oo1 ✦ let’s begin.

[richesse]

[ There’s a whisper through the murmur, more a breath of feeling than a fully formed thought. It’s sweet, and warm, and laughing—though it is not gentle, nor kind.

A voice follows the whisper, chased by darkness and shadows, the very suggestion of a nightmare. ]

Do you think we’re still dreaming? Or is this a living nightmare?

[ a hum, and another brush of teasing laughter, there and gone like a brief burst of memory, the last moment of summer that you can taste on your tongue before it’s irretrievably gone. ]

You’ve changed, haven’t you? We all have. What are you thinking, right now…? Who are you?

What are you?

Comments

[richesse]

[ her mouth hangs open in wordless shock. ]

I … why? I’ve given you no reason to.

[offseers]

Actually, you did.

You need someone. But you're not ready to trust people.

So. I'm here. I'll take that first step. I'll trust you.

[richesse]

[ she opens her mouth— ]

What’s in it for you?

[ brittle. untrusting. un…sure. ]

[offseers]

[ noah cocks his head, a small smile playing on his lips. ]

Hm, I guess . . . I hope someday you'll trust me too.

I think that's enough.

[richesse]

… trust has a price, and I try to avoid debts.

[ as hard as she tries to stonewall him—to keep him out—



there is the faintest, neediest tendril of soft, scared, hopeful feeling. ]

[offseers]

[ noah hums. ]

It's your choice. I'm not here to force it on you.

Just to offer it.

[richesse]

[ her racing thoughts get tangled in the murmur, flashes of what if and elris and ed

a sword to your throat from behind. it draws blood and you can’t afford to scream.

burning, bleeding, breaking betrayal.

Lortel breathes in, shaky. ]

… why? Why offer me this with only my trust in return as collateral? Why risk so much for a stranger? What if I simply took advantage of your foolish kindness?





[ please don’t leave me alone.

im scared. ]

[offseers]

[ betrayal. noah knows a touch of that, but not on her scale. he remains the way he is though. he has not budged. ]

Then that would be your choice.

Everything we do is always a risk. That does not mean it's not worth doing.

To me, this is worth it. You are worth it.

1/2

[richesse]

[ Lortel drops into a crouch, right where she is, both hands pressed to her face.

tears. tears like soft rain in the murmur.

you are worth it. ]

[richesse]

… I’m not used to owing favors.

[ yes. her answer is yes. yes, please, trust me.

take my side, just once. ]

I’d like to see you.

[offseers]

[ noah wouldn't call it a favor. even a risk. he means what he said. this is a choice he makes. he would always make this choice. ]

I'll come find you.

[ the connection threads itself through the eye of a needle. no matter how small, it seems to come through. it seems . . . despite it all, he hasn't lost himself so completely. the shadow of N seems far away. ]

[richesse]

[ rather than keep moving, Lortel finds refuge in a thoroughly destroyed little bodega. at least there’s nothing else in here with her. nothing but the wind and the endless, eerie quiet.

reaching for the murmur, she pulls aside its heavy curtains to show him what she sees—to give him a connection to where she is. ]

You’ll be alright? It’s dangerous out there.

[offseers]

I'll manage. I'm used to dodging all kinds of creatures.

[ it would be dangerous. noah knows how dangerous it can be. aionios was full of things that could kill you. but he was special forces for a reason. he knew which fights to pick and which ones to avoid. ]

Just hold on.

[richesse]

I’ll be fine. [ gently. not a boast; a reassurance. ] Stay safe.

[ it’s the nicest thing she’s said to him so far in their short acquaintance.

she keeps busy while she waits. most of the food that was in here is long gone, stolen or rotted, but she manages to find an intact can of … something or other that will hopefully prove edible. she digs behind the counter, in the storage areas, and eventually amasses a tiny but precious hoard: one can of (????), an empty bottle she’s filled with disgusting cooking grease (it may yet help start a fire), and a single package of plastic-wrapped crackers.

removing her hood, she turns it into a makeshift sling for her new-gotten gains.

then she sits, and she waits, curled up tightly into the long puffy winter coat she found. it’s a little warm, but the warmth is comforting. it feels … normal. ]

[offseers]

[ noah hasn't thought that far. he's a traveler by nature. whenever ouroboros made their way through aionios, they had bags of food. a few supplies. scattered rest stops along the way. but he'll have to think of something more permanent here. if they do truly stay here.

for now, he'll focus on lortel. this was more important. he arrives finally, pulling back the curtain carefully, not wanting to make sudden moves to startle her.

when noah finally spots her, he smiles, making his way towards her. and slowly, like the unfurling of a flower, noah simply extends his hand. outstretched. open. ready to be grasped. ]

[richesse]

[ Noah.

her breath catches when she sees him. when she sees the open, willing, too-trusting hand he extends to her. a visceral vivid memory floods her hard enough to crash into the murmur—of another boy, reaching for her hand, and making her feel…

…

on the verge of tears, Lortel carefully—painfully mindful of her claws—takes his hand, and lets him pull her to her feet.

she doesn’t let go. she holds onto his hand—for as long as he’ll let her. ]

… I have … a refuge. It isn’t much, but the place I woke up was … peaceful enough, and could probably be fortified a little if we tried. I could even get a fire going.

