4th Course - Salt [Video]

[starofpleiades]

[In the late evening, the video suddenly turns on as there's a loud thump and a splatter, like something wet just hit the ground next to the vine. At the first, the picture is dark and its hard to make out the shape there. A trembling silhouette, hunched over as it rises unsteadily off the ground - the form seems small and thin, but draped in lengthy darkness - hair? - but also the limbs seems somehow... too long. Claws?

What little light there is reflects off the eyes of the cats coming to greet the new arrival, but as they draw closer, they hiss and their hair stands on end before they turn and run. The figure in the dark collapses back onto the ground again, curling up, shrinking in on itself.

For a moment, all is still. Then there's a soft, muffled noise as that huddled figure trembles. Sobbing. The vine finally sheds some light on the situation, illuminating the curled, dripping wet form of Kazumi, curled up in a glen on the grassy floor, clutching herself and sobbing quietly. It's a few moments before she opens her eyes, looking around, noticing the vine for the first time. She looks helpless, lost, but her first question isn't "Where am I?"]

Who am I? What am I?

Comments

[tookupthesword]

Well, just grab my hand and I'll try to navigate us there.

[starofpleiades]

Okay... [Moving her grip to Sayaka's hand so she's not clinging to her, Kazumi gets ready to follow. She's a bit spacey and slow, but she keeps up and doesn't fall down]

[tookupthesword]

[AN HOUR LATER due to having to work around things and being slower...]

... So, I took a route that I didn't know that well for the return trip.

[starofpleiades]

[Kazumi has been quiet and followed along, trying not to shiver too much or slow them down any further]

...it's okay.

[tookupthesword]

Yeah, yeah. We're here now. Let's go in and I'll get you and I'll get you cleaned up.

[And thus the door opens, and Sayaka runs off to grab some towels, behind another door. Feel free to sit on one of her two couches, though that may not work out due to wetness. Or check out the kitchen in sight.]

[starofpleiades]

[Normally Kazumi would be excited and curious to finally see Sayaka's house, but right now she just totters over to one of the couch and flops down on it. She's feeling really despondent now...]

[tookupthesword]

[And then comes three towels rushing out. Pausing for a bit... before they just get put down in a free space.]

This should be enough, right? [And a though...] ... Oh right, you're probably going to need dry clothes too... you don't mind using some of clothes, do you?

[starofpleiades]

Yeah... thanks.

[Kazumi picks one of the towels up and starts quietly drying herself off. Luckily her body's all back to normal again by now, other than her being really listless and tired. With the initial panic gone she's just... really exhausted.]

[tookupthesword]

[She walks back out once again, and returns with a bundle of her own clothes, also having reverted back to her attire before she transformed, as she noticed she was still like that while searching.]

Sorry if they're too big. I'll, you know, turn around now. [That's just decency.]

[starofpleiades]

Mm... thanks.

[She quietly accepts the clothes, stripping out of her own and drying off before putting the new ones one. It's... definitely a lot warmer. At least now she isn't shivering]

[tookupthesword]

[Still having her back turned, Sayaka begins to wonder if she should say something, anything.]

... Are you tired?

[starofpleiades]

I... yeah. It's all been really... everything's a mess.

[tookupthesword]

You can stay in my room for the night. It may be a bit awkward, but I can stay out here for tonight.

[starofpleiades]

Mnn, no, it's okay... I'll be fine here...

[Heck, she looks like she's about to fall asleep right on the couch right now already]

[tookupthesword]

Well... if you're staying out here, so am I.

[starofpleiades]

Mm, okay... [She scoots over a bit so she isn't taking up the whole couch... not that she's very big]

[tookupthesword]

[Well, that's not exactly what she meant, buuut...]

Hold on a moment. [She walks off one final time... and then a blanket comes out.] I figure we might need this.

[starofpleiades]

I'm... really sorry about all this... thanks, Sayaka...

[She's just. Really tired now. Too tired to think about any of it anymore. She just wants to curl up and go to sleep and never wake up again]

[tookupthesword]

Don't be sorry... I've always wanted to be a help anyway. [And with that she... tries to place herself alongside on the couch and lay the blanket over in a good position.]

[starofpleiades]

[Hope you don't mind but she is just going to snuggle up against you now, burying her face against Sayaka's shoulder as she closes her eyes]

Thank you. It's just all been really... really...

[tookupthesword]

[Oh my.]

Be quiet, sleep time is now, okay?

[starofpleiades]

Mm... [And with that, she's pretty much out like a light. With how exhausted she was, it was pretty much adrenaline and panic keeping her awake until now]