The next morning, Séraphine opened her eyes and stared at her bedroom ceiling. Her body felt strange and somewhat stiff, but she was too drowsy to think clearly at first. Then, she remembered.
"I didn't sleep alone!" When she turned her head to the right, she saw a head of blonde hair. Élodie was still asleep and had hugged her arm during the night, pressing it against her body as she breathed slowly.
Unlike Francisca, the blonde had to borrow clothes from Séraphine, so she was currently wearing a white shirt that was long enough to cover most of her upper body and part of her thighs.
The witch stared at her silently for a long time, even smiling softly. Despite her tiredness and sleepiness, she had stayed up chatting with Élodie and Francisca all night, falling asleep quite late in the early morning hours.
This was actually the first time the three of them had an open conversation, and even better, it was the first time the warrior and the witch spoke at length.
Although they had danced and chatted two nights ago, that conversation had been short and unimportant in comparison. However, last night, they were finally able to get to know each other.
Without the risk of a dangerous environment or the threat of an enemy who could split them in two with a single move, Séraphine was able to learn a few things from Élodie, either by hearing them directly or by noticing them with her keen eyesight.
As a detective, she should know how to read people. She wouldn't normally use that ability during a nighttime conversation, but lately, she had realized that she was paying a lot of attention to the blonde.
She paid attention to the gestures she made at key moments: how she touched the edge of her lip when she was about to tell a funny story, how she blushed when the conversation turned to spicy topics, and how she blinked exaggeratedly yet naturally when she heard something amazing.
These details caused Séraphine's smile to grow wider until it suddenly became stiff. Why? She didn't understand her current emotional state. Wasn't it simply that Élodie was pretty? She had seen many beautiful women in her life!
But her feelings upon seeing her in person were not just a reaction to the warrior's beauty. Although she studied the Immaterial and had a lot of social experience, there were some things she could not understand or identify because she had not experienced them herself.
Without the risk of a dangerous environment or an enemy who could split them in two with a single move, Séraphine could learn a few things from Élodie, either by hearing or by noticing with her keen eyesight.
As a detective, how could she not know how to read people? Of course, she wouldn't normally use that ability during a conversation at night, but lately, she had realized that she was paying a lot of attention to the blonde.
She noticed certain gestures she made at key moments: how she touched the edge of her lip when she was about to tell a joke, how she blushed when the conversation turned to spicy topics, and how she blinked excessively when she heard something amazing.
This made the smile on Séraphine's face grow wider until it suddenly became stiff. Why? She didn't understand her current emotional state. Wasn't it simply that Élodie was pretty? She had seen many beautiful women in her life.
But her feelings upon seeing Élodie were not just a reaction to the warrior's beauty. Although she studied the immaterial and had a lot of social experience, there were some things she could not understand or identify because she had not experienced them herself.
'I'm not sick, so why is my heart racing, and why do I have these strange feelings in my stomach?' thought Séraphine. She let out a sigh and felt slightly uncomfortable since the blonde had been standing on her arm for quite some time.
The witch tried to pull her arm out and succeeded. Then, she stroked the warrior's blonde hair and felt those unfamiliar sensations come back stronger than before.
'Maybe I should explore this further. Isn't this how those silly characters in novels feel? Will this help my research?' the brunette wondered, smiling slightly again as she found a way to make her situation seem less strange.
She was not yet mentally ready to accept the implications of those emotions, but seeing how Élodie continued to sleep peacefully while she combed her hair made her heart skip a beat.
She decided to turn her head to look to her left and saw Francisca. Unlike Élodie, Francisca had wrapped her legs around Séraphine's body and was still asleep.
At that moment, however, as if sensing the witch's gaze, the redhead's eyes opened and made eye contact with her. Séraphine realized that the alchemist's eyes were black, not red as she had always seen them.
"Is this the first time you've seen me without my contacts?" Francisca murmured, her eyes half-closed and her voice sleepy.
Her hair was tousled, and her long locks spread across her body and the bed, even more abundant than the witch's and the warrior's. In this respect, she far surpassed the other girls.
"Actually, yes. I thought your eyes matched your hair," Séraphine replied softly. This caused the redhead to smile playfully.
"I had to make them match. I've used them so much that people don't realize my eyes are like anyone else's in my home country," the alchemist said, looking down and noticing that she was very close to the witch, their legs touching.
