Wait! I'm not a Demigod, I'm a Gamer!

Chapter 7: Village

The grumbling sound startles both men, before Yuuya looks down at his stomach. He rubs his stomach while chuckling nervously and looking at Sam's surprised face. "He he. I just realized that I haven't eaten anything since I got here." Sam blinks before laughing at Yuuya's predicament. "Wow! That scared me, I thought another bull-wolf was coming after us." Yuuya scrunches his eyebrows in question. "What's a bull-wolf?" Sam chokes at Yuuya's question, finding Yuuya's innocence hilariously cute. "The monster you just killed. Oh! Did you get its core?" Sam starts looking around the ground where Yuuya killed the bull-wolf. Yuuya only stares in wonder before he thinks about the weird marble he found on the ground. He pulls it out of his pocket and shows it to Sam when he tried to look under a rock. "Is this its core?" Sam whips his head back towards Yuuya and smiles brightly. "Yes! That's it!" Sam crawls back to Yuuya and holds his wrist, bringing the core closer to his eyes. "Oh wow! It's green, I was expecting it to be gray." Question marks keep popping above Yuuya's head as he gives Sam a blank look. "Uhhh is green good?" Sam gasps and lets go of Yuuya's wrist. "You don't know about monster cores and what they can do? What they are worth?" Yuuya shakes his head as he chuckles nervously. "Nooo. You do realize I just woke up here a couple of days ago and you're the first person I've talked to, much less come in contact with, right?" Sam sighs, registering how little Yuuya truly knows of this world.
"Okay yup. I remember. Alright, I'll explain. *Ahem* So monsters like this bull-wolf have these gems called cores, we call them monster cores. Now each monster core is different depending on the monster's strengths and rarity. There are six colors. First is gray. They are very common and easy to get. You can get them from everyday monsters like slimes, goblins, and even giant insects. Now since they are common, they're worth pretty cheap at ten copper coins." At the mention of money, Yuuya questions how the financial system works in this world. He wants to ask, but decides to focus on the monster core topic for now. "Next is green cores. They are also pretty common, but not as gray cores and are worth more. You can get fifty copper coins. You can get them from wolf type monsters, giant rodents, orcs, other small to medium monsters. Next is blue cores. They are a bit rare and are worth ten silver coins. You can find them in trolls, ogres, and other medium monsters. Then there are the rare and unique cores. There's purple cores which are rarer and are worth fifty silver coins. These are found in undead or soulless monsters, making them harder to kill. Then there are the gold cores which are incredibly rare and very difficult to obtain. These are found in like dungeon bosses and elite monsters and are worth a thousand gold coins. Finally, there are the multi-colored cores. These are ultra, super, duper rare. You can only find these from legendary monsters, like one of a kind monster. Only like two in the past five centuries have been defeated. These cores are worth one-hundred thousand gold coins. These monster cores can be used to power certain things and tools that make everyday life easier for people. Each color indicates how long each core will last when being used. Gray ones last a couple days, green last about a couple of weeks, blue last for about six months, purple last a couple years, gold last about a couple of decades, and the multi-color cores...I'm not too sure. No one has used a multi-color core, they're too powerful."
Yuuya stares in amazement, loving the new information. "This is just like the game! They had the same system, more or less, when monsters are defeated they drop stuff. It seems like these people have a system using the monster drops. Cool! I love it!" Due to his excitement, Yuuya's tail has been wagging rapidly, drawing Sam's attention. Sam can't help but chuckle at the adorable puppy appearance Yuuya is giving off. "*Cough* Any questions?" Yuuya snaps out his gaming fantasy and nods his head. "Yeah. What are copper, silver, and gold coins?" Sam chokes and looks at the curious fox beast-man with wide eyes. "Uhhh okay...Well coins are our currency. A hundred copper coins are worth one silver coin and a hundred silver coins are worth one gold coin. Do you follow?" Yuuya takes a minute to think this through. "Okay. If copper coins are worth so little then they are probably like coins back earth. Making one copper coin worth less than a dollar. And if a hundred of them are worth one silver, then a silver coin is probably around fifty dollars. And if a hundred silver coins are worth one gold coin, then a gold coin is probably a few thousand dollars. Damn! This world is expensive!" Yuuya looks back at Sam and gives him a thumbs up. "Got it! Thanks! Then that means this green core is worth fifty copper coins. Can I get some food with it?" At the mention of food, Yuuya's stomach growls again, as if making its presence known. Sam chuckles at Yuuya's stomach and nods his head. "Yeah, you can get some stew and bread." Thinking about the idea of paying, Sam's face pales at a sudden realization: Yuuya is a beast-man in human territory!
