Chapter Text
~~~~~
Begin send back.
System reboot commencing.
Body transfer in 3... 2... 1...
~~~~~~
Oliver's eyes fluttered open. He smacked his lips, letting out a muffled groan as he tried to shift his stiff body against the rigid transfer chair.
With a heavy sigh, he stared up at the ceiling. "Well," he blinked, the residual fog in his head slowly clearing. "That was definitely a day." He shook his head, a breathless laugh escaping his lips. "I rode a freaking waverider. And I met Gorou! I literally met Gor—"
He abruptly snapped his mouth shut, suddenly recalling exactly what he had blurted out to the Watatsumi general.
"...I called him a femboy straight to his face." Oliver squeezed his eyes shut. "I'm a dumbass," he groaned to the empty room, thoroughly embarrassed.
His mind flashed back to riding the boat toward Watatsumi Island, when the bard had told him to hum a tune to help recall his memories. Oliver blinked open an eye. "Was I seriously humming the Doctor Who theme song?" He would have face-palmed if his arms weren't strapped down to the armrests. "I'm such a damn nerd, bro."
Then, he remembered the boat ride back. "Geez, and I told Venti that I wanted to beat up Signora..." He nodded slowly to himself. "Always did," he grunted, a rougher edge bleeding into his voice. "Beat up my crush, I beat your skull in."
"Ugh, Venti would probably melted at that one. Am I overprotective?" Oliver frowned, starting to analyze the things Venti had told him. The bard still had his powers.
"He somehow used his fake vision to store some of the power from his stolen gnosis?" He stared straight ahead, a deeply confused expression plastered on his face. "But... that wasn't a thing in the actual game. Was it?"
Maybe the dimension you enter operates differently than the base game provides. Once, Oliver had managed to sneak into Doctor Barclay's office and read up on some of the notes the doctor had left regarding his theories and experiments. Barclay had warned him to stay out, feeding him the excuse that because the notes were purely theoretical regarding how the Fictional Universe worked, Oliver shouldn't be reading them.
But Oliver read them anyway.
One particular note explained that when a dimension is created off a piece of fiction that lacks enough world-building, the resulting world would either be unstable, or it would forcefully generate its own filler from whatever loose pieces it could gather.
That was heavily on Oliver's mind right now. Most of what Venti was experiencing could just be loose ends in the story, or literal fan theories physically manifesting to fill the gaps.
"I guess that's what's going on," Oliver muttered. He tilted his head back, looking upward at the monitor suspended above his chair, attached to the wall.
Vitals of subject: Fine
Dimension Gateway: Closed
Media: Genshin Impact
Media Type: Game
Fictional Universe Code: Sub-3921
Missing Elements: Missing some lore points, other subs have more; different locations — Stable for transfers.
His eyes lingered on those last few lines. Missing Elements: Missing some lore points, other subs have more; different locations.
"It doesn't have everything," Oliver mumbled. He turned his head forward again, leaning heavily back into the chair. "Missing Elements... maybe some entire areas aren't even there? And missing lore points... that's the big problem." He let out a dry scoff. "I mean, Genshin Impact itself is already missing lore elements. No one knows exactly what Venti really is." He looked back up at the ceiling. "I wonder if he's lying to me...? Or maybe in this version of the universe, he's actually being truthful?"
He turned his head toward the locked door at the far left end of the room. Doctor Barclay hadn't made an appearance since the last time Oliver saw him with that woman, Clair.
Oliver shook his head. "What is happening?" he mumbled. It wasn't that he wasn't enjoying his time within Genshin Impact. He was. He loved Venti, he loved free-roaming Mondstadt, and he loved eating the actual food.
But Doctor Barclay was proving to be incredibly shady, especially after what Oliver had overheard him telling his apparent assistant.
"He can't be like that, can he?" Oliver muttered, a knot forming in his stomach. "He wasn't like that before. There's no way. He asked for my consent to do things like this. Why would he not ask for other people's?"
Oliver closed his eyes, silently waiting for the machine to suck his consciousness back into the world.
~~~~~
Begin send back.
System reboot commencing.
Body transfer in 3... 2... 1...
