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secret-explosion · 9 days ago

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First Fanfic

Hi guys! So, this is my first fanfic for literally any fandom and big surprise; it's a snzfic

The Ma/levolent p/odcast has me in a chokehold atm and @empresskaze gave me the courage to officially post this one-shot!

Thank you Kaze, I was really nervous and appreciate your kind words! I do not believe this version would have seen the light of day if not for your encouragement!

Spoilers for part 46!!!

Now, without further ado......

“I am getting fucking tired of this sad excuse for a paperweight, and his inability to give us a damn straight answer” John all but growls. Farther upstream, they make their way towards the direction of the castle. Or, the approximate direction Yorick eventually settles on as satisfactory. Playing 20 Questions with a dismembered head was neither of the travelers’ definitions of fun. From the bag, a muffled response was heard; “Perhaps you should ask better questions, Master!”

John grumbles, trying with all his might to sound angry but instead sounds absolutely exhausted. It seems that his newfound ability to sleep left him in a bit of a morning fog.

Arthur chuckles at the thought. “Well, it looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed”

“Shut up, Arthur” John muttered around a perplexed yawn. Ignoring how a disembodied voice with only two limbs and a pair of eyes to interact with the world could apparently yawn, Arthur began to wonder not for the first time how long this journey would take.

With all the precautions they have been needing to take, especially since the frightful night they had, this few days trip has taken it’s toll. Avoiding people has become a bit more troublesome as they go closer to the land the lords of the castle owned. There were more dwellings and settlements scattered throughout the forest. Farmland was becoming a bit more commonplace and the ease with which to make camp unbothered was growing thinner as the threat of someone coming across them increased. Thus the long way around. Yorick stayed blessedly silent for the most part, but sat like a heavy burden in the bag. A lot has happened in the last few days with little ability to unpack it. Though it was not for lack of John trying

“Yorick seems to have very little to say about Horig, and we are left only with his vague threat that you would become his ‘apostle’ regardless”

“John, I would really rather put this behind us”

“But this being, it implied that he was not-”

“But we’re out of the woods, John! We have added more than enough time to our journey out of caution for it!”

“I just think we should try to be smart about this, Arthur! We don’t even know what Horig is, not really. Let alone how much of a threat he poses in this world. Until we have more information, we Need to be careful!”

“How Much More Careful Can We Be? We have that village miles behind us! His followers were slaughtered! On top of that, we have stayed well away from people and trees and any blasted fungi of any kind! There is no way he can get to us here!”

On top of John keeping an eye out for any odd growths of fungi, floating lights, creepy non-children and disturbing clearings, it was needless to say that their time spent traversing the woods has been taxing. The night’s events had the tethered souls rattled.

Arthur took a deep breath, seeming to clear himself of a lingering memory. “You have been keeping us extraordinarily safe, John. But weren’t you the one who said we can’t afford to let fear halt our progress? For now, we eat the elephant! Let’s just worry about getting to the castle in one piece.”

Alexander squawks from his position on the nearest tree behind the travelers, and Arthur’s mouth tugs into an easy smile as he began making one sided conversation with the owl.

It was not lost on John that the bird seemed to have a calming effect on Arthur, that it somehow eased and amused him enough to lift his spirits. Even if ever so slight, the difference might as well have been night and day to John. He held no such “sentiments” for the wide eyed creature that seemed to stare right through his soul… as if it knew all he’d ever seen and done....

John decided that he did not like the bird, but he would tolerate it a little while longer if it meant Arthur would have something that made him slightly happy. Even if just for a short while.

John had reason for concern for his human. The man had just come back to life a few days ago. John’s worst fears realized as he could do nothing while the life slipped from Arthur. For all his power, it truly meant nothing if he couldn’t protect the being he had come to care so much for. After all that had transpired, John distantly recognizes that he may be a tad bit paranoid. For how much the encounters with the Hag and Horig shook him, Arthur seems to rather forget it happened entirely. “We have to move forward, rather than risk falling behind,” he reasoned. With Arthur unwilling to talk about the subject any further and with a steely drive to travel to the castle as quickly as possible, John felt again as if he had failed his human. He can’t save Arthur from harm, he can’t offer answers(however difficult it is to get them) like the vanguard, and can’t comfort him the way an unintelligent but fluffy raptor can. However, if being over cautious is what he could do to keep his friend safe, then he would gladly be paranoid enough for the both of them and guide them away from any potential threat.

As Arthur chatted idly with the winged creature, John began to take stock of their shared body once more. Even though they had found no indication of infection in the last few times checking their stitches, John began to notice a slight uptick in their body temperature. While it wasn’t a particularly cold day, John felt a lingering chill in his limbs that seemed to only increase as they walked on.

“Arthur, I think we’re overheating”

“John, we have been walking for hours. Its perfectly normal to have a flush from the increase in blood pressure. And besides, the breeze is definitely cool enough”, Arthur replies as a brush of wind sends a shutter through him. Arthur swiped at his nose before continuing, “We are fine for now, we’ll stop for water momentarily”

John conceded. Despite sharing a body for so long, there were many quirks that eluded John. But in all their time together, it did not seem that Arthur was prone to getting chilled easily. Especially after a long walk. However, if this is what it took for Arthur to take a break, he would wait.

That was, until John felt something new begin to take hold.

“Arthur! Something’s Wrong!”

Arthur immediately halted. Looking about wildly in a blind panic, the man looked ready to bolt at the drop of a hat.

“What is it John, What do you see!?!”

“It isn’t what I see, there is a pressure behind our eyes! It is building and irritating and, and growing. I noticed it before but it’s making it hard for us to keep our eyes-”

“HRASHOO”

“….”

