[PP|F1] At the End of the DAY

[ChaseR 0]

Chase gave her a nod, taking a deep breath and getting up on his feet. He dusted himself and sniffled, looking to the side at NIGHT as they got out of the field with his arms snuggly fit in his pockets. "... I just thought since you said you wanted them, that you were alright with me adding in... Sorry. I didn't mean for you to get angry... We're uh... We're still friends, right? You're not mad with me and all, are you?", he continued the childish behavior, though it wasn't to get on her soft side. It was more so because he didn't really understand friendships too well, granted this was the first time that he'd ever met such a problem during his few relationships.

It wasn't long before they were standing out of the teleporter, and Chase was already getting embarrassed by the fact he had to even ask in the first place. "... I've just never made somebody I like angry. T-To this extent I mean... I won't apologise again, it just feels weird... Sor-", he almost broke his promise as soon as he made it, smiling awkwardly and scratching the back of his head. "My bad, hehe... Uh... Off to get ice cream?"

Spoiler

Name: ChaseR
Level: 69
HP: 1410/1410
EN: 138/138

Stats:
Damage: 19
Mitigation: 43
Evasion: 3
Accuracy: 3
BH:70
VAMP DEF:70
PARA:1
HLY:12
HLY BLS:16
LD:2

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: <<Fragmented Blade>> (T3/Perfect/2HSS): PARA I, HOLY II
Armor: <<Azure Overcoat>> (T2/Perfect/Light Armor): V.DEF I, HBS I, MIT I
Misc: <<Chained Bracelet>> (T2/Demonic/Trinket): EVA II, ACC II

Skills:
Two-Handed Straight Sword [Rank 5]
Light Armor [Rank 5]
Battle Healing [Rank 5]
Searching [Rank 1]
Fighting Spirit [Obtained]
Howl [Obtained]
Parry [Obtained]
Extended Mod Limit [Obtained]
Charge [Rank 5]

Extra Skills:
Familiar Mastery: Fighter
Survival
Disguise

Mods:
2HSS Finesse [R3]
Precision
Athletics
Sprint & Acrobatics
Ferocity
Focused Howl



Battle Ready Inventory:
Starter Healing Potions(heal 50HP)*3
Insta-Life ++ (T2/Perfect/HP REC III)*1
Woodland Armor (T2/Perfect) MIT III (1/3)*1
Teleport Crystal [F21]*1
Imugi's Inspiration (Mass HP Recovery)*2
Requires Extended Weight Limit 1
Requires Extended Weight Limit 2
Requires Extended Weight Limit 3
Obtained via Item Stash (Housing)
Obtained via Dimensional Backpack

Housing Buffs:
Rested: -1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat
Clean: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 20% (rounded down)
Filling: Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot.
Relaxed: Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
Skylight (Searching): +1 Rank to the Searching skill.
Advanced Training: +2 SP to a thread. Limit one use per month [0/1]
Multipurpose: Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll
Decor [Potted Tanabata Bamboo Tree]: This buff affects the player and their choice of up to two party members.

Guild Hall Buffs:

Scents of the Wild:
Kumatetsu Statue: +1 Base Damage for a thread

Wedding Ring:

 

[NIGHT 0]

"Not mad."

She was.

"Yeah, we're still friends." And they were. "Don't worry about it." NIGHT thought it fragile of the faith in himself or their partnership if her companion had felt the need to ask about their standings with each other. There was little reason to burn bridges over something minor such as this -- except, perhaps, it acted more indicative of how another might be conducting affairs in their own life. That was the part where the player was still wary about, but it wasn't in her nature to pry.

No, the man deserved his privacy just as much as NIGHT deserved her own.

"Uh... Off to get ice cream?"

"Sure."

She would've taken him to Yuki's shop had she not already had a stash of ice cream from the chef's place over at her own. And their numbers were simply too much for one (or two) household members to handle. If it were her own products, she might've given them away by now.

