Archive of Our Own

A single droplet falls from the roof, down the aged tiles and directly onto your neck, streaking along your spine.

"Gah!"

Your back goes rigid as you try, and fail, to stifle a yelp.

The moisture soaks deep into your sweater, sticking uncomfortably as you shift from side to side, grumbling all the while. You sigh, burying your face into the palms of your hands once more. You could dodge magical projectiles from royalty hellbent on ending your life, ethereal axes and halberds careening through the air, even beams of deadly light while spinning in a crazed circus ride.

But rain? Dead on.

"…I could probably make it."

You blink.

"Like, it's just timing, right? Go when it's clear, take cover when it's not, block the rest with a weapon or whatever…bet you I wouldn't even get my jacket wet."

Leaning back, you take in a deep breath, the crisp air settling in your lungs.

"…you don't have a weapon in this world."

A gentle patter of water pooling in the divots of the road fills the silence, only broken by a click of a tongue and the grinding of razor-sharp fangs.

"Right. Ralsei keeps all of that for himself." Susie huffs.

You raise an eyebrow, "I think it's just the Dark World that does that. I don't think he really…controls all of it."

"I dunno, you ever been able to do all your sword stuff without fuzzball around?"

You rest your head against the rocky step, the cold of the concrete permeating through your messy brown hair, "…yes? Multiple times. Wait, didn't you attack a bunch of Darkners when we weren't around?"

"Well, yeah." Susie shrugs, a mirthful look in her amber eyes shining back.

"So…you had your axe there, right?"

She sniffs, "Nah, just thrashed them. Those puzzle piece guys are pretty light actually, can toss them really far." The dragoness leans against the marble pillar, "But yeah, I guess there was that time I cut open one of those CD bagels we found and he wasn't around." The girl's tongue pushes past her lips, hanging along a number of vicious fangs for a brief moment, "Still, it's not fair! We should be able to use all our junk out here too! Like, imagine if Ralsei had some kind of spell that made it where we could have our gear when we're walking around town!"

You cast your gaze up towards the gloom above, ashy grey clouds forming an impenetrable barrier to the normally sun-soaked sky. Tilting your head to the side, you silently count, noting pockets of light pouring through, light desperately escaping towards some distant part of town.

Your eyes narrow, "If someone saw us with swords and axes, there'd probably be trouble."

Susie glances towards your limp form, a bemused smile curling along her maw.

You blankly stare back, "…we'd be arrested."

"Yeah but…" The mauve girl drags a claw through her wild mane, pulling the chaotic mess back over her shoulder, "We'd look pretty cool."

Your lips turn inward, eyes continuing to trace the dreary sky.

"…true."

Dragging yourself up from the school's faded white steps, you stand to full, stretching your arms into the air with a resounding number of pops. With a half-hearted yawn, you flop back against the pillar at your side, watching the dragoness out of the corner of your eye as she tentatively reaches out from the archway's protection. A number of glistening droplets flash in her palm, reflecting like a mirror along the patterns of her scales. Susie's maw wrinkles into a frown, impatience visibly building as she peeks her head out, only to recoil with a growl as a sudden breeze carries rainwater down from the roof and directly onto her nose.

"Urgh…stupid…dumbass rain…"

You cough, burying the laughter down deep into your chest.

"W-What?! There a problem?" The girl bellows, angrily dragging a hand down her snout.

"N-Nothing!" You force your gaze away from the thoroughly damp dragon, "Just, uh…scales get all shiny. Kinda cool looking, like they're-"

"I'll throw you face first into a puddle."

"Got it, talking less now."

You gently sigh, glancing back at the darkened halls of the school, returning to the inky grey clouds above, considering your options. You would've brought an umbrella had you known the sky would open up like this. Other than a few clouds lazily hanging in the distance, the morning had started bright and sunny, casting an orange glow across the nearby forest, canopies barely bending in the subtle breeze. The fall weather had brought a chill into the town, your breath forming clouds of steam in the morning walk to school, Susie's arm thrown over your shoulder as her own excited words fogged your vision. And while your fingertips and nose certainly felt the winter's approach, you weren't exactly expecting…this.

