Logistics are at the heart of any large-scale invasion or campaign, and even the MGA is subject to logistical challenges to a greater extent than most countries. The unpredictable and otherworldly nature of the threats the MGA faces—rifts appearing out of nowhere, demonic hordes surging in from unknown realms, rogue magical disasters reshaping the landscape, and the abundance of mundane problems leftover from the Resource Wars—requires the MGA to maintain a presence all across the world.
For any regular government, the cost of being able to maintain a force that can strike anywhere around the world, at any time and level, at any target, would be ruinous. Even for the MGA the costs are astronomical, but they're mitigated by an undeniable, uncomfortable truth: the world needs Magical Girls now that it's been beset by supernatural forces.
Which is why the MGA operates under a delicate balance of global cooperation and independence, funded by contributions from the United Nations, private benefactors, and the sale of magical resources and technology harvested and developed underneath its aegis. This lets the MGA piggyback off of resources drawn from regional armed forces, receiving subsidies from the nation-states that survived through the Resource Wars...
"I hate you," Velvet Shade grumbles again once the Magical Girls have gotten out of bed and made their way to the mess hall at the base for breakfast. "I hate you, Rosey."
And, of course, it's why Lily was able to sleep in an actual bunk last night instead of having to slum it in a tent. Military transports flew in modular prefabs before the invasion against Ul'tharion's realm began. Civilian and military support staff shipped in food and amenities – Nothing but the finest for humanity's finest defenders.
"I said I was sorry already, Velvy," Lily pleads as she snags a croissant and an apple from her plate, stomach already rumbling. Mmh, croissants, buttery pastry, shipped directly from France… And juice! Fresh orange juice. Yummy...
"Sorry isn't going to bring back the hours I should have slept," Velvet Shade grouses, practically slumped over on the table. "My sleep… My wonderful sleep. Ruined by some idiot who decided to load up a bootleg Virtusim she got-"
"Velvy, we're – we're in public!" Lily hisses, her cheeks flaming red. She glances around surreptitiously to see if anyone overheard Velvet's latest outburst. Much to her relief that doesn't seem to be the case.
"Where the hell did you even get that sim anyways?" Velvet mutters as she swipes a carafe of coffee and pours herself a mug – then rethinks that and pours herself three mugs of coffee – one of which she promptly drains. Lily grimaces at the disgusting, black sludge disappearing down Velvet's throat. Blech, how can Velvet drink something so bitter without any milk or sugar…?
"Uh… From, uh…" Lily stammers, when-
"Howdy, ladies~?" Flare Lucent sings as she ambles in and sits between Lily and Velvet, clapping them across the shoulders. "Rosey, looking as pretty as ever. And Velvy-"
"Don't touch me," Velvet Shade growls, shaking off Flare's hand.
"S – Senpai!" Lily squeaks, jolting at the sudden contact. And, unfortunately, blushing from it. Dang it! It's just that senpai's arm is so sturdy, and strong and... "I, uh… Uh… Uh…"
"Y'all ready to head back home to the great, wide, Down Under?" Flare drawls, slipping into a wildly over-the-top Australian accent that belies her actual origins.
"Flare, you're from Texas, quit acting like you're Australian," Velvet says flatly.
"Well, I nevhah," Flare replies, placing a hand on her chest in mock outrage. "See here, I'll have you know mah articulation is immaculate."
"Your accent's getting more unbelievable by the second."
"So grumpy. So dramatic," Flare lets out a fake-sounding despondent sigh before turning to Lily. "So, Rosey, my darling-"
"Y – Yes?!" Lily squeaks, blushing up a storm.
"Did you enjoy the sim I gave you?" Flare smiles winningly, and in the background Velvet Shade twitches. Lily grimaces. Ah, crapbaskets.
"… You gave Rosey that disgusting, vile sim?!" Velvet roars, the sound loud enough to draw several curious glances their way.
"Oh, so you did watch that sim!" Flare says gleefully, much to Lily's despair. Flare leans in, her grin splitting wider underneath her hat as she cheerfully ignores Lily's frantic hand-waving to shut up. "Should've known you couldn't resist, I know how much y'like IP. Was it good? No, no, don't answer that – your face says it all."
"F – Flare!" Lily's voice cracks as she tries to maintain some semblance of decorum. And utterly fails. Gosh, her face is burning hotter than Phoenicia Herodota's flames…! "S – Stop it!"
"Alright, alright, I'll stop," Flare chuckles.
