dreams of dawn ~cold-light~ part E
~

“Kits is totally exaggerating, Rae. Don’t worry about it,” Kopaka replied, giving the girl a weak smile. He then closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath, “Ngh...”

Kitsune let out an irritated breath at the man’s words but said nothing in response, only continued to carefully watch the elemental’s pallid face. The ice/fox demon then moved to feel the sprite’s pulse, a frown on her lips. “Your pulse is slow,” she stated flatly after a few moments, her cool voice again taking on a concerned pitch.

“Kits, I’m okay, don’t freak out. I’m just... I guess I used more energy than I thought,” Kopaka responded slowly, his voice soft, weak. “I’m not sure why I’m still messed up, but it’s nothing to be worried about,” he added, opening his eyes to meet the demon’s concerned gaze, giving the woman a gentle, reassuring smile.

An agitated growl issued from Kitsune's lips at the man's statement, a flash of annoyance flickering across her pale face. “Perhaps you didn’t hear me a moment ago when I said you are not restoring any energy. You are most certainly not ‘okay,’ fool,” she bit out, her voice holding a disconcerted tone. “Something is wrong, Kopaka. Your pulse is slow, your energy isn’t returning, and you... You look terrible,” she then commented quietly, her voice lowering, her tone returning to that flat, cool tint. “You may be a fool, but surely you must know that something isn’t right,” Kitsune added softly, her icy gaze locked squarely on the grey haired elemental’s sickly face.

Kopaka remained in silence for a few moments before letting out a sigh, a frown forming on his pink lips. “...Yeah, okay, so it’s a little weird,” he finally responded, his tone soft. “I can’t think of anything it could be though. None... None of the symptoms match up,” he stated, his voice taking on a more serious, contemplative tenor. “I...Ngh, don’t have a fever, right?” he questioned, tightly closing his eyes, a pained look flashing across his pale features.

Rae took in a deep, unsteady breath at the man’s pained expression, tightening her grip on his pale hand. “You’re not warm, if anything you're a little cool. So yeah, you don’t have a fever,” the girl replied, her voice holding an uneven, troubled tone.

“Didn’t think so,” was the grey haired sprite’s response, taking in a sharp breath, swallowing hard. “Nn...”

“Kopaka?” Kitsune inquired, moving to lightly place a hand on the man’s forehead in a consoling gesture. “Exactly what is hurting?” she questioned quietly, her pale features holding an uneasy, concerned expression.

“...Everything?” the wind elemental jokingly responded, closing his eyes tighter. “Plus, I... Kinda feel like I’m gonna puke,” he admitted dryly, swallowing hard once more. “Heh... But I promise I’m not contagious, Rae,” Kopaka quickly added, opening his blue eyes to meet the girl’s concerned aqua gaze.

Rae let out a sigh at this, an exasperated expression flooding her face. “Why does everyone keep accusing me of thinking you’re contagious? First Malba and now you... I know you aren’t, and besides. I’m worried about you, stupid, not if you’re contagious or not,” she quickly retorted, a deep frown on her lips. I know I’m a germaphobe and all, but come on... Can’t they give me a little credit? I haven’t been worrying about germs or anything stupid like that, she thought, fighting to keep her concern at bay, to keep calm and collected. The girl knew she could be incredibly annoying with her obsessive compulsive tendencies and her paranoia of germs and all, but... “Kopaka, the last thing I’m worried about right now are germs,” Rae admitted, her voice uneven.

“Heh... Just wanted to make sure you didn’t go burn your hands again from washing them for three hours straight or something,” the wind sprite stated with a joking wink, his weak voice holding a teasing, light tone.

“I don’t wash my hands that much,” the girl protested defensively, a frown on her lips. I don’t... That’s an exaggeration... Kind of...

Kitsune and Kopaka both simply looked at the human for a moment and Kitsune raised an eyebrow, a knowing look on her icy face. Rae let out a sigh at this, rolling her eyes. “Okay, okay. So I’m an obsessive compulsive maniac. Sue me,” she commented with a resigned sigh, shrugging her shoulders. Yeah, I’m crazy. All well.

Kopaka grinned at the girl’s response, a look of amusement on his pallid, sickly face. “Well, I don’t know about the maniac part, but other than that,” he responded with another wink, his voice still holding that teasing, light tone. He then tightened his grip on the girl’s hand, tightly closing his eyes as a nauseated, pained look washed over his features. “Nn...”

“Kopaka?” the girl inquired uneasily, noting his tightened grip and ill expression. “Um, are you okay?” she questioned nervously, taking in Kopaka's sick, queasy expression with an anxious frown. He looks really bad... she thought uneasily, feeling mildly sick herself, seeing the sprite so ill. God I freaking hate this... Rae thought, glancing about the room, noting the small wastebasket in the opposite corner of the room, near the rocking chair. “You need me to get the trashcan, Kopaka?” she inquired, her gaze focused to the wastebasket, a deep, troubled frown on her lips.

“Nah. I’m alright, I just feel funky,” Kopaka responded after a few moments of silence, letting out a shaky sigh. He then opened his bright blue eyes, giving the pink haired human another warm, reassuring smile. “I’m alright, Rae. Don’t freak out,” he added, gently squeezing Rae’s hand in a consoling movement.

Rae returned the man’s smile, though her smile was shaky and forced, a concerned expression still plainly visible on her face. It... It was getting beyond hard to keep calm, to... Why is he so sick? This... Malba’s fucked up, Druu’s freaking dying and... God damn it. “Just let me know if you need it, okay?” she commented gently, forcing her voice into a calmer, even tone.

“Yeah, okay,” he responded softly, closing his eyes once more. He then wearily relaxed in Kitsune’s hold, his head resting against her shoulder, an exhausted expression overtaking his pale features. “...So, where’s Yuki-dude?” the man quietly questioned, his blue eyes not opening, his voice weak and pained.

“Um, he should be back in a few minutes. He’s pretty wigged out. He went to calm down for a minute,” Rae responded tenderly, her gaze moving down to the hand held in her own. Yuki’s really worried about you, Kopaka, the girl thought, a troubled frown on her lips.

“The little guy... Has been pretty messed up anyway. He...” the sprite started, however trailed off, his closed eyelids shutting tighter, a frown forming on his pink lips. “God damn,” he mumbled through a wince, taking in a sharp breath. “Ngh,” he moaned once more, his body tensing in Kitsune’s arms.

“Kopaka, describe how you feel. Exactly what hurts?” Kitsune inquired softly, tightening her hold on the man in a comforting gesture. She gently held the wind elemental, supporting his head with her shoulder, her arms wrapped securely around the man.

“I don’t know how to explain it, Kits,” Kopaka admitted with an uneven breath, pressing his head against the woman’s shoulder a bit as he tensed even more so. “Nn... It just... Hurts...” he moaned, his weak voice taking on a dazed, far away tint.

“Try to explain. And stay awake,” the demon responded firmly, her voice uneasy, a perplexed expression written across her icy features. “Kopaka?”

“It... I feel like something’s... I don’t know.... Tearing at me?” he mumbled softly, swallowing hard as another queasy, nauseated expression formed on his suffering face. “Like my energy... Is getting... Torn away...” he then commented quietly, his voice weak and shaky. “It’s just weird... It’s no big deal though...” he went on to say, a shaky, forced smile forming on his pink lips, however his face still held that pained, weary expression.

