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[Kazuma's response to the question is a bit unclear, so Yujin can only interpret the shake of the head as a "no". If it turns out later the gesture was unrelated, they can still scatter a few more flowers near him. Already, he's wondering how best to proceed from here, but then Susato speaks.

And he doesn't quite know how to take those words.

Now's not the time to be thinking too hard about that.

Susato's right, they'll need to get Kazuma inside as soon as possible. Assuming, that is, that he can fit through the doorframe. They may need to tilt him a bit to make that work. ~~(PIVOT! PIVOT!)~~. Regardless, he doesn't speak. There's nothing he can say that Susato hasn't already said.]

[Kazuma also doesn't know what to make of that sudden choice of words. It's not the first time, and unprovoked. He coughs a bit of blood mixed with what one could only assume is Noctaere goo. Laughing hurts too much apparently.]

Trying to make me feel better...? [He isn't sure what it is. He knows Susato always means what she says, but was she just saying it, because he needed to hear it? Not because she felt that way?

...No, she certainly does. But...he still couldn't bring himself to say the same back. Not with the way he is. He takes a deep breath as he struggles to stand. Everything hurts, but he knows the both of them won't be able to support him if he isn't pulling his weight.

Also, that door frame is definitely going to get smashed through. Won't be hard for him to break in if that's where he's going.]

[ She didn't say any such thing with the expectation that she'd get anything back. Such a thought feels as laughable as... whatever that was Kazuma had just done. The blood spurs in her into action quickly, and as he tries to stand, she rushes to his side to try to support him. Other laughable thoughts: that she could reach his shoulders, were he able to extend to his full height.

He can't. ]

I am not lying, if that's what you mean. Now do stop wasting your strength. [ More blood, wetness all over her kimono. Not that she really cares at the moment. She will be counting on Yujin, though, to take up Kazuma's other side. ] Inside, father will have access to his tools, and better light with which to examine your injuries.

[ ...But they might need Kazuma's help. RIP the Mikotobas' front door. ]

Edited 2022-02-23 01:56 (UTC)

[Kazuma has been keeping his distance from the Mikotobas while he's still stuck as a Noctaere. He's claimed the living area, since it was the furthest spot from their private rooms, and they would be able to see him. Eventhough there was a guest room, he didn't think it would be good to destroy their property further. He already planned to fix up their front door when he's more of himself.

Dawn flower petals were scattered all around their home, there to keep him calm and his mind together. He'd still leave the place unannounced to hunt though, or relax in the greenhouse when he feels he's made their home just a little too cold. He's not taking in as much heat as the days pass, but it's still noticeable when the temperature dips.

On one particular night, he picks up on a familiar scent. His tongue flicks the air curiously. Not too far from where he was, someone was having a nightmare. Another one...

It's been hard to ignore the amount of bad dreams happening in this home. The cause could be the current state of this place or... likely because of himself. That imagery he brought when he arrived to them isn't something one can easily forget. Rather than feel hunger, he just feels guilt, knowing nightmares are coming from the Mikotoba's. He wants to help, but he doesn't know how. Maybe moving more of these flower petals into their rooms...?

He gets up, needing to hunch over due to his giant size. His steps are uneven, still limping from wounds that are healing. He picks up a jar that had those dawn flower petals inside. Not a whole lot left. Quietly, he approaches Susato's room first. How does he get in without destroying another door frame though...? His brows raise upon realizing something. He sets down the jar, pushing it as far into the room as he can. He then transforms into a large white serpent. Proportionally smaller than his giant Noctaere self, he's able to crawl through the opening, though the door frame still creaks a little as the wider part of his body comes through.]

[Blood is being coughed up, and that is never a good sign. They need to act faster than this, Yujin thinks to himself. When Kazuma rises, he's also quick to get to the man's side and support him. It's a bit of a lift, but so long as Kazuma can move forward, Yujin and Susato can take care of the rest.

... That doorframe, though... Having Kazuma sidle through isn't going to work, is it?]

It would appear... we may need to employ a bit of force to get you inside.

[Were he not bleeding to death and looking like a mini kaiju, he probably wouldn't have come off as snippy as he did. It's not really Susato's fault, and more of his own reason to doubt it. Eitherway, he isn't going to fight either of them on moving to get proper attention.

The doorway though....huh.] ...I'll fix thiss later. [He takes a step forward, grabbing the sides of the door frame and tears into it. For a wounded beast, he sure still had his strength to break down the entranceway with ease.]

[ The first thing Kazuma may notice before he even slithers his way to her door is the fact that Susato's lights are still on. He would be forgiven for thinking she is still awake, but she definitely is not, rolled over and sprawled as she is on her bed as she is. She's shivering, because the house has definitely been colder, but also sweating, and she's kicked her blankets onto the floor. Iris the bunny seems to have fallen as well, tossed onto the floor, and there seem to be perfectly square pieces of variously colored paper left on her bed; some are still more or less in good condition, but others may be crinkled from her tossing and turning.

