#my first official test- and I found out the other day that I passed!!! Yippee!!! Thank fucking god tho- I had to shit out a 4 paragraph

[writinggremlin]

Teehee. Another week, another chapter of Rare Bookseller! Yippeee!!!

FITZ FITZ FITZ FOTZ FITZ FITZ FITZ FITZ FITZ FITZ FITZ FITZ FITZ FITZ FITZ FITZ FUTZ FITZ FITZ FITZ FITZ FITZ FITZ FITZ FITZ FUTZ FITZ FITZ FITZ FITZ FITZ FIZT

My brain has officially rotted and its all his fault /j. He found the microwave, got inside and started spinning, and now he refuses to leave. And I'm just like, "Sir! Please! I just want to cook my chicken nuggets!! Please!!"

Anygay-- the story.

He's calling it home!! Ooo!!! The little hints of him accepting his fate!!

NOOOOO FITZZZZ!!!! PATHETIC WET CAT FITZ NOOOOOO!!!!! D:!!! Something tells me that this negative self talk isn't all Edgar's doing, though.

AWWWW POOR FITZ IS SO FUCKED UP RN!! POOR GUY IS ACTING LIKE OLIVER AND IDK HOW TO FEEL ABOUT THIS TBH-- WHUMP BRAIN IS HAPPY, NORMIE BRAIN IS FREAKED OUT BY HOW OUT OF CHARACTER HE IS RN-- THIS IS CONFLICTING

AWWW NOOO TRAUMAAAA POOR GUY NEEDS MORE HUGS

Oop-- I'm seriously so conflicted about how to feel about all of this-- whump brain is feral-- normie brain is cowering in the corner with a cross and screaming-- I'm backed against the wall with a frying pan and also screaming, in confusion-- it's chaos over here.

But seriously fuckin-- he's on such a slippery slope rn he is so dangerously close to the edge this is lowkey terrifying-- just-- grab him by the shoulders-- shake him-- wake him up snap him out of it do SOMETHING!!! AGHHHHHHH

This is all written beautifully btw I love it so much

"I want you to, sir. And you want it too. I can tell. Why deny yourself? Drink." Ok, he's still a little there. "Why deny yourself?" Like-- c'mon that's just him. I love seeing how his personality is mixed into this spell though. How his character adds it's own personal flavor to this hypnotized soup. How you can see it occasionally poke through and shine amongst the rest of the scripted fodder.

OOP-- DELICIOUS SOUP-- SOUP JUMPSCARE-- SUDDENLY SOUP--

O h

How do people make the tiny text for tumblr hold on--

Ew I need to be on my computer. *begrudgingly sighs* fineeeeee

WAIT NO I FOUND IT FOR MOBILE!!!!! WAHOOOOOOO!!!!!! Anygay--

o h

"Fitz scoffed automatically. "You can't be --"" There he is. There's the sass we know and love.

""Why, sir?" came the question from his lips before he could stop it. It was the question he was always asking himself. How could he make people like him? More charming, more handsome, more funny, more useful -- his guards against a world that would otherwise discard him without a second thought." WAAAAAAHHHHHHHH FITZ NOOOOOO!!! LEX YOU BETTER FUCKING HUG HIM ISTG

"Just as he feared Lex might." WAAAAAAAAAAAA

YEAHHHH HUG AND COMFORT LETS GOOOOOOO

Oh Fitz. Oh my poor guy. He's so fucked. He's never stood a chance. He's never been an equal, and no amount of self confidence or flirting can change that fact. I love it.

"disgustingly perfect" stealing that. Using that someday. Omfg that reminds me-- I wanted to fuck around and see if I could mimic character's writing styles. I can see Fitz's signature being quick but flourished and fancy. But what about dip pen calligraphy? 👀

:0000!!!!!! FITZ!!! BACK ON STAGE!!!! YESSSSSSS!!!! WOOOO!!!! YIPPEEEE!!!!!

Y'know-- I was just thinking the other day about what the people who worked with him thought about what happened.

"Enthralled with a lover" hah! The subtle truth too lol

"Alas, slender Aphrodite filled me with unbearable longing," said Fitz, draping himself across a chair. "I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep, I couldn't walk to the theater --" good to see him back to his usual, dramatic self.

"All right, all right, shut up, I don't really want to hear it." PFFFF glad to see the reaction is back to normal too

Yep, just bother the manager until you manage to worm your way back in. Classic Fitz lmao.

If this storyline continues, then I can't wait to see Fitz preform, especially since he wouldn't have his hypnotic powers to utilize yet.

"You won't regret this.", "I think I already am" PFF glad to see this ending on a comedic note. He deserves the happiness. As a lil treat.

Good soup as always. Loved it, can't wait for next week!

The Rare Bookseller Part 61: Fitz's Insecurity

Previous > Masterlist

tw: mind control, conditioning, mention of branding

September 1905

Fitz felt numb from stress and exhaustion as Lex helped him into the manor. He breathed a sigh of relief as the familiar and comfortable smell of old books rose to greet him. He was home.

Lord Edgar's blood had soaked through the front of his dress and he stunk of rats and cigar smoke. The only thing he wanted more than washing up was to help his master -- the spell he'd been placed under was still fogging his brain, whispering to him that there was nothing more important than serving vampires.

And Lex needed the service. His face was bloody and swollen in places from where Jameson had beaten him, and there were dark bruises blossoming on the parts of his skin that were visible. He'd suffered those injuries for Fitz's sake, all because he'd been an idiot who couldn't take care of himself at the ball.

A weak human who always made poor decisions. Who needed the guidance of a strong hand.

He shook his head, trying and failing to dislodge Lord Edgar's words. It didn't help that he could feel desire radiating from Lex. He could use Fitz's blood to heal, and Fitz was eager to provide it.

