“This sofa’s feeling a bit crowded…” I protested half-heartedly.
“We’re all together!”
“We were together all day today!”
“…Fine.”
I stroked the two kobolds’ heads and felt their wagging tails beat against my legs. I knew it was only a matter of time before the rest of them converged on the sofa as well, and I was right.
“You’re so lucky, Shinki. That looks really comfortable,” Kai remarked, sounding jealous of my situation, sandwiched between fluffy creatures just like how our mistress often found herself.
“Will you sleep with us, too, Kai?” Rikusei asked, and Kai nodded once.
Then, he carried over a mountain of cushions that he spread out on the floor to create a sort of nest where he curled up to sleep. Seeing that, Haku and Gratia also made their way over to us.
“Let me in, too!”
Gratia hid away in the bushy mass of Inaho’s tails.
He’s going to sleep in a place like that?
“I’ll sleep here!” Haku took up position on top of Kai’s stomach.
“If you’re serious about sleeping, stop chatting and fall asleep already.”
At that, I ignored all further antics and followed my own advice. With a yawn, I closed my eyes and felt sleep roll over me.
✦ ✦ ✦
🐎 🐎 🐎
I was struck by how unusually quiet it was, but it turned out everyone was sleeping. Shinki was lying on the sofa with his legs sticking off the end, looking very squished. Inaho was on his stomach, and Seigo had wedged himself between Shinki’s body and the back of the sofa. Rikusei was burrowed in between Shinki’s legs.
In front of the sofa lay Kai buried in a pile of cushions, and I spotted a flash of white, which I assumed must have been Haku among the cushions as well.
I couldn’t spot Gratia anywhere but figured he must be hiding in someone’s hair or fur.
“Even Shinki looks cute sleeping in a pile with everyone like this,” Karna remarked, seeming touched by the sweet scene in front of us.
“I want to join them…” Spica said longingly.
There’s got to be something comforting about sleeping huddled together with your friends, especially for someone who grew up in a pack like Spica did.
“Why don’t we take a little nap, too, then?”
“Paul won’t like it…” Spica’s ears drooped with obvious disappointment as she considered my suggestion.
“Paul isn’t a heartless beast! …Right, Paul?” I glanced over at Paul, who heaved a long-suffering sigh.
“Very well, you may rest Spica. I will wake you before dinner.”
All right!
Once Paul gave his permission, we arranged more cushions on the floor to make beds for ourselves.
“You sleep here, Spica!” I called, patting a particularly plush cushion right next to me. Spica obediently came over and, after a brief stretch, settled down on the cushion I’d indicated.
As for me, I wiggled into the crevice between Kai and the sofa.
There’s something comforting about cozy, tight spaces!
“Neema, aren’t you uncomfortable stuffed in there like that?” Karna asked with a note of concern when she noticed the odd place I’d chosen to sleep.
“Nope, I like tight places like this!”
Half of my body had slipped underneath the sofa, but the maids in the imperial palace were on their game, so there wasn’t so much as a speck of dust under there.
“I hope you have a fun dream,” Karna said but I was already on my way to sleep and didn’t manage a reply.
I wonder what kind of dream I’ll have?