Chapter Text
When Nerissa woke up on Valentine's Day, she was alone. No arms around her, no 'good morning', no kiss on the forehead. She was ready to cry immediately. The world was cruel, existence was a dumpster fire, and life was a theater of suffering.
Fortunately, the apple of her eye sauntered into view just in time before the first tear fell.
Her scantily-clad Shiori, wearing only a very short pink apron that didn't fully conceal the important bits, approached the bed like an angel of nourishment. In her hands was a bed tray which held a small stack of perfectly golden-brown pancakes and a warm cup of tea. To top it all off, she was blushing cutely like a maiden in love. The whole spectacle made Nerissa salivate.
And suddenly the world was her oyster, existence was sunshine and rainbows, and life was a festival of magic.
"Good morning, Rissa," Shiori greeted gently while laying the mini table in front of her.
"Good morning Shiwowiii~ O–Oh! What a… a beautiful… heart!"
Upon quick inspection of her breakfast in bed, Nerissa found a heart-shaped pancake laid on her plate. An anatomically–accurate, human heart-shaped pancake.
"Yeah! I wanted to give you a normal cartoon heart but they ended up looking like… upside-down gonads."
"Gonads?!" Nerissa echoed with laughter in her voice. The mental image came unbidden into the forefront of her mind, no doubt assisted by the short—again, very short—apron that Shiori was wearing.
"Sorry it's not homemade 'hotpot'," Shiori's words interrupted before Nerissa could try and take a peek out of pure impulse. "There ain't nothin' in the fridge."
"I'd be surprised if there were. Besides, I'd be a fool to not be grateful for the food that my beautiful wife made for me so early in the morning."
Nerissa set upon the steaming-hot food while trying to ignore how her longtime girlfriend snorted cutely at the word 'wife'.
"Mm-mm-mmm!"
Considering Shiori's exploits in the kitchen, the food was impressive. The texture was comparable to that of sweet, fluffy clouds. No maple syrup nor whipped cream nor any of that unhealthy sweet stuff, but there was a little butter, honey, and berries here and there. Fully cooked, and with toasted edges. So good, she can't just keep all of it to herself.
"Shiori~n."
"Yeah?"
Shiori, who had opened the curtains to let some light in, returned to sit beside her Valentine. Nerissa was holding a piece of pancake on a fork near her lips in offering.
"I'm good. I already had grits."
"Aww, but I want to feed my darling sweetheart!"
Shiori visibly hesitated in front of Nerissa's adorable pout and caved. "...Fine, maybe just one bite."
After Nerissa cleaned out her plate and finished her tea, the first thing she did after was to hurriedly get the bed tray down on the floor so she could jump Shiori on their hotel bed.
Her kiss was sweeter than even the berries and honey. They sank into the mattress with only a thin pink apron separating them. A hand slid under the fabric, more suspicious than innocent, especially when Nerissa's thumb stroked a nipple. She purred at the moan she got in response.
"Mmm… Does my breakfast-in-bed come with sausage, mayhaps?" A teasing hand put itself on Shiori's chest, fingers playing with the frills that lined the edges. But it slid down, slowly, to the bottom of the apron. Close to the edge, and dangerously close to an organ that easily measured way past the frills.
"Is that why you finished your breakfast so quickly, you horny bird?"
Despite the accusation she threw, her strong hands lifted Nerissa by the waist to sit her down on her hips properly. She could feel it: Nerissa was hot down there, and already a little wet.
"Hey! I really just appreciate your cooking," Nerissa protested. Then she followed up in a small voice: "But also yes."
The answer prompted an arrogant growl from Shiori. She shot to a sitting position and rolled them over to trap the flushed demon under her. And so, Nerissa did end up getting what she wanted: a generous dose of sweat, seed, and the sausage she asked for.
—
Nerissa had a lonely shower immediately after breakfast. She wished they could have continued with canoodling, but apparently there were matters that Shiori had to attend to urgently. So urgently that she used her magic to teleport out of their hotel room. Even for Shiori, that felt a little much, but it only made the demon more curious.
Hands that Nerissa wished were Shiori's scrubbed her own body thoroughly. When she came out of the bathroom, she was welcomed by silence.
The saving grace of the situation is the hope that Shiori was up to something. It was Valentine's Day, after all. Surely, an overnight stay at a hotel in a different state wasn't the whole plan.
After all, most of their trips have them running around a city for three whole days, checking off everything that it had to offer off of a highly-researched bucket list that Shiori, the Novelites, and the Jailbirds have compiled.
