Late Night Existentialism

10:00 pm

671 straightened his pillow until he was content with it. He then relaxed his neck, allowing his head to fall down onto the soft surface. Another day of making women fall for him and making fun of 73 had ended. If only 73 could just get rid of that annoying basketball, that would make his life a lot easier. It didn't matter that much, though. It was plain to see that 73 would never be as rich, charismatic, or successful as him, even with the help of that talking basketball he kept as a pet. 

671 closed his eyes, but as the minutes went by he found it difficult to drift off to sleep. He wasn't quite tired yet, but that had never previously been an issue.

To his right, a pair of sliding glass doors preceded a balcony floored with quasi-realistic grass. It was more narrow than wide, but still provided a good amount of space. The perimeter of the balcony was surrounded by thin glass sheets around two feet tall, presumably for safety reasons. At the very end of the balcony, a mountain range immediately began. The mansion had been built into the mountains, so this was no surprise for 671 or the construction team. It didn't obscure the view of the rest of the city; far from it, in fact. Some could say that it enhanced the view. Anyone who stood at the edge of the balcony would not only be able to look down and see the entire city, but due to its distance from the streetlights and other illumination, one would be able to look up and see a beautiful and countless assortment of stars in the night sky.

671 looked through the glass and took in the view. It was nothing special to him. But he did pick out something that wasn’t supposed to be there.

A person.

They were sitting outside of the balcony, directly on the mountains. Seeing someone casually sit on a hard rock surface while also juggling the risk of falling off gave 671 an uneasy feeling. 

It took longer than it should have for him to realize that they were trespassing on his property. Well...kind of.

671 got out of bed with both caution and agitation occupying his mind. What the hell did this person think they were doing? For what reason would they be sitting on a mountain at 10 in the evening?

He headed for his closet first, and picked out a black and magenta velvet robe. He quickly put it on and turned around to go to the balcony, accompanied by a frustrated exhale. 

671 pulled on the door handles to slide the doors apart. Immediately after leaving his bedroom, he knew who the person was.

73's pet basketball.

He didn't know that non-numbers could also shapeshift. Well, you learn something new every day. 

He didn't waste time admiring the basketball's human form. As he got closer, he expected it to turn around at any moment. His footsteps, even while muffled by the grass, were still audible. However, it remained transfixed on the night sky. It was almost as if it couldn't hear him. But that was impossible.

"What are you doing?" he called out to it.