And now the other Noelles are...! [ ...Why is she blushing. ]

F-fahaha... are they... fighting over me?

...gosh, I've really put my hoof in it now, huh? [ Staring mortified at the ground after last night. ]

// all my friends are making au characters... perhaps? an adult noelle? much to conslider...

I WAS TALKING? TO MYSELF?

... [ Trying not to blush as she thinks of a cat that's on the heavier side a bit. ]

She smiled, but then she serioused...

...fine?? [ She almost wants to close the distance between them and throttle them for that. This isn't the first time they've completely shunted off all sorts of apology and just... decided to play martyr about it all. Most days, she just looks away and ignores it. Not today. ]

❤️ Kris@whattheycallyou.bsky.social · 2mo ago

[ * Try as you might, her words ring clear. Even without facing her, even with your eyes screwed shut, you can picture exactly how she looks. The very notion that she's gone beyond a physical presence to do war with your mental directly is scary. It's not the first time. Susie's done it, too. ]

...y-yeah, um. I thought so. [ She nods softly, a bit of a sad edge in her tone. It was... on her mind. All that fun with Susie, with the added sharp edge of Kris looking at them with the most... longing look she'd ever seen. ] I... know you've been really close with Susie lately.

❤️ Kris@whattheycallyou.bsky.social · 2mo ago

[ * You open and close your mouth a few times, trying to find a way to approach this in a way that doesn't paint someone, least of all her, as a massive fucking asshole. It turns out you're not very good at this, resulting in almost a full minute of you acting more like a fish than a person. ]

I... yeah, I thought it was fun too. It's just... I. Kinda noticed that you just looked... ... ...sad. During the whole thing. ...

❤️ Kris@whattheycallyou.bsky.social · 2mo ago

[ * Your stomach twists in on itself so wickedly you're fairly certain your sorry excuse for dinner resembles a model of DNA more than it does food. Behind your bangs are eyes that leave you a deer in headlights, despite the actual deer's presence in front of you. ] mm.

Fahaha... thank you. [ She... hesitates a moment, fiddling with her hair before finally deciding how to speak this worry she's had for a few days. ] Hey... um. So... did you enjoy the festival a few days ago?

❤️ Kris@whattheycallyou.bsky.social · 2mo ago

[ * You suppose you might have quoted a verse or two, but can't quite put your finger on the specific part she's thinking of... you don't mind. It's an easy comparison, given where you were. ] [ * A quiet hum, and you rest your hands on the back of your seat. ]

[ No, not one bit. She listens along silently, head bobbing to the much faster beat. Still, Kris seems almost... pensive at it all. She wants to ask (perhaps something to do with the Dark World?), but she doesn't. ]

❤️ Kris@whattheycallyou.bsky.social · 2mo ago

[ * The song comes to you naturally. It was one you heard just yesterday, after all. ] (I'm not doing the formatting again. It's this: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SxA...) [ * As you play, you realize that this isn't really the same energy as your first song choice, but you can't imagine she minds. ]

[ ...She doesn't respond further than that. Now that they're talking... she does have some thoughts. Things to ask. Especially from what happened a few days prior. But... For now? She wants to listen to this last song before she grills them. ]

❤️ Kris@whattheycallyou.bsky.social · 2mo ago

[ * Your hands start to move, but... her words stop you cold. (Of course they would; look at the residence you've broken in to.) ] ... [ * You nod softly. It's been a long, long time since you took to the piano with an audience you insisted stayed. One that you liked. One you maybe always have. ]

Hehe. I already have it loaded on my phone. [ She nods softly, settling in again to listen along. That smile is just... so lovely to see. She almost holds back saying it, but... in the moment, she just has to say something. She can't /not/. ] ... I really missed this, Kris.

