[F27 - PP] A Return to Ronbaru

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

“Doesn’t go on…NIGHT, I think I love you, but are you telling me that you don’t use maple syrup on crepes???” Her tone was filled with skepticism, and she gave the girl a side eye as she continued talking. “Please tell me you at least use a berry sauce, or something? You’re not just eating them…dry?”

She accented the last word, putting emphasis on it in order to denote the oddness she would’ve expect from such actions. But all the while she was holding back a grin, trying to force her face to remain straight and serious. Something she was sure the twitches in her cheeks were giving away.

“Funny, but the bathrooms aren’t the reason I'm considering moving. I bought the estate up on twenty seven because of the shop, I wanted to be close to work. Old habits, I guess.” She’d resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at NIGHT in response to the joke, deciding that it called for a more serious answer. Especially seeing as she’d understood the connotations with the question itself. “Lately though, I've noticed that Yuki seems almost…homesick, as if she misses her native floor. I was thinking of maybe moving the estate – well, selling and buying new, I guess – down to floor four. In the hopes that she would be more at home there…”

She glanced across the street, noticing for the first time a small shop with a sign out front, an image of an ice cream cone painted on the sign. A quick tug at NIGHT’s hand, before she nodded to the shop. “Look, I know I’m blinded by love. But what’s your excuse?”

Spoiler

Word Count: 276

 

[NIGHT 0]

whatever it was that she'd said, at least it got nari to brighten up after realization. though, with a turn of her head towards the shop, what images that could be displayed upon signs were hardly indicative of a dry dessert. whipped and ice cream, added fruits; certainly, there were drizzles in one selection or another, but night hadn't thought too hard beyond first notice, especially reviewing them in person, a once-in-aincrad opportunity.

a half grin. night disliked being wrong, but she could see the humor tugging at the corners of her other. not to mention, at every confession, she blushed. "maybe if i'd had them before, i'd let you know."

she was more than satisfied to be proven incorrect with the estate. at the seams, the player visibly deflated, fingers finding the capacity to toy with nari's own in a twine. "same for me, then," she mentioned, in a pause. and the thought of moving for her familiar -- night was only lucky she found her kitten so close to home territory, that all three elements worked out for her in the end. as much as she liked nyanko, the cat catered to her less than she to him.

"i'm assuming she's happier in the moments you took her down to curb that homesickness." and that also meant equal reason to jacket up whenever she might decide to visit. a measure she was willing to take. the woman beamed. "yuki's lucky you take care of her so well."

and at nari's direction, head raised towards the missed sign, she was out of reasons to give. the crepes had taken it all. her index traced a lock around her ear, phantom as the motion was -- "i--it's not my fault i got busy thinking about your question." between the two, night knew she had the better eye with that search skill. her head was tossed to one side, pretending not to see the shop despite the dragging. "obviously it isn't that i was trying to reason why you weren't too much or anything. just putting it out there."

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

“Mmmhmmm, that sounds like an excuse to hide the fact that I spotted something before you did.” Her eyes had wandered across the shopfront’s exterior window, confirming that the place was indeed a destination that would fulfill some of their desires. She took her time, letting her gaze cross the few displays within the window, not really taking any of it in as she considered NIGHT’s words.

“Maybe…maybe I will move. I mean it’s not like it’s super hard, right? And if it makes Yuki more comfortable…well, I think that might be worth it. Right?” She reached up and nuzzled the fox’s muzzle, eliciting a soft chirp of content from the winter fox wrapped around her. “Besides, I don’t call myself the winter fox for nothing…the winter settings is lovely.”

Deciding that window shopping was over, she pulled NIGHT into the ice cream shop, heading over the counter and placing an order for a bowl of vanilla for herself, with a side of caramel, before glancing towards NIGHT. “And this beauty will have…?” She left the question open, waiting for NIGHT to place her order. Her eyes hovered over the other for a moment, biting her lip in thought.

Spoiler

Word Count: 199

 

[NIGHT 0]

night grumbled, leaning backwards in her gait. when they'd stopped to examine the display, the player gingerly allowed her gaze to wander. a closeness with yuki that seemed downright enviable. and for that brief moment, she realized how much snow had meant to her in aincrad, through the years. seen in different players. perhaps nari was no different, in this aspect.

and night leaned in, curiosity dancing in her tone. "you call yourself the winter fox?" titles fit players as they saw best, she supposed. all the same, she did wonder where they were obtained from, or if it was similar to a handle where it was made on one's own. "well, it is quiet on the fourth. out of everyone's way though. why'd you go with...?"

pulled into the shop. two orders of vanilla -- hers was with a crumbling of biscoff. and night took both to the few counter seats at the window, gesturing a stool to nari. "trade you."

