[F27 - PP] A Return to Ronbaru

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

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 hollow – an honest offer, but she felt it was more of a cover, than anything else. And then it clicked, as she saw the jest behind the words. “Oh. Oh, not cool. Revenge will be mine.”

She carefully lifted a finger and tried to boop the girl on the nose, smiling even as she declared her vengeance to be had. A few heartbeats passed as she simply laid there and stared at NIGHT, before eventually sighing – realising that they had to get moving.

“Alright, one of us is going to have to go soon, otherwise we’re just going to lay here all day…you go first, I’ll clean up around here…” She cast a needless hand around at the bed and room – most of which was already fairly tidied away, Nari having kept a meticulous space – so much so that even the few pieces of decoration were organised by colour, spaced out nearly perfectly to one another.

She waved a hand towards the door at the end of the bed – perpendicular to the one they had entered through the night previous. “Bathroom is in there – only one in the entire estate so far that has a full four piece…If you need help with anything, just call, okay?”

Spoiler

Word Count: 308

 

[NIGHT 0]

night's eyes only widened awake once she'd heard the acceptance. what? immediately she'd thought about finding the words to withdraw her offer. but it was cute how nari's assistance was offered. refreshingly adorable.

she didn't notice the finger being lifted, though, once her game had been caught onto. she scrunched up at the impact, almost frowning, though the negativity was non-committal. the way she shot back her glare was similar to an offended feline.

(not that night was a cat person or anything.)

she relaxed while waiting. rose with her companion's notice when it was made. night glanced around the room seemingly unmoved -- there wasn't anything to clean up. "you mean laze around for a bit while i get done," she unveiled. likewise, when the bathroom was finally pointed out to her, she started forth towards it, fingers leaving nari's. "that sounds like an architectural oversight."

"If you need help with anything, just call, okay?”

the player pushed open the door and slipped inside, popping her front out for a moment. "i need you to build a better house. with multiple bathrooms at minimum. and--" night realized, glancing into its interior. "-- ones that aren't only right beside the bedroom."

joke complete, night finally got back to the shower, closing the door behind her. "ciao."

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

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 across the room to the bathroom, she slid up against the wall, facing the bed and opening the door a crack. Keeping her eyes on the bed, she called into the bathroom.

“Hey – I’m just going to pop out for a second, did you need anything while I’m downstairs?” She could hear the water running, and she had to fight not to peek into the room, knowing that it would only get her into trouble. “If you need something, now’s the time to let me know.”

Spoiler

Word Count: 187

 

[NIGHT 0]

so, here was the scenario: night had forgotten about the existence of locks on doors.

no, it wasn't normal. given the opportunity to have seen it, surely night was the type of person to have remembered and done so. but neither did she feel the need to at her own home, given that she was always in communication with her housemate. in truth, being comfortable in announcing of her time in the shower had been enough.

it would also be her downfall, the moment she heard the strange crack from beyond her vision.

“Hey – I’m just going to pop out for a second, did you need anything while I’m downstairs?”

"nari--" night raised her voice above the sound of the shower, caught in confusion, "did you just open the door--?"

that was when the recollection of locks and their existence returned to her memory.

“If you need something, now’s the time to let me know.”

"nari--!! i swear to god--" no funny business. no funny business. the threat of leading their time astray bore down on her with a growl, and she abided by it. "--a better house! christ--"

if anything, it just signaled to the player to  get out of the shower as soon as possible.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

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 familiar was giving, she opened the fridge – trying to remain as quite as she could, grabbing the water from inside and an apple, she popped the door closed with her hip and turned – to find a set of emerald eyes staring at her.

“Oh. Onóra. Good morning…” Her voice took on a sheepish tone, and she felt herself shrink inwards under the gaze of the other woman. “Uhm, so…breakfast in like…twenty minutes?”

“Twenty. Minutes.” Nari beamed a smile as she slid past, apple and water in hand. Her friend called from behind as she snuck her way back up the stairs. “And they better not be using all of my shampoo!”

