09-04-2017, 07:09 PM
Belle turned, frowning slightly, and raised an eyebrow at Heidi, feeling her heart start to slow as she did, the adrenaline rush fading from her veins. “What, you mean you don't know?” she asked. Belle had heard from Primes about how each of them were supposed to get a pep-talk of some sort from the ruler of the Omniverse. “Didn't Omni clue you in?”
Heidi's blank look answered her question more effectively than any words. Belle started to sigh – something she felt like she was going to be doing a lot around Heidi - but then stopped herself. It could be worse.
“There are two kinds of people in this world,” Belle explained as she started to walk down the path. She held up her index finger. “Primes.” She then raised her middle finger to join the first. “And Secondaries. Primes are like you – people that were summoned by Omni. And Omni is sort of like...” She searched for a way to describe him, turning her eyes towards the lush canopy. “I guess you would call him a 'God.' That's the way people treat him. He brings Primes here to play in his game.”
“Game?” Heidi asked.
Belle nodded. “Yeah, game. I don't know what you were like where you came from, but I'm guessing you probably feel a little weaker or stronger than before? That's part of the game – Omni wants every Prime on a level playing field. And there are rules. You probably saw a bunch of soldiers with guns when you came in, right?”
Heidi nodded.
“Scary, right? But here's the thing: those guns probably couldn't hurt you. They're only there to intimidate fresh Primes that don't know how things work yet. In the Omniverse, a gun is only as strong as the person using it. And that's not some bullcrap line from an anime – here, it's literal, because everything is made of Omnilium. And that's part of what makes Primes so special – you make that stuff just by existing. As long as you're here, as long as you continue to... 'be', you'll get more of that stuff. Y'follow?”
Heidi nodded again, though looking less and less certain as she tried to keep up.
“Now, Secondaries – that's me – we're different. Omni didn't pull us in. We just sort of … show up as these places get bigger. Or a Prime brings someone here using their Omnilium. If you can think it, you can make it.”
Belle continued to explain the rules as the pair wandered deeper into the forest, the undergrowth seamlessly transitioning from scrub to jungle, then back again. After what felt like an hour, Belle called a rest, sitting back again a tree trunk, finding a convenient rock for seating. She wished she had thought to maybe stop off somewhere first, grab some snacks for the road. After all the excitement of the last day, she found she was starving. “Anyway, that's... about it for now,” she said, sighing as she fanned herself and looked for Heidi. “Do you think you have a handle on -.... it?....”
Heidi's lips were pursed, her face screwed up. Belle could practically see steam leaking from the girl's ears. Slowly, a bubblegum balloon swelled between the pigtail girl's lips, trembled, then popped, hanging limp against her chin. “Uh huh,” Heidi said at last, licking her gum back up.
Belle rubbed the back of her head with her good hand. “I guess it is kind of information overload. It'll take a while to sink in. It did for me...”
She thought back. She had been so lost after being dumped in the Omniverse. Shunted from place to place, only to land in the human garbage dump that was Coruscant's Tier 4. Lost in the cracks... Without a friend to count on. Lily was the first. What if she had never shown up?
Eyes refocused, looking towards Heidi. The girl was currently attempting to blow a larger bubble than before. She seemed to have either an endless supply of sticks, or else didn't mind chewing on flavorless. It was also possible the stick simply hand unlimited taste – Primes didn't really care a lot for the rules. She just went along, chewing away like she didn't have a care in the world. Instead, the Omniverse would chew her up and spit her out, a discarded glob on the side of the road. Just like it did everyone.
Why did Belle earn this power … ?
“Listen,” Belle said, her voice quiet. “I think it's probably best if you don't tell everyone about what you are just yet. A lot of Secondaries – we don't really trust Primes. You could draw a lot of trouble your way, especially since you're new.”
“I gotcha. So, like a cover story, right?” Heidi chirped, smiling broadly. “I can do that. I'm a Segundo. And you're my friend. And you had a boating accident.”
“We're not-... Ugh. That's closer to the truth than I like,” Belle grumbled, closing one eye and wincing at the memory. Boating accident. Pfft.
“How did it get hurt?” Heidi asked.
“Monsters,” Belle said, as if that one word was enough to explain everything. “It's not important.”
