It's Not How It Seems (INHIS)

Chapter 1: A little bit of past

"You-you're what?"

"I-I don't feel like a girl anymore, and I, um, would prefer if you referred to me using, uh, they and them."

"So... you're not... do you not feel like a guy, either?"

"No. I-I don't feel like either, so I'm asking you to use they and them for my pronouns."

"Oh. Okay, I guess. Will... I mean, does Regula know?"

"Only you know. I was, um, hoping that you could-- that you could come with me maybe to tell her...?"

There was a flicker of hesitation before the blue-eyes girl nodded. "Of course."

*

"What do you mean, you don't feel like either?"

Dani fiddled with their jagged strand of black hair, refusing to acknowledge Regul's dark eyes burning a hole into them. "I don't feel like a girl anymore, but, um, I dont feel like a guy either, so--so I think I'm neither."

Regula sat back in her plush black chair, expression blank. She hummed. "Interesting," She muttered, more to herself than the two seated in front of her.

The air thickened with tension, so much so that Lucy took the risk and spoke without permission.
"That's it, right?"

Regula waved a hand, gaze finally slipping off of Dani and to the pile of paperwork neatly stacked on her desk. There was a faint click of a ballpoint pen before she continued her work.

A dismissal. Thank god.

Dani and Lucy left with a muffled, "Thank you for your time," From Dani, and the screech of the door closing behind them.

*

Lucy screamed into the karaoke mic a crude song, raising a roar from the crowd. It was quiet before a few drunken people started belching out the lyrics, a good second off beat. Dani grinned at her best friend.

The bouncers of the club had been part of the Assassins, and had known Dani and Lucy. That, and the fake ID's made by Regula had allowed the two to come by here too often to be healthy. Dani usually didn't get too drunk, but Lucy would drink herself into a stupor every damn time.

Dani was brought back to their senses by a dancing couple just about slamming into them. Luckily, they had forgone heels for flats this time, and didn't topple over. They sighed through their nose, letting themself have a few more seconds of gawking before slipping through the crowd.

By the time Dani had managed to get through the crowd, the song was nearly over, and Lucy was already drunkenly walking off the stage.

"Hey! Lucy, we need to get going, you know we have tutoring--" Dani was cut off by Lucy just about falling into her arms. "Lucy! Come on, get up, let's go,"

"Mmmm," She responded with a hum, leaning heavily against Dani as they walked out.

They had somehow managed to get through the dorms without being stopped, and had just reached Lucy's door when a voice drawled out from the doorway near the end of the hall.

"You two mind explaining why you're back so late?" Jexi was propped against the doorframe, arms crossed, though her silver eyes danced with amusement.

Dani shifted, making Lucy look up and grin. Lying was their weak point, and Jexi, the asshole, knew that. "We were... out,"

"Out where? Dont tell me you were at that dumbass club again," Jexi looked up and down the hall for anyone, then cupped her mouth and whispered, her eyes comically wide. "Drinking!"

Lucy grinned broadly at Jexi, eyes looking past her, and muttered something like, "Our secret, Jexi,"
Their laughter filled the hall before Lucy copied Jexi and cupped her mouth, then whispered, "Wanna know another secret?"

Jexi bit her lip and nodded, clearly struggling to keep a straight face.
Lucy turned and-- only giving Dani a split-second to stop her-- sloppily kissed Dani on their cheek. They turned a bright red, covering their face while Jexi burst out laughing, likely waking anybody sleeping. Lucy only looked pleased with herself, though her cheeks were as bright as Dani's.

It wasn't long before Aniol, Jexi's partner in her Exam Mission, came stumbling out of her room that he absoloutley was not supposed to be in. He squinted his coffee brown eyes at the three in the corridor before shaking his head and grinning.

Mussing up Jexi's dark, medium-length hair, he said, "You're missing the best part of the movie." His strong Polish accent mixed with his unusually deep voice made it hard for still slightly drunk Dani to understand him.

Jexi rolled her eyes. "You mean the part where the good guys win?"

"Of course,"

Jexi smiled at Aniol, eyes alight with something Dani couldn't place. Beside them, Lucy had started mumbling the silly children's rhyme about trees and kissing, though Lucy had replaced kissing with something much more vulgar.

"Well, you two should go to bed, since you have tutoring in the morning. And don't think Aniol and I will go easy on you just because you're hungover." Jexi gave the the two a final grin before pulling herself and Aniol inside the room, shutting the oak door.

Dani sighed, turning to Lucy to find her already at her own oak door, fumbling with her key. Dani was drunk enough that it was still hard for her to gently take the key from Lucy and put it in without her hands shaking.

Dani finally stuck the key in and turned the knob, opening the door with Lucy at her side.

*

"God, I thought those two were better than that,"
"I know, right? Dani was always a bit off, but I thought we raised Lucy differently!"
"It's just so--"
"Shush! They're right there!"

A hush fell over the greenhouse as Dani and Lucy pushed through the plastic flap entrance, hands threaded.

They looked up to find most in the greenhouse staring at them. Dani looked down, their cheeks turning a bright red. Lucy glared at each of them until they looked away, suddenly interested in the
Phyllostachys edulis, otherwise known as moso bamboo.

The two walked towards the bright flowers, sunlight gleaming off a few of their mirror-like petals. The few people standing there quickly found other places to be with muttered, "Excuse me,"--s. The last person to walk by Dani half-shoved their shoulder with his own broad one, hissing, "Queer," under his breath.

Lucy's expression turned to anger in a second, but Dani hastily shook their head. "Dont start another fight, Lucy. Come on, look at the pretty flowers."

Lucy's lips pursed before she sighed and nodded, expression softening.

*