Work Text:
Lullah is late. Richarlyson sits at pai Cellbit's table, swinging his good leg as he waits. He is wearing his prosthetic - his crutches are nearby, but he needs his hands today - but if he tries to swing that leg then the heel will catch in the tiles, and something will get scratched, and his pais will be upset again.
He likes it when Lullah visits. She is not one of his closest friends, and yet they have more in common than most - music and art and writing and a massive creative streak. Today Chayanne isn't even coming as well - tio Phil is busy, but tio Fit is looking after Chayanne while pais Pac and Mike watch him and Lullah.
Soon enough, there are adult voices from the stairs. Richas recognises Philza's voice, and makes a point to straighten up; the adults are still talking when Lullah charges into the room, large bundle in arm.
Richas waves his hello and she grins in return, dropping a stack of notepads and crayons onto the desk.
With her hands now free she also waves, before signing a quick "book club?"
Grinning back, Richas signs back confirmation of the same. Lullah cheers as he pulls out his own notebook, offering it to her.
She takes the offered book, and carefully selects one of her own. She flicks through it for a bit, before opening it at a specific page, and handing it over. Their book club is, you see, unconventional; rather reading published books, they instead write themselves, and then share it. Richas' writing is more embarrassing than his art, but he knows that Lullah will not judge - she is learning, just the same as him!
Signing his thanks with a large grin, Richas turns to Lullah's latest work. There is a lot of scribbling out, occasional words in Spanish, and an odd section moved from one area to another with squiggly lines, but such is the norm for Lullah's work.
It is also written in sparkly purple gel pen. Richas gives it a sniff, and finds it to be scented with grape.
Without Lullah looking at him, he cannot compliment her pens. He reminds himself to do that later, instead making himself comfortable and starting to read.
The story does not mention names, only titles, but Richas catches on soon enough; it is a tale of one of Lullah's reoccurring protagonists, a superhero named Crow, fighting against the dictatorship of The White. His confidant and partner in heroism, Padre Calavera, has this time been captured by agents of The White, faceless entities with an axe to grind. Crow does of course rescue his partner - and they kiss! - but more interesting is the aid rendered by a retired villain, The Blaze Empress. Unlike Crow's usual allies she does not offer her help for free, but first Crow must succeed in her challenges three - not only that, but at the end of the story, The Blaze Empress demands Padre Calavera's service for a year and a day, separating the lovers once more!
And that is all Lullah writes, the two briefly reunited, only to be torn apart once more.
It is good, though, but seeing the characters for the thinly veiled versions of the islanders that they are...
"Who is the Blaze Empress?" Richarlyson asks, once he has Lullah's attention; he could ask her if her papa is home yet, or if the Federation did something again, but he knows those answers. Tio Missa is always being dragged away by someone, and the Federation always have it out for tio Philza.
Lullah wriggles a hand as she thinks about her answer, eventually nodding before bringing her hands up to sign "one of dad's goddesses. She rules over something called the Nether and is the goddess of lava. I just thought the name was cool."
Richad nods along in agreement; he is not very familiar with religious concepts generally, and knows that while tio Phil has his beliefs, he tries to let his children discover things as they will.
"I liked the thing about the bees, but I think tio Fit is afraid of them too," Lullah signs back, commenting on Richas' own story - one of the diamond stealing villains Shock and Create, and the antihero The Archivist.
Pais Pac, Mike, and tio Fit serving as his thinly veiled inspiration behind superhero world that he and Lullah create together.
"Did you like the story, though?" Richas asks in return, not really caring for accuracy - if anything, it just gives him a reason why these characters cannot possibly be his parents if they ever read his notebooks! Some of their early writings used their parents names, but then Leo had read their books and decided to tell their parents about it.
Tio Foolish found it hilarious. Richas is not quite confident enough to say his own parents would, too.
It does not stop them, though! He and Lullah are writers! And so they will always write the stories in their hearts!
With his artwork and training as well, Richas only had time to finish one story for today. Lullah, however, has a second; she hands it over.
Richas grins as he takes it, earning a bright and eager smile back as he settles into another story once again...