Archive of Our Own

     It all had happened so quickly. 

     One moment everyone at the table was chatting animatedly with one another, trading stories and sharing drinks. The next, Nerissa was forced to watch as the person next to her fell to the floor violently. 

     There was no warning. No sign.

     All they heard was the desperate choked plea for help but by then it was too late. Foam had already bubbled up in their mouth and they were dead a mere few minutes after twitching helplessly on the floor. 

     Nerissa looked at the body from afar, her eyes wide and her heart in her throat while the crowd moved erratically around her. Some were panicking, others were terrified, there were those who were even morbidly intrigued. But Nerissa remained in place. Frozen.

     The poor man had died right after taking a long sip of his drink and as Nerissa glances back over at her – at their table, her heart clenches in her chest. She was sure of what she saw. 

     That glass had been hers .

     Such a small mistake had cost that man his life and now on top of the trauma, Nerissa had another problem to worry about. 

     Someone wanted her dead. 

__________________________________________________

     The days that followed were rough to say the least. 

     Saying Nerissa was shaken up would be the understatement of the year and it definitely wasn’t helped by the hundreds of articles, stories and news covering the whole accident. It was frankly a miracle she managed to avoid all the ensuing interviews despite being right there at the scene of the crime.
Nerissa won’t question it however. 

     At the present day, it was so far shaping up to be one of those days. Those ones where every minor movement felt like too much of an effort. Where her paranoia felt like it was eating away at her and her lack of sleep too hard to ignore. The demon runs a hand through her hair as she leans back against the couch with a groan.

     Even with her increased security and absolute lack of going outside, Nerissa couldn’t help but constantly look over her shoulder if only to alleviate the feeling of being watched. Trapped. Feeling like she was waiting around for death.

     But she promised – she swore to never again let that feeling get to her. 

     So Nerissa balls her hands into fists and she gets up on her feet before making her way over to her desk. She grabs her phone and settles down on her leather chair, wincing at the way her clothes cling uncomfortably to her skin due to all the sweat. 

     I need to pull my fucking self together . 

     After a bit of scrolling through her contacts, Nerissa finds the name of the person she was looking for and wastes no time on tapping it. By the second ring, she gets an answer.

     “Hello?”

     “Hey Ame…”

     “Nerissa?” the woman on the other side exclaims, “Hey, how are–”

     “I'm fine,” Nerissa cuts in, swallowing thickly. “I'm fine Ame, I called for something else.” She's heard the story enough. Experienced it herself. She’d much prefer to not hear it again for a long while. 

     “Oh… it’s okay I get that, what do you need from me then?”

     “Someone wants me dead… I just know it, but I don’t know who,” Nerissa says. There’s silence on the other side of the line. “I need help finding out who it isn’t and even if there isn’t, I just want closure. I can’t take living like this anymore,” she adds with an unmistakable warble in her voice. One she was hopeless to hide.

     She hears Ame hum and the demon waits patiently for a reply. 

     “I’m sorry Nerissa, I don’t think I can help you–” her breath hitches in her throat, “But there is someone else I can send instead. I know them pretty well and I think she’d be perfect for the job. Is that okay?” Nerissa feels hope well up in her chest and for a moment she forgets all common sense, frantically nodding before remembering she was on a call with Ame, not talking directly face to face with her. 

     “Yes please.”

     Though she much rather know the person she was hiring beforehand, if Ame could vouch for them she figured why not. 

     “Thank you Ame.”

     “No problem, I’ll text you the details in a little bit, okay?”

     “Okay,” Nerissa sighs, feeling like a heavy weight had at long last been lifted off her shoulders.

     “Don’t worry, you’ll be in very good hands.”

     After the call, Nerissa was a little calmer. She already got the text from Ame saying that it shouldn’t take that long and to try to relax in the meantime but she feels as though she has rested long enough. Now with the reassurance that she was taking steps to solve this issue that has been looming over her head a day too long, she wanted to get back into the groove of working. 

     And so she rearranged her schedule to make up for her cancelled meetings from her impromptu break, made a list of things to do and cleared her desk to get started on working. Just as she’s about to start however, her phone buzzes and of course, Nerissa being Nerissa despite her responsibility as DEO, instantly checks it. 

     Another message from Ame, asking if she was okay to meet up today. 

     Nerissa raises a brow, surprised at how quick Ame was. Not thinking much about it, she texts that she’ll inform the receptionist to let her up before putting her phone back down with a sigh. Might as well get some work done while waiting…
Nerissa pulls out her tablet to start checking some documents when yet another message appears at the top of her screen and it only takes her a second to read it in her head. 

     Oh, I’m not the one meeting you.

     Just then, there’s a knock at the door and Nerissa’s heart sinks. 

     Then who the fuck is here?

     Despite the fear that rapidly courses through her veins, Nerissa swallows the lump in her throat and forces herself to calm down. “Come in,” she manages to say and with bated breath, she waits to see who was on the other side. 

     As the large door swung open, what Nerissa didn’t expect to see was the face of a young woman.

     She had to be around Nerissa’s age in human years, dressed in a maroon miniskirt dress accented with black lace leggings, gloves and a sort of cape with a cute detective cap to complete the look. One not unlike the one she knows a certain blonde wears. 

     Two details in particular stand out to Nerissa however. 

     One, her eyes. Golden irises. Piercing, inquisitive, as mysterious as they were enchanting. The other was her hair. Though the top is covered by the cap, Nerissa’s more than sure her hair was split right down the middle with one side being white and the other black. 

     “Ah,” Nerissa blinks as she snaps out of her stupor. She was staring. “You must be the one Ame was talking about, come on in,” Nerissa greets, gesturing for the other to sit in front of her. “I”m Nerissa Ravencroft, Demon Executive Officer, pleasure to meet you,” she introduces with a smile. 

     “Shiori Novella.”

     Her voice. Nerissa hadn’t expected that but it was nothing if not a pleasant surprise. 

     “Do you want anything? Drinks? Any refreshments at all?”

     “I’m good, thank you,” Shiori politely declines and Nerissa nods stiffly, “So… are you a friend of Ame’s? I’ve never seen nor heard her mention you before.” Shiori nods. “Yeah I’ve known Ame for a while, just joined the bureau recently.”

     “Just recently…”

     Nerissa feels a twinge of worry in her heart before immediately trying to shove it down. Ame had vouched for her and to be fair, who was she to judge? She knew nothing about the line of work. 

     At the very least she had another pair of eyes and ears to look out for her.

     “I know that may seem a little concerning but I can assure you, I have a lot of experience,” Shiori says and Nerissa can’t help but feel slightly taken aback. “I guess I should’ve known that would be obvious for a detective” Nerissa chuckles sheepishly, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have judged. In fact, I feel like I should be thanking you for deciding to help me with this to begin with.”

     A half-assed apology, only tacked on as a result of a late realization on Nerissa’s part, that she was having someone else stick their neck out for her. 

     Had it been Ame, Nerissa knew she could at least talk it out with the other girl but with Shiori? Nerissa has no idea how that will go. 

     Strangely, Shiori didn’t seem one but perturbed. Instead, the corners of her lips curl into a small smile. “Don’t worry about it, I’ll help out any friend of Ame’s.” Nerissa blinks and can’t help but mirror Shiori’s smile.

     “Well, I look forward to getting to know you more, Shiori. I’ll be in your care.”

__________________________________________________

     Nerissa runs a hand through her hair with thinly veiled frustration, finally deciding to give up after what felt like the umpteenth time trying to read the words on the screen in front of her. She clicks out of her tabs before leaning back against her chair with a groan and staring up at the ceiling. 

     She couldn't focus, most likely due to the fact that she was starving, and it was high time she got something to eat. 

     Unfortunately, regardless of how hungry she was, she recoils at the thought of eating another cup of instant noodles. It certainly didn’t help that she never liked them in the first place on account of them being the furthest thing from healthy. That still didn’t change the fact she had been living off of them for the past couple of days instead of going out for a proper meal. 

     The reason was obvious. 

     Nerissa groans as she places an arm over her eyes, the feeling like she was being forcefully dragged down by gravity unbearable when at that moment, she hears the door open. Nerissa looks over to see Shiori casually walking in. Weirdly enough, when the detective’s eyes land on her, the former’s eyebrows raise. 

     “You haven’t eaten yet?” 

     Nerissa tilts her head to the side, equally confused. 

     “You haven’t eaten yet,” Shiori repeats as she takes a seat on the couch nearby, “Around this time you’d usually have some sort of ramen cup on your table waiting to be thrown away.” Nerissa’s mouth forms an o then just as quickly, her cheeks heat up and she looks away in shame. 

     The fact Shiori had noticed that in the three days they’ve known each other spoke volumes about how terrible her eating habits were. 

     “There’s no need to be embarrassed,” Nerissa hears Shiori reassure her. “I just noticed cause that’s kinda part of my job.” That gives back some of Nerissa’s dignity, enough for her to at least find the courage to meet Shiori’s gaze. 

     “Thank you…” Nerissa mutters before clearing her throat, “How was the walk around by the way? Had any trouble?”

     Shiori shakes her head. “Nope. It was all good, the interior is really pretty,” she compliments, which causes Nerissa to feel a sense of pride well up in her chest. “Thank you. I designed it myself, you know?”

     “You’d have a good career as an interior designer then,” Shiori says, “Never been a fan of big corporate… buildings, so really good job.”

     An awkward silence hangs in the air but before Nerissa can even address it, Shiori intervenes. “Wanna go out to get a bite to eat?” The demon blinks. “What?”

     “Are you not sick of eating cup noodles all the time?” Nerissa opens her mouth to respond but alas, nothing comes out which prompts Shiori to continue. “I know you’re hesitant but there’s a cafe in the lobby downstairs right? Why not go there?”

     Nerissa feels a lump form in her throat, her breathing turning shallow and Shiori’s eyes visibly softened. 

     “I can accompany you if it’s any help?”

     Nerissa's eyes widen in surprise while Shiori instantly thinks she’s crossed a boundary. “I mean, you could ask proper security if you want. It was just a sug–” 

     “No.”

     Now it was Shiori’s turn to be surprised. 

     “You haven’t had anything to eat either right? We can go together then,” Nerissa stands and walks over to the door, past Shiori who has an incredulous look on her face alongside the barest hint of a smile. Nerissa opens the door for Shiori with an easygoing grin. “After you Ms Novella,” she says teasingly and Shiori can’t help but laugh. 

     Upon arriving at the cafe and making their order, Nerissa sits in a quiet corner to save them a place while Shiori waits for said order. While waiting, the demon takes a moment to soak in the atmosphere. It had been a while since she was last here so it felt nice to be back for a change. 

     Made even better now that she has new company to share it with. 

     Speaking of company, not long after, Shiori returns with a tray in hand and they take their respective orders before proceeding to dig in with Nerissa in particular, eating way faster than she should be. Shiori however doesn’t seem to mind. In fact she looked amused. 

