Day 2 of SA-week! Woop woop!!
Mell was living in a dream.
That was the answer as to why the small six year oldest world looks so fake. This was the reason why he could see through people, why scenery that was once filled with rainbows of colors had suddenly become bland.
He doesn't even remember a time where the beige sky and buildings *weren't* their normal muted color. But he's been told again and again that he used to be able to see the world normally, that before a certain 'shift' he was different. Apparently he could see color and people just like everyone else, he didn't spend hours dissolved into a crippling mess over the worries of being a character.
So the only explanation that Mell- at an age where he was young, naive, *desperate*- could think of was that he was in a dream. A dream that has gone on for hours and days and years.
All the other characters he imagined in his dream were just that, characters of his imagination. He had few friends, Ellie was one of them, and Ellie was probably one of his most elaborate creations yet.
The demi-boy was based off of his real friend, from before he started dreaming. The shape of his nose down to the darkness of his skin was the same and talked just like real Ellie too, just the way Mell remembered him. But this wasn't what made Ellie special compared to his other friends that he made, no what was most special was the way Ellie stood out.
Everyone Mell knew was see-through, beige, or some other muted shades, but not Ellie. No, Ellie was bright *red.* Out of everything Mell was always able to spot Ellie, could always *see* him. Ellie had a personality unlike Cenn and mom and his teachers and the other students at school. Unlike everyone else, despite everything being a dream Mell made up, Ellie felt *real*.
Imaginary Ellie was probably his favorite person, his favorite friend. He knew that when he got to wake up one day that normal Ellie would be just a great. And! Maybe he'll get to meet more people like Ellie!
When he finally wakes up from his long dream he'll be able to meet other kids that he could see and admire the beautiful colors of the world.
(With a sad smile Elliot stroked Mell's hair as he rambled about waiting to wake up. He didn't have the heart to tell him that he was awake, and had been, for hours already. That his rambunctious friend had been awake the day before and the day before and the day before.
Instead he allowed Mell to continue believing he was dreaming about being a character rather than it being the actuality.
He vowed one day that he'd soothe his friends mind and somehow break their curse of being characters within a story. Elliot may have not been real, but he would fight as if he was, for Mell. He closes friend who he loved more than anything.)
