Archive of Our Own ^beta

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“We are gathered here today to look back and celebrate the life of.. a strong and courageous man. He was a lover, a husband, and a father. And he’d loved his family all too much.”

Test Tube had zoned out about 2 minutes into the ceremony. She didn’t look up to see his friends speak on his life, she barely looked up from her paper during her speech, and she focused on a dandelion that the cemetery managers had forgotten to weed out.

She didn’t care her dad was in the ground anymore. He’d died long before that.

What the priest was saying was indeed true- he loved Test Tube and her mother very much, but after their budget for her mother’s treatment had drained, they’d made the decision to pull the plug together.

When Test Tube had gotten home from school that day, she remembers the look on her dad’s face as he asked her to put her backpack away and sit down in the living room. She remembers the feeling of not crying.. barely even feeling sad. She’d felt like a horrible daughter, but she’d fully prepared herself for her mother’s passing long before the date.

The day he came home, it’d been like he’d left his soul behind at the hospital. Sure, the little money they had remaining for the treatment had gone to Test Tube’s research, her science competitions, events.. but it’s not like he was there to watch her.

She remembers the feeling of standing alone on the first place podium. The second and third place winners had already run to their families, showing them their prizes. Test Tube’s sweaty palms ached holding the trophy as she scanned the room one last time, with an ounce of hope that he’d at least shown up period. Sure, it was another trophy for her room, but it’s not like her dad would notice it.

Test Tube was sitting on a bench in her itchy black dress, trying not to scratch up her face. Stupid acne.. stupid contact lenses.. stupid pimple patches her aunt made her wear.. stupid ride taking forever. Speaking of her aunt, she came out of the funeral home rolling a suitcase with a backpack attached to it.

“Take your stuff, Testy. I put some clothes for you to change into in the bag. The Uber says about 15 minutes, but change fast. Me and your uncle wanna say goodbye.” Her aunt smiles as she hands Test Tube her belongings.

“Thanks, Aunt Petri. I will.” Test Tube gives her aunt a hug. It was her last few minutes.. she wasn’t going to tell her no one called her Testy anymore.

As Test Tube rolled her bags into the funeral home once again, she made a beeline to the bathroom. Throwing the dress on the floor, she takes a deep breath in and stares at herself in the mirror.

Huh. Her eyebags look darker than normal. She should try to get some sleep on the plane.. if her insomnia will let her.

Changing into the t-shirt on the inside, she throws the hoodie over it. It’s pretty tight, unlike the rest of her small hoodie collection. Maybe she can take it into the store it came from to get it in a larger size.

Slipping the leggings on, she realizes these must have been a hand-me-down. There’s no way she would own these on her own.. yikes. Tieing her tennishoes before leaving, she takes her hair out of the bun it was in before, and runs her hands through her scalp.

God, she’s gonna have to stay in the shower to get the grease from the hair gel out. However, her hands help massage her scalp a little, a small shot of comfort before she ties her hair into a ponytail.

Washing her hands, she leans up close to the mirror. Yikes, remind her to never wear contacts ever again. Her eyes feel dry like the surface of the moon-

Nope, keep the astronomy out of the mind for now. Test Tube wants to focus on her flight and finally seeing Fan again- after months- instead of that dumb stuff.

Calling it dumb made her heart pang. Just finish getting ready, Tube. Your flight will be waiting for you once you leave.

Once Test Tube steps out of the bathroom with her stuff, she gets squished into a hug from her aunt.

“Oh, kiddo.. I can’t believe you’re flying across the country on your own. I remember when you were just a little girl.. where’s that Testy?” Her aunt grabs her cheek and speaks to her in a baby voice.

“That Testy grew up, because she had to, Aunt Petri. I’m almost sixteen, I’m gonna be fine. His family is picking me up right then and there.” Test Tube promises. “Bye, Uncle Bunsen.”

“Have a safe flight, Test Tube!” Her uncle smiles from the waiting room. “We love you very much. We understand today might be a hard day for you.. especially with leaving your home.. so you can always talk to one of us, okay?”

Test Tube smiles. “Thanks, I will.” Test Tube, however, gets a notification on her phone. It’s from her Uber app, signaling that her ride was here.

“O-oh! Call us once you land, Testy! We love you, sweetheart!” Her aunt waves as Test Tube walks out of the funeral home. “Lord, please protect that girl from whatever comes her way. Knowing her, she’ll need it.”

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Okay, Test Tube. Look for a bright red hoodie.. and faded red hair. Fan couldn’t be that hard to spot in the sea of people greeting their families at the baggage claim. Sure, Test Tube didn’t have hers waiting for her, but she had her best friend’s, so could it really be that bad?

She throws on the other strap of her backpack as she pulls out her phone to text Fan.

starryeyedscientist: Where are you

fantasticfaniel: baggage claim 13?? its what you told me haha

starryeyedscientist: Still don’t see you and im walking up to it rn

fantasticfaniel: I SEE U

Test Tube lifts her head from her phone to see.. a person in a bright red hoodie waving towards her. Their hairtie must have snapped, since their red hair suddenly comes cascading down their back.