     “Sorry,” Nerissa says sheepishly while wiping the corner of her mouth with a napkin, “What a lady you must think I am.”
“I don’t judge. People do be hungry sometimes.”

     “Right,” Nerissa chuckles, “Thank you by the way, for convincing me to come here. I think it would’ve been over for me if I took another bite of instant ramen.” Shiori giggles and Nerissa feels her heart rate dance a little. 

     “Well that’s good. I’d lose my job then if you did.”

     Nerissa rolls her eyes lightheartedly before taking another bite of her food, savoring the taste. “Yeah you definitely needed that.” “Absolutely,” Nerissa agrees. 

     “Well if you ever need to go out for food again and want some company, I’ll be willing to make some new changes to the contract,” Shiori offers and Nerissa feels like she needs to start keeping a counter for how many times she can get surprised in a day. 

     “… additions to the contract?” 

     Shiori hums, making sure to swallow her food first before answering. “I think I can get used to the food and drink. You could even just choose to pay me this way and I’d be a happy camper,” Shiori jokes and Nerissa snorts in response. “You’d really risk your life for food?”

     “Hey, I did say people do be hungry sometimes, didn't I? Besides, if you’re so worried you could add a few desserts… on top of maybe a commission fee?”

     “Now you’re pushing it,” Nerissa snickers and the two break out into a fit of laughter. Nerissa in that moment felt light as a feather. Feeling better than she ever has been since the accident.

     “I should do this more often…” Nerissa mutters to herself but it was loud enough for Shiori to hear.

     “You should.”

     “Would you care to join me if I do, detective?” Nerissa asks with a wiggle of her brows and the corner of Shiori’s lips curl into a smirk. “A sweet treat and you might find yourself a deal.”

     For the first time in a while, Nerissa finds herself looking forward to whatever comes next in the future. 

__________________________________________________

     While the cafe was a nice break and a step in the right direction for Nerissa to get a grip back on her life, that still didn’t mean she was completely comfortable stepping outside without fearing for her life. 

     Alas, this was an event she had to attend. 

     She had to show her face, had to interact with other attendees, had to make a brief speech to convince investors to invest, the works. She couldn’t afford to jeopardize her business just because of her own fear. After all, there were a lot of people counting on her. 

     At least Shiori was there to accompany her as she had been the past week or so.

     Despite being a detective Nerissa hired, Shiori stuck around more akin to a bodyguard than that. Not that Nerissa minded of course. There were moments when Shiori would wander off in the name of investigating and while Nerissa would worry for her, Shiori would almost always return. 

     But today, Shiori stuck close to Nerissa’s side. Posture relaxed, walking leisurely at Nerissa’s side but her eyes sharp as she scanned the crowd every once in a while. 

     “Anything suspicious?” Nerissa asks in a hushed tone to which Shiori hums in response, pressing her lips together into a thin line. “You let me worry about that,” Shiori says in a similar tone, “You’ve got that speech ready?”

     Nerissa huffs as she enters her personal dressing room backstage with Shiori following closely behind. The demon plops onto the large couch and grabs a pillow to hug while Shiori sits on one of the chairs by the vanity. “I’ve been preparing for days but I still feel like I’m going to fuck something up.”

     Shiori chuckles softly, “Relax, I’m sure you’ll be fine. Must just be the early jitters.” Nerissa quirks a brow, “Early… jitters?”

     “Yeah, you know, when you’re worried about something before it happens.”

     A beat passes.

     “Don’t give me that look, it’s a real word okay?”

     “Right…” Nerissa concedes. The demon looks down at her phone for the time and upon realizing she had ten more minutes, she stands up to look at herself in the mirror. Whilst fixing her clothing, even looking through a mirror, Nerissa can see the way her hands visibly shake.

     “Hey, you’re going to be just fine,” Shiori assures, “Repeat after me. You can do this.”

     Nerissa takes a deep breath. “I can do this.”

     “You’re going to give them a speech of a lifetime.”

     “I’m going to give them a speech of a lifetime.”

     “And…”

     “And…”

     “You’re going to make them give you all their money.” “ What? ” Shiori snickers as she watches Nerissa turn to her, eyes wide. “Is that not the purpose?” Nerissa sighs whilst shaking her head. “Only if they want to.”

     Shiori merely hums as she stands and in one swift motion makes her way over to the exit but not before looking over her shoulder to wish Nerissa, “Good luck out there.”

     “Where are you going?”

     Shiori grins with a little twinkle in her golden eyes. “Gonna do my job obviously. And don’t worry, I’ll make sure to keep an eye on you.”

     With that, Shiori walks out with a wave and Nerissa returns it. She takes a long deep breath as well as another glance at the time and starts to try to hype herself up mentally. You can do this. You can do this. You can do this. She repeats those words to herself like a mantra, all the way till she makes it on stage. 

     The lights are blinding and Nerissa feels her heart get caught in her throat. For a moment, pure dread rushes through her entire being. Feeling like a deer caught in headlights, Nerissa’s eyes frantically flit around when they meet a familiar shade of gold in the crowd. 

     Shiori . 

     She was leaning against a pillar at the very back, the grin on her face almost as if to tell her; You got this. 

     Alongside the very important message of; You’re GOING to take all their money. 

     Nerissa nearly laughs right into the microphone, only managing to hide it by clearing her throat. 

     “Ladies and gentleman, before we get started, I first want to thank everyone for attending this event here today–”

     Shiori giggles as she watches Nerissa slowly get into the groove, gaining confidence as the speech goes on. She looked enthusiastic, the crowd looked engaged, things seemed to be going well. “Guess my job here’s done. Now…”

     The detective’s eyes narrow as she looks further down the dimly lit hallway, specifically towards a door at the very end, left ajar with little trickles of light shining through. Shiori grips a small camera in her hand, small enough to slip on a shirt without anyone noticing. She scoffs to herself. 

     Without a moment’s hesitation, Shiori walks through the door into maze-like corridors and begins navigating her way around with ease. As far as she knew, there was only one exit and by the way Shiori had sent her target into a panic earlier, the outcome was predictable.

     A young man pants as he stumbles through the corridors, slamming into walls and tripping over his own two feet as a result of looking over his shoulder one too many times as he tries his damndest to flee. The adrenaline and panic mixed with his lack of familiarity with the place causes him to get lost, taking turns he can’t even tell if he’s taken before. 

     After a series of lucky turns, he finds the exit but alas, so wasn't the first. 

     “Going somewhere?”

     Shiori chuckles as she flips a coin, catching it with ease before she turns to face the ‘intern’ who visibly gulps at the sight of her. “Poor thing, got a little lost? First day on the job?” She watches as the young man trembles. 

     “I-I’m sorry miss, I’m just tryna go home a-and–”

     “Without this?”

     Shiori holds up the camera in her hand and immediately the intern’s mouth snaps shut. “Some pretty amateur stuff, but pretty nice equipment. A shame, mind if I keep it?” 

     “I–..... I–I–”

     “Pro tip, anywhere besides the buttons are recommended. Too obvious.” Shiori giggles, “Now, let's not waste any time, mind telling me why you’re going around recording things?”

     “Thank you!” Nerissa waves to the crowd one final time as she heads backstage and on her way to her dressing room, several workers stop her to congratulate her on her success. The demon does her best to return the gratitude, all the while searching for where Shiori could be. 

     With no sign of Shiori in sight, Nerissa frowns slightly. After thanking the last of her workers, she continues on her way to her dressing room where, lo and behold, none other than a certain detective was waiting patiently by the door. 

     “Good job out there Ms Ravencroft. You really made them open their wallets for you.”

     Nerissa rolls her eyes but she can’t help the laughter that leaves her lips. “I’m just glad more people are supporting the new cause,” she says and Shiori hums in response. A moment of silence falls between them and as the seconds go by, upon closer inspection, Nerisssa notices Shiori was sweating. She even looked slightly out of breath with the way her chest was rising and falling so quickly, like she had to run to get here.

     “Are you okay?” she asks and Shiori is quick to reassure her. “All good. Just a lot of people in the crowd. Claustrophobia, you know?”

     Nerissa nods slowly, “Uh huh…”

     “Anyways, great job out there. Told you there was nothing to worry about,” Shiori says. “Yeah, all thanks to you that is,” Nerissa reminds and the detective snorts. “I’d say no, but if you insist, I’m willing to take payment in the form of lunch.”

     “You’ve got a deal.”

__________________________________________________

     Nerissa groans as she stretches her arms above her head, sighing at the feeling of her muscles at long last getting some relief after hours of sitting still. The workload the past few days had been immense, to put it lightly. 

     A non-stop marathon as a result of a lot of the company’s latest intake of interns being let go. While that didn’t mean that much workload for the company itself, Nerissa as DEO still had to sort out all of the paperwork.

     It had been Shiori’s professional advice and Nerissa, trusting the detective, agreed. 

     After closing the several tabs on her computer then shutting it down, Nerissa props her elbows on her desk and places her chin on her hand. 

     It was extra quiet today.

     It was also one of the few days Shiori wasn’t here to accompany Nerissa. 

     Of course, she wasn’t obligated to be there with Nerissa twenty four seven seeing as she was hired as a detective first and foremost but that didn’t mean the absence stung any less. The DEO would happily admit it, she had grown fond of the aloof detective’s presence and company.

     Whether it be Shiori quietly reading in a corner of her office or yapping her ear off when she should be working, it was nice to talk to someone without any looming anxiety.

     Back in reality, Nerissa sighs as she stands up and starts packing her things, getting ready to go back home. Seeing as all her work was done and Shiori wasn’t there, there really wasn’t any reason to stay around. She was her own boss, she could go back whenever she wanted. 

     With the time I have, I could even try to cook–

     A buzz from her phone cuts that thought short, and as Nerissa checks what it was, her brow quirks. A notification about a celebration hosted by a company that had asked to collaborate with Nerissa in the past. One she declined due to what she felt like ‘bad vibes’.

     Regardless, the company responded amicably to the rejection so they were technically still on good terms, going so far as to extend their invitation to her if she ever wanted to attend. Nerissa had forgotten about the whole thing and honestly didn’t think it would even be held.

     I guess they’re just celebrating for the sake of celebrating.

     While Nerissa originally had no plans on attending, now that she had some time to spare and frankly nothing to do she figures, why not? She had been cooped up in her office all day – cooped up in her house and her office for even more, why not work on getting herself back out there? She couldn’t rely on Shiori’s company forever.  

     “I gotta take that big step myself,” she mutters and with the decision made in her mind, Nerissa goes to freshen herself up as best she can before heading to the venue. 

     The drive didn’t take long and before she knew it, Nerissa was handing her keys to the man working at the valet then walking into a grand luxurious hotel. She whistles under her breath whilst admiring the place, absentmindedly noting the party must’ve been no joke considering all the stops they pulled out. She had to admit it was a bit strange though, seeing as the collaboration didn’t go through but who was she to judge?

