Lily and Mia had just gotten back from dinner when Clara arrived. Mia got up from the couch to let her in, while Lily prepared herself mentally for the training that was coming.

The first thing Lily noticed when Clara walked in was that she looked stunning outside the priesthood robes she usually wore. The short skirt and the white blouse she wore did not leave much to imagination.

"Good evening, Your Grace," Clara said as Mia led her in. "Are you ready to start your training?"

"I am, but please just call me Lily, at least in private," Lily responded and Clara nodded as she sat down on the sofa opposite her. Mia sat down next to her girlfriend and invited the priestess to begin.

"I was taught the technique at the temple in the capital. As I explained to you, it relies on a similar mechanic to the one used to check skills. You distance your mind from your body, which reduces the intensity of senses and emotions you are experiencing," Clara explained, waiting for Lily to nod in acknowledgement before continuing. "The tricky part is in not going all the way, like you do when checking skills, so you are still conscious."

"So, how do I go about learning it?" Lily inquired.

"You begin by using the skill checking technique, but ending it before you actually access your soul. Go ahead and try it," Clara said and Lily nodded.

She closed her eyes, repeating the technique that Mia taught her, and her consciousness started drifting away. She tried interrupting the process before it was completed, but to no avail. She found herself in the familiar warm place where she could access her skills. Disappointed, she opened her eyes and sighed in frustration.

"You can't expect to figure everything out on the first try," Mia said, giving her a reassuring squeeze. "Take a moment, and give it another shot when you're ready."

Lily nodded, closed her eyes, and dove back in.

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An hour and five attempts later, Lily had still not succeeded. Her soul kept sucking her in, its pull too strong to resist. She was getting more and more frustrated, despite all the reassurance from Mia and Clara. So far, she had been great at all the soul related stuff she'd been introduced to, and not being able to get this technique to work

sucked.

"Maybe this just isn't for me," she said sourly after another failed attempt.

"Much as I think you are cute when you pout, I don't think you should give up so quickly," Mia said as she ran her fingers through Lily's hair. "I am sure you will be able to make it work if you keep at it."

"Indeed. Perhaps the nature of your divine touched soul makes this harder for you than usual," Clara said, her expression thoughtful. "It's all about timing, and because your soul's pull is stronger than normal, try stopping earlier."

Lily could see the logic in that, and decided to give it another shot.

It's not like I am tired or anything, the skill checking technique is so basic that a child could do it, she thought as she closed her eyes once again.

This time, she didn't tune out the outside world fully, trying to keep a connection. As soon as her consciousness started drifting into her soul, she cut the connection, trying to avoid being pulled all the way in. For a moment, it seemed to work, and she could see her girlfriend sitting next to her in slightly muted colors. She tried speaking out, but as she did, the effect ended and she was brought fully back into the real world.

"I think I had it for a moment, but as soon as I tried saying something, it ended," Lily explained.

"Good job. Learning to speak and act while in that fugue state takes time and practice," Clara said. "The important thing is being able to get there consistently."

Lily nodded and tried repeating the steps again. This time it worked smoothly, and she found herself back in the world of muted colors and muffled sound. It was certainly a change when compared to her heightened senses since her rebirth. It reminded her a little of her existence on Earth, when she could walk through a crowd without feeling like she was being assaulted from all sides. She even managed to get up and walk around the room without much issue, which impressed both Mia and Clara.

"You are certainly a fast learner, once you get going," Clara said as Lily sat back down and ended the effect. "Normally, I would be happy with our progress so far tonight, but I have an idea." She exchanged a devious look with Mia, who nodded in response, and pointed at the large bed in the corner of the room.

"Why don't we make ourselves more comfortable?" she said, and Mia instantly grabbed Lily's hand, dragging her over onto the bed. Lily laid down and the two girls sat down on opposite sides of her.

"Being able to use the technique under normal conditions is all well and good, but you need to be able to pull it off in more stressful and distracting situations,including combat," Clara said slowly. "After all, what's the point of a technique that calms you down if you can't use it if you are excited?"

Lily nodded, not quite sure where Clara was going with this. Mia was grinning, however, which was a worrying sign.

"Now, you're gonna try using it again, but this time, me and your girlfriend aren't just going to sit around," Clara said, unbuttoning her blouse. "Instead, we are gonna try and distract you the best we can."

"And how do you plan to do that?" Lily asked, even though she knew the answer.

In response, Mia started taking off Lily's shirt. "Oh, I think you're gonna enjoy those distractions very much," her girlfriend whispered gently as she undressed her.