“No big deal? Uh...” Rae's sentence trailed and she shared a concerned look with the ice demon, raising her eyebrow at Kopaka’s weak explanation. Torn away? What the hell could cause such a feeling for the wind sprite? Why would... Rae shook her head, taking in an uneven breath. “Kitsune, why would he feel like that from using too much energy? Being weak and feeling sick is one thing, but... I’m no expert on you non-humans and your energy and all, but in my experience with working with energy... I’ve never even heard of anything like this before,” the girl whispered nervously, her gaze moving back to Kopaka, taking in his pained expression. “Maybe someone should take him back to your world, get a doctor for him,” she suggested uneasily, forcing her voice into a calm, collected tone. Which was actually rather hard, as she felt like crying. It...

“It seems everything that could go wrong... Has gone wrong,” Kitsune commented flatly with a soft sigh, her gaze focused on the ice/wind sprite held securely in her arms. “Kopaka, do you want me to Jump us back, find a doctor?” she then inquired quietly, a frown on her icy lips. “It should be alright as long as I keep your energy level high enough to withstand the Jump’s activation. We obviously can’t move Druuvbin in his current condition, but it should be alright to move you,” the woman remarked with a fatigued exhale of breath.

“Kits. I am a doctor. I don't need one to tell me I'm sick from energy loss. I’m not leaving here right now. Not with Druu in such bad shape,” Kopaka quickly responded, opening his bright blue eyes. “He’s... Probably going to need some more meds pretty soon, and I... I just... I don’t want to leave him,” the grey haired elemental softly confessed, an anxious, worried tint entering his weak voice. “Plus, Mals. He’s not in real good shape either,” the man went on to state, a frown on his pink lips.

Malba’s not in ‘good’ shape all right... He’s lying passed out at the moment, the girl thought with a shaky sigh, focusing her attention to the hand held in her own. She... She was so tired of seeing her friends suffering, in pain...

“Kopaka, you aren’t exactly in ‘good shape’ either, fool. You’re in no condition to help anyone at the moment,” Kitsune pointed out with an agitated sigh, a troubled, frustrated look in her ice-blue eyes.

“I’ll be alright, Kits. I’m not leaving right now,” the man responded firmly, his voice holding a decisive tone. “Besides, I really can’t think of anything that this could be, besides energy loss. I just... Need to rest a little, I’ll be alright. I just feel funky, that’s all,” he commented softly, closing his eyes once more, taking in a deep breath. “If I can just... Get my stomach to stop flipping around, I can deal with the pain, it’s not... Not that big of a deal,” Kopaka went on to say, swallowing hard, a queasy expression again overtaking his pale features. “Ugh.”

“Fool,” was the ice demon’s only response, an irritated, concerned tone in her cool voice. The woman then shook her head in a frustrated gesture, letting out a sigh. She continued to carefully watch the man’s pale face, the frown on her icy, blue-white lips deepening.

“Uh, I’m guessing something like Maalox or Pepto-Bismol probably wouldn’t work, would it?” Rae inquired gently, moving to lightly rub the man’s arm with her right hand, still tenderly clasping his hand with her left. “Poor guy,” she added softly, a shaky, concerned tone in her low voice. “Kopaka, I’m sorry you feel so shitty. I wish there was something we could do to make you feel better,” she admitted with a sigh, continuing to lightly rub the man’s lower arm, carefully avoiding the fresh bruise and marks that she knew were there, though couldn’t see.

“Maalox? Heh, I doubt it,” he stated dryly, slightly opening his blue eyes to focus on the human girl, giving her a small smile. “I’ll be alright, Rae. Stop worrying, man,” Kopaka commented lightly, his tone teasing.

Rae smiled a bit at this, rolling her eyes at the sprite’s usage of ‘man.’ He loves calling me that. Big baka, she thought, gently squeezing his hand. She really loved the guy, his quirky personality and... “I can’t just ‘stop worrying.’ You look like hell,” the girl pointed out with a frown, meeting his weary, sickly blue gaze.

Kopaka let out a sigh, closing his eyes, a frown on his lips. “Rae, I’ll be okay,” he responded softly, his voice weak. “I still say you two are seriously overreacting. I’m just a little wasted, that’s all.”

“And can’t restore your energy and not to mention feel like you’re being ‘torn at’ or something. Again I say, I can’t just not worry. That isn’t normal, Kopaka. Something’s wrong,” the pink haired girl retorted uneasily, the concerned frown on her lips increasing. “I still wish you’d let Kitsune take you back to your world, see a doctor or something,” she added, her tone again growing a touch uneven.

“Dude. Like I said, I am a doctor. Not a good one, but still. I really don’t think it’s anything serious. Besides...” the man hesitated, opening his eyes to take in Kitsune’s pale, icy face. “Kitsune, you don’t have enough energy to activate the Jump anyway,” he finally remarked, a frown on his pink lips. “You’re worn out.”

“I’m not that bad off,” the woman responded with a roll of her eyes. “I have enough energy to Jump,” she then stated, a frown on her lips. “I’m managing to give you energy, aren’t I?” she questioned, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah, but giving a little ice energy and activating the Jump are two different things, Kits. I don’t think you should try to use it for at least another few hours. And now that you mention it, you probably shouldn’t be giving me any energy either. I know you restored some, but still. I don’t want you to screw yourself up,” he admitted with a concerned frown, continuing to take in Kitsune’s icy face. “That was a helluva lot of energy you used, Kits. I was afraid you were gonna kill yourself using that much,” the grey haired sprite went on to confess, his voice solemn. “You had me kind of freaked out...”

“Fool,” Kitsune remarked with a frustrated growl, rolling her eyes at the man’s concern. “I’m perfectly fine. Tired, but otherwise, I’m fine,” she stated flatly, irritation in her cool voice.

“Heh... Don’t get mad, Kits. I just don’t want you ending up like me,” the wind sprite responded with a warm smile, his weak voice holding a light, dry tone. He then closed his blue eyes, taking in a sharp breath. “Ow... Dude, that’s so not cool...” he mumbled softly, his grip on Rae’s hand momentarily tightening, almost painfully so. The girl frowned at this, continuing to lightly rub his arm in a soothing motion. God, he’s sick. This isn’t good... He’s full of it when he says he’s ‘fine.’ He is definitely not fine. At all, she thought with a shaky intake of breath, her anxiety clear on her facial features.

“Um... I’m sorry it took so long,” a soft voice drifted from the dim room’s open doorway and Rae turned her gaze away from Kopaka, up to the entryway. Yuki stood in the doorway, a bottle of water in his right hand, a brown blanket folded over his arm, his face troubled, his eyes red from crying. “Um... Kopaka-san, you’re awake?” he then inquired gently, a concerned frown forming on his lips as he noted the wind/ice sprite’s pained expression.

“Yeah, Yuki-dude, I’m awake,” the grey haired elemental stated quietly in response, opening his eyes, moving his gaze to the small framed ‘spirit’ as Yuki stepped into the room, towards the couch. He cast a small smile to the silver haired man, a weak, sickly look in his blue eyes. “I was wondering where you were. You okay?” he inquired, his eyelids drooping, his voice soft, frail.