"Ugh…it's really coming down, huh?"

You nod, burying your hands deeper into the sides of your sweater. A roaring gale breaks through the gentle pitter-patter of droplets against asphalt, swiping along the ancient school and darkening the steps at your feet. You draw closer to the glass doors, watching as the puddles deepen along the corners of the road, a stream of water flowing into a nearby grate.

"I could maybe-"

You pause, dragging your phone from the confines of your pocket, the screen flashing to life.

"…hm."

You press the button on the side, stashing the device away with a defeated sigh.

"Told my mom I was going to be at my dad's all day helping with the shop." You grimace, "Not sure asking her to come pick us up would be the best idea right now."

Susie clicks her tongue, "Eh, it's fine. Your mom's cool, but I don't think she'd want to hear her precious kid's breaking into school on the weekend."

A weak chuckle escapes your lips. Breaking and entering probably wasn't a good look, admittedly. But in terms of what your mother was and was not okay with…

You glance towards the dragoness, her claws resting on the side of her cheek, droplets streaking down the intricate lines of her glistening scales.

You swallow sharply.

You were a bit more worried about your mother finding you and Susie together.

Alone.

You clear your throat, "M-Maybe…maybe there's an umbrella in one of the classrooms? We could go back inside and check Ms. Alphys' desk. She has a lot of things under there. Comics, figurines…ramen flavor packets."

"Nah, just give it a bit. It'll probably clear up pretty soon." Susie's nostrils flare, "And if not, we make a break for it. See how much you can dodge before you start smelling like a wet dog."

You roll your eyes, "Guess it wouldn't hurt for you to finally get a shower anyways."

A fist playfully bounces against the side of your arm, sending you scrambling towards the damp marble pillar.

"Heh, freak."

A smile pulls at your lips, soon fading as you watch the residual light from above peter out, another cloud merging into the grey mass lingering in the sky. You reach a hand out past the archway, a collection of droplets immediately beginning to pool. You flick the water away, gently biting the side of your cheek.

"Here's what I'm thinking." Susie's dull purple jacket rustles as she pushes up off the step, towering over you, "We wait for it to chill out for a second, then run over to the trees. As long as we stay underneath them, we can't get that soaked, right?"

You rub your damp hand against your pantleg, vaguely listening to the dragoness' plan of action.

"Once we're in the forest, that'll take us clear across the town. We get close to that convenience store with the weird-ass skeleton janitor…guy, then rush inside. Relax for a minute, wait for it to clear up, then we're almost home free!"

"Uh-huh…" You mumble, stepping down towards the stone tiles.

"…guess we'd have to wait in the forest for a while though. But maybe it's not raining as much over by the store. Like, there can't be clouds everywhere." Susie paces back and forth, only pausing long enough to twist around the side of the marble pillar, staring up at the sky, "Probably. Agh, it doesn't matter!" The dragoness groans, "Look, I'm pretty fast. And strong. What if I just picked you up and we bolted, no stopping, full-steam ahe-"

"It's not actually that cold. You get used to it pretty quick."

You step down onto the soaked road, spinning in place, rain seeping through your once light-green sweater. With one last twirl, you pause, dragging a hand up through your hair to reveal crimson irises that shone even in the dim light.

"Seriously, it's not that bad. Kind of-"

You pull the collar of your sweater away from your neck, desperately trying to find some space from the now laden cloth. The material awkwardly slaps back down, suctioning to your back.

"Alright, never mind. Kind of sucks. Eugh…" You grumble, finally ceasing in your efforts, "But it's alright. I have some towels at home we could use once we get back." You clear your throat, "I-I mean, if you want to visit and-"

A sudden stomping sound closes in as Susie breathlessly rushes you, jacket swept from her shoulders and up above your head.