~~~~~~
Wait a minute...
That wasn't his chair.
Oliver's eyes snapped open. The chair directly across from his was flashing an ominous, pulsing orange light.
"What?" Oliver gasped.
The parallel transfer chair began to vibrate and shake, the monitor above it glitching violently with streams of random numbers. Then, just as suddenly, it stopped.
Oliver blinked, straining his eyes in the dark room. He tried to lean forward to get a better look, fighting against his straps.
"AahH!?" a panicked gasp echoed from the chair in front of him.
Oliver's eyes widened. It was that kid Doctor Barclay had mentioned. But that didn't make any sense. Doctor Barclay had been bragging to Clair about how that specific experiment was a perfect success. The subject inside shouldn't have been pulled back out. The only reason Oliver was awake was because of an apparent bug in the system.
The teenager in the opposing chair began to thrash, trying to free his arms, but he was strapped down exactly like Oliver. "What the?! Where am I!? What's happening?!" he yelled, panic lacing his voice. "HELLO!?"
"H-Hey!" Oliver called out, his eyes still wide.
"HUH?! WHO'S THERE?!"
"Shhh—shhh! Calm down," Oliver urged, keeping his voice soft. "Remember, the experiment. You're here for the experiment." Oliver knew exactly how he felt. It was the same disorienting terror he felt waking up here, and remembered his reality. This guy must be going through the exact same thing. Oliver had assumed this other subject was in a completely different room, not right across from him in this darkened space before. Doctor Barclay must have moved him.
"Why am I strapped down!?" the teenager continued to yell, ignoring him. "What happened to my boyfriends!? Where's Gloyd, Swizzle, and Rancis?!"
Oliver's brain stalled. Gloyd, Swizzle, and Rancis? Boyfriends? He squinted past the boy, scanning the glowing screen above him for the media title.
Vitals of subject: Stressed
Dimension Gateway: Closed
Media: Wreck-It Ralph
Media Type: Movie
Fictional Universe Code: Sub-34
Wreck-It Ralph. Right. That's where those characters the teenager just blurted out were from.
"Look," Oliver started gently, "I want to ask you some—"
"DANGER KID, IF THIS IS YOUR DOING!" the teenager shrieked.
Oliver blinked. Danger Kid. He had heard that name somewhere before. Was it from the machine?
"I can promise you, I am not Danger Kid. I'll even tell you my name. It's Oliver," he reasoned. "What's your name?"
There was a tense, heavy silence for a moment. Finally, the boy spoke. "M-My name? It's... It's Richard."
Oliver frowned. That was absolutely not what the overhead screen said.
Last Name: Harper
First Name: Arnold
Oliver peered back into the darkness, still unable to fully make out the boy's features. "Are you sure?" he asked carefully.
"Yes! I've always been Richard! Is this some type of sick joke!? Ugh, are you a freaking Virus!? You must be Danger Kid! You're trying to lure me into a trap! Well, it won't work!"
Then, without warning—
~~~~~
Begin send back.
System reboot commencing.
Body transfer in 3... 2... 1...
~~~~~~
"Huh?" Richard's voice wavered. "What was that?!"
Instantly, the room went dead quiet. The boy's chair slipped back into sleep mode, bathing his side of the room in deep, undisturbed shadows. The boy slumped, going completely limp against the restraints.
"He... He went back." Oliver's eyebrow shot up. "That name... wasn't his real name." He glanced back up at the boy's monitor. "Was that the name he was given in the world?"
Maybe that's what Doctor Barclay had meant by a perfect transfer. The boy had gotten molded seamlessly into that reality.
"Two things could be happening here," Oliver whispered to himself in the quiet dark. "Either the boy got molded so deeply into the dimension that he literally doesn't remember this universe anymore. Or... Doctor Barclay really did kidnap this kid, and that's why he didn't recognize the experiment." He shook his head. "But that can't be it either. Because he only had his mind in the fictional world,"
Oliver sighed, his chest feeling tight. "Still can't rule out the fact that Doctor Barclay might just be a terrible person. It's a sad possibility. But why would he need a teenager for this?"
Begin send back.
