#remus is the king of chaos
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ttulipwritezz · 9 months ago
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King Of My Heart (Body And Soul)~ R. Lupin.
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Chapter 2 -  Expectations
Ootp! Remus Lupin x Sirius's sister!Reader
Synopsis: When James and Lily died, and your brother was sent to Azkaban, Remus was the only person you have left. Until he left too. What happens when he returns after the events of Sirius's escape, only to find out you have a son? A son that's his.
WC: 1.4k
Warnings: lots of italics, probably grammatical mistakes, might be ooc idk, child (?), fem reader, italics are flashbacks ( idk), love (ew), Sirius is back, [ look at series masterlist for all content warnings]
A/n: This is more of the backstory and how they came to be, along with lots of awkwardness from both ends, I promise there's more remus in the next chapter <3 oh and reunion with Sirius and thanks to @lixzey for making me wanna push the awkwardness~ :) If you enjoyed this please reblog and comment :)
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You and Remus were in love, you had been in love for 6 years.
Everyone knew you'd be endgame, and your brother hated it, to an extent.
Sirius loved that his little sister was happy, that she had joy in her life after the roughness of their family life. But he was scared, scared because he knew how much Remus would push people away, push himself away.
He didn’t want you hurt. But you were.
~
You found out in October, two weeks before Halloween.
You had been talking with Lily through letters back and forth, discussing your recent morning nausea and sickness.
She had asked when was the last time you and Remus had slept together, strange you considered that question, you replied a week ago at most.
Her letter came back with the words "you might be pregnant, dear...why don't you take this potion i sent along?"
And along with it there was a potion in a small vial with a piece of parchment guiding you through the process.
All you had to do was drink half of the potion and wait for the other half to shift hues.
And sure enough, the once rust coloured potion soon turned blue, signalling your current state.
You were carrying Remus's child, a child you hadn't talked about, a child you were sure you weren't ready for.
~
It was now hallows eve, the day you thought you had worked up the courage to tell Remus.
Children around town had just finished trick or treating and your husband was bringing back the basket with remaining candy.
He came into the bedroom with you and went straight to the shower, promising to return in a bit.
Your eyes heavy with sleep, you sit down on the edge of the bed, waiting for Remus to come out of the bathroom.
He sees them on your trousers before in your eyes, your tears. His brows furrowed in concern and pity as he looked at your face, eyes dull with sorrow and fear, so uncharacteristic of your usual glimmer and joy.
"What's the matter, dove?" He asks, voice slightly hoarse from the drowsiness in the back of his mind.
You don't answer, only look at him like you're out of words. You're thinking, thinking what a little Remus would look like, how they’d have the same nose, probably his same freckles dusting their face, and the same sandy locks of hair with deep roots.
You wonder if he'd want this, a kid, if this could be the one thing Remus would give up the world for.
"Come here, darling" he says and takes your body into his, nuzzling your face in the warmth of his polyester sweater. He understands, he always does.
That's how you sleep that night, unaware of the chaos that was soon to follow.
~
Remus rushed out of bed the moment  the potter's deer patronus knocked on the window.
The white buck stopped at the foot of his bed and let out a call of help, soon disintegrating to mist after.
That night Remus lost three friends, you lost a brother to azkaban and you lost Remus.
He left the morning after. With your heart shattered to pieces, you let him go.
Your mind screamed at you to tell him. Tell him and maybe he'd stay. Tell him and maybe he'd reconsider. But your heart, ever the kind one, ever the selfless one, let him go. In hopes that one day you'd see him again.
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Remus was half expecting you to slam the door in his face. To make a face of absolute disgust and just lock him out. But of course the other half of him was longing to hold you, see you after so long. So it came as a welcome surprise when you widened the door and let him inside.
 "Uhm...come in, please, we were expecting you" You said,  trying not to let your voice waver.
Remus felt so awkward. His hands were clammy, his posture was stiff and his jaw was clenched. He felt like he couldn't move, no more than if he had been hit with the petrificus curse.
You weren't in a much better predicament yourself. You could feel your eyes pricking with tears at the mere sight of him. The same man who left you. The man you let go. The man you still loved.
As he made his way inside the house you let your eyes roam across his figure. His hands were littered in large scars, far bigger than those you'd seen before. His face was shrunken, eyes hollower than you remembered. His smile lines were far more prominent now and his sandy brown hair had a few streaks of grey littered throughout.
"Where is the rest of the order? Where's sirius?" Why did you leave? Why are you back? How are you? You had so many questions but the rest were best kept to yourself.
 "They're on the way, I was just...early" I wanted to see you. 
Remus hated himself for leaving you. He wanted to tell you that. He regretted each night, even more so on full moons. After leaving the realisation of what he had done dawned on him, it was already  too late.
Alas, by the time he had worked up the courage to talk, You were already making your way across the hall to embrace your brother who had just arrived.
When did he get there? How consumed in his thoughts was Remus?
You greeted Sirius with a hug and a look-over of his whole figure. His posture was shrunken, eyes even hollower than Remus's and instead of his signature smirk, only a ghost of a smile was left on his face.
A feeling of guilt consumed you. Your brother was back after azkaban. Innocent. And your mind was all consumed by Remus.
You ushered the rest of the order inside and told Regulus to pack up his things and clear out the living room. The confused and curious glances you got from everyone did little to ease your nerves.
Sirius pulled you aside. You prepared yourself for the conversation you knew was to follow.
“Who’s that?” 
It was a valid question, Sirius was well aware that Remus had left that night. After their teary reunion, the werewolf had gotten an earful from the oldest Black. He was shocked and thought that  you had found someone new, unlike Remus, Sirius was quick to notice the similarities between the small boy and you. He deduced that he was your son.
“Uhm- He’s my son.”
You were staring at your feet, and your hands were fidgety.
There was a long pause. The silence was so loud you could hear the clock ticking.
“I…I have a nephew?” His words came out uncertain. Cautious and slow.
With a hum you replied “His name is Regulus. Regulus Jace.” You left out the last name. Legally he was a lupin. And so were you. But it wasn’t that hard to conceal that at hogwarts.
At the mention of his little brother, Sirius seemed to grimace. But he put a smile on.
“You named him after Reggie?-” He asked. And continued as you opened your mouth to answer.
“Who’s..who’s the father?” He didn’t want to assume the worst. He was happy, truely he was. After that “bastard” (as he put it) left you it was only fair. No matter how much he ached to see the two of you together again.
“It is Remus.” You replied, vulnerability lacing your voice.
His face seemed to light up, eyes widening, both in shock and delight. Before he would alert the whole house, however, you let him know one more thing.
“He doesn’t know. Neither of them do. I haven’t told them.” 
Your chest felt heavy, and your throat seemed to close up. It was hard for you to talk about. Despite being married you and Remus had never talked about kids, let alone with your friends. The feelings of contempt and guilt surrounded you.
Next thing you know, Sirius is pulling you in for a hug, securely wrapping his arms around you and trying to soothe your worries. His right hand wraps around your back as his left brushes against your hair in a calming manner.
It all comes crashing down. The weight of the lies, the guilt, the fear, the hatred. You cannot hold back the tears that rush down your face. A sob rakes though your body. You feel so much, everything, all at once, joy, relief, contempt, familiarity of an embrace.
But most of all...love. Love you haven’t felt in fourteen years.
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Series Taglist (open): @twilightlover2007 @idli-dosa @lovesanimals0000 @deathbyramennoodle-s @deadgirlsrunning @lovelyypythoness General Taglist (open): @desikudisworld @iamgayforyourmom1510
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jilyawards · 1 month ago
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The Jily Fandom Rec List 2024 is a compilation of Jily stories our readers want to keep an eye on for this year's awards.
SEPTEMBER
all the king's horses, all the king's men (completed, 7.1k) by @jilyss. Rated G.
As queen, Lily Evans faces the suffocating weight of isolation and loneliness that comes with the crown. The only constant in her life is James Potter, her loyal and ever-watchful royal guard.
it's brighter now (WIP, 21.6k as of 30 Sept 2024) by @gigglesandfreckles-hp. Rated T.
“Oh, come on," James says, grinning. "I know you know who I am.” Something strange flashes across her face. “Is that so?” He drops into the open seat across from her and gestures toward his face, smiling widely. “This doesn’t ring any bells?” “Your…face,” she clarifies slowly.
Raising A Kid With My Ex (completed, 74.5k) by @wearingaberetinparis. Rated M.
James Potter and Lily Evans, two Phoenix Radio employees who had secretly admired one another from afar, pretended to be fake exes for their show “Shout Out To My Ex”. When Lily fell pregnant with James’ baby – after a whole lot of drama, disbanding “Shout Out To My Ex” and a breakup – the soon-to-be parents started a new show, named “Knocked Up By My Ex” in which they documented their pregnancy. Now, baby Harry has been born and Lily and James have to learn to navigate the challenges - major highs and some surprising lows - of parenthood together, despite the fact that they haven’t even been together for a year. A whole lot of chaos combined with a whole lot of love makes the perfect recipe for a new show: “Raising A Kid With My Ex”. Their fans’ well-intended advice, of course, might just be the cherry on top (even though some of it is truly completely bonkers). Yet, as James and Lily navigate parenthood together, they have to battle unprecedented forces that are making their journey as new parents a lot more difficult than they had anticipated. A Jily Modern AU inspired by Rachel Lynn Solomon’s “The Ex Talk” and sequel to “Shout Out To My Ex” and “Knocked Up By My Ex”.
crossbow, gun, and magic (and other stories) (oneshot collection, 12.8k as of 30 Sept 2024) by apalapucian. Rated T.
a collection of unrelated stories ft. james, lily, sirius, remus, and (occasionally) peter. so far: i. james, sirius, and lily; modern au ii. in the universe where sirius is the first to know; jily; hogwarts iii. blackevans (old fic rewrite); hogwarts; jily iv. james's last thoughts (old fic rewrite); jily; canon compliant v. order mission at a pureblood party; jily vi. zombie apocalypse au (old fic rewrite); jily vii. lily drunk-proposes to james (tumblr prompt) viii. james gets caught by death eaters (tumblr prompt)
Surface Pressure (completed, 1.3k) by @eastwindmlk. Rated T.
Lily dealing with the weight of her own expectations in 7th year
Partners (completed, 1.3k) by @ohmygodshesinsane. Rated T.
James is the last person Lily expects to visit when she's ill in the Hospital Wing, but the new Head Boy has more than one surprise for her.
Literary Sophistication (completed, 2.5k) by @andromedabooks. Rated G.
A quick Jily bookstore AU from my Tumblr
let me make it up to you (completed, 3.4k) by @kay-elle-cee. Rated E.
Two weeks ago, James left for a mission in the middle of the night without saying a word. Now he's is back, and Lily's not so quick to forgive.
speak now (completed, 1.4k) by @firefeufuego. Rated T.
The fuse has been lit. Lily can almost hear the crackling hiss of it, feel the building burn of it in the air as Sirius takes the reins of the conversation, as drinks are bought and poured down newly dry throats, and eventually as last orders are called and the four of them are standing outside and saying farewell with kisses on cheeks. Sam and Sirius apparate away. Lily and James do not. They stand, eyes fixed firmly on each other, ready to ignite. ‘Not forever, you said?’ James asks, his voice deep and quiet in a way that’s never been hers to hear before now. Follow-up to the lovely kay-elle-cee's 'silence and patience, pining in anticipation'.
crafting chemistry (completed, 4.8k) by @gigglesandfreckles-hp. Rated T.
“Is there something that needs to be discussed between the three of us?” Minerva prompts, her eyes narrowing sharply. Lily’s face betrays her first. A bright flush creeps slowly along her cheeks, blooming from her neck upward, as though her skin can’t hide the emotion simmering underneath. She keeps her eyes stubbornly trained on the far corner of the office, anywhere but James. Minerva notices James’s hand, the one that had been habitually running through his hair, freeze mid-motion, his fingers tightening slightly.
under the influence of loss (completed, 2.1k) by @gigglesandfreckles-hp. Rated T.
“Like what? You fancy me! Kiss me.” Each time she says it, it’s like a new bruise blooms around his heart, her words pressing on all of them at once. “I can’t!” he shouts, the frustration cracking through. “Because I’ve been drinking?” she demands, a bitter laugh escaping her. “Your chivalry is duly noted, Potter, but I’m giving you a pass here. Just—” “It’s not about that,” he interrupts.
common ground (completed, 3.8k) by @gigglesandfreckles-hp. Rated G.
Lily pauses, suddenly aware of James’s intense gaze. “What? Why are you…” Heat rushes to her cheeks, and she hates it. “Why are you looking at me like that?” “Nothing,” he says, shaking his head. “It’s just…it’s a good look on you, Evans.” “What is?” she asks, self-consciously. His grin widens. “Mischief.”
sidewalk chalk, covered in snow (completed, 8.7k) by @gigglesandfreckles-hp. Rated G.
She didn’t mean to get used to any of them. [or: Lily Evans is strictly anti-Marauders...until she isn't. one by one.]
Till Death Do Us Part (Let It Be Quick) (WIP, 39.1k as of 30 Sept 2024) by @wearingaberetinparis. Rated M.
“Till death do us part,” she concluded, all air sucked from her lungs. Her fate signed, sealed and delivered. As the priest spoke his final words, she found herself ensnared in her adversary's gaze, trapped by the weight of it, her mouth opening as she spoke under her breath - almost subconsciously: “Let it be quick.” A Jily Arranged Marriage AU in which Lady Lily never imagined she would fall for the husband she was forced to wed. Inspired by My Lady Jane.
Check out the previous months' recs too: January, February, March || April || May || June || July || August
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lulublack90 · 4 months ago
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Prompt 30 - Enter
@jegulus-microfic July 30, Word count 643
Previous part First part
Regulus couldn’t believe what his brother had given him. He hadn’t expected anything from him ever. Not even a kind word. But after five years of being apart, his brother accepts him and gives him a home. Regulus wiped away the tears that had spilt from his too-wet eyes. 
The flat was small, but it was far more than he needed. It had a bedroom large enough for a king-sized bed. A small bathroom that had a clawfoot bath of all things crammed into it beside a toilet and sink. A kitchen, big enough for one whole person if they were skinny, and a living room where he could already picture a wall of bookcases. Not that he had many books to fill them with any more. He’d had the foresight to move a few of his belongings to Evan and Barty’s before he came out to his parents. He could have kept it a secret and continued to live under their roof, but he liked James a lot. More than he’d liked anybody, and he wanted to be able to go out with him and not live in fear that his parents or one of their friends would spot them. 
He hadn’t expected to feel so hurt by their rejection though. He’d known it was coming, and braced himself, but it hadn’t been enough. His mother had called him some very colourful names and slapped him across the face before she grabbed him by his shirt and threw him from the house. He’d been terrified in that moment that she would kill him. He’d met James an hour later at Evan and Barty’s and slept curled up next to him, feeling truly happy for the first time in his life. 
He looked down at his watch as his thoughts turned to James. He was meeting him in ten minutes to go shopping for furniture. He grabbed his keys and ran down the staircase and out the little side door that he could enter and exit through instead of going through the café all the time.
“Where are you off to in such a hurry?” Sirius called after him, his hands stacked high with dirty plates. 
“James,” He called back over his shoulder. 
“Barbecue tonight, don’t be late. Remind James, please,” Remus popped his head out of the front door as Regulus rushed past. 
“You got it,” He shouted back, waving at his brother’s boyfriend. He really liked Remus. They had the same energy and the same penchant for chaos. 
He got to the park with a minute to spare. He was hot and sweaty from the exercise, but he knew James wouldn’t care. He spotted him under their tree. James had his head back, gazing up into the branches, smiling to himself. Regulus approached him quietly. 
“Should be careful, love. You never know what might fall out of trees if you stand under them too long.” James’s face broke into a blindingly warm smile that Regulus couldn’t help but return. He ran at James and James opened his arms wide to accept him. Regulus jumped, James caught him with ease and spun him around a few times before pressing a kiss to his lips. Regulus melted.
“Come on, love,” James sighed contentedly as he put Regulus back on his feet. “Let’s go buy you a bed,” They linked hands and Regulus let James lead him through the park and towards the shops. He hoped they did same-day delivery. He was eager for another sleepover with James and couldn’t wait to see the look on his brother’s face when he brought James down the stairs and out into the café for breakfast. No matter what Sirius did for him, his need to wind his brother up would always play a major part in their relationship and with Remus helping, the possibilities were endless.   
Final part
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ellecdc · 6 months ago
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🥹💐here’s some roses bc I love u & ur writing sm
alsoooooooo I maybe have an ask 🤭🤭
what’s ur # rating of each of the guys and how reactive they are? (if this makes sense? I can explain it more…. it’s like how fluctuating their emotions are and how extreme they go with them. when they’re happy they’re ecstatic when they’re angry they’re yelling when they’re sad they’re overly sad for days… you know???)
TOTALLYYYY COOL IF NOT 😭😭😭😭
Aweeeee
James: when he’s happy EVERYONE FEELS IT like he’s at 1000000000%, but I don’t see him really advertising or allowing people to see his lowest of lows, if that makes sense? The exception is quidditch (obviously). So I wouldn’t rate him very high; maybe a 5 or 6? Just because his happiness and excitement is SO happy and exciting
Sirius: i see him very reactive. When he’s angry, he lashes out and goes to any means necessary to tear his opponent down. He’s swearing, yelling, etc. When he’s happy and excited, everything’s fine and dandy. When he’s sad, he’s morose and quiet and completely withdrawn. I’d give him a solid 9 or 10.
