harmonize_rpg | (no subject)

Who: Haruka and Chloe
What: Sleepless nights are go
Where: Dorm roof
When: Just after midnight, Friday, May 12th

Night was really when her mind was the most active, free from the whispers and the people. Now, however, it was a time where her memories plagued her, uncontested by the usual hustle and bustle of the day. The expression 'quiet enough to hear yourself think' came to mind, and it wasn't always a good thing she had learned.

For the past hour, the German had stood in the same spot on the roof, leaned against the railing and her gaze directed towards the sky. She looked tired and worn, what with the distant look she had and the dark circles under her eyes. Her expression was a strange mixture between sorrow and some sort of void look. Sometimes she liked to come up here as a sort of escape. Usually by night, as it was more likely she would be interrupted were it sometime during the day. Chloe usually lost track of time while she was up here, and it seemed like it had happened again judging by the way she was so intently staring at the sky.

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It was another sleepness night for Haruka, she guessed.

She gave up on sleep and snuck out of the room, leaving Hachi to uninterrupted sleep. She wasn't going far so she left her cane behind, instead lightly padding down the dorms. Usually, she went down to the common rooms but tonight she went up to the roof. At least she wouldn't accidentally fall asleep out there.

She was wearing a thin tank top the wind didn't feel bad. Summer was around the corner and even the nights were becoming humid. She found her way to the railing with practiced ease and settled to sit on one of the stone borders. Her eyes sightlessly stared out over the fence and out into nothingness.

As soon as the door squeaked open, the German's sharp gaze shot towards the door. It was startling how fast she could go from blank and aimless to alert and focused. Haruka had exited the door, surprising Chloe. Usually, especially at this time, she was left alone to her grim thinking. Tonight looked like it would be different.

And, of course, because she was blind, Chloe felt bad just sitting there silently. It felt almost like deceiving the poor girl who thought she was alone.

"..."

Chloe cleared her throat awkwardly, not really knowing what to say.

Hearing that, Haruka's eyes closed. She turned her head in Abendroth's direction and, after a beat, said,

"Breaking curfew too, Abendorofu-chan?"

The first smart ass comment that popped into Chloe's mind was, 'We have a curfew?', but she remained silent. The German usually went where she wanted, so either she never noticed, or chose to ignore it anyway.

"Like you, yes."

She said in her mostly-usual growl. Chloe fell silent again, unsure of where to go from here. She knew why Haruka was here, why she couldn't sleep. Probably much for the same reason she herself was here. So what else was there to talk about? She was bad at this. Very bad at this.

Haruka nodded, before saying simply, "Too late to make it in time for curfew anyway. Might as well just pull an allnighter."

Not like it wouldn't be the first time.

She tilted her head upwards though, "Or I could always just sneak out for warm milk."

Sneak out for warm milk? The concept was lost on the German, to be honest. For her there was no 'sneaking out' for one reason; there was nowhere for her sneak to. It didn't much matter where she was at this point, whether at the school or in town or anywhere else in this country; if she showed up, she was suspicious. The German let out a grunt that almost sounded bitter. Almost.

"Trouble sleeping?"

She asked cautiously, still looking up at the sky.

Haruka stared out across the fence for a long while before responding, because the first thing she would have said otherwise would have been 'kinda aired that on the school network so I think so'.

She replied,

"Yeah. It's hard getting to sleep and staying asleep." She turned her head to Chloe. "Any suggestions? Or you not having any luck either?"

Chloe was extremely grateful that Haruka couldn't see how tired she looked. Even though she couldn't SEE how tired she was, something told the German that the other girl could tell she was tired. Maybe it was Haruka's other senses picking up the slack from her lack of vision, or maybe she was just perceptive... but Chloe always got the feeling that the blind girl knew more than she let on. After a few moments, Chloe responded.

"...Tea. Chamomile tea. Hint of cream."

Tea was usually something that calmed her down, and she usually spoke favourably about it... but this time was different. This time, her voice was unnaturally cold and distant. Subconsciously, her bandaged hand clenched at her side.

"Huh." There was a slight pause and slight tilting of her head, before she replied,

"Heard tea was good. Got some but don't have any cream. you?"

Chloe was silent for a few moments longer than she should have been.

"Yes, in my room."

She said, sounding subdued. Of course she still had the tea and other such ingredients. It was the teaset she now lacked. The German shifted uncomfortably at the thought of going back to her room.

"Huh." That one was stretched out a little more. She turned her head upwards for a long while a long while before saying,

"Since neither of us can sleep and it's a nice night, wanna watch the stars and drink tea and see if that helps?" Beat. "Well, you can watch the stars and I can sense their supposed calming vibes."

Chloe looked at the sky in silence for at least a minute before responding to the blind girl.

"I can't."

That was how it started the first time. Invite them for tea, talk a bit. Just idle chatter at first, but the chatter would evolve into heartfelt dialogue. That unfamiliar warmth would tickle her heart... and then they would be gone forever, leaving her protective walls shattered again. No... no she was ready for it this time. There would be no tea. There would be no heartfelt talks. She had built her walls stronger this time, and there would be none of that.

Haruka turned away from the sky and looked in Chloe's direction with a tilted head. After a few beats, she asked,

"Can't?"

"No teaset."

Two simple words, and Chloe had managed to make it sound like it was the gravest of situations ever experienced by any human that ever was. She knew full well it wasn't 'I can't'; it was more like, 'I won't.'. She couldn't go through that again, she WOULDN'T go through that again. The walls held firm.

"Oh, okay," Haruka replied.

For a moment, it looked like she was going to leave it at that. However, her head kept turned in Abendroth's direction until she said,

"Got some stuff in my room. We can use that?"

The German grit her teeth for a few moments at the other's response. Wasting valuable tea and other ingredients on someone like her... no, Haruka was better off saving them for herself. After a moment, Chloe pushed back slightly from the railing.

"You can, if you wish. I have some cream if you need it."

She was safe to offer the girl some cream, at least. While even more distant than she usually was, she was still polite.

Haruka simply nodded and said, "Okay then. See back up here in a bit?"

She started walking back the way she went and down the stairs, knowing somehow Chloe would be there later. Hachi was still sleeping when Haruka returned and, with some fumbling to stay quiet, she was soon back on the roof with boiled water in a teapot and two cups (both decorated with anime-ish dogs). She put them down on the stone ledge and sat down, staring back out through the fence and over the city.