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Nerissa was dying.
Well, not exactly. But it felt like it with the way coughs wrake her body, and pain pounded in her head.
Every cough brought with it a harsh grating to her throat, and mucus up her mouth. Her fever only recently broke, filled with fever dreams and nightmares.
Nerissa feels a damp cloth laid on her forehead. She turns to the side, coming face to face with the softly smiling face of Bijou.
“Hey Wissa.” Bijou's eyes were a gentle lavender, the gem on her chest the only light source in the room. “Feeling any better?”
Nerissa's only answer is a cough, harsh and dry, like nails clawing their way up her esophagus.
Bijou winces in sympathy. “Yeah… Shiori said it'd be like that for a while.”
She reaches over, grabbing a tissue and holding it to Nerissa's nose. “Blow.” She commands softly, grimacing a bit at the gross, wet sound.
Nerissa coughs again.
Bijou's hand rubs her chest. “I'll go get you some water.”
“Wai-!” Nerissa calls, voice halfway gone through the yell. “Where. Others?” She asks haltingly when the gem turns, coughs punctuating every word.
Bijou sighs, turning around and pushing some hairs out of Nerissa's forehead. “Downstairs. Shiori went out to get some food you can eat. And the twins are guarding the house.”
Nerissa tilts her head towards the gem's hand, sighing in her throat. She makes a questioning sound, peaking one eye open at the last words.
Bijou shrugs. “I dunno why they're doin' it either. Bu it may have something to do with them before. They had that look in their eyes, y'know the one?”
Nerissa nods, a worried look in her eyes.
The gem smiles, leaning down to press a kiss to a sweaty forehead. “I'll go get some water, and I'll send them up. Don't think I don't see you shivering.”
The demon nods, grateful and smitten. “Thank you, Biboo.” She croaks out, voice hoarse.
Bijou winces, pressing one last kiss before she turns to walk out the door. “Oof, yeah, yeesh. You really need some water, Rissa. Be right back!”
The door is closed gently, not even the hinges squeaking as if considerate to the raven's pain. Though it's more likely her girls oiled it because she's sick, Nerissa thinks with a happy sigh.
It's barely a second after Bijou leaves, that footsteps pound up to her door, growing quieter the closer they come. Hushed, but frantic, whispers sound before the door is opened.
Fuwawa stands at the front, breathing harshly with a wild look in her eyes. Mococo peaks behind her sister's shoulder, blue eyes darting across Nerissa's body in a way that makes her feel warm. Scanning for injuries.
“Rissa,” Fuwawa starts, stepping slowly into the room like it's a ticking bomb. “Do you need anything?”
Nerissa giggles, beckoning the blue hound closer. “Mhm. Need my girls with me.” She pats the bed next to her, small and definitely not enough for three people to sleep in, let alone five.
Fuwawa stops, brows furrowing. She looks behind her, exchanging a look with her sister. A silent conversation with just their eyes and souls. Pink and blue lights flash, only slightly, before Fuwawa nods and turns back to Nerissa.
“Ok, Nerissa. I'm coming over.” Fuwawa murmurs, affection dripping from her lips and wrapping around Nerissa, warmer than any blanket she has.
“Thank you, darling.”
Nerissa hums happily, wings twitching a little, as Fuwawa lays down under the cover. The blue hound wastes no time wrapping her arms around the sound demon, tail draping over her waist with the tip under a wing. She tucks her head on top of Nerissa's head, snug between a horn and a half.
The demon sighs, melting into the warm embrace, fur tickling her skin as she buries her hands in them, gripping them with her fingers. Her eyes flutter open, feeling eyes on her, and no warmth on her back.
Nerissa raises her head, locking eyes with Mococo still standing at the door. Her claws grip the frame, ears up and alert, twitching with every little sound.
“Darling..?” Nerissa calls, watching as one ear swivels in her direction, Mococo's eyes following soon after. “Darling. Why'ren't you joinin’ us?”
Mococo flushes, just a little. Pretty little pink, like her sister's eyes. She jerks her head behind her, out the door where water boiling and spoons clinking sound. Bijou no doubt making tea for her.
Nerissa raises an eyebrow, unimpressed but still endeared. “Mhmm.” She makes a get on with it gesture. Impressive considering she's confined to the bed.
The pink hound laughs, hand nervously coming up to scratch at her neck. “Um. I need to guard the house?”
Nerissa's unimpressed look still doesn't drop.
“Moco-chan, that sounds more like a question.” Fuwawa chastises, turning to look at her sister.
Mococo bristles, baring her teeth and growling. “Shut up!”
Fuwawa sticks out her tongue. “Nuh uh.”
“Nuh-!” Mococo sputters, tail lashing out behind her. “You. You can't just, ‘Nuh uh’ your way outta everything!” She exclaims.
Fuwawa shrugs, lazy and eyes half lidded. “Watch me.”
Mococo growls, any further arguing interrupted by a throat being cleared behind them.
“Fuzzhead.” Shiori drawls, a bowl of soup in her hand, warm and freshly made. Steam curls out of the bowl, the smell heavenly to all the occupants in the room. “Mind tellin’ me why y'all are fighting when our dear raven is so very clearly sick?”
Mococo blinks, deflating. Her ears pin back and she steps aside for the archiver to enter. “Sorry Shiori.” She mutters, scuffing her paws on the floor, guilt wrapped around her like a shroud.
Shiori sighs, handing the bowl to a recently sitting Fuwawa, pressing a kiss to her head with a scratch to her ear. “Nah, it's been a long couple of days, and we're all goin’ a lil stir crazy. Doesn't help that Rissa keeps dying everytime we look away from her.”
“Hey!” Said demon protests weakly.
Shiori raises an unimpressed brow, cupping her cheek to press a kiss to her forehead. “Don't deny it, you haven't slept at all ‘till last night. Cause you passed out, might I add.”
Nerissa huffs, kissing Shiori's palm before opening her mouth for a spoonful of soup. “Still.”
“Don't be stubborn, Nerissa.” Fuwawa says, admonishing. “We were really scared when you kept getting worse.” She admits, leaning to press a kiss at the guilty look on Nerissa's face. “It's ok. You're better now.” Fuwawa smiles, bright like her hair and eyes and love. “Open.”
Mococo's footsteps sound, coming closer and draping herself around Shiori's back. She buries her face in between the archiver's shoulder blades, one hand reaching to intertwine with the demon's. “It's hard, to see you sick and not worry. Cause-” the hound stops herself, words choking in her throat.
Bijou enters the room, tea in a tray, more than enough for everyone. “You don't have to talk if you don't want to, fuzzhead.” She mutters, setting the tray down and running a hand through the tail reaching for her.
“We do!” Fuwawa protests. “We do wanna tell you. We're just not used to it, is all.” She leans over, grabbing a cup and bringing to her lips, blowing on the steaming liquid.
“And, we're not even sure where to begin.” Mococo finishes, murmuring a thanks to Bijou as she passes her own cup to her. “Besides, it hasn't been that long since we got outta,” she pauses, shuddering a little, “there. I'd rather we do this one step at a time.”
Shiori sighs, turning to bring the hound properly into her arms. She flops onto bed, Mococo yelping in her arms. “Self sacrificial idiots, the lot of you.”
“Uh, Shiorin?” Nerissa pipes up, voice no longer the scratchy croak it was before. “You do realize you're worse than all of us, right?” She grins, amusement in the crease of her eyes and the dimple on her right cheek.
Silence. One moment, two.
Bijou snorts on the third second.
Shiori sighs. “Well maybe I wouldn't have to if you guys were better at taking care of yourselves. Did that ever cross y'all's minds?” She mutters, vindictive in her tone, but loving in the way she curls around Nerissa's thigh, hand reaching for the gem to pull her to bed.
Bijou huffs, making no move to stop her, tea forgotten in the wake of tiny kisses peppered to her face. “Nerissa!” The gem laughs. Fingers curling in Shiori's hand and hand cupping Nerissa's cheek.
Fuwawa giggles, lips pressing to the back of Bijou's neck, hands fisted on the mattress near the demon's hip.
“Seems we've been forgotten, Moco.” Shiori drawls, sounding not at all angry despite the words. Her fingers grab a fistful of feathers, delighting in the gasp amidst the giggles.
Mococo hums, nuzzling more against the archiver. Her tail curls around the gem's back, below her sister's, the end of it tickling the demon's exposed abdomen. “I dunno, Shiori, I'm kinda enjoying the show.”
Shiori chuckles, eyes glowing in the light cast from the setting sun, curtains parted to paint her girls in its holy light. “Maybe the Guardian was on to something?”
Bijou pulls away, giggling in her throat, gem shining brighter than any light in the world. “When she said she likes to watch?” She questions, leaning over to press her lips against Mococo.
Shiori hums, hands letting go to tangle in purple locks, fingers caressing the gems on Bijou's head. “Mmm, yeah. It's pretty entertaining.”
“Wow, Shiorin. Nothing more than a means of entertainment for you, are we?” Nerissa says, offense coloring her tone but the smile on her face offsetting any she may actually feel.
