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Avery went to take a bath, and he was currently putting on his cargo shorts when he looked at the mirror.
There was his reflection... Who was standing upright and using the King in Yellow’s robes. Not only that, its eyes were shineless, soulless, just like Derek describes how Avery’s eyes look when the King is controlling his body.
Needless to say, Avery was pretty confused. However, after months of having an eldritch being trapped inside his head, he knew this was one of the god’s tricks.
“Heya, King.” - He completely forgot about putting his shirt on, leaning on the sink to get closer to his reflection in the mirror. - “Damn, I look good in those robes! Is that what you wanted to happen to me? I can see the fit.”
“Your way of speaking disturbs me profoundly.” - The King answers, and Avery can see his “yellow version”’s mouth moving but not the rest of his body. Uncanny.
“Your way of speaking is what gets me disgusted! We’re in 2026, man!” - The slime guy jokes, chuckling at the disappointed look on the King’s face. - “How are you making my reflection look like that?”
“It resides within your mind, vessel. Your reflection appears normal in the real world, yet I am causing you to perceive this. It is simple, as I am within your mind and possess the ability to control everything.” - The King said in a menancing tone, but Avery didn’t seem fazed.
“Yeah, but ya can’t leave it now and can’t use your powers, so I guess I’m winning.” - Avery answered, leaning even more towards the mirror. He almost stumbled, but recomposed himself before falling. - “Does this have somethin’ to do with that virtual shit of mirrors?”
“To what are you referring?” - The eldritch entity responds, irritation evident in its tone.
“You know, I’ve studied this in Physics. The mirrors have some sort of virtual reality that the image appears there, or somethin’ like that. I never paid attention.” - Avery tried to explain, his hand involuntarily coming closer to the mirror’s surface. He wanted to touch, maybe he would go throught it?
As soon as the thought came, he backtracked his hand. No, if he goes through, probably the King will do some cartoon villain jacking and trap Avery inside the mirror and take his place in real life.
“I will not do that, and I must remind you that I reside within your mind, not within the mirror.” - The King said, his tone mixed between disappointment and irritation. Avery felt proud for so easily annoying the god.
“Alright, alright, I’m not touchin’ the mirror though.” - The slime guy chuckled after he spoke, gazing intently at his “evil” version. - “Could you have at least used your form?”
“You have never witnessed my true form, vessel; hence, I am unable to transform into it. I can only manifest in your mind in forms you have previously encountered or combine images within your mind to create the appearance I desire. This is the reason I am able to appear in this manner.” - The King explained, gesturing to himself with his hands.
Avery paid attention to every word, mostly because he found it difficult to understand the King. He then started thinking of how the god could show himself without using his appearance.
"...Maybe you could take a form that you think you would look like if you were human?” - Avery proposed, and suppressed a laugh when he saw the King’s surprised face.
“I had not anticipated that you would propose such a creative idea. Nevertheless, I will proceed with it.”
Before Avery could see something, his “evil image” was gone and his normal reflection was back. He finally noticed he was without his shirt, but he didn’t give it a thought.
Soon enough, the King was back with the distorted reflections. This time, he took the form of a tall man, around 6’1’’ tall. His body was skinny and utterly pale, almost albino. He had long light blonde hair, that was so straight that it almost looked like he had showered and forgotten to dry it.
Avery then gazed at the eldritch god’s clothes. He used the yellow robe he was using when he took Avery’s form. Outside that, he didn’t seem to have any other clothes on, that’s why he could see the King’s chest on the part the robe was opened. Avery felt his cheeks getting hot.
The King also had a serious, almost disgusted, look on his face. Avery cannot explain how much he gazed at that narrow face and that sharp chin. He almost looked like an evil version of a prince from a fairy tale. The slime guy needed to suppress the urge to try and touch the reflection.
"Why the fuck did you decide to take the form of evil Prince Charming?" - Avery joked, even if his face was red from the vision in front of him. It seemed preposterous for the young man to be seeing that elegant beauty.
"Would you prefer me to assume the appearance of a more grotesque human, akin to those depicted by that author... What is his name? Lovecraft?" - The King said, and the other noticed that the being was trying to be funny, or ironic.
Avery, unfortunately, chuckled at that. The way the King talked only worsened the poor attempt at humor. - "No, you... You look good like that."
The eldritch god didn't say anything, but the slime guy knew that he had noticed how this form has affected Avery. Well! May the King be damned! Derek had a thing for him too. What’s the problem with Avery being attracted to the yellow royal too?
"I have never mentioned anything regarding your attraction to me, vessel, but it certainly took a considerable amount of time for you to realize it." - The King In Yellow spoke, his mouth forming a smile when he saw the astonishment on Avery's face. - "You seem to forget that I am inside your mind."
"Yeah, yeah- I, fuck... It's because I've never seen you like this since... Since that day." - Avery commented, his hands clenching into fists involuntarily.
The King noticed how tense the young man got, and before Avery knew it, he saw the god's hands leaving the mirror and coming to his face. He couldn't exactly feel them, but they were there, and Avery was seeing them. He felt the urge to scream, but the King silenced it by speaking.
"I did not intend to remind you of that day. Please be aware that I am quite entertained by you, as one might say... So I do not wish any ill upon you as I once did. " - The King said. The slime guy could notice how the royal stopped to think of a way of saying that he was starting to get fond of Avery. Somehow, that calmed the young man.
"Oh... Someone's getting attached!" - Avery teased, trying to get the King's hands off his face, only for them to phase through his own. Okay, yeah, the god was only inside his mind. - "Could you please..?"
"But this is the first occasion on which I am making physical contact with you." - The god said in an ironic tone, which made Avery scoff. Both of them knew the King wasn't capable of really touching Avery.
"Just..." - Avery stopped, gazing at the other in front of him, before leaning and pressing his lips to the reflection. He didn't feel anything, neither the King, but when Avery opened his eyes, the King had a face that he could only be described as someone who was affected by some sort of daze.
Avery really laughed this time, even if his face was burning and he had a weird fuzzy feeling in his stomach. He stepped a bit back, crossing his arms and looking at the King, who was now retreating back to the mirror. - "Happy?"
"... Please refrain from doing that without prior notice, vessel." - The King retorted, with a tone that Avery could only describe as embarassement.
"Whatever you say, big guy." - The other responded, finally picking up his shirt and putting it on. - "Gosh, Derek is probably worried about me... Next time, let's not leave him waiting, alright?" - Avery said in a suggestive tone, and instead of getting a red blush (or should it be yellow blush?) on the King's face, he only got disappointment.
"Go meet your boyfriend; I will be there regardless." - The King spoke in a frustated tone before dissapearing, leaving only Avery and his real reflection inside the bathroom.
"I am 'quite entertained' by you as well, Hastur." - Avery said, opening the door and leaving the room.