How long has she been like this? Her hair is loose and equally a mess, at least compared to how neatly she normally kept it. Next to her bed on the shelf sits a few necklace-sized, mostly empty jars, save for one that it seemed she'd been working on filling with small origami cranes. Another, far larger jar follows that one, not unlike the one Kazuma pushed into the room. This one is also filled most of the way with the shine of dried Glowing Dawn petals. They're not scattered about her room like they are in the more common areas of the house, but Kazuma had been so reclusive that she really didn't think she'd have to worry about having him in her room again any time soon. ]

. . .

[ There is a quiet whining, pleading behind her voice, but if she says anything at all, it's unintelligible. She doesn't appear to react or stir to the sound of her door creaking open.

Because if there's one thing worse than dying in a dream herself (which she's already done), it's watching everyone she cares about die all around her. And she's either powerless to stop it, or she's the cause.

To her, they're one and the same. ]

[ For a moment, Susato just watches as the two men regard the door and come to more or less the same conclusion she had. She naturally falls back, "I'll fix this later" being her only warning, but even if she had a split second to process it, she still flinches, lifting an arm to shield her face when the damage is done.

There is a visible wince, not for the door, but for Kazuma, because that had to have hurt. Nevertheless, she's quick to rush back to his side in case he loses his balance or otherwise falls. She's carefully stepping over any broken wood pieces, somehow as if by magic not tripping herself.

For a while, she doesn't say anything. Just makes her way through the now-broken door frame with the both of them. She knows Yujin's tools are either at the new clinic by now, or tucked away in his room, or the guest room, but she has to wonder whether they should just set up shop here. It's roomier, if they move around the furniture a little, plus the lighting is no better or worse than the smaller rooms. Whatever carpet there is is already doomed to a fate of blood, water and dirt.

Susato doesn't seem to react right away to the change in light. She seems afraid to look at Kazuma now, like she might find a way to worsen his injuries if he does, but it also occurs to her that they're putting some distance in between them and the Glowing Dawn petals they just went out of their way to scatter. ]

. . . There's another jar of Glowing Dawns in the kitchen that I use for tea sometimes. I'll grab it. In the meantime, just, tell me what you need. Please.

[ Mostly directed at Yujin, but she'll still regard Kazuma with concern as she watches how he'll react this time. Just call her Rei Membami. ]

[He's taking his time coming in when he sees the lights are on, not wanting to startle her if she were awake. There's definitely a lack of Dawn Flowers in here compared to the main area of their home. He shifts his body, tipping over the jar he brought as the petals come falling out.

His nose twitch as he turns to spot another jar full of dawn flowers next to a bunch of smaller bottles. Ugh. He glances at the bed upon hearing the sounds and whispering from Susato. The area just reeked of nightmare energy, nearly overpowering the Dawn Flower petals. So tasty...

He slowly slithers closer until he was practically hovering over her. Quietly observing, one would think she was getting sick in her current state.]

[Once they enter the house, Yujin is thinking along the same lines Susato is; where are they going to do this? They could get Kazuma to the guest room, but he won't fit in the bed, now will he? Better to tend to him on the floor for now, then. So he gestures towards the middle of the living room with one hand, even as the other is still holding onto Kazuma to support his weight.]

Let's lay him down there. Can you move the table, please? And the sofa, if you can manage it. Once that's done, you can go get the flowers from the kitchen.

[ Susato isn't a heavy sleeper under usual circumstances. Perhaps her own voice alone would have been enough to pull her out of the nightmare, given time, but if not, the jar with the petals toppling over certainly causes the haze of restless sleep to lift. She seems to resist it, closing her eyes even tighter as she feels the burn of the light she left on through her closed eyelids, but she can sense that she's being watched.

Her eyes open warily, the dream forgotten as she can see-- ]

[ A snake. ]

[ A snake.

She immediately stumbles to her feet atop her bed, grabbing the first pillow she can get her hands on to use as a shield. She will continue stumbling, the softness of her bed working against her in this specific instance, but eventually she steadies, eyes lighting up with recognition as they land on on the three circles atop the snake's head, and the diamond-like shape right underneath. ]

[ . . . . . . . ]

K-- Kazuma?

[ Pray, forgive the discourtesy of her forgetting his honorific-- ]

[Would he have even made it to the guest room? Once they've moved inside, he barely registers what the two of them were talking. Lay down...? Yea, he'd like to do that. Whether he made it to the living room or not, he's going to stumble forward, choosing to lay down wherever he landed inside their home. His size and power easily pushes aside whatever piece of furniture is in his way.

The air around him gets sucked of whatever heat he could gather, lowering the temperature.]

[He probably shouldn't have lingered for as long as he had. He retreats when Susato awakens and abruptly gets on her feet with a pillow in her arms. He has moved off the bed, looking awkwardly up from the floor. Well...she did stop having the nightmare. Although, he feels terrible that he startled her in the first place. So much for staying stealthy.

He glances at the knocked over the flower jar. He came to spread the flower petals and that's what he technically did. So he's going to quietly...take his leave and not trouble Susato further with his presence.]

[ Yujin's instructions are probably the only thing keeping her going. She's already moving towards the table without question when Kazuma collapses, essentially moving the table himself, and she has to hurriedly step back before she's knocked over. The sofa suffers a similar fate, and it takes all that she has not to break down on the spot.