Remus: my version of Remus is pretty cool and collected and isn’t too dramatic in either direction. I do see him as having a tendency to get frustrated and irritable and maybe getting snappish? But even then I don’t see him screaming, swearing, throwing shit, you know? He’s more just kind of rude lol. I’d give him a 3
Regulus: drama king. He doesn’t get as extreme as his brother but he’s just as emotional as he is. King of silent treatment when he’s mad/angry, and also withdrawing completely when he feels guilty or sad. I don’t see him as getting super worked up (at least outwardly) when he’s happy or excited. I’d give him a 7-8
Barty: he’s a 15. Chaos personified. No one has to wonder how barty feels; you should watch out tho.
Evan: is a 0. No one ever knows what that bloke is thinking/feeling; it’s very disconcerting.
Lily: calm and collected queen, except a mixture between Remus and Sirius when angry; she goes for the jugular and will cut a person off at the knees. I’ll give her a 4.
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lupinmoonlight · 1 year ago
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Could you do smth like they meet again after years??? She's a professor and he too so she saw him at the first day in the great hall and after that they run into each other in the teachers' room. They were friends when they went to school and they were always attractedby each other.
Thank you and btw I love your writing:)
Lost and Found
Masterlist AO3
Summary - You and Remus Lupin had a crush on each other ever since you were students at Hogwarts but never had the courage to even speak. You spend the next 20 years living your separate lives, you as an Auror, and he, just surviving. Unable to live under the stress of your profession anymore, you retire and start teaching at Hogwarts, still hoping to fill the void Remus had left behind. In September 1993, everything changes. (3,190 words)
Warnings - Fluff, cheesy, angst, a bit of hurt/comfort, a bit of self-hatred, kissing, mention of wizarding war and lost of loved ones, my grammar (english is not my first language), not proof read.
Notes - I am almost ashamed of posting this considering I received this request over a month ago. I am so sorry anon, I have been traveling all of August. Thank you so much for your request and kind comment. I hope you like this one! (sorry if it's too cheesy I got carried away lol)
June 1978
One last glance, that's all you wanted. You pulled your hair back, looking discreetly across the Great Hall. As always, Remus was there, just a few seats away. He looked sad, just as sad as you, but it couldn't be for the same reason. The warm, golden rays of the sun reached through the windows and danced across his face, as if the sky itself was trying to comfort him. It graced his scars, making them glow a beautiful shade of gold. You were doomed. Absolutely doomed. And sad. And in love. And doomed. 
You would always sit close, steal glances, exchange the occasional smile in the library. You had become experts at unsaid conversations, your hearts screaming out words that your lips never uttered. 7 years of unspoken love, of quick glances, of butterflies in your stomach, of hoping he would sit next to you in potions, of worrying when he would disappear for a few days. You knew why, it was easy enough to figure out for anyone who paid close attention. But you didn't care. You loved him for 7 years. 7 years that were about to be ripped away from you. 
Remus felt your gaze and looked up. Your eyes met, and for a split second, time seemed to stop. You wanted to say something. I love you. But the lump in your throat held your words hostage. The weight of the impending silent goodbye threatened to shatter the fragile world you had created. 
As breakfast came to an end, you all began your journey towards Hogwarts Express. The station was alive with chatter, laughter, and tearful goodbyes. But amidst the chaos, there were two souls whose worlds had never been more silent. 
You found yourself in a compartment and gazed out the window, lost in thoughts, watching what had become your second home for 7 years slowly disappear in the distance. Every time the train jolted, you wished it would be Remus entering your compartment, as if he would be braver than you. Why didn't you go to his compartment? You were a coward that's why. Because being rejected would hurt more than saying goodbye. 
Remus sat a few compartments away, his heart pounding in his chest. Despite the presence of his three best friends, he felt alone. The knowledge that this journey might be his last with you was gnawing at his soul. 
The train finally pulled into King's Cross, and students disembarked, eagerly searching for their families. You made your way through the crowd, hoping, stupidly praying for one last moment with Remus. As you approached the barrier between the platform and the muggle world, you took a deep breath and looked back. And there he was, Remus, looking just as lost as you felt. Your eyes met across the platform, and everything went quiet, blurry. 
You crossed the barrier and found yourself on the muggle side of the platform and looked back once more, catching a fleeting glimpse of Remus, who seemed to be vanishing amidst the crowd. You felt a visceral ache. A lump formed in your throat, stubborn and solid, just as you had been during those 7 years, refusing to admit your feelings. You hated yourself. Coward, you kept telling yourself. But you loved him. Was teenage love supposed to be this painful? Because if yes, you were done with it. Never again, you thought. You wiped away the unshed tears from your eyes, put on your most determined face on, and went to your parents waiting in the crowd. You had a career to build, and Aurors were not made of lovesick teenagers. 
1981 - 1991
After graduating, the world outside Hogwarts proved to be colder and crueler than you had imagined. The First Wizarding War was a brutal, heart-wrenching time. As planned, you took the path of an Auror, but not for the same reasons you had wanted. Rather, it was in a desperate attempt to right the world's wrongs, to lose yourself, to numb yourself. It was your refuge, but it was also a painful reminder of the war's cost, a daily confrontation with terror and death. Was Remus alive? The question gnawed at you the moment you opened your eyes every morning. It consumed you. You had not seen each other in over 10 years, but the mere thought of him losing his life felt like someone was ripping you open with their bare hands, no magic. Maybe that's what drove you, in the end, to be an Auror. Stupid teenage love. 
The horrors of your profession haunted you every night. You had been dishonest with yourself. Sure, you wanted to "right the world's wrongs". But really, every time you were out on a mission, you were looking for him, the boy, now man, with sandy hair, with golden scars, with the softest voice, kindest eyes, shyest smile. But he was never there. So you gave up and did everything you could to bury every memory of him as deep as possible, unreachable, and decided to try and go teach other lovesick teenagers. At least then, you would feel at home. 
And home, you were. The old headmaster was still there, his blue eyes twinkling behind his half-moon spectacles. Professor McGonagall, head of your house years ago, welcomed you back with the expression of a proud mother. In her eyes, you had made it. You had been successful. An Auror retiring to teach young witches and wizards. But you didn't feel successful, you felt broken, empty. And the only other colleague who seemed to reflect that void was Severus. You had been surprised to see him as a teacher. The man had always been isolated, grim-looking, sad. He reminded you of a dementor, and maybe that's why you enjoyed sharing a cup of tea with this old classmate in the staff room, to torture yourself and forget about your lost love. Had he really been a dementor, you don't even think you would have been affected because all that was left was nothing. Longing. Hurt. Despair. 
Yet, in your first term as a teacher, you had this stupid hope. Maybe. Maybe Remus would walk through the Great Hall. Of all four troublemakers, he was the prefect, after all. Of course he would be a teacher. You had been so obsessed with this idea that you started losing sleep months before the term started. You surveyed the staff table like a hawk, looking for him. You were going mad. Here you were, grown, accomplished, yet still obsessing over your teenage love, retracing your steps through the halls like you used to 20 years ago to catch only a glimpse of him. Except now you knew he wouldn't be there. 
September 1993
You sat at the long staff table, your eyes idly scanning the crowd of eager young faces gathered in the Great Hall. You were numb. Not even waiting for anything anymore. Just going through the motions. Professor McGonagall had just finished calling out the names of the first-year students when the staff entrance at the side of the Hall creaked open. 
You turned your head reflexively, expecting another late-arriving student or perhaps a staff member who'd lost track of time. What you did not expect was the sight that greeted you, freezing you in your seat. 
A man stepped into the Great Hall, pausing for a moment to soak in the ambiance as if he too were revisiting old memories. Older and more weathered than you remembered, his sandy hair was now tinged with grey, and his face bore scars that were definitely not there during your Hogwarts years. His robes, though neat, were faded and had seen better days. But it was his eyes- those gentle blue eyes, filled with a unique blend of sorrow and kindness- that told you everything you needed to know. 
Remus. 
Your heart was pounding so loud in your chest that you were sure the entire Hall could hear it. The moment his eyes met yours, he too froze in place, as if the mere sight of you had rooted him to the ground. A mixture of emotions swirled in his gaze- surprise, confusion, and something softer, more intimate, that you hadn't seen in anyone's eyes for a long time. 
Tears welled up in your eyes, unbidden but not unwelcome, as you shared a look so intense, it was as if no one else existed. A look that whispered of years lost, of what could have been, and- perhaps- of what still might be. Not a word was spoken, but in that moment, volumes were said, a dialogue only you could understand. 
The gravity of the moment was so strong that you barely registered Remus moving again, navigating his way through the Hall to join the staff at the table. As he sat down beside you, the familiar scent of him struck you like a freight train- parchment, coffee, and a hint of pine trees. It was intoxicating, transporting you back to a simpler time, back to late-night study sessions and furtive glances. Your cheeks flushed as you realized that the empty chair next to you would be his for the entire year. There you were, a lovesick teenager again. 
You found yourself struggling to maintain your composure as Dumbledore rose to his feet to introduce the new staff member. 
"Before we continue, I'm pleased to welcome Professor R.J Lupin, who's kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher," he announced, his eyes twinkling as he gestured towards Remus. 
The students erupted into applause as Remus stood up awkwardly, a sheepish smile on his face. You found yourself unable to clap, your hands trembling in your lap as you watched him. It was surreal to see him here, after all these years. 
As soon as the ceremony ended, before the feast even began, Remus got up from his seat and made his way out of the Great Hall almost immediately, without saying a word. He looked almost...flustered? Impossible, you thought. YOU were flustered. How could he be? 
For days after your wordless reunion, you and Remus moved in parallel orbits, close yet never intersecting. The tension between you was palpable; an emotional undercurrent that resonated through every stolen glance and momentary brush of your eyes. You would catch him staring at you across the Great Hall during meals, only for him to look away, flustered, when you met his gaze. He would spot you in the corridors, seemingly engrossed in conversation with Professor McGonagall, but he knew you were acutely aware of his presence. 
You both longed to talk, to share the feelings that had overwhelmed you during that first eye contact, yet you were both paralyzed by a mix of fear, vulnerability, and the weight of years that had gone by. Remus, scarred by the war, lost everyone he loved most, was terribly afraid of loving again. And you, scarred by years of void, searching, numbing, were terribly afraid of being rejected. 
The tension reached its peak one fateful evening when you found yourselves alone in the staff room. You had come to fetch some papers you had left behind, while Remus had sought the space for its quiet ambiance to prepare for his next lesson. As you entered, you were met by the aroma of ancient books, polished wood, and a hint of brewing tea. Remus was standing there, looking startled but then quickly regaining his composure. 
"Ah, good evening," he stuttered, his voice tinged with the nervousness he felt. It was the first time you heard his voice in 20 years. It was deeper, but just as rich, just as soft, making you feel just as weak. 
You felt your cheeks flush as you stepped further into the room. "Good evening," you responded, your voice a half-octave higher than you intended. 
It was awkward, the air was thick with unspoken sentiments and unanswered questions. Remus cleared his throat and offered a formal, almost painfully awkward introduction. 
"You might not remember me, I'm R-" 
Might not remember him? Was he dumb? Clueless? Blind? No. He was just a man, you thought. 
"I know," you cut him off gently, trying to act as if he had not consumed 99% of your brain capacity for the last 20 years. "I do know, Remus." 
The air lightened a little at your words, as if acknowledging your shared history made it easier to breathe. Almost easier. 
"I was just about to make myself a cup of tea. Would you like one?" he offered, trying to navigate the awkwardness that hung in the room. 
"Yes, thank you", you agreed, grateful for a way to break the emotional deadlock. 
As Remus moved to pour the boiling water into the cups, his hands were less steady than he'd have liked. You watched him, your heart pounding in your chest as if it wanted to leap out and bridge the gap that had opened up between you over the years. He handed you the cup, your fingers brushed ever so slightly. The contact, though fleeting, sent a rush of warmth surging through you both. 
From that day on, you became inseparable- or as inseparable as two Hogwarts professors could be. You found excuses to bump into each other in the hallways, 'accidentally' coinciding your evening strolls by the lake or the Forbidden Forest's edge. You began to steal moments wherever you could- sitting together at meals when you could manage it, pausing in empty classrooms for brief, whispered conversations. 
Yet, for all your newfound closeness, you both tiptoed around the deeper emotions and unspoken confessions that hovered in the background. You would catch yourself about to say something too revealing and would quickly pivot the conversation to safer topics. Remus, too, would often find himself on the verge of saying something he feared could ruin everything but would pull back at the last moment, as though treading on dangerous ground. 
The late-night strolls became your sanctuary, where the rest of the world seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of you and your carefully guarded feelings. 
"You've changed the curriculum quite a bit," you would say, your eyes sparkling as you discussed his innovative teaching methods. 
"And you've managed to make Arithmancy popular. I've never seen so many students signing up for it," he would reply, his eyes lingering on your face as if trying to decipher the mysteries hidden behind your eyes. 
You would both laugh, the tension easing for a moment, yet neither of you would take that final, daunting step to acknowledge the flame that had been rekindled and now burned almost painfully. 
It was a dance you both had perfected, a dangerous game you played. And though you circled around your feelings, it was clear to you both that this delicate balance couldn't last forever. It was as if you were students again. Desperate, lovesick, terrified teenagers. 
And you couldn't take it anymore. You wouldn't. That night, the air was particularly cold, the air crisp, and the half-moon hung low in the sky, casting long shadows across the grounds. 
"It's been weeks, Remus. Weeks since you came back into my life," you began, your voice shaky. "We keep circling around each other like we're afraid of something." 
"Afraid?" Remus responded, trying to maintain his composure. "There's nothing to be afraid of." 
"Isn't there?" You looked up, your eyes meeting his. "Then why haven't you touched me? Why haven't we talked about what's really going on between us? Why haven't you invited me out for a coffee?" 
Remus looked away, visibly wrestling with himself. "I can't. I can't give you what you want." 
The raw pain in his voice struck you, and you felt your own eyes brimming with tears. "And what do you think I want, Remus? Is it so wrong to want to be with you? Or am I not good enough for you?" 
He took a deep breath, his voice tinged with bitterness. "You deserve someone better, someone who can be there for you in all the ways I can't."
That was it. The dam of emotions you'd been holding back for years finally burst. "Better? Do you have any idea how many nights I've lain awake wondering if you were even alive? Do you know how terrifying it is to love someone and not know if they're dead or alive, Remus?" 
Your words struck him to his core. Of course, he knew what it felt like. He had lived it for 20 years. 
Your voice had risen to almost a scream, your body shaking as you confronted him, assaulted him with your words. "All those years, I never had the courage to approach you, to tell you how I felt. We lost all that time, and now here you are, yet you've never felt so out of reach." 
Remus couldn't look at you. His gaze was fixed on the ground, and he seemed to be shrinking into himself. "You don't understand. I'm not good for you." 
"Why? Because you're a werewolf?" you snapped, the words tumbling out of you before you could stop them. 
Remus's head snapped up, his eyes wide with shock. 
"I've known since Hogwarts, Remus. And I never cared. Are you blind? All I've wanted for the past 20 years was to be with you, to even just see you, to-" 
Before you could say another word, Remus closed the distance between you in two quick strides, his hands gripping your waist as he pushed you against a tree. Your eyes met for a split second- a second filled with anger, surprise, confusion, but above all, an overwhelming love- and his lips crashed into yours in a desperate, hungry kiss. His hand snaked up to your neck, feeling your pulse, as if he was trying to convince himself that this was real. You pressed your body against him, the heat radiating from him was intoxicating, dizzying. 
But then the kiss slowed, its intensity giving way to a slow, loving gentleness, one that you associated with him so much. Remus's hands moved from your neck to cup your face, his thumbs wiping away the tears that had spilled onto your cheeks. Your hands found their way to his chest, gripping his robes like they were a lifeline, like he would vanish any second. 
Finally, you broke the kiss, a little out of breath, but remained close, your foreheads touching. "I'm sorry," Remus whispered, his voice tinged with regret. "I'm sorry for all the years we lost, for all the pain I've caused you." 
You shook your head, your eyes searching his. "We can't get back the years we've lost, but we have now, Remus. That has to count for something." 
He looked at you, really looked at you, and for the first time since the war, he allowed himself to believe in the possibility for a future- a future filled with love, warmth, and a happiness he had never thought he'd deserve. 
"Okay," he said softly, the word heavy with the weight of the promise it carried. 
"Okay," you repeated. 
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thebibutterflyao3 · 1 year ago
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AO3 Finished Fics as EPUBs
I know a lot of people are struggling to gain access to AO3 at the moment, so I uploaded my 14 finished fics to Google Drive as EPUBs. I have labelled each below by name, main ship(s), and rating with any relevant warning tags. All fics have thorough tags/warnings on the first page of the fic.
All In or All Out - rated Explicit (Explicit sexual content, Background SA referenced, but not on-screen) Jegulus Muggle AU
An Interesting Grasp - rated Explicit (Explicit sexual content) Dual POV - James/Remus Jily/Wolfstar Muggle AU
Fairy Tale Sweets - rated Explicit (Explicit sexual content, fist-fight) Dorlene Muggle AU
He's Your Problem Now (one-shot) - rated Mature, Wolfstar 7th year
His Secret Soulmate (short fic) - rated Mature (minimal sexual content) Wolfstar 7th year
Light Me Up (one shot) - rated Teen, Nobleflower 7th year
Long Live the Napkin King (text fic) - rated Teen, Jily/Wolfstar Muggle AU
Positive Reinforcement (one-shot) - rated Teen, Jegulus 7th year
Promise Me One Thing (one-shot) - rated Mature (minimal sexual content), Wolfstar 7th year
Simps & Feral Squirrels (text fic) - rated Mature (sexual references and general chaos), Jegulus/Pandalily/Partyvan
The Catfish & The King - rated Explicit (explicit sexual content, mild BDSM), James/Remus POV, Wolfstar/Jegulus
The Sun & Wayward Stars - rated Explicit (explicit sexual content, use of crucio curse), Jegulus 7th year
Tigerlily & Wolfsbane (435k word) - rated Mature (one minimal sexual scene at the end), Lily POV 1-7th year, Jily/Wolfstar/Dorlene
You're Still My Sunshine - rated Explicit (explicit sexual content, fist-fight, arsehole Sirius), James POV, Jegulus/Wolfstar Muggle AU
Hope this helps until AO3 is back online!