Oh my.. it really was Fan!

Test Tube bolted in his direction, running and pulling him into the tightest hug she could with what little energy she had after her flight.

“Fan, Fan, Fan! Oh golly, I’ve been waiting for this day for weeks!” Test Tube smiles widely, wiping tears from her face.

“You too, Test Tube! Oh, wait, these are my parents.” Fan moves out of the way, bringing his parents into view.

“I’ve met your parents before, you muttonhead.” Test Tube grins, but she still makes sure to say her introductions. “Thank you so much for having me.”

“You’re welcome, honey. When we heard about the news, and how much Fan cared, of course our doors would be open.” His mom smiles softly, and Test Tube nods.

“Your science equipment is waiting in your room for you.” His dad sharply informs her. “It arrived just before we left. And I do believe that is your suitcase.”

Test Tube turns her head to see a battered green suitcase come into view. “Oh golly, it really is! Thank you, sir!” Test Tube runs to grab it as Fan follows close behind.

“Are we sure this is a good idea?” Fan’s dad glances over at his wife.

“Think about it for a moment. We are helping a poor girl who has tragically lost both her parents. We know her already, too. Plus, Fan has never seemed more excited. Did you see his face once Test Tube walked into his frame of vision?”

“That is true. Thank you, sweetheart. The girl seems to genuinely care about Fan. This no longer seems as bad as I expected it to be.” The father looks onto his son and his best friend. They’re playfully arguing over who gets to take the suitcase out, until they have to run to keep up with it.

Those two are inseparable. It was only a matter of time before they’d be put together.

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Test Tube fidgets uncomfortably with her chopsticks for a few moments. Fan sits down next to her and notices her anxiety.

“Is everything okay? Crap, are you, like, not hungry or something? Not feeling dinner?” Fan quietly asks, sliding her a glass of water.

“Not really. I’m pretty tired.” Test Tube mumbles, sliding out of her chair. “Will your parents care if I just head to bed now?”

“No, not at all, you had a long day. Wait, wasn’t the..” Fan starts, but Test Tube interrupts him.

“The funeral was today, yeah. But I just..” Test Tube begins as she continues to fiddle with her chopsticks. “I didn’t really care all too much. I sound like the world’s shittiest daughter, I know.”

“Okay.. um.. do you want me to show you where your room is?” Fan smiles, standing up from his chair. Test Tube shrugs, but nods at the same time. Fan takes Test Tube’s hand as he begins to run down the hall and stops in front of a door.

Once it clicks open, he jumps onto the bed. Test Tube’s suitcase is sitting on the desk, and all her science equipment is in a neat pile in the corner of the room. Fan wasn’t kidding about the window, though. It was huge, and it even opened to allow someone to access the small outdoor balcony. Sure, Test Tube wouldn’t be able to keep her science equipment outside, but it was really nice to have.

“Wow..” Test Tube mumbles. “This is really nice, Fan. Thank you.”

“Of course, Tube!” He smiles as he drags her onto the bed. “See? I told you we picked the comfiest mattress we could.” Fan grins. “And look, my mom found one of those blankets that are soft on both sides. Just for you!”

“I’ll have to tell her thank you.” Test Tube mumbles as she takes out her phone charger and plugs it in. Putting her phone on the nightstand while it charges, she takes out more clothes from her backpack to change into.

“Okay, so, I’ll have to show you how the shower works. The hot water knob is super delicate, and the ‘barely hot’ and ‘burning in hell’ temperatures are right next to eachother..” Fan trails off as he leads Test Tube to the bathroom.

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The stars look so much different here than they do at home. Of course, this is a much smaller town, and it’s already a lot later than normal. She’s three hours ahead- that’s her reminder to change the date on all her device.. that’ll be fun.

She flops down on the bed- her new bed- with her hair still wet. She’s got a great view of the stars from her bed, and it’d be wonderful to look at as she goes to bed every night.

Fan and his parents live in a relatively rural area, on top of a hill. The neighbors are at least a five minute drive, but there is a gas station a short walk away. Good to know for late night snacks.

Speaking of late nights, Test Tube rolls over to check the time on her phone- yikes, how’s it already 11:00 PM? She puts her phone back on the nightstand as she sits herself up and rubs her face. However, she jumps once she hears the door open.

“I knew you’d still be awake.” Fan smiles, holding a plate of some chicken and fried rice. He sits down next to Test Tube on the bed and forces a fork in her hands. “Eat. Even a little bit.”

“Is this your mom’s work as well?” Test Tube chuckles as she takes a bite of the rice- it’s still warm. Thank god.

“Nope, mine.” Fan notices Test Tube staring out the window. “You know this used to be my room, right?”

“What?” Test Tube gasps. “I’m so sorry- I didn’t have to steal your room! Where are you sleeping?”

“The guest room.” Fan winks. “Plus, I’d figured you’d like this one better.”

“I mean.. it’s got a nice view. And I have space for all my everything.” Test Tube smiles, putting the plate of food on the other nightstand. She leans back farther into the bed, but with a concerned look on her face.

