NIGHT

so, here was the scenario: night had forgotten about the existence of locks on doors. no, it wasn't normal. given the opportunity to have seen it, surely night was the type of person to have remembered and done so. but neither did she feel the need to at her own home, given that she was always in communication with her housemate. in truth, being comfortable in announcing of her time in the shower had been enough. it would also be her downfall, the moment she heard the strange crack from beyond her vision. “Hey – I’m just going to pop out for a second, did you need anything while

night's eyes only widened awake once she'd heard the acceptance. what? immediately she'd thought about finding the words to withdraw her offer. but it was cute how nari's assistance was offered. refreshingly adorable. she didn't notice the finger being lifted, though, once her game had been caught onto. she scrunched up at the impact, almost frowning, though the negativity was non-committal. the way she shot back her glare was similar to an offended feline. (not that night was a cat person or anything.) she relaxed while waiting. rose with her companion's notice when it was made

night followed the rollover, eyes kept on nari as she thought. she was curious at the fallen expression, but didn't have to wait for long. “Uhm…yeah….so about that shower…uhm…I only have one…” that wasn't a problem. they'd take turns, right? it didn't seem that way to nari. night felt a part of her want to let mischief take hold. “Shit! Onóra!” better the housemate than a stranger. the player held her companion's arm to her chest as she looked over the message drafted. and so much for the forewarning -- for the recipient's obliviousness had undone it so -- night place

she'd slept well. waking, not so much. for one, stirring in someone else's bed had been a strange occurrence. because it had been cozy. because it had been comfortable and safe. and night had slept in places other than her bed -- she had many make-shift beds over her course in aincrad -- so it shouldn't have felt strange, moreso better than most other awakenings when opposed. it was because of who she'd ended up laying with. it was because she had someone -- someone else to have woken up beside. and so that gave way to a warmth in her system. for another, while she'd been

"I wouldn't treat these NPC's any different from I would another player, I wouldn't choose for them." a farce of an answer. night brewed rekindled anger. "you made your objective clear, i think, when you decided to object against gabrandr. that the life of another player, risked in his hands, was more valuable than his own." how the man couldn't have seen it while making the contradiction, the player wasn't sure. "you realize the irony of your statement, right?" she didn't budge from it given raidou's rationale later. in fact, it only emphasized her point. and she knew not the intri

there was this understanding that while the people who wore black weren't necessarily edgelords, the inverse was usually true -- that most edgelords usually wore the darkest colours, and if there were one that was darker than black, they'd switch to it within a heartbeat. in watching koga clam up, spit in her vicinity and turn to the mountains thereafter, night realized that koga was one of those people. it was a start, but it begged her consider what other titles she could've assigned to the man in question. a poor 'gamerbro' should've been one of them. what dolt played through vid

upon that pause, night hadn't faltered. chose not to repeat herself. if anything, part of her knew it was selfish to ask, and yet what lingered on from her initial question was the stare. when nari crumpled and gave in, that was when the player felt relief. “And don’t think those eyes will work…every time…” she hadn't been counting on it. likewise, she wasn't exactly sure what nari saw in those eyes. not having the advantage of knowing another person's perception left her with little benefits; she thought herself only so lucky when what she'd meant to ask for worked out well. h

night had expected a verbal response, not a physical one. so when she found herself lifted once again (--looking like a knight arriving to save the princess--) her immediate instinct was to wonder if she'd woken up at all. the next had been to fluster, watching the world around her shift to her other's whims. and she was no stranger to being hauled in said position, so it was a subconscious move that she clung on despite the fact that-- "n-nari...!" the player whispered, with what little breath she had preserved from her cry before. her voice was still strained. "i-- i can walk, you know

"If she wasn't real then what the fuck does it matter?" "oh, grow up!" she waved her arms around, sarcastic, before pulling them into a fold. "what does it matter that we invest ourselves in anything -- isn't that right, sir nihilist?!" "This isn't about her being some lines of binary or some shit, NIGHT! That...construct, AI, whatever you wanna call her, she's just as alive as you and me, in case you hadn't noticed we're all made up of ones and zeros right now!" "then surely you understand what the point of getting out of here is for!" "This. It's not flesh and blood."

