Evening.
Olivia stood at the door of Prunier’s room.
Her silver hair was draped over her shoulders, the ends still damp from a recent shower.
She wore a white nightgown.
The lace trim at the collar was wrinkled from being tugged all the way here.
Barefoot on the wooden hallway floor, her toes curled.
She raised a hand and knocked twice on the door.
The door opened.
Prunier stood in the doorway.
Her red twin tails were loosely tied today, the ends resting on her shoulders.
Her red eyes swept from top to bottom over Olivia.
“Little Olivia, it’s so late. Why aren’t you asleep yet?”
Her voice dragged out, the tail rising.
“Can’t sleep.”
Olivia tried to stare at her own toes, but her development was too good—
She couldn’t see them at first glance.
“Perfect timing.”
Prunier’s hand reached out from the doorframe, five fingers gripping Olivia’s wrist.
“Hey. Wait. Wait a second.”
“Prunier… what… what are you doing?”
“Don’t move, don’t move. Try this on.”
…
…
ꉂ(ˊᗜˋ*)
Two minutes later.
Olivia sat on a soft cushion, hugging her knees.
The white cat-ear hoodie was pulled over her head, two cotton-stuffed cat ears sticking up from her silver hair.
The pom-poms on the drawstrings hung over her collarbone.
The hem of the white short skirt spread over the cushion, lace trim brushing against her bare thighs.
Her hands were tucked into the hoodie’s too-long sleeves, only a few fingertips with a faint, silvery sheen visible.
Silver hair spilled from the edges of the hood onto her shoulders.
“Sis Prunier, done yet? This pose is really tiring.”
Prunier crouched right in front of her, holding up her phone.
The shutter sound clicked away endlessly.
“Don’t move. Let me take a few more.”
“Sister Prunier… can I go back…”
“You’re here already. Why rush off?”
The shutter clicked a dozen more times.
Finally, Prunier lowered her phone, flipping through the gallery.
The corners of her mouth were nearly reaching her ears.
She tossed the phone onto the bed and sat down on the cushion herself.
Her red twin tails spread across the pink cushion, mingling with Olivia’s silver hair.
She reached for the game console on the nightstand, pressed a button.
The screen lit up.
Then she pulled another controller from the drawer and shoved it into Olivia’s hands.
“I usually play alone. Wei always cheats, Hui isn’t interested in these, and Xiao Ami is way too noob. I don’t bully kids.”
Olivia turned the controller over.
She had indeed spent some time in Osteria.
During the Great Depression in the Federation, near the factory district of Silverport City, there was an arcade under the apartment she rented.
Every day after work, when she passed by, she could hear the electronic sound effects coming from inside.
But she’d never gone in.
Game tokens cost money, controllers cost money, screens cost money—
Everything cost money.
After her salary covered rent and the potato stew, she had to count slices of black bread.
An hour later.
Prunier tossed the controller onto the cushion.
“Little Olivia, can you stop pretending to be bad?”
“Huh. When I play well, you tell me to go easy. When I go easy, you complain I’m faking it.”
“I don’t buy it. Let’s go another three hundred rounds!”
“Bring it on!”
A while later.
Prunier yawned.
Her red eyes narrowed, a small teardrop forming at the corner.
She rubbed her eyes and tilted her head.
Olivia was lying on her side, sprawled over the nightstand.
Her silver hair slid out from the edge of the cat-ear hoodie, spreading across the white surface.
Both hands still held the controller, but her fingers were slack.
The controller slipped from her grasp, falling onto the cushion with a muffled thud.
The cat ears stood up on her head, one bent from being pressed against the nightstand edge.
The hem of the white short skirt flipped up, revealing the edge of her white nightgown.
Her breathing was steady.
Silver lashes drooped, and a glistening string of drool hung from the corner of her mouth.
“Hey. Asleep?”
Prunier lifted Olivia off the nightstand.
Silver hair draped down, brushing against Prunier’s hand.
The cat-ear hoodie tilted to one side, the pom-pom on the drawstring rubbing against Prunier’s collarbone.
She placed Olivia onto the pink bedsheet.
The white cat-ear hoodie had two buttons at the collar.
Prunier unbuttoned them.
The hoodie slipped off her shoulders, pulling at her silver hair.
Olivia murmured something indistinct.
Prunier folded the hoodie and placed it on the nightstand.
After removing all of Olivia’s clothes,
She pulled the blanket up to Olivia’s collarbone.
The edge of the blanket lifted.
Olivia’s arm reached out from under the covers and wrapped around Prunier’s neck.
Silver hair brushed against Prunier’s cheek.
The collar of the white nightgown shifted.
Prunier’s body stiffened.
Olivia’s face pressed into the hollow of her shoulder.
Silver lashes touched her skin.
Her breathing was steady.
“Sister.”
The voice was very soft, as soft as a leaf falling from a treetop.
Prunier didn’t move.
“I want to go out and see.”
“No. That’s dangerous.”
Prunier’s voice lowered.
Olivia’s arm tightened a little, pulling Prunier’s neck closer.
Silver hair slid off the pillow, spreading over Prunier’s hand.
“Please~ Sister.”
A rush of heat surged into Prunier’s nose.
That voice was soft like a soufflé just out of the oven, right at the moment it collapses.
She covered her nose with the back of her hand.
For Prunier, who had grown up without a sister by her side, this was a fatal blow…
“Little Olivia, it’s not that I don’t want you to go. But what will you do there?”
“Please~”
“Uh… well…”
“I really have something I need to do. Something very important. Please, sister… let me go…”
Olivia’s face was still buried in her shoulder, her voice muffled.
Prunier looked down.
A silver hair whorl, a few strands sticking up.
After the cat-ear hoodie was removed, the silver hair was a mess, the ends spread over her hand.
She took a deep breath.
“…Fine.”
At that moment, Prunier had no choice but to agree.
If she refused, she might have to go on the defensive for the rest of the night…
Olivia’s arm loosened.
Prunier lay down and pulled the blanket back up.
Though she had lost something tonight, the result was as she wished…
That was probably what the God of Love had planned.
But it was fine.
She succeeded~