AIKO
"Will you stop pacing? You're making Shishi nervous," Sadako snapped, sprawled across my bed like she owned it. My room had apparently become the unofficial sister summit location since Daedillion's arrival yesterday.
"Shishi is literally snoring loud enough to wake the dead," I pointed out, gesturing to my lion-dog, who was indeed passed out on the floor, massive paws twitching as he chased dream rabbits. "And I'm not pacing. I'm... strategically traversing."
"Is that what we're calling a pre-date freakout these days?" Noriko drawled from her perch by the window, not looking up from filing her nails. "How modern."
"It's not a date," I said automatically. "It's a diplomatic engagement."
Sakura snorted, her scales shimmering as she adjusted her position on my chaise lounge, practi
