[F27 – PP] Dinner in the Dark

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari felt herself pause as she took in the situation, not staring at the individual, but her eyes continuing to roam the forge – but keeping the metallic being in the corner of her sight at all times. Her curiosity was definitely peaked, but she didn’t want to be the one to initiate the conversation here. Plus, there was more than enough to take in while she waited – the forge was immense, and her professional eyes swept over everything as she tried to memorise the different setups, tools, and other implements that she spotted throughout.

Nari continued for a few steps before actually realising the question was directed at her. Glancing sideways, she caught NIGHT looking at her shoulder – eventually putting two and two together, she smiled down at Yuki. “Oh – uhm, this is Yuki. She’s been a friend for…quite some time now…”

A smile came over her face as her eyes went distant, memories coming up of her time with the little companion. Almost as if in reflex, her left hand reached up and scratched the top of the fox’s head, disturbing it from its slumber. Almost as if in after thought, she quickly added, “Uhm, Yuki this is…NIGHT. NIGHT, this is Yuki, The Winter Fox.”

Her eyes were still distant as she spoke, as if she wasn’t fully in the conversation itself. Her voice fell silent again as she continued down the road, seemingly content to remain within her own thoughts, pulled away from the ‘reality’ around them.

Spoiler

Word Count: 249

 

[NIGHT 0]

What's with the spaced out attitude? Just a few moments ago...

NIGHT had wanted to sigh, looking over her companion. At least she did get an answer. Her attention turned to the sleepy fox still on Nari's shoulders. Yuki, right? "So the same as one of my friends," she said aloud, turning to the path straight ahead. "She used to be a tank, just like you, Nari." Her name emphasized, NIGHT hoping it would catch the woman's attention. "And she was unconfident in herself, ready to set herself on the front lines at the fore, as a tank."

Similar, but not quite.

"While we were adventuring," NIGHT continued, looking to her friend, wondering if any of her words were getting through to her, "She found somebody who liked her. The boss fight on the 25th. They were planning to get married afterwards."

And its conclusion, she left lost to time.

"It can happen," she'd decided to mention after a brief pause. Half of her suspected her volume for loudness' sake was only a bother. The other part was trying to fill the void with anything but silence. "I'd just thought I should've addressed it. That's all."

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari tilted her head back, looking into the sky. She knew that NIGHT was trying to bring some reality around to her. The words sounded…familiar. She gazed up into the ever-night sky, thinking back…

“You sound just like him…he said something similar. About being on the path alone, and the choices we need to make to bring us there.” Her words were distant, as if she was still lost in thought. “I get that. Our time here is…limited. And it could end at any second, and we can’t let ourselves get distracted from the goal – to escape. But…how long have we been here? How far have we gotten? Sometimes I wonder, is there an escape?”

Three more steps, and Nari came to a stop, staring up into the sky. A few seconds of silence passed before she continued speaking, her eyes closed now. “Do you think we’ll ever escape? Return to the real world? Or are we all destined to die here?”

Another pause as a single tear rolled down the right side of her face, before the whispered words were added. “Is there a point to any of this…? Or…are we just meant to suffer through without happiness for the mistakes we made in the past, before being lost forever to time itself…?”

Spoiler

Word Count: 214

 

[NIGHT 0]

Worse. Even worse. Perhaps she shouldn't have said anything, but then Nari wouldn't have returned from her 'slumber'.

She wasn't quite sure what exactly it was that made the woman as such, what pushed her to some sort of haze, distant. Neither was she certain what her perspective was, as downtrodden as it seemed. In fact, knowing this was a trend with these tanks almost made her annoyed. Frustrated.

What is it with throwing one's lives away?

She stopped and listened. An exercise that looked to be for naught. And NIGHT stepped up to her side, placing a hand on her upper arm. Something to ground the woman, if she was still anywhere there. There were many points the woman could make, outright something to disagree with -- and yet, only one word made it out of her lips after listening, hearing her ramble.

The tear that rolled down her face only captured darkness, but with the tilt of NIGHT's head, she could see the golden glow of the evening.

"Him?"

