The Deep ☼ SHURI UDAKU

☼ Chapter Six ☼

An Outsider

☼

When Nerissa wakes up, there's sun in her eyes. She turns away, closing her eyes and wincing at the light. When she slowly open her eyes again, she sees Shuri standing in the doorway of her bathroom, a towel wrapped around her body though it's really not covering much.

Nerissa sits up, not at all bothered by it. "Good morning, αγάπη μου. How are you?" Shuri stutters a bit, struggling to find words, before breathing in and clutching her towel closer to her body. "Good morning. I'm doing well, sthandwa. You?" Nerissa hums, picking at a seashell in one of her braids.

Shuri walks into her closet as Nerissa replies "That's lovely. And I'm doing good as well." Shuri closes the door and says, a little louder since it's muffled by the division, "I'm glad to hear that."

Nerissa slides off the bed, in the same clothes as last night, as Shuri walks out of her closet, a white and orange dress on. She has her braids in a ponytail, one big braid connecting the hair to the hair tie.

She walks over to a drawer and opens it, putting on a necklace. Then she turns to Nerissa holding her hand out. "Would you like to go to your room before we head to the lab?" Nerissa nods, slipping on her sandals and walking to her room with Shuri following.

Shuri squints her eyes when she enters, sitting on Nerissa's bed when she points to it. "How can you see?" She asks, looking around. Nerissa chuckles, grabbing clothes to take to the restroom. "The ocean is dark, αγάπη μοv. We've adapted."

She walks to the restroom door. "I'm going to take a shower. I'll be right out and then we can go to the lab." Shuri nods, laying down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling while kicking her legs. Her eyes follow the movements of the blue light, fixating on them.

Nerissa smiles, slipping through the door.

When she's washed up and dressed herself, she walks out, smiling at Shuri curled up in her sheets, asleep. She walks over to a vanity and puts on different jewelry, replacing her other ones to match with her outfit.

She had put on a blue flowing dress, dangling around her ankles. She braided her hair back and then stood, moving to wake Shuri up.

Nerissa sits down beside her, gently rubbing her shoulder to coax her out of her sleep. "Wake up, αγάπη μου. Darling, wake up." She speaks, receiving only groans in response. Shuri swats her hand away, licking her lips, as she turns.

Nerissa laughs, softly patting her shoulder. "You can sleep, αγάπη μου."

So she sits in her room and plays with pearls and seashells as Shuri sleeps the morning away, turning into mid-day. Every once in a while, she'll shift, mumbling about something before going silent again, only soft breaths escaping her.

When she's finally awoken she sits straight up, rubbing her forehead. Nerissa walks forward from her couch, coming to sit beside her.

"Did you sleep well?" Shuri doesn't respond for a moment, looking around before meeting Nerissa's eyes. She licks her lips and says "Yes, sthandwa." She stands, stumbling a bit. Nerissa holds onto her, making sure she doesn't fall.

"Calm, αγάπη μου. You just woke up."  Shuri nods, stretching her arms, letting out a loud groan. Nerissa smiles, moving hair off of her shoulder to lay on her back.