❤️ Kris@whattheycallyou.bsky.social · 2mo ago

[ * It's what you had hoped for. Nothing less, though nothing more. Noelle knows you more than enough to keep a modest response, at least in the event it's not for more than... well. Her and yourself. ] ...mm. [ * You smile. It's crooked as always, but the warmth behind it is unmistakable. ]

[ There's no applause. No explosion of emotion. It's not really Kris's style. Instead, there's just... a smile so soft from Noelle. ] That was beautiful, Kris. [ And she means every word. ]

❤️ Kris@whattheycallyou.bsky.social · 2mo ago

[ * The song isn't quite original, but it's not quite a melody one could pick up on its own... perhaps due to the lack of a strong melody at all. * With your SOUL taking the back seat, your movements are sluggish but fluid. You hit every note just right. It's your thing, after all. ]

[ She listens along as they play. It's quiet... something she hasn't ever heard before. She'd stretch so far as to say... original? It's been a while since she's heard one of their creations. And it's... beautiful. Melancholic, something to be expected from Kris. ]

❤️ Kris@whattheycallyou.bsky.social · 2mo ago

[ * It's not something you find yourself wanting to do, but the words left your mouth, and she's already cozying up in front of it to get a better angle. You have no choice, unfortunately. ] [ * Who else would you be playing for, anyway? Your eyes close, and your breath stills, and... ]

[ A beat. Whuh. Kris is letting her stay for one of these??? Oh wow!! She has to try VERY hard not to let the joy show on her face, but it still slips out in the form of a wide smile as she bounds up to the table, settling in near the piano to watch. ]

❤️ Kris@whattheycallyou.bsky.social · 2mo ago

[ * You faintly remember something to this tune. It was a while ago, now... was that because of her backlog, or was she just reliving a nicer memory? ] ... huh. [ * A soft exhale through your nose is all the humor you can muster for her explanation, though you're not unhappy about what you hear. ]

Nyon!~

... [ Now, she knows that's not true. They were here a few days ago. But she doesn't call them on that, instead just nodding softly. ] Mm... I get it. No, I've been awake. Watching that glitch video you sent me.

❤️ Kris@whattheycallyou.bsky.social · 2mo ago

[ * You'd know if it was. Like almost everything in this house, it's kept in a condition you understand to be at least *a* definition of "perfect". Among the bronzed snowflakes and pristine recreation of December's room before her... departure, an out of tune piano would stick out sorely. ]

[ She's used to Kris playing here at all times of the day, so she isn't really surprised to see them here. Especially after how... stressed they've looked lately. She's been quite worried. And the... quite frankly poor piano playing doesn't help. ]

❤️ Kris@whattheycallyou.bsky.social · 2mo ago

[ * You realize your uncharacteristically poor performance will attract attention. Carol is your first thought, and naturally so - she's always had her head on a swivel, even when you first were integrated into Hometown. * ... * You're lucky that it isn't. You'd be kicked out in an instant. ]

[ It's a quiet evening at her ho-ho-home, and she's just sitting in bed scrolling on Monster YouTube. It's the nice kind of quiet, the one she can wrap herself up in a blanket to and enjoy some nice glitch compilations. But before she can get too comfy... ]

❤️ Kris@whattheycallyou.bsky.social · 2mo ago

[ * ...You force yourself around the gates of the Holiday residence. They're too far apart from the trees to stop you. Realistically, you could probably have asked, and you could enter normally. But the thrill of the hunt is what does it for you. ] [ * (Creak...) ]

// might be slightly selective buuuut.

// seconding punk's point btw of. i be shipping kralsuselle or whateva. if you fuck with me I am down to ship. just do it. (also goes for my susie smile)

// pspsps, now that the spoiler embargo has passed: i have a weird route noelle :> check it out maybe...

*@underthelake.bsky.social · 2mo ago

and it's hard to breathe when you're near me === weird route noelle, by snowy. will contain spoilers for chapters 1-5. very dark themes (temp pin, will update after more time has passed)

// alright. time for the Cass "why the fuck are you like this" thread. warning, VERY long. i will absolutely accept questions about this via DMs or via Discord so please do not be afraid to say hi!! this will cover stuff for @augurysplinter.bsky.social and @whattheycallyou.bsky.social too

...fahaha. I guess he is pretty cute!

and it's hard to breathe when you're near me === weird route noelle, by snowy. will contain spoilers for chapters 1-5. very dark themes (temp pin, will update after more time has passed)

*@underthelake.bsky.social · 2mo ago

So... tell me.

⠀⠀⟢⠀im with you in the dark⠀. ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ( #drrp / #utdrrp )

... Wuh. Wh. AAAA??????? WHAT JUST. HAPPENED?????

(𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤, 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤, 𝐭𝐚𝐩, 𝐭𝐚𝐩..)

𝐱𝐯𝐢. 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫@darkalleycat.bsky.social · 3mo ago

..𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐞.