#tiny!monolith

The pulse continually coursed through the wire. Her screen was dark, save for a loading bar that was nearly all the way full. She sat, body rigid and straight. She’d been here for a while, unconscious yet aware in her pseudoslumber. The bar reached 100%, and Vee’s body finally relaxed before the monitor flickered back to her face. There was a hollow look in her eyes. After all, she knew she’d finally have to face the outside of her tiny room after all this time without Her. She felt emptier than she had ever been, yet she tensed, and bit her lip as she slowly got to standing, and scooped up a radio that had been left on her desk. She turned it on, and held it up to her speaker. “Sprout, are you there? I’ve finished.” She spoke, short and simple. She had no idea what time it was; her internal clock needed time to fully recalibrate all of her systems. The only thing that was clear in her mind was how to take care of that gift she’d made before everything changed. The radio crackled back, “Vee, are you really? That’s great! Mono’s been dying to meet you!” It was Sprout, strangely happy to hear her, but she could acknowledge that her absence had been strange too. “Mono?” She questioned, holding the radio up to her head. “Ah, short for Monolith, right? That makes sense.” She quickly answered of her own accord, leaving her small room to enter the dressing room of her floor. She was glad there were no Twisteds here as of now, it was always so annoying to try and get them out so she could relax. “You’d be correct on that hehe, come on up to the kitchen, we’ll show you to her!” 

“Can’t you bring her here? My floor is her floor.” Vee questioned, head tilted as she traversed down the stairs from the podiums, and then past the arcade machines and display windows of various tech, before inevitably making it to the elevators as Sprout agreed on her request, and ended the conversation. She would wait, anticipation creeping into her organic parts as she kept her gaze fixed firmly on the elevator door. When the door finally opened, Vee blinked in surprise. No matter how she prepared, nothing could have prepared her to see that shape again. Sprout and Cosmo stepped out of the elevator, one on each side of her, holding her hand, as the tiny figure clumsily moved forward. The metallic ears that flicked, the muzzle that protruded outward in the goofiest smile, those eyes that held such intelligent, and expressive motions, and that thicker tail that wagged. For a moment, Nova’s name held on Vee’s lips, but she bit her tongue, and smiled, focusing on the bigger picture. She missed Nova more than she could process. It had been not even a couple months since the Dragon Toon had disappeared. But… She couldn’t be emotional, not about this. This… this was all she had left of her. Vee got down on one knee, and held her arms out awkwardly, remembering how younger people liked touch. “Hey there, Monolith. I’m- er- your-” She began, before getting cut off by a sudden impact as N- I mean- Mono rushed toward her, and cuddled into her leg, tiny arms trying to wrap around. “Mama!” She heard her say, Vee’s antenna twitching from the touch; it was with this simple moment of gleeful affection, of Mono looking up at her with the most intrigued and loving look that she knew. She had to do this, for both of her loves. 

Many years later…

Vee lay on her back. She didn’t need to sleep, but sometimes ‘taking a rest’ could be beneficial, for a short powerdown. Out of all the knowledge she had downloaded throughout the year, she’d never thought that parenthood could be tiring. It wasn’t Mono’s fault, though. She was beyond great, and Vee thought of her highly. It wasn’t even really taking care of her that was tiring, Vee internally admitted. It was how much she reminded her of Nova; every year she grew and reminded Vee of them more and more. She was so joyful, energetic, and yet quietly caring when Vee needed a moment. Everyone liked her, even Dandicus which surprised her most of all as she wasn’t without a resemblance to Vee. It really seemed like she was the best of them. Vee sat up, shaking her head to try and clear the thoughts. It was painful enough idly recognizing her lost beloved in their child, she didn’t want to dwell on it while she was trying to relax. She stood up, and looked around her room, hoping for better thoughts to come. She looked to the corner, and saw her Supernova seated in the corner rambling to her like long ago. She blinked, and the memory was gone. She turned to her desk, and saw herself trying to write a love letter when they’d first gotten together. It was easier to get her emotions down on paper, after all. She shook her head, and held her head for a moment, as if it were to stop the thoughts from coming. She felt… ridiculous. How could she still be caught up with this?? Vee thought, frustration coursing through her wires. She looked back up, not even realizing she’d looked down, and went to the door to her bedroom. It was open, and granted her access to the dressing room of her floor. She needed to walk, or do just about anything that wasn’t being here. She closed the door behind her, and moved… but not before looking back.