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lexithwrites · 9 months ago
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current wolfstar/jegulus/moonwater/prongsfoot ideas i have:
vampire reg and addict james - basically vampires are rare and are paid by humans to bite them and give them their venom and it makes them high and james gets addicted
werewolf remus and mechanic sirius - remus travels around in his truck and stays in motels until he does something bad enough in his wolf form to leave and he meets sirius who is also a runaway and they start dating before sirius ends up bumping into werewolf hunters and has to protect remus
mermaid regulus and surfer james - james lives in cornwall in his parents house after they pass away and he's taking time for himself to get back into his childhood hobby or surfing and he helps regulus who is injured and on the beach
knight remus and prince sirius/prince regulus and peasant james - the black family are royal dragon riders and remus is part of the kings guard whilst james is his friend that works in a tavern, chaos and seduction ensues (yes theres a vow of celibacy that might not last)
barista remus and college student regulus - this one is v simple but they meet and it's just very cute and fluffy because they're both book nerds
radio host james and college student sirius - this one is a lil more spicy, james hosts his own radio show and he and sirius aren't out as a couple just yet and they hook up in his studio whilst the mic is still on by accident and it gets around campus
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liggy-not-potter · 7 months ago
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intro
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hello :3 i’m liggy, i go by she/her pronouns, i’m 14 (a minor, don’t be creepy), acespec and possibly arospec. if you follow me i will most likely refer to you as my child out of a mom friend habit.
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hobbies
i’m a freaking nerd, so book and movie recs are welcome! i’m in a lot of fandoms, so i probably can’t list them all here. harry potter, both canon era and marauders (fuck jkr) and the fanfic i’m writing where harry has a sister no one knew abt. (posting that on ao3). legendborn by tracy deonn, percy jackson (i’m not done with it so no spoilers please), mcu, the owl house, gravity falls, amphibia
i write songs and poetry, i play piano, ukulele, violin and guitar i like drawing but i’m not very good at it all the time, i have thousands of failed art pieces.
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dni
the usual. if you discriminate against any minorities or hate people solely because of a group they belong to (religion/lack thereof, race, sexuality, gender orientation)
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random shit about liggy
i have a gluten intolerance meaning i can’t have anything containing wheat, and i make jokes about it. well, brie does most the joking.
i have adhd and most likely a hint of something else neurodivergent. i’m a mess, but at least i’m not boringly neurotypical ur local owl (do not ask questions) i’m a minor so don’t be creepy, i don’t care abt interacting with adults as long as you aren’t being a creep i refer to myself in the third person sometimes, get the fuck over it gryffindor - enfp - scorpio
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the rats (my moots) @jamespotterbbg — kay — my first moot, chaotic, mentally ill as the rest of this site, is the reason i’ve even interacted with half of these people @garden-of-runar — runaround — talented poet, fellow defender of bagels, absolutely and entirely concerning, you’ll never know her next move @melonhead10 — wife of mine — silly little rat, one of the only people on here i know irl, rarely online bc strict parents, if she is online it’s to look at shiny duo and tangled the series @eef-stars — british ethan — the gay dad friend of this whole hellsite. king of deactivating and coming back out of nowhere. happily in love with @kawaiibarty @kawaiibarty — james the baked bean — short, gay and irresponsible. has too many doggies but we don’t care bc doggies are great. changes his url every two seconds. in love with @eef-stars @tequilaqueen — bea — possibly an alcoholic, you’ll never know. hates bagels and commits war crimes. @picklerab23 — dill — lives in a jar on a shelf in a grocery store in wales. speaks in consonants and y’s. @crowleys-mortalcounterpart — brie — my child. genderfluid lesbian variant of remus lupin. descendant of the scottish. some unknown flavor of neurodivergent. i also know them irl. @0urazz — satan — brie’s sister and my daughter. chaos incarnate, addicted to regretevator and some other random ass roblox games. one step away from being gen alpha. the attention span and brain capacity of a grain of rice. violently affectionate. ik her irl as well @thejudeduarte — jude — cruel prince and legendborn fan. really nice and sometimes chaotic. @iamaladder — stepladder (ethan’s version) — chaotic aarakocra boi, old crusty man (in other words a year older than me) another person i know irl @thestrawberryapologist — mari — purchaser of jams, very goofy, does silly sitcom rp with me, recently returned to tumblr after disappearing on us
(if u want to be added ask me, i just gotta save it)
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interactions
blow up my ask box, tag me on stuff, and message me all you want. i love being on here and talking to people and making friends <3
my pinterest poetry side blog: @liggy-attempts-poetry ask game: here ask game 2: here moodboard on banner is a collage on my pinterest
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my tags: liggy rambles: all my random ass posts liggy found an ask: i answer asks liggy attempts to sing: i sing liggy attempts poetry: my (likely reblogged from side-blog) poetry nonsense liggy special: i most likely did something fucking stupid jam murder sitcom: a silly sitcom thing i do with mari to the queue you go motherfucker: my queued posts, likely because i’m out of townliggy rambles in the tags: i rant to everyone and no one in the tags
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i-am-bitterly-jittery · 2 years ago
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High school soulmate AU where you have the name of your soulmate’s best friend on your wrist, and every Side considers Patton to be their best friend
Roman has known Patton since forever and they made a promise in second grade to be best friends forever
Subsequently, Remus had also known Patton for forever, and Patton is Remus’s only friend who doesn’t encourage him to do bad things and then abandon him he gets caught
Logan is the king of debate club, but the only person who doesn’t think he’s a cold asshole is the boy who’s really bad at debate but is always encouraging everyone to “have fun out there”
Virgil is a loner emo, but that guy who sits next to him at lunch every day and gives him homemade cookies has endeared himself to Virgil forever
Janus is the ASB President, and appears to have tons of friends, but he would stab each and every one of them in back if he had to, and he fully expects them to do the same, except for the ASB secretary, who is a literal ray of sunshine and probably doesn’t even know where babies come from
Anyway, chaos (and probably polyamory) ensues as they all try to figure out who their soulmates are
(I don’t know who Patton’s best friend would be, maybe Roman since they promised as children)
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oatmealdaydreams · 10 months ago
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What’s your favorite thing about your favorite Thomas Sanders character(s)?
Hey, Anon :D
Well, let's see...
Remus/Remus: I love how unsettling he is and how he's not afraid to be himself and do fuck-all. I relate a lot to being a weird, creepy sibling people are hesitant to be around, so Remus is a big comfort character. Also, I love how he's also Creativity and has lots of his own ideas, no matter how dark they may be. And his humour sends me every time (lmao). And of course, the weird facts he knows is very relatable. And the fact he just wants to be listened to and acknowledged. And all the unhinged chaos from him. And the drama and him just being a freakin' goober.
Logan/Logan: Him being a giant nerd and one of the more-mature Sides in the group is a bit relatable. I love seeing him being enthusiastic about Crofter's and making puns and when he gets to indulge in things he really likes. Him being very intelligent but also struggling with emotions and such. How bad he just wants to be taken seriously and listened and such. How he keeps getting pushed around and ignored, and when as soon as he lashes out because he's hurting, the Others blame him for it. I love how he apologizes for lashing out, though it's always his right to. I relate a lot to how he represses the "icky emotions" or refrains himself because he thinks he can't be emotional if he's to be taken seriously.
Roman/Roman: how passionate he is about things he loves, like acting and Disney and his creative merits. How he keeps getting used and manipulated and he's just so confused because he needs clear structure as the Ego, but everything is just jumbled and he's not sure what's right to do anymore. All of the angst with this poor guy is just relatable. How happy he gets when Logan asked him for his creative help!! That was a vulnerable and wholesome moment. How creative he gets and how he shows he knows his fellow Sides and friends through his gifts (him getting Janus socks for warmth and writing an entire story/fanfic/play about Sherlock for Logan). He's just so thoughtful and caring. He shows he loves them through playful teasing and jokes and banter!! And he's growing and learning and apologizing when he screws up. Like, him and Virgil getting closer and becoming besties. How insecure he is because he's terrified of failure and being imperfect and especially of rejection.
Virgil/Virgil: he's been a fav of mine since middle school, which was around the time the series was first starting and soon we met him as Anxiety (way back in 2016). I've related to him especially as someone who was a bit emo and also struggles A Lot with anxiety and an anxiety disorder(s). His fashion sense with his purple jacket/hoodie is my fav thing, btw. He was a big part of my comfort growing up. Kind of a nostalgic comfort. I love how he has spiders all over his room because I relate to loving spiders and not being scared of them. I love his sarcasm and humour and his counterpoints. I love his debate episode with Logan. This snarky spiderling was a big reason why I'm still alive, believe or not, and so he's an important character to me. Just a big Fav to me.
Janus/Janus: This sarcastic, villain-aesthetic serpent is important to me because of the fact that he's both Deceit AND Self-Perseveration. It's so damn relatable because I was the kid who knew how to lie so well that my lies were almost always regarded as truth. I had to lie and hide things to survive because I grew up as a queer Christian kid in a scary and unsupportive place. If I slipped up the slightest, there was absolute horror to pay. Also, the queer-coded villain aesthetic is one of my fav things. This man doesn't need to be that melodramatic but he is because that's what he likes to do. He's a petty lil drama king, and I love that about him. Also his [implied?] angst of having this fear of vulnerability and getting hurt again is... it's very important to me.
Patton/Patton: I relate to him the least, but oh boy do I have things to SAY. Him a total dad and making so much puns is funny to me. It's very relatable to be the kind of person so take care [or try to] of everyone else but forget about myself. Him loving cats but being allergic is comical, lmao. Him trying to repress and hide his "icky emotions" and just showing the happy positive ones is something that's a bit too relatable. As someone who's struggled with smiling depression, it can get to the point where people don't believe you when you finally show a hint of not being okay. And so you just go back to faking it, and then get ignored again whilst taking care of everyone else. But yeah, he's a pretty good character and almost reminds me of some family of mine.
c!Thomas/c!Thomas: one thing I will never get over about this character is the fact that he's a struggling artist and creator that is going through A Lot and still healing and discovering things about himself. That's some of the most relatable shit. He's so human and shows the healing process as a bumpy road which is TRUE to reality and I love it. His Sides and him are learning together, and that's just beautiful. Maybe not my most fav, but still pretty high up there on the Brainrot chart.
As you can see, I have things to say about ALL of them. All of the main seven, anyway. I'm sure I'll have lots to say once we meet and see Orange.
[sorry this was so long]
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theogclownboy · 5 months ago
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Hi how would the little sanders sides react to getting in trouble Thx😊
oh i haven't thought about this, this should be fun
Roman: he's a drama king so he'd put up a dramatic fuss over it
Virgil: he would be panicking and he'd think everyone hated him for getting in trouble
Patton: he'd be sad about it but he'd understand that he did something not okay
Logan: he'd accept his fate as he understands that he's done wrong
Remus: pure chaos would happen and he'd cause more trouble
Janus: he'd try to weasel his way out of it with his words
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chaos-bear · 8 months ago
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10 First Lines
List the first line of your last 10 fics and see if there's a pattern.
1. It had been nearly five years since Remus had seen her last, but he still picked her out of the crowd instantly. [Strawberries & Chocolate]
2. Harry opened his eyes every morning to the aftermath— a white hospital after Quirrell, grey dawn following the graveyard, horrible rage then stillness in the wake of the Dept of Mysteries, and quiet darkness in the forest after a white King's Cross. [Tether]
3. It was late when Harry's Floo burst to life. [Welcome Me Home]
4. His first moments were of pain, blood, and chaos. [Paul, Richard or Tom]
5. The dream began as they all did lately, with the ache of cold and scent of chocolate. [A Golden Thread]
6. On a beautiful September morning, Harry walked down the sidewalk of Horizont Alley. [When Harry Ate Sally]
7. They left behind them the ruins of London, its iconic bridge half collapsed into the river, the horizon dotted with shattered skyscrapers. [The Man In Black]
8. In his dreams, he was on fire. [I Can't Pretend I Didn't Know Better - unpublished]
9. Golden light filtered down through the water, waves casting liquid shimmering ripples across the sandy bottom and over undulating reeds. [Untitled - unpublished]
10. Lucius liked to hunt rabbits. [Untitled - unpublished]
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It seems I favor either a longer descriptive line, or a short punchy one. Though to be honest what this really taught me is to pay way more attention to my opening line. Thanks @tommarvoloriddlesdiary 💕
Tags: @alenablack @creativewaste @metalomagnetic 🤓
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Even shorter and sweeter than before! Why is writing so hard?😅 But also this was the idea I had from the get go for this prompt, and it's so cute despite how I feel about how short it is.
@noots-fic-fests
Even after long days apart, pulled in every direction of the chaos of their lives, Remus and Sirius still managed to steal a few quiet moments to themselves. Their favorite being the nightly ritual of a too-warm shower after a day spent on the ice.
It was in the quiet closeness and casual touches that they were able to decompress and just exist together, without any real reason to rush besides the temptation of curling up on the couch for some TV time or to read.
Tonight they put on some random sitcom reruns as they curled up together, Remus leaning back into the corner of the couch, Sirius between his legs and leaning back against his chest. They had pulled the oversized fuzzy blanket from the back of the couch over them; a king sized one that they bought to replace the standard sized throw they had that never fit either of them for their catnaps on the couch or the late night cuddling.
The sun had set quite some time ago and the house was dim, soft light cast in from the kitchen and the glow of the TV creating the perfect cozy atmosphere to sit and just breathe. To enjoy each other’s company and let the quiet between them settle comfortably. It was the perfect way to rest and recharge from the day while still winding down for bed.
When they both got too sleepy to keep their eyes open, they lean in for a kiss and Remus takes and dishes left from dinner or a snack to the kitchen as Sirius folds the blanket and drapes it back in it’s spot over the back of the couch before they head hand in hand up to bed.
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groovyghostie · 1 year ago
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The Seer: Part 1
Hey, guys! This is my Storytime Big Bang 2023 (@tss-storytime) submission! It was a lot of hard work and fun to get this done, and I'm really super proud of it! Mind the tags, stay safe, and enjoy! I was partnered with @creative-lampd-liberties, an amazing artist, for this event. You can find the art they made here. They also made the cover below!!! I'm putting this fic on Tumblr (even though I hate posting fics here -_-) because I have it set to registered users only on AO3 to help avoid bot AI scraping. That said, here's the AO3 link for those who are registered users on AO3:
[AO3 Link]
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Summary: After spending most of his teenage years pretending to be something he’s not (a girl), then spending his adult life so far pretending to be something else he’s not (a clairvoyant), Janus is caught off-guard when he is granted real powers. He is the seer that predicts the downfall of the kingdom, as well as the potential salvation. The problem? The kingdom’s hero is Roman, Janus’s best friend’s brother, who… dislikes Janus. A lot. Now Janus is stuck going on a quest to destroy the source of The Dragon Witch’s power with a ragtag band of adventurers, and he has the unfortunate task of making sure they all survive. The forest is dangerous. So is their enemy. Janus hopes his friends are even more formidable.
Rating: T
Word Count: 26,268
Ships: Janus/Roman, Remus/Patton, Logan/Virgil, Thomas/Remy, Prince/Anxiety (shorts), Dad/Teacher (shorts)
Content Warnings: fire, description of burnt bodies, description of corpses, minor character death, animal death, parent death, sibling death, blood, assault, description of being burned, main character disowned by parents, mortal peril, kidnapping, injuries, transphobia, alcohol use, deadnaming, swearing
[Fic under readmore]
Prologue
Logan took his job very seriously. Being the prince’s manservant on top of being co-leader of the servants was a monumental task, but it was also a monumental honor. Of course, it was hard to feel honored when he was in the middle of taking the prince’s now-dry laundry back to his room so he could hang it up in the wardrobe. One basket on his head and the other on his hip with a hand on each one, Logan balanced the large burden carefully. He was passing one of the guest bedrooms, of which the door was cracked open, when he heard voices. He wasn’t sure who was in that room. Guests were more Remy’s department, because Remy could be charming when he wanted to be. That wasn’t Logan’s department either. 
He slowed, drifting closer to the door to listen. 
“...illing him won’t be easy,” said a male voice.
“Please, with me on your side, we’ll have no issues. It’s the chaos after that we must worry about.” This voice was female. It was smooth and sweet, the definition of comforting.
“Still, we must be careful that no one guesses what we’re up to. We’d have to act fast to prevent anyone from stopping us.” Logan recognized that voice. It was Prince Eschive, the king’s brother. That couldn’t be right, though. He wouldn’t be conspiring like this, surely.
“You’re right, of course, Dear One. Caution is of the utmost importance,” said the female voice. 
Logan peeked through the crack in the door. He could see the woman, now, and was fairly certain that it was Duchess Adalinda Draco. She was visiting the palace because she was a childhood playmate of the queen. This didn’t make any sense.
“I’m glad we’re agreed, Darling,” said Eschive. “And when we kill my brother and his family, you shall make a lovely queen.”
Logan’s eyes widened. They wanted to kill King Marceau, along with his entire family. But that couldn’t be right.
Adalinda grinned and leaned in toward Eschive. “And you shall be a powerful, respected king.” She placed her hands on his shoulders and kissed him. Logan’s eyes were drawn to her shadow. It shifted against the wall, forming unfamiliar shapes. It took Logan a few beats to figure out what he was seeing. Then the shape came together in his head. Horns. A tail. Wings. Very draconic, indeed. He gasped.
Adalinda pulled away from Eschive. “Did you hear something?”