"Oh no. You can't be here, people are gonna be afraid of you." Yuuya's ears flatten at the thought he wasn't welcome. Sam waves his hands to clear Yuuya's negative thoughts. "Wait! It's not like I don't want you here. I would love to bring you to my village, it's just that-" Yuuya jumps up in excitement. "Wait! Your home is near here? Let's go!" Yuuya grabs Sam's hand and runs in a random direction, slightly dragging him in the process. Sam trips a couple of times trying to get Yuuya's attention. "Wait Yuuya! Stop! We're going the wrong way!" Yuuya stops instantly causing Sam to crash into his back. The fox beast-man turns to look back at the exhausted human and rubs his head awkwardly. "He he whoops. Sorry. You lead the way." Yuuya lets go of Sam's hand, making the human miss the contact, and waits for him to move. Sam takes a moment to catch his breath and tries to explain again. "*Pant pant* Wait. *Pant* Yuuya. *Pant* My home is filled *Pant* with humans." Yuuya raises his eyebrow in confusion. "I figured. You're a human in these lands which means this is human territory. Of course your home is gonna be filled with humans." "Are we not in the human territory? Sam said that other races avoid going into other races' lands." Not understanding the main issue, Sam tries to explain again. "No I mean they're human and you're a beast-man. They're afraid of beast-men!" Finally the information clicks in Yuuya's mind. "Ohhh. That's what he meant. Hmmm that is an issue. Sam has just started to like me, but I'm sure his family will take longer to accept me. But I'm so hungry! I wonder if I have any items that can help me blend in." Yuuya puts his hand on his chin thinking what items could help him. While thinking, Sam just stares at Yuuya wondering if he finally understands the problem. Luckily, Yuuya remembers a useful trinket he got from fighting a relentless shapeshifter. "Hold on! I got it!" Suddenly, a black space opens up that startles Sam and makes Yuuya smile in victory, glad he received this back during his gaming days. The black space drops a necklace that had star pendant containing five different colored gems. Sam stares in wonder as Yuuya places the necklace around his neck. He closes his eyes and imagines himself without his fox-like ears and tail with normal fingernails. The necklace glows to his desire and a bright light envelops Yuuya, blinding Sam in the process. When Sam opens his eyes, he gasps in shock. For what is standing in front of him was no longer Yuuya the fox beast-man, instead a human is in his place.