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

“The Gardener. I came across him on one of the lower floors, and we…well, he led me to his garden, where we spent some time just…talking. He set me on my path – and well, his guidance has given me insight into what is worth saving, and what isn’t.” Nari shook herself suddenly, the smile returning to her face, and the memories clearly tossed aside – if only for the moment. “I’m sorry, I’ve been horrible company this evening. I hope that I can make that up to you.”

Stepping back, Nari bowed slightly towards the girl before straightening and continuing down the road, calling out behind her. “It’s just over here. Would you like some tea, or something else when we get there?”

Another few houses down, around a corner and Nari saw her estate come into view. The building itself was lit – the lights perpetually alight in order to ensure that one could visibly see. Behind the wrought iron gate – the larger of the two, the first leading to the public access for the forge itself – stood the open gardens of the front lawn. Six bushes of varying sizes, surrounded by violet tulips and roses were intercepted by three main walkways, the grey brick of the walkways contrasting with the colours of the flowers around them. Although large on the outside, Nari had yet to fully furnish the building, and as she passed through the iron gates, she thought again about saving up for more rooms.

“It’s not much, but it’s home…I’ve really only put any effort into the bedroom, storage area, greenhouse and forge – but…well, in time I hope to make it more.” Wandering up to the front doors, she’ll pull the house key out and unlock it, before standing to the side, and holding a hand in a wave to allow NIGHT to enter before her.

Spoiler

Word Count: 308

 

[NIGHT 0]

'The... Gardener'?

"I came across him on one of the lower floors, and we…well, he led me to his garden, where we spent some time just…talking.”

She wasn't exactly sure if this happened to be a title for a player, or some strange name of a Cardinal construct. NIGHT listened, if only intrigued, still half-upset at the information, though clearly more perturbed than annoyed. "What'd he tell you?"

So she followed, still, when Nari pointed out the path to her home. She thought of the possibility of context, information that had to be reliant on its circumstances, more so than just situations painted black and white. And as she passed through the gates, eyes trailing towards the bushes, NIGHT wondered more about the differences between their experience in this world. Ever shifting, ever changing.

Whoever this 'Gardener' was, she really wanted to have a talk with him, if Nari believed the man important.

An introduction to the house. NIGHT bowed as she made her way inside, muttering a simple, "Thank you," as she strolled in, shoes off. "I'm good on special refreshments for now," the player told her host, "Just water will do. I'd appreciate it."

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari closed the door behind her, locking it as she always did before flowing past and down the hallway. She wasn’t sure if NIGHT would follow her, but she made her way to the…well, it was called a kitchen – but was little more than a kitchenette in her mind. Pulling out a few cups, she poured some water for her guest, before starting the kettle for herself.

Splaying her hands on the counter, she felt herself sigh heavily. She wasn’t quite sure what her plan was now. Maybe a tour of the place? ‘Eve…what have I done?’

She heard the kettle scream as the water came to a boil, and poured herself a cup of tea, hoping it would soothe the nerves that had been growing within her. Still considering her next steps, she began rummaging through the cupboards, pulling out random snacks of cookies, crackers, some weird licorice thing she’d picked up somewhere, and some other assortments of bars that…well, she hadn’t really figured out what flavour they were.

The sound of slurping pulled Nari’s attention back to the counter – where she saw Yuki downing her tea. “HEY! Get out of that you!”

Spoiler

Word Count: 194

 

[NIGHT 0]

Haha the fox was drinking tea--

In truth, ever since she heard the click of the lock, it struck NIGHT that her escape route, if she ever needed to use one, wouldn't be so simple as to make an exit through the front door. She didn't have a plan of the home's layout, and-- it unusually looked a lot like Oscar's home. Was it some sort of preset? Either way, if she could just remember where the other hallways were...

But she couldn't deny that she'd been feeling anxious. No, she hadn't much of a plan to give herself up after a simple dinner, and especially since she wasn't the kind of person to do so. Rather, the estate. She did wonder if it, too, had been Oscar to have gifted Nari the money, but on second thought, she was certain the man had gone into somewhat of a hiding ever since his disappearance from Tarot. So it was highly unlikely the scenario.

Hence her trailing gaze as Nari made her way to the kitchen. She'd half a mind to follow, but stopped as Yuki hopped onto the counter. And, like the mischief it was, it sipped at the tea.

