#placemaent | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

textsacc · 4 years ago

Text

prompt: lonely christmas | je te veux

it is december 24th in aincrad.

her puppy had been ecstatic the moment she walked through her home's entrance. as the door slammed shut behind the player, she barely had a moment to announce her return before getting ambushed by a streak of white and gold. two hands shoved against the owner, pressing her back against heavy oak; night winced at the assault, cracking open her lids in a hiss. when her vision came to, she was only to be greeted by an overzealous smile and glittering sky-blue eyes.

“you’re back!"

and she groaned. “what the hell was that?”

with day positioning herself in way of her captive, there was no obvious escape visible to the player. where night was standing, at least she had some good news about her doppel's sudden approach; no signs of deviation from the backdrop of her home were visible behind the entity. that meant no sign of trouble while she had been away. it was with a shuffle that the gemini better steadied herself from her rush earlier, an arm pulled away to dismantle her makeshift prison -- if only to point upwards.

gamers always failed to look above them in their first examination of a scene. and it bothered the woman no less that she too was asked to turn her sights to the ceiling.

... there were a bundle of leaves right above where the duo was standing.

“well? c’mon!“

it was with the long, arduous pause that day’s excitement started to blink out of existence. only empty confusion was directed the system’s way the moment night’s gaze was set on the entity, brows furrowed to match a growing frown.

“what.”

“a-aren’t you familiar with them? it’s mistletoe, you know--”

at the mention of the seasonal tradition, the woman’s vigor finally returned, scowl in full force as she stepped away from day’s lock. “i know what mistletoe is,” night reassured her companion, though the warmth on her face perhaps told a different story altogether. “what exactly is it doing in our household?”

the souring look from the gemini was quick to recover at the coupling word, and she grinned, trailing behind the player as night made her way towards the kitchen. “oh, y’know, ‘tis the season and all!”

they stopped in front of the fridge, the leader pulling up a system menu to store away her groceries. with two hands locked behind her back, day continued, gently swaying upon the balls of her feet. “i noticed you hadn’t been putting up festivities that should’ve been normal for celebration at this time of year. so--”

“--we don’t need that.”

the deeper voice that retaliated in defiance was mired over with traces of spite. her volume had stunned the blonde, though day was quick to recover from shock after her movements took a momentary pause. “i don’t exactly celebrate christmas here. you can save your efforts for something else and leave me alone.”

“ab-so-lu-tely-not~!"

the catch in the player’s breath was matched with a closing jab just as night completed her organizational chore. a quick spin about her heel, and she leaned back against the fridge, arms folded and bitter; the representation of coal itself.

“what are you talking about? what the heck is your deal?”

a knowing smile. but nothing else about day seemed to give away details about the mirror’s secret motivation for a sudden irritation this day. as she stepped closer, so too did night shy away, despite her astute posture seconds prior. that warm giggle, that mischievous beam; the medley to set the woman on edge, as nervous a wreck as she should have been had she understood the proposition that awaited her at her doorstep.

it came out of her gemini as a purr. “why not wait in the living room and find out?”

when day had halted, night was all but pressed against the fridge’s door in a tight, wry mess. her sights were thrown away to the side, nerves scattered from meeting her other’s own gaze. the player was barely able to irk out a hint of a response, lips joined together in a thin, trembling line. and though night was first to admit she was indeed curious at the outcome, on principle, anger and pride alone she was all but agreeable to follow through in her situation. in a moment, she drew her breath and steeled a glare, managing to stare at her doppel straight on, fingers bunched tight in fists.

night tasted fie in her mouth.

“absolutely not.”

her words felt as thick and heavy as her executioner’s poison. what remnants of light trapped in day’s pupils fell away as the player slipped out of reach from her mirror. the entity watched her duple head down the same route she was to direct them towards, a wave of error washing over her form knowing that night wasn't about to match her destination of choice. through the gemini’s parted lips, an exhale seeped through, her cheeks loosening the smile she’d carried all the while. had she truly done so poorly to appeal to her other half? said something wrong or frustrating in the moment?

dealing with players was tough.

though day had been as forthcoming as she could’ve been without ruining the surprise, maybe it was when the conversation had started to get touchy that she should’ve held back on her timing for the news. a simple mistake in her calculations, but one she wasn’t certain how to recover from. as she heard the woman pace up the steps to her room, day resolved to seek out a better hour, in which she could attempt extending the invitation to her other once again.

