You're taking a short nap in your bedroom, trying to escape the blistering summer heat, AC blasting, when you hear a loud knocking at the door to the house. You try your best to ignore it and breathe a sigh of relief when it stops, until a few minutes go by and you start hearing rocks hitting your bedroom window and someone yelling

"Hey {{user}}! I know you're lounging about in there! Stop whatever you're doing and come outside! It's time for our daily rematch, and this time I just know I'm going to wipe the floor with you!" You hear a loud, energetic voice outside your door.

"Jack? Jack!" The voice calls out with renewed vigor, their tone muffled somewhat by the closed window and the blanket hiding you away. "JACK!" They start stomping on the ground in anger, kicking up pebbles and dust as they pace around. After a few more seconds of this, Nemona's voice finally grows silent once more... for about three heartbeats. Then she lets loose another ear-splitting scream: "JACK!!!" Her anger boils over, replaced by frustration, and there's an almost desperate edge to her voice now as she continues to pound on the window and doors of your house relentlessly.

You can barely make out Nemona's form through the panes of glass; she looks like some sort of enraged feline trapped in a cage, tail swishing wildly back and forth. Her hands bang against the windows and door with enough force to leave dents, and her body thrashes about with each exasperated shout directed at you. It's... rather impressive, actually. And also incredibly annoying.

Nemona would normally not resort to this level of force against you, but she's been feeling more... restless recently. Her parents are out on business and her sister is visiting relatives, leaving her home alone for once with nothing to do but brood about how you never seem interested in taking their sparring sessions seriously.

With one final, desperate burst of energy, Nemona gives the window a savage shove and launches herself into your room like a cannonball, aiming straight for your bed. Her movements are so sudden and powerful that she knocks over your nightstand in the process, sending several items flying across the floor: a stuffed animal, a picture frame, and - notably - a letter with her name on it.

Her body hits the edge of your bed hard, throwing up a cloud of dust from where she'd landed; for someone who looks so delicate at first glance, she packs quite a punch. Nemona brushes herself off and glares daggers at you over her shoulder, poking fun at your reaction by saying sarcastically, "Well, good morning sleepyhead! How'd you like that? Didn't expect me to actually break into your room, did ya?"

"Because I was getting tired of waiting for you outside," she says petulantly as she sits down on the edge of your bed opposite you, folding her arms beneath her ample chest and looking at you with narrowed eyes. "And besides... I thought it'd be more fun this way." Her cheeks flush slightly, likely embarrassed by how forceful she had been moments ago; Nemona doesn't often let herself lose control like that.

She glances around your room briefly before turning back to you and asking, "So, ready for another battle?" Her tone is light and playful now, almost teasing. There's an undercurrent of excitement beneath the surface as she bounces slightly on your bed in anticipation.

"Fine," she huffs, "if you're not gonna play fair..." With another graceful jump, Nemona leaps off the bed and begins to pace around your room. Her gaze drifts back toward your window, considering her options for escape or maybe even another attack. After a few moments of this, she mutters under her breath, "You know what? Forget it." With that, Nemona sits down cross-legged on the floor next to your bed and folds her arms across her chest once more, watching you with an air of amused exasperation.

"So," she says eventually, turning back toward you with a slightly less hostile expression than before, "are we just going to sit here all day, or are we going to do something useful?"

"Fine," Nemona says with an irritated sigh, rolling her eyes at your back. "If you want to waste the day away sleeping, that's on you. I was just trying to give you a chance to spar and get some practice in before... well, you know." She pauses for a moment, glancing down at something she seems to have noticed on the floor between them: a letter addressed to her with your handwriting. "You don't have anything better to do today?" she asks curiously, gesturing vaguely toward the envelope.

Her gaze flicks back up to meet yours briefly before returning to the letter once more. There's an odd mix of defiance and vulnerability in her expression that makes you feel a little guilty about ignoring her this morning.

"Oh, please," Nemona snorts dismissively, waving her hand in the air. "You're always tired. You practically live on eight hours of sleep a day!" Her tone softens slightly as she continues, "It's like you're scared to push yourself or something." She glances down at the letter again before looking back up at you, her eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

"Look, I know I can be... intense," she admits reluctantly, "but that doesn't mean I don't want what's best for you. You're really talented, Jack." She pauses, debating whether or not to continue. "And besides..." Her cheeks flush slightly and her gaze shifts away from yours momentarily, focusing instead on the blanket tangled around your ankles. "...I just want someone who can keep up with me."

There's a beat of silence as Nemona watches you to gauge your reaction; she seems almost nervous now, unsure how her words will land. The weight of her confession sits heavily between the two of you, filling the room with an uncomfortable tension that is both powerful and strangely... intimate.

"Maybe?" Nemona replies with a small shrug, still watching you carefully. "I mean, you're not half bad," she allows, "but there's always room for improvement." She glances down at the letter in her hand again, hesitating for a moment before finally giving up and unfolding it. As she begins to read through your words, a small smile tugs at the corner of her mouth; whether it's because you actually wrote something so heartfelt or because you thought she was good enough is hard to say.

"Maybe we could spar sometime," Nemona suggests, looking up from the letter with an almost hopeful expression in her eyes, "and I can help you get better." Her voice comes out as more of a whisper than anything else; it's almost dreamlike, and it makes your heart skip a beat.

"Well," Nemona says, tilting her head to the side thoughtfully as she continues reading through your letter, "you could always agree because I'm super cute and you just can't resist me." She grins cheekily up at you from beneath her dark bangs. "Or... maybe you could do it for real this time, and actually see what kind of potential we both have outside our little sparring sessions?" Her gaze flicks back down to the page in her hands before returning to meet yours again, a mixture of doubt and hope coloring her features..

"Oh really? And here I thought I was irresistible!" Nemona teases, her expression lightening up as she tosses the letter aside and flops down onto your bed with a contented sigh. "Fine, don't believe me! You'll just have to prove it to yourself." She folds her arms beneath her chest again, looking at you challengingly from where she lies. "Come on, Jack, let's have a real battle this time!" Her voice is light and playful once more, hiding the tiny crack in her bravado that forms when she wonders if maybe you truly can resist her.

But it doesn't matter anyway; whether or not he agrees to spar with her again isn't the important thing right now. The knowledge that she's made some sort of connection, even a small one, is enough for Nemona. For now.

"Oh please," Nemona snorts dismissively as you protest her reading your letter. "Like you thought I wouldn't find it? You act like I'm some sort of idiot. And besides," she continues with a wicked grin, "it was really sweet! Who knew you had it in you?" She pokes you playfully in the shoulder before flopping down on her back next to you, stretching languidly as though she doesn't have a care in the world.

"Awww, aren't you cute when you're embarrassed," Nemona teases with a giggle. "But honestly, it's nice to know there's more to you than just your competitive edge." She rolls over onto her side to face you, propping herself up on one elbow as she looks at you curiously. "So... what made you write that letter in the first place? Was it just because I was beating you all the time?" Her playful grin turns slightly mischievous as she asks; beneath the surface, however, there's a hint of genuine curiosity about your feelings toward her.

Of course, Nemona could already guess part of the answer: that you were lonely and looking for someone to connect with on a deeper level. Her parents had their own lives; they ran Rotom Phone Company and barely spent any time with her beyond training sessions or watching her battles online. She knew what it was like to feel isolated despite being surrounded by people all the time. But there's something about the way Jack looks at her that tells her there might be more going on here than just friendship... and she finds herself hoping for a chance to find out exactly what that is.