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

She was caught off guard by the question, and for a moment she simply stared at NIGHT. When she did eventually speak, her tone was one of hesitation, of reservation. “I…well, it’s not an official title. But…well, the forge, the estate…it just kind of made sense to also take the moniker for myself. Plus…”

She waved a hand at Yuki, as if making a silent statement. She wasn’t sure what else to say in regards to it. There was nothing in her menus that would provide her with the title, nothing that would show that she had earned it in any way. Having spoken it aloud, she wondered just how silly it sounded, giving oneself a title like it even mattered.

“Why’d I go with…Ronbaru? I…wanted to have a shop on the frontlines, to find a way to get myself in with the frontliners – and that seemed the best way…and then, it just kind of made sense to buy a house in the same area…” Her words were distant as she thought about the title, barely registering what she was saying even as she answered NIGHT’s open question.

She was brought from her thoughts as a bowl made its appearance before her, and the words offering a trade broke into her mind. “Mmm…okay. Just this once I guess.” A half-hearted wink as she slid her bowl slightly towards NIGHT, letting the girl take as much as she desired, still somewhat lost in consideration of her selfishness.

Spoiler

Word Count: 246

 

[NIGHT 0]

night hummed, eyes drifting upon the dotted lights of the shops across the street. she was certain she could peer into some clothing shops from where they were idling, and as she studied them, listening still, her hand moved to scoop nari's serving to one side of her spoon. the caramel was soft on the roof of her mouth as she took it in.

"and how's that feel, knowing you got in with frontrunners on the first?" the grin she shot her companion's way was bordering on mischief, as she pushed her own order over. the tip of her spoon caught a crumb as it left her immediate reach. simmering on the cold, the woman only contemplated on the self-issued title even more. night studied the fox with narrowed eyes.

needed ear headbands, perhaps. and most of the garb nari wore were reminiscent of the dark rather than of falling snow. she decided there and then her figure would look good in white, the thought of hearing a kon from the woman drifting into mind. "if you think it fits to be tamed, winter fox," night smiled, leaning forward, "then sure. let's see the title deserved."

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

She felt her self flush lightly at the reminder of the first floor, and meeting NIGHT and Koga for the first time. Things had been, well, less than perfect or ideal. In fact, Nari had felt the entire incident had been nothing short of an entire disaster, something that she wished to both put behind her, and remember forever. She had been nothing short of a bumbling fool.

“It was…both the absolute worst thing ever, that became the greatest thing I could ever hope for.” She mumbled the words, her face still flushed in colour as she answered the question. She felt it wasn’t enough, that it left out how she truly felt, and almost unconsciously she let her right hand slide across the table and grasp onto NIGHT’s. Leaning in, she put her left on the girl’s chin, pulling her attention towards Nari as she brushed her lips across NIGHT’s.

NIGHT’s follow up commentary, however, had Nari turning a bright red. “Tamed? What do you mean, tamed? Like a collar and leash? Cause…I haven’t worn one of those yet…”

Spoiler

Word Count: 180

 

[NIGHT 0]

'makes you think twice about the effort you'd spent on joining the front, huh?' was what night had expected to follow up with after hearing the woman's honest opinion. instead, the brightness on her face only fell away to a genuine, calm surprise hearing that response. and all the lights in the city could've reached their maximum luminosity in that singular moment, but wouldn't rival how stunned the woman felt being pulled into that gentle kiss.

even if it hadn't lasted long, night still found herself toying with her fringe, pulling away. busied, paired with a soft exhale; she wondered if the taste of caramel had remained on nari's lips.

she wasn't hazy enough to want to try again.

“Tamed? What do you mean, tamed? Like a collar and leash? Cause…I haven’t worn one of those yet…”

and if she shut her eyes, mouth still partially agape, surely it was in trying to process what the other had said. sorry? a collar and--

(-- well, night did wear chokers. does that count...? --)

"-- n-no," the player replied, hand covering her mouth. still tasting ice cream on her tongue. she took another spoonful from nari's serving and held it flat, trying to wait for the implications to wash over her. night wanted to reach out and run her thumb across the woman's neck, skirting behind the base of her ear as though to scratch that 'good girl', and yet she stayed frozen, silent as she could be.

wandering eyes searched the backdrop for something substantial to say. wavering, misty.

"-- as in, we'll make that title work for you. if you'll let me."