Instead, they would simply end up in the stomach of only a few close friends. No reason to head out bothering strangers for a few snacks.

It was a short trip from the teleporter back to the first, NIGHT leading their way around town through the quickest avenues she'd learned from her doppel. And it was only after she'd pushed open the door to her home did she realize the nature of his visit conflicting with her ideal of not bringing up her home nuisance once again.

"Welcome back!"

DAY greeted the party home with a raised hand and a smile at the door.

 

 

 

 

Bother.

	NIGHT   | HP: 1590/1590 | EN: 171/171   | ACC: 4 | DMG: 19 | EVA: 4 | MIT: 79 | BH: 79   | KEEN: 1 | PRLYZ: 1 | ABS. ACC | TAUNT | LD: 5   | Stealth Detection: 5 | Stealth Rating: 7
- - -
[Examine] [Equipment] Dragon's Gaze -- [ Keen | After a successful attack, gain +1 BD until your next successful attack, at which point this bonus is removed. Another successful attack will reactivate this enhancement. ] -- [ Paralyze I | Natural successful attack rolls of 9-10 remove the enemy’s action on their next turn. Paralyzed opponents lose any evasion properties. ] -- [ Absolute Accuracy | +1 ACC. Attack rolls of 1 no longer automatically miss. ] Reinforced Black Tracksuit -- [ Mitigation I | +54 MIT. ] -- [ Evasion I | +1 EVA. ] Silver Crescent Necklace -- [ Accuracy II | +2 ACC ] -- [ Evasion II | +2 EVA ] [Battle-Ready Inventory] - - - - - - - - - Skills Skills Mod Count: 8/8 Two-Handed Straight Sword | Passive | RANK 5/5 > Ferocity, Precision, Finesse Light Armor | Passive | RANK 5/5  > Athletics, Sprint&Acrobatics Searching | Passive | RANK 4+1/5 > Reveal Hiding | Passive | RANK 5/5 > Blindside, Vanish, Surprise Attack: Trickster Extended Mod Limit | Passive | RANK 3/3  Battle Healing | Passive | RANK 5/5 Energist | Passive Quick Change | Active Parry | Active Charge | Active | RANK 3/5 [Extra] Survival | Passive  Concentration | Active -- CD: 3 Familiar Mastery: Fighter | Passive | RANK 3/3 Consumed Buffs Spoiler Bialas Statue | +TAUNT - - - - - - Misc. Buffs Spoiler Dimensional Backpack, Item Stash | +2 Battle-Ready Inventory Slots. Well Rested | -1 EN for the first three expenditures of each combat.  Relaxed | +(5 * Tier) HP per out-of-combat post. Full energy restoration occurs after two turns out of combat. Squeaky Clean | -25% DoT damage taken from the first DoT applied to this player in a thread. Skylight: Searching | +1 Expertise to declared utility skill. Cooldown of 30 days to reassign. Multipurpose | +1 LD/Prosperity/Stealth/Detection to one post per thread. Can be applied after a roll. Filling | +1 T1 slot to a food consumed by this player in a thread. Can exceed Cook enhancement caps. Col Deposit | +5% col from loot-minimum mobs, +10% col from treasure chests.

[ChaseR 0]

Her words were quite sharp, but he believed her. He felt relieved enough to even hug her in return, but she'd probably get annoyed so he thought it best not to. "... Thanks NIGHT. Uuh... If you need anything, I know I'm in in a good position to say this, but... I could try to help?", Chase offered with a small, almost sheepish smile, even though he still felt rather guilty adding up all the times that he'd gotten on her nerves and ruined her mood or made her feel worse. Now standing out of their house, he looked at the door and when it opened, a wide smile took over as well as a gleam in his eyes.

"Hoo- DAY!", the bluehead almost instantly ran inside, stopping in front of her and stuffing both hands in his pockets. "What's up~? It's been a while, hasn't it~?", he asked with a completely different cheeriness to his voice. Truth be told, she was very pleasant to be with if the Cerberus quest they had unknowingly gone on was anything to go by. And the fact that she wasn't even a player just made her all that more interesting of a presence to be around, in all honesty. 