"Ugh, glad we're finally home," said Lex, hanging up his coat. "Let me help you clean up and check you for injuries."

"I think I should be the one helping you wash up, sir," said Fitz, aware that he had stopped calling his master 'sir' weeks ago, but finding it slip out of his mouth anyway. "You're hurt."

"I'm fine," he insisted. "Or I will be. I can easily recover from these wounds. I'm attending to you first, and that's final."

In this state, Fitz couldn't very well argue with a direct command from his master. He nodded, allowing Lex to carry him up the stairs.

"I need to remove the remains of Edgar's enthrallment from you as well. It's bad enough that he was able to lay hands on you. I won't have him influencing your mind as well." He looked down at Fitz. "I know that you shouldn't be this quiet right now. It's not like you."

"I suppose it isn't, sir."

Lex sat Fitz down in a chair when they arrived at his spacious bathroom, remembering to light the lamps so that Fitz could see. For his part, Fitz couldn't help but slump in the chair, almost too tired to hold himself up.

Sweet-smelling steam grew thick as Lex filled the washbasin with hot water and a generous amount of lavender soap. Fitz's extravagant dress was pulled over his head and tossed in a heap on the floor. As Lex undid the clasp of the ruby necklace he was wearing, Fitz looked down at the bare skin above his corset, that spot below his shoulder blade where twin brands lay.

The topmost one was a circle containing a single note surrounded by repeat signs. The bottom was a bass clef.

He may have been rescued from Lord Edgar, but the brands served as a daily reminder that the true threat to his freedom still remained. Lex's sire would someday coming to steal away everything he was, down to the smallest movements of his face and fingers, and Fitz would be utterly helpless to resist. His only chance to escape this hellish fate was Lex's plan to kill his sire.

He truly was completely at Lex's mercy, helpless like he hadn't felt since he was a small child trapped in his father's house.

Lex undid Fitz's corset, helping to strip him of his elaborate undergarments, and his touch was so gentle. He was always so gentle, and if Fitz had to be at someone's mercy, he preferred Lex above all others. Lex, who despite his faults, always seemed to want Fitz.

As Lex knelt before him, wiping the sweat and stench from Fitz with a warm cloth, Fitz's mind drifted back to that place of obedience that still lingered in his head. Serving Lord Edgar, laying his head in his lap, had felt so satisfying despite being so wrong.

It wouldn't feel wrong with Lex. He could picture himself, docile and subservient, with his master caressing his head as he knelt by his side. Would Lex prefer him that way? Did he only object to Lord Edgar's influence, to Fitz's subservience, because he himself hadn't put it there?

If Fitz was helpless here regardless, wouldn't it all be simpler?

Lex took his hands, turning them over tenderly, inspecting the places where the ropes had worn angry red marks into Fitz's wrists. His aura strengthened, further fogging Fitz's mind, and all he could think of was his master's clear need.

"You should drink, sir," he said, tilting his neck enticingly.

Lex seemed almost startled by this, as though he didn't realize how obvious his need was. "No, not tonight. You're already weak and tired from your experience. You don't need me to compound that."

"I want you to, sir. And you want it too. I can tell. Why deny yourself? Drink."

"As I said, not tonight."

"Why not, sir?" This was the one thing that Fitz could always provide for his master, and he didn't understand why he was being rejected now. "If I want to serve you, and you want me to serve, then what is the --"

Lex leaned forward and hummed a note in his ear, a clear, perfect note that captured all of Fitz's attention. He could hardly remember what he was talking about a minute ago, but it wasn't important. The only thing that was important was listening to the song and sinking into Lex's spell. He slumped forward, caught and lowered onto Lex's shoulder, maneuvered into a position where he could listen so easily.

"Do you trust me, Fitz?"

Normally, that would be answered with a laugh and an easy "of course!" But here with his mind in Lex's grasp, it became harder to give the simple answer that would earn him favor.

"I want to trust you," he said, and that was truthful enough to slip past.

"If I asked you to serve me in the way Edgar wished, would you?" he whispered in Fitz's ear. "Would you kneel by my side, provide me what I need? Would you throw away all thought and free will and obey my every whim? Would you give that to me?"

The fear running through Fitz's veins almost broke through his entranced calm, but the intense feeling of need was even stronger. "I would, sir," he admitted helplessly, "if you asked me to. And I don't want you to ask me to, because I would do it."

"So, then, you agree I could do this. But I don't. Do you know why?"

He should know. He should know how to read Lex like a book. But… "No, sir."

"Because I prefer you as you are."

Fitz scoffed automatically. "You can't be --"

"I want you to trust me, at least in this matter," said Lex, his voice quite serious. "If I wanted a docile servant without a thought in his head, I could have bought one for cheaper than you, or I could have molded you into what I desire. But I didn't, and I won't, because you are what I want."

"Why, sir?" came the question from his lips before he could stop it. It was the question he was always asking himself. How could he make people like him? More charming, more handsome, more funny, more useful -- his guards against a world that would otherwise discard him without a second thought.

Just as he feared Lex might.

"Why?" Lex repeated as though he didn't understand.

"That's what I asked, sir," said Fitz, not liking how needy he sounded.

"You make me happy," said Lex, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Isn't that enough reason?"

A pang of disappointment stung his heart. "With my blood, then, sir?" he said.

"No, not your blood. You." Lex pulled him in closer and hummed in his ear. "If nothing else, I want you to believe this one thing. I want you here with me, brightening my manor with your sunshine."

"…Oh," was all he could say in the tide of conflicting feelings. "Sir," he added.

