Archive of Our Own

It's not a particularly uncommon occurrence for Agott to stumble upon a sleeping Coco in their shared study room — in fact, some time ago she would frequently walk in on the other hunched over at her desk at the darkest hours of what was morning at that point. However, it seemed to be a habit that eventually subsided, especially in moments of little particular stress, and so Agott assumed that Coco learned her lesson after the time she became quite ill after doing so for a prolonged period of time.

Of course, Agott herself has no lesson to learn in regards to late-night… early-morning studying, so what if she continues to stay up a few days a week to commit to her studies? She, at least, doesn't (and this is alleged solely by her, and if anyone claims otherwise they're obviously just lying) makes the mistake of slipping into accidental sleep during it anymore. She'd like to say that she is aware of her limits, and she knows when her eyelids start drooping to the point where it's clear that any more attempted practicing will only result in negative progress. She retreats to her room promptly, sleeps well enough in the comfort of her own bed, and probably repeats the process the next night.

It's monotonous and planned. She learned her lesson from the first few times she fell asleep in the study room, back when she was first getting used to life in the atelier — the horrible ache in her neck from using her desk as a makeshift headrest lasted far too long for her to ever forget the feeling. Oh, and how it took around half a clock mark to be able to stand up after resting on her knees for so long… yes, Agott very much does pride herself on discovering the best way to maximize her time at night without most of the detriments.

Maybe Coco hasn't yet discovered this balance after all, though. Pretty much ever since they all came back from Ezrest, excluding the day she scared Agott half to death with her temporary departure, Coco has been spending nearly all of her nights in the study room. It doesn't seem to be some sort of manic, desperate force of self to create something or anything like before; it looks more like a newfound motivation or passion, or something. Agott would probably admire it if it wasn't for the fact that she could feel the phantom neck and knee pain vicariously through Coco.

Not that Agott isn't spending much of her own nights in there, too, but as stated before it is mostly done within the confines of her known limits. Anyways, as much as she once despised the fact that she had to share the space with another, she can admit that she really doesn't mind sharing it with Coco now. Seeing her work so hard is a motivator in itself, but also — ugh, and it's literally so stupid the more Agott thinks about it, but she kind of, like, just enjoys being in the same room as Coco. Um, and so when she falls asleep there, it feels sort of like an expression of vulnerability, right? Which is such a stupid thought to think because it's not like Agott really likes being vulnerable herself, even in a minute and meaningless way like that, but she's still trying to interpret the other girl's accidental actions meaningfully.

Although it probably would be the right thing to wake Coco up each night so that she can return to her own room and rest comfortably there, there's a selfish little brushbug in her brain that prevents her from doing so. Because if Agott alerts her a few times, it won't take long for Coco to eventually begin to do it on her own. She'll have developed the same careful formula as Agott for herself, and then it'll never happen again. Which… is fine, and Coco's neck for the morning will certainly appreciate it… but there's something Agott likes about the routine of it. Where, as soon as Agott spots the other girl sleeping, she no longer hesitates to drape a blanket over her shoulders, pretending like she hasn't been keeping it in the room purely for this reason, and wakes up the next morning to find the blanket neatly folded beside her desk, a faint smiley face indented in its fuzz at the top. Maybe she just likes helping the other in a way that Coco can notice, but that the two of them don't have to talk about it because that would be really embarrassing for Agott who's trying to pretend like she doesn't really care about it all that much.

Unfortunately, as Agott will come to find out, Coco can't read her mind. Either that, or Coco is actually more willing to be open about her feelings on things like this than Agott is — both of which being very likely and certainly not mutually exclusive.

On this particular night, Agott doesn't notice Coco has fallen asleep until she finds herself tired, already ready to retreat back to her room. The time had simply escaped her, and it seemed to have escaped Coco as well by the way she rests her head on her desk's terribly hard surface. Agott winces before committing to the routine: setting the book she had been reading somewhere on the floor rather carelessly, she lifts herself up from her own study space to grab the so-called "designated Coco blanket" from beside her desk and places it on Coco's shoulders. Only, this time Agott lingers around the girl for just a little too long. She kind of just wants to look at her — and that's really weird of her, isn't it? Instead of returning to her own space, Agott stares at the slumbering form of Coco as if studying her. She's positioned in such a way that Agott can see around half of her face, the rest obscured by the arm she lays her head upon or the strands of loose hair which nearly cover her eyes.

Instinctively, entirely without thought, Agott reaches her hand out to tuck the hair behind Coco's ear. She regrets it immediately when the other girl begins to stir at the gentle contact. Agott immediately pulls her hand back, clenching her fist as she too stiffly positions her arm at her side. Weakly, Coco rubs her eyes and looks up at Agott who, despite the cold of the weather, feels her entire face burning up.

"Whuh…?" It takes a few seconds for Coco to sleepily prop herself up from where she was laying, but it seemingly doesn't take very long for her to get much of her energy back afterwards. "Oh, Agott — did I fall asleep here again?"

"I — uh, yeah. Sorry… uh, for waking you," Agott stammers in response, feeling both really stupid for some reason and still uncomfortably warm. She repeatedly clenches and unclenches her fists beside her.

"No, no, you're fine!" Coco turns her head both ways to stretch, incidentally cracking her neck in the process. The two of them wince. "I should really stop doing that, haha… I always get a horrible ache in my neck in the morning, and it takes me around half a clock mark to be able to stand up because of my legs falling asleep…"

"I know!" Agott blurts out because that's literally exactly what she's been thinking. Coco's startled face at her sudden impassioned reply makes her too conscious of the awkwardness of her words, however, and she suddenly gains awareness of her present nervousness.

"Oh! Um…"

Why did she say that? "I mean, like, I experienced that, too, when… ugh, forget it," she concedes, conclusively unclenching her fists to bury her head in her hands. Her face somehow feels even warmer than it did before, and she really can't understand why such an insignificant interaction is flustering her like so; perhaps she had gotten too used to the norm of the aforementioned routine that even a minor disruption is enough to unsettle her. Or maybe she's just too tired to think properly.

This just earns a series of quiet giggles from Coco, who reaches up to motion to the darker-haired girl to sit with her. Out of sympathy for Coco's neck, which likely aches even more horribly when craned up to look at a standing Agott, she accepts the offer. The room returns to its chillier temperature as she forces down the nervousness. Trying to retain at least some of her dignity, Agott clears her throat and restarts her response, saying, "Sorry, again. You've been falling asleep here nearly every night, and I wasn't sure if you wanted me to wake you or not, so I haven't been — not intentionally, anyhow…"

"You're fine, seriously." Coco smiles reassuringly. "Lately, it's just been way easier to fall asleep here, when you're around, than in my own room," she admits.