Sighing as she closed the door behind her, she placed a cloth on the desk under her window, pulling out a knife and cutting off slices before chewing on one. She waited patiently, eating half the apple before NIGHT made her reappearance. 

“So…breakfast in like ten minutes okay? I’m just gonna quickly…well, yeah.” She slid passed into the bathroom, stopping in the door to turn back and grab the girl from behind before placing her lips gently on the exposed neck. Giggling again, she disappeared into the bathroom, locking the door with an audible click before making her way through her morning routine.
 

Spoiler

Word Count: 327

 

Edited March 18, 2022 by Nari-Lanreth

[NIGHT 0]

out in ten. and night still thought she'd been quick about it.

the towel wrapped around her neck was her own. expression drawn exhausted, the player had on a fresh set of clothes similar to the wear she had after waking -- cardinal decided the equipment in her inventory would dry, and she appreciated that. though, it felt wrong to don her tracksuit for the time being.

"hey. i'm done."

and she worked at her hair, spotting what was left of the apple set by the window. a knife? she didn't need one. but the snack would've been appreciated.

breakfast was sound. she hoped she wasn't any trouble. but at her acknowledgement of her companion, night started towards the bait, only to be pulled backwards unsteady.

the peck on her skin must've been in retaliation from earlier.

night deserved it. as peeved as she was at the surprise, she complained none about it, watching the door close once she turned in shock. a sigh of distress -- heart still pounding in her throat, only beside where that kiss was lain, and she continued about her intended way.

shit. that was cute. but she wasn't about to go saying it out loud.

the player bided her time, completing the apple to its core. it bit the dust once she set it down, and night spent her time with her eyes on the district below. quiet. some people bustled to and fro. and for all the effort, she wondered what made her so docile, all of a sudden.

it was different, being in someone else's care for a change. not welcome, for that wasn't her standard, but not unwelcome either.

when nari was out, night called to her with a relaxed holler. breakfast may have been ready-- but she wasn't going to head out alone.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

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 right, before dragging her to the door. “And whatever she says about any dresses is an absolute lie. Mostly. Somewhat. Oh, come on.”

She half dragged NIGHT through the door and down the stairs. Briefly pausing at the bottom, she headed into the kitchen. Leaning against the counter – the morning news open as she read through it – was the blonde girl.

“Good morning. Did you sleep well?” The emerald eyes seemed to glitter in amusement as they passed over Nari and NIGHT.

“Uhm. Good morning. NIGHT, this is Onóra. Onóra…this is NIGHT.” Nari’s voice was strong, but there was a slight colouring in her face, and get chin had dipped slightly towards her chest. Almost involuntarily her hand pulled NIGHT closer, as if trying to draw the girl into herself.
 

Spoiler

Word Count: 230

 

[NIGHT 0]

she let herself be stolen away by her companion. night followed out like a puppy, dogging their master's steps. at the announcement of the dress -- night had been thinking about it in part -- she spoke up almost deadpanned, almost righteous: "no, you should definitely tell me about the dresses thing. i know you have some. i saw you in one the other day."

and the players were quiet the rest of the way down.

it was difficult to imagine the meeting between one and the friend of their friend for the first time. night considered it akin to introducing her gemini to koga and yukiro for the first time. but she didn't think she'd be placed on the other side of the equation, not even once. upon seeing that familiar figure when she'd been carried into nari's home, the woman was almost tense, a tad sheepish.

“Uhm. Good morning."

"--good morning..."

and her voice was low. unusually so. night knew she wasn't good at people, but it felt incredibly strange to be so passive after a long while of striking out in her own way. so though her gaze bounced around the room for a quick moment (yes, it did look fairly familiar), she turned to onora quickly once she was formerly introduced.

it also didn't help (or, perhaps it did) that nari was just as shy about their meeting. a gentle press of her palm back into the woman's hand, and she leaned in at her companion's request. her other hand was raised, slightly, in a greeting. "you made breakfast for us, didn't you? i appreciate it. --and thank you for looking after nari."