"Now I want you to sink deeper into my spell. Deeper and dreamier, Fitz, just like that. And all of Edgar's thoughts and preferences are going to wash out of your head as though they were never there. No more desire to kneel or call me 'sir' as you used to. Nothing in your head but your own thoughts and my song."

"Nothing…"

"Nothing else but that. You can let your mind wander, feel so calm and peaceful as all of Edgar's influence is wiped away."

Fitz sank into Lex's arms, finally feeling himself relax after everything that had happened.

"I do love to see you in a trance like this, Fitz," Lex whispered into his ear. "I love to have you under my spell. It's my nature as a vampire. But it's you that I want under my spell, not a mindless puppet version of you. It's not nearly as fun to take your defiance if you don't have any."

"Lex --" said Fitz, filled with a mix of fear and desire.

"I love to see you when you're happy and charming and full of energy, knowing that I'm the only one who gets to pull you down into sleepy submission," he continued. "I want to see you laugh and play music and dance and tease me, and grace me with your company, and then, when the time is right, I want to see you fall into enchanted bliss when I drink from you."

His head was fogged from trance and praise and flattery. "I… want that too…"

"Then I want you to start to wake up gradually for me, but remain relaxed and happy, with only my influence remaining, no other vampire's. Wake up, Fitz."

Fitz blinked slowly, coming to. His head felt clearer, as though he was returning to himself, with the memories of the ball and the kidnapping growing distant.

He could see Lex, now. Not a vampire superior he needed to serve, but the real Lex, the one who always looked like a mess when he woke up, whose tired eyes lit up when he found a particularly precious book, whose handwriting was disgustingly perfect, who was uneasy around any modern invention. His Lex.

Lex ruffled his hair, breathing deep. "My Fitz. My delightful Fitz. My perfect thrall. What can I do to make you happy?"

"Drink from me," he said automatically.

"Besides that," said Lex, laughing. "What is it that you want most? Be honest."

It was a tall order to be honest when Fitz, on his best days, barely had any sort of a handle on what he actually wanted. One thing did automatically come to mind, though. "I want to return to the stage."

"Oh." Lex drew back, depriving Fitz of his touch and making him feel that he said something wrong.

Fitz blinked, trying to regain his thought processes. "You said to be honest."

"I know. And I do want you to return to the stage. I even promised that you could. But… I confess that I wanted to take care of my sire first. If he finds out I'm allowing you out of the manor to perform…"

"He agreed to leave you alone for a year, didn't he?" said Fitz. "And you're going to kill him."

"If I fail…"

"If you fail, I think we're both doomed, aren't we?" Fitz pulled Lex in closer. "If we're doomed anyway, we might as well have some fun before we go."

A rare and genuine smile blossomed across Lex's face. "You're right," he said. "And I do want to see you on stage. I want to see you in your element."

"Then, I can…?"

"Yes. Yes, you can." Lex kissed him softly, prompting Fitz to kiss him back as though his life depended on it.

---

The dingy office reeked of sweat and makeup and cigarettes. It was surreal to be back here, a familiar location in the world of ordinary humans, after so many weeks spent in the company of vampires. Fitz knocked on the door and entered before there was an answer.

"Son of a bitch," said Mr. Reed. "If it isn't Fitz de Hastings. We thought you were dead, or run out of town."

"Well, here I am, very much alive," said Fitz with a flourish. "Alive and ready to perform for the adoring public, as soon as you'll have me."

"Like hell. You left us in the lurch! I had you booked twice and you didn't show -- I had to put up some novelty music act to fill time, and the way the crowd reacted, I should've just left the stage empty."

"So you needed me, then?"

"Needed you like I need a hole in the head." Mr. Reed stubbed out his cigar. "Where the hell were you, anyway?"

Of course, he couldn't very well say he was kidnapped by vampires. "I was… enthralled with a lover. Surely you understand."

Mr. Reed was unimpressed. "You expect me to believe you had a lover that took up so much of your time you couldn't be bothered to pick up your last paycheck?"

"Alas, slender Aphrodite filled me with unbearable longing," said Fitz, draping himself across a chair. "I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep, I couldn't walk to the theater --"

"All right, all right, shut up, I don't really want to hear it."

"Then you'll have my act back?" said Fitz with his most endearing smile. "I'm sure the audiences will love to see me now that I've been away for months. The playbill can even advertise my triumphant return."

Mr. Reed groaned, pinching his nose. "You know I really shouldn't give you another chance with the shit you've pulled," he said. "But I've got an acrobat now who just isn't working out. He can twist himself up like a pretzel but he's got no stage presence, you know? Half the crowd falls asleep."

"So what I'm hearing is that you have a slot for me."

"Yes, de Hastings, I have a goddamn slot for you," said Mr. Reed. "Next Friday at 7pm sharp. And if you don't show, that's the last I'll ever do you a favor."

"Thank you, Mr. Reed," said Fitz, jumping up and shaking his hand vigorously, bursting with excitement about returning to the stage. "You won't regret this."

"I think I already am."

Previous > Masterlist

Next week: The first day of Jenny's new life.

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[hato-writes-stories]

The Magician and the Thief (Original Story)

Let me tell you one thing before the story begins. Life is hard enough as it is. Moving to a new city after angrily running away from your overbearing parents with high expectations is hard too. Moving boxes into your new apartment when you’re missing both of your arms from the shoulder down because of a magical explosion at your last workplace is even harder. But hey, thank the gods for magical levitation spells and handy helper spirits.

As soon as the last box was through the door, I closed it and flopped onto the dusty red couch that came with the apartment. It’s been weeks since the accident, so naturally I wasn’t yet used to having no arms. But I had just scored a job with the local Magicians’ Research Association, so with enough time and hopefully some promotions, I could afford a pair of prosthetic arms. I guess if there’s one thing to be glad of, it’s the levitation spell my dad taught me while he was trying to force me to learn the Dark Arts. It took more focus to move a glass of milk to my mouth now, but it honestly could be worse.

