She nods. "Still, for now, let's get you settled. Investigations can wait for a decent hour."

"I suppose it is rather late, isn't it."

"I'll be up through the night - but Nausicaa's family will be home soon. I don't know if your kind of person sleeps?"

"Optionally. But if I'm conserving magic it's best to keep a normal schedule."

"Reasonable. We're not at any kind of critical point yet."

"Hopefully one of those is still a ways off."

"Hopefully! Unfortunately life doesn't always seem to play by hopes."

"That's what magical girls are for."

"Good. You've certainly done Nausicaa and her boogeyman a good service. I've been worried about those two..."

"The boogeyman thinks you're the scary one."

"He would. One of the duties of Nannies - and it's unfortunate - is ending Boogeymen that go... Well, bad."

"Oh?"

"The point of a Boogeyman is to teach people to be brave. To show a child small fears, so they may learn to overcome them, and prepare for larger fears. Some Boogeymen choose another track, and become Nannies. Rarely, some become intelligent and yet remain Boogeymen like our friend. Some go too far in scaring the children and in feeding on fear. Some feed on deep, deep fears of all humanity - a worshiped Boogeyman can become a Horror."

"Was that how you got your start? As a boogeyman?"

"Yes. Very, very long ago."

"You can feel free to not answer, but uh. What did you look like?"

"I don't remember. A shadow, I suppose, like all Boogeymen."

"Huh."

"It was... A very long time ago."

"It must have been."

She nods, and busies herself with tidying, keeping an eye out the window, then shakes her head and says, "Come on, let's get you laid down."

"All right." These beds probably won't be smartfoam. How nostalgic.

Indeed they aren't.

The Crone wishes her a good night, and leaves her to her rest.

She still remembers a couple relaxation tricks for falling asleep in conditions which are less than ideal.

She sleeps for about eight hours or until something wakes her, dreaming of nothing in particular.

Nausicaa wakes her up in the morning, happy and bouncing. Her foster parents said Miss Makoto can stay!!!