With a grunt, Belle started to lever herself out of her seat, and paused. Heidi was already standing, a hand offered to her. The redhead hesitated, before reluctantly accepting the assistance. The Prime's grip was strong – probably as strong as her's. “Thanks,” she mumbled.
“No problem, bestie!” Heidi giggled before looping an arm around Belle's waist, starting to walk.
“Heidi?”
“Yeah, bestie?”
“If that hand goes any lower, you're going to lose it.”
~+~+~+~
Belle stopped, motioning with her hand for Heidi to do the same. Straining her ears, she bit her lower lip, eyes narrowed.
“What's wrong?” Heidi asked, squeaking in her usual high-pitched way.
Belle winced. “Shh!” she hissed. “I think I heard something...”
It had been several hours since the rope bridge incident. The sun was beginning its languorous dip lower in the heavens, and Belle had to admit, not for the first time, that she wasn't looking forward to going 'home', where only artificial light waited...
… Though at least those streets weren't prowled by animals. Well. A different kind of animal, at least. Putting her hand over Heidi's mouth, Belle pushed the girl with her shoulder, taking refuge in a nearby bush. Everything was quiet, save for the rustle of wind through the tree tops...
Belle was just starting to think maybe she had been imagining things, when there was a sudden shaking of branches further down the path. With menace and dread, the foliage parted to reveal...
A fairy.
Belle let out an explosive breath, sagging in place, as the diminutive creature flitted about, looking curiously left to right. There was an 'ah ha!' as the tiny being located her target, and with a moment's pause, darted to grab a twig of berries from a nearby bush.
Heidi laughed, breaking the muffling of Belle's hand. “Oh noooo,” Heidi tittered, rocking back onto her bottom as she held her belly, kicking her feet. “Look out! She's gonna get you, Belle!”
Belle did her best to glower, her cheeks flaming with embarrassment. “Sh... shut up... It could have been something...” she grumbled, turning from Heidi's mirth to locate the pixie, now nowhere to be found.
“What are you doing?”
The small voice came from above, and when Belle lifted her head, it was to find the inches-high fairy standing on her head, leaning over to stare upside-down into Belle's eyes, mildly curious expression on her face, the two small antennae sticking out from the pixie's short head of hair twitching.
Heidi's blank look answered her question more effectively than any words. Belle started to sigh – something she felt like she was going to be doing a lot around Heidi - but then stopped herself. It could be worse.
“There are two kinds of people in this world,” Belle explained as she started to walk down the path. She held up her index finger. “Primes.” She then raised her middle finger to join the first. “And Secondaries. Primes are like you – people that were summoned by Omni. And Omni is sort of like...” She searched for a way to describe him, turning her eyes towards the lush canopy. “I guess you would call him a 'God.' That's the way people treat him. He brings Primes here to play in his game.”
“Game?” Heidi asked.
Belle nodded. “Yeah, game. I don't know what you were like where you came from, but I'm guessing you probably feel a little weaker or stronger than before? That's part of the game – Omni wants every Prime on a level playing field. And there are rules. You probably saw a bunch of soldiers with guns when you came in, right?”
Heidi nodded.
“Scary, right? But here's the thing: those guns probably couldn't hurt you. They're only there to intimidate fresh Primes that don't know how things work yet. In the Omniverse, a gun is only as strong as the person using it. And that's not some bullcrap line from an anime – here, it's literal, because everything is made of Omnilium. And that's part of what makes Primes so special – you make that stuff just by existing. As long as you're here, as long as you continue to... 'be', you'll get more of that stuff. Y'follow?”
Heidi nodded again, though looking less and less certain as she tried to keep up.
“Now, Secondaries – that's me – we're different. Omni didn't pull us in. We just sort of … show up as these places get bigger. Or a Prime brings someone here using their Omnilium. If you can think it, you can make it.”
Belle continued to explain the rules as the pair wandered deeper into the forest, the undergrowth seamlessly transitioning from scrub to jungle, then back again. After what felt like an hour, Belle called a rest, sitting back again a tree trunk, finding a convenient rock for seating. She wished she had thought to maybe stop off somewhere first, grab some snacks for the road. After all the excitement of the last day, she found she was starving. “Anyway, that's... about it for now,” she said, sighing as she fanned herself and looked for Heidi. “Do you think you have a handle on -.... it?....”