A happier memory appeared to her this time. It had been a bit after Nova had disappeared, and Monolith had been tiny… just an infant. The child had been crying non-stop, and Vee still had no idea what she was doing. She remembered cradling them in her arms, and how she had felt. It was hard to accept the reality of the situation at first, being without her love and stuck in the care of Monolith; but she wasn’t stuck. Stuck wasn’t the right word for how lucky she was to have her. Despite not being built for parenthood, she had overcome it then to smile at Mono’s tiny face and acknowledge that she needed to try, before sitting at her bedroom door to power down and hold her close. She could overcome it again. The memory affirmed something in Vee. She needed to get over Nova; if not for herself, then for the sake of Monolith, for this new situation the two of them were in. She furrowed her brows, and considered her options. Emotions weren’t easy, and she could feel negative ones clouding her mind. It almost made her laugh, since she’d had this same thought process many times. She needed a distraction; she needed something to do. Monolith was bunking with Sprout and Cosmo tonight, as Vee hoped that hanging out with them would quell the nightmares that had plagued the dragon-bot. The plan had been for her to stay with Astro for tonight to help with the nightmares, but the crescent moon was tired enough, unfortunately. Any of them would be better for the comforting than Vee was. Suddenly, the elevator chimed next to her, and the door would slowly open. She whirled to face it, surprise etched on her face as her moment of solitude had been disturbed. She became more overwhelmed by the realization that it was Mono standing in the elevator, without anyone else.

“Mono, are you okay?” She asked, approaching and assisting her movement toward one of the couches that occupied this room. “Mom… just- had a bit of a nightmare, y’know…? I know it’s late but-” She spoke in a small tone, initially resisting the assistance before allowing herself to relax into the couch. “No no, it’s okay. What about Sprout and Cosmo?” Vee asked, voice subdued, straight to the point while trying to be supportive. It was hard for her, but she tried her best to be soft when the moment called for it. Mono may be a teenager now, but that didn’t mean that she shouldn’t be ‘caring’ however she could. “They’re nice…” Mono said, pausing for a moment as she curled her ‘arm’ and held it close to her chest. Vee’s screen went static for a moment. Not that long ago, Mono had finally been allowed to go on a run for the first time… it went horribly. Vee tenderly caressed the prosthesis, expertly built by her with some help from Sprout and others. Her body was still getting used to the sensations, and it was difficult. “But… I-I just wanted you.” The little dragonbot finished, quietly as Vee got on her knee to be at a better level. “...” Vee was silent for a moment, thinking. What was the appropriate thing to say? Mono’s difficulties reminded her of days long past. Shelly had had issues after their first runs all those years ago, Vee hadn’t done the best job of comforting her but maybe she could use that, and other experiences like it? “You’re going to be okay, I’ll be here with you.” Vee assured, awkwardly to her but to the tired Mono it carried weight. “Will you…?” She asked, Vee’s antennas twitching a bit at the question. “Of course. That is an unavoidable reality.” Vee replied, tilting her head a bit, hoping it’d be taken with humor despite her blunt tone. Mono chuckled softly, but Vee could analyze from her expression, the way she curled her tail, and the slight shake in her prosthesis, that she was far from at ease. 

Vee looked to the side, her screen going fuzzy for a moment. “If you need me too, I can help you rest in the way we used to. We as in the Mains.” She clarified at the end, hand at her side near a little compartment that worked like a pocket. Vee was an interesting toon, as she didn’t necessarily need to eat. She had a confusing biology, to say the least; on a surface level she seemed like a robot, but more accurately it was more of a cyborg type deal. She was mostly robotic, but she did have organic material within her, ichor like any other toon. While she could just charge her robotic side, her organic parts needed nutrients. The problem was that her body couldn’t exactly digest the solid food; so, Delilah had nutrients in liquid form specifically for her, supplied through a tube that was easy to retract around her chest. Ichor was a curious substance, however. Unbeknownst to any humans but Veronica, Vee did have a mouth. Many years ago, not too long after the Mains had been created, Vee had been with Astro alone, just friends hanging out. Vee’s face was a bit smudged, and after some pushing from Astro, Vee allowed the Moon to use a wipe to clean it. Then, when Vee was talking while he did it, suddenly Astro’s hand had phased through the screen where her ‘mouth’ was. It became clear through future self-diagnostic tests that Vee ran that the Ichor that coursed through her had warped her robotic parts to some degree, intrinsically running through even her wires. To what extent the ichor had warped her, it was hard to say. It did explain why cuts on parts of her bled with ichor when by all accounts some of those parts shouldn't have been anywhere near the organic parts. At the very least the ichor had changed her screen to be some sort of illusion, with a real mouth hidden behind it. It didn’t mean she could eat normal food, though, it only meant that she had a different way to drink those nutrients… she didn’t usually though, taste was a weird sense. As much as some had tried to get her to taste actual food, she didn’t want to risk swallowing anything as it would definitely mess her up since she couldn’t digest it. Her inability to digest did give her a little extra security later on, however. One day, closer to the shutdown, the Toons had discovered a way to shrink each other. With Vee being unable to digest anything, it opened up a new way to learn more about her composition. Astro had volunteered, and a new form of affection was discovered. Later on, it became clear that Toons in general couldn’t digest each other, so it wasn’t a thing exclusive to Vee when it came to other Toons, but her complete inability to digest did make her feel safer than others… even though her blunt personality wasn’t conducive to comfort, at least not back then. 