"The hell Dreemurr?! Wha…we had a plan! Are you trying to catch a cold or some shit?!"

Frozen in place, you stare up at the frenzied dragoness, her amber eyes glinting in the darkness of her coat's cover. Feeling closed in, you notice a heat rising from your neck up to your cheeks, Susie's own breaths sweeping along your features.

"…u-uh-"

The girl's eyes soften, "…whatever. Just, like, move over and-"

The jacket fumbles and folds, twisting around you and the dragoness until you're brought even closer. The words melt in your mind as you struggle to figure out where you are in the darkness until two glowing motes of amber linger only inches away. You feel a tightness in your throat, Susie's eyes going wide.

"U-Uh, I-I-" She stutters, an audible gulp echoing out.

"…Susie?" You mutter.

A mass of cloth and zippers slams into your face in a panicked heave, leaving you buried underneath.

"I-I MEAN, LIKE, LET'S JUST GO ALREADY AND-"

You sputter and twist away from the jacket mashed to your face, Susie's frantic bellowing piercing through the heavy material. Dragging the coat away from the vice-grip surrounding your head, you allow the thick cover to fall across your shoulders. With a satisfied grunt, you force your arms through the damp sleeves, the edges of which flop from side to side. You playfully flick your wrist, noticing that your hands barely reach the halfway mark of the sleeves, the much-too-large jacket proving to be an all-encompassing cover from the world.

You waggle the arms, the ends of which slap against themselves.

Neat.

"H-Hey, cut that out! Gonna stretch it or something..."

You raise an eyebrow, glancing back at the flustered dragoness.

"I don't know, fits pretty well I think." You throw the two sleeves together, a flash of water spraying out from the collision, "No wonder you wear it all the time." You click your tongue, "Comfy."

Susie groans, tendrils of black hair sticking to the side of her maw, "Alright freak, hand it over."

You match her gaze, noticing a streak of vibrant purple burning along her cheeks, barely hidden underneath the sopping mess of hair clinging tightly.

"Hmm…well-"

"Kris."

You slowly begin to twist away, pacing down the road, "You did say I might catch a cold if-"

"Goddamn it Kris, don't you-"

You peer back, flashing a smile towards the girl.

"KRIS!"

Burning orange tree tops streak by as water sprays in the air, erupting from each puddle you dash through. You cling to the jacket tightly, barely able to keep the swinging sleeves, now completely soaked, from toppling you in your escape. With a look of glee, you fly down the street, past the school, even spotting the Librarby close at hand. Your heartbeat thrums in your ears as you sprint through town, fierce footfalls following behind, a snorting sound seemingly inches away.

"WOULD YOU-" A vicious growl erupts from the girl, "BETTER NOT LET ME CATCH YOU, OR-"

A cackle escapes your lips as you rush past the Librarby's windows, a number of patrons staring on at your valiant efforts. You pull tightly to the faded and worn coat, careful not to let your fingers catch along the fraying holes. All things considered; the jacket was quite comfortable. A bit heavy, especially with the added water weight, but there was a familiarity about it, something…safe. You never really considered wearing something so bulky before. Even during the blistering winter mornings, a simple scarf wrapped around your neck was enough to protect you in your adventures throughout town. Or at least to school. And QC's on Sunday.

Free hot chocolate was worth the effort.

The wind blows through your hair as you tear down the sidewalk, narrowly avoiding an ankle-deep puddle as you turn down towards the convenience store in the distance. The sleeves of the jacket spin wildly in your efforts, nearly setting you off balance and careening into a nearby tree. Without a second thought, you toss the patchwork sleeves up and over your shoulders, the material clinging tightly to itself. Satisfied with your now bulkier look, you continue on, barely registering Susie's breathless growls.