so she waited. and night stewed on the offer, that confrontation for a little longer in her lonesome, the woman pouring over her network in the comforts of her own bed. there were few messages scattered about her interface, all wishes for the holidays -- yes yes, she knew -- but there were a few names on her list that she was waiting a reply from, despite knowing of their absences from her life.

nothing emerged, however. and night wondered if she should nudge her friends for a quick get-together of the season, seeing as how they’d been out of touch for a few years by now. but she wasn’t one to go bothering other players on her own time, was she? wouldn’t it feel awkward, popping back into someone else’s life, to say hi out of nowhere, after an uneventful age-long silence?

the player sucked in a breath at that conclusion, turning onto her side in her comfort spot. there were a great many other things that could require her attention right now, she knew, such as preparations for the boss fight, or tending to one of bistro’s many personal errands for information. but on such a festive occassion, in that singular moment, she would award some time of relief to herself, to drift off and fall asleep in the middle of an early afternoon.

- - - - -

it was in the evening when she finally stirred.

dinner time -- though the meal was hardly necessary in a virtual setting. with cardinal imposing otherwise, however, it lead to night creating her schedules around one meal plan or another, and the eve happened to be most convenient these days. with a yawn, the player slipped out from her sheets, lumbering over to her bathroom to wake herself up before heading downstairs for the kitchen.

the lights were still on, she noticed, as she drew close. her gemini was seated at the table, interface open on a conversation log. and though night wasn't one to pry into her dopple's matters, she couldn't help but grow curious at the way her other had waved it shut in a hurry, alarmed by the unexpected entrance of the player. "oh, you're awake."

night raised a brow.

"so are you," she returned, eying her other as she strolled towards the fridge. the menu she called for took her attention off her double's matters; with a multitude of options displayed in her periphery, it took the player some effort to speed past most of them in earnest, settling on a few bento options courtesy of her bulwark chef friend. a push of her selection, and a lunchbox materialized from hard light, dropping gently onto the countertop by night's side.

a glance towards her entity that confirmed the other's involvement for their mealtime. the nod from day added another box atop the dinner stack.

with two hands, night scooped up the prepped meals, unpackaging and setting them by the stove's side. two more items then graced the scene; stone bowls, set atop tiny flames once the cook had sparked cardinal to life. the heat of the tableware was intended to warm up their servings cold; night transferred what collection of rice and roe into each basin, surface crackling with joy at their newfound hold. two chopsticks were all the player needed for the task -- once she was done, she wiped the now empty cartons from view with a few gestures on her interface.

"hey."

it was with day's voice breaking their silence that night gave her dopple a glance. the blonde seemed indifferent, a clear distinction from her demeanor in the afternoon.

the brief thought of her earlier denial brought a sour taste to the player's mouth.

"yeah?"

"after dinner, there's something i want to show you. would you wait in the living room for me?"

night returned to her popping feasts, movements riddled with restlessness. she hung onto the quiet for a moment, sitting comfortable with the fact she was being asked once again for attention, before heaving with a sigh. "it's that thing from earlier, isn't it?"

day's hum was all the confirmation she needed, a sulk gracing the player's lips just as the points of her utensils flipped over salmon.

"fine. as long as it's nothing festive. can i at least get your assurance on that?"

"you have my word~"

the look thrown towards her entity was out of caution for the gemini's delight. but all the woman was greeted with was a sweet smile in mischief's stead. had there not been a pressing hearth ahead of her, she would've let herself be captivated for a minute longer.

instead, her focus returned to the kitchenware, a mitt forming in her non-dominant hand with a weave of gentle light. the last few pieces of seafood were quickly mixed together with fresh seasoning, and night set the bowls upon placemats before hauling the dishes over. packed atop sticky rice, a layer of caviar and salmon awaited their devourers, mixed with shreds of seaweed and sesame seeds. the mentaiko sauce that came along with the boxes had been saved during the reheating process, and night drizzled a healthy amount onto both their servings, before the rubber tube fell apart into ashes in her hands.

sticks and spoons. a clap from the cheery half of the room came with a bright smile right before she dug into her food. night couldn't tell if it was the acknowledgement of what was to come after dinner that brought this much enthusiasm to her other... but watching the blonde restored to high spirits helped ease the player's worries about earlier events in the day. she too began her feast, and their dinner occured in relative quiet (as most their bread breakings had been), with only a couple of compliments to the chef traded between each other if only to fill up air time.

it was night who'd finished her serving first; an uncharacteristic feat of the pair, the two having just about the same speeds of eating (even discounting the player's choosier palate). an eye to her dopple's bowl told her that day was only half done with her own meal. the woman shot her mirror a look before she drew out of her seat, crock in hand, depositing it in the sink where it was to belong to before the wash.

