#i'm working on red's origin story first since i have a clear vision of where i want to take it

[raiiny-bay]

apocalypse patty (wip)

[minaslittleone]

Fission & Fusion (Part 3)

Part 1 Part 2 Part 4 Part 5

Summary: How did the refined and proper Wilhemina Venable end up working for two coked-up tech bros out of the back of a van?

An origin story of sorts, dedicated to the amazing @lucyintheskywithxanax who has developed such a beautiful and nuanced depiction of Mina. This was inspired by her incredible story “And I failed to climb the mountain”.

Word count: ~2500

Professor Thompson was not surprised that she had to go searching for Wilhemina the following evening. Part of her had hoped that the young woman would have been waiting for her, a sign that she was allowing herself to accept the genuine support proferred to her. That was not to be. It was only natural, she supposed, as she made her way through the concrete wasteland that served as the hotel's parking lot, that after a lifetime of being belittled and dismissed, of being told she was nothing but a burden, that Wilhemina would find it difficult to accept help. To even believe that the offer of help was genuine.

The older woman shook her head as she raised her her hand to knock on the door indicated by the disinterested girl working reception. The world, and people, really could be so cruel.

When her initial knock went unanswered, she tried again slightly louder this time. Again she was greeted by only silence.

"Wilhemina." she called out, as she knocked for a third time. "Wilhemina, it's Professor Thompson. Can you let me in dear?"

In the beat of silence that followed, she could feel Wilhemina's indecision - her pride balking at the idea of reaching out to accept the tender care that her heart so dearly yearned for. For now, pride relented.

There was a jangle of keys as nervous fingers fought against the lock and deadbolt. The door eased open a crack to reveal Wilhemina, shoulders curled in on themselves, head bowed, face obscured by a curtain of red hair and supporting a significant portion of her weight on her cane. Her form fitting dress from the previous day had been replaced by black leggings and a loose fitting faun jumper which dwarfed her slender frame, sleeves extending well past her wrists where her fingers toyed anxiously with the cuffs. As the older woman eased the door slightly further ajar she couldn't miss the way Wilhemina flinched, obviously uncomfortable with any kind of physical proximity.

"Wilhemina?" the older woman coaxed. Glassy brown eyes peaked from beneath swollen lids, tentatively meeting her gaze. As she did her long hair shifted just enough to reveal the array of grazes decorating her right cheek and temple, chronicalling the previous night's events like braille across her skin. Wilhemina fought against the instinct the pull away as the older woman gently lifted her hair to inspect the damage. And as much as she hated allowing anyone to bear witness to her weakness she couldn't help but wonder when she had last been touched with such tenderness.

And maybe that was what gave her the courage to recount the events of the night before, those soft, caring touches that spoke more than words ever could, that whispered insistently that she deserved so much more. From the grinding weight against her fingers to the sickening crunch of her skull on the concrete, the smell of stale alcohol and tobacco, and the taste of dispair as calloused fingers rifled through her book bag and located the money that was supposed to be her lifeline. And more than all of that, the shame of laying sprawled out on the concrete unable to move.

Eventually the sound of the steal capped boots had disappeared into the distance, apparently deciding she wasn't worth any further humiliation. You're too ugly even for that, her mother's voice cooed. Slowly, she had managed to lever herself from the ground, bracing herself between her cane and the wall. Her trembling fingers had finally managed to overcome the lock but all too late. She stumbled across the threshold, collapsing onto the bed, curling in on herself in a futile attempt to prevent any further pain.

Professor Thompson's fingers were back at her cheek, tenderly chronically the array of scrapes and bruises that were beginning to blossom across her pale skin. How hard had she hit her head? Did she lose consciousness? Does it hurt if I push here? Any blurred or double vision? Any other injuries? Her hands? Her knees? Her back? No. All just bruised, like her ego, and her heart.

Wilhemina remained fascinated by the cuffs of her sweater throughout Professor Thompson's assessment, fingers picking at small imperfections in the fabric. By the time she raised her eyes the older woman was already moving busily around the room collecting her meagre possessions into her discarded book bag. "Have I missed anything dear?" Wilhemina could only shake her head dumbly in response though her confusion must have permeated her features for Professor Thompson quickly added "If you think for one moment I am letting you stay here on your own Wilhemina, after what happened, you are very, very mistaken".

The older woman slung the sum total of Wilhemina's possessions easily over her shoulder, before extending her hands to the younger woman to help her to her feet. And for once Wilhemina felt no pity or judgement in the gesture, only genuine care.

It felt good to let go for a moment, she thought, as she allowed herself to be escorted to the older woman's car. To hand over the reins, even if momentarily, to someone who genuinely had her best interests at heart. She had always been independent, self-sufficient, mature; garnering praise from countless adults for how grown up she was ever since she was tiny. There had been other words too - bossy, control freak, frigid bitch - a need for order and precision in the small parts of her life that she could control. But she was so tired after trying to hold it all together on her own for so long. Because in reality she wasn't in control at all.

Wilhemina jumped as the driver's side door opened, having not really registered that Professor Thompson had disappeared, let alone returned. The older woman shot her a sympathetic glance in apology for having startled her before starting the car and pulling out of that god damn parking lot.