Will this Valentine's Day be one of those outings, or would this be a more toned-down, less tiring celebration? Maybe a staycation where they cuddle in a blanket fort and judge movies all day? A delicious meaty lunch at a nearby restaurant? A walk around town while they held hands the whole way?
It was just a matter of waiting to find out.
She was going to while away the time in the living area when… it… caught her attention.
There was a black envelope on the coffee table, and it took one touch for her to notice that it was made of thick material, like it was made to hold invitations to a royal wedding. Her name was embossed on the back in flowing script, and the flap was sealed with pink wax stamped with an ornate heart.
Happy Valentine's Day, my most precious one
Come find me, there's much to be done.
I spy trees of green and skies of blue,
And benches where tired feet renew.
"'Most precious one'!" Nerissa went back to that part and read it out loud, voice dripping with excitement. It tasted so sweet on her tongue, like one of Shiori's kisses. She threw herself onto the sofa with a soft squeal.
'Most precious one.'
Oh, she loved how that sounded. Very romantic!
How did the rest of it go, again? Trees, skies, benches.
There was a park within walking distance, she remembered. Greenery out front and a fountain visible from the entrance. Shiori pointed it out to her on their way to their hotel yesterday. Surely that, right?
"Okay, okay. I'm picking up what you're putting down, Shiorin." Trembling with excitement, she set the letter down. "Wait for me, my love! I'm on my way!"
The nearby park was a spacious area with brick-and-iron fences and a big fancy gate. Before Nerissa could even worry about getting the riddle wrong or wonder how she'd ever be able to find her darling girlfriend in such a wide area, her eyes caught sight of a familiar-looking envelope, just sitting on a bench past the entrance. It was hard to miss, especially since this one seemed to be magically enchanted to catch her attention, with how a dark fog seemed to swirl around it yet somehow gathering no attention from the mortals around. She hurried to open it.
Follow me, we have several places to hit.
Riddles, dates, and gifts, if you're up for it.
A day of running to and fro
If you can figure out where to go.
"So this is, like, a scavenger hunt?"
"Mistress Nerissa."
A soft but clearly audible voice caught her attention, and she was surprised to find Yorick there, right where the letter was sitting before. He looked… tired?
"Yorick, there you are! Are you here to take me to your master?"
"'Tis a pity, my lady! My noble lord spoke of this garden, yet left the rest to silence and thy wandering wit."
"Yeah, I just figured she wanted me in the park. But this place is huge, I don't know where to start!" She waved the thick paper in her hands. "This thing just told me to solve riddles and not where to find the riddles."
Yorick made a gurgling sound that Nerissa had learned to mean that he was chuckling.
He then turned, indicating he wanted to move along. "Hie thee after me!"
He slithered along the ground a few steps ahead of her. It was miraculous that dust and dirt didn't stick to him, being the inky little thing that he was. It was a little difficult having to look to the ground to follow him though. Frankly, she would have preferred him telling her where to go while he sat on her chest like she was a Gundam, just like he did when Shiori had to leave for a trip with her family.
She found Shiori sitting primly on a bench in the parking area. Her eyes were closed, one leg was crossed over the other, and so were her arms. She was wearing a black suit with a skirt, and a hat with a brim, similar to that of a cop or a chauffeur. Yorick had also gone ahead and returned to his usual place on her shoulder.
"Shiori?"
Bright eyes hiding behind polarized sunglasses opened and immediately shone with recognition upon seeing her.
"Rissa, you found me! Good work figuring out to go to the park, m'lady. So intelliganto." Shiori was immediately up on her feet, and offered her headpat. "Ready to go?"
"Sure, but where—"
"Good, good. Let's go!"
Shiori grabbed her hand and held onto it tight. Nerissa found herself being led to the parking area where her appropriately-dressed driver opened some car's passenger-side door for her. "M'lady?"
"My, my. How chivalrous. Thank you."
Nerissa pecked her on the cheek before getting in. The door slammed shut and Shiori hurried to her own seat on the driver's side.
"Good morning, pretty passenger. This is your captain speaking. Please fasten your seatbelt before claiming your complimentary riddle from the glovebox. We'll head off as soon as you specify your destination. Thank you for riding with Inkwell Transport."
As she had indicated, under four fresh boxes of tissues—an interestingly high amount, Nerissa noticed—there was another thick black envelope, which she retrieved and pried open.
Let's start with a house with walls so clear,
That keeps greens warm though chill is near.
This might be a place that you'll recognize
From a movie you love to analyze.
