webnovel

Vanishing Embers

In a world full of magic and wonder, Aisha is a girl born without a soul. Bitter and self-loathing, Aisha is unable to experience empathy, rendering her alone. But her life changes when she falls helplessly in love with a kind girl, forcing her to confront challenges she has never before, while grappling with her newfound attachments. Join Aisha as she learns to change and grow, in the midst of a world mired in conflict. Encountering monsters, demons, and worse, she must pull herself up from the depths of despair, to chase the last ember of hope and love she might ever hold. (GL Story)

Lithkren · Fantaisie
Pas assez d’évaluations
116 Chs

A Good Day

"Sorry…" The guild girl offered sympathetically, putting a hand on top of Aisha's. "If you want, I can help you contact other sapphire adventurers…"

.

Aisha just took a deep breath as more arguing blathered on behind her, three voices turning into four voices, into five…

.

"That would be nice." Aisha mumbled. "Thank you."

.

"There's actually a sapphire adventurer in the guild at this moment." The fox suggested. "At the table in the corner, sitting alone."

.

"Who?" Aisha asked, craning her neck to see.

.

Aisha followed a pointing finger towards a timid-looking, short girl, staring uncomfortably at Liberta and Akane's escalating altercation, the argument quickly getting physical. She furrowed her brows, she looked surprisingly… normal, for an adventurer, wearing just a standard jacket and pants, compared to all the other adventurers running around in their full gear.

.

But more importantly,

.

(She's so short!) Aiyu exclaimed in her head. (As short as you are!)

.

(Thanks.) Aisha shot back sarcastically.

.

But it was true. Her feet hardly touched the ground, and she looked almost like a child, looking so uncomfortable and out of place in the massive guild hall.

.

Aisha decided to approach the girl, ignoring the stray glances that she caught as she made her way over. Her bootfalls were masked by the ongoing fistfight in her periphery - Aisha saw a few things, the flash of steel, the flowing, practiced motion of a quarterstaff, and the deadly flourishes of a spear.

.

Nothing that she hadn't seen before. And unimportant, compared to the excitement that welled up in her chest at the sight of the short human in front of her.

.

"Hello." She greeted the small girl, holding out a hand to shake. "Um. My name's Aisha. I heard you were looking for a group?"

.

Aisha was surprised when the girl rose from her seat, standing across from Aisha on the floor and bowing slightly, her thin hands folded in her lap as she did so.

.

"My name is Koga Kageya." She greeted formally. "Thank you... for offering. Um… I… I guess I'm looking for a group…"

.

"You sound… reluctant." Aisha observed, watching the small girl's apprehensive gaze, shifting back and forth from Liberta and Aisha.

.

"It would be rude of me to decline, after you have taken the effort to ask me…" The girl mumbled, her words trailing off at the end of her sentence.

.

Koga's body language was apprehensive at best, and the way that she shuffled her feet, unwilling to meet Aisha's eyes, told the fey all she really needed to know.

.

"You don't have to if you don't want to." Aisha reassured half-heartedly. "It would really help, but I don't… really want to force you."

.

Koga tilted her head curiously at Aisha's affirmation, her gaze curious.

.

"You really mean that, don't you?" She said softly. "Even though you're just looking for people to fill out your group?"

.

"I don't want to make any enemies." Aisha sighed. "I would rather not start with the people I'm going to be doing dangerous shit with…"

.

"Do you even need my services?" Koga asked. "I'm not particularly a fighter. I just have a bit of experience with bows and spells…"

.

Aisha took a small glance at the side of the girl's table, where a small, wrist-mounted crossbow sat, as well as a few gems and scrolls that Aisha had seen a few mages carry around.

.

"Honestly, I'll take anything." Aisha admit. "I'm not particularly good at… making teams, or anything like that… I think it's more important that everybody gets along. I'm sure… with four people, the contracts won't be that difficult."

.

"You think we would get along?" The short hume asked.

.

"Well, we're both short." Aisha responded cheekily. "Our kind have to stick together."

.

Koga smiled at Aisha's lame joke, sitting down and motioning for Aisha to sit across from her. As the fey girl made her way into the seat, Koga removed the tag off her neck, placing it on the table for Aisha to view.

.

"I am kind of new to this." Koga admit. "I'm only a few contracts into sapphire… and I'm still bottom rank… Are you sure you want to take me?"