     For a while, Nerissa wanders aimlessly in search of the owner of the company with the intention to at least exchange pleasantries. Then she can socialize a bit, grab some food then go home. However that was proving to already be quite the challenge. She knew what the owner looked like, sure but that didn’t seem helpful one bit, especially with the sea of people attending this party.

     It was unlike anything Nerissa had ever been to before. Usually there was at least some level of professionalism but here, it was like all sorts of party animals were present. 

     She sighs and after bumping into what felt like the fifth person that night, Nerissa decides to go outside for a bit, the electricity inside too much for her to take. As soon as she steps foot outside, the demon takes a deep breath of fresh air and exhales. What a shame .

     Nerissa had hoped this would be her first big step in the right direction, but alas, she just wasn’t prepared for that big of a step. 

     Whilst wandering around the outside of the hotel, checking out the pool and the small garden for nothing more than to just get her mind off things, Nerissa notes with a quick glance towards the horizon that the sun would be setting soon. Without much of a choice, Nerissa figures she’d try to look for the owner one more time and if she didn’t find him, she would raid the dessert buffet then leave. 

     As she takes one of the many paths in the garden leading back to the hotel, the demon yelps as she steps on something that causes her to trip, barely managing to catch herself before she actually falls. Nerissa curses under her breath and after gathering her bearings, curiously looks down to see what it was.

     A wallet. 

     Without so much as a second thought, Nerissa leans down to pick it up and inspect it only to find a singular coin underneath. A coin with a strange and distinguishable eye motif.

     Looks like some sort of collectors edition coin Nerissa thinks to herself as she stands back up, looking around for who could have possibly dropped these items. That’s when in the bushes nearby, something catches Nerissa’s eye. Something that has her suppressing a gasp and her knees buckling underneath her. 

     There in the bushes laid an unconscious man.

     At that very moment, Nerissa is suddenly thrown back to the day of that fateful party and she starts to panic. Badly. 

     Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit–

     Despite her best attempts to remain calm, the fear gets the better of her and she begins to hyperventilate, frantically looking around again this time for help but there was no one around. Nerissa, too paranoid and her mind frankly too scattered to even consider going back inside, decides against her better judgement to inspect the body closer. 

     As she approaches it with slow, shaky steps, the first thing she notices is that the man didn’t seem to have any major injuries. At least none that was visible externally that left traces of blood. 

     A lump forms in the demon’s throat. “What the fuck do I do now…?”

     “Nerissa?”

     The woman in question’s eyes widened in surprise, her head snapping to look towards the source of the voice she had never expected to hear here of all places. There, black and white hair illuminated by the setting sun with an equally surprised look in her golden eyes was none other than Shiori Novella. 

     This time however, instead of her usual dress and cute little detective cap, the other woman was dressed in a three piece suit with her hair tied up into a long ponytail. 

     If Nerissa wasn’t currently stressed out of her mind, the flush on her face would’ve been there for a completely different reason. 

     “Shiori?”

     Shiori tsks and her eyes narrow. God, why is that so hot–?

     Before Nerissa can even process that thought or anything else for that matter, Shiori grabs her by the wrist and pulls her into a crouching position in the same bush the unconscious man was in. The demon flinches at the feeling of twigs and leaves poking her uncomfortably through her clothes but just as she opens her mouth to complain– to ask what the hell was going on, Shiori places a finger on her lips and hushes her. 

     Nerissa’s brows furrow, watching as Shiori’s eyes look to the side causing her to follow the latter’s gaze where all her complaints immediately disappear and her heart sinks at what she sees. Two men, also dressed in suits walk by them with pistols not so subtly holstered at their side. 

     “Where the hell is this guy?” 

     “Slacking off again, I guarantee you.”

     “I’m going to kill him…”

     Eventually they walk past without noticing either of them in the bush, most likely thanks to how dark it had become. In spite of them getting well out of earshot, Nerissa keeps holding her breath while Shiori’s was as steady. When the two men were finally out of sight, only then did Nerissa breathe out a sigh of relief, exiting the bush when Shiori did. 

     As she’s brushing herself off, Shiori decides right then and there that that was the best time to start the questioning. “What are you doing here?” Nerissa blinks. “What am I–” she bristles, “What are you doing here?! What’s going on? Why is this person–”

     Nerissa begins to stumble over her words all the while Shiori looks unfazed, patiently waiting for the former to finish getting it all off her chance before she says anything. When the demon stops for a moment to take a deep breath, that’s when Shiori deems it appropriate to speak. 

     “You turned down their request for working together right?”

     “What?” Nerissa pants, “...yeah… yeah I did. What does that have to do with anything?”

     “Then why are you here?”

     “I just thought I’d stop by, got a notification about the celebration going on in the office,” Nerissa says and Shiori presses her lips into a thin line. “I have to get you out of here.”

     A part of Nerissa wants to protest but when she remembers the firearms those men were carrying around so brazenly, her mind was made up in an instant. 

     “What did you take to get here?” Shiori asks. Nerissa takes a second before answering, “My car, it’s at the valet.”

     “Shit,” Shiori hisses under her breath. She looks around briefly before grabbing Nerissa by the hand instead of the wrist this time and pulling her along, her grip noticeably gentler than before. “Come on, this way.”

     Together they slip back inside the building whilst attracting as little attention as possible before walking down a relatively empty hallway then entering the door at the very end. When Shiori flips the light switch on, Nerissa finds themselves in a janitor’s closet and if the dust in the air tickling her nose was any indication, it hadn’t been used in a while. 

     There didn’t appear to be much besides the usual stuff you’d find in a janitor's closet, cleaning supplies on the shelves et cetera and it made Nerissa raise a brow. 

     “Shiori, what are we–” as Nerissa turns around to check what Shiori was doing, she yelps in surprise upon seeing the detective casually stripping down to her undergarments. Nerissa’s mind goes blank for a good couple of seconds, blinking owlishly with her mouth agape. 

     Her eyes then meet Shiori’s and all common sense comes rushing back to her brain. In a split second, Nerissa scrambles to close her eyes and turn away while her cheeks go ablaze.

     “I’m so sorry–!”

     “Don’t shout Nerissa, you’re going to catch someone’s attention.”

     Nerissa feels like she was choking on air. “Why are you stripping?!” she whispers harshly and like Shiori always seemed to be in these situations, she was perfectly calm. “To change.” Nerissa hears a bit more shuffling behind her. “You can turn around and open your eyes now, by the way.”

     After a bit of reluctance, Nerissa does turn around and open her eyes to see Shiori now fully clothed meaning her dignity was at least semi preserved. Now Shiori was no longer wearing the three piece suit – much to her chagrin – and was instead wearing something far more interesting.

     A sleeveless dress that was monochrome in color with hints of purple, complete with several eye and ink motifs, asymmetrical stockings, arm warmers and boots that added a couple inches to her height. As the icing on the cake, her hair was let down for once with no hat to obscure the view. That was the final nail in the coffin for Nerissa who bites the inside of her cheek. 

     It should be illegal to pull off so many styles .

     “Here, take this,” Shiori says as she holds something out to Nerissa. The latter comes to realize it was a puffy jacket, one that was colored purple on the inside with fur lining the top. 

     “Put that on.”

     “It’s not that cold though…?”

     “It’s to avoid anyone noticing you too quickly. I only had one disguise prepared.”

     Nerissa grips the jacket, the corner of her lips tugged down into a slight frown. “What about my horns…?” 

     “We’re just going to have to hope for the best,” the look in Shiori’s eyes is resolute as she stares at Nerissa, “I’ll make sure we won’t get caught.”

     Once they were all set, Shiori peeks her head out of the door and after confirming the coast was clear, gestures for Nerissa to follow. Instinctively, the demon reaches for the detective’s hand out of fear but flinches away at the realization of what she was doing only for Shiori to take her hand regardless. 

     Nerissa’s eyes widen and she stares at the back of Shiori’s head.

     “The valet right?”

     She hums, her grip around Shiori’s hand tightening, and they waste no time making their way back to the front of the hotel discreetly. Back at the valet, Nerissa requests for her car while Shiori pays the man a hefty sum presumably for his silence. They take the keys and Shiori hops into the driver’s seat while Nerissa gets in the passenger seat no questions asked. 

     Igniting the engine to life, Shiori drives them out of there and gets them a good distance away before slowing down significantly. For the first couple of minutes in the car, it’s quiet. Shiori is the first to break the silence. 

     “Would you mind giving directions back to your home? I’ll drop you off there.”

     “What about you?”

     “I have my ways,” Shiori answers curtly and Nerissa doesn’t press any further. 

     She instead pulls out her phone and types her address in to get the direction back to her place before handing it over to the woman next to her. The ride falls silent again, the faint sounds of the nightlife in the city outside the car the only thing they hear for a while. 

     This time it’s Nerissa who musters the courage to speak. 

     “What happened there, Shiori?”

     “I’ll tell you eventually, I promise,” Shiori says, glancing at Nerissa from the corner of her eyes. “Just… let’s give you some time to rest and process all this stuff first okay?”

     Nerissa had to admit, as much as she wanted answers, she was equally if not more tired. Her tone of voice, her drooping eyes, hell Shiori herself told her as much so she doesn’t even try to protest.

     After a quiet rest of the ride back, they finally arrive and the both of them get out together. 

     “You sure you’re going to be okay?” Nerissa asks as Shiori passes her car keys back and the detective giggles. “I’ll be fine,” she assures, “I’ll text you if that makes you feel any better. You on the other hand make sure to get some rest okay?”

     “Okay,” Nerissa says, feeling a little better with the reassurance that Shiori will message her if she needs anything. “See you in the office,” Shiori waves and with that, she turns on her heels and proceeds to walk down the street to wherever the hell she was going. 

     Nerissa watches her all the while until the detective turns a corner and finally disappears from view. Seeing as there was nothing left to do, she heads into her apartment building with a sigh to rest like Shiori advised.

     But that very night as Nerissa laid in bed waiting for sleep to overtake her, she couldn't help but still feel worried. Worried for herself, for Shiori, for everything her active mind could think of. 

     Suffice to say, she did not get a wink of sleep at all. 

__________________________________________________

     “A cover to meet with a gang?”

     Shiori nods, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. “Some sort of organized crime group managing a large portion of the black market trading non-human appendages,” Shiori adds. “They were there at the party last night to seal some deal with the owner of the company, must’ve heard you turned down their offer and swooped in for the chance.”

     Nerissa feels a lump form in her throat, the connection and implication of what could’ve happened to her that night not lost on her. 

     “So they’re the ones after me…” Nerissa mutters, staring down at her lap as Shiori stares at her in pity. The demon balls her hands into fists before lifting her face to meet Shiori’s gaze. “Thank you,” Nerissa says. Shiori raises an inquisitive brow. “If you weren’t there that night, who knows what would’ve happened to me,” Nerissa explains whilst trying to inject as much gratitude as she could into her tone. “So thank you.”

