Exulansis

Durian is quite the sight, wrapped so completely in a fluffy blanket until just the top of her head could be seen and sprawled out on top of Bulma's mother in what must be the tightest grasp. She would snort and laugh if she weren't so concerned, even in her sleep-dazed state as she wandered further into the living room with questions on her tongue. It's four in the morning and she had gotten up to go pee and maybe grab a late snack and to find Durian and her mother sleeping on the couch had not been something she expected. It's oddly adorable, she'll admit, but from the way Durian's tucked so delicately against her mother she wonders if there may be something wrong. Obviously, there is something wrong, something has been wrong for some time now and Durian had been insisting on handling it on her own. She can't, it was so obvious to her that Durian couldn't handle her emotional state on her own and she wonders why she even put up such a fight. Does she even realize what she's doing?

It's sort of relieving to see them like that. It makes her think that her mother offered the kind of support that likely broke Durian, which she never thought would be a good thing. She likes her mother, after all, so she wouldn't be surprised in the slightest. Sighing, she slinks past the living room and into the kitchen to get a glass of milk and some bare bread. Durian never understood why she got bare bread in the night and would say as much, but now she does the same whenever they're evading sleep.

She wonders at what ungodly time Durian found her way back and why her mother had even been awake at that time. Her mother is the one person in the house with a somewhat normal sleeping schedule, so while it happens more than one would think, it's still odd for the woman to be awake at such hours.

She'll come see Durian in the morning. As bothered as she is now, she can't possibly wake her up when Durian already has such terrible sleep habits as it is. It's something she developed over the years on her own, staying awake at night after she had almost been robbed once and never allowing a deep sleep as to not let her guard down. It is something she had learned once when she had woken around an hour or so before Durian usually wakes. In trying to get out of bed she almost fell onto Durian with the way she was wrapped in her blanket and Durian almost had them both tumbling out of bed in the next instance, confused when she realized she had just barely prevented them from landing on the floor and holding a startled Bulma halfway on her body. Bulma has tested her discovery since then in the rare moments Durian slept during the day. She would attempt to poke her and have a hand around her wrist before she could get close enough and Durian would always wear the most confused expression when she woke up to that.

It was almost tempting to do it now, but that would be rather inconsiderate and she believes this must be one of the rare moments Durian's guard isn't up. She would have stirred by now, would have already had dark eyes on Bulma with furrowed brows. Bulma wouldn't have made it to the kitchen and back without Durian waking.

