~A Good Night's Sleep Delayed by Twelve Hours~
"That was exhausting..." said Shou, yawning loudly and expansively. "But it was so much fun!"
"Good times, eh?" grinned Captain Murasa. "I'm so tired I could just curl up and die, and I'm still happy."
Byakuren nodded wearily. "That was our best concert yet!" she cried, her voice hoarse from hours of use.
"Yeah. I couldn't really hear your sutras over all the bullets going everywhere, but the crowd loved it!" Minamitsu smiled wearily, leaning on her anchor. She slowly toppled sideways until, with a mighty crash, she fell on top of the forty-kilogramme metal monstrosity. She was snoring seconds later.
Kyouko, by contrast, was still hopping up and down, radiating joy and energy. "I loved it! A whole night of sutra readings and danmaku duels?! Awesome! I feel so alive!"
"And at peace with nature, I presume?" said Byakuren, smiling knowingly.
"I'm peace with partying all night long!" squeaked Kyouko. "I feel like I could... Keep going for... Hours..."
Kyouko flopped onto the temple floor with a cute little yawn. "So sleepy..." she murmured, snuggling up against Byakuren's complicated boots. "Night, everyone. See you... Tomorrow..."
"Poor little thing. She shouldn't be overdoing it at her age," said Mamizou, shaking her head.
"She's thirty-seven," yawned Shou.
"...Even so." Not a hint of surprise breached Mamizou's mask of innocent motherly concern. "She's still small, and a small head needs plenty of sleep. I sleep for twelve hours a day, and I still look the same as when I was three hundred!"
Nue slinked up behind Mamizou. "Minus the personality, you mean."
"I-! Person-?! Whatever do you mean?!" spluttered Mamizou, rounding on Nue.
"Nothing, nothing... It's just that I happen to recall a certain tanuki who loved to dance until she collapsed face-down in her twentieth pint of beer," giggled Nue.
"Yes, well." Mamizou suppressed a fit of the giggles and tried to look disapproving. "I don't condone that type of activity, you know."
"And well you shouldn't. Still, there's a big difference between drinking all night and spending the night promoting peace and friendship," said Byakuren firmly. "Through spell-card duels."
Shou yawned again, cutting off whatever Mamizou was about to say. She knelt beside Kyouko, fluffed her up a little and rested her head on the yamabiko's tummy.
"Mrf... Heavy..." Kyouko wriggled uncomfortably, dreaming fitful dreams of being sat on by a tiger.
"We'd best get them to bed," said Byakuren. "And me, just as soon as- wha-?"
"Noooo... Don't go..." Kyouko tightened her weary grip on Byakuren's lower legs. "You're comfy."
"...All right, then." Byakuren slowly unbuckled her boots and stepped carefully out of them, leaving Kyouko to snuggle the now-empty footwear.
Nue laughed. "You know, she does look a bit like quicksand from this angle!"
"I wouldn't say that. She'll give them back in the morning," said Byakuren breezily. "Well, the evening, at any rate. Unless she just sleeps until next morning..."
Byakuren yawned. "Nue, give me your socks, would you, please?"
Nue blinked. "My... stockings?"
Byakuren nodded.
"Well, all right..." Nue slipped off her long black stockings and handed them over.
"Thank you." Byakuren folded the stockings into something resembling a pillow, which she placed reverentially on Shou's chest. She stretched out across the floor, dangled her legs over Minamitsu and rested her head on the stockings. "Ahhh... I do like a firm pillow."
"Um," said Nue.
Mamizou smiled sweetly. "If she tried sleeping on my chest, it'd be miles too soft!"
~Author's Note~
I didn't make any edits to this one, except to add the "..." where Mamizou says "Even so". A small story, but a heartfelt one that leaves you feeling warm and snuggly inside. If you don't end up feeling warm and snuggly inside after reading this story, let me know and I'll send Kyouko round with a flask of hot chocolate.
Oh, and watch yourself, Mamizou... Utsuho might just have to scream "APPLE JUICE BY THE SHORES OF THE TIBER!" again if you keep on like that. ;)