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

“I’m curious how you’re going to make it work for me.” Letting her spoon hang from her finger tips, her head on the back of her hand as she smiled at NIGHT. She liked the girl this flustered, it definitely added an amount of adorable to the already…well, adorable.

She licked her spoon, the ice cream having begun to melt off it, while she stared at the other. Her mind focused on the twitch of the muscles as the other spoke, the way the jaw shifted, the eyes seemed to bounce around – never resting on one single place too long.

She realised that she hadn’t been listening, her mind completely unfocused – her attention, both elsewhere and right there. “I’m…I’m sorry, what did you say? I was…distracted. By you. I was distracted by you. I wasn’t listening because I was admiring you, I’m sorry.”

The words came out in an almost embarrassed manner, and although she had no regrets about speaking them, she felt herself duck inwards slightly. The spoon forgotten, she let her eyes fall to the table – still able to view NIGHT from the corner of them, but showing her sheepishness at the situation. ‘That’s right, play cute. She’ll love it.’

Spoiler

Word Count: 202

 

[NIGHT 0]

"as in--"

night knew she was getting distracted. even more so from the way she felt nari's eyes on her, relaxed and grinning. and the effect of that on her -- the player was slowly loosing her cool.

another sample of ice cream, now with biscoff, didn't help.

"... your equipment... and such," night explained, waving her spoon up and down as she spoke. "we can get you geared to fit that moniker. if you really like the theme, that's the least i can help you with. aside from levelling, i mean. --i mean, i guess i can help you with that, too, so..."

her voice trailed off, eyes towards the bowl of ice cream from the other player. it was slowly starting to melt. minute efforts to scoop for more only beckoned nari to respond in kind.

and night took it to offense with a scowl.

then she had to hold her fie in. stew in it, red in the face, trying not to show that those words had any influence over her. no, definitely not, and yet it was with teeth she bit down on the cold dessert and soup.

"I wasn’t listening because I was admiring you, I’m sorry.”

annoying. nari was so rude. and in looking away, she took to setting her own utensil into the bowl, leaning on the counter with an arm for support. her other only pet her companion on the head. did it matter to night what she'd offered got passed over? perhaps. but not in the moment. warmth only emphasized by distant lights, she silently watched her partner, trying to curb that immediate anger.

it sizzled in an instant.

"... no. it's fine. doesn't matter."

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

“I care…” The words were whispered as her chin tucked into her chest, a feeling of despair coming over her as she realised how disregarding she had come across. She hadn’t meant to, and the fact that NIGHT had taken it as such caused her more upset than she had expected. “I was just lost in thought…I'm sorry.”

Silently, she cursed herself for being so aloof, even if just for a moment. Staring at the ice cream, her appetite for it entirely gone, she gave the bowl a light push towards NIGHT, before rest her head in her arms. Eyes staring up at NIGHT from the table, she watched as the other continued to finish their dessert, the careful, controlled movements speaking about her character.

“So…what are your thoughts on making my title come true, then? What would you do…to make it a reality? If it were you, that is…” She kept her eyes focused on NIGHT, clamping down on the thoughts in her head and forcing her ears to await the words she was hoping would come. She was interested in hearing the girl’s thoughts – if only to hear her speak more – and hoped that she appeared as such.

Spoiler

Word Count: 200

 

[NIGHT 0]

hands that went from the top of her head to her skin. night traced over nari's cheek with the side of her index as the woman slumped over, before collecting a lock of hair in her palm. her thumb smoothed over a spot gently, the player resting her cheek on her elbow at the movements.

small appetite, she'd noticed. night took no second glances at the dessert in her pause to think. when she had her answer, the toying hand went towards her partner's shoulder. it stayed, unmoving. "i mean, i wouldn't have picked an element or an animal, for one. but there are a few armor pieces that hold enhancements corresponding to some of them." and she hadn't looked into most of the heavy armor pieces specifically, or had forgotten the last time she'd checked, but she knew yuki had been one of the champions of those sorts of equipment.

her grip fell away, body turning, going back to the ice cream. "that, and a weapon that fit. though, even if i were to consider tanking, i'd think about damage, too, to get myself through moments alone. just something i'd do, though."

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

The hand had felt…heavenly. Nari had closed her eyes at the touch, allowing the sensation to run through her. The bliss of the touch had her almost euphoric, and she felt the trembling in herself at its touch – desiring more, but not willing to beg for it.

“Enhancements…mmm…yeah…I’ve got…got some of those…” The words were hard to get out as the sensation of the touch still ran through her. Her eyes still closed, she could feel the hand on hour shoulder, comforting yet firm. “Have a few…still to get…eventually…plans.”

