Chapter Text
“I like studying out here, but honestly, I don’t think it’s doing anything for my focus.” Chise sighed, her textbook open in her cross-legged lap as she leaned back onto her hands and looked at the sky. Philomela looked up from her notebook, looking over at her.
“I’m afraid I can’t help you any more than I already tried.”
“I know, I know.” Chise chuckled, shaking her head.
“You’ve been trying for about an hour and a half now. Maybe just...take a break?” Philomela’s suggestion does sound promising, though it’s just because Chise was getting absolutely spent. She was a surprisingly studious person, honestly. Just, everyone had their limits! Shutting the book, Chise tossed it aside with a groan. She flopped over to the side, her head coming to rest on Philomela’s lap just after the surprised sorcerer lifted her arms and book to avoid Chise colliding with it on accident.
“That’s...not what I meant, but I suppose that’s fine. I think I need a break, too.” With a sigh, Philomela placed her own textbook down and rested a hand on Chise’s head. Her fingers gently combed through red-orange hair, quietly thankful for the calm and quiet atmosphere that Chise’s company offered her.
“Are you going to make it for dinner at our place today?”
“I think so.”
“Silkie is really looking forward to it, I can tell. She always loves having company over, especially if she gets to cook for them.”
Philomela smiled softly, nodding. Honestly, once she had gotten over how initially intimidating the level of power the Silver Lady had over anything in her territory, she couldn’t help but find the fae’s hospitality and generosity as warm and inviting as most everything else that surrounded the existence of the mage in her life. Chise told her that she just had that kind of effect on people.
Stretching her arms out a little bit, Chise sighed and wrapped one arm around Philomela’s midsection, startling the girl. “Oh—Chise? Ah!”
Poking her fingers at Philomela’s side a little bit, Chise gets a small jump out of the other girl and chuckles.
“Chise, that...kind of tickles, you know.”
“Oh, does it now?”
Philomela lets out a little yelp as Chise suddenly pushes herself at the girl’s torso more, pushing her onto the grass. Both of her hands are already at Philomela’s sides, which at the moment is a much more threatening gesture than it had any right to be.
“N-now wait a minute—w-wait!” Unfortunately, Philomela’s pleas don’t have much effect. They effectively lose all their impact once her words devolve into broken patches of giggles and light laughter under the onslaught of Chise’s playful tickling.
“Geez, why are you so ticklish, Philomela? I didn’t even realize it!” Laughing herself, Chise stopped and grinned, watching as Philomela tried to reel herself back in, that almost uncharacteristically bright smile on her face rather radiant even out here in the broad daylight. That sort of expression was so rare on her—Chise couldn’t help the stupid smile that pulled at her lips so much from getting to see such a shining sight.
“W-what kind of question is th-that?” The girl managed to stammer out her sentence once she could breathe again, sitting up once Chise had finally rolled off of her. “N-Now I definitely can’t focus…”
Chise chuckled, pulling herself over and letting her lips brush gently against Philomela’s despite the soft blush blooming on her own face for doing so. It’s not nearly as vivid as Philomela’s, at least. “Sorry, sorry. But that’s the kind of information that I just have to test out when I learn about it.”
“I’ll have to keep that in mind next time I realize something that you can use against me.”
“H-hey!”