Firefly sat on the edge of the bed, while Sparkle lay sprawled on her side, pointedly ignoring the perfectly good pillow nearby and resting her head on Firefly's thigh instead.
(TL Note: IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN MEEEE! )
How could that ordinary, unremarkable pillow possibly compare to this smooth, rounded thigh clad in white stockings?!
Sparkle held her phone in one hand, while the other gently caressed Firefly's leg, savoring the silky texture of the white stockings beneath her fingertips. Suddenly, a classic anime line popped into her head: "These legs... I could play with them for a year!"
A lap pillow is one thing, but this hand-roaming is definitely inappropriate and borderline perverted. In a normal situation, the girl would have slapped me by now.
However, at this moment, both of them were herself, so there was no question of impropriety or perversion.
How could anyone slap themselves for touching their own thigh?
She'd never had the chance to experience a lap pillow in her previous life. Now that she had the opportunity in this life, why shouldn't she give herself one? What's wrong with that?
But... on second thought, the real essence of a lap pillow isn't about using someone's thigh as an actual pillow to sleep on. It's about that intimate physical contact, the fluttering heartbeat, and the ambiguous atmosphere between a man and a woman. Yet Firefly felt none of that now.
Perhaps when she first lay down, she'd felt a flicker of excitement and anticipation. But after a while... look at Sparkle, already pawing around! Even so, beyond marveling at the pleasant texture and feel of the white stockings, Firefly felt nothing else.
How could holding my own left hand with my right possibly create any romantic tension?
"Sniff~ sniff~"
Following the "pervy touch," Sparkle took another careful sniff. There was no strange odor, only the faint, clean scent of the body wash they'd used during their shower. Firefly could also smell the same fragrance emanating from her other self, from Sparkle.
After all, they had bathed together and used the same bottle of body wash!
Thinking about it that way, Firefly realized she had accomplished something no one else ever could: she had given herself a back scrub!
After a while, Sparkle couldn't help but fidget. As everyone knows, staying in one position for too long is tiring, even when sitting, lying down, or sleeping.
Normal people toss and turn a few times before falling asleep, right?
Sparkle shifted slightly, and a few strands of her hair slipped through the gap between Firefly's white stockings and short skirt, ending up between her legs.
"It's so itchy~" Both girls murmured simultaneously, their brows furrowing slightly.
Sparkle immediately sat up, ending the so-called "lap pillow." To sum up her experience honestly, human thighs are meant for walking, not sleeping. How could they possibly be more comfortable than a pillow specifically designed for that purpose?
Besides, prolonged lap pillows can make the person whose thighs are being used quite uncomfortable. Fortunately, Sparkle was very lightweight, and Firefly was in excellent physical condition, so she didn't experience any numbness or discomfort.
"Haaah~" Sparkle stretched languidly, nimbly climbed onto the bed, leaned against the headboard with her legs crossed, and resumed playing on her phone. Firefly, meanwhile, got up and went to the living room to pour two glasses of water. She drank one herself and brought the other back to Sparkle.
The two women didn't exchange a single word throughout their interaction, though none was necessary.
After returning the empty glasses, Firefly swiftly climbed into bed, settling right next to Sparkle. Leaning against the headboard, she also began scrolling through her phone.
They sat pressed close together, Sparkle's head tilted slightly so she could easily rest it on Firefly's shoulder.
"System~" Sparkle murmured inwardly. The elation percentage had reached eighty-nine percent, but the rapid surge from before had vanished, leaving the number stubbornly stagnant.
As everyone knows, happiness is fleeting, ephemeral. Or, to put it another way, the internet has no memory. Something wildly popular and amusing today might be swiftly overshadowed by another trend within a day or two, vanishing without a trace.
Of course, the Sakura Nation's surrender was a monumental event, and its fervor wouldn't dissipate in just a few days—it would likely endure for at least a month. Sparkle suspected the stagnation in the elation percentage meant most people had already had their fill of "elation" from the news.
Imagine watching a funny video. The first time, it's hilarious. But after watching it ten, a hundred times, and then deciding to watch it again for the hundred-and-first time, the original joy is long gone.
In short, Sparkle needed to find a new way to extract that remaining ten percent of Elation.
However, she had no intention of acting immediately. After working so hard and stirring up so much trouble in Sakura Nation, she desperately needed a proper rest and a chance to slack off.
And that's exactly what she did!
As White Eagle's follow-up forces arrived in Sakura Nation to negotiate the terms of surrender, Sparkle simply dispersed all her clones throughout the country.
This caused the entire Sakura Nation's leadership to vanish into thin air, leaving both White Eagle and the remaining Sakura officials utterly bewildered.
White Eagle: "Where are the negotiators?"
Sakura Nation mid-level official: "Where's my superior?"
Moments later, Sparkle clearly saw the Elation percentage in the System increase slightly.
If this were a mission goal for her other Identities, like the Songstress or Iron Cavalry, slacking off would definitely slow her progress. But Elation was different! Since she felt like slacking off, she would! Indulging her desires was itself a form of Elation, and it boosted her progress toward that objective.
This mindset also led Robin, in the Dragon Nation, to cancel all her scheduled plans for the next two weeks.
Third concert? Let's hold off!
New album? Not recording it!
Multi-million dollar endorsement deal? Rejected!
After all that hard work, what could be more blissful than collapsing into bed for a well-deserved rest?
However, her desire to slack off had almost completely dissipated within just three days.
It's often said that everyone dreams of slacking off at work, but once they actually take an extended break and find themselves with nothing to do, they start craving some kind of activity again.
In the game HSR, Qingque has a famous line: "The greatest joy comes from slacking off while working!"
In short, Robin's three days of idleness were enough. Feeling bored, she prepared to return to her "post" and grind through the remaining ten percent of her Elation progress.
Today, using the incredibly convenient Chat Group, Sparkle instantly materialized in Robin's bedroom in the Dragon Nation.