The hand fell away, and a groan of disappointed escaped from Nari. The final comments were almost missed, almost. “Hey…what’s wrong with my weapon? Sionnäch Ghímhrídh has served me well. Well, excluding maybe today…but normally it serves me well…”

Her head lifted a few centimetres before collapsing again, and from her resting position she gave out another groan before speaking again. “I would show you, but this place is awfully comfy…and I don’t want to get up just yet…”

Spoiler

Word Count: 168

 

[NIGHT 0]

if anything, it sounded like the woman was incredibly exhausted by now. they were out for an entire day after all, and night couldn't help not to blame her. through those stuttered sentences, night couldn't help but smile hearing those words broken up. she caught little of its contents, the message too disjoined for registry, but it was cute all the same.

"nothing's wrong with your weapon," night said briefly. "but if the rest of your build's on the defensive side of things, combat can get slow at times." it made her completely aware of her own fragility, not having much armor to speak of, but thought more to her quick footsteps. as long as she couldn't get caught.

the rest of the ice cream devoured from her own bowl, night turned to nari with a raised brow. an amused hum, before she rose. "wanna head back, then? it's comfier at home. and if you don't want to move, i'll carry you."

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

“How do you…plan to carry me?” She giggled, already feeling half asleep as she considered the thought of NIGHT carrying her home. She knew the girl was bigger than her, physically, but the entire concept was so foreign to Nari that she couldn’t imagine it without finding herself lost in a fit of giggles.

She fell silent as she considered the opinion NIGHT had provided about her build. It was true, her heavily defensive build did put her at a disadvantage when dealing damage, which in turn did make the fights last longer, when it was just her. But that was what she had wanted, to be the one who was the target – taking the hits, and returning the damage in kind in retaliation. It had never been her purpose to strike heavily, to run the lines as a true assaulter.

“Maybe…it does take longer. But that just means…I’m a perfect balance for you.” She was so close to falling asleep. She knew she shouldn’t, not in the middle of the shop. But she was just so tired, so ready to just give in and let fate handle her way home. She had just considered raising her head when the darkness took over her, and the dreams began.

Spoiler

Word Count: 208

 

[NIGHT 0]

what kind of question was that?

night hadn't put much thought into the arrangement -- at best, she'd figured, hauling the other upon her back would at least seem to not be out of place in the city. but the more she watched nari starting to doze off, the more that was likely not the best option for the scenario.

night said nothing, opting to shift around her companion instead, setting aside the bowls of cream soup with a back-handed push. as she did, she swore the woman might've been starting to slip from her seat; all she could do was press her front close to nari, the latter woozy. and between the stuttered words, night let out a breath as she placed a hand on that sloped back.

"really, you..."

and she bent down, sliding her arm under the knees. a shift of the upper body and a scoop -- it was much easier to do this while freefalling, night realized, though didn't find complaint in carrying the woman aloft, in that tight grip. closed eyes -- so that must've been what she herself had looked like when so desperately trying not to budge from her companion's hold. if anything, night was trying her best to recall the way back to the other's estate.

no heroics here. the only way the woman was strolling out of the shop was with her back turned towards the door and careful maneuvers. with each step, she was trying not to jostle her package, an eye to the busy roads of taft, knowing she could get by staying on the side lines. so much noise -- and she'd hoped their surroundings would be quieter, though it faded away as such once they'd gotten to the teleporter, ronbaru coming into view.

maybe the floors nari was picking out weren't so bad, after all. then again, night never felt comfortable not being in reach of everyone else.

a short shuffle. night actually wondered if she'd bump into onora on the way back. part of her hoped so, if only to allow herself getting back into the estate a tad easier; though the likelihood of occurrence seemed low. so there, at the estate's front step was where she found herself stuck at. fumbling fingers reached out to knock against the wooden door, hoping it was loud enough -- failing that, a door bell? something had to work out after the walk over.

night contemplated taking nari home. but she wouldn't risk it, the player decided. she could afford an inn room if needed be.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari had fallen entirely asleep. She had awoken only twice on the walk home; once when they had first entered the busy streets of Taft, the noise of it jostling her back to the conscious world for only a brief moment. The second time, when a loud knocking had disturbed her.

She had remained conscious enough to hear Onóra’s greeting, and then ushering. She was lucid enough to understand that NIGHT had managed to bring her home, and that Onóra had been available to provide entry. ‘Should…give NIGHT a key…’ The thought floated through her mind, a brief follow up wondering if she would remember to do so come the morning.

