Luminary Institute

64: The Deity of Sleep

Angelica managed to finish her entire presentation within an hour. Thus, once dismissed, the entirety of Class Zero made a beeline for the dorms once more. Everyone dispersed like fish into the sea. Conversation blew away into the morning wind. Ryker and Electra, in particular, seemed ready to collapse at any moment. 

Nyssa couldn’t help but smile as she watched everyone sprinting back to the dorms in front of her. For once, everyone understood the state of enlightenment she lived in everyday! 

They’re finally opening their eyes to the glory of napping. The warmth of the bed... the gentle tickle of the sun... the soft mattresses, the cozy blankets, the chaotic dreams... 

She felt her own head swirl with fatigue as her own train of thought derailed itself, crashed through several buildings, and exploded. Her mind leapt from topic to topic as she stumbled along behind Celeste. As they all arrived in the first floor lobby area, she turned towards the others and bobbed her head up and down. “Hope everyone has a good nap, sleep well.” 

Albion, Titus, and Conrad, though tired, perked up from this quiet cheer. 

“Oh my god, the goddess of sleep blessed us!” 

“I think I'm about to have the most restful sleep I’ll ever have in my life, these types of opportunities don’t come so easily.” 

“Is there anything I’m supposed to do to repay this divine favor?! Do I kowtow on the ground? Are we supposed to clean a shrine every day now?” 

Nyssa ignored the cheers. Drawn to her room through the magnetic attraction between her butt and her bed, her mind filled with nothing but thoughts about her bed. 

---

Sun shone through a faint crack in the blinds. A white-haired girl rolled over. With her arms wrapped around a pillow, her shoulders rose and fell as the sound of her slow breaths filled the room. 

10:58 am. Two minutes before the phone on the nightstand reached its preset alarm time, Nyssa’s eyes cracked open, still cloudy from the gentle embrace of sleep. Her delicate lips widened to let a yawn through. 

Stretching her arms outward, she grabbed her phone, turned off the still-yet-ring alarm, and stuck a leg out from under the covers. Shocked awake by the cold, her eyes regained clarity and her body stiffened before stretching outward to banish the last traces of sleepiness. One set of stretches later, she clambered out of bed like a monkey and pulled on some comfortable clothing. 

I have to get at least a little packing done before lunchtime... but also I should get dressed and put on some makeup before I get lunch with Celeste... 

She clenched her fist and psyched herself up with a small smile. I have to work hard for Celeste... right? Yeah.... yeah! I can’t just slack off... 

The next hour saw Nyssa’s room filled with activity. She packed a carry-on sized suitcase while following Angelica’s provided packing list. Clothes-wise, several warmer outfits occupied the vast majority of her luggage. She skipped the next item on the list though: power-conforming suits. Transforming her fingernail into a graphite-tipped claw, she scratched off the item. That’s... for Albion, Celeste, Titus, and the like, right? I already have some equipment from dad that makes my clothes fine... 

Next came some school supplies, for if Angelica wanted them to take some notes or have a lecture session. Then, she filled the remaining spaces in her suitcase with a couple snacks, a pack of cards, and a few extra articles of clothing to ensure she could maintain optimal napping temperatures at all times, in all settings. 

With twenty minutes to spare, Nyssa breathed out a sigh of relief as she took a seat in front of her mirror. She pulled out her makeup, set it out across the table, and steadied her hand. Pausing, she shuffled around her makeup into a few combinations ranging from a potential ‘heavy’ look to a near ‘makeup less’ look. 

In the end... after staring at the makeup with an intense glare, she decided on a lighter look. Enough where any onlooker could tell she had makeup on, but reasonable enough to do in the time she had. 

Slow hand movements... patience. You’re being genuine, Nyssa, you’re actually doing the makeup instead of transforming it onto your face... yeah... patience, think of Celeste. 

Once done, gathered her makeup, put it back in its respective drawers, and slipped a couple pens into her bag in case she needed to touch something up in the bathroom. With her bag packed and items put away, she stood in front of her mirror one last time, patting herself on the back and puffing her chest out just a touch as a faint smug smile appeared on her lips.

I got a lot more done than I was expecting... 

Slipping out from her dorm room, she waited in the hallway by her door. She leaned against the wall and stared off into space, only checking her phone a couple of times as their agreed upon meeting time inched closer and closer. 

Celeste’s door eased open with a slight creak, and, without realizing it, Nyssa perked up as a smile appeared on her face. Once Celeste walked over, she extended her arms out. “Hug please!”

“Of course!” Celeste laughed, running her hand through Nyssa’s hair while squeezing her into a hug. “I didn’t make you wait long did I?”

“Nope, barely waited at all,” Nyssa melted into Celeste’s arms. “You’re so warm, I could hug you forever I think.” 

“Well, I wouldn’t mind,” Celeste smiled, enjoying the feeling of Nyssa in her arms for a moment before letting go. “Sadly, we should eat some lunch, we have a long day in front of us after all.” 

“You’re… right, yeah,” Nyssa sighed as she let go of Celeste. As they walked down the hallway to the stairs, she grabbed onto Celeste’s hand, lacing her fingers and squeezing a couple times. “Where to for lunch? You did mention a couple places, but I uh… don’t remember very well. But I’m also fine with any place, so you choose.”

“No worries, I’ve been meaning to try the trendy salad place on campus for a while now, but there’s also the newly opened noodle place, and there’s also the pizza place we go to as a class quite often,” Celeste counted out the places on her fingers. “Anything that strikes at your heart? Or should I say stomach in this case?”

“How about… noodles then? I’m uh… really not feeling a salad right now sorry, but I still could eat one if you want one,” Nyssa shrugged, with an awkward glance to the side. “I’m fine with anything really…”

“Noodles it is,” Celeste smiled, pulling Nyssa along as they switched paths. “Don’t worry, I love noodles too.”