||sky graffiti.

two boys. one unsupervised portal. an unsuspecting planet. what could go wrong? ace&baronAU

and they aren't dates. we just go to Earth, occasionally, together, and sometimes get ice cream. but really, it's completely platonic.

x•x•

There is a boy who dreams of Earth and solar storms and sunny-starry-swirls that light up mirrors on lakes. He dreams of a tilted axis and sugar clouds and melty horizons, of spider-spun flowers and dimensions inside cocoons and seashells. Most of all he dreams of utopia, a planet encompassed by serenity and seventy-seven world wonders.

There is another boy, a friend (or something resembling one, anyway), who shoulders the karma-assigned task of reminding the blue-eyed hopeful that the pictures painted of a dust-sparkled Earth are the equivalent of ascribed acid trips.

At regular intervals.

Intervals like one in an otherwise routine afternoon under metallic lighting, when the latest broadcasted monster-fighting tournament should be the only sound in the sulky conscience's small apartment.

Baron tilts his head, reconsidering his lavender viewframe as he absentmindedly watches clawed behemoths wrestle on-screen. "So what you're saying is—"

"Earth isn't like that, you moron." Ace flicks hair out of his eyes, glaring up in frustration. "It's just an ugly mudball covered in layers of pollution thanks to an entirely moronic population. There's none of that magical crap that those crazy old men talk about."

"But—"

"But what? I've told you a thousand times, those guys are nothing but has-been travelers that have to make up stories about their little 'expeditions' to feel meaningful to society. Not that anyone with half a brain takes their ramblings seriously." He squints at Baron pointedly.

"But they've still been to Earth, like, actually been there," Baron pauses in wonderment, "And you'venever traveled outside of the planet, have you, Ace?"

Ace flinches. "WellI've heard about Earth from more reliable sources, alright?"

"Mira?" Baron realizes belatedly that he's broken the unspoken rule of never mentioning Ace's ex by name when gray eyes flash silver in irritation.

"Not just her," Ace says darkly, "her brother has gone there for research—"

"Her brother with the split personality, you mean?"

"Look," the taller boy straightens intimidatingly, "those dinosaurs act like they know what they're talking about, but they don't, okay? You think a bunch of senile idiots know better than I do?"

Baron shifted on the sofa awkwardly. "W-well, I mean, information about Earth is classified, so the only way I can know for sure what it's like is to hear about it from someone who's traveled there…"

"No."

"No?"

"No, we are not sneaking into my boss' private lab so we can hijack his portal and transport ourselves to Earth."

"…Wow, Ace, that's a great idea! Can we go tonight?"

"No!"

Baron sighs pitifully. "Well, I guess it would make Mira really upset if we used her dad's portal to travel to Earth, so it's probably for the best—"

"I changed my mind." Ace stood. "We're going."

Turning his head to hide an entirely-too-devious sparkle in his eyes, Baron smiled.