Night 53: Solitary Room 1

[purpletaint]

{Rubedo might come back.}

That was the crux of the matter, wasn’t it? Words said at the break of day, tinged with irony and dramatics. And what had happened that next day? What had accumulated from knowledge and belief

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[purpletaint]

Nigredo was faulty in his thinking. Albedo had not presumed he was the cause at all. That spoke of importance, of meaning to another, and much like Nigredo himself, Albedo did not believe any of that--that his existence gave weight to another's soul. They were pretty words, ribbons and bows, but they touched nothing within himself. Was it that Nigredo was fooling himself, or could he not know? That even now, Albedo assumed that his brother saw him as a nuisance. Wasn't that why he came? (How had he got here?) To look over Albedo so he didn't cause any trouble?

For a moment, the expression was clear on Albedo's face, more human than he'd been in the night, and then he glanced down, stared at the floor as to not call all of this unfair right now. Everything was. Nigredo touching him when he probably didn't want to. The fact that Albedo had thought he understood his brother, but Nigredo still didn't want a part of Albedo. That Rubedo had broken Nigredo as clearly as he had Albedo, without a thought or care to the consequences. That that

[purpletaint]

There was something to be pleased in this, and Albedo thrummed in his throat, quietly, like a content cat. "Good answer," he gave on habit, then rethought, tipping his head into Nigredo's shoulder without realizing. He wouldn't ask if it was possible. Nigredo would not state that clearly if it wasn't. Albedo stayed silent, then glanced up. "So I don't have to be scared then

[falseblack]

It wasn't that Albedo no longer had to be scared, nor was Nigredo the better creature for his answer. Though one half of the information presented stayed far beyond the younger sibling's comprehension, he at least knew they were dealing death in their own way. Even as the thought persisted as a threat, he could accept the difference. So when Albedo glanced up, Nigredo looked down. When Albedo's gaze fell away, Nigredo watched.

He could have said something--anything, really--but instead, he remained silent. This was not the time to reply.

[purpletaint]

There was silence and it was something to regret and be grateful for. Albedo would keep talking, then. Where he shouldn't, perhaps. It wasn't for him to know. The subject has risen and none had moved to shift it. He settled downward, gave in to gravity's hold and curled slightly in Nigredo's lap. "I'll tell you, then. Clues to pieces to puzzles. What are we? A retrovirus. Made to destroy our anti-existence. Right? Of course. There are several facts to consider

[falseblack]

The logic made sense in a way it shouldn't, the final message pristine enough for the little brother to wish desperately for confusion. If he had to explain the words to an outsider, the account given would be the following: Albedo could not die, but Rubedo could kill what was tainted by U-DO. Thus, the solution he had reached in the subconscious domain of Sakura Mizrahi's mind was to be tainted. To allow the Red Dragon to destroy and regeneration to cease.

Had that been why-- No. Nigredo could attest that the happenings in the Conflict were incidental. The bottom line, however, did not change. He could die given the presented logic, and Nigredo was right to fear a confrontation between the two eldest

[purpletaint]

The question read as obvious to Albedo. He shifted, despite his body's wants, to tip his head to look upward at his brother. "Yes," he answered matter-of-factly. "Of course." Was this not clear? Was there something left to the imagination? He had just said, moments before, hadn't he? That both of them would die. The thought kept still like a shotgun blast to his stomach. No matter how long time would keep. The fact still came harshly each time

[falseblack]

To counter a series of statements rooted in death was folly. Nigredo understood: despite the apparent uncertainty in tone, these seated far beyond the surface for casual dismissal. Yet every fiber of his being rejected the words. He could relate, more than most and certainly more than his brothers, to the aftermath of death. Between escaped brain matter and morning's light lay nothing. No memory of transition, no awareness. You couldn't be together in a state where no bonds held. Albedo was wrong. When you died, you died alone

[purpletaint]

Isn't it the same?

There was nothing similar in the words. Albedo had no place there, and if he died, then finally, when they eventually did, they would all be reunited. Wasn't it the same? How could it be the same? He would wish his own deaths, not theirs, despite past actions. "It's not the same at all," he answered. "I want you to live."

A generic you, the term general. His mind couldn't place Rubedo, couldn't decide yet if a punishment of death was enough, or should it be drawn-out, or if he should beg on bended knee for affection, or just walk away, like he was told once, and live his own life without thinking of his twin. The last was pure folly, absolute lies, and whatever way there was before him, Albedo wasn't thinking about it.And yet Nigredo spoke again. The same? The same as... Being unable to exist without the other? The fact of that night being spoken about was enough to pull Albedo's attention forward, but Nigredo allowed no point of interruption and continued further

[falseblack]

Denial formed on automatic, and instantly, he felt ashamed. Differences always registered as poignant in the child's observations, enough to overwhelm promises. Therefore, it was easier to say he still wanted to die than accept Albedo's want for his life. Therefore, he kept quiet, pushing the thoughts to the furthest corner of his mind. Like a grudging acceptance. It marked progress and stagnation all at once