These riddles weren't making her draw a blank as she feared they would, and that was getting her guard up. She lifted her gaze at Shiori, who was smiling patiently at her. "Okay… don't laugh at me if I'm wrong—"
"Never."
"Because I'm thinking greenhouse, right? And it mentions a movie…"
There was hesitation near the end, because she had a guess on which greenhouse the riddle was talking about, but… nah, right?
Shiori playfully slapped her hand against the edge of the steering wheel. "Dang! Did I make it too easy?! I even put a way to reveal the answer on the card in case I made it too difficult, like a panic button!"
"Yeah?"
"Yeah! But you're already too smart, my queen. We're heading off to a greenhouse!"
Nerissa blushed at the praise, and she tried to hide her pleased expression by flipping the paper and its envelope in curiosity. Surely, she would have noticed by now if there was such a thing as an actual, physical button stuck on either one. "Where is the panic button you mentioned?"
"Well, it's not literally a button. Do you have your lighter with you?"
Nerissa pulled a dark blue disposable lighter from her pocket and raised it in answer. Everyone in Advent had one from before their breakout, each of them according to their colors. They were flimsy little things made of cheap plastic, the type that costs so little that you couldn't buy them except in packs of five or more.
"I'm not going to set this paper on fire, am I?"
"Just, like, heat it up a bit. Like what you do with your dumpy in front of a fireplace in winter."
"Goes to show where you're looking, hmm?" Nerissa winked before turning away. The lighter flared to life with a click.
"While you're doing that, I'll get us going."
"Wait, is the destination not a secret? Aren't you going to put a sack on my face?"
"That's for later tonight, if you want to."
"Ah—Ha!" A shriek of laughter escaped Nerissa when the realization of the innuendo hit her. "Shiori!"
"What, what?"
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing at all."
Nerissa busied herself with the paper and the lighter while Shiori started the engine. The edge of the small flame licked at the thick sheet, before getting pulled away to prevent burning. She could vaguely smell the scent of citrus and something being toasted.
"Oh, cool!"
Patches of brown gradually formed letters, until she could clearly see the word 'Greenhouse', the answer to the riddle, written in fancy script. It reminded her of her ambitious brother's experiments with using invisible ink on his missives, except much prettier. After all, Shiori was the Mistress of Ink, and it didn't matter whether that ink was gel or iron gall or lemon juice, it all came out beautiful under her guidance.
The panic button was appreciated, but she kind of hoped she wouldn't need them.
Now, about that abundant supply of tissues…
Nerissa gently slithered a hand onto her driver's thigh, dangerously close to her crotch.
"So… aside from car drives, does Inkwell Transport offer other types of rides?"
Shiori grinned, a mischievous glint sparking in her eye even as she kept her attention on the road.
"Maybe."
"Ah—! Mmn!"
Nerissa muffled a moan with Shiori's mouth as the last of her orgasmic aftershocks hit. At the same time, she felt the rigid appendage inside her twitch before releasing scalding heat.
When their lips parted, kisses and the occasional stray bite peppered her neck, down to her collarbone. Their hips moved in sync, slow wave-like motions to gently lower them back to Earth. Nerissa's thighs burned with the strain of trying to move before the effects of their exertion have completely petered off.
After a few more minutes of gathering her strength, Nerissa took the initiative of raising herself from her lover's lap, only to be reminded of how well-endowed Shiori was. The girthy, half-soft member stroked her insides, drew a whimper from her, and nearly made her want to ask for one more round.
"Don't worry, there's more where that came from. Later." The assurance came as if Shiori could read her mind. Hands made up-and-down motions on the side of her hips like calming a horse. "Are—Are you going to be able to stand though?"
"I… don't know. Are you?" Nerissa challenged.
"I don't have to."
"What do you mean? We didn't come to a horticulture-focused community college for car sex, right?"
"Well, I'm not going in there. You are."
The words were like a secret codeword that made Nerissa cling tight to her lover. Suddenly, she didn't want to go anymore. "What?! But I'll miss you. Why do I have to be more than three steps away from you on Valentine's Day? Or any day?"
Nerissa didn't know what exactly it was she said, but there was the slightest shift in the softness of her lover's gaze.
"You'll see me there, okay?" Shiori stroked Nerissa's cheek with the back of her finger but was too shy to meet her in the eyes.
"I already miss you."
"Well… me too. I don't…" Shiori's words faded. She closed her eyes and shook her head as if to clear it. "Trust me, it'll be worth it. I did my best to make this a day you'll really enjoy. I have a dedicated spreadsheet."