.

"Er." Aisha scratched her head, fishing her tag out from her pocket. "I mean, that's better than how I'm doing."

.

"Oh." Koga's eyes widened slightly at Aisha's plate. "That's perfect then! We're both the same rank!"

.

"I guess it is." Aisha said, smiling slightly.

.

"Do you have anybody else in your party?" Koga asked. "I know you just came in here with Akane, but…"

.

"No." Aisha shook her head. "Huh? You know the guard?"

.

"Of course." The short mage nodded. "Everyone knows her. She is… well, infamous for her strictness… And her unwavering devotion to the Hokumen commission."

.

"Huh."

.

Koga nodded, staring at Aisha as she mulled over the information. 

.

"Oh, uh…" Aisha said suddenly, remembering Koga's earlier question. "I… I guess I do have someone in mind…"

.

Aisha bit her lip as she turned towards Liberta slowly, the elf woman neck deep in a fistfight against both Akane and Shi'en, the former furious about the elf's indecent conduct, and the latter just angry at the elf's attitude in general.

.

Liberta was winning, somehow - actually, she was winning quite easily, smirking confidently as she fought off both assailants with exaggerated, twisting and spinning motions of her staff, needlessly complicated and most certainly not efficient, but beautiful to look at nontheless.

.

"She is certainly… Strong." Koga mumbled, frowning slightly. "But…"

.

"I'm sure she's not as bad as you think." Aisha reasoned. "She's crass, but she seems like a nice person… kind of…"

.

"It's not that…" Koga mumbled. "Liberta is also infamous in the guild here. She hops from group to group like a grassland toad. She is actually quite desirable for a group - she doesn't particularly care about money, and her abilities are unmatched…"

.

"But?"

.

"But her impulsive nature puts her teammates at risk." Koga continued. "And she doesn't work well with groups… I've heard that she regularly ditches her contracts to chase after consorts…"

.

"I'll protect you if you're in danger." Aisha offered, making Koga smile and blush a bit.

.

"Are you confident in your abilities?" Koga asked. "I'm… I don't know if I could do these contracts alone… But Liberta definitely could…"

.

"I think I could." Aisha smiled. "I'm going to reach diamond rank, so doing something like this should be easy, right?"

.

"Wow!" Koga exclaimed. "Really? Even the greatest adventurers could not do it! Raxas of the west - the great dragonslayer Vega - Orion of the knights of Izec?"

.

"I've actually met some of those." Aisha boasted. "I actually worked for…"

.

The two girls made merry conversation as the fighting in the guild started to die down, both Shi'en and Akane returning to their previous places indignantly, as Liberta laughed triumphantly. The woman herself sat down at her own table, a sizable radius of tables around her completely empty.

.

"Hey!" She shouted at the guild clerk, who visibly winced in response. "Can I get an orange juice pleeease?"

.

"Yes Ma'am." The fox mumbled.

.

Liberta reached into the folds of her tunic, searching for something to play with to occupy her mind, before she felt a hand on her shoulder, small and dainty. Her head snapped to look at the body that was connected to the hand, a reflex that betrayed the careful, practiced caution that was shared amongst most adventurers.

.

"Hey." Aisha greeted. "Wanna-"

.

"Kitty!" Liberta gasped in delight. "You're back! Heehee!"

.

Before Liberta could even manhandle Aisha into her lap, the girl took a bit of initiative and sat down next to the tall elf, bumping her head into Liberta's exposed shoulder. The elf smiled in response, nuzzling Aisha's ears with her nose, her earrings jangling noisily as she cooed with delight.

.

"Wanna join our group?" Aisha offered.

.

"Sure!" Liberta said excitedly. "Wait, our?"

.

Koga waved at the elf nervously, face sinking at the enthusiastic smile that spread across the elf's face at the sight of the girl.

.

"You're so cute too!" Liberta gushed, reaching out her arms to grab the short mage-

.

"Hey." Aisha chided, gripping Liberta's hand lightning fast, stopping the elf before she could harass the timid mage. "Be nice."

.

It was like the world had stopped - nobody had ever tried something so bold with Liberta, the woman's chaotic moods and impulsive nature rendering even a basic conversation with her difficult. For someone to not only touch the woman, but catch her arm?

.

