[BitPR²] Mortal World IV

[strawberryman]

[Izumo, Japan]
(Kuzunoha Sanctuary - Meditation Room)

Katsuo blinks slightly, biting his lip... but nodding without another word. There wasn't much to say to that. He hadn't really thought of things that way, but it probably wouldn't be just that simple to shake him of bad habits...

[Okinawa, Japan]
(Umeko's Apartment)

Umeko looks up to Naomi as she starts talking, detecting the worry in her voice over anything in particular. Feeling guilty, she sighs, putting the noodles down and thoughtfully chewing on the last bite she took.

As she swallows, she turns back to Naomi, putting on a brave face. Well, that wasn't really right, she wasn't frightened. "...I was just having this really strange dream before you woke me up. Maybe not as strange as the rest of today, and it wasn't in a bad way or anything." She pauses, just trying to get her thoughts into order. "...I think I saw them. Our daughters. There were so many of them, and our lives were changed so much. But... I was happy. As happy as any time I've had together with you. And I think you were happy, too." Pausing again, she gives a wane smile. "...yeah, you were definitely happy."

"I think it was a lot like the dreams I was having the other day, but this time I remembered it, and... it was all me, not just some ghost wizard's meddling. I'm pretty sure of that, anyway." The third pause comes, this one the longest as she just... looks to Naomi with a more genuine smile. Of course with Umeko, she was always rather reserved, so even her widest smiles were fairly tame compared to the artist's. But through them, she exuded a hidden warmth that only a select few were allowed to see. Naomi among them, of course.

"...I think, if I can get this way over a dream... seeing it become real will be a more amazing adventure than any other one I could set on."

Beat. Blush, look back to the noodles.

Then, frantically stuff face with noodles. She's a little embarrassed. That was some pretty cheesy talk right there.

But it's probably okay, Naomi is a writer as well as an artist, after all.