Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

- READER -

You’d been waiting for this day for an entire year. The day Sunday’s banner finally went live. He was by far your favourite character and the first second you saw him a year ago in that live stream announcing the Penacony update, he’d stolen your heart.

With his angelic little ear wings and golden halo, not to mention that smirk and his voice. You knew you needed him and it didn’t matter what he did, you’d decided at that moment you would give him everything.

And you meant it.

Not only had you been saving in game for almost the entire year, only breaking it to pull for Robin and her light cone, but you’d also opened a savings account just in case your luck turned sour. Which was likely given your goal was to max his eidolons and grab his light cone.

But he deserved it all.

When your friend, Sofia, had asked you three days ago if you could swap shifts you’d jumped at the chance and were so excited you could login as soon as the game’s servers came back online. And with that time swiftly approaching, you‘d wandered into your brother’s old room to turn his old PC on.

As you waited for the update to finish downloading, you slowly tightened the hood of your favourite jacket with the two cords near your neck then loosened it before tightening it again all the while staring out the rectangle window not far from you at what little of the sky was visible. Although there was not a cloud in sight right now, that was likely to change in a few hours if the weather forecast was accurate.

Which begged the question… how long was the new story? Would you be able to finish it before the storm rolled in? Perhaps you should start with that first? You could wait just a little longer to pull for Sunday, couldn’t you? Maybe there would be an even better place than the Dewlight Pavillion to stand with Robin for extra luck?

Glancing at the screen, you loosened the hood then let the cords go as the download finished its final few percent and sat up straighter in the chair. Reaching for the mouse, you clicked as fast as you could until the game loaded, then claimed as many of the free wishing currency as you could before opening Sunday’s banner.

He was beautiful, reaching for the golden feather with his angelic pose and golden cherubs flying among the clouds. Even though you’d set his drip marketing as your phone’s screensaver a few weeks ago you’d never grow tired of looking at him.

Exiting out of the wishing screen, you began the story.

…

A few hours later, you progressed the Home Décor event just enough to unlock the Astral Express’s Party Car and found Sunday standing in the far corner. As you stood beside him with your Trailblazer, you couldn’t believe he was now on the train and were so excited to see where his story went.

He was so different to how you remembered him and his saying goodbye to Robin was such a bittersweet moment that you hoped they wouldn’t be parted for long. You loved how funny Wonweek was and couldn’t help but laugh when Sunday mentioned trying to fly with his ear wings. Only when he severed his halo before entering the Dreamscape, did you realise just how little you knew about Halovians and how much you wished the game would expand upon their lore.

You would need time to digest everything, but at least you’d found the perfect place to pull for him now. Albeit it would be even better if you could use Robin, instead of Trailblazer, but as the former’s song Hope Is The Thing With Feathers was playing on the Phonograph you hoped it would bring enough luck.

Unsure how long pulling so many copies would take, you decided to get a snack first and stretched where you sat for a moment before rising from the chair. Your fluffy slippers squeaked against the wooden floorboards as you left your brother’s room then rounded the island countertop to open the fridge. Pulling out a white box containing a slice of strawberry cheesecake you’d brought home from work the night prior, you grabbed a fork then returned to the desk.

Sliding the fork through the tip of the slice, you savoured the creamy flavour then ate another piece and another until there was but one small bit remaining. Only when you went to scrape it off the bottom of the box, the sound of thunder had you freezing and glancing at the window.

When had it gotten so dark?

You quickly ate the last of the cheesecake then set the box and fork aside so you could turn your full attention to the monitor before you. As you opened Sunday’s banner another loud crack of thunder had your heart skipping a beat while you tried your best to focus on moving the mouse to the ten warps button.

One click turned into two then three and four before you found yourself hitting hard pity and bit your bottom lip in anticipation. Only before you could begin clicking through to see if you won the fifty-fifty, a knock at your front door had you glancing over your shoulder.

You weren’t expecting anyone for another few days, when your neighbour would come to drop off her cat for a couple weeks… so who was at your door? Had they got the wrong apartment? Would ignoring them be rude? Turning back to the screen, you clicked your mouse once and were met with a three-star light cone.

Just as you were about to click again there was another knock followed by a lightning strike and you jumped as the mouse slipped from your hand. Feeling frustrated you were interrupted when you were so close to potentially getting Sunday, you grabbed your phone and stood up.

Turning towards the bedroom door, you were just about to walk through it when lightning struck so close it shook the apartment building’s walls and you screamed in fright. Your grip tightened on your phone as a white flash blinded you and you covered your eyes in an attempt to block it out. The sound of the power being cut graced your ears, causing your heart to sink, before the sudden weightlessness of falling forward had you reaching out as you were enveloped in darkness.

- SUNDAY -

As Sunday sat at his desk reading though yet another last-minute request for changes to the Charmony Festival’s guest arrangements, he lowered his left hand holding the piece of paper and closed his eyes. Raising his right hand, he pinched the bridge of his nose and tried massaging the spot in an effort to ease the headache settling in but it had little effect.

It never did.

With a frustrated exhale, he straightened in the chair and opened his eyes as he let the bridge of his nose go then reached for the cup of coffee set neatly atop a coaster. Its warmth was fading but he quietly took three sips before placing it back down then shifted his attention to the paper once more.

He only managed to read a single sentence before a blinding white light drew an uncomfortable groan from him as he was forced to shield his eyes with his ear wings. The loud thump of something heavy hitting the floor on the other side of his desk had his wings twitching in concern the same moment his heart skipped a beat.

The light faded as instantly as it arrived and he slowly unfolded his wings. Nothing appeared out of place until he set the paper down on the folder laid open before him and rose from his chair. His eyes fell to your unconscious form, lying face down on the wooden floor behind the two-seater sofa facing the lit fireplace, and he tilted his head in confusion.

Where did you come from? And how did you get in? Reaching out with his halo he sensed no trace of another life in his house, apart from you, which led him to walk around the end of his desk. Your hair was concealing your face from view while your arms appeared as though you had tried to break your fall and your legs lay slightly bent.

His curiosity about your identity had him kneeling beside you to gently pull your hair aside so he could see your face but he did not recognise you. The slight movement of your hair near your mouth confirmed you were still breathing, leading him to switch his attention to the device in your right hand.

