NIGHT

"oh no." this was starting to sound horrifically familiar. but the better question was the one chase posed afterwards. "potentially." night leaned back on the couch, contemplative. the side of her thumb was upon her chin before she knew it. her eyes darted around the room. "granted," the woman began, "our brains might be wired to understand how our bodies and their states might be in reflection of the real world. that... sounds possible, in the same way it can believe placebo effects. but this one's with more evidence, since it's regulating the body it physically governs." not that night

the relief that crashed into her at chase's fluster was immeasurable. especially the decision not to mention the doppel by name -- that was how night was truly aware that mischief was afoot. and she'd deflated almost instantly -- "oh, gods, chase," -- in the midst of his explanation, the menus brought up one by one for elaboration. then he coughed, and it was like all of that concern, undone, came seeping back in like a toxin that couldn't be rid of. "sick," night repeated, understanding the concept but believing it like a rumored myth. as far as she knew, players weren't the type to

"no," night commented, unaware, as the duo made their way inside. "i'm really not." as always, the player had managed to select a booth located towards the back. and she hadn't expected to be nudged into her own seat -- as playful as it was -- but squished up against the wall, locked between it and nari, the woman could only wonder how close and clingy her other was going to be. (stifling. stifling had been the appropriate word to think of, after all.) in the sincerity of her question, night had been reminded of the kiss they shared on the docks just moments before. and she roll

"chase." moments where night would've been caught with emotion other than fie in her voice were... rare. this was one of them. being greeted by the familiar face into his abode (she'd never seen it before), had she been a more excitable person then perhaps the woman would've tackled her friend with a hug. instead, she merely walked in. the light of the home wasn't too great in the floor, and hence it must've been easy for the woman to miss the signs of disarray. there was the softness in his voice, and night didn't think too hard on that, either. it could've been from anything. weari

it was chase. and for a moment, night wondered if she should've brought day along. neither the two had caught sight of him after the transition into new territory, what with cardinal deciding its systems should get an update here or there. she paused for a moment before responding. NIGHT: omw NIGHT: addrss? there was no set time, but she wanted to be there as soon as possible. there was much, much to discuss, and her eyes almost bled from the list that came to mind, so real and true that it swore to break her sights from reality. almost as real as her interface. floor 21 seem

so, the frost. night knew where she'd wanted to go, but found it difficult to find. either the fall from earlier, the player caught up in her attack, had allowed her to find her directions mixed up in the snow, or cardinal had decided to remove that smaller ice rink that she swore had been somewhere nearby. that was fine. the starglades were a good secondary location, anyway. and she pried into her friends menu, as though to read the locations of the players she knew she saw. koga, on the fourth. nari, on the fourth. unblinking. her eyes only stung further from the sharp w

so the difference between an art and a science -- assuming one didn't see the latter as an art in the first place. and had that switch in perspective been what it took for her to get started on the craft in the first place, night would've found that rationale reasonable. she nodded, thoughtful, before looking over the menu. as hard as she did work to find it, if nari had this much doubt cast over the dish, then perhaps she'd gotten it wrong in the first place. night only really stopped mulling over it when she felt those lips to her skin once again. almost short-circuited, the decisions i

a new haul from a new day. and night never got the memo how understaffed the shop seemed to be. which was strange, because last she was told, there were multiple hands involved in running the store. where was iris, if she wasn't a known adventurer by trade, and neither left a listing for running out on an errand? it only sank in for the player that the rationale of having that velvet barrier was meant to communicate unavailability. either of the shop or the staff, in general, at all times. she set the package of items on the table. wrote a note from the supplies on the desk. lef

"really? -- even if the steps were simplified?" night wasn't a cook by trade, but what little experience she did have in the kitchen was enough to get her through her days without having to eat out frequently to deplete her col. not only that -- it tasted better with the effort she thought to have invested. she appeared sheepish at the question posed to her about her experience in that field. "only a little." she had to get better at it, the player resolved. likewise, the sudden desire for the specific dish took night by surprise. poutine? it sounded like some sort of salad -- or was

thread summary. [total] NIGHT + 21120xp | (1760 * 12) + 155485col | ((combat loot) + (800) + (xp * 0.15)) / 2 + orange infraction 2/5. Koga + 14080xp | (1760 * 8) + 155485col | ((combat loot) + (800) + (xp * 0.15)) / 2 + 136 materials | combat loot [notes] all rewards going to iris for identification. + 10 gleaming scales. + 5 demonic shards.