"Oh." Agott is sort of flattered but also unsure of what to say. "I can go back to my room earlier, then, if it's become a problem—"

And this time it's Coco's turn to suddenly blurt a reply of her own: "No! I mean…!" The girl shakes her head as she continues, "...you can if you want, obviously, but I think it's a good thing for me."

"Even though it must be incredibly uncomfortable…? It certainly can't be good for you physically, especially long-term." Agott raises a brow.

"Well, that can't really be helped," she begins, "but, um, I've been getting nightmares pretty often since I first arrived here, and everything with Silver Eve has only sorta made things worse — not just nightmares, but also falling asleep at all in my own bed. So, I guess I'm grateful I can sleep easier here, even if it's uncomfortable in the morning…"

Hearing of Coco's problems replaces any of Agott's other thoughts with an instructive urge to help her. She hums and takes a moment to properly respond, being careful with her words. "What if it can be helped?" she suggests. "Namely, with the aching each morning. I'm assuming it's not the place which provides this ease, but the fact that you're accompanied by someone. So, what if I — I mean, we, since I'm sure Tetia and Richeh might like to help, too — slept in the same room as you? Like… a sleepover, I suppose." She wrinkles her nose slightly at the term, feeling awfully juvenile for saying it with such seriousness. "Um, the idea is that after a bit you'll end up being able to fall asleep better on your own, perhaps. Really, it's more of a temporary fix, but…"

"Oh, a sleepover!" Coco perks up a bit at the idea, but she bites her inner lip while thinking about it even more. "I mean, that really would be lovely, but I don't want to inconvenience you or anyone, you know? I'll be fine as I am now. I really appreciate the offer, though."

"It's not inconvenient. I certainly don't… mind, personally," Agott corrects, averting her gaze to the concrete flooring.

"Really?" When Agott gives her an affirmative nod, Coco places her hand on Agott's, prompting her to turn and look at the other girl as she stares directly into her eyes. She says, so genuinely, "Thank you, Agott — that's really nice of you."

Agott turns her head away again. She would almost regret offering if it wasn't for how sincere Coco's reaction was, as well as the fact that she really does want to help out her friend in such a simple way. "Y-yes, yes, alright." She waves her free hand dismissively because it really isn't that big of a deal. "Shall we set up our beddings in the center area, then?"

"Yes! I'll get my things right now!"

"Mm. I will, too."

They both put away the products of their studying before temporarily retreating to their respective rooms. When the two arrive back at the study room with their blankets and pillows, they find that the area between their respective desk areas is rather narrow, able to only barely fit the two of their makeshift beds when squeezed next to each other parallel. This is, of course, a detail which is totally and completely fine to Agott because she can be totally and completely normal about sleeping so close to Coco, and it's not nerve-wracking literally at all for reasons she can't really fathom literally at all. She tries to force herself to not think about the proximity in favor of the fact that she's just helping her friend out, putting exaggerated effort into her setting up.

When Coco finishes placing her sheets and pillows, she makes a quiet noise of approval at her work before crawling into her bed. She stares up at the ceiling drowsily, not quite making the full effort to fall asleep yet. Agott follows the other girl's actions soon after. Looking at Coco up close now — admittedly she is staring a bit, but she doesn't think Coco minds — she notices how tired her fellow apprentice really looks. Maybe Coco's usual, joyous expression hides her sunken eyes enough for it not to be detected otherwise, but seeing her in this lethargic state makes it obvious. Agott's eyes trail down her face to look at the newer scar near her cheek and frowns.

Agott only averts her gaze to the ceiling only when Coco begins to speak, startled into self-consciousness by the sudden noise. It's a simple question, and she figures she can guess why it's on Coco's mind: "Do you get nightmares, Agott?"

"Hmm…" She thinks. "I used to, especially when I was younger, but enough time has passed since… well, I don't exactly recall much once I awake. My dreams aren't vivid, anyhow, so I doubt I dream any more than I get nightmares."

Coco nods quietly, making no verbal response while she seemingly ponders over Agott's answer quite deeply. Her silence almost unsettles Agott into elaborating more, feeling like she might have overshared or maybe was a little too insensitive in her response considering Coco's own situation related to nightmares, but the other girl beats her to saying anything. "I'd like to think you still dream anyway," she declares, soft but resolute, "even if you don't remember it."

Agott lets out a short exhale of amusement. It's somewhat of a childish statement, she can admit, ignoring the way it fuzzies her brain and accelerates her heart a little. "Alright. Then, I'd like to think the same for you — that you're dreaming in all the times you're not having a nightmare. Uh, like… not even while… even when you're awake, too? Ugh."

Coco giggles at Agott's inadequacy (she probably doesn't view it as that, but, well, Agott did start floundering like one of those myrphons) before rotating her whole body to be laying on her side, facing the darker-haired girl directly. She smiles and closes her eyes. "Goodnight, Agott."

Feeling the uncomfortable warmth in her face again, Agott flinches and grabs the top of her blanket, pulling it over her shoulders with a great force as she turns her own body around to face away from Coco. Clicking her tongue, she reaches her hand out to rid the room of light, taking the paper seal out of the tray of her portable floatglow lamp to effectively put it out. She shifts around in an attempt to make herself comfortable on the hard floor and wraps her arms around her torso, having the urge to simultaneously hold something and be held, but finding no satisfaction in doing it to herself. And finally, only once Agott can hear Coco's breaths evening out into that of slumber does she clutch the sides of her nightgown and whisper back, "Goodnight, Coco."

—

When Agott wakes up in the morning, her shoulders and back and hips ache from having pushed all of her weight onto them in her sleeping position. Some parts of her body feel numb from the pressure, and for a few moments in the sleepy state between consciousness and unconsciousness she finds herself disoriented by the unusual location at which she awakes. In what world would she ever willingly choose to sleep on the hard floor as opposed to her soft bed; in the chill rather than the warmth? It had already taken her a while to fall asleep to begin with despite her tiredness, and from the lighting of the room she figures that she's also woken up earlier than usual. Only once she recognizes the sleep-blurred green figure beside her does she begin to recall her reasons, remembering that a world with Coco by her side is absolutely one she would sleep on the floor for, a million times over. (What? Alright, that's quite a stupid thought — seriously, what?)

It doesn't take long for Agott to pry herself from her sheets, shivering as she gets up and remembering some vague mantra of heat rising or whatever. She tries to get up as quietly and with as minimal sharp movement as possible. She peers down at Coco, whose chest slowly rises and falls methodically, eyes shut with no indication of agitation. There's something weirdly charming about actually being able to see her face while she sleeps when Agott has been so used to seeing her head buried in her arms atop her desk — and it's not a picture-perfect sight, Coco doesn't seem to be having the best sleep of her life or anything like that, but she doesn't look like she's been having nightmares all night. Agott's lips curl downwards at the thought of the alternative before tip-toeing out of the room.