That apartment was pretty small. There was just a bed in its own little room off to the side, and a bathroom that probably wasn’t that much bigger than my mom’s walk-in closet back home. At least the apartment came with some furniture, like a little TV. Perfect for one guy to live in. I found myself dozing off, and next thing I knew it was morning. First day of work. Yippee. It was a bit of a struggle to get dressed, mostly because levitation required focus, and I was still tired as heck. But I managed, and went off to the Magicians’ Research Association Centre.

The Centre itself was a large, official-looking building. Like, so official that you’d mistake it for an actual government building. It was close to the center of the city, probably why it’s called the Magicians’ Research Association Centre. For a smaller-city type of guy like me, of course it was intimidating, but I was lucky enough to be accepted to work here.

I was to work on the second floor, where Spell Creation would be taking place. Promotions were based on the usefulness of spells and how many a worker could make by a deadline. That was the gist of the orientation. I won’t bore you with the details.

The boss of the floor was a tall, handsome fellow named Lazarus, but honestly by looks alone he looked like the kind of worker who slacked off and tried to pass off work on other employees. His hair was a big of a black, frayed mess, and he had the gall to wear a black long coat and trilby to match. He looked like a gang member, but he also had the air of someone who knew what he was doing.

“I think it’ll be a real pleasure to work with you, Mr. Jingshen,” he said at the end of the tour of the floor.

“Please,” I said, “call me Gakomare. Or Gako.”

“Haha, well, we’re expecting great things from you, Gako–”

“Chief!” One of the other Magicians on the floor, who I think was an astromancer, suddenly came up. “Chief, those thieves broke into my office! They stole the spell I was…”

“They broke in again?!” the boss suddenly snapped. “Ugh… Freakin’ fantastic…“

“What’s going on?” I had to ask.

“Lately, we’ve been getting these break-ins from thieves,” Lazarus explained. “They steal our new spells and we assume they sell ‘em for profit. We call these ruffians The RuneRunners.”

“Don’t these offices have security measures?”

“Well, of course we do! But these ain’t your everyday thieves, Gako. They’re magicians too, and crafty at that. We tend to have the last person to leave set up the security spell, since they’re not exactly easy to get through once they’re up. I’ll have to teach it to you later. Lemme show you to your workstation, and then we can check out the damages with you, Hayden…”

I had my own room to work, with its own little desk, spell-casting station, and bookshelf in the corner. It was small, but it felt like home already. “Nice place…” I muttered loud enough for Lazarus to hear.

“Isn’t it? Once you get some promotions, you can move up to bigger workspaces. If you can test some spells from the higher-ups and take note on their different effects, that’d do for today’s quota.”

“And I’m allowed to create my own spell in my free time, right?”

“Well, I mean, you can if you want. Now, if you’re going to stay late, here’s the security spell…” He handed me a scroll with a rather easy incantation to repeat. “Just head to the center of the floor, and it’ll do it’s thing. Thanks, man, now get out there and test those spells!”

The rest of the morning and afternoon consisted of me testing out the new spells from higher-ranked employees. There weren’t very many mishaps besides a test dummy catching fire, but that’s why spell-casting stations existed. In truth, I wanted to try and develop my own spells as quickly as possible. Not something in the Dark Arts, but… just something that felt natural. There were lots of elements to try out, so I just had to figure it out what was right for me. But my quota ended up taking up the entire workday. So I had to go home.

This routine continued for a few weeks, with the occasional break-ins and rumors of the RuneRunners’ plans. Soon life was repeating day after day, with not much to look forward to. My daily quotas kept taking the entire day, so I had no chances to work on my spells.

Until one day, when I was on a roll and felt like staying in late, even if there wasn’t any overtime. I was invested in reading about other spells and trying to find an element that’d suit me. Pretty soon, I was the only one in the building, as evidenced by the silence throughout the building. I didn’t care though, as I was used to quiet emptiness. Still, it would’ve been nice to make friends. But I had a self-imposed goal, and that was to find my real purpose. That first step was to find what magic class suited me best. Fire? No. Maybe ice? Not very suitable.

And soon, I was interrupted by the loud crash of a window breaking, and a thud. I snapped to attention. Was this… a break-in? No, couldn’t be, it was only… 3 in the morning. No, no, this was the perfect time to break-in. I really overstayed that night.

I peeked my head out the doorway of my workroom. It was mostly dark in the main room, to save electricity. But at the other end of the room, I could see a figure wrapped in a cloak, cautiously looking around, standing in front of a shattered window. I retreated my head when it looked like the figure was looking towards me. The hallway was dimly with what I could only imagine to be an illumination spell, accompanied by the soft crackles of electricity.

There I was, an armless man in more ways than one, cowering in my workroom, with this possibly thunder-affiliated thief outside. There were a lot of options I could’ve taken on how to deal with this situation. I could’ve maybe phoned for help, but it was too late at night, and even in these circumstances I didn’t wanna bother. I could’ve maybe tried to make a run for it, but I was more than likely to get caught. So I did the most reasonable thing I could.

I went out there, spell-scrolls levitating in front me, and half-shouted a “Hey, you!”

That got the intruder’s attention. They looked at me with wild eyes, their face very dimly lit. It was hard to tell if they were a boy or girl at first glance. The look on their face quickly changed from surprised to agitated, and in the blink of an eye they swung their arm forward, sending concentrated spheres of lightning my way. With a stomp of my foot, a shadow-infused shield rose from the ground, protecting me. Lowering it, I turned my body, no arm to properly aim my own attack of simply sending the shield forward. The intruder summoned their own shield, brightly-lit, and upon contact the two magical barriers clashed and dissipated.