Luckily, she was wearing pajamas consisting of a brown blouse and pants decorated with colorful squares, which prevented her skin from touching Séraphine's and making the situation even more embarrassing.
"Your normal eyes are beautiful," the witch complimented her. It was actually true, and because of her sincerity, Francisca laughed softly and covered her mouth with her hand.
"It seems you have a strong charm, Séraphine! Do you want to wrap me up, too? I already ended up in your bed with another woman," replied the redhead in a lilting tone. This caused Séraphine to roll her eyes. She understood the subtext, and she also laughed because she found it funny.
"So, I've achieved more than many people. I know some who would be envious of my current situation," the brunette said, taking advantage of Francisca's words to boost her own ego. This caused the redhead to click her tongue.
"I saw how you were staring at her. Do you like that girl?" the alchemist asked bluntly, trying to interrupt the witch's self-congratulation.
This question made Séraphine fall silent and tense. Something clung to her right arm again, making it feel tight. However, her mind was too chaotic to think about that detail.
"I like her. I just... There are things I don't quite understand," the brunette replied sincerely but vaguely. However, this was enough for Francisca, who sat on the bed looking at Élodie, who remained with her eyes closed.
"Well, I suppose that's the best answer I can get for now since you've only just met. But... I'll be watching~" commented the redhead as she patted Séraphine's slightly visible abdomen. Her blouse couldn't completely cover her torso.
Séraphine wore only a pink blouse and shorts to sleep, which were comfortable enough for the night. The witch's long, black hair scattered around her head, adorning the scene before the alchemist's eyes.
'Damn beautiful. Is this the charm of a witch? It doesn't seem like a special ability. It's just her inherent nature, fascinating.' Francisca's eyes narrowed slightly while Séraphine, still feeling nervous, sat up in bed.
She noticed that someone had grabbed her arm. When she shook it, there was a lot of movement that ended up "waking up" Élodie, whose cheeks were red and who seemed quite lucid, even though she had been sleeping just a moment ago.
She sat down next to the other women on the bed, crossed her legs, and yawned. Francisca smiled at her, her eyes sparkling with amusement. Séraphine glanced at her bare legs.
Élodie's physique was impressive! As a warrior, her muscles were more visible and pronounced than Séraphine's, but she wasn't overtrained. Her body retained its beauty, giving her a wild temperament.
Her long legs always caught the witch's attention, something she couldn't deny. After all, she had been quite impressed by them when she saw them in the newspaper.
In fact, Séraphine noticed that the blonde's appearance generally caught her attention. It wasn't that she was picky; she had even found Madeleine attractive. However, she was more aware of her incipient emotions, which made the witch feel her face flush.
The warrior rubbed her eyes as she looked around. With her tousled blonde hair and blue eyes still showing traces of sleep, she looked like a tigress preening herself.
"I'm still exhausted. I want to keep sleeping," the blonde complained, yawning and stretching her arms while arching her back. This caused her white blouse to rise, revealing her blue panties.
"How can you be sleepy when you slept like a log for hours?" Suddenly, Sasha's voice echoed in the room, and something clicked in the minds of the three women.
They had forgotten Sasha existed until she spoke! However, no alarm bells went off in their heads, especially when they saw the fairy flying toward them with her hands on her hips and her tiny cheeks puffed out.
"It's already noon! Aren't you going to eat or something?" Sasha asked, making Séraphine feel embarrassed. But first, Séraphine wanted to satisfy her curiosity about her memory.
"Okay, Sasha, let us get ready first, okay? I'll make you whatever you want. But I have a question. Why did I forget you?" the witch asked, approaching the fairy and using a soft tone to convince her.
Sasha snorted but couldn't resist Séraphine. She landed on the brunette's shoulder, crossed her legs, and fixed the strand of her short pink hair that was bothering her.
She wore a black dress that accentuated her colors. She was barefoot, and her foot tapped constantly as if following an invisible beat. Her wings fluttered gently a couple of times before resting, showing how relaxed she was.
"How do you think I avoided capture by those greedy humans? A fairy like me has her tricks! One is to use magic dust to cloud people's minds.
You were affected when I used it on those people before going back to your house, Séraphine. But this ability has its downside. If they hear my voice, they'll remember me.
