Chapter Text
The dreadwalker found herself too uneasy to sleep, too energetic. She wandered and paced. However, Nightfall didn't want to do anything either. Hoping that her body would ease back, so she could nap, she thought about why she didn't want to do much else.
Strangely enough, she itched to have some company...
Did she feel lonely? Perhaps she spent too much time with Mystic, as they accompanied her for any little thing, and got used to them being around to talk with, or talk back to.
Nightfall stopped by a window, looking forward to see the moon. It was one of the things she otherwise couldn't fully enjoy in her homeland, but the sky was cloudy. Perhaps it would rain then , she thought hopefully.
Why would Mystic follow her around anywhere despite causing them stress to go to new places? Nightfall had been wondering, since the kirin accompanied her home, knowing that Fogshadow Tower was full of poison gas and broken spirits. She didn't complain though, the help was needed.
The dreadwalker leaned on the wall, facing the general direction of Mystic's bed and continued to ponder... Though she didn't like doing it much, she figured it was important in order to both clear her head and understand Mystic. Why wouldn't she when they tried their best to understand her?
Nightfall felt somewhat embarrassed to be doing that instead of something useful, it made her look pathetic, didn't it? Her face portrayed a slight grimace but it untensed as she kept thinking. It’s alright, this is good, even, that she knew what she was feeling and where it could be coming from.
Suddenly, she heard Mystic breath deeply, then jolt up awake with a light, but dragged moan.
They shifted on the sheets but then slowly sat up. They were still confused, their head felt heavy and their heart raced. "Uhg..." Mystic let out a low sigh and looked around the room desperately. They could move, at last.
A distinct pair of eyes glowed blue next to the window, "Hmm?" Nightfall. She lifted her head curiously but didn't move from her position.
Mystic blinked and felt slightly relieved. Yeah, they were back to reality.
"Hey," Nightfall gestured casually.
"Hey..." They replied, as if bothered- not by Nightfall, but generally.
The two stood quietly for a while. Mystic was thinking about what just happened while they slept...
"Did I sleep on my back?" They rubbed their eyelids, "I think I had sleep paralysis."
"Couldn't tell, you mostly sleep facing your right." She replied nonchalantly, as she quickly realized that when they were sleeping facing the wall, they were sleeping on their right. The times she passed by the open space of their room, she'd take a glance to see if they were awake.
She tilted her head "You were paralyzed?"
Mystic already knew Nightfall wouldn't really sleep consistently, but they didn't know during the time she is awake, she noted how they slept. It was useful to know now. Nightfall slept as if she blacked out on top of her bed, facing down, plus wearing her uniform. Sometime during the night she changed clothes.
"It was just, you know, in sleep paralysis you can't move, your eyes are heavy and you run out of breath. It's scary for me... But I should be fine if I," they sighed.
"Stop feeling stressed and eating well blah blah blah, what's essentially impossible to do right now, thanks." They grumbled and promptly let themself fall onto the bed.
"It is with that attitude." She replied with a huff. Mystic sighed again.
"Come on. Do you want a glass of water?" She asked sympathetically.
It seemed she was in a better mood at times Mystic woke up in the middle of the night, but they remembered that dreadwalkers are nocturnal, so, perhaps naturally, Nightfall's mood eased.
"It's alright, I'll get it. And sorry for interrupting... whatever you were doing." Mystic removed the sheets off their body and sat up, then shook their head. Just think about something else... They breathed deeply and began to calm down.
"I was... getting a glass of water." She pushed on, and only then stopped laying on the wall. She knew their tone implied distress, plus just like they pushed on for her to take better care of herself, she wanted them to do small things for their wellbeing.
Mystic chuckled lightly, "Well, let's get a glass of water."
They got up and Nightfall already had shot towards the kitchen. The kirin peeked through the hall and huffed with a smile, "Slow down there huh, some of us can't teleport." they said as they walked.
There was a light outside that provided enough exposure for them to see well, so they didn't bother to flick the kitchen lights on. They didn’t want to make Nightfall uncomfortable either.
"What about you though, can't sleep?"
She thought of what to say, quickly. "I'm still worked up, I guess."
Nightfall already bad her hands and hair strands in action, searching cups, opening the fridge and reaching the water pitcher inside it.
"I see, but let me help." They said, though lightly scratching their back.
"Fine, slowpoke."
"Hey, don't rush me..."
Nightfall gave them the cups and poured the water. Though Mystic made a face, she doubted it was about the water.