“Yep.” The archiver smirks, grabbing the blue hound by the collar to press against her neck. “I'd probably kill you all if you didn't provide such wonderful amusement in this dreary old story.”
Silence follows, Bijou separating from the pink hound to snicker in Shiori's face.
Hands grip the archiver's back, dragging her out of pressing open mouthed kisses to Fuwawa's neck, coming face to face with the wonderful sight of the blue hounds burning cheeks.
In the corner of Shiori's eyes, she can see Mococo sputtering, flaming face pressed to the mattress to hide, tail wagging uncontrollably behind her. Nerissa meanwhile was blinking rapidly. Pretty flush spreading up her ears, wings flapping erratically.
Shiori grins, succumbing to kisses and bites pressed to her face and neck. To the gem's arms under her shirt and fingers caressing skin.
“W-wow Shiori.” Nerissa stutters, wings unfurling to wrap around everyone, tails and ink joining the tangle. “That's- uh- very uh-!”
Her stuttering is cut off by a squeak, Bijou's teeth biting down on the feathers in her face, hard enough to feel, gentle enough to not cause any pain.
“Just say it's the most hottest thing you heard her say and move on already, Rissa.” The gem snarks, voice muffled by the wing in her teeth. She lets go of the appendage, getting rewarded by a slap to the face by the wing.
Mococo chuckles from her position face down on the bed. “You're not wrong Biboo, but you didn't have to say it.”
“Actually, this is great on my ego, so I think you should continue, Beebs.” The archiver giggles, not at all bothered by being turned into a chew toy.
“Aaand the mood's ruined. Way to go, Shiori.” Bijou says, resting her chin on the archiver's shoulder.
“I did nothing. I'm literally innocent.” Shiori protests, half-hearted and amused.
“The god you killed says otherwise.” Mococo retorts.
“I didn't see you all complaining when I did. But y'all act as if you didn't do much worse.” Shiori leans back against the gem, hand to her heart. “You kill one god, and suddenly you're the bad guy?”
Fuwawa peers up at the archiver, the pink of her eyes near ethereal in the darkness of the room. “Mmm, I dunno about bad guy, Shiori, but you looked very beautiful covered in its blood.” She murmurs, ink staining her teeth where she had it buried in Shiori's flesh.
Shiori flushes. Looks away, leaning her cheek on her hand nonchalantly. “Jeez, sure know how to make a girl feel special.”
Fuwawa grins, bloody and proud, tail wagging behind her. “Of course!”
“Anything for our favorite archiver.” Nerissa purrs, hands tangled in Mococo's hair, gazing at everyone like a particularly delicious piece of meat.
“I'm your only archiver.” Shiori mutters. The way her ink jumps from her skin belaying the possessiveness in the statement.
Mococo snorts, blue eyes glowing dimly as she leans over to nip at the archiver's thigh. “One and only. And we're yours.”
The ink settles, smug satisfaction at the mark left on its host.
Shiori sighs, making a move to lay back down on the bed. Immediately she finds herself tangled on all sides, tail on her waist and around her leg, wings on top of her like a blanket. Surrounded on all sides and unable to move. The glow of a gem behind her the only light in the room.
“Not a word.” Shiori mutters, mostly to the gem, feeling her opened mouth against her neck.
“Wasn't gonna!” Bijou denies, pout undeniable in her tone.
Fuwawa giggles, tail curling around the gem's waist, inside her shirt. “Sure Biboo.”
“As great as this is, please shut up. I love you all, but I need more sleep.” Nerissa complains.
A snore resounds in the following silence.
Fuwawa snorts.
Bijou chuckles. “Well, guess Moco was way ahead of you, huh Rissa?”
Nerissa sighs, nails scratching along Fuwawa's ear. “Sleep.”
“Yes ma'am.” Bijou quips, eyes fluttering.
Fuwawa's following sigh has her melting into the bed, giggles distant and laced with sleepy exhaustion. “Mhm, night. W’love you.”
Soft breathing fills air, the glow of the gem dimming following alongside it.
Shiori is the last one awake, a sleepy chirp her goodnight as Nerissa succumbs to the embracing abyss of unconsciousness.
She lays there, surrounded and trapped. Unable to escape and not even filled with the desire to. Shiori sighs, content, her insides churning happily, heart lurching in her throat.
“I would kill gods a thousand times, bathe in their blood and strip their flesh from their bones with my teeth. If only to hold you in my arms once.”
Is her last conscious declaration before she, too, succumbs to the comforting embrace of the void. Thoughts filled with nothing but love, of warmth and many more days like this.