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It's all right. I haven't exactly made it easy to reach me for some time anyway. [He didn't even have his journal the whole time he was playing in the forest. In his current state, he would rather avoid crowded places. So perhaps the best place is...]

The forest, your place or mine. I currently have an unused spaced beneath my home we can discuss things.

[The teen takes one look around his ~~room~~ study.

...Setting aside the stacks of papers and notebooks and minerals and jars and monster parts and etc (--they're organized, really, at least enough so that not everything is jumbled together--), his well-meaning but nosy childhood friend also lives practically next door and is prone to bursting into his place unannounced. Jude's gotten used to the impromptu visits, but a meeting with Kazuma is NOT something he figures either of them would appreciate being interrupted during.]

Your place would be best to talk, though we may head out to the forest after if you'd like a clearer demonstration of what I have. Where do I come meet you?

[He's lowkey expecting a public building or town landmark that doesn't describe wherever Kazuma's actually living at, the older man did feel like he may be cautious and wary enough to not want to put personal details of any sort down in writing over the journals. ...But Jude may also just be overthinking things; he should go get his own things instead in the meanwhile.]

[A demonstration...?] Then perhaps we should just go to the forest. I know a place we can meet.

[He actually should check up on the smaller patch of glowing dawn flowers he and 76 had setup anyway. He'll go ahead and jot down directions and what landmarks to look out for. Simple enough directions of following the river until he reaches a clearing with some glowing dawn flowers. They're not as vibrant as the ones in the caves, but they're surviving. Some covering had been setup just to keep the snow off them.

Kazuma will be there waiting, sitting on a stump and looking over a journal. He also wearing a cloak, not subtly hiding a snake's tail slipping out underneath. His eyes also hadn't quite return to the normal dark grayish black, still a pale golden yellow. There were still some scale growths clinging to his skin as well, most of it hidden out of view thanks to his clothes. At least he's a lot less giant creature and more human.]

[...But Kazumaaaaa, it's cold out 😔

Welp, he's not gonna argue though, so may as well put on his big boy pants and just suck up with how he's not the greatest at dealing with cold weather. At least winter's not TOO bad here in Songerein, a far cry from the frigid depths of certain ice caverns back in his world that had his friends question his sanity at one point. Suppose those silly sweaters bestowed by the fae do help quite a bit with fending off the chills, and at this point Jude's gone out to meet others enough times to be unfazed about his ugly sweater that he doesn't fully understand anyway.]

Got it, I'm on my way.

[He's out once he's got his things in the messenger bag he practically carries everywhere nowadays, and it doesn't take long for him to reach the clearing. The flowers catch his attention first, and it's a nice discovery; he wasn't aware they're trying to grow some outside of the cave, though it does make sense and isn't surprising with a bit of mulling over. Then there's the cloaked figure, and it's a silhouette more human than lamia/monster who doesn't tower over him with maybe twice his height, and that's always a plus in his book.]

Good day, M. Asogi.

[He announces himself before fully stepping into the clearing, along with a small nod of acknowledgement once their gazes cross. Would Kazuma have sensed him already? ...Eh, still better to be extra mindful than not, and he's keeping some distance out of respect rather than any wariness or fear. The domain's absence is unarguably nice no matter how skilled he is at keeping his calm, definitely something he can do without.]

[Too bad, the cold never bothered him anyway. Probably because there's always this warm breeze that follows him. It's there today too, much more pleasant than the unbearable heat from before. He sees that ugly sweater, but says nothing about it. He too was not fortunate enough to avoid them, but it's not in view thanks to the cloak he's wearing. ]

Doctor. [A nod in acknowledgement as he moves to stand, coming closer to him.] I hope the trek here wasn't too difficult. I figure this would be a good meeting spot, since I needed to check on the flowers anyway. [His hand rummages through a bag hidden under his cloak, pulling out a vial with a set of white and red scales inside.] These are for you.

[No one's said a thing about his sweater, and likewise, he hasn't commented on anyone else's either. Songerein is truly filled with polite people... That or everyone's just uncannily synced onto the same wavelength of understanding, also a possibility.]

The road condition was okay, I've trekked through worse. [He smiles back and walks up to accept the vial, giving it a sizing glance but no more; he'll have time to scrutinize the scales properly later (and compare it to some of the other things he's received), once he's back at his own place.]