She hopes she gets a good night's sleep - she deserves it.

~~~~~~~~~

It's past nine when Bulma has woken and showered and back in the living room and Durian is still asleep, or it looks to be that way. Panchy isn't there anymore and Durian is still wrapped tightly in that fluffy blanket Bulma recognizes now as her mother's. She's never been as silent as she is when she quickly sneaks past the younger to get to the kitchen and no sooner had she stepped foot into the room than her mother was greeting her with that kind smile of hers.

"Good morning" her words are accompanied by a quick kiss on Bulma's cheek and she returns to gathering the ingredients to make a ham sandwich, something Durian tends to eat on her lazy mornings.

"What time did she get back?" Bulma asks, curiously, quickly glancing back as if making sure Durian wasn't approaching.

"Two - three? Not sure" Panchy answers while swiftly and skillfully cutting a tomato - Durian likes tomatoes. "She was quite troubled"

Troubled isn't the word Bulma would use but she nods along.

"I never asked" Panchy starts, looking at her daughter a bit more seriously than she's used to. "But what exactly led to her living with us?"

It's not meant in a bad way, more concerned than anything and it has Bulma realizing that she never even told her parents why Durian was staying with them. They never even brought it up and accepted her as easily as they would their own child. It was easy to forget such a crucial detail when everyone acted as if it had been the norm.

"It's a long story" no it's not. "I just invited her after she said she didn't have a home to return to. And she said it so casually too and then she proceeds to tell me that she had been on her own for some three to four years since her parents died"

See, it's not that long of a story.

"And the death of her parents has been a recent topic, no?" Panchy says, a statement rather than a question. "That's what she told me, at least. Also something about a dead master who's somehow back"

Okay, that last part has Bulma looking at her mother as if she had three heads, but she nods.

Panchy hums, eyes down and on the sandwich she has set out to make. Bread, lettuce, extra tomatoes, ham, and cheese.

"Well, I understand now why she broke down when I hugged her"

While Bulma had been suspecting as much - her mother is oddly therapeutic - it's still surprising to hear.

Another sandwich is being made and another tomato is being sliced.

"What I'm understanding" Panchy finishes off with the second sandwich and moves to the fridge for some milk. "Is that she never truly got over the fact and had no one to go to in her time of need. So then, when someone takes the time to be there, the metaphorical dam breaks "

"She's also quite touched starved" she adds almost as an afterthought.

Bulma says nothing in turn, not sure what she can say really, and simply watches her mother make some warm cocoa to go with the sandwiches on the counter.

"Here you go" Panchy slides Durian's breakfast over to Bulma on a tray and smiles when her daughter looks at her in confusion.

"Me?"

"Yes, you're worried no? Go" Panchy shoos her off with the flick of her hand and further ushers her away when she's too slow for her liking. "Careful when waking her, she might have a headache"

With that Bulma almost stumbles out of the kitchen with a drawn-out sigh and places the tray of food on the coffee table once she's in the living room.

She gets down on the floor in front of Durian, staring at the tuff of spiked hair protruding from the blanket, wondering how to proceed. She shivers when something grazes her leg and looks down to find her father's cat placing itself at her feet and looking up at the sleeping Durian. A small meow urges her to continue, the cat's tail stroking her leg as if to encourage her. That cat seldom leaves her father's side and so she is quite surprised to have it here.

A question for later.

Not entirely sure what to do now she rests a hand on Durian's forehead, pushing away her odd bangs and watching her stir slightly. She'd have woken up immediately under normal circumstances, blinking awake with an expression of confusion, yet acceptance whenever Bulma prods at her. Her hand goes down to her cheek and her thumb swipes at the skin just under her eye, warm and slightly red.

"Durian" a gentle call in an effort to coax her awake and she glances at the clock when the sun catches her eyes. Durian has never slept this late, having always been up before the sun, even when she had been confined to her wheelchair.

Her eyes open when Bulma has tugged her blanket just slightly down to reveal more of her face and Durian blinks at her, eyes dazed and mind still lingering in the realm of dreams. She says something far too quietly for Bulma to hear and her hand goes around Bulma's wrist though she doesn't move her hand like she usually does.

"You didn't poke me" she mumbles around the blanket she had pulled back up, eyes closing and grip on Bulma's wrist loosening slightly.

"I should've taken my chance, shouldn't I?" Bulma replies, relieved.

"Yes, you'll never get another" Durian says, her voice softer than Bulma's used to and words muffled.

Never is a strong word and Bulma says as much to Durian's amusement. Her grip on her wrist is so light that when Bulma pulls away her hand slips out of her grasp easily. Sighing, the blanket comes back over her head only for Bulma to pull it back down.

"Mom made you breakfast," she says, holding the blanket when Durian attempts to hide behind it again. She pauses at the mention of food and almost on cue her stomach makes a very obvious sound and Bulma can't help her somewhat smug smile. "Ham sandwich with extra tomatoes"

That does get Durian's attention enough for her to open her eyes again, blinking blearily.

"With cocoa" Bulma adds.

Durian sits up in the next instance, sinking into the cushions and rubbing her eyes while the blanket falls off her shoulder to settle around her middle.

"You're adorable when you just wake up" Bulma admits while she slides into place next to her and passes her a sandwich.

Durian says nothing in return, far too occupied with the bread in her mouth and watching the black cat that trudges up the sofa with sharp claws and a wobbling body. When she flinches, Bulma looks down to see the cat attached to Durian's tail and she's sure it would have been thrown across the room if Durian wasn't scared of hurting the poor thing. She's careful when she attempts to pry it off, slipping her fingers under its paws until it sat in her hand and Durian's tail retreated to a safe space.

When she looks at her Durian is eyeing the cat with a frown, appearing hurt in more than one sense.

She bites into her sandwich and chews in silence, though she still wears that hurt expression that Bulma can't take very seriously.