Heidi's lips were pursed, her face screwed up. Belle could practically see steam leaking from the girl's ears. Slowly, a bubblegum balloon swelled between the pigtail girl's lips, trembled, then popped, hanging limp against her chin. “Uh huh,” Heidi said at last, licking her gum back up.
Belle rubbed the back of her head with her good hand. “I guess it is kind of information overload. It'll take a while to sink in. It did for me...”
She thought back. She had been so lost after being dumped in the Omniverse. Shunted from place to place, only to land in the human garbage dump that was Coruscant's Tier 4. Lost in the cracks... Without a friend to count on. Lily was the first. What if she had never shown up?
Eyes refocused, looking towards Heidi. The girl was currently attempting to blow a larger bubble than before. She seemed to have either an endless supply of sticks, or else didn't mind chewing on flavorless. It was also possible the stick simply hand unlimited taste – Primes didn't really care a lot for the rules. She just went along, chewing away like she didn't have a care in the world. Instead, the Omniverse would chew her up and spit her out, a discarded glob on the side of the road. Just like it did everyone.
Why did Belle earn this power … ?
“Listen,” Belle said, her voice quiet. “I think it's probably best if you don't tell everyone about what you are just yet. A lot of Secondaries – we don't really trust Primes. You could draw a lot of trouble your way, especially since you're new.”
“I gotcha. So, like a cover story, right?” Heidi chirped, smiling broadly. “I can do that. I'm a Segundo. And you're my friend. And you had a boating accident.”
“We're not-... Ugh. That's closer to the truth than I like,” Belle grumbled, closing one eye and wincing at the memory. Boating accident. Pfft.
“How did it get hurt?” Heidi asked.
“Monsters,” Belle said, as if that one word was enough to explain everything. “It's not important.”
With a grunt, Belle started to lever herself out of her seat, and paused. Heidi was already standing, a hand offered to her. The redhead hesitated, before reluctantly accepting the assistance. The Prime's grip was strong – probably as strong as her's. “Thanks,” she mumbled.
“No problem, bestie!” Heidi giggled before looping an arm around Belle's waist, starting to walk.
“Heidi?”
“Yeah, bestie?”
“If that hand goes any lower, you're going to lose it.”
~+~+~+~
Belle stopped, motioning with her hand for Heidi to do the same. Straining her ears, she bit her lower lip, eyes narrowed.
“What's wrong?” Heidi asked, squeaking in her usual high-pitched way.
Belle winced. “Shh!” she hissed. “I think I heard something...”
It had been several hours since the rope bridge incident. The sun was beginning its languorous dip lower in the heavens, and Belle had to admit, not for the first time, that she wasn't looking forward to going 'home', where only artificial light waited...
… Though at least those streets weren't prowled by animals. Well. A different kind of animal, at least. Putting her hand over Heidi's mouth, Belle pushed the girl with her shoulder, taking refuge in a nearby bush. Everything was quiet, save for the rustle of wind through the tree tops...
Belle was just starting to think maybe she had been imagining things, when there was a sudden shaking of branches further down the path. With menace and dread, the foliage parted to reveal...
A fairy.
Belle let out an explosive breath, sagging in place, as the diminutive creature flitted about, looking curiously left to right. There was an 'ah ha!' as the tiny being located her target, and with a moment's pause, darted to grab a twig of berries from a nearby bush.
Heidi laughed, breaking the muffling of Belle's hand. “Oh noooo,” Heidi tittered, rocking back onto her bottom as she held her belly, kicking her feet. “Look out! She's gonna get you, Belle!”
Belle did her best to glower, her cheeks flaming with embarrassment. “Sh... shut up... It could have been something...” she grumbled, turning from Heidi's mirth to locate the pixie, now nowhere to be found.
“What are you doing?”
The small voice came from above, and when Belle lifted her head, it was to find the inches-high fairy standing on her head, leaning over to stare upside-down into Belle's eyes, mildly curious expression on her face, the two small antennae sticking out from the pixie's short head of hair twitching.
Uh oh. Those boys got me all tingly...
![[Image: ezgif-1-a370e630e1.gif]](https://s7.postimg.cc/elmiaogd7/ezgif-1-a370e630e1.gif)
I must calm it.
I must calm it.