Kei frowned. This- this wasn't good at all. Her breathing had grown laboured now. She didn't want to sit but could she even move in this state? She was swaying as it was. He shifted his toothpick in thought before he spoke. "Yeah, I'll take you home. We'll walk nice and slow okay? And when we're back in the dorms and settled in you can tell me what this visit was about. Okay?" His voice might've cracked at the statement in his attempt to rein his panic in.

It's just- he knew so little of what happened. He didn't even know the appointment was made in the first place. There were so many unknown variables that he was going to make himself sick thinking of them all.

But Kei couldn't allow that. He had to be strong, because Yaoyao was not at the moment. He grimaced each time she said his real name. She hadn't used it since before they got together. "Okay. Now slooowly-" He stood up, carefully wrapping his partner's arm around his shoulders before securing her waist with his own. It was awkward with how much taller she was than him but he made it work. He had to.

Before the duo made their way out the door, Kei turned his head to look at the reception desk and the nurse standing by it for a moment. "Thank you." Even he could tell the words felt empty.

Shaking his head, they exited the clinic.

𝕐 + 𝕐

God. Kei knew that it wasn't going to be a quiet affair but he still jumped at the loud bang from the kick. Heart goes up throat, gasp gets choked out, muscles tense- it's a whole thing for every sudden event that's occurred in his life. Even now he still didn't do well with surprises.

The silence after was almost as deafening as the screeches. It was eerie; watching everyone try to anticipate what was about to happen next. Because something should happen- Clogged pipes wouldn't magically be solved with one well-placed kick right?

What Kei didn't expect though was the thing stuck inside shooting off like a bullet towards him.

It was a direct hit. He fell back on the floor, instinct compelling him to hug whatever it was that landed on him, curling up as he did so which fortunately meant he wouldn't crack his head open on the tile beneath him. He slid on his back for a bit as the force of the impact moved him, until he eventually skidded to a stop next to the store's checkout counter.

Then he just kinda... laid there for a bit. Tried to will air back into his lungs as the wind was knocked out of him. After some time passed, he slowly sat up with a groan and looked down at whatever it was he was holding as it opened its- wait was that teeth? Why did they look so sharp? Kei shut his eyes, too afraid to witness his own demise.

Instead of the excruciating pain he expected though, all he felt was something strangely wet stroke up his cheek. With a furrow of his brow he opened one eye to peek, just as another streak of wetness joined the first on his face. Then another. And another.

It took a while for Kei to realize that the thing was in fact licking his face, prompting a surprised laugh from the boy. "H-hey! Easy, easy!" Whatever it was seemed overjoyed at being set free from its confinement- even though it was thanking the wrong person for it.

It was also easily distracted. Suddenly it sniffed at the air, and before he knew it, it jumped off him and wandered around the store before ending up by a bag. As it stuffed its face inside, Kei tried to wipe the slobber off his face as he stared at the strange creature. "What even is that?"

𝕐 + 𝕐

"Yeah! The new head of the support department started a course that brought all the years together." Was Kei still afraid of the guy? Absolutely. Now that he got over the anxiety of his new curriculum though, his interest in piqued on what could come out of the class. "I'm excited to work with her."

His eyes were still set on the light as he answered Hebiru's next question. "And nah, I've only seen her with 'em durin' the build process. This'll be the first I see 'em used in an assignment." Were they working to her satisfaction? Did they hold up well during the more rigorous exercises? He hadn't hear any complaints from her so that had to be good news.

Speaking of good news, Kei looked up as instructed and there the heroes of the hour were! One shining in resplendent armour that he couldn't help but compare to his brother's, while the other... is very red-faced? Seemed like some kind of air quirk by the way they were floating. Carrying someone up must've been exhausting, poor guy's having a hard time and they just arrived at the scene. At least who he assumed was Masao was having an easier time disabling the guards.

Where was Emi though? She wasn't hurt was she? Compared to the other hostages who watched in awe at the two students, Kei tilted his head in an attempt look past the containers, trying to spot the third.