[NIGHT 0]

-- Before NIGHT could even say a word of reprisal, ChaseR had shot past her form and bolted into the home with too much vigor and speed for the player to handle. She'd entered at a snail's pace, shutting the door behind her; though, the whole while, her eyes seemed to bleed suspicion for the pair of colours that seemed to greet one another with an incredible familiarity.

What.

It was almost like they had been out on a whole day of hunting or something. They clearly weren't.

"Eh? ChaseR?" If there was something that had to shock the doppel, it was NIGHT inviting anyone over at all, let alone a visitor unannounced. Either it had slipped her mind, or she'd been able to trust the man that much -- either of these options would be amicable to the entity, though the blonde shot their player a look of confusion first before offering a grin to the swordsman. "I guess it's been a while, yeah! How've you been? From the looks of it, I'd say you must've gotten stronger from the last I've seen you out!"

[ChaseR 0]

The blueberry just laughed off the confused and awkward stare, putting both of his hands behind his head and swinging his upper body left and right slightly. "W-Well, I have, but it's just a few levels~... I'm almost level seventy by now, so we're slowly getting there.", he noted and gave her quick nods, his smile switching to more warm and less ecstatic as he glanced at NIGHT from over his shoulder. "... She's done more for me than I can tell. Not sure where I'd be without her watching my back.". He continued to look at her somewhat thoughtfully, before looking back to DAY.

He probably had to dial it down a bit. It wouldn't sit too well with NIGHT and he'd already bothered her enough. Chase cleared his throat and looked up and down DAY's appearance, tilting his head. "What about you? Have you been holding up well too? Getting stronger, better and all?", he inquired as he opened his menu to unequip his sword and armor, only to wear his vanity sweatpants and shirt instead. No need to look like a swordsman even inside the house, really.

[NIGHT 0]

NIGHT huffed just as ChaseR had decided to give her praise, silently stepping further into the estate, snaking her way past DAY towards the kitchen.

"I didn't even know you hit Tier 3 until recently," the Gemini added, folding their arms underneath their white cloak. The vaguest look of amusement seemed to dance upon their face. "Weren't you Tier 2 the last I saw you? You sure do work fast." A small smirk graced their visage as they turned their head towards NIGHT's way. "Unlike a certain someone I know."

"I can hear you, you know."

"Bet you're likely to be taking her out on the walk she needs than the other way around."

"Yeah," the player in dark murmured back from the front of the fridge, a hand yanking at the silver handle, forcibly pulling its door open. "Like I'd want to go anywhere with you in the first place."

As for the matter of strength, the construct guided over the blue streak towards the dining table, just as his equipment had started to fade away. "Well's one way to put it," they replied. DAY slid into a seat once they'd pulled it out, resting their cheek on the back of their hand with a thoughtful gaze to the ceiling. "But I don't have to do much just to get stronger, nor do I really need to care for much in that scenario." Their palm patted the top of their chest, the entity's back straightened with conviction and pride. "If you haven't noticed, I'm already at the top of my game. I'm absolutely certain that I'd do fine given any threats, thank you very much."

 

Had NIGHT stared too long at DAY's beaming face on the way back, she would've surely hit the side of the table by accident, stumbling over the corner of a chair or by slipping up on her steps. Instead, the player set down a small cardboard container onto the table with a 'thump' and an offended scowl, the noise drawing attention from the blonde over to her sights.

"You fucking cheater. Don't obscure the fact that I'm the one who has to work for both our efforts."

"Ah?" DAY returned with a smug look, setting their arm on the table again. "Last I checked, I didn't need your numbers just to ensure that I wouldn't miss. It's fine to not be entirely perfect, you know."

When NIGHT finally tore her glare off the doppel's face, she slid the container ChaseR's way, gritting her teeth.