This, perhaps, was the most calming sight she'd seen in a long while.

As Nari busied herself with her pet, her eyes drifted towards the other parts of the home. True to word, most of it hadn't been furnished, and yet the rooms were built and assigned. Curious, she wondered, on what they could've been filled with. Several bedrooms? What was the need unless she stayed with other players?

She took a seat nearby where she found one -- ideally a sofa, rather than not. And when Nari finally came over with the drinks, she beckoned her to sit. "We have time, right? Tell me about the Gardener."

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari hesitated as NIGHT beckoned her to join her on the sofa – a sofa that she had never actual sat on before, most of her time spent either in the bedroom, or the forge. Truth be told…Nari suddenly realised that most of the estate itself hadn’t been truly used up until now. She slowly sat, her tea in her hand as she thought about the question out of the girl’s mouth.

“The…Gardener. I…don’t know much of what to tell you. I met the man while I was lost on one of the lower floors, a forest. It was happenstance that I came across him, and when I asked for directions, he provided me a map. That was before he led me back to his little paradise – his garden. I could tell by the way he worked, that he treasured it truly.” Nari considered the garden, wondering if she could find her way back there without his guidance. She wasn’t sure, and she was starting to think that maybe she should have marked it somehow – hindsight is wonderful. “We spoke about many things, but…his advice on the path we must take struck with me. I don’t know why, but…”

“I am not afraid of dying, I accepted that I will eventually. It keeps my objectives simple, my weapon drawn. It is our job, to maintain the one thing the players still own. Their lives, and give them hope.” Nari closed her eyes and repeated the words that had found themselves locked in her memory, stored away with so much connection.

“I’m sure he has a true name – he is a player after all, but in the situation and at the time, I did not catch it. I know him simply as the Gardener – one who prunes the petals and buds of this world, in order to allow further growth. He tends to it as he does his garden, constantly looking for those buds that need the proper tenderness to allow them to bud – or to cut those whom dare destroy the flower itself.” Her voice was calm as she spoke, as she remembered that day. So many words had been passed, and she had…she had determined her path then – what she would do. “I was lost before I met him – trying to find my way in a world where I was forced to admit who I was, not who I wanted to be. Stuck between two worlds, two personalities, with no way forward. He…helped me see the choice I had – and set me upon the path towards its finality.”

Spoiler

Word Count: 428

 

[NIGHT 0]

It sounded like a tidbit of information, the kind that brokers would drop col just to keep. And yet, the mention of a 'paradise', a 'garden'...

Hold on. Wasn't this...

"Nari," NIGHT looked at the woman solemnly, the cup of water held warm in her hands. "Are you speaking about the quest 'Nature's Treasure?'"

But then the mention that they were a player crept in, but -- there wasn't a player she was sure of that would keep the plants of the world in tact. After all, Cardinal was a self-sustaining system, and had this been a player-served garden, surely it would have some indicator of their property. NIGHT stewed in the tale, wondering in the practicality of such an encounter, until she decided to speak up about the last thing she could remember that happened to Nemo.

"Did this ... 'Gardener' turn into some sort of dragon? A snake, or something, of some kind?"

And the way Nari spoke of deciding who she was, the path she would take-- in all honesty, NIGHT hoped she was right this round just to rescue her from misunderstandings.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari cocked her head at NIGHT’s words. She knew well the quest that the girl was referencing, and…as she thought about it, she could see the misunderstandings. But…

“No, the Gardener is not that fuckwit Nemo.” There was an anger in her voice, a reminder of what Nemo had done to her…she remembered the way he had begged her to stay, how he had said he just wanted a friend. She knew she should feel bad for him, but she had attempted friendship in the beginning, and he had turned upon her – trying to destroy her. “No, the Gardener is a player – I saw the cursor. And the garden itself was not trapped behind a portal, merely on the third floor, somewhere. I remember passing a boulder, his red cloak swaying in the wind as he disappeared from sight. But I doubt that I could find my way there again with his guidance – as he likely prefers it.”

She raised her teacup to take a sip, suddenly realising the weight hadn’t been in her mind – Yuki had her head stuck in the cup again, drowning herself in flavoured glory. Sighing, she gave up on the tea, leaving it for her friend to enjoy – as if she needed more treats.