"Where did you even get that sim in the first place?" Velvet asks, clearly out of morbid curiosity, considering the disgust etched across her dainty features and the heavy disdain dripping from her every word.
"Funniest thing – I bought it from two chicks who were from Terminus City themselves! IP's entourage!" Flare chuckles. "Those two dog-girls she's got with her, you know?"
… Eh?
"D – Dog-girls?" Lily finds herself asking shyly. "Like, girls who look like dogs, or-"
"Nah, these two fluffy-looking girls Infinity Princess brought with her from Terminus City," Flare replies, shooting Lily a knowing stare. "Can't miss 'em."
Velvet's eyes narrow to slits, her voice dripping with incredulity. "You're telling me the very same Infinity Princess's entourage – Girls who are probably her security detail - sold you a smutty sim they made of their own boss?"
Flare shrugs with a grin, clearly enjoying the chaos and confusion she's causing. Ugh, that's so – So freakin' senpai! "Not sayin' they made it, but they sure as heck sold it to me. Goldie and Silver, I think their names were. Or they looked somethin' close to that. Almost felt bad takin' 'em for a ride, but hey, business is business."
"Business is business?" Velvet echoes, her voice rising an octave in disbelief. "You're practically bragging about black-market dealing with Infinity Princess's bodyguards! Do you even hear yourself? Is a smutty sim of Infinity Princess even legal?"
"Don't matter if it is. Look, Velvy, all I'm sayin' is, if they didn't want me to buy it, they shouldn't have had such a great pitch," Flare says with a wink. "Plus, it's not like I kept it! I gave it to Rosey, didn't I? And ol' Rosey's the one who—"
"FLARE!" Lily squeals, her voice breaking as she practically launches across the table to cover Flare's mouth. "Can you not say that out loud?!"
The commotion draws even more attention from the nearby tables, several other Magical Girls glancing over with raised eyebrows, and in that moment, Lily wants to just… Crawl under the table and quietly die.
Velvet groans, pinching the bridge of her nose. "… Why am I stuck with you two idiots?"
"Aw come on, Velvy. You love us," Flare grins, even as Lily buries her face into her hands, completely and utterly mortified.
"I have strong feelings towards the two of you right now. Disgust's one of them. Hate's another. Love, though? No love here," Velvet grumbles as she reaches for her second mug of coffee. "The only thing I love right now is my coffee. Ah, sweet nectar of the goddess…"
A sudden hush falls across the mess hall, cutting the conversation short. Lily twitches, peeking out from behind her fingers. Velvet straightens in her seat, her scowl morphing into something more guarded. Even Flare's on edge.
… What's going on?
"… Hey, Rosey. Don't look, but… Your idol's just arrived," Flare hisses, and Lily lets out a strangled gasp as she turns her head to see...
Before Flare can needle her further, the sudden hush that falls over the mess hall cuts the conversation short. Lily stiffens, her blush intensifying as her hands drop to her lap. Velvet straightens in her seat, her scowl morphing into something more guarded.
Infinity Princess has entered the room.
And right behind her, as Flare so eloquently described, are the two dog girls. One with silver hair, one with blonde hair, both moving with the precision of trained soldiers, both wearing corporate combat fatigues – Muted, neutral clothing designed for the militarized forces of the megacorps, padded with reinforced armor plating and pockets. Lots of pockets.
The sudden hush that falls over the room is eerie. It starts as a ripple, spreading outward as one table of Magical Girls after the other realized what – rather, who just entered. The noises of girls happily eating, the scraping of cutlery, the snippets of conversation? All died mid-sentence. Lily watches her idol heading over the breakfast bar and feels her heart leap into her chest. Infinity Princess? She's here? She's really here?! What the heck?!
"Well now," Flare drawls. "Look alive, Rosey, you get to meet your idol."
"Flare!" Lily hisses, mortified, shooting a glance at Infinity Princess to see if she heard, oh gosh, how embarrassing…!
"… What's she doing here?" Velvet mutters, her voice low. "Shouldn't she be in the command tent instead of slumming it with us normies?"
"Your guess is as good as mine, Velvy," Flare shrugs, taking a sip from her mug of coffee. "It is mighty unnatural though. You know she never, ever socializes. Ever. She doesn't sit with the regulars, she doesn't make small talk at mealtimes, or linger for conversation after briefings… Hell, nobody's seen her eat at one of these things before. Or drink, or sleep. This is definitely a first."
Velvet shudders. "… I don't know what's creepier, the fact that she doesn't seem human, or the fact that she might actually be?"