"I have no doubt about that." She kissed Shiori on the lips and winked when they parted. "Thanks for the rides. Both of them."
"Anytime."
"Oh yeah? I'll hold you to that."
"Mm." Deep in the middle of another kiss, Shiori had reached out to take a tissue.
"May I?" Shiori asked, hand hovering just between where their bodies were resting against each other.
"Nope. I want it to stay inside. I'll wear panties and a tampon."
"Kinky," Shiori muttered from behind her hand, which was also trying to cover the color of her cheeks, while Nerissa hopped into the back with her bag to prepare to go out. "Oh, and can you wear the clothes I laid out there for you? You wear the gray shirt underneath and keep the plaid button-up open."
"And the pants?"
"Mmm… no need."
"Okay!"
Two sheets of the soft piece of tissue paper weren't enough to soak up all the wetness on her length and her leather seat, Shiori would soon realize. She took another sheet. And another, and another, in a seemingly endless loop of wiping wetness off her dick. Then Shiori noticed how she hadn't gotten any further updates, only to find Nerissa, already having changed her top, watching her cleaning operations with rapt attention. It made Shiori blush to the color of a tomato in an instant.
"Girl—!"
"I'm going, I'm going! Where am I supposed to head to again?"
—
Nerissa made a beeline for one of the greenhouses, specifically the one that Shiori said 'looked pretty interesting'. On the outside, it seemed no more special than the others in the huge area. But once she was inside, Nerissa recognized the interior immediately.
She was welcomed by a man with a salt-and-pepper beard, who introduced himself as Rob. She gave him a handshake with both of her hands and an excited, polite smile. He immediately handed her a few brochures and leaflets for their community college and toured her around the familiar greenhouse. There were healthy-looking crops, colorful flowers, and she even got to help make steaming cups of 'compost tea' for the plants.
Rob seemed very enthusiastic about his job, and he was eager to share his knowledge. It reminded Nerissa of Shiori when the latter would talk about bugs, old games, 3D technology, or classical music. He was talking to her about the hydrangeas that Nerissa liked when a young lady in a jumpsuit called for his attention.
"I'm sorry, Miss Nerissa. Please excuse me, I'll be back shortly."
"Of course. Take your time."
Left alone, Nerissa took her time to look at the walls and the ceiling of the greenhouse. It was thanks to them that she figured out where she'd seen this place before. While she waited, she swept her hand on large leaves as she leisurely walked past while also sifting through the publicity material she was handed earlier. Apparently, they offered classes on Japanese-style pruning, irrigation design, pesticide training, and a host of other thin—
Nerissa's heart skipped a beat when she noticed something in between two leaflets about a flower and conifer identification class: another thick black envelope.
She nearly dropped all the other sheets trying to open it.
Among red and white is a vibrant, rare hue:
A color as unique and beautiful as you.
Under a small plot of earth hides a prize,
Marked by a bloom of azure skies.
"What?"
She re-read it again, line by line, then from the top again, until she could make out slivers of sense.
Okay… I'm looking for a bunch of dirt… near a blue flower… surrounded by red and white flowers? Am I going to dig a blue flower out of its dirt? Isn't that going to get me in trouble?
Nerissa surveyed the scene. There were a lot of blue flowers around: potted hydrangeas, delphiniums, and forget-me-nots, as their name cards indicated. In fact, all of the plants in the greenhouse seemed to be in pots and planters. Was she supposed to uproot them?
"What's in Jacksonville?"
The question cut through the silence like a thunderclap that made her jump in surprise. It was delivered in a demanding tone too, and it came from Shiori, who seemed to materialize behind her from thin air. She had changed out of her chauffeur suit and was now wearing a gray coat. Her eyes shone… blood-red?
Oh wow, that color's hot on her too.
But there was something about the way she said it, so stilted?
What was that she said again? What was in Jacksonville? And why did she have to say it that way, in a cadence that was not her usual one?
Nerissa's instincts kicked into high gear. The greenhouse. The 'compost tea'. The way Shiori looked. Lines she knew by heart formed at the tip of her tongue: "How did you know about that?"
She thought she saw red eyes gleaming with pride at her response, even though the rest of Shiori tried to school her features into an expression of discomfort. "I—You didn't answer my question."
"Well, you don't answer any of mine, so…" Nerissa let the line fade off before continuing. She walked in the same direction Shiori was going, just a step ahead of her vampire-roleplaying girlfriend. "I mean, you don't even say hi to me."
Shiori's hands visibly fidgeted in her pockets. "...Hi."
"Are you gonna tell me how you stopped the van?"