What was going to happen? Would Liberta strike the fey girl? Would she ignore her demand? Or something else, as unpredictable as the elf was? Kaya stiffened, ready to defend her new acquaintance-

.

"Ehhh?" Liberta whined. "I am being nice!"

.

"Ask." Aisha suggested. "You're going to scare people off like that."

.

"But I really want to touch her!" The big elf whined. "Look at her, she's so small and adorable! Like you! I want both of you!"

.

"You can if you're a little patient." Aisha reasoned, motioning for Koga to sit down on the other side of her, the fey girl acting as a buffer between the two women. "Just play nice, for me? I'll let you do whatever you want to me tonight. I'll even cuddle with you on our contracts, okaay?"

.

"Okaay!" Liberta agreed, jumping up from the table. And to the shock of the entire guild, she folded her hands together and bowed to Koga, the short girl's mouth agape with surprise.

.

"My name is Liberta." She greeted mirthfully, smiling brightly like she was holding back giggles. "No last name. It's nice to meet you!"

.

"U-uh…" the short girl stammered, before returning the bow hastily, the movement jerky and fast. "I-I'm Koga Kageya… It's nice to meet you too…"

.

"Koga-san." Liberta smiled. "I look forwards to working with you!"

.

The short girl just kind of stared with her mouth open, much to the amusement of Liberta. She reached a hand out, attempting to touch the girl's hand, but before she could even get close Koga recoiled, hurrying to sit next to Aisha, away from the elf.

.

Aisha took the opportunity to lean her head on Koga's shoulder, a gesture that made the woman blush, but nonetheless, she accepted the affection, leaning back into Aisha and rubbing their shoulders together.

.

Liberta pouted in disappointment, but still smiled at the short little mage, a happy look on Liberta's face.

.

"Awh." She whined. "Looks like i only get one cutie…"

.

"I'm sure you two will get along fine." Aisha reasoned nervously. "Promise me you'll try?"

.

"Okaaaay." Liberta replied childishly.

.

"Okay, Aisha-san." Koga said meekly.

.

Koga stood up and held out a hand gingerly in offering towards Liberta, who, showing a bit of that surprising politeness, took gently and shook, giggling slightly with that big smile on her face. Aisha also smiled slightly as Koga looked upwards into Liberta, her expression relaxing at the sight of Liberta's calm expression.

.

The elf really was very cute - despite her demeanor, Liberta looked like a pure maiden, her platinum-blonde hair framing a thin, somewhat dainty figure - hiding the impulsive, abrasive person underneath. But in terms of looks Aisha doubted anybody would complain.

.

There was a brief second of calm as both women sized each other up - but broken immediately as Liberta yanked Koga violently into herself, smiling mischievously as she wrapped up the petite girl tightly in her arms.

.

"Hey!" Koga shouted half-heartedly, in a tone that suggested more that this was an action that the girl had expected completely.

.

"You smell nice." Liberta giggled, nuzzling the top of the girl's head.

.

"...I suppose, if we're to be in the same group, I-I have to get used to this." Koga mumbled. "But could you… please let go?"

.

"Okay, fine." Liberta pouted, releasing the poor girl, who carefully took a step away from Liberta, just enough as to not be disrespectful to the big elf.

.

Aisha pat Koga on the head with an apologetic smile, making the shorter girl blush - hey, she was shorter than her!

.

"You're tiny." Aisha blurted out.

.

"U-uhh… I guess I am." Koga mumbled, face flushed.

.

"But anyways…" Aisha said, clasping her hands together. "We only need to find one more person! Do either of you know anyone?"

.

Koga shook her head, shuffling her feet slightly to get closer to Aisha. Liberta put a finger on her lip in a thinking gesture, but ultimately also shook her head.

.

"Sorry." Liberta shrugged. "We could always poach someone from Sheen's group?"

.

"...I would rather not." Aisha said, casting a stray glance at the older, larger fey. "I think we've made him mad enough."

.

"Ehhh?" Liberta pouted. "But one of his friends was pretty cute."

.

"I don't think she would want to join us, anyways." Aisha mused. "Considering…"

.

"I'll go ask the receptionist." Koga said quietly, slinking away.

.

Aisha propped an elbow on the table and watched as Koga shuffled away towards the main desk, walking up to the fox woman and saying a few words. Aisha frowned. Even though the room was decently quiet, she couldn't make out a single word she said.