Other than the brief ache with which she woke up, the day seems to proceed as usual. There's a little bit of studying; there's a small commission nearby that Master Olly takes them to; there's all sorts of small, customary things of that nature.

Coco had followed her down some time after she left the room in the morning. Agott pointedly did not acknowledge that anything had differed in both of their routines with anything but a subtle nod at Coco during breakfast. It's not that she wants to keep it a secret, per se, because there's really nothing to actively hide, but, well. If she mentions that her and Coco had a "sleepover," as immature as the word is, then at least Tetia would be interested in the idea, and Richeh would probably follow after her. For some reason, however, she doesn't find herself as open to the idea of the others joining them as she had suggested the night before. Of course, she likes them both very much, and she always appreciates their presence even if she doesn't like to admit it, but…

Ahem. It can just be kept as an Agott-and-Coco thing, even though she can't really explain why she wants it to be kept as that. It's a selfish thought, she can admit, and she feels a little guilty for somehow gatekeeping Coco's time. But it's not that big of a deal, is what she ends up concluding.

Night falls quickly as winter paints the sky black always with far greater haste than Agott ever expects. Feeling somewhat antsy from such a slow day — perhaps the events of Silver Eve have unfortunately heightened her idea of what a normal day should consist of — she feels the urge to practice her drawing late into the night again. After washing up, she enters the room to find that Coco had the same idea. Agott glances at the makeshift beds in the center of the room and carefully steps over the blankets and pillows to get to her desk.

The two girls practice their spells in parallel. As they work, they do not speak a word to each other, and it's the times like these which Agott, weirdly enough, seems to treasure the most. They're not at all notable, and she probably couldn't recall any specific memory of which it happens. She's never been… great with words, though, so she appreciates the moments where there's little reason to use them. She struggles to say what she means and sometimes says things she really doesn't mean to say, and words towards her have done her little good in the past. As such, when she gets to occupy a space with someone quietly, it feels like she can be her most sincere. She'd say this affinity is part of why her and Richeh get along. Lately, she doesn't mind being around other people, contrary to what many may think about her, and contrary to what her past actions have implied — so long as the others are quiet while she's trying to focus.

There's also something weirdly and unfamiliarly comforting in knowing that someone is there with her, and also that Coco in particular is there with her, and she hasn't unexpectedly run off again — although she technically did leave a note last time. It's still nice to know, is all, in case something horrible happens again, or…

Aaaahem. Clearly she's not doing as much studying at this point as she is thinking about pointless things, so she ought to call it a night. She sets her pen down with a soft sigh, stretching her arms before unceremoniously snatching her scrap papers from her studying and throwing them below her desk. She'll deal with that later; her desk looks plenty clean from a glance and that's all that probably matters. Agott's movements stir Coco from behind her, who cranes her neck back in order to look at the other. "Are you going to bed now?" she asks.

"Yes, I suppose I must soon." She pushes a loose book from the floor under her desk as well. She'll probably remember that it's there whenever she needs it next.

"Okay! Then I'll start getting ready for bed, too," she asserts as she turns back around and sets her own pen down. Agott watches her gather her rather large amount of papers and place them into a neat pile at the side of her desk, momentarily propping them up vertically to even them nicely.

"You don't need to if you'd like to study a bit more. I'll still be here regardless." Agott rises from her desk to get ready for bed because she feels a little weird just staring at Coco as they talk. She bends over to slip the seal off of her floatglow lamp to conclude her night and shuffles over to her sheets. Darkness swiftly envelops her side of the room, leaving only Coco's half illuminated. With the way in which Coco's lamp is positioned in relation to where she sits, it casts a sort of rim lighting upon her; the light outlines her figure with a distinct yellow, allowing Agott to distinguish even the stray hairs about the sides of her head. And… well, Agott is staring again, so she diverts her attention towards making a weak attempt at fluffing her pillow.

More shuffling sounds emit from Coco's direction, and the light eventually vanishes. "You're right, but I'll always have more time to study another day, so I'd rather not ruin your sleep with the noises and the light. But I also liked the feeling of falling asleep together, you know? — As you said, like a sleepover! It really did help, too, with the nightmares and the neck thing…"

Agott is once again flattered by something Coco says on a whim that she probably doesn't really mean to Agott in specific, and it makes her feel silly for even hoping it could be. She resolves to nod with a hum of affirmation, done with her show of getting ready for bed and finally laying down. As Coco gets herself ready, Agott buries her body in her sheets, already feeling the cold of the room. The atelier is generally accommodating of the weather, sure (they even use non-magical fireplaces when they're called for), but the study room isn't a particularly well-heated area. It's not made to be slept in, after all.

Despite her internal complaints, she doesn't truly care about this issue. She'd probably sleep outside with nothing on but her nightgown if Coco wanted her to. Which is just utterly ridiculous, as she is most certainly aware.

Simultaneously sharing and snapping her out of her thoughts, Coco utters, "Brr!" as she settles into her makeshift bed, almost immediately pulling up her own blankets to the very top of her shoulders. There's only a single beat of silence before she asks, "Do you like the winter, Agott?"

"It's fine," she replies quickly, "and you?"

A finger pokes out of Coco's blankets to tap against her chin. "Hmmmm… I guess you're right; it's just fine. I like the warmer seasons more for sure. But there's still a lot of things you can see in winter that you can't see anytime else." Pondering more, she stops tapping her chin and simply rests her index finger there. "Hey, don't you keep a spare blanket in here? For when I'd fall asleep at my desk?"

Agott lets out a quiet urk at hearing Coco speak it aloud, then making sure she clears her throat in order to fruitlessly mask her being caught off-guard. "R-right, what of it?"

"Well, I was thinking that we could maybe use it right now on top of our other blankets…?"

It's only then that the idea of using the snugstones that Master Olly gifted them comes across her mind, but in all honestly Agott isn't quite sure where she put hers at the moment and has a strong feeling that Coco's isn't available, either. She doesn't know how much another blanket will do for Coco, but she nods without delay anyhow. "You can use it, sure. Let me g—" Coco doesn't let her finish her thought once she gives confirmation, springing up from her covers to bend over Agott to fetch the blanket herself. The girl nearly throws her whole body onto her to reach it; they had already been quite physically close before, but now it's on a level at which Agott can't even try to pretend to not be flustered by it, much to her chagrin. She tries to stammer some sort of response but can't find the words, only watching in silence as Coco returns to her own personal space on her own side, unfolding the blanket and spreading it out atop the both of them. They're still so close next to each other that it manages to fit them easily.

