Day 60: Sun Room (Third Shift)

[lovecrafty]

> Rose: Be the magic girl

You are the magic girl. It's you. Except that she could not be the magic girl she was looking for, since she was already herself, also magic, albeit reluctantly. Sometimes. When she wasn't so busy doing ridiculously cool things with magic that she didn't stop to think about the part where the world ended and the

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[falseblack]

Poor Nigredo had a headache, deep and daunting--as if someone had reached in and pulled out his nerves, disintegrating fibers one by one by one. The chemicals had long since burned in sleep; what remained was a little more than dry mouth and a declining mood. He hated life then. Hated it enough to dismiss existence altogether; if not for the body beside him, he might have done just that.

Nigredo cracked an eye, wincing at the sunlight. "Ugh," he muttered. A hand went up to press at his temple.

[Hi, brofriend, hi!]

[purpletaint]

The echoes of a waveform prompted one alert to a boy waking, and with that came the ripples of pain that Nigredo was likely feeling. His brother, more content than he'd been in past months, smiled slightly downward at the one in his lap. His hands moved delicately--one cupping the air over Nigredo's eyes to shield him from the light, the other moving to lightly massage his brother's scalp in some attempt for the other's relief.

"Morning," came the murmur, level and near happy. He couldn't even find irritation when the nurse came around to offer two bags. The child nodded and she left them beside him. Albedo would have to eat, especially after missing breakfast, to keep Ritsuka's promise. And Nigredo-- Albedo wondered if his brother was eating, or just sustaining. Albedo had no room to talk, but-- Well. Things were changing.

[falseblack]

In a change of pace, Nigredo found nothing but counters to his malady: shielding from light and soothing movements. The boy relaxed his guards, lost his disastrous mood, and managed a weak smile through the pain. Currently, this was more wanted than a complete cure, and thus, he held no complaints.

"Morning," he replied quietly. "You were right. I should have stopped sending." Though Nigredo would maintain there was some worth in his choice, he could really do without the unfortunate side effect. His habits sided with the link, especially under stress; it would be deplorable to lessen that.

As he wiped at his eyes, Nigredo caught the sight of two paper bags. They looked similar to the lunches they gave during trips to Doyleton, but that couldn't be the case, no? Speaking of which, why were they here instead of the cafeteria? Confusion became evident in his countenance. "What are those?"

[purpletaint]

Albedo made no move to take advantage of being told he was right, only continued what little he was doing. "We have free time. Or something. They're snacks for us until dinner."

His fingers shifted slightly, moving out through the strands of Nigredo's hair at the end of every circuit. His tone came curious, as if only this was just thought of. "Have you been eating, actually?"

[falseblack]

How novel. Allowing free time as opposed to herding them into the cafeteria was a rather suspicious move on the part of the staff. Nigredo would have likely told Albedo to throw the bags away if not for two very important aspects: the paradigm had somehow shifted back to fake mental health, and according to Renamon and his own observations, Dr. Landel was a very strange character. Free time and snacks were probably whims.

The question caused Nigredo to consider his brother with a curious expression, which he then shifted to contemplation as he searched for an answer. "...Not lately, no," he replied with some difficulty. The last time the variant had sustenance was when he had won his prize from Sync. Who had worn such a nice face while consuming his losing bet.

Instantly, Nigredo and his green eyes brightened, a hint of pleasure rising in his countenance.

[purpletaint]

A negative given and then partnered with an odd expression. Instinctually, Albedo became a tad wary, eyeing his brother a bit suspiciously. Instead of asking, Albedo moved forward, hand resting on his brother's head lightly. "You should, though," he gave, almost innocently. Then amended, as if in compromise. "We should." Because it had been pointed out to him, clearly and absolutely, how his own health affected others. It was an interesting aspect to be certain, almost quaint, but....

But affecting all the same. He wasn't Ritsuka, and therefore couldn't find the ways to guilt get one to agree. So he fell back to logic. "Nigredo. Make a deal with me?" The tone edged a bit pleading, and spoke of wants too well. It was uncharacteristic from this source as of late, and it gave more to shifts than anything else.

[falseblack]

His indulgence dropped at the assertions, and Nigredo watched Albedo with steady eyes. He should eat? Perhaps that was a wise course of action. Perhaps his own body would function better with nutrients. Nigredo wasn't without logic; he understood the lapses in eating crossed dangerous territory.

Yet, he didn't quite see the point. The gruel had been bland enough to be edible, enough to be disregarded. The food had the opposite issue: too rich to be swallowed. He had only eaten last time to spite another, after all. Otherwise, he would have subsisted on nothing and somehow continued as he was.

Yet. "What kind of deal?" asked Nigredo, wary.

[purpletaint]

His brother was wary, and so they were even. And yet, he questioned Albedo's words and the older Variant smiled brightly, as pure as the sun. He leaned over Nigredo slightly, and tapped his brother's forehead once. "A deal," he gave, sing-song. "You want me to live, right, Nigredo?" The boy only smiled brightly, then the expression hardened the slightest, the persona of the night prior slipping through.

"At least, that's what you feel. And I want the same, you know. I want you to live." A beat, a careful look. "So make a deal with me. I'll eat if you will." And he would eat if Ritsuka would. It was a trap for Albedo, but if the two mortal boys were eating, he could possibly resign himself to consuming on a daily basis. But only if.

[falseblack]

He knew what was being asked. A life for a life, in the barest of phrases. Albedo would eat if Nigredo would, and that insinuated two facts. Albedo was lackluster in his diet as well, which came as retrospective truth. Neither sibling gave importance to food; eating was a habit easily set aside for more lucrative behavior.

Another was a repeat. The cycled need for the other to live. Nigredo understood, more so than before, and this existed as the sole reason he opted not to fight. "Alright," he whispered, before clearing his throat and nodding. "I will."

[purpletaint]

...So solemn. It was charming in the most clear cut of ways, and Albedo allowed it for a moment, nodding seriously in turn. It was as if the elder was completely focused on this, and was agreeing with the seriousness of one promising commitment. Which it was. More or less.

There was the briefest twitch of his lips and Albedo suddenly curled over Nigredo with something light as a giggle--his arms wrapping around the other's neck in a hug. Lips found a temple and kissed lightly, and then he laughed again, charmingly, that of a happy child. A sound seldom heard from this source. "Good!" Okay? It was good, right? "I'm glad."

[falseblack]

A beat passed, and with time, came a switch in expressions. A laughing Albedo hugged and kissed, leaving Nigredo to wonder if he had just been made a victim of a strange hoax. His cheeks tinged pink, the younger growing speechless in the transition, until he finally glanced away to the paper bags in light embarrassment.

Albedo was glad. Albedo hadn't sounded this glad for a very long time. Nigredo, therefore, should be happy to have been the cause, but somehow, he felt small. His chest fluttered in sensations having little to do with being cut open, and he wondered if there existed any way for them to stay like this.

Even as he knew they wouldn't.