Maya and Ari had a long chat about banding together to manipulate the voting system of the group to decide on places to visit. After all, the two needed to make sure they didn't do anything too dangerous. Not that they didn't also make some plans to use it to be able to visit some areas they’d like to explore.

“What a day~.”

“Absolutely!” Just like the other two duos, Sophia and Chloe also decided to chat a little before getting ready to sleep in their room.

“Should we bug Mira about interesting places to visit tomorrow? I’m sure an overseer would make a great tour guide!”

“She probably knows the entire world, huh?” The fox-girl nodded. “Would that be the most fun thing to do, though?” She then tilted her head. “Isn’t finding interesting places half the fun in traveling?”

“That’s a very fair and true argument!” Sophia could follow her train of thought. “I don’t want to miss out on anything, though!”

“That is indeed a valid concern!” She heartily agreed with that. “Maybe we could talk her into making sure we don’t overlook anything?”

“Hmm?” The blonde tilted her head. “What do you mean?”

“We’ll continue traveling on a whim and vote on places we'd like to see on the way or actively travel towards to, but without Mira spoiling us. Only, when we overlook something, like walking right past anything fun we wouldn't see without her, she could draw our attention to whatever it could be.”

“Ohh!” Sophia seemed to approve of the idea. “That’s the perfect solution! I love it! A failsafe for the perfect exploration trip!”

“Exactly~.”

“I think we need to reevaluate the voting system again, though.” The tiger suddenly sounded a bit more serious. “I have the feeling that there will be too much bias involved.”

“I think so, too!” Chloe raised her voice. “We have too many cats that dislike the cold! Steph or I will never win a single vote on places we’d like to see!”

“No, that part is a good thing!” The leader of the cats shook her head. “It’s also not what I meant.”

“Hey!” The leader of the cold fraction didn’t like her reply. “What do you mean, then?”

“I’m like 96% certain that the other two duos will form alliances to manipulate the voting of places to explore!”

“You think so?” Chloe looked confused. “Neither of the couplings seem like they would work that way.”

“It’s quite the opposite, my dear~.” Sophia smiled at her. "Anna and Steph, as well as Maya and Ari, are the most likely duos for that to happen!"

“Ehh…?” She only got more confused. “How did you manage to come to that conclusion?”

"I don't know why they haven't hit off quite yet, but Anna and Steph have quite similar personalities when it comes to how they are around people. Nice, outgoing, and caring, but also kinda way too active, and a bit tomboyish. Both are beyond stubborn and impatient, too.”

“Yes, I noticed…” Chloe nodded. “Their room fight was beyond petty.”

“It’s pretty much guaranteed that those two will band together to achieve a common higher goal. It’s in their nature to have the most fun possible as soon as possible.”

“Well, I can see Steph trying to talk her into it, yes. If the princess really is that similar, the chances for it happening really are rather high." The fox-girl was starting to understand. "It makes absolutely no sense for Ari and Maya, though! They’re way too strict for that!”

“Y-You really need to spend more time with them alone!” Sophia tried to hold back a chuckle.

“W-What’s that supposed to mean?” Chloe didn’t like hearing that she didn’t know her friends well enough.

"Okay, fair enough. You didn't meet magic-obsessed and muscle-brain Maya at her peak before she decided to save the world by becoming the group's babysitter, so I can't really blame you.” She smiled at her. “I’d also like to say that my bond with Ari is almost maxed out, too, so I know just how playful and mischievous she can be.”

“Is that so?”

“It’s not Maya’s sass that’s an exception to her usual personality, it’s her being the serious type that isn’t her real self. Ari’s also much less of a good girl, as well. I mean, look at what they did to my domain!" She then pointed out the window in their room.

“Ha, if you put it that way, it makes a lot of sense. Rather obvious, too.”

“In your defense, you did spend a LOT of time with Steph the last half year.” Sophia’s smile turned a little mischievous. “I can see how you’d overlook some details about the others~.”

“That’s just as much yours and everyone else’s fault!” Chloe got a little louder. Everyone was just lazing around because it was too cold! It was just Steph that wanted to go outside with me!”

“Ahaha,” The tiger scratched her cheek. “I can’t really say much there. Though, I went outside at least once a day!”

“To go running at a speed that should be impossible to achieve for bipedal beings! No, thank you!”

“You sure are hard to please!”

“You are not allowed to call others hard to please!” Chloe didn’t like her reply.

“Why?” She tilted her head. “I’m incredibly easy to please! Just ask Maya!”

“…” The fox-girl went silent for a moment. “Did we just change the topic to something else?”

“Hmm?” The blonde’s expression turned cute while she tilted her head even more.

“You’re insufferable…”

“I love you, too~.”

“Okay, you might be easy to please, but you surely aren’t low maintenance.”

“I never claimed to be. I try my best not to lie, after all.”

“Self-aware as usual, at least.”

“By the way,” Sophia thought it was time to change the topic for real. “Steph and you, now that it got mentioned, how is it going?”

“W-What do you mean?”

“Exactly what those blushing cheeks of you mean.” The blonde smiled at her. “As Steph’s older sister, I must ensure she’s treated well! If not, things will get ugly very fast! Because I will make them ugly!”

