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“I have wonderful news. Would you like to hear it?”
Minako looked up from the Persona Compendium. A set of glittering yellow eyes were waiting to meet her gaze. This was becoming normal.
Fusing a new persona took time and concentration. Elizabeth used to wait for Minako to finish, and kept interruptions to a minimum. She even used to go on long soliloquies about how profoundly sacred it was to journey into the sea of one’s soul.
She was happy to smile and nod until the blonde finished.
As they spent more time together, things changed. Elizabeth could hardly contain her excitement. If the way her pale lips curled was any indication, Minako could tell it was something big.
"I like good news,” she replied. Her hands moved back down to her sides, and the compendium vanished into thin air. Fusing could wait. “Tell me!”
“I have a new request. It took weeks of persuasion for my master to allow me to ask this of you, but I am delighted to say my efforts have been rewarded.” Elizabeth swiftly closed the remaining distance between them. She continued leaning in, blurring the boundaries of personal space. “But I must ask, will your schedule permit me to make a visit to your world? Tomorrow night, perhaps?”
Talk about short notice. Fortunately, Minako was incapable of saying no when she made a face like that. It wouldn’t take much to rearrange the time she carved out to get a little extra studying done before exams.
Besides, spending time with Elizabeth was always an adventure. Pouring over her notes from Mr. Edogawa’s confusing sermons about mythology could wait.
“Of course! It's been a while since we went out together.” She couldn’t help flashing a reassuring grin at the other girl. The blonde was fidgeting, as if dreading the possibility that her request might be too unreasonable. It was cute; plain and simple. “What do you have in mind? Karaoke? Oh, or going back to Escapade?”
Elizabeth’s jaw hung open slightly, as if the suggestions were swaying her opinion in real time. But she took a resolute breath and straightened up, clasping both gloved hands to her chest. Her thin, pouty lips curved back into that familiar, faint smile.
It might have been the strange lighting in the Velvet Room, but her cheeks looked pink.
“As tempting as those options are, I had something much more profound in mind.” She had a knack for picking words that left way too much to the imagination. “I have been enlightened to the human tradition referred to as a ‘sleepover’! I understand it is custom for young women to take part in saccharine rituals by moonlight. This may include brushing each other’s hair, telling ghost stories... or, even deigning to stay awake into unreasonable hours of the morning."
No wonder she needed permission. An overnight stay was a big leap from playing on the jungle gym or eating takoyaki. When she dared to give Igor a sideways glance, he looked unbothered, as usual. Not that she'd ever seen him make any other expression.
“Doesn’t it sound like fun?” Elizabeth took yet another eager step forward. Their fingers were suddenly laced together. Her grip was surprisingly tight. “Master Minako, you are my dear friend as well as a precious guest of the Velvet Room. I want to make wonderful memories with you."
Minako couldn’t help but beam at her friend. It did sound like fun.
“I’ll think of a way to sneak you into the dorm.”
Traveling with Elizabeth was always a little bit complicated. Her platinum blonde hair attracted enough attention by itself. If it wasn't that, passersby craned their necks when they noticed her outfit. It was impossible to tell if she even noticed.
That was probably for the best.
By the time Minako closed the door to her bedroom, she was already tired. Elizabeth wasted no time and started to explore. She picked up notebooks and trinkets as she found them, always putting them politely back into the correct place before moving on.
“Oh, my. Your room is cutely decorated, just as I expected it would be.” She leaned over the computer desk on the far side of the room, peering at a collage of small photos taped to the wall. “These are your friends, correct? How nice of this photographer to inscribe each of your names on these pictures!”
“There wasn’t a photographer, it’s called purikura.” Minako bit her lip to keep from laughing, coming up behind Elizabeth. Yukari always liked using photo booths, and Yuko even convinced Rio to try it one weekend. Her collection of pictures was steadily growing as a result. “You go into... like, a big box, and an automatic camera takes the pictures. Then you decorate the ones you like, and do things like write your name or draw on each other’s faces. We should do it together sometime!”
Elizabeth gasped and straightened up, as if hit with a realization.
"How careless..! I can't allow myself to become distracted so easily. I have many goals tonight, and they must be completed before the sleepover has ended."
She scanned the environment, then crossed the room to pick up something that caught her eye. Holding up a hairbrush, Elizabeth looked so excited that she might lose it.
"May I brush your hair? Do not worry, I've had the opportunity to practice on both my older sister and younger brother. I am now confident that I can perform this task without any risk of injury."
Minako nearly choked on the alarm that rose up in her throat. When she phrased it that way, it was impossible not to worry.
"W-We don't need to rush things, Elizabeth. Part of having a sleepover is taking it easy and enjoying yourself." Having a set checklist of things to do sort of defeated the purpose, but they had to start somewhere. After a moment of thought, she had an idea.
"How about we each take a bath? I'll let you borrow some of my pajamas for the night."
That seemed to do the trick. Elizabeth went into an immediate diatribe about everything she knew about human sleepwear. Minako grabbed towels while listening to her expectations of what the fabric would feel like. It was pretty detailed.