     Shiori is speechless for a moment, admittedly taken a little off-guard but she brushes it off. “No problem,” Shiori says coolly, “Just… doing my job, you know? It would be cruel just to leave you there hanging.”

     Nerissa stifles her laughter, resisting the urge to ask if detective’s really did have to do such risky operations. Perhaps they did. She has seen Ame carrying a gun around before. 

     “Try not to do that again though,” Shiori advises, causing Nerissa to snap back to reality in order to listen, “I know you must want to step out of your shell some more but let’s watch the intrusive thoughts, ‘kay?”

     “You sound like you’re speaking from experience,” Nerissa snickers.

     “Maybe I am.” Shiori shrugs, leaning down to grab her cap from the table. When she puts it on and brushes herself off, Nerissa has seen the detective do that enough times to know what the other was planning. 

     “Where are you going now?” she asks to which Shiori gives her a small smile in response, “To continue my investigations.”

     “Let me follow you.”

     “What.”

     Nerissa holds eye contact with Shiori and purses her lips, determination written all over her face. “Let me follow you,” she repeats. Shiori sighs, “Nerissa, you hired me.”

     “Yes, and?”

     “Why don’t you leave it to me then? It’s dangerous,” Shiori says like it’s the most obvious thing in the world but Nerissa remains persistent. The demon clenches her jaw, her hands balling into fists as an old memory comes to mind.

     Her broken horn aches with a phantom pain and a shiver runs down her spine. The fear, the helplessness she felt that day resurfacing with the threat to drown her once more but Nerissa remains afloat for now.

     “I made a promise…” Nerissa mutters, “I want to help. Please.”

     It falls silent for a second. Shiori presses her lips into a thin line, about to protest again until she catches a glimpse of the look in Nerissa’s eye. She knew that look. Recognized it even and despite all her logical thinking telling her otherwise, that was enough for the detective to change her mind. 

     “Fine.”

     Nerissa looks at Shiori with wide eyes as the latter holds up a finger. “Just make sure to listen to me, okay? And at the first sign of anything too dangerous, you’re out, got it?” 

     “Of course,” a wide smile breaks out on Nerissa’s face, not expecting things to turn out this way but glad it did regardless. “Thank you Shiori, honestly thank you.” She closes in for a hug but Shiori is quick to hold her hands out, stopping her with a strained smile. “Yeah yeah no problem, it’s whatever,” Shiori clears her throat whilst turning away from Nerissa lest she see the tint of red on her cheeks, “Come on, we should get going.”

     Nerissa giggles as she follows behind her. “You sound way too excited. You’re lucky this is pretty safe.” 

     “You just said it was dangerous.”

     Shiori shrugs, “Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t.”

     Nerissa rolls her eyes, the corner of her lips curling up into a smirk. “So where we headed Sherlock?” Shiori glances over her shoulder to meet Nerissa’s gaze, “I hope you’re hungry and up for a little early drinking.”

__________________________________________________

     As Nerissa had correctly assumed, they do end up at a restaurant. On the outside, it looked quaint, unassuming and from what Nerissa could see, the inside looked the same.

     She remains on guard however, watching Shiori closely to get an idea of what to do next. To her complete surprise, the detective casually begins makkng her way over to the restaurant without even an ounce of care in the world, leaving Nerissa completely dumbstruck. 

     “Shiori–!” Nerissa whispers harshly but when she gets no response in return, she is left with no choice but to follow along. Together the two enter the establishment and immediately for first impressions, the place exuded a very casual vibe. Laidback and relaxed, the kind of place you could put your worries aside for just a moment in time. 

     It had nice decor too and Nerissa takes a moment to admire as much as she can before joining Shiori at the table the latter had chosen to sit at. One located near the center and directly across from the bar. The demon takes the seat opposite of Shiori, her back facing said bar and while this all seemed nice and dandy, she couldn’t help but feel a little confused. 

     Before she even has the chance to open her mouth to speak however, a waiter shows up and asks for their order. Nerissa blinks, her gaze flitting towards Shiori who was already leisurely scanning through the menu. 

     “I’ll take some onion rings… plus some mozzarella sticks. I don’t think I want anything too heavy, what about you Nerissa?”
The DEO stumbles over her words as she frantically reaches for her own menu and skims through it. “Uh… I’ll just take the… chicken… fingers?”

     “How about drinks?”

     Nerissa releases a breath of relief, slumping back into her seat. “Just a water, please.”

     “Same here.”

     The waiter nods and after repeating their orders from his tablet back to them for confirmation, he leaves with the promise they won’t take long. Nerissa’s eyes mindlessly trail the waiter as he walks past, only to be snapped out of her stupor when Shiori starts to giggle. 

     “You didn’t have to order anything if you didn’t want to,” Shiori says and Nerissa pouts, her cheeks still feeling a little hot. “I panicked, okay? I’ll eat the food, I was just caught off-guard you know…”

     “I’m sorry, I didn’t exactly tell you we were going to eat here did I?” 

     “No it’s okay, it’s okay,” Nerissa reassures. “I just thought we were going to… do something else,” she adds and Shiori hums, the corner of her lips giving a twitch before she leans forward, beckoning Nerissa to the same. 

     The detective’s voice drops to a whisper, “I appreciate the enthusiasm but you gotta learn how to be more subtle my girl.” Nerissa quirks a brow. “Like, watch your posture and your mannerisms. Let your eyes wonder more curiously than critically, you get what I mean?” she explains. 

     “Oh…” Nerissa trails off, her gaze fixated on the table, “Sorry, have I been–?”

     “No of course not,” Shiori is quick to stop that train of thought. Shiori apologizes and Nerissa waves it off. “It's okay,” she reassures, “Maybe I'm just not cut out to be a detective.”

     “Sure you are,” Shiori protests. She leans a little closer and her voice drops to a whisper. “It's just all about subtly. Don't make your intentions too obvious, people close up like clams when you do that. Treat it more… casually, note down whatever you get and connect the dots.”

     Nerissa furrows her brow. “I think… I get it…”

     “Don't worry, with your persistence you’ll get there eventually,” Shiori says with a giggle. 

     “I just think being a detective is cool,” Nerissa shrugs which causes Shiori to raise a brow, “Is it now?”

     “I'd assume so, look at you.”

     Shiori snorts, rolling her eyes exaggeratedly. “Flatterer.”

     “Just stating what I see.”

     “You've got the traits of a good detective alright.”

     Right after, the waiter returns with their food and the conversation effectively ends there but not before Shiori says one more thing. “Stock up on your energy, I’ll make sure to explain the plan for later this time.”

__________________________________________________

     After leaving from their quick bite earlier in the afternoon, the DEO and detective duo return again later that same night to a surprising sight.

     The restaurant they had just been to had changed. Drastically. 

     It was as if they were looking at a new place entirely. Whereas in the morning it was relatively quiet with not much going on, now it was filled to the brim with patrons, so many in fact some were just loitering outside by the door and the curb. Add on top the flashing lights and loud music, Nerissa would've easily mistaken it as a nightclub in any other circumstance.

     “Looks like we came at a perfect time,” Shiori mutters under her breath and Nerissa eyes her from the corner of her vision. The sight of Shiori not in her usual outfit quite the change but definitely not an unwelcome one. 

     She was wearing a wig to hide her most identifiable feature, black in color with her regular hairstyle alongside a black dress with frills. Nerissa was also given a disguise to help blend in, a simple black flowy dress as well as a large hat to take attention away from her horns. Not at all an outfit you’d wear to a bar or restaurant but according to Shiori, this was part of the plan.

     “The larger the red herring, the better,” she had said and Nerissa didn’t really see a reason to disagree. 

     Present day Shiori gets Nerissa’s attention. “Come on, we’ve watched long enough. It’s time we get started,” she says, going ahead and Nerissa falls in step behind her. 

     As soon as the both of them enter the restaurant, Shiori reaches behind her to grab Nerissa by the hand lest they get separated and the latter lets her with a smile. Shiori then proceeds to make her way to the bar where, by some miracle, there were two adjacent seats that were vacant.

     Right as they take a seat, a bartender wiping down a shot glass walks up to them. “What can I get you two ladies?” he asks. “I’ll take a mocktail,” Nerissa answers and Shiori asks for the same. While the bartender walks away, Nerissa’s ears perk up at the sound of something interesting not too far away. 

     “Make sure you separate the bottles clearly so that we can save the aged wines for the VIP guests and give the patrons the regular shit.”

     The bartender from before returns with their drinks and Nerissa hums as she takes a small sip, her eyes fluttering close but her ears continue to listen intently. 

     “What about the ones in the back?” 

     “Moved. Our VIPs are keeping stuff back there for safekeeping.”

     “What sort of stuff–”

     The man who Nerissa recognizes as the manager grunts loudly, “God, don’t fucking ask me. I don’t know, shit is just important and we’re being paid a huge sum to not fuck this up, so don’t. Got it?” He grumbles obscenities under his breath as he pushes his poor employee aside. “I need a drink…”

     Nerissa watches as the manager makes his way over to where she and Shiori sat, albeit on the other side of the bar, and pour himself a drink before downing it in one go. He lets out a heavy sigh whilst leaning forward against the table, his head hung low. 

     “Hard time?” Nerissa says and the manager glances over at her, giving her a quick once over. “Don’t you have a funeral to go to?” Despite the mean joke, Nerissa laughs it off, caring too little to take it to heart. “I know business deals must suck but don’t take out your anger on me sir. I’m just a regular old patron trying to enjoy her night,” she says, playing up her dramatic tone.

     Another sigh makes its way past the man’s lip as he runs a hand through his greying hair. “I’m sorry ma’am, I didn’t mean to offend. It really just has been a long day.”

     “There’s no need to apologize,” Nerissa assures sweetly, “I’ve been there before, some people think they can just walk all over us.”

     “Oh don’t get me started…”

     Nerissa smiles, wine red eyes glimmering with mischief. “Why not? From my experience, the best kind of therapy is telling someone all about it and I’m right here,  all ears.”

     The manager hesitates for a second but after taking another shot of alcohol, any and all remaining reservations are cut loose. “Why the hell not–”

     As the two get to chatting, Shiori who had been quietly listening the whole time downs the rest of her mocktail in a couple gulps before getting up to go do her part of the mission. Nerissa easily fakes a laugh at a joke the manager says, one she can’t care to remember in favor of watching Shiori leave her peripheral vision. 

     Good luck detective.

     Due to the large number of people, even getting back outside proved to be a challenge but after forcefully squeezing her way past several bodies, Shiori eventually manages to do it. Once outside, Shiori made her way round the back of the restaurant through an alleyway where coincidentally there was an employee on what appears to be his smoke break if the cigarette between his fingers was any indication. 

     With his back turned to Shiori, the detective takes the opportunity to knock the poor employee out cold before hiding his unconscious body by a nearby dumpster. There Shiori takes his work clothes consisting of a simple white shirt and black slacks then puts it on. 