The newly formed human opens his eyes, revealing the same purple eyes that Sam has grown to familiarize with. Yuuya looks down at himself, seeing he's still wearing the same clothes, but no longer has sharp claws or a tail. He touches his head and fails to feel any pointy, fluffy ears. He triumphs at his new transformation and looks at Sam's dumbfounded expression. "Woo! How's this? Now I can blend in at your village right?" Questions Yuuya as he strikes a pose, showing off his new form. Sam doesn't say a word, too shocked at what just transpired right in front of him. Yuuya stands still for a few seconds waiting for Sam's response. After a couple of minutes of silence, Yuuya starts to worry and moves closer to Sam. "Did I break him? I don't think he's even breathing..." Yuuya waves his hand in front of Sam's eyes while saying "Hello? Anyone home?" That seems to snap Sam out of his trance and grabs Yuuya's face, squishing his cheeks. "What the hell? What did you just do?" Sam whispers, worried that if he speaks any louder it will break whatever spell Yuuya casted on himself. With his cheeks squished, Yuuya has trouble speaking to answer the stumped human's questions. Ignoring his predicament, Sam turns his head left and right seeing human-like ears on the sides of his head, then tilts his head down noticing the lack of pointy fox ears on his head. Wondering how far the spell took, Sam lets go of Yuuya's face and swiftly turns him around and sees no tail peaking out from under his shirt. To confirm his suspicions, he lifts Yuuya's shirt and pulls his pants down a little to see nothing but bare skin, causing Yuuya to let out a yelp when the cold air hits his once warm skin. Yuuya blushes darkly as he looks back at Sam's puzzled expression. "U-umm are you done? Th-this is weird..." Realizing what he's doing, Sam's face turns fifty shades red and clears his throat awkwardly while fixing Yuuya's clothes. "*Ahem* Sorry." Sam steps back, but keeps his hands on Yuuya's shoulders. "Ho-how did you do this?" Yuuya smiles and sticks his chest out proudly. "With this of course. Back in the day, I fought a shapeshifter and they gave me this." Sam looks down and sees the necklace Yuuya got from the strange black mass from before. "This is the Amulet of Enigmas. It allows the wearer to change their appearance to any species they can think of. Sadly, it only lasts depending on how much mana the wearer has. For me...I think about a week? I'm not sure, I've never really wore it more than a day. But, I know it doesn't drain much so I should be good." Sam soaks up the information, however, his head is spinning at the absurdity. "Uhhhh..." Is the only response Yuuya receives, making him narrow his eyes in boredom. Yuuya simply sighs and takes one of Sam's hands while dragging him in a different direction. "Alright now that we solved the beast-man appearance problem, Let's go! I'm so hungry, my stomach is gonna eat itself." Bringing up the subject again makes Yuuya's stomach growl in affirmation, causing slight discomfort for the new human. Sam closes his mouth and grounds his feet, needing proof that Yuuya's plan will work. "Wait wait wait. Are sure this will work? What if this-this disguise falls apart!?" Yuuya sighs in frustration, the lack of food and constant questions making him cranky, and grabs Sam's shoulders gently. "Relax. It will be fine. I have a lot of mana, I barely used any today. It will last. Besides if anything happens I'll just say I tricked you and run for the hills, that way no one will blame you." Sam blinks in surprise. "He's worried about how my people will view me if I brought a beast-man into our village? Not about what they'll do to him?" A slight warmth fills Sam's chest at the thought and sighs. "Okay. We can go, but it's this way." Sam grabs one of Yuuya's hands and leads him another direction.
After a couple of hours of walking while talking about little things, they reach a tall wall made of thick trunks of trees that are sharp at the top, looking like stakes. Yuuya gasps in awe at the sight while Sam walks up to the front, waving his arms to gain the attention of the man on a railing near the top of the gate. "Hey! Robert! It's me, Samuel!" The man looks down squints at the tiny figures below. Once he recognizes the man, he smiles and waves behind him. "Open it up! It's O'Connell's kid. Looks like he has company." Six of the stakes move forward, three on each side, acting as doors that give access to the men outside the wall. Yuuya's mouth drops at the size of the gate, having to be pulled by Sam. Once they entered, the giant doors close behind them, making the newcomer jump at the loud sound. Sam chuckles at his astonishment and continues to pull Yuuya further into his homeland. The people near the gate look up and smile while some waved, "Hey Sam! Welcome back!" Some of the people, mostly elderly women, walk up to the men. Seeing the crowd forming, Yuuya shyly hides behind Sam, remembering back to his high school days. Sam looks behind him, surprised of the shy behavior from the once excited being. He squeezes his hand to comfort the poor man behind him and whispers, "It's okay, they're good people. They don't mean any harm, they're just curious of the new face. Not many new people come by here." Yuuya nods his head and slowly steps out and puts on a brave smile. As soon as he steps out, many of the people turn their eyes to the man. "Oh my goodness! Who is this young man?" A couple of the old women walk up to Yuuya and pinch his cheeks, gushing over his features, making the poor man blush at all the attention who is surprisingly not hating it. "I've never a man with such unique eyes!" "Where did you come from?" "You look so skinny! Have you eaten yet?" More people keep crowding the blushing man, Sam watching with amused eyes but never letting go of his hand. At that moment Yuuya's stomach growls loudly making everyone around him laugh and tsk in disapproval. "My goodness listen to that stomach growl. Come! Let's get some food in you." One of the women takes his unoccupied hand, making Yuuya nervous as he looks at Sam pleadingly, not wanting to go alone. Sam nods his head and whispers, "You'll be fine. Trust me. They'll give you great food." With that note, Yuuya nods back and lets go of Sam's hand, allowing himself to be dragged by the elderly to a nearby inn.