Oliver blinked at the ceiling. "Okay, that's mine..." He closed his eyes, letting his muscles relax as he waited to be pulled back to Teyvat.
~~~~~~~
Oliver slowly drifted awake, realizing he was thoroughly snuggled against Venti's warm body. The only reason he had woken up at all was the soothing sensation of someone gently running their fingers through his hair. "Hmm?" He fluttered his eyes open and looked up to find Venti grinning softly down at him.
"Morning, windblume ~," Venti cooed. "Sleep well?"
Oliver stretched languidly before burying his face back into Venti's chest. "Yeah, I suppose," he mumbled. "Though... I think I had a weird dream. I just can't remember the details."
"Hmm. Poor baby~," Venti hummed, pressing a soft kiss to the top of his head.
Oliver smiled against Venti's skin, utterly melting at the affection. Without lifting his head, he continued, "It is getting a little better, though. At least I have glimpses of the weird dream now."
"You do? Wanna tell me about it?" Venti asked, his fingers never stopping their gentle scratching against Oliver's scalp.
"I..." Oliver lifted his head just enough to rest his chin on Venti's chest. "I dunno... just some weird, dark room."
"Dark room?" Venti blinked. "Hmmm," he mused thoughtfully. "You did say you were trapped somewhere."
Oliver arched an eyebrow. "I have?"
"Yeah," Venti said softly. "Remember when I told you what you said about Doctor Barclay? I know you can't remember it clearly, but you mentioned something about being trapped somewhere. Maybe these dreams are trying to tell you something."
"Hmm," Oliver muttered dismissively, burying his face back into the crook of Venti's neck.
Venti kissed his forehead. "Don't stress yourself, Ollie. Leave your worries to me~" He playfully nuzzled Oliver with his nose. "I'll try my absolute best to solve this mystery for you." He gently lifted Oliver's chin and planted a sweet kiss on his lips. "We're gonna have a slow day today~"
Oliver smiled, a small giggle escaping him. "But we've been having slow days a lot lately."
Venti beamed. "I know~ But yesterday you said you wanted to touch Gorou's ears, and then I brought up Tighnari!" He giggled brightly. "So, I'm taking you to Sumeru to meet him! He usually spends time with his boyfriend, Cyno." Venti shifted, gently sitting up while Oliver stubbornly clung to him like a he was glued to him.
Laughing at his boyfriend's clinginess, Venti reached down and booped Oliver's nose. "If you really wanna do something productive while we're at it, I guess Jean can give us a formal excuse to go. I know Tighnari has been wanting to study some more of the local flora we have here in Mondstadt. Jean can easily set up a commission for us to deliver some." Venti stretched his arms high above his head with a dramatic yawn. "Though, I'll definitely teleport us over there. If Tighnari is hanging out with Cyno in the desert, those plants will be dead and crispy by the time we walk them over. Plus, walking all that way sounds like pure torture." He glanced back down at Oliver. "So, what do you say? Sound like a plan?"
Oliver kept his arm wrapped around Venti, his head resting comfortably on the bard's shoulder. "Hmmm... Yeah," he murmured. His free hand rested against Venti's stomach, his index finger idly twirling around the inside of his belly button.
Venti giggled, shivering slightly. "Hey, either we go get breakfast, or you can dig into my belly button for the entire day—"
Oliver snickered, giving the navel one firm poke. "I pick the latter."
Venti burst into laughter. "Yeah, says the guy who was just complaining about having too many 'slow days.'"
Oliver smiled warmly. Giving the belly button one final poke, he leaned up to kiss Venti's cheek. "Okay, I'm up now." He finally unlatched himself from his boyfriend and opened his eyes fully to the bright morning light.
Venti leaned in, capturing his lips in a quick, sweet kiss. "Come on~ let's get some breakfast before we hit the road."
~~~~~~~~
A short while later, Oliver was happily digging into a massive stack of Good Hunter pancakes. Across from him, Venti was happily munching on an apple salad.
"Again with the apple salad?" Oliver asked, an amused smirk playing on his lips.
Venti rolled his eyes playfully. "What? Apples give great morning energy! And you're one to talk, ordering pancakes again~"
Oliver giggled around his fork. "Fine. You got me. You just can't go wrong with pancakes. Especially these."
