Nari-Lanreth

She tossed a pillow at the door, missing her intended target but catching the frame itself as the door closed behind her. She couldn’t help but giggle to herself, before looking around. There really wasn’t much to clean up, but Nari had some other business to attend to anyways. Bringing up her menu, she sent off a quick message, before getting up herself and making the bed, taking time to fold the corners underneath the mattress itself. She wandered the room for a few moments, trying to busy herself with organising that which was already organised, before eventually giving up. Moving acro

Her head slowly turned towards NIGHT at the question. The thought had crossed Nari’s mind, but she had dismissed it almost immediately. But hearing the girl ask had made her question if she was being the conservative one. Her mouth opened partially, before hanging for a second, the warmth of the lips still on her jawline. The action had taken her by surprise – but she felt the warmth spread through her in response. “I…can come, if you want. I just…I thought maybe you’d want your…privacy…I can show you where everything is!” The ending had rushed out, sounding hurried to Nari’s ears, and ho

She rolled over slightly, looking up at the ceiling and sighing a bit. “A beach does sound nice…and a shower. A shower sounds nice.” And then it occurred to her, and she felt her smile drop as she clued into the newest problem. Not looking away from the ceiling, she spoke again, her voice halting as she spoke out what had just occurred to her. “Uhm…yeah….so about that shower…uhm…I only have one…” She felt her face redden again as she said it out loud. And then another thought occurred to her. “Shit! Onóra!” She pulled open her menu, and immediately found the notification that she kn

Nari awoke to find NIGHT laying beside her, awake and clearly having awaited her own departure of sleep. She felt that thumping in her chest again, mixed with a sudden question of whether she was truly awake or not. She decided, in that moment, she didn’t really care. She’d enjoy it, even if it was just her mind playing tricks on her. “Good morning...how did you sleep?” She yawned, feeling her body stretch outwards as she slowly came to full consciousness. She remembered making her way home, laying NIGHT down to rest, and then… "sleep with me." The words were an echo in her ears

Nari glanced across the open sands, seeing the towers in the distance. It took her a few seconds of peering to realise it wasn’t the main settlement, but at least it was something. She smiled over at Cleo, breaking the news – but giving hope at the same time, maybe. “Well, I don’t think it’ll have a teleporter itself…but it’s civilisation in a large open desert. If nothing else, we can find a break there, before we make our way back to the main settlement.” She glanced again towards Saharda, cocking her head slightly to the left. “I’ve…never been here before. So I have no idea what to exp

The voice startled her to wakefulness, pulling her from the edge of sleep. She felt her eyes snap open, her hand reaching outwards, as if trying to grasp something. And then it all came back. “NIGHT! I thought you were asleep! I should g-“ The pause, as the words hit her, her mind suddenly catching up, perceiving and understanding what had been requested. “What?” She glanced down at the girl, curled up, the eyes speaking the same request the words had said aloud just heartbeats ago. Nari felt herself freeze, her indecisiveness held in place as she tried to figure out how best to resp

Nari shook her head in response to Cleo’s question, reaching up to boop the little fox on the nose at the same time – her face breaking into a smile as Yuki chittered in protest. She had gained a lot, from having the fox assist with her crafting – it had definitely raised her abilities and levels quickly. “Regrets? No. Yuki here provided unbelievable assistance with the crafting. It was by far my best move, to engage her in it. I doubt I’d be anywhere near where I am today without her additional boosts.” She smiled as the fox seemed to groan in response, as if it understood the words and

She paused at the request, somewhat surprised at the choice. Her hesitation was the barest breath, before she forced herself to rise, lifting the girl as she went. She pulled her in close, as much to balance the limited amount of weight, as to keep NIGHT comfortable as they went. She took one last look at the ruins before making her way back to the settlement, humming slightly as she walked. The path was barren as she went, and although she kept an eye out for anything dangerous, half-expecting Cardinal to throw something at them as they went. As she entered the settlement proper, sh