Not long after she found herself seated at her professor's kitchen table, a warm mug of sweetened tea once again pushed into her hands whilst the older woman cooked. She managed to only feel slightly guilty about that. The room reminded her a lot of the woman herself, no frills and practical but with an undeniable warmth, full of mismatched crockery rather than complete sets, as if each piece had been hand picked for its bawdy colour or intricate pattern. Like her office, Professor Thompson's home seemed a little worn around the edges in the best of ways, it spoke of memories and a life well lived. From the rings on the wooden table from endless hours of conversation over tea, to the dings in the plaster from exhuberant grandchildren the house could not be further from the modernist sterility Wilhemina had become accustomed to.

The next thing she knew a steaming bowl of stew was being placed in front of her and the older woman was joining her at the table. "I hope you don't mind, dear, I know it's nothing very fancy" the older woman added as Wilhemina stared fixatedly at the bowl in front of her. Don't be so rude you ungrateful idiot. "No of course not, it's smells wonderful, it's just that I don't think anyone has ever cooked anything for me before. Thank you."

The older woman paused at that, spoon left resting against the side of her bowl. "Surely your mother did, at least?" Wilhemina scoffed at that, the very idea of Fleur Venable undertaking a task a menial as cooking was almost amusing. "No, my mother never had much interest in cooking, especially when she could pay someone to do it for her." A wry smile passed over the older woman's face "Maybe I should have listened when everyone told me to go into private practice rather than academia, it certainly seems to have worked out well enough for your father. Though I don't think I would have found much contentment in commercial law, I don't think I would have been particularly fond of spending my professional life making rich people richer."

"I don't think it brought my father much contentment either, though that might have been living with my mother" Wilhemina muttered, drawing unapologetic laughter from the older woman. After that the meal was finished in comfortable silence.

Wilhemina was about offer to help with clearing the table when something fuzzy brushed against her leg drawing an embarrassing squeak from her, which she quickly clamped her hand over her mouth in an attempt to muffle. "Oh it's alright, my dear, it's just Miko. Hello my sweet boy" the older woman cooed to the grey tabby cat rubbing affectionately at her ankles. "Oh I know sweetheart, I missed you too."

Miko, seemingly satisfied that he had greeted his mistress appropriately, took that moment to return his attention to Wilhemina, who's anxious gaze flicked between the cat and his owner. "Oh I'm sorry my dear, you're not allergic are you?" the older woman asked in response to Wilhemina's obvious apprehension. "No, I'm just not very good with animals" Wilhemina replied as Miko began sniffing at her ankles.

"He likes it if you scratch behind his ears" the older woman suggested.

So, slowly, Wilhemina allowed her right hand to unfurl from it's safe home in her lap downwards towards the inquisitive feline, or at least as far as her spine would allow. Miko craned his neck upwards to bridge the gap, first sniffing at her fingers before quickly beginning to nuzzle against them. Hesitantly Wilhemina began to trail her nails along the cats scalp, concentrating her ministrations behind his ears as his owner had suggested. She was rewarded by purrs of contentment, as Miko nuzzled into her hand with increased vigour. She couldn't help but smile at that.

Soon after Miko raised his front paws onto the bottom railing of the chair in an effort to get closer to Wilhemina, and began nuzzling into her thigh in earnest.

"What is he doing?"

"Oh don't worry, dear" the older woman replied. "He's just saying that he likes you. Well I suppose to be more correct he's transferring his scent onto to you to claim you as his, just in case any other cats get any ideas."

"I don't think anyone has ever claimed me as theirs before" Wilhemina whispered, fingers still threading tenderly through Miko's fur.

"Well Miko certainly has and so have I" the older woman replied, "and we both happen to have excellent taste."

Wilhemina could only reply with a small, trembling smile.

"Now come on dear, you've had quite an eventful few days and I doubt you slept much last night"

Wilhemina nodded and allowed herself to be escorted up the stairs towards the guest room, Miko following closely on her heals.

The room which Professor Thompson showed her to was already bathed in warm light from the bedside lamp and her book bag had been placed upon the quilt covered bed.

"Now the bathroom is just across the hall, dear, and I've put out fresh towels for you. If you need anything during the night my room is just down the hall, ok?"

"I'll be ok, but thank you" Wilhemina offered the older woman a shy smile.

Professor Thompson made to leave for the night before turning back unable to stop herself. "Forgive me asking dear, but haven't you heard from your parents? Surely they must be worried where you are?"

Wilhemina did not share her certainty. "I haven't checked my phone." Perhaps childishly she didn't want to check, because until she did she could cling onto the slim hope that maybe her parents did want to know where she was.

"You should check, my dear" the older woman coaxed. "I'll give you some privacy, but I'll be downstairs if you need me"

"Actually" Wilhemina blurted before the courage abandoned her, "would you stay?"

Professor Thompson took a seat on the bed beside her as she rifled through her book bag for her cell phone. One missed call. She almost couldn't believe it when her father's cell phone number blinked back at her on the LCD screen. With trembling fingers she retrieved the voicemail.

"Wilhemina, I understand that your mother can be difficult but surely all this fuss isn't necessary. If this was about making a point, you've made it, you can stop with this childish fit and the two of you can discuss this like adults. Honestly Wilhemina, you know I don't have time for this right now, the McMahon case goes to trial in less than a week, I have better things to be doing with my time than be refereeing some petty squabble between you and your mother. Just sorted it out."

Professor Thompson killed the voicemail halfway through the pre-recorded list of options, they certainly didn't want to listen to the message again.