The look of surprise overtook their face again when the main room lit up, allowing them to see who they were dealing with. “W-Wait, you don’t have any arms!” No, no I did not.

“Who are ya and what’re ya doing here?” I demanded, trying to sound calm enough to reason but angry enough to look as intimidating as I could. “You’re a RuneRunner, huh?!”

The intruder took a cautious step back, unsure what to do. “Look, I don’t want any trouble, okay? Just hand over… hand over a spell-scroll or something, and there won’t have to be any fighting, okay? I-I don’t wanna hurt anybody, especially not…”

I sent another dark shield towards them, only for them to duck into Lazarus’ workspace. I was alarmed enough to run over to check it out, only for the thief to suddenly rush back out with a spell that I assume turned them into a bolt of lightning to pass by me without hurting me, somehow. I couldn’t tell, because in the blink of an eye, they were gone and out the window.

I was in trouble the next day. The boss wasn’t too pleased with how late I stayed, and how I didn’t employ the security spell when I left. I didn’t have much of an excuse besides the fact that I was frazzled from having to deal with a thief head-on. Long story short, I wasn’t expecting a promotion or more opportunities to stay after for a while.

“Listen, Gakomare…” Lazarus had started. “You’re a real go-getter, and we really do appreciate that, but you’re handicapped. You just shouldn’t be alone at night, all right? So when the other last person leaves for the day, that’s when you should leave.”

“Yes sir.”

“Good. Now, please get to work on those spell-checks, okay?… Ha, spell-check, that’s… that’s funny.”

“Yes sir.” It was back to a monotonous workday. In truth, I only really had myself to blame. I hated to even think it, but both my parents at Lazarus were right; I wasn’t capable of much without arms, much less fighting. But it was all the more reason to work harder to afford prosthetics. Or… at this rate, am I just doomed to be useless to others?

“Oy, Gakomare, you got mail,” Lazarus called from outside. He came in and handed over a letter to me. “At least, I’m pretty sure you’re who it’s for. The guy said to give it to an armless man. Geez, some people, right?”

“Huh? Oh, uh, thanks…” I opened it up as he left. It had better not be a letter from my parents… and it wasn’t.

“Make sure you’re alone when reading this,” read the first line. “Meet me in the alleyway to the left of the bar on 6th Street after work. I need to talk to you.” It was unsigned, but I had a feeling back then of who it could possibly be. I did the only reasonable thing I could do at a time like this. I went after work, alone.

6th Street was actually pretty close to my place. I brought a few defensive spells with me too, just in case. A meeting in the alleyway couldn’t be all good, but I would’ve been lying if I said my interest wasn’t piqued.

“Psst, hey,” a soft voice called out from behind a dumpster when I got there. I looked behind it with caution, to find a familiar tan face in a dark yellow hoodie. “Oh, good, you made it. I thought I’d be spending forever behind here. It really reeks, y’know?

“You…” I scowled. It really was the intruder from last night. This… person was the reason why I’d probably been having a hard time for longer than I’d like.

“W-Wait, wait wait wait!” they half-shouted, bringing up their hands defensively. “I didn’t wanna fight or do anything bad or anything like that!” They pulled out a scroll from the bag slung across their shoulder and held it out to me. “Here, just take this, okay? Take it and go.”

The scroll had Lazarus’ name written on it. “This is the spell you stole from…”

The thief was looking around wildly. “Yeah, yeah, it is, just please take it already and go back to work, okay?” They pushed it into my hands and tried to run off, but stumbled and let out a groan.

“H-Hey, are you okay?” I asked, suddenly concerned. I could see them grab the bottom half of their pant leg, with was stained red. Were they… hurt? “Your leg! It’s–”

“I know, don’t worry about it! Just get back to your work already!” They were about to round the corner when they froze. I could hear Hayden talking to another co-worker nearby. “Sh-Shoot! I–”

Reading the situation quickly, I grabbed the thief’s arm, gently pulling them away. “Hey, come on, you don’t wanna get caught, right? Come with me. Just trust me.”

“But, I…” I assumed they trusted the look in my eyes. This thief wasn’t so bad, especially after a gesture like this. “Okay…” Against all instinct to preserve my own well-being, I led them home, to my little apartment. Maybe it was because their leg was really hurting, or maybe they just wanted to find out where I live to rob me later, but I was willing to take a chance. I had them sit down, at which point I got a better look at their face.

“Um… L-Look, I don’t really know what you’re doing, but…” They seemed nervous sitting there as I went to brew a healing potion on the stove. “Ya gave me back my boss’ scroll,” I said straightforwardly. “I wanted to return the favor. Scratched up your leg during last night’s heist, right?”

“Yeah… Look, I’m sorry, okay? I felt bad about attacking you, because–”

“Because I’ve got no arms and am totally defenseless without them?” I retorted.

They paused. “Well, that’s half of it… I… I felt bad for stealing in general… It felt even worse when I attacked someone too, and I just– I needed the money, but in the end I decided–”

“Say no more,” I said as I walked over to them with a Cure Potion. I handed it over. “Don’t worry, I promise you it’s not poisoned.”

At my remark, they looked at me cautiously, but drank it anyway, not taking their eyes off me for that moment. In all honesty, even after hearing their voice and studying their face, I still couldn’t tell if they were a boy or a girl. But either way, they were young and… rather cute for a thief, or a RuneRunner, more likely.

“Mm… Thanks,” they mumbled, looking down. “Um… My name’s Taryn, by the way.” I was never gonna figure out their gender, was I?