Pushing himself up, he stepped around your body to carefully pry it from your grasp but as soon as the screen lit up he was greeted with his own image in clothing he owned but had never worn together for they lacked all proper coordination.

He looked from what he surmised to be your phone to the back of your head with a mix of suspicion and concern. Just who exactly were you? And what were you doing in his office? His eyes trailed down your body, from your cream hooded jacket to your long blue pants and finally your pair of blue and white slippers with what appeared to be ears on either side of the front.

Your outfit suggested you were preparing for bed… or perhaps you had just risen? Either way he could not let you remain here nor did his schedule afford him the time to wait for you to awaken on your own. Tucking your phone into his pocket, he tried waking you with a gentle shake of your shoulder and a verbal request but you did not stir.

Left with only one option, he pushed himself up and stood at the top of your head then bent his right arm behind his back as he entered your mind.

“Wake up!” he thought.

- READER -

The sound of someone’s voice had you stirring and you could’ve sworn you saw a flash of rainbow but it disappeared so quickly you weren’t sure if your mind was playing tricks on you or not. The incessant throbbing of your forehead had you groaning and opening your eyes, only you paused in bewilderment for you found yourself horizontal with the floor.

Why were you on the floor? Why was there furniture you didn’t recognise? And why did it smell like something was burning? Had the lightning lit something on fire? Moving your arms, you lifted your head slightly with a groan but before you could move the sound of a man’s voice rendered you frozen in fear.

“Good, you’re awake. Care to explain how you entered my office?”

Your heart had never beat so fast as your eyes darted back and forth between the same spots of wood while you quickly tried to pinpoint why that voice sounded so familiar. Slowly you tilted your head up just enough that a pair of dark shoes with grey soles came into view. Flicking your eyes up slightly to the grey-purple pants with a black line down the lower centre and gold buckle, your heart skipped a dozen beats while your eyes widened in shock.

This couldn’t be happening. He couldn’t be who you thought he was. That was impossible. He was fictional. Maybe he wasn’t really there and your mind was playing tricks on you? Closing your eyes, you took a deep breath but when you slowly opened one… his shoes were still there.

Letting the air out, you bit your bottom lip and wondered if maybe you were dreaming instead? The last thing you remembered was feeling like you were falling… which was weird because you had been frozen to the spot from your fear of lightning. Had you knocked yourself out when you fell? That would explain your aching forehead but it didn’t explain why everything felt so real.

The hardness of the floor, the smell of smoke, the crackling of… a fire, the sound of his voice… just how realistic was this dream? Wait… what did he mean by office? Shaking your head, you blinked at his shoes for a beat then slowly reached out your right hand and poked the tip of his left shoe with your index finger.

“Your trespass has interrupted my work, if you do not wish to explain I will send for a member of the Bloodhound-“ he began.

“What? No!” you said, unintentionally cutting him off before you quickly tried sitting up.

Only you were hit with a wave of light-headedness that had you falling sideways and you held your head with one hand while bracing yourself against the floor with the other until it eased. Just how hard had you hit your head? Slowly, you sat up straighter and finally got a better look at your surroundings.

Before you was a desk and chair, behind you a sofa, to your left a console-like table with what you assumed was one of Robin’s records on display and to your right… Sunday. You looked up from his pants to his deep-purple winged vest, white sleeveless coat, single white glove, grey blazer, purple undershirt, golden ornament and the assortment of thorn-like details and other accessories adorning his outfit.

His right arm was bent behind his back and he was watching you with a look you couldn’t read at all. His light-grey ear wings were as full and fluffy as his light cone art while his halo hovered behind his head, his golden earrings hung under his earlobes and his grey-blue hair framed his face so perfectly he looked like a model.

He was so beautiful in person- no, scratch that, this wasn’t real. None of this was real. It was a dream. It had to be. Because if it wasn’t… if he wasn’t… that would mean… it could only mean…

You shook your head. Nope. Nope. It couldn’t be. That was just as impossible as him coming to life. So what the hell was happening? You couldn’t stop your heart from racing and you jumped when he took a step which had him halting his movements.

“Are you frightened of me?” he asked and you slowly shook your head.

“No, I’m just… confused,” you replied and looked from him to his desk, “Where am I?”

Please say anything other than Penacony.

“You are in my house on Penacony, the Planet of Festivities,” he replied and you closed your eyes as your heart sank, “What’s your name?”

Hesitating, you debated if you should tell him but you didn’t know what else to do. If you were dreaming, you’d surely wake up at some point and it wouldn’t matter, but if you weren’t… where did that leave you? Stuck in a video game with no memory of how you got here and no idea how you were supposed to get out?

With a deep breath, you opened your eyes and answered quietly, “Y/N.”

“Y/N?” he repeated and you nodded, “How did you enter my office?”

“I don’t know,” you replied and felt like crying at how overwhelming this was becoming only for you to realise you’d been holding your phone when the lightning struck.

Checking your pockets, the floor and even under the sofa, you found no sign of it and wondered if it’d gotten lost wherever it was that brought you here.

“Looking for this?” he asked, snapping your attention to him and you saw he was holding your phone up with the black screen facing you.

“Can I have it back?” you asked, holding out your hand for it but he made no movement and only flicked his eyes down to your upturned palm for a beat before he smiled… but it didn’t reach his eyes.

“Why am I on your phone?” he asked, tilting the device in question so your wallpaper of him shone brightly.

With a deep swallow, you lowered your arm and wondered how you could explain when you had no idea where in the story you were. He was clearly still Oak Family Head… had you arrived before the Charmony Festival? Could you tell him the truth without affecting the story? Would he even believe you? What if you said nothing that could imply you knew what was coming?

But if you really were stuck in the game… would he not have his powers? If he tuned you… could you use that to your advantage without admitting you knew more than you should? While you’d always wondered what tuning would feel like, you never thought you’d ever be faced with it being possible. It wasn’t supposed to be possible.

Shaking your head, you decided to ignore his question for now and focus instead on determining where exactly in the story you were.