"I'm so sorry, dear, I shouldn't have pushed you to check."

Wilhemina shrugged. "If I'm honest with myself, I didn't really expect anything different. I just hoped that maybe, I don't know..." she sighed. She did know, she had hoped that for once her parents would show ounce of love and affection, or even just anything more than apathy. Anything to indicate she was more than a burden or the fulfillment of a tickbox in the game of life.

"You would have thought that by now I would have stopped getting my hopes up" Wilhemina muttered, tears beginning to trickle down her cheeks.

"Never" the older woman asserted. "You get your hopes up because you care and you have such a capacity for love, which makes you so much more than either of them will ever be."

She reached up tenderly to wipe the tears from the younger woman's cheeks, careful to avoid to avoid the dark purple bruising now staining her right cheek.

"Besides, their loss is my gain and you have a place here for as long as you need it"

[reveltica]

Gone Blind

part iii

a/n: hello! you can now read this in ao3. The title is "Her Faith: Chapter I (Mondstadt)". I'll be constantly posting the rest of the story there instead but you could always come back here to see artwork of some scenes from my story.

i hope you find this story fun~

trigger warning: Cursing and blood

'...miracle that she's alive..'

'...blind?'

The voices fade in and out of her mind. What happened? Where was she? The last thing she remembered was that she was supposed to go to work this afternoon.

Ah, that must've been a dream. Surely, there's no way she was in Teyvat. There's no way she was chased down by Hilichurls. And there is no way in hell she would make a deal with the Devil!

She internally sighed in relief. Sometimes, her dreams could feel so real. But her relief was short-lived when she felt pain all over her body, mostly on the front of her head.

She groaned, alerting the people in the room with her. A girl rushed to her side, hushing her with a soft voice and telling her to take it easy. Iris tried prying her eyes open, but she couldn't, sensing something wrapped around her head.

'Easy there Iris, your eyes are still healing.' A familiar deep voice rang through her ears. She flinched and grunted in recognition and realization.

Ugh, so it wasn't a dream. I'm really here.

'Dantalion' she started, letting herself be assisted to sit up by the girl. She gave a quiet thank you and she made herself comfortable. 'Don't move too much, you're still healing.' Dantalion stated.

Iris scoffed and her mind reeled back to the events earlier. She couldn't believe it, she was in Teyvat. Made a deal with the Devil and possibly had lost her vision!

And what did she tell him? She doesn't mind being stuck there for a bit? She mentally kicked herself for telling him that. Of course she minds! She obviously doesn't belong there, she had a life.

And look at where that had gotten her. Blind. Blind for an escape.

But "seeing" that the damage had been done, she might as well roll with it. 'Miss Barbara, thank you for your service, but can we have a little moment to ourselves?'

Did he say Barbara?

'Why of course. Please, if you need anything please don't hesitate to call upon me or the other sisters. And may the Anemo Archon protect you.' Barbara replied before closing the door.

Iris immediately chucked a pillow to where she thought Dantalion was. 'I can't fucking believe that you're a demon! Ugh!' she groaned in annoyance. Dantalion just looked at her amusingly, trying to muffle his laughter through his fingers. Because Iris just threw the pillow through the air, nowhere near him.

'Alright, calm down tiger−'

'Calm down?! Are you fucking kidding me right now? Not only have I possibly sold my soul to the Devil, I am also blind!' She retorted. She was frustrated from all the hasty decisions and words she said.

'You'll continue to be blind if you keep on thrashing. Now hold still, I have something to do.' Dantalion said. Iris huffed and felt his presence near her. She heard him chant something unfamiliar. She felt the air around flowed and breezed around her head. Tingling sensation erupted in her eyes. The sensation slowly turned to a stinging pain that lasted for a few seconds.

She felt so much better, on the front of her head at least. Dantalion then helped her remove the bloody bandage around her eyes. She slowly opened them and she felt her heart leap from her ribcage.

She could see again! She was ecstatic, she was happy, she was overjoyed that she immediately cried for the first time in that world. After calming down, she turned towards Dantalion who was now wearing a cheeky grin.

She frowned, turned her head away and grumbled a small thank you. 'Huh? What was that? I couldn't quite hear you my dear.' He teased, cupping his hand over his ear to mock her.

'I said thank you...' much more quiet this time.

'What? Could please repeat that−'

'Ugh, I'm not repeating myself! I know you heard that in the first time!' Dantalion just laughed heartily while she was disgruntled. A second later she asked 'Why'd you helped me?'

Dantalion looked at her incredulously, arching an eyebrow. 'If I didn't give you your vision back, then how could you draw for me?' he said a-matter-of-factly. 'Oh right, yeah sorry'

'So, we really are in Genshin, huh?'

'Yup, we are.'

'Would we affect the original storyline of the game back in my world?' finally, the real question.

'Hmm, not really. This universe is already fixed*. The Teyvat we are in is a separate universe from the game itself since that one is still updating. Therefore, we wouldn't be affecting anything on your world's version of Genshin.' He explained, making Iris curious on how much he knows. 'And where did you get this, from a book from your library?'

She felt the bed dipped a bit since Dantalion sat down in front of her. Iris scooted away from him a bit, knowing full well that he is, in fact, a Great Duke of Hell. She was wary of course. Dantalion took note of this and chuckled.

