Lisanna was the first to awaken. She looked at the face so close to hers dully before she blinked.

And blushed.

She tried to back away from the strange scene in front of her; yet, there were two arms propped in front of Wendi, just under Lisanna's chest, and the wall prevented her retreat.

Her hands reached out, seeking some space.

Lisanna's mind blanked and lifted her body up, despite her half-asleep limbs, and she quickly crawled out.

"... Wha...?"

Wendi looked at Lisanna's rear.

"... Oh? Goo' mor'in..."

She rubbed both her eyes with her balled fists, yawning cutely. She stretched out and the blankets opened up to expose her midriff, but she did not care.

Lisanna shook the scene from her mind and sat on the edge of the bed. It was the first time she ever shared a bed and since they were just talking before, she did not think it to be that strange; however, sleeping?

She grumbled.

But Wendi just scratched her belly and curled up again.

"... Sleep more..."

She patted the bed again and Lisanna hurriedly shook her head.

"N-no, it's fine. It's late enough."

The sun was already rising so she slept in much later than usual. She was feeling well-rested, admittedly.

"... Ok..." Wendi closed her eyes for a moment, drifting off Lisanna's figure before she reopened them. "Oh!"

She snapped up and charged Lisanna.

Lisanna instinctively darted to the side, hitting her hip on the desk, and she cried out. Wendi paid no heed and looked at the statue in front of her. "I see, I see! Jore did say that we had to make full use of the three dimensions!" More if one counted space and time. "Lisanna, now you have to copy that style! A couple's statues have got to be perfect!"

"A c-couple's?!"

"Yes, you're working on it together and that is what we previously discussed, is it not?" Wendi said matter-of-factly. "Oh! I can do floating rose petals like sakura flowers! Ah, ah! I'm inspired!"

Still in her thin (but opaque) night-gown, Wendi hurriedly started work on her statue, cross-referencing the figure of Lisanna still in the middle of the room.

A child and a mother appeared, laying down, surrounded by flowers and rose bushes, but a wind seemed to sweep up in her work, scattering the petals that were once on the crystalline ground.

"... Is that me?"

The expression was natural, but it seemed to denote a different person. Even so, considering the subject matter differed greatly from her usual fighting style, it was a plausible modification. She looked in the mirror.

The tense lips, slightly pursed lips, and taut shoulders hanging off loose cloth seemed to match, but there was a sense of anxiety that she did not think she possessed.

'Does he see something different?' She thought as she kept looking at herself in the mirror.

"Lisanna! We're going to catch up, okay! I didn't think he'd make this much progress!"

"... Fine, but how...?"

"Just look at him for the time being."

"Sleeping?"

"It's close enough!"

Wendi was reliant on her (very good) memory pertaining to her artist's eye. Granted, it was not perfect, so she left the finer details of the face and body as the scene expanded around the mother and daughter.

"... Isn't that-"

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"Yup! It's one of my books! I picked one of the first poems I wrote."

Wendi worked steadily and Lisanna was forced to keep pace.

Since sparks were easier to scatter everywhere, she was forced to mimic ice with fire; it was a difficult task, but with a dripping blade and scattered water, she had least an idea of where to take it.

And half-cuirass of azure flames appeared, as two crossed sheaths on his back were slowly formed. She based it on her own sheath, modified it a little, and kept one blade sheathed.

Not dissimilar from his fight with Synthy.

Wendi, looking over after a burst of inspiration, half-shouted, "okay! Now if you're going to do a fur half-cuirass, you should add a little more definition to the fur strands. Also, try to copy the monsters reflected from the blade! You can do the male naga on one side, and the females on the other!"

"O-okay... but how? Just like making different shades?"

"Yup! If you want, you could add a little orange to it to make it pop - keep it tight enough, and you can probably mimic a specific colour for the naga. Oh, oh, use the white-tips as the base of the sword."

Lisanna was already quite good with blending in the colours, but she felt that she was following his lead a little too much. After adding definition to the parts she already finalized, she copied what she felt she had to, and then moved beyond it with her own thoughts.

Using his sleeping face as a base, she copied the tranquillity first, adding in some of the lines of concentration she noted on Wendi's face, and kept adding more details that pertained specifically to him, like the claw marks on his arms and neck, as his body was given the white tips of the flames to give it a base.