Thank you.

[Carefully putting it away in his bag after wrapping it in a protective cloth, he proceeds to take out a pouch, which judging by the shape, seems to hold two cylinder-shaped objects with something else jingling atop.]

Two standard healing potions, and a balm I've tried infusing with the Glowing Dawn's essence. The balm is admittedly a trial product made from amateur effort, I also haven't been able to document its efficacy to a satisfactory level just yet. The scent does seem have a calming effect, however, and applying it onto a Noctaere-made wound alleviates the burning and weakening sensations it brings. [He DID list a reward on the board, and ever since becoming acquainted with the flowers thanks to Kazuma and 76, had been trying to make different things with them through any means he knew and could imagine. Treatment remains his primary goal, after all.]

[His brows raise out of curiosity as Jude presents and explains each item he has brought with him. Really shouldn't be a surprise to him, but he's impressed what he's developed so far. His tail curls slightly as his eyes fixate onto the balm.]

Were you looking to test them on me...? [There's no injuries on him, but it's clear there are still traces of Noctaere energy clinging to him.]

[The teen blinks up.]

Oh, um... You can do whatever you like with these. It's just that I did put in the request on the Dream Board, and fulfilling it comes with rewards. [Thus whether Kazuma intended or not, he had qualified, and Jude wasn't about to fall through on his end.]

Working with injured and possessed wildlife out here have kept my hands full, tracking through areas that the rampaging Noctaere-possessed bear had been. The limit to the purification conductor I'm trying to make is still just at small creatures right now. [Potentially demonstrating THAT is why he remarked earlier that the forest may be better, though he's not confident nor bold enough to entertain or suggest tests on Kazuma at this stage. It's the real progress he's been meaning to report, though, so may as well start talking about it.]

[. . . . . . .] Ah. I...I see. My apologies, I haven't fully kept up with things while I was away and still catching up. I suppose if I notice anything when I use the balm at any point, I'll tell you.

[He'll just awkwardly accept the items, putting them away in his bag while Jude talks about a rampaging bear-] Is that bear still on the loose? [Can't be that bear, can it?]

[. . .

Huh? So... Kazuma didn't see the board, and just called him by sheer coincidence?

...Happy accident, then! Motoring right along with a small nod, and trying his best to NOT acknowledge that awkward moment:]

It's okay. I put up a request about Noctaere research this month, in part to gather more materials and in part to get in touch with others who may also be interested in the subject. It's been going better than I expected, thank you too for your help.

[Zelda has chemical and botanical experience, and Tenn's been looking into the Baba Yaga's brew. They're different angles, but all on the same wavelength. The meetings have been recent, more introductory than anything, but they've been promising, so he's hopeful.

But they're talking about the bear now, thus his shoulders slump and his gaze drops to his feet. No attempts at hiding how he feels, there...]

...Yeah. The bear was also a quest on the dream board, people in town were talking about how to hunt and kill it. I joined once it was clear that the bear's possessed by Noctaere, some were willing to help me subdue it too once I mentioned the possibility of purification. It got away in the end though, we've lost track of it for a few days now.

[And he DOES feel responsible for that, the bear must be suffering on top of remaining a risk to others. Jude knows he's pretty much THE reason for the collective hesitation once he breached the topic of purification, and while he knows it wasn't wrong to try, nor does he regret the attempt, that doesn't change the reality that it failed. He knew it was going to be too much from the get-go, too. What could he have done better, then...?]

I'm glad to hear that it's been going well on your end. [He's trying not to come off awkward himself, having been away from society for a bit. As Jude continues talking about this bear, his brows furrow in thought.]

...That bear is likely the way it is because of me. I encountered a large bear while I was out there last month. It tried to...well, it attacked me and I bit it at some point while defending myself.

[And the Noctaere effects never wore off apparently. Either way, in the end, the one truly responsible for that deranged bear is himself.] How were you planning to go about purifying it?

[...Oh.]

So that's what happened.

[That explains a few things, and while he's briefly wondered about the possibility when recalling how intense that domain was, Jude also didn't think about it much admittedly, as focusing on treatment was more important to him than looking into the cause. They're related, certainly, but he's made his objective clear from the very beginning. It's nice to know though, and the revelation does help him refocus on what he's here for. Looking back up to Kazuma with a blink, he proceeds to fish out another object from his bag: a crystal that fits in his palm, and it's emitting a soft blue glow the same color as that of the Glowing Dawn from its center.]