She felt herself swaying slightly, as she was carried up the stairs before being placed in a familiar, comfortable bed. A brief break in contact had her reaching out, grasping on to what she assumed was NIGHT, before mumbled words were slipping out her lips. “Don’t go…NIGHT…sleep here…again…”

Spoiler

Word Count: 159

 

[NIGHT 0]

she couldn't remember what was said, exchanged under hushed voices, the woman trying to justify her late appearance and the presence of the estate owner unconscious in her hands. one quip exchanged for another, though both night and onora knew for the better to keep conversation to a minimum. and up the steps, to the room she was certain to remember was nari's. the moment she spotted the bathroom door from the entrance, all doubt left her mind.

night sighed, gently nudging the door to match its frame before pressing against it with her back. it shut behind her with a sturdy click, just a little too loud for her liking. a stride over, and laying nari on the bed, she realized the other player had been stirred awake from that sudden grip upon the corner of her shirt. here she'd been, so ready to head downstairs with an apology, too.

her hand clasped around those gentle, weak fingers. with one light push, she leaned them back towards the sleepy woman herself. and with a kiss to her forehead, night found herself unable to want to leave. "i'm not going anywhere. go on, rest."

half of her had expected the woman to have rolled over on her side in slumber, enough to be comfortable so that night could've pulled the blankets over her, tucking the player in. so she did that, first, even if nari hadn't budged. from the other side of the bed, night made her way under the covers, scooting close despite her mind elsewhere. something about trying to get used to this. something about feeling okay being asked for company. a vague and tender feeling of forever.

there was little space between her chest upon nari's back. and night kissed at that nape, pulling the other player close with an arm rested upon tummy, a short hum in her throat. it was warm, in that closeness. stifling, she remembered. the fear slid back up her frame's way, though night's own eyes seemed to be deciding to shut.

a monster she could wait until tomorrow to fight.

in that faded hour, her idle hand only wound up locking with nari's instead.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

A shift as the bed compressed slightly, signifying someone had joined. A small collection of breaths, before she felt the touch of the other, somehow able to tell by the very touch of the fingers, the heat on her back that it was NIGHT.

“Good…girl…don’t you be…going anywhere…” She nuzzled herself backwards, forming in against the other, trying to press herself as tightly as she could. Her mind flashed an image of a cold winter’s day, a fire lit and the two resting nearby.

She wasn’t sure if their future would hold that, but as she drifted off to sleep, she found herself coming to a final decision. Her mind slowly giving way to the comfort of sleep, the thought passed through, almost as if a whisper on her mind. ‘That settles it. I'm moving to floor four…and maybe, just maybe…'  The words in her mind drifted off as sleep finally won, the comfort of the other overcoming her ability to resist. A final, small exhale was the only sound given, before the soft breath of sleep took over.

 

[NIGHT 0]

she'd thought, in her dreams, she'd said the words, "i won't." she'd thought, in that space between realms, with her surroundings slightly amiss, there was a reason that they'd come out to those emerald fields, hands held slightly amiss. given the environment, she was certain they were on floor one.

she was certain she remembered it being the end of the world.

and ren considered the skies, a luminant blue, with wisp-edged clouds and the markings of a tower in the distance. scattered outlines of trees obscured the rest of the hills from view and she thought she thought the heavens would turn black at any moment, lights knocked out, fading the realm from hue.

she wasn't sure what exactly told her it would happen. but she knew what was to come.

ren would take those hands into her own, to glue her sights to the ground -- they looked different, this time. or at least it felt that way, when the world was hazy for a bit. and their fingers locked, instead, and there was an itch at the center of her palm she couldn't figure why, and the scent of something familiar but just about foreign at the same time.

why did it feel so... warm?

it was a sunny day. and everything felt so out of place. but it was a comforting sort of mismatch; disjointed, but whole. simple, and muddied, but clean. and she'd open her mouth to ask, she thought, but couldn't motion the action to do so.

tell me, ren thought she'd asked. tell me...

and she'd forgotten what to ask for. that something important. like a loose end to fate.

but as faint as she was in her thought, the response came back sound. faint, but audible. so quiet she'd wanted to lean in and hear it again and again.

so when she lifted her head, almost stumbling over her footwork, it came to great surprise that she could remember one thing in that evanesce. a whisper that would come to pass upon hearing that sweet chuckle.

"nari."

she drew close. she let herself lean in.

and ren let herself dream that sweet little dream, until the sun dawned on another floor else, and she'd inevitably stir to know she was still, still slumbering, still placated, still in that pleasant little dream.