'Yes, I am a demon−as you have already figured out−but not the kind your beliefs tell you I am.' He reassured her. 'Well, no. See, I am demon who could travel to any world I wish and record them for a book in my library. This is a new physical world for me to record but I could tell that this is a separate physical universe form the game back in your world.'

Iris nodded a bit, she stopped and saw her reflection on a mirror on the other side of the room. Instead of hazel brown, she saw different colors. She was confused and intrigued at the same time. Dantalion turned to where Iris was looking.

'Why−'

'Oh that? It's fine I just gave you the gift of Omniscience.' He clarified. Iris turned her head swiftly and her face scrunched up. 'Omni-what? And can I have my brown eyes back?'

'It's Omniscience, slowpoke.' Dantalion groaned, flicking Iris' forehead. 'You can activate and deactivate it whenever you wish. I gave you that gift so that whenever we encountered a new character, you would see who they are from the past. What their intentions are and if they are worthy to trust. I can't have my master be involved with sketchy people.' He huffed and crossed his arms.

Sketchy people? Like yourself? she thought and mocked him by arching an eyebrow and crossing her arms as well. Dantalion took the hint and was flustered. 'B-but, I'm already exempted aren't I?! I already pledged my loyalty to you by giving you my sigil!'

Sigil. Iris looked down at her hand. The pact mark etched on her skin, glowing in angry red. 'That reminds me, is that why you got your powers back?'

'Not all of it, just a quarter. enough to shapeshift and give you that gift.' He uttered with a hum at the end. 'That's why I need you to fill that book. Journal every magical property and then I could get my magic back.'

Iris sighed and nodded. She was now determined to accept this demon as her companion and do everything in her power to get his magic and get her back home. It all works out in both of their favors.

'Just don't do any funny business and break my trust alright?' she threatened.

Dantalion chortled and shook his head. 'Of course not! My honor as a Great Duke, I wouldn't even dream about it. But when push comes to shove, you can always break off the contract. Just slash the pact mark and it'll become null and void.' He said confidently. She just looked at him seriously, noises from outside their room could be heard.

The singing of the choir, chatters of people praying for guidance and the gentle breeze of the night passed by these fateful two. 'Alright I'll take you on your word.' She agreed and smiled.

'Of course! I am a demon of my word. You can trust me.' He encouraged, before falling down on the soft bed. Iris snorted and fixed her sitting position, to let him get comfortable.

'Really? It's still hard to hear the word "trust" coming form a demon himself.' She mused. Dantalion just groaned, lifting his hand and lazily waved her statement off.

'Oh just give it some time. You won't regret it.' He grumbled with a smile on his face. For now, she will trust him since he is the only one she could rely on going back home.

Besides, he couldn't do anything to harm her. She's practically his master.

Right?

Just then, she heard and felt her purse vibrate. She was surprised! Her phone was working? She scrambled to get her phone from her purse on the bedside table. She looked at it and saw that her notifications from her socials were still updating. The only thing that occupied her mind for the time being was:

'This is ridiculous.'

this universe is already fixed*

- meaning that the other nations are already established and because they really are not in the game itself. if they were, they would be swimming in code for months waiting for the next update. but the plot would still follow the original story of Genshin. i just wanted to clear that out, ehe.

rest of the story is here~

you might not find it in search but just type in 'reveltica' and you'll find it!

[spacem0th]

Ok. So. I don't know exactly how to do this, but I'm going to try anyway. I've never really written anything before. I may edit this post in the future. Anyway. I made a Skykid OC! A Darkid (fan-made opposite of a skykid) to be specific. And I'd like to share them.

This is Tasokize. Before and after they became a Darkid. They're a little shorter than the default height. I ended up writing an entire origin story for them, and I'll be sharing it under the cut because it is LONG.

(Links to the picrews I used are here and here)

Name - Tasokize

Cape Level - 5

Origin

Originally, Tasokize lived in the Cidadel of the Valley of Triumph. They normally never strayed too far from the exit of the Elders' temple at the end of the flying race. One day, however, curiosity got the best of them, and they went to try and see what was through the unusually dark cloud tunnel.

Then, as they were clinging to one of the rocks jutting up from the slope, a flock Skykids tumbled into them, sending Tasokize whirling into the cloud tunnel. The flock of more experienced flyers regained their balance in the air, having forgotten Tasokize in their rush to the Wasteland.

Disoriented from tumbling through the clouds, Tasokize finally managed to regain their balance in the air. As their vision cleared, they gasped in awe. They'd never been on this side of the cloud tunnel before. They had talked to other skykids about what lie past the Valley, but they could never have imagined this!

A vast space in the clouds made way to what seemed to be some ruins and a social area, similar to what Tasokize had at the top of the mountains. And a fire! Tasokize sighed in relief as they began to decend. Just then, a loud, deep call rang out.

'What was that? A giant manta?'

They turned around just in time to be met with the huge armored head of a whale.

They'd learned about these creatures before; incredibly rare, and only a few were believed to exist anymore. Snapping out of their stupor, Tasokize was just able to register being knocked into the vortex before they blacked out.

'...Ugh...'

Tasokize jolted awake, coughing up sand and they rose to their knees. They looked up. What they saw was astounding. A massive wall, split down the middle. And before it lay pieces of ruins littered across a stretch of lakes of foul black sludge. Among the ruins and sludge though were growths of dark plants and crabs skittering about. The fact that there could be life in a dreary place like this was bewildering. But they were sure about one thing: they had to get out of here. And the only way out was to go further.