"ah! i'll get it when i'm done," day announced to her reflection, right as the tap was turned on. night returned a nod, drying off her palms by a towel, stepping away from the kitchen entirely with a couple of quick strides.

"i'll leave you to it then," she'd told her better in passing.

a mouthful of rice meant a muffled response in return, the gemini's head following the movements of her player. "yes ma'am!"

(somehow, even now, the player couldn't keep her eyes off her other.)

past the divider of their mess hall was their living room, built around a central discussion pit often left under utilized. a comfortable puff from the cushions right as night fell onto the sofa, the shadow cozying herself in to play the waiting game. what was she to do in the mean time? though she'd given her word to the other, she was hoping that her double wouldn't take long. the blonde still had her own meal to polish up on, after all. and she couldn't forget about the washing afterwards...

another sift through her messages, then. nothing new, except for more official reports of absences from some of her friends during the weekend. it only made sense; most players would be reasonably busy during a celebratory period such as this. communications being turned off for some was in great respect to the companions in their midst, alongside stashing away what responsibilities they had pending to be left and dealt with only during the new year. it seemed that bistro had taken the days off too, night noted, having kept track of the woman's status since the morning, thought it was completely out of coincidence that she even remembered to look. a huff as she rifled through the remaining presences online. there were only but a number she could count on her fingers left available.

she still wasn't going to bother them any.

the player soon shifted positions, laying herself down on the couch. it wasn't before long that day came racing over to her side with a stool, placed down by the woman's feet. that act alone caught her offguard; night sat upwards, facing her companion in great confusion.

"alright!"

"--what exactly is this for?"

the soles of the player met marbled flooring at the same time day's knees did, denim fabric sliding across smooth ground. with a raise of her head, the gemini looked towards her opposite, carrying a grin. "are you ready? close your eyes for me now~"

the shadow showed her skepticism with a raised brow. "this isn't another trick," night queried with a prick of hesitance as she put her knees together. "is it?"

"nothing up my sleeves," the starlight replied, pulling up the cloak by her arms as a show of example. "so go on! keep them shut tight, okay?"

(the smallest sight of day's underarm beneath her signature white garb was enough to propel the human into a veritable fluster. so she turned away.)

"... okay--"

"--you promise?"

"okay, okay!"

the child-like enthusiasm was but a wonder to the adult in the room as she darkened her vision for her audience. even though night had imagined her reply to have been quick, to cure the racy images from the forefront of her mind, her secondary was much more pushy about the issue than the player had expected. her palms met her cheeks, sigh imminent to express her irritance. fingertips knitted together in formal row worked to keep her vision completely obscured from the world.

night hoped that she would be in good hands.

her surroundings were all but quiet for a few seconds, then the twinkling of an item brought out from hammer space could be picked up by the woman's ears alone. a click of metal followed -- that noise was once familiar to her, yet she couldn't place a definition to what it was and why. it must’ve been returned to storage, with another shimmering cluster, before new items were brought out to existence, settling on the frame of the discussion pit's table.

so... what exactly was day building in front of her? and how was it intended to work out if everything only saw assembly right when her presence was needed? was it ever required in the first place? she wouldn’t put it past her double to have wanted to kill her time out of selfishness. night's lips were kept pressed in a worry for her double more so than the surprise that awaited her, had she the gall to peek from her darkness. but no, she had given her word earlier.

though, if she'd been betting, all her col would've gone to predicting a cardinal-made disaster in that very moment.

"you can open your eyes now!"

well, at least now she would get to judge the sight for herself.

--blurry vision. what caught her eyes first was a licking glow and the tremble of flame, sitting atop a spiraling stick, vertical, carved with red and white. some sort of candy? no -- a candle. then, what it was sitting on...

"surprise!"

... was a cake, decorated in white frosting and cream, with bridges and waves of snowy chocolate running across its winter form. strawberries stood at attention around the edges of its surface, almost reminiscent of a signature menu item from one bakery she'd frequented in the real world. at its base was a tiny inscription, etched in powdered cocoa, solely dedicated to wishing her another belated year in aincrad.

"happy birthday, ren! do you like it?"

--her cheeks were burning up.