Maybe you could ask your mom for a jacket like this? Heavier clothing wasn't your typical choice, but after enough forays into the Dark World clad in shining plate mail, the idea of a comfy coat had an appeal. Something worn like this one, with lots of pockets. Something that smelled nice, like cake and burnt toast crumbs. Something you could wrap yourself in and fall asleep, knowing you would be safe, that everything would be-

"GET THE HELL OVER HERE YOU LITTLE SHIT!"

You freeze in place, blinking back to reality, "Wha-"

"GOTCHA!"

The air is squeezed from your chest as muscular, scaled arms sweep you up off the ground, dragging you into an inescapable embrace. You feel the side of your face pressed tightly to Susie's neck, patterns of gleaming scales imprinting along your now burning features. Before even a single yelp of surprise can escape your lips, you're swung from side to side, legs flailing around, tearing through the surrounding downpour.

"THOUGHT…t-thought you'd…ergh…"

A stuttering gasp paints the edge of your ear. Fearsome knife-like teeth hang an inch away, creeping breaths continuing to warm your already inflamed cheeks as Susie struggles for air. Your mind spins as the world finally slows back down, the dragoness just barely loosening her hold.

"I-I-"

The words strain in your chest, eyes going wide as you feel the girl begin to lean on you. Before you can steady your legs back on the sidewalk, Susie rests her arms across your shoulders, head hung low, continuing to fight for every breath.

"God…goddamn, you're…f-fast little…" Her maw sinks into the crook of your neck, a thin, dagger-like tongue hanging limply out the side.

You swallow sharply, "U-Uh, s-sorry about-"

Your legs begin to buckle, the dragoness falling further atop you.

"W-WHOA!"

Flinging the sleeves of the sopping jacket back down to your sides, you throw your arms up in a half-hearted embrace, supporting the girl.

Your mind begins to race, panic rising in your throat as you barely cling to her thin white tee, the material bunching and wrapping around your fingers. Did you push too much? You knew some monsters avoided the rain due to problems with fur becoming matted or feathers being troublesome to dry. But were dragon monsters different? You'd never seen Susie out in the rain before, but-

"Mmph."

You freeze.

"…what?"

Nearly choking, you feel the girl's maw nestle further along your neck, her wild black mane curling into your own curtain of hair.

"S-Susie?"

"…huh?"

"Are you…okay? We could go find a bench or…something."

The girl's amber irises light up in your periphery, lazily peeking out, meeting your gaze.

"What'cha mea-"

Her eyes shoot open, a wave of pitch obscuring your vision as she twists away, claws pulled tight to her chest in a panic.

"T-THAT'S NOT, I-I DON'T-"

You stare back at the dragoness, barely formed words spilling from her lips.

"I-I just…" Susie lifts her palms to her face, dragging them down along her searing violet maw, "AGH!"

A shuddering breath escapes your lips as the embrace comes to an end, awakening from your stupor. You take the moment to awkwardly pick at the jacket, unsure of what to say, what to think. You glance down, noticing a bit of black mane still clinging to your shoulder, hastily brushing it off and away before the inferno blooming on your cheeks worsens.

"S-So…do you want your jacket back?" You mutter, suddenly quite aware of the predatory look burning into you from across the way. You freeze once more, gulping down what little energy you had left for sarcasm.

"…ugh."

Susie's arms limply fall back to her sides as she drifts back your way, gently bumping against you. A pained smile twists along your lips as you steady yourself, almost thrown back towards the street.

"Whatever. Let's just…" Susie grumbles, "I dunno. Already soaked now. Guess we should get home…or something." The dragoness smirks to herself, shaking her head wildly, "Next time you're gonna do something stupid, can you give me a head's up at least?"

You playfully shrug, bobbing in place before bumping against the scaled girl, "…not as much fun."

The dragoness' nose wrinkles as she lays an arm atop your shoulder, "Yeah? You almost faceplanted into that puddle back there."

"But I didn't."