a huff, and a scowl that mixed with a pout. how the woman was such a physical type with her movements, she didn't know. but night kept herself distracted from the innuendo with her eyes searching the different buildings of coral. there weren't as many as the resort they'd come from, nor was the village as exciting as ronbaru's. on the contrary -- it was only hospitable enough for a handful of buildings. had she retraced her steps towards the other side of town, the player knew she'd be at yuki's doorstep within no time. (if only the paladin was present, of course.) "i was considering

so she did. there was no reason to stay once their discussion had been done, except to exhaust the use of their buffs. granted, that would've been a lucrative experience, if however taxing. night wasn't the type of person to over exert herself where she could help it. hence, the walk. when koga pressed her about their status -- as friends, who'd just fought -- the woman nodded with a lukewarm hum. an argument, a heated debate -- one could view the same event in different contexts and label it otherwise. what differed here was that it ended amicably, night believed. judging form her f

seafood hadn't been her diet for a while. granted, because she'd mostly been shopping on the first floor with her housemate, that left some of the best catches untouched on the upper floors. nari must've seen the opposite side of the spectrum in that manner, missing out on the landmarks in between that worked well as a supplement to her diet. night steadied herself as she caught the woman, hand brushed past her back once she was assured her other was okay. listened enough. "sure, no fish and rice." repeated as though they were playing a game to tally their phrase count. "there's should b

night dipped her head to the side at the mention of rice. likewise, the same for whatever wasn't fish-related. that meant sushi from the previous day was...? she followed when lead, still thinking about their options. looking around the resort would result in a less-than-satisfactory experience for red meats, most likely, so she wondered if it was better for them to backtrack and head to a different floor. they had the time and resources. they could afford themselves to do so. a hand toggled through the menus, leading to summon a couple of blue crystals. as nari reached out for the h

well, it wasn't as though she couldn't behave herself. and knowing that her companion, too, was allowing her to pace themselves -- "okay," night whispered, voice almost strangled in her recovery. the follow up as a logical train of thought only aided her to cling onto reality where she thought she would be slipping. (the two players sighed. and night didn't register it; their intermingling of breaths, the release, the exhales.) her mind went to the purpose of the day. part of her was worried they'd forgotten, only challenged by the half that was certain this was meant to be the case.

“Fine. I will.” what came afterwards was like music. the world seemed to stop in time. and night could feel, could hear the realm around her breaking, shattering and falling away, yet she knew beyond her sights, her senses, that reality was still there. those lips were soft, so gentle, and everything around her felt warm. she closed her eyes. it was her. it was nari. it was the sun on the beach and the salty, briny air that continued to burn from the afternoon, now evening light. it was the feel of the others skin in her hands, on her fingertips. it was the closeness between tw

"y'know, it'd be kind of morbid if it did have anything to do with death and rebirth," night commented, tucking away the note. "or circle of life. aside from the birth part, anyway." her gaze was set to the road ahead, and what storms would await them from the darkening clouds above. it only spoke of rain that came a little too late, a little too far from their origin, that little medicine hut on the other side of the region. and it was on that note that she wondered what the next area would be like. when the downpour first started, she believed it to be akin to its namesake. ordsea, afte

now. it was only now that her energy was expended fully, completely. and night exhaled, in that acknowledgement, sword whisked away elsewhere as she forced herself to wait, patient. the undead would keep coming, for as long as they chose to stay here. and as much as she needed the gear, so too did the talk between two friends instill jitters under her skin. and night felt herself agitated, either by the heat of the floor, or the way the land lived. heart beating, blood pulsing, a breathing realm. she looked to koga, expression wrung dry of menace. there were traces of something aki

the conversation was welcome as a distraction from the mind. and she hummed, considering. night had believed she was the exact opposite. partially in due to laziness, but just the same that she couldn't keep her own in check had she not taken breaks when she did. and the work for a perpetual edge was cumbersome, company adamant -- there was always something better hidden between those days when there were friends around. hearing how nari had been neglecting the time outs, the player felt like she needed to squirm. and if her arms shifted, it was in due part to reach out and entangle her f

"i'd say." the first thing out of her mouth when entering the safe zone. as though for once, fear had released its constriction on her throat, finally allowing words to flow through. and she leaned in against nari, as motioned, though there was distance in her eyes. a nagging feeling in her that wouldn't go away. oh, how the sun glared its hue upon the waters. and the skies churned for it, bent to the whims of its majesty. for a moment, night bid herself drop her concerns, and the tension that once rested in her arms faded. that pressure fell onto nari instead, as the woman so wished

she was whirled around, world spinning in her vision, until her sights finally settled upon nari. and it caught her off-guard, night thrown out of her thoughts. “I don't want you to leave.” a bold declaration. likewise, that caught her off-guard, too. surprise matched seriousness, both sincere in nature. and night found herself breathless. for a moment, she wondered if it was a good thing, as though she wasn't dizzy enough. “If I had my way, there wouldn't be two houses." because despite the heat, the infatuation, the light, blinding, in the core of her vision -- night

continuing from koga's christmas party. ch'ang yue hua. wait, wasn't that a chinese name? night took her eyes off the cat for a moment, just so she could properly register that fact, and then they drifted to the player behind the little ball of fluff. "Or Kali. Just call me Kali." "yue hua," she repeated; foreign, like the syllables hadn't been uttered in a long time. and she wasn't great at the language, so immediately her attention drew to the characters involved. "like moon flower?" a terrible guess -- there was more intricacy to how the characters were pic

“Hey! NIGHT!” that damned voice. night willed herself not to turn around nor slow her pace. past the ice meant slippery snow, conditions wet, but she still allowed herself the haste nonetheless. had she continued walking, the player believed, perhaps the party would've assumed they got the wrong person. plus, night thought, it wasn't as though she'd been taking nyanko out on a walk recently. a completely different person, that 'night', she reasoned. the cat merely bristled at the lack of attention from his owner. it wasn't until her fears crept in about the attention that she fi