On the upshoot of things, Ariel has been sleeping much better lately. Having found that small niche of space in her dream protected by her mother, means that she now has a place to go that does not drive her up a wall with restless terror. This is a good thing; even if the source of the problem is not wholly handled, for now it solved the more immediate dilemma of the unicorn-girl's health, because even dream denizens need their rest! But considering how she can be caught snoozing with Lucky curled around her, it's clear there's no further problems with her sleep. For now.
For the most part, since leaving her 'home' in the park, Ariel has been the epitome of the perfect houseguest, and even survived meeting Seishi's father. But she's kept things tidy; a lot of sweeping had mitigated the glitter issue, and Lucky was apparently already housetraind, she has thus far obeyed every single house rule and general rule of politeness to the letter flawlessly.
Like right now. Saturday or not, she's tended to her homework, has done a chunk of house work while no one was looking, and is just about done sweeping up another dustpan of sparkling dust, humming to herself.
The Tamashiges' apartment isn't big enough for a guest room, but Seishi's room has enough space to set up a futon for their small houseguest and her large dog. Seishi's father seems to be out more than he's home - aside from that first day, his path has crossed Ariel's mostly only in the mornings while he's getting ready for work and the girls for school.
This Saturday is no exception, even though it should be an off day. Seishi had her own homework to do, but now she's emerged from her room and is heading into the kitchen when she spots Ariel.
"Not that I don't appreciate it," she comments, smiling ruefully, "but you really don't have to do chores like that, you know. I'd have taken care of it."
Ariel on her own doesn't take up much space. Lucky adds to that, but the fact that she uses him as a pillow compacts that enough to make sure Seishi's room isn't crowded, at least. It's the little things. Each day Ariel is sure to give Seishi's dad chipper hellos and goodbyes. Industrious, to boot, she handled the large bulk of her own homework on Friday evening somehow between making sure all the sparkling detritus didn't reach noticeable levels.
She seems to shed more than Lucky, when in a confined space.
"I don't mind." She pipes up, turning to glance over her shoulder while setting the broom down. "I ah... Don't really have any other way to help out while here. Yet, anyway!"
Though she is a little young to be thinking about jobs and rent or anything like that, there is a bit of a sheepish smile. "It was just really kind of you, and your father, to let me stay. I want to show that Lucky and I appreciate it."
"Making sure you have a place to stay when you need one is more like basic human decency," Seishi replies, still smiling. "It's the kind of thing a person is supposed to do. I suppose it doesn't hurt to make sure my father can't find any reasons to complain, though."
Absently she props her hand against her hip. "Just as long as it doesn't start stressing you out, okay? It's not like anyone's going to say you have to leave if you're not helping out with the housework or anything."
It's more than basic human decency, but that comment doesn't do much to make Ariel's smile falter. Because she is smiling. Nevertheless, she dusts the last of the glitter on her hands off on her skirt. "It's really no trouble for me, I don't mind at all." She says. "He seems nice." Added in regards to Seishi's father.
That... Is apparently her opinion.
"I liked the park. It made me think of home a lot. But with just me and Lucky it was kind of lonely, and I'd worry about how things were back there. It's not anymore." Murmured before she glances up with topaz eyes. "And I probably wouldn't have found out what was going on back there without your help."
A peculiar expression ghosts across Seishi's face for a moment at the description of her father, but she doesn't dispute it, just inclines her head a little. "I was glad to help," she says. "You shouldn't ever have to deal with that kind of thing all by yourself. Especially with both of us being dream guardians... it's important for us to look out for each other, isn't it?"
A slow blink, and Ariel's head tilts. The stare Seishi and her expression gets from deep, golden, eyes is almost a little owlish. But pale lips purse into a thin little smile. "I don't think I might have been able to handle that alone." She admits candidly. "And I still need help. But right now things are sort of okay. And I'm even getting used to living in this world, too."
And that's about when her smile brightens.
And Seishi has a small hugger latching on fairly strongly at the waist.
"I just wanted to thank you, for helping me adjust."
The sudden hug glomming onto her waist has Seishi blinking in surprise, but the surprise only lasts a moment or two before she's smiling again. One arm loops loosely around the smaller girl, and the other hand reaches to gently ruffle Ariel's hair.
"You're welcome," Seishi tells her. "Any time you need help, you can always ask. Don't ever forget that."
And in that moment. In that one shining moment... All of Ariel's work is undone. Well that's an overstatement, it's not a lot, but ruffling Ariel's hair results in a few sparkling bits of glitter to rub off onto Seishi's palm. Such is the plight of inviting a unicorn into one's home.
It's a beat or so before Ariel detaches though, folding her hands together behind her. Hugging time is good time, but there's that knotting little brow again. Almost as though the smaller girl has some burning question rising to mind, but unsure whether or not to ask it. After a beat or so, she seems to decide to go for it. "What was with that look? Before?"
Of course she noticed the shift in Seishi's expression, earlier, on the subject of her father.
Looking at her now-sparkling hand, Seishi lets out a quiet little breath of laughter. Since Ariel came to stay with them, finding glitter in odd places is starting to become a fact of life.