I was hoping to have help with this, the purification conductor I mentioned earlier. It's made with a crystal that has high absorption affinity to another substance it become synced with, the substance of course being the Glowing Dawn flower. I then engraved a dispel arte onto it, and the idea is that as long as you pour the right sort of positive dreamotion energy into this, it'll output a purification spell that can counter the nightmare energy of the Noctaere. It requires the user to have some grasp of dreamotion manipulation, but as long as they can do that, then anyone can use this.

[Can Kazuma touch it without issue? Or feel anything about it? He has no idea, thus he's just openly holding the crystal out in his own hand. The Glowing Dawn-imbued crystal isn't active right now, so in theory, it shouldn't give him any reactions. ...In theory. Nevertheless, this has been what Jude's been mainly fiddling with for the past month, and he's all ears to any opinion or comment the man who spurred all this on may have.]

[He eyes the crystal curiously when Jude presents it to him. The soft glow was mesmerizing to look at. A quiet hum, his tail swishing about. Obviously there's still some nightmarish energy clinging to him so...]

May I...? [He raises his hand, letting it rest on top of the crystal. If something was suppose to happen, nothing seemingly appears to be happening. The glow from the crystal remains relatively the same. Although he gets the feeling that this great weight is leaving him, or maybe he's just imagining it. Perhaps his constant exposure around the flowers have made any sort of subtle changes harder to tell. If Jude doesn't mind, he'll further proceed to just hold the crystal in his hand for a bit.]

And you said you've only had success with smaller creatures? Maybe you need a bigger crystal, or several working together. Craft a...larger dispeling arte with them, like a large trap.

Of course.

[Kazuma's free to take it and observe it; it wasn't THAT hard to make, and besides, it'll be good to note if the lingering nightmare energy he still carries may influence the stone in any way. Jude doesn't think so, but he's done enough tests inside and out of laboratories to know that theories can differ quite drastically from practice.]

Right, the largest I've managed to purify was a fairy cattle calf about this size. [He raises a hand to his hip as an estimate.] The purity of the crystal, the formula I used, and the method of extraction and imbuement of the flowers' essence can all be factors too, yeah. It's based after a kind of magitech in my world, and the idea of the core design is something that everyone can use. Having to set up and coordinate a bunch would run counterintuitive to that, but a linked system could potentially contain larger threats if scaled up properly too. That may be a good direction to take for the next step, but for the time being, I think I should focus on refining the individual crystal first. I also need to find volunteers willing to help test this with their own dreamotion and record the results, but live practice against actual Noctaeres would get dangerous. I was thinking of consulting the tapirs next, maybe we could set up another training dreamscape for an ideal controlled environment. Carrying the crystal over would be an issue, but if the tester falls asleep with the crystal in their hand, maybe they will retain access to its abilities even after...

[...Yes, he's starting to ramble now, please feel free to stop him at any moment. He's at least given it quite a bit of thought, if nothing else?]

[...Hoo boy. Kazuma doesn't really follow all of that, just busy turning the crystal over and over in his hand. Isn't most of this discussion better suited with someone more qualified to work on these sort of things...?]

People will always have bad dreams. It's not the same, but you could start there, testing them in nightmares. [There's always a chance someone or something could turn Noctaere in there. And before Jude gets far too deep into his explanation.] Are you planning to search for that bear again at some point?

[--Oh, right. Hearing the older man's voice does work well enough to anchor him back to the present, and he remains quiet for a beat after the question, perhaps having realized that he's let his theories get away from him just now.

...]

...That's true, thank you for the pointer. [The tapirs straight up ate nightmares too, didn't they? He really should have a talk with the native dream critters soon.]

We'd like to, but we don't have any concrete plans for that just yet either. Some of the more experienced hunters and trackers in the group said they'll keep an eye out, anytime they're out in the Wildlands again. As for me, I'd like to focus on improving these crystals. [His priority hasn't changed, and naturally he's not in any rush to confront the bear again, not with his progress being as it is now.]

...Right. [He holds up the crystal in his hand.] If you happen to make any further improvements on this, let me know. I'll be looking into the bear's whereabouts and can try to further test your research on it.