"There we go!" is all Coco says about it as she plops her head back on her pillow. At once Agott becomes so incredibly grateful that she can't read her mind after all, but in a way she wishes that she could because not even Agott can decipher what's going on in there right now. It takes her a moment to realize that Coco really did mean to share the blanket, unlike what Agott had automatically assumed — it's a small but telling action, isn't it? Still working on not being so consumed with her own desires and a sense of pure self-preservation, Agott still can't fully fathom Coco's unbridled selflessness bursting at the seams in even the most trifling moments. It isn't like Agott had expressed any sense of being cold, yet Coco extended her warmth without hesitation. Ah, or maybe she's thinking far too much about something that shouldn't be so read into; what's with her and long-winded, Coco-related internal tangents lately, anyways? Perhaps she's too tired.

Agott lowers herself into her sheets, encovering her chin. She feels a strong urge to divert the conversation towards something she's more familiar with, something safe that she knows she's not going to blunder for inexplicable reasons. Not that she feels entirely uncomfortable with it — lately she's become a great deal more willing with accepting the changes that happen to her — but she's kind of had enough with dealing with herself right now. "Have you been working on any new spells?"

"Not really… I've just been practicing spells I already know, or learning already-existing ones recently." Coco lets out a lighthearted sigh. "To be honest, I'm not really sure what I should be specifically preparing for, for the third test..."

"I get it," Agott agrees. "It is somewhat difficult to gauge, especially considering how the last exam went."

"Yeeep…"

"I think that… we'll be fine, though, regardless of if it goes the way we expect or not. We both have our stains to prove it, no?" Agott outstretches her arm from under her blankets to look at her ink-stained hands, and Coco mimics her actions a moment afterwards. Agott turns her head to glance at Coco's hand, but she's quickly interrupted when Coco shuffles a bit to place it onto Agott's, and — at this point Agott is too tired and has done enough excessive contemplation, so she lets it happen without thinking too hard about it. She even folds her fingers in between Coco's slightly, and the other girl does the same. Agott feels her lips twitch upwards as she studies their hands.

"And we'll be together, so…" Coco adds in a softer tone. She lowers their hands to rest on the floor, though there's no indication of her being willing to let go. Agott doesn't really want to, either, in all of her selfishness. Although this entire setup is simply a means to helping Coco with her nightmares, truly nothing more than that, Agott revels in the way in which she is both needed and able to be so close to Coco at once. Selfishly, horribly, she hopes Coco's nightmares never go away unless Agott is there to accompany her…

She isn't sure if she was able to express her agreement verbally before she drifted off to a quiet sleep almost immediately after shutting her eyes, feeling warmer than she did just the night before, and not quite as a result of the additional blanket atop her.

—

…and then she wakes up with a distinct ache in her shoulders and, most familiarly, her neck from having craned it towards Coco for what was likely the entire night. It's ironically exactly what she's been trying to avoid with her whole routine, and also she can tell it's far too early for her to wake up and have gotten a reasonable amount of sleep, but any semblance of annoyance disappears when looks over at the source of the added heat and pressure in her left hand. Their grips on each other are loose from their unconsciousness, making it easy for Agott to slide her hand out as much as she doesn't want to. She slips out of her blankets and then the room quietly, though not before grabbing the book she shoved under her desk the night prior (see, she knew she'd remember where it is). She exits with a weird haste that surprises even her, and she tries not to look at Coco as she closes the door.

Agott finds the atelier quiet and empty when she descends the staircase. She walks over to the living room space and settles down on the floor, leaning her back against the sofa and facing the fireplace. She places her book beside her, not feeling the desire to read it just yet. Watching the small fire bounce with vigor, she finds that she feels tired but not exactly sleepy. She doubts that she'd be able to go back to bed at this rate, and even in this lethargic state there's far too much on her mind. Namely, there's far too much Coco on her mind, which obviously isn't a bad thing, but the way in which it happens just… disorients her.

She's had her fair share of thinking about others, of course, and even thinking about them in depth; after all, her entire life's goal thus far has been related to concerning herself over her family and how she can prove herself to them. This is much different than that, though, and it's much different than how she'd think about anyone else in the atelier, too.

Ugh. She really doesn't like not fully understanding things, especially in relation to herself. This isn't exactly something she could just study, is it? She can't exactly read up on why such a simple act as sharing a blanket or holding hands can have such a great impact on her psyche to the point where all of her thoughts go back to the girl with green hair. If she orients her thinking to the past she simply reminisces on a few hours ago; to the present she wonders if Coco is thinking of her the same; to the future she imagines what they'll talk about or do that night, already assuming that they'll naturally sleep in each other's company again. In her solitary silence she still feels overjoyed that Coco needs her — relies on her — for a sort of comfort.

But as much as she likes a challenge, there's hardly any room to learn when she doesn't even know where to start. Agott lets out a groan of frustration, uncaring of how she'd look to any others until she realizes another presence in the room via quiet footsteps approaching her location. She swivels around to find her master walking towards her.

"Is something the matter, Agott?" Master Qifrey asks sweetly, taking his place next to Agott against the couch. He leans over to get a better look at her, potentially inspecting her for any signs of physical ailment, probably finding nothing but darkened eyes.

"Ah!" She blinks in rapid succession in surprise before regaining her composure. "No, not particularly — my apologies for the disruption. Something is simply… on my mind."

"Well, if it is distressing you so, you are very much free to tell me about it. Of course, so long as you feel comfortable enough to share."

Agott shakes her head, though not for reasons she assumes he expects. "No, that'll be alright," she answers. It'd be a bit weird to talk about Coco to Master Qifrey in the atelier they all reside in; anyhow, it's just a thing — it's not even a problem, save for the way it takes up much of her brainspace — for her to deal with herself, for one. For two, she's pretty sure she'd end up being the topic of his and Master Olly's late-night conversations over some drinks if she explained it and there's something about that which feels sort of humiliating. "It's not distressing, don't worry — I suppose all things considered it's somewhat of the opposite."

"I see…" Qifrey nods in understanding, but Agott can tell just from the glint in his eye that he's still curious. Maybe this will still become a midnight conversation topic after all, but Agott feels better about it considering she hasn't said anything about Coco yet. "Well, if you ever change your mind, I shall always be here to listen."

"Thank you, Master." She dips her head down slightly and watches as Qifrey's gaze moves from her to the book. In another act of curiosity, he tilts his head to get a better look at its back cover, the side which currently faces up.

"What have you been reading?" he asks.

"Just something I picked up in Kalhn." Honestly, it's not a particularly ground-breaking book in terms of its effectiveness in her studies. Despite its length, she hasn't really learned much that is directly applicable to her casting. It's still interesting, however, learning about the why of things, and it gives her a nice break from solely drawing all of the time. "It's a book on fire magic — though more so the theory behind much of it than anything."

Qifrey gives her a short hum of approval, reaching over to pick up the book and inspect its front cover, now. He places it back down shortly after and brings his attention back to Agott. "Do you read for leisure often, Agott?"