"It's a conundrum, ain't it?"
Infinity Princess didn't so much as glance at the roomful of staring Magical Girls as she grabbed a tray and moved with mechanical precision down the breakfast bar. Just looking at her is starting to give Lily shivers – Power pours off Infinity Princess like a tidal wave – Endless amounts of shining, bright mana. Not just power; too much power, condensed and coiled within Infinity Princess like a storm barely restrained, hair-raising amounts of mana bleeding off her form and radiating into the atmosphere. Staring at Infinity Princess is like staring directly at the sun or standing beside an exposed nuclear reactor. She's bright, she's way too bright…!
Lily hastily switches off her mana detection, and the world dims immediately – No longer saturated with Infinity Princess's overwhelming light. Lily lets out a small sigh of relief – And her reaction's picked up on by Velvet.
"… Were you staring at Infinity Princess with your mana detection on?" Velvet asks, and Lily blushes.
"I didn't mean to, I just, it's just hard not to notice her, she's so-"
"Rosey, you pervert," Velvet says in a deadpan voice tone, scowling as she rubs her temples. "Couldn't get enough of Infinity Princess in your sim, so you had to stare directly at her with your mana detection on?"
Lily's blush deepens further as she fumbles for words, her mind scrambling to find some justification. "Well, I… I didn't mean to! It just… happened! I didn't realize it would be so intense!"
Flare, who had been quietly sipping her drink, chuckles and leans back in her seat, clearly enjoying the spectacle. "Hey, no shame in that. Infinity Princess has that effect on people. You're not the first, Rosey. Though I gotta admit, most people don't actively try to fry their brain by soaking in her power like that. You're really something special."
Lily's face burns a deep crimson as she tries to focus on anything other than the teasing words coming from Flare. She hadn't meant to stare at Infinity Princess like that; it's just that the overwhelming presence of her power—so raw and radiant—had captured her attention before she could stop herself. So bright. So powerful…!
Velvet gives Flare a flat look. "You realize you're telling her it's okay to stare at the sun without sunglasses, right?"
"No I'm not? No lasting harm in lookin' at IP. This ain't the kind of thing that would blind Rosey," Flare shrugs nonchalantly. "She'd just need a couple of aspirin after the fact. But hey, at least she'd get a nice, up-close look at the real Infinity Princess." She leans forward with a grin. "Think of it as a magical girl rite of passage and… Uh. Hey, is she coming over here?"
"What? No way," Velvet dismisses Flare's statement out of hand. "She's not – Oh, shit, she is coming over here."
Flare's elbow digs into Lily's ribs just as the room goes still again. Lily jerks upright, her gaze snapping up, and she feels her heart seize in her chest.
Infinity Princess moves toward Lily's table with the precision of a well-oiled machine, each step deliberate and fluid, as if she's a living piece of finely tuned clockwork. Her striking green eyes gleam with a cold, distant intensity, and her long blonde hair sways behind her like a shining banner, catching the light as she approaches. Every inch of her is perfect, almost too perfect, and Lily's heart skips yet another beat. She's so captivating, so gorgeous, that Lily feels a flush rising in her cheeks. There's no way she's stopping here, right? This can't be happening—surely Infinity Princess isn't coming to her table…!
"…" Infinity Princess comes to a stop, right at the head of Lily's table. She doesn't say anything – She doesn't even really look at the table's occupants directly. Her gaze flits from Velvet, to Flare, to Lily, back to Flare, and Lily squirms at that stare. That intense, cool stare…!
The table's atmosphere, of course, has frozen solid in this moment. Velvet's gone still, her mug halfway to her lips, while Flare's leaned back in her seat as if she's watching a particularly interesting car crash unfold.
The silent seconds stretch out painfully. Lily's heart thrums in her chest, almost loud enough to echo off the walls.
Finally, the silver-haired dog-girl at Infinity Princess' side steps forward and clears her throat softly.
"Master," she says gently, like a handler guiding a skittish animal. "You have to ask, remember?"
Infinity Princess blinks, her lips parting slightly. "… Ah. Is… Is this seat taken?"
Her tone is flat. Awkward – Like someone repeating a phrase they'd memorized but never used in practice. Her vivid green gaze finally drops, settling on Lily with the faintest edge of hesitation—barely noticeable, but there.
Lily's brain locks up. Her mouth opens and closes soundlessly as she grapples with the simple fact that Infinity Princess is standing right there, talking to her, aaaaaah-
"N-No!" Lily blurts out finally, voice cracking from the sheer force of panic. "I mean—no! No, it's—it's not taken! Please, sit! Uh… ma'am!"