“How far away is the Charmony Festival?” you asked and swore you caught the slightest twitching of his left wing but as it stilled almost instantly you weren’t sure if your eyes were misleading you or not.

“It is due to commence tomorrow evening,” he replied, confirming you were indeed at the very beginning of the Penacony arc, “But I must ask what correlation that has with my image on your phone? Did you come to Penacony for me?”

“No, I don’t know why I’m here,” you replied honestly and looked at your phone still held tightly in his grasp, “I cannot tell you why you’re on my phone, you won’t believe me.”

“Try me,” he said and you glanced at him then shook your head only for him to lower it and turn around to reach for something on his desk, “Very well, I do not have time for your games. A Bloodhound Family member will be here shortly.”

“What? No, you can’t, please,” you pleaded as you quickly pushed yourself up to your feet only for the sudden change in position to cause a bout of dizziness forcing you to hold onto the back of the sofa to keep yourself steady.

Why did you feel so physically light here? Was it the memoria or something else? It couldn’t all be from hitting your head, could it?

“You have trespassed in my house, interrupted my work and still believe you’re afforded the right to no consequences without providing an adequate explanation?” he asked, leading you to glance at him to find he was watching you with a look that gave nothing away.

“I’m sorry. I truly don’t know how I got here. I just want to go home,” you replied and fought hard not to start crying.

“And where is home?” he asked, his right arm once more returning behind his back as you took a deep breath in preparation.

“Earth… in the real world,” you answered and this time there was no mistaking the tip of his right wing twitching.

“The real world?” he clarified disbelievingly and you slowly nodded, “Are we not in the real world right now?”

You opened your mouth then closed it before finally finding your words, “It’s… different. Where I’m from, no one has powers, everyone is human, there are no Aeons or paths or space travel and everyone lives on the same planet.”

He watched you for a moment before responding, “As much as I’d like to debate the specifics of such a belief at this present moment, I’m currently extremely busy. Please wait on the chair behind you, it won’t be much longer.”

Your panic rose as he stepped around his desk but before he could sit, you asked the question you hoped you wouldn’t regret.

“Can you tune me so I can prove I’m telling the truth?” you asked and he froze for a beat then glanced up to meet your gaze, “Please?”

“Do you understand what such a request entails should you fail to prove your innocence and gain my trust?” he asked and you nodded.

“I do,” you half-lied, as it’d been so long since you’d watched the scene with him and Aventurine that you couldn’t recall much.

But unlike the latter you had nothing to lie about… unless he asked you anything about the future. As he held your gaze, his eyes were so beautiful yet intense at the same time, and it had you fighting hard not to look away.

“Very well,” he finally agreed and before you had a chance to think another thought he began, “Oh, Triple-Faced Soul, please sear her tongue and palms with a hot iron, so that she will not be able to fabricate lies and make false vows.”

As he spoke your vision was hit with an onslaught of rainbows causing you to feel extremely nauseous and it took everything you had not to throw up. Your head ached as though something was thumping you over and over and over, leading you to reach up and press your palm to your right temple.

What happened next had you shaking your head in an attempt to clear the sudden overwhelming cascade of memories that seemed to fly past you in such a blur that you felt so dizzy again you leaned against the sofa back to stop yourself from falling to the ground.

“As I am limited on time, I shall begin,” he said when the throbbing eased just enough you could open your eyes and lift your head, “Question: Is your name Y/N?”

As he spoke the borders of your vision flared with rainbows again.

“Yes.”

“What’s the last thing you remember before I woke you?” he asked and you now realised he’d already tuned you as you really had seen rainbows.

“Someone knocked on my apartment door so I got up to see who it was but there was a storm and lightning hit so close that I froze and everything went white. Then it felt like I was falling for some reason and the next thing I know I’m waking up here,” you gave a simplified version and he paused for a moment then asked his next question.

“Do you truly not know how you entered my office?”

You shook your head, “No, I don’t.”

“Is your memory free from any kind of tampering or deletion, encompassing but not restricted to the techniques of the Garden of Recollection?” he asked and you nodded.

“Yes, you’re the first one to ever enter it.”

“Do you know who I am?” his question had your eyes flicking down to your phone where he’d placed it on the desk before him.

“Yes. You’re Sunday, Head of the Oak Family.”

“Why am I on your phone?” he asked and you took a deep breath.

“Because you’re my favourite character from a video game I play,” you replied and looked back up to find him blinking at you for a few beats.

“A character?” he clarified and you slowly nodded.

“Yes.”

His eyes shifted from you down to your phone, “Where is Earth located?” he asked.

“The real world,” you answered and really hoped this was working because you didn’t know how else to convince him and it was becoming harder and harder to ignore the nausea.

“Are we not in the real world right now?” he asked, so you answered just as you had before and he finally looked back up but you still couldn’t read his expression, “Have you ever been diagnosed or treated for a psychiatric disorder?” he asked and you blinked at him in surprise.

“What? No. I’m not delusional,” you said and frowned at him when he showed no further reaction and the rainbows disappeared. The sound of distant footsteps growing closer sent your heart racing in panic again and when he said nothing, you glanced over your shoulder at the closed door, before turning back to him, “Do you believe me?”

He did not reply and when a knock came his eyes shifted to the door before he granted them permission to enter. You shuffled quickly to the side of the sofa furthest from the man dressed in all black as he walked into the room. He eyed you briefly before turning his full attention to Sunday.

“Are you alright, Mr. Sunday?” he asked.

“Certainly,” Sunday replied and stepped around the end of his desk to hand the man your phone, “This guest has lost her way, please escort her back to The Reverie.”

“The Reverie?” you asked in surprise and Sunday met your gaze with that same smile from before.

“I’ll take care of your accommodation and will inform the lobby manager of your impending arrival,” he replied and shifted his attention back to the man, “Please ensure she arrives safely.”

“Will do,” the man replied and turned to you only for you to hesitate, “After you.”

With one last look at Sunday in hope he really wasn’t about to send you away, you found no such luck as he gestured for you to follow the man, leaving you with no other choice. You slowly took a step towards the door then another until the man followed you out of Sunday’s office and shut the door with a click.