"... I should just try to avoid using normal flames except for their tips... It'd be easier if I had Mina's or - well, just Mina's flames... but whatever."

While its base was a calm warrior, tension appeared as if undergoing a difficult battle. She kept the images of flashing pain she saw before in the citadel to a minimum, but the taut muscles became part of it.

"... Wendi! How's this!?" Lisanna grew loud as she grew content with her work. She did everything she wanted to do for the time being at least. If nothing else, she did not want to lose to either of them.

"Hmm, oh, very good! Hey, hey. I'm tapped right now. Want to go for breakfast?"

It looked like it was noon. They spent a lot of time working on the statues.

"Hmm, okay. I could-" her stomach growled.

Wendi giggled and then closed and contracted her statue. Lisanna did the same as the two began to excitedly talk about their progress. It was a novel task and there were no thoughts of showcasing it to over four-hundred people, many of which accomplished mages and more than a few with a passing interest in art.

"They have to be back-to-back, right?"

Wendi nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, with how it's going, that has it to be the formation. There can be a set distance from them, but they have to be facing outwards. But what about Ali?! We need - need! - to go there soon! When I was talking to Ali, Alexi, and Alyssa, it seemed they were open all week, but I don't want to intrude too much! But I have to borrow them!"

Ayla and Erik, and a few others, waved them to join their table. It looked like everyone had bright eyes.

"... I think it's true! It has to be!" Ayla said as the two arrived with their meals. "Hey, hey! Is it just us or do the furs help like, a lot?! I only slept for five hours since I was working late, but I feel so, so, so good! We're talking if we should make it a class staple with the gold we're giving everyone!"

"That... I could see it," Wendi said with a giggle. "I slept a lot longer than I normally do, but I don't feel sore or tired at all!"

"Me too, but..." she pressed her hand against her hip that she banged into the desk. "Yeah, but it doesn't make sense with him."

"Ah, he's probably an exception. We've tentatively deduced that there is a fifty-percent reduction in fatigue, injury, and the time it takes to fall asleep!"

Erik nodded with a grin. "Definitely. It was a good idea. We're taking a break right now, but we'll be back to it soon!"

Lisanna asked, "right, Erik. Mathias wanted to invite you to come with us. We're going to the cafe for... research, I guess, with Wendi's project. He specifically said you since his parents were maybe going to stopover."

"His parents? I thought his mom didn't like treating guys?" Erik pursed his lips before shrugging. "Oh well. There should be more than enough room inside, I can just work there."

Erik said as he patted the blade at his side.

"Thanks for accepting," Lisanna said politely before adding, "right, we'll probably be there for a while, so anyone who is getting treatment is to come there too."

Ayla nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, we decided that it was only four people, we'd just pick those with scars on their faces. So that means Mina, Lina, Hana, and me! Everyone else's is bearable, they say, and I'm pretty sure that they think it would burn the bridge for future treatments - so they're opting out! But I'll make sure he's fine with doing it again on me later!"

"Okay. Just give them a head's up, if you don't mind. We'll be grabbing Mathias and heading out soon."

"Okay!" Ayla cheered. "Erik, tell the boys we'll be going back!"

Erik nodded. "Ah, James, do you mind? I want to go with Mathias to see why he wanted to talk."

"Understood. I'll tell them to come later then."

"Perfect, thanks, man. Are the two of you done already?"

Lisanna and Wendi devoured their meals. But since they were starving and did not have breakfast, it was to be expected.

Wendi nodded excitedly, "I won't leave Ali waiting!" She grabbed a small booklet. "I even brought her a gift!"

"Cool, then let's get going. Ayla, let's get everyone to meet there later, around, say, six?"

"Okay! I still have a lot of work to do! Also, your three final verdicts on the fur matter?!"

"Mandatory?"

"Seems fine."

"Just don't tell Mathias," Lisanna added somewhat worriedly.

"It's fine! I've already sent word to the girls last night that no one is to threaten that place ever again! I have a lot of backing in that regard from Stacy, Jill, and Jennifer - and I know the rest will understand once they see it! I'll round them up so we can go back to the place this afternoon, come back, work a bit, and then we'll have dinner and meet up at the cafe!"

"Sounds good," Erik said easily as he turned to the two. "You ready?"

"Yeah!"

"I am, but... let me wake him up, okay?" Lisanna said nervously, not wanting to risk others interrupting the new house rules he laid down.

"Hmm? Fine."