A seal of approve or a stamp of sealing

Its happens once again, that Amelia Watson wake up from a dream, under an unfamiliar roof. She quickly put together her memories to realize that the scene where she pulled out her gun actually happened. To be overwhelmed by a strange feelings and powers is not an excuse for her to freak out. But those girls were something else, they dint feel threaten. No, they seem to had a fun, as if they chat about long awaited development in a book series, from the last release. One can feel, that they were used to something that exceed the league of her gun. If they were worried, then it was for her (well being). Maybe it was because they call her a later comer, a former normie. So they expected a some irregularity from her. Or they had even worse freak off experience with they (awaking) that she was going to have if she dint faint off. On one side of coin, they can saw her like someone who making them feel normal. Or refreshed. On another side, they just pretend to be cool and flew whit the flow. For her sake, or for some other reason.

Still feeling a some exhaustion in her body, she tried to look around the place. It totally was a resting room for a visitors. The table next to the bed contained a water jug with a glass. A small basket whit some easy to eat fruits, that was probably left there by her teammates. But her attention turned at some suspicious accessory box that looked too pretty to hold some ordinary things. On second look, it give out a hint of a gift box and it feel like it was directly asking to peak inside. So, curiosity wined and detective reached for it. 

The box been padded by fluffy pillows, as if it was intended for a fragile but luxurious items. For the blonde surprise she found her bulky watch siting on the inner pillow like a royal golden apple used during crowning of the new monarch. She instantly get palled worrying, if someone dared to peak inside, or something worse; like alternations. But her attention was moved onto this sealing paper strip placed on it, running from front, trough side to back, so it will prevent the watch to be open. On touch it feel like a paper and the mysterious complex writing make by ink brush look like something that originate in ancient times. She tried to opened the watch but the strip prevent it from happening. So the obvious step was to try to peel of that seal off, but she dint manage to bent a single corner or edge. She tried to scratch the paper, but it was resistant. As detective she was, she glanced at the jug of eater; Quickly soaked her fingers and tried them to use on the ink drawing. But her eyes widened when she clearly saw how the water drops just slipped down on that paper as if the seal was water repelling.

Then she realize certain fact, (or remembered). "Oh… the magic." She observe her watch from every angle, as if it was a brain teaser/ puzzle toy. She clearly think that they probably thought, that her watch is out of control. And because she passed out, they think she failed to take control about her artifact. So they sealed it away. Now, that she have a moment of alone to think about it, she puzzled on how her thingy even become this thing called an artifact. It was her most valued possession. Her deepest companion and in some sense, the course of her live depended on it. On other hand she was emotionally attached to it. Then, when she (arrived) to this town, some kind of transformation change not just her thingy but her too.

She stop for a moment with a surprise in her face. Just (From when?) she call the master piece of her a (thingy)? As for a call a Takanashi big smiled face shows up in her mind. Always fired up and never giving up. She practically owned the entire situation and make them effortlessly enroll. Then who shall held responsibility? The little mouse seems to be a head of the student council, practically running the school. As cunning she sound, she dint seems to be bother by stretching whatever rules she used. Calliope, the cool volcano that only need to be poked by a stick to explode, on mater of Academy history said that the upper-ups, the Wizards, don't even had a need to establish the academia. Even the (always missing?) principal given the students a free hand. Then Gura, a girl that talk like an orphan war veteran and Ace, mentioned that those wizards know very well what they are doing. The blonde instantly remembered at Gawr iconic line: (I am shark!)

Ninomae is to be said to be on pair with those wizard, with wisdom and skill and probably in silliness. The detective cant helped herself but feel, that behind her angelic and helpful appearance, there lies something like a dark secret, even if they call her priestess. She said that Amelia shall make certain artifact her partner and make her decision. It was suspicious how vague her advice was. Except no body questioned her. Like if they dared to ask a question about topic they dint have any previous knowledge: That girl will slowly turn to them. Even if her smile, expression or body language dint change; one can read in her aura; that she thinking about (How far?) she shall push this prank opportunity. 

Then there was this Mumei girl, with an owl like stare, who personally warn the blonde about talking to Kronii. Plus in those vision she had, the duelist was not interested in others, but aimed her attention on Watson. But Ouro dint seems to be a bad person. Was they were worrying, because Kronii theme too closely resemble a time? Or it was because they call her a walking perfection? (Wait…) Did all that worrying was because they all have a (not good) experience dealing with the perfectionist? And she being marked as a technician, she will have a hard to refusing (impossible to finish) commission request from the number one on academy. Was they just trying to easing her transfer to this menagerie/ zoo/ (Harp Academy)/ circus? Because they marked her as former normie, who had to nowhere to return? So, that she can call this home and a new family?

Watson suddenly sighed, making a soft smile, while playing with her watch in her hands, but not really paying attention. Then she stop for a moment. (Just from when she start think about them as a family?) She shake her head and decide to get out of the room.

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The moment she reach for the door handle, she suddenly decide to be sneaky and slowly and silently open the door. Her detective eye sparked for a second, ready to start her investigation. In a twist of fate, from just a crack between the door and door frame; she was able to overhear a discussion of somebody standing in front of the door.

It was Takanashi, speaking in whisper voice. "Okay girls as we agreed, to make her feel like she a home, keeps you kinks on a leach."

Even through a whispering Mori barked at the Phoenix. "You are the one to talk!"

To save the dialog Ninomae added a whispering explanation. "Shes a bird, that's like inseparable part of her culture."

And there was the fourth one with a shark scales, who whisper. "Aren't we just delaying the inevitable. Just throw her into a water, like a fish. The instincts are there, they will kick in."

.

But there was a denial from the Phoenix. "Now you are a bold, ignoring that you has been the first one to freak out. Twice!"