Carefully maneuvering among the wreckage, Tasokize eventually made it to the entrance of the temple. Desperately trying to ignore their growing unease, they took a deep breath.

'It's now or never.'

And they stepped into the darkness.

As they moved forward, They could make out a faint moving glow on the other side of the tunnel. A single, small source of light flew around silently near the other side of the castle's entrance.

'Is that..?'

They inched closer.

'It is! A manta!'

Excited to see light for the first time since coming to this place, Tasokize rushed over to the manta.

'Hello! What are you doing here all alone?'

The manta continued to fly around, oblivious to Tasokize's noise.

'Hey, why don't I play some music so you don't feel as lonely?'

They took out their small bell and began playing a confident tune. Distracted by the manta's light in the dusky ruins, Tasokize didn't notice the danger slowly rising from the depths to greet them.

They barely managed to dodge as they watched in horror as the huge black dragon roared and went in for the kill. In a flash, the manta was gone, and all was silent.

Tasokize fell to their knees, and broke down in tears.

'Wh-what? What was that thing? What did it do? The manta -- It's gone, it -- [It's DEAD] -- It disappeared!'

They knelt there, trembling, as they tried to get their wits about them.

'O-ok. So that thing... ate the manta? I think that's the right word... Which means I should probably try to avoid it.'

Tasokize stood and gathered their surroundings. Something didn't feel right. Glancing at the back of their cape, they froze.

'Ah. I lost a star. I only have four now.'

Glancing quickly, they spotted a Winged Light out in the open.

'Oh, good!'

They moved to go out and collect it, when the grating sound of the dark dragon sounded again. Tasokize froze. At once, their vision was flooded by a blinding red light. The dark dragon rose into a striking position, and Tasokize took their last chance to dash for the Winged Light. The dark dragon charged, and Tasokize dodged at the last second, managing to grab the Winged Light in the process.

They hid. The dark dragon was still looking for them. So they stood as still as they could, and waited. And when the grinding sound had passed overhead, Tasokize lept from their cover and out of sight of the dark dragon. After taking a moment to catch their breath, they slowly moved on, collecting one more winged light as they passed it.

Sliding down a gentle slope, they stopped abruptly as numerous looming, black shapes moved among boulders and bones in the large swamp. The same dark creatures as the one that had eaten the manta.

'No way...'

They couldn't get through there. It was impossible. Then they remembered passing a large pipe at the top of the slope that had lead in a different direction. Tasokize felt a small glimmer of hope, and they held on to that as they trudged back up to the pipe. At the top of the slope, they cautiously stepped into the pipe. They could feel a slight wind coming from the other side. Getting excited, they climbed up and over the ridge inside and ran out the exit.

Only to be greeted by the sight of a desecrated shipwreck. And circling it was another dark dragon. Tasokize's small hope withered.

'Well, at least there's only one this time...'

They moved toward the ship, hopping from one piece of rubble to the next to avoid the sludge.

'These crabs seem more territorial than the ones I saw when I first arrived... Is it because of the dark dragon?'

Tasokize made their way to a large hole in the ship's hull and stepped inside.

'More crabs... Of course... I need to get to higher ground.'

They climbed up the stairs to the ship's deck.

'Okay, how do I get out of here?'

They looked around. On the other side of the black lake, a series of pipes lead up to a crumbled wall.

'There! That must lead past the swamp!'

Spreading their cape, Tasokize took a running start off of the deck and soared over the lake.

Suddenly, a dreadful roar filled their ears. Their breath hitched as the dark dragon struck and launched them onto the other side of the lake.

'GAH! '

They crashed face first into one of the pipes, and they heard their mask crack. Immediately, they brought a hand up to their face, and felt the damage.

'My mask... my mask is cracked! What does that mean? That's bad right?'

Tasokize started to panic. They glanced back up only to see two of their stars sink down into the murky water, the dark dragon making its way back toward the shipwreck.

'NO! '

They reached forward, one hand still on their cracked mask. Their light was gone.

'They're gone... Two stars... I only have two stars left! Hah... Oh, Elders! What am I going to do? I have to hide...'

Tasokize gingerly climbed up the pipes to the crumbled wall. On the other side, what they saw filled them with dread.

'A battlefield...'

They worked their way across the pipes toward what looked like a crumbled fortress. Broken shields and various weapons and blockades littered the stretch of land between the fortress and what Tasokize presumed to be the elder's temple.

'What happened here..?'

Mounted on and around the temple were giant statues of a tall, crowned figure, the one at the center of the temple's roof being the most grand of them all.

'Woah... Who is that? The elder?'

Lowering their gaze to the gate, a small light and movement caught their attention.

'It's another skykid! I'm not alone!'

Tasokize ran toward the gate's activation key where the other skykid stood with a candle. The gate opened.

'Hey!' Tasokize called and waved. 'Help me, please!'

The other skykid turned to them. Terror twisted their expression. They bolted through the temple's gate, and it closed behind them.

Tasokize became desperate.

'NO! WAIT! DON'T LEAVE ME BEHIND! '

They collapsed. They'd just made it to the middle of the battlefield. Their mask chipped, and a piece of it fell to the ground. They put a hand to their cracked mask.

'Is this why..?'