Eschive nodded, face darkening, and Logan took that as his cue to leave. He rushed the rest of the way to the corner and turned it quickly, then ducked into a servants’ kitchenette. He waited there, his heart pounding in his ears.
After a few minutes, when he realized they weren’t going to come after him, he left the small room and headed towards Prince Virgil’s room again. No one would believe him with his word against Prince Eschive’s. He’d have to take this into his own hands.
1: The Conman
Janus leaned forward, placing his chin on his folded hands with his elbows on the table. “Tell me, Ms. Fortuna, what can I do to help you?” He looked her over. Salt crusted her hair at the tips, her lips were dry, and she had a spyglass tucked into a loop in her belt. A sailor, then. Judging by the spyglass, probably a captain. Her clothes were fine, too, so probably a merchant, especially when considered with the lack of scars. A pirate would have more scars, and any other kind of ship’s captain would have plainer clothes. “Business, or personal?” he asked.
“Business,” the woman across from him answered in a deep, sonorous voice. “A friend recommended I come here, because I’m worried if I call my fleet back from Hertland they’ll be lost to the storms. Can you tell me whether to wait or to call them back?”
Janus was surprised. If she was, herself, a sailor, she should know that there was a fleet of pirates going up the coast of Hertland, probably toward her ships. He hummed and made his usual show of looking into his crystal ball. His brow furrowed. Then he looked up suddenly. “If you don’t call them back now, they will be taken by pirates. Do they have a mirror you can use to speak to them?” 
Ms. Fortuna nodded quickly. “I must go tell them. Thank you so much, Janus.” She reached into her satchel and pulled out a bag about the size of a cantaloupe. When she set it down onto the table, the action was accompanied by the sound of clinking coins. “You’ve done me an invaluable service.”
“Of course, Ms. Fortuna. I wish you good fortune,” he said, smiling at her. 
As soon as the front door closed behind her, his smile grew into a grin and he chuckled. He snatched up the bag she’d left him in one hand, his cane in the other, and made his way back to his bedroom.
The room was small, with a comfortable bed, a bookshelf, a wardrobe, and a locked chest all crammed into what little space there was. He went to the chest and knelt to unlock it with the key on a leather strap around his neck. He carefully set his cane on the ground next to him. He grabbed his coin purse, emptied a bit of the bag of coins into it, then locked the bag in the chest. The coin purse got attached to his belt. He left his shop-and-home, locking the door behind himself.
-
“To suckers!” Remus exclaimed, raising his glass. It was the third of the night, half empty, and Remus’s cheeks were red.
Janus laughed and tapped his glass, still his first, against Remus’s. “To suckers,” he responded, though his smile was fading a bit. 
Remus raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong, sourface?”
Janus shook his head. “It’s nothing. Everything’s perfect.”
“Liar,” Remus accused, pointing at Janus. “Something’s bothering you.”
Janus huffed. “I didn’t lie. Everything is perfect, and that’s what’s bothering me.”
Remus tilted his head, considering that statement for a moment. “What, are you bored?”
“Yes, Remus,” Janus said, voice full of frustration. “Everything’s too easy. It’s both unsettling and incredibly boring.”
“Excuse me,” said someone behind them. 
Janus jumped, and they both turned in their seats. The person standing behind them was mostly obscured by a deep midnight blue hooded cloak. 
“I couldn’t help but overhear that you’re bored. What do you do for work?” the person asked.
Janus narrowed his eyes suspiciously, but nonetheless answered, “I’m a fortune teller.”
The person sounded like they were grinning, but it was hard to see in the shadows obscuring their face, as they said, “I think I can give you a challenge.” They pulled a hand mirror from their cloak, revealing that their skin was extremely pale. After placing the hand mirror, set against a simple bronze back with a handle, on the bar, leaning between Janus and Remus, they turned on their heel, then they were gone.
“Well, that was weird and creepy,” Remus said, turning back to Janus.
Janus was staring at the mirror. “Yeah.” He shook his head and looked up at Remus. “Well, nothing left to do but keep drinking,” he said with a smile.
-
Janus awoke with a groan. His head was pounding. He dragged himself from his bed, still wearing his clothes from the night from before. He needed to splash water on his face before anything else. At least he’d gone to the well twice the day before. As he padded towards his basin, leaning more heavily on his cane in the sleepiness of the morning, he suddenly froze. 
He stood in the street outside his shop, looking up at the palace. It was on fire, burning bright and hot. People were screaming and crying. There was a sound, the loudest cracking that Janus had ever heard, then the tallest tower of the palace began to fall, right towards Janus. He covered his head.
He was back in his room, the brightness and heat gone. He breathed heavily, looking around in confusion. His hands shook. He looked back toward the bed. There on the blanket lay the mirror, in all its plainness. He’d been looking into it before he fell asleep, noting the odd feeling it gave him. Like a sense of impending doom. 
With nothing else to do, he dismissed what he’d seen, felt, and heard as a waking dream and continued his morning routine. 
His hands shook for hours. 
2: The Duke's Sons
Janus didn’t know why he’d agreed to go to the palace. He hadn’t been back since everything changed. But Remus had requested he accompany them. When the group stopped at his shop, he greeted Duke Erex politely, then Roman Erex, this time his voice dripping with sarcasm. Roman glared at him. He made his way to the back of the group to stand next to Remus and Patton.
“Hi, Jan!” Patton greeted him excitedly. 
Janus couldn’t help but smile back at Patton. Patton could almost always improve his mood. “Hello, Patton. Remus, how are you?” 
Remus glared at him in a way that was quite reminiscent of his brother. “It’s not fair, you always recover from drinking quicker than me,” he grumbled.
Patton cupped a hand around his mouth and stage-whispered, “He’s been grumpy all morning.” 
Janus grinned. “Well, that can only be expected from someone who’s hungover as fuck.”
“Fuck you,” Remus grumbled.
By the time they were near to the palace, Remus was feeling much better. The fresh air had revitalized him. Still he was complaining, just more energetically. “I hate going to the palace,” he groaned. “It’s so stuffy.” 
“Can you shut up?” Roman hissed from just in front of them.
“Can you?” Janus shot back.
Roman shot him a glare. “At least I’m not going to the palace in commoner’s clothing,” he sniffed.
Janus grit his teeth. “At least I’m not a stuck-up bitch,” he replied. 
Roman whirled around, stopping Janus, Patton, and Remus in their tracks.
“Guys, pl-” Patton tried.
“No, you’re not. But you know what you are, Janus?” Roman asked. 
“What?” Janus challenged.
“Dumbasses!” Remus exclaimed, trying to pull their attention to him.
“You’re a fraud. You pretend to be so confident, but you know that, deep down, you’re just faking it. You pretend all the time,” Roman accused. He turned and began to jog to catch up with his father and the bodyguard.
Janus stood, frozen, mouth slightly open.
“Jan…?” Patton asked gently. 
Janus snapped from his stupor, set his jaw, and squared his shoulders. “Let’s go.” He began to walk quickly, trying to catch up. His short legs did not help. Patton was in the same boat, but Remus kept up with the two of them effortlessly. Damn his height and long legs.
Still, they did catch up, right as the group arrived at the palace gates. Janus glared angrily at the back of Roman’s head, imagining that his eyes were burning holes into him. Roman ignored him. 
The palace corridors were cold, and they echoed. Janus had always disliked that. It drew attention to him when the sound of his cane against the floor was amplified so loudly.
Patton grabbed Remus’s hand, then held his other hand out to Janus. Janus took it gratefully. His heart flooded with gratitude for his friends. He genuinely didn’t know what he’d do without them. 
They had to let go of each other, though, when they reached the parlor where they were to meet Prince Eschive. Janus had always disliked Eschive. He reminded him of a weasel. A servant, tall and graceful, with spectacles perched upon his round nose, opened the door for them, and Duke Erex led the way into the room.
The duke and his sons, as well as Patton, sat down in the chairs provided for them when the servant gestured to them. Janus stood against the wall behind Remus and Patton, and the bodyguard stood against the wall on the other side of the door. The servant glanced at Janus’s cane and gave him an apologetic look, presumably for not having a chair for him. Janus shrugged one shoulder and smiled at him.
The tall servant poured them all tea, including Janus and the bodyguard, and even offered them all sugar. Janus always took his tea black, unless it was herbal, then he would add honey.
They waited for a few minutes, sipping their tea before Eschive finally entered the room. The duke, his sons, and Patton stood to greet him, bowing and then shaking hands with him. The prince seemed to revel in the attention and respect. 
“I apologize for my lateness,” Eschive said. “I was caught up in another matter.”
Janus noticed the tall servant making a concerned… or worried face at that.
“Of course, Your Highness, we do not mind,” said Duke Erex. He turned and gestured to Patton. “I do not believe you have met my son Remus’s husband, Patton.” His expression dripped with disdain, and Janus’s blood boiled. He saw Remus clench his teeth.
“I have not,” said Eschive. 
“A pleasure,” said Patton.
“The pleasure is mine,” said Eschive with a crooked smile. A shiver went down Janus’s spine, and Patton looked like he felt much the same.
They all sat, Eschive across from the duke, and began to discuss as the servant poured Eschive some tea as well.
“Tell me, Achille, the state of your land. How is the crop this year?” Eschive asked.
The duke nodded and began his spiel on how well the crop was coming in, and how the cows were producing well, and the weavers were working hard on the wool he’d imported from Hertland. 
Roman interjected occasionally, as he had been put in charge of managing the numbers for the sales of their textiles.
Remus, for once, sat silently.
There was a knock at the door. Eschive looked up, then motioned for the tall servant to open the door. Outside the door stood a beautiful woman and a servant. The woman was of average height, with pale skin and a perfect figure. Her curly hair, which went down to her waist and had two braids in the front tied together at the back of her head, was a striking fiery red. The servant was short and skinny, with perfect, swooping dark hair, and tinted glasses covering his eyes.
Eschive grinned, his eyes almost glazed over. “Duchess Draco! Come, join us.” He stood, so Duke Erex, his sons, and Patton stood as well. The duchess walked over to Eschive, and Eschive took her hand, then leaned down to kiss it. He let go in a way that seemed almost reluctant, then turned to Duke Erex. “Achille, this is Duchess Adalinda Draco. She is visiting from the province of Noerel.” He turned to the duchess. “Adalinda, this is Duke Achille Erex and his sons, Roman and Remus.” He gestured to each man as he spoke. The short servant slipped out.
The duke also took Adalinda’s hand and kissed it. “Wonderful to meet you, Your Grace.”
“Likewise, Your Grace,” said Adalinda. She turned, and her eyes caught Janus’s.
Janus dropped his cup, freezing up. It shattered. On her head were curling black horns. Behind her back, blood-red wings and a matching tail.
He was in the street outside his shop again. The heat and light were so intense. Smoke burned his lungs. A shadow fell over him, and he looked up. A dragon flew overhead, towards the palace, and began to breathe fire to add to the flames. Again, the tower cracked and began to fall toward him. 
Then he was back, the cool air of the palace washing over his skin. He leaned heavily on his cane, his legs feeling weak. Patton and Remus hovered by him worriedly, and the servant was knelt by his feet to clean up the glass. Thankfully, the teacup had been empty. “I’m sorry,” he choked out. 
Adalinda was looking at him with concern. Roman was looking at him with disdain.
“Let’s go outside,” Patton murmured. “Excuse us, Your Highness,” he said louder. 
“Of course,” said Eschive, waving them away.
Patton escorted Janus out of the room, Remus following behind them. 
“What happened?” Remus asked worriedly. 
“I… just felt faint,” Janus answered. “I’m fine now, really.”
Patton didn’t look convinced, nor did Remus, but he knew Janus well enough to take that as a cue to drop it. 
“I have to go back inside,” Remus said. “Are either of you coming?” Janus shook his head. He couldn’t go back in there with that woman. 
“I’ll stay with Janus,” Patton said. 
“No,” said Janus, shaking his head, “Go keep Remus out of trouble. I just need to gather myself.” 
Patton frowned, “But-”
“Go on, keep your husband from saying something regrettable,” Janus repeated.
“Hey!” Remus exclaimed.
“Oh, I’m right and you know it,” Janus replied. “Now go.”
Reluctantly, Remus and Patton went back into the parlor.
Janus sighed and leaned against the wall, closing his eyes. He had a headache.
“Pssst,” he heard. “C’mere.”
Janus opened his eyes, looking around in confusion. There, across the hall from him, there was the shorter servant, peeking out from behind a plain wooden door. He raised an eyebrow. The man motioned for him to come closer. He hesitated for only a few moments before carefully standing upright. The cane, like always, echoed. 
The servant opened the door for Janus to come in. Inside were both the taller servant and the shorter servant. When he was in, the shorter servant closed the door behind him. He looked around. They were in a little kitchenette that was probably primarily for preparing tea if Janus had to guess.
“So…” Janus said. “What did you want, exactly?”
The taller servant cleared his throat. “My name is Logan. I think we have some things to talk about regarding Duchess Draco.”
“Oh?” Janus asked, carefully keeping the nerves from his voice.
“I’m Remy, by the way,” interjected the shorter servant.
“Janus,” replied Janus politely.
Logan cleared his throat. “How about I recount to you what I’ve seen, then you can return the favor?”
“That sounds agreeable,” Janus answered, eyes sparkling with interest. “You've noticed something odd about her, then.”
Remy gave a small laugh. “You could call it odd, I guess. I’d just call it freaky.”
Logan shot him a glare, then continued, “I’ve definitely noticed something odd. You’ll hear my story, then?”
Janus gestured for him to go ahead.
“I was passing by Duchess Draco’s quarters, and I heard her and Prince Eschive conspiring to… get rid of the king,” Logan said.
Janus’s eyes widened.
“That’s not all,” Remy added.
“Indeed,” Logan agreed. “They kissed, and when they did Duchess Draco’s shadow morphed.”
“She had horns and wings,” Janus guessed.
Logan blinked. “And a tail.”
Janus nodded. “I saw that, too. And more.”
“More?” Logan inquired.
“I had a vision this morning… This sounds insane.”
“You’re the seer whose shop is down the main street, are you not?” Logan asked.
Janus hummed. “I suppose I must confide in you. I… am a fraud. Before this morning, I had never seen the future in my life.”
Remy snorted. Again, Logan glared at him. “That is a very unethical way to make a living.”
Janus took a deep breath. “I’ve done what I needed to do. I have a clear conscience. But that isn’t what this conversation is about. I had a vision this morning. The palace was burning. It felt so real… And…”
“And?” Logan prompted.
“I saw it again, just now. But this time there was a dragon, adding to the flames,” Janus said.
Logan and Remy were silent for a few moments, seeming to communicate with their eye contact. Finally they turned back to Janus.
“The course of action I propose is to keep this to ourselves for now,” Logan said. “Our word against the prince and duchess’s is not worth much.”
Janus nodded in agreement. “We should find more information. I can… speak with some of the mystics and magic shop proprietors. Hopefully one of them will have something useful to say.” He was hesitant. He’d avoided the other professionals in the capital to keep from being exposed as a fraud. This situation called for it, though.
Remy grinned. “We get to spy on the duchess and the prince, then?”
Logan gave a long-suffering sigh. “It’s not spying. It’s gathering information.”
“By watching them,” said Remy. “So, spying?”
Logan groaned.
“Janus?” called Remus’s voice, followed quickly by Patton repeating the call.
“I have to go,” Janus said. “It was nice to meet you both. Stay safe.”
“You as well,” Logan answered.
“Yeah, don’t get yourself killed or anything,” Remy said.
Janus huffed out a small laugh, then went to join his friends.
“Where were you?” asked Patton when Janus emerged from the small room.
Janus gave his most convincing smile. “Just gossiping. The servants always have the most interesting things to say.”
Remus giggled. “You’re always looking for things to use against people, aren’t you?” he said as they followed behind the rest of the group.
Janus gave a scandalized gasp. “I would never! I’m just a harmless busybody.”
Patton laughed a little. “Right. He’s just curious and nosy, Remus,” he said playfully.
“Right. Patton knows I’m telling the truth,” Janus said, barely holding in laughter.
Remus shook his head. “Riiiight. Well, I suppose I just have to believe you, seeing as you’re my best friend.”
“Good,” Janus replied.
About that time, they reached the palace gates. “We’ll see you soon, right, Janus?” Patton asked.
“Of course,” Janus answered. “Feel free to drop by any time.” He smiled. When Patton hugged him, he hugged back. And when Remus punched him in the arm, he punched Remus in the chest. They all laughed.
Patton and Remus followed Duke Erex, and Janus walked back toward his shop with a sinking feeling in his stomach.
-
The wooden training swords clashed in a way that sent the vibrations all the way up Pryce’s arm, making him wince. His opponent saw an opportunity, and she forced him back until his back collided with the stone wall around the training area. She grinned, and he laughed breathlessly.
“Good match, Val,” he said.
“Wish I could say the same,” Valerie teased, then immediately continued, “and I can. Thanks for the pointers, Pryce.”
“Val!” called a voice from the west viewing platform.
“Virgil!” Valerie called back. She gave Pryce a little wave, then jogged off to her brother.
Pryce watched, then his eyes slowly moved to the right of where the prince and princess were now talking, and he saw the very person he always looked forward to seeing at the end of his practice. His face split into a wide grin, and he waved.
Andy waved back. He looked a bit less self-assured than usual, which worried Pryce. He ran to meet him a little quicker than he usually would, scrambling up the ladder to the platform. “There’s my least favorite sarcastic asshole,” he greeted jokingly.
Andy gave a half-hearted smile and pulled a cookie from the basket he carried. He held it out, and when Pryce reached for it, he snatched it away. “I need help,” he said, the smile falling away. He looked as if he might cry.