"I had… an adrenaline rush. It's very common. You can Google it."
Shiori was so close to her, trailing behind her like Edward did to Bella in the scene they were recreating. Nerissa felt the warmth, comfort, and safety from her presence. It reminded her of how she really couldn't hold Bella's obsession with Edward against her.
"Floridians. That's what's in Jacksonville."
Nerissa faked a trip, a rather unconvincing one at that. But the way Shiori grabbed her had an unwarranted urgency that made the usually-shameless woman blush. Shiori had quickly placed a hand at the farther side of her waist and pulled her closer to her body like she was ready to carry her any second. The proximity left real-red eyes no choice but to stare straight into fake-red, no words left in her mind.
Art by @Yomosaka
Luckily for her, the next line was still Edward's to deliver.
"Look, I'm sorry I'm being rude all the time. I just think it's the best wa—"
Shiori had been delivering her line stiffly, when she suddenly burst out laughing.
"Sorry!" she managed between intakes of air. "I was just thinking how these lines are so…"
"Stupid?"
"Well… 'I'm sorry I'm being rude but I think this is the best way to treat you' isn't the smartest sentence."
Nerissa laughed and nodded. "Yeah, valid."
Then Shiori whirled around, to a camera on a tripod that Nerissa hadn't noticed before.
"Yorick, did you get the shot?"
The small blob leaned into view from the side of the camera and raised a thin tendril of ink. It looked a little bit like a thumbs-up, Nerissa supposed.
"We can play that video at our wedding or something."
Shiori's words made the stunned demon's breath catch in her lungs.
We-Wedding?!
Shiori was probably talking about their potential marriage, maybe fifty years into the future, when she would hopefully by then be sure that she wanted to marry Nerissa. Still, to have this brought up when they have yet to be dating for a decade… Shiori had no idea what that statement did to her heart.
"Y-yeah! We are sooo playing that at our wedding," God, Nerissa really should have just backed off of the topic. Now it wasn't going to leave her head for the next eternity.
Nerissa fidgeted nervously. Her wings fluttered a little, and her hand anxiously fanned her warm face with her leaflets.
Shiori shrugged casually like she said nothing that made Nerissa's heart beat twice as fast. "I figured I'd take you here because… well, for one, you love Twilight. And I also wanted to take you somewhere that had a lot of flowers. Because flowers are beautiful, and a lot of them, in floriography, mean 'love'. And… I think you're kind of like a flower to me, in that sense."
"And because I smell good, right?"
"Yeah, we can say that too."
The flush on Nerissa's face could only grow so much, and it was now accompanied by a wide grin. Shiori had just said 'I love you' to her in a mix of actions and a few affectionate words. Perhaps not everyone would understand, but Nerissa did: that was a proclamation of love, so loud that it was the equivalent of the Demon of Sound screaming her love for Shiori until her throat was raw. She could never hug Shiori tightly enough, but she sure tried.
"I love you too… my Shiwowiiiii~"
She didn't even bother pulling away when she heard footsteps approaching.
"Sorry about that." Rob plodded back near them with a small bow of his head. "A couple of kids slipped away from their tour group."
"No worries," Nerissa dismissed easily. But she knew that Rob's attention was already on his new guest. Shiori had that effect on people, really.
It must be the eyes… or the hair. Or the fangs. Or the boobs. Or the way she looks at—
"Hello! You're Miss Shi… uhh… Miss Novella, right? The one I was talking to on email?"
"Yes. I'm Shiori. Nice to meet you."
She did a slight nod, met Rob's eyes head-on, and took a solid stride forward as she took his hand with a firm handshake. Nerissa had to hold back a snort at the way Shiori greeted and introduced herself to Rob in the manliest way possible… without even being equipped with guns nor a cowboy hat. It was a hilariously common occurrence, considering how girly Shiori acted otherwise.
"Would you two like to stay here so you can catch up first?"
"No, it's okay. We can go."
During the rest of the brief tour, they passed by students taking lessons on growing cut flowers in high tunnels, simulating irrigation systems with straws, and preparing tomato trellises.
"...And we're just about to add more roses to that flowerbed over there. You can even try your hand at planting one if you want to."
"Roses!" Nerissa cheered with little claps of her hands. Her excitement brought a smile to Rob's withered but friendly-looking face.
"You like roses, Miss Nerissa?"
"I love them!"
"Do you have a favorite color?"
"Oh, umm…" Nerissa cleared her throat. As strong as her love for blue roses was, she wasn't sure she'd like to bring it up in front of a human plant expert. "I think all of them are cool."