“‘M Gako. So… sorry to ask, but… are you actually a…”

“RuneRunner? Yeah. I mean, I know it’s a scummy job, but it paid really well for a while. It wasn’t until last night that I had to actually face someone while on the job, though. But I’m glad I was alone for that one.”

“I see.”

“I mean… You’d think it’d happen at least once over the last few months, but… Oh, man, if my family ever found out, they’d probably drag my butt out of this city and back home…”

That piqued my interest. “You too?”

“Yeah… Wait, you live alone too? I-I don’t wanna be rude, and I’m sorry, but isn’t it hard?” Their voice was genuinely laced with sensitivity. I at least had to commend their apologetic nature. “Yeah, truth be told, it is, but I have levitation spells. So don’t you dare say I’m helpless.”

They held their hands up defensively again. “Hey, I never said that! I mean, honestly? You’re like, the opposite of helpless. I mean, I’m a weakling and all, but you managed to fight back against me in the dark!”

“Well…” I felt a blush creep on my face. “It helps that I was a Dark Magician before…”

“Whoa, really?!” They looked at me in awe. “That’s so cool! I only know Thunder magic. But what’s it like? To cast spells like that?”

Nobody had ever really wanted to listen to me before. I wasn’t very social to begin with, but here was someone, a RuneRunner who attacked me last night, who suddenly was interested in talking to me. I ended up talking with Taryn for a good chunk of the night, even cooking dinner for the two of us while watching TV. It was as if we hadn’t fought each other last night. Even in this second encounter, I could tell they weren’t up to anything malicious.

We alternated between telling each other about our lives. I told them about my own overbearing parents, the work accident, and my subsequent running away from home. Taryn told me he was born a girl, but preferred to be seen as a guy, so that was one question answered. He came from a poor family, with a twin sister, and he had promised to make it big in this city so he can get the money to support them. He fell on hard times just as I had, though, and resorted to working with the RuneRunners. I imagined he didn’t want to go back home either because of it. It was 11 at night when our conversation started to wane. We ended up talking about my search for an appropriate magic class to specialize in after going through countless other topics.

“Y’know,” he began, now lying on the couch. “You seem like someone who’d work better as a potion brewer than a magician…”

“Who, me?” I raised an eyebrow at him. “I dunno… I mean, true, maybe I’m not that into offensive magic and such… Maybe I don’t wanna go out there in the world to explore and help the country, but…”

Taryn yawned. “But…?” I didn’t answer. “Ah…? What time is it? Sorry, I didn’t mean to overstay my welcome…”

“It’s fine,” I said. “I didn’t mind one bit. You’re welcome to stay the night. But if I find out you stole something from me in the morning, I’d have to hunt you down.”

“N-No, I promise I won’t do that…” He yawned again. “I’ll go home. I think I may just resign from the RuneRunners… I don’t know what I’ll do after, but I don’t wanna continue a life like this…”

“Then what’ll you do?” I asked as I went to get a spare blanket from the closet anyway.

“I dunno… I don’t wanna stay in this city, to be honest, but I can’t… go home either…” His eyes drooped closed, his words slurring to an end. I put the blanket over him and went off to my own room to sleep.

The next morning, Taryn wasn’t there anymore, but he had left a plate of cooked eggs and a note reading, “Sorry I overstayed! I made some breakfast. I hope you find your magic calling!” He also left his number on there. I guess we weren’t enemies anymore. I smiled then.

Lazarus was pleased that I had recovered his spell. I made up a story that the criminal had dropped it when I cornered them in an alleyway. It wasn’t the whole truth, but it was good enough for him to buy. He was so impressed that he wanted me to practice some more Dark Art spells to prepare for any other break-ins. I was allowed to stay after again.

But I didn’t want to deal with the possibility of running into other RuneRunners, or worse, Taryn. I couldn’t stay after because of that fear. The daily quotas were getting smaller anyway, so I had time to try and develop a spell, as well as try out different magic classes. I even tried dabbling more in magic potions on Taryn’s suggestion.

Speaking of Taryn, I found myself often texting him, inviting him over to stay at the slightest hint that he was undergoing hard times. He’d mention how he was trying to find a side job to get grocery money. I’d offer him to come over for dinner, and he’d initially say no, but I’d find him at my door at home anyway, his stomach growling audible. I didn’t mind it. His company was a good thing for me. And I felt bad whenever I saw his guilty but cute face silently asking if he could take back his answer and come in for dinner.

Time passed. Soon it really was as if Taryn and I hadn’t met during a break-in. He was becoming more and more familiar around me, to the point where I expected him to drop by a few times a week. Sometimes he’d even bring food, so we can have a bigger meal together. I wanted to spend more time with him, and I could tell he wanted the same with me. Sometimes he’d even text me when I was at work with pictures of the morning sky or of cute cats he saw on the way to his own work. They were little things to appreciate each morning.

“So how’s that promotion progress going?” he asked me one night, about three months after the first time he spent the night. He bought over some cornbread for us to share.

“It’s… going. Still have no clue what I wanna go into.” I poked at the microwaved meatloaf we were having for dinner.

“Oh… I’m sure you’ll find your calling soon!” he beamed, smiling. That was the kind of support I liked, something not too fake yet not too optimistic.

“Maybe… Maybe I should try healin’ magic, like you suggested.” It was a bit out there, especially since I had been more vested in offensive magic my entire life. To go into healing magic was like a baker going into blacksmithing.

“Oh, you think?” He paused in between bites. “Yeah, I bet you’d be good at that too!”

“Yer not just saying that?”

“Nope! I mean, healing magic involves potion brewing too, right? That’s like… half of the healing magic class, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” I mumbled. “I’ve been thinking… maybe I should drop out of the Magicians’ Research Association.” I had been thinking it over the last couple weeks or so. It felt like a dead-end job some days. I wasn’t making any progress in terms of a raise either.