Pryce stepped closer and guided him over to a more secluded corner, his blood running cold. He didn’t think he’d ever seen Andy so upset. Annoyed, sure. Grumpy, sure. But never anything like this. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
Andy took a deep breath, and it came back out much shakier. He closed his eyes tightly for a moment. He wouldn’t make eye contact when he opened them again. “My father still hasn’t come back,” he said, voice breaking slightly.
“He left three weeks ago, didn’t he?” Pryce asked, his heart breaking at the expression on Andy’s face as he nodded. “I’ll go look for him then, okay? It’ll be okay,” he assured him.
Andy sniffled softly. “By yourself?” He sounded terrified. Pryce had never seen him so vulnerable.
Pryce gave him a reassuring smile. “How about I take Thomas? Sound good?”
Andy nodded again. “Thanks,” he mumbled.
“Hey, it’s going to be alright,” he said, opening his arms.
Andy surged forward and buried his face in Pryce’s chest, dropping his basket to the floor. Pryce rubbed his back as he cried silently. Over and over again, he reassured him that it was alright. He wished he knew that were true.
3: The Prince
Virgil’s arms were folded in front of him. “You didn’t show up to our history lessons today,” he accused.
“Ugh, I forgot it was Monday,” Valerie groaned. “I’m so sorry, did you cover for me?”
Virgil rolled his eyes. “Of course I did, I’m the best brother ever, remember?”
Valerie nodded, smiling. “Ah, yes, how could I forget?”
“That’s right,” Virgil sniffed. “And I deserve compensation.”
She shook her head fondly. “What do you want, Virge?”
Virgil pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket. “Give this to Logan for me?”
Valerie sighed. “When are you going to tell him you’re his secret admirer.”
“Never. Ever. That would be the most embarrassing and mortifying thing ever. Why would I do that?” Virgil asked, his face starting to turn red.
Valerie patted her little brother’s head. “Because if you don’t, you never get to find out if he feels the same, you never get to properly court him, you never get to marry him… I could go on.”
Virgil glared at her. “How dare you make sense at me?”
She finally took the note and placed it in her own pocket. “I need to go get changed into my dress for dinner. I’ll give it to him as soon as I see him.”
Virgil smiled, just a little. “Thanks, Val.”
“Well, I wouldn’t be a very good sister if I didn’t enable you in your quest to never talk to your crush about how you feel,” Valerie snarked, starting to walk back toward the armory.
“A lot of sass for someone who’s gonna need me to cover for her again in the future,” Virgil responded.
Valerie waved him off and walked away quickly.
Virgil shook his head fondly and headed back for the palace. He slipped in the door at the east end of the palace, near the kitchen. The halls were empty, which he was glad for, given he was technically supposed to be in his room studying.
He turned a corner, and there was Logan, arms crossed and eyebrows raised. “What are you doing, Your Highness?” His intonation did not make it sound like a question.
Virgil felt very small with Logan towering over him. “I went to see Valerie.” His intonation made it sound like a question.
“Right. It’s not as if you need to practice your spells, is it?” Again, it did not sound like a question.
“I, um… I’m on my way back to my room now.” Again, it sounded like a question.
“Hm. I suppose that’s acceptable.” Logan cracked a small smile.
Virgil took a deep breath. “I thought you were mad at me.”
“I’m not mad at you, Virgil,” Logan assured him. “I’d prefer that you stick to your schedule, but I’m not angry.”
Virgil smiled a little, relieved.
“I’ll accompany you back to your room. I have some work to do nearby.”
“Okay. Sounds good,” Virgil said, as casually as he could manage.
“Good,” Logan answered.
“Good.”
-
The next day, Remus and Patton joined Janus in his garden.
“That one looks like a duck,” Patton said, pointing up at a cloud.
Remus nodded. “A duck who’s up to something,” he added.
“Noooo!” Patton whined. “He’s a nice duck. Very polite. He’s doing some cooking, see?” he said, pointing again.
Janus pointed at Remus. “That one looks like a husband who’s sleeping on the couch tonight,” he joked.
“Only if that’s where we fall asleep after-”
“Remus!” Patton exclaimed, his face cherry-red.
Remus chuckled, reaching up from where he rested with his head on Patton’s lap and booping Patton on the nose, even as Janus made a disgusted face.
“Remus, Father wants you,” Roman’s voice interrupted.
Remus groaned, lifting his head up from Patton’s lap. “What does he need?”
“How should I know?” Roman asked.
Remus rolled his eyes and began to stand up. He licked Patton on the cheek as he did, causing him to break out in giggles and wipe at his cheek with his sleeve. “I’ll see you soon, Darling,” Remus said, getting to his feet fully. “Bye, Jan-ass.”
“Bye, dickhead,” Janus responded as Remus opened the gate of Janus’s back garden to leave.
Roman was about to follow him when Patton called out, “Roman, are you busy?”
Janus shot Patton a glare.
“No, I suppose not,” Roman said, pausing by the gate. “Why?”
“Come join us!” said Patton. “We’re cloud-watching.”
“Oh. Fun,” Roman said, sounding slightly conflicted. His gaze wandered over to Janus, and they both narrowed their eyes.
Janus gave in first, letting out a frustrated sigh. He poured Roman some watered wine into the extra cup he’d brought out with him (Remus had a habit of managing to break the wooden cups, but he always bought a new one when he did, so Janus didn’t mind much). He held out the cup, a peace offering of sorts.
Roman opened the gate and stepped into the garden. His red coat looked out of place in the green of the small fenced-in area.
Patton grinned. “Yay!”
Roman reached for the cup. As his hand closed around it, his fingers brushed Janus’s. Janus found himself dropping yet another cup as he sprung upright. He stood in a grand ballroom, smoke and screams filling the air. Roman stood a few feet away, and, past him, a great shadow in the shape of a dragon with glowing red eyes. It began to move toward Roman, and Janus cried out.
Janus was back in the garden again, breathing heavily. Roman was in front of him, their faces just inches apart. Wine dripped down Janus’s shins, staining his dark pants even darker. “Watch it!” he hissed, unable to think of what else to say or do.
Roman’s stunned expression turned offended. “You’re the one who dropped it!” They were even closer now.
Patton snickered, and Roman and Janus jumped apart like they’d been burned.
“I have to go,” Janus said quickly.
“Janus!” Patton called, but Janus was already out the gate and rushing toward the palace.
-
Logan set the tray down on the table more loudly than he usually did things, especially in the library. As a result, Virgil jumped.
“Holy shit, Logan! Don’t do that to me!” Virgil exclaimed.
Logan gave him a disapproving look. “You are going to get in trouble with your father one of these days using that sort of language.” He began to take items off the tray and set them near the tomes that Virgil had laid out on the table. “Time for lunch. Take a break.”
Virgil looked at the food, then back to his books again, then rubbed his hand over his face. “Fine. Thanks, Logan.”
“Of course, Your Highness.”
Virgil opened his mouth to say something, but then the door burst open and footsteps, along with the tapping of a cane, hurried toward them.
“Logan? I need to talk to-“ Janus stopped as he rounded one of the shelves and spotted Virgil. He bowed quickly, wincing at the spasm in his back. He hoped they couldn’t see his expression. “I apologize, Your Highness.”
Virgil huffed. “No need for that. Please.” He paused as Janus righted himself. “Hey, aren’t you—“
“Janus,” Janus interrupted quickly. He realized his mistake quickly, but he decided to double down, clenching his jaw. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “It’s Janus now.”
“Oh!” Virgil said. “Cool.”
“You needed to talk to me, Janus?” Logan asked.
“Yes. It’s urgent.”
Logan looked to Virgil, and Virgil waved him off. He and Janus began to leave, and as they were rounding the shelf, Logan looked back to see that Virgil had gone back to his books, the food untouched. He sighed softly but continued on his way.
He led Janus to an empty sitting room, then closed and locked the door behind him. He turned back to Janus, who had begun to pace nervously. “What do you have?”
Janus bit his lip. “I had another vision.”
Logan stepped closer. “That sounds ominous.”
“Yeah, it’s…” Janus sighed. “You remember Roman Erex, yes?”
Logan wrinkled his nose slightly. “Yes. Yes I do.”
“Well, his brother and brother-in-law are my friends, and we were spending time together in my garden when Roman came to tell Remus to go see their father. Then Patton said that Roman should join us, and I didn’t want him to, but Patton was giving me those puppy-dog eyes, and… I went to hand him a drink, and when our hands touched, I saw… him, fighting a dragon in a grand ballroom. Maybe the one in this palace.” As Janus finished, he felt the tension drain out of him, leaving only exhaustion in its wake.
Logan looked off into space, considering it for a while. “There seems to be no other reasonable conclusion. Roman is the one who must save the kingdom.”
Janus winced again. “That’s exactly what I didn’t want you to say.”
“Well, on my end, I’ve seen Eschive and Adalinda entering and exiting the same rooms furtively around the same time. They are certainly in it together. But, Eschive… He’s different around her,” Logan said.
“I noticed that yesterday,” Janus confirmed.
“What are our next steps?”
“You keep an eye on them. I’m going to spend the rest of the day talking to the other mystics. I was putting it off, but it’s becoming more and more urgent,” Janus said. “And you can clue in Remy, too.”
Logan nodded. “Shouldn’t we talk to Roman?”
Janus clenched his jaw and his free hand. “More information first.”
“Got it. Stay safe, Janus.”
“You too,” Janus said with a strained smile. He exited wordlessly, leaving Logan behind with only a sinking feeling.
When Logan returned to the library, it was to find Virgil having actually eaten a little bit. Not as much as Logan would like, but he would take the small victory.
“Why are you studying so hard?” he asked as he approached. “You hate studying.”
“I found something that interests me,” Virgil replied, leaning away from his books and stretching with a wince. “Healing magic is actually really interesting. Kinda complicated, though.”
“Good. But I would encourage you not to neglect your physical wellbeing, Your Highness,” Logan chided.
Virgil rolled his eyes and took another bite of his food to placate him. “You don’t have to call me that,” Virgil protested with his mouth full. “In fact, I’d prefer if you didn’t.”
Logan stiffened slightly. “I’d prefer to follow the rules, Prince Virgil.”
Huffing, Virgil took another bite, but this time swallowed before speaking again. “So, what’s going on with Janus?”
Logan looked unsure of what to say. “Just some palace business he is helping with.”
Logan, Virgil thought for the millionth time, was a horrible liar. “Right,” he said skeptically.
“If you’ll excuse me, Your Highness, I have some chores to take care of,” Logan said, looking uncomfortable.
“Of course,” Virgil answered defeatedly.
“Will you finish your food?” Logan asked.
Virgil softened. “Yeah. Yeah, I’ll eat. You’re good at taking care of me.”
Logan allowed himself a small smile at the praise. “It is my job.”
He turned and left, and Virgil wished he would stay.
4: The Mystic
“ Mirror’s Shop of Curiosities ,” the sign hanging from a post above the door read. Underneath the words was painted a crystal ball with an eye inside. The building was sort of squat, the walls bowed outward, but somehow not suggesting a lack of structural integrity. In fact, the building itself seemed to exude comfort and safety. The walls were a ruddy brown color, the windows dirty with shutters that were likely once a deep blue but now a cracked and faded cerulean. The door was the most well-taken-care-of part of the exterior. It was a deep brown, almost black, leaving passers-by wondering what kind of wood it was.
Janus steeled himself, took a deep breath, and knocked twice before entering. A bell rang above him as he walked in. At first glance, the shopfront was emptier than expected. Scattered potion bottles and dried herbs sat on shelves, along with jars of things that looked suspiciously like pieces of once-living animals. A layer of dust coated almost every surface except for the products themselves, the counter, and the table and crystal ball toward the back of the shop. The table looked a lot like Janus’s own setup back at home.
“Hello?” Janus called.
A head, mostly a mop of gray hair and the lower part of a face (which looked awfully young compared to that color of hair), popped up from behind the counter. “Hello!” the person said in a smooth voice that somehow seemed discordant with their appearance. It was a familiar voice, though Janus wasn’t sure where he had heard it before. “Oh! You’re Janus, right?”
Janus winced. He had hoped not to be recognized at any of these places. “And you must be Mirror?”
“Correct!” Mirror replied, standing up to their full height. They were a little taller than Janus, pale and wearing rather simple clothing. “What can I do for you?”
“I, um… I’ve had a vision that I would like to get a second opinion on,” Janus answered.
“Well, I’d be happy to provide one!” Mirror said. “Go ahead.”
Janus took a deep breath. “I saw… the palace. On fire.”
Mirror’s mouth fell halfway open for a moment, but they regained their composure fairly quickly. They shook their head. “We should discuss this in private.” They hurried around from behind the counter to lock the shop door. Janus noticed that they were barefoot. They rushed back around the counter and gestured for Janus to follow.
Janus walked into the back room and sat when Mirror gestured to a chair. He watched as Mirror began to light candles and close curtains. The back room was full of drying herbs, empty jars and bottles, and potion-making apparatuses. It smelled strongly of rosemary and thyme.
When Mirror was done rushing around, they sat in the only other chair, which faced Janus, and looked at him intently. “Tell me everything.”
As Janus recounted his visions, Mirror looked more and more troubled. When Janus was finished, Mirror began to mumble to themselves, rubbing their temples (which allowed Janus a glimpse of one of their eyes, which was the color of their hair with no pupils or whites. Very unsettling.) and occasionally chewing on their bottom lip.
Mirror finally turned back to him, their eyes hidden by their hair again. “This is very disturbing.”
Janus huffed out a nervous laugh. “Tell me something I don’t know.”
Mirror chewed on their lip again for a few moments. “The first two visions seem to be somewhat metaphorical. Disaster at the palace, something to do with a draconic creature.”
Janus nodded. “Okay. But the third?”
“Literal. Roman Erex will have to face off with the Dragon Witch,” Mirror said gravely.
“The Dragon Witch?”
“She seems to have taken on the name Adalinda Draco. The fact that she has already infiltrated the palace is very worrying…” Mirror mused.
“Okay, but who is she? What do you know about her?” Janus asked.
“Not much, I’m afraid. I know only that she has a reputation for destruction, and that they say she can influence people,” Mirror informed him. “You should keep asking around to find out more. I fear that Roman may be our only hope, and that he needs your help.”
“ My help?” Janus asked incredulously.
“Yes,” Mirror answered. “You’re the one who had the vision for a reason.” They paused, then stood and began to rummage around in the deep drawers of their workbench. They pulled out a rectangle-shaped parcel triumphantly, then turned to hand it to Janus. “Keep track of all of your visions, gut feelings, and even just notable thoughts in here. It will help.”
Janus raised an eyebrow. “How will journaling help?”
Mirror smirked. “It’s the journal more than the journaling. It’ll help you piece things together, trust me.”
“Right,” Janus said, pushing himself up. “Well, thank you.”
He was almost out the door when Mirror called, “Remember to keep your mirror nearby!”
Janus turned quickly to ask Mirror what they meant, but there was no sign of them. His stomach roiling with dread, Janus left the shop.
-
Janus knocked at the door hesitantly. He hated coming to visit Remus. Not because of Remus or Patton, but most of the others in the house. Roman and the duke shared a strong distaste for him, though for different reasons, as did most of the servants. Duchess Erex, though, was different. Carine Erex was really the only positive maternal figure Janus had ever had. And he was relieved beyond belief that she was the one to open the door.
“Hello, Your Grace,” Janus greeted with a smile.
Carine scoffed. “I’ve told you many times, dear one, you may call me Carine.” Her hair was up in a practical bun, and she wore a riding outfit. She must have been about to go out. He wondered how Duke Erex felt about her wearing pants instead of a skirt.
Janus grinned. “Your husband might murder me if I tried.”
Carine’s expression turned sour. “Yes, I suppose so.” She shook her head and smiled again. “Are you here to see Remus?”
“And Patton, if they’re both home,” Janus responded.
“I believe they’re in the greenhouse. Patton wanted to do some gardening today,” Carine said. “Go ahead, dear. And tell anyone I invited you in if they ask.”
Janus let out a small sigh of relief. “Thank you, Carine,” he said.
She winked. “Don’t mention it.”
They traded places, Janus going into the house as she went out, and she closed the door between them. The greenhouse, which was attached to the house, was not far from the front door, thankfully. Janus arrived there without seeing another person.
Patton was wearing his gardening outfit, the too-big shirt and patched pants reminding Janus of a child gardening with their mother. The whole ensemble was muddy, from wide-brimmed hat to gigantic boots.
Remus lounged nearby, sideways and upside down on a fainting couch with his torso and head hanging off. Janus wondered if the blood was rushing to his head. His tie, jacket, and waistcoat were discarded and his shirt unbuttoned. He held a book in front of his face, probably another horror novel.
Janus cleared his throat, and two sets of eyes turned to him before Patton let out an ear-piercing squeal.
“Janus!” he cried. “There you are! We were worried!”
Janus grimaced. “Yeah. Something came up.” He looked down at his wine-stained pants and realized he’d been in the presence of the prince like this. He wanted to hit himself. Then his eyes fell on Remus again. Remus’s expression was tired, angry, and sorrowful. He looked absolutely miserable.
Janus walked over and perched himself on the arm of the couch. “Do you want to talk about it?” he asked softly.
Remus shook his head. “Not right now.”
Janus gave a half-smile. “Okay. Then we’ll talk about something else.”
Patton brushed himself off as well as he could with muddy gloves on, then took the gloves off. “What do you want to talk about, Janus?” he asked softly.
Janus took a deep breath. “I have something fairly serious I wish to discuss, actually. I need you both to listen with an open mind.”
Remus quickly swung himself upright, his impeccable balance unnerving as always. “What’s up, Janny?” His eyes still looked sad despite the rest of his face having taken on an expression of curiosity.
Janus looked away. “I had a vision. A few, actually.”
Silence fell over them for a few moments. Patton was the first to break it. “I thought you didn’t really have those.” He sounded scared, his voice small.