“Fan.. I have a question. But it’s gonna make me seem really babyish.” Test Tube mumbles, but Fan lies down next to her. “What is it?”

“Will you sleep in here with me? I’m.. I’m nervous for tomorrow. I’m nervous about a lot of things. And plus, this is one of the first times I’m actually able to be here with.. you. In the moment.”

Fan presses his face into Test Tube’s shoulder. “Already dozing off.” He mumbles as he pulls a blanket over the two of them.

“Think of it this way. You get to meet Lightbulb and Paintbrush for the first time tomorrow. And you actually get to hang out with me at school! Plus, light pollution is nonexistent here, and you can show me all your cool space studies, right?” Fan points out.

“Yeah, I guess. Thank you, Fan. I love you so much.. and I’m so happy we got to make this work.” Test Tube closes her eyes and leans in closer to Fan. He’s already snoring, but she doesn’t care.

It’s a new beginning. And maybe new things will come her way, if the universe decides she’s lucky. Who is she kidding? That’s not possible. But sleeping is possible, and it’s very plausible.

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Who is that?

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“Wake up, you two! Your alarm has been going off for 10 minutes, Fan!”

Test Tube shoots awake, the blankets being pulled off of her bed and the overhead light blinking on. Test Tube sits up sleepily and pushes her hair out of her eyes. Feeling around for her glasses, she pushes them on and sees Fan’s mom standing in the middle of the room.

“Oh, good morning, Test Tube. I’ve forgotten this is your room now, but I also was not expecting Fan to be asleep in here with you as well.” She smiles warmly, and Test Tube nods.

Test Tube looks down to see Fan still asleep, drooling where Test Tube had been sleeping. Wait, was he drooling on her shirt? Ew, but it was her fault for asking him to sleep with her. She can get him back later.

She carefully nudges his face, waiting for a response. He doesn’t stir. Cracking her knuckles, Test Tube grins thinking about what she’s going to do.

“WAKE UP!” She yells, gently slapping his face. Fan eventually stirs, babbling incoherently. “Test Tube..?” He finally mumbles, earning a grin from the other.

“Thank god, I thought you were dead.” Test Tube smiles. His mom nods and softly closes the door to the room. “Well, then why’d you slap a dead person!” Fan giggles as he sits himself up.

“I dunno, to see if you were really dead?” Test Tube shrugs. “Ah, fair.” Fan mumbles softly. “Okay, it’s about 6:45.. The bus gets here at 7:30. Why don’t you get ready while I get us some breakfast?” Fan offers.

“Aren’t you gonna get ready?” Test Tube asks curiously.

“Like it takes me more than 5 minutes. Splash my face with cold water, brush my hair and teeth, and put some new clothes on. Easy as that!” Fan explains.

“Ew, you don’t put on deodorant?” Test Tube jokes, and plugs her nose. “Gross, Fan.”

“The deodorant part is implied!” He grumbles, bursting into laughter. Test Tube tries to hold her composure, but she soon falls.

“Okay, okay, fine. I’ll get ready.” Fan smiles as he shuts Test Tube’s door, leaving her alone in the room. She and Fan had started to put Test Tube’s clothes in the closet together last night, but a lot of her clothes were still in her suitcase. Most of her other clothes were being shipped to the house, but those were all fancy things, or summer clothes.

Sorting through the closet, she finds a clean shirt she can wear for the day. Pulling out some jeans that aren’t too skin-tight, she slips off her pajama shirt, and carefully puts a relatively clean bra on. Most of her clothes haven’t run through the wash yet, so she’s hoping that she won’t smell like a crusty suitcase, or fast food stains.

After folding the blankets and making her bed, Test Tube runs a hand through her hair. Ew, she needs to change out her shampoo. Grabbing a pair of socks, she puts them in her pocket and grabs her phone and bag. Test Tube personally believed backpacks were overrated, so she uses a crossbody messenger bag. It holds all the stuff she needs to bring! And more.

She makes her way to the bathroom, where Fan is already brushing his teeth. He waves to her as she takes out her hair brush. Wetting it and brushing through her hair, Fan spits out his toothpaste and rinses out his mouth.

“Test Tube, Test Tube, look!” He takes out a stick of deodorant, and applies it slowly. “Deodorant!” Man, her best friend is so weird. “Golly, I’m surprised you even know how to use it.” She jokes.

“Don’t you ‘golly’ me, young lady!” He points a finger at her after he finishes, and caps the deodorant, setting it away. “I’m literally older than you, but okay.”

“Maybe by a few months, but who cares.” He scoffs, ruffling Test Tube’s hair. “The fact you had to stand on your tippy toes to do that is sad.” Test Tube grins as she opens her toothpaste and applies some to her toothbrush.

“Okay, fine. You win. I’ll get you some cereal.” Fan rolls his eyes and nudges Test Tube softly. He closes the door behind him, leaving Test Tube alone in the bathroom.

‘Today will be a good day.’ She tells herself as she stares at her reflection. ‘No weird things are gonna happen to me, and it’s just gonna be completely normal. A normal, normal, normal day.’