[ChaseR 0]

Chase kept shifting glances between the two, starting to get worried they'd continue to be at each others' throats. He already knew that NIGHT was reaching her limits, catching the container and looking at her with a small frown before turning to look at DAY. "H-Hey, tone it down..! I... kind of put her through a lot today. Please don't be so competitive with her, she needs some time to cool off. Please?", he begged of DAY, looking at her with furrowed brows and a slightly saddened expression.

Glancing down at the tub of ice cream in his hands, it felt like he'd been through this again- except the intensity was between himself and NIGHT, not NIGHT and DAY. Ice cream served by DAY instead, and they were fighting exactly for her and nobody else. "... Don't you two ever go out together? You'd be stronger if you two joined forces, right?", he raised his head to ask them, resting his hands on the slowly warming dessert for a moment before he decided to open the cap and continued to look between the two. "... It's not that simple, is it?"

[NIGHT 0]

"I'm not being competitive."

"I don't need to cool off."

 

For a moment the duo locked eyes with each other -- NIGHT wearing a look of complete disgust, while DAY seemed entirely blank. It was only with a shuddered sigh that the former broke away from the exchange, handing ChaseR the spoon she'd forgotten to offer earlier.

She'd clambered to a chair afterwards. Barely capable of looking to her house guest, her gaze resting on the kitchen instead. Meanwhile, the Gemini lazily swept their sights over to ChaseR, watching him begin to feast on the dessert.

"Don't you two ever go out together?"

Had NIGHT been drinking something, there would have been a take at this moment.

"You'd be stronger if you two joined forces, right?"

"I mean, sure," DAY started, barely acknowledging the player's gawking at a corner in absolute horror and surprise. "But there's little I can do if the system decides not to award either our efforts with experience points. And--"

"--And it's a hassle going anywhere with this hazard--"

"Oi!"

"-- because they're still marked by Cardinal as an extra being sometimes."

NIGHT had recovered quickly from her hesitation, though the burn marks on the tip of her ears might've suggested otherwise had ChaseR been perceptive. Instead, she leaned forward on the table, sharp eyes floating over to the blonde, a light frown upon her lips.

"Dungeons and quests for example. You'd think that as an extra helping hand, fights like those would go as quickly as our hunts today," NIGHT continued, hovering over to ChaseR now, "but they're not. There's always some caveat as to split our attention one way or another, and there's very little reason for us working together if that's the scenario Cardinal wants to pitch to us."

[ChaseR 0]

Chase wanted to do something, to help them stop one way or another, but he found himself unable to do a thing. Anything he said just sent them more and more into fighting, which seemed to always be the case when their relationship was the topic at hand. "A-Ah... Er... I-I see...", he quietly grumbled and died down, feeling the tension continue to rise even in the silence. With worried glances between the two, he took a deep breath and stared down at the tub before taking a spoonful and having a taste of the sweet dessert.

"... I can't expect them to get along. DAY is a gemini, meaning that they're opposite. They'll always fight no matter what then... But if they can't get along, why would they even live in the same house? NIGHT is so distraught...". He sighed. Whatever could he do to help them out by this point? Could they even be helped out? He had to break the silence right now, or this would end more than just unsavory for all three of them. With a dry cough, he took another spoonful and looked at NIGHT with a grin. "I forgot to say, thanks for the ice cream... It's really good."

[NIGHT 0]

"I know, right?" The Gemini seemed to light up further at his compliment, almost in a rush to stand from their chair. "I can't believe we have so many of them here."

"They're Yuki's," NIGHT added, rising from her seat at the table. "If you want, you can take some of it home. There's these deep-fried variants to them, too..."

She'd paced towards the kitchen once more, just as DAY turned over to the man in blue. "You two came back at a pretty late hour, though," they added, expression indifferent. "Don't suppose you're staying for dinner? --Not that it'd be as amazing as if we all headed out to eat, I guess. There's only so much non-cooks can do with vanity food."