“Yeah,” Janus said. “It’s a new development.”
“Okay…” Remus began. “What kind of visions?”
Janus took a deep breath and recounted not only his visions but everything he’d learned at the palace and Mirror’s Shop of Curiosities. He didn’t look at them until he was finished. When he finally did look, Remus looked… Dismayed? Angry? Shocked? No, certainly not, because now he just looked worried, like Patton.
“Well,” said Patton. He didn’t seem to know what to say after that. He was trying to look brave, Janus noted. He didn’t want Patton to be afraid of him.
Remus apparently did know what to say. “This is bullshit. But! I think I speak for both of us when I say that we’ll do whatever we can to help.”
Patton nodded quickly. “Tell us what you need, Kiddo. I could talk to Roman for you…”
Janus shook his head. “First of all, I am two months younger than you.”
“Baby,” Patton said, nodding decisively.
Janus scowled. “Secondly, I’m going to keep Roman in the dark as long as possible. I don’t think he’ll believe me without more information.”
“We can do that, then,” Remus offered. “I’m good at that.”
“You are,” Janus agreed. “I think that would actually be pretty helpful.”
“You should go check in with Lo again,” Patton suggested. “He needs to know what you learned from Mirror.”
Janus nodded. “That’s good, yes, I can do that.”
Patton tilted his head. “Take a breath, Kiddo.”
“ Two. Months ,” Janus hissed before following Patton’s instructions.
“You got this,” Patton encouraged. “How’s your leg?”
Janus frowned. “Fine. I can rest later, I know that’s what you were going to say.”
Patton frowned back. “You’d better rest later, Mister.”
“Two months,” Janus repeated. “And you’re not my fa-” He paused. “I’m going to go to the palace. Thank you for your help.” He walked out as quickly as he could, trying to get his heart rate under control.
5: The Worshipper
Janus crouched at the top of the stairs, listening. Listening to his parents argue. About him. His mother was of the opinion that they could, “make [him] better,” while his father just wanted to, “get rid of [him].” Janus didn’t want to know what that meant.
He was about to go to his room and get ready to leave, for good, when his father called that name. The name that wasn’t his. It didn’t belong to him. Nonetheless, he was expected to respond to it.
He straightened, brushed his jacket off, smoothed his short hair down, and began to walk down the stairs. “Father, that isn’t my name,” he said stubbornly.
His father’s face was turning purple. “Yes, it is,” he ground out. He pulled a chair up next to the fire—far too close—and said, “Sit.”
Janus did.
His father was pacing as his mother knelt in front of him. His mother pleaded, “We know this isn’t you. Tell me what’s wrong, what has happened. How do we make you want to be our little girl again?”
Janus frowned. “I’ve told you, Mother,” he said softly, “you can’t. I’m not your little girl.”
“Ridiculous!” his father roared. “You stubborn little brat! Just tell us what you want so this can go back to normal!”
“This is normal! This is who I am!” Janus yelled back.
Janus’s father pushed his mother out of the way and grabbed Janus by his collar, pulling him up.
The rest was a blur. Janus remembered being beaten and thrown around, but only vaguely. What was vivid was the left side of his face being pressed to the grate in front of the fire, then slammed against it again and again. He could never forget the feeling of his flesh searing against hot metal.
That was the day Janus was estranged from the Marquis and Marquess de Allerie.
-
The streets were crowded. It slowed Janus’s progress in getting to the palace, but it provided the noise he needed to overrule his racing thoughts. It only left room for one thing. He had to get to the palace and talk to Logan and Remy.
He was lucky in that walking around the streets with a cane meant the people that noticed tried not to bump into him. Unfortunately, someone didn’t notice him.
Janus nearly went tumbling to the ground, barely managing to steady himself. The person who ran into him, though, did fall to the ground. Janus went to help him up. He recognized him vaguely, someone he saw frequently in visiting the palace when he was younger. The baker’s son, he realized. Avery? Alfred? Allen? Something like that.
The man pushed Janus’s hand away and stood on his own. As their hands touched, Janus froze.
He stood in the forest. The air was cool and crisp and smelled like iron, and there was only the moonlight to illuminate the gruesome sight before him. The palace baker lay prone in the dirt, his horse lying nearby and his cart overturned. A pool of dark liquid spread around him, wetting the dirt.
“Are you okay?” asked the baker’s son, and Janus returned abruptly to the busy street.
“Yeah, I’m fine, bu-” Janus began.
“Good,” said the man, and he rushed away before Janus could ask or tell him anything.
Janus swallowed heavily, watching after him. He could still taste the iron smell. Then he turned and continued on his way to the palace.
-
Thomas felt the damp seeping through the seat of his pants as he sat on the log, but he didn’t particularly care. It was cold, sure, but he was more focused on his conversation.
“I dunno, Emi, it’s like he just wants to play with me. Like it’s some kind of game,” he said.
The child sitting in front of him was drawing lines in the dirt, but he looked up to answer. “Maybe that’s his way of showing he likes you. Like when Kyle used to push you over.”
Thomas winced at the memory. “Yeah. Maybe.” He didn’t sound convinced.
Emile sighed. “I think he likes you, Tommy. He even made you that sketch of you. The one you hung up on your wall.”
Thomas smiled. “I know the one. It’s so pretty.”
Emile nodded decisively. “There you go. He likes you.”
“But what if it’s just as friends?” Thomas asked.
Emile shrugged. “You know I always say you should talk about it instead of overthinking.”
Thomas shook his head fondly. “Maybe you’re right, Emi. As always.”
Emile grinned. “Why, thank you!”
“Thomas!” Pryce’s voice called. It sounded like something rather urgent needed his attention. When Thomas looked back to where Emile had been, he was gone. Thomas sighed and stood before jogging in the direction of Pryce’s voice.
Upon reaching the clearing just off the road, Thomas froze. Andy’s father lay in the dirt, dried blood caking the dirt around him. His throat had been slit, and he was so, so pale. Thomas looked to Pryce who knelt next to a pool of vomit. It looked like he was having trouble breathing.
Thomas went and knelt next to him, in between him and the upsetting scene. “Can I touch you?”
Pryce nodded. Thomas placed a hand on Pryce’s back and rubbed it.
“We’ll do everything we can,” Thomas assured him softly. “We’ll take him back for a proper burial and do whatever Andy needs. I know it’s terrifying, and that it hurts, so badly right now. It hurts more than anything. But it will be okay, eventually.”
Pryce nodded again. “Okay.” He paused. “He was like a father to me.”
“I know,” Thomas said softly. “You go back to camp, and I’ll carry him back there. Ready the horses and put out the fire. Can you do that?”
Pryce nodded yet again. Thomas helped him to stand, then he turned and walked back towards their camp.
Thomas sighed and turned back to the baker. He crouched next to him and offered a small prayer to the Death Goddess, then hefted the body into his arms.
-
Thomas screamed as he fell to his knees in the remnants of his home. The scorched bodies of his fathers were contorted in fear, and he wanted to scrub the sight from his eyes.
His brother lay in a makeshift grave in the forest. Thomas had built it from stones and mud. He hoped it was enough for Emile to rest peacefully.
“ Thomas,” said a small voice.
Thomas looked up. Emile stood over him and offered him a hand, pulling Thomas to his feet when he took it.
“ Emile?” Thomas asked, dumbfounded.
“ Yeah. The Death Goddess and the Magic Goddess took me in. I’m sort of a god now? Or, I will be,” Emile said. “It’s hard to explain.”
“ Oh,” Thomas said softly.
“ You have to get up,” Emile told him. “You have to walk to the nearest town and ask for help. Please, Thomas. You have to live.”
Thomas had never been able to say no to that face.
-
Patton grabbed Remus’s hand as they entered the shop. A bell attached to the door rang out. There was a bored-looking teenager at the counter, leaning their elbows on the counter with their chin in their hands. They had bright red hair that fell over one eye in the front and ended at their neck in the back. Their clothes were largely black and red, very expensive colors to dye fabric in, though the clothes themselves looked fairly plain.
Remus squeezed Patton’s hand. Patton had always been uncomfortable around anything to do with magic.
“Hey there, Kiddo!” he greeted the teenager nonetheless.
They finally looked up, having been unfazed by the bell. “Hi, welcome to Pierre’s Powerful Particulars, home of many useful magical items. How may I help you today?” they droned.
“We want to trade for information,” Remus said. “Are you the proprietor of this shop?”
The teenager huffed out a small breath. “Hell no. I’ll go get Pierre.”
“Thank you very much,” Patton said with a friendly smile. He was sure he looked nervous.
The teenager waved their hand and disappeared into the back of the shop.
Patton cast his eyes around nervously. Remus squeezed his hand again. Patton smiled at him.
A tall man, probably in his late twenties, walked out of the back of the shop. He looked tired. He clearly hadn’t shaved in a while, but not long enough to grow much of a beard. His long blond hair was pulled back into a bun at the nape of his neck. His dark eyes looked glazed over.
Poor guy must be really tired , Patton thought.
“Pierre, at your service,” the man said.
“We need some information,” Remus said. “We are prepared to pay handsomely.”
The man smiled. Something about it unsettled Patton. “Well, I hope I can provide what you need.”
“What do you know about the Dragon Witch?” Remus asked. Patton decided he also didn’t like that Remus had gone into all-business mode.
“Oh,” Pierre said, “I can tell you about her.”
6: The Nanny
By the time Janus got back to the palace, he was in a very sour mood. From the crowds, the exchange with Patton that almost ended in him saying something regrettable, the vision from Andy, and the pain in his back and leg. Nonetheless, he continued to walk, making his way into the palace and beginning the search for Logan.
It didn’t take long to find him, returning some clean blankets to one of the linen closets.
Janus cleared his throat. “We need to talk,” he said when Logan turned his head to look at him.
“Come in,” Logan said.
Janus walked into the linen closet and closed the door behind him. It wasn’t as cramped as it seemed when looking into it from outside. He took a deep breath. “I have troubling news. I’ve talked with the proprietor of one of the shops, and it seems we’re dealing with someone called the Dragon Witch, who has taken the name Adalinda Draco and gotten herself a noble title.”
Logan’s eyes widened. “That sounds unpleasant.”
Janus nodded. “Her powers supposedly include mind control. And Roman must defeat her. Apparently my having the vision means I’m supposed to help.”
Logan began to pace in the small space. “What do we do, then?”
“Remus and Patton have been filled in, and they’re looking into that now,” Janus replied.
Logan nodded. “As soon as they find that information, we should take action. Time is certainly of the essence.”
“Definitely. I just have to convince Roman when the information becomes available to us,” Janus said, his tone and expression both defeated and nervous.
“I have to talk to Remy,” Logan said as he opened the closet. “But first, let me walk you to the gate. You look exhausted.” They began to walk together.
Janus grimaced. “I’m that obvious, huh?”
Logan pressed his lips into a tight line and let the silence hang for a moment. Then he said, “There’s nothing wrong with needing to rest. Taking care of yourself is important.”
Janus laughed sharply. “I give that advice all the time. I suppose I haven’t applied it to myself.”
Logan hummed thoughtfully. “Maybe you should give that a try.”
“Thanks, Logan.”
Logan nodded.
As they rounded a corner, they passed Virgil. He gave a little wave. “Hi, Janus. Hi, Lo.”
Virgil rounded the corner, and Logan turned his head slightly, looking wistfully at where Virgil had been.
“You should talk to him,” Janus said after looking around to make sure no one was nearby.
Logan bristled. “I talk to him all the time.”
Janus scoffed. “About feelings, Logan.”
Logan shook his head. “There’s nothing to do about it. He’s… out of my reach.”
Sighing, Janus looked away. “Just a little advice.”
They reached the door to the palace, and they walked down the path to the gate in silence.
“Get home safe,” Logan said.
“I’ll certainly try,” replied Janus.
They both turned and began to walk in opposite directions. The streets were less crowded now, and Janus made it home in far less time than it would have taken earlier. He thought about Logan’s advice to take a rest, and Patton’s demand that he rest. He put out his “Open” sign and went to clean up a little. He’d do some readings and then rest. Putting it off surely wouldn’t hurt… too badly.
-
Janus was in the middle of listening to a customer’s question about their future when he heard a knock on the door. Specifically, Remus’s knock pattern. He paused, then interrupted the customer, “I need to check on this, I’ll be right back.”
When he opened the door, Remus was there, looking worried and somewhat upset. Patton stood slightly behind him with the same expression on his face. “What’s wrong?” Janus asked.
“Um, we have something kind of important to tell you,” Patton said, then began to chew on his lip. He paused for a moment, then wrinkled his brow. “You’re not resting.”
Janus cast a glance over his shoulder. “Can it wait a little? I’m with a customer.”
“I guess,” said Remus. But Janus had never seen him so on-edge.
Sighing, Janus gestured for them to come in. “You guys go to my room, I’ll be right there.”
They both walked past the customer and into the back room.
Janus walked over to the customer. “I’m very sorry, but something has come up. If you’ll come back later, I’ll do your reading for half price.”
They looked a little miffed, but the customer did leave. Janus sighed and went to join Remus and Patton. “What’s wrong?” he asked, concerned.
Patton and Remus looked at each other.
“The Dragon Witch,” said Patton. “She’s a real nasty character.”
“What do you mean?” Janus asked, his heart jumping in his chest.
Remus tried to perk up, but it didn’t quite work. “Well, it’s mostly just rumors, but, supposedly, she started the war in Louria, killed the prince of Hertland, and has razed quite a few villages.”
Janus’s eyes gradually widened. “That’s… not good.”
Patton quickly added, “But we think there’s a way to defeat her. We were told that the source of her power is an enchanted mirror.”
“So we destroy that,” Janus said.
“It’s not that simple,” Remus replied. “The mirror is hidden away in a cave in the Droiler Mountains. She connects with it through other mirrors.”
Janus hissed out a sigh. “Well… Do we know where the cave is exactly?”
Patton nodded and pulled out a map from his messenger bag.
Janus hummed. “That’s about a three days’ walk, six round trip,” he said. “And… Unfortunately, according to my visions, Roman has to come with me. You two can stay here if you like, though.”
Remus and Patton locked eyes again. Patton nodded.
“Fuck that, let’s go on a quest!” Remus said. “Besides, you may need help kidnapping my brother.”
Janus sighed.
-
For the third time that day, Janus walked to the palace, this time with companions. The sun was moving lower and lower in the sky. He was distracted, trying to come up with what to say to Roman. Patton flitted around him worriedly as they walked. He kept asking if Janus was alright, if he needed to stop. He said that they could go tomorrow, that Janus needed rest. Janus just hummed and mumbled basic responses. “I’m fines,” and “It’s okays.”
Janus felt like it took very little time to arrive at the palace. Nonetheless, he brought himself back to the present just as Remus told the guards that they had business with Logan. It was a good excuse to be there so late, and it was true as well. The guards let them in.
Janus let Remus take the lead on asking around about where Logan was. Eventually, they caught up with him. “Logan,” Janus called.
Logan turned to see them, and he quickly bowed his head to Remus. “I assume you have something to talk about?”
Janus nodded. “I’ll let Remus explain… I need to talk to Roman. I walked here to stall,” he admitted.
Patton furrowed his brow. “Janus, your leg…”
Janus set his jaw. “I’m fine , Patton. You three discuss what needs to be done. It’ll help when I drag Roman back here.”
Logan sighed, and Remus gave him a concerned look as well. “I’ll be okay, I promise,” Janus said. He turned abruptly and left before he could be lectured on the importance of taking breaks.
When he finally got back to Duke Erex’s estate, it was dark, and he was limping pretty heavily. One of the servants opened the door. Thankfully, it was Grey, who was sympathetic to Janus. “Young Master Remus isn’t here, Janus,” they said.
“I know,” Janus answered. “I’m here to see Roman.”
Grey raised an eyebrow, but nodded. “He’s in the study. The Duke isn’t there, don’t worry.”
Smiling in relief, Janus stepped inside when Grey gave him space to. “Thank you, Grey.” He walked away quickly, trying to avoid anyone else. Another servant brushed past him in the hall outside the study, knocking into the arm holding his cane and nearly kicking the cane out from under him. Janus nearly fell. He righted himself and took a deep breath before knocking on the study door.
“Come in!” Roman’s voice called. Janus did his best not to hobble as he entered. He closed the door behind him.
Roman looked up, then his eyes widened in surprise. “What are you doing here?”
Janus took another breath. “I have something to talk to you about.”
Roman furrowed his brow, but then gestured for Janus to continue.
Janus told his story in great detail, trying to make sure Roman would believe him. To his surprise, Roman listened quietly.
When Janus was finished, Roman stood from behind the desk, then walked toward Janus. Janus straightened as much as he could, but Roman still towered over him. He swallowed with difficulty.
“You really think I would believe all that? That I’m so gullible I’d just listen to you?” Roman asked.
“Roman, it’s true,” Janus said as earnestly as he could, fighting against the annoyance that wanted to creep into his voice.
Roman grit his teeth. “I can’t believe you! Why do you want to make a fool of me?”
Janus shrank back a little. “I know I wasn’t always nice to you when we were growing up, but this isn’t about you and me! This is more important than us!”
“Why do you always feel the need to antagonize me?!”
“Oh, please! You do the same!”
“You little-”
The door swung open. In swept Galena, Roman and Remus’s nanny, carrying a basket of clean dishes. She took in the scene before her. “Hm. What are you two fighting about now?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.
Roman frowned, almost a pout, like a child who knew they were about to be in trouble. “He’s trying to convince me that I need to go off with him to save the kingdom.”
“It’s true!” Janus insisted. “I saw you fighting the Dragon Witch! I saw it, Roman!”
Roman turned back to him. “You’re really doubling down?”
Galena raised a hand, then pinched her fingers together. “Quiet.” She stepped closer to the two of them, taking in Janus’s expression. “Roman, he’s clearly telling the truth.”