her sleep had been dreamless. empty. it was only when she woke that she discovered why. though she'd barely remembered the last time she'd been woken by another person, she did remember the soft touch of her companion, the warmth of another being. and she sighed. night stirred from her slumber with a short breath exhaled. and at nari's direction, she'd wanted not to move. darkness could fall. the whole of aincrad could've, and night would've chosen to stay right there. (probably. she might've gotten to her feet had she known about what was causing the castle to descend, though.)

she could barely register the words. and not because she hadn't tried, either. despite the fact that she'd just bawled her guts out, why did it seem that nari was still being that bit of an ass, the uncomfortable confidence, that sly remark she knew the woman had always been capable of? "jerk," ren echoed back, colliding further into her companion. and though she was certain they had been out on the expedition for another purpose, night had rather preferred they stayed put, too. “Let’s just…rest for now, okay?” night didn't even have the energy to return the affirmation in words

and so they stayed. locked in that eternal position. ren whimpered and whined until she had nothing left to give. until all her sorrows had been drained. until the heat of anguish from that very last breath had been extinguished. ren curled, leaned back into that gentle, warm touch. what little wind made it through the gaps of the building, ren felt it. woven into what little space they kept between each other. she closed them off, allowing herself to fall closer into nari, allowing time to finally pass. allowing that scratched wound to heal. slowly, but surely, night pieced herself

"because you and i both know she's not!" it was insufferable. night thought better of koga, because they had a shared history, a similar background with that similar education. it was intolerable, because he was her friend and she couldn't understand why the man wasn't about to do what he'd set out to do for the earnesty of it all. to have done so for his own sake. it was insane, then, for him to accuse her of a contradiction they both should've had the answers to. night took her steps forward. if she'd wanted to, she knew she could've swung the first blow. (she did want to. she

“Because I’ve been on the other side of this conversation, once upon a time…” had it truly been the case? ren couldn't remember a single thing exchanged between them about the matter. but in the vestiges of her shell, those were the very same words that had gone unspoken: the promise to hold on. the courage to believe, to have faith. “Because I know what it feels like, to loathe yourself. So much that you turn everyone away." how long had it been since she'd held onto another -- this closely, this firmly, to someone who wasn't a creation of her own making? ren struggled to free

"well i wasn't talking about everyone else trapped in here, i was talking about you!" just as the last fragments of the beasts around them vanished, night too turned to koga, and all in the world fell away. meaningless. how could her friend not see the irony in his point? his actions? his demeanor? it was just as well the sword in her hand had faded away from her, because if it hadn't, night could've sworn she saw one of her closest friends as nothing more than a threat in the moment. "well look at you, mister big shot. who died and made you feel like you had to be a martyr for

it was hard to hear her over the sobs. hard to register. even being forced to turn around and confront kindness at its very core, ren had to strain herself to listen. but she did, beyond her limitations. came and felt and saw experience, through spotted vision and gritted teeth. bid herself allow nari's words to reach her, even if she didn't want to hear it. even if deep down, she'd already known the truth. "Growth doesn’t come from ignorance, it comes from understanding – understanding that these things will always be a part of us. That they will forever haunt us.” and if only that

she felt the wrap of arms around her body, tight. as though it was a restriction. as though it was suffocation for the sins she'd committed, that hell of her own making. and she wept, audibly, when judgement was released on her, and she could've sworn there was something holy in the way it smited her, with that head placed upon her back. soft words spoken in kindness. ren knew she didn't deserve them, and yet nari gave it to her all the same. the woman only continued to cry. just the same, paralyzed by that fear -- the words offered to her were true, between then and now. conf

she had two origins to begin from. night chose the fresh wound from the scar. her voice hoarse, she could barely find the words once she'd managed the confidence to say something. "--this was her weapon. before she'd switched it for mine." discarded from use, her dopple had never once chose to bring it to light. water droplets fell onto the pond's shaken surface, agitating its reflections even more. "she promised me she'd ruin what i had dear once i was slain. --i let her go afterwards." night wasn't quite sure what to do with the dagger afterwards. merely set it to one side, gaze ha

a change in topic. and night saw something she hadn't wanted to see in ages. because what in the world was that thing?! "NIGHT, I believe you've met him before. This is Juiblex." she spotted the teeth and bone in the black goop, and she knew from the wrenching feeling in her gut that her guess of the thing was accurate. the player felt herself withdraw into her seat, skin tingling with fear. teeth set together. she swallowed down the stone in her throat, eyes widened. "He isn't a tool, he isn't something that I command or dominate. He is my partner." it didn't matter