(in her stead? night wondered if she should've added that last bit.)

"--so, about the dress."

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

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 on the table. Nari pulled NIGHT to the table, taking a seat opposite Onóra and tugging on the girl to bring her down as well.

“Well, it’s a bit of a short story, but one that I find rather amusing…” Onóra’s face had broken into a sly smile as she began her tale. “I had made Nari a…well, fancier dress – her typical violet colouring, but with a pattern of darker purples interwoven and twirling through it. I came home one day to find that she had donned said dress, and was practicing the waltz in the main seating room, pretending to be a princess from…well, something. The music was so loud she hadn’t heard me come in…but the fox that she was forcing through the waltz had a look that just spoke of a request for help.”

From the bed on the floor behind the table came a slight chittering sound, as if Yuki was announcing her displeasure at the whole scenario. Nari had stuck her tongue out as Onóra paused, her glance shifting to NIGHT and her face an expression of embarrassment and realisation that there was nothing she could do to stop what was unfolding.

“The moment she realised I was watching, she…unceremoniously dropped the fox, attempted to flee the scene and ran into the door frame, knocking herself unconscious for a few moments, before awakening and the crawling up the stairs in the most dignified way.” Onóra paused to laugh again, Nari mumbling curses under her breath. “I haven’t seen that dress since…”

Grabbing a piece of bread and what appeared to be a purple berried jelly, Nari stabbed the jam before spreading it across the bread, her voice mumbling as she did so. “Yeah, yeah…let’s all tell our most prominent stories…”

Spoiler

Word Count: 395

 

[NIGHT 0]

ah-- no. she was exactly right about her guess. this definitely seemed as though she was the outsider to the situation. though the moment she realized it, the more she considered how to play it adequate.

likewise, she hadn't expected a lack of resistance to her query, either.

“No no no! Don’t you dare!”

and night leaned into nari, a cool grin across her face. if she collided gently, glided her thumb on skin upon locked hands, it was in reassuring her companion about her story.

the tale was a decent one. humans being humans. she chuckled at the thought of her friend playing royals -- and even more so when her familiar decided to voice his opinion. small huffs of laughter than giggling. she'd only truly beamed when nari stuck out her tongue.

"oh, come now," night found herself mentioning, glancing to her friend while waving away shame. "i'm sure it was elegant. i can't pretend to be a fox for you, but if you need a waltz partner, i'm game."

though she wondered if it was scarcely going to be taken as a joke.

she turned to onora, pulling the plate of waffles towards herself. "so that's what it was about. that wasn't so bad. i would've been more worried about falling unconscious from the impact, however. at least she's got you looking out for her."

(present tense...? past... tense?)

night took up nearby utensils and started to dig in. she hummed, cutting into her meal. what else was the best way to start conversation? the woman was more efficient, less small talk when it came to discussions with others.

so she hoped it wasn't abrupt when she started to speak. "onora, i don't mean to get in your way, but i did promise your 'roommate' here about heading out for some hunting. i hope that's okay." and she glanced at nari, as though there had been an obligation promised between the two housemates. she wasn't sure if it had been culture speaking through her, or if it had been personal caution instead.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

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 NIGHT a wink and a smile. “But we’ll have to talk about anything beyond that, of course.”

Nari’s mouth was open, her eyes shifting back and forth between the two, trying to figure out exactly what had happened. She’d expected awkwardness, or even forced conversation. She had not expected to be teamed up against almost immediately.

“Hey, I’m right here, you know.” She waved a hand between the two, trying to draw attention to herself, before realising what she was doing. “Uh…I mean…wait don’t I get a say in this?”

Her gaze passed between the two, trying to figure out how she was being left out of this entire discussion, as if she was some sort of toy to be passed around. ‘As if you’re complaining about being a toy.’ She shook her head to clear away the thought, her face reddening slightly.

