what once was mine.
Lena Austen has been turned into her six-year-old self. It was a shock to wake up and discover she was no longer a woman in her twenties and instead, the child version of her. She's retained enough memories to recognize people from her adult life, but her mannerisms and her way of thinking are now that of a six-year-old. It's quite a dilemma. That'
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Things appear out of thin air to play havoc with people or to just exist. Mark has studied the Rift for a long time, but there's just not a whole lot of sense to be found in it or what it does. He has researched.
He has created his own research and tried to make sense of it, but there was no sense in it. The Rift shifts things. It changes things how ever it sees fit, and it does things like making an adult into a child or handing them a wand.
Once you live here for a while, you get used to having no idea what to get used to. Mark's glad she is enjoying what has happened to her anyway, because it's no fun when someone is given something that they hate.
"You will rule well. I should! Of course! Why didn't I think of this? Why do you have all the best thoughts and ideas?" Mark says as he smiles when the crown is placed upon his head, and he will wear it happily, no matter who looks at him strangely for it.
They are quite the royal pair now. Mark loves it.
"At least a hundred? Holy- How are you still on your feet. As princess, I demand that you cannot use your feet again today. You must be carried Everywhere for the rest of the day," Mark says firmly. "This is what a princess would do, you see. She must protect her royal, tiny feet." And he grabs hold of those tiny shoes, knocking them together.
It is so hard.
Mark has no doubts that while most would exaggerate, it is not at all impossible that Lena would have seen so many people and helped them all in one day.
She is just that talented, and she has that tiny, adorable personality. Who could resist making a wish today? But he is happy that she is safe and she is okay and has only run into the good kind of trouble.
Mark is so happy that his robot will not be going anywhere, because he wants to keep his robot forever. He really has wanted one for such a long time that he can't even with his life. He is very happy. He gets to spend some time with Lena in little form and he has a robot following him that is now his. Forever.
He is so happy the Rift is just being nice and letting people keep their wishes.
People should get to have something they like in this city when the city gives them so many things they don't like.
She is super sly and super smart. Mark nods firmly as he keeps hold of her, walking down the sidewalk and into the diner. "I am paying now. Look we're already here," he says, setting her down in the booth. The robot...has followed them inside and is waiting under the table.
Such a good robot.
"Chocolate is coming right up, and I will get Strawberry, and we'll be awesome and have our shakes, but you better start coming out with those ideas as soon as you get your first sip," Mark says like he wouldn't have given her a milkshake otherwise. Ahem. "We had a deal here."
When the waitress comes over, he orders them both a shake, because she deserves a shake.
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It makes him absolutely awesome in her eyes, at whatever age, and he deserves an awesome crown, fitting of his awesomeness.
"I dunno. I stopped to rest and gave myself time outs--" and she cuts herself off and squeals and starts wriggling around in place, bursting into peals of laughter. She is ticklish, Mark, especially around the feet. It is not common knowledge, but it would be impossible to conceal now.
"If you carry me does that make you the prince?" she asks matter-of-factly.
It is something very prince-ly, after all.
She will not complain about being carried everywhere.
In fact, it will be difficult to get her off the piggyback rides.
Daw, Mark. Dreams do come true. The robot will not leave his side. It will be the best pal one could ever hope for! It is very nice when the Rift gives back once in a full blue moon, considering how much it takes from people constantly enough that they've resented it and grown accustomed to the backlash.
There may have been curses and whatnot spread throughout the city, as fairytales often have.
But there have also been many wishes that came true.
There's both good and bad, and it's nice to be a part of the good.
She likes seeing people happy.
Lena swings her legs around, safe in the knowledge that he will keep a good hold of her, because he is Mark and Mark loves her and she loves him very much too, whether she is a tiny or not. She lets him settle her down on the booth and immediately picks up the menu, even if she's already decided she wants a chocolate milkshake.
It makes her look intriguing, you see.
"I keep my deals! Who do you think you're talking to?" she says, with a child, please sort of face. It won't be long before their milkshakes are brought over. Delicious milkshakes with many sprinkles on top of it. Lena's eyes immediately widen in contentment.
She takes her first sip, savoring it before she answers as if it's the easiest thing in the world.
"Nano," she says, stirring the milkshake with her straw. She takes another long sip contentedly and doesn't speak for a while as she revels in the deliciousness of this milkshake, and then there is milk on the corners of her lips when she finally draws back. "You should name him Nano."
Nanobytes, Mark = tech guy. It totally makes sense in her head.
