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dialovers-translations · 3 years

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DIABOLIK LOVERS MORE, MORE BLOOD Vol. 12: Mukami Ruki [Another Story]

Original title: アナザーストーリー

Source: Diabolik Lovers More, More Blood Vol. 12 Mukami Ruki [Deluxe Edition]

Audio: Here

Seiyuu: Takahiro Sakurai

Translator’s note: I feel very much conflicted about this CD still. While I do kind of like how they took a different approach with the Another Story track and the way it ends, I still think Ruki went way too far in the main CD. It was interesting to see everything from his perspective too, although this means there’s a bunch of inner monologues in this and it’s Ruki so they’re quite long. I try to break up the paragraphs by describing what happens based on background sounds and such but this one just has a bunch of rambling lol.

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“Lately, she has been formidable. Even though she was always the type of girl to make the most foolish mistakes, to the point where one would wonder if she did it on purpose. She has not been getting scolded by me either. That does not bother me. Or at least, it shouldn’t bother me. So why do I feel so...restless?”

*Ding・dongー Ding・dong*

Ruki walks up to you in the inner courtyard.

( So that’s where she’s been...Look at her just casually watering the plants... No wonder she did not show up in the library. I assume she has completely forgotten about our meeting. )

“So this is where you’ve been.”

You flinch.

( Huh? What’s wrong? Why would she be so surprised just because I called out for her? Also...Under normal circumstances, I’d assume she would panic and spray water all over me with that hose she just so conveniently happens to be holding. Yet, she made the wise decision and turned off the water. )

“Oh well. I shall praise you for ceasing your actions as soon as you saw your Master approach. However, there should be something you have forgotten.”

You bring up the promise.

“Oh? So you do remember. Then you should have just hurried to the library.”

( Now this is new. I didn’t think a scatterbrain such as herself would have remembered our plan to meet up. No, if she remembered, she should have come to me straight away. Did she only just now remember? Even so, her behavior is off. Or am I simply overthinking things? )

*TIMESKIP*

( Once it starts boiling, the dressing will be complete. Which leaves just plating the salad. )

You enter the kitchen.

“...Hm? You’re already here? You almost resemble a dog or a cat rather than livestock, lured in by the scent like that. Let me tell you just in case, it is not feeding time just yet. Wait until I’m done preparing it.“

You nod and leave.

( Oh? She left without offering to help? I’m glad to see her so obedient, but then what did she come for in the first place? Usually she would insist on helping even if it’s more of a bother and either cut her finger or break one of the plates. Those are the kind of things she does. )

He turns off the stove.

“What is this feeling as if something is...off? Something about the way she’s been acting trips me up. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen her make a blunder even once as of late. That isn’t something which should bother me, but I just can’t seem to get rid of this unsettling feeling in my chest. What has gotten into her...?”

*TIMESKIP*

Ruki enters the room

“We finally made it back. That was quite the disaster. ...Honestly, why do I have to wear the clothes she picked out for me? Well, I suppose she did not make a bad choice for once. I’ll add it to my collection of casual wear. That being said...Nothing happened today either.”

He takes a seat on the bed.

“How many days has it been since she stopped making mistakes? She won’t even show dangerous behavior. What kind of miracle is this? No, I do not mind that. I shouldn’t mind it. It basically means a huge pressure has been lifted off my shoulders. Then why do I feel so conflicted? Her suspicious behavior piques my interest, but even beyond that...”

( I felt as if something was lacking. Oh, I get it now. It all makes sense now. I have not gotten to taste her blood as of late, so I must feel unsatisfied. I am not the type of guy who easily becomes thirsty for blood, nor would I indulge in her without a good reason. However, with less opportunities to punish her, our time together automatically decreased as well. To be upset because of that, I must seem like a spoiled child throwing a tantrum because his mother does not pay enough attention to him. It is obvious since when I have become so obsessed with her

...Since the moment I decided to betray the whole word and chose her, I must have already been enraptured by her. Harshly sucking her blood while restraining her movements was something which fulfilled my desire for dominance. It most definitely made me feel good. However, somewhere deep inside, I felt relieved when she accepted me without fighting back against it. At some point, I even began to cherish those moments where I would pierce my fangs through her skin. I must be quite the easy man as well. I always thought I was in charge, but I may have actually been the one wrapped around her little finger instead. (1) I cannot show myself to that man like this. No, I assume he is already well aware. )

Ruki suddeny raises his head.