Susie snorts, "Well, duh! But you could've! Shit's dangerous dude."

"Says the person that knocks on my window every morning before school." You grunt, peering down the road back home, "Seriously, my mom thinks we have squirrels tearing up the roof or something. Like, big squirrels…"

You wince, Susie's quiet snorting rapidly forming into a barely contained roar of laughter.

"Hey, I'm serious! She's talking about putting a feeder in the backyard so she can watch them from the kitchen." You shake your head, "Don't think she wants to see you dangling from the tree when she's drinking coffee in the morning."

The wind is nearly knocked from your chest once more as a palm slams into your back, the scaled girl cackling relentlessly. You stagger down the sidewalk, turning to face the dragoness, watching her struggle to find her breath between guttural bouts of laughter. You smile, glancing up at the sky. You blink back the water pooling across your features, listening to the soft downpour, bouts of snorting slowly coming to an end throughout the pitter-patter of rain.

"So…I have a bunch of towels we could use to dry off back at my place." You rub the back of your neck, "…as long as you don't mind white fur. Kinda gets everywhere."

"Y-Yeah, I just…" Susie sighs, a quiet smile pulling on her lips.

You meet her gaze for a moment, water streaking down her maw, droplets bending and twisting along each violet scale. She grunts one last time, reaching up to messily pull her hair back across her shoulder, away from her golden eyes. Grimacing for a moment, she brushes away the wrinkles on her white t-shirt, picking at the thin material.

You tilt your head to the side.

"…ICE-E's?"

Susie fumbles to grab the bottom of her shirt, firmly pulling, and stretching, the material back down along her waist, "Huh?"

You limply point towards the girl's chest, a searing blue cube barely hidden away, "Underneath your shirt. Can see the mascot."

"Oh. Yeah, just got it from some dollar store or something." She rolls her shoulder, muttering to herself, "Kinda cold lately so I wear a couple layers to…why are you looking at my chest?"

"Thought I recognized it…I think my brother has the same shirt somewhere in-"

The words die on your lips.

"W-WAIT! N-No, I was just-" You stammer out, losing track of your thoughts, "Y-You were pulling at your shirt, a-and l looked over…n-not that I was looking at-"

Susie closes the distance, throwing an arm over your shoulders.

"I-I wouldn't, it was just an-"

A talon pokes into your ribs.

"…ow."

"Wanna start heading out? Or are you still busy taking in the sights?" Susie chuckles.

You grumble quietly, feeling yourself being pulled onwards, following close by the dragoness' side.

Taking a deep breath, you loosen the sleeves of the heavy jacket once more. Freeing your arms from their embrace, you pull at the frayed collar, wrapping the coat tighter around. You peer up from the cover, confident that you would be smelling of chalk dust for quite some time. You watch as lights begin to flicker above, streetlamps flaring to life with an orange, wispy glow. The town, having been painted an azure hue throughout, was slowly beginning to dim, the residual afternoon light dwindling by the second. Rain continues to fall upon the streets, creating rivers through each and every block of the sidewalk, pooling at the edges of the forest, a number of leaves being blown across the way. The fiery inferno burning along your cheeks begins to fade as you watch the world quiet to a whisper, droplets of water falling from the strands of hair in your vision.

"Humans are cool with rain, huh?"

A reassuring weight rests upon your shoulders, squeezing ever so slightly.

"…yeah. Doesn't bother us. Or me, at least." You quietly sniff, "Family doesn't really like the rain. But they also have a lot of fur, so it's harder to dry off."

"Huh." Susie mutters half-heartedly.

You shift in place, a frayed string from the jacket's collar tickling your nose, "My brother would always complain when it was like this." You chuckle, "Don't know why. He'd always spend a bunch of time inside playing video games or doing stuff on his computer. But the second it would start to rain, he got all…cooped up. He didn't like feeling trapped inside I guess."

You glance up, watching a bemused smile form on Susie's lips, her gaze locked onto the road ahead.