While Yuuya is being dragged away, the older men stay by Sam's side trying to get more information out of him on the new face. "Hey Sammy, who's that kid? He lost or something?" "Never seen him before, did he come from one of the nearby towns?" "He looks pretty weak, he didn't have any belongings." The questions keep coming left and right, not allowing Sam to get a word in. Thankfully, a man in dark clothes with a scar on his right cheek, brown eyes, and short, dark brown hair, steps forward laughing at the group's curiosity. "Goodness gents let the poor boy speak. You're gonna drive yourselves into the ground with all these theories." Sam sighs in relief at the familiar face. "Thanks dad." He claps on the Sam's back before frowning at his son's attire. "Samuel, were you attacked?" Sam looks down and realizes his shirt still had some scratches on it. Sam stutters for a second before answering meekly, "Uhhh maybe?" His father crosses his arms while raising an eyebrow as if saying 'explain.' Sam groans and starts talking, "Okay yes I was, but-but I'm fine now." He reassures before his father could start lecturing. His father closes his mouth and allows Sam to continue. "I was in the Escal Forest grabbing some medicinal herbs when a bull-wolf cornered me. I would've died if Yuuya hadn't saved me." His father narrows his eyes and sighs tiredly. "I'm assuming the new face is Yuuya then." Sam nods his head and shyly rubs his head. "Yeah, that's him. But dad listen, not only did he defeat a bull-wolf single handedly, but he also healed all my wounds without breaking a sweat. He has strong magic." This surprises all the men including his father. "It usually takes a group of men to take down a bull-wolf even if they have magic. And anyone that has light magic can only heal minimal wounds...Who is this boy? Where did he come from?" Sam sweat drops at the questions and tries to come up with a good explanation. "Ummm I know his name is Yuuya and he said his home was..." He stretches out the last word, trying to come up with a plausible lie. He thinks back on what Yuuya told him and decides to twist his story a little. "Destroyed. His family was killed by a giant monster. He's been wandering the woods for a few weeks now. He happened to come across me at the right time." Hearing the sad story, the men look towards Yuuya's direction in sorrow. "That poor boy. No wonder he looked so skinny." "Did you see how he hid behind Sammy's back earlier? He must've been scared" "The kid probably was in that forest long enough to know how to take down a bull-wolf easily." "Having magic makes it easier." The men continue to talk amongst themselves as Sam and his father look down in shame. For the father, he felt ashamed questioning the boy's intention while Sam was ashamed of lying to his family and close friends. "Well then, let's make him feel welcomed." The men shouted their agreements and follow the wise man to the inn where the Yuuya was being held, Sam following right behind them.
