double update woop woop
9 ½ years ago
Benny went to Atlantis because he needed to be away from space for a little while. Everything seemed different now. Being a Master Builder was… overwhelming. Wherever he looked, he could see how things had been put together, and how he could take them apart, and new things he could make out of them. He wasn't even trying, it was just appearing to him. At times, he was half-convinced that he was just hallucinating, that he'd suffered more brain damage than he thought, or even maybe that he was still out on the asteroid, still slowly suffocating. The headache he'd had since he'd woken up a week ago back safe in Cape Space pierced through his temples.
He needed to be away from space and so he went to Atlantis, the learning hub of the Master Builder world. If you wanted to be a Master Builder, this was where you came to find a teacher. If you were already a Master Builder, this was where you came to find like-minded individuals.
In Benny's case, he supposed it was a weird combination of both.
But he hadn't counted on how big Atlantis would be. It was a huge, glistening city, full of glimmering towers and silver spires, in the middle of a vast expanse of water. And that was just the top level. Underwater was an exact mirror of the city above, its spires reaching down towards the ocean floor as its counterpart's reached for the clouds.
And there were so many people. It had been so long since Benny had been around a crowd of more than ten – in fact, he was the most used to having just four for company. But this… oh, there were people everywhere. When he'd first arrived at the port, it was almost a relief to be surrounded by so much life. Shouts, laughter, conversation, as people disembarking the ship mingled with the people already there. It was so far from that cold rock in its empty space, and it cheered him immensely.
Unfortunately, the thrill didn't last very long. The city was vast, and the crowds seemingly endless, and even when he asked for directions he somehow managed to get turned around. The sheer amount of people pressed in on him, and the tall, glittering towers seemed to spiral above him, making him dizzy. He stumbled blindly through until he finally managed to reach a pocket of peace – a small, vacant lobby beyond a glass door. Pushing the door open, he all but fell inside, sucking in deep breaths of air as he tried to clear his head.
"Are you alright?" said a worried voice off to his right.
Benny inhaled sharply and whipped around.
Watching him with concern was a young-looking person of indeterminate gender, wearing a bright yellow sundress. They had cat ears and a unicorn horn. When Benny gave no sign of responding, they asked, "Are you new here?"
Benny nodded wordlessly.
They gave him an understanding smile and set the stack of books they'd been holding on the reception desk before approaching him. "First time here can be a bit overwhelming," they said, sticking out their hand. "Princess Unikitty."
Benny blinked, accepting the handshake. "Of… Cloudcuckooland?"
"That's the one!" they replied cheerfully, smoothing out their skirt. "Since you've never been here before, I'm assuming you're a student?"
"Um," Benny said. "Sort of. I mean. I am a Master Builder. I think. But it was kind of… an accident."
Unikitty's round, almost childish face creased in puzzlement. "How do you 'accidentally' become a Master Builder?"
Benny shrugged helplessly.
Unikitty gave him a considering look, standing up on tiptoe to search his face. After a long, uncomfortable moment, they rocked back on their heels, smiled like the sun, and said, "Don't worry. I'll help you."