(IMPORTANT UPDATE) vanished (airy x reader)

2

brief cw for animal death, not graphic. you and airy go fishing
i cant believe a fic about talking objects made me search up the most humane ways to kill a fish
o/n stands for object name. airy doesn't know your name yet so he calls you that instead

You began the next day huddled on the reed mat, pondering how you'd gotten here. It felt like a barrier had been put up around your memories, growing stronger and more staggering every time you reached into it.

The confusion and slight fear you felt made you hesitate to leave the shed. You stared at the wall, trying to recall something, anything from when you were alive. But you drew a blank.

"Um...(O/N)..." a familiar voice broke you from your thoughts and you turned to see your host at the entrance. Airy. You had learned his name. Though, you hadn't told him yours. "I'm...going to go find breakfast."

"Huh?" Breakfast? He still ate here? What even was there for him? And you, for that matter. You'd been so preoccupied with your predicament that you hadn't considered food. Not that it was a problem. Object folk only ate if they wanted to.

"Yeah. I'll...see you later..." He withdrew from the shed and you hastily got up to follow him.

"W-Wait!" You called as you stumbled after him. You didn't want to be left alone here. He was the only company you had. Isolation seemed like too much for you at the moment.

Airy looked back at you momentarily, barely seeming to register your presence, before he turned and continued on his way up the cliff path. You followed, making sure to stay close to the wall.

Instead of crossing the plank bridge at the river, he turned and continued to follow it north. You wondered why this was the case, but decided not to ask.

You found out soon enough anyways. Airy came to a stop at a calmer part of the river, where the water hardly flowed. It was the mouth of a lake. Stuck into the ground at the water's edge was a fishing pole that had been haphazardly fashioned out of sticks and string he had found somewhere.

You watched curiously as Airy messed with the fishing pole a little, mumbling to himself. Eventually, he let out a grunt and lifted the rod up. The string came out of the water, showering little droplets all over. It didn't bother you as they landed on you, for some reason. It was refreshing.

Airy's gaze lit up slightly as he pulled the fishing rod up. Attached to the string was a fairly large fish. "It works."

"What do you mean?"

Airy jumped a little at the sound of your voice and turned around. "Um...this was my first time doing this." He admitted. "I...didn't know there were fish here...I wanted to try something out..."

"Huh." You tilted your head. Not bad. "At least we have food now, right?"

"Uh...yeah...it's not really a big deal." He set the fish down in his basket. It was still flopping around a little. You took a hesitant step forward. He eyed you as you picked up the fish.

"Um...you're supposed to..." You trailed off, feeling awkward. "Uh...kill them..." you still weren't sure how to feel about it, mentioning death when it was the very thing you had just experienced.

"Oh. I didn't...know that." Airy said flatly, still eyeing you.

You nodded. "Like this." You found a large rock at the riverside, and in one swift moment cracked the hard surface over the fish's head, killing it almost instantly. "That way it doesn't suffer."

"Oh." Airy nodded slowly. "Where did you...learn that."

"Um." You froze. Where had you learned that? A long buried memory of your previous life stirred. You couldn't be certain. "Just...something I picked up, I guess." You explained halfheartedly.

It was unclear if Airy believed you or not, but he gave another slow nod, turning back to the fishing pole. After a little while longer of catching fish, the basket was full and he led the way back to his camp.

Within a few minutes and some preparations later, you found yourself sitting across from Airy while the fish you'd caught roasted over a fire he'd started. It was a little awkward. Airy wasn't much of a talker, you'd learned.

"So...did you just learn about those fish?" You eventually decided to ask. "After...ten years?"

"Uh...yeah." Airy replied, staring at the fire. "I...didn't know anything else here was alive besides...me...and the trees, I guess."

You looked around the clearing, and up at the trees that loomed over the cliff.

"I don't know why there are fish here...I've decided not to question it."

"Do you know where we are? Is this Earth?" You felt bad for grilling him, but you figured he must know more than you do.

"I...don't...know." Airy sounded almost despondent at this. "I don't...think so....I've never seen anyone here besides you..."

You felt a stab of guilt. "Sorry. I..." You looked away, staring at the waterfall that cascaded endlessly into the pond. "It must get lonely."

"It's okay. It's not so bad." Airy shrugged. "I've been here for a while and I've...never had any problems..."

Somehow, you weren't sure that was true.

A few minutes lapsed in silence as you two began to eat the fish.

"Are you...lonely...?" He finally asked, words uttered slowly and uncertain. "(O/N)?"

"Huh?" Somehow, him calling you (O/N) rubbed you the wrong way. But you couldn't bring yourself to care. You didn't remember your given name.

"Lonely? I don't..."

"You don't know?"

"Ah, that's not what I meant." Brief flashes, fragments of memories flooded your mind. You weren't sure you had anyone . Not then, not now. "I...I don't remember." You lied.

Airy seemed to accept that answer, giving you a slow nod. "That's okay. You don't have to tell me." His voice was as monotone and crawling as always, but you could somehow tell he meant it. "It...doesn't really matter now. Since we're both dead..."

The reminder stung into you like an angry hornet. You were dead. It was hard to believe. The air stung your lungs, crisp and temperate. You could feel a pale warmth from the sun high above you.

Despite everything, you still felt alive.

"I'm...gonna clean up." You stood, holding the sticks you had eaten the fish off of.

"Did I...say something?" Airy asked, no inflection or concern contained within his flat voice.

"No. It's fine. I just need to wash off." With that, you stumbled over to the lake to rinse your face and hands.

The cold water on your hands served to be another reminder of a life you weren't living.