The sun had already climbed halfway up the sky when Shunya finally stirred.
He cracked one eye open, groaned dramatically, and pulled the blanket back over his head. "Five more minutes, world. Just five…"
Unfortunately for him, Naomi was the world and she had no patience.
"Five more minutes my foot!" The door banged open and Naomi marched in, hands on her hips. "It is nearly noon, you sloth!"
Shunya sat up blearily, hair sticking up in wild tufts. "Noon? Impossible. Time is an illusion. Sleep is sacred. You can not just disturb the balance."
Naomi yanked the blanket off him in one swift motion. "Balance? You have been snoring like a dying boar for hours. Vikoria and I finished half the chores already."
Vikoria, peeking shyly from the hallway with a folded stack of laundry in her arms, gave a gentle nod. "We did not want to wake you… but Naomi insisted."
"Traitor," Shunya whispered dramatically at Vikoria.