.

"What a timid girl." She mused. "Why'd she say yes, if she was so shy?"

.

"I think I know why." Liberta giggled, amused.

.

"Huh?" Aisha said, turning her head around. "Why do you think?"

.

"It's a secret." Liberta smiled.

.

Aisha let it go, recognizing that there wasn't really a lot she could do to leverage the elf, and more importantly, she just didn't care all that much. But soon after, Aisha felt a pair of arms wrap around her shoulders, pulling her into a soft, warm body.

.

Aisha took a deep breath and smelled the scent of licorice and fields - somewhat exotic, but still pleasant, and light on the senses. 

.

"You don't smell like other elves." Aisha mumbled. "There's no…"

.

"Perfume?" Liberta offered.

.

Aisha nodded, resting her head on Liberta's chest and relaxing. The woman was so soft, and energetic… childlike in a way, but in a playful, cuddly way. Aisha was just drawn to her, like a moth to a flame, and she had kind of an inkling why, but she was more concerned with just… resting.

.

Ah, the heat just felt so nice… combined with the hand on her head, the soft breasts at her back…

.

"I'm back." Koga said stiffly, gazing intensely at Aisha.

.

"Oh." Aisha mumbled, shuffling out of Liberta's strangely comforting embrace. "What did the fox say?"

.

"That's actually very disrespectful." Koga frowned. "The proper term is Vurana."

.

"Oh. Sorry, Koga." Aisha smiled sheepishly. "Vurana, then. What did she say?"

.

"Not much." The short girl shook her head. "Just that we should come back tomorrow."

.

"Hmm…" Aisha mumbled, as Koga sat down directly next to Aisha, their thighs almost touching. "Okay, I guess…"

.

"Y-you don't have to call me Koga…" The little mage said timidly. "That's my last name… y-you can call me Kageya… O-or Kaya, for short…"

.

"Okay, Kaya!" Aisha said, smiling.

.

"..."

.

"..."

.

"..."

.

The awkward silence that followed was broken up only by the sound of Liberta taking out a little chunk of wood and a knife, carving away at the thing as she lost interest.

.

Aisha's lips parted slightly, about to ask the two for good places to stay, but then quickly remembered that she would be staying with Liberta, quickly closing her mouth before she made an idiot out of herself. Kaya seemed to catch on, gazing intensely at the fey girl, but her timid nature seemed to prevent her from asking any further.

.

"S-so how has… Sakura City been?" Kaya asked timidly, the first to crack under the pressure of social awkwardness. "H-have you enjoyed the sights?"

.

"O-oh." Aisha mumbled. "Uh… The sights are alright… um, the food… is… it's also alright. I was actually in jail… up until now… for trespassing."

.

"Oh."

.

"..."

.

"Wow, you two are awful at this." Liberta commented. "I'm hungry, let's go eat."

.

"Ok." The two short girls squeaked.

.

.

.

As the three women walked around, seemingly aimlessly, with a growing suspicion from Aisha that they were actually just walking around in circles, Aisha suddenly crashed into Liberta's back as the woman stopped abruptly, pressing Aisha's nose into her bare back.

.

"You don't have any clothes, don't you." Liberta blurted out, pointing at a nearby store. "Let's go in there!"

.

Aisha glanced at the clothes she was wearing, pretty much just old rags in the shape of a shirt and pants, and frowned.

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"Uh, sure, but didn't you want to eat?"

.

Liberta was already in the store. Aisha and Kaya quickly jogged up to her to catch up, the elven woman's strides far larger than the two short girls.'

.

When they caught up, Liberta was already looking through clothes, humming absentmindedly to herself as she lifted up articles and then immediately put them on the floor, to the growing disdain of the shopkeeper.

.

"Hey, you're not supposed to do that…" Kaya frowned, to which Liberta ignored, whether because she didn't hear or didn't care, neither knew.

.

Aisha was already right behind her, picking up shirts absentmindedly and putting them back on the racks.

.

"H-hey, don't you want to pick out some clothes for yourself?" Kaya protested. "I'll pick up after her, you should look for something you like…"

.

"Ah." Aisha suddenly jolted, looking down suddenly as if she had broken out of a trance. "Um… I've never really been good at fashion… Why don't you pick out something for me..?"

.