[Knowing it's out there, he feels responsible for what happened to the bear and should do something about it personally.] Perhaps you can give me a proper demonstration here how it's suppose to work? [He did explain it, but a visual demonstration would help.]

[None of them could reasonably be prepared for Noctaeres, and emotions are... human. You can't always be rational about how you feel, he didn't need to read a book to learn about that one. It's part of why Jude's not particularly concerned with the why, but he's also not one to turn down help when facing the same problem. He'd like to live and let live, but given the nature of the beast, quite literally in this case, maybe Kazuma would end up managing to deal with it better because he knows what the bear may be going through? ...It's a possibility.]

Okay. Please be careful out there, it was exceptionally vicious. It may have gone into hiding to recover its strength though, it left obvious traces while it was rampaging earlier in the month. [Would explain why the bear went from easy to difficult to track relatively quickly, as valuable of a learning experience the trails it left behind also ended up being.

At the request, he unconsciously straightens himself a little before withdrawing a second crystal from his bag, quite similar to the other one albeit a bit smaller in size.]

Sure, but I don't know how well a demonstration can show anything, since how we harness dreamotion seems different depending on the person and what we're trying to do. [...Although.

...]

...Where should I direct it towards?

[More like is it even okay to try doing it in Kazuma's vicinity? He could cast it on the scales he just received, but that'll most likely just turn them into 'normal' scales and negate their use as study samples. Or will just feeling the flow of it be enough to judge, for someone who still has nightmare energy in their person? Maybe Kazuma already has something in mind. Otherwise, the closest area that the bear's trashed through where lingering nightmare energy may still be found would be...]

I won't look into it alone at least. [He's sure 76 probably knows something about the bear, or at least help him track it. He can determine how to approach it from there. For the time being, Kazuma looks puzzled at the question. They do sort of need a subject to demonstrate on.]

. . .Well, there's myself. [He's half serious. Because technically Kazuma is someone Jude's research would be helping in the end, right? Surely, it can't get any worse...] Actually, have you been down to the lake recently?

It may be good to stock up on supplies before you head out, if you really want to try finding it. There's no telling where it may be, now.

[That he won't be alone is the most reassuring statement Kazuma can make, Jude'll trust it. Leia would probably call him naggy for just bringing up packing properly, but given what he remembers of 76 and Blue, they'll probably be okay.

...]

Would that be okay? It hasn't been tested on a person with nightmare energy. I did try it on myself and a friend first, and nothing really happened. [But while it's safe for regular people, what indeed could be the worst that can happen to someone actually affected by Noctaere? He's definitely not the model of confidence and can't deny feeling a bit nervous, but does tilt his head slightly at the sudden shift in conversation.]

I haven't. Is there something there?

Heh. Of course. [Don't worry, Jude. He's been out here long enough to know not to go in unprepared.]

You'll have to eventually though. I don't have as much nightmarish energy within me as before anyway. [It be good to start small and see what happens, or so Kazuma believes.] If not, then we can go down to the lake. It's been a month, but I'm sure there's still lingering nightmare energy there. Probably a few creatures have turned from the exposure.

[Kazuma sure has been around for longer, and maybe 76 and Dr. Mikotoba wouldn't let him be too reckless either. Alright, he won't get himself too concerned!]

...If you're sure you don't mind, then I'm okay with it too. Thank you for the opportunity, M. Asogi.

[Since the afflicted man himself gave the word, then there's no sense hesitating any further. It'd be prudent to gauge effects early anyway to check if he's in the right direction, it's happened before after all that he ended up finding himself in a completely wrong one.]

Here goes...

[Fingers curling around the crystal in his hand but not quite into a grip, his eyelids droop as he does what he's described: gather the dreamotion he's been using for healing artes, and simply "pouring" it into the stone whose blue glow is beginning to intensify. His iteration of it is something that is as much emotion as it is conviction, born from a genuine desire to help others and to better the world ~~she loves so dearly~~ they all cherish. It may be laced with naivete and idealism, coloring the core with a pinkish hue, but also balanced with the drive to continue striving forward regardless of the obstacles one may come across.

The stone is fully alight now, and brows furrowed with focus, he brandishes it forward as his free hand props forth to support the outstretched arm. Just like it's been with the spyrite...]

