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[ 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. ]

[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.]

[ 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-- ]

[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.]

[ 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.]

[ 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.

[He blinks as the flower petals fall over him. Uggh, he shakes his head, knocking the petal off his head. It's just a natural reaction of his Noctaere side to be repulse by them, but he knows deep down they're helping him.]

I can't misss them... [They're everywhere he's been to, besides their own rooms.] Apologiess I could not sstop it. [Turning Noctaere was not his intention, but...he could see nothing else at the time, but to call it's power again to fight.]

[ Susato's mouth twitches, watching him shake the petal off. It must be the first and last time she'd ever find a (giant) snake cute. Even the best patients hate visiting the doctor and hate medicine, however, so suck it up, Kazuma.

After scattering what she can, she moves to place the large bottle next to her other jar of Glowing Dawns, the emergency stash. From there, her hands are free, and she's finally gonna address the mess she's made of her room, starting with Iris. She tosses her gently onto the bed and immediately starts gathering up all the colorful paper squares she left there. It's like she is only now remembering what she had been doing. ]

Apologies that I couldn't protect you. The bottle was empty, so I started making a new one to give me something to do, but I...

[ Well. ]

[There are petals everywhere!!! He couldn't avoid his "medicine" regardless! He'll come around towards the bed, moving his head back onto it.]

...No. [His tongue flicks, looking at the paper squares she's gathering.] I felt your pressence when we fought. Ssomehow...

[ She opens her mouth, about to regale him with the tale about how she fell asleep doing this very thing for the second time now, but then she shuts it again. What did that mean? ]

But I, I wasn't there. [ She should've been there. ] You told me not to leave home.

[ Contrary to what Lord van Zieks believed that one time, she does listen and isn't about to run off into something dangerous all the time. Unlike some people!!! ]

[He hums quietly, glancing over at the bottles that still need to be filled with cranes.]

I told you once, that thiss world is capable of conveying one'ss feelingss. When you gave me that charm.

. . .

[ She is stunned. She should have been overjoyed (and perhaps one day, she would be). Not once did she ever think that her charms would amount to anything. Even when they both alluded the magic of this world, she just smiled and nodded. Perhaps she thought it was just something people just said to children, to make them feel better. Now...

Now he's telling her the magic had the audacity to work, and still it did not protect Kazuma?? Or keep Jack from turning, for that matter??? ]

Well, it should have done a better job with mine. [ Or maybe she's the problem. She tries not to look too defeated as she visibily slumps onto her bed, huffing under her breath. ] I shall be much clearer this time.

Edited 2022-02-26 23:59 (UTC)

Hm...I'm sstill not sure what it did. I remember that bottle wass still full before we fought at least. [So something happened, but at this moment, he doesn't know what. He was far too focused on the fight at the time.

Either way, he's coming up to rest his head beside her in a comforting matter.]

Don't tire yoursself. [He sure referring to all the papers and bottles around.]

[ Doesn't matter, she wants to say. It's certainly how she feels. She needs to do better this time, but those aren't the feelings she wants to convey, so she stays quiet. If she's so pessimistic about it, besides, her feelings might not get through at all.

She holds out her hand towards Kazuma's head, hesitating for a moment before she connects and rests it there on top, to acknowledge the comforting gesture. ]

I am not the one who nearly died. [ Nor is she stuck as Noctaere monster. ]

[He makes no sudden movements when she reaches to put her hand on his hand. He's warm to the touch, not trying to take in all the heat around him like a week ago.]

...I thought I could get him back. [He lowers his gaze.] I felt him, insside that thing, fighting in the darknesss...

[ She can feel the warmth. It is inviting, and it belongs to Kazuma. She recognizes it as such, and she visibly relaxes her hand, feeling the scales underneath as she gently strokes his head.

Even so, there is a sad expression on her face as he struggles to meet her eyes. ]

Did you want to bring him back, the same way he brought you back? [ She can relate. ]

[Getting petted like this is certainly....a different feeling than getting hair ruffles. He's not sure if he likes this, or should like this?]

I fought, and fought...but it felt like nothing I did could reach him. And yet... [He curls up a little.] He did everything to keep me alive, bring me to you.

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