Chapter Text
The early golden light of The Heights was gently swaying through the warm scape of Telamon’s domain. There, swordsmen held their grip on the large chains that kept the once revered deity in their grasp. Noli’s head was low, the angelic figure being stripped bare, the tight chains restricting their movements. They had no plans to fight back against the punishment now.
When they were told to kneel, they did. But not before looking up at who would pronounce them ‘dead’. A familiar hooded figure. The one who clashed against them when both of their armies had stood at a standstill.
“Do you have any final words, Noli?” Telamon said, wings boastful behind its back.
Noli spat on its foot.
“Very well then, fool.”
Perhaps that title suited them more now. A fool did not have permission to make fun of the king, unlike the jester they once prided themself as.
The cold blade of the illumina touched Noli’s neck. Even if they couldn’t truly die – no deity could – this was the first time they had ever felt the fear of death. That sensation that shivered through the body was enticing as it was new, but also dangerous and completely mortifying. Whatever awaited them, Noli did not wish to see it. Their long, claw-like fingers clenched against their palms, grounding them with a sense of pain.
Telamon continued its speech, boasting with pride and grandiose that Noli, the deity who’d gone to run a cult and lead Robloxia astray with disruption, unnecessary fighting and hysteria had been captured and would now be sentenced to a new fate.
They felt the blade gently leave their neck for a second, before being winded and slashed smoothly against their throat. The hasty blade made instant work of their neck.
And then it was darkness.
Noli knew it was not death. But they could not see nor feel, but only think.
’An existence damned to the void, how disgustingly fitting.’
They laughed, but there was no echo for it when it left their mouth, only the deep droning in their head.
They could vaguely make sense of their body. They could feel and move their parts, if that counted towards anything. But it was dark. Darker than dark. Nothing. Left to ruminate in endless space. Drifting in and out of what they could only think of as their reality.
Oh how boring this existence was. Did they regret their decisions? No, they did not. An act of betrayal was necessary in all good plays, and if they were the one with the comedy mask enlisting that then surely they could have pleaded innocently. Well, that didn’t work in their favour during the trials actually…
There was no sense of time here and that bothered them immensely. Time. They lamented on that thought. They hadn’t considered that as important in so long. Time is meaningless when you live forever, watching mortals stumble to grow and adapt to a world too big for their own kind.
And now they were here, with nothing to watch over or to do. The simplest punishment, but so fitting. Noli would have to congratulate the other divine figures for their idea of this.
And as Noli stopped keeping track of the seconds and minutes that passed, they drifted more and more. Sometimes they forgot they were real at all, almost succumbing to the complete isolation and inactivity.
And then one day, they started reflecting on their entire existence again. They’d already done it at least 500 times, if they were keeping track. While lamenting on their powers and what they could do, they wondered if they could channel that energy again. They had tried many times before to no avail.
But this time, a very small light shone out of their palm. A glowing star revealed small parts of their body for the first time.
’Free me,’ their mind begged.
And then that day, Noli woke up.
====
Loud cheers came from the bar, rented out by one of the many classmates 007n7 had that he could personally give less than a rats ass about. He wasn’t even formally invited, but after hearing about it from a passing conversation, he decided to show up, just insisting he was part of the group to anyone asking.
He absentmindedly took a few sips of the can of beer that he got for free, as the person organising the event insisted randomly “All drinks on me!” and 007n7 couldn’t say no to that. Observing around the room, he saw what the other drunk young adults were up too, some more pissed than others. Some were playing pool, another poorly singing a karaoke song off of their phone, and a couple in the corner making out like it was their own damn home; Seeing that, 007n7 averted his gaze rather quickly.
He’d been here for about an hour, and had his fill of the events. Kicking himself off the slightly damaged brick wall he had been leaning on, he made his way through the people, getting away from the bustling shouts and atmosphere.
Once out of the building, his eyes looked down at the gutters as he walked; the moonlight reflected in the water puddles bunched up against slightly damp pavement – it had been raining when he left his place. Cold wind brushed by his face gently, slightly blowing his red extensions in his face. His tail flicked back and forth in the air in line with his steps.
It was a rather simple walk back he thought, mainly silent as he drifted away from the noisy pubs and clubs open until midnight. Passing cars, wind howls, occasional dog barks and the cars of late-night workers found their way into his ears.
He hadn’t expected to hear footsteps, nor the sounds of someone clearly fumbling. His eyes looked up to see someone stumbling around like a newborn foal.
“You alright there, dude?” he asks, walking over to the person. They’re mumbling something under the breath. He puts a hand on their shoulder to try and stablise them.
They grunt, “let go of me, mortal…I’ll tell you nowwwWWW AGH!” they lost their balance, but 007n7 quickly made a movement to grab them.
“You drunk or somethin?” He asks, interrupting whatever response they were going to give him before continuing, “Clearly not well enough to walk straight. You wanna come with me for the night, or you wanna end up in a ditch or whatever?”
The person’s – 007n7 struggles to make out their face in the dark lighting – eyes blink confused at him through dark hair.
“Yeah,” he continues, “Do you even know where you’re going? Or is it a matter of following the streetlamps?”
The person shakes their head, slurring some more broken words 007n7 can barely decipher as English.
Wrapping the other person’s arm around his shoulder, 007n7 helped support them while walking.
“What’s your name, dude? Or uh…you not a dude?”
“Noli,” the person responded tiredly, “I do not care what you label me as.”
“Noli? Seriously? Your parents history nerds or something? Is your sister named Spirit?” 007n7 laughed, though the other seemed to not find it as funny.
After seeing the other’s – Noli’s – blank expression, he coughed awkwardly, “Alright jeez, guess you’re not a party drunk then.”
“What is yours?”
"Hm?
"Your name.
“007n7. Sev, Seven, Zero, whatever works.” he shrugged.
The two gently walked, Noli eerily quiet on their walk home. 007n7 didn’t want to question it too much.
“Cool birthmark on your cheek,” he says.
“Hm?” they touch it, as if unsure, “Ah, my birthmark yes…that.” It was in the shape of a small question mark, a light white tone, like the vitiligo they had plastered around their eyes and splattered like star light on the rest of their body.
“Aren't you cold in those things?” 007n7 asked, inquiring about how the only things they had on were a dirty white shirt and some ragged black pants by the looks of things.
Noli responded with indifference, “there is always worse.”
“Yeah, but you can also always be better. Where the hell did your shoes go?!”
“Stolen.” Noli replied, in a tone that seemed slightly off, but 007n7 didn’t bother to question it.
—
“Anddd home sweet home! You can go collapse on the couch. Kitchen’s hands off, but the bathroom’s just to your left so you don’t piss or throw up on my nice stuff!”
Once 007n7 released Noli, they immediately slumped towards the couch, passing out.
“Okay…” he muttered, “poor guy.”
He dropped off to his bed, pulling out his laptop planning to work on some assignments or mess around with some code, but deciding to not turn it on in the end. He put it back under his bed before laying down. Maybe he could try and sleep off this alcohol. Staring blankly at the moon, 007n7’s mind drifted. Hopefully in the morning, Noli would be more awake, and he could drop them off at whatever dorm they lived at and they could both go about their merry ways without ever interacting with one another again.