"…still dragged him outside a bunch." You rest your head to the side, "He hated it. Always complained about his fur sticking, or his clothes getting ruined. Which his hair did get pretty nuts, but…" You chatter on, "There was this one time after school, with a test or…something. He was pretty upset, and then it started raining when he was planning to go visit dad. I could already see it happening, like, the way he was sitting at his desk. He looked…off. Didn't want to talk, wasn't even doing anything on his computer."

You step down into the road, carefully hopping across a pothole, now closer to a pond, before trudging back up towards the convenient store's entrance. Susie holds tight to her grip, following close behind, the edges of her eyes wrinkling.

"I don't know. I just…ran out the door. Just bolted. I knew he'd follow me since I didn't take an umbrella." You blow a strand of dripping hair from your face, "Should've seen him. He came running, barely even had his own umbrella open by the time he caught up with me. Started yelling about, 'You're going to slip and fall!' and, 'If we both get sick, I'm calling dibs on the television!'. Just…stupid junk like that. I knew he was upset and tired, but, after that he…"

"Wasn't pouting?" Susie mutters.

You pause, suddenly very aware of your nostalgia-fueled confession, "…yeah. S-Sorry, didn't mean to…you know."

You rub the side of your arm, risking a glance above. You're met with amber eyes glowing back, reflecting the light from within the convenience store, a softer look on the girl's maw.

You pull the jacket closer, "…I just…like the rain."

Claws squeeze against your shoulder, the tightness in your chest falling away.

"It's cool." Susie leans off to the side, her face hidden underneath her mane as she peers into the store's windows, "Kinda nice to hear you talk like that, 'bout yourself and stuff. Don't do it much."

"R-Right…right." You swallow sharply.

"Ugh…creepy dude's in there." Susie clicks her tongue, sneering, "Rather just be in the rain."

You follow her gaze, leaning closer to the dragoness. Peering through the window, you squint, looking past the haphazardly organized magazine rack. Searching along the walls, you finally come to the countertop within, narrowing your gaze at a shorter being, bony fingers flicking through a magazine…a fashion magazine?

You raise an eyebrow, pushing closer to the window. You watch the self-proclaimed janitor's barely visible pupils scan from line to line, clearly invested in the riveting material at hand.

Susie grumbles, "Does he ever leave? Thought the guy was a janitor for the place. You'd think he lives here or something…"

"I mean, I've seen him at the house next-"

The janitor's eyes snap to the entrance, burning straight into your soul, his body unmoving. A cold chill runs down your spine.

"A-Alright! Let's find somewhere else to get out of the rain!" You stammer, grabbing the dragoness by the hand.

"H-Hey! Jeez, alright, chill!" Susie's claws pull free from your grip, "Damn dude, he's just some guy. Not gonna kill you or anything."

You sigh, slowing down long enough to feel the scaled girl at your side, a single talon poking into your shoulder.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you from any scary janitors, alright?"

You roll your eyes, shoving your hands down into your pockets. Meandering past the store's windows, and, thankfully, out of view, you exhale, moving through the rain-soaked streets.

"…but yeah, it's cool."

You emerge from the jacket's collar, face burning.

"I mean the rain thing. I get it." Susie squeezes the back of her neck, seemingly rolling the thought around, considering her words carefully, "…ugh. Used to, you know, look for…frogs."

You stop in place, the scaled girl failing to notice.

"…frogs?"

She freezes, head lifting back up from her reverie as she twists back around, "Y-Yeah. That a problem?!"

You raise your hands up in front of you, "No, no, just…"

Gently biting the bottom of your lip, you catch back up with the girl, an orange glow from above reflecting off each puddle underfoot.

"…did you catch any?"

Susie blinks, eyes darting to the side as a streak of violet raises up her neck, "I don't know…I-I mean, sometimes?" She grabs the side of her arm, "Wasn't really…just used to go down to a lake when I was a kid. Look for shit that washed up or whatever. Can find some cool stuff if you know where to look."