- SUNDAY -

Sunday’s eyes lingered on the closed door for a moment while he contemplated what he’d just heard and seen. Your memories of him via a screen, your declaration he was your favourite character in a video game and your claim this was not the real world. How did THEY not detect a single lie?

Had he possessed the luxury of time he’d enquire further and perhaps track down the party responsible for recreating his likeness. But alas, your unexpected arrival had already cost him precious time and his schedule couldn’t allow any further disruptions.

Turning around he settled back down on his chair and picked up his phone. Just as he finished typing the message regarding your accommodations, he was overcome with a headache so intense it forced him to set his phone down. Unsure of the abrupt cause, he tried easing it by massaging his temples and the bridge of his nose but it had zero effect.

Looking down, he pulled the left topmost drawer of his desk open and picked up the medication box that sat neatly in the front right corner. But when he opened it he found it empty. With a frustrated exhale, he rose and left his office to head downstairs to the kitchen, intending to retrieve the spare box he kept in the cupboard above the fridge.

But the instant his right foot left the bottom most step and met the floor his headache instantly vanished leading him to slowly place his left foot beside his right and pause for a moment in thought. He’d never experienced a headache like it. Its sudden arrival and dissipation were far too suspicious to ignore.

Was there an external cause for it? The only anomaly he’d encountered so far that morning… was you. Lifting his head, he glanced at the closed front door to his house then reached out with his halo in search of you, sensing you just as you got into a car. The moment you were out of reach his head ached once more all but confirming you were indeed the cause.

Turning around, he returned to his office and scraped the message regarding your accommodation then requested your immediate return. Pocketing his phone, he retraced his steps downstairs and his wings twitched in relief when his headache vanished once more.

- READER -

As you got out of the Bloodhound man’s car you were confused as to why he turned around and brought you right back to Sunday’s house. Before you had a chance to ask him, however, he drove off leaving you on the side of the road.

Your vision was invaded by rainbows again as Sunday thought your name and you turned around to find him standing in the doorway of his front door watching you.

“Please come here,” he thought and the rainbows disappeared. You slowly walked up the manicured path and he stepped back to let you in, “Until I determine how to break our headache inducing connection, you are to stay within my sight until further notice.”

“Wait, you got a headache too?” you asked in surprise after he closed the front door and began walking towards the staircase you’d descended not long ago.

“Indeed. Do you need medical care for your forehead?” he asked, pausing at the base of the stairs to meet your gaze.

Raising your hand, you felt the small bump and winched at the touch of your finger but when you lowered your hand there was no sign of blood so you shook your head.

“I don’t think so,” you replied and looked up just in time to see him give you a curt nod before he ascended the stairs with you two steps behind.

“Please wait quietly on that chair,” he said as you followed him into the office and halted beside the sofa in question as he continued until he was seated in the chair before the desk, “I’d appreciate no further distractions.”

“I’m sorry,” you said and he glanced up to meet your gaze for a beat before he looked down and picked up a piece of paper.

Turning to the sofa, you carefully sat down at the end closest to you and stared into the fireplace at the dancing flames. Why couldn’t you be too far from him without suffering one of the worst headaches you’d ever had? Would he really not let you out of his sight until it was fixed? How exactly could you fix it when you had no idea how it even happened in the first place?

Why couldn’t you remember anything? How long would you be stuck here? How could you return home? Did time move the same here as it did in the real world? If it did… what if you were stuck here for days or weeks or months… would your family think you’d been kidnapped? Was there any way you could let them know what happened?

Looking down, you pulled your phone from your jacket’s pocket and unlocked it but your heart sank when it was clear you had no reception. Raising it you tried moving it around in the air to no avail. Dropping your hand back to your lap in defeat, you decided to change the wallpaper and your background image from Sunday to cute little kittens just in case you needed to prove to him it didn’t work here.

Slipping it into your pocket, you leaned your head back against the top of the sofa and traced over the circle design on the ceiling with your eyes. It reminded you of his halo just without the points.

What were you supposed to do now? Sit around and wait until you could return home? How long would that take? Why had you ended up in his office and why were you connected to him specifically? Was it because you were pulling on his banner? Had you somehow triggered something and isekai’d yourself into the game? But if that was the case then why were you the only one here? Wouldn’t it have affected everyone else who pulled as well?

And why had you returned to the start of the Penacony story? Why hadn’t you landed on the Express since you’d only just finished the story? Wait! You wouldn’t have to live through the story until he joined the Express, would you? He’d told Wonweek he was in prison for a few days yet the game stated several weeks had passed.

After Penacony there was… the Wardance patches… then Penacony University… that all had to have taken place over several weeks, right? Would you really be stuck here for that long? Feeling tears begin to well in your eyes, you lifted your head off the sofa back and quickly wiped them away with the sleeves of your jacket before trying your best to stifle a sniffle.

With such little time before Sunday plunged everyone into a dream… what were you going to do? Since he could tune you, it’d likely affect you too and you had no idea if you’d be able to tell what was real and what wasn’t. How long was that dream… a day? Two? You couldn’t quite recall.

If only you’d had the time to re-watch all his Penacony scenes, it’d make your life right now so much easier. Your memory was far too fuzzy on the finer details. At the very least, your knowledge of him should help you navigate the next day or so.

But what were you going to do when he went to prison? He said he’d organise accommodation for you at The Reverie… had he done that? But you didn’t have any money or clothes or food or… powers to help you survive.

Without this connection tying you to Sunday… you were completely alone. Would he be willing to help you? Shaking your head, you stared into the fireplace again. You’d just broken into his house and caused him a literal headache. Asking for anything would be selfish.

If you were going to survive here, you’d need to figure it out on your own… somehow. At the sound of a phone beeping, you glanced over your shoulder curiously. You knew at some point he’d need to leave as the story did not take place here… was it finally beginning?

- SUNDAY -

After confirming he was on his way, Sunday glanced up at the back of your head and contemplated the logistics of keeping you by his side. As booking a room in The Reverie was no longer an option he’d need to ensure his guest room was adequately prepared for this evening if he could not sever the connection before then.

Would your physical body lying beside his in his Reverie office’s dreampool be sufficient enough to save him the distraction of another headache? If not he would have to ensure suitable arrangements as he could not afford to delay his final preparations for the Charmony Festival. Perhaps he should still ensure he had eyes on you nonetheless.