“Hm...? That man? Speaking of which, that hourglass I gave her...I considered the possibility but could it be...? Even if she were to make some sort of mistake, if she rewinds time, she could do the same scenario over again. If she makes it so only she remembers, it would be easy to keep it hidden from me. I wanted to believe I was simply overthinking things, but now that I think about it with a clear mind, it really is suspicious...I’m sure that even someone as slow as herself would eventually get things right after two of three tries. If she has been using that hourglass to cover up her own mess-ups, then I have no other choice but to punish her for such a foolish act.”

( It became clear to me that I would have to set up a trap to find out the truth. ーー And if her actions were to be exposed, I would make sure to compensate for the lack of disciplining these past few days. I can already imagine her crying out. I probably should not feel proud for having such thoughts. However, this is not a bad situation. It may be somewhat shameless, but it seems like I am enjoying it quite a bit. To get to use her own blunders as an excuse to suck her blood, or knowing that no matter what I do, she will not get away from me. )

“I suppose I shall enjoy our time together for the first time in a while...Which may just turn out to be a hellish period for her.”

*TIMESKIP*

*Ding・dongー Ding・dong*

Ruki pulls back after sucking your blood.

“...Hah. Your blood tastes even sweeter than usual. By sucking it repeatedly, the flavor ripens, becoming richer, almost like wine. Or in other words, like a stew you kept on the stove for too long. If it simmers any longer, it might just burn. I suppose we could put it to the test. After all, no matter what happens to you, all we have to do is turn back time.”

You keep quiet.

“You can hear me, right? Why not give some sort of reaction? I would not mind seeing you miserably struggle in vain.”

You still fail to give a response.

“Guess she really did lose consciousness. Judging by the looks of it, I doubt she will wake up even if I were to rewind time. I guess you could consider us even now. Perhaps I went a little too easy on her, but I shall forgive her now.”

He takes a step back.

“Such an innocent sleeping face. Almost as if the obscene expressions you showed me earlier were nothing but a lie. Your sheer white complexion and screams were not bad. As well as how you would cling onto my clothes, remaining by my side despite your obvious fear.”

*Thud*

“...Ah!”

*Cling*

“The hourglass...”

Ruki picks up the Hourglass.

“That man might have been testing me after all...Me? Or rather, us? ...Now that I think about it twice, the ability to manipulate time is something which should only ever be given to God. We could have possibly overthrown all logic in this world if we so wished. Yet, we used it to cover up for trivial mistakes. Then this is basically just some child’s toy. However...I am sure that was for the best.”

He turns his head to look at you.

“You might be more of a genius than I thought. However, how many times did you rewind? The magic has almost run dry. The few times I rewinded are basically irrelevant. I wonder just how many times you repeated your own ridiculous mistakes? Oh well, I shall drag that out of her later. I doubt she will easily confess though. ーー No, I suppose there is no point in asking her. I can simply confirm it with my very own eyes.”

*Cling*

“With this amount, we can still turn back time just once. That’s plenty.”

*Thud*

*Tick tock - Tick tock - Tick tock - Tick tock*

ーーー

“Hm…”

You approach Ruki.

“Oh? It’s you. No, it’s nothing serious. I was simply lost in thought.”

You take notice of the hourglass in his hand.

“You seem curious. Are you that interested in this thing? Blood red sand…Its decorations are beautiful as well. It would make for the perfect interior piece.”

You ask if there is a catch.

“No, it’s jsut a regular old hourglass. There is nothing special about it.”

*Thud*

“More importantly, you mentioned you wanted to look for resources for your assignment, right? Meet me at the library during tomorrow’s break time. I shall help you.”

You seem surprised.

“Yes. As your Master, it is my duty to look after you. However, do not be late, okay?”

You nod.

( Well then...I wonder what the next few days will have in store for me? How many mistakes will you make, and how many times will you get punished by me? ...I am looking forward to it. )

ーー THE END ーー

Translation notes

(1) Literally he says that he always intended to be the one ‘holding the reins’, but instead he was actually tied up/restrained this whole time.

#diabolik lovers #dialovers #ruki mukami #diabolik lovers more more blood #diabolik lovers translation #diabolik lovers drama cd #drama cd

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silveraccent · 4 years

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Enter Sandman || Grace & Kaden

TIMING: Current (POTW) LOCATION: Grace’s apartment PARTIES: @silveraccent @chasseurdeloup SUMMARY: Kaden comes to help Grace figure out the source of all the sand in her apartment. Metallica helps them understand what’s going on. Some feels are included.