Somewhat surprised by his question, Agott takes a moment to think about it. "Mm… not particularly. It's—" a waste of time, she almost lets the words slip from her mouth, but she stops herself because she objectively knows this isn't all true. She's been learning to appreciate more supposedly menial pursuits, anyways; that's something Coco has shown her. "—just that I'd rather read something more productive when I have the time."

"Mmmm…" Qifrey hums again, but Agott can tell it's not of approval this time. He adjusts his glasses slightly. "I believe even books of pure fiction have their merits, both in entertainment and in information. Even if you do not learn a spell or a theory or anything like that, you gain a different perspective, no?" He then adds with a chuckle, "And I'm sure it could take your mind off of things, if you do wish for that."

Agott bites her lip, well-aware of the fact that the man is attempting to push her into reading something just for fun, likely something to do with expanding her daily repertoire and learning a lesson about a good work-life balance. She understands how he works when it comes to her and these things; he usually lets her work as hard as she wants to, but he'll constantly remind her that she doesn't always need to work as hard as she can. Agott hesitates to let Master Qifrey win this one but ultimately yields, also well-aware of the fact that she probably isn't going to retain anything from the other book if she tries reading it this morning anyways. "Alright," she sighs, "do you have any recommendations?"

As it turns out, her professor doesn't quite have a recommendation so much as he has a small shelf in the living room dedicated to this cause. Agott figures she's just avoided it for so long that she simply stopped seeing it, reducing it to decoration rather than something with use, but it's apparently existed since she first became an apprentice. Of course, it went underutilized by her, but Master Qifrey says that the other girls took a liking to it, which prompted him to keep collecting these communal tales. Anyhow, he instructs her to take a look at whatever intrigues her most and says he'll be in the kitchen if she needs help picking something. She obviously doesn't need help for something like this, but her mind continues to drift back to Coco and she wonders if Coco has read any of them and if she has anything to suggest. Agott realizes she's unnecessarily thinking about Coco again and, out of frustration towards herself, snatches a book at random before plopping down on the sofa.

Agott reads the book periodically throughout the day, splitting her time between that and studying with minimal interruptions. After the apprentices' collective morning lesson, she draws, reads a chapter to pace her practice, and goes back to drawing. If the day prior was customary, today is devoid of anything to do at all. It's not quite boring, though, as she finds herself immersed in the book. It certainly isn't anything she would ever pick up on her own accord which may be what Agott finds most fascinating.

The story is written in common script, and she can tell that the author is likely an outsider by the way the book depicts the witch deuteragonist. She's this mysterious, cryptic individual who speaks very little, and if she does it's in a sort of rhythmic, riddle-like way. Agott knows that witches can certainly be eccentric (to be honest she has yet to meet a truly normal one, making her question the definition of normal entirely), but something about how the character is written makes it evident this eccentricity comes from a place of ignorance rather than that of personal relation. Anyhow, the character is evasive enough to be cold, contrasting the warmer exterior of the outsider — or, as she is described, "human" — protagonist. It's one of those novels in which nothing in particular happens; the main focus of it seems to be on the friendship between the outsider and the witch as opposed to any fantastical events.

Hmm. Perhaps it would have done her some good to have read this before she met Coco, but she has been too far into her guilt for the things she's said in the past to engross herself in what-ifs.

Night arrives once more, and Agott returns to the book as soon as she washes herself up. She hunches over at her desk, turning the yellowed pages at a relatively fast pace. At this point she's much too invested to finish after just one chapter, and the only thing that prompts her to pause is when she feels her shoulder being tapped with a gentle touch. Jolting up into better posture immediately, she swivels her head back to stare up at golden eyes.

"Oh!" Coco lets out a gasp, taking a step backwards after seeing how strongly Agott reacted to the touch. "Sorry for scaring you!"

"I wasn't scared," Agott murmurs with a pout, "just surprised. What do you need?"

"Well, I just wanted to tell you that I think I'm gonna go to bed early tonight," the other girl explains as she fidgets with the hem of her dress absentmindedly. "I wanted to stay up more, but I guess I'm just really tired right now."

Agott nods in both acknowledgement and understanding. Had she not been so focused on the book she wouldn't be surprised if she would have retreated for the night early as well after having subpar amounts of sleep in the past few days. She wonders if Coco has been having similar experiences as her, so she asks, "Have you not been sleeping well?"

"Umm, well, not really, buuut…"

"Buuut?"

"No, it's nothing!" She shakes her head and waves her hands in front of her for emphasis. "I really am grateful that you're doing the whole no-nightmare thing for me, really! It really does help!"

"...but the floor isn't exactly the most comfortable place to sleep," Agott assumes and guesses that she's correct by the way Coco relents in her exaggerated movements to slouch a bit with a loud exhale.

"Yeah, I didn't wanna say it, but — yeah. I'm guessing the floor hasn't been too nice to you either, then?" It's Agott's turn to shake her head, prompting Coco to scratch her cheek with a sheepish, apologetic smile. "Aw, I'm sorry, Agott! I wasn't sure if it was just me who was kinda uncomfortable, haha… we don't have to sleep here anymore, I'll probably be fine, so—"

Scrambling for something to say to interrupt Coco's train of thought, Agott quickly stammers, "No!" She takes a moment to think about what to say next, refraining from (admittedly uncharacteristically) making some self-sacrificial offer to keep sleeping on the floor of the study room before remembering that Coco probably doesn't want to keep doing that, either. She does have to admit that the excitement of the prospect of a sleepover with her friend doesn't take long to fade when it comes at the cost of more negative side effects, especially the aches that she's been trying to avoid. However, she still does feel the urge to help Coco, and that greedy thought of getting to spend time with her that no one else can invades her mind once more. "Alright, how about… well, I'm not quite done reading for the night. What if we returned to our own rooms tonight, but I could stay in yours until you fall asleep?"

Coco's expression lightens up with a genuine smile at Agott's suggestion, and the latter can't help but smile along with her. "Oh, that would be wonderful! I think it'll work!"

It's decided, then. Agott feels something tug at her heart when she has to first peel the outermost blanket from the floor — the one typically designated for Coco and the one that they shared the night before — and that same morose feeling returns as she carries the rest of her sheets and pillows to her own room. Objectively, her room is much warmer than the study room, and she knows that she'll sleep a lot more comfortably atop a bed as opposed to hard concrete, but…

What matters most is practicality and ensuring that they get enough sleep, not these weird sentiments she's feeling about what really was a very brief era. But Coco still needs her, she tells herself, and that reminder alone is enough to bring her back to a state of normalcy. (Which is stupid, she knows.)

Agott finishes putting away her things after Coco, who now waits in the comparatively empty room, does. She beckons Agott to follow her, and the two go down the stairs at the side to Coco's room once she picks her book up again. The door is already ajar when Coco pushes it open properly to reveal what is a surprisingly barren room, identical to hers with the exception of her personalized modifications. The more that Agott thinks about it, though, the more it does make sense. Coco's introduction to the world of witches had been more than sudden; it wasn't like she had any time to collect things to personalize her current living space from her old home, and unexpected encounters with Brimhats likely only caused her to forget about trivial things like decorating. It makes Agott a bit sad on behalf of her friend — she's grown to really like the trivial things in life.