Another set of containers placed down on the table; this time, NIGHT offered the two sitting with smaller tubs, along with an extra spoon over for the doppel.

"Thanks."

"Thanks."

Just as DAY was midway through cracking open the tub, they echoed again in mild curiosity. "Thanks. Eh-- thanks?"

A stolen scoop from NIGHT with her own spoon, the woman looking away from her other as they watched on, mouth agape.

"Y-you could've just said something...!"

"Seriously though," the player continued, in between her chews, "You should take some home. There's no way either of us could finish the stock; dessert's barely even touched in our household."

[ChaseR 0]

The bluehead gave slow nods to NIGHT. He definitely needed to take some back home, and especially if they were offering, no biggie. "... She gave me a weapon so I'd forgive her. I'm still not fine with her but she did give Shay a good weapon... No clue where Shay is right now though.", he shared on his own news, thinking about the offer for dinner. He didn't want to overstay his welcome, but if NIGHT didn't have much to add, he'd accept it. "Uuh, if you've no issue... I'll take you up on both offers. I'll steal some ice cream and stay for dinner- if you're fine with it. I don't want to be a bother."

The whole scene was rather cozy, homey. Not in a way that's easy to explain, but it was much more welcoming than the tension beforehand. "So just keep their minds off of one another, got it... Man, I wish they were this peaceful all the time.". Despite the nagging in the back of his head, he stretched and continued to gobble down the ice cream, wearing a smile on his face and giving everything a bit of thought. He wanted to sit down and talk about what to do tomorrow, maybe crack a joke or two or just kick back and relax.

Probably the last. This could easily be considered one of the what, three breaks he'd taken from the non-stop grind? He very much appreciated little breathers like this. "I can take us to a greaseball that at least cooks competently enough. It's a new cook down here at the first- you might have seen him with a cart? Or I can just bring us food from him, if you'd like. I-If you want to eat together and all, again, I don't know.". It was nice to have a plan in advance, but there was only so much he could do to not make it awkward laying one down for them without having an answer on what to do yet.

[NIGHT 0]

DAY beamed prematurely at the taken offer -- and then fell to a look of concern once ChaseR had unveiled his secret.

"Eh?"

Wasn't this troubling?

"Shay-- uh, she's your girlfriend though, isn't she?"

"Is leaving her alone okay?"

NIGHT took another nugget of the ice cream and popped it into her mouth before she'd stepped away from the mess hall. Though she'd wanted to stay and listen to the details, it was better to plan for the meal ahead, the player believed, as she opened the fridge once more. In-between bites, DAY had nodded and listened to his suggestion of a new chef in town -- "Calling him a greaseball is one thing, but if he's capable of whipping up something with amazing taste, I wouldn't mind it."

"--With a cart? It's not Oscar, is it?" NIGHT called from the side of the room. "DAY, we've got enough for spaghetti tonight, if you're willing to help out."

"Ah-- sure!" They turned to ChaseR with a tilt of their head. "Split half-and-half? We can set aside any extras if we happen to make any."

[ChaseR 0]

He looked between the two, laughing lowly and looking down at the ice cream for a moment, thoughtfully. "... She wanted it. We broke up and she wanted to get stronger on her own, so she can catch up. I gave her the katana to help keep her safe, but... She's stubborn. She wouldn't let me help and she's doing nothing to help herself either.", he huffed and took another spoonful with a somewhat melancholic expression, shaking his head and putting both hands behind his head as he let the sweet goodness melt inside of his mouth.

"Relationships are nice, but probably not for me. Either way, the greaseball. Uh... It's not Oscar, no. He cooks up good enough, he just gets rowdy at times.", he nodded to himself before hearing the two try to talk over what to eat. He scratched under his chin and looked at DAY, giving it a moment or two before he accepted. "Oh- uh, sure. I'd like that, actually. Never eaten food not made by a cook down here in Aincrad before- unless the dry bread was..?". Early low level diet aside, he just went along with their ideas. It was nice to be a guest for once, it had been years upon years since he last had this sort of an interaction with anybody. It brought him back a while, so he did what he could best. Relax and enjoy the moment for what it was.