“What?!” Roman asked.
“Look at his eyes,” Galena requested.
Roman peered into Janus’s face, and Janus clenched his free hand into a fist at his side, his knuckles going white as he tried not to flush from having the attention on him. Whatever Roman saw with his deep green eyes seemed to surprise him. He stepped back. “What do we do now?” he asked Janus.
Janus breathed a sigh of relief. “We go to see Remus and Patton at the palace. They’re discussing it with a servant who knows about it. They’ll have an idea of what our next steps should be.”
Roman nodded, surprisingly agreeable. “Great. Let me finish on this last report, then we’ll go.”
7: The Baker
Logan led Patton and Remus toward the scullery, where Remy was supposed to be helping out that day. “So, Patton,” Logan said, “It’s been a while since we got to talk.” His voice felt stilted and awkward.
Patton nodded, giving him a smile, even though he didn’t turn to see it. “Yeah. I’ve missed you and Prince Virgil.”
Remus tilted his head. “You should visit them sometimes, Pat.”
Patton’s smile fell. “I guess, but right now we have serious things to talk about.”
“Indeed,” Logan agreed. He opened the door to the scullery and held up a finger in a gesture for Patton and Remus to stay in the corridor. He returned shortly with Remy at his side.
“Hello,” Patton said with another smile. “I’m Patton, nice to meet you.”
“Remy, at your service,” Remy answered.
Remus waved a hand. “Remus, it’s a pleasure.”
Logan cleared his throat. “Let’s go somewhere less… open.”
Patton’s eyes widened. “Right! Lead the way!”
Remy grabbed Logan’s arm, much to Logan’s apparent annoyance, and began to walk. A short walk later, they found themselves in the servants’ quarters. Remy opened a door and gestured for the rest to go inside, then followed when they did. He checked no one was around and closed the door. “You have information?” he asked when he turned to face them, lowering his tinted glasses slightly, an excited look in his eyes.
“Yes!” Patton said. “It’s… There’s this mirror we have to go destroy to take away the Dragon Witch’s powers, but it’s in a cave in the mountains, and it’s going to be a long journey, and Remus and I are going with Janus and Roman to do that,” he said far too quickly.
Logan and Remy seemed to catch all of it, though. Remy hummed. “Well, I have to go with you guys. I’m not missing this.”
Logan hummed. “I suppose I should stay here, then.”
“I want to go too,” a voice said from the doorway.
They all jumped and turned to face the door, where Prince Virgil stood leaned against the door frame.
There was silence for a few moments, then Logan frowned. “No.”
“No?” Virgil asked, frowning back.
“It’s too dangerous, Your Highness,” Logan answered.
“I’m a grown adult,” Virgil shot back.
“A grown adult who’s never been in any real danger. You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Logan said, sounding slightly agitated.
“And you’re just overprotective! I’m a healer! I can help!” Virgil cried.
“Prince Virgil-”
“Actually,” Remus interrupted, “a healer might be helpful.”
Logan shot him a glare.
“See?” Virgil said. “They want me to come!”
“Kiddo, Lo’s right. It’s really dangerous,” Patton said.
“Virgil,” Logan said, successfully catching Virgil’s attention. “I just want you to be safe.”
Virgil tilted his head. “I will be, Logan.”
Logan sighed softly. “Then I’m coming too. The other servants can fend for themselves for a while.”
Virgil raised an eyebrow and flushed slightly, then a triumphant smile split his face. “Cool.”
“Won’t people look for you?” Patton asked.
“Hm,” Virgil paused for a moment, “I think I have an idea.”
-
“Where are we going?” Patton asked as he, Logan, and Remus followed Virgil down the road. 
Virgil was focusing very hard on not tripping over the boots he’d borrowed from Logan, which were about two sizes too large. “Mh,” he hummed, “you’ll see.” He pulled the hood of his cloak down further. He was clearly trying not to be recognized. Patton wasn’t sure if Logan tagging along would help with that.
They finally slowed outside a bakery. The bakery that served the palace more often than not. Virgil opened the door, and the group made their way inside. 
The baker’s son–Andy, Patton’s brain supplied–popped up from behind the counter, surveying them with a raised eyebrow. “How may I help you?”
Virgil looked around, then lowered his hood. “I need a favor.”
Andy rushed to bow, but Virgil quickly waved for him to straighten up. 
“It’s fine, um…” Virgil cleared his throat. “I have somewhere I need to go, but no one can know I’m gone. You look so much like me…”
“Ooooh, no,” Andy said. “Nope. I can’t. That’s not going to work.”
“Andy, please,” Virgil said. He looked around furtively again. “It’s very important. The Dragon Witch has infiltrated the castle, and I need to go destroy her power at its source. We need your help.”
Andy’s shoulders fell. “The Dragon Witch? I… Who’s going to run the bakery?”
“I think I know a couple people who owe me a favor,” Patton said. “I’m sure I’ll find someone.”
A small sigh escaped Andy’s lips. “You’re sure about this?” 
Virgil nodded. “It’ll be absolutely fine. Just lay low, and I’ll be back before you know it. A week, tops.”
Andy nodded. “Okay. Okay, I’ll do it.”
“Thank you,” Virgil said. “You're doing the kingdom a great service.”
With a sigh, Andy walked around from behind the counter. “I’m glad to help, I guess.”
-
Patton held up a lock of Andy’s hair and carefully took the scissors to it. “You know, Logan, I don’t think anyone would have noticed that Andy’s hair is longer than Virgil’s. It’s not that much longer.”
“Better safe than sorry,” Logan said with the smug tone of someone who had just gotten their way. 
Patton brushed the hair off of Andy’s shoulders. “Look in the mirror and tell me what ya think,” he instructed Andy, who did as told.
Virgil approached to look Andy over. “...Well, this is uncanny.”
Andy turned to look back at Virgil. “Tell me about it.”
“Makeup time!” Remus announced with perhaps a bit too much excitement. 
Andy sighed. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to apply it myself after you leave…”
“We’ll keep it simple,” Virgil promised. “Come on.” 
Andy followed Virgil to the vanity table and sat facing the mirror. “And what do I do if someone notices I’m not you?” he asked. 
“No one will notice,” Logan assured him, “because you will lay low and pretend to be ill. Ask not to be bothered, and no one will bother you.”
Andy took a deep breath, grimacing slightly as Remus and Virgil simultaneously began to apply makeup to his face. 
“Eyes open,” Virgil instructed. “You need to see what we’re doing.”
Patton leaned against the wall, watching as Remus and Virgil lectured Andy on what to do with the makeup, Virgil very seriously and Remus with the occasional off-color remark.
Remy emerged from the walk-in closet with an armful of clothes and began laying them out on the bed.
There was a knock at the door.
“Got it,” Patton said, pushing himself away from the wall.
When he opened the door, there stood Pryce and Thomas. “Oh,” said Pryce, “hello, Patton. Do you happen to know where Andy is? Or Logan, he might know.” 
“Ah, um…” Patton began.
Pryce looked past Patton, and his facial expression fell when he spotted Andy. He raised his eyebrows in confusion. “Why is he here?” He took in more of the scene. “What’s going on?”
“Pryce?” Andy asked. 
Logan and Patton locked eyes. It took less than a second for them to come to an agreement. 
Patton stepped aside for Pryce and Thomas to enter. “Hi, Thomas,” he said
“Hi, Patton,” Thomas answered with a tense smile. 
Logan walked over to them as Patton closed the door. “Andy is doing us a huge favor. Prince Virgil has somewhere he needs to go without anyone knowing he’s leaving.” He looked over at Andy. “I think it’s safe to say you’re nervous? Will having Pryce around to help you ease your mind?”
“Yeah,” Andy said. “That would help.”
Pryce still looked somewhat confused, but he nodded at Andy’s answer. “I’ll help however I can. But…” He shifted his gaze to Andy. “Andy, I need to talk to you for a moment.” 
Virgil and Remus moved away from Andy so that he could get up. 
“What is it?” Andy asked, tone full of trepidation.
Pryce jerked his head toward the closet. “I think it would be best to have this conversation in private.”
Andy looked back at Virgil, and Virgil waved for them to go. He followed Pryce, clenching and unclenching his fist at his side. 
The door closed heavily when Andy pushed it. It left Pryce and him in complete silence. “What is it?” he asked carefully.
“We, ah… Your dad,” Pryce said. “We think he was attacked by bandits. It was far too late by the time we got there.” Pryce’s voice was breaking, but he made it through giving Andy the news. 
Andy shook his head, tears welling in his eyes. “No…”
“Andy, I’m sorry,” Pryce said. “I’m so sorry.”
Andy choked back a sob, placing his hand over his mouth. “No,” he repeated. He was unsuccessful in holding back his next sob. The dam broke, and he couldn’t stop himself from crying out in distress as the sobs overwhelmed him. 
Pryce opened his arms, and Andy dove into them again, clinging to him with all his might. He shook like a leaf as he cried into Pryce’s shoulder. Pryce rubbed his back, muttering empty words that meant nothing to either of them.
8: The Childhood Friends
By the time Janus and Roman arrived, Andy had calmed down a fair bit. Remus was showing him the different makeups and brushes, and Logan was filling in Thomas and Pryce on the situation, as well as clarifying some things for Andy. Remy had just returned from making preparations for his and Logan’s absence, and Patton and Virgil were packing Virgil’s things.
Roman looked around at the activity of the room. “How many people know about this?” he asked.
“Only the people in this room,” Logan answered. Janus nodded in confirmation.
Roman counted quickly. “I feel like this is too many people.”
“We’ll need as much help as possible, won’t we?” Janus pointed out. 
“I… suppose so,” Roman said. 
Janus sat down in the nearest chair, trying not to look too tired. “So, to recap,” he said, “Duchess Adalinda Draco is really the Dragon Witch, and she’s conspiring with Prince Eschive to kill the King. Her power comes from a mirror that she keeps in a cave in the Droiler Mountain Range. We need to destroy it. Virgil is coming, so Andy is taking his place and pretending to be him until we return. The journey should be six days, round trip. Three days to the cave, three days back. Everyone clear?”
There was a general murmur of consensus that rumbled through the room. 
Janus looked up at Roman. “From now on, I suppose I’ll defer to you.”
Roman looked around the room again. “Do we know exactly where we’re going?”
“I’ve got a map,” Remus answered without looking up from the makeup laid out on the vanity table. “Ooh, this one would be perfect for hiding that scar.”
“Remus, focus,” Roman groaned.
“I am! This is important, too, you know,” Remus chided. “I got the guy at the magic shop Patton and I visited to show me where on the map the cave should be.”
Roman nodded briskly. “And who is going on the journey?”
“You and me,” Janus answered.
“And myself,” Logan said.
“Patton and me too,” added Remus.
“And me,” said Remy. 
“And me,” echoed Virgil.
“I’ll go too,” Thomas chimed in.
Roman nodded. “That makes eight.”
“We should leave as soon as possible,” Janus reminded them. 
Again, Roman nodded. “We’ll meet just after midnight tonight. Everyone needs to pack for the journey. We can meet outside the north gate of the capital, in the treeline so the guards don’t see us and bother us.”
Logan frowned. “Are you sure we shouldn’t plan more?”
“Do you think we have time?” Roman shot back. 
Logan pursed his lips. “I suppose not.”
“Get ready,” Roman said. “We leave tonight.”
-
Andy sat staring at himself in the mirror. Everyone else had left the room, many of them to their own homes to pack, Pryce with Thomas to the temple, and Virgil to his closet for the moment. His face didn’t look quite like him. Definitely more like the prince than himself. He touched his cheek lightly over his now-invisible scar and looked down at his hand. Only the faintest hint of powder dusted his fingertips.
Virgil reentered the room with an armful of traveling clothes and an empty knapsack hanging from the other hand. He set it all down on the bed and looked to where Andy was still sitting next to the vanity.
Andy looked up only when Virgil sat down in a chair he pulled up next to him, then bowed his head slightly. “Your Highness.”
Virgil coughed and cast his gaze to the side. “You don’t need to… Um, you really don’t have to tell me, but I was wondering if you’d like to talk about whatever Pryce said to make you so upset…”
Andy sniffed, blinking at the stinging in his eyes. “My father went on a trip for some seasonal ingredients. When he didn’t return, I got Pryce and Thomas to go look for him. He was attacked.” His words were stilted, ground out past the lump in his throat. He grit his teeth and clenched his fist.
A look of understanding spread across Virgil’s face, and his shoulders fell. “My condolences,” he said. “You probably don’t want to hear any platitudes right now. But I can sit with you for a while, if you like.”
Andy shook his head. “You need to pack. I’ll be okay.” He sniffed again.
Virgil sighed. “We haven’t been that close in a long time, but you’re still my friend, Andy. I want to help.” He smiled a little. “Besides, we both know that Logan will be packed in no time and back to either help or nag me. I can at least sit right here until he gets back.”
Andy managed a tense smile. “Thanks, Virge.”
Virgil grinned and ruffled Andy’s newly-cut hair. “Least I can do for a childhood friend.”
He hesitated for a moment before holding his arm out. Andy leaned into him, and he wrapped that arm around him.
“I wish I could do more,” Virgil murmured. “I wish I could stay.”
“They need a mage,” Andy said, muffled by Virgil’s shoulder. “They’ll probably get themselves killed without you.”
Virgil huffed out a small laugh. “Knowing Duke Erex’s sons, that might not be an exaggeration.”
They fell quiet, the tension of Virgil’s nerves and Andy’s sadness hanging in the air. The silence remained until Logan arrived to scold Virgil for not having packed yet, which sent the two into a fit of laughter.
9: The Mage
Janus stood against a tree, waiting for the others to arrive. The moon was high overhead, waxing, and it bathed the forest canopy in silvery light that soaked through the leaves to dapple the ground beneath. His eyes focused in on movement off to his left, and he tensed, reaching for the dagger he’d strapped to his belt.
“Calm down, it’s me,” someone grumbled, and Janus relaxed when he recognized the voice.
“I expected you to get here first, or maybe Logan,” Janus commented as Roman came to stand a few feet away from him.
Roman yawned and grumbled.
“Not a morning person, huh?” Janus asked with an amused smile.
“Shut up. It’s not even morning yet,” Roman snapped.
Janus held his hands up and stifled a small laugh. “Cut your nap short to get your hair perfect, did you?”
Roman glared at him, and he had to stifle another laugh. A surprisingly comfortable silence fell.
Virgil and Logan arrived next, Remy trailing behind them.
Thomas came next, then Remus and Patton.
At this point, Roman had recovered his attitude and superior airs, and he was questioning everyone on whether or not they had packed everything they might need. Logan quickly joined, and the rest realized that those two in combination might be an actual living nightmare.
“Hey, Dipshit,” Remus said finally, reaching into his bag. He produced a rolled-up map and held it out toward Roman.
Roman reached for it, then hesitated.
Remus jabbed the paper toward his brother. “You’re our intrepid leader.”
Roman took the map.
Remus grinned. “Don’t fuck it up.”
-
The group had traveled mostly in silence for several hours until the sun rose. As the morning sun began to shine, Patton began talking.
“You know, I think we ought to get to know each other better, you know, as a group.”
Logan gave him a withering look. “Must we?”
“Yes,” Patton answered matter-of-fact-ly. “We should take turns saying fun facts about ourselves.” He was met with silence. “Okay, I’ll go first. I’m Patton, and I can say the alphabet backwards.”
“You can?” Logan asked before Janus could warn him.
“Yep!” Patton said with a grin. “Listen,” he paused for effect. “’The alphabet backwards.’”
Logan blinked, and Virgil, Roman, Thomas, and Remy all snickered. Then realization dawned on him, followed by a devastated thousand-yard stare.
Patton burst into giggles. “Okay, okay,” he said through his laughter. “Remus next!”
Remus smiled. “I’m Remus, and I tricked Patton into marrying me.”
“Remus!” Patton chided. “You did not trick me!”
“Nope,” Remus answered. “You fell desperately in love with me all on your own because I’m irresistible.”
“Ew!” Roman and Janus exclaimed simultaneously. They locked eyes for a second, then silently agreed never to mention it again.
Patton sighed, a smile still on his face. “Okay, Jan, your turn.”
Janus’s eyes widened. “Me? Why me?”
“Because you’re the first one I looked at!” Patton replied.
Janus sighed. “Well… I’m Janus, and I guess I see the future now.”
“We all knew that already,” Patton protested.
“Okay, fine, then… Um, I guess… Oh, I once helped Remus fill Roman’s room with feral cats,” Janus said. “That’s a pretty fun fact.”
“You what?!” Roman screeched.
Janus rubbed at his ear. “Ow.”
“I thought you had ‘nothing to do with that’!”
Janus huffed. “I lie, Roman, we’ve established this.”
“Ooookay!” Patton intervened. “Next…. Um, Logan!”
Logan raised an eyebrow. “Well, I am Logan, and I work as head of servants at the palace, a role which I share with Remy. I am also Prince Virgil’s personal manservant.”
“Lolo, we already knew that, too,” Patton said.
“I really do not know what you want from me, Patton,” Logan said.
“Well…” Patton began. “Oh! How about your favorite sweet!”
Logan blinked. “I suppose that would be the jam the palace cook makes.”
Virgil grinned. “I once saw him eat a whole jar in one sitting, three days in a row,” he said.
Logan’s face went still. “Falsehood. You’ve fabricated this.”
“Mmmh, I don’t think I have, Lo,” Virgil answered.
“How about you, Prince Virgil?” Patton prompted.
“Oh,” Virgil said. “Well, first of all, I’d prefer if all of you just call me Virgil. At least for this journey. Um… What’s a good fact about me? Ah, um, I can do this,” he said, and summoned a small ball of light in the palm of his hand. They all watched as it morphed through several animal shapes before settling on a cat that stretched, arched its back, then curled up in Virgil’s hand before slowly fading.