“I’m fine, Kopaka-san,” Yuki responded quickly, a shaky, entirely forced smile forming on his lips. “Um... I brought you a blanket, um... And a bottle of water if you’re thirsty,” the silver haired ‘spirit’ then stated, his grey gaze moving to the items held in his hands.

“Here, Yuki-chan, let me see the blanket,” Rae softly requested, carefully letting go of Kopaka’s hand, moving to reach out a hand for the soft, fuzzy blanket. The small framed man nodded his head, handing the blanket to the girl. “Kopaka, are you cold?” she inquired gently, moving her gaze back to the sprite’s pallid face, his dark circles and sickly, nauseated expression.

“Heh, yeah, maybe a little,” he murmured softly, his eyelids slowly opening, his blue gaze holding an unfocused, weary look. “Ugh,” he then softly moaned, pressing his head against Kitsune’s shoulder. “Damn...”

Yuki and Rae shared an unnerved glance and the girl let out a deep sigh, shoving away the anxiety and weariness attempting to overrun her. She then moved to carefully cover the ill wind sprite with the soft blanket, carefully tucking it around his lean body. “There you go,” she stated tenderly, moving to take the man’s hand once more.

--...I’m sorry I was gone so long...-- Yuki’s soft, sad ‘voice’ sounded in Rae’s mind and she turned her focus to the small framed man, his teary, melancholy eyes and his apologetic expression. --Yuki, hunny. It’s fine,-- she responded through the mind-link, giving the ‘spirit’ a reassuring smile. --Don’t apologize. You’re upset, I get that. It’s taking everything I’ve got to not completely lose it like a big baby and have a mental meltdown,-- she then admitted wryly, letting out a shaky breath. --So, yeah. I understand. Completely.--

Yuki faintly nodded his head, closing his teary grey eyes for a moment. He then let out a sigh, opening his eyes, focusing on Kopaka. “Are you thirsty, Kopaka-san?” he questioned quietly, moving to sit on the floor directly in front of the tan couch, next to Rae.

“...Yeah, I’m actually really thirsty... But at the same time, heh... Kind of afraid that if I try to drink anything, it’ll make me puke,” the wind sprite softly admitted, his blue eyes opening, focusing on the water bottle held in Yuki’s right hand.

He’s that nauseous? Rae thought with a worried frown, her own gaze briefly moving to rest on the container of water. That... Oh, man. Poor guy... “Do you want to try to drink a little? Or you want to wait awhile first?” the girl inquired gently, her voice holding a soft, concerned tint.

“Well... I am pretty thirsty...” the sprite admitted with a wry grin, swallowing hard. “But I don’t want to freak ya out if I can’t keep it down,” he added, directing that wry grin at the girl.

Rae let out an agitated sigh at this, rolling her eyes. “Will you stop worrying about freaking me out? I’ll deal. Yes, I’m a completely lame germaphobe. Yes, I apparently have OCD and am a maniac. I’ll live,” the girl stated with a frown, tenderly squeezing the grey haired elemental’s hand in a comforting gesture. “If you want a drink, then drink, baka,” she added gently, giving Kopaka an affectionate smile.

“Heh, well if you say so. Maniac,” he responded with a wink, giving the girl a weak, goofy smirk. “Ngh.”

Rae shook her head, again briefly tightening her grip on the man’s hand in a consoling gesture before releasing her hold, clenching her hands by her sides instead. “Baka,” she stated teasingly, yet her eyes held a worried, anxious expression. I hope he can at least keep a little water down. That’s gonna completely suck if just freaking water makes him sick for Kami’s sake, she thought apprehensively, her gaze moving again to the bottle of water in Yuki’s hand.

“Try to drink a little,” Kitsune stated with a concerned frown, moving to prop the sprite up a little better, pulling the blanket back, her gaze moving to focus on Yuki. “Give it to him,” she ordered flatly, her voice cool, toneless.

Yuki nodded, unsealing the lid, removing it. He then carefully handed over the bottle of cool water to the grey haired elemental, making sure the weak sprite had a good grip on the container before letting go. “Start with a few sips, Kopaka-san. Don’t drink too much too fast or it probably will make you sick,” the ‘spirit’ instructed gently, his soft voice holding an uneven, worried tone.

“Heh, yeah, I know, Yuki-dude,” the elemental responded, a touch of amusement entering his weak voice at the slender man’s statement. He then moved the bottle of water to his lips, cautiously taking a small sip. After a few moments he took another sip, followed by another. “Actually, I think that helped a little,” he stated softly, leaning his head wearily back to rest on Kitsune’s shoulder, closing his eyes. “Sorry I’m being such a pain,” he then mumbled, his eyelids closing tighter.

“You aren’t -‘being a pain,’-” Kitsune responded irritably, a frustrated frown on her lips. “Fool.”

“Don’t say stupid things like that, baka,” Rae added softly, moving to lightly touch the man’s arm in a consoling gesture. You aren’t a pain, stupid, she thought with a weary breath, closing her eyes for a moment, melancholy sensations assaulting her thoughts, attacking her body... Damn this...

“Are you finished with that for now, Kopaka-san?” Yuki quietly inquired, his voice holding such a sad, hollow tone, his grey eyes... Rae frowned, taking in the expressionless, almost defeated look playing in the small framed man’s teary grey eyes. Yuki...

“Yeah... Think so...” the grey haired elemental mumbled in response, his eyes not opening. The elemental abruptly let out a low moan, swallowing hard. “Not cool,” he then murnured with a frail, wry grin, closing his eyes tighter. “I really am lame, heh. I don’t know... Why I’m being such a wimp...”

Rae raised an eyebrow at the man’s soft statement, a worried frown on her lips at the pained sound the man had issued. He’s so sick... It really didn’t make sense. She... The girl bit down on her lower-lip, blinking rapidly to clear away the tears threatening to form in her eyes. “You’re not lame and you aren’t a wimp, stupid,” she firmly remarked. She then gently took the water bottle from Kopaka, setting it on the floor beside her. “Let me know if you want more, okay?” she inquired, moving to rearrange the brown blanket, tucking it around the sick wind elemental a bit better.

“Okay...” he mumbled, a shiver wracking his body, a frown forming on his lips. “Ugh...”

“You still cold?” the girl inquired softly, noting the shudder that had coursed through his lean, blanket covered frame. “Kopaka?”

“Heh... Yeah...” the grey haired sprite admitted sheepishly, a weak smile forming on his lips, replacing his frown.

“That’s most likely my fault,” Kitsune stated flatly, her voice toneless, her pale face void of expression. “I would assume being held by me is rather like being held by a block of ice,” she added quietly, a frown on her icy, blue-white lips.

“Nah, Kits, that’s not true,” Kopaka quickly responded, opening his unfocused eyes to meet the woman’s ice-blue gaze. “I’m part ice too, ya know.”

“Yes, but unlike myself, you aren’t cold to the touch,” Kitsune remarked dryly, a hint of a bitter smirk briefly gracing her lips.