 

Spoiler

Word Count: 209

 

[NIGHT 0]

The mention of the red cloak dropped.

Instantly, NIGHT set aside her cup.

"That was Raidou," she breathed, and her annoyance almost reached a climax. Just barely. It was as though she couldn't go a second into affairs that didn't seem normal without hearing about Firm Anima being involved in everything, Nari included. Somewhere, NIGHT could've sworn, the two of them hadn't only just failed a Bechdel test, they'd fallen into something deeper. Darker.

Awful. She could still remember ChaseR's frustration with the man, the scene playing at the back of her head. One of the last warnings from her friend before he went dead silent on radio.

"You met Raidou. If you want to find him, I know where you can arrange an audience," she clarified, scowl still apparent on her face. If it felt warm in the air around her, it had to be a gathering of rage rather than heat. Brimming. She didn't like any of this. "But what did he tell you? Why is that so important to you?"

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari couldn’t understand the girl’s sudden change in behaviour. The name meant little to her – she would always know him as the Gardener, no matter what name anyone else called him. She took a moment thinking over what answer she could possibly give – the words had a meaning to her that she understood a core level, but…explaining them was an entirely different situation.

“He…told me that…that there was purpose in protecting those whom could not protect themselves. That we shouldn’t search for one to walk the path with, but instead understand that we may be forsaken to walk the path ourselves – and that that is okay.” Nari paused, trying to collect her thoughts, to bring it all out in one smooth motion. “He…showed me that my purpose in life doesn’t need to be to protect one person, but to help protect them all. That my desire to join the front lines shouldn’t be to protect myself, to provide myself the escape, but to protect everyone else – to ensure that everyone has the chance to leave this damned place.”

She set the tea down, her emotions a turmoil within her. Trying to bring this all to words, spoken ideas, was harder than she ever imagined. She wasn’t even sure if it made sense to her, and now she was being asked to explain it to someone else. Her brow furrowed as she considered everything, trying to make it all make sense.

“I had no purpose in this game, until I met the Gardener. He has provided me the path that I need to ensure that I can continue. Even if that path leads me alone through everything, I can do it knowing that there are others I am fighting for – whether they know I am doing it for them, or not. That’s all that matters – is that there is purpose.”

Spoiler

Word Count: 309

 

[NIGHT 0]

"So the ends justify the means, then?"

Seething. Burning. NIGHT couldn't tell if her skin was hotter than the tea.

"So it's okay for you to throw away your life just because you think it pitiful enough that one cause, any cause would serve it justice?"

In fact, the woman had every mind to get up and leave the accursed place by now. No, Nari had no position to be under scrutiny by the game's biggest army recruiter, nor did NIGHT have any right to sway that decision out of her companion's hands.

Even so. Moving forward on a broken, shaky motivation, no matter how formidable it was sunk in misery was absolutely no way for one to be living their life. That there had to be more to the newbie than just ruminating on the past.

NIGHT knew the irony in speaking this. But at least she could put herself past her own demons.

(Why else was she here in the first place?)

She placed her hands on Nari's shoulders, a stern look in her eyes. Gritted teeth. Pushing, almost, a growl.

"Listen to me. Your goal isn't noble if your intentions never were. Any player can take a hit, bring their hit points down to one in place of another."

"It takes a tank, a true tank, to know when to stop before death."

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari smiled at the woman – likely an unexpected result of having been told such a strong version of truth. Her words came out as a hushed whisper, no anger, no sadness, simply a statement of fact. Her eyes locked with NIGHT’s as she spoke, trying to bring her point across regardless of the woman’s clear fury.

“I do not search for an end to everything, if that is what you think. My purpose isn’t to waltz into the final battle and come out as little more than a myth – if given the chance to return to the real world, I will fight for it. But…” Her smile faltered here, as she felt the emotions stir again. “I find no purpose in fighting for only myself. The Gardener understood this – there is honour in knowing when to stand back and return to the fight for another day. But there’s also honour in knowing that by not stepping back, you allow so many others to carry on that fight.”

