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“My, what a lovely violet hue. If my eyes aren’t mistaken, you must be new.” Balan strode over to what he could only describe as a strange... jester? Something of Lance’s? No, he wasn’t quite sure, but-judging by the puddle of Tims swarming them-this whatever-they-were couldn’t have been all that threatening. To be sure, however, Balan was more reserved in his approach. A first. He eyed the twin-horned visitor and their seeming lack of all things sensical with mounting curiosity. Not unpleasant. Not wholly unpleasant, indeed. NiGHTS perked, straightening as they finally noticed Balan. Ever floating above the ground, they crossed their legs with unmistakable nonchalance.
“Oh.” NiGHTS’ eyes lit up as a flicker of recognition dawned on them. Yet, first, they gestured around the two of them, head tilted. Balan wasn’t the only curious entity around, but this one--this one couldn’t help their own mischief. They heckled, “Is this your island, then? You’ve kept me waiting so long; I nearly left.”
“Waiting for me? For what reason, I can hardly see,” Balan replied. Stranger and stranger. He really tried to sound unimpressed, to sound wary. Aloof. (He was failing). Impromptu visitors were practically unheard of. He invited them all himself, so this whatever should have been alarming at best. They clearly weren’t the Balan Theatre’s normal fare of humans, either. “Though, this is my island, yes. Who are you, if I may press?”
“I guess you could call me your new neighbour,” NiGHTS answered. Oh, they were going to enjoy themselves. Hopefully, if their Visitor’s information was correct, then Balan should be fun, too. They both could use a little more excitement in their lives, they thought. They loved humans, of course, but there was something so compelling about making friends with something a little more ethereal. Something that didn’t need to return to ‘reality’ at the end of the night. Reala certainly wasn’t fulfilling his sibling duties.
“-NiGHTS, and you must be… well, you aren’t dark, dreary, or covered in neon. So, you must be Balan. I’ve heard of you.”
Heard of him?
“Ah, in that case welcome, new neighbour. Further information, I would adore-” Balan bowed, cordial but only growing further and further perplexed. Aside from his dealings in the human world, this place was his only home. He was never far from it. Baffled was a good word. “-how and in what case do you know of my theatre? Rather, how in the world did you get here?”
NiGHTS pointed. “That door. You know, it wasn’t that hard to get in once I knew where to look. Our worlds aren’t that far away. You should visit more. It feels so empty here...”
Spinning around, there hadn’t been a door behind Balan before. He had more questions. Too many questions. So many that his innate rhyming abilities were in jeopardy of simply giving way. Balan laughed at the ridiculousness of everything. A clever trick, all of it. Tims swelled around his feet, tittering happily. “A door, so there is. For not noticing, I am remiss.”
“-that didn’t rhyme.”
Balan ignored the interjection. “I take it, then, you are truly not from the human realm. That information does… whelm. A curious case. Although, I must chastise. For entering uninvited, you are cited. Company I do not detest, but your zest is assessed with some protest.”
All of that for ‘knock first’, huh? Leo never said this guy was so uptight, but maybe NiGHTS had caught him at a bad time. They waved him off. Or maybe Balan really wasn’t used to visitors like them. How tragic. How lonely. NiGHTS stretched, standing but never touching the ground once. They hovered in just a little closer. Hello, friend. Hello, dear silly friend. They knew better. They were informed, in fact, by other friends of the theatre. Balan could try to impress courtesy upon them if he wished, but NiGHTS wasn’t a Nightmaren that listened well.
“Do I look human to you?” NiGHTS’ shoulders bobbed in a snicker, beginning a lazy circle around Balan. “Don’t jump to conclusions, Maestro. I’m Nightmaren. Although, I’ve been told I’m not a very good one.”
They were proud of that.
“I’m from the Night Dimension. Nightopia. The dreamworld. From what I can tell, we’re almost like an intermediary dimension between yours and the Visitors’. I’m surprised you don’t don’t know about it-” NiGHTS paused in front of Balan-if only for a moment-feeling a rush of cheeky energy. “-Maestro.”
Balan reached after NiGHTS, but the jester ducked his grasp. Hm. He righted his tophat, determination splitting a grin across his shadowy features. Right, well, two could play. Two could fly, and two could be completely befuddlingly energetic. If this NiGHTS was so insistent on playing little games with their conversation, then perhaps it was time to join them--give in to his better nature. Sensing a change, NiGHTS darted away from Balan, begging for chase, for excitement. For all of the fun their conversation wasn’t leading to.
And chase , Balan planned on.