Mono tilted her head, looking up at Vee curiously. “How could we…? I’m not exactly small anymore.” Vee nodded, affirming that thought. “True, but we have our ways.” She produced a pink and orange candy from her little side compartment, and offered it to her. When she’d made Mono for Nova, she had taken extra care to ensure that she had a good amount of organic in her too. It was just enough organic material to allow her to eat food normally, so she wouldn’t have to deal with Vee’s issues when it came to social gatherings. Tea being offered to her, various baked goods, pies… it all made her feel out of place to decline these things; She didn’t want Mono to feel that way. She was also water-resistant, because of Finn. Mono accepted the candy, unwrapping it automatically as she raised a curious eyebrow at Vee. “Hold on, don’t just eat any strange thing given to you. Ask questions first.” “I think I can trust you, mom.” Mono responded back, a slight smirk on her face despite Vee’s look of authority. “Hehe, alright. What is it?”

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Mono trusted her mother. Even after what happened, the pain in her arm, the nightmares, she could always find comfort in her. Mom wasn’t the most warm Toon, she bickered with Uncle Dandy, could be blunt, and generally told you how it was; it was that that made her so comforting, though. She did try to protect her, but if Mono really wanted to know something she would tell her. Mono couldn’t even begin to imagine a secret that Mom would hide from her. Perhaps whatever this candy was would be the first. It tasted strange, tangy with a hint of bitterness to it. Orange flavored? Hmm… reminds me of those skill check candies. Mono thought to herself as she contemplated the flavor. After her last question to Mom, she began to feel strange, though. “Well… it’s a shrinking candy, if you can believe it.” Her mother said simply, only a moment's hesitation as Mono felt something change in her being, overall. “It’ll allow me to store you away, like we used to. Can you recall those peaceful nights?” Mother asked, head tilted down as she held Mono’s head gently. Mono’s eyes widened a bit. “R-really? How come I didn’t know about these-” She was cut off as she made a noise of mild discomfort, and quickly became a bit smaller than she had been in her youth. The shrink was sudden, and mildly overwhelming as Mono squeezed her eyes shut at the sudden change in perspective. The ground she laid on felt different now, metallic in a strangely warm way. She took a few deep breaths, remembering what Uncle ‘Stro had taught to her in the days when her prosthesis was still being worked on. Her mom waited patiently, not saying a word, only rubbing her back with one appendage. It took Mono more than a second to process that it wouldn’t be her hand rubbing her back, and she would open her eyes as she felt air move past her slowly. Initially she tensed up at the sight that she beheld, but after taking a moment, she visibly relaxed and shifted to sitting with her legs crossed. She smiled up at the sight of the TV’s face, now exponentially larger than it had been before. Mono ran some quick calculations, and estimated that she was around 3-4 inches tall. “Well… this is nostalgic!” She reacted positively, smiling a bit as Mom inspected her form, probably making sure all went well. “Indeed it is. I do apologize if you felt discomfort, it is my understanding that the first time was always unpleasant.” The jumbotron spoke, the volume of her voice modulated so as to not hurt Mono’s ears. Mom had her hands cupped around Mono’s form, and just sort of held her up to the screen around where the outline of her smile was. “Take your time, Monolith- I want this to be good for you-” Mother began, before Mono cut her off with a hand pressed against the screen to phase through. “It will be… I-I really appreciate this. I might actually sleep well tonight, haha.” Mono chuckled softly, the sensation feeling so familiar as the screen around Mom’s ‘lips’ became distorted and warped, indicating that the illusion had been interrupted by her small hand. Behind the screen, Mono could feel teeth, and a warm synthetic tongue. 