"Do I look like someone who would hurt or treat anyone badly?” Chloe sounded upset. “Or like I am even capable of something like that?”

“No, you are the very definition of lovely, but who knows what happens behind closed doors!”

"A-Ah…” Hearing that, the fox-girl quickly turned her head to the side.

“What's with that reaction?!”

“L-Look, it’s not my fault that Steph’s a complete bottom, okay…?”

“Eh…?”

“…” She went silent again.

“Wait a moment!” Sophia got a little louder instead. “My sister is a bottom?! The loud and energetic violet dog you’re dating? No way!”

“Well, the saying always goes like the silents types are often the, uhh… active ones, right? That would mean the opposite for the loud type, no?”

“Is that really how that works?” The tiger looked confused. “Well, dogs also have a bit of a reputation of being obedient and if you continue that play in bed, then…” She didn’t finish her sentence.

“W-We aren’t taking things that far!”

“You’re not?”

“N-NO!”

“Why not?” The blonde tilted her head.

“B-Because,” Chloe had a hard time saying anything.

“Wait, how did we get here in the first place?” Sophia wanted to avoid pressing the topic any further.

“Because you wanted to know how I treat Steph behind closed doors!” The pink fox looked even more embarrassed. “A-And that made me remember the times when she’s too indecisive for… everything, and I have to be the one taking the… lead.”

“Kinky~.”

"Not a literal lead!"

"I see."

"I mean," The fox looked like she wanted to say something, but decided against finishing her sentence.

"Huh?"

"Nothing!"

"I see~."

“S-Shush!” Chloe lightly glared at her. "ANYWAY! I’m treating your sister with the utmost respect possible! Even if she wants me to do things that don't seem like it at first glance!"

“That’s great to hear! Also… wow.” The blonde scratched her cheek. “Things I did not expect to learn about Steph today.”

“Ahaha…” She did not know what to say.

“Soo… It does seem like Steph’s in good hands! Glad to hear that as the big sister~.” Sophia smiled at her. “What about the other way around?”

“Being the top is super fun!”

“Uhhh…” The tiger needed a moment. “I was, uhh… That’s good to know, but I wanted to know if she’s treating you well, too.”

“I need to start thinking before opening my stupid mouth already!” Chloe used her hands to cover her face to hide her embarrassment.

“It’s the worst, right?” She could sympathize with her. “I’m suffering from the same affliction.”

“Urgh… Yes, Steph is treating me very well. There’s absolutely nothing I can complain about!” The fox dropped the topic. “I’m extremely happy to be with her, and every second with her is the best!”

“You don’t have to jump right into bragging there.”

“You’re constantly bragging about how amazing Maya is!”

“Fair point, go on.” Sophia had nothing to say in her defense.

“How about we not go on and do something else?” She had enough embarrassment for one evening.

“Sure~.”

“Oh, about the topic from before! If the other duos really are banding together to push their favorite places to visit, should we do the same?”

“Nah, I don’t think so.” Sophia shook her head.

“Really?”

“Yeah,” She then nodded. “I have three very good reasons for it, too.”

“Oh?”

"First, we both want to see as many places as possible, right? Exploring for exploring’s sake! Does it really matter what to see first?”

“True!”

“Second, there’s absolutely no way we could ever settle on something we’d like to see equally because our tastes are way too different. Taking turns wouldn't work, either. You'd want to see cold places, and I prefer warm ones. We'd have to constantly dart all over the place!"

“Also very true.”

“And then there’s by far the most important reason!” The tiger made a short pause. “Imagine the two of us, who are treated as the most illogical and unhinged ones in the group, being the only ones who didn’t cheat by making such an underhanded deal!”

“Ohhh!” Chloe liked the way she was thinking.

"I won't stop being smug about it for at least a month!"

“Hehe~.” The pink fox let out a small chuckle. “I love it! We have nothing to lose but so much to win!”

“Exactly!”

“Okay, let’s do it like that!” She smiled at the tiger. “With that being sorted, shall we head to bed? I’ve gotten pretty tired!”

“I can always sleep!” Sophia wasn’t against the idea. “Though, I’m not entirely sure anymore if sharing a bed with you is a good idea. “She glanced at the double bed in the room they were in. “I know myself and my sleeping habits pretty well and… and it’ll take exactly two minutes and four seconds for me to be all over your tail after I fell asleep. It’s guaranteed. No chances of it not happening.”

“Ahh…” Chloe got a little awkward again. “Well… As long as you don’t get forceful with it during your sleep and squeeze all the way down to the base of my tail… It, uhh… should be okay.”

“S-Seriously?!”

“Steph and Maya will be your problem, though.”

"A sacrifice I’m willing to make!”

“If you say so.”

“YES!”

Afterward, even though Sophia was more excited than ever, the two got ready to sleep and became comfortable in the bed together. Just as predicted, it took the tiger exactly 7 seconds after falling asleep to hug and cuddle into Chloe’s fluffy tail. The owner of said tail wasn’t sure how to feel about it, but as there wasn't even a shred of impure feeling radiating from Sophia while she was gently clinging to her, the fox-girl also quickly fell asleep.

 

 

 

 

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