Am I Still Pretty?

Kotori was at a loss on how to help her and while he imagined she might feel better with a physical touch that was a hard thing to talk himself into.  Not that she wasn’t pretty on her own nor that he’d mind cuddling with her but the crystals just gave him the shivers.  He was doing so good at avoiding touching a single mushroom and crystal.  Kotori had literally used sticks and rocks when dealing with the things while studying them.

Kotori let out a slow deep sigh, “I had a thought recently,” Kotori shared just for the sake of offering her a distraction, “maybe the spirits you mention, maybe they take the form of fireflies?” Kotori’s eyes flicked up at the little lights that flickered in the sky.  “So maybe something about when the moon causes the mushrooms and crystals to grow, and the strangeness in the land cause the spirits to come up?”  It sounded like a story someone might tell a kid for entertainment but honestly, this whole scenario was like a dark joke with no point.  Might as well think up a story and wonder if it's ridiculous enough to have a grain of reality in it.  “Well, mostly just curious about why all the fireflies.  Probably the least important detail right now though.”

Truly, it sounded dumb.  He was just talking in case she wanted to listen.

"Kotori Fatalis"