There wasn’t a whole lot that Kaden felt like he was getting right as of late. All his efforts to help seemed to be in vain. So when Grace asked for help with a seemingly mundane task, he couldn’t come over to the apartment complex fast enough. It might be stupid but if he could jsut succeed in one thing, just help one person out maybe he could fet his head on straight again, figure this shit out. Alright so she hadn’t asked for help so much as advice, but Kaden was beginning to become an expert on windows. He had certainly repaired and replaced enough by now. Sealing one? Piece of cake. Plus, he was curious about this sand situation. What was sand doing on a fourth floor apartment anyway? Toolkit and sealant in hand, Kaden knocked on the door and waited for her to open it. “Hey. Not a pie but might be more useful in the long run,” he said, offering her a smile. “How are you doing?” He hoped it was a causal question. He worried it might not be. Didn’t hurt to ask, right?

Their last interaction being a bit more disheartening than she had first planned, Grace wanted to make a better impression-- to show that she was doing better. However, the situation with the sand, regardless of having made an effort to clean time and time again since her return to her apartment, was no use. The only explanation was the window carrying its grit through obvious cracks in her window. Though, when she had gotten it replaced, she hadn’t anticipated there being anymore issues. It was possible that the company Regan had referred her to wasn’t that great, and that maybe she should reach out for a refund. Instead, she was pulling the door open to see Kaden. She stepped aside with a smile, “I mean, the pie can wait-- I’m tired of sand in between my toes.” Grace closed the door behind him as she turned back towards the window. “I’m… doing better, actually.” She wasn’t sure if it was the truth, or if she was lying for his benefit-- there was something clearly wrong with him. There was a hopefulness to him, but it was shrouded in anxiety. “Healing right up,” Grace motioned to her ear before she approached the window. “How are you?” She asked, waiting for him to lie to her.

“Putain de merde, it’s that bad?” Kaden peeked inside and sure enough, sand. Everywhere. It looked like some sort of beach side house. Only that was far from the case. He stepped inside and scuffed a little with his shoe. It didn’t exactly reveal any information about it beyond it was definitely without question in fact sand. That didn’t stop him from crouching down, setting his tools aside to pick some up in his fingers. No, nothing strange. Still. Beyond the fact that it was here at all. “You are?” he said, perking up a bit as he looked up at her. Oh. Maybe he shouldn’t sound so shocked. “I mean, good, that’s good.” His brow furrowed a moment as he stood up again, gathering his things before walking to the window. “You’re sure?” he asked hesitantly. Maybe he should accept the lie, or truth, whatever it was and move on. Hell, she had, she was questioning him. “Uh, been better. I’ll be alright. Let’s take a look at this window, shall we?” He trekked over to the pane of glass in question and started inspecting. The creased in his forehead deepened the longer he looked. It looked… fine. Just fine. He’d just look harder.

Grace watched as Kaden began to investigate the sand. She didn’t know why it was happening, or how. No matter how many times she cleaned, it never seemed to help. It was beginning to get into her bed, too. In an attempt to keep Ruthie’s tank clean, she had moved him into her bathroom, away from any windows. Still, there was sand, even then. “I am,” Grace said after a moment. Maybe if she said it enough times, she’d start to believe herself, too. It’d be easier to convince herself she was okay if she were to say it out loud. Her journey to forgiving Regan had been one that developed purely out of stubbornness at Regan’s unwillingness to accept that she was going to forgive her, but it was bound to happen sooner or later-- Grace was bad at holding grudges, even when somebody had hurt her to the point in which Regan had. Kaden’s deflection caused a crease in Grace’s brows and she crossed her arms over her chest. “Okay, I mean I guess that’s why you’re here, not for anything else, right?” She tilted her head to the side as she looked at him as he began to look at the glass. “Are there any cracks you can see? Maybe I missed something,” She said as she squinted at the window.

“Hey, I asked how you are,” Kaden said as he continued to run his fingers along the sealant of the window. Putain, it felt even and normal. “I swear if there’s not even a single thing I can get right for once,” he mumbled under his breath, entirely to himself. What if he tore the sealant out or just did it again anyway? That would help. Fucking hell he just wanted to help. Before he let the urge to punch the window get the best of him, he sighed and turned back to her. “Was there something else you wanted to talk about then? You’re making it seem that way. Go on, lay it on me.” It was a bad day when talking was going to be the thing going right for him. It sure wasn’t his strong suit. But he might as well try, it couldn’t be worse than the perfectly sound window he was there to fix. He pushed his hair out of his face and checked the window closer. There had to be something wrong. “You’re sure it’s coming through here? Because I can’t see anything. There’s no reason for this.” He scrunched up his face a moment. Maybe he was looking for the wrong thing. A normal solution to a supernatural problem. Putain de merde, he hoped that wasn’t the case. Increasingly he was thinking it might be.