By then, however, I'll be able to use the magic powder for other means of concealment. A queen like me has many resources at her disposal," Sasha replied arrogantly to the witch's question.
The brunette nodded, her eyes shining with interest because she was greatly interested in topics like this. The fairy's ability directly affected people's cognition.
It was part of the immaterial topic she was researching. Besides, who says she can't research this ability and turn it into a spell? Just imagining what she could learn and achieve in this regard excited her.
Of course, the result probably wouldn't be as powerful because it would be an imitation of something intrinsic to a special entity like a Fairy Queen. However, in her hands, it would undoubtedly become an essential tool for her future research.
"There are no records of a Fairy Queen having such an ability. They must be hiding it quite well. Why are you telling us this?" Francisca asked in a serious tone, prompting Élodie, who had finished stretching after waking up, to speak up.
"Because we're partners! I mean, we faced a tough situation together yesterday, and those things bring people together," commented Élodie, who used her experience to explain.
Not only that, but she also felt that her connection with Séraphine had grown stronger and that she had developed a friendship with Francisca. She barely knew them! But fighting together against something terrible had obviously created a budding bond of trust between them, and because of her past affiliation, Élodie was most aware of this.
"What the silly blonde said," added Sasha, causing the warrior to glare at the fairy as if to say, 'I helped you, and this is how you repay me?'
"If used for atonement, it sounds like a very powerful ability, don't you think?" Séraphine asked this pointed question to get more information from the fairy, but Sasha laughed.
"It's a defense mechanism. Similar to the horrible smell of skunks. The magic dust must be made especially for this ability, which consumes aether," Sasha replied. To prove her point, she waved her hand and produced a golden dust that floated in front of her.
"Our magic dust is the bane of fairies, but for me, it's a survival and hiding tool..." The little woman's tone turned somber at this point, and the girls decided not to comment.
The fairies' current situation was troubling, to say the least. They were intelligent; that was beyond doubt. They weren't hostile toward other sentient species or harmful to the environment. They didn't even need a specific habitat to thrive.
Yet, they had been reduced to mere decorations or producers of magical dust. This dust was used in many fields, but was also inhaled by some people due to its strong hallucinogenic effect. It gave consumers a strange and vivid feeling of weightlessness.
Why? Because fairies can't speak. If you can't make yourself heard, you won't be respected. If you don't have respect, you will be degraded. Without a voice, you have no rights, and without expression, you have no opportunity to complain about abuses committed against you.
The fairies understood this truth in the worst possible way. Even when the Tower strove to free these captured beings, they always ended up trapped again.
Of course, there were places where they could officially "work"; Séraphine had seen fairies at O'Connor's bar. However, sadness and pain had permeated this species so deeply that the new generations had never seen a fairy smile.
"We're here for you. Even though you weren't beaten, you were there when they attacked us. How could we let anyone hurt you?" said Élodie, showing her determination on the matter.
"I agree with the police, who are stupid. I couldn't stand by if I saw you in danger. Even if you don't pay me, I'll help you," Séraphine added, putting her hand out to invite Sasha to lean on it.
"Haha, don't you know that I'm the leader of a group that some people might consider a gang?" When Francisca asked this question, she glanced sideways at the police officer present, who looked away as if ignoring her, although the amused smile on her face said otherwise.
"If you're my partner, I'll defend you against anyone, no matter who they are," said the redhead. She watched as Sasha crossed the witch's palm before glancing at each of them.
"I... damn it, I barely met them yesterday. Why do I feel like crying when I hear such corny words?" Sasha murmured with tears in her blue eyes. Both her cheeks and pointed ears turned red as if she were imitating Élodie.
Despite being on the verge of tears, a smile appeared on her face. It was a genuine expression that came from the bottom of her heart. She didn't know these women, but she had fought alongside them. Since they had declared that they would protect her...
"I'll help you with everything I can, too!" Sasha shouted, and, just like before, her voice echoed throughout the room.
Perhaps the adventure team was finally complete because the essence of a team is the support and help its members give each other, as well as the bonds of trust that form between them.
Sasha felt safe around a group of humans for the first time, and she was determined to hold onto the happiness this feeling brought her. If anyone tried to take that away from her...
They would feel the wrath of a Fairy Queen!