“Heh, well... No, but still,” the sprite responded with a weak laugh, his eyelids drooping, closing. “It’s okay, Kits. You aren’t that cold,” he quietly remarked, his voice taking on an almost consoling tone.

Kitsune frowned, a thoughtful, troubled expression forming on her pale face, her ice-blue gaze locked on the man. “...I want to help... Though it seems I can’t. Not you, not Druuvbin, not even Malba,” she murmured, a frustrated tone in her weary voice.

“Kits. You’re helping, trust me,” Kopaka replied, opening his eyes once more to meet the demon’s gaze, his weak voice consoling, reassuring. “I’m awake, right? Heh...” he added with a wink, casting a teasing smile at the woman.

“Fool,” Kitsune retorted flatly, her expression troubled, a deep frown on her blue-white lips. “You’re weak and miserable, and all I seem to be accomplishing is freezing you to death. I would hardly call that helping,” she pointed out with a weary sigh, closing her eyes for a moment. “This is a ridiculous situation, isn’t it? Druuvbin is near death, Malba... Is a fool and got himself shot... You’re ill... As I said before, it seems anything that could go wrong, did,” she stated, closing her eyes tighter, a brief flash of utter exhaustion flashing over her pale features.

“Kits, man... Everything’s gonna be okay,” Kopaka stated softly in response, weakly moving to touch the woman’s arm, a look of concern appearing on his sickly face. “Everyone’s going to be okay. And Kits, if you hadn’t shown up when you did, Druu would be dead right now, so don't act like you haven't helped anyone. You’re the one who kept him alive until Mals was able to get the meds,” the sprite pointed out, carefully watching the ice demon’s pale face.

“...I was losing him as well. I didn’t have the strength to help him either, Kopaka,” Kitsune remarked matter-of-factly, her voice remaining cool, flat. “Ryuuji is the one who truly deserves the credit. He may be an irritating, irresponsible idiot, but if not for him...” The woman let her words trail, her gaze moving away from the wind sprite, focusing on the tan carpet instead. “I wasn’t strong enough.”

Kopaka let out a sigh at Kitsune’s words, shaking his head a bit. “No, Kits. That’s not true. You were definitely strong enough. Don’t go all angst mode,” the wind/ice elemental gently remarked, again weakly moving a hand to touch the woman’s bandaged arm. “And yeah, it’s a damn good thing that Ryuu showed up, but still. Heh, don’t take away your part in it. You kept Druu alive until Ryuuji and the meds got here,” he remarked, directing an affectionate, warm smile to Kitsune.

“Kitsune-san, you... You were the one who risked your life to keep Druu-chan breathing, to slow the bleeding,” Yuki added softly, his grey, tear-filled eyes slowly moving to focus on Kitsune, his timid voice quiet, wavering. “You... You helped more than you know, Kitsune-san.”

“Yeah, Kits. Don’t go bashing yourself. You were also the one that risked jumping in a crowded city. If you hadn’t done that, Druu would be dead,” Rae pointed out with a frown, her voice holding a firm tone. Come on, Kitsune... Don’t look like that, the girl thought with an unsteady breath, noting the downright... Depressed expression briefly flickering across the woman’s icy features.

“Kitsune. Everyone did everything they could for Druu-chan. You risked killing yourself, using so much energy. Kopaka made himself sick. Malba risked his life to get the meds... And now Ryuuji’s doing his best to keep Druuvbin breathing, to keep him alive. Everyone’s doing everything possible to help,” Rae stated, her aqua gaze moving to rest on Yuki. Not to mention you, Yuki-chan... If you hadn’t helped me jump... Her thoughts trailed off at this and she swallowed hard, her focus moving to the tan carpet. I don’t even want to think about it... “It’s us lame humans who feel the most helpless right now, you know. All I did was cause trouble and... And... Yeah,” she then mumbled softly, her fists clenching tightly.

“Everyone feels pretty helpless right now, Rae,” Kopaka replied with a weary smile, his weak voice holding a soft, reassuring tone. “But... Everything’s gonna be okay. Malba should heal fine, he just needs to get a lot of rest... And Druu... Ryuuji is strong. If anyone can keep him alive, Ryuu can,” the elemental commented with a soft smile, though for the briefest moment, that smile wavered, a trace of uncertainty flickering in his pained blue eyes... “Speaking of Ryuu... Heh, I’m really... Really glad the guy’s alive... Was starting to wonder, you know?” he then remarked, his eyes slowly slipping closed. “He looks like hell though.”

“Hn, yes he does,” the ice demon responded apathetically, no emotion apparent in her voice or on her face. “He still hasn’t told me what happened to his eye,” she stated, the frown on her blue-white lips deepening, a hint of a curious tone momentarily overtaking that usual flat, expressionless voice. “Not that I particularly care,” she added irritably, her eyebrow twitching.

Hm... So... Should she tell them? Kitsune seems pretty stressed right now to say the least, and Kopaka’s sick... the girl thought, biting her lower lip. I don’t want to make this any worse for them than it already is. It probably would be best to just keep her mouth shut for the moment.

“I’d like to know that myself,” Kopaka replied with a frown, his blue eyes again opening, meeting Kitsune’s gaze. “So he wouldn’t tell you anything?” he questioned, a troubled tenor in his weak voice. “If it really was Huisto who had him... It’s hard to tell what they did,” he then mumbled softly, letting out a pained sigh. “They aren’t exactly friendly with demons.”

Huisto? Rae thought, raising an eyebrow. Ryuuji said something about infiltrating some kind of organization or something... I wonder who they are... “Huisto?”

“Huisto. A not so nice country, among other things,” Kopaka vaguely responded, closing his blue eyes, a troubled look remaining on his pale, sickly face.

“He was a fool to go,” Kitsune stated irritably, her eyes narrowing a bit as her frown deepened. “Utter fool.”

“Heh. Yeah, he really was,” the grey haired elemental agreed, a weak laugh escaping his pink lips. “Ngnh...” he then groaned, closing his eyes tighter as a look of pain flashed across his facial features. “Damn it...”

“Kopaka-san?” Yuki inquired unevenly, his teary grey eyes focused on the man and his pained expression.

“Heh... Don’t worry, Yuki-dude. Just... Wasted, that’s all...” he mumbled softly, his eyes briefly opening to meet the silver haired man’s concerned gaze. "I'll be fine."

Rae sat in silence for a moment, her gaze first set on Kitsune, taking in her weary, almost melancholy posture, her frown and troubled eyes... She then moved her focus to Kopaka, to his sickly, queasy expression, his half-closed, bright blue eyes... With a troubled breath, she turned to Yuki, moving to lightly touch the silver haired man’s pale hand for a moment, meeting his teary, hollow grey gaze. He looks so... So sad... A hollow, defeated expression... The ‘spirit’ blinked his eyes a few times, obviously fighting back the tears in his eyes, his gaze moving to Kopaka once again. Such a worried, fearful expression in his otherwise empty, hollow eyes...

The room remained in silence for a few minutes and Rae turned her attention to the window on the far side of the room, noting the sky was starting to show signs of dawn. The dark sky lightening, showing trace signs of light... “Hey, Kopaka?” she inquired softly, her gaze not moving from the dim sky, the traces of light...

