yogen | ( closed-ish ) you cried wolf, so i came running

( natsume holding her shoulders, herding her back to the fabric and doing his best to help- each action is more grounding than the last. it puts a stop to a thousand racing thoughts at once, leaving... well, not much else. dialup noises, maybe? as the fabric presses against her, she looks up at him with wide eyes between parted fingers. a few scales flutter off for his efforts. )

Sakasaki-senpai...?

( did... he? do this? what- what if- no, he's apologizing- but she hadn't even let kou-kun know, and he did know about the supernatural. but after a moment of staring dumbly, nene all but lunges, pressing her face into his chest and capturing him in a hug. he's forgiven. but also... she needs it too. )

( ah, a hug—

natsume is not good with physical contact, but nene reminds him much of sora, the same way stephanie does: young and small and someone he'd like to protect, with a childish innocence and earnestness that draws happiness to them like moths to a flame. he's tense for a moment, but only that, as he continues rubbing her dry - a little less hurried and in longer, calming motions, his other arm going around her middle to hug her back. )

...There THERE, ( like she's the one in need of comfort. he can recognize by how quick she was to hug him that she might need it a little, even more than just an apology. he rests his head against hers, exhaling slowly. and, less rhetorically: ) Are you oKAY, Little Lamb? I'm sure I gave you quite the FRIGHT.

( and also, the scales, but he doesn't know how to bring those up. )

It- it was...

( how does she say the last time someone dropped water on her, it was to kidnap her? that she nearly died? that if she gets too soaked, she loses her form again? where dose she begin?

...

it's with a quiet voice that she speaks, still not letting him go. )

I-I'll be okay...

( after a moment of quiet, she finally raises her voice, moving one hand to wipe at one of her eyes, a few more scales falling back down. )

Y-You... probably have questions, huh...?

Of COURSE, but let's sit DOWN.

( or more accurately, she should sit down. he'll guide her to a chair, leaning back a bit to brush a few more scales off and inspecting them on his fingers. hmmm. )

...Are you a merMAID?

( oh, she's sitting now, how nice- as more time passes, a few more scales fall freely. the worst of it is the parts that keep coming into contact with her wet hair- and she'll have to shake out her shirt later... )

Not... not exactly? I ate a mermaid's scale, and she cursed me for it... but because I still have it, um, her ocean kind of treats me as their princess. They tried to get me to go with them once... They were really creepy about it though.

... I-If I get completely soaked, I turn into a fish. Like... ( she holds out her hands to show about the size of a large goldfish. ) about like this?

( one answer that comes with several questions. )

That's rather inconveniENT. ( to put it lightly. ) "Little Lamb" seems a little ill-fitting NOW, but I think it suits your personality much MORE... Why did you eat her SCALE?

I don't think anyone would take well to being called a fish anyways.

( it's a weak joke, before nene goes silent for a moment, staring at her hands in her lap- maybe she's too quiet for too long, or maybe that's just the nerves doing their thing. guilt is a horribly sickening feeling, after all. )

There were... two of them, in a little bag. I was told that if a couple ate them, they'd be given a powerful bond tying them together... so, I ate one and was going to give the other to a guy I liked.

But... well. A lot of realizations hit me at once before I did. Like, I didn't really know him- or like him, I just thought I did? 'Cause he was nice to me once, and handsome. I didn't even know him. And I was going to hurt him really badly, just because I was lonely. It wasn't right. I was being selfish- ( and she still is, in her opinion. she's terribly selfish, and though she tries to be better, it's hard not to see her own greed for love and attention in anything she does. ) Especially because the 'bond' is really just... a shared curse. The- the scales and everything. It's supposed to be a lot stronger, but...

... Hanako-kun ate the other scale instead, so that he can keep me human. And in return, I work for him.

( thinking immediately about how chiaki's favorite fish is the anglerfish and she would've loved being named after it but now she's named after a bug )

And Hanako-kun is the boy that keeps hovering around you like a well-meaning but lovesick guard DOG. ( He's seen him. He hasn't talked to him, but he's seen him. ) ...I SEE.

( Natsume's quiet, then reaches over to lift the back of her hair so he can pull the piece of fabric around her shoulders to keep the wetter parts off of her, tucking the rest around her the way moms do kids. )

It was very selFISH, but humans are inherently SO. They don't want to be aLONE, and they'll go to great lengths to ensure THAT. You recognized it was wrong and decided not to go forward with it - you have nothing to feel bad aBOUT.

( OH NO CUTE? chiaki out here with the best priorities nene's just in a fucking daze right now to be honest. )

Ah- yyyyyeah? Lovesick...?

( lovesick???? hanako-kun? guard dog absolutely made sense, everyone saw him cut a falling tile out of the air with one hand, but. ... nope! nope, she's not going down this route again. not after last time!

instead, she lets him fret more, and if her affection-starved self accepts it too readily no she doesn't. )

... I still do. Even though... I know I didn't. The fact that I could have, was going to... I don't like it.

You're a kind GIRL.

( but the two of them already knew that. or he hopes she knows that, because it's a secret to everyone otherwise. )

Neither of us will be attending swimming classes if those ever start up here I supPOSE... ( for different reasons, but all the same. this is a little more light-hearted, to cheer her mood. ) I'll be happy to have your compaNY.