You nod along, wandering past a number of trees, their branches bending in the breeze.

"I'd just sit by the shore sometimes when I didn't have stuff to do." Flickers of orange light bounce along her scales, her eyes locked onto the ground below, "Was pretty often, actually. Didn't always have people around or…" She glances up at you, eyes searching for your gaze before continuing, "So I went down there, found some stuff, sometimes brought it home. Found a basketball one time, this giant tree branch that used to drag stuff in from the water, even found a chair floating in a nearby river. Thing was gross as hell, but after it dried for a couple days, I kept it in my room. Smelled pretty bad, but it lasted a few years."

You watch the dragoness continue to trace through her memories, a soft smile plastered on your face. Passing over the traffic lines once more, you walk along your neighbor's house, a worry building in your mind. You begin to slow your steps, Susie following suit.

"Would go down there when it was raining too. Didn't really care or anything, and hell, even more stuff would wash up after a storm."

"…and frogs?"

A chuckle bubbles up from the scaled girl, "Yeah, frogs too. Be hopping around all over the place. It was stupid, but…it was kinda cool to just watch them. With the rain going, searching for things washing up on the shore, watching the dumb little things hop around…" Susie peers up towards the darkened sky, rain bouncing off her maw, "It was…something else. Didn't have to think or anything. Wasn't anything else but that. Didn't have to focus on whatever. Wasn't school, wasn't home, wasn't-"

You cock your head to the side, eyes narrowed.

Susie shakes her head, hair twisting wildly, "It was stupid. But whatever. Don't do that anymore, don't need to. Got the Dark World stuff, Lancer, Ralsei, buncha friends that I gotta keep track of all the time…"

A shuddering sound picks up in the forest, branches creaking and moaning, the rain carrying through the canopies. You listen closely, quietly, the downpour continuing to drown out most of the world. Wincing, you try to find Susie's gaze.

"Sorry, rambling like a dumbass. Come on, your place is right around the corner. Kinda tired of being soaked."

Susie whips her head to the side, flinging her mane off her face as she flashes you a toothy grin. Without another word, she buries her hands in her pockets, struggling to force them through, beginning to wander past. Silence rings in your ears as you remain in place. Your eyes search the ground, a nearby puddle reflecting back. The distorted image of the two of you twists and curls along the water's surface. You watch the ripples unfurl with each droplet's landing, a stop-motion slideshow of each passing moment, soon leaving you the sole figure in the darkening picture. You stare down with a huff, gently tapping the surface with the tip of your shoe.

"…you'll want your jacket back after this, right?"

A quiet squeak echoes out, heavy boots coming to a sudden halt.

You click your tongue, "Doubt you'd let me keep it. You wear it pretty much every day after all. Be a shame if-"

A low growl emanates from behind you.

"I'm just worried it could tear, and then what? You'll be without a coat when it's getting colder every day!" You limply flop a sodden sleeve to your chin in thought, "Maybe we could ask Ralsei to make you a new one? I'm sure he wouldn't mind. Maybe something with lots of spikes and-"

"Kriiis…"

You peer down the road, marking your path. Weave around the puddle hiding under a pile of leaves near the tree, dip around the weird bent house if things get too close, and by the time you reach your dad's shop, it should be a straight shot.

You cast a glance over your shoulder.

And flash one last smile.

"GODDAMN IT KRIS!"

Your shoe crashes into the puddle below, barely able to gain any traction as you sprint away, heart thrumming in your ears once more. A lime green blur passes in your vision as one after another, each of your neighbors' houses cease to be. With a single, clean hop, you dodge the leaf-filled pitfall, ducking under the shadow of the curved house, swinging along the edges of the wall before emerging back out to the golden trees surrounding. Breathlessly, you clear the sidewalk near your father's store, flinging yourself down the dirt path onwards, a cacophony of grunting and bellowing doing little to deter your efforts. Trudging through the more-mud-than-dirt road, you nearly lose your balance, grabbing onto the rusted green tables for a single moment, righting yourself just enough to finish your journey. You finally spot the water's surface, a shuddering sigh escaping your lips as you watch ripples throughout the sapphire pool ahead, burnt orange and red leaves being carried about.