"Well, good thing we have a little bit of everything. Feel free to head on over. I'll get the fertilizer."
Shiori and Nerissa skipped over to the plot like two excited children on a field trip. The holes for the seeds had already been dug, and each hole had a stem-less origami rose to indicate the desired color of rose to plant in it.
"Wait, what's that…?"
A spot of color caught Nerissa's attention from the corner of her eye.
One origami rose had a different color from the rest: it was the only one made from blue origami paper.
"'Marked by azure skies'!" Nerissa recalled from the riddle while pointing at the flower. "Here? Should I dig?"
She turned to Shiori. "If I'm doing something wrong, you'll stop me, right? Rob isn't going to come back and scold me, right?"
Shiori shrugged non-committally. "Maybe not." The trowel disappeared from her hand at the speed of light. By the time she blinked, Nerissa was already calling her over.
"I think I found something!"
Nerissa swept dirt from what she found: a small box attached to…
Another envelope! the demon cheered internally. "Wow, this scavenger hunt thing really gives you that dopamine rush when you find something, huh?"
She held up the gift-wrapped box, almost shyly. "Can I…?"
"Go on, open it."
Nerissa excitedly opened the wrapping of the box first, then held up her first present.
It was a rectangular piece of metal, about the size of her palm, but elaborately designed. Its color was a dark, royal blue; it was gilded, and engraved with her personal crest on the front. A sapphire was embedded in the tail of the treble clef near the top of the crest. In the back, 'Fire, fire, light the fire' was crudely carved with something sharp, like the tip of a sharp knife.
On instinct, Nerissa lifted the lid and struck the flint wheel. A lively little flame burst to life in her hands.
"Shiori?! This is so beautiful!" Nerissa exclaimed while turning it over and trying to take in all of the lighter's details. "Our rock daughter and our puppies are going to be so jealous."
Shiori grinned proudly. "They'll get their own, actually. Next time we see them."
"Can I see what the other girls' lighters look like?"
"Sure. When we get home."
Nerissa narrowed her eyes in mock threat. "Mine better be the prettiest, because I'm the love of your life."
"What if mine's prettier?"
"Well, that one I'll allow. 'Cause you're the love of my life."
Rob soon came back carrying a bundle of rose branches and a sack of fertilizer. After planting a few roses, they thanked Rob and the staff, then skipped back out of the premises hand in hand.
"I'll have someone take care of the rental car. I think you should check out your next riddle."
"Oh! Out here?"
"Yeah."
Nerissa brought out the envelope she found with her new lighter, the one Shiori asked her to wait before opening, and finally read out its contents.
Up on this beautiful, historic stage
Without knowing, we turned a new page.
For the next date I don't want you to miss,
proceed to the place where we had our first kiss.
"No way!" Nerissa pulled Shiori over for a kiss in her excitement. "Wait, we're going to Brooklyn? Today?"
"Yeah. Close your eyes."
"You do know that the only proper follow-up for 'close your eyes' is a kiss on the lips, right?"
"No, the proper follow-up for 'close your eyes' is you closing your eyes."
A hand grabbed Shiori's just as it was about to reach up, allowing her pleading eyes to meet Shiori's unimpressed ones. It reminded the latter of some orange cat with boots, a sword, and a big hat.
"Oh, fiiine." Instead of standing on her tiptoes, Shiori pulled Nerissa down to her height and pressed their lips together. It might be Nerissa's influence, or maybe it was of Shiori's own volition, but the contact lasted quite some time, to the former's delight.
Nerissa couldn't resist getting a tease in. "Mmhh… I was under the impression that we were on a tight schedule?"
Shiori made a noise, somewhere between a purr and a grunt. "I think… this is on the schedule, actually."
"Mm-hmm…" Nerissa smiled when she felt the press of lips against her own again, only to pout at the gentle push on her shoulders.
"Alright. Now really close your eyes. And even if you think what's happening around you looks cool, don't open them until I say so, okay?"
Nerissa closed her eyes and tried to do justice to Shiori's instructions by listening intently. "Of course. No opening my eyes until you say so. If my leader of Advent commands it, then I shall obey."
"Alright."
After Shiori's words, Nerissa heard a snap.
She thought she could sense a brilliant blue light, trying to creep just under her eyelids. Then the feeling of being propelled forward. Not quite the same sensation as using her wings – much lighter, with neither resistance nor drag, and much less effort on her part. There was the brief sensation of spinning, and a feeling of… existing, like she lost her corporeal form for a second but only noticed it when she was back to her original self.