Nari counted the passing of time, going through the many meditative paces that she had learnt in the real world, thinking back on events, planning for the future – doing anything to keep herself awake. For a time, she shut her eyes to the world, taking comfort in the feel of the sleeping girl in her arms; listening to the soft wind around them. Nothing disturbed them, surprisingly to Nari. And as she opened her eyes, she realised that the light had begun to fade. A quick glance at her clock told her they had been here for hours, and Nari felt a sudden concern take over her – NIGHT had wan

The response was barely audible, and for a moment, Nari wondered if NIGHT was even fully awake. She pulled the girl in closer, trying to give her warmth, to share it with the other. As she thought about the possibility of sleep, her own exhaustion came over her, and she felt herself fighting the pull, determined to stay awake. “I’m glad I’m more stubborn than you.” The words, whispered into an ear, came before the nuzzling. Nari’s eyes closed once more as she settled into place, determined to give the girl some rest, before forcing them both back to the reality. She knew there were things

She barely registered the screaming responses, the cursing, the anger, the frustration. She heard the words, thrown in response to everything she said, and yet passed over without response. Her heart slowed as she continued, something changing within her, and as the girl cursed her, threw insult, argument, and declaration, Nari simply ran her hand through her hair. Her own words continued calmly, simply speaking through the other’s. It wasn’t until she heard the final words, the finality in them, that she let herself nuzzle into the girl again. “I won’t. I promise you, I won’t. Not willin

“Nari-Lanreth…but you can call me Nari.” Her own menu had appeared, and as she waved her hand through the inventory, she called forth her armour and shield – both snapping into place over her clothing, the weight feeling far more comfortable than the tight fitting turtleneck and leggings ever did. Glancing back towards Morningstar, she realised that she did in fact have a single question. “Why?” The question hovered in the air for a moment, before she expanded upon it. “Why this specific dungeon? Is there some sort of loot? Some unique weapon, or armour skill? Most who delve like this hav

“Because I’ve been on the other side of this conversation, once upon a time…” The words were a mere whisper, but with NIGHT so close, Nari knew the girl would hear them. Echoes – a combination of NIGHT’s voice, and her own, still rung in her ears, reverberating the words that were thrown out, not in hate, but in frustration. Frustration of the self. Nari felt the pain in her chest as she remembered… “Because I know what it feels like, to loathe yourself. So much that you turn everyone away…because it’s easier. It’s less painful…it doesn’t hurt to lose.” The whisper continued, the tone eve

Nari turned in her paces, looking back towards Cleo and her newfound friend as she brought up his clinginess. She cocked her head, thinking back on a name she had once heard. “Éliach? It’s…well, it’s a broken form of the word éilitheach, an Irish Gaelic word for clingy. Although, I guess that would be a bit hard to pronounce…” She smiled as the girl asked about her friend waiting for her, bringing up her menu and checking her messages. There was one from Onóra, and Nari quickly glanced over it before speaking. “No concerns, looks like she arrived about thirty minutes ago…and went shopping

Nari’s head lifted off the fox, Yuki giving a quick yelp of discontent before settling into her shoulder again – losing interest in the other familiar almost immediately. In response, Nari raised a closed hand, sneaking a treat to the fox in compensation for her patience. “I…have a few ideas, but I think that the name is best to be something that you find a connection with. Something important to yourself…if you’re truly stuck, I have some options I can share, if for no other reason to provide some thought jogging.” She was cautious with her words, hesitating as she provided her answer. S

Her response took time. Time to formulate, time to condense, time to consider. Time – and yet, it seemed to come out almost immediately, the words flowing as if spoken through knowledge, through wisdom. And perhaps they were – perhaps, this was something from experience. Whatever the cause, they flowed, far more constructed, far stronger than anything Nari had ever said before. Filled with emotion; sorrow, content, happiness, understanding, even a touch of frustration – at the situation, in entirety. Too often, did this occur. Too often… “You’re right. There are things that I can’t accept

Nari watched the encounter play out…just about as she had begun to expect it would. The cat was curious – there was no doubt about that, but Cleo’s tact was…well, missing some tact. She was just about to suggest maybe talking to it, trying to draw it in with soothing words, when she threatened to chase it across the desert sands. “I uh…wouldn’t do that. Threat it, I mean…I’m fairly certain some familiars can actually understand words…or comprehend the meaning behind them. At least, Yuki seems to, sometimes.” Her hand rose to prod Yuki’s nose as she talked, annoying the little fox that was