Nope. She'll wait until she is alone for that, but even then, she's only afforded a couple minutes at best, during which she won't be able to hold back sobs.

She nearly drops the jar, which quickly pulls her back to her senses as she returns to the living room with it. Her hands are shaking as she scatters more of the petals until they're almost all gone. It's only then that she notices the empty bottle around Kazuma neck again, nearly crushed when he fell.

. . . She stares. Can't find it within herself to say or question anything. She knows that bottle, but why would it be empty? Even if Kazuma hated it, it would've been easier to just take it off and trash the whole thing.

She waits for further instructs from her father, but someone like Rei probably wouldn't have to wait. She would know what to do. ]

[ There's no answer, but the way the large white serpent slithers away is just so distinctly Kazuma that she has to take it as confirmation. Her shoulders fall ever slightly as she lets out a sigh, head tilted upwards towards the ceiling like a flower looking for strength from the sun.

She'd fucked up. Reacted badly. She is visibly annoyed, mostly at herself, though even she has to admit that the annoyance feels misplaced.

She follows Kazuma, taking a step off the bed, willing herself to wake up and move faster, because as it turns out, giant serpents are pretty darn fast, even when they are hurt and also depressed.

She manages to shut the door to her room just in time, before Kazuma can slip out. ]

[Ah. He comes to a halt when his way out is suddenly closed. He pulls back, curling up onto himself as he looks to Susato, confused. He's trying not to look so intimidating, but it's probably impossible no matter what form he takes right now.]

[ She would maybe be intimidated if she were more awake to be intimidated. Or if the serpent in question were anyone other than Kazuma, perhaps, someone she'd looked up to and chased around since she was in diapers. It's not intentional, but somehow she's still holding onto her pillow-shield, having pressed it against the door when she shut it; but she just kind of allows it to fall to the floor when she lets her hand down to her side again. ]

I didn't know you could--

[ Turn into a large snake? Or at least... a true, white serpent, and not just a naga snake nightmare demon? Though now she's wondering if she actually has seen him transform this way before, and somehow forgot or dismissed it as a dream. She shakes her head. Nope, she's still not awake enough for this. ]

Never mind. Just... Just stay.

. . . [He visibly relaxes a little. To be fair, he had planned to leave long before she ever woke up to see him. He glances over at the fallen flower jar with a quiet hiss.]

I brought more petalss. Thought it would help you. [He sure she could figure out what he was trying to help her with. He looks to the closed door behind her.] Couldn't fit through the door like I wass.

[ She glances at the jar that's been toppled over, staring at the way the petals shine as he explains. Since he worked so hard to get them into the room, the least she can do is help him accomplish what he came to do. She walks over, bends down to pick up the jar and starts spreading around the petals already on the ground with her foot. ]

Thank you. [ For not destroying another door, but also for thinking of her. ] But I wish you'd worry about yourself. I can handle the occasional nightmare.

[ It helps that she had forgotten about it until that moment, though flashes of horrific images do come back to her in flickers. They happen too quickly though, so other than the rare twitch, she only reacts by rubbing at her eyes sleepily. She can feel how damp her pajamas have gotten from sweating though . . .

What time even is it? ]

...They have been frequent. You and your father'sss. [It makes it sound like he had been spying on them, when really he's just sensitive around nightmarish energy. He coils up at as the stench of the Dawn flowers grow.]

Sssave some for your father as well. [What was that about worrying about himself? He quietly observes Susato's behavior while she scatters the flowers, inching ever so slightly closer to her. She's worn down, no way of hiding that.]

[Welp, clearly Yujin was not capable of holding Kazuma up by himself. He almost got dragged down to the floor too, but managed to let go and retain his balance with an awkward stumble. It's fine. This is fine. Kazuma is inside and lying down, that is what they wanted.

While Susato is gone to get the extra flowers, he heads into his own room to fetch what few medical tools and bandages he has in the house. He also grabs his bedside lantern for additional light. Then he returns to Kazuma's side to examine the injuries up close. Puncture wounds, claw marks... There's so many of them... But do any need stitching? If it's all just smaller wounds, that would be much easier to handle.]

[ The petals feel soft and almost rubbery, tickling her feet, so she finds herself stopping before long. Idly, she reaches into the jar instead, but after one or two meager handfuls, she pauses that too, staring blankly into the jar as he speaks. She hadn't been able to do anything about Yujin's nightmares, much like she hadn't been able to do anything about Kazuma's current state. By some miracle, she had remembered Jude's words and somehow managed to heal him just enough, but even that wasn't something she ever managed to replicate in the week or so since.

The last time she felt like this, she nearly quit law and almost tossed her highly-respected book into the Thames. She'd powered through then, and through whatever curse or misfortune, would have to again. ]

. . .

[ She feels the same pair of eyes on her as she did when she woke, though she;s considerably more prepared this time. She glances over, noticing that Kazuma had inched closer, and she flashes him a tired smile as she gently tosses a few petals his way, one of them landing right in the middle of the three circular marks on his forehead. ]

And you. The whole reason I brought them back in the first place was because of you.

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