Whis lowered her head, her lips parting.
'Big sis, I - '
Kurome raised her paw slightly.
'Speak only if it is an apology.'
'Do what you must, Whis. Kneel. Apologize. Or I will be the one to correct you myself.'
Whis paused. The weight of Kurome's words settling into her bones.
Then, slowly, she nodded.
'…Understood.'
Despite her deadly curves and dangerous charm, her posture now resembled a scolded cub. Her pride simmered under the surface, but she didn't speak again.
Kurome turned her gaze back to Hao.
'Master.'
'Thank you for your mercy… especially towards my clan member. My sister, Whis.'
Hao leaned slightly against the counter, exhaling as if he'd just wrapped up a minor errand rather than stared down a serpent-blooded bombshell trying to charm his soul away.
'Didn't I already tell you?'
'You can call me Master if it suits you, but I never thought of you as beneath me. You're not a servant.'
'You're a friend. A close one.'