Nari’s eyes had been drawn by the movement, and as the girl continued prattling about the return to town, and the crystal – she couldn’t help but smile. Raising her right hand, single digit pointed behind the girl, she gave a little giggle. “You may want to uh…look behind you.” She watched as the girl spun, the cat hesitating in its own movements as the action caught its attention. “Careful…you don’t want to scare it away…just, offer it some of the treats that you received. You need to coax it in...” She tried to hold herself as still as possible, not wanting to scare away the creatu

Her shield lowered as the lid popped open and nothing jumped out at them. She watched as Cleo sorted through the chest, quickly tallying what she had found. It was meagre, as finds go – but at least it was something. She cocked her head at the offer, shaking it in response. “Oh, no. The materials are loot are all yours – don’t worry about it at all, a single trip to Nemo’s garden more than replenishes stock for me. But thank you, for the offer. I do appreciate it.” She smiled at Cleo, hoping that her denial didn’t set a bad mood – she simply wanted to ensure the girl gained as much as pos

Nari’s hands continued to trace paths as NIGHT told her tale, Nari’s tongue feeling the pressure from her teeth as she bit down onto it, forcing herself just to listen. To listen, and hear a tale that she’d heard time and again – one that she herself hadn’t let herself become engrained into. She’d avoided others, for this reason among others – the pain of it all, the irony, the hypocrisy. All something she’d never wanted to experience. And yet, here was another who’d confessed to her… The acknowledgement caught Nari by surprise – not because she’d expected it to be denied, but because she

The chest made a small thud as it hit the sand, the girl having tossed it out before she followed – Nari staring with curiosity as she collapsed onto the ground. Nari herself had been far too concerned with escaping the underground tunnels to consider searching for anything of value, let alone clambering up a ladder with a full chest in tow. “Finders folly. I actually have horrible luck with these sorts of things…maybe you should do the honours…” She eyed the treasure chest, wondering what it would contain. She’d heard rumours of the things becoming monsters, rather than rewards. She w

She felt comfort in the pressure on her hand, the constant circles bringing a euphoria of…calmness? She wasn’t sure what to call it, other than enjoyable. She felt the stress of the lack of contact release, the worry disappear. Nothing matter other than the feel of that hand, the thumb and fingers…the warmth that came with it. The area that NIGHT had led her to had an almost historic feeling to it, the very foundations having crumbled with what was likely supposed to be a time worn aesthetic. Her eyes glazed over the area, taking in the pillars, the worn away walls, the obvious signs

The hand pulled away and Nari felt a moment of regret, her fingers reaching, searching for the comfort of connection that had been felt until now. Although the hand moved and reached, her ears continued to listen, taking in the information that the other was willingly giving. “I…don’t know what I would do. Not long ago I don’t know that I would have spared it - I had so much hatred for Cardinal…but now. Now I don’t know. Things are…different.” Nari gave a glance towards NIGHT, before continuing. “That hatred has…changed. I don’t know that it’s gone, but…it’s different.” She lo

‘Cycle and recycle.’ The term was something that others Nari had known would often use to describe what NIGHT had been explaining, the constant flow of ones and zeros. She had a familiarity with it, as much as someone who didn’t excel in coding could be familiar. She listened as NIGHT explained, and it took her a second to catch the oddity at the end. “It…remained? How’s that possible…?” She considered the situation, both NIGHT’s revelations, as well as her own reactions to the thought of the quest. She had questions, and for a brief heartbeat wasn’t sure which to even ask. “You sai

Nari watched as the health bar dropped as Koga’s blade slashed across the giant, taking a large chunk out of the creature. She felt as Koga was impaled by the same frost covered thorns as Nari and Astreya had both been hit by in retribution, barely leaving a dent in his own health bar – but a reminder that no one was entirely safe. And then, suddenly the health bar shifted again – dropping substantially. Her gaze moved to Koga, then Astreya – but neither had moved, and Nari wasn’t familiar with any damage over time attacks that would drain it that heavily. Astreya calling out brought N