Rising from his chair, he slipped his phone and keys into his pocket then picked up the neat stack of folders. As he stepped around the end of his desk he noticed you turning on the sofa to glance at him curiously.

“Are we going somewhere?” you asked.

“Yes, I have business to attend to,” he replied as he passed the back of the sofa.

“Where are we going?” you asked as you trailed behind him down the hall.

“The Reverie,” he answered as he descended the staircase.

“The Reverie… is it Aventurine and the Astral Express?” you asked as he reached the bottom step and he paused.

How did you know that? Turning around not a split second later, he intended on asking just that, only for you to walk right into him, knocking him backwards. He lost his balance and the folders fell from his arm as he was forced to break his fall.

You’d squealed in surprise and clung to him but the moment his back collided with the floor your soft lips met his in a kiss that had his heart skipping a beat. Your warmth was all encompassing as your body lay flush atop him and he blinked at you in shock while your eyes widened. In your panic to detach yourself from his person you fell once more onto his chest, drawing a strangled noise from him and a flaring of his wings as he coughed.

“I- I’m so sorry, I- I didn’t- Are you okay?” you asked with such concern from somewhere to his left that his wings shielded his face from view as he needed a moment to compose himself before he could respond.

At the sound of you moving followed by the rustling of paper he searched for the source of the noise and found you rounding up all the pages that had slipped free from the folders.

“Leave them,” he groaned as he forced himself to sit up and winced at the aching of his upper back and chest, “You do not know the order in which they need to be.”

Your collecting slowed and he held out his hand for the pages, which you swiftly relinquished, then you pushed the folders and remainder of scattered pages towards him.

“I’m really sorry,” you began and he looked up into your eyes, “I didn’t mean to fall on you or…” He watched your face flush as your gaze drifted away and you cleared your throat, “I wasn’t watching where I was going so I didn’t realise you’d stopped. I’m so sorry I hurt you.”

“From now on I’d appreciate it if you remained aware of your surroundings,” he stated and picked up the remaining pages.

“I will, I promise,” you replied quietly as you stood up then held out your hand for him.

He debated for a moment whether he should accept your offer but given he was in this predicament thanks entirely to you; he moved all the documents into his left hand and grabbed yours tight with his right. He bit back all sounds of pain as you helped him to his feet but in standing so quickly it took him a moment to find his footing and in that time he realised he was far too close when he could distinguish your eyelashes.

Taking a step back to ensure adequate distance was maintained, he knew he could no longer leave the house without first reassuring his attire was perfectly in order and thus did his best to rectify his posture.

“Please excuse me for a moment. Do not wander off,” he said and met your gaze for the briefest of seconds to catch your nod before he turned on his heel.

Once safely inside the downstairs bathroom, he sat the frustratingly messy pile of folders on the side of the basin and began returning his outfit to its rightful place then ensured his hair was presentable once more. His eyes lingered on his reflection then fell to his mouth for he could still taste the sweet flavour of what he surmised was a lip balm… was it strawberry?

The instant his mind recalled how your lips felt against his, he shook his head to clear all such thoughts. Slipping a hand into his pants pocket, he pulled out his phone and located his message thread with Robin.

Shifting his focus to the folders, he did not have the time to reorganise them now and instead ensured all pages were neatly tucked back inside. Just as he reached for the bathroom door, his phone beeped.

With a relieved exhale, he tried ignoring the persistent aching of his back and opened the door. The moment he laid eyes on you he appreciated that you’d stayed precisely where he’d left you but you appeared lost in thought, staring at the floor while touching your lower lip with a finger. He cleared his throat as he rejoined you and you started then stumbled, having somehow tripped over your own slippers.

He surveyed you while you regained your footing, “Are you easily startled?” he inquired and you blinked at him a few times before swiftly looking away.

“Maybe,” you answered and he made a mental note to keep his distance moving forward.

“Follow me,” he said and heard your slippers squeak as you fell into step behind him.

- READER -

Your eyes lingered on his back as you followed him down a hallway. You couldn’t shake the guilt you felt for not only causing him to fall, but falling on top of him… twice and… kissing him. Your mind kept replaying that last one over and over to the point you shook your head trying to make it go away and nearly walked into his back as he’d slowed down to open a door.

Diverting your steps, you pretended to be interested in a painting of a man you didn’t recognise on the wall for a moment until the door was opened and you quickly hurried through. Finding yourself in what appeared to be a garage with a single black car parked nearly in the centre, you glanced around at the bare walls then snapped your focus to the door at the opposite end when it suddenly began rising.

“You can drive?” you asked in surprise and he paused mid-reach for the driver’s door handle.

“Yes,” he replied and met your gaze with a look that had you quickly turning away.

Hurrying around the front of the car to the other side, you weren’t sure if you should sit in the front so you moved to the back passenger door. Feeling eyes on you had you glancing up over the car to find him still watching you before he got in.

Hesitating for a moment with your hand on the handle, you took a deep breath and carefully opened the door. After sliding onto the back seat, you slowly tugged on the seatbelt then clicked it in place before looking around at the interior. It looked exactly like a luxury car and it had you wondering just how much of his life you didn’t know about.

Shifting your eyes to the front of the car when it began moving, you watched him reverse without taking his eyes off the screen in the centre of the dashboard. Once he was on the street he caught you watching him with a glance at you in the rear view mirror, leading you to quickly look away.

In all the time you’d spent idling in Penacony, you’d never stopped to think about where those who worked here might live. You had realised the instant you’d left Sunday’s house with the Bloodhound man that you were not in The Reverie but on what you assumed was one of those rings around the hotel that you could see from the Astral Express’s windows.

The city here was huge but Sunday seemed to live in a quieter neighbourhood as the skyscrapers were visible but not nearby. He drove down so many streets you lost count until he pulled into the underground of a tall building. When he got out of the car, you copied him, and waited for him to walk around the front.

“I realise I did not confirm if you have identification,” he said as he stopped before you.

“I have my license on my phone but I don’t think it’ll count here,” you replied and his eyes dropped to your jacket’s pocket so you pulled your phone out only to remember you had no reception, “Oh, right, I can’t open the app.”

