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Thom was in a surprisingly good mood following his own meeting with the frog man. Newt's stutter was irritating, yes, but there were far worse people to talk to around the island. Zachary, for example. Or that squirrel woman, whatserface, Antony. Newt was at least polite, even if it took him a while to get through a sentance.

However, after learning that something had happened to Natsumi, Thom dropped the conversation fairly quickly and rushed off to the duplexes to talk to the girl himself. It hadn't occurred to him that he would be walking straight into a trap. It had completely slipped his mind that Natsumi's duplex was above his. It wasn't until Newt had wandered off and Duplex 45 came into sight that Thom remembered and, at that point, well, it was really too late.

The duplex, to anyone else, would have appeared just as any other, but even as Thom watched it warped to swallow his entire field of vision--including the gecko girl descending the steps that he had yet to notice. The door opened to bleed darkness and roaches, expanding outward to enclose the entire area in a massive, slowly shrinking duplicate of his grave. And there, framed in the doorway, was the shadow, smirking. No where to run. No where to run.

The cobra man froze the moment the sight registered, absolutely rigid with terror. His pupils dilated, a slight tremor running through his arms. No where to run, even if he had been able. He had walked into a trap.

Natsumi might as well have been invisible during her rush over. He didn't see her--his eyes were fixed on the grinning shadow. He willed himself to run, to shout, anything to chase the shadow away, to prevent himself from being drawn into the grave. But he couldn't. He could only stand there.

But there was someone standing before him, he realized when Natsumi spoke. With the momentary interruption, his eyes left the duplex for the girl, and instantly his surroundings returned to normal. Duplex 45 stood as innocent and unspectacular as ever. Nonetheless, even with his focus now on Natsumi, it was a moment before recognition dawned. However, once he recognized the girl, he cracked a smile, adrenaline draining from his system as quickly as it had come. He relaxed, dropping to his knees, and looped both arms around the girl's waist, burying his face against her stomach without so much as a hello.

A word, an embrace--he was safe. The duplex was just a duplex, and the shadow was gone as long as someone was with him. He hadn't done anything wrong. They couldn't trap him again. He still wasn't ever going in his own duplex again, but he really didn't need to worry about it. He was safe.

Finally he loosened his arms, letting them fall back to his sides a moment later and sitting back on his legs to glance up at Natsumi. He cracked a grin in greeting, muttered a 'Sorry about that', and reached for his discarded crutch, climbing back to his feet and pointedly avoiding looking anywhere near the duplexes. "'Ad a little... Well, nevermind. Natsumi! 'Ow've you been, then? It's been a while." Small talk. Good. Good. Talking was good. Take that, shadow.

"Brilliant! I'll join you, shall I?" Laundry. Laundry meant indoors, but laundry meant away from the duplexes. Indoors was tolerable provided Natsumi didn't wander off. He needed to be away from the duplexes. "I've been...well enough."

Smile still forced, he crutched his way towards the discarded basket of clothes--which, he realized, meant walking towards the duplex. The door swung open once more, darkness pouring forth, but Thom fixed his gaze on the basket, stubbornly continuing forward and managing to reach the lot with only a slight shake in his arms. He tugged the clothes back into the basket, tucking the lot under his right arm, and awkwardly rose once more, gladly leaving the duplexes behind. "Sorry if y' looked for me an' wasn't around. I 'aven't been stayin' in my duplex lately."

"It's not a problem," he assured her, but allowed her to slip the bundle from his grasp nonetheless. It was easier to walk without it, certainly, but it had served as a good distraction while he carried it. He frowned briefly as the bundle was eased from under his arm, but almost immediately lost interest as her words registered in his mind.

Locked door. She had tried to get him out? But she hadn't been able to then. She wouldn't be able to now. Sensing someone behind him, Thom whirled around, taking a step backwards when there was no one to be seen and keeping hold of his crutch only out of habit. Briefly, his eyes fixed the duplex now a good distance away, but he managed to pull his eyes free and turn back around, continuing stiffly at Natsumi's side. Fighting against paranoia, he lifted a hand to hold his head, rubbing his temple with the heel and trying to decide how best to explain. "The, ah... I was.. Th' door was locked, an' th' roaches--"

He shook his head and paused in step, dropping his crutch in favor of moving both hands to his head. His eyes closed against the images that threatened to assault him, and for a long moment he simply remained where he was, stiff and silent and struggling against the memories. Finally, without looking up, he cleared his throat, managing to croak out, "Nats-... Natsumi, t-talk?"

Natsumi was there. Natsumi was speaking to him, calm as ever, simple small talk between friends. He wasn't trapped again. He was just imagining things. He nodded slowly, spinning her words through his mind a few times before his mind grasped their meaning. He took a shaky breath and let one hand fall, lifting his head slightly. "...Tom Bombadillo," he finally replied, offering a nervous laugh. "Good book, that."

A moment later he cleared his throat and bent to retrieve his crutch, straightening up with a sheepish smile. Remembering her earlier words, he leaned forward, peering curiously at the necklace. "Lovely, that. Nice lad, Newt. Bit irritatin', but nice. I ran into 'im myself just b'fore I came t'see you."

Keep walking away from the duplexes. Yes. Good. The moment she had settled the bundle in her arms once more, he started off again for the laundry room, nodding. "He probably came from visitin' you, I shouldn't wonder. We spent most of th' time talkin' about you, in fact," he admitted, flashing his first real grin since they had begun speaking. "He's rather smitten."