---

OOC: Kei speaks of how he's looking forward to working with Masao and that this'll be the first time he sees Emi's gloves in action. He watches in awe at Masao's entry, though he worries about where Emi could be. Also, Kei doesn't know Michael has a balloon head.

Yanai Hebiru,Masao Ando,Emilia Hall,Samaritan

"Then why were you givin' me money?" was the question that popped in Kei's head at her reply. And also out loud. He didn't mean to do the latter actually.

Shocked by his own statement, it was his turn to save face as his eyes widened in alarm. "I mean- yeah you knew that!" His grin grew strained. If they dwell on this for too long she was definitely going to be mad at him- So he was saved again by her changing the subject. "Oh yeah, more math and worksheets for sure." That was his cue to wander back to the tables so he could start drafting the project.

A sheet was pulled and Kei began to sketch, continuing the conversation all the while. "Clients if you wanna be accurate! They're mostly other students but lately word of my work's been spreadin' to other businesses and even heroes." There was a rare sense of pride in his words, the support major thinking back to a hero showing interest in his work and formal letter from a restaurant owner of all things. The gear he made for the latter may just be a pool stick but it was a good pool stick as far as he was concerned.

He was still drawing when he asked his own question. "Do you want me to patch up your umbrella or make a whole new one?" He had to ask. It could be a sentimental piece for all he knew, given the student still had it despite all the holes. "I could even do both so you're not carryin' a hard umbrella all the time?"

Yanai Yoko

[attr="class","likedo"]

If everything else wasn't happening, Lone Wolf's quip would've caused Kei to sputter in embarrassment and apologize profusely because the one time for scolding him was not enough. Evidently though, he was kinda preoccupied with how that key they were supposed to hold on to pulled them up from the forest - calming Yaoyao down as best as he could when key guy accused them of being another monster - and come face-to-face with an actual terror.

Whoever it was- it dwarfed them in size, and Kei turned his head all around him, searching for the voice that didn't sound like it came from the face before them. It knew their names. What did it mean they'll see each other again? What did it mean it'll be a guest in their world soon?

Before he could question the presence he woke up with a start. Sirens wailed around him- the lights were so bright- voices asking if he was alright. Too many people, too many people-

GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HIM

Oh. She's still here.

Kei watched as two medical personnel held their hands up, keeping away from dark claws that sprouted from his back. He was kinda feeling sick but something beyond the general chaos bothered him. If Yaoyao was still with him, then where's-

"Lili??"

The name tore from his lips and before he knew it he was pushing himself on shaky feet. Someone tried to stop him, said he shouldn't move, but gnarled teeth not his own kept them at bay. His focus wasn't on them anyway.

He moved towards the park's exit, both consciousnesses screaming for a name they thought they'd never separate from.

---

OOC: They're out of the dream and Kei's still out of sorts you hate to see it.

Fanthes,lonewolf,Iphigenia Pavlina

Kei shouldn't be staring but he couldn't help himself; his eyes were definitely set on the cloud that continued to pour rain down her head. That had to be highly convenient. What if it happened during a written test? Do all her assignments get soggy? Though she did mention a bad day, maybe that's how it gets triggered-

Oh. Umbrella. That made sense though the holes were probably not helping- wait she's talking about it. He really should listen to that.

With some effort the support major finally peeled his eyes away from the mini storm to look at her directly. Good thing too because he didn't miss how the girl wanted her tool to be improved, moreso than just patching up some holes even. He nodded in understanding. "I can do that yeah! It'd be similar to some armour I made for another student- it was fireproof and could deflect bullets." He was proud of how well it held up despite the guy wearing it all the time. "I should be able to make an umbrella version of that that you can also use offensively."

While Kei wasn't privy to the other student's inner struggle - he didn't even know she knew who Yaoyao was - he did see the money in her hand and how she was offering it to him. And his first reaction was to wave his own hand at it. "Oh no, you don't need to pay me! The materials are actually provided by the university, so while you're a student here the gear you request is free. At least from me, since I'm also still learnin' how to make said gear myself."

With her insistence he couldn't help but add on to his statement. "If it helps I also get commissions from people outside the school. And they pay me quite a bit." Hopefully then she wouldn't feel she needed to do the same.

Yanai Yoko