While Coco settles into her bed, Agott takes her place at the small couch beside it. She sits cross-legged, resting one foot on her leg and the other on the small chest on the ground next to the chair. She really is sitting right next to Coco, she realizes as Coco properly lays down in her bed, and as a result she almost feels guilty when she asks, "May I keep a light to read?"

Of course Coco, in all of her gracious and unrelenting consideration for others, gives her a thumbs-up. "Sure! I don't mind."

"Thank you," she replies as she flips to the page she had quickly memorized as having stopped at. Agott looks up at Coco once more. "Goodnight. I hope you rest well."

Coco says a goodnight of her own, and that concludes their interaction for the night. Agott squirms around on the couch for a few moments to test comfortable reading positions from which her small light source would be able to illuminate. She ends up laying down perpendicular from how one would typically sit on a chair, resting her head on one armrest and her feet on the other, facing towards Coco's direction.

She reads — and she reads for a time perhaps far longer than she originally intended. The story simply grips her so; despite its inaccuracies in how it depicts magic (further confirming her theory that the author is not a witch themself), the way it builds the relationship between its two main characters is so interesting. She can feel her eyes begin to droop but refuses to take a break for the night. From her own analysis, which she can admit is likely not as complex as it could be for she has little experience in evaluating the nuances of literature, their friendship is a lot more complicated than that of typical friends. The barrier between witch and outsider is only one factor which contributes to this; the more she reads, the closer she gets to realizing—

—Oh, it's not just a friendship…!

It takes her far too long to come to this conclusion with the way the novel seems to have to spell it out for her to get there. Agott lets out a surprised squeak once she arrives at a kissing scene, instinctively shutting the book entirely before remembering that she's in a room with someone who is meant to be sleeping. "Sorry," she whispers just in case, although Coco does not stir from where she slumbers whatsoever. Agott peeks open the book again, feeling oddly flustered by the actions of book characters. She shuts it gently again afterwards, though, unsure if she'd be able to read much more in this state.

Besides, once the initial surprise at this little reveal resolves, she can feel her sleepiness physically weighing down on her. For how long has she even been reading? Agott hardly has the energy to expel the light beside her, reaching over sluggishly to slip the paper out of the lamp. Pushing herself up slightly so that her neck presses against the armrest, she takes one final gander at Coco ahead of her, who has become but a blurry figure in the short distance, and then allows her eyes to shut. Holding the book in her arms with clasped hands, Agott figures that Coco probably won't mind if she rests for a moment or two before returning to her room to sleep.

—

Her neck! Her neck! Goodness, why did she think it was a good idea to rest in such a position? Nay, why did she think it was a plausible idea that she, in such a tired state, could close her eyes and not immediately fall asleep? Not only did she awake with the exact discomfort she's been mentioning and complaining about for forever, but she also most certainly intruded in Coco's space for far longer than invited! She does not believe that Coco particularly cares that she did, but it's just by principle that she should have made her leave at an appropriate time. Now, glancing back and forth at the glimmering window and the empty bed, Agott groans at her own carelessness. The bright rays of sunshine pouring from the glass signifying a sun long risen serve only as ridicule towards her; the small specks of light dance in mockery in the air.

It takes her quarter of a clock mark to comfortably move her neck without a sting of pain after waking up, and her legs are wobbly and stiff once she's able to pry herself off of the couch. She folds the blanket that had been covering her onto the chair (when did that even happen, anyways?). Once composed enough, she exits the room and walks towards the main past of the atelier, bringing down the book with her.

When she descends the stairwell into the living room, she immediately spots figures of pink and blue near the fireplace, hearing quiet murmuring from their direction. Automatically, Agott walks towards them, making herself known with a little wave. It's not often that Tetia and Richeh are up after she is — after all, they tend to reasonably value their sleep, and Agott unreasonably does not. She digresses. "Good morning." She looks from side to side. "Where is Coco?"

"Morning, Agott!" Tetia looks up from the book that she and Richeh had been assumingly reading together to narrow her attention on the black-haired girl. Richeh follows her actions with a quiet morning to accompany. "Coco and Master Olly went out to do a commission together — I think he's gonna take us all on individual trips eventually. Oh, and Master Qifrey's gone, too, he said he had something to take care of somewhere. So, it's just us here!"

Figures. Agott resolves to apologize to Coco whenever she gets back. "I see," she hums. "What have you two been up to?"

"We are reading to the brushbugs," Richeh replies as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. Only at her mention of them does Agott notice the two critters resting in both of their laps, the white one in Richeh's and the black one in Tetia's. The brushbuddy looks at peace wrapped around itself and buried in the fabrics of the girl's dress, but the brushbully narrows its eyes and lets out a disgruntled hiss at Agott for her intrusion. She scowls back and for some reason has to refrain from hissing back at it.

"I… see." Agott looks back up at the two girls, now maintaining her normal expression though she lifts a brow with slight incredulousness. "Do they enjoy it?"

Tetia nods with vigor, her eyes brightening at the question. "Yes! We recently discovered that it's the one thing that makes the brushbully not want to attack the brushbuddy, so we've been reading to them to keep the peace!"

"The brushbully is a scholar," Richeh adds in complete seriousness.

The wholehearted sincerity in her statement causes Agott to let out a sharp exhale of amusement. "Alright, then. Do you know if breakfast was prepared?"

"Well, it waaas, but…" Tetia looks over at Richeh.

"…it's about time for lunch now," the other apprentice finishes for her. Agott's eyes widen slightly at the information — she knows that she had awoken late, but she didn't think that it was late enough to have skipped breakfast hours entirely.

"Yeah, hold up, did you only just wake up? You're usually up before we are."

Agott clears her throat. "Well, perhaps so," she mumbles, "but it was only because I was up late last night."

"Oooh." Tetia tilts her head in curiosity. "Studying?"

"Well — um, perhaps not," Agott answers honestly and feels somewhat embarrassed at her reasoning. She lifts her book up for the two girls to see. "I was reading. I was simply so invested in it that I completely lost track of the time." She ignores the detail that she was in Coco's room while she read because it really is a completely irrelevant fact and she'd still rather not have the others know about it for whatever reason.

The girl with pink hair gasps. "Oh, I love that one! That's the one where the girl and the witch fall in love, right? But they can't really be together ‘cause, like, y'know how it is?"

"That is a good one," Richeh adds. "Forbidden romance… I didn't know you were into stuff like that, Agott."

"I-I'm not!" She's a bit too quick to defend herself as Richeh gives her a knowing stare. "I just happened to pick it up at random at Master Qifrey's suggestion. I had no idea it was meant to be a romance until quite late into the book."