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Fan’s mom waves goodbye to the two teens as they begin to walk down the hill to their bus stop. “Do you walk up this every day?” Test Tube mumbles.

“Mhm, and it’s horrible, especially if it’s snowy or raining. Those days, however, I’ll usually get a ride from Paintbrush. Wait- I can actually introduce you to them now!” Fan smiles.

“Okay!” Test Tube smiles back. She’s talked with Paintbrush a lot, and their friend Lightbulb, but that was all online. She was excited to meet them. “Okay, so.. wait a second, it’s only 7:10. I thought you said the bus gets here at 7:30!”

“Well, yeah, but I wanted to show you the gas station.” Fan grins, taking Test Tube’s hand and running in the direction. Surely enough, there’s a small convience store with a couple gas pumps tucked away in the woods. It almost looks out of place, but the woods have already started to claim the store as its own, what with the plants growing over everything and the flickering lights outside.

“D’you want anything? I didn’t see you with lunch when you walked out.” Fan offers.

“It’s fine- I have a steady source of income right now, so I can just buy my own. Is there anything by the school?” Test Tube smiles.

“Um, there’s a spot where the school sells snacks and drinks. How do you have a job already?” Fan curiously asks as they walk inside.

“I send my findings to a lot of science institutions and planetariums, and they pay me a bunch of money for whatever I find.” She explains as she grabs a bag of chips off of a shelf. “Have you ever had these before?”

“Have I ever had them, oh god. These.. these chips.” Fan takes the chips and shoves them in Test Tube’s face. “These are the greatest chips ever. I’ve only ever seen them sold here, and they’re rarely in stock. Get. Them.”

Test Tube nods and takes a second bag. She walks over to the fridges, and scans the selection of drinks. “I have never seen half of these before.” She comments blankly.

“I don’t know how they get them either, but they’re good. However, we can buy all of ‘em and have a little taste test. Friday night?” Fan offers. “Sure, that sounds fun.” Test Tube nods as she takes a bottle of basic, name-brand soda.

“Just these, please.” She smiles at the cashier as she pulls out her credit card to pay. Once she’s done, she puts the chips and soda in her bag and steps out of the gas station.

“I come here all the time, they practically know me by name.” Fan giggles as he checks his watch. “Oh shit, it’s 7:25. We gotta go!” He grabs Test Tube’s hand and begins to run.

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Once the two step off of the bus, Fan leads Test Tube to the office of the school. She still needed to pick up her schedule, and she wanted to know if she had any classes with Fan. Once it was printed off for her, she snapped a photo with her phone.

“Periods 3, 4, and 7. That’s better than nothing!” Fan grins. “Yeah, I guess.” Test Tube sighs.

“Oh, oh! I think you have first period with Lightbulb! We always meet at her first period, since it’s close to mine and Paintbrush’s. D’you wanna head over there?” Fan offers. Test Tube shrugs and nods, and Fan gestures her to walk out with him. As she walks through the school, she tries her best to memorize all the room numbers she sees. No good in getting lost on the first day.

“Okay, we’re here. Stop staring off into space, Tube.” Fan laughs, shaking Test Tube slightly. He pushes open the door, and there’s not many students inside. However, her attention is drawn to two others.

There’s someone in a vibrant yellow hijab and a band t-shirt animatedly telling some story to another student with paint-stained overalls and their curly black hair tied into a short braid. Fan runs over to the two students and he hugs the one standing up.

“Hi, Lightbulb! I’m so sorry I missed the tournament, again, but I was helping my parents set up the new room.” Fan explains quickly.

“Oh, yeah!” She smiles. “Is your friend here today?”

Fan gestures over to Test Tube, who’s standing awkwardly. She gives a small wave to the two. So.. this is Lightbulb? And Paintbrush?

“Hi!” Lightbulb runs over to Test Tube. Social anxiety must fear this girl. “It’s Lightbulb! It’s super cool to be meeting you here in person! This is Paintbrush!” She smiles, shaking Test Tube’s hand quickly.

“Hey.” Paintbrush gives a small wave. “Your flight okay?”

“It was uneventful.” Test Tube smiles. “But how are you guys?”

“Good! Is this your first period?” Paintbrush asks, and Test Tube nods. “Hey, Lightbulb. Think I found you a partner.”

“Really? Oh, that’s so nice of you, Test Tube!” She grins.

“Partner for.. what, exactly?” Test Tube quietly asks.

“We’re starting a duo project, based off of the events of, like, how our country was founded. You ever watch Hamilton?” Lightbulb explains.

“Hamilton’s one of my favorite musicals.” Test Tube smiles, energy starting to pick up. These people like musical theatre?

“Then we’re gonna do just fine!” Lightbulb smiles, and the bell rings right as she finishes her sentence. “See ya, Fan and Painty!” Lightbulb waves as the two begin to leave.

“I’ll see you in Ceramics!” Fan waves back. “Test Tube, I’ll see you in third! You got this!”

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Test Tube doesn’t know how she’s doing this so seamlessly. Even asking for the bathroom pass wasn’t as hard it was supposed to be, at least.. how she expected it to be. However, her stomach had been hurting, so she just thought she needed a break to stand up and walk around.

