NOVEL NEXT Chapter 8: This Is Perfect!
Shimmer.
Shimmer managed to find her way out of Snezhnaya and back to Mondstadt, and on the way she could only wonder about the discussion she had with Gloom, "Seraphim, what the fuck was that?" She asked the voice in her head.
"That would be your Mantras clashing." Seraphim started, "With all these worlds merging people developed natural magical abilities, in your case you can control light, while Gloom darkness." She elaborated.
That information made Shimmer realize that everything was much more different then what she originally thought, "I'm still gonna go through with that challenge." She decided before noticing something in the distance, "That's... Not supposed to be there..." She thought as she started heading over.
An hour of walking later.
Shimmer arrived at the particular location and found many flying islands, "This is..." She started, but didn't really know, "Cool?" She finished with the only thing she could think of.
"This is a rare phenomenon that has been happening recently, it's unknown what is causing it." Seraphim explained, detecting Shimmer's confusion.
Walking around the islands, Shimmer noticed a few roots connecting them to the ground, "...I walked all the way here, what's a little climbing." She thought outloud as she began climbing up the roots.
Gloom.
"You're really planning to go through with it?" Childe asked the dark color schemed girl, "How do you even plan to become a God?" He questioned further.
In response Gloom just pulled an Electro Vision out of an jewlry box and put it on like an earring, "Oh trust me, I am." She confirmed, creating a few cicins that would look after the meadery in her place.
Looking at the cicins, Childe sighed, realizing that there would be no changing Gloom's mind, then turning to her to see her putting on a crow mask, "I remember Pulcinella giving you that mask." He commented.
"Yeah, it seems like a good time to use it you know?" Gloom pointed out, "And I don't really want people to know I'm in the ring." She added before yawning.
Hearing that, Childe frowned, "And before throwing yourself in the ring, you need to sleep." He said firmly.
Gloom was going to say something against that, but Childe activate his Foul Legacy, "Sleep." He repeated in a tone that made it clear he was going to knock her out if she didn't go to sleep on her own.
"...You suck sometimes you know that?" Gloom told the Harbringer who had a sh!t eating grin as he watched Gloom go to bed.
Shimmer.
When she finally arrived on the flying island, Shimmer was very, very tired, "That was a lot harder than I thought..." she commented, "And my feet hurt..." She lamented, sittin down to massage her sore soles.
After she rested enough, she got up and began walking around the island, "It looks very pretty." She thought, seeing the many open fields and the occasional tree, "Wait... This is perfect!" She realized, seeing how big the place is, "I can make my nation here!" She exclaimed.
"Seraphim! To you think this place is suitable for a civilization?" She asked the voice in her head and waited for an answer, hoping she could make it here.
Taking a moment, Seraphim answered "This flying island seems 80% capable of housing a civilization." she said, causing Shimmer to start cheering outloud.
"Yes! Yes! Yes! YES!!" She repated in happiness before she remembered something, "I still don't know what to do..." She muttered.
Before she could think of anything else, she heard her stomach growl, "Right... I spent the whole day without eating anything..." She said in realization.
Looking around she spotted an apple tree, "Just what I needed!" She said with a smile, heading over and climbing on the tree to pick the apples to eat.
Gloom.
It took a while for Gloom to fall asleep, but when she did, she found herself in front of Shiva Samba, "What?" She let out confused, "Why am I here?" She asked the Goddess.
Before answering, Shiva Samba handed her a wand, "Here you go." She simply said without any context as to what was happening.
Since Gloom was still there she decided to ask "What is this?" pointing at the wand she was just handed.
"Think of it as a present." Shiva Samba replied, "Something for reincarnated people who have strong ambitions." She explained.
Gloom looked at the wand, "What does it do?" She questioned further making the God smile, "Like I'm telling Shimmer right now: Figure it out you lazy ass!" Shiva Samba responded, literally slapping Gloom awake, where she found herself in bed with the wand in hand.
"Childe?" She called out, receiving no response, "How long was I there?" She wondered, having thought less then two minutes passed before realizing "Shimmer has one of these too!?"
Shimmer.
After eating a good amount of apples, Shimmer noticed the sun going down and went to sleep, where she was brought in front of Shiva Samba.
"...Did I die again?" She asked the God, who started laughing, not expecting that question, "I'll take that as a no." Shimmer said, waiting for Shiva Samba to stop laughing, "Are you done?" She asked, getting a bit irritated at being made fun of.
Shiva Samba took a bit to calm down, "Now I'm done." She confirmed, "Okay, I brought you here cause, first: I wanted to apologize for making you that disproportionate when you first got reincarnated." She explained.
Hearing that made Shimmer look to the 'floor', "And I should apologize for fun of your proportions." She said back.
"You're forgiven." The God reassured, "Second reason you're here: It's so I can give you this." She said, handing Shimmer a wand.
Taking the wand from Shiva Samba, Shimmer looked at it carfully, "It's a present to those with strong ambitions." She explained.
"I see..." Shimmer responsed, looking at the wand more carefully, "What does it do?" She asked, prompting the God to smile.
"Like I'm telling Gloom: Figue it out yourself you lazy ass!" Shiva Samba responded, literally slapping Shimmer awake, making her fall from the tree branch she fell asleep on.
Getting up, Shimmer felt a pain in her hip, having fallen on her side, "Ow..." She lamented, before getting bonked on the head by the wand falling on her, "I just woke up!" She commented, holding the spot the wand fell on.
Grabbing the wand from the ground, Shimmer thought how she could maybe use it to make her nation, accidentally activating one of it's abilities, lifting a few ruins from underground, "...I like this thing already!" She exclaimed before realizing "Gloom has one of these too!?"