Memories of Old

Chapter 46: Aftermath of a Party

Chapter 46: Aftermath of a Party

The next morning found everyone passed out in the living room, some due to intoxication, others due to exhaustion. Even the ever-energetic America and Prussia eventually tuckered out, falling asleep in a slump side by side.

Luciano, Yang, and I were the first awake. Old habits die hard, after all. I smiled softly, looking at my white-haired twin. "They're cute when they're asleep."

I'm shocked; you actually slept last night.

"That's because you could hear everyone breathing, isn't it?" Luciano chimed in.

"Yeah. Same goes for you, too, right?" I tilted my head, and he nodded.

"Like you, I have trouble sleeping unless I can hear everyone's heartbeats or breathing. Otherwise I fear that someone has died again, and I just can't sleep."

It's annoying as hell. Even with the recording you have, it only works half the time. Yang complained.

"Well, excuse me for having insomnia caused by uncontrollable trauma I experienced over a period of time that long outstretches my previous lifespan!" I crossed my arms.

"You can let them drop, you know." Luciano stated after a moment. I stared at him, confused. "The glamours."

"Oh... I suppose you're right..." I sighed, cupping my hand over my left eye. I concentrated my magic into the palm of my hand, causing the perma-glamour I kept there to react. I wiped the glamour away, revealing the blatant scar from That Loop.

I then released the minor glamours I kept all over my body, hiding the countless scars from both mundane and fatal injuries that I'd collected over the loops. I let out a sigh of relief. To drop the glamours was like shedding a heavy winter coat after a long day outside. To let the weight literally fall off was rejuvenating, in a sense. Luckily my clothing covered most of my scars, though there were a few on my hands and neck from decapitations or attempting to block spiked tails. I rubbed my knuckles, sighing at the sight of the scars from Loop One.

Luciano's warm, calloused hand covered mine, and I looked up. "Don't be so moody, yeah? It's a new day, and we're all together, si? Fuck, when did I become the encouraging one?" He shook his head, and I laughed quietly, mindful of the sleeping nations around us. Asher stirred but ultimately stayed asleep.

I pulled out my Journal and clicked my pen. "You still write in it?" Luciano asked.

"Of course. Old habits die hard." I responded. The Journal was magical, so it had infinite pages.

What do you think we'll see? Yang spoke up suddenly as I signed my entry and closed the Journal.

I hummed thoughtfully, even as I registered a few nations stirring around us. "I'm not sure." I spoke aloud in a whisper. "A lot happened, but... something major... Probably..." I winced. "Silver. I started seeing her around Loop 932..." I tilted my head, thinking. "That's actually when I started to get down fighting the Lightning Things, come to think of it."

"Didn't we start encountering them around Loop 290 or something?" Yang asked as he sat down cross-legged on the carpet. I idly noted that several people were now pretending to sleep as they listened in on our conversation. Not that we minded.

"290 was the first sighting, while 293 was the first encounter." I corrected. "And subsequently the first death."

"Damn, that early?" Luciano hissed. "I didn't encounter my first elemental Thing till about Loop 300." He shuddered. "And that was a Fire Thing. I don't understand how you could handle so many so early."