At this point Watson smiled softly. She dint want to spy anymore and opened the door fully, to glance at Takanashi back as she educating the other girls in front of her, with a raised teacher finger.

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"No! No!, girls. You have no idea of how fragile is the hart of non combatant. We all agreed on my plan! So slow down and be nice for her to catch up." Then she noticed, that something is odd at the trios expressions. "What?" She twist her upper body to look behind herself, to only now noticing Watson standing there. "Oh…" Then she returned back to look at the trio. "Why dint you tell me, shes already up?"

But, Watson interrupted the discussion when she make a sudden step forward and hugged Takanashi from behind. That clearly surprise the fire-haired girl, but don't do anything. After simple (Thank you.), the blonde moved to the Shark to hug her. Then she move to the Priestess to make a wholesome hug. Then she turn toward the Rapper. There was a moment of hesitation on both sides, but the pink haired one, give up and spread her arms to invite the blonde onto her body.

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We shall not forget that certain resolution lasted only to this point, when happy faced Takanashi make call out for a group hug. As the orange-flame girl with closed eyes hop forward the duo, the pink girl eye blinked in anger as if wanted to say: (I see, what you trying to do here!) In a quick move of arm, it was Mori who hug, (forcefully grab) Takanashi. But because Gawr and Ninomae approached Watson too, the other hand of Mori do the same on other side. In a mere second, the Rapper pick up and squeeze a ball of her friends in one (group hug?), lifting them from the floor.

In a moment, the tallest girl noticed that Watson tapping at her torso from side as sign to let her go.

So the pink girl look front-down and saw that her woman pride duo, increase in numbers, onto trio.

Oh wait: That was a blonde's head burred deep into a cleavage. And she cant get out, because others are around, trapped in that hug with her.

Mori released others, stubbornly averting her entire body from the team to glance away. The body language, crossed arms, probably puffed cheeks and red color on her eras says something about embarrassment.

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Anyway the team manage to recover, and Watson to change a topic, make a question. "Just a note, whats was the others plan?"

The tree teammates answered in a rapid succession. "Crash course." "Crash course." "Crash course." [: a rapid and intense course of study. Also : an experience that resembles such a course. A non power user, been given a crash course in (how to survive a super-power-users world) in his first weeks in isekai boot camp. (By threatening the participant life.) Like Touhou driving license course: "Graze license test"]

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Takanashi swung the discussion by forceful cough. "Ehm! So~o, Ame? How do you feel?"

Watson dint answer, but instead reach for her pocket and she show the others her sealed clock. The white-orange-violet trio glanced at it making they commentary.

But when Mori heard something about powerful seal, she suddenly stop sulking on side and try to look. Except Takanashi began resisting that idea, putting her palms onto Mori face to prevent her to see the sealing.

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The Phoenix girl quickly change the topic, by become hipped up. "Speaking about the artifact: Do you want to know what is Calli's artifact?" 

The pink one hasty barked at her to shut up, threaten her by clenched fist. No, she skipped the clenching fist part: Getting behind Takanashi she forcefully covered certain lose mouth. By not a mistake one of her arm vent around neck. And that arm inflict a pressure. Plus there was this choking sound and gasping for an air.

White haired girl dint pay much attention to the struggling duo. "My artifact seems or not seems to be an obviously simple one. And not! The trident is not my artifact. Its my weapon on choice. (Or just a tradition.) I opened to experimenting."

But hearing that the talk about artifact already begin, Mori speak up a warning. "No! Don't ask whats Kiara's artifact! I still don't know how she cheat to archive that! Everybody had something normal, or expected. Then she walked in proudly." She clearly ignored the hesitant comment from Ina: (A body physiology?)

Anyway the Violet haired girl continued. "Some artifact are easier to spot that others. And many of them grain a will on they own, soon or later. The best examples are grimoires, with a desire to spread they knowledge. The more power they can wield, the more refined are they personality. Like my AO-chan. [abbreviation of Ancient Ones] Don't mistake them for the plushy looking guiding fellas." She glanced for a second on the duo. As if it was a secret message, Mori release Takanashi from her grasp. Don't mentioning that the priestess continue. "So, Ame. Don't worry about you watch. That seal will peal off when you will be ready, to do it. Except, remember that no effort means no opportunity."

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Watson, having a sweat drop on her face put on a large smile. "Okay, fair enough. Its seem, that I have no other option, that to stay for a while. Not that I will go anywhere without my working watch. Plus that work-shop for me was a clever fishing hook. I promise to keep this one from exploding." Then she quickly change the topic. "So, what classes we have?"

They were quick to react, starting with Gawr: "That's a normies talk."

Ninomae seem to be happy, softly clapping her palms. "Activities… Yey…"

Takanashi wanted to move the dialog further, making a suggestion. "So how about we hit the auditorium?"

But Mori give it a somehow neutral answer. "Hmm. You don't see so often, that half of the audience will voluntarily and in haste, jump out from the windows."

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The group stop for a second, exchanging a glance, until they chuckle and giggle.

Detective probably dint expected they reactions to the most normal question at school. But she make a salutation pose, finally making her introduction. "Amelia Watson, the traveling detective at you service. Leave it to me, and I will solve this mystery. Glad that you have me."

Whit a "Lets go!" from Gura, the smiling Myth team finally went towards they future on (Harp Academy), facing forward the new pages of they upcoming story arc.

But… that's the story context for another time. We shall close this book with a conclusion; that Amelia Watson, joined the mythical group. Step on (mythical land?). And enroll on mythical institution. There is a lot to investigate and lot of mysteries to uncover.

Or shall we say?:… That the infiltration mission?,… was a huge success?

[End, By Dretnoth Dec 2023 Mar/Apr 2024]