With Yuuya, he was pushed through the inn doors and shoved into a vacant chair. He looks around and sees a lot of tables and chairs, some are occupied by other patrons. The atmosphere was peaceful and positive, but when he arrived the air started to buzz with excitement and curiosity at the new face. Yuuya smiles shyly and waves at a few people. They quickly turn around and whisper amongst themselves. Yuuya slowly puts his arm down awkwardly, wondering if he did something wrong. Suddenly a large bowl of meat stew is placed right in front of him on the table, startling the poor man. A couple of the women sit down on either side of him and one of them try to spoon feed him. "A growing boy like you needs nutrients. Eat! You shouldn't be this skinny." Not wanting to be rude, Yuuya graciously accepts the offered food. He moans at the warm, delicious taste and quickly grabs another spoon, scarfing down every bite. "Oh my god! This is so good! I haven't eaten since..." Suddenly, a memory of the last meal he had flashes in his mind. The time he was Sakura eating breakfast with her siblings. Quietly, a couple of tears roll down his face, startling the women next to him. "Oh child what's wrong?" "Is the food bad?" "I told you, you put too much salt in it!" More tears fall down his face, blurring his vision. Yuuya tries to wipe away his tears, but they just kept on coming. The women keep trying to console, making him feel more embarrassed. "I-I'm sorry. *Hiccup* It-it's just that-*Sniff* my brother-*Sniff* used to c-cook. *Hiccup* He made all kinds of-*Hiccup* food f-for me and m-my siblings." Hearing the broken sobs, the women look at each other worryingly, wondering what could've happened to poor man.
As the women try to comfort him, Sam and the older men come in. Seeing Yuuya distressed, Sam rushes over to his side. "Hey hey. What happened?" He pushes Yuuya's crying face into his abdomen while looking over at the women near them. "We just gave him some meat stew. He seemed to enjoy it at first, but then he started crying." Sam rubs Yuuya's head while shushing the sobbing man. "It's okay. It's alright. Shhh." Yuuya simply hugs Sam back, feeling bad at the situation he created. "Did he say anything?" The women looked at each other then turn back to Sam. "He mentioned that his brother used to cook for him and his siblings." Sam thinks back to when Yuuya first explained about his past. "He did mention about having siblings. I guess this must've hit close to home." Sam's father comes in and looks at the other people in the room, signaling them to carry on and ignore the scene. Not wanting to cause any more problems, the people follow his lead and turn away. The man sighs and sits down next to one of the women rubbing Yuuya's back. He clears his throat, gaining Yuuya's attention. He shyly looks in his direction, still holding on to Sam. "Hi Yuuya. My name is Rick. I'm in charge of this village. I'm sorry for what happened to you. It must've been terrible being out there all alone." Yuuya looks down, wondering how much Sam has told him. He looks up at Sam's face who gives him a small smile, indicating that he didn't tell him everything. With that in mind, Yuuya looks back at Rick. Seeing he has his attention, Rick continues. "I know it's been hard, but I want to say thank you for saving my son. I heard you defeated a bull-wolf on your own. And that you healed his wounds too." Yuuya slowly nods his head and sniffs, trying to get rid of the last of his tears. Remembering about the bull-wolf, Yuuya lets go of Sam and moves back, causing the women to withdraw their hands as they stare in puzzlement. Yuuya sniffs again as he pulls out the green marble from before. "I-I got this from killing the bull-wolf." He hands over the green monster core to Rick who takes it in surprise. "I uh hope this will be enough for the food." The women gasp as Rick's jaw drops. "Oh child! You don't got to pay for this. This food is barely worth a green monster core and it's on the house." Another woman comes in with a slice of pie. "Here, have some of my classic apple pie. Guaranteed to put a smile on your face." She puts the dessert next to the bowl of stew. Yuuya blushes once more at all the attention he's getting while Rick motions Sam over.
