This isn't the Green Sun

[megid0-maiden.livejournal.com]

Characters: Aradia Megido (OU) + open
Setting: Room 2-03, floor three, floor four or anywhere in-between - just note where you're finding her
Format: Starts in prose but will match comments
Summary: This is not where she expected to end up
Warnings: None.

Aradia had always known that using Noir as a map to the Green Sun would be risky, but nowhere in any of her thoughts had there been the possibility that it would cause her to fall asleep again (at least, she was assuming that was the case) and wake up somewhere entirely different.

Still, she was used to the game throwing weird twists of fate at her. And once she read the notes, even as she wasn't sure how this tied in with what she'd been doing before, she was more than convinced that arguing the matter probably wasn't going to help.

Instead, she decided to make a start on exploring. The first and second floors held little interest; the third, however, caught her attention enough that she spent some time browsing the shelves, making note of the many volumes that appeared to offer interesting reading material. And when she reached the fourth, the vastness of the view around her was enough to convince her that perhaps it would be okay to sit here for a while.

Comments

[thekidsare0kay]

He nodded. "Tho you don't remember being in the tower before?" he asked quietly. "You were here before, but then you were gone. And now you're back! Tho... that'th nithe, and you only mithhed a lot of shitty thtuff." He smiled hesitantly.

[megid0-maiden.livejournal.com]

She shook her head, frown deepening a little. "I don't...I'm sorry, Sollux. I've never seen anything like this before. Maybe the other me was an offshoot?"

At his smile, however, her own expression brightened. "Well yes, I suppose it is nice now I know you're here. Maybe you can help me explore...again. Or, not again, I don't know how past me handled it."

[thekidsare0kay]

"Maybe," he said, frowning. "I guethh that would make thenthe. There are a lot of people from weird univertheth here, tho for all we know nearly everyone ith from a doomed timeline that jutht theemth to be the thame univerthe."

He chuckled and nodded. "I could give you a tour if you want?"

[megid0-maiden.livejournal.com]

"Maybe." Which was something of a sad thought. Was this where doomed timelines came to die? And if that was the case, what did she do wrong to end up here?

Still, she never could turn down the chance of a tour, especially from Sollux. "I'd like that a lot, thank you."

[thekidsare0kay]

"Yeah, no problem," Sollux said, brightening a bit. He hadn't seen nearly enough of alive Aradia lately, and the fact that she even wanted to spend time with him was wonderful.

Then his smile faltered. "Uh, there'th thomething elthe you don't remember, then, but, I mean, you're not obligated or anything, if you feel different..." Oh god, why does he have to be so stupid and awkward? "We, the other AA and I, I mean, dethided that we thtill...wanted to be together. But um, you don't have to, if you don't want."

[megid0-maiden.livejournal.com]

Aradia couldn't help but grin in spite of herself. "Really? Um, wow. That's...I don't know what to say. I mean, don't get me wrong, I've missed you so much. I just...last I remember, you were still upset with me for spending so much time with Equius."

[thekidsare0kay]

Right. Equius.

Sollux bit his lip, scowling at the floor. Why had he even brought it up? She'd been here about ten seconds. But he'd turned down that weird Feferi who never played the game and hurt her feelings because of this, and he just wanted to know where they stood.

"If you'd rather be with him, I understand," he made himself say. "Fuck, he'th an athhhole and you can do better than either of uth, but at leatht he didn't kill you. I didn't bring it up to pressure you or anything, aa... I jutht don't want to make athhumptionth. If you'd rather be friendth, that'th fine with me."

[megid0-maiden.livejournal.com]

Her face fell a little at seeing his crestfallen expression. "Sollux, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply that's what I wanted. Why do you think I spent my last moments as a robot talking to you instead of him? He might not have killed me but for one thing, that wasn't your fault and for another thing, at least you didn't try to force me to have feelings for you."

She bit her lip, trying to make sense of the rush of feelings his admission had brought up. "I know I can't say that I never stopped thinking of you because I know I distanced myself for so long. This is all incredibly new but if you think we can make it work then so do I."

Well, except for the part where she was immortal now but they were both too young to worry too much about that just yet.

[thekidsare0kay]

Oh. Sollux looked up, listening to what she said through the filter of self-hatred that pretty much saturated everything. He honestly couldn't understand why she would want to be with him - but that was nothing new.

"I want to make it work," he said cautiously. "If you do. I don't want to forthe you into anything, either."

[megid0-maiden.livejournal.com]

She smiled, moving to try and hug him again. "I wasn't sure I'd even ever see you again, never mind having a second chance at this...you're not forcing me, Sollux. There's a lot I still don't understand but I know that however much they were hidden, my feelings for you haven't changed."

Grinning, she added, "Besides. Now I have all the more reason for wanting this tour."

[thekidsare0kay]

He hugged her back, letting out a breath, then smiled at her as he drew back a bit. "You're the cutetht. I don't think I can handle you."

Taking her hand, he grinned. "Guethh we should get going, then."

[megid0-maiden.livejournal.com]

She giggled at his comment. "Well, I'll at least be expecting you to try. I promise I won't be too much of a handful."

She squeezed his hand gently as he took her own. "In that case, lead on."

[thekidsare0kay]

"That'th an impothhible promithe for you to keep, aa." He squeezed back, leading her towards the stairs. "Do you want to go up or down?"

[megid0-maiden.livejournal.com]

She let out a feigned gasp of indignation. "And just what is that supposed to mean, Sollux Captor?"

Of course, the fact that she was giggling at the same time rather ruined the effect but she was in far too good a mood to worry about that.

"Hmm, up. I've done down, at least for now."

[thekidsare0kay]

God, he will never get over seeing her happy. He is pretty much beaming, and despite living in a crazy horrific tower filled with insane people, some of whom want him dead, he's feeling pretty good about life.

"It meanth you're a double handful no matter what you try to do," he said, laughing as he began to climb the stairs.

[megid0-maiden.livejournal.com]

That just prompts a grin. She's only been God Tier for a matter of hours but already she's liking the feeling of utter aliveness that it's brought to everything she does. No more distant apathy for her.

"Well then it's just as well I have someone on hand who's used to dealing in doubles."

[thekidsare0kay]

He yellows a bit, realizing what he said and how else it could be taken. "Yeah well, you know I like two of everything, tho it workth out."

[megid0-maiden.livejournal.com]

"That's what I meant." More giggles. "Don't worry, I know that wasn't what you meant."

[thekidsare0kay]

He snickers in return, the blush fading. "Well, maybe it wath. You don't know."

[megid0-maiden.livejournal.com]

And now a dark red flush comes to her cheeks, though she tries to downplay it. "Oh is that so? And you call me the handful?"

[thekidsare0kay]

He grins at her, though he's still blushing. "Yeah, unlike you, I'm jutht quiet and demure and I alwayth behave."

[megid0-maiden.livejournal.com]

Okay, she has to snigger at that. "Oh yes, so quiet and demure. I'm not sure how I could ever possibly think that you might be otherwise."

[thekidsare0kay]

"It'th true," he said in the face of all logic, grinning.

[megid0-maiden.livejournal.com]

"Are you perhaps implying that I implied I don't believe you?" Frankly, Aradia wasn't paying the blindest bit of attention to where they were going now. It just felt so good to relax and joke with Sollux like they'd always used to.

[thekidsare0kay]

A tour? What? Sollux had forgotten, too, and was just climbing on autopilot, heading for the videogame room. "I don't even remember what the fuck I implied," he laughed. "Now I'm jutht confuthed."