The longer silence warped the space between them, the more Grace felt his sudden anger. She involuntarily flinched away from him, despite the fact that he hadn’t made a move. Gripping the edge of her window, she tried to focus on it. She wanted to ask what was wrong, but wasn’t sure how. She typically tried to ignore it, tried her best to focus on something else. Maybe she was a horrible empath, her inability to allow people in extending to the matter of when somebody needed a shoulder. “There wasn’t really much,” Grace said as she pressed her fingers into the wall. She wondered if she pressed hard enough, it’d crumble away. “It’s the only place, I think. I don’t know. Maybe the ceiling? But it’s not popcorn or anything, it’s just.. Paint.” She looked up at the ceiling as if to make her point before glancing back over to Kaden. He didn’t seem upset, not visibly, so her asking him if he was okay, she wondered if he’d chalk it up to her just being particularly observant on the recent activities that concerned Regan. “Are you okay?” She asked, voice uneven.

Kaden saw the flinch and looked around a bit to see if there was anything that might have startled her. There was no sound, he knew that much. If there were, he would have heard it of all people. Especially over her. He grit his teeth, trying to stave off the sudden guilt he felt over the thought. He hadn’t even caused it, not even remotely directly and he still had a feeling it would take a while for that to subside. He sighed and decided he was just going to check the stupid ceiling. “You got a step stool or ladder or something? I mean I could stand on your table but I don’t think you want that.” He looked down at the sand again, picking some up and examining it in his palm, hoping there was some answer here, a clue, anything. “Hmm?” he asked, his head jerking over to look at her. She seemed a little… upset, perhaps? Unsure at the very least. Definitely concerned. “I’m alright. For the most part. Why are you asking?” He could feel tiny pricks of defensiveness creep in and he nearly winced at himself. “It’s been a rough week. Well a rough few weeks actually. But I’ll figure it out, I always do. Anyway, it would be nice if we could fix your sand problem, give me one stupid victory this week, alright?”

“I have a chair,” Grace offered with a half-smile, half-frown. She padded over to the small kitchenette and grabbed a chair from the dining table and set it in front of Kaden. “It’s not that safe, but the ceiling isn’t too high, right?” She asked as she tilted her head back to look up at the ceiling. She gripped the back of the chair as she watched him fiddle with the sand that was on the ground. She wondered if she’d ever permanently get rid of it, even after more stopped accumulating, or if she’d be stuck with it for forever. Grace tilted her head to the side slightly as he spoke, “I’m just asking. You checked up on me, but is anybody checking up on you?” Something told her that nobody was. By his agitation, his frustration-- his restlessness. She was sure that even if she hadn’t had the abilities that she did, his emotions would be easy to pin. “I don’t doubt you can’t fix it, but it’ll be hard to fix it if you don’t know where it’s… fucked up.” Grace squinted up at the ceiling. There were no visible cracks.

“Yeah, that’s fine,” he said with a shrug. “Definitely not the most dangerous thing I’ve done in the past two days, it’s fine.” Kaden climbed up and didn’t have too much trouble brushing the ceiling. He ran his hands along it, trying to see if there was anything to drag up. Nothing but dust. “Putain,” he said with a cough. “Who knew ceilings could collect dust.” He coughed a few more times, his lungs trying to clear themselves. “That’s it, though,” he said before climbing back down, “no sand. It’s strange.” He pursed his lips and tried to think of possible connections, explanations. He knew Bloody Mary was hanging around but she had shit all to do with sand. Unless, you know, you figured glass was made from sand. At insane temperatures. No, didn’t seem likely. He was snapped out of his thoughts by her question. “I don’t know. Maybe?” he sighed again. She was barely older than Blanche. She didn’t need any of this bullshit. But he also didn’t want her to keep asking. “A few people have. I don’t know. There’s just a lot. And not much anyone can do.” He rubbed the back of his neck and decided how much he wanted to let her in, how much he wanted to dwell on any of it just yet. “I don’t know how much of my shit you want to deal with. But thanks. For checking,” he said, giving her a half smile. “This helps. By the way. Just trying to, you know, doing normal shit. Helping. Whatever.”

