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[lapidarius]

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[lapidarius]

[Kakyoin's gem was still in questionable shape, so regardless of common sense and a bandaged right arm he was out fighting Nightmares as usual, leaving paint-splashed familiars in his path as he did.]

What-? [Someone was calling his name, and he spared a quick glance over his shoulder to see who else was here.] Nanami? When did you-

[You know what, maybe questions later and screwing up a familiar first.]

[i_think]

Hi!! [ She lands right beside him and fires at the nightmare again. ] Poor kid... something's really bothering them...

[ A monstrous bicycle rears up behind them and Chiaki spins around to fire at it. ]

[lapidarius]

Yeah, no kidding.

[...just roll with it. Kakyoin turned back to the Nightmare itself, cutting off an arm that was swung at him in a haphazard attack.]

I'm pretty sure the same can be said for the rest of us at this point.

[i_think]

[ Two shots to the bicycle's spokes incapacitate it and overturn it, and Chiaki turns her attention back to the main body of the Nightmare. ]

I guess it's a good thing we aren't asleep...

[ Arguably. She fires low on the Nightmare to hurt its mobility. ] We need to calm it down! Can you cover me?

[lapidarius]

Sure--go for it.

[He was fairly sure he could handle familiars even with his paintbrush in his non-dominant hand. (All his painted stars had looked absolutely terrible the past couple of nights.)]

[i_think]

[ Nanami holsters her gun and races forward. Another candy explodes near her and she stumbles, wiping bubble-gum out of her hair.

When she reaches the body of the nightmare, she looks up at the huge creature and places a hand on its body. ] Shhh... it's okay! We can deal with this in the morning, all right? You've done really well.

[ One hand on the nightmare, and she focuses, hoping her healing ability will have any kind of effect on it. It's worth a try, at least. ]

[lapidarius]

What are you-

[Kakyoin of all people probably should have realized that was a valid tactic, and sure enough it worked; after a few tense moments the Nightmare imploded in a puff of multicolored smoke and a few scattered bicycle parts before the barrier disappeared.]

...oh.

[i_think]

Ah!!

[ Chiaki's actually surprised at how well it works. She's left staring at a quiet house, the child inside it rolling over in bed and falling into a deeper sleep. She sighs with relief, all the tension flowing out of her body. ]

Mm... there... they should be okay... [ She turns back to Kakyoin and the arm registers. ]

Hey...!! Should you be out here, with that?

[lapidarius]

Thanks for your help. I...wouldn't have thought to do that, myself.

[Everything had gone back to being quietly peaceful, and Kakyoin's outfit changed back to the usual black coat with a slightly clearer emerald set in his glasses.]

With what?

[i_think]

Your arm!

[ Still in her own magi uniform, also a black coat, she hurries to it. ]

Nightmares usually are just tired and scared... sometimes just talking to them helps.

[ As she touches his arm, the pain begins to seep away, her now-purified gem beginning to subtly darken once more. ]

[lapidarius]

H-hey, don't waste your magic on--!

[...nope, too late]

[i_think]

[ Her magic doesn't help it much -- there's only some knitting of muscle and skin -- but it does keep the wound from opening after so much activity. ]

You should really be careful ... it's no good fighting Nightmares if you aren't healthy yourself!

[lapidarius]

I'm fine, Nanami. Never mind that, where have you been? Are you alright?

[i_think]

I-- sorry. I've been gone, I guess.

[ She withdraws her hand. The magic in the air shimmers as she transforms, back to wearing her ordinary cat hoodie on top of her pajamas. ]

The last thing I remember is being in school, back when things turned strange in the town a couple of months ago... and then I just got back on the train yesterday. In between, everything's kind of hazy.

... I heard it got pretty bad, here.

[lapidarius]

Don't apologize. I was just-...worried, you know? Ever since what happened to Stellina I've been on edge about whether or not people that'transfer' are really gone at all. So I'm just glad to see you're okay.

[He sighed, folding his arms.]

It's been a mess, and it's still a mess. That much hasn't changed except to get worse over time.

[i_think]

Mm. Well... maybe I was gone, but I'm back at least.

I heard about a Killing Game. If-- if I'd been here, I could have warned you all that it was a trap.

[lapidarius]

Don't worry about it. They wouldn't have listened anyway.

[bitter? nah.]

[i_think]

It would have been worth a try.

Did you... die?

[lapidarius]

It wasn't. Trust me, I tried.

[an effort was made.]

...it doesn't matter. I'm fine, so there's no reason to start dwelling on it now.

[i_think]

It's-- it always is. No matter what.

[ She lived through one Killing Game. She didn't want to go through another one. ]

Are... you sure? What happened to your arm, anyway?

[lapidarius]

I just got hit in a fight and didn't have enough magic left to heal it myself.

[He shrugged, glancing to the side.] That's all.

[i_think]

[ She's unsure, but doesn't press. ] Well, you should still be careful.

[ She pulls the hairpin out of her hair and inspects it. The gem is slightly cloudy. ] Hmm... I should probably fight another one tonight, just to be safe. Want to come?

[lapidarius]

...Yeah, sure. [He didn't even have to look at his glasses to know his gem was still in questionable shape.] I can come along if you want me to.

[i_think]

Okay. [ She begins walking down the street with him, scanning for other Nightmares. ]

Oh-- Pokey told me that you found something in the dungeon. [ She glances at him. ] I guess I was wondering if there was any sort of puzzle that you solved to unlock it.

[lapidarius]

Unless you count 'how to pry open an elevator door' as a puzzle, no. I only saw one room, but I think there might be a whole base of some kind down there.