Chapter Text
“This is an intervention.”
Hegemonia stared at Jang-Wan. Both of them were sitting in one of the more closed off and private areas of the Great Gardens. Sacrifice having found Hegemonia while she was on her way to go see Eldar. Crowding Hegemonia until she’d found herself sat down on a chair and sitting across from Jang-Wan. Eldar had many outdoor seating spaces scattered throughout the garden.
“…an intervention,” Jang-Wan nodded and only then did she spot a group of other constellations around the corner hedge that led into the somewhat closed off space. Hegemonia frowned, she did not like where this was going.
Whatever this even was.
“Yes Hegemonia, an intervention. I, and many others, are staging an intervention against you and your weird habits.”
“Habits…?” Hegemonia was now thoroughly confused and not the least bit annoyed. Eldar had said they’d let her pick a new flavor for a cake they were planning to sell. She was going to miss getting free cake samples because of this dumb intervention.
“Your manhandling habits,” Jang-Wan said as she snapped her fingers and a window appeared. It had a spreadsheet of various constellations’ names written alongside a marking of ‘how many times Hegemonia manhandled you’ with impressive numbers added up. It was all super well put together and probably would’ve made Wisdom perk up like an excited puppy at how sophisticated and formal it was.
Too bad Hegemonia couldn’t care less and only found herself even more confuzzled.
“My what now?”
“Your manhandling habits.”
“I don’t have—” Jang-Wan pulled up another window over the first one that showed a messily taken photo. The title was labeled ‘Evidence File 1’. She could see herself and RD in the distance. The duck constellation being held up like some sort of manic prize as she ran somewhere. Hegemonia hardly remembered the context of that moment. Must’ve been during a game or a drinking night, those can get pretty hectic.
“Those were…unique circumstances,” probably. “It’s not like I do it that much.”
Jang-Wan’s eyes narrowed and Hegemonia realized rather abruptly the challenge she’d unintentionally issued. Sometimes War forgot that, despite everything, Jang-Wan was still related to Nebula. And anyone related to that bastard definitely had something about them screwed on wrong.
Sacrifice pulled up another window with a file on it, opening it to reveal a wall of various photos and videos labeled ‘evidence’ with matching numbers. Jang-Wan smiled then, a grand lioness gazing down at a stubborn yet trapped hyena. With a flick of her wrist one of the evidence pieces was brought to the forefront.
“Let’s go through this then, shall we?”
Hegemonia shuddered, why do I feel like I’ve made a mistake?
———
“Why do trees have to be so tall?”
Eldar was on their tip toes trying to throw some garnishing onto the higher levels of the tree. They were decorating for a festival that was happening in the world right now. It’d be rude to not embrace the culture that came with their new worldly followers after all.
Though unfortunately it led to where they were currently. Struggling to hang up decorations all because they’d promised not to use magic. Or well, any of their divine abilities for the day that was.
The whole point of the festival was celebrating without need for special things like that, Eldar recalled, so in the spirit of things I’d promised my followers I’d celebrate with them while honoring this belief. It wasn’t like I used much of my divine abilities anyway.
Of course they soon found themselves eating those words when it came time to decorate.
Maybe I should’ve made my avatar taller…
Of course the option to cheat and use a bit of their abilities to make the process easier. No one but Eldar was in the Hall currently anyway, so it’s not like they’d be caught. Even then, they knew their followers would be understanding about it.
Eldar knew logically they could just fly up and finish decorating the damn tree already.
Unfortunately, they were stubborn.
They’d sworn not to use their abilities today and they weren’t about to back down on it now. They could manage hanging a few decorations. Heck, they’d been physically shorter than their avatar back on Earth- this was nothing! Even if it’s been eons since then and Eldar has admittedly forgotten what it was like.
Whatever, Eldar grumbled when they heard heavy boots enter the large hall. Turning around they saw Hegemonia looking at the half finished decorations with a pinched expression.
“Oh, hello Hegemonia. Did you need something?”
“Nope, just thought Nebula would be in here. What’s all this about?”
“I’m decorating for the festival my followers are having! It’s quite culturally significant to them so I thought it’d be a nice gesture. Having so many conflicting cultures must be overwhelming in the afterlife,” Eldar explained. Watching as War ran her fingers over some embroidered rope decorations that were really quite stunning.
AR had been absolutely delighted at the unique craft and practically passed out when a craftsman for it offered to teach her. It’d been quite the scene- a constellation and her follower both sharing such a passion.
“Looks nice. Anyway, you got any idea where Nebula is?”
“Ah no, I don’t, sorry Hegemonia. I haven’t seen him all day,” Eldar turned back to the tree and began their attempt to reach the higher branches once more. The ensuing silence made them assume Hegemonia had left in search of Games. Which led to quite the shock when Eldar turned away from the accursed tree to find themself staring directly into Hegemonia’s face.
It was a little embarrassing to admit but they’d squeaked and jumped back quite dramatically.
Hegemonia hardly seemed to notice as she glanced between Eldar and the tree. Gaze contemplative as she crossed her arms. Thankfully standing a good distance from the flammable plant as War had a tendency to get quite…passionate at times and indirectly set blaze to the nearest object and or person.
Both RD and AR have learned to keep a distance whenever they’re around her. Though Eldar’s sure everyone’s been minorly burned once or twice from Hegemonia’s unpredictable temper. They definitely had their fair share of burns to prove it.
“Why don’t you just fly up and hang them?” she caught onto my struggling quick, Eldar sulked internally.
“The festival is all about celebrating individual power without things such as magic or talent or anything. I’d promised my followers I’d go the whole festival without needing to use my abilities, and I intend to keep that promise,” even if I’ve been trying to hang these garnishes for the past half hour. Hegemonia snorted and Eldar tried not to deflate at her mocking tone.
“Seriously elf? What possessed you to make such a dumb promise.”
“Wanting to be considerate of my followers’ culture is not dumb Hegemonia.”
“Yeah yeah whatever.”
Eldar sighed as they stopped trying to reach up. Maybe I’ll leave the trees bare. It’s not like I need to decorate everything. Even if it would look prettier if I did… Ugh, promising not to use my abilities was a mistake. How could I have known these trees would be so tall though?
Being too distracted moping, Beauty didn’t have time to react as they were swiftly yanked up and off their ground by strong hands.
“Wha—”
“Annnnnd up we go!”
When Eldar blinked they found themself staring at the top of the tree they’d been struggling to decorate. Seated politely on Hegemonia’s shoulder with War staring up at her like this was the most normal thing in the universe. What? They thought as they looked between Hegemonia and the tree which was now quite reachable. What?
“Um, Hegemonia you…?” Eldar gazed down at her as they tried and failed to calm themself about their current position. Their face warming as it felt like a handful of Nebula’s butterflies were set loose inside of them. They were almost offended by how Hegemonia seemed hardly affected by the fact that Eldar was sitting on her shoulder.
“What? You were clearly struggling and I don’t have anything better to do right now. Unless Nebula comes in,” how is she able to be so casual about this? Eldar was not at all weak against the display of both consideration and strength. Nope. Absolutely not. Definitely had nothing to do with the way they felt ready to combust at any second.
“W-Well, thank you then. This is very considerate.”
“Heh, yeah I know. I’m awesome. Now get to decorating elf,” ah I’m so done for, Eldar thought miserably as they began stringing the garnish over the branches. Expertly twisting and draping it despite how distracted they were mentally. Still feeling quite flustered by the whole ordeal.
Oh well, if anyone sees this I’ll just ask Hegemonia to hunt them down for me.
Eldar was not entirely oblivious to how favored they were after all.