The words tumble out in a frantic mess, and Lily immediately wants to shrivel up and die.
Infinity Princess stares at her for a beat longer—so long that Lily starts to think she's said something wrong—but then, without another word, she moves. Her tray is set down with mechanical precision, and she takes the seat at the head of the table, her movements so fluid it's like watching a machine settle into place. Her two dog-girl attendants stand just behind her, their sharp gazes sweeping the room as if daring anyone to interrupt.
Lily can feel the room staring. Whispering. Every hair on her body stands on end. She doesn't need her mana detection active to feel the weight of her presence across the table. Infinity Princess is sitting with Lily. Lily's idol has decided to sit down and eat with her. What should Lily do? What should she say? Should Lily even talk to Infinity Princess…?!
"Hey, y'all," Flare says, interrupting Lily's thoughts with her Texan twang. "Uh… Nice weather we're having?"
Lily shoots her senpai a horrified look. Really?! Weather?!
Infinity Princess, for her part, doesn't respond. She sits perfectly still, picking up a fork and moving to eat with slow, precise motions. The silence stretches on again, filled only with the faint clink of her utensils as she eats pancakes, dripping with syrup, topped by a pat of butter. Pancakes. Infinity Princess is a pancake girl.
Huh.
The other dog girl, the golden-haired one, coughs. "Master, you're supposed to respond when someone tries to make small-talk. Remember?"
"…" Infinity Princess blinks once, twice, then nods slightly. "Ah. Thank you, Hannah."
"You're welcome, my master~!" The newly-named Hannah barks happily, her tail wagging happily behind her.
"I'm Sophie, by the way, and this is Hannah. We're master's pe- Er, guards!" The silver-haired dog-girl introduces herself, reaching out to shake Lily's hand. Lily unconsciously takes it, then blinks upon feeling how soft and uncalloused Sophie's hand is – Completely incongruous with her battle-hardened appearance. It's like she's been bathing her palms with a moisturizing lotion or something.
"Guards," Velvet mutters under her breath. "Because one of the strongest Magical Girls in the entire world needs guards."
Hannah's ears twitch, and she flashes Velvet a sharp grin, her canines glinting slightly. "We're guards and devoted servants, of course. It's an honor to serve our master in all ways – Even if we've only been able to guard her luggage the last few days."
"Yeah, Velvy, lay off the nice guard dog-girls," Flare replies.
"The ones who supplied you with that illicit sim? The one you proceeded to flog off on-"
"So!" Lily speaks up now, attempting to make conversation with her idol and redirect the conversation from certain… Uncomfortable topics. "I, uh… I just… Why are you sitting at our table? I mean, not that you can't! You totally can! I just thought—well, you usually don't… um… socialize. Right?"
Infinity Princess pauses mid-bite, fork hovering over her plate. "My girlfriend thought that… if I wanted to, it would be nice to try getting out more." She glances briefly at her plate of pancakes, her gaze lingering on the syrup pooling at the edges. "I was also curious. I've never eaten during one of these campaigns before."
"Oh," Lily blinks. "So, uh… Do you like the food they're serving? How's it taste?"
Infinity Princess forks some pancake into her mouth, chewing deliberately and then swallowing. "… These pancakes are adequate but my girlfriend's cooking is… Much better. Her pancakes are fluffier."
"Mistress' pancakes really are the best, aren't they?" Hannah chimes in.
"Mmh," Infinity Princess comments with her mouth full of pancake. "Yes. Alice's cooking is the best."
"This is so surreal," Velvet comments off to the side. "Is she really just – Just here to slum it and see how us regulars live?"
Infinity Princess' brow furrows faintly. "Slumming it? That's… not what I meant to do." Her gaze flicks briefly toward Sophie and Hannah, as if silently asking for help, but the two dog-girls are grinning like they've just witnessed their master do something extraordinary.
"I think what Master means," Sophie says with a wag of her tail, "is that she was curious. It's good for her to try new things!"
"Even if those new things are kinda terrible," Hannah adds with a toothy grin and a pointed look in Velvet's direction, earning a faintly disapproving look from Infinity Princess.
"… Rude," Infinity Princess chides after a brief pause. "Don't be rude. Bad girl."
"Eh?!" Hannah stiffens, turning begging, pleading eyes on Infinity Princess. "No, Master, don't say that!"
"Apologize."
