Leah comes over and sits across from her.

"So, that story you told me. Was it true?"

Leah frowns. "Yes, of course it was."

"Alright." 

She settles back in her chair, and takes a small breath. "So..." 

"Honestly I'm not sure what to say. I think that... I think that I want to reach out to you, as a - sister, almost, someone who's going through the same things I did and do - but I don't know what to do about it. Swordsmanship training's not going to prepare you for the Academy. Telling you 'don't get involved with people who'll use you' isn't - it's not that easy to judge, in practice. All I can say is maybe... 'it does get easier'. You're working with Aria, and... I think she'll teach you the basics. But it does come back to you in the end."

... It's weird. Seeing someone else who doesn't have a plan, who's clearly winging it as they go along, who didn't expect to get this far...

There really is a sense of kinship there.

"... do you want a hug?"

"You're asking because you want one, right?"

"... Yeah."

"I should decline. I promised not to represent the conservatives and getting you to rely on me for emotional support isn't - going to be the best for you."

"... You think I don't know that?"

Corvina tears up. "Fuck you, hug me. Hug me like a regular human person who wants to comfort a friend and not because of your fucked up politics. If you want to be a friend then be one and don't - don't pretend you can separate things so easily."

She picks up her legs from the floor and hugs them close to her chest.

Leah looks over at Corvina. 

"... it's really been a hard few days for you, hasn't it."

Corvina nods and presses her face into her knees.

"... I shouldn't be here. It was wrong of me to promise. I'm sorry." 

Leah stands up from her chair.

Corvina... sniffles and takes a shaky breath and shakes her head. 

"No," she says. "I - can tell you're trying - and -" 

She wipes her eyes with her arm, and stands.

"Please?"

She spreads her arms.

It is absolutely dishonorable to hug her here.

It is wrong. It's breaking a promise to Corvina and to herself. 

But god damn it she is asking for it. 

Can't she just be herself for a moment, and not just Indigo's tool?

Can't she have this? 

Leah turns away. 

"I'm sorry," she says. "I... I can't hug you, not without breaking my promise. I've already done too much. I'm sorry."

Audrey lowers her arms. 

"Oh," she says. "So it's like that, then."

Leah steps over to the door and rests her hand on the handle.

"I'm sorry," she repeats. "I - I can't be your comfort and the conservatives' messenger simultaneously and it was stupid to offer."

Corvina tackles her from behind and hugs her fiercely. 

"Shut up," she says. "I release you. I - I accept the consequences, whatever they might be. I just. I need someone right now, and I can tell that you're the right kind of person, and I just -" 

She buries her face against Leah's back and cries helplessly.

Leah stiffens. 

What do you even say to that? 

She barely knows this girl. 

She's supposed to seduce her.

And she's... succeeded almost entirely by accident. 

What can she do?

What makes that right?

She takes a long, slow breath, and peels Corvina's arms off her.

"Corvina," she says firmly. "It doesn't work like that. I swore it, and I meant it."

She carefully turns around. "Do you understand?"

Corvina sniffles. "Yeah, I understand that you're being a - a chivalrous idiot." 

She swallows hard. "I know you're supposed to be - seducing me for the conservatives, or whatever - but I'm asking you right now as a fellow human being to please shut up that stupid honorable voice in your head and just please hug me right now thank you."

... she knows, and she wants it anyway. 

Leah settles one hand very lightly on Corvina's shoulder.

... If she walks away from this now, Corvina will just want it more. 

That's not a service to her. 

That's not right.