Nari-Lanreth

‘She…wants to see me try…?’ Nari walked in silence for a dozen steps, the comfort of NIGHT’s touch her only awareness as they continued onwards. “Fine. Challenge accepted. I’m taking all of your time then.” Raising her arm, she gave a little twirl before letting her arm fall again. Bringing up her menu as she continued, she donned her armour and shield, leaving the spear stored for the moment – not wanted to break her connection with NIGHT’s hand quite yet. “So…where are we going, anyways? I know you said beaches…but is there a specific beach? Somewhere…hidden away? Or is it a public

Floor Twenty Four. It had been a while since Nari had last been here, and as she glanced around the memories came back almost instantly – a sting of regret as she caught the sight of NIGHT out of the corner of her eye. Her emotions hitting her suddenly, she gave the girl a slight squeeze before letting her escape the embrace, at least a little bit. Forcing the feelings of regret aside, she looked to NIGHT, deciding to answer the question that had been posed along the route here – her rush to arrive having overridden her ability to respond. As her eyes gazed around – every once in a while

“Let me know if you plan on dropping by for lunch, or dinner?” Onóra called as the two made their way out of the kitchen, Nari gently guiding NIGHT out the door before either could divulge any further information. Once they had made their way out the front door, Nari stopped and loudly sighed. “Well, I hope that was as awkward for you as it was for me.” She gave a slight smile towards NIGHT. “Sorry. I didn’t even consider that before…well, before this morning. I hope…well, I hope she wasn’t out of line. She…thinks she’s funny, sometimes.” She pulled up her own menu as they made their

“I’m available tomorrow.” The response was immediately, the words escaping almost as soon as the proposition had been proffered. Nari glanced at the forkful being offered to her, and bit down on it – careful not to be too aggressive in her movement, before leaning her head against NIGHT’s shoulder, closing her eyes and enjoying the moment. “You know, she was never this eager to join me for daily outings.” The smirk on Onóra’s face was the first thing Nari’s eyes noticed when they snapped open – her tone one of teasing. Nari knew that woman was prodding, but she wasn’t sure if NIGHT would

The ding of the bell caught Nari’s attention, barely audible over the sound of the hammer ringing in her ears. She wasn’t expecting anyone, and so it took her a moment to place away the hammer and drop the apron she had been wearing, before making her way out to the shop front. “Oh, hello! Sorry for the wait! How may I help you today?” She beamed a smile that she hoped would be welcoming, her eyes taking in the other player. It wasn’t anyone she was familiar with, and as she eyed her over, she wondered what sort of request they would make. “If you’re looking for a custom order, I recommen

Nari choked on the piece of bread that she had been about to swallow when NIGHT offered to be her waltzing partner. Out of everything the girl could possibly say in response to the story, this was not something Nari had expected, at all. She was just considering responding to the offer, when NIGHT asked Onóra if she could steal her away for the day, as if permission was required. Once again, Nari was beaten to the line of responding, when Onóra giggled in response. “I guess I can let you have her today. And if you bring her back on time, maybe you can have her tomorrow too.” She gave

The awkward silence didn’t last long as Onóra laughed, NIGHT’s request bringing a minor shriek of shock from Nari. Immediately her head shook, and her voice squeaked as she tried to stop what was inevitable. “No no no! Don’t you dare!” But her pleas fell on deaf ears. Onóra pulled out the chairs from the table – a small, square redwood piece that contained four matching coloured seats, just high enough that one’s legs could be tucked underneath comfortably. She moved to the counter, grabbing a collection of fruits, breads, jams and a plate of waffles and pancakes, before setting them

The apple had been finished, as Nari had expected. She had rushed through her morning routine, her hair still wet in some places. Partly due to not wanting to leave NIGHT alone, but also driven by the desire for breakfast. She’d exited the bathroom in a new outfit – a loose fitting violet single shoulder sitting atop a black undershirt and leggings, her violet socks peeking out from underneath. “Alright. Enough lazing about, let's get this over with.” She had crossed over to NIGHT as she spoke, lightly grabbing the girl's left hand and intertwining her fingers with those on Nari's rig

Nari reached in and flipped the lock on the hand of the door, giggling loudly as she pulled it shut behind her. She couldn’t believe that NIGHT had actually left it open. Even Nari had always locked it, even when living alone. Her giggling fit carried her out into the hallway, and down the stairs to the kitchen. She found Yuki curled up on the little bed in the corner – the fox raising its head as she entered. “I know, I know. I’m sorry. But you had to stay out here last night. It won’t be a constant thing…I think.” She whispered to the fox. Turning away from the judging look that the

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