“Yeah, Rae?” the wind sprite responded softly, his blue eyes moving to focus on the pink haired human, a questioning look on his pale, ill face. “What is it?”

“...How long will it take for us to know if Druu’s going to live?” she questioned, her voice growing uneven. Trace shades of light amongst dark shadows... The longest night in my life, and now I guess it’s a new day... How long will this day be? It... God, was it so depressing. Sitting, helpless... Helpless as Druu lay dying, as Malba lay unconscious, as Kopaka lay so ill... Thick waves of fear and concern, pain and suffering, guilt and regret... Too much...

“...It... It’s hard to say, but... Well, he first collapsed at sometime after six, right? The first twenty-four hours are usually the most critical. Sometime this evening... He’ll probably be showing some signs of improvement by then,” Kopaka explained gently, his voice holding a soft tone.

Or he’ll be dead... she couldn’t help but think, though quickly bit down on her lip, angered by the thought. Don’t start that shit again, the girl berated herself, clenching her fists tighter.

“When... When do you think he’ll need more medicine, Kopaka-san?” the silver haired ‘spirit’ inquired softly, a frown on his pale lips, his teary eyes focused on the wind sprite’s sickly face.

Kopaka let out a troubled sigh, turning his gaze to the ice demon holding him, meeting Kitsune’s ice-blue gaze. “Have you guys had to give him any since I crashed out?” he questioned, his voice weak, weary.

“I don’t believe he was given any more, but...” the icy haired woman responded, turning her focus to Rae, giving the human girl an inquisitive look. “He wasn’t given any while I was asleep, correct?”

“No. He did wake up twice, for a few minutes though,” Rae replied, pulling her gaze away from the pale woman, focusing again on the tan carpet. “He was in a lot of pain. And so sad... He keeps crying...” she mumbled softly, a shaky sigh escaping her swollen, sore lips. “Malba said he didn’t want to give Druu any more unless he absolutely had to. He said it makes Druu feel even worse...” she then stated, moving her attention away from the floor, focusing her gaze to the grey haired elemental instead. “It sucks that the meds make him so...”

“I know, Rae. You have no idea how much I hate having to give him so much of that crap,” Kopaka admitted quietly, a frown on his pink lips, his weary blue eyes troubled. “If I could find something that works without making him so damn sick... I, I don’t know. It drives me crazy, heh, well you know, crazier. Trying to figure out something to actually help the guy, instead of just... Keeping him half alive. He needs something more effective, with fewer side effects. But at this point... The only drugs that work for him anymore are these... These powerful, screwed up drugs that... It... Heh, well. It sucks,” he added with a shaky, forced smile, his weak voice holding an uneven tint. “Really sucks.”

Rae returned the man’s shaky smile, moving a hand to gently touch his arm. “You’ll find something,” she softly responded, meeting his weary, bright blue eyes. You... You put a lot of pressure on yourself, don’t you, Kopaka? she thought, carefully taking in the expression on the wind sprite’s pale face. Malba had said something about that, in Laineka, hadn’t he? As Rae and the darkness elemental had walked through the wet, deserted streets of the slums...

--“He’s always put too much pressure on himself. I think that’s why he acts like such an idiot and does the drugs and all. He acts crazy to keep from going crazy. Does that make any sense?”--

Yeah, Mals... Definitely makes sense... she thought, her blue-green eyes moving to focus briefly on the grey haired elemental’s blanket covered arm. Underneath that soft fabric laid an arm with marks and bruising, and.... Yeah. I always knew there was more to him than the drugs and acting like an idiot. I knew there was more to it than just acting like a baka, but... Looking in his weary blue eyes, for a moment, the girl could see such a stressed, self-reproachful look... “You’ll figure something out. After all, you are the uber cool bunny-man, right?” the girl tenderly joked, her face holding a consoling, gentle expression.

“Heh... Yeah... I guess...” he responded with a wry smile, closing those weak, weary eyes. “You... One of you might want to get that case, bring it here. There’s a good chance... It’s been hours since Druu’s had any meds, so... I’d say I should go ahead and make another dose. I hate to say it, but he’s probably going to need more pretty soon,” the wind elemental stated, taking in a deep, shaky breath. He then swallowed hard, a queasy expression flittering across his pale features.

“...I can do it,” Kitsune responded with a frown, her voice flat.

“I know, but... I’m awake, there’s no reason to make you do it,” Kopaka replied with another weak grin, forcing his eyes open to meet the ice demon’s gaze. “I feel like hell, but I can at least mix the meds.”

“No reason? Hm, well except for the fact that you’re weak, so much so that I doubt you even have the strength to sit up. Rest. I’ll do it,” the icy haired woman remarked with a raised eyebrow, the frown on her blue-white lips lessening, her voice lightening. “Fool,” she added, though... Really, the insult was almost said affectionately. In a Kitsune sort of way. “It certainly won’t be the first time I’ve made it.”

“Heh... Well, okay if you insist,” the grey haired elemental replied with a wry smirk, moving to lightly touch the woman’s bandaged right arm in an affectionate gesture.

Kitsune rolled her eyes at this, faintly shaking her head, sending her long, loose tri-colored hair swinging about her shoulders. “I want to stop giving you energy for a few minutes anyway. I want to see if you keep this energy, see if your body will start to generate energy without my help,” the woman admitted, her ice-blue gaze taking in the wind/ice sprite’s pale, queasy face.

“What if he can’t keep the energy?” Rae inquired uneasily, biting down on her lower lip as she gave the grey haired elemental a concerned look. Being drained is one thing. Not being able to keep energy is another. That’s definitely not normal... That...

“If he doesn’t keep the energy? He’ll lose consciousness again,” Kitsune responded frankly, a flat, expressionless tone in her cool voice. Her eyes held a look of unease however, ruining the whole apathetic image. Kits, you really so aren’t the ice-queen you try to act like you are, the girl thought, noting that uneasy, concerned look playing in the woman’s ice-blue eyes.

“...I suppose I’m going to go get the medicines, take them to the kitchen where I have enough room to mix them. I'll make at least one or two doses. Hopefully your father won’t come stumbling in,” Kitsune remarked flatly, turning her gaze to Rae, a hint of a smile on her blue-white lips.

A soft laugh escaped the pink haired girl at the demon’s comment, a smirk forming on her lips. “Well if he does, he probably won’t even notice. If he does... Tell him all those meds are for Malba. You know, for his diabetes and all,” she responded lightly, her tone teasing. Heh... Diabetes...

“Hm. Yes, his diabetes...” the ice/fox hybrid stated, again a hint of a smirk briefly gracing her pallid lips, a vague look of amusement playing in her blue eyes.

Kopaka raised an eyebrow at the human and demon’s exchange, an inquiring look in his weary, bright blue eyes. “Diabetes?” he questioned, a perplexed expression on his pale face.

“Heh... Long story. I’ll explain later,” Rae responded, dodging the question. Don’t want to worry the guy with Mals’ uh... Issues. It’d be best to not worry the ill sprite further, right? He’s stressed enough as it is, not to mention sick...

Yuki also raised an eyebrow at the two’s exchange, a puzzled look in his grey, tear-filled eyes. --Diabetes, Rae-chan?-- he inquired telepathically, meeting the human’s blue-green gaze.