Spoiler

Word Count: 254

 

[NIGHT 0]

because it didn't feel right without a blessing. it must've been tradition, then. and what she received was sort of like that. night was satiated at the welcome response; it showed in earnest, that gratitude on her face.

"of-- of course."

she'd only remembered her usual disposition once nari had caught her attention instead. how could the player forget her attendee? she began to split her waffle into pieces, humming in acknowledgement, eyes turned towards the woman. "i mean," night continued, beginning to relax, "if you're willing to keep at it for a bit, i wouldn't mind popping by tomorrow to pick you up, either. -- a-assuming you're not busy, of course..."

and though there had been a variety of condiments at the table, night settled with plain butter and some syrup. she bit at her piece, warming up to the taste of another's homecooked meal, before offering another fork's worth to nari.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

“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 take it the same way. Her head shifted slightly as she turned to look at the girl, to see how she was reacting. “But, I don’t think she nattered on about me to others, either…”

The eyes snapped back to Onóra, and her words hissed out almost as quickly in response. “I did not natter…I spoke clearly, concisely, and…maybe frequently…but I did not natter.”

As soon as NIGHT looked like she was even close to finishing, Nari sat up. “Should we…get going?”

Spoiler

Word Count: 185

 

[NIGHT 0]

now this was embarrassing. night knew she'd personally extended the offer -- but still. a reply with no hesitation? especially in front of a housemate? despite knowing of her by name, onora was still clearly a stranger to night. just the same that despite how quickly she'd tried to warm up in a casual manner, so too did the rules of her past follow her here. hence explained why she couldn't help but burn anyway, a fact that compounded when nari had decided to be close.

in the moment, despite how she'd tried, night just couldn't help but feel shy.

"--got it."

“You know, she was never this eager to join me for daily outings.” 

a homebody? night pondered at the thought. but she knew the tank had been spotted elsewhere with different players -- names she couldn't put faces to, aside from the blonde shooting looks their way. she merely chewed cautiously, trying not to show weakness -- whatever that may have been in the face of being called out upon by another.

between their banter, the player wondered too if that had been the expected dynamic between housemates. had yukiro been more present, perhaps she would've asked for koga to have told her. now, she simply wasn't sure where else to turn to, nor who to ask.

she wondered if she'd even been expected to butt in at all.

"only the better details," night decided in an attempt, as though it would back nari's rationale for name-dropping so much. "that you specialize in cloth work. i may need to look for you in the future, then, for my armor. ah-- assuming you'd have me, of course."

(had she the ability to sneak in a compliment for the dish made somewhere too, she would've. but there could always be time for later.)

and there was a semblance of childishness to nari, night had observed. it showed in her little mannerisms, and subconsciously it registered another point of interest once her meal was only partway done. "eh--? um..."

the player considered her plate for a moment, before nodding her head, dipping in to take just one more bite, though a few forks full. her fingers rummaged through her gear, expedient, determining the necessary equipment for such an endeavor. and once she'd swallowed -- "sure, now i'm ready," -- night slid herself off the seat, rearing to follow after her companion.

Spoiler

accessing greater inventory and swapping gear for the following:

• Cosmic Devourer+1 
  ABS. ACC, ACC II
• Lucky Tracksuit
  LD III
• locket.
  QLTY II, PROSP I

---

updated stat block.

NIGHT | HP: 1104/1104 | EN: 134/134 | DMG: 28 | ACC: 5 | EVA: 1 | TXV: 32 | LD: 12 | QLTY: 2 | PROSP: 4 | BH: 60 | AA | Stealth Rating: 6

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

“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 way towards the teleporter pad, the darkness still surrounding them. She pawed through, making sure she had everything she would need for their venture, before closing the menu and glancing at NIGHT.

“Uhm…do you need to let anyone know that you’re going to be away a bit longer? I hadn’t thought of it until now…sorry…” She ducked her head a bit in embarrassment at not having brought it up sooner – she should’ve been a bit more considerate of NIGHT’s own time. “I know you said it’s fine, but…well, I don’t want to cause problems by keeping you to myself all the time. I mean, I want to. Keep you to myself. But…well, I know that’s not always possible.”