Tetia and Richeh glance at each other before returning their attention to Agott. The brushbugs do the same to each other even though they certainly have never read this particular book themselves. "I think it's pretty obvious it's meant to be a romance from the beginning, though? Unless that's not the case… I mean, I haven't read it in a little bit, so I might be wrong—"

"Nope. It definitely was obvious from the start."

Agott huffs to put an end to this conversation topic, lowering the book again and placing one hand on her hip. "Anyways, the logistics of it don't matter. I'm assuming that we are to retrieve our lunches ourselves, then?"

At the other girls' affirmation, Agott heads to the kitchen to start preparing… something, and she gets a better semblance of what she should make once the other two pause their reading (much to the dissatisfaction of the brushbugs) to join her. Tetia and Richeh are to assemble some soup with the broth that Master Qifrey leaves for occasions like this, they decide, and Agott is to prepare some sort of side. She instinctively reaches for ingredients to make a mariberry pie, which will most certainly take more time to bake for them to be able to use it as a lunch side, but they all agree that a dinner side is good, too, and that the other three residents will be more than happy to come back to the atelier with a freshly-cooled pie anyhow.

With her having already prepared the crust dough under a cooling seal, the pie is already left alone to bake by the time that her fellow apprentices finish with the soup. She thanks them for their efforts and serves herself a bowl, sitting at the communal dining table next to Richeh.

They all eat in comfortable silence until Tetia perks up out of nowhere from her seat. "Oh, I just remembered to ask! Did you need something from Coco? Since you were asking where she was earlier."

Agott takes a moment to swallow her current bite to respond. She stirs the broth of the soup with her spoon idly. "Ehm, nothing serious in particular. I was mostly just wondering."

"She's always wondering where Coco is," Richeh explains to Tetia, stating it with such objectiveness that it is evident that she doesn't care whether Agott is present to hear it or not. She turns her head to give her a somewhat bewildered look.

Before she has a chance to explain herself further, Tetia pipes up, "Huh, actually, this is true…" Ruminating, the girl places an elbow on the table and taps her cheek.

"She probably wouldn't have noticed if one of us was gone until a few hours in. Wehh, she probably doesn't like us as much as she likes Coco…"

"Hey! That's no—"

"That's not true," Tetia argues with a grin, seemingly done with her contemplation. She waves her spoon around animatedly, getting a little too into the discussion now. Agott almost thanks her, but then she adds, "She just likes Coco in a different way than she likes us, you know?"

Agott scrunches her face, unsure of what she means by that. "Okay, I don't know if that's—"

"That's true!" Richeh interrupts. She starts jabbing her own spoon in the air in some incomprehensible excitement. "Wait… that's true. You're so right…"

"What's that even supposed to mean?"

"Right?!" Okay, Agott is getting really irritated by the way the other two girls are ignoring her, except not actually annoyed because she knows they're just being playful and she can handle a joke like the mature individual she is. Despite this, though, she still finds herself genuinely confused by their conversation. It's like they're speaking more words to each other than Agott can actually hear. Still, they simply give each other a knowing look from across the table and burst into a song of giggles. Agott sighs and goes back to eating, giving them an exaggerated eye roll she doesn't quite mean.

"Don't worry," Richeh faux-comforts once she's done with her laughing fit, gently patting Agott on her back. "Agott is a Smarty-gott. She'll figure it out eventually."

She huffs, "Let's just eat our food," which causes them to giggle again. This time, Agott finds herself smiling a little bit, too.

It's around time for dinner once everyone arrives back at the atelier. Supper passes by in a flash; Qifrey takes it upon himself to craft something new for the evening despite his busy day. Of course, Agott makes her appreciation known to him as usual, and she feels a silly sense of pride when the other girls follow in her expression of gratuity only after she initially does it herself.

What she doesn't say, though, is anything to Coco specifically. She supposes that she might as well wait to apologize until nighttime if it's been this long since she first meant to already. Besides, there's something about the dark and the fact that it's only just them two that makes her feel a little better about being more vulnerable. Upon completing her nightly routine, she returns to the study room, finding the other girl already there. She opens her mouth to say something, but Coco beats her to it:

"Hey, did you want to share my bed tonight?"

"I — excuse me, what?"

Coco averts her gaze sheepishly. "Well, you fell asleep in my room last night, right? And, like, I know sleeping like that on the chair was totally uncomfortable, sooo I was thinking maybe it'd work out better if we just, ummm, shared the same bed? That way, we'd both be able to sleep comfortably for sure, and I still'll be able to sleep better…"

Agott isn't sure how to respond because there's something about the idea of sleeping literally directly next to Coco that really flusters her. Sleeping beside her in their own beddings is one thing, and accidentally falling asleep in Coco's room is another, but this feels like an evolution from both of these things. She flushes, feeling warm, and also averts her gaze. They're probably looking away at the same part of the floor. "Uh, I — I mean, that'd be fine with me, if that's okay with you…"

"Okay, then it's a deal!" Coco chirps, and her once shy disposition appears to vanish instantly. Her enthusiasm lowers slightly when she clarifies, "Oh, and I'm sure my nightmares and things will go back to normal soon, so it's definitely not, like, permanent. Just, um, making it clear."

"Yeah, of course," Agott agrees even though she definitely wouldn't mind it being a permanent thing for some reason. "Were you thinking about going to bed again soon?"

"Mhm. But if you want to study or read a little more, I obviously don't mind staying up more."

"That's alright." She notes that she does feel a bit tired, and although she's still very much invested in the book it might be better if she paces herself in reading it — if she continues at the rate she's going at now, she'll be finished within a few hours. "Um, I'll get my pillow, and then…?"

"Let's go!" Coco gestures towards her again once she retrieves it, and Agott follows her to the former's room once more. This time, she feels especially antsy, as if what they're doing isn't just the natural progression of their new routine. Coco practically jumps into her mattress, settling into the right side of the bed as she pats the top of the other side to let Agott know that she can take her place there. Agott takes Coco's offer after a brief moment of useless hesitation, and she places her pillow down at her designated spot before tucking herself in next to Coco. The green-haired girl turns to lay on her side to get a good look at Agott.

"This feels like… like a super sleepover, you know?"

Agott snorts. "Hmmm, I'd rather call it a highly close-proximity development in our sleeping arrangements."

"You and these names!" Coco laughs, covering her mouth as she does. Agott really can't deny the way that she grins along with her. She suddenly feels a little too warm, like she's maybe buried herself in one-too-many blankets. "You know, I feel like I haven't seen you much today!"

"I agree. How was your trip with Master Olly?"