The next hurdle was explaining to Elizabeth that bathing wasn't a group activity. Not in a small dorm bathroom, at least.
She explained the faucets, gathered the soap, and told Elizabeth that taking too long wasn't good for her skin. She stood watch outside the bathroom, then shuttled her guest back into her room as soon as she was done. Instinct told her to grab her key and lock the door when she left again.
Better safe than sorry. She didn't want Elizabeth making a break for any of the vending machines before getting dressed.
At long last, Elizabeth got one of her many wishes. They sat on the floor while Minako braided the other girl's blonde locks. Her hair was so short that brushing it didn't take long. Twisting the soft strands into two short french braids seemed like a good way to prolong the experience.
"Remarkable..!" Elizabeth held a hand mirror in her outstretched hand, head turning. She couldn't stop touching the braids once they were finished. Between the pigtails and a cute pajama set that wasn't quite her size, she hardly looked like the same person. "I never realized my hair could be knotted into such lovely shapes! I must learn how to replicate this..."
Minako was left to brush her own damp hair while Elizabeth admired herself. She didn't mind. At least this way, there was no chance of getting hurt.
"Oh, it's pretty late already..." She eyed the clock next to her bed with some surprise. Between sneaking into the dorm and figuring out the bath, a decent amount of time had passed.
"I know you were excited to stay up all night, but we should go to sleep before the Dark Hour."
Elizabeth finally put the mirror down and turned to look at her. Conflict moved through the muscles in her face, but she didn't argue.
"That is sensible. Grotesque scenery like that could ruin the relaxing atmosphere we've cultivated." She paused, shoulders slumping. "Ah, but I didn't get to brush your hair..."
Minako gave a sympathetic smile, but that was all she could manage.
"There's still stuff we can do! Why don't you get under the covers, and we can talk until we fall asleep?"
If anything could be said about Elizabeth, she bounced back fast. She scrambled to her feet and practically dove onto the bed.
"Yes! I've heard of this as well," she proclaimed proudly while peeling the sheets back. It was a matter of seconds before she had the comforter pulled snug up to her chin. Her wide eyes were shining again, like someone who was nowhere near tired. "The sacred exchange of feelings, whispered between women! The fabled 'Girl Talk' is something I have long anticipated sharing with you."
Elizabeth watched her every movement from then on. Putting her brushes and hair accessories back, turning the light out. The moment she slid into bed next to her, Elizabeth went for her hands again and tugged eagerly.
"I must thank you, Master Minako." As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, it became clear how close their faces were. Elizabeth's grip wouldn't let up. Her hands felt much warmer without her gloves on. "I cannot express how much I appreciate the opportunity to have a sleepover with you."
Letting out a sheepish laugh, she tried to ignore the warmth flooding her cheeks.
"You don't need to thank me, Elizabeth," she said. And that was true. Laid on her side, so close to the other girl, all the day's stress felt more than worth it. "I like spending time with you. I wish we could do it more often!"
To her surprise, Elizabeth didn't reply immediately. Her gaze was steady, but anxiety flickered over her expression.
"That's right... In 'Girl Talk', one is supposed to be honest, correct? In that case, I cannot allow you to outdo me."
Even in the darkness, so close to her, she could see Elizabeth's affectionate smile re-form on her lips.
"I admit... I enjoy our time together very much as well. An attendant shouldn't have such feelings about a guest, strictly speaking, but..."
Minako felt herself swallow. As soon as the tone of the conversation shifted, it felt like something out of a dream. The gaps between sentences felt years long, but she squeezed the other girl's hands.
In the moonlight, her otherworldly features were stunning and elegant.
"I don't know how to express it in words alone, but I believe you are quite a beautiful soul. While I mean that in the literal sense, I am also frequently in awe of your physical form as well." Elizabeth's eyes stayed trained on her own. Her urge to be direct and honest felt intimate in every sense of the word.
"To use a common phrase, I have a 'crush' on you, and I am overjoyed to be here at your side."
Her face was burning, but there was no breaking Elizabeth's intense gaze. Being human was so unfair. Even when Elizabeth was nervous, she still had unbelievable confidence in herself.
"That's... not usually something you tell someone when you're in bed together." She couldn't help herself. It was as absurd as it was exciting.
Elizabeth pursed her lips, confused.
"...It isn't? I apologize for confessing my feelings in the incorrect order, in that case."
She laughed. Elizabeth untangled their hands, cupping Minako's face. Their breath mingled with every small exhale. They were a tangle of warm limbs and the smell of girly shampoo.
"It's fine. We can skip to the step where we kiss now, if you want."
Elizabeth responded by simply blanketing Minako's lips with her own. Soft laughter got muffled between them as they pulled each other closer. Something told her that Elizabeth was a little too good with her mouth and hands, but that was hardly a problem.
After all, they had the rest of the night to take advantage of their time alone. She wasn't going to waste it.