Once she gets to the bathroom, she pulls out her phone once she gets in the stall to check her messages. However.. the door slams open.

She sees two pairs of shoes walk into the bathroom. One of them shuts the bathroom door- and Test Tube swears she sees a burst of purple light.

“What do you think you are doing here?” One of them hisses.

“Easy for you to say, Lavendera. You know you shouldn’t be here, either.” The other snaps back. She’s got a rich British accent to accompany her irritated tone.

“Actually, I am. We.. we need a new.. one of us has fallen, and we need a replacement. I was sent to start my search here. You still have not answered my question.”

“Where do you expect me to go? I was cast away for something that wasn’t my fault, stripped of my title, and left with nothing. What did you expect of me?”

“I.. I don’t know. I still do not know if what you say is true, but.. I am glad you are safe.”

Test Tube isn’t sure what’s going on, but she doesn’t want to interrupt. She decides to actually use the bathroom.. but a red flag stops her, quite literally.

“Shit!” She gasps, but claps a hand over her mouth. God, these people were having a conversation, and she was eavesdropping! Good job, Test Tube.

“Hey.. uh.. you okay in there?” One of the people ask.

“I’m fine,” Test Tube chokes out, trying to clean up the mess. “You.. um.. you wouldn’t happen to have a pad on you, would you?”

“Oh, shit, I’m so sorry.” The same person replies. “Here, let me check my bag..”

“You shouldn’t be doing that in public, you know.” The other mumbles to the person.

“Shut up, you. Here, I’ll just slide it under the door.” The person does as they say, sliding multiple pads under the door. “I’m really sorry, do you need ibuprofen or anything?”

“I think I’ll be alright.” Test Tube responds, shocked at the generosity of this random person. She finishes cleaning herself up, and steps out of the bathroom.

There are in fact two students standing by the sinks. One of them has a long head of deep purple hair. The dye job looks stellar, Test Tube notices. She’s wearing a matching purple cardigan with a black maxi skirt and some heavy duty boots. The person next to her is a blonde with a red stripe. She’s got on a thick green headband with red accents, pushing back her curly ponytail. She’s got on a trench coat in which she’s wearing on her shoulders, with a white dress shirt and suspenders, along with a black pair of pants and similar boots.

“Thank you again.” Test Tube mumbles.

“It’s totally fine!” The blonde smiles. They’re the one with the british accent. “If you need any more, don’t hesitate to let me know. I’m Taco, she/they.”

“Test Tube, she/her.” Test Tube smiles, however the person standing next to Taco whispers something to her. “Whatever. Introduce yourself.”

“I’m Candle, she/her. I apologize for our conversation, my dear friend Taco just used to be on the.. um.. debate team we have here.” The figure in purple smiles.

“Oookay..?” Test Tube mumbles as she washes her hands. “Sorry for eavesdropping.”

“It is okay, Test Tube.” Candle nods. “You did not mean to.”

“I’m.. gonna go back to class.. nice meeting you two.” Test Tube slips her phone and spare pads in her pocket as the two stare at her as she leaves.

They seem.. nice.

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Test Tube is beyond excited to set up her astronomy equipment. She even completed her homework during lunch so she could get started on her star map as soon as it got dark out.

After setting up her telescope, she sets out her mapping equipment. She rolls over her mini desk over to the window so she doesn’t have to walk back and forth. She’s about to explode with excitement.

Finding a good spot to sit, she rolls up her chair and starts to search for stars to add to the map.

The constellations are really vibrant on this side of the world. Maybe it’s just a Test Tube thing.. but she swears she can see one that doesn’t look familiar to her. Impossible! She’s memorized all of them.

However.. no, this can’t be a coincidence. Moving her telescope over, she spots a series of stars that quite literally look like they’re in the series of a smile.

Maybe Test Tube needs to drink some water. Taking a sip of her water bottle, she goes back to the telescope. No, it’s still there. Test Tube goes to try to find any stars it could be connecting to.. but.. the constellation disappeared? How?

Test Tube moves her head from the telescope. What’s going on…?

Is.. is she dreaming…?

Or is there a girl sitting on the edge of her window?

She has to be dreaming. Her supernova-like eyes.. her body looking like the milky way itself.. her hair flowing behind her like a beautiful solar storm..

Until she takes a step into Test Tube’s room.

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Test Tube is trying to wrap her head around what exactly is going on right now. There is a mysterious space girl standing in her room. A mysterious space girl who came out of nowhere. A mysterious space girl who is.. coming closer?

Out of reflex, Test Tube grabs a book and holds it in front of her body, like a shield. “Who are you? D-don’t come any closer!” She exclaims, her voice shaky.

The space girl takes another step closer to Test Tube. Why is she making Test Tube feel so weird? Something feels off about her. Well, of course! She looks like the night sky threw up in Test Tube’s bedroom!

Test Tube holds the book up, ready to throw it. “D-Don’t make me use this! I will!” She threatens. The space girl tilts her head to the side in confusion. Huh.