Nerissa opened her eyes when she felt solid ground under her heels—she was out of her Bella Swan cosplay and back in her normal clothes, she noticed—and saw the familiar interior of Kings Theatre. She paused for a while to absorb that.
Shiori teleported her to Kings Theatre.
"That girl. Abusing her powers again. She's going to be too weak to even crawl by noon," Nerissa muttered to herself. It made the slightest echo because unlike the last time she was there, the hall was empty.
Her heart raced at the feeling of being on stage. And even without that, she was feeling giddy. She was still drunk on the idea of Shiori planning a seemingly huge-scale scavenger hunt for her on Valentine's Day.
"I will swear by it that you love me, and I will make him eat it that says I love not you."
"Will you not eat your word?"
"With no sauce that can be devised to it. I protest I love thee."
"Why then, God forgive me."
"What offense, sweet Beatrice?"
"You have stayed me in a happy hour. I was about to protest I loved you."
"And do it with all thy heart."
"I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest."
Nerissa put an end to her solo Shakespeare dialogue squealing with glee. The passage she had just delivered reminded her of the start of her and Shiori's relationship, built on denial and unsureness until Shiori's heart burst with the need to express her affection.
It also didn't hurt that one of the characters in the dialogue was named Beatrice, one of the names that Nerissa planned on giving one of their future children.
The former theater kid did a few more spins on stage, then stopped when she noticed that she stepped on something: there was a black envelope on the ground. She hurried to undo the seal and extract the card inside, knowing that her next riddle was on it. "If this doesn't involve kissing, I swear…"
Because surely, with the hint that she followed to get here, there was no way she's not getting another kiss on this stage.
Your next gift I will gladly give
If a special memory, you help me relive:
The moment that I stood on my toes
And pretended to have stolen your nose.
"Oh, hell yeah!" Nerissa did a little jump. Her exclamation echoed at the expanse of emptiness that were the unoccupied seats. "Shiwowiii! Where are you?"
A grayish-purple four-pointed star materialized onstage from out of nowhere, doing a slight spin before morphing into the love of her life, exactly the same as it did in Breaking Dimensions.
She rushed towards the other woman, arms stretched out, lips puckered comically.
"Shioriii! Mwa—" A hand to her lips made her stop short, to which she made a pathetic whine.
"Woah woah, eager beaver."
"But! But your card said—"
"You'll get your kiss, girl. Don't worry. But I told you we'd recreate the memory, right? We can't do that without an audience." Shiori's grin widened. And when she put her hand down, she took a few steps back and faced the seats. "Paid actors, come in!"
As if her words physically opened the floodgates, the sound of a huge crowd filled the music hall. There was the pitter-patter of small feet, the flap of fat fuck feathers, and lively chatter from all sorts of voices. It was a few thousand Jailbirds and Novelites with penlights in hand, marching to occupy all of the seats while Nerissa chanted 'Oh my god?!' over and over.
"I'm actually getting nervous now."
The former theater performer watched the sea of blue and white lights wave like the gentle pulse of the summer tide, just like they did way back in August 2024.
"Aww, why? They love you." Shiori raised her voice to prompt the audience. "Don't you, Novelbirds?!"
The crowd answered in a loud roar, a war cry full of love and enthusiasm. The demon's clammy palm touched her chest and felt her own heart beat faster. "Oh, that's so mean…"
"Alright, perfect!" Shiori clapped in excitement.
"What is?"
"Don't you see it? Look!"
Nerissa followed the direction of Shiori's finger pointing to some distant point far ahead, only to be surprised to have the other woman jump right in front of her, facing her, and peck her on the lips. The contact was electric. It lasted a split-second longer than their first one but this time, Nerissa didn't scream.
"I got her nose!" Shiori screamed to the cheering audience while Nerissa remained stunned.
What just happened? "Wha—!"
"What? You had to not expect it!"
Her voice could barely be heard over the screams. And then came the fans' chanting.
"Encore! Encore! Encore!"
After a few seconds of confusion, Shiori finally made out what they were saying, and her cheeks grew pink. "Oh heck nah, you pervs. You guys got to see two kisses already! Maybe even more that I don't remember! That should be enough for you for now. Scram!"
Shiori made a sweeping hand gesture as if trying to swat the whole audience away, but the bravado failed to manifest because her cheeks were as red as they were warm.
"Did she just say 'for now'?!"
"I heard it too!"
Excited chatter echoed loudly from the Jailbirds and Novelites as they got up from their seats, their purpose now fulfilled.
