Complications of Mortality | Druig x OC

XIX | Meagerness

Time felt stationary, but, not in the way that she had imagined it.

The other eternals fell into the perpetual feeling of waiting rather easily, whether it was sinking into the floor with mindless thoughts or keeping themselves busy using technology or banter. Akiva remained on the steps as Phastos tinkered with something, staring at the edge where the floor met the wall on the far side of the room. When she was younger, barely a teenager, she used to be so fascinated with whatever he was up to.

His inventions were so forward-thinking. They were projections of the technology that humankind was going to be able to create in coming years and in a way, it was like looking through a keyhole into the future.

He'd always shoo her away.

It's too early for you to know about this.

This one's not even in your lifetime.

Okay, but this one is not allowed to leave the Domo. Got it?

She'd rush away after being caught, reflections of the golden blueprints shining behind intense eyes. Akiva smiled softly at the thought, mind clearly elsewhere as she zoned out. The sound of her small shoes bouncing around the hallways as she ran back to her room, trying to find a pen and paper to illustrate the inventions down in front of her.

Her attention was lifted as the new human joined them, eyes flicking over to where the threshold opened into the circular room.

Sprite had changed out of her light blue uniform, and Akiva briefly wondered if it had been a choice or if it had been taken from her by some higher power. Her shirt had stayed the same hue, but now took it's form as a smooth button down. The collar flared slightly like something picked out from the 1970's.

Akiva reached over, patting the space on the stairs next to where she was sitting.

The child looked around the room, unsure of who to go to first. The obvious choice was Sersi, but she had been delved into the contents of her phone with Makkari right next to her. As her eyes drifted from Phastos down to his pinkish peach shadow, she watched her hand settle on the step before giving in.

She had a lot of questions, even if she didn't want to admit it. Seven thousand years held incredible amounts of information and knowledge, but time alone could never close the gap between two species. Akiva and herself had seemed to switch.

Like the lot of them, Sprite envied her.

She was constantly berated by her own limitations of being trapped in a child's body. Surrounding herself with Sersi and Dane's relationship didn't exactly help along the way either. Accidentally walking into their affection scenes in hallways, or absentmindedly losing focus when Gilgamesh guided Thena by her delicate hand.

Noticing the way Druig watched Akiva become entranced by her illusions alone was enough to create some sort of mild resentment. Lips parted, chin tilted up, pupils wide. His infatuation with her grew so fast that it was almost unbearable to witness.

Akiva being undeniably easy on the eyes was one thing, but she also had the unbeknownst privilege of being grown. Sprite knew that she wasn't at fault, but being around her still caused a knot in her stomach.

"Hey, Akiva," she settled down next to her, sticking her legs out straight ahead and watching her shoes.

Akiva looked down at them as well, bringing her own knees a bit closer to her chest. Her cheek rested on the tops of her knees as she looked over at Sprite. The girl was awkward about meeting her eyes, glancing at Akiva's face before forcing her attention back forward.