When the space girl steps closer to Test Tube one more time, Test Tube throws the book directly at her. However.. the strangest thing happens. She lifts her hand up.. and the book stops mid air. It floats for a second before she puts her hand down, and the book falls to the side.

“How the hell..?” Test Tube mumbles, but she gets distracted by the girl coming closer and closer. Test Tube doesn’t have anywhere else she can back into, and she’s panicking. What is this girl going to do to her? Is she okay? What’s happening-

The space girl puts her hand on Test Tube’s cheek. Test Tube finally gets a chance to study her face. Her eyes are a glowing yellow with a navy blue sclera. The eyelashes framing her face are a striking white.. and the freckles on her face look like little stars in their own way.

When the space girl puts her other hand on Test Tube’s other cheek, a strange feeling surges through her. Something feels.. different. In a way Test Tube can’t describe with words.

After a few moments, she steps back a few steps, and a mouth appears on her face. It opens, and Test Tube can hear her voice for the first time.

“Can you… understand me?”

Wow.. her voice is silky smooth. It’s got an alluring aura to it, as if it’s drawing Test Tube in. “I can.”

“Oh, perfect!” The space girl smiles. “Wow, this is-“

“Who are you.” Test Tube is still backed up onto her wall as far as she can go. “Why are you in my room. What do you want with me?” She quietly says.

The space girl’s smile weakens. “Um.. I just.. you seemed really interesting. I have never seen someone as unique as you before.”

Test Tube’s eyes widen. What does that mean? And this space girl has seen other people before? Isn’t she.. well.. outer space? Or at least from it? “You still haven’t answered even one of my questions.”

“Hm? What? Oh, I didn’t hear your questions. Would you mind reading them out loud again for me?” Her accent rings through her effortlessly clean voice. Test Tube can’t place what exactly the accent is.. or where it’s from, but it’s still beautiful.

“Who are you.” Test Tube mumbles.

“Me? Oh.. I.. um.. I believe.. you may call me Cabby. That is what I would prefer instead of..” She begins. Cabby, huh. Test Tube had never heard a name like that before. It was.. interesting. But deep down.. it was a good interesting.

“Cabby.” Test Tube repeats.

“Yes! That is my name.” She smiles, clearly enjoying the sound of her own name.

“Cabby.” Test Tube mumbles- mostly for herself so it can stick in her mind- and the space girl tilts her head to the side once more.

“Do you need something?” She asks softly, a smile on her face.

“Um.. no. No, sorry. I was just… nevermind. Um.. okay, next question, why are you in my room?” Test Tube stammers.

“This is your room?” The space girl curiously says, and Test Tube nods cautiously.

“What makes it yours? I had no idea humans were able to assign others their own rooms! Rooms are spaces for humans to meet, are they not? Is this just a room dedicated to the lovely Test Tube?”

Did she just call Test Tube lovely? Huh? How about that? There’s a strange feeling pulsing through Test Tube.. she’s unsure of how to describe it, but it certainly isn’t normal. Hey.. wait a second.

“How did you know my name?” Test Tube asks.

“I have heard others speak of you in the same fashion. I simply assumed that it was the same way you would commonly be referred to.” Cabby grins.

“Oh.. um.. okay.” Test Tube runs a hand over her arm- there are goosebumps covering the entire thing- how lovely.

“Where was I? Oh! I said I found you interesting, did I not? A powerful woman like yourself studying my stars? I simply had to stop by!” The space girl smiles.

A.. powerful woman. Wow, this was a little much, wouldn’t you think? How does Test Tube respond to praise like that?

“Um.. thank you? But, wait- your stars? How come they’re yours?” Test Tube asks quietly.

“I handcrafted them myself. I do it for most of the stars you may see.” The space girl explains. She turns her head to look up at the night sky. “Wow. This room possesses a great view to my work, does it not?”

“Uh, yeah, I guess.” Test Tube mumbles, softly backing away from the wall, and standing somewhat behind her. “I dunno, I haven’t had much time to study the sky like I normally do.. since I just moved in.”

“Oh! You do not live here? Or rather.. you live here now? Yes, I am correct.” The space girl asks.

“Yeah, I moved here since my dad died. He was the last family that I could live with, and now I live with my best friend and his folks.” Test Tube explains softly, sitting on her bed.

“I.. do not believe I understand. He.. what..? What is this earthly language you use?” The space girl furrows her brow in confusion.

Test Tube swallows awkwardly. How the heck does she explain death to some space girl.. thing?

“I understand if it is a difficult subject to discuss for humans. I shall not probe further.” The space girl mumbles and looks away, back up at the night sky.

“It may be my time to go. You clearly did not want me here, and struggle to communicate clearly with a new spirit.” She sighs, staring back at the stars.

“Hey, wait-“ Test Tube sits up in concern. She holds her out to the girl, but she eventually lets it fall to her side. “You don’t.. have to leave now. Not if you don’t want to.”

The space girl turns back to face her. “Hm.. then.. maybe I won’t.” She decides, turning back to Test Tube.