Hannah's ears droop instantly, and she ducks her head, tail tucked as though she's just been scolded by the universe itself. "I'm sorry," she says, her voice small and genuinely contrite, though it's hard to tell whether she's apologizing to Velvet, Infinity Princess, or both.
Infinity Princess gives a small, approving nod, her green eyes steady. "Good girl."
Hannah's tail starts wagging furiously, and she straightens up, beaming as if the sun just came out. "Thank you, Master!" she chirps, her earlier embarrassment forgotten in an instant.
"What just happened?" Velvet asks.
Flare shrugs, chuckling under her breath. "She's got her girls trained pretty darn well, that's what just happened.
Meanwhile, Lily is still struggling to process the image of Infinity Princess — one of the most powerful Magical Girls in the world — sitting at their table because her girlfriend encouraged her to "get out more." The thought's just too surreal.
"Well," Lily says hesitantly, "I think it's cool you're here. You know, trying new things and all." She fidgets with her fork, then blurts out in a rush, "And for what it's worth, the pancakes probably wouldn't be that bad if you drown them in syrup."
Infinity Princess's gaze shifts to Lily, her expression neutral but with a flicker of something almost thoughtful. Then, to Lily's surprise, she gives a tiny nod. "I'll keep that in mind."
The faintest hint of a smile ghosts across her lips, so brief that Lily isn't entirely sure she didn't imagine it. Even so, her heart skips a beat. She's still impossibly bright, impossibly overwhelming—but there's something unexpectedly… endearing about her, too. Almost adorable...
Velvet leans toward Flare, muttering, "Am I hallucinating, or did she kind of smile just now?"
Flare smirks, tipping her mug of coffee in Velvet's direction. "Guess there's a first time for everything. Good job, Rosey."
Lily flushes. "I – I didn't do anything," she stammers, waving her hands around. "Nothing special-"
And then, of course, the worst possible thing happens.
Clink. Splash. In her flustered state, Lily's managed to knock over her glass, and a tidal wave of orange juice is now cascading across the table, heading straight for Infinity Princess.
"Oh no—!" Lily yelps, scrambling to grab napkins, but it's too late. The juice drips down, splashing onto Infinity Princess' pristine clothes, soaking into the fabric like a glaring orange stain of shame.
The silence that follows is deafening. Lily's heart sinks into her stomach. "I-I'm so sorry!" she stammers, her hands fumbling uselessly as she gropes around. Napkins, napkins, where are the napkins…?! "I didn't mean to—I'll clean it up, I—"
"… Alice bought me these clothes," Infinity Princess comments absentmindedly, studying the orange juice stain on her sleeve with mild consternation.
Alice? Who's Alice? No, it can't be…
"Your girlfriend bought you those clothes?!" Lily asks.
"Mmh," Infinity Princess nods. Oh goddess, no!
"I'll – I'll fix it! I promise!" Lily practically shrieks, darting up from the table and gesturing frantically toward the bathroom. "Please – I'll – I'll clean them. Or fix them! Or, I don't know, something!"
Ooh, this is not the impression Lily wanted to make in front of her idol...!
This stain just isn't coming out!
Lily dabs furiously away at Infinity Princess' juice-soaked fabric with damp paper towels. All the while, she's still apologizing.
"I'm really, really sorry!" Lily babbles. her face beet-red. "I don't know what's wrong with me today, I'm so, so sorry!"
Infinity Princess watches Lily, her expression unreadable. Then she tilts her head slightly.
"Why are you so upset?" Infinity Princess asks, and Lily stands frozen, the damp paper towel still clutched tightly in her hand, her heart pounding in her chest.
"Eh?"
"… My clothing was what got ruined. Not yours. Why are you so upset right now?" Infinity Princess asks again, her question hanging in the air, soft and almost casual, and Lily stammers as her brain momentarily freezes.
Because, well, how do you tell your idol, the person you've admired for as long as you can remember, that you're nervous not just because you spilled juice on her but because you genuinely look up to her? That you've spent countless hours admiring her strength, her composure, her grace, her image - and now you've ruined everything.
If you hadn't already, watching that dirty, nasty sim last night…
Ugh, and now Lily's thinking about that sim. About Infinity Princess and her hand, patting Lily's head, sending Lily into throes of ecstasy…!
Lily squirms, swallowing hard, swallowing down the lump in her throat. Then, as the silence stretches on, something shifts inside her. She can't keep hiding behind her anxiety.
"I admire you and I've messed things up, that's why I'm - just… I really admire you, Infinity Princess! I mean, you're amazing, and I didn't want to mess things up with you, and now I've—" Lily's words come out in a rush.