“You’re going to make me insecure about my ceiling,” Grace countered back, squinting up. When Kaden wiped his hand along it, she quickly tipped her head down to avoid any dust falling into her eyes. Grace made way for him to get down and let go of the chair. She wasn’t sure why there was so much sand in her apartment, or the hallways for that matter. All she knew was that she wanted it gone. It didn’t seem, however, by Kaden’s expression, that he knew where it was coming from. Grace watched Kaden carefully, her gaze searching for any telltale features on his face, to see if he would make an attempt to lie-- she’d be able to call him out on it, though, she would be able to feel if he were lying to her. It felt different for certain people, but usually if she paid attention to their mannerisms, their moods, and their words, it was easy to pick apart. For the most part, however, Kaden seemed to be telling the truth. There was certainly a lot going on, all of which she wasn’t sure of-- not that it was any of her business. She wasn’t the type to usually prod, but with somebody who was harboring this much emotional turmoil, it was hard for Grace not to ask questions. “You sound like a broken record,” Grace commented with a laugh, “like me a few days ago, I mean.” Grace crossed her arms over her chest and dug her fingernails into her forearms. “I don’t want you to feel like I’m… being invasive, and honestly I don’t want to invade, but…” She frowned, “I know there isn’t much I can do, so if there is something-- and I’m glad this,” Grace motioned to the window, to the ceiling, “that these things are helping.” Grace wanted to help, she just didn’t know how to. She wasn’t sure if she could. Whatever Kaden was currently going through, it seemed like it hurt. “Sorry we can’t figure out where the sand is coming from,” She muttered, turning back to the window to inspect it again.

“Look, I’d bet you anything mine is worse but I don’t have to check it for sand.” Yet. Kaden wasn’t so certain this wasn’t the sort of thing to spread throughout the town. Like the eyeballs in the pipes. Guess he should invest in some good dustpans and brooms just in case. He leaned on the chair and avoided her glance for a minute before replying. “I’m sure I do. But I can’t tell you about any of the shit with Regan. I really can’t.” He shook his head and rubbed his brow with a free hand for a moment. “As much as I think you deserve to know. Considering.” Considering her injury and possible death is what started the spiral in the first place. “Keep being stubborn, though. I’m not going to stop you.” Hell, it would do Regan some good to have a reminder of why she was bothering, some tether to the world beyond banshees. And he wasn’t enough. Which was fine, he didn’t think he could handle being her only anchor. It was draining enough as it was. “I don’t know, I’ve made a lot of mistakes recently. Fucking sucks. I feel pretty shit about it. That’s the short version. I’ve done more hurting than helping and it sucks.” His tone was casual and so was his mannerisms but it was masking the guilt churning in his stomach. Any one of the things on his plate would be enough but it felt never ending. “Hey, it’s not your fault. It sounded like a simple fix. I didn’t anticipate, uh, this,” he said, gesturing to the room and all the traces of sand. “Is there anything else you can think of? We must be missing something.”

“I’m not asking you to.” Grace frowned. She didn’t want to be pushy, not with Kaden, not with anyone. In regards to Regan, she wanted answers, but it wasn’t right for her to expect Regan’s boyfriend to divulge any information, especially when Grace barely knew him past their conversation about what was actually worth it and pie, and well, now, this. She dropped her arms from and began to fiddle with a loose string at the hem of her shirt. “Well, you wouldn’t be able to anyways.” She smiled at him, this time one that reached her eyes. There was a sadness in his eyes, and in his voice-- she wondered if it could be interpreted as pity, or if it was something else entirely. She shook the idea that it might be pity-- Kaden didn’t seem the type to offer it so freely. “Oh.” It sounded more like a noise than a word, but she didn’t bother to reiterate it. “I mean, if you’re making mistakes, there’s bound to be a way to fix them, right?” It made sense now, why he was pleading to fix something, to put something back together. She eyed him curiously, wondering what it was he could possibly be messing up-- he worked in animal control. Then again, he had Regan for a girlfriend, and even though Grace wasn’t entirely sure what Regan was, she knew it wasn’t human. “There’ll be things you can fix, and things you can’t fix…” Grace started, eyebrows pulled together, “and sometimes it’s harder to recognize, but the things you can fix, they’re usually the smaller picture things, and that’ll get you to the bigger picture thing, right?” Her words were stolen from her Grandmother, but Kaden wouldn’t know that. “It’s sort of like when you break a mirror. You don’t go for the bigger pieces first, you go for the smaller ones first, because those will hurt you the most later on.” Grace shrugged, “but I don’t know what you’re going through, so I mean--” She let out a harsh laugh, “it could mean nothing to you.” Grace bit the inside of her cheek as she tried to avert her gaze from Kaden, unsure if her words would do more to piss him off, console him, or to make him roll his eyes. At his question, she shrugged, “Uh.. no, but every time I come in and see more of it, Enter Sandman keeps playing in my head.”