“Whaaat? But doesn’t it make good money?”

“Ah, yeah, true… Plus I’m so close to getting that promotion…”

“For those magical prosthetics, right?”

“Yeah…”

“Still… I guess if you’re not happy with you work, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to find a new workplace.”

“I guess so. I’ll have to think about it more. Have you quit the RuneRunners yet?”

“N-No… I just really need the money, y’know? I mean, I have enough for groceries to last a week, but it wouldn’t hurt to have more, right?”

“Right. But still… I thought you were gonna quit.” I didn’t wanna push it, but I had concerns, mostly lying in the territory of the conflict between the Magicians and RuneRunners.

“Just a little longer,” he assured me. “Don’t worry about it, okay?“

But there was plenty of reason to worry, I thought to myself. I wanted to tell him that the conflict between the Magicians’ Association and the RuneRunners was growing enough as it were, but he probably knew that. I would just have to hope we didn’t get caught up in it. What would happen if the other Magicians found out about our friendship? What would happen if the other RuneRunners knew that he had a close relation with a magician like me?

The thought of Taryn goading me onto his side to get into the Magicians’ Association building had crossed my mind multiple times. But I trusted him. He didn’t seem like the tricky type. In fact, I considered him my closest relation at the time. In truth, I saw him as more than a friend. I… I wanted to be even closer to him, but I didn’t want him to risk anything by staying as a worker for the RuneRunners.

“Taryn…” I began. “Please, I really think you should resign as soon as possible and find a new place to work.”

“Just a little longer, I said, okay?”

“I know your situation is tough, but… I don’t want you to associate with those low-lifes.”

His eyes narrowed for the first time since our battle. “‘Low-lifes?’” he echoed. “Is that how you see me for taking on a job I can actually do right?”

I felt a chill down my spine at his tone. “N-No, I don’t mean–”

“Do you think any of us wanted to be in that position, Gako? Do you think we all take pleasure in robbing people like you? Every single member of the RuneRunners is poor, Gako! And no offense, but your Magician friends aren’t nice to us.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, my own eyes narrowing.

“You know that security spell you guys use every night? You know what it really does?!”

“It acts as a barrier to prevent outsiders from getting in,” I answered with confidence.

“No, Gako. It poisons anybody who touches it for too long. I lost friends from that spell. You Magicians are worse than we are. We never wanna hurt anyone, but you’re all willing to kill us over a living.”

I didn’t know what to say. The hurt in his voice told me he was telling the truth, but… no. No, would they really condone that? What of the innocents who tried to get in, not knowing it was after-hours? I didn’t want to believe it, but I felt inclined to.

Taryn didn’t stay over that night. We ate the rest of our dinner in silence, then he left with a simple goodbye. I felt bad to doubt his side of the story, and the Magicians in general. But I had to see for myself.

One late night, I decided to stay after. I spent my “overtime” testing all sorts of healing spells, from reviving a dead plant to magically stitching a dummy’s torn arm with a simple incantation. I was a natural at these arts, just as Taryn had suspected. I even toyed with some potion flasks from the storage room instead of waste hours playing with dead-end spell ideas for once. I quite liked healing magic.

But what I was anxious to try was the security spell. Taking the plant I had practiced on earlier, I left the building and activated the security spell. Instantly a glowing pink barrier rose over and above the Magicians’ Research Association Centre. Just from looking at it alone, nobody would want to touch it. The city wasn’t great at law enforcement either with how widespread magic was in everyday life, so it wasn’t like it was illegal to have a spell like this. Gingerly, I pressed the plant to the barrier. Nothing happened at first. I started to doubt Taryn’s word, when three minutes passed, and the plant wilted slowly, glowing as purple as the barrier. It was dying. It was poisoned.

I was hesitant to confront Lazarus about it in the morning. But it made sense, how a spell like this got past innocent eyes. To break a spell like that, it would’ve taken a few minutes of contact with the barrier.

I reported my findings to him, lying by telling him I found it out when I saw a bird die from standing on the barrier for too long. “… Sir, I know it’s not my place, but we should reconsider looking at the security spell…”

His feet were kicked up on the desk, hat covering his eyes. He got up, an unusually stern look on his face. “Gakomare…” he began dangerously. “No, that was indeed the intended reason. I ought to thank you for getting it back to me.”

“Y-You mean… that spell…”

“Exactly. Listen, we’re in dangerous waters as it is as a research facility. You think just because I’m one o’ the bosses, I got it easy? I gotta keep this place floating, y’here? So don’t go tellin’ me that those low-lifes are worth worrying about. It’s their own fault for trying to break in all the damn time…”

I swallowed, mustering courage in my voice. “Sir, with all due respect, think about their situation from their point of view.” I took a deep breath. “They’re struggling as much as we are. They’re all probably suffering in poverty, and it’s not helping that we’re killing them off like this. Do the other Magicians know about this? I bet if we try to negotiate with the RuneRunners…” I trailed off as I noticed Lazarus glaring at me, his friendly face a long-forgotten memory.

“So you have been associatin’ with one of those thieves…” He took an intimidating step towards me, hand enwrapped in a swirl of Dark Magic. “Hayden told me he saw somethin’ suspicious a few months ago. I told ‘im not to worry about your personal life, but y’know what? Now I got reason to worry. It’s a real good thing you got here early today…”

I turned on my heel and tried to open the door with the levitation spell, only to fail from frayed focus. I had to duck to avoid my head getting sliced off by Lazarus’ magic-infused hand.

“You’re crazy!”

