Let's Not [Obliterate]

Chapter 141: Dream-Proof

It took a while for Theora to calm down. She only managed to take a proper look at the Frame on the third try. There were well over a dozen people in it, standing in front of Dema’s house, smiling at the viewer.

Dema, having patiently waited, happily took the opportunity to point at the first person and go, “Lostina!”

Lostina looked a few years older now. Her black hair was fuller and shorter. She was smiling wide, holding what looked like Theora’s copy of To Hell With the Author.

“She’s the one who like, organised it all.” Dema made a motion encompassing the entire picture. “You know how there’s a Class called [Summoner] in their world? And how you made a big mess and scratched a hole between theirs and ours?” Theora flinched. She did remember. “Well, after we were gone, Lostina ended up re

“If you don’t mind.”

It took Theora a moment to realise Antankla was addressing her. “I don’t. Please do.”

“Well. As you may know, I met your friends in the Lands of the Dead, after someone put my soul into this body.” Theora wasn’t sure she knew any of that. “This brain, unusually, still has some fragments of memories. The original owner had volunteered their body for use as a vessel for me after dying — they were a [Mage], though, so maybe I should have expected potential quirks. Be that as it may — those memories speak of a hidden location. I have spent some time researching this place out of curiosity, and the research led me to you. So, my question is this — have you been to the Silver Quaints?”

It was difficult to follow along, and Theora tried her best. She sifted through what little remained in her head, in hopes that any of this might ring a bell.

It didn’t. “I’m sorry. I don’t think I remember.”

“Theora,” Bell said, sternly. She was staring, and her blue skin flared in faint bioluminescent frizzles. “You’ve been lost in a hostile environment for almost two hundred years. No sound, nothing to see, nothing to feel. It is a miracle that you even remember our names. Don’t be ‘sorry’ for not recalling some small detail.”

“I didn’t think she meant that kind of sorry!” Isobel said, cheerily. 

Dema squirmed. “I’m pretty sure she did.”

Bell turned to Antankla. “In any case, An — Let Theora spend a while back on this planet, among people. That might help. Also, you could give her a book to read on the lore of that place.”

“That’s a very good idea,” Antankla said, nodding. “Thank you, Theora if you’d be willing to read it, of course. Since this matter is dear to the donor of this body, it is quite important to me too, so please forgive my brashness.”

Theora shook her head. “Feel free to be brash with me. I will do my best.” 

Dema giggled. “An’s being really polite today. Makes me nostalgic.”

Bell tutted. “You are going to make her self-conscious.”

Indeed, Antankla was averting her face. “I-In any case,” she said, “Thank you. I will bring books when I come over next time. I’ll have to find some that aren’t written in Relief.”

“Bedtime!” Dema cheered. 

It was dark outside by now. Theora lay down, drawing Dema close. “Bedtime.”

Leaves rustled outside among the pattering of the Rains of Fire. Neither of the two closed their eyes. They just kept gazing at each other, holding hands. 

Dema finally gave in with a laugh. “Can’t sleep.”

Theora took a deep breath. “I can’t, either.”

“Why not?”

Theora bit her lips. “Do you sometimes think everything might be too good to be true?”

“Overthinking again, huh?”

“Maybe.” Theora grazed over Dema’s fingers. “I don’t know. I thought things were too good to be true during our return journey. But I had that thought even before I got lost in the Grand Voids. When I look at you, I think, this may be too good to be true. And that… that I might wake up. That it was all a dream. And that, in reality, I haven’t ever met you.”

Dema pulled her closer. “I was really surprised when someone came into the Cube of Solitude after so long. And yeah, I thought it was pretty neat when I could convince you to tag along so I didn’t have to be alone. I think meeting you was like, the best thing ever for me. And even while you were up there, I knew we’d get you back. I knew we’d come for you.”

Theora nodded. “I still wish I’d come for you earlier.”

“You know,” Dema rasped. “I waited.”

“What? You waited?”

“Isobel did the manipulation thingy, and then Bell received the Orb, and gave it to me. And then I waited.”

“You waited,” Theora echoed.

“Yeah. I really wanted to snap it. But I was a little stunned. Left you up there for almost ten seconds. Hurts, right? I’m a bad girl. Should have come for you earlier.”

“I don’t understand what you are saying. That does not compare.”

“It does!”

“Two wrongs don’t make a right.”

Dema shrugged. “Call it revenge, then?”

Theora shook her head and frowned. “You didn’t even do it on purpose. I forgive you. What do you mean, you waited ten seconds? You should have waited a bit longer. Made sure you were ready. It was a big jump. You didn’t even know where you might end up. I could have been anywhere. You should have waited longer than ten seconds.”

“That’s it, then,” Dema whispered. “You made sure you were ready.”

Theora’s eyelids fluttered, having her own words used against her like that. It was incredibly unfair and untrue but she was too tired to argue with it.

“And,” Dema continued, “so what if it’s a dream? I’m gonna find you.” She stroked down Theora’s arm, and then closed a soft grip around the blood bracelet. “We’re gonna find each other, ‘cause we’ll still have these. They are dream-proof!”

Theora huffed out a laugh. “You just made that up.”

“Doesn’t make it any less true. Dream-proof.”

Theora nodded, and finally pulled the blanket over Dema. Dema spread the other half over Theora.

“We’re dream-proof,” Theora murmured.

Dema nodded against her forehead. “Sleep well, Bun Bun.”