Kaya's eyes lit up, as Aisha hastily added, "Oh, if you don't want anything for yourself."

.

.

.

It was only a few minutes before Kaya returned, walking around a corner looking like a lost puppy, eyes wide and hands clutching a bundle of clothes to her chest. Aisha wanted tempted to just watch the girl wander around, looking so adorable and timid. But she stepped into view, and as soon as the girl saw Aisha, her expression lit up and she hurried over excitedly, pressing the clothes into Aisha's open palms with flushed cheeks.

.

"I-I picked these out for you." She said breathily. "U-um… please try these out for me!"

.

"Okay." Aisha smiled, looking down at the pile in her hands, picking one out. "Ah- oh… oh my."

.

Aisha smiled slyly at the running shorts that Kaya had picked out for her, barely a foot long and tight, even for Aisha's ridiculously small frame. Gazing softly at her friend, Aisha giggled softly as Kaya's face turned red as a tomato, practically steaming with embarrassment, although to her credit, she continued to stand there, even as Aisha rubbed the thin fabric between two fingers.

.

"I-it's popular with y-young women…" She whispered. "I thought… you would like it… o-or or, um…"

.

"You'd like to see me in these?" Aisha teased.

.

"Yes." Kaya whispered.

.

"Okay then." The fey girl laughed, giving the mage a quick nuzzle with her cheek before walking away to a changing room.

.

.

Inside, Aisha quickly discarded her pants and shirt before taking the shorts in her hands, about to step inside of them but frowning, catching a glance at the tag.

.

"Aw, it's a little too big." She mused, scrunching her cheek up with her mouth. "Oh well."

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(I wanna try too.) Aiyu demanded. (I'm bigger than you, so it might fit!)

.

"You don't have a body, shut up." Aisha scoffed, smiling good naturedly. "And- huh?"

.

It fit. Actually, it was a little small - she frowned, that wasn't right.

.

"This size…" She mumbled, staring at the tag. "This… this is supposed to be a bit too big for me… instead it's a little too small?"

.

(Maybe it's supposed to stretch.) Aiyu suggested.

.

"Maybe…" Aisha mused, picking up the shirt that Kaya had picked out for her, looking at the tag. Judging from the size, it should have been a good size too big. But sliding it on… it fit perfectly.

.

"Huh?" She frowned. "What's going on?"

.

Aisha looked down at her feet, or more specifically the ground, which seemed… further…

.

"I grew taller?" She mumbled, concern growing. "But I haven't grown since I was fourteen, what's…"

.

A flash of recognition passed through her head - her powers had, and could, alter her body physically - if she had gained such massive amounts of energy, then…

.

Aisha grimaced and quickly shook her head, casting the thought out of her head as she picked up the jacket, sliding it on. She didn't want to think about it.

.

Exiting the booth with her old rags in hand, the concerning thoughts were cleared out of her head by the enraptured expression of the cute little mage that had picked out the clothes for her. The girl's eyes seemed to be locked on to Aisha's legs and thighs, long, thin and milky, but filled out just enough to look full and plump, especially in the shorts that Kaya had picked out.

.

"Like what you see?" Aisha teased, tilting her body slightly and watching as the mage's eyes followed her legs.

.

"Hh--uh?" Kaya whispered shyly.

.

Before the shorter girl could even process what was happening, Aisha quickly strode her way over to the girl and sat down on top of her lap, wrapping her arms around Kaya's shoulders and pressing her body into her's.

.

Oh. Kaya was… really warm.

.

"I like it." Aisha giggled, nuzzling her cheek into Kaya's. "Thank you for picking it out for me - oh, we're matching!"

.

And indeed, the jacket that Kaya had picked out was almost identical to Aisha's, save for a few loose straps and buttons here and there. But the shorter girl couldn't even process Aisha's words as she just looked dumbly up at the fey, eyes wide and face burning, mouth slightly open in shock.

.

Aisha cooed and nuzzled the sweet girl's neck, placing Kaya's hands on her thighs and letting her feel. But before long, the mage seemed to snap out of her trance, blushing intensely and gently pushing Aisha off of her lap.

.

"I-I-I-I I I-" She stammered. "T-t-than-thank - *gulp* t-thank you for… f-for your k-kind words… A-Aisha…"

.

