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Mot shook his head almost too quickly, nearly making himself dizzy. He sniffled, as tears broke the barriers that had been keeping them back. "No." He said back in a choked up voice. "Don't.." He sniffed again, trying to maintain his composure. Don't buy another hat. A hat bought meant little to him.

"It isn't that.. I just.." He gritted his teeth, wishing he could speak normally, but he was far beyond that possibility now. "You made this just for me.. and... it means so much more.." More than a hat bought out of sympathy. It was a new hat, with new meaning. It meant that Hel cared about him. Hel was his friend. And she was.. proud of him.

He sniffed again, rubbing his eyes harshly with his hand. The tears were painful on his still healing burns and raw eyes, but they wouldn't stop tearing. He didn't know how to express how he felt. He couldn't use words. Wtih another sharp breath, Mot moved off of the bed after his old hat was moved aside, clinging to the new one in one hand. He stood in front of Hel and pulled her into a rather tight and affectionate hug. "Thank you."

Mot had also not intended to cry, but it happened anyway, despite a best effort to hold it back. At least he wasn't sobbing. His manly pride could hold onto that small string if nothing else.

Mot managed to pry himself away, rubbing his eyes on a shoulder. "Aw Jack.. sorry.." He said with a strangled chuckle. Crying was weakness, wasn't it? That seemed like something Hel would say. He looked down at the hat in his hands. It even had a strap so he could hang it around his neck. The new band was stunning, his pin and the star emblem shining like new. His fingers ran along the perfect stitching, smiling fondly now that his emotions weren't out of control.

"Amazing work, as usual." He complimented, still smiling. For the first time in what felt like forever, he didn't feel so bogged down. "I think.. this hat is even better than my old one." It almost felt like he was betraying his old hat in saying it. But this new hat held a powerful feeling now. A token of Hel's friendship.

Woooooah Mot had caught it! He saw Hel blush on her pale side before she managed to cover up. He smirked lightly, glad he had flattered her. He nodded to her, not really wishing to bother her about that reaction.

He looked down again at his new hat, really taking it in as he turned it this way and that. The beads were a wonderful addition. The whole thing gave off a homely and warm feeling. It made his old hat seem dreary, and maybe that was true. "I love it." Like was not strong enough a word for this.

His head turned to regard the remains of his old hat, now sitting grimly on his tangled bedding. He didn't have it in him to throw it away. It was beyond repair, but it still held meaning.
Mot set his new hat down on his nightstand with his other treasured mementos, and picked up the old hat. It was brought to his dresser, and laid on top for the time being. He would figure something out, how to deal with it.

Anything but that.

As much as he felt better, the thought of going back to that bed full of nightmares was still too much. His heartrate quickened, anxiously looking over his shoulder at the furniture in question. "I'd rather not.." He opposed blatantly.

But Mommy I don't wannaaaaa

Mot puffed his cheek a bit. He supposed he 'needed' sleep, since Cricket had told him to rest, but nightmare filled nights were not resting. Even his head felt heavy, as if the dizziness from a few hours ago was coming round the bend.

Hel's suggestion made Mot turn red. Not only did she suggest sitting and watching him attempt to sleep, she offered a lullaby. The former seemed awkward, and the latter embarrassing. He loved her singing, but to have her sit and sing him to sleep...

Mot seemed to struggle with this a while, his head turning this way and that, fidgeting with the hem of his tee-shirt. He had other options besides sleeping. His spurs could use a few more coats of polish, after all! Yeah~ That was---
Hel would never let him do it. She was a lot more stubborn than he was, and he knew it.

He exhaled slowly, as if audibly giving up. He looked over his shoulder at her, almost pouting in a grumpy sort of way. He didn't want to fall sleep again. He was anxious, worried those nightmares were just waiting for him. Still, he moved away from the dresser, and sat back down in his bed. Okay, he could do this. Just get under the blanket and rest his head. Maybe if nothing else, he could pretend to fall asleep and wait for Hel to leave. Then he could polish all the metal he wanted to.
Fine.
His dastardly plan in motion, the reaper slipped under his blanket, and flopped his head down on his pillow, a rather indescribably look on his face.

He was definitely pouting.

Cute?!

Hel earned a rather disgruntled glare from Mot. She was egging him, he just knew it. He had half a mind to stick out his tongue at her. Even the sleepover suggestion was rather ignored. Still, he didn't make too much of a fuss beyond that.

Especially as she began to sing.

Maybe it was because it had been a while since her heard her sing, besides the song she sang in the first room of the field trip. Her haunting, magnificent voice echo'd off his walls, and his expression softened significantly. His head sunk deeper into his pillow, his eyes lidded as he laid quietly and listened to her song.
Slowly, his nerves settled. As he kept his focus on the lyrics and sound of her voice, his mind let go of his anxiety. Maybe a little bit of sleep wouldn't hurt. Maybe his nightmares for the night were done. It wasn't even a worry.

The reaper's eyelids became heavy. The song started to blur into a humming as his mind eased and fogged over. Soon he couldn't struggle against it. His eyes closed, and as the darkness fell into his sight, he fell sound asleep.

Had Mot been awake, the silly test to check if he was bluffing would have made him smirk.
He was, after all, a terrible liar.

However, Mot's arm would feel heavy and limp in Hel's grasp. He barely even reacted. Just slow, steady breathing could be heard.

He really had fallen asleep.

Lucky for them both, Mot's nightmares did not return that night. If he did dream, he didn't recall any of it. Perhaps they were pleasant, or maybe he really did not dream anything. A long, deep sleep that was greatly needed.

An hour passed, followed by two or three more. Soon, it had been a good 8 hours. Twice as much sleep than Mot was used to.

Sunlight poured into his room, the form of Mot slowly moving as he began to stir wake from his slumber. He felt fuzzy headed to the point it was kind of uncomfortable. He did feel a little rested, but otherwise still sleepy. His eyes opened slowly, staring blankly ahead. Something seemed.. odd. His bed felt very warm, and a sensation like a presence nearby. Groggy, Mot groaned, rubbing an eye and squinting at the fuzzy figure. FooFoo? No, it was too large. What was....

It took a long moment of just staring. His eyes adjusting to the morning light. There was a ghoul in his bed.
There was a ghoul.. in his bed.

There was.. a ghoul.. in his bed.

Mot's eyes widened suddenly, gasping and nudging himself away from the ghoul. Why was she here? He recalled soon the night's events. He'd had a nightmare, cried, got a hat..
He smiled at that thought.
But then what? His memory was fuzzy.

Should.. he wake her? Mot nervously pulled the blanket further up his face, his eyes peeking out at the ghoul in slumber.