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BAW, LENA. He thinks she is absolutely awesome for many reasons in both tiny form and in older form. Mark loves her very much.
"Well, I'm glad you stopped to rest and give yourself time outs, but you are still so tiny and that is a lot of places to go during one day and you are ticklish on your feet," Mark says with a grin as he watches her squeal and break into peals of laughter as he plays with her feet.
"Considering I'm wearing a crown, yes, I think it does." He nods his head as if this makes complete sense to him, and it does.
It makes Lena-sense so thus it makes Mark-sense too.
Good! She shouldn't complain as he is happy to carry her wherever she wants to go right now, and he doesn't think she should walk anymore.
Mark will probably take her home after this or wherever Lucky is so she can sleep as she will be tired after all of that walking around. She should be able to sleep in a very comfy bed with a bedtime story beforehand.
Dreams do come true sometimes. People can be happy in this city, and it's hard to find it in all the darkness. It's hard to find happiness in all that darkness, but they can do so.
They can make it for themselves.
They can grant wishes for each other even if they don't have a wand.
He likes seeing the good in the city. He likes seeing people happy too.
rjkle;a DAW Mark is definitely Mark, and he will keep her safe and he does love her and know she loves him too. Mark knows these things with deep certainty, and they help. It helps to know people love him and to love others.
He does see, and he picks up his own menu. The imagery of the two of them looking through their menus with crowns on their head is so adorable. Mark smiles as he looks over the words.
"I-- I think I forgot temporarily but OF course. I'm talking to Lena who always goes through with all of her deals. Always. No exceptions but especially not when you make your deal with me because you love me," Mark says with a grin, laughing at her child, please face. It is also very adorable, and he reaches for his milkshake, toasting it against hers before he sips from it himself.
Mark listens to her and then he laughs.
"Lena, that is really and truly the perfect name for a robot. I knew I was right for asking you your ideas about a name," he says, as he stretches his hand across the table to shake hers like they're making a deal. "Thank you very much for fulfilling your part of the bargain. My new tiny robots name is, Nano."
The robot makes a noise from under the table that sounds like approval!
"And I'm thinking Nano approves of the name. You made a very sound choice. I'm not at all surprised," he says, slurping down on his milkshake further and smiling at her.
This has gone from the 'worst' day to the 'best' day in no time flat. All thanks to Little Lena. "You rock, L.L.," he says and it should be more of a joking statement, but there's sincerity and fondness in it instead.
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It is powerful knowledge, Mark.
Lena is trusting you to use the knowledge wisely.
He is right that she will need rest, and will be exhausted and faceplant onto her pillow, only to start over again the next day, because she does not need many hours of sleep to return to her tireless energizer bunny ways. Anyone else would've already had their legs give out.
Not Lena Austen.
"I think so, too," she says with a nod, as it makes perfect sense to her. It really does. "You are a very good prince, Mark."
She has always thought so.
There are many remarkable qualities in someone like him, and there's something about his spirit that hasn't been broken despite living in the city that he does. It's something special, and she's always recognized it as such, and will always strive to protect it, whether she is six, or whether she is twenty-five. It's something worth protecting.
And he is a prince in her eyes whether he is wearing a crown or not.
So there.
The visual of the two of them with menus and crowns really is adorable, and hopefully someone has snapped a picture because it should be conmemorated for all of time. The day Mark met his friend Lena as a six year-old, and they had milkshakes and crowns and a robot.
It's not like just anyone can say that's how they spent their day.
"That's why I'm here! To remind you! I love you, yes. More than I love chocolate milkshakes," she says with another easy grin. That's a lot of love right there, Mark. She tips her own glass, though she has to use both hands. She can't hold on to the glass with just one hand, tiny that it is, and she has to sit on her knees to bring said glass over to his.
But she manages. She is just that determined.
"I thought so," Lena says with a nod. She is very serious about the wonder of her ideas, okay, and she'd already had the idea prior to walking into the diner, but she is a sly sort of tiny and she wanted the milkshake before she gave out such wisdom. "You are very welcome, Prince Mark. Thank you for fulfilling yours."
She stumbles on the world fulfilling, but work with her here.
And she claps her hands giddily when the robot seems to approve. That's a sign right there!
"Ditto!" she says to his rocking hard core, smiling back at him while she's still slurping on her milkshake. It won't be long before she finishes hers and will want a taste of the strawberry milkshake, so she'll kneel back on the booth and place her straw on his milkshake and take some from it.
Mark deserves to have a best day.
More than just the one.
And she can say she is very proud she was a part of that.
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