Aisha giggled again, her desire to tease this adorable little girl growing higher and higher by the minute - and so she did, this time resting her head in Kaya's lap and nuzzling her tummy, mewing playfully.

.

"Pet me, pet me!" Aisha smiled mirthfully, the corners of her cheeks curling uncontrollably into a big smile. "Pleeease? Mew mew mew?"

.

For a second, Kaya actually did put a hand onto Aisha's ears and stroke, feeling the fluff in her fingers, before a look of panic suddenly rushed across her face, and she rose abruptly, squeaking out a small apology before shuffling out of view of the playful fey girl.

.

"Aww." Liberta pouted, rounding the corner. "I wanted to play with her too!"

.

"Hey." Aisha greeted, the smile from earlier still uncontrollably plastered on her face. "Are you done?"

.

"I picked this out for you!" Liberta said eagerly, holding out an assortment of clothes. "Try them!"

.

.

.

"Mmh." Liberta nodded in a satisfied manner, like a tailor admiring a nicely fit piece of clothing - and indeed, as Aisha looked down at herself, the clothes were surprisingly… stylish. Like an actual aristocrat had picked the clothes out - Aisha could tell that every piece fit together nicely, multiple layers of clothing fitting nicely together like puzzle pieces.

.

The outfit itself looked to be casual wear, but a few carefully selected accessories and garments made the outfit look almost like a dress, various flowy bits making the outfit look like a hybrid between armor and a dress.

.

It was surprisingly nice, and unexpected from the tall elf - or rather…

.

"I heard elves were revered for their stylishness." Aisha muttered, turning her waist to look behind herself. "You're quite good at this."

.

"Yeah, well…" Liberta's mood visibly dimmed a bit, her smile dropping. "I had to learn something from those people."

.

Aisha sensed that she had hit a sore spot.

.

"The clothes are really nice, Liberta." Aisha complimented. "I think I'll buy them!"

.

"Don't get too attached to them." The elf said, a bit of mischievousness returning to her expression. "I'll be taking them off of you in a few hours."

.

Aisha just laughed as she walked over to the counter, before pausing a bit, stopping halfway through a step.

.

"What's going on?" Liberta asked.

.

The fey girl pursed her lips as she looked at the two pairs of clothes she had with her, one on her body, and one in her hands. Liberta's outfit was more comfortable, had more effort put into it, and honestly, looked better. But Kaya's outfit…

.

Well, Kaya picked it out. And Aisha had kind of overstepped her boundaries earlier - maybe she should give the girl an apology. Starting with wearing her clothes.

.

"I'm going to change real quick." Aisha said. "I'll save this outfit for later."

.

"Huuhhhh?" Liberta pouted, a bit of sadness in her expression. "But I picked it out for you!"

.

"I'll wear it eventually!" Aisha called over her shoulder.

.

.

.

When they left the store, Aisha's arms heavy with clothing, Kaya was… strangely, nowhere to be seen, and instantly, Aisha felt a sinking feeling in her stomach.

.

Did she scare the girl away, being so forward? Did she screw up? She really liked Kaya - she had just wanted to show the girl that she liked her! She had never wanted - maybe she had gone too far teasing the girl, and -

.

"O-oh. Hey A-Aisha." Spoke a meek voice from the alleyway next to the store.

.

Instantly a wave of relief washed over Aisha, and the girl rushed over to Kaya, restraining her desire to hug and nuzzle the girl. Instead, she ran up to the shorter woman, standing awkwardly and fidgeting with her hands, not sure what to do with them.

.

"I-I-I'm sorry for what I did in the store!" Aisha blurted out. "I won't do it again, I'm sorry! I just -"

.

"Wait, I…" Kaya interrupted, blushing slightly. "I-I liked it. I-I like you. I just needed to… to go outside."

.

"Oh." Aisha's shoulders slumped. "Thank god. You're not mad?"

.

"N-no." Kaya said quietly. "I… don't worry about it, okay?"

.

"Okay." Aisha sighed, taking a deep breath. "Let's go catch up to Liberta."

.

.

.

"Uwuuuhhhhh…" Liberta groaned, flopping face-down and wincing.

.

"You shouldn't have eaten so much." Aisha rolled her eyes, sitting on the bed next to the elf.

.