--Heh... Malba was... Well, I don’t know. He went all red eyed and was pretty messed up. You probably saw Kitsune carry him back to my room, didn’t you? Well, anyway. While we were in the bathroom with him, Dad randomly woke up and wanted to know what was going on. I told him Mals has diabetes,-- Rae explained dryly, a hint of a smile on her swollen lips.

Yuki frowned a bit at this, a bewildered look still playing on his pale face. --...He believed that?-- the spirit inquired, disbelief tinting his soft mental tone.

--Yeah. He not only bought it, but he also called Malba a girl. It was kind of funny,-- she wryly responded, an image of the look on Malba’s face when he realized that her father had just called him a girl flashing through her thoughts. --I don’t think Malba thought it was funny though,-- she added, a touch of amusement tinting her mental ‘voice.’ It really had been kind of funny... Yet still, she shouldn’t be making fun of the guy, should she? The girl frowned at this, lowering her gaze to the carpeted floor, breaking eye contact with the silver haired ‘spirit’ sitting beside her. Poor Mals... Damn it. He...

--Rae-chan?-- Yuki inquired softly, moving to gently touch the girl’s hand, his wavering ‘voice’ holding a concerned tenor.

--...Yeah, Yuki-chan?-- Rae responded after a moment of silence, pulling her gaze away from the carpet to once again meet the small framed man’s sad grey eyes.

--Are you okay?-- he questioned, an anxious frown on his pale lips, his mental tone unsure and soft.

--Heh. Not really. But... I’m dealing. Just... Stressed, to put it mildly,-- the girl responded with a hint of a grin, forcing her mental ‘voice’ into a firmer, more ‘in control’ type of tone. She certainly didn’t feel in control, but still. Yuki is messed up enough as it is right now without me making it worse, she thought, carefully taking in the ‘spirit,’ his hollow, sad grey eyes, his...

--What about you, Yuki-chan? You’re the one who doesn’t look so ‘okay,’ you know?-- the pink haired human pointed out, her tone gentle, her lips set in a concerned frown. Yeah... He doesn’t look ‘okay’ at all... It... It was such a terrible thing to see. That desolate, empty look, hollow, melancholy, and... Guilt? Why does he keep looking like that? Why... It was really tempting to just pull the guy aside and make him tell her everything, to not wait for Sanosuke. Sano would get so pissed... Heh...

--...I... I’ll be fine, Rae-chan...-- was the man’s only response, his grey gaze moving away from the girl to focus on Kopaka instead. Yuki’s pale face holding such a weary, hollow expression... A miserable, downright exhausted look overtaking that small, delicate face...

Rae’s frown deepened and she let out a frustrated sigh, not convinced. In the least. At all. As in, completely not convinced. Hey Yuki... Yuki? She attempted to reply further to the man’s soft statement, though quickly realized the mind-link had been terminated and she was quite alone in her thoughts. Damn it, Yuki... With a small shake of her head, she turned her attention back to Kitsune and Kopaka, giving up on trying to have further mental contact with the ‘spirit.’ If he doesn’t want to talk, I obviously can’t make him...

While Rae had been conversing mentally with the slender, silver haired man, she had failed to notice that Kitsune had scooted down the couch a bit and was preparing to stand. On noting this, Rae scooted back herself, allowing the woman enough room to stand in front of the large, cushiony sofa. The ice/fox demon slowly stood, moving to situate Kopaka on the couch in a comfortable position, his head resting on the pillowed, fat arm of the sofa. She then pulled the thick brown blanket around the ill wind sprite, carefully tucking the fabric around Kopaka. “...I’ll be back in a few minutes,” she stated flatly, her voice again taking on that expressionless, emotionless tone. She cast an uneasy look at the grey haired elemental resting on the couch, taking in his pale face and half-closed, weary eyes... “God damn it,” she mumbled aloud, her fists clenching by her sides.

Rae raised an eyebrow at the woman’s sudden curse, biting her lower lip. “What is it?” she inquired, taking in the look of unease flashing across the demon’s face with an unnerved frown. What? Did she want to even know? Probably not...

“...He’s losing energy,” she responded flatly, crossing her arms, her ice blue eyes carefully locked on the wind/ice elemental. “It’s only been a few seconds, yet he’s already losing energy,” she added with a sigh, her fists clenching tighter, a look of agitation for a brief moment lurking within her ice-blue eyes.

“Heh... Calm down, Kits. I just... I’m just worn out. So I'm having a little trouble restoring my energy. I'm tired. As in really tired. I still say it’s nothing more than that,” Kopaka stated with a frail grin, forcing his eyes fully open to meet the ice/fox demon’s uneasy gaze. “So I’m a little wasted. It’s definitely not the first time. You’re getting way too stressed out,” the grey haired man commented, his weak voice holding a teasing, almost consoling tone. “I’ll be fine, Kits. Seriously,” he added, winking a blue eye at the woman.

“...Hn,” was Kitsune’s response, a hint of exasperation briefly overtaking her icy, pale features. “Fool,” she then commented, a wry smile forming on her pallid lips.

“Yep,” he nodded in agreement with Kitsune’s ‘fool’ comment, the smile on his pale lips widening. “Heh...”

Rae smiled a bit at this as well, her blue-green gaze focused to the wind sprite’s pale face, his adorably goofy smile and weary, sickly eyes... She then focused on the man’s energy, biting down on the inside of her lower lip in concentration as she attempted to get a read on Kopaka’s energy. She’s right... His energy was dissipating. The ice energy that Kitsune had poured into the man... It was fading. What the holy fuck? It simply made no sense. Hell, as sick as Druu is, the energy that Ryuuji is giving him isn’t just... Fading. He can’t keep it that long because he has to use that energy to like, struggle to keep alive, but still... It isn’t just fading like this. This is like it’s disappearing or something. This feels entirely different... It’s just... Fading away... The girl’s thoughts trailed and she crossed her arms about her chest in a nervous gesture. It didn’t make sense. It truly made no sense. I don’t get this... At all...

Kitsune let out a frustrated sigh, breaking into Rae’s thoughts and she pulled her focus to the woman, taking in her pale face, her exhausted expression and troubled, weary eyes. She looks so tired... It was no wonder. The woman had to be so very weary, after using so much energy and... Yeah. She only slept for a couple of hours, she’s got to be wiped out after using so much energy, the girl thought, feeling a wave of sympathy for the ice demon.

“...I... I believe I may check on Kouji for a few moments also,” the icy haired demon stated after a moment of silence, her tone softening, her intense blue gaze moving away from the wind sprite to focus on the room’s dim entryway. “...He...” she started, yet paused, another frustrated breath escaping her. “He...”

“He’s messed up. I’m sure he could use a hug from his big... Uh, little-big sister, heh,” Kopaka responded with a teasing smile, his pained, tired eyes focused on Kitsune. “I’ll be fine, Kits, you don’t have to hang around in here,” he added with a shrug of his shoulders, his eyelids drooping.