“Why not, may I ask?” he inquired and you looked back up.

“Because I’m not from here, I have no reception,” you answered and he tilted his head.

“Still sticking to that story,” he stated and you frowned at him.

“You didn’t tell the Bloodhound what happened so I thought you believed me,” you said and swore the tip of his right wing twitched.

“I believe you believe it,” he replied, leading you to huff at him then unlock your phone so you could prove it.

Turning it around, you held it out for him and watched his eyes fall to it but he waited a few beats before reaching out to accept it. You weren’t sure what he was doing, as you couldn’t see the screen, but he soon handed it back without a single app open. Had he already figured out how to close them? Or had he not even checked?

“I’ll vouch for you regarding identification but you’ll need to fill out paperwork if you’re to enter the Dreamscape,” he stated and you glanced up at him in surprise while slipping your phone back into your pocket.

“Paperwork?” you clarified and he nodded.

“It’s for your own safety,” he answered, then looked over his shoulder at the sound of some siren, “Our transportation is here.”

Unsure what he meant by that, you followed him in silence past a scattering of other cars until you reached a platform. There were a few dozen people standing around, one of whom gave you such a terrifying stare that it had the hairs on your arms standing to attention. You switched to Sunday’s other side in an attempt to stay out of the man’s line of sight and folded your arms over your chest.

It wasn’t long until a line of yellow and black balls, which you instantly recognised as the same kind from The Reverie and Dreamscape, rolled up to the platform and Sunday stepped forward as soon as one came to a stop before you. He paused at its open round door and gestured for you to enter first.

Glancing from him to the inside of the ball, you carefully got in and sat on the furthest end of the hard, cold bench to the right only for Sunday to take the seat right beside you. His right thigh rested flush against your left and before you could ask why he was so close, several more people joined the two of you, answering your unspoken question. They took their seats and the capsule’s door closed.

Feeling eyes upon you once more, you realised the man directly opposite you was the same one from before and there was no one you could hide behind now. As there were no windows, you felt slightly suffocated and did everything you could to ignore his staring. Turning your head to the right, you tried getting your hair to shield your face from him as you tightened your arms around your core and closed your eyes only for the darkness to be joined by rainbows.

“Relax your arms and look at me,” Sunday thought and you opened your eyes but only loosened your arms a little as you met his gaze, “If you act as though I just shared an incriminating secret he’ll not bother you again and shift his attention to me.”

He was so close you noticed how long his eyelashes were and became mesmerised by his eyes for a moment that you did nothing but blink at him.

“Your eyes are beautiful,” you thought to yourself and immediately felt your face heat up when you realised he’d heard you as his eyes widened slightly and he blinked once in return before the rainbows faded.

Quickly looking away, you squeezed your eyes shut for a beat in embarrassment and tried to stop your face from getting any hotter. Recalling what Sunday had said, you decided to focus on that instead and inhaled deeply then looked up at the man opposite you.

His purple eyes flicked back and forth between you and Sunday so you decided to take Sunday’s advice. Smirking, you waited for the man to notice before quickly averting your gaze and stifling a giggle. It must’ve worked as he made a disgruntled noise but you kept your face turned away.

“Shouldn’t you be tending to the Charmony Festival, Sunday, not spreading malicious lies?” the man asked.

“Please be at ease, Mr. Black, you need not worry about the Charmony Festival’s preparations. Everything is in order and the Festival will commence precisely as scheduled,” Sunday replied calmly.

The man scoffed, drawing your attention back to him to see he was eyeing Sunday with disdain. Did they not like one another? Was that why he stared at you so intensely?

“If it doesn’t, I’ll personally deliver Boss’s words of encouragement,” the man said eagerly and when you glanced at Sunday you found him smiling but you could tell even from this angle he didn’t mean it.

“There is no need for such harsh words, Mr. Black. I implore you to focus on ensuring the guests safety and leave the finer details to those of us skilled in such affairs,” Sunday said and before the man could respond the ball’s door opened, “If you’ll excuse us.”

You stood as soon as Sunday did and followed him out onto the platform only to be thoroughly confused about where you were. Your steps slowed as you looked around, from people walking by, to those boarding and disembarking the balls and others loading and unloading boxes from carts. There was so much going on and it was so loud you were completely overwhelmed and tried focusing solely on Sunday.

Sticking as close to him as you could, you followed him through doors and down hallways passed several rooms, nearly all of which had closed doors. You knew The Reverie was large but it felt so impossibly big in person you had no idea how anyone navigated it. At last, Sunday opened a door and you immediately recognised the open room you walked into as the lobby.

It was exactly the same as you remembered it, from the colours to the layout… it was massive and there were far more people than you’d ever seen in the game. It was then that you noticed you were standing way too close to the railing preventing anyone from falling into the open hole to the lower levels of the hotel so you scooted to Sunday’s other side and caught his head turning towards you.

“Are you afraid of heights?” he asked and you nodded.

“I always have been,” you replied and caught the slightest twitching of his left wing.

“You’ll encounter varying levels of heights in both Penacony and the Sweet Dream. There are measures in place should you happen to fall, you will not suffer any serious injuries, I assure you,” he stated but you did not feel reassured at all and glanced at the railing again.

“Are you not afraid of heights?” you asked but he did not answer and broke your stare by taking a step forward.

You glanced at him for a beat before turning to follow and he walked only a little further to a set of three chairs sat around a round table. One chair was already taken by a young woman focused on her phone.

“Please wait here, I’ll return with your paperwork,” Sunday said and you nodded then watched him walk up the staircase towards the front desk.

Taking a seat on the empty chair closest to you, you felt so small all of a sudden as you looked up at floor after floor and wondered just how many rooms this place had. Not a moment later, a piece of paper came into view, drawing your eyes sideways to Sunday’s gloved hand holding it out for you.

“Please fill this out and remain here. Do not leave until I personally retrieve you or call for you,” he said and you nodded as you accepted the paper and pen from him.

“Okay, thank you,” you said and he was gone not a second later.

Leaning forward, you placed the piece of paper on the table and just as you uncapped the pen you caught sight of Robin hurrying by. She passed so quickly you didn’t have a chance to get a good look at her but from what little you saw she was beautiful. Looking down, you began filling out your personal details even though you knew full well none of it apart from your name would even be credible here.