Suddenly they heard the grinding sound of a dark dragon, and the area surrounding them was bathed in red. Tasokize glanced up. Two dark dragons had emerged from the black sludge, ready to strike.

'Oh--'

Tasokize moved to dodge, and they lunged.

'AGH! '

Tasokize was thrown back towards the broken fortress as the last of their light was sent flying in the other direction. They collided with a large piece of rubble, and rolled down into the murky water. Their mask shattered.

'No...'

They reached up to the fading light of the surface.

'Someone... Help...'

Tasokize sunk quickly.

And at once, their vision was flooded by a blinding blue light.

[END]

[rixxy8173571m3w1p3]

The Little Big Things (3/4)

So like we had done not too long ago, me, @hoodoo12 @porkchop-ao3 @rickstexaschick are doing the same prompt cause we all loved the idea. And I didn't mention it before, but this story references Labyrinth, and it follows the events of this fic As The World Falls Down.

Many thanks to @xerxezra @hoodoo12 @porkchop-ao3 for some writing advice that helped me get through this chapter. I love you all.

This is part 3. If you haven't read part one or part two then read it here. (Part 1, Part 2)

_______________________

Chapter 3: Saudade

Once upon a time, not so long ago, there was a scientist, whom after trying all that he could to wake up his unconscious girlfriend had began to wonder if the only thing he hadn't tried would work; for while she appeared to be in a coma, she was merely in a deep sleep like sleeping beauty, but prettier.

“I'm sorry Rick.” you interrupted by poking his cheek. “I appreciate your lovely words, but I can't say that I'm beautiful while snoring, so you better stop that. No embellishing.”

Giving your hand a squeeze, he said softly. “But y-you are. I even have a-a picture on my phone somewhere.”

“If it's of me drooling, then it's going to magically disappear. You always like the bad pics.”

“Hohoho, there a-aren't any bad photos. I like th-them all.”

Which he meant, even if you felt contrary to the statement. “Whatever you say Rick. So, before I interrupted, you were going to explain why you used the dream inceptors. Right?”

“Mhm,” he nodded. “that's right. You see, physically there was nothing the - the matter with you, but y-you did have a bit of a fever. And monitoring your vitals, I had come to realize you already p-passed the first hour or so of sleep, during which brain waves slow down. This period of - of slow wave sleep is accompanied by relaxation of the muscles and the eyes. Then, over the next half hour or so, your br-brain activity altered drastically, and you entered the REM stage. During that stage, there is atonia or p-paralysis of the body’s muscles. Only the muscles th-that allow breathing and control eye movements remain active. I thought, that well - since nothing else worked it couldn't hurt t-t-to try using the dream inceptors.”

If your memory served correctly, you had woken up in your own bed. Which meant, he carried you, portaled into your home, and set up the monitoring equipment on your computer desk. “So, you brought me back to my home, laid me down on my bed, and plugged those earbud thingys in my ears.”

You knew what they were called, but it was always worth listening to him laugh, and feeling the happy noise reverberate through his body; this was your reward. “Those th-thingys allowed me t-to enter into your dreams. I ugh - I used t-t-to wonder what it would be like, and if y-you would welcome me in your dreams.”

“I welcome you into my home. Isn't it about the same thing?”

“N-n-not exactly. Dreams are more private. They can r-reveal or disguise our innermost thoughts and inclinations. Neither of us have th-the same dream, and our subconscious is free t-t-to play its short clips and feature length imagery.

It's - it's not like anyone c-could enters another person's dream, but I have just like other Ricks have in their own respective realities. I'm s-sorry that I did, especially w-without your permission.”

“You did what you had to, and I trust you. You never have to doubt that.”

The lilting tune around you softened to the gentle sounds similar to that of a kalimba or music box; possibly both. Kissing your temple, he admitted quietly, in a tone you hardly recognized. “Dreams they can - can be intimate as well. Did y-y-you know that?”

“No,” you blushed, his anxious heart beat making you both nervous and giddy. “but I think I'm starting to get an idea. Why,” you teased. “do you dream of me?”

Covering his face, he groaned in embarrassment. “Gosh, I-I-I do, but not in the way that y-you'd think.”

“In what way then?”

Sneaking a peek at you, he said sheepishly. “It's - I dream about how y-you help me with experiments. Sometimes I dream a-about what we normally do, and how my life is w-with you. I um - I have even dreamed that w-we switched places, and that I'm just a regular guy and you - you are this demi-goddess of science, pulling me away from my average life t-to that of adventures.”

“Demi-goddess?” you giggled, watching as his blush went from a dusty pink to a dangerous shade of red. “That's so flattering, but I'm not like that. I'm not perfect.”

“Y-you are to me.”

Poking his cheek again, you smiled. “And you are to me.”

And for a while he kept quiet, absentmindedly playing with your hair. He did that thing with his eyebrow, when he was thinking too hard for his own good; lost in his thoughts, overthinking his actions, afraid of his words which came out of his mouth. When he found the courage to speak again, his voice was colored with the usual sincerity. “I um, b-because you're sweet, I wondered if your dreams - if they would be just as sweet. M-mi corazón,” he softened, “what I'm trying t-to say is I wanted to know if - if maybe you……oh n-never mind.”

“Rick, what is it? If it's important, then you can tell me.”