[NIGHT 0]

"That works," DAY replied, sliding the last doughy treat into their mouth before closing the lid on their container, slipping out and away from their seat. "Oh, you can tell us more about -- err, Shay -- if you wanted to, but later, okay?"

As the entity stored away the dessert, so was NIGHT tending to the fridge, pulling out numerous different types of ingredients from the menu. With one glance, the construct had spotted the presence of chili on the countertop, just as the woman had brought out a few slabs of salmon to work with.

"Ah, aglio olio, then?"

"Yeah." Another small block of cheese appeared amongst the spread, the player stepping away from the appliance. With a roll of her sleeves, NIGHT paced away towards the stove at the corner. "Handle the fish for me, would you?"

"Don't have to tell me twice."

So they worked as such -- two separate halves forming a whole. As the Gemini worked their way around slicing the salmon and vegetables into pieces, their original was sure to tame the fires and cook the pasta to a firm mess.

"How's the salmon?"

It only took a glance for DAY to check on its progress in the oven. "Give or take a few more minutes."

"Okay." A chirp from NIGHT as she took hold of the bowl of vegetables, emptying it upon the frying pan with relative discomfort. After setting the ceramic down, she beckoned with an empty hand. "Pass me the olive oil?"

"You got it."

Cooking was difficult-- if one were to ask the player about it, there was no way she would've lied about the harsh reality of their efforts. And yet, at the end of their session, Cardinal's hand had managed to work the several ingredients into a well-defined meal, DAY grating the block of parmesan upon the pasta as NIGHT cracked a raw egg over her serving. Two plates carried by the entity with confidence, while NIGHT nervously eyed the stove and the oven just to make sure the appliances were turned off. She stepped out of the kitchen, cutlery in hand just to slip into her seat, making as little noise as humanly possible.

A plate for their guest, brought to ChaseR by the effeminate blonde themselves.

"Dinner is served." 

DAY beamed at the blue player, a sparkle of intrigue in their eyes as they withdrew to take their place at the table.

"Just-- don't expect anything like the ice-cream from earlier," NIGHT quickly added, laying out the metal in a comfortable wrap of napkins. "How do I put this... It's not as flavourful as it should be in reality, I suppose."

[ChaseR 0]

Chase thought better than to intrude the two's kitchen, waiting quietly on the table and tapping his fingers on it slowly. He waited and waited until a very pleasant smell arrived into the room, with two plates held by DAY- one for NIGHT and one for himself. His mouth was watering at the mere sight as his stomach growled, smiling and accepting the plate with a nod. Once everybody was seated down, he glanced over at DAY with a somewhat confused expression. That's right, she was a gemini after all. She didn't need to eat or sleep, just like back in the cerberus quest.

"It feels weird to see you just stay like that to watch, uh... Don't you feel hungry whatsoever? Like, ever?", he asked before dipping his head in a bit and eyeing the food again. "Right, thank you for the food. It looks great.", he complimented despite NIGHT warning him on the taste, picking up a fork and starting to dig right in. Although the taste was admittedly blander than it must have been in the real world, the dish was still as great to taste as ever. It was also a combination of foods that Chase had never tried in tandem before, but... shh.

"This is great, where'd you learn to make it?!", he asked them with a grin, clearly enjoying himself. And before long, he was back to digging right into the hearty meal, gobbling it down quickly- despite that, he was appreciating the taste all the same. Maybe it's because nobody had cooked especially for him in a long time, or because he considered them both close friends and really appreciated their efforts that much more. Hell if he knew even, right now he had some good food before him and he wanted all of it.

[NIGHT 0]

The second plate DAY had set down was for themselves; they'd watched just as ChaseR took the first bite of food with great interest, and reveled in the joy of the player.