"It's cold, but alright."
Proven wrong. What's wrong with cold water?
Right, Mystic said they get cold easily before...
"Sorry."
Mystic shook their head, she didn't have to apologize, they didn't tell her before she served the glass anyways.
"It's fine, bud." They replied nonchalantly and took a sip.
"You uh... You need help?" They asked as she stared at her own glass for a moment.
"No." Nightfall said, took a deep breath, pulled her mask off and gulped the entire glass of water down.
She made a noise of relief, feeling her body cool down, then put her mask back on. Mystic huffed humorously, but continued drinking.
Again, there was a minute of standing in silence as Mystic drank.
Nightfall noted they were still not all that relaxed, holding themself and blinking blankly "You are still spooked."
"I'm just still thinking." They replied.
"Hmm, what about?"
"I just... I think back on when it had happened before for a couple of days consecutively. Figured then that it's a fear of mine to not have control of my body. Sometimes I was afraid to go to sleep, I feared being unconscious."
They still have that fear, being unconscious as an extent of losing autonomy. The kirin bit their lip and sighed, thank goodness it was a bit dark, for they didn't want Nightfall to see clearly that they were wobbly and about to tear up.
Mystic took a long sip of their water, though still halfway. They were able to control their feelings, and it helped they could drink up and gulp down that itchy sensation on their throat. What a scaredy cat , they thought, Nightfall would think so .
Nightfall leaned on the counter, "Was it Dreamcatcher?" She narrowed her eyes. A tangible enemy was easier to confront, and she could take more definitive action to help Mystic sleep well…
"I don't think so, sleep paralysis is kind of natural, which is why I said I should take care of myself to avoid it. By the way, thanks for the glass of water."
"You're welcome." She replied and made a finger gun at them.
Mystic laughed lowly, then yawned. As much as she wanted to spend time with them doing nothing important, they needed their sleep. She did, too, but didn't really know if she'd fall asleep.
"When you're done there, you're going to feel better, and you're going to lay to sleep on your side." Nightfall told Mystic as a matter of fact, but she tried to make it assuring.
Mystic sighed in response, finishing up with their glass of water. "Yeah," they said with a higher, more optimistic tone and immediately went ahead to wash the dishes in order to keep themself busy to calm down. How pathetic, to not feel safe in your own skin.
Nightfall huffed, "Leave that for later." She interrupted.
"I learned that when you put off small tasks they pile up and are harder to deal with later. You know?"
"I meant it... as to let me take care of it." She made that up at the moment, as Mystic was the one who usually ended up cleaning her dishes.
"Well, I already done it." Mystic replied and kept on washing.
"Move it. I won't allow you." The dreadwalker pushed them out the way with her body and they growled playfully, certainly not actually wanting to challenge her to some play-fight.
When Mystic moved to the other side she blocked them with her hair. She laughed lowly in a mean tone.
"But Nightfall, you always do other things."
"I'm going to be nice to you and you can't stop me."
"Tch!" Mystic huffed finally. "Okay, fine... Thanks."
They waited for her, though her hair still stood in the way. “Is it okay if I pet your hair?” As they’ve talked about it before, and Nightfall’s hair having nerves of their own, they wondered if they could help her ease down, too.
“Sure. Just like last time.” She looked away but blushed, it was rather personal to let them do that, plus she actually enjoyed it. Careful with the hooks.
The kirin continued, and then noticed what she meant about her being worked up, her strands were moving and shaking quickly in its place. "Jeez, Nightfall..." They pressed down with their thumb on top of it and massaged it downwards, repeating this on the rest of the strands, yet avoiding the hooks at the end.
"That okay?"
"Yeah..." Nightfall exhaled, "Yeah, I needed that." She slowed down on washing the dishes, though she was almost done.
"I might just fall asleep…” She said and moaned, then leaned on Mystic, knowing this was just a plan to get her to stop doing chores, so she prevented them again from interrupting her.
“Ah! I can’t pet your hair if it’s smothering me!” Mystic pushed her back.
“Too bad.”
Mystic backed off at least, Nightfall gave a triumphant smile, noticeable through her eyes, “This isn’t over.” They stated with a comical pout.
“I win.” Nightfall turned around and ruffled Mystic’s hair, avoiding the horn. They shook their head in response and finished with a yawn. Nightfall stood there, pleased, but had enough of playful comebacks. “Aight, okay, even though we are having fun, we should go to sleep.” Mystic said and Nightfall agreed.