Purify!

[Yelling things out is a ~~Tales staple~~ habit, it may honestly not be necessary depending on the user. But he sure is doing it, and like a projector with its switch suddenly flipped, Kazuma will effectively be getting completely bathed in a cone of processed dreamotion. It's an aurora-esque veil of cyan and pink and green, the colors not TOO pronounced and striking despite their variety. They don't linger long, a few seconds at most before fading, and it shouldn't feel forceful or harsh either, soft and almost fluffy if anything. That may be the desire to NOT harm, along with the lack of assertiveness that are simply part of who he is...

...

He's still a bit nervous, he can't deny, but he did give it everything he could, and this had been enough to calm and cure smaller fauna afflicted with nightmare energy before. So as the first attempt made on a person who's actually carrying nightmare energy within them, how did it turn out...?]

[He gave him the ok, but he can't deny the feeling of uneasiness, not knowing what will happen. He isn't going to reconsider his decision though. Whatever will come from this would be beneficial research information. Even before Jude hits him with the energy, there's a part of him that could sense something was coming. His snake-like tail curls, dreading what was to come.

Thought was the shouting actually necessary to activate it...? Didn't have time to ponder as he's hit with the processed dreamotion energy. At first, it doesn't appear to be causing him harm. He does get this odd prickly sensation all over his body, like a bunch of needles were poking him. His body then starts to feel cool, and not the kind of freezing cold like the weather. It was meant to feel soothing, calm down the flames within.

Just as it looked like it was working, there was suddenly a burst of flames. Kazuma yells in shock, pain. It's as if the flames were a response to push back against the calming aura around him. He doesn't recall conjuring flames like that, but a few more burst of flames come from him before he drops to his knees. Looks like there's still enough nightmarish energy for it to try and fight back.]

[Of course it wasn't going to be that simple. He did briefly wonder if the lesser emotional complexity of local fauna may make afflicted wildlife easier to assist next to a full-fledged human, but his knowledge of psychology is middling at best. Maybe something to bring up to Dr. Mikotoba later? Later, yes--]

--M. Asogi!

[Stone quickly pocketed, he's hunched next to the taller man the next moment, unable to touch him with the sudden fires whose properties he's not sure he can wholly determine at a glance. Are they persisting or were those temporary bursts? It does feel hot, and his memories of the domain from back then comes to mind. --No, not quite...]

Is there anything I can do?

[That flames would suddenly burst forth is definitely a reaction he can't say to have anticipated, and Jude's straining his focus to see if they're leaving any burn marks or spreading on Kazuma's person/cloak. Conjuring water isn't his thing, but maybe they're in luck; with so much snow still heavily blanketing the surroundings, someone who's caught on fire can simply lay down on the ground and roll over to put it out--if this fire behaved like regular fire, that is. This... looks bad, but he can't be rash either. He should avoid further dreamotion use though, he thinks; if there's any burn treatment or healing to be attempted next, it would probably be safer to use regular mana for his artes instead.

Either way, he remains focused and vigilant; if Kazuma may be able to tell him anything or what to do, he's all ears, but if he remains unresponsive and/or this worsens, then there won't be any choice but to take action. Local wildlife and an actual person are truly on completely different levels... Jude'll have quite a bit to jot down later.]

[The flames do seem to have a strange property. It would singe his cloak and anything else that got too close to him, but for the most part, he himself is unharm.]

Stay back! [He's not sure there's anything Jude can do. His body was having an internal battle, like white blood cells fighting off a foreign invader. Only it's the nightmarish energy, trying fight from getting flushed out. He screams again as fire comes out of his month. Scales start to spread on his skin and hands turning to claws. For a moment it seem like his was going to transform into that Noctaere beast again, but as he lays down on the cold snowly ground, the intensity of heat starts to lessen.

The transformation begins to recede. Bits of the scales disintegrate in the air. A visible indication the nightmarish energy was expelled? His cloak had been completely burned off, though the clothes underneath remain intact. Were the flames actually coming from him, or being produced around him? Unfortunately, it didn't seem to fully cleanse the man as he still had that serpant-like tail, with a few scales still clinging onto various parts of his skin. He seems stable at least, just exhausted after such an explosive ordeal.]

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slapped by RL, sorry for dying off orz

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thanks ;;

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