Nari raised her left hand, placing it on the girl’s right hand, smiling again. “I promise you, I won’t needlessly throw my life away – I owe too much in retribution to Cardinal for that to be my path. But…I fight so that others may survive. And if that means that I take the final blow so that another, such as yourself, may carry the fight forwards for all the others in this game – those who were too scared to leave the Town of Beginnings, or those who tried to and failed…then I do so willingly.”

With her right hand, she reached down and pet the fox in her lap – still lapping away at the tea - gently with her right hand, the left remaining on the girl’s, warm against her palms. “Do not worry, NIGHT. I don’t want to be a hero lost to the records of time. I would love to walk out of this game’s final level together…I dream of it. But I also know that sometimes, life doesn’t allow us to do so.”

There was another paused, and then the words slipped out of their own accord, a thoughtless sentence. “I wish you could’ve met Eve, she was like you. Strong, determined. Knowing her path without hesitation.”

Her eyes went wide when she realised what she’d said. Her mouth opened, but no further words came out, a look of shock coming over her face as she froze in place.

Spoiler

Word Count: 409

 

[NIGHT 0]

But there’s also honour in knowing that by not stepping back, you allow so many others to carry on that fight.

That was the entire issue, wasn't it?

"Are you listening to yourself?" Like knives, each edge cut deep. "You're talking like you're glorifying being a martyr."

A thought that NIGHT couldn't stand for. Agitated. Was that how the guild master thought of himself? Annoying. Sat atop the throne, basking in the coalition he'd built up, only to leave it empty once he'd vanished from the world. If he'd vanished from the world.

I know my Path, and walk it gratefully. Just as the Gardener walks his own. I know where it will end, and I have no fear, no regrets.

So where in the plan did it ever account for others?

NIGHT was no history buff. She'd barely understood the concepts taught in class. But she knew of war, of displacement, of power struggles. She knew of vacuums, and she knew of consequences.

She didn't know of loss.

She wasn't going to let herself do so.

There wasn't a need for its existence in her psyche. She already had more than enough going on in her head.

In another universe, NIGHT would've made the jump. Pushed the woman down upon the couch, a hand to her neck -- "If you''re so hellbent on accepting where it ends, then here. It's obvious you need the wake up call."

The woman didn't do that. Instead, she just stared.

“I wish you could’ve met Eve, she was like you. Strong, determined. Knowing her path without hesitation.”

And so, NIGHT tilted her head, still upset in all of Nari's flaws. "Do you think," she continued, "that if Eve were here, she'd want you to pull something like this, given the state you find yourself in?"

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

The look of surprise slipped from Nari’s face, a cold, dead, angry appearance growing on it. The words took but a moment to be spoken, but in them was a trace of venom, an anger that almost seemed controlled – yet ready to burst. In her eyes was a similar anger, one which spoke of a pure, unbridled hatred.

“I wouldn’t know. I wasn’t there in her last moments to ask her.” The tone was hollow, as if spoke from afar, but the emotion was undeniable.

Pushing the girl’s hands off her shoulders, Nari stood – the fox in her lamp and the teacup it had been enjoying falling to the floor. Without a further word, Nari turned and left the room, heading towards the eastern wing – towards her room of solace.

Although the forge’s fire had long since died out earlier in the day, the room itself carried an atmosphere that normally swarmed her with a feeling of comfort. This evening, it held no such comfort.

Nari crossed the room, standing before a piece that hung on the wall above the anvil, staring at it with a look that spoke of impending violence. The piece itself was a collection of blades, crafted and shaped to appear in the face of a fox. As she stated at it, her first curled inwards, a tension running through her shoulders – and tears streaming down her face.

A sudden scream, and she had picked up the hammer that had been left on the anvil, tossing it at the creation on the wall. A dull thud, and it fell to the floor, Nari scooped it up and slammed it into the fox, over and over again, the scream echoing around the room, before eventually giving way to sobs.

Collapsing to the floor, her head in her arms, a soft whisper, “Why wasn’t I there…?”

Spoiler

Word Count: 308

 

[NIGHT 0]

The cup that fell shattered into shards, sparkles on the floor. And NIGHT didn't turn her head to watch Nari and Yuki both leave.