“Is being stubborn a requirement for living in this building? Is that it?” Kaden huffed out a laugh but he did genuinely appreciate it in his own way. He wasn’t sure he liked anyone who would so easily bend over backwards or never try. Annoying as it could be to deal with sometimes. “I don’t think I can give my friend his leg back.” He’d tried to keep his voice flat and unemotional, but there was a small dip at the end. Shit. Guess he wasn’t as good at pretending to be okay as he thought. He pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to bring himself back off the edge. “Sorry. I… Sorry.” He didn’t mean to blurt it out like that. Too late now. “I-- I do get what you’re saying, though. I think.” He inhaled deep and let out a long exhale of breath, slowly. “Some of them can be fixed, though. And I’m trying.” He was probably taking on too much but there was no stopping him now. He didn’t need fae magic to bind his promises when he made them. It had been that way before Regan but he put even more care into them now. Still, her insight, what she said, it sounded… it sounded like she knew first hand. And it wouldn’t surprise him if she did have something in her past that was similar to his mess. The more and more he talked to her, the more the mirror she was talking about was right in front of him. “It means something, though. I get it.” He never thought he’d miss being at a morgue of all places but he had for a while now, it had been weeks since he’d stopped by. He was beginning to realize it wasn’t just Regan he was going to miss running into there on quick coffee runs and lunch breaks. It was a good group over there, Grace and Cece, too. “Enter Sandman?” he asked. “Isn’t it Mr. Sandman? You know, the so--” He stopped dead and blinked. There was no way. Was there? No. That was… it was just an urban legend, right? Then again, he knew better than to dismiss any legend or fairy tale, most had some origin in supernatural reality. “How… how have you been sleeping?” he said, turning to ask her.

“It must be something in the water.” Grace knew that Kaden was familiar with Blanche, maybe more than herself, and it was clear that both she and the other girl were keen on turning to their stubbornness rather than letting something just run them over. “Give your friend his what--” Grace asked, surprise coloring the tone of her voice. She had been caught off guard by his words, and for a moment, she wasn’t sure if he was exaggerating. It didn’t seem as though he had been. She swallowed thickly and looked down at the ground. Anger flared in him again, and for a moment, Grace had wished she had been like her grandmother-- because maybe if she was, she could ease his pain, even if it were artificial. Instead, she just felt too much, despite distance put between herself and those she cared about. Regan was an example of that. “I just didn’t expect it, is all.” Grace pressed her tongue against the roof of her mouth. She wasn’t sure what to say now, wasn’t sure if her typical morbid sense of humour would save the conversation or make it worse. Grace bit back the urge to mention something about a lizard, and instead offered him a consoling smile, or what mirrored one, “I mean, it can’t be your fault.. It’s not like you know, you… chopped it off or something.” Grace looked at him and wondered what had happened. It wasn’t her place to ask or inquire. The loss of a leg, that was something big, something that she wasn’t sure she wanted to know about. She had her own loss to worry about. The mood in the room overturned into confusion, into something entirely different from the previous anxiety that was beginning to weigh Grace down. When Kaden asked his question, her brows furrowed, “I never really sleep well, that’s nothing new. Why?” There was recognition now, she could even see it on his face. “Kaden, what?”

Kaden shifted in his stance a bit, his mouth pulling into a thin line as the guilt creeped back up from the pit he’d tried to bury it in for the time being. “I didn’t chop it off, no. But I did-- it’s my fault. I hesitated. In the field. And i invited him out there, I--” Deep breath, pull himself back in. “It’s my fault. At least some of it. I should have known better, been better.” Fuck, he wondered if this was too much. He saw the parallels of his position with Regan’s. He did. And he believed he was more at fault than she was. And in that case, the stark reality that Grace was in the same position as Alain hit him full force. Shit. He didn’t need to shove this in her face, force her to deal with more of this shit. It was bad enough he was a walking reminder of what happened by virtue of who he was dating. Two minutes. Could he get two minutes where he didn’t make everything worse? He rubbed his temples before shoving his hair back and out of his face again. “Yeah, well, I know it’s insane. But you said Sandman. And I’ve got to wonder if just maybe it’s actually… well, that.” Right this was going to go over well. He had no idea where she stood with the supernatural beyond being blasted by a banshee scream. “I know how that sounds, I really do but you know this town is fucking weird, right? You have to. And I’m not saying that it’s for sure but… I don’t know, maybe.”

His words caught her off guard once again. She wasn’t sure how to approach the subject of somebody’s leg being torn off of their body. Grace did, however, want to know what kind of animal had dismembered his friend. She stayed silent, though, pushing her own curiosity away. Now wasn’t the time. She could tell by his expression, the set of his shoulders-- the anger that rolled off of him, that silence was what he needed. Her brow furrowed at his change in expression, his change in emotion. It was like whiplash. Grace reached up to rub the back of her neck, pressing her index and thumb into the sides in an attempt to ease the ache that had been created by the bounce back and forth of Kaden’s emotions. “I don’t know what happened, but I doubt it was your fault.” Grace repeated herself. She didn’t want to toe the line of interfering, not when it was clearly something above her head. Instead, she decided to focus on the idea that Sandman could be wreaking havoc on her apartment building. Grace paused for a moment. “Sandman.” She tested the name on her tongue, it felt odd, felt like something she should be telling a small child, not a full grown adult. Anything could happen in this town, she reminded herself. She had helped, well, not helped, but seen reanimated corpses defeated, had seen fog fish with Nell-- had seen Renee’s ghost. “I-- I guess,” Grace stammered, suddenly unsure. “I mean, it was a joke, but…” Grace picked her brain for her Grandmother’s stories, “People go into a deep slumber, right? My Grandma used to tell me she would call the Sandman to put me to sleep.” Grace fumbled with the loose string at the hem of her shirt. “Somebody in our building, they wouldn’t wake up-- their roommate found them cataonic and they were taken to the hospital, it happened the day I got home.”