‘Foot, meet mouth. Stop talking.’ The voice in her head was right, she was being too talkative. Instead she drifted closer to NIGHT, reaching out her hand again to grab onto the girl’s, looking for that physical contact again. Her eyes glanced about, noticing that the streets were still relatively empty – most of the passerby’s being NPCs going through their standard routes, repeating them again and again.

As they reached the teleporter pad, she tugged NIGHT forward a bit faster, eager to hit the beaches. As she reached the pad itself, she pulled NIGHT up close to her, bringing her into a tight huge before whispering the command to activate the teleporter itself.

Spoiler

Word Count: 339

 

[NIGHT 0]

so she followed, in haste. it was only after she was introduced as to why.

“Well, I hope that was as awkward for you as it was for me.”

and night wryly shot back that same grin. it sort of was. though so too was she wondering if nari was avoiding her 'roommate' on purpose. was it from the implications she'd drawn out of teasing from before?

"i-it's fine," came her reply, and that was the other half of the story. for having garnered some amount of experience before, she had the advantage of catering her experience accordingly, unsteady as it may have been. "i didn't get on her bad side or anything, did i...?"

stuck in thought, night walked with her aid through the city, taking a number of consumables whilst she was at it. and when nari turned to her with questions, she shook her head. "i tended to them this morning -- it's fine." her eyes glanced off of the woman's figure as she chose to mutter elsewhere. "i-i was the one imposing, anyway..."

and if her stray hand had twirled at a lock, it was entirely in her nature. unintentional.

nari had resolved to hand-holding, that telling possessive nature. and though the player had found herself questioning its intensity, she leaned into it all the same. to be kept? it brought up its questions. when she thought about it further, night wanted to know in what way.

(like a secret? like an oath? she knew, in a way, how it felt like to keep both.)

"it's no matter," night admitted. "you could hog my time." her companion made a good reason to free her schedule from obligations. better, even, given she found herself comfortable with the woman. in a sudden turn, paired with a calmer voice, she found herself pleading, even. "in fact, i insist. you're a better distraction that most. i'd... appreciate the company."

then she fell silent, trying her best to look away.

reaching the plaza was straightforward. not that the city had changed much in the time they'd been away. and night hadn't expected that jostle out of nowhere, and that hug to tag along with it.

safe, and warm. when did they start playing follow the leader? night didn't think when her view was filled with white, only giving way to blue skies and golden beaches. rather, she let the summer breeze welcome nari to the city on her behalf.

floor 24.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

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 moving their way back over NIGHT, before continuing onwards – she brought the conversation back.

“Get on her bad side? No, not at all! I don’t think she has a bad side. At least, I’ve never seen one…And you weren’t imposing. Imposing is when you’re there unwanted, or when you’ve overstayed, or you’re being a bother. You were wanted. Are wanted.” She turned her gaze onto NIGHT, and in a serious tone, her face void of any smile, she commented on the second thing she had heard, but not responded to originally. “You know I’m going to hog all your time, then, right? I am possessive, you know…”

As she said the words, she gave NIGHT’s hand a little tug, as if trying to pull her in towards herself. She paused to let the words sink in, to be fully registered, before adding to her comment. “And if you do need some space, let me know – be honest, because I’m going to be honest with you. Always.”

Her expression was still void of the smile, a seriousness in her eyes and voice, as she tried to get her point across. She didn’t want to scare NIGHT, but she didn’t want to clear away any future misunderstandings, to make sure to set the grounds – and have it understood that she would respect those grounds.

Spoiler

Word Count: 331

 

[NIGHT 0]

words like a threat, that doubled as a blessing still. and was it found in the reasons that it was scary to be apart from another? perhaps. night didn't know. as she walked, a hand pressed to the back of her neck, she considered nari's bluntness, and thought about her schedule. she knew she had the time.