“Well… I guess that makes sense, it’s gone now.”

Arthur blinked in shock. “Honestly John!” Arthur let out with a hearty laugh and a liquid sniffle. “That is what you were worried about! You cannot tell me that you are so jumpy that a sneeze scared you that badly!”

“I don't understand how I am supposed to remember all of your body's strange reflexes! They are distracting and frankly annoying."

John also failed to see how making a loud sound through the mouth would help Athur's body rid it's of an irritant in his nose. He often found himself asking himself why human body's are so inefficient. But with everything they had gone through, the fear he felt was different.

"But yes. I suppose I am a bit… on edge. A lot has happened, Arthur and I worry”

Arthur patted his left arm affectionately. Arthur teased but knew the fear of the other shoe dropping equally well. They had been through a lot, without much chance of normalcy or reprieve.

“Well, I doubt an errant bit of pollen is going to be the.. the en-” Arthur’s breath falters and gives a sudden gasp before a strong triplet of sneezes ripped through him and into their sleeve.

"uH!..HRU-SHAhh..hHUH-TCHUhh.. uHIH K'TCHeiwhh!"

Arthur had stumbled a bit with the unexpectedness of it, but quickly righted himself. John shuttered in disgust as the damp spot on his sleeve seeped onto his skin, while Arthur silently wished for his handkerchief.

John grew quiet as he saw his vision blur with irritated tears and came to a sudden realization: John doesn't suffer from hay fever. Arthur coughs and clears his throat before finishing his thought, “the end of us John. We have faced much more challenging foes, I would say!” Although attempting to inject a bit of humor into his voice, the slight shiver that danced through his spine urged John to think otherwise.

“John.. why are you so quiet all of a-- GAH!” he exclaimed in surprise as something cool pressed against his forehead. It took him all of a second to realize it was his own John’s hand planted under his slightly too long fringe. John’s quiet hum of disapproval spoke to a few things: Arthur had done something he considered stupid, he realized he himself had done something stupid, or he was hiding how concerned he truly was. In this case, it was all three.

All John could think was 'How could I have missed this?'

Sighing, Arthur gently pushed the hand off. “John, what is with you?”

John bit back the very justified response of “YOU!” or the sarcastic “Oh I don’t know, maybe the fact that you keep almost Dying every few minutes!!!” But John had to be smart about this. Sniffly and irritated, Arthur was very likely to argue and trudge on simply to spite him rather than take his own well-being into consideration. An unwell Arthur was a snappish Arthur, and John needed to avoid sparking any petty squabbles until he could convince Arthur to take care of himself.

Eventually, John settled on a very even toned “I think we should set camp for the evening, Arthur. I don’t like sound of you, nor how feverish you feel.”

“John, it isn’t even nightfall! We would be wasting precious time, and for what? To sit around the forest for something as small as a fucking cold? I don’t think so. We don't-"

"So you admit you're sick then?"

"What? No, John. I am perfectly fine! And we have spent enough time here as it is! We have things to Do. We need to get to the castle, we need to find someone with answers as to where to find the ‘blackstone’ and-- hIH UK’TshUH!”

Another harsh sneeze cut Arthur's argument sort, leaving him sniffling and blinking.

“Arthur, listen to me! There are things here that can and will try to kill you! You are at risk even at your best! Let’s not test our luck when you are not doing well. Don’t forget that you are still in recovery from the Hag-”

“OK Fine, John! Let’s just find an empty area and continue in the morning…” Arthur said with gusto but visibly deflated, massaging his throat after the vocal expenditure.

John, on the other hand, sounded stupefied.

“…… you’re… actually listening to me?” The fact alone was boding in and of itself. Arthur always had at least some point to argue. Very rarely did he ever actually concede this easily.

“Honestly, I am just too tired to argue right now, John” Arthur admitted with a quiet sniffle before scrubbing his nose on his right sleeve.

“Alright then. We’re still walking the stream, but the topography has changed from dense forest to a lighter woodsy area. The sun has moved quite a bit toward the west, bathing the area in a calming, orangey, glow. The sun light seems to peek from behind the sparser tree trunks and catch the particulates in the air with a soft but dazzling golden glow. We have passed many settlements that seem to have been farms at one point. If there are people living here, I do not see them. But from behind the tree line, the area looks well used. If the smell was anything to go by, then it may be a place for cattle and other livestock”

“I 'bmay actually be grateful to d'not smell b'much at the b'moment” Arthur added with building congestion beginning to dull his consonants.

“On the far side, I think I can see a hilly area with an odd rock formation. If we walk a bit further-- wait move your head to the--- yes! Ok there seems to be an opening to a wide and shallow cave. Are we choosing to try sneaking into the barn, or do we want to try for the cave?”

Arthur hummed in thought, sniffling near constant now.

“We tend to have bad luck with caves, John…. But the first village we went to turned out to be a bad idea… I want to continue avoiding people for now. Especially with the state I’m in, Christ! When did it get so fucking Cold?” Arthur hugged his arm around himself as best he could without brushing his stab wounds and shivered. John resisted a retort about the fucking fever and instead waited for Arthur to collect himself.

“So, to the cave then?” he asked, trying to keep his voice as gentle as possible.

“To the cave, then.”

“And bless you by the way”

“Wha- *gasps* hUH-SHUH! guhhh you cheeky bastard”

“Now who woke up on the wrong side of the bed?” John asked with a chuckle, to which Arthur only replied with another sneeze and the groan of someone who just wants to go to bed.

#ma/levolent #m/alevolent #mal/evo/lent #snzblr #snz fic #snz blog #snz #snzfic #spoilers

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