"Mess things up with me?" Infinity Princess repeats.
"I spilled juice all over you!"
"… Oh," Infinity Princess replies, her voice surprisingly soft. "… Why am I amazing?"
"Why are you-" Lily splutters. "You punted Lokwyn into space during your debut! You took down the Harbinger cult five years ago, the Necromancer four years ago, the Strygian vampires, and – And just now, against Ul'tharion the Unclean…! I just -"
Lily cuts herself off. She's already saying too much. Her eyes flicker to Infinity Princess, still trying to grasp what to say next. Well. In for a penny, in for a pound.
"I just – Really admire you. I look up to you. That's why I'm so – So upset. Because it's just – It's embarrassing, you know?"
"…" Infinity Princess scrutinizes Lily, then nods once. "… Ah. I see."
Lily lowers her head, trying to scrub the stain out of Infinity Princess' sleeve. "You don't have to humor me, I know I'm just being ridiculous and stupid like a giant baby-"
"Thank you, Rose Flamberge," Infinity Princess says, and Lily freezes again.
"… Wait, you know my name?"
"I know all the names of all the Magical Girls participating in this campaign. Rose Flamberge, based from Canberra. Class 3 Mana Reactor, teamed with Flare Lucent and Velvet Shade," Infinity Princess recites easily. "Strengths include fine mana manipulation, mana sensory capabilities, and-"
"You know what my powers are?!" Lily squeaks, then shakes her head. "No, back up, what do you mean thank you -"
"… It's been a while since someone said they looked up to me outside of my girlfriend, or my companions," Infinity Princess replies. "It feels… Nice. I think this is a good feeling. So… Thank you."
For a brief, strange moment, Lily wonders how many people have taken the time to say thanks to Infinity Princess. Surely they would. Or… Would they? She thinks of the way Infinity Princess carries herself, distant and isolated, almost like an unobtainable figure of worship…
… But is it right to treat her that way?
"But surely-" Lily begins, then catches herself. Surely, other girls, other fans of Infinity Princess, would have said something like that to her before, right?
… Would they really have? For a brief, awkward moment, Lily feels like she's touched on something deeply personal far beyond the ordinary fan-idol relationship she had imagined. There's a regular girl, buried underneath that perfect exterior. A quiet girl who loves her girlfriend and her cooking, who likes pancakes and gives the most wonderful pats-
Lily shivers as she remembers the sim – The way Infinity Princess patted her head, the words "good girl" ringing in her ears, the endless amounts of contented bliss she felt. Lily shakes her head, her face flushing, her heart pounding – Caught completely off-guard by the naughty, naughty thought she had just now. All she can think of is how much she would love to hear those words again.
"Rose Flamberge? Are you well?" Infinity Princess steps closer, her pale eyebrows furrowed.
Lily shakes her head again, embarrassed. Gah! What's wrong with her? Why can't she stop thinking about… That! It's such a weird, weird fantasy to have…
The silence between Lily and Infinity Princess feels too heavy now. Lily shifts on her feet, her palms clammy. How's she going to get out of this? What's wrong with her?
"I – I, uh," Lily stammers, wringing her hands together as she blathers on, words spilling out faster than she can think. "I could – I could use some, uh… Encouragement right now?"
"… Encouragement?" Infinity Princess tilts her head quizzically.
"Something to – To boost my morale. Self-affirmation?"
"… Morale? Would you like me to compliment you, then?"
"No, I, uh… Could you maybe… Pat my head?!" Lily blurts out on reflex, her heart pounding in her chest. "You know, just like, um, a little encouragement. I—I'd really appreciate it."
Infinity Princess blinks once. "… Is that all?"
"… And maybe call me a good girl? Even though I haven't been good, I mean, I did just spill juice all over you-"
Infinity Princess steps forward, and Lily's breath hitches in her throat as she feels Infinity Princess gently place her hand on Lily's head, her touch soft but firm.
"Good girl," Infinity Princess says, her voice calm and soothing.
Lily's heart skips a beat. Those words, those simple, wonderful words, hit her like a wave, and she could feel every nerve in her body suddenly buzzing with warmth. Her stomach flutters as a deep sense of contentment settles over her. In that moment, it feels like everything is right.
"Haah…!" Lily pants, trying to steady herself - But all she can focus on is the sensation of her idol's hand on her head. Good girl. Those words echo in her mind, and Lily can't help but smile softly, the panic and awkwardness melting away…