No, NIGHT was certain, blood still boiling, that she had made a mistake. A mistake which didn't feel like one. A mistake she didn't regret making.

Yet.

She watched as the pieces trailed and flickered out of existence. She sat in silence, listening to the hound-like yell and hammering of something dull into heavy, and her gut instinctively kicked her awake.

NIGHT buckled, a wrap around her stomach. She knew her orders; adrenaline from anger or not -- get up, get out, get lost.

The question here became how, rather than why.

Her hand, balled in a fist kneaded at that knot in her. No palm contact -- the thought of violence in a domestic setting was already enough to make her shake as she stood, enough for the woman to taste bile at the back of her throat. If she could run to the exit, she would've. And damned if it be the reason she'd take lock picking with her next set of skill points, NIGHT decided, her eyes cast to the front door. Rushed breaths were slowed, then quickened again, the woman failing to calm.

No, neither of them were over anything. None of them were in positions to talk.

So she hobbled. And Cardinal wrapped around her like a blanket for a newborne kit. Somehow, two enemies could be common allies against the same, possible threat.

For once in a terribly long while, NIGHT felt herself in danger she couldn't forcibly shrug away.

Where to? A crossroads. NIGHT didn't know Nari's house well enough. A ghoul's shrieking didn't help either.

Haunted. Maybe they both were. One with worse bite than the other. One with the better demons to fight.

NIGHT stood in the middle of the floor space, considering her options, almost too paralyzed in fear to move.

ID203732 | LD15+6 = 21 | shh.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari wasn’t sure how much time had passed since she left the sofa and her frustrated outburst had come to an end. She realised, suddenly that NIGHT was likely still sitting on the sofa – likely having heard everything that just occurred. Her eyes shifted over the fox ornament on the wall – now roughly bent out of shape and slightly worse for wear, a majority of her strikes having missed entirely as she lashed out blindly at it. She wasn’t sure if that was luck, or a reminder…

Forcing herself up from her position on the floor, Nari stumbled to the door of the forge. The entire night had ended in a disaster. She was exhausted. She was frustrated. She was… broken. Again. ‘He was right. There’s no fighting it. He knew it and he tried to warn me. I should’ve listened – I should’ve known better. And now look…’

Shoulders slumped, Nari made her way back across to the front area, glancing around and trying to find the girl she had left behind. The sofa was empty, clearly vacated – as was the kitchenette. A slight tinge of worry, Nari moved through the estate, calling as she went.

“NIGHT?” Her voice carried a level of concern as she continued to find empty room after empty room. ‘Did she leave already?’

Nari knew it was a possibility, but wanted to make sure. She decided to comb the entire estate before she committed to the idea, making sure she didn’t wake up to a surprise in the morning – just in case.

Spoiler

Word Count: 257

 

[NIGHT 0]

"NIGHT?"

like an echo in horror. the voice only seemed to grow louder.

she'd always thought about jumping through the window to escape. she'd lived on the [ ]th floor, and thought herself invincible. at least, in that case, the wounds wouldn't be aggregious.

not like the ones from [  ].

but she lived on the [ ]th floor, and such connections had to be made eventually. if she ever fell from that height, she would've [died]. 

a locked door, a locked gate, and never any keys.

keys keys keys.

she'd been so good at finding them in video games. why couldn't she find them now?

"NIGHT?"

monster.

a notification in her inbox.

[   ]: Hey, are you okay?
[   ]: You told me... back late... didn't... vibes...
[  ] is typing...
[   ]: Use the TP Crystal.

monster.

if posed a splitting path with two roads down the same direction, with two posts manned by two guards that looked the exact same, and one happened to lie while the other told the truth,

would she make it out alive?

"NIGHT...?

monster.

hunted. in the hall way, there was no room to hide.

hide. crystal. blue block in her hands. a pounding in her ears.

ringing.

 

"REN JUN HUI!"

 

the player was gone in a flash.

 

 

 

to the center of town, collapsed in a heap, a [ ] mess of limbs. of bones. to gag on air that wasn't stifled. to claw at stone that wasn't smooth.

none of this was real.

placated. struggling. confined, confined, confined.

one jail cell for another. and ren wondered if it would ever be enough.