“Okay… if you’re sure.” She accepted, voice right before Mono as warm air rushed past her. Mom seemed a bit uneasy, so Mono would gently stroke the tongue she could feel, trying to assure her that she was comfortable the best she could. It would be a swift motion, when they would push her through the illusion with only a ripple around the mouth of the screen that quickly smoothed out. Mono felt her body land on the tongue like falling onto a bed after a long day. It was soft, and warm with a slickness to it that made the ride all the more cozy. The little dragon looked up and around the space. It was nice and compact, and easily made her feel cozy. The maw was a deep green with bits of ‘wires’ and glowing dots decorating the roof and walls. At her side, the teeth felt cool, and slick despite the warmth. Saliva that began to slowly coat her body with the help of the gentle tongue was tinged with a slight black color much like the ichor. Part of Mono wondered what the maw would look like if her mom didn’t have the screen illusion, but she didn’t even know how to begin with picturing such; Primarily, Mono had a tear in her eye as it had been so long since she had been able to be cozy like this. The giant TV pushed her around the maw slowly, occasionally squishing the tiny dragon with the tongue to ensure she was coated adequately. Mono moved about instinctually, struggling against the muscle in a way that the giant Toon was able to expertly handle with each ensnaring lick. Eventually, the tiny dragon was slick enough where it was easy for them to slide toward the back, and the TV would hum softly to make sure everything was all good. Mono simply rubbed the back of the tongue with one hand, their prosthesis tucked underneath before the point they thought they’d be swallowed face first. Thankfully, with a sudden movement from the dexterous tongue, she’d be flipped over to the preferred angle, that being back-paws first. 

Mono couldn’t help but wiggle a bit in excitement, metallic tail wagging a smidge before the gullet would overwhelm her, and she’d be pulled deep down inside the TV. Mum, despite her demeanor, was rather gentle in moments like this. The way the throat gripped Mono’s small form made Mono feel easily loved by her Mother. The journey down would take a minute, and the little dragon was able to listen to the sounds of circuitry and flesh working in tandem to keep mother up and running. Eventually, with faint growls being heard, Mono found herself pouring into the stomach of the TV Toon. The walls were a deep green color, glowing with circuitry on all sides, engravings on the walls almost like a circuit board, yet the walls flexed, slimy and warm, like a living computer; That made sense. It had been so long, and yet she instinctively laid down on her back, normal arm behind her head and the other held up. Despite her examination of her prosthesis, she smiled. “Mom…?” She spoke, not loudly at all. “Yes, my Monolith?” Her voice was clear, Mono wasn’t sure how but unlike any of the other Toons it was so much easier to be heard and to hear from in Mom’s stomach. “You don’t mind if I sleep, yes?” They asked as politely as they could, watching the flickering lights above as the stomach rumbled around them. “I never would. Would you like to listen to something before you do?” Mono smiled, though this wasn’t visible to her mother, it was easy to hear in their next words. “I really really would… anything you want?” Monolith said, almost like a question, but also like an assertion that Mom should make the choice.

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[Tip: Listen to “Love Like You[End Credits] (feat. Rebecca Sugar) when the music starts]

Vee’s face changed to a camera view as they looked into a mirror in their room. The camera showcased the inside of her stomach, where her dear Monolith lay peacefully. When she said the last bit, Vee stalled for a moment. “Well… there’s this one song. With the help of clock boy, I found it online. I’m… fond of it.” She said simply, her antenna twitching as her mind shifted focus to who she made her little Monolith for. “Oh… I’d love to listen to it, please.” Vee heard and watched her say as Mono shifted around in her gut to be curled up in a cute little ball, tail resting on their side. “Of course… It reminds me of someone.” Before Mono could ask who, a melody started, almost like a soft piano with a chiming in the back. There were interesting vocals, but Mono’s eyes quickly began to close as they yawned, the tiredness slowing her processing. The lack of sleep certainly seemed to be catching up with her Monolith, as per the energy readings Vee was getting. About halfway through the song, right when Vee thought Mono was just falling asleep, Vee began to sing along, replacing the vocals in her own way. “I always thought, I might be bad, now I’m sure that it’s true…’cause, I think you’re so good, and I’m nothing like You…” She began to sing softly, voice quiet but clear in Mono’s ears as the small dragon finally fell to sleep. Vee smiled softly, a tear visible on her screen. The singing continued, right to the end. “..I could even learn how to love… love like you; love me, like you…” It was with that last line that Vee would lay down on her bed, and look up to the ceiling with a smile. She would do everything in her power to help Mono heal from this. For Nova. For her fractured family, she would love the best of both of them.

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Here we are again! :D The end of the story… wasn't that just lovely? >w< Emotional- sweet- first time writing mother and daughter nomfs but I enjoyed it immensely!!

Be sure to join my Discord by messaging @colossal-red (That's me!) right here on Tumblr so you can see when I release new fics, and when others like me release their fics or artworks, or even if you just want to meet like-minded people rambling about their OCS X3