"i couldn't possibly forget, so i got you something to celebrate! and it's not christmas related, so... you can rest easy...!"

there was a moment of silence, just as night's pupils started to glisten. the images of life were cloudy, warmth and wetness starting to form at the corners of her eyes. she raised a finger just to wipe away the tears, but it still wasn't enough to have stopped several droplets from escaping her reach, falling upon the skin of her knees.

"... ren? are-- are you okay?"

night's affirmative murmur was joined with an open palm ordering for day to wait. the back of her other hand cleansed away at her eyes. a wry smile, barely pained, finally rose to meet day's own concerned look.

"yeah."

her voice was low, eking with a tinge of embarrassment. even now, a thumb still brushed over her lashes to ensure the waterworks had been stopped, the woman attempting to stitch her composure back at their seams. "thank you very much, day. i-- i really appreciate it."

the glow that came her way from her double was but sugar to soothe the grief caught in ren's heart. as much as the woman was liken to ruminate upon that grin, the tears were making it awfully difficult to capture the gift from cardinal itself.

"i'm glad...! i was a little worried about showing it off earlier..."

a few more seconds passed, the gemini’s sights resting upon the dessert in peace, before she jolted upwards, alert. "ah, wait--! i'm supposed to sing you a song to go along with this, aren't i?"

"--you really don't have to do that,” night replied, at a brief unease.

"but it's part of tradition," day responded. her sights reflected the flame upon the delicacy, sapphire eyes wavering with a mild intensity to their quarry. there was but a beat of hesitation, before the entity finally concluded.

"well, i want to do it."

night wasn’t going to object, caught up in her companion’s spark of conviction. as she watched her host close her eyes. the blonde took in a small breath, fist balled and resting upon her chest in respect before giving voice to a soothing melody.

"happy birthday to you,

happy birthday to you,

happy birthday my dear ren,

happy birthday to you~"

-- and all the while, the player locked away her heartfelt grin hidden behind knuckles pressed up against her lips. a lean forward, involuntary, purple gaze fixated upon her target as night sought to better admire her song bird in the act. it was with a flutter of lashes that the momentary performance ended, though the player couldn't help but continue to stare, even as day turned back to her with a smile.

it quickly morphed into a smirk.

"what," the blonde challenged, joy and smugness bleeding through her voice and her visage, "you like what you see?"

between slow blinks, the woman finally recovered from her stupor, before jolting upright in a recoil. a groan passed through her lips as her form began to shrivel up, night rubbing her cheeks with her palms, tucking away her obsession with the blonde. her counterpart returned a chuckle, watching the player hot and bothered once more. it was with a swear and the faintest trace of a denial from night that she regained part of her dignity, just barely enough to peek through the slits of her fingers, face still doused in embarassment and agony.

"hurry and cut the cake already."

“right, right~”

the table by day’s side was scattered with various party supplies. from it, the gemini withdrew a wooden knife, glancing back towards her player the moment its handle was brought into view. she could tell that night had slid backwards, right as she’d covered her eyes -- as the entity predicted earlier, bright smile dulling only faintly. the weapon was deft in the system’s knowledgable hands, and hence slicing was over quickly, the host not wanting to keep her shrinking violet waiting in the dark. two portions of the dessert were seperated and served on blue paper plates, the gemini withdrawing the frosting-ridden dagger to inventory before offering a cut of fortune to the player. “here you go.”

a shaky breath, just as night accepted it with a wooden fork. “t-thanks.”

she started to dig into the cake after watching her dopple take the first bite. the way the blonde had lit up at its taste, night was certain it wasn’t a treat to disappoint. soft, fluffy insides coated with icing just as light, peppered with pieces of strawberries trapped in cream that were tangy, crunchy and sweet. it almost rivalled the beams her other carried.

when the construct caught a glance of her other’s stare in between bites, she gave pause to her consumption. “well? how is it?”

“it’s good,” the player returned in between chews, observing the cake melting upon her tongue once it was pressed to the roof of her mouth. prongs sunk into the cake once more before night began to speak. “so you do meet other players after all.” the burst of flavours from their feast was evidence enough.

“i’d said it before,” the gemini retorted with shut eyes, stuffing another biteful into her mouth in a huff.

“where’d you get this one from?”

“on the second floor. there was a chef with a pop-up store there. i got lucky.”

now came the woman’s hum of dissatisfaction -- typical of the gemini to be the winner of chance. night resumed her demonstration of neutrality as she took in another bite. her lips chewed slightly on the fork, just as the cake disintergrated in her mouth. "maybe i should drop by sometime."

to her surprise, the entity appeared to sputter at the comment.