Shaking his head, he relinquished his previous thought, this time giving your hand a kiss and continued with his original explanation. “At first, I um - I found myself amidst a-a parched land, where the wind whispered doubts, and the sky flashed visions of the past. I knew th-this wasn't the central point of activity, so I started w-walking.”

__________

Miles upon miles there was nothing, but a desert; not even cacti or wildflowers. It made him worry a bit, but he held onto the hope that he would soon enter the active part of the dream; wherever that might be. Later, when he came upon the people in the nearest village, he found that they were in need of water and had been digging deeper and deeper in search of it, but all their wells were dry. As they had explained, by now the melted ice from the mountain should have fed their rivers and streams, but as yet, it hadn't.

Because his heart compelled him to assist them, he borrowed the necessary supplies to go on a quest, up the mountain, where there was a castle carved out of ice and stone. And there he found a comely young man seated upon a throne of clear quartz; he was the king of the mountain, who had been withholding the water, for the village leader had refused to relinquish his fair daughter, on the grounds that the king was immortal. After an in-depth discussion, the two came to an agreement, with the king abdicating the throne and returning to the land of mortals in hopes of wooing his lady love. Now, a deal was a deal, and the moment the scientist placed the crown upon his head, he gained the power beyond his current understanding, and was able to extend his sight; allowing him to see what occurred across the land he reigned over and beyond. And it happened, that when his eyes found his beloved, he was shocked to find she was but a babe.

You sat up, pulling yourself out of his grasp.

“Hold up! You mean to say that you had to wait for me to grow up?”

“Again?” he frowned a little. “Y-y-yes, I did.”

Your heart sank at his reply. “What do you mean again? Oh God, don't tell me this happened before.”

Scratching the back of his neck, he sighed. “N-n-not exactly the same way, but that's a-a story for another time.”

“Alright.”

This was common with him. If he wasn't ready to talk about something, then he'd promise to tell you later; whenever that would be. Oh, but a different thought occurred to you. What if he had waited for you to grow up in your reality? Why, that would have been absurd, unless he had met you before, but when? At the moment, you were too tired to go through the whole list of theories. He continued. “In your dream, I had t-to, because time travels differently in - in dreams, and if I-I hadn't had the powers which were granted me, I would have…y-you know.”

“Goodness, you could….. you would have died… before we ever met again. Right? Oh Rick, I know you explained how the dream inceptors worked before, but I sometimes can't wrap my head around it.”

He waited over twenty years in a dream. Who does that? Not anyone you had ever known, but Zeta-7 wasn't just anyone. It spoke volumes about his affection for you, and further about his determination. Looking down at his lanky form, you felt tears pricking at the back of your eyes. He didn't look a day older, but that was the magic of dreams wasn't it? There was always a way. “Thank goodness you're still here. I don't know how I'd live with myself if you had died because of me.”

Giving your hand a light squeeze, you couldn't hold back your tears anymore. You really were were a horrible person. If he wasn't so kind hearted surely he would hate. Your idiocy time and time again had brought him hardship and pain. Why did he love you if your were like this?

You heard the rustling of clothes, and felt his warmth all around you. Pulling you close, he squeezed you tight, telling you it was going to be alright. And all you could do was drown in his unconditional love which is as vast and limitless as the furthest reaches of space. You two remained like this until your tears dried up, and all that was left was comfort. When you found your voice, as sniffly and girlish it was, you wondered. “What did you do with your time? Over all those years?”

With a voice colored with relief, he answered. “All th-that I could.”

___________

The previous king had left the land in disarray, so he did all he could in his power to make things right. Immediately, he made sure the water flowed at a steady pace, and the once dying land in due time was fertile again due to his guidance. And when the people were no longer hungry, and the village prospered, many came to show their devotion and gratitude to the new king. They wondered how they could repay him, but the king didn't need anything. However, when they saw that he needed assistance in planting, and covering the land with flowers, they got to work immediately.

Hybrid blue roses, forget-me-nots, morning glories, night-sky petunias, and any other flower he could conjure would be planted. Only one side was dedicated for those blue flowers; the side with the best view. And the rest of the land that wasn't used for farming was covered with giant sunflowers; all of them for his beloved. Time, it wanted to make him a dreamer, and even if logic told him otherwise, it took a little longer than usual to accept it. Time would pass, and it would all happen soon. He could wait.

“I remember the lovely flowers along the rolling hills.” you commented. “I saw them my whole life and longed for the places I couldn't go. They couldn't be found where I lived because of the climate, but you wanted me to remember, didn't you?”

“I-I did. You see, the last time you thought of blue it was connected with something toxic. Therefore, you a-a-associated the color with something bad, and I hoped you - you would remember your life w-w-with…..”

“With you?”

“With everything y-you cared for.”

He always gave himself too little credit. This man was worthy of so much, and you'd worship the ground he walked on if he'd let you. Tilting your head up, you pressed a kiss on his cheek.“Which is mostly you.”

“R-really?”

“Of course Ricky.”

Tucking a lock of hair behind your ear, he was about to say something, but his ioculus stretched themselves to kiss you before he had a chance to. Wherever they could touch, they kissed, and no matter how much he'd scold them, they were as eager as could be. You'd say they had a bit of a rebellious streak. Not wanting Zeta-7 to worry, you gave into their whim, kissing each bud of theirs on the head, to which made them bloom, and pull away. Honestly, they were adorable, but to Zeta-7, who was naturally reserved and cautious, they were disrespectful, and naughty.