     Shiori hisses through gritted teeth as she pulls at the collar of the shirt, the feeling of doing this always uncomfortable even with underclothes on but like always, she powers through it and proceeds to re-enter the restaurant for the third time that day, this time through the back door. Inside, Shiori walks around the back of the house for a bit past several staff members all of whom don’t pay her any mind on account of how busy and stressful the current situation is. 

     That in turn allows Shiori to easily locate the room the manager must’ve been talking about before but as soon as her eyes land on the door leading into it, she is surprised to see there were zero guards in sight. 

     Shiori’s eyes narrow and her shoulders involuntarily start to tense. Laser detectors would’ve been the next possible explanation for a lack of security but Shiori doubted that a restaurant would be insane enough to install that on a random day regardless of who the VIPs were. Still, Shiori had expected better. 

     With the possibility of lasers safely crossed out and no one to stop her, Shiori walks up to the door where she finds a smart lock installed to keep it shut. The detective snorts, unamused. “I guess there was some effort.”

     Holding out her hand, a bookmark appears and Shiori firmly places it against the lock. It takes a moment before the lock starts to melt away into ink, dripping onto the floor below and effectively unlocking the door. 

     Still underestimating, huh? Shiori scoffs internally. Well at least it makes my job easier. 

     After an admittedly uneventful break-in, Shiori pushes the door open to reveal a large room – a wine cellar to put it more accurately that was actually pretty empty save for a few shelves filled with a mix of beer and wine. Instead, as the manager had stated earlier, the wine cellar was used for safekeeping what Shiori assumes is the stuff on the singular table placed right in the middle of the room. 

     Hard drives, pen drives, phones, laptops, all placed neatly on the table for display. 

     Shiori eyes the various gadgets on the table, her lips curling in disgust as more bookmarks appear in her hand. Without a moment’s hesitation, Shiori scatters it all over the table and watches in pure satisfaction as it all melts away into nothing but a puddle of ink. The way it all breaks down, the change from solid to a viscous liquid in seconds until it becomes virtually unrecognizable, Shiori would have paid good money to see the look on their faces. 

     While it was very possible that the data here wasn’t all there was, all that mattered was that she managed to delay the operation at least a day longer, buying herself and Nerissa more time to figure out their next move. 

     Just then, Shiori hears a commotion outside. A handful of men shouting alongside loud footsteps rapidly approached where she was. “There you are,” she giggles, leisurely walking over to one of the shelves to grab the most expensive looking bottle of wine. A little souvenir for her troubles before she disappears into a puddle of ink and reappears back outside behind the restaurant. 

     Right as she does so, a groan leaves Shiori’s lip and she briefly regrets overexerting herself but it wasn’t like she could do much about it now. All she could do was take a moment to recover until she really had to start moving lest she get caught right at the scene of the crime. After changing back into her dress and making sure the employee would be okay, Shiori walks back to the front of the restaurant and goes back inside for the nth time that day. 

     The place was still as busy as ever but with enough close attention, Shiori can vaguely make out the shouting from before as well as spot several staff members quickly leave their work stations. While Shiori did feel bad for the poor patrons the staff abruptly left but she still couldn’t help but snicker. 

     Now that the main purpose of their mission was done, Shiori makes her way to where she had left Nerissa. Her seat had obviously been taken and though it was a little upsetting, she didn’t let it bother her too much seeing as they would be leaving soon. 

     However Nerissa still seemed to be in the middle of entertaining the manager who was a drop away from being drunk out of his mind. He was a blubbering mess and Shiori wondered how Nerissa was able to tolerate let alone understand a word of what he was saying. 

     “So I said, go do it yourself!” the man lets out a loud obnoxious laugh and Shiori snorts, already having enough of his nonsense. “He seems to be having fun,” Shiori comments, subtly announcing her return and Nerissa greets her with a relieved smile. 

     “I assume he is, I lost track of what he was saying a while ago,” Nerissa says before finishing the rest of her drink and getting up from her seat to stand. “Are we good to go?” she asks to which Shiori nods, sliding some money onto the table right in front of the manager. “Yes we are.”

     A grin makes its way on Nerissa’s face as she links arms with Shiori but not before giving a small wave to the manager. “It was nice to talk to you Mr. Henry but it’s about time I go home.”

     He lets out yet another cackle, this one somehow more obnoxious than the last and rightfully earning him some strange looks from the other patrons. “Thank you for the company!” he slurs, hiccupping in between his sentences. “And it’s Hendricks!”

     Nerissa bids one final farewell and together with Shiori, the two leave the restaurant, picking up the pace when they hear a very loud, very angry voice call for the manager. 

     Shiori spares a glance over her shoulder then looks at Nerissa with a smirk, “Let’s get out of here.”

__________________________________________________

     “You took shorter than expected.”

     “I’m a professional, what did you expect?” Shiori puffs her chest in pride, the corner of her lips curling into a smirk. 

     Nerissa rolls her eyes lightheartedly, taking off her hat then tossing it next to the wig Shiori had taken off as soon as they had entered her office. 

     “You did pretty well for your first mission though. Distracting the manager like that with his mood and everything, I have no idea how you did it,” Shiori praises and Nerissa laughs softly, her cheeks heat up ever so slightly. “I’m a nervous yapper, plus it's actually easier than you think. The trick in winning over any bigwig is to stroke their ego and there you go. Always worked for me in meetings.”

     “Dang, maybe I should learn some stuff about that too. Could make things ten times easier,” Shiori whistles as a contemplative look washes over her. “Ah, but I’d still need a partner if I wanna slip out more huh…”

     “Who knows, maybe I’ll consider being a part time detective,” Nerissa jokes with a wink which causes Shiori to scoff. “If I didn’t know you were joking, I’d accuse you of drinking with the manager,” she says before suddenly she perking up as if calling something to mind. Nerissa noticex and raises a brow curiously, waiting patiently for an explanation. 

     “Actually, speaking of drinking, I got myself a little souvenir,” Nerissa’s brows only furrow further as she watches Shiori stand up from the couch and head over to where the duffel brag they had brought along was haphazardly thrown by the door. After rifling through its contents a little, Shiori pulls out a wine bottle to show which has Nerissa’s eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets.

     The DEO was no wine connoisseur by any stretch, but even just by look alone, it looked extremely expensive. 

     “Did you take that from the restaurant…?” Nerissa asks and Shiori nods without a hint of remorse. “Yeah, sorta took it as a kind of ‘in the moment’ thing but now I’m starting to remember I’m not much of a drinker to begin with,” Shiori explains. Nerissa is then greeted with a rare sight. 

     Shiori being noticeably flustered. 

     “I was thinking maybe we could share it? I know you don’t drink much either but I figured it could be like a little celebration for tonight’s success,” she suggests. Nerissa assumes the shock on her face must've been palpable if Shiori is immediately backpedaling. 

     “If you don’t want to you don’t have to–”

Nerissa’s gentle laughter cuts Shiori off from her rambling and the former beckons the latter back over to the couch. Shiori walks back to the couch with slow tentative steps and she’s taken a little off-guard when Nerissa takes the wine bottle from her hands. 

     “I don’t drink true, but I do think a celebration is in order. Besides, that man looked like he had a lot of fun,” she says, the last part oozing sarcasm which gets a laugh out of Shiori, “Planning to uncover all my secrets?”

     “I’m not the one who suggested a little late night drinking darling.”

     “Oh but you were looking to, weren’t you?” Shiori taunts. Nerissa stifles her laughter. “Maybe I was. Would you take a secret for a secret?” she wiggles her brows, getting up from the couch and heading towards a cabinet by the shelves behind her desk. 

     She grabs two glasses from it and makes sure to wipe them down with a tissue before bringing it back over to Shiori, pouring the latter a glass then pouring one for herself. 

     “To your first successful mission,” Shiori says and they clink their glasses together before taking a sip.  Shiori hums as she feels the liquid go down her throat, taking a moment to get accustomed to the taste before deciding she could go for a little more. 

     “I have no idea if I did that right by the way,” she blurts out. Nerissa giggles, a slight flush already present on her cheeks. “You did it right darling, don’t worry.”

     The demon takes another long sip of her wine, Shiori briefly wondering if being a demon meant having more alcohol tolerance, however the dark red that dusts Nerissa’s cheeks told her otherwise. “I honestly shouldn’t be drinking… I’ve got a lot of work to prepare for next week,” Nerissa mutters dejectedly. 

     “Oh I’m sorry I–”

     “No no, you’re okay,” Nerissa reassures, letting out a low chuckle as she gently swirled the wine around in her cup to form a mini vortex. “Let’s be real, if it wasn’t for those assholes, I wouldn’t have to worry so much to the point of choosing to drink.” Shiori presses her lips into a line with a hum. “I wonder why they hate you so much,” she thinks aloud.

     “Might be because of my recent project,” Nerissa clicks her tongue, taking yet another sip from her cup. “You say they run an underground black market?”

     “Yeah,” Shiori nods. “Might be that then.” The detective raises a brow, racking her brain to remember what exactly Nerissa was talking about until it just hits her that she honest to god did not know. 

     “Uh… what is this project, if you don’t mind me asking?” the detective asks sheepishly which has Nerissa raising a brow. “You don’t know?” Shiori shakes her head. “The one at the conference?” Again, Shiori turns her side to side. 

     “I’ll be honest, I had other stuff to attend to… sorry…” Shiori admits, her gaze darting away from Nerissa. “I did catch the start kinda… something about a new media for marketing?” Nerissa becomes stone cold sober for a brief moment and smiles, complimenting the gentle look in her eyes. That’s why she was so ragged after .

     “It’s fine darling. You’d be right usually but that time, it was actually a financial programme to help non-humans.”

     “Financial programme?”

     Nerissa hums as she sinks back further into the couch. “For healthcare. We cover the usual stuff but specifically it helps cover medical charges for things like appendages, wings, tails, eyes, and…” Nerissa’s smile falters ever so slightly and it’s like Shiori had been dunked directly into frigid water. 

     “And horns.”

     It takes Shiori second before it hits her like a freight chain, the following atmosphere turning somber sending her on an emotional rollercoaster of figuring out how she could comfort the demon in front of her at this moment. 

     “...I’m so sorry…”

     “What are you apologizing for?” Nerissa says in an even tone, taking a sip of her wine before tracing the rim of her cup with a single finger. “It’s not like you did it, or started the black market. Quite the opposite, you’re trying to stop it.”

     “But still…”

     “I just didn’t – don’t want people to go through the same thing I did. And if they do, I want to be there for them because I know what it feels like,” Nerissa confesses and Shiori feels her heart ache in her chest. “That’s nice of you. Amazing even,” Shiori praises with as much sincerity as she muster, hoping to get the message across.

     Nerissa seemed to get it, if the way her lips curled was anything to go by. “Thank you,” she chuckles, “It’s also why I was so adamant about following you. I promised myself I would never feel helpless again.”