"And thank you! Thanks for coming!" Shiori shouted with her hands cupped around her mouth so the sound could reach farther. Her voice was the type that was easily drowned out by everyone else, as often demonstrated by the rest of Advent. But not to Nerissa. Never. She easily picked her beloved's voice out and amplified it with her Sound powers so the little creatures could hear her over their own noise.
"And you." Shiori turned to her suddenly. "For fulfilling your task—"
"Bye Mommy! Bye Daddy! Happy Valentine's!" Shiori turned to the source of the voice and found a small Jailbird bouncing up and down on its way to the exit, waving its wings. She shyly rubbed the back of her head and offered a smile.
"See ya, kiddo," she waved back.
Art by @Yomosaka
Before long, the fat flock and their inky friends have all exited, leaving them all alone.
"Finally. My paid actors are gone. What was I talking about, again?"
Nerissa shrugged cluelessly. "I don't know. Maybe you should tell me how good of a girl I am for—are you okay?"
Shiori had lifted a hand to her head and was starting to sway where she stood. Nerissa had her arms around her before she could even blink. "Ah, this is nothing. Just… a little winded from teleporting all those guys by ripping through the fabric of space."
"Shiori, I keep telling you—"
"Don't worry, don't worry," Shiori tried to head off her girlfriend's usual lecture before it started again like it always did. "I'm not going to die from using my powers like this. Imagine it as someone spinning round and round for thirty seconds – it will disorient them a little but they'll be good as new in minutes. Anyway, enough about that. Do you want to know how I'm paying the audience we had just now?"
Nerissa glared at the clumsy switch of subject, but there was… it. A quiet thumping at her chest:
Badump. Badump. Badump.
As long as it stayed stable, she would believe Shiori was still mostly fine.
"Fine. What did you pay them with, exactly?"
"Chocolates, delivered right to their places of residence in Inkwell. And I won't even be charging for the delivery fee! I'm so generous, right?"
Shiori nodded to herself before Nerissa could reply. "And now. Since you also fulfilled your task…"
She waved her hand towards an empty spot on the stage, and another four-pointed star appeared. It was much smaller than theirs were, and colored black with pink veins, before morphing into a floating envelope with a pink wax seal, and a box. Nerissa nearly tripped over herself in her eagerness to get it if not for Shiori's hand catching her by the waist. With a sweet but slightly distracted thank you, she ripped the box's wrapping open to reveal…
…another box.
Of chocolates.
An expensive-looking box of chocolates, the type that's sleek and colored in black, brown, and gold. The chocolates inside came in unique pairs. The inside of the cover even had a guide of what each one was. There was white chocolate, dark chocolate, truffles, ones with gold, ones with nuts or fruit, and some that were colorful.
"Oh, wow, look at all these! Let's feed each other! Which one do you want?"
Nerissa couldn't quite remember how they went from trying the chocolates to making out, but she suspects it must have been caused by Shiori muttering 'Your lips were sweeter than this when I first kissed you.'
Hmm. Yeah, it might have been then.
Owing to still being winded from using her powers, Shiori had trouble keeping her breath steady. The only way she was even able to pry herself off of her girlfriend’s hands was to hand her the next riddle, while another paid actor scurried off to deliver their chocolates back to their shared bedchambers in Inkwell Castle.
Let's revisit this place that cost you a pretty penny.
Because it was Valentine's Day, our first of many.
Roses are red, you have a huge badonka
Do you remember where we first did the Willy Wonka?
"Oh my~ Shiorin…" Nerissa put on a seductive tone as soon as she finished reading. "Do you really want to reminisce about our first intimate experience? I'd be able to go for hours and hours and hours just talking about it, not to mention reenacting it!"
"That's… that's so gay…" Shiori muttered weakly. "You should give me your answer, you know."
"The first time we made love—"
"It's so embarrassing when it's phrased like that," Shiori complained again with her hands covering her warming cheeks, but Nerissa was unbothered by her interjections.
"—was on Valentine's day, in Room 714, a Royal Honeymoon Suite in the opulent—"
"You remember the room number and the room name?!"
"Of course! I try to remember as much as I can about our relationship, especially such a big step. And since my beautiful lady has a special memory library that she allows me to visit from time to time, I use it to my advantage."
"Yeah… well, should we head on to the hotel?"
"We’re really going there?! Yeah, let’s go!"
They headed backstage towards a door that Shiori opened with a flourish. "After you, my lady."
"Thank you, my lady." Nerissa curtsied like she was wearing a long dress and headed into the dark unlit hallway.
Shiori followed and closed the door behind her, immersing them in darkness.