"Glad to know it tastes fine," NIGHT dryly remarked -- though, even from a quick glance, it was easy to tell how relieved the woman must've felt after all that effort. She started to gather the noodles on her plate just as quickly, once she'd broken the yolk, allowing the pool of gold to gather in the center of her dish, pasta creating a pit in the heart of her food.

DAY's table manners were far more proper; they'd wrapped their spaghetti around a fork a few choice strands at a time, slow and methodical, enough to hand ChaseR as reply to his query from earlier. "Hunger pangs? Not really. But I do enjoy a good meal once in a while -- and it's something I can't exactly make alone."

"It's the players that're able to give it flavour, when its made. Theoretically, I should be leaving it up to NIGHT to do it for me without help."

The player stalled at their comment, biting off the portion of the meal she'd taken in. A glare was enough for DAY to invite her words with a tilt of her head, but when the entity had started to consume their meal, the woman let the conversation go quiet for the time being.

"They're the one with the recipe," NIGHT added, once she'd finally found her breath, a gesture in the Gemini's direction before she'd sliced into her slab of salmon at the side of her plate. "Everything else has just been following instructions. Anyone else could figure out how to do it given time and a bit of practice."

[ChaseR 0]

And off they went again, even if they had just made the meal of his day, if not life (in Aincrad), fighting like an old, tired, married couple. It'd probably be for the best to get their mind off of one another, so he thought to shift the topic with a bit of complimenting and then some focus on to what seemed to have gotten both of their attention- his break-up with Shay. Was it really a girl thing, or did they just think he was sad about it? "Well... I could never cook this well in the real world, I doubt I'd be able to make something like this. It's great still, NIGHT. You too DAY, you both did great on it."

Before moving on, he scuffed down a bit of his food more, grinning widely and eventually, finishing his meal before long had passed. Placing the fork down on the plate, he sat back on the chair and looked at the ceiling for a moment, letting out a heavy sigh. He was definitely pleased with the dinner they'd served him. "So... You two said you wanted to hear about me and Shay before, right?". It was a good approach without being too forceful on the subject change.

"We uh... We said we'd be training partners. We ended up becoming a couple after a while, right? Around when me and you met, DAY. I was still alone when we first met, NIGHT.", he explained, trying to ease them into the topic in a more natural way. "Long story short, around Shay and me reaching level thirty... two? Thirty three? She just kind of gave up after I got us a new house. We barely even talked. It didn't even feel like a relationship from one point onwards, it was just... Living in the same house and never seeing one another. She also felt bad about staying behind in levels, but she never tried to level up either. And she popped off on me and just got gloomier and gloomier without letting me help. That and whatever other issue she had, I... don't really know. She didn't let me in on much. So I thought it'd be best to not ruin it for myself any longer, right?"

[NIGHT 0]

"Well... I could never cook this well in the real world, I doubt I'd be able to make something like this."

Neither could I.

The player's gaze drifted towards DAY's in as casual a manner as possible -- it stayed for just as long as it took the entity to notice their attention, NIGHT refocusing her efforts back onto her food.

"It's great still, NIGHT. You too DAY, you both did great on it."

"Mhmm."

"You're welcome."

The rest of their dinner proceeded on in silence. Not that it was manners for any party to have spoken up during their meal time, NIGHT figured. Better still was if the trio had anything better to discuss in the first place. Instead, it was ChaseR who'd completed his dish first, clearing it clean of scraps and leftovers, a move that impressed the player still chewing with smaller bites.

She took another, just as the man had started to speak. The duo listened earnestly; though, as for advice to give once his explanation was over, it seemed as though they were both at a loss for words.

Shared glances felt more like accusatory stares to the player. Who was she to feel the need to have spoken up first? But as DAY's doubtful pupils bore back into NIGHT's own, she realized quickly that the construct was probably the less viable one of the two to be speaking on relationship issues. They barely knew anyone else.

And it wasn't like they were holding up a good foundation with NIGHT, either.