     There’s the barest hint of a smile on Shiori’s lips. “I understand, but I can’t really say I’m all in for you risking yourself out there. So let’s avoid that, okay?”

     “With you watching over me, do I really have anything I have to worry ‘bout?” Nerissa says, grinning playfully from ear to ear and Shiori rolls her eyes, her cheeks turning its own shade of red. 

     “Don’t sell yourself short, you’re amazing too,” Shiori mutters in an attempt to divert the attention away from her when she feels the need to say it again. To mean it, if only to confirm it. 

     Before she can second-guess herself, before she can make it more confusing like she always does, Shiori reaches for Nerissa’s hands and holds it gently in hers. 

     “Shiori…?” Nerissa says, red eyes staring curiously into golden resolute orbs.

     “I think you’re really amazing too,” Shiori says firmly, her grip on Nerissa’s delicate hands tightening just enough to be noticeable. “What you do, why you’re doing it… it’s so admirable…”

     It takes a second before the detective comes back to her senses, blinking rapidly before apologizing softly then pulling away. “It’s okay,” Nerissa coos, “There’s nothing wrong with letting out a little emotion once in a while.”

     Shiori feels her throat tighten, the idea placing a weight on her shoulders. 

     “We can share secrets right?”

     “If you want to, darling. I’m here to listen to you if you do.”

     On the other hand she knew, keeping silent would mean to drown. 

     Shiori takes a deep, shaky breath, allowing old memories to bubble to the surface. 

     “There was a major recession years ago, lots of big companies losing a lot of money so they were desperately looking for any sort of way to boost their luck. Rational and irrational. And at the time, elf ears seemed to be the most effective for whatever reason… rumors spread and… a black market opened…” 

     Shiori’s bottom lip quivers. “I had a friend who was elven…”

     Tears start to stream down Shiori’s face in rivulets and Nerissa doesn’t hesitate to pull the shorter woman closer, embracing her with her arms and even wings. Shiori, in spite of her reluctance with physical touch, clings to Nerissa as she cries. 

     “They took her from me…” Shiori weeps and the demon feels her heart tear into two. She does her best to soothe the woman in her arms with soft whispers and gentle rubs on the back. It takes a while before Shiori eventually calms down and Nerissa continues to hold her all throughout until the former is able to speak again. 

     “They took her from me… and because they’re major corpos,  I couldn’t do shit . No one could.”

     “Is that why you chose to become a detective?” Nerissa asks quietly and Shiori remains quiet, gazing down at her lap whilst picking at the hem of her dress. She mumbles something under her breath that Nerissa doesn’t quite catch. 

     “What did you say, Shiori? I can’t hear you.”

     Shiori repeats herself, but again, it was too soft for Nerissa to hear. 

     “Darling, you don’t have to force yourself to tell me if you don’t want to.”

     “I’m a hitman.”

     A pin drops

     “A… hitman?”

     Unable to speak, Shiori nods while still avoiding Nerissa’s eyes. “I just thought you deserve to know, considering what we’ve done together. I was – still am a hitman. I wanted a way to get revenge, one way or another.”

     “How did you end up being a detective then?” Nerissa prods further.

     “Big corpos are always looking for private detectives or investigators, so I joined Ame for an easier way in,” she pauses for a second, “...I was reluctant at first when she asked me to help you but then I heard the gang was involved so I accepted. I won’t lie, I came in with ulterior motives purely because I was skeptical but as time went on… well let’s just say I’m now a firm believer that people can always change their minds.”

     “Well I’m glad,” Nerissa chuckles, “That explains all the excursions… so you’re telling me normal detectives don’t do that?” Shiori shakes her head. “Aw, and here I was considering changing my career to be a detective too,” Nerissa pouts, feigning disappointment but the detective decides to humor her. “I’d say you still could. You have the making-of a good detective,” she says, half teasing and half genuine. 

     Whatever it was, Nerissa rolled her eyes. “Please, if that was the case I wouldn’t need to hire you to help figure out who was after me.” 

     “That doesn’t mean you’re bad, you just needed a little push in the right direction,” Shiori countered, “You were the one to suggest a pretty a good motive for why the gang is going after you.”

     “It was just common sense.”

     “It was deductive reasoning, you’re on the right track.”

     Figuring there was no use in convincing Shiori otherwise, Nerissa concedes, “If you say so, here’s to hoping putting a dent on their business and investigating them doesn’t put a double target on my back.” Shiori nudges Nerissa in the side gently, a reassuring look on her face. “Hey, don’t think like that. You’ve got me to help you, don’t you?”

     “That I do.” The demon grins as she lifts up her previously forgotten glass, pouring herself another cup of wine. “That’s enough sad vibes for a night, why don’t we continue with this little two person celebration?”

     The two end up staying way past midnight, laughing and sharing stories over their stolen bottle of wine. Even as the city below starts growing quiet, the roads start becoming more empty, Nerissa’s office remains bright but it was high time they left. Especially since Nerissa was pretty drunk.

     Fortunately, Shiori was still sober, having drank considerably less than the demon so she took it upon herself to help Nerissa get home. After cleaning up the office and placing their things aside to bring back another day, Shiori supports a half-asleep Nerissa back towards her car parked outside. 

     It was an arduous process seeing as Nerissa was taller than Shiori but the latter was dead set on getting the former home. One reason being because spending the night in the office didn’t seem very comfortable and the second being a little something she had suspected ever since they returned from the restaurant. 

     Shiori huffs as she makes sure Nerissa was secure in the passenger seat, the poor demon already sound asleep with her head lolled to one side. She closes the door before running a hand through the white side of her hair, feeling the individual beads of sweat run down her neck when she hears a footstep from somewhere in the shadows. Shiori scoffs.

     “Here to punish me for your shitty security?” she sneers, turning on her heels to be met with two figures as they step out into the light. Two men dressed in suits not unlike the ones she had spotted at the party with Nerissa but this time, they had no firearms. At least none that were visible. 

     “So do you want to negotiate or are we doing this the old fashioned way?” Without a word, one of the men go straight for her face and Shiori ducks to avoid it, socking him right in the gut in retaliation. 

     Guess we’re doing this the old fashioned way . 

     The man groans, leaning forward in pain and giving a clear opening for Shiori to punch him in the face. He staggers back but Shiori isn’t given a second to breath as the other man grabs her by the forearm. Putting as much strength into her legs as she could, Shiori kicks him directly in the shin and he cries out in pain then falling onto one knee. 

     His hold around Shiori’s arm loosens and she takes the chance to elbow him as hard as she can in the face, hissing at the sharp pain that shoots through her arm but at least knocking him to the ground.

     The man from before comes back, his nose bloodied from Shiori’s last attack and he scowls. “You–!” he stumbles forward, most likely disorientated as Shiori easily moves to the side. She watches as he runs into the car almost comically but her heart spikes when he reaches for the passenger door handle. 

     Immediately Shiori grabs him by the back of his head before slamming his face onto the car top so hard the vehicle shakes. The man falls back, face even bloodier than before and he scrambles back next to where his partner is. 

     The both of them look up at Shiori in thinly veiled terror and anger. “Wanna go another round?” she taunts with a giggle but the men are already up and running away, their tails between their legs. She watches them until they completely disappear out of sight.

     “That fucking hurt…” Shiori groans as she massages her arm in an effort to alleviate the pain. Alas she couldn’t do much about it now and instead focused on her original plan, getting Nerissa back. 

     She first goes to check the top of Nerissa’s car and lets out a breath of relief when she finds it was not dented, only a little splatter of blood remaining as evidence of what had happened. Shiori reaches into her pocket and pulls out a handkerchief, cleaning the blood on it before pocketing it again. 

     With all that finally settled, Shiori gets in the driver’s seat and turns the engine on, checking on Nerissa one last time before putting the car into gear. As she drives, she makes a mental note. Better keep my eye out . 

     It was a little after noon when Nerissa stirred from her slumber. A groan escapes the demon’s lips as the sunlight streaming through her windows shines on her face. She places an arm over her eyes, already dreading the day to come when she hears the sound of her curtains being pulled closed. 

     “You don’t look like you’re having the time of your life.”

     If Nerissa’s brain wasn’t being smashed by a million hammers, she would’ve been surprised that Shiori was in her house – in her room of all things but at the same time, she felt like she shouldn’t. Whatever it was, she doesn’t attempt to ponder on the thought for too long, not when her brain felt the way it did. 

     Now, all she was was glad. 

     A few more minutes pass before Nerissa opens her eyes just a crack to see Shiori next to her bed holding a cup of water. She sits up and takes the water handed to her, finishing it all in one go before handing the now empty cup back to Shiori. 

     “Thank you.”

     “I’d give you some painkillers but I think it’s better you get something to eat first,” Shiori remarks as she gives Nerissa a once over. “Do you think you can make it to the kitchen or would you rather I bring it here?”

     “I can make it there,” Nerissa insists as she swings her legs off the side of the bed. Right as she stands up however, the room starts to spin and Nerissa starts to reconsider her options but thankfully Shiori was there to support her. With her help, Nerissa is able to make her way to the kitchen.

     She takes a seat at the kitchen island and lays her head directly onto the cool marble surface for some relief from her headache. It does little to help of course but once again, Shiori comes to her rescue, placing another cup of water onto the countertop alongside a plate of avocado toast. 

     “I’d fix up something better but unfortunately unless you want me to cast a fire spell, I’m better off sticking to toast and cutting fruits.” Nerissa laughs softly, “It’s okay, I appreciate it. Thank you Shiori.”

     They fall into a comfortable silence after. Nerissa enjoys her food in peace while Shiori cleans up around the kitchen. A smile flickers across Nerissa’s face, unable to stop the way her heart flutters in her chest. The atmosphere was so domestic, so far removed from her daily hustle and bustle, she couldn’t help but want – yearn for more. 

     Mornings to look forward to, peaceful days in between busy ones, Nerissa’s mind starts to wander but alas not long into them, she’s broken out of her daydream when Shiori calls out to her. 

     “Nerissa, where do you keep your painkillers?” The woman in question blinks, taking a second to come back to herself. “The pantry.”

     Shiori finds it with little issue and helps pass it over to Nerissa who pops them instantly, already feeling much better compared to before. “Do I have to pay you for your extra service?” Nerissa jokes and Shiori rolls her eyes but there’s an undeniable smile on her face. “Consider this as me taking responsibility for stealing last night and making you miss out on work.”

     Nerissa grins, propping her chin on her palm. “No problem at all darling, besides the hangover which you’ve been so kind to help me through, it was nice letting loose for once.”

     “That’s good to hear then.”

     “I will say though, I did have the strangest dream,” Nerissa recounts and Shiori quirks a brow, curious. “What was it?” 

     “I was in a car and I watched you beat two people up at once,” she says and Shiori does her best to conceal any kind of reaction whatsoever. “Did you now?”

     Nerissa hums. “Yeah, I have to admit, it was kinda sexy.”