At the sound of a familiar voice, you glanced up just in time to see Sunday leading Aventurine past you towards the elevator before the latter handed over a dark duffle bag. They parted ways and Sunday handed the bag to a man with brown hair you assumed was a Family member while Aventurine stood before the closed elevator doors flipping a coin.

It was surreal seeing him in person as, while you weren’t as big a fan of him as you were Sunday, you did find him quite fascinating. Catching Sunday pass by from the corner of your eye, you glanced at him but his focus was straight ahead to where you knew the Astral Express was. You watched Aventuine for a little longer as he continued flipping the coin but he must’ve sensed you were watching him as his attention suddenly snapped to you.

Feeling caught, you quickly looked down while your face heated up and resumed answering the questions until you heard the elevator ding then chanced a peak. He’d stepped inside and you let out a breath in relief as you weren’t sure if you could handle meeting him too. You were already overwhelmed and trying to keep it all in so you didn’t break down into a panic attack.

Just thinking about it had your heart speeding up so you quickly focused on steadying your breathing and shuffled backwards into the chair. Moving the square pillow from behind you to your stomach, you hugged it and tried distracting yourself with people watching only for tears to begin welling. Letting the pillow go, you wiped your eyes dry with the sleeves of your jacket only to jump at the sound of Robin’s voice.

“Are you alright?” she asked and you looked up to find her watching you with concern before you realised Sunday was standing beside her.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” you lied, “It’s just been a long day.” You moved the pillow behind you then rose to your feet, “You’re so pretty.”

The words slipped from your mouth before you could stop them and she smiled.

“Thank you, you’re very beautiful yourself,” she replied, sounding weary which had you remembering she was struggling with her voice.

Deciding not to comment on it, you smiled in reply to her comment but it was Sunday’s slight movement that had your eye shifting to him. He was studying you with a look you couldn’t read and it had you tilting your head.

“Do you want me to tell you, you’re pretty too?” you asked and he blinked at you with a twitching of wings while Robin giggled.

“Don’t mind him,” Robin said and you shifted your gaze back to her, “Are you here for the Charmony Festival?”

You hesitated for a moment then nodded, “Will you sing Hope Is The Thing With Feathers? I’ve listened to it so many times I know it by heart. I’d love to hear it in person,” you answered and her wings fluttered.

“Not this time, but thank you for your compliment,” she said and glanced at Sunday before returning her gaze to you with a smile, “I’ve already taken too much of your time. It’s been lovely meeting you, may you have beautiful and pleasant dreams.”

“Thank you, it’s been amazing meeting you too,” you said and she bid Sunday farewell before you watched her walk away then enter the elevator when the doors opened.

You weren’t entirely sure how long it’d be before death claimed her and you wished there was something you could do but after your unintentional delay of Sunday had zero effect on the story, you doubted anything you did would change her fate.

“You’re a fan of Robin?” Sunday asked, drawing your attention back to him with a nod.

“Mm, like you I love all her songs,” you replied and he studied you for a beat before his eyes fell to the table beside you.

“Have you finished?” he asked with a nod towards the paper.

“Yeah,” you answered and handed it over alongside the pen.

He scanned the sheet and you caught the way his brow furrowed slightly before his eyes flicked up, “You’re twenty-thousand years old?” he asked and your eyes widened in shock.

“What? No,” you replied in confusion and stated your correct age.

“What’s the current Amber Era?” he asked and you blinked at him as you drew a complete blank.

“I… don’t know. I didn’t really pay attention to the date when I played,” you admitted and his wings twitched.

“The correct answer is two-thousand, one-hundred and fifty-eight,” he stated, then read your birth year and you frowned as you glanced down at the page.

“But that’s only…” You quickly subtracted your birth year from his answer and said the number aloud, “Where did you get twenty-thousand from?”

He exhaled and tilted his head as he studied you for a beat, “Subtract one Amber Era from my answer,” he said as he handed the piece of paper back.

“Oh, okay,” you said and changed your birth year to two-thousand, one-hundred and fifty-seven then straightened to meet his gaze once more, “Is everything else, okay?”

“No but it will suffice, come with me,” he said and turned on his heel so you followed him quietly as he led you to a free staff member at the front counter.

Handing your paper over, she processed it with several sceptical glances up at you but she made no comment. Was it because Sunday was by your side? When it came time to present your ID, she held out her hand and your eyes flicked down to her upturned palm for a beat as you brainstormed an excuse.

“I lost it on my way here. Can I get back to you when I get a new one?” you asked and she exhaled then shifted her attention to Sunday when he spoke.

“File her as a guest of mine for now,” he said and she nodded then resumed processing your details, which only took another minute or two, before she opened a drawer then placed a room key on the countertop, drawing your eyes down to it, “That’s not necessary, she already has accommodations. Are her details finalised?”

Wait, you did? Where? At his house? Glancing up, you caught the smile she flashed at him.

“Yes, Mr. Sunday,” the lady replied.

“Thank you,” Sunday said, then directly his next two words at you, “Follow me.”

Smiling thanks to the lady, who eyed you with a curious stare, you hurried to catch up to Sunday and fell into step beside him, ensuring you were on his side furthest from the railing. If you were staying in his house, at least it was only for one night… that you’d be aware of. Would you even know where you were when he plunged everyone into a dream?

But now you had no room pass for certain… what were you going to do once he was defeated? You couldn’t stay in his house, could you? Would The Family not visit it after everything went down? If you were found there, would you not be implicated in his scheme also?

“I can hear you thinking,” Sunday said after you’d followed him up an elevator, down multiple corridors and through a handful of doors.

“Hm?” you mumbled, not realising he’d noticed your distraction as you’d managed to avoid colliding with him so far, “You can hear my thoughts? But I don’t see any rainbows.”

He glanced at you, “I am not reading your thoughts. You do, however, have the look of someone lost in their head.”

“Oh.” You had to look away as his golden eyes were staring into your soul again, “I was thinking about where I’ll stay in a few days,” you admitted and before he could respond you changed the subject, “Where are we going, by the way?”