You close your eyes, ready for the impact.

This would probably suck.

Heavy footfalls lurk behind you as you squeeze your eyes as tight as you can, awaiting the bone crushing attack once more.

Another step.

Closer.

Right at your side.

"…ugh."

You wait for the inevitable, bracing yourself.

Until a claw flicks against the side of your head.

"Ow."

"Done running?" A low grumble sputters out.

You open your eyes, blinking away the streaks of water dripping down your forehead, "…uh…yeah?"

Susie lets out a tired sigh, arms crossed as she looms above you, "Like, actually done? Done-done?"

You glance out across the lake, twigs and leaves floating along, back to the dragoness, her eyes narrowed.

You nod.

"Cool."

You feel an arm wrap around your waist, pulling you closer to the tired girl as she begins to drop down, dragging you firmly to the ground.

"Agh!"

Susie wraps her other arm around, wrapping you tightly in an awkward hold, the back of your head resting in the crook of her neck, "Stop struggling so much, jeez. Sit, chill." She sniffs loudly, a cruel chuckle escaping her lips, "You smell like a wet dog. Told ya it'd happen. Serves you right."

You grumble, "…least I don't smell like burnt toaster crumbs."

"Will after wearing that jacket all day, freak."

You roll your eyes, pulling away just long enough to stretch your legs out towards the shore. Placing your palm out, you watch as a number of droplets collect atop. One…two…three…slower now, paced. You cast your gaze across the lake, sparkling lights beginning to form on the surface, piercing through the clouds above.

"…seen frogs here before." You mumble, hiding back underneath the dense coat.

Another mirthless chuckle rises up from your side, "Bullshit."

"I have! It's…kinda rare. And it's only when it rains, but you can hear them sometimes. At least down that way, kinda in the forest a bit." You turn towards the trees, squinting into the surrounding darkness with a huff, "I think."

Susie throws a hand through your hair, water flinging off to the side, "And…that's why I'm not sitting in front of your television with you snoring on the other end of the couch?"

"I don't snore."

"How would you know?"

"Because you always fall asleep first, and you typically fall asleep on me and…ugh, never mind." You pinch the bridge of your nose, "…just thought you'd want to see them."

The lake glistens silently, the gentle pitter-patter dying down. Ripples across the water's surface come to a close, the reflections of myriad stars shining throughout. You sweep a hand up and past your curtain of hair, pushing away the remaining moisture.

"Guess I have bad timing, huh?" You chuckle mirthlessly, "Could come back at some point. Could show me where to look for stuff that washes up. Or something."

Susie squeezes you tighter, dragging your directly underneath, allowing her maw to rest atop your head. You stifle another bout of laughter as her breaths sweep through your hair.

"Already told you, don't need any of that anymore."

"…I know. The Dark World, Ralsei, Lancer-"

"Got you too."

A knot forms in your throat.

"…r-right. Like you said, you've got friends and-"

"No. I've got you."

Your breath shudders, "Y-Yeah, I know, but-"

"Kris."

You feel claws wrap along your waist, clinging to you tightly, Susie's breath fluttering through your hair, warmth surrounding you. She turns, burying further into you, her cheek resting atop your head. You stare out towards the starry sky, glimmering reflections dancing along the water's surface. A steady heartbeat thrums in your ears, the panic melting in your chest. A single droplet falls from a strand of hair, the rain having finally ceased, leaving the world in silence. You allow your eyes to drift, listening closely, sensing another heartbeat just as near, just as loud.

"…oh."

"Dumbass."