     “Uh huh…”

     “It was so vivid, which is strange because I have no idea how a hitwoman fights,” Nerissa stops for a second, “What if I told you about it then you can tell me if it’s true or not?” Shiori snorts, the idea admittedly a tad silly but it wasn’t like she had anything else to do for the rest of the day anyway. 

     A break was long overdue too. 

     “Sure, go right ahead.”

__________________________________________________

     It was a quiet day today. Just like the past several days had been. 

     No tips or sightings, no suspicious activity, not even a rumor. Nothing but blissful and stress-free days which Shiori was glad for. One of the main reasons being Nerissa was slowly starting to return to her normal self, or what Shiori assumed was her normal self considering she had never met the demon beforehand. 

     Nerissa definitely looked more happy though, becoming more open to going out, socializing, Shiori couldn’t help but feel a little proud of her. From the reserved, disheveled woman she met one day to the confident, bold woman she was now, Shiori being happy for her would actually be an understatement. 

     In spite of all of that, she also felt on edge. While she did hope to slow down the gang’s operations, for them to reach a point where all of her investigations came back fruitless and all the rumors came to a screeching halt, that in and of itself was suspicious. 

     Shiori lets out a sigh, walking towards the large window in Nerissa’s office to stare off into the view. They’re either planning something big or they’re growing desperate…

     She takes note of the time and the sun which would be setting soon. 

     Maybe I should snoop around enemy territory.

     “What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours?” Shiori raises a brow, turning around to stare at Nerissa who was casually still typing away at her computer. 

     “What?”

     “I can hear you thinking from over here Shiorin, what’s going on?”

     The use of the nickname eases some of the tension in Shiori’s shoulders, grateful for its effect yet still needing some time to get used to it.

     That was the other new development. 

     Shiori and Nerissa had gotten closer over the past few days. Even on days Shiori had nothing to do investigation-wise and was lazing around during her free time, Nerissa always made a point to call her over to hang out. Not just in her office either but outside too, sometimes even at her own home. 

     You’re part hitman, you might as well be my part time bodyguard too was Nerissa’s justification. Shiori didn’t protest.

     “Shiorin?” 

     She snaps out her thoughts and flashes an apologetic smile to Nerissa. “Sorry… just thinking about how quiet it’s been.” 

     “Isn’t that a good thing?” Nerissa says, tilting her head to the side and Shiori presses her lips into a thin line. “Don’t think there are no crocodiles just cause the water is calm…”

     Nerissa doesn’t respond and Shiori feels the tension building in the air. She sighs, walking over to Nerissa’s desk to lean on the edge of it. “I’m sorry Reese, I don’t mean to be a downer but I can’t help but worry,” she murmured.

     “It’s okay, I guess I just got a little surprised how serious it was if it has you pulling out proverbs on me,” Nerissa chuckles softly, “I’m assuming I won’t be allowed to tag along this time?”

     Shiori doesn’t even try to deny it, agreeing with a nod. “If I could, I’d even ask you to go back home early but…”

     “I don’t mind.”

     A pause.

     “But on one condition.” Nerissa spins her chair to face Shiori as the latter waits patiently for the other to continue. “You have to keep my company,” the demon says and Shiori furrows her brows. “But I always do that.” 

     “Yeah, so it shouldn’t be a problem then right?” 

     Shiori sucks a breath through her gritted teeth. “Sorry Rissa… but I have to do something…” Her head drops down to stare at her lap when Nerissa take ahold of her hand, gripping it firmly. 

     “I won’t stop you if you still decide to go, but I do ask you stay safe,” Nerissa rubs the back of Shiori’s hand with the pad of her thumb, a pensive look on her face. “...it’d be a shame if anything were to happen to you…”

     Shiori stares down at their intertwined hands before she makes the fatal mistake of looking at Nerissa’s face because one glance is enough to shatter her remaining resolve. She curses herself internally, praying she won’t come to regret her decision.  

     “Fine…” Shiori grumbles as Nerissa meets her gaze, “I won’t go… stop doing that face. You look like a wet cat.” Nerissa grins, sticking her tongue out playfully. “You said it yourself, it’s my skill as a potential detective.”

     “Yeah yeah I did… you’d make a really good partner.”

     Nerissa's eyes widen and her breath hitches in her throat, her cheeks turning a light shade of red as she waits for the punchline but Shiori makes no show of saying anything else. The demon clears her throat, opting not to point anything out and instead chalking it up to Shiori just coincidentally wording it that way. 

     “So uh… I still have a little bit more to finish up… would you mind waiting a bit more or is it urgent we leave now?” Nerissa asks with a slight waver in her voice but thankfully, at least on the surface, Shiori pays it no mind. 

     “I don't mind waiting, so long as we leave before seven.”

     “Alright then detective.”

     As Shiori requested, the two of them are out of the office and back at Nerissa’s place before the clock even strikes seven. Then for the rest of the day, they relax in each other’s company. They laze around in the living room, Nerissa makes dinner for the both of them and they talk and talk until the late hours of the night. 

     Nerissa of course manages to persuade the detective to stay the night. 

     However as Shiori exited the bathroom to head to the living room to sleep, she’s stopped by Nerissa calling out to her. 

     “Where are you going?”

     “To the couch,” Shiori answers in a very matter-of-fact tone, “Why?”

     The corner of Nerissa’s lip turned down into a frown. “I saw you stretching your neck earlier,” she points out but Shiori merely waves it off. “It’ll fix itself.”

     Nerissa shakes her head and she holds her hand out to Shiori, “You can sleep in my room. My bed’s big enough for the both of us.”

     Shiori stares at Nerissa’s hand as she thinks over the offer. 

     “At the very least, you take the bed. I can sleep on the couch instead,” Nerissa suggests and now it was Shiori’s turn to frown. “Your spine will hate you.”

     “Well it can hate me later, your neck hates you right now.”

     Shiori lets out a sigh, not seeing a way to convince the demon otherwise. “You and your persuasion I swear…” She walks past Nerissa, not taking her hand but the latter takes no offense, not when she spots the slightest hints of red on the usually stoic detective’s cheeks. 

     Nerissa’s room was massive. Shiori had been in there once or twice before but it never failed to amaze her just how big it was every time she saw it. Even with the king sized bed in the middle, there was still so much room. 

     The lights had already been turned off, the room illuminated only by the city life outside streaming through the large floor-to-ceiling windows similar to the ones in her office. Shiori walks up to them and takes a look down below. 

     “How do you ever sleep?”

     “Hardly, actually.”

     Shiori turns to Nerissa, the concern clear on her face. “It’s nothing to worry about, I got used to it as bad as that sounds. I do get good sleep just rarely cause I’m such a picky sleeper.”

     “Why don’t you pick somewhere else to stay?” Shiori asks and Nerissa shrugs, “It helps the image I guess, plus it’s closer to the office.”

     Shiori’s frown only deepens. “Are you going to be okay with me here?”

     “Oh Shiorin, I offered you. Of course I am,”

     “If you say so…” 

     With nothing else to question, Shiori waits for Nerissa to get settled on the bed first before she even considers touching the sheets. When it’s her turn to slip under the covers, she’s tense all over, holding back the urge to ask if everything was okay with each slight movement she did until she finds a position she’s comfortable with.

     Nerissa stifles her laughter, looking at Shiori as she lays on her side. “You look like a mummy sleeping like that.”

     A quiet apology slips past Shiori’s lips but she doesn’t move and Nerissa smiles fondly, shuffling around a bit. “Come here, scoot a little closer, you’re too close to the edge.”

     Shiori does as she’s told and she finds it in herself to turn to her side, golden orbs meeting red. 

     “Hi.”

     “Hey,” Shiori swallows, “So… you come here often?”

     “Not as much as I should.”

     “Oh…”

     “But I’m glad to see you here,” Nerissa expresses and Shiori feels her cheeks flush yet at the same time, uncertainty stirs in her chest. She takes a deep breath. “Rissa, this whole thing between us–”

     “I know,” the demon chuckles softly even as Shiori’s eyes bore into her, “I know… we… I should’ve said something before but… would you mind if we talked about it tomorrow?”

     Shiori weighs the options in her head. “Yeah… yeah we can.”

     There is a pause between them, a moment where they hold their breaths and neither of them move. 

     “Shiorin?”

     “Mhm?”

     “Are you okay with this?” she asks and in the dimly lit room, she sees Shiori nod. “I’m good.” 

     Nerissa chews down on her bottom lip, stopping herself several times before she has the courage to say what she wants to say. 

     “... would you be okay if we cuddled?”

     Shiori blinks, the words not processing immediately in her mind. “I know you might not be okay with that and we agreed to talk about it tomorrow but I figured I’d just try ask… you’re free to say no of course.”

     Shiori lets out a shaky breath, her heart in her throat as she opens her mouth to speak. “It’s okay, I have two clingy cats back at home,” she replies and to her surprise, Nerissa starts to pout. “But those are cats, are you okay with a fully grown demon?” 

     Shiori hums before she shuffles forward, waiting for Nerissa to come to her senses before she properly settles into the taller woman’s embrace. A pleasant exhale leaves Shiori’s lips, her muscles relaxing as she feels Nerissa wrap her arms around the small of her back. 

     “... you’re warm,” Shiori thinks aloud, nuzzling her face into the crook of Nerissa’s neck. 

     “And you’re cold, in a good way, like a personal AC,” Nerissa quips but it barely registers in Shiori’s foggy brain, the latter struggling to stay awake.  

     “Goodnight Shiorin,” is the last thing she hears before sleep finally overtakes her. 

__________________________________________________

     Shiori winces as she’s abruptly woken from her slumber. 

     Being a hitman for years, she’s developed a sort of six sense whenever danger occurred. One of the habits stemming from that being waking up in the dead of night when something was particularly wrong. 

     Currently it was because a number of her ‘security measures’ had gone off. 

     Very carefully, Shiori untangles herself from Nerissa to avoid waking her and moves to sit on the edge of the bed, holding out her hand to summon one of her many bookmarks. As soon as it finishes materializing, she holds it and waits with bated breath for information only for her fears to become true. 

     The name of Nerissa’s company appears on the piece of paper alongside the gangs and one specific name Shiori recognizes all too well. Without a moment’s hesitation, Shiori stands up to prepare. 

     They are desperate.

     Shiori puts on her suit and ties her hair into its usual ponytail, mindful not to make too much noise even while she’s rushing. In her head, she knew she had a limited amount of time before the gang leaves in which she would lose her chance to shut them down. 

     Right as Shiori reaches the front door, she pauses and looks over her shoulder back towards the direction of the bedroom. The guilt makes itself known in Shiori’s heart but she couldn’t afford to back down now. 

     “I hope you’ll understand,” Shiori mutters as she grabs a set of keys hung on the wall. 

     Shiori arrives in front of the company building in Nerissa’s car, parking it outside before she rushes through the main entrance. To her surprise, it was completely empty. Not a guard nor a singular person in sight. 