“Thanks for trying to absolve me. Wish it were that simple. But thanks,” Kaden told her, with an attempt at a smile. He noticed her pressing against the back of her neck. “You okay over there?” he questioned, tone of concern in his voice, more than he maybe meant to be there. Damint. If he kept adding to the list of people he cared about, he’d never stop, would he? Putain. The look of disbelief on her face after he suggested an urban legend as something more than that didn’t give him a whole lot of comfort, either. But she wasn’t giving him that look Regan did sometimes so it could be worse. And she seemed to be entertaining him at the very least. “I know, I know. But, well, it rained fish in town once. For weeks. This would be downright normal in comparison.” He nodded along with her story, all sounded right to him. The Sandman. He tried to pull from his well of knowledge from training. It was hard to say if what he knew about the Sandman was from stories or studies. If it was studies, it wasn’t in depth. Why waste time on legendary monsters when there were too many run of the mill ones to deal with on the daily as it was? “Wait, what?” he said, startled at what she said next. “They were catatonic? And wouldn’t wake up? Putain de merde.” He rubbed his temples again, trying to decide where to go from here. “Alright. Okay. I… I don’t know if this is right or real or what to do if it is but better safe than sorry. Do not let his sand come in contact with your eyes, got it? I don’t care what you have to do, wear goggles, a mask, whatever. Is there anywhere else you can stay? It might be the whole building, shit.” He was pacing by now, trying to think. “If it’s the building, you and Blanche and Ari can’t… Putain. Fuck. Grace, this place might not be safe. Do you have somewhere else to go?” He’d asked before but he was pretty sure she might not and he was already trying to run through solutions in his head. “Maybe we can get a shop vacuum or a ventilator or…”

“Oh, uh.” Grace quickly dropped her hand. “I’m fine.” It sucked when her company was just as observant as her, if not more so. Maybe she had been too tired in the hospital to notice it, or maybe it was the mix of all the other individuals that were crowding her, she couldn’t be sure-- however, now it was evident. Kaden had some serious issues, issues that were enveloped in what she assumed boiled down to not only Regan, but his friend with the lost leg. “Just a headache. They happen now.” Grace half-lied. She had noticed a constant ache in her head since the scream, but what she was experiencing now was purely due to Kaden’s back and forth. She was grateful for the change in subject. Kaden’s determination that what had been plaguing her building had been the Sandman was loud, loud enough to drown out whatever turmoil he had previously been undergoing. Grace blinked at him. “I think so, that’s what it sounded like.” She could’ve misheard, but she wasn’t sure. It seemed fitting for this town, and after everything that she had been through-- after everything that others had been through, it was hard to argue against it at this point, but the Sandman? “Wear a mask to sleep? Uh, I don’t, I don’t think so.” The last thing Grace wanted to do was impose on anyone, especially when it was clear that both Blanche and Ariana had their own issues to tend to. The last thing Grace wanted to do was insert herself, to make their problems bigger. Her stomach began to churn. She could see the worry in Kaden’s eyes, could feel it on him. It was beginning to make her think of this as a bigger issue than it was. “You just named the two people that if I had to ask anyone-- it’d be the most convenient.” Grace wrapped her arms around her frame and bit the inside of her cheek. She could go to the office, sleep on the floor. No. She wasn’t ready to go back, not yet. Just because she was on her way to forgiving Regan didn’t mean she was ready to approach the morgue. Grace swallowed thickly, Kaden’s unease burrowing into the frown now pulled at her lips. “If I’m not safe, they aren’t safe either, right?” Grace asked, and she suddenly felt worry for her friends.