“And you’re gonna make this too easy… Look at you, a poor, crippled man. I almost feel sorry having to do this. You really were a talented man, but I can’t risk the welfare of the other workers.” I stood as the magic encircling his palm grew in size. I was petrified in fear, only thinking to dive to the side as he unleashed the blast, which collided with and demolished the wall, leaving a gaping hole with a nice view of the city. “Dammit,” he hissed. “Too much…”

I was on the ground, sandwiched between the gaping hole and Lazarus, who was steadily coming closer. “If you murder me now…” I gulped. “You’re gonna taint the Association’s reputation…”

He merely chuckled. “Not if I tell the authorities that a filthy traitor was threatening me…” He pointed his hand at me, fingers mimicking a gun and the dark aura glowing once again. “Besides, if I could start a new life once, I can do it again.” A concentrated beam of Dark Magic was shot at me, with only a luckily-timed shield spell protecting me. It somehow withstood the blast, but was pushing me closer to the edge of the building the longer it fired. Soon I was feeling my heel peer over the edge of the hole, my energy steadily being used up to keep me from getting disintegrated.

“GAKO!” A familiar voice rang in my ears. I barely blinked, and suddenly a yellow shield was joining my purple one. A flash of lightning, a familiar teleportation spell, blinked beside me, and Taryn was there, helping me push back against Lazarus. It caught us both off guard. My former boss’ beam cut off, causing him to fall from the recoil.

“Taryn?! What’re you–” He grabbed my shoulders.

“No time! We gotta run!” Another flash of lightning, and in a split second we were transported to the ground, my ears ringing and mind in a brief haze until I was brought back by Taryn pulling me along. We sprinted, not looking back, even when the wail of sirens sounded some distance behind us.

He led back to his own apartment for the first time in the poorer side of the city. It was just two rooms: a living space and a bathroom. He had the radio tuned in while we made a Cure Potion for any injuries I sustained. I was lucky to escape with few bruises and scratches.

“In other news,” a lady reported over the static-riddled broadcast, “investigators are still surveying the Magicians’ Research Association Centre after what is presumed to be a terrorist attack of sorts. One of the building’s manager had this to say…”

Lazarus’ voice came up. “We’ve been dealing with problems concerning the RuneRunners Gang recently, and I believe it’s safe to say that they caused the damages to the building. I–” He was cut off with a loud bang, like a fiery explosion. Screams filled the air.

“Oh my gods, SOMEBODY HELP!!” the reporter cried. Feedback and screams overtook the air as Taryn and I listened in stunned silence. Whoever was attacking was still going at it, the sound of spells being cast soon filling the air.

A new voice, one I hadn’t heard before, came up. “We the RuneRunners have commenced war with the Magicians’ Research Association. It is time for us to take this city.”

With fear shaking him, Taryn switched the radio off. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that was his own boss. So we were both wrong about our respective factions…

“Taryn…” I would’ve hugged him if I could’ve. “I… I’m sorry.”

He sighed, shaking his head. “No,” he whispered. “You don’t have to be sorry. I was wrong about the RuneRunners.”

“Yeah? Well, I was wrong about the Association too. So I guess we’re both wrong.” We hung there in silence for a moment. “I… Thank you, for saving my life.”

“I-I only did what I felt was right,” he said. “I’m sorry, for leaving things as they were the last time we met. I, um…” He reached into his backpack, which was slightly torn from our little encounter with Lazarus. “I know it’s a really bad time, but I think now’s as good of a time as any.” He pulled a nicely-wrapped present box.

“Taryn…? What did you…” He opened it up for me. Inside was a pair of metal, bone-like arms. Before I could say another word, he took one out and attached the brace to my right shoulder, pushing a button after. I felt a surge of energy course through my mind. Suddenly… I had an arm. I moved it up and down, flexing and extending it.

“I stayed because… I wanted to repay you for all the times you helped me.”

“Taryn…” Tears welled up in my eyes. “I-I don’t know what to say.” I looked up at him. “Th-Thank you,” I managed.

He simply smiled and hugged me. “How does it feel?” he asked as he got the other one out. He strapped it onto me, and soon I was feeling what it was like to have two arms again.

“Fits like a charm.” I was opening and closing the fists, moving them, getting used to them. “I… But why?”

“Like I said, it’s my thanks.” He brushed his hair to the side, a soft blush on his face. “Gako, I… I never had a friend like you. I never met someone who would risk that much for me. I mean… What I’m trying to say is…”

He didn’t get to finish. I finally had the ability to hold his cheek, tilting his face towards me. He looked at me confused for a moment, until I slowly pulled him in for a kiss. He didn’t resist at all, instead cupping my face back with his own soft hands. We parted after a few moments. He gazed into my own eyes happily.

“I love you too,” I said.

“Thank goodness,” he laughed. “Here I was worried that, well, y’know.” His laughter died down, the gravity of the situation dawning back on both of us. “But… What do we do now?”

This city was too dangerous for us now. That much we knew. It was to soon be overrun by a faction war by the Magicians and RuneRunners. There was no doubt in either of our minds that we would especially be in danger, being traitors to our respective faction.

So we took the most reasonable approach we could. I snuck back to my apartment in the cover of darkness, avoiding verbal wars between Magicians and RuneRunners on every other street. I packed the essentials, leaving everything not important, and I took off running to the edge of the city. There, Taryn waited, with his own few essentials packed.

“Well,” I began, taking a deep breath of the night air. “Here we go…”

“Yeah.” He simply looked back. Come dawn, and the streets would probably be overrun by fighting. But it wouldn’t matter to us. “Are you ready?”

“Nope.”

“Me neither.”

He took my new hand into his. Our gazes held for a moment. He closed his eyes and brought his lips to my cheek. Soon we started walking off, away from the filthy city.

“Where should we go first?”

“I don’t care, as long as you’re here beside me.”