“Gosh,” he blushed. “I'm s-s-so sorry. I didn't - I don't know why they do that.”

Again, you had your theories, believing that they acted upon the true inclinations of the heart, but you kept this to yourself. “It's okay,” you reassured him. “they're not bothering me.”

“They r-really do have a-a mind of their own.”

“So they do.” you giggled. “I um, what I was going to say was that I only remember bits and pieces of the before times. It's funny to call it that, as though I've lived separate lifetimes, but that's how I think of it.”

“Fascinating.”

“You think so? Well, maybe it's like chapters, or alternate dimensions, but that wouldn't explain it either. The before times was from the time I was born and ended when I met Jareth. After I met him, my memory of before got kind of hazy.”

“I-I see. Well, that's - that's perfectly natural. It's like any other dream, which most of - of us can't remember when we wake.”

Then, how come you kept on remembering?

___________________

Over and over, you encouraged him to go on. No detail was too small. Whether it was about the time the villagers tried to offer him a bride, or the creatures he made of ice and stone to be his companions in his castle. Though, there were other things you wanted to know.

“Where I lived it never rained, but it often rained on the mountain. Was it natural, or was it because you cried?”

“Jeez, where d-do I begin? If I-I tried to lessen the importance of a memory, then it - it became somewhat manageable. I thought I would have gotten used to it, because I've spent many years of - of my life alone. But, being with you, I let go of m-my habit of detachment, and without it, how does one forget s-s-so easily?”

“I don't know.” You answered, cause you were still trying to figure that out as well.

“There ugh - there were times when th-the loneliness was almost too hard to bear, and I-I-I couldn't - there was nothing I could do, but I had t-t-to carry on. Still, without trying, the memories lingered, and life seemed to come out of focus.”

“Hmm, I used to wonder about what was going on up there, and what living in that kingdom was like. In your skilled hands it must have been beautiful.”

“It - it was.”

“I used to cry sometimes, because I had heard many sad stories about lonely mountain king. Now, with everything that you told me, I guess it means that a great deal of the stories were true.”

With a nod, he agreed. “Th-they probably were.”

_______________________

“Did you always know where I was?”

“N-n-not always. I could only see so far, even if I - I walked to the edge of the kingdom. However, our first meeting was serendipitous t-t-to say the least. I ugh - I was surprised when y-you found me.”

“I did?”

He raised his brow then, his eyes laughing at the memory. “Yeah, it was while I was resting by the river, after a long day of research. Your mind is such a-a wonderful, fascinating place. I-I never got bored of exploring it, though it - it did make me lonely. My perception of you changed over all this new information. And on that day I-I had been thinking about you when you happened t-to show up. You - you were on your way home, after a-a day of playing in the field, the one nearest to my kingdom. Hohoho, you were holding a daisy chain, and y-you gave it to me.”

“How old was I?”

“Hmm, probably about six or - or seven. I told you that y-you should go home, but you wanted t-t-to play.”

“That does sound like something I'd do. Man, I can't believe you had to deal with a brat like me.”

��No, it - it was no trouble at all. I um - I carried you on my shoulders, until w-we were near your home. And w-waited until you went inside before I went back.”

And you remembered, as fuzzy and foggy as it was, you remembered.

Day by day, you kept having visions of the life before, when you still walked amongst the mortals, and your older male slave was your dearest companion. Why? It didn't make sense, he hadn't even been handsome, but he was kind, loyal, generous, and soft hearted.

Through streams and meadows, with eyes still full of stardust, you followed him as a though you were his humble maidservant. On his sleeves were comet’s hair, his soul made of sunshine, and he too made you very happy. Oh, but it didn't matter anymore; they were simply girlish dreams. Or were they?

“I used to think that you were only a dream, but I saw you near the river a few times over the years after that didn't I?”

With a soft smile, he replied. “Th-that's right.”

“Then why didn't you say anything?”

“Because I wanted y-you to have a choice, and when you got older, I-I-I decided to stay away because the villagers began to talk. I didn't want anyone to be given reason t-to think badly of you.”

That was exactly like him, to look out for your best interests. As a child, at least in your dream living out this second childhood, you did feel funny. Though childish sentiments aside, you had adored the quiet intelligence of his, and the calm, sweet temperament; even when you hadn't the words to match the emotions felt, you carried a strong attachment. “I had missed you, I….it was my favorite part of the day. Why couldn't we have run away together or something?”

Scratching the back of his head, he sighed then looked you dead in the eye, more serious than he had ever been, answering without a stutter. “Because it would have been wrong.”

“I don't understand. It was only a dream.”

“I mean, if I-I would have brought you to my kingdom, you would’ve been given your own wing, and everything y-you desired, but you - you would have stopped aging. That's why I-I never kept any servants, and why you couldn't have come because you would have remained a…you know. ”

“A child.” you finished, and you realized that morally, he would have had to be patient, and focus on the attainable things. “So,” you continued. “you stayed away to keep things appropriate.”

“Mhm. I - I still thought of you as my friend, and I was grateful for even th-that much. I-I knew you wouldn't be a child f-forever, and that I couldn't make time stand still, but neither was I moving along with it. Seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, into months; it was passing along, and I-I remained the same, but you - you had t-t-to survive, and it would've been selfish to make things harder for you. So, I had to wait.”

TBC