“Okay.” Kaden wasn’t going to press the matter, especially not if it was related to that. Bigger issue was the Sandman, anyway. It wouldn't matter if she was feeling okay or got headaches if she went to sleep and didn’t wake up. He paused his pacing to rub his chin, lost in thought for a moment. “I know, I’ll maybe talk to them, too. See if they have options. Or if, I don’t know, you could check to see if they’re sand free. But I’m worried the issue might be the building.” His mind wandered to one very empty apartment at the moment. “Regan hasn’t been staying at her place for a while, I don’t think she’s going to be back anytime soon.” Right. Hey, Grace, go stay at your boss’s place, you know, the one who busted your ear, while she’s off living in a cabin in the woods being depressed and ritualistically torturing herself, it won’t be a problem. Putain. “Or, uh, maybe not. I mean, I have a couch but... “ It was a small place and he was worried she wouldn’t feel comfortable with that. Which would be more than valid. “I can ask if I can stay at her place and you take mine? For the moment? I don’t know.” This all sounded insane. And if it seemed intense and overbearing to him, someone who believed in this crap, how must it sound to her? Fuck. “It’s entirely possible I’m overreacting,” he said with a sigh. “But you said the sand keeps coming, right? Even after getting rid of it?”

“I think Blanche mentioned that there was sand in her apartment too, but I can’t remember.” The last few weeks had been a blur and getting out of the hospital had only added onto what Grace found hard to remember. She tightened her grip on her frame as she watched Kaden. His anxiety was palpable and it was making a sweat break out on the back of her neck. Taking a deep breath, she excused herself from him to the kitchen, grabbing a glass of water for the two of them. “Regan?” Grace asked over her shoulder. The thought of staying at Regan’s place while she was gone, it was laughable. “I don’t think she’d like that very much.” She isn’t even talking to me. Won’t talk to me, Grace thought. She approached Kaden with the glass of water and tentatively held it out for him to take. “That’s--” Discomfort bloomed in Grace’s chest. The last thing she would want to do would be to take somebody else’s space. She already felt guilty at the idea of asking either Blanche, Nell, or Ariana for a place to stay. “I think--” Grace began, but instead took a sip of her water. She needed to realign herself. His anxiety was beginning to make it hard for her to think logically. “Uh, yeah. No matter what I do, it’s there. It won’t go away.” She looked at the window where sand lined the sill, as well as the ground beneath of it. “It’s possible you’re overreacting, but--” Grace bit her lip. “I don’t really want to test it out.” Maybe Kaden’s anxiety was winning.

“Right, okay,” Kaden sighed and ran his hands through his hair. Kaden would definitely have to warn the other two. And possibly Regan about where he was staying. He thanked her for the water when she brought it over, didn’t realize how much thirst anxiety worked up. “I mean it,” he assured her, looking her directly in the eyes. “If Blanche and Ari need to stay there at all, too, the offer’s open to any or all of you. If this building is the problem, I don’t want to see any of you hurt.” He really wasn’t sure when his list of people he cared about grew so long. It was almost to the point of weirding him out. Protecting people? Trying to? That made sense to him, though. Guess he’d take it. “It’s not like you’re putting me on the streets, I spend half my time there any… way.” The sentence spilled out without him thinking about it and left his lips before he could even reconsider it. That was obsessively not true at the moment. Fuck. Though to be fair, no one was spending any time there. It’s not like he was imposing. “It’s up to you. If you have nowhere else to go, you’ve got me.”

It had been awhile since Grace felt cared for. At least, cared for in the form of an adult. With her Grandmother gone, and her relationship with her parents nonexistent, Regan was the only adult that had really come into Grace’s life that she felt the relationship had any meaning. Now, there was Kaden. She hadn’t anticipated it, but the more they interacted, the more she looked up to him as an older brother-- somebody she could rely on. The thought was terrifying. Grace didn’t want to think about relying on anyone, not when they had their own issues. “I appreciate it.” Grace murmured, immediately finding discomfort in the way that Kaden maintained eye contact. She could tell he meant it, not because she could feel the compassion in his words, but because the look on his face told her that he meant it. “I don’t have anywhere else to go,” Grace finally said. She didn’t have anyone, not really. Maybe four people now, but all of which she was terrified of inconveniencing. “It won’t be putting you out?” Grace asked after she took a sip of her water, her throat suddenly feeling dry at the thought of allowing somebody to help her.

“Then you can go to mine. Just let me know when.” This wasn’t how he expected to help, but Kaden was sure that he was at least trying to do the right thing. And that was worth it. Past all the other bullshit happening, this was worth it. “It wouldn’t be putting me out at all.” He wasn’t sure he was prepared to spend the night at Regan’s by himself just yet. But that didn’t matter. He’d get over it. He should probably ask her first but he had little doubt she’d argue with him. Not now, anyway. “Hopefully you’re not allergic to dogs. He’d come with me but I can’t exactly make it smell less like him.”

#chatzy #para: enter sandman #para: kaden #potw

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