"If I could trust anyone with that conviction," she started, waving her fork around, "I would've. Though I don't know if turning it into a relationship to begin with was a good idea. Err..."

She paused. Hadn't they only known each other for a week or two by that point? The woman knew ChaseR to be one blazing trails at light speed-- perhaps it was his pace that was too much for others to keep up with.

"Still, I'm sorry to hear that it didn't work out for you." Her glances were distracted, frantic. Half of her wanted to return to her meal. The other was processing exactly what she could do to offer comfort to her friend. "But I think if it didn't sound like it was going to work out, you should feel at ease for deciding to part ways from there."

"I mean, you can't exactly help someone else who doesn't want to be helped in the first place, right?"

[ChaseR 0]

Chase gave NIGHT a rather confused glance, noticing that DAY preferred to have little say on the matter. He gave it a bit of thought and shrugged at her. "Iiiit probably wasn't. It all started stupidly anyways, no way it'd work out. Plus, she's still an ally. Well... If she goes out onto the field again.", he grumbled and gave a shrug, unsure whether he'd even be seeing her anytime soon. So far, she'd vanished from the face of the earth as far as he was concerned, so hell if he knew. "It happens though, right? Nobody just gets their lifelong soulmate from the first relationship. Mom and dad met around uh... Twenty? Twenty two? They had some experience beforehand though. So it's alright."

Funny enough, he wasn't really expecting either of them to say much about it- at least in order to make him feel any better. The whole point, he thought, was that they asked and wanted to hear what he had to say on the matter, wasn't it? "Yeah, you're right. If she doesn't want my help, it's just hurtful to watch. It's not that I don't care for her, but she has to decide whether she wants to get helped or if she wants to do it all by herself in the end. To think she had issues trusting me at first because of Titan or whatever his name is..."

The bluehead just let out a sigh and waved the last comment off, looking down at his plate and circling its center with the fork he held in his hands. "It kind of feels better. Not being held down by an arbitrary title of 'relationship or not', free to do my own thing and all. I still worry about everyone I like all the same, so no point in dumbing it down to her being just called a 'girlfriend' for the sake of it. I think... I might be better alone. Yeah~?", he gave a smile after his short monologue, looking between the two. "And that's all about me and Shay~. I'm fine with it by the way, just you two asked so I thought you wanted to hear it out."

[NIGHT 0]

Started stupidly? Sounded like a fox with sour grapes, NIGHT entertained, though she waived her judgement off the moment her sights fell back on DAY's distinguished image. The player took a few more bites of her food just as their guest continued to speak (nice to know that he seemed to have a nuclear family) and soon--

"-- Wait," NIGHT interjected after a swallow, alert at the sudden drop of another player's handle. "Titan? Blond hair, armored guy? How's he roped into all of this...?" The raised brow seemed to indicate just how little the player had been familiar with the others running about Aincrad; how she managed to even remember the poor soul had been a miracle in itself. Meanwhile, she'd attempted to return to her plate, chewing on the last of her pasta by the side of her fork in her mouth, still intrigued by ChaseR's dialogue just as he rattled on.

The entity that had gone without a word only nodded at each passing sentence; their eyes appeared to tire the second their player had asked about another. But the meal on their plate was disappearing fast despite their seemingly stoic movements and careful eating habits. By the time ChaseR had concluded, DAY was cleansing off the last of their plate. They tapped a napkin across their lips lightly before they spoke. "Well, it's good to hear that you're dealing with it just fine."

"Had I known that many players might've been involved with the whole story, maybe I would've asked sooner," NIGHT added. "But I digress. I'm just glad that you seem to be doing alright."

"Thanks for sharing," the Gemini added with a small smile, chin resting upon overlapping hands, their elbows finally upon the table surface. "Even if I'm not familiar with the people involved, it's nice to know what goes on within the player base from time to time."

A scoff from the still feasting woman. "And here I thought you were out stalking people every day, like you usually do."