Chapter Text
Premise
- Rover is The Finality, who appeared at the end of time. Curious about the universe he went back and traveled against time - having split THEIR divine corpus into a pack of black cats, empowering each cat with a part of THEIR divine power. Once at the beginning the cats moved forward, some formatting together to create a proxy of THEIR divine form as Rover.
- However, by now being a person Rover slowly moves toward 'Realization' and ascending back to godhood as he regains memories and so to avoid Finality (the end of the universe) Rover resets his memories, forgetting everything - with each life between forgetting nicknamed 'lifetimes' that could last anywhere from twenty years to hundreds
- "Forgetting" is basically Amnesia. If Rover accumulates too many memories, he gains 'weight' and 'presence' and approaches 'realization' (ascending back into Terminus the Finality).
- As Rover, he is a proxy of Terminus formed from the black cats that once made up Terminus' divine corpus; as a proxy, Rover is the closest to what the actual Terminus was like.
- Akivili finds Rover during one of these lifetimes and invites Rover on board the Express and evantually the two fall in love.
- Akivili confesses but Rover is afraid that his constant forgetting would just hurt Akivili.
- Akivili said, a little lightheartedly despite how serious they were, that they will stay by Rover's side and help Rover know (taking pictures of their lives), and even if Rover didn't fall in love with them again in the next 'lifetime' then Akivili will at least have this one. They eventually marry.
- Over thirty 'lifetimes' occurred and Akivili kept their promise - only telling Rover after each memory reset, "We were married, I don't expect anything but I would like to ask if I can stay by your side." Rover always agreed, and always ended up falling in love again. During one of their lifetimes, Rover and Akivili have a son (Caelus) with Aha's brilliance making it possible for Aeon's to conceive.
- However, by now being a person Rover slowly moves toward 'Realization' and ascending back to godhood as he regains memories and so to avoid Finality (the end of the universe) Rover resets his memories, forgetting everything - with each life between forgetting nicknamed 'lifetimes' that could last anywhere from twenty years to hundreds
Chapter 1
Akivili is sitting next to him, a hand in his hair. Akivili knows they shouldn’t but in this quiet moment while Rover sleeps, Akivili lets themselves cry a bit. Their husband gone again and the small chance of never being theirs again for all that Rover fell for them again and again, Akivili always felt a bit guilty; Akivili would always told Rover ‘you don't have to stay’, but Rover always did, and Akivili wonders if asking to stay by Rover’s side, they trap Rover into it sometimes.
It was a little harder this time, the realization this time had creeped up out of nowhere (despite the few centuries of this 'lifetime'), that it was taking so long was why Akivili and Rover thought their baby Caelus, Akivili only 7 months along, would be born before the next reset but now… (though Akivili knows the Nameless, who are very excited about Caelus, and Aha wouldn’t let Akivili raise Caelus alone).
They two of them didn’t even know for sure if Aeon’s could have children; beings of imaginary energies that embodied a concept, their forms on this plane of existence being avatar’s (except for Rover, being a proxy). But they wanted to and so they tried. It helped that Aha was very smart, having once been a mortal that broke through to the Sea of Quanta and reached the top of the Imaginary Tree (something no mortal or Aeon had achieved – Aeon’s can move through the tree to other worlds [universes] but to get to the top…), and even though like all Aeons upon ascending, Aha didn’t remember their mortal life, Aha still had that smarts and helped Akivili and Rover with their wish.
- AN: Akivili and Rover though Aha just being their good friend and Aha being someone that encouraged one to experience life in all its range and joy; Aha secretly loving Akivili but retreating and acting otherwise so Akivili and Rover can love in peace.
Rover wakes up from one of these resets, as per usual with no memory. For a moment, Rover doesn’t open his eyes, slowly waking. There’s a moment of feeling a hand in his hair and it fills him with a warmth that he feels like leaning into it. Akivili is sitting next to him, a hand in his hair (indulgence) though the hand jerks away when Akivili notices his eyes flicker under the eyelids.
Rover notices that the pretty 'lady' is heavily pregnant, dressed a little more casually but with a large brimmed hat and red conductor coat, sitting on the edge of the bed, Akivili smiles and greets Rover. Akivili was very beautiful, Rover couldn’t help at blink at this no doubt beyond human being, even Akivili’s voice was melodious – like a warm campfire, a song with friends, and the gentle breeze of the distant winds. Rover asks who Akivili is and Akivili gives the usual script: their name, and that they are ‘in their home, or at least the closest we have to one’. They’re in the main bedroom, Akivili and Rover’s, golds and red’s and oak (Akivili and the Astral Express) make up the walls and furniture with some black (Rover).
Rover thinks about how Akivili is sitting here, had their hands in his hair, and how this room obviously had a mix of them in it and asks if the baby is his (almost afraid, quite guilty because he already knows it's a yes: 'in their home', a hand gently in his hair, the faint trails of tears, the reds and the blacks and all the little ways this room is two people and one of them is obviously Akivili).
Akivili pauses, not wanting to burden Rover, but nods, unable to keep secrets from Rover. Rover breathes and asks why he doesn’t remember Akivili or their baby, leading into the rest of that 'script'. Akivili gives Rover the overview of his situation then shifts over to grab a book from a stack on the bedside table and hands it to Rover; its an album and shows various pictures of Rover, Akivili, Aha, Pom-Pom, and various other people (different Nameless overtime and the various worlds they’ve visited).
As Rover flips through, Akivili gives the usual line they do at this. “We were married. There’s no need to worry, I don’t expect anything, though I would like to ask if I can stay by your side.” Rover frowns as he considers this and asks how Akivili could possibly say that (in this room they built together, carrying their child), how can Akivili say they don’t expect anything of him? Even if he doesn’t remember, Akivili and the baby are his responsibility, Rover feels. And how can he look upon his spouse, his child - to wake up, look at Akivili’s burden, and walk away because it is 'convenient'? But Akivili shakes their head, 'they never want to force any decision on each new life'.
Rover rejects the concept of leaving, saying that it is no hollow duty, as he shifts out of the bed to swing his legs over the side and looks Akivili in the eyes; the faint trails of tears Akivili tried to hide makes Rover feel angry at reality and himself for making Akivili cry). Rover says he will stay, he will learn because he is Akivili’s husband and the baby’s father. Akivili laughs and asks if he wants to feel the bump. When Rover does, the baby gives a kick and Rover already feels a rush of love, and he wonders if not everything from his past reset.