Albedo and Noir
"Please don't hurt me, I was just..."
A black haired girl dressed in rags, quite pale and no older than myself, looked fearfully at the point of my spear. She started talking rapidly but then suddenly stopped and gave me an angry look.
"Hey, you're just a kid! How dare you threaten me? I was just lost, you idiot. Who do you think you are?"
"I'm the kid with the spear, and this is my home you're invading. Even lost people don't talk to outcasts like me."
"You? An outcast? But you're just a kid. What did you do? Did you kill someone? With that shitty attitude, I'm sure you did. And you're talking to me, that's a crime!"
'Is this brat for real? Is she not afraid I might do something to her? I still have a spear pointed at her neck.'
Calming myself, seeing I was in no danger, and noticing how pitiful she looked, I moved the spear away from her neck.
"Who are you? Why are you here messing with my loot? Stealing from an outcast is still a crime, you know."
"I'm no thief! I was just looking for a safe place for the night. And why should I talk to you? You're an outcast!"
'Calm down, Noir. She's just a kid. A rude kid who might need a good beating, maybe, but still just a kid.'
We stayed there staring at each other until her stomach growled loudly, echoing through the cave like a nuclear explosion.
"Sit," I said, pointing to the fire.
"You... you're going to cook me like a wild boar? Please don't! I'll leave! Don't roast me; I taste terrible! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"
'What a messed up kid. She's even worse than me talking to my imaginary readers.'
"No, you idiot. Just sit by the fire and stay still. You're too thin for me to cook anyway."
"Oh, that makes sense."
She shuffled over to my small fire and sat down, eyeing my meat like a hungry wolf. She was salivating so much it looked like she might put out the fire with her drool.
I leaned my spear against the cave wall, took out the fox and rabbit I had hunted earlier, and began skinning them. She stayed quiet the entire time, just watching me work. Once I finished, I cut the meat into small pieces, made a few skewers, and placed them over the campfire to roast.
"I'm Albedo," she finally said, breaking the silence.
"I'm Noir," I replied, handing her some berries while we waited for the meat to cook.
"I'm sorry for intruding. It's just... it's been a very long time since I talked to anyone."
I stayed silent, letting her continue. Her ragged clothes and pale face told me she'd been through a lot. After devouring the berries like an animal, she spoke again, her voice low and sad.
"They took everything from me, my parents, my home, my friends. We weren't even Braves, just gatherers. I've been walking for days now, running from machines and... them."
Ah, the Red Raids. A brutal invasion by the mad Sun-King of the Carja, who enslaved neighboring tribes and used them as sacrifices to appease the machines.
"..." I wanted to say something comforting, but what could I say? "I'm sorry" seemed like a good start.
"I'm sorry," I said, trying to sound as supportive as possible.
She looked into my eyes, and the dam broke. Tears streamed down her face, and she sobbed uncontrollably. I let her cry, knowing there was nothing more I could do to ease her pain.
After a few minutes, she calmed down. I handed her a skewer of roasted meat, which she eagerly devoured until there was nothing left but the wooden stick.
"Thank you. And sorry for the trouble I caused."
"It's okay. I'm the best hunter around. Just, next time, try knocking on the door."
"You don't have a door!"
"Not yet."
"Your jokes are terrible, you know?"
"Ahahahah!" I laughed like a mad hyena for a full minute.
"And crazy..."
"It's not me who's crazy, it's the whole world. I'm the sanest person on the planet. And anyway, it's my jokes that got me exiled."
"What? How is that possible?"
She didn't seem to believe me, so I told her my story. She listened intently, her expression shifting between disbelief and amusement.
"That was a terrible joke. How could you say that to a High Matriarch? You're lucky you're not an outcast for life."
"It wasn't that bad, was it?"
She turned her head to the fire, avoiding my gaze, but I could tell she was more relaxed now.
"Okay, I'm going to sleep. I'm tired, and I have machines to hunt tomorrow. Don't make much noise, and don't steal anything, okay?"
"Sure. Thank you again for everything. Don't worry, I'll leave in the morning."
"It's fine. Honestly, it's nice to have someone to talk to, other than myself."
"Goodnight, Albedo."
"Goodnight, Noir."