“My office,” he answered, drawing a confused reunion of your gazes.

“You have another office?” you clarified and he gave a curt nod then opened the door before you.

As you stepped inside and looked around, there was a dreampool to the right, a desk and three chairs straight ahead and a pair of bookshelves to the left, you noticed it was all perfectly in order just like his office at his house.

“Where would you like me to sit?” you asked as he crossed to the desk and placed a folder down then looked up.

“You will be joining me in the dreampool,” he replied, causing your eyes to widen in surprise while your mouth parted slightly and you glanced at the item in question.

“In the- With you?” you sought clarification and he nodded as he stepped around the desk to the side of the clam shaped pool.

“Please rest assured, there is no need to be scared. The Family has ensured the utmost safety of all guests in the Sweet Dream,” he stated with a smile and it felt as though he’d said those very words many times before.

While you knew better, given how the story unfolded, you pretended as though you believed him and nodded then slowly stepped closer to the side of the dreampool.

“Will it make my clothes wet?” you asked and looked from the smooth surface of the liquid up to his face, “This is all I have.”

His eyes fell down your body for a moment before he leaned down to scoop a handful of the pool’s liquid up and you watched his hand tilt to allow every last drop to drain from his glove. He moved his hand before you and when you flicked your eyes up he nodded so you reached out to feel his glove, finding it perfectly dry.

“Oh,” you exhaled and held onto his warm hand a little too long so you quickly let him go, “Sorry.”

“Please think of the Moment of Golden Hour when you fall asleep,” he requested and you nodded.

“Okay.”

“After you.” He gestured for you to enter the pool first.

With a glance down, you carefully placed one foot in the pool and froze at how icy cool the liquid was. Taking a deep breath, you finished stepping over the edge and turned around so you could sit down a little closer to the left side then leaned back.

Although it was cold, your body began relaxing almost instantly as Sunday climbed in beside you and sat down while the sound of a lady whispering indistinguishable words in your ear lulled you to sleep as you thought: Moment of Golden Hour. When you opened your eyes, you were standing at the end of a levitating platform rendering you instantly frozen from fear.

“Stay close,” Sunday said as he suddenly appeared beside you and you tried focusing entirely on him to distract yourself from being so high up.

Raising your hood over your head, you used it to block your side vision and stared at his shoes as you followed him along the corridor and up a set of stairs before he came to a stop. He opened a door then stepped aside, allowing you to enter first and you slowly crossed the threshold.

“Please wait here a moment,” he said and you glanced at him before he swiftly walked away while you pushed the hood from your head.

Looking around, Golden Hour was far livelier than you’d ever seen in the game with so many people going about their dreams. The sounds of bustling nightlife seeped out from the buildings all around, vertical vehicles zoomed by with little regard for dreamers crossing the roads and a scattering of billboards harassed some dreamers not far from where you stood.

Your eyes drifted to Sunday in the distance and he soon halted abruptly then turned around to return to your side.

“Just as I thought, given our physical bodies proximity we’re free to part as we wish in the Sweet Dream,” he stated and you blinked at him for a moment.

“Oh, I hadn’t even thought about that,” you admitted then glanced up at the sky where Trailblazer was supposed to appear, “Why didn’t I fall from the sky when I arrived here?”

“While some guests are sensitive to memoria and thus require tuning upon arrival in the Sweet Dream. You’ve already been tuned to The Harmony,” he replied, reminding you of the very unpleasant feeling.

“Oh, right.”

At the sound of his phone beeping, he pulled it from his pocket and you glanced at a billboard that scurried past. If only you had something to hit them with like you could in the game.

“If you wish to explore the other Hours,” Sunday began, snapping your attention back to him, “You can find the station not far in that direction.” He gestured over your right shoulder, “Please do not leave the Dreamscape until I come to retrieve you.”

Nodding, you agreed, “Okay.”

His eyes fell down your body for a moment and you noticed the tips of his wings twitched, “Am I correct in assuming you have no credits to your name?” he asked and you nodded when his gaze returned to yours, “Would you like some?”

“What? No, it’s okay. I can’t take your money,” you refused with a shake of your hands and he frowned.

“Do you not wish for a change of clothing and more appropriate footwear?” he asked, leading you to look down at your slippers.

“Maybe,” you admitted then tilted your head back up, “But I’ve caused you enough trouble and you’re already providing me a place to stay. I can’t ask for more.”

He said nothing and reached for his pants pocket to retrieve a small black wallet then pulled out a black card that he held out for you. Your eyes flicked down to it but you couldn’t take it, you already owed him for falling on him, kissing him, being housed by him, disrupting his morning… you couldn’t use his money too.

“I will not miss anything you spend, I assure you,” he said and you looked back up.

Just how much was on that card? With a shake of your head, you crossed your arms across your chest.

“I’m already indebted to you for… several things. I have no way to pay you back,” you said.

“I don’t recall asking you to,” he replied then looked down when his phone beeped once more, “My presence is required elsewhere.” He placed the card on your folded arms then returned his wallet to his pocket.

Carefully, you unfolded your arms and secured the card in your hand as your vision was invaded by rainbows, allowing him to inform you of the card’s pin in secret. The instant the rainbows vanished, you glanced up.

“I’ll find you in six system hours,” he said and before you could return the card, he turned on his heel then walked away.

With a sigh, you watched him leave then tucked the card into your jacket’s free pocket. What were you going to do for six hours? Would he really expect you to buy new clothes and shoes? If you didn’t… would he insist on accompanying you to ensure you did not leave the dream empty handed? Where could you buy clothes? Did they have clearance racks here? It wasn’t like you could ask him as you had no way of contacting him.

At the sound of a bird’s single squawk, you glanced up to find a dark-purple raven with a golden eye-shaped symbol on its chest sitting atop a lamp nearby watching you. So that’s how he was going to find you? By keeping an eye on you the entire time? Could you talk to him through the bird?

The sudden distant sound of someone screaming had your eyes drifting sideways and further up into the sky to catch the briefest glimpse of clothing you recognised as the Trailblazer’s. Glancing at the bird once more to find it still watching you, you exhaled then turned towards the direction of the station Sunday had mentioned and set off.