"Did he really get a green monster core from a bull-wolf?" Sam nods his head. "Yeah, I saw it with my own eyes." Rick simply nods his head and hands the monster core back to Yuuya who is eating the apple pie happily, no longer feeling depressed about the past. "They're right. You earned this, you defeated the bull-wolf. Plus, we owe you for bringing Samuel back in one piece." Yuuya takes the monster core slowly as if waiting to see if Rick will change his mind. "Are you sure? I-I don't mind paying. I feel bad about...earlier." Rick smiles while the women deny any form of payment and push more food to him. "Don't you worry about a thing dear!" "Yes! You just eat to your heart's content." "I don't want to see a single bite left on these plates." Yuuya smiles and chuckles at their kindness. "Thank you, everyone. You are all so kind. This food is great! I really appreciate it." Everyone stares at Yuuya's smile, feeling warmth fill their hearts. Wanting Yuuya to keep smiling like that, everyone runs over bringing random items to give to the surprised man. "You must be cold wearing such a thin shirt, here! Take my jacket, I've got extras." "You must be parched, have some water." "If you're thirsty have some mead!" "Are you mad!? He's too young for alcohol. Here! Have some tea. That'll make you relax." "What size shoes do you wear? I can make you some better boots than the ones you have on." "Have some cookies..." The gifts kept coming, slightly overwhelming the poor man, making Sam and Rick laugh at his predicament. Sam sighs happily, glad that his people have accepted Yuuya. Frowning slightly, "I wonder if they would still accept him if they knew the truth..." Seeing his son's expression, Rick grabs his arm gaining his attention. "Everything alright son?" Sam shakes his inner thoughts and faces his father. "I'm fine dad. I just feel bad about what Yuuya went through. He doesn't have any place to go..." Thinking back to what he said, Rick clears his throat loudly, cutting everyone off as they kept trying to give Yuuya more gifts. "Yuuya, would you like to stay in our home? We have a spare bedroom you can stay in." Yuuya's eye widen and looks at Sam, silently asking him if it was alright, not wanting to be a burden. Sam nods his head with a smile. Yuuya looks back at Rick and smiles brightly. "Thank you! I would appreciate it. Here." Yuuya once again slides the monster core over to Rick. "Will this cover for expenses?" Rick laughs loudly and shakes his head. "You are relentless boy. No, you keep this." He slides the monster core back to him. "Consider as thanks for saving my son." Sam rolls his eyes fondly and grabs Yuuya's arm after he takes back the monster core. "Let's go. I bet you're tired." Yuuya nods his head and stands up, glad to get away from the waves of gifts. Everyone groans sadly, but quickly shut up at the glare Rick sends them. "You can bring all this to our house tomorrow. Let the poor boy rest for goddess's sake." Everyone nods in agreement and collect their belongings, promising the young man they'd bring over more stuff causing Yuuya to laugh nervously. "Is the pile going to be bigger than this? Oh boy..."
Sam and Rick lead Yuuya to their home. A building made of tan bricks and wood with a side chimney. The men in front open the door, seeing a woman in a light blue dress with blue eyes and light red hair pulled in a bun next to the fire knitting and a small girl in a pale red dress with bright hazel eyes and short, wavy, red hair playing with her dolls. They both look up at the sound of the door opening, smiling at the newcomers. "Daddy! Sammy!" Yelled the little girl as she rushes over to the men, jumping in Rick's arms. The man laughs at his daughter's excitement while picking her up. "Hey sweetie! How was your day?" The girl laughs as she explains the events of her day. The woman puts her knitting aside and stands up, walking over to the men. "Welcome home boys." She kisses Rick's cheek then looks at Sam's clothes, frowning at the scratches. "Samuel. What happened to you?" Sam stutters and slowly hides behind Yuuya, trying to make himself as small as possible. "Just uhhh tripped over some stuff, no cause for concern he he," Sam explained while chuckling towards the end. The woman crosses her arms, but lets up when she notices Yuuya. "Hello there. I'm Evelyn, and this is our daughter Ruby." At the mention of her name, Ruby waves her arms crazily. "Hello!" Yuuya smiles and waves back. "Hi! I'm Yuuya, a friend of Sam's." Evelyn blinks in surprise and looks at Rick. He nods and looks at Yuuya. "C'mon in Yuuya. Sam, show him the guest room." Sam quickly nods, not wanting to be lectured, and takes Yuuya's hand, leading him to said guest room. As he takes Yuuya upstairs, Rick puts Ruby down, quietly asking her to go get ready for bed. Ruby nods and rushes up the stairs. Rick smiles at Ruby's antics and looks back at Evelyn, who's waiting on explanation. "Evie, let me explain." He brings his wife over to the chairs neck to the fireplace. "Yuuya, the boy who just came in, he saved Samuel's life." Hearing that her son was in danger, Evelyn sits up straighter. "Is he okay? I didn't see any wounds..." She thinks back and remembers the state Sam's clothes were in. "He's fine, in fact Yuuya took care of him. He killed a bull-wolf all on his own and healed all of Sam's injuries. The boy didn't even look tired! Sam said Yuuya had great magical power." Evelyn nods her head and looks upstairs, silently thanking the goddess for bringing Yuuya into Sam's life. "Well, I'll have to thank him properly in the morning and lecture Samuel too." Rick laughs nervously, already praying for mercy on his son.