"It was so cool!" Coco lights up as she speaks, and she kicks her legs back and forth in elation. "Obviously, I pretty much have a good idea on what magic can do and how it can solve problems by now, but it was seeing the townspeople being so grateful for the help that still gets me. Like, we honestly didn't do that much to begin with, but it was something that they weren't able to do on their own without magic…" She trails off, her tone becoming more melancholic the more she thinks about it in depth. "Anyways, what were you up to?"

"I understand… but at least you were still there to help, right?" She's not sure if this is really that great of comfort, but she already knows that she's not the best at doing that to begin with. "I've been mostly reading and drawing all day — again."

"Oooh! Were you reading that book you had yesterday? What's it about?"

Agott attempts to formulate a summary that wouldn't have any spoilers. "Hmmm… well, it centers around a witch and an — a non-witch. Due to societal complications, they're not meant to be as attached to each other as they are, which is the main conflict. Even though they're not meant to be together, they can't help but try to get as close as they can… or something like that."

"Oh!" Coco gasps, clearly already interested in the premise alone. She takes a few seconds to register what was explained to her before responding, "Awwww! So, they're in love when they're not meant to be, right?"

"Yes, that's…" Agott begins to speak, but then a different, more harrowing realization hits her as though someone suddenly threw a pyreball at her head-on, causing her to suddenly cut herself off—

—Oh, she likes Coco…!

Well, of course she likes Coco, she's known this for a while, but it only just comes to her that she… like-likes her! Obviously, that's what Tetia meant by telling her that she likes Coco in a different way than she likes the rest of them. She feels stupid and embarrassed and all warm and gross and lovely all at once. It simultaneously satisfies her continuous questions of wondering why she's been thinking about certain things in a certain way but also makes her feel pathetic for having those questions to begin with. She lets out a squeak that could border on a squeal or a shriek, immediately going to cover her face with her hands lest Coco sees how red her cheeks are probably getting. Although she doesn't get to see how Coco reacts, she doesn't think she wants to see the other girl's face at all upon this realization. She'll get flustered all over again just looking at her, and she's already embarrassed herself enough, and…

"Agott?!" Coco calls out, attempting to pry Agott's hands from her face. Her tone sounds concerned.

Agott moves her hands off in order to completely submerge herself under the comforter. In a muffled voice, she declares, "Umm, let's just go to bed! I realized that I'm really tired right now! Goodnight!"

Still confused but now assured that it's probably nothing particularly dire to which Agott reacted so strongly, Coco simply giggles in response before placing her sheets over her shoulders as well. Agott pokes her head from the blankets to finally face Coco again, and she finds that the other girl still hasn't turned to her other side or her back. Agott feels too warm again seeing how fondly Coco stares at her.

"Hahah, okay, I guess! Goodnight, then, Agott."

Although Agott squeezes her eyes shut until she doesn't need to force them closed, she still doesn't turn away from Coco. In fact, she inches a hand towards Coco's under the covers, allowing their fingers to brush gently. The other girl seems to get her silent message — her wordless plea, even — by wrapping her hand around Agott's. Agott wonders if the warmth of Coco's touch will burn her with the way she already feels overheated, but right now she figures that she'll be able to deal with herself and all those other complicated, new thoughts in the morning. For now she can allow herself to bask in Coco's presence; she can allow herself to be comforted by the fact that Coco will sleep without nightmares, and the fact that Coco needs her and that she needs Coco, and the fact that they'll have each other again the next day and the next and the next and…

And… and… and…

—

That night, Agott will dream:

She will be holding yellow shoes in her hand and woolpuff flowers in the other, walking towards some unknown destination. She will watch as her bare feet bend the grass on which she steps to her whim, and she will look up and see the clouds part above where she travels to reveal a familiar shade of cerulean. In the distance she will spot a girl with green hair holding black shoes and sprouting millflowers where she strides. There will be no seals present but there will still be magic everywhere — in where the girl with green hair imprints, and in where the girl with black hair looks. It will be one of those dreams in which nothing in particular happens, and it will be lovely all the same.

Agott won't remember why she wakes up with fond and faint impressions of sylph shoes and green meadows, millflowers and woolpuffs, witches and outsiders, and all the kinds of magic and people that she loves, but she will wake up with these thoughts nonetheless, and she will carry them with her in her subconscious until the day she simply no longer has any room in her mind to remember them.

—

It isn't exactly usual that Agott wakes up a bit later than usual once, but it becomes concerning when it happens twice in a row in combination with the curious chat she had with Qifrey just a few days prior. She's the kind of student most teachers would beg to have, with the way she tends to plan her entire schedule around her studies — a schedule for which "sleeping in late" is simply never so much a consideration, much less an intended daily routine. One must not mistake Qifrey, however; he is more than happy to let his students sleep to their healthiest capacities, but it is in this new, odd routine that prompts him to worry that Agott hasn't been getting a healthy amount of sleep at all. Admittedly, she's always been the most difficult to manage out of the girls when it comes to these things; she is so insistent in her perceived self-efficacy and individualism that it's rather hard to keep track of whether or not what she thinks she should do is actually detrimental to her health.

Anyhow, his normal frets aside, Agott's late morning absence simply isn't normal. As much as he dislikes invading his students' private spaces (for he knows what it is like to have very little privacy at all, with the Great Hall operating as it does), he cannot help but allow his worries to bring him outside of Agott's door. He means only to check up on her and confirm that she is still well, really, but his anxiety only grows when he receives absolutely no response upon knocking at the door. He knocks once more, and then again, and only after the fourth reply of silence does he apologize for the intrusion before opening the door himself to discover… absolutely no one within.

If he had been worried before, he is practically frightful now! In the midst of his jumbled anxious thoughts he recalls Olruggio telling him a story of how Coco had been acting somewhat off during their trip — off in a way that reminded him of the way in which Agott was behaving during their brief chat that one morning — so he hurries over to the room across Agott's, knocking four times again before hesitantly inviting himself in with an apology. This time, though, what — or, rather, who — he finds brings him only relief.

There he sees the two girls, wrapped around each other to the point where it's hard to decipher whose entangled limbs are whose. In their sleep Agott holds Coco and Coco holds her back. Qifrey isn't sure when the last time that he was able to see the two so tranquil and at peace; and for himself he feels a sense of nostalgia for a time that didn't exist and a moment that never happened for one reason or another. The man chuckles to himself and quietly makes his exit from the room. Perhaps that was what Agott had been so concerned with, he thinks, and his smile carries with him as he makes his way downstairs, returning to the kitchen with a pleasant expression upon his face.

"’Ey, what's with the grin? Is Agott alright?" Olruggio asks him, raising a brow at Qifrey's sudden shift of mood.

Qifrey waves a hand dismissively. "Oh, she's alright," he replies with another knowing chuckle, turning his attention back to the mountain apples he had been cutting up prior to checking in on his dear apprentices. "Say, how about I tell you about it later — perhaps during our next late-night conversation, over some drinks?"