( remember how way back in their first conversation they talked about wanting to break into the pool at night? yeah nene just wants to be able to swim normally in general to be honest. she misses it. she also misses being able to just take a bath. )

Yeah... E-ever since the scales started growing again, I've been brainstorming excuses.

( she thinks she can prevent full transformation if she, like, wraps seram wrap around something real tight so it won't count as full submersion, but that still won't prevent scales from happening in general. but she doesn't want to test it alone...

the cats have been stalking her lately. )

But I like spending time with you. So it won't be so bad at all!

Abandoning your delinquency dreams of breaking into the pool at night for a little swim alreaDY?

( ...it isn't a bad idea to just abandon those, but- )

We could always try covering you in something hydrophoBIC. I'm a chemist; I'm sure I could figure something OUT. ( A chemist, an illusionist, a magician, a fortuneteller, an idol, a... lot of things. ) ...though that wouldn't help when it comes to waSHING.

Ah, senpai's a man of many talents, I see...

( despite the almost dazed tone she uses, she's genuinely impressed and. well. maybe it would work? )

It... could work, maybe? I haven't tried anything. Not extensively, anyways...

( he's a genius; of course he is. )

...Would you like to see something COOL?

Ah... what is it?

( scoots a tiny bit closer... just looking up at him with those big wide eyes of hers. how does anyone survive her honestly? )

( (:

he's gonna get a glass of water - even if it's faintly pink, it's still water! - and some ground cinnamon; he brings it back over carefully and sets it down on the table beside her. the cinnamon goes onto the water, and as expected... it floats? )

Put your finger IN, right through the cinnaMON.

( cinnamon is hydrophobic so her finger won't get wet haha, )

Edited 2021-06-11 04:45 (UTC)

( blinking slowly, nene does as told- admittedly, the feeling of the ground cinnamon tickles just a tiny bit, but she doesn't mind too much! when she realizes that it's pretty safe though, she looks... well

it's just the :O emoji, to be honest. not sure how i can put it into words. )

!!!

( yes, that is the dialogue. i'm sorry. )

( appropriate dialogue, he looks so pleased— )

Cinnamon is one of a few common spices that repels waTER, rather than being dissolved or mixing with it easily; cayenne pepper and black pepper are two oTHERS. Unlike salt or suGAR, which water disrupts the attractive forces between the molecules OF, these ones stubbornly retain their SHAPES. At BEST, they absorb the waTER, but they'll never dissolve completeLY.

There are ways to get around THAT, ( taking her hand so he can wipe her finger clean, heheh ) but it involves mixing them with other fluid-like substanCES. Honey for cinnamon, in examPLE. It won't dissolve it STILL, but you can infuse the cinnamon flavor and warmth into honey and use that in milk and such inSTEAD.

( i promise you she is listening and she is doing her best to retain the information being said- having physical examples helps a lot actually- she is still so very bad at the core classes. she's very intent with her listening though, and lets him do as he will- she trust him implicitly. )

That makes sense...

( she used cinnamon and honey in hot milk all the time... best sleepy time drink!! now she kind of wanted some, despite knowing it would put her down for a 5 hour nap at best. )

... Sakasaki-senpai?

( it's okay, natsume can tutor her...!

but oh, hm. )

What is IT?

( "what is it" he asks, after comforting her and wrapping her in a dry cloth to help, and keeping calm and kind- even if he hates being called that- and all that he's done for her? boys can be kind of dumb... even if he did kind of cause it, but again... she's already forgiven him. )

Thank you. For everything.

( what a sweet girl. a few gentle pats on the head. )

Don't mind IT. If you're ever in trouBLE, just call my name and I'll come, oKAY? ( c: ) And if anyone ever bothers YOU, I'll curse them to within an inch of their LIFE...♪

( will she ever stop leaning into headpats like a needy kitten? No. Never. next question. )

... Um- this might sound a little weird, but- the scales, once they dry out- they're stronger than they look, so um. You can keep some, if you want. Maybe you'll find something out about them! Or something...

( or, you know, always nice to have something to barter with, if he ever finds himself trading with spirits. they count as full fledged mermaid scales, after all. in fact, he might find that the ones that have already come off are bigger than they were before.

magic sure is weird, huh. )

( everything about here is weird, what's one more weird thing. )

And if I DO, I'll let you KNOW. ( ...he doesn't want to collect them right now because he'll look like an idiot in front of her, we can't have that. ) Maybe they'll even be life-saVING... You can't discount simple items like this — that's Chekhov's GUN.

( listen, they'll have to pick them up some time. )

Mm. Hanako-kun had me save some to use for bartering when he took me and a friend to a spirit festival once. But I dunno if there's anything like that here... ( oh man what if some of the scales could be used in the gardening club but also oh no she doesn't wanna have to explain that- )

... O-On the bright side, this is the last of my supernatural secrets? ... I'm... I'm really glad you know. It's hard, having to keep everything a secret from everybody else.

( closed-ish ) you cried wolf, so i came running

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can't wait for nene to realize what a delinquent she's becoming sadfk;jl

fdhujfjgh; me... and she only has herself to blame... collecting all the troubled kids

she commit arson last month......... what will she do this month?

break into someone's locker.

maybe she'll break into an office. who knows!!

i'm cheering for her

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i think its wrapping up, unless theres anything else u want from this?

nah we good