Bulma looks back at the small creature that now lies in her lap and again wonders why it's not with her father.

Durian eats quite languidly today, taking her time chewing - or struggling against sleep - and resting her head on the back of the sofa as her eyes close again.

"Don't fall asleep with food in your mouth" Bulma feels the need to say when Durian's chewing slows too dangerously and she gets a nod in return. "Durian, I'm serious, chew"

She nods again and does resume chewing, albeit slowly.

"My eyes hurt," Durian says once she swallows. "And my head" she takes another bite, bigger than the last. "And I'm fighting sleep like I'm fighting for my life"

Bulma nods, understanding the feeling. Happens quite a bit when she goes to bed a bit too late - and that's saying something already.

Bulma is convinced that if she doesn't watch her, Durian will fall asleep while eating that one sandwich.

"You can go to bed after you've eaten," she says in hopes of encouraging her further and a glance at Durian shows that her words don't help much. She still takes her time with her food with the same drowsy expression. She's not sure why a sleep-drunk and possibly emotionally unavailable Durian is such an adorable sight. Maybe it's the way she refuses to part with the blanket or the way she holds her tail near her chest in a protective manner.

"Eat, shower, then bed," Durian says after a moment, sitting up once she's popped the last piece of her sandwich into her mouth and reaching for the next. The sandwich is pulled open and a slice of tomato is stolen from within and Durian smiles when she eats the red fruit.

"Tomatoes are a weird food to like" Bulma voices and Durian blinks at her as if she hadn't understood those words.

"I like fruit" is what Durian says, to Bulma's confusion.

"Tomatoes are veggies"

"They're fruits," Durian says with certainty and wears this odd smile. "I know something you don't"

"Tomatoes are veggies!" How are they fruit? They have always been veggies.

"Fruit" Durian insists. "Mom said so"

Bulma quiets at that, not sure if she should question a dead woman's words. Still, she always believed Tomatoes to be veggies, everyone considers them veggies and here Durian comes stating otherwise.

"Mom was a botanist amongst many other things" Durian explains. "She studied plants and has proven that tomatoes are fruits, so are squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, peppers, eggplants, corn kernels, and bean and pea pods "

Well, that's news to Bulma. Though the revelation that Durian's mother was also a botanist makes sense when she considers how Durian quickly took to helping Panchy in the garden. She used to help her mother in her garden, she had said, so she saw no issue helping Panchy as well.

"Okay, so why are they considered fruits?"

"They develop from the fertilized ovary of a flower" a shrug and bite into her sandwich. "That's how we separate fruit from veggies, however, tomatoes and the likes are considered veggies by nutritionists"

So Bulma wasn't wrong in her assumption, and neither was Durian.

"There's always something new to learn with you" the way Bulma says that is almost accusatory and Durian tilts her head, questioning.

"Good thing?" She wonders around a mouthful of bread. "It sounds like your accusing me"

"Maybe, what are you gonna say next? That time travel is possible?"

The way Durian smiles at those words has Bulma's eyes widening.

"Time travel is possible?"

Durian bites into her sandwich at the question and excitement on Bulma's face and doesn't deign to answer. Bulma glares, Durian smiles, the cat meows and Durian pulls her tail closer to her chest.

"Tell me" Bulma pleads.

"Why wouldn't it be?" It sounds like a question to herself more than anything else. "A wish-granting dragon exists, the dead can walk the earth for a day with a literal halo, aliens that look so much like us exists, with advanced technology too. Why wouldn't time travel be a possibility?"

That's a great point actually, but not a solid confirmation. If it cannot be proven, Bulma can't fully believe in it and Durian knows that.

"You're not certain" Bulma sighs.

"I am"

"Do you have proof?"

"No"

"Then how can you be certain?"

"Because I am"

Bulma doesn't like that reply and it shows on her face. Durian doesn't pay her much mind and cradles her cup of cocoa after the last of her sandwich had been ingested.

"There is no proof" frustrated, Bulma falls into the cushions of the sofa and the cat on her lap startles and scrambles away from her.

"Then do the research, I'm sure you can figure it out" the certainty with which Durian says those words are beyond flattering and Bulma can't help her smile.

Durian drinks her cup of cocoa within seconds and slumps back into her blanket now she finished her food. One moment she's upright, the next she falls over onto Bulma's lap and pulls the blanket up to her chin. The black cat lets out a mewl as it claws its way out of the thick blanket and onto Durian's head, where it sits.

"Really?" Bulma has her hands at her side and watches Durian with disbelief on her face. "What about your shower?"

"Later"

"What about me?"

"You don't have anything better to do"

That's just rude. She just goes and assumes Bulma doesn't have important business to take care of and places to be.

She grumbles something unintelligible and rests her hand on Durian's head, one hand stroking her surprisingly soft hair and the other taking the poor black cat off Durian before it ends up falling to the floor. The cat is settled on her shoulder, as it usually is with her father and it nuzzles her cheek with a soft purr. Maybe the cat had come to see Durian - it liked her after all.

What even is its name?

Durian's hair has always been soft, which is expected with how well she takes care of her hair, but it is still odd how it's so spiked with no other influence. It's just naturally like that and only adopts a different form when Bulma takes the time and effort to style Durian's hair differently. At least it has grown a bit, obviously longer than when they had first met and Durian doesn't intend to cut it anytime soon, so she'll likely be seeing her with long hair sometime in the future.

"You asleep?" She asks quietly, leaning over to get a look at her face. She was asleep, having been very truthful about her fight to stay awake.

Bulma grins when Durian barely stirs, and carefully, very, very carefully reaches out with a single finger, very much intending to poke her and prove Durian wrong.

When a hand wraps around her wrist she huffs, dismayed and defeated and she feels Durian sigh, her grip on her wrist as slack as always as she moves her hand to rest on the top of her head.

"Dammit"

"You can try again later, if you wish"

"I will"