Chat Group: Starting by Swapping Bodies with Elysia?

"Oh, you're done already?" When Jiang Qiao emerged from Dr. Relia's lab, she found Totori stuffing her face with cookies, cheeks puffed out like a hamster.

Noticing his gaze, Totori chuckled sheepishly. "Research burns a lot of energy. Just refueling. Want some…? Mmmppphh!!!"

Mid-sentence, the girl's face turned pale. [Elysia] reacted quickly, catching the bag of cookies before they scattered.

But the cookies weren't the priority. Totori was choking!

"Water… water!"

Jiang Qiao glanced at her half-empty water bottle and, without hesitation, poured the remaining water into Totori's mouth. Sadly, there wasn't enough to achieve the desired bloated belly effect.

Gulp, gulp…

"Phew… I'm alive!" Totori patted her chest, relieved. She glanced at the empty bottle in [Elysia]'s hand, her cheeks flushing slightly.

Well… we're both girls, so it's fine.

"If you're hungry, let's grab a bite. I'm starving too." [Elysia] sighed.

While Herrschers could survive on Honkai energy, perhaps due to the Herrscher of Origin's unique nature, hunger, while not fatal, was still unpleasant.

"Okay! My treat!" Totori, feeling indebted, patted her… assets confidently. Fire Moth paid their researchers well.

The Fourth Research Department had its own cafeteria, but Totori opted for a dessert shop in town, a personal favorite.

"Two Triple Delight Blue Mousse and two black teas, please!" She ordered expertly, clearly a regular.

"This place has the best desserts! I come here every few days!" Totori chatted excitedly as they waited, perched on a barstool.

"Where are you headed next?"

"Auckland. Dr. Relia asked me to go." —Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, also known as the "City of Sails."

"Oh! What a coincidence! I'm going to Auckland too!"

"Is your friend…?"

"Hee hee, she lives there~ I haven't told you her name, have I?"

"Wendy?"

"...Eh? Did I tell you? …I don't think so? Oh well, I must have forgotten."

[Elysia] watched the slightly ditzy girl, a spoon of the sky-blue mousse halfway to her mouth.

It had a unique flavor, a blend of three distinct tastes… made with Sanke fruit, apparently popular in Mu. Not surprising, given Queenstown's proximity and its status as a tourist hub.

While delicious, she wasn't focused on the dessert. Maintaining a smile, she listened to Totori recount her meeting with Wendy.

—Unlike her GGZ counterpart, this Wendy wasn't a plaything of the rich. She was a native of Auckland.

She and Totori, a foreign exchange student from Shenzhou, had met by chance, a fateful encounter. Despite being strangers, they quickly became close friends. Even after graduating early and joining the Fourth Research Department, Totori often visited Wendy in Auckland.

However, due to work and the recent weather, it had been a while since her last visit. She only knew of Wendy's worsening health through their chats.

With previous medical checkups yielding no results, Totori planned to ask Dr. Relia to connect her with Dr. Mobius in Europe.

During their dessert break, besides listening, Jiang Qiao also shared some of her own experiences, humoring Totori's curiosity. Girl talk, after all, involved exchanging stories.

[Elysia]'s tales of battlefield exploits, even embellished, captivated the researcher.

But the most interesting tidbits were the Fire Moth gossip.

For example—the renowned Dr. Mobius secretly loved wearing dresses, especially pink ones! She even raided [Elysia]'s closet!

"Honestly, if she likes dresses, she should just ask. What's wrong with a beautiful girl liking dresses? Why sneak around? Don't you think Dr. Mobius is being dishonest?"

"Yes! I can't believe the famous Dr. Mobius is like that!"

"But please, please don't tell anyone! If Mobius finds out, she'll be so embarrassed!"

"Don't worry! I'm the best secret keeper in the Fourth Research Department!" Totori puffed out her chest, making a solemn vow.

Their shared enjoyment of desserts and gossip rapidly strengthened their bond. According to Totori, her friendship with Wendy had also blossomed in a dessert shop. So, to Totori, [Elysia] was already as good a friend as Wendy! Perhaps even more so.

After all, the power of Elysian yuri was far greater than that of a shy, introverted girl like Seele.

Totori, eager to introduce her new friend to Wendy, swallowed the last bite of dessert [Elysia] offered, a bit of fruit staining her lips. "Let's go!"

"Wendy will be so happy to meet you!"