for a seat… and then beautiful Beatrice. A sly smile toyed at her lips as she pictured the woman. Imagining her perfume coiling around her like a snake does its prey. Her loving touch like that of an owners to a pets. “A… a pet? Did I just equate myself to a pet?” Freya almost felt disgust at the thought. And something deeper. She shivered. 

Upon finding her classroom she joined a table with some others that looked at least somewhat interested in learning something. Normally she would talk to the others, perhaps form a group chat on social media. Somewhere to discuss the class. Today her mind was preoccupied; trying to unravel the mysteries of the auditorium. A futile affair thus far; Something to be dissected before their next encounter though. Definitely.