“So! If I am to stay. What do you humans do on your planet?” She asks excitedly. “I have always circled over the planet, but I have never gone as close as we are now. Never able to see anything going on, which seems to be a shame, so I have heard.” She rambles. Test Tube.. actually kinda finds it cute.

“Oh, I’m.. not the person to ask. Maybe one of my friends, sure, but me? I don’t go.. out.. much. Only when I have to, like for school or work or visiting someone.” Test Tube laughs awkwardly, and looks down at her feet. “It’s nothing important.”

The space girl blinks at her. “I am confused.”

“N-nevermind,” She waves her hand dismissively. “How do you-“

“Test Tube?” Fan’s voice calls out. He quickly opens the door to see Test Tube sitting on her bed alone.

She looks straight in front of where the space girl was standing, and she was gone.. instantly. As if in a blink of an eye.

“Tube? Hellooo?” Fan waves in front of her face. “Earth to Tube.”

“I’m here, I’m here. Sorry, I was on the phone with someone from my old school. She wanted to see how I was doing, and stuff.” Test Tube lies. Fan will think she’s crazy if she says anything, so she tells him a little.. white lie.

“Oh, okay. You should go to bed.” Fan frowns, hugging her. “My dad and mom are sleeping right now, and they will NOT be happy if you wake ‘em up. Believe me, I know.” Fan encourages.

Test Tube chuckles softly. “I will,” She promises. “If you do as well.”

Fan rolls his eyes dramatically. “Uuuuggghhh… fine.. you’re too cruel to me, though..” He jokes as he slumps out the door and shuts it behind him.

Test Tube should probably get in bed as well. She pulls off the covers and tucks herself in.

She stares out the window. This was an.. interesting night, to say the least. Some strange space being decided to pay her a visit.. and.. Test Tube felt strange about it.

It wasn’t a bad strange. Or really even a bad strange. It was a.. strange that she couldn’t explain. Something she hadn’t felt in a while. But the way she felt merely looking at her…

That won’t be a problem, right?

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Chapter Text

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Test Tube doesn’t know if she got even a wink of sleep. 

She just.. can’t stop.. thinking about.. 

Her.

Fan comes into her bedroom early the next morning to make sure she’s awake, and she’s sitting with her bag all ready for school sitting next to her perfectly made bed, sitting next to a dressed and ready Test Tube.

“I couldn’t sleep.” Test Tube says. 

“Oh, yikes, that sucks.” Fan frowns. “Well, I mean, it’s friday, so you’ll be able to catch up on some sleep over the weekend, huh?” 

Test Tube shrugs, slipping her bag over her shoulders as she mumbles a faint ‘I guess’ under her breath. 

She waits for Fan in the living room, aimlessly picking at her fingernails. An anxious habit she got from her mother. Test Tube sometimes wonders why she couldn’t have gotten better things from her mom, but she was stuck with her mom’s thick auburn hair and bad habits she doesn’t know if she’ll break in the foreseeable future. 

“Earth to Testy,” Fan jokes, waving a hand in front of her face. “Wake up, silly goose. We gotta go, the bus is gonna get here soon.”

Test Tube nods silently as she gets up, slipping on her shoes and following Fan out the front door, bundling under her coat. October wasn’t usually too chilly back home, but here, they’re filled with random gusts of wind, and sometimes even snow, Fan told her once. Must not be super fun. 

Test Tube doesn’t talk much to Fan as the two sit next to eachother on the school bus. Fan can somehow tell that Test Tube isn’t in the mood to talk, so he takes out his phone and starts scrolling on it aimlessly, while Test Tube stares out the window.

Friday, right? Maybe she can see if there’s any books in her school’s library that have any info on space girls who can make books float and appear and girls’ bedrooms who make said girls feel all weird inside. 

Test Tube realizes how insane she sounds right now. Maybe just.. go look just in case? But don’t tell anyone. Certainly not Fan.

She’ll just go to the library during her lunch break, or whenever she can. It won’t be too hard to find information, right?

Even if she doesn’t find anything, she can certainly try. She knows it’ll at least put her mind at ease.

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Test Tube plants herself in a situation all too familiar to her- a comfortable and soft library arm chair. She’s got about 30 minutes of lunch, and she snuck some granola bars in her backpack earlier to snack on during class so she doesn’t get hungry.

She’s got about 5 books on the table next to her, and while the first three are about advanced astronomical theories and phenomena, the fourth one is about.. Gods. Well, the old stories about them. She was never a mythology girl, but Fan certainly was while he was in middle school. God, she doesn’t know how many nights of sleep she lost listening to that silly musical about those god stories from back in the olden days.

The last book is on sleep deprivation, and how it can cause hallucinations. Just in case.

She opens the first book, and realizes it’s only really about star patterns and how they can cause pretty light shows in the sky. Not what she’s looking for. 

She picks the second book up, and while her hands browse the book’s fine pages, her eyes linger on the rest of the stack, specifically that fourth book. It draws her in like a black hole, and she decides to break her perfect route of book-reading adventures to delve into something more fantastical. Fun, almost. Fictional.