The slight shaking of the bed as Aisha got on made Liberta groan again, clearly in great pain The shorter girl just rolled her eyes as she gently stroked the top of the elf's head, a gesture that Liberta responded well to, humming in her throat in a pleased manner.

.

"It was good." Liberta protested.

.

"Surely after the third dish it wasn't that good anymore." Kaya chimed in good-naturedly.

.

"It was!" Liberta insisted, batting playfully at Aisha's legs and back like a cat. "It tasted really good!"

.

"Surely you regret your decision now…" The short girl mumbled.

.

"Nah."

.

Aisha smiled at the short interaction between her group mates, pleased to see Kaya smiling slightly - she was really afraid that they wouldn't get along, their personalities so starkly different. But it was probably hard for anybody 

It was nice to just laze around and just… talk, like regular people. About food, clothes…

.

"Eh?" Aisha yipped, as the covers started to shift underneath her, as Liberta started to strip clothing off herself and snuggle under her fluffy, slightly dirty blankets. "You're going to bed already? What about-"

.

"In the morning." The elf mumbled. "I wanna go to bed."

.

And just like that, Aisha was yanked under the bed, held in Liberta's arms like a hug pillow. Aisha laughed softly in response, moving herself into a more comfortable laying position as she gazed at her little companion with half-lidded eyes.

.

"I-I…" Kaya mumbled. "I guess I'll go…?"

.

"Come join!" Aisha insisted, holding her arms out in front of her. "Please?"

.

"T-there doesn't seem to be a lot of room." Kaya whispered shyly. "A-and I don't know if… if Liberta…"

.

Aisha twisted her neck around to look at Liberta's resting face, but the woman had already fallen asleep, like a big pile of bricks. Aisha couldn't help but think that it was a little cute.

.

"She won't mind." Aisha smiled. "Come on!"

.

"I… I really shouldn't." Kaya muttered, although her nervous shifting told Aisha that she really did want to cuddle up with the fey girl.

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"Please?" Aisha begged. "You don't want to walk home in the dark, don't you? Remember? I'll protect you."

.

Aisha smiled cheesily, knowing that Kaya should have absolutely no problem defending herself. But still, her words managed to put a blush on the girl's face, making her look away abashedly.

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"Ah, ok." Kaya said in a small voice. Aisha flashed a wide smile in response.

.

Aisha watched as Kaya discarded her jacket, removing a few pins in her hair and letting it down from her ponytail. She still kept her pants on, much to Aisha's disappointment, but Aisha still liked what she saw, a bit of definition, and a surprising amount of mass in those small arms and shoulders.

.

Kaya shyly climbed into bed next to Aisha, but was clearly having difficulty attempting to climb into the small bed while still attempting to keep a respectful distance from Aisha. The fey girl watched with barely-constrained mirth for a few seconds, before she too, like Liberta, wrapped her arms around the smaller girl and gently pulled her into an embrace.

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"Y-you smell good…" Kaya whispered, as Aisha rested her head into the crook of Kaya's neck.

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"You smell good too." Aisha smiled, taking a deep breath. It smelled floral, like orange blossoms and tea leaves - a little mysterious… but still inviting, pleasant to the senses. "You're warm, too."

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"T-thanks." Kaya blushed.

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For a while, Kaya just laid there awkwardly, not even willing to look Aisha in the eyes, despite the fact that their heads were almost touching. But after a few minutes, and a few curious boops from Aisha, the shorter girl began to relax, the softness of the warm body next to her soothing her tense body.

.

Before long, Kaya's breathing also went even, and her arms went limp against Aisha's chest. The little fey smiled in response, cuddling into her pillow even harder, resting her head against Kaya's, and pulling both of them closer to Liberta.

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Aisha couldn't help but lay a curious head on top of the short girl's chest. Kaya was as flat as a brick wall. Even Aisha's chest had a bit more mass. But still…

.

She hadn't felt so comfortable in months. How could she not, with two beautiful girls snuggled up into her so peacefully? So warm. So fluffy. But most of all… She felt safe. She felt safe to relax, to really let loose, and not have to act, to pretend like she felt someway that she didn't.

.

But Aisha was still itching. There was an excitement that bubbled up in her body, that made her restless, that made her want to jump out of bed and start moving.

.

The bed would feel even better with four girls in it.

Happy MLK day everyone

As always, leave your comments for me!

Lithkrencreators' thoughts