“Idiot,” Kitsune remarked, her cool voice holding no malice, only exasperation and... A hint of concern. The woman remained in silence for a moment, then turned, taking a few steps away from the large couch. She paused however, turning her intense gaze to the pink haired human still seated on the carpeted floor. “If he loses consciousness again, come get me,” she ordered flatly, her cool voice expressionless. “Otherwise, I’ll be back in a few minutes,” she went on to remark tonelessly, a frown on her icy-pale lips.

Rae nodded her head, giving the demon a gentle smile. “Okay, Kitsune,” she responded softly. The girl continued to meet the woman’s gaze, raising an eyebrow when she noted a hint of a questioning look on Kitsune’s pallid face.

--... You should keep an eye on Yuki,-- Kitsune’s voice suddenly floated through her mind and Rae raised her eyebrow further, a small frown forming on her sore lips. --What do you mean?-- she inquired uneasily, casting a quick look at the ‘spirit’ before returning her attention to the icy haired woman.

--... His energy... Feels odd. I’m not even sure what... What it is that I’m sensing, but something... Something isn’t right...-- the ice demon admitted, her mental words trailing into silence, a perplexed look in her eyes.

Rae faintly nodded her head, such a slight motion it was barely noticeable, her eyes not moving from Kitsune. --...I think I know what you’re talking about. I wasn’t sure what the hell I was feeling a little while ago, but... I thought he felt kind of... Strained? I don’t know, just really weird,-- she responded with a frown, her aqua colored eyes holding an uncertain, puzzled expression.

--Hn...-- was Kitsune’s only reply, that small noise holding a tone of agreement. She then turned, stepping towards the open doorway, a frown still present on her icy lips.

“Hey, Kits?” Kopaka suddenly questioned, his voice quiet, his eyes only half open. Kitsune turned to face the wind sprite, an inquisitive look on her pale face. “Hm?” she inquired in response, raising an icy-blue eyebrow.

“...I’m sorry I yelled at you earlier,” he admitted softly, forcing his eyes open, meeting the woman’s intense gaze. “Really.”

Rae tilted her head a bit in a questioning motion, a frown on her lips at the man’s soft confession. He yelled at her? When? she thought, somehow... Completely not able to picture the guy yelling at... Well, anyone. It was still pretty bizarre, seeing the man act serious, not floating around, rambling about bunnies and the color pink... It’s so weird, him acting serious and all...

Kitsune crossed her arms about her chest, a perplexed look on her pale face. “...Why would you be? I deserved it,” the ice demon remarked, her voice frank, a small smile forming on her lips.

“Nah... You really, really didn’t deserve it, Kits. You totally didn’t deserve that,” the grey haired elemental stated, his voice growing a little uneven, his eyelids slowly closing, his weary face holding a troubled expression. “I’m sorry. Seriously.”

“Kopaka... Don’t be,” Kitsune replied, her tone softening, a touch of concern again entering her quiet voice. “Rest. I’ll be back in a few minutes. Don’t worry about earlier. Fool,” she added, her face holding a look of unease.

“Heh... Yeah, okay...” the shaggy haired sprite mumbled in response, his eyes slipping entirely closed, his head relaxing back onto the cushioned, fluffy arm of the large sofa. “Ngh...”

The slender, toned woman stood in silence for a moment, a thoughtful, perturbed look on her icy face, her bandaged arms crossing about her chest tighter in a nervous gesture. She then let out a sigh, turning away, exiting the dim living room.

Rae watched as the woman exited the room, then turned her attention back to the ill wind elemental, a fatigued sigh escaping her. She moved a hand to her temple, gently massaging her aching head in an absentminded motion, quickly getting lost in thought.

This all just totally and completely bites... Her gaze slowly moved away from Kopaka’s sickly, pale face, and instead she focused on the window, the lightening sky... Dawn swiftly approaching... I wonder how Sano is? she wondered with a frown, her blue-green eyes not moving from the cloudy sky. Clouds drifting in the morning sky, darkness slowly lifting, revealing fluffy, beautiful clouds... He’s been stuck with Hanneke for hours now... Wonder if she’s molested him yet? It was a somewhat amusing thought, though the girl couldn’t even muster a smile at the mental image of the perverted old demon throwing herself at Sanosuke. She... Heh... Wish the guy was here... He’s... Kinda like my adopted big brother or something... Even if I am the older one, Rae thought, a bittersweet look flickering in her weary gaze. It had only been hours, but she... Well. She missed him.

This is all... So...

It was so very hard. Waiting. Waiting to see if Druuvbin would pull through. Waiting to see if Kopaka really was just ‘wiped out,’ and not actually ill from some other unknown cause. Waiting to find out what secrets Yuki was keeping... Waiting to see if Malba was truly okay, to see if all he needed was ‘rest,’ as Kitsune had said. Waiting, watching...

The pink haired human pushed the thoughts away, refocusing her attention on Kopaka. After all, it certainly wasn’t doing any good, sitting lost in thought, worrying over things she had no control of. It’s not going to help anything for me to sit here and obsess and freak out and... And... Yeah. So instead, she scooted closer to the couch, positioning herself directly next to the ill wind/ice elemental. “Hey,” she stated softly, moving to take the man’s hand.

“Hm?” Kopaka mumbled in response, not opening his eyes.

“...When you feel better, you can bum all the cigarettes off of me that you want and I promise I won’t get mad,” the girl commented softly, a bittersweet smile on her sore lips.

Kopaka let out a weak laugh at this, opening his pained, sickly blue eyes to meet the girl’s concerned gaze. “Dude. You always let me do that,” he pointed out with a grin, winking at the pink haired human.

A smirk formed on Rae’s lips at the man’s statement, her grip on his hand tightening. “Heh... Yeah, I guess you’re right. Well...” She paused, a contemplative look appearing on her face. “Ah. Okay, How about this then? Once you feel better and everyone’s okay and all... You can help me redo my room. Any way you want. You can tie-die the whole damn thing bright pink and I won’t care at all. How’s that sound?” the girl offered, her voice soft, her eyes still meeting the man’s blue gaze.

Kopaka’s smile widened and he nodded his head, amusement clear on his pale features. “Heh. Now that’s better. Sounds cool to me,” he replied, his tone light and playful, despite the hint of pain tinting his boyish voice. “Heh...”

“Good. Because you know, you’re so right. That room is beyond boring,” she commented, forcing her voice into a calm, firm tone. She... Well for some reason unknown to her, she suddenly felt the urge to cry. She forced the sensation away however, keeping her lips set in a warm smile, gently holding the wind sprite’s hand. “So rest and get better, neh? We’ve got to get you, Druu and Mals feeling all better and stuff. Because this... Heh, well this all just really sucks,” Rae added softly, taking in a deep, unsteady breath. Just stay together... Acting like a big baby and losing it so isn’t going to help anything... “Plus we have to get Kouji-chan sane again and uh... Yeah. Get everyone de-stressed and stuff,” the girl then commented, a wry tone in her quiet voice. “You have to admit, everyone is insanely stressed out right now.”

“Heh... Yeah, definitely...” was Kopaka’s mumbled response, his eyes closing tightly, his grip on the girl’s hand tightening. He let out a wince, his jaw clenching as a queasy, pained expression flashed across his pale features. “Damn...”

Rae shared an uneasy look with Yuki, her small smile quickly vanishing, replaced by a worried frown. “Kopaka?” she inquired gently, turning her focus back to the man, carefully watching his sickly face.

