wizardmanor | Floor 2, Room 4

I-I've been working on that...

[He Has Not. Not the sleeping part, at least.]

[ ...

Squinting at Phil, watching for any signs of poor rest or sleep deprivation, ]

[Are the perpetual dark circles beneath his eyes not enough of a clue...]

[ Look, ]

You ain't sleepin'.

I-I am!

[...]

... well, sometimes I lose track of time when I'm reading, but I do end up sleeping in the end!

[When he quite literally passes out.]

Passin' out don't count.

[ He's just saying. ]

......

[It achieves the same result!!]

Maybe I should start lookin' into whether magic can help with sleep...

Th-that really won't be necessary...

[How did this get turned around on him like this... he is being bullied...]

[ Then maybe stop being bullyable, Phil? ]

It'll stop bein' necessary when you get some damn sleep on the regular.

[The reaction Day gets to this is... probably very much NOT what he was expecting, because those sure are tears in Phil's eyes right about now.

And yes, he's sniffling a little too.]

[ He definitely wasn't expecting this. Immediately he panics, because making people cry is at the bottom of his list. ]

W-wait, what're you...

I-I'm sorry... it must be because of my age...

[He does try to wipe his eyes on his sleeve in an only semi-effective attempt to stop the tears, though.]

I ain't sure what your age's gotta do with this?

[ Please hold, he's summoning a handkerchief and handing it over to Phil. ]

You'll understand when you're my age.

[It is, quite possibly, the stupidest excuse of all time but he's sticking with it. Still, he accepts the handkerchief with a nod of thanks and removes his monocle so that he can dab at his eyes.]

Again, I don't see what age has to do with this when Ginger's way older than either of us and also cries?

[ Y'all!!! ]

He does? [PHIL ISN'T ALONE???] ... well, I would think that's just more proof that it is in fact a matter of age.

Anyway, I'm all right now. I'm sorry about that...

You...really just started cryin' for some reason?

[ Day is so confused, as someone who tries to avoid crying as much as possible. ]

Y-yes... it's something of a bad habit of mine, I'm afraid. I never intend for it to happen, but the tears always just end up coming before I can stop them.

[It's more than a little embarrassing, to be honest...]

Wonder if that means you have a soft heart.

[ Though he doesn't say this as if it's a bad thing to have. ]

[That brings Phil up short. A soft heart? Him? After everything he's done?

... no, he doubts it.

There's a long, telling moment of silence before he answers.]

... maybe that's it.

[ Oh, Day can tell, if only because he's been guilty of doing the same before. That's why he ends up asking, ]

Just maybe?

Mmmm.

[It's a noncommittal sound that isn't really an answer at all.]

...Well, I think the fact you're reactin' like this says enough.

[Phil's next inhalation is sharp, pained, and it's another long moment before he finally exhales.]

... I should... probably rest a bit more. Just to be safe.

[Even if doing so means running the risk of encountering his nightmares again...]

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