     Upon closer inspection however, she spots an unconscious man behind the receptionist desk, dressed in a security uniform. After checking he was still alive, Shiori decides to venture further.

     She takes the staff elevator that was hidden away and not for public use to bypass using the main elevator which would’ve been too obvious while the stairs would’ve been a fool’s errand knowing how many floors there were. 

     Shiori heads straight to Nerissa’s office at the very top floor and even just outside the door, she can hear the voices inside. 

     “Where the FUCK is she?” one voice shouts. There’s a pause before another voice responds in a more measured tone, “I don’t know boss… intel says she’s usually here until late night.” Shiori furrows her brows as she leans against the door, her hands clenched into fists at her side. 

     “So why isn’t she here? Where I can put her damn head under my foot and take her fucking horn?!” Shiori feels her eye twitch, barely able to stop herself from bursting right in by slowly counting in her head to three. 

     “Boss, shouldn’t we be taking something useful like info while we’re here? Why do we need the CEO so badly?”

     Shiori raises her brows, noting that this voice was much closer compared to the other two. Almost as if he was right by the door. 

     “Cause I want her to fucking PAY. Do you have any idea how much money we lost because of her?!” 

     “Boss, I think it’s better if we–”

     On the other side, Shiori hears a loud thud followed by the sound of something scraping against the floor which she could only assume is the couch or the desk. So they’re further…

     “Don’t fucking dare tell me what to do! If I want that freak to see her entire business come down, she’s going to see it as I tear it down!”

     “Should we stop him?” another voice by the door speaks, noticeably different from the other one Shiori heard previously. 

     “Better not. Boss can get super intense when he’s pissed. Survival is not guaranteed,” the voice from before answers.

     “Jesus…”

     Shiori waits a moment before she makes her move, craning her ear to hear if there were any more voices inside and when she hears none, she readies herself. 

     “Ransack the damn place, take eve–”

     In that exact moment, Shiori takes her chance to strike. Right as she opens the door, before the first man standing by it can even register seeing her, she reaches out and grabs him by the collar before slamming his head into her knee. The man groans as he falls back, incapacitated.

     “What the fuck–” 

     Using full weight, Shiori shoves herself against the door to hit the second man on the other side. For extra measure, she grabs the handle and shoves the door even harder, hitting him a second time then entering the room to deliver a swift punch into the man’s face which causes him to keel over. 

     “YOU!” 

     Shiori glances over to the side to at long last lock eyes with who she had been chasing all these years. The man in charge of the gang that had taken so much from her. 

     He didn’t even look noteworthy. A messy head of brown hair, an untucked, wrinkled shirt and pants that looked far too small on him. Shiori scoffs internally. 

     “You’re that damn detective,” the boss spat, his lips pulled back into a snarl. “Should’ve known you were also our mystery fucking problem,” he looks over at his last standing minion who was ironically still on the ground, “You. I’ll promote you if you kill her.”

     Feeling no doubt invigorated, the man gets up and makes a beeline for Shiori who dodges to the side. Before he even gets the chance to turn around, Shiori socks him in the face and knocks him out cold. 

     The boss chuckles behind her, slow clapping for dramatic effect. “Well you certainly live up to your expectations,” Shiori turns around just in time to see the sick smile on his face. “Either that or my guys just fucking suck, but don’t you worry, I’m the real deal.”

     Shiori’s eyes narrow. “Oh, that’s a scary look on your face. The CEO mean a lot to you or something?” he mocks, hand hovering over the many items on Nerissa’s shelf. Shiori clenches her jaw, visibility irate and without a word, she darts straight for the boss who, to her absolute surprise, is fast enough to block her signature attack to the face. 

     “Oh too slow, think that’s always gonna work?”

     Shiori’s eyes widened, too shocked to even react to the blow the boss throws right at her cheek. She staggers back with a grunt, cursing herself internally for such a rookie mistake. 

     “Guess my men did just suck!” he cackles. While Shiori recovers on the floor, she watches as the boss pulls out a pistol that was tucked away in his jeans before aiming it at her. “But I also have this,” without so much as a hint of remorse, he fires a bullet and Shiori just narrowly manages to dodge it by rolling to the side. 

     She sucks in a breath as she throws one of her bookmarks at his hand gripping the pistol causing him to drop it to the ground. As soon as the gun falls to the floor, it starts to melt to the point of becoming unrecognizable let alone usable. Nothing but a pile of black mesh. 

     The man stares at it for a moment, almost as if in awe before he starts to laugh. “So you’ve got that witchery shit too huh? No wonder you’re here…”

     Shiori, winded from excessive use of her magic on top of the lack of energy and sleep, is helpless to dodge or protect herself when the boss walks over to kick her right in the shoulder. She falls onto her side on the floor in a heap, only for her to be grabbed by the collar and dragged up into standing position then slammed against the desk. 

     “First, you’re going to pay for what you’ve done. Then, I’m going to find that demon bitch and–” the man yells out in pain as Shiori punches him right in the gut, the blow strong enough that he lets go of her. 

     Shiori takes a deep breath as she leans against the desk for support, keeping an eye on the boss as he wraps his arms around his abdomen. “Fuck… you…” she wheezes. She curses him for what he’s done, done to his friend, to the others, to Nerissa’s company, to Nerissa and to her. 

     “Fuck you,” she repeats more firmly, the viciousness blatant in her voice. 

     The man laughs like a hyena as he stretches his neck from side to side, a sly smirk on his face. “Come on and fuck me up then,” he taunts. 

     The two approach one another and the boss is the first to attack, throwing a punch that Shiori easily predicts. She backsteps to avoid it before feinting an attack to his midriff which he tries to block which gives Shiori the opening to punch him across the face instead.

     He falls several steps backwards and Shiori walks up to him leisurely. actually punching him in the stomach as she reaches him, sending him even further back right against the glass windows. The boss struggles to find his footing to stand but his efforts are rendered futile as Shiori stands over him. 

     She starts throwing blow after blow into his face, unrelentless even as the man starts to plead for mercy.

     “GET OFF ME!” he shouts but pure adrenaline pumps through Shiori’s vein even as she feels a dull sensation in her thigh. 

     Still the boss desperately tries to break free, clawing, punching anywhere he can reach but Shiori doesn’t falter. 

     Years of resentment was boiling over, all the rage and vengeance she had promised at long last being let go in this moment, fueling every one of her attacks.

     Eventually the boss’s efforts start to slow before coming to a complete stop. Shiori pants heavily as she stares at the barely recognizable face of the boss. Alive and still breathing but beaten to bloody pulp. 

     She would’ve felt bad but she reminds herself of the people the gang – this man had wronged and she figures this could be considered a mercy. 

     Shiori lets go of the now unconscious man’s collar and takes in lungfuls of air as the ache in every single one of her limbs begins to make itself known. She stares out the window for a moment before turning around to leave and call someone but just as she takes the first step, her knees buckle underneath her. 

     When Shiori looks down, she spots a syringe jammed right into her thigh. “Shit…” she hisses as she pulls it out, checking its contents to find it empty. Before she even has the time to worry what it was, her body begins to feel heavy and she falls to her hands and knees involuntarily. 

     Shiori tries to crawl towards Nerissa’s desk but alas she struggles to even hold herself up. Fortunately, the phone had fallen to the floor during the previous conflict and after a lot of agonizing effort, Shiori manages to reach it but another problem occurs. Her body was refusing to cooperate, her fingers unable to grip the phone and dial anything, leaving her to lay on the floor helplessly. 

     With her body sweating profusely, her arms and legs and body feeling like they were pinned to the ground, Shiori genuinely thought this would be the end of her. 

     But as her vision starts to blur, she hears the door burst open followed by a familiar voice. 

     “Shiorin!”

     She feels head being placed on something soft before an even softer hand caresses the side of her face. Shiori would’ve enjoyed the gesture had her state not been so dire. 

     “You need medical attention,” Nerissa mutters, a look of sheer determination crossing her face. “Stay with me darling, hold on.” In spite of how weak her arms were, Nerissa does her best to lift Shiori to her feet, supporting her with an arm around the shorter woman’s waist. 

     Together the two take the main elevator back down to the lobby where Shiori sees both authorities and paramedics walking around inside and in front of the building. Spotting the both of them, the paramedics immediately take Shiori into their care while Nerissa goes over to talk to the authorities to explain the situation as best as she can. 

     As soon as that was done, the demon joins Shiori who was now awake after momentarily being knocked out. They were sitting at the back of an ambulance, Nerissa’s jacket over Shiori’s shoulder as the latter leaned against the former. 

     “How did you know I was here?” Shiori asks quietly. “I woke up a little after I realized you were missing. Then I got a call from security about possible commotion happening in the office,” Nerissa explains and Shiori hums in response.

     “Plus, you took my car.”

     Shiori winces at that one. “I’m sorry…”

     “You could’ve just called for help, you know?”

     Shiori sinks her teeth into her bottom lip, looking down dejectedly to the floor. “I know… I just wasn’t thinking. I panicked when I saw they were in your office.”

     Nerissa smiles fondly, gently nudging Shiori in the side. “I appreciate the concern,” Nerissa says as she cups Shiori by the cheek, lifting her face so she could look at her. “But I much rather you watch yourself. I can make a business again, I don’t get to meet a cute detective every lifetime.”

     Shiori opens her mouth to respond but Nerissa is quick to give her a look. “And don’t think about apologizing for that too. I’m just glad you’re okay.” She places a kiss on Shiori’s forehead tenderly and that was enough to dismantle any and all of the detective’s remaining arguments. 

     Instead, Shiori goes back to leaning against Nerissa for warmth which the latter definitely didn’t mind. 

     “So what’s going to happen now?”

     “A power vacuum probably. I don’t doubt there are a lot of other people in charge but this’ll at least throw them in chaos for a bit. Hopefully enough to make another mistake so we can finally take them down for good. Or they’ll end up killing each other, whichever comes first,” Shiori answers. 

     The demon nuzzles her face into Shiori’s hair, the corner of her lips curling into a small smile. “That should mean a few days off right? I know I have plenty to spare.”

     “I hope so, a few days off sounds nice…” 

     Nerissa hums in agreement. “But what about what we wanted to talk about…?” Shiori hesitated and Nerissa laughed softly, reaching to hold the other woman’s hand with her own. “There’s no rush Shiorin.”

     “Oh…”

     “Don’t sound so sad,” Nerissa coos, “We’re still hanging out together aren’t we?”

     “I guess so…” Shiori trails off but there’s an undeniable smile on her face. “Then there’s no time to rush,” Nerissa chirps, “We can take things one step at a time. I’ll even consider adding lunch and desserts into your contract to keep you around longer if needed.”

     Shiori giggles, her tone light and airy. “You won’t hear me complaining about that anytime soon.”

     “I’ll be in your care then,” Nerissa beams, all too excited for what else the future could possibly hold.

__________________________________________________

Fin.