[ that she’s offering at all is remarkable.

and a quiet, undeniable sign of her burgeoning trust for him, in return. ]

[offseers]

[ noah's held hands with many people before. mwamba. eunie. lanz. and of course, the tremor in his heart, mio. I won't let you shoulder this alone, she said. he clasps her hand firmly, without any blanching of the claws or fear of being cut. and why would he? ]

I can help with that. I have experience with fortifications. And survival in the wild.

[ and once more, gently. ]

Do you want to talk about the changes or leave it there?

[richesse]

[ the look she gives him is soft, and sad, and oh so slightly adoring. grateful beyond words, she curls her fingers through his. her anchor. her lifeline. ]

I’ll lead you there. [ she glances askance at him and winks, pressing one finger to her lips. ] As long as you swear it will be our little secret.

[ his question produces a longer silence. long enough that they’ll be able to exit the store and get back out onto the street, where Lortel guides them where to go. if he cares to look, to notice—there is strain in her face. her jaw is clenched shut. ]

I don’t trust you yet, [ she whispers, smiling up at him with sweet sorrow. ] But soon, maybe. It’s …

[ …

his selflessness deserves a piece of her honesty, even the smallest she can afford. ]

In the life I’ve lead until now… vulnerability was—a weakness. One I couldn’t afford to ever be exploited.

[ the hand holding his trembles. ]

It’s … not natural for me, to ask for help.

[offseers]

I promise.

[ it's not a difficult thing to promise, after all. noah doesn't really need to think twice about it. and the amount of trust she's showing him is monumental. he knows that too.

at her reply, noah just nods. ]

It's fine. We don't have to talk about it. We can wait until you're ready.

[ this was also an easy choice. ]

[richesse]

You say such sweet things, [ she hums, wanting to lean against him. ] So easily, like it’s a given. How strange you are.

[ the penthouse, the penthouse. it’s ruined and damp, but it’s high, and there weren’t any … creatures within. she was able to build a fire. if they can fortify some of the doors, clean some of the debris, manage to dry out bedding…

it could be safe. for her, and the extremely limited number of people she’s allowing in.

she thinks of sunny, sweet sunny, and embarrassed warmth flashes through the murmur before she can stop it. she ducks her head, hoping he won’t ask. ]

I’ll remember that promise. [ a oath, a threat, a plea. ]

[offseers]

[ noah seems perplexed. ]

Am I really that strange?

[ he's just a normal guy. certain facts pending, of course. noah takes in the penthouse. everything here has degraded, but it feels lavish, long ago. so much space . . . he'll never get used to it.

the thought of sunny crosses his mind, confusingly, but noah doesn't let it linger. ]

[richesse]

You are. You’re bizarre. I’ve never met anyone like you. [ even Ed offered her conditions, even if she knew—

well.

this isn’t a transaction at all. truly, how strange…

with obvious reluctance she parts from him and crosses the great room that serves as the centerpiece of this once-lavish place. there are couches, still, though they are torn and damp. moss spills across the walls in endless fractals. there are great, green vines cracking through fissures in the ceiling, ever encroaching.

but it is not outside. the walls are largely intact outside of a few collapsed rooms. there are no animals in here. there are doors. there is bedding, old and rotten it may be.

it’s not nothing.

there is a fireplace, and in front of this she crouches, picking up a snapped off stick of rebar and using it to poke at the still-warm embers. ]

We’re going to need more fuel. I haven’t fully explored this place, yet. It’s surprisingly big.

[offseers]

[ noah shakes his head. ]

I'm just a guy. Nothing special.

[ vaguely he recalls sena's words, noah do you think you're perfect?. a mind boggling statement. he could never fathom being perfect. at lortel's question, he shifts to logistics. he was in the army. he knows how this works. ]

Building a store of fuel and food seems smart. Nothing too big though. We may not be here for long.

[richesse]

[ a feeling, faint, of a hand closing around you. sealing you in, fingers like bars, and refusing to let you go.

hers, now. this is hers. and to her, he is very special indeed.

he switches to logistics, and she does too, standing straight and returning to him. ]

I know. Still, for now, we’ll be safer here than out there. I found very little food. It’s likely we’ll need to hunt, though I’m dreading how those … things might taste.

[ a sigh. ]

I’ve been stripped of my power. My mana is gone. I won’t be any use to you in combat. At least, not right now. I assume you can fight?

[offseers]

[ memory upon memory. noah much younger with a sword in his hands. youths fighting. and fighting and fighting. war games. real wars. then he puts it aside. ]

If there is one thing I can do without fail . . . it's fighting.

[ a distasteful thing to say, to admit. but it is the truth and noah doesn't shy away from the truth. ]