[F01-SP] inbetween.

[NIGHT 0]

the player was quiet, chewing at her meal, leering at her target through slits, trying to conjure up a response. what truth was there to hide? she wasn't even aware what lurked on the twenty-sixth to have mentioned its contents as proof -- unless she lied. but system cardinal was something that knew all. it would be a foolish maneuver--

"i was there," night justified, trying not to look suspicious, "on the new floor, i mean. it was... filled with snow. like, glaciers and ice, instead of... sheets of white."

the duo shared a pause. day remained blank, unconvinced.

night simmered in her creativity for a moment.

"a small hare passed me by as i started walking."

"that's not even remotely true," the entity replied, wrist hitting the table. "and you know it."

do i?

what was she trying to pull off in the first place, lying to an entity like this? one part of her prized that it was in amusement, the other thought it better to stray the conversation away from day's original ideas, the questions she'd have about what night believed best to keep under wraps. for a moment, she wondered too if she could get her other to spill a secret or another; sure, she hadn't been to the next floor after the waters swept her away, but she had a walking compendium by her side.

day would know more than her about the matter.

[NIGHT 0]

absentmindedly, night twirled the metal in her hand and suddenly remembered she had a meal to go through before the rest of her work began. and here she'd nearly forgotten about it, in an attempt to push against her opponent's curiosities. "and how would you know?" she quipped back, raising the fork to her lips for a moment. "you weren't there."

"because all i could remember is--"

waking up next to you.

"-- and i know that's not how boss fights usually end, night. didn't you get a message too when you woke up earlier? the system..."

those words; surreal to hear. so much for trying to stay away from them. night had stilled at their mention -- an awful bit of soul shattering, the woman's breath going unsteady, shaken her to her core.

had it never been said, she could've played it -- no, them, those occasions -- off as an exception, an impossibility, something that would live and die and only exist in the moment. like a secret or a truth or an injustice long forgotten, melting on the final seconds of its passing. now it was the player's turn to blank out, too jolted to have comprehended day's words as the entity bit back retaliations, relaying explanations against her.

at the back of her mind, a fear echoed to her.

lynn, she'd breathed. lynn, wake up.

[NIGHT 0]

day waited for a response, but nothing ever came. instead, the woman just soured in quiet, taking a bite of her food, keeping her eyes downwards. in silence, too, the entity hesitated. only after a few seconds did she prompt her other,

"well?"

it hung in the void between them.

"night," the system iterated. the player was perceptive enough to hear it; her glance to day was but a lone reply. "did it not happen? or did you not hear me?"

"i heard you," she lied again, keeping herself curt. "nothing happened."

"..."

this time, night didn't even feel like elaborating.

day merely eyed her; wary, tired -- saddened? -- but resumed eating, portion stuck part way through her lips as she turned her gaze elsewhere, chewing upon it slow. they continued their meal in silence; night clearing her plate first, taking the emptied mess over to the sink with a patient stride.

where one figure felt empty, the other was full, brimming. and it wasn't night.

past the morning, the player didn't feel like speaking to her doppel in the slightest.

[NIGHT 0]

Thread Summary

[Notes]
Looking to roll for US. -A-)a;;;

[Total]
+ 1,075 EXP | WORD COUNT | [doc]
+ 507col

Bahr
ID# 187660 results:

Battle: 9

Craft: 3

Loot: 11

MOB: 8

US roll failed.

Spoiler

[Thread Progression]
+ EXP | WORD COUNT | [doc] 
   | 4374 / 50 = 87 | 87 * 3 * [TIER 4] = 1,044 EXP
   | paragon: 1044 * 1.03 = 1075 EXP
+ COL | 1 PAGE 
   | 400 * 1 = 400col
   | paragon: 1075 * 0.1 = 107col
   | total: 400 + 107 = 507col