“Kopaka-san? Um... I...” Yuki started, though trailed off, an unsure, conflicted expression momentarily appearing in his grey eyes. His frown deepened and he lowered his gaze to the carpeted floor, his fists clenching. “Um...” the ‘spirit’ tried again, only to trail into silence once more. Rae turned her attention to the slender man, a questioning look in her eyes. What the hell? The girl raised an eyebrow, watching the hesitant expression on Yuki’s face. “Yuki-chan?” she inquired, continuing to watch Yuki, her frown deepening.

“Um... I... I... Never mind,” the ‘spirit’ finally mumbled softly, his head lowering more-so, his shoulders slumping in a dejected, defeated gesture. “It’s nothing,” he whispered, his voice taking on a flat, hollow tone.

Kopaka slowly opened his eyes, moving his weary gaze to the ‘spirit,’ a concerned frown forming on his pale lips. “Yuki-dude?” he inquired, trying —and failing— to meet the small framed man’s grey gaze.

“It’s nothing, Kopaka-san,” was Yuki’s murmured response, his gaze not moving from the tan carpet, his shoulders slumped and his voice defeated. “It’s nothing...”

Rae shared a glance with the ill wind/ice elemental, a mutual look of frustration, of concern. --Man... He has been acting really weird,-- Kopaka’s weak voice echoed in the girl’s mind and she nodded in agreement. --I know...-- Rae could think of nothing more to say, and apparently nor could Kopaka, as they both fell into silence, the mind-link closed.

The dim room fell into heavy stillness and Rae moved to again rub at her temple, closing her aqua colored eyes. I’m so freaking tired... She didn’t really know what to do or hell, where she even needed to be at the moment. Part of her wanted to be back with Druuvbin, part of her wanted to check on Kouji, part of her wanted to hide in the nearest corner and cry like a big baby... She was conflicted to say the least. Ugh. Stop it, baka, Rae reprimanded herself, closing her eyes tighter. I should just stay here with Kopaka. I can’t help anyone else right now, but I can at least keep Kopaka company and hold his hand... the girl then thought, opening her eyes to focus her attention again on the ill sprite.

The man really looked terrible. His face pale, his expression queasy, nauseated... She gently squeezed Kopaka’s hand in a reassuring, comforting gesture, squashing the urge to let out another sigh.

“Ngh...” the wind sprite softly moaned and Rae frowned, moving her free hand to the man’s forehead, gently brushing strands of grey hair away from his closed eyes. “Feeling worse?” she inquired tenderly, noting the man’s rapidly decreasing energy. He’s losing it faster now... If this keeps up, he’s going to pass out again, she thought, continuing to gently caress the man’s forehead in a comforting gesture. After all... It was the only real thing she knew to do. What else is there to do? Everyone’s being all touchy-feely and nice to each other, because... It’s the only thing to do. No one can really help and... What else could be done, other than offer a comforting gesture, a reassuring touch, a gentle, caring act? It’s all any of us can really do. Well and give energy, but yeah. Other than that...

Kopaka’s only response to the pink haired human’s question was a faint nod of his head, his eyes closing tighter, his face holding a sick, pained expression. He swallowed hard, another low moan escaping him as his grip on Rae’s hand tightened. “You want a sip of water? You said it helped a little a few minutes ago, right?” she softly inquired, continuing to lightly run a hand over Kopaka’s pale forehead.

“Yeah... Maybe...” he murmured weakly, his voice holding a distant, frail tone. Rae carefully released the grey haired elemental’s hand, reaching for the bottle of water sitting on the floor. “Here, Kopaka,” she stated gently, standing, moving to sit on the edge of the couch. She then carefully moved to help the sprite take a drink, not bothering to make the guy hold it himself. He really didn’t look like he had the energy to hold it. He... God he looks like hell... Rae gently helped the man sit up a little, allowing him to take a few more sips from the container of water. “There... Is that any better?” she inquired, helping Kopaka lie back, moving to place the container of water on the floor by her feet. She then pulled the brown blanket around the man a bit better, tucking it around his lean body.

“Yeah. Thanks...” he mumbled weakly, his voice holding a tone of gratitude. Kopaka then moved a hand up to his eyes, weakly rubbing at his closed eyelids. “Man... My eyes keep going weird...” he commented softly, his hand dropping away to rest by his side.

“Weird how?” Rae questioned softly, again running a hand over his forehead, not moving from her position on the edge of the couch. His eyes... Like the way they were messing up right before he passed out? she thought, resisting the urge to let out a shaky sigh.

“Just... Everything’s weird looking,” the sprite admitted after a few moments of silence, briefly opening his eyes to glance about the room. His eyelids quickly drooped and he closed his eyes once more, taking in an unsteady breath. “Like I keep... Seeing weird... Greyness or something. Kinda hard to explain....” he stated, a wry smile briefly gracing his pale lips. “It’s kind of annoying.”

“I’m sure,” Rae responded with a frown, not taking her hand away from his forehead, another wave of uneasy, concerned emotions flowing over her. Grey? Why would the man’s eyes be... Why would energy loss make his eyes go weird? When he said he was seeing grey right before he passed out earlier, I just figured it was because he was blacking out, but... If his eyes are still doing it, then... The girl let her thoughts trail and she shook her head, frustration coursing through her. It... It didn’t make any sense. Not a damn bit. It...

“Kopaka-san... Let me try to give you a little more energy. You’re obviously... Um, losing the energy Kitsune-san gave you, and you aren’t restoring any on your own, so... You’re going to pass out if I don’t give you a little,” Yuki abruptly commented, his grey eyes moving from the carpet to focus on the ill wind sprite, his soft voice flat, holding little emotion.

Kopaka slowly forced his eyelids open, his weary blue eyes moving to focus on the silver haired ‘spirit.’ “Nah. Yuki, you already used way too much earlier. First you helped me keep Druu alive, then you gave me energy after Kits got here, so... Yeah...” the grey haired elemental stated in response, a gentle, warm smile on his lips. “Don’t. I’ll be okay,” he then mumbled, his eyes again slipping closed.

“Not to mention he like, has continuously been giving you energy since you passed out,” Rae added, a frown on her lips as she turned to focus on the small framed man. I really don’t think it’d be a good idea for him to waste more energy. He already feels... Weird. She wasn’t sure exactly what it was that she (and Kitsune) had been sensing, but... He feels really weird...

The ill wind sprite opened his eyes at this, a deep frown overtaking his lips as he took in the girl’s words. “What? Yuki, you so didn’t have enough energy to do that. How much did you give me once I crashed out?” he inquired, concern bleeding into his weak voice.

“I’m fine, Kopaka-san. I don’t have a lot of energy, but I can restore it pretty fast. You should let me give you a little more. I have enough,” Yuki replied, his voice quiet, his grey eyes not quite meeting Kopaka’s worried gaze. “I’m fine. You aren’t, Kopaka-san.”

“Dude. What is up with you and Kits? You and Kits are both seriously using too much energy. You use too much and you’ll end up like me,” the shaggy haired elemental pointed out, his frown not lessening as he tried –and again failed— to meet the small, slender man’s gaze.

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