The question catches her off-guard, and for a moment she doesn't have an answer, just stands there looking awkward. "Ah--" Tripping over words, she gives herself a little shake to regain some composure. "It's just that I was kind of surprised that you'd call my father nice. Not that he isn't," Seishi hastens to add, almost defensively, "but..."
Ariel just stepped on a landmine, there, didn't she. The intent, silent, stare, and slight shift up onto her toes just might give the hint that if she wasn't currently in her human guise, the girl's floppy ears would be pricked right up and swivelled straight at Seishi while waiting. Right until the older girl suddenly looks so awkward. Ariel practically cringes. Those ears have probably pinned back, now too, but there's no telling at the moment.
But her foot's on the bomb already. But the best thing she can do is stick by her guns. It's with that same forthright and childish simplicity that she prompts: "But?"
Seishi wavers for a little longer before she lets out a quiet breath of capitulation. "He's just... not someone who's easy to get along with, sometimes," she says quietly. "Or very easy to talk to."
Certainly he's not easy for Seishi herself to talk to, although Ariel's presence has done a lot to help fill what would otherwise be long and awkward silences.
"So I'd understand if you didn't think he was a nice person," Seishi concludes after another brief hesitation. "But I'm glad that you do."
"Mmmm." Ariel seems to ponder on that answer for a moment. Not easy to get along with. Not easy to talk to. If anything, after a few beats... It only brings that thin smile back, after a few silent beats of internal thought.
She shakes her head slowly.
"Oh no. I understand." The girl says in a soft tone. "My mothers are kind of like that. Both of them." It might come as surprising to hear that. "One was always just ah. Well you met her. My other mom spent a lot of time away, too. And they always kind of had a hard time sharing their feelings; especially with each other." Ariel says, still as candid as can be, as she shakes her head. "So I guess I'm a little used to that. But under it all I always knew that they love each other very much and that they love me. So."
So clearly, she assumes, it must be the same, at least for Seishi's father. "If he's hard to talk to, I don't think it's beacause he's not nice. Maybe he just doesn't know how to show it, too?"
Distractedly, forgetting about the unicorn sparkles on her fingers, Seishi reaches up to run her hand over her hair, nods slowly at Ariel's description of her mothers.
"It wasn't always like this," she admits. "We used to be able to talk to each other... more than we do now, anyway. But ever since my mom's been gone..." She looks down, a cloud passing over her expression. "It's like we've forgotten how."
For a moment, Ariel halts again, held by a hesitant fidget at Seishi's further explanation.
Since my mom's been gone.
Long before, Ariel would have perhaps innocently asked 'gone where' or 'when will she come back', but long enough time in the world of the waking has given the unicorn something of a better understanding of just how life actually works. Her fingers thread together. At least before she reaches for Seishi's hand.
"It can hurt a lot when someone goes away." She leaves whether living or passed up to interpretation, but the earnest look in golden eyes says she understands that much, as well. "Maybe he needs more time. Or someone to reach out to him more than he shows. But if that's how it used to be, I don't think it means he loves you any less now than he showed back then."
"I know," Seishi replies quietly, lifting her gaze enough to meet Ariel's eyes again. "I do know that." Although sometimes she has to remind herself that it's true.
"It's just..." The words trail off into a quiet sigh. "Hard. We're not right, and I don't know how to fix it. Or if it can ever really be fixed."
Ariel can't claim to understand how hard it is. This kind of thing is different for everyone, and seems to even shrink a little, at the sigh. "If you know that, then it's a start, right?" She says. "But." But.
It's technically none of her business. But that doesn't seem to stop Ariel from butting in with that nubby little horn of hers anyway, does it? "It sounds like the kind of thing that needs work, to be fixed." And not the easy kind huh. "I'm um. Probably being presumptuous. But even if you don't know how, now, maybe sometime you will." She says, squeesing Seishi's hand.
The hint of tension in Seishi's expression relaxes a little, and she gives Ariel's hand a soft answering squeeze. "Thanks, Ariel," she says, with complete sincerity. Real thanks, not just empty acknowledgement. "I hope you're right."
She breathes out, summons up a smile. "Having you here maybe helps a little, too. It's a little less awkward, at least. So I'm glad you're staying with us, whether you help with the housework or not." By that last remark, her tone is lightly teasing; she even offers Ariel a friendly wink.
Ariel holds to Seishi's hand for a moment longer, still staring up with those endless golden eyes. And her grip is still firm even after the squeeze. But when, when Seishi manages that smile, the smaller girl is beaming once again; a sweet almost bell-chime like noise working its way up from her throat. Teasing or not.
"Little steps, and hope." She replies. "Just start with that."
"Right," Seishi agrees with a firm nod. "The important things don't come easily, after all."
With this said, she straightens a little, squaring her shoulders as though bracing herself to move forward. "So, hey," she says. "I was just going to make myself a snack. Do you want anything?"
It's the kind of thing that will take some work. But Ariel has done what she can for now, by being a nosy little busybody. "I'm good!" Ariel chirrups with a swish of her tail. Which seems to have broken through her glamour and begun wagging in an almost puppy-like fashion.
"Just give it a little time~."
With that said, she seems to have finished her cleaning. For now at least. Until her shedding gets out of hand once again.