They settled into a comfortable silence, enjoying the bustling morning air of Mondstadt. After a few minutes, Venti spoke up. "So, we gotta be a little prepared for Sumeru. Especially if we're heading straight into the desert. You'll have no problem, though."
Oliver knew exactly what Venti was referring to. He chuckled, glancing down at his own outfit. "Yeah... my clothes are very... revealing, to say the least."
"Right. It's absolutely perfect for hot weather. Me though..." Venti looked down at his heavy corset and layers. "I am going to literally burn alive in my bard clothes." He giggled, taking another crunchy bite of his salad.
Oliver tilted his head, looking genuinely perplexed. "Can you, though? I'd reckon since you're... you-know-who... your physical body wouldn't really be affected by things like temperature."
"Trust me," Venti whispered, leaning across the table with a sly grin. "We Archons can still feel the heat. I'll just change into something cooler. I don't normally switch up my attire, but I will make an exception for today."
"Okay, cool." Oliver wiped his mouth with a napkin. "So once we finish, we head over to... 'Sumeru'," he declared with dramatic flair. "Not the other word,"
Venti snorted, since he knew why Oliver did that. Then, he couldn't hold it in, and burst into louder laughing. "Oh my word BAHAHAHA 'SUMMER-RU'!!!" Venti howled, slamming a fist onto the wooden table as he doubled over. "I still cannot believe you called it that!!!"
Oliver immediately sighed and dragged a hand down his face.
Right at that moment, a shower of starry constellations appeared next to their table, and Paimon materialized out of thin air. "HELLO!" she yelled cheerfully.
Oliver gasped, nearly dropping his fork in surprise.
"Traveler told Paimon that you gave him his key!" she grinned brightly. Then, her smile melted into a look of deep concern as she noticed Venti practically dying of laughter on the table. "Uhh? What's wrong with you, you Tone-Deaf Bard?" she demanded, crossing her tiny arms.
Venti was practically wheezing. "It's just... haha! Ollie over here thought Sumeru was pronounced Summer-ru yesterday!!" he gasped out between giggles. "First he thought Liyue was Lie-you, and then he even thought you pronounced Natlan as NATELAND!!!! PIFFFTTT!" Venti collapsed against the tabletop, shaking their plates. "BaHAHAHA! Where did NATE AND LAND even come from!?"
Paimon turned her gaze slowly toward Oliver, her expression utterly deadpan. "Dang. Not even the Traveler and Paimon flunked the names that hard when we first woke up."
That only made Venti laugh harder, tears pricking his eyes.
Oliver hid his face behind both hands. "Can everyone please stop bullying me—"
~~~~~~~
Oliver leaned against the wooden wall of the shaded back alley near Good Hunter, exactly where Venti had told him to wait. The bard had gone to speak with Jean—and only Jean—to make sure he could teleport in peace without someone else from the Knights giving them the flowers.
So, Jean had set him up with some flowers to go deliver to Tighnari all the way in Sumeru.
After a few minutes, Oliver caught movement in his peripheral vision. Venti was jogging over, stepping into the cool shadows of the alleyway.
But the moment Oliver fully processed what Venti was wearing, his heart practically leaped into his throat.
Venti looked absolutely stunning in his "cooler clothes." He had swapped his usual attire for a breezy, pleated skirt and a drastically cropped shirt, both matching his signature teal, white, and gold color palette.
Either it was just the fact that his boyfriend looked undeniably gorgeous, or Oliver's specific fixation for his belly button was operating at maximum capacity right now.
...Yeah. It was definitely the latter.
Oliver flushed bright red, his jaw slightly slack. "Oh my god... Venti."
Venti, of course, knew exactly what he was doing. "You get to see my belly button all day now~," he purred, throwing Oliver a shameless wink. "Try not to get a boner out in the hot desert now~"
Oliver's mouth hung open in sheer disbelief. "You are so going to pay for that tease."
"Shut up~ You love it when I tease you~," Venti snorted playfully, stepping forward to press a quick, silencing kiss to Oliver's lips. "Come on, let's go~!"