She opens the book, and sneezes softly at the dust covering the pages. This seems.. old. 

She starts flipping through the pages, before hearing someone else enter the library.

The face is familiar, and this time they wear their hair in a messy bun, curly hair escaping through and fleeing her face down her bangs. She still wears the strangely formal attire for a school setting, but it’s a little more casual, what with a button down shirt and smooth pants and a pair of boots. 

Test Tube sneezes at the dust again, alerting Taco of her presence. “Oh, hello.”

“Hi,” Test Tube wipes her nose with her sleeve. It’s gross, but she doesn’t have any tissues with her at the moment. 

“You.. ok? Your nose is running really bad.” Taco mumbles. 

“Yeah, um, this book is really dusty.” Test Tube looks down at her book. When she looks up, Taco is offering her a tissue. 

Test Tube mutters a ‘thank you’ before blowing her nose, using some of the hand sanitizer she keeps in her bag to clean her hands as she throws the tissue away. “So..”

“What are you reading?” Taco asks curiously.

“Oh, this?” Test Tube flips the book over to see the title. “Old Stories Of The Forever Young. My friend recommended it to me, he’s really interested into, um, old mythology-” 

“Hah, wow! That sounds really cool!” Taco awkwardly laughs. “That’s, um, how much of it have you read?”

“Um, none of it?” Test Tube mumbles. “I just sat down to read it.”

“Well, um, let me know how it is, okay?” Taco seems.. nervous. Not sure about what. 

“I.. will? Thanks for the tissue, again.” Test Tube says. 

“Of course. Well, um, I’ll be on my merry way. Pleasure talking to you.” Taco goes back to her refined tone, and strolls away, but Test Tube can see her nervously gripping onto her backpack strap. 

Huh. Odd.

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Test Tube is reading her book as the sun finishes setting. Fan is at Paintbrush’s house- he offered to bring Test Tube, but she’s busy with her new book she ended up checking out at the library for the weekend.

She barely picked at her dinner, and Fan’s parents are out for some event, giving her the entire house to herself. Test Tube has a bag of chips she bought at that gas station close to Fan’s house, and she’s digging away at them as she opens her book on her bed, flipping through the pages aimlessly.

One of the pages catches her eye, though. It reads something in a foreign language that Test Tube can’t translate. 

However, there’s a latin translation at the bottom. God, this book is old. It reads.. ‘Domina Cabinette, Scriniarii Stellarum’. Test Tube isn’t sure what that means, and frankly, she’s too lazy to look up a translation to English. She has better things to read.

‘This goddess is known to be the youngest in the pantheon, and was the most susceptible to human interaction, craving it, with her desire for knowledge. It caused humans to be untrustworthy of her, causing them to view her as an enemy instead of a friend. The myths are not clear, but after this event, these gods severed all contact with humans-’

“What are you reading?”

Test Tube looks up to see.. The space girl! From the last night! She.. she wasn’t dreaming it? It wasn’t something just in her head?

“Golly, you scared me!” Test Tube recoils, bouncing to the back of her bed in shock. The space girl stares at her. “Are you ok? I did not hurt you, did I?”

Test Tube brushes herself off, but looks up to her as she shakes her head no. Space Girl lets out a breath. 

“You.. must wonder why I come to visit you again. I apologize, as I would have visited much sooner, but I was very caught up in some of my other duties.” She frowns. 

“It’s.. it’s okay, and frankly, I wasn’t expecting you to come back.” Test Tube admits. 

“Really?” Space Girl’s brow furrows. “I apologize-”

“You don’t need to keep apologizing. I just.. I thought I dreamed it all.” Test Tube admits. “I mean, it sounds insane. Random girl who looks like she’s made of space just starts talking to me in my room?” 

Space Girl stares at her. “Oh.”

The two stay in an awkward silence. “So.. why are you here again?”

The Space Girl.. blushes? At least, it looks like blush, except it’s a soft green hue instead of the red on a face like Test Tube’s. “Well, um, I was very excited to return. You are not like the humans I was taught about,”

Test Tube blinks. What the heck was that supposed to even mean??? “Really?”

“Indeed. You are.. Curious. You are willing to try new experiences, and not remain in your rigid mindscapes.” Space Girl explains. “And I would like to get to know you more.”

Oh, golly. This is going so well. “Really? Oh, wow, I-I mean, I’m honored.”

The Space Girl smiles. “I am glad. What is the word that humans use when they form new bonds like ours, hm?”

Test Tube blinks. “Oh, um, I dunno. Friends?”

Space Girl smiles. “Friends! I am.. friends with the Test Tube sitting in front of me on her..” She fishes for a word, but just goes back to smiling when she can’t find the word. 

“Friends, with.. Cabby.”

Space Girl laughs hearing her name. “It sounds more natural than anything off of your tongue!”

Frankly, this is super unnatural for Test Tube. She never makes friends like this, especially this fast. However, this is.. different. Cabby is different. Maybe this whole relationship will be.. Different?

Different is not usually good for Test Tube, but she’s hoping and praying to whatever deity is listening that this different is good. Just for once.

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