Meanwhile upstairs, Sam shows Yuuya the spare room. "Here it is. Do you need some spare clothes?" Yuuya walks in and shakes his head. "No, I'm good." He sits down on the bed and looks out the window. Replaying the last couple of days' events in his head. Seeing him spacing out, Sam walks over to Yuuya and sits next to him on the bed. "You okay?" Yuuya nods quietly. "Yeah...It's just...Everything's been crazy. One moment, I-I was with my siblings. Next I'm waking up in an empty field...Then I meet you." Yuuya waves at Sam. "And then you bring me here. Introducing your entire village to me...I don't know what to say except thank you." Yuuya looks up at Sam with a sad smile and unshed tears. "I probably would've gone insane by that lake...Never going out and meeting such nice people." Sam frowns and takes one of Yuuya's hands into his own. "I should be thanking you. You saved my life. A human's life. I would've been dead if you hadn't come." Yuuya rubs Sam's hand, smiling a bit more happily. "Of course, I wasn't gonna just ignore a cry of help. No matter what their race is." Sam looks away, blushing slightly at Yuuya's statement. They sit there quietly for a bit until Sam clears his throat. "Well I should let you sleep. Call me if you need anything." Before he leaves the room, Yuuya grabs onto Sam's sleeve. He turns around, surprised at the action. Yuuya is looking down so Sam can't see his expression. "U-umm can I stay with you? I...I don't want to sleep alone." Sam blinks, shocked at the request, before turning all the way around with a comforting smile. "Sure. I'll stay with you." Sam closes the door while taking off his jacket and changes his shirt, thinking to himself how he was gonna ask Evelyn to fix his ruined shirt without her asking any questions, while Yuuya takes off his boots, intent on sleeping in his clothes. After getting ready, both men climb under the covers and stare up at the ceiling, waiting for sleep to claim them. "Goodnight Sam." "Goodnight Yuuya." Sam turns on his side away from Yuuya. After a few minutes, he feels the bed shaking a little. Sam looks over and only sees Yuuya's back, shaking slightly and hears soft sobs. Sam's face softens sadly and turns around all the way to face Yuuya's back. He carefully puts his hand on Yuuya's shoulder, silently asking if he wants physical touch. After a few seconds, Yuuya scooches closer to Sam, allowing Sam to pull him into a hug, placing his face in Yuuya's hair. Deciding it was safe, Yuuya stops pouring mana into the necklace, allowing his disguise to disappear. Sam feels Yuuya's hair growing slightly against his face and sees his ears pop up. A soft tail wraps around his leg loosely. With that in mind, Sam closes his eyes and falls asleep. While Sam sleeps, Yuuya is still awake thinking over what has transpired in the past couple of days. Smiling sadly while holding Sam's hand. He closes his eyes while thinking, "Thank God I met Sam. His village is so friendly. I wish I could show them what I really am. I wish I could tell Sam the truth." Sleep finally claims him for the night.