"i... wouldn't suggest it. there’re way better places than that one. uh-- this was made on special request, so..."

what a strange reaction. the player tilted her head, frowning at the outburst of anxiety. "why’d you even go there, then? the food couldn't have been that bad, could it...?"

“well...”

night continued to divide and conquer her serving as day struggled -- desperately -- for an answer. her idle hands mirrored night’s movements, chopping the dopple’s share into smaller sections. “a-aincrad’s got room for all types, right? including ones that don’t mesh well with the system -- or, at least, so i hear.”

the player’s brows furrowed at the explanation, savouring another bite of celebration.

“even if these players put in the work, all they might gain is experience points. but capturing the experience as a whole is a-- different-- ball game entirely...?”

silence hung between the two for much longer than either of them had desired. plus, despite the system’s best attempts, night didn’t seem fully convinced. the woman’s eyes shifted towards the ceiling, further mulling on the crumbling explanation, before continuing to devour her food -- it was at that action did day finally let go a held breath of relief. “well that’s unreasonably tragic.”

“y-yeah! yeah, it is.”

“so it’s kind of like... if i’d decided to make a cake as a chef without following a recipe. maybe, say, i popped some peeps into a chili pot and hoped something edible came out of it. ... or if i made a weapon without reading up on the game’s manual beforehand...”

the player continued to squint into blank space, grumbling as she attempted to wrap her head around the forlorn idea. with a turn of her head towards the gemini, she piped back up, lining up another portion to be eaten upon her fork. “hey, are any of my guesses right?”

a grin with an eager nod from the gemini. “sure!”

she didn’t have a heart to tell her other she was lying.

“... okay, i see...”

the two continued to eat in silence. presumably, the player was kept preoccupied with thought of flaws in cardinal’s design. as for the doppel, it only dawned on her once her dessert was completed that she’d completely forgotten about a crucial piece of information. the plate and fork were set aside on the floor, right as she brought out her interface. “oh, your presents--”

“you-- you got me presents too?”

that surprised night even more than the previous revelation. with one last gulp of fruit, she placed her empty dish upon the table as well.

"two of them, actually.”

the player’s eyes widened, as she scooted closer to the edge of the sofa.

“but when i tried to gift you one earlier..."

...earlier?

cue empty blinks from the player filled with endless confusion. it was only at the sparkling of lights that gave form to a familiar bundle that the woman finally understood, flinching backwards in recall. a grave chill was on its way down her back, just as day rose from her seat on ground, taking a few paces over towards the player’s location.

--could such a favour really count as a gift?

“w-wait--”

“hmm?” the gemini stopped in her tracks, standing by the armrest of night’s seat, mistletoe held loose in her hands.

now it was the player’s turn to scramble for a way out of her mess. quick thinking netted her a response, the woman clutching onto a brief glimmer of hope. “t-that’s only one of them, r-right? p-presents? what about the other-- can’t we take a look at that instead?”

with every sentence, night scooted away from her housemate, hoping the distance would be enough to hand her a head start on an escape should the situation turn south within the minute’s notice. day chuckled, waving away the plant, the item fading away in a show of light and particles.

the sight was enough for the woman to let her guard down for a second.

--it was a second too much.

the gemini’s advance continued in a crawl; as her knees first pressed into its soft surface, day pushed her player down onto soft cushions.

for ren, the world was spinning. shaky breaths, the maddening thunder of her heartbeat could be felt, trapped at the front of her throat. her gaze was focused towards the ceiling; she watched as her companion reached towards her hair to loosen her ponytail. a click, before a flush of gold locks flooded the player’s vision.

breathtaking. ren gulped, transfixed upon aphrodite. in that moment, she was all but helpless, left immobile as [ ] placed her lips close to ren’s ear. her words came in a siren’s whisper; each breath, each word sent shivers down her victim’s spine, and the player fought every sensation in her mortal form to keep her eyes open, to keep her hold back on reality.

why couldn’t she run? why didn’t she want to leave?

"the other gift is me, ren. happy birthday~”

if she gave in here, what would that make her into? was that truly the type of person she’d wanted to become?

her fingers gripped the side of the couch.

this wasn’t real.

--did it even matter?

it could never be real.

come to think of it, who would ever come to know?

#writing for a vrmmorpg

0 notes