(but it took something else to say yes. took something else to say okay.)

still, she followed. still, she leaned in. because words were a distraction from the intention, the soul; they'd always been. and the offer presented, to allow her to pull away had she needed to were more than she'd wanted to ask for.

a kindness night realized didn't deserve, she realized, again, and again, and again.

it might've been selfish to know the difficulty in crossing the boundaries. even moreso that she didn't have the bravery to take that step -- not just yet. so quietly, abashedly, she brought herself close nari, leaning in to take a risk.

“You know I’m going to hog all your time, then, right? I am possessive, you know…”

"then i'd like to see you try."

night entwined her fingers further, pressing into that touch once, before pulling herself a little away.

fear? sure. but they were en route for a hunting, first and foremost. she could always blame it on the caution against danger, if she had to.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

‘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 beach, where everyone will see us?” She gave a wink and smile towards NIGHT. But as the realisation dawned on her, the smile faded. “People are going to find out…Sooner or later.”

She wasn’t quite sure what NIGHT would do about that. For Nari, it was no concern – but she’d started to figure out that NIGHT preferred her privacy, and that maybe she would prefer to keep things more reserved. “Do…we want people to find out?” Nari’s voice was a bare whisper, and as she waited for the answer she felt herself drawn closer to NIGHT, the little space disappearing as she naturally gravitated over.

Spoiler

Word Count: 207

 

[NIGHT 0]

"sure." eyes on the distance. night could hardly believe it, and she'd will herself on externalities lest the gravitas of what she'd done for herself finally sunk in. nari switched gears just as she had begun scouting -- and the player bumped back into that armor once it had been donned. heavy metal in lieu of the water -- it reminded her of how much better she had to get at swimming, when she had the chance to practice.

“So…where are we going, anyways? I know you said beaches…but is there a specific beach?"

"there's so many around here," she elaborated. "usually, i just pick the closest ones where monsters show."

"Somewhere…hidden away?"

night let herself turn to nari, then. "if you want it."

"Or is it a public beach, where everyone will see us?”

it was then the player tilted her head, puzzled for a pause, before a smirk formed and she leaned in. "oh, you just want me to show you off, don't you?" she chuckled -- there was something to be said about being this cocky so quickly, so soon -- "who's the newcomer hanging onto that veteran's arm? something like that?" another laughter, and she could hardly recall the discussion of her reputation from ages before, when she was questing out with koga. but that wasn't the part that she considered would matter.

"i don't think i've got much to lose in that aspect," night figured. "you've got players with history or notoriety for their actions on the front. and then there's others who want to stay out of their way." the woman shook her head, catching a glimpse of a stray giant crab on the coast up ahead. "keeping a low profile helps in that regard."

and as nari closed the distance, night felt herself enveloped by warmth. a risk, she would take -- but this gamble was a no brainer to the woman. she'd already played her cards after meeting with aincrad's latest battalion chief.

so--

"--let them," she returned, matching her defendant's volume. and with an eye to the opponent, night leaned in for another peck on her guard's cheek. without missing a beat, she tore herself from that closeness, blade forming in her hand as she darted away. "watch out, now. we're on the path to someplace grand--!"

Spoiler

> POST ACTION: AOE-I

with acc5 + abs acc, bd1 + 5 = 6. bd unnecessary, but stated for verification.

ID206398 | bd3 | -> Giant Crab #4 
ID206397 | bd7 | -> Giant Crab #3 
ID206396 | bd10 | -> Giant Crab #2 
ID206395 | bd1 | -> Giant Crab #1 

-15 -(2*4) +2 = -21 EN
28 * 15 = 420 DMG

---

Giant Crab #1 ~ #4 | HP: 0/420 | DMG: 128

NIGHT | HP: 1104/1104 | EN: 113/134 | DMG: 28 | ACC: 5 | EVA: 1 | TXV: 32 | LD: 12 | QLTY: 2 | PROSP: 4 | BH: 60 | AA