“Woah,” Patton said. “You’ve gotten so much better at that!”
“Very impressive,” Thomas agreed with a smile.
“And you, Thomas?” Patton asked.
“Oh, well, I’m Thomas, and I like to sing,” Thomas answered. He hummed a scale in demonstration.
“Wow!” Patton exclaimed. “I didn’t know that.”
“You don’t know everything about everyone, Pat,” Virgil pointed out.
“If I did, I’d be Janus,” Patton joked.
“I don’t know everything about everyone,” Janus informed them. “Just the things I can use in my favor.”
Roman mumbled something, and Janus pretended not to have noticed.
“I’ll go next,” Remy volunteered. “I’m Remy, and I make the best coffee and tea in the world.”
“You know I make better Earl Grey than you,” Logan interjected.
“In your dreams, Girl,” Remy responded.
“His coffee is pretty good,” Virgil admitted.
“Your turn, Roman,” Patton said.
“I hear a river,” Roman said in lieu of an answer.
“Perfect,” Logan said. “That should be a good place to rest briefly and gather some water if it’s clean. If not, we should probably gather it anyway and build a fire to heat it.”
The group headed toward the sound. Janus slowed, getting a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. Then Patton called his name, and he hurried to catch up.
The river was wide and flowed briskly, though not quick enough to pose any danger should they need to cross it. Virgil looked around at the edge of the trees by the river, and his stomach flipped as he heard a snatch of song.
“Guys, wait!” he exclaimed. “I think I know where we are!”
The music got louder. Virgil quickly slapped his hands over his ears and spat out a quick incantation, causing the rest of the group to do the same and freeze that way. Someone was still moving, though.
Logan was walking toward the river’s edge at a leisurely pace, a blank smile on his face.
Virgil’s eyes widened, and he murmured another incantation to muffle all sound for himself. He ran to Logan and looked toward the river.
Logan looked toward the river too. He didn’t notice Virgil next to him. Instead, he saw Virgil sitting on the rocky bank, singing. He held a flower in his hand, which he looked up from only to bat his thick lashes at Logan.
Virgil saw the creature for what it was. Its face was covered in a mix of scales and feathers, the skin between gray and withered. Its hunched shoulders drew close to its thin neck as it sang. A slimy, pointed tongue darted out over chapped lips.
Virgil planted himself in between the thing and Logan, hands on Logan’s shoulders. But Logan was physically stronger than him, especially under the creature’s influence. Logan forced him to take a step back, then another. “Logan, please,” Virgil said. “Logan, it’s not real,” he begged. “Whatever you see, it’s not real. It’s going to kill you, Logan, please!”
Logan kept pushing forward towards the river.
“Logan!” Virgil exclaimed, glancing back to see they were only a few meters away from the bank now. “Logan, I need you to be safe! I need you, Logan! Please!” he cried, throwing his arms around Logan’s shoulders.
Logan stopped, the melody shortly after. “Virgil?” he asked, looking down at the prince in confusion.
Virgil nearly sobbed with relief, sagging against Logan’s chest.
The rest of the group removed their hands from their ears, staggering slightly.
A screech rang through the air, and Virgil felt a hand close around his ankle, sharp claws digging in. He was yanked back and nearly fell.
Logan closed his arms around Virgil quickly, eyes widening. “Virgil!”
The others were pretty quick to realize what was happening and rushed over. Janus, Remus, Patton, and Remy all grabbed onto Virgil tightly and began to pull with Logan, while Roman and Thomas each drew their swords. They rushed the creature and began taking swipes at it, though they couldn’t seem to penetrate its steel-like scales.
Janus kicked at the creature’s face, and it used its free hand to swipe at him, tearing his pants and leaving long gashes across his upper thigh. In his surprise, he let go of Virgil and staggered back, and the creature managed to pull Virgil a little closer to the water. Remus let go, too, as soon as he noticed Janus’s injury.
Roman scanned his eyes over the revolting creature, and he finally brought his blade down hard on its wrist, cleanly severing its hand.
It screeched again and reeled back, and Remy, Patton, Logan, and Virgil toppled over into a pile. The creature disappeared into the water with a splash, leaving a trail of viscous brown blood.
Virgil looked down to see the hand still clutching his ankle and cried out. Thomas leaned down to hold his leg still and pried the hand off with the tip of his sword.
Roman rushed over to Janus, who was leaning against a nearby boulder. “Are you okay?” he asked urgently.
Janus nodded. “Fine… I’m fine, just a scratch.”
Roman leaned down to look. “That’s not just a scratch, Janus,” he said, giving him a look. “Take better care of yourself. Hopefully Prince Virgil can heal that in a minute.”
He stood straight and turned to help everyone regroup.
Logan held Virgil close to his chest for a few moments longer as the group began getting ready to move to a safer area. Finally, he helped him stand. “Thank you, Virgil,” he said very seriously.
Virgil managed a weak smile. “No big deal.”
10: The Confidants
The campfire crackled, comforting Patton a great deal. He leaned back, watching the water from the river begin to boil, the additions of the vegetables Virgil had foraged for and whatever type of meat Thomas had managed to acquire when he left for twenty minutes beginning to turn it into more of a broth. He reclined against a particularly old tree and let Janus take over the stirring for a minute. Thomas sat next to him, cleaning a blade. Despite the dire circumstances, he was quite comfortable with this group of people.
Across the fire, Roman sat down in between Janus and Virgil. Logan was on Virgil’s other side, then Remy, but Logan was entirely focused on the map, which Roman had given him to look over while they rested. Thus, Roman seemed to be the only one who caught Virgil poking at his ankle, pants pulled up slightly to reveal a bruise and the beginnings of some swelling. “Are you alright?” Roman asked.
“Mmh,” Virgil answered noncommittally. “I’ll be fine.”
“Can’t you heal it?” Roman pressed.
Virgil frowned. “I haven’t really mastered healing myself yet. Drawing from my own energy just to pour it back into myself… It’s harder than you’d think.”
Roman nodded and reached for his bag. He dug around in it for only a moment before pulling out a small bundle, wrapped in a strip of fabric. He unwound the fabric to reveal another, lighter fabric beneath holding together a poultice. Roman held out the poultice and the strip of fabric. “My nanny, and Remus’s, she made this. Caught me packing and made me bring it.”
Virgil hesitated. “I can’t accept that.”
Roman raised an eyebrow. “Do you want me to disturb Logan from his intensive thinking?”
Virgil grimaced. “Okay, okay.” He took the offered poultice and fabric, then pressed the poultice against the worst of the bruising. After securing it with the cloth, he looked up at Roman. “Thanks.”
Roman smiled. “You’re quite welcome, Your Highness.”
Virgil flushed. “Stop that,” he groaned. “I’m nobody’s superior right now. Or in general really-”
“Do I hear self-deprecation over there?” Patton’s voice called.
Sighing, Virgil shook his head. “I am your equal in this journey. How’s that, Pat?”
“Perfect, Virge. Keep it up,” Patton encouraged.
Remy snickered.
“What?!” Virgil snapped. 
Remy shrugged, still smiling to himself.
Virgil grumbled to himself for a moment or two. “Either way, I don’t particularly enjoy the royal titles and all that…”
Roman gasped. “I never would have guessed!” he cried, feigning surprise.
Virgil elbowed him. “Shut up, dummy.”
“That’s the best you’ve got?” Roman asked.
“Oh, no, but if I swear, Logan’s sure to look up, no matter how preoccupied he is.”
“He’s definitely listening,” Remy added. “The boy can multitask.”
Janus looked up from the pot of what could now probably be called soup. “Remus has been gone for a while.”
Patton sat up. “You’re right. Should finding more firewood take this long?”
Roman scoffed. “Please, he’s Remus, he’ll be fine.”
Janus nodded slightly. “He’s right, Patton. It’s Remus. He probably found something gross that interests him, so he’s watching that.”
Patton didn’t look convinced, but he nodded back anyway. “Yeah, you’re probably right, Roman.”
“Of course I am,” Roman said, puffing out his chest.
Virgil, slouching, snorted. “Oh, you’re more of an obnoxious royal than I’ll ever be.”
One of Roman’s hands flew to his chest, and he gasped. “’Obnoxious’?!”
Virgil nodded definitively, though he couldn’t hold back a smile. He giggled.
Roman shook his head. “You wound me, Virgil,” he lamented.
Virgil snorted. Logan looked up briefly, but then seemed to decide it wasn’t worth it and looked back down to the map. Virgil had to hold his hand over his mouth to stifle the laughter at the look Logan had given him.
“Dinner’s ready,” Janus said. “Smells great, thanks Thomas, thanks Virgil.”
Janus began serving the soup into the wooden bowls Logan had been sure to tell everyone to bring. There was just enough for everyone present at the fire and about two more servings.
As they ate, Virgil eyed Patton, who ate far more quickly than Virgil thought he used to, then began glancing at the pot. He caught Janus’s gaze and nodded toward Patton.
Janus watched Patton for a minute, then took Patton’s bowl. He scooped out a smaller serving into the bowl, then dumped the rest of his own into it. When Patton opened his mouth to protest, Janus held up a hand. “We have some leftover things from Virgil’s foraging that I can eat, and you know Remus will only eat one portion.”
Patton couldn’t exactly argue with that. He tried anyway. “But wouldn’t you like the soup better?”
“Nope,” Janus answered. “Doesn’t agree with me.”
Patton frowned.
“You know I’m not going to let up until you eat,” Janus pointed out.
Patton sighed, then smiled a little. “Thanks, Janus.”
Janus waved a hand. “Whatever.” After a moment, he pulled out his journal and a fancy pen he’d kept from his younger years from his bag. He opened it and began to jot down some of the day’s events as well as the visions he hadn’t had time to write about yet. There was a pleasant silence that fell over them for a while. Janus’s pen against papers, the crackle of the fire, and the waking crickets and owls were the only sounds that rang out in the twilight.
Then there were the sounds of footsteps and twigs breaking. Remus loudly made his way to the fire and dumped an armful of firewood near it. He grinned over at Janus and Patton. Patton smiled back, while Janus gave him an unimpressed look.
“We saved you some dinner,” Patton announced.
As soon as Remus held out his bowl, Janus dumped the rest of the soup into it.
“We should rest soon,” Logan said, finally looking up from the map.
Roman yawned as if to punctuate Logan’s statement, causing Virgil to yawn.
Remus swallowed a mouthful of soup. “I’ll take first watch. Get some sleep, everyone.”
“I’ll take the next watch,” Logan said. “Wake me in two hours.”
“Then me,” Janus volunteered.
“I’ll go last,” Roman said.
Virgil and Patton looked up from where they’d been yawning, half asleep.
“Hey, wait,” said Virgil.
“Yeah,” Patton said.
Logan and Roman met gazes. “I suppose we could use one more shift, so everyone gets adequate sleep,” Logan said.
Roman nodded. “Aren’t you going to volunteer, Remy?” he asked.
“Nah,” Remy answered. “I’ll let one of them take it.”
“Me!” said Virgil before Patton could.
Patton pouted at him.
“Okay, Your Highness,” Logan said.
“Lo-” Virgil tried to protest.
Logan smiled tightly. “I am still your subordinate.”
Virgil huffed.
“Lay out your bedrolls,” Roman said. “Get some rest.”
-
Virgil sat on a tree stump with his chin in his hand. He supposed it was good that nothing had happened during his watch, but still, he was very bored. Sunrise was on its way, the sky beginning to lighten ever-so-slightly.
When he heard movement behind him, in their campsite, he turned around quickly. He saw Patton quickly getting out of his bedroll and stumbling off into the forest around the campsite.
Virgil debated in his head for a few moments. If he followed Patton, the campsite would be undefended. But, currently, Patton was undefended. He decided to follow.
He moved as quietly as possible, so as not to disturb the others. He heard Patton begin to retch, and he moved a little more quickly. When he found Patton, he announced his presence softly, “Patton, are you alright?”
Patton managed to nod, though he began emptying the contents of his stomach shortly afterwards.
Virgil moved next to him and gently rubbed his back. “It’s okay, just get it out,” he said as comfortingly as possible.
After a few minutes, Patton straightened up and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “I’m okay,” he rasped.
Virgil reached out and placed his hand on Patton’s forehead, murmuring a quiet incantation. He meant to check what was wrong with him. He instead found something entirely different. “Patton,” he said slowly, “are you…?”
Patton nodded a little. “Um, yeah.” Tears welled up in his eyes. “I, ah, I don’t know what to do! I haven’t told Remus yet, I can’t. What if he’s not ready, or he doesn’t want to- What if I’m not ready?!”
Virgil placed his hands on Patton’s shoulders and looked him in the eyes. “Pat. You will be the best father ever. I know you will. And I’ll be here, no matter what. Whatever happens with Remus, whatever you need. I’m here.”
Patton sniffled and threw his arms around Virgil. He sobbed into Virgil’s shoulder, and Virgil held him tightly, one hand on his back and the other on the back of his head.
“I’ve got you,” Virgil said gently. “I’ve got you.”
-
Patton sat next to Virgil on his bed. “Hi. What’s wrong?”
Virgil huffed out a small laugh. “How do you do that?”
Patton grinned. “I can read minds. Now, tell me.”
Virgil bit his lip, chewing on the dry skin there. “I don’t want you to hate me,” he finally said.
Patton scoffed. “You’re my best friend. Why would I ever hate you?”
Virgil’s frown deepened. “You really want me to tell you something that might make you hate me?”
Patton smiled gently at him. “I could never hate you. You can tell me anything.”
Virgil took a deep breath, then blurted out, “I’m not a girl, I’m a boy, and my name is Virgil!”
Patton took a moment to parse out what Virgil had said, then realization flashed across his face. “Oh, thank the gods,” he breathed out. “Me too.”
Virgil tilted his head, processing.
Patton laughed loudly. “Call me Patton,” he said. “Nice to meet you, Virgil.” He smoothed out his skirt and grinned again at Virgil.
Virgil smiled hesitantly back. “Okay.”
“ Okay,” Patton said. “I’m so glad I got to tell you that.”
“ Me too,” Virgil said, grabbing Patton’s hand.
“ And I’m here for you no matter what,” Patton added.
“ Me too. I’ll always be there for you, Patton.”
Six months later, they both told Virgil’s parents.
A year later, Patton met Remus. They got engaged not long after, and Logan replaced Patton as Virgil’s personal servant. Parting was hard for them. But life moved on. Being on a journey together was nice, though. It felt like no time had passed.
11: The Child God
Janus walked next to Roman as they made their way along the path. Behind them were Patton and Remus, then Logan and Remy. Roman was looking at the map, where Logan had laid out a new, “more efficient” path for them.
“You know you’re holding it sideways, right?” Janus asked.
Roman scoffed. “It’s called looking at something from a different angle. Try it sometime.”
Janus scowled. “You don’t have to get angry every time someone tries to help.”
“Maybe I don’t want your help,” Roman snipped.
“Fine,” answered Janus, Having schooled his expression into calm indifference. “Let’s see how well you do without me.”
“Fine,” said Roman, turning the map completely upside-down.
“Will you two shut up?” Remus groaned.
“No,” Janus and Roman answered at the same time.
“Seriously, shut up,” Remy interjected, “I hear something.”
Everyone paused, listening carefully. There was yelling in the distance.
They all looked at each other, then began to run in the direction of the yelling. Janus lagged behind a bit, so Patton stayed with him.
It didn’t take more than two minutes for the group to come to the clearing in which was nestled a small cottage. In the garden in the front, which was larger than the area of the house, a man and a child were running about with large nets. The man was also holding a shovel.
“Hello?” Roman called. Janus tried to shush him, but it was too late.
The man paused, though the boy continued in his pursuit of… something. The man waved, and Remus waved back.
Remy crossed his arms and looked rather unimpressed.
“What?” Patton asked.
“I don’t do kids.”
“What?” Janus repeated.
“I just don’t like ‘em, hun.”
Janus rolled his eyes and looked to where the twins were already headed toward the house.
“Whether you enjoy the presence of children is not relevant to this situation,” Logan, clearly exasperated, told Remy. “Now… Get over it.” He turned to Patton. “Did I say that right?”
Patton gave him two thumbs up.
They started to walk toward the cottage, Patton and Logan practically dragging Remy. Roman had already reached the front gate.
“And you are?” Roman asked, having already introduced himself and his brother.
“I’m Emile!” the kid cried.
Roman smiled. “Lovely to meet you, Emile.”
The man looked at the group, seeming like he was thinking very hard about something. Finally he said, “I’m Teal. What are you doing here?”
“We,” Roman said, trying to sound important, “are on a quest!”
Janus rolled his eyes. “We heard you yelling, so we came to see if something is wrong.”
“Something is wrong!” Emile exclaimed.
“What is it?” Roman asked.
“Garden gnomes,” the man replied. “We have an infestation.”
“I thought most gnomes lived in the mountains,” Roman said.
“Oh, those are true gnomes,” the man explained. “Garden gnomes are pests that dig up gardens and eat any plant they can find.”
“They get into my garden pretty often,” Janus said.
“And you’d know that if you hung out with the cool group, Ro-Ro,” Remus said with a grin.
Patton elbowed him and muttered, “Be nice.”
“Well, can we help?” Roman asked.
Remy groaned, so Patton elbowed him too.
The man hesitated. “Some extra hands might be useful.” He smiled at Emile, and Emile smiled back.
Roman smiled too. “Perfect.”
Janus held out his hand over the gate to shake the man’s hand, shoving Roman slightly out of the way. “I’m Janus,” he introduced himself. Roman glared at him.
“I’m Patton!” Patton added. “And this is Logan, and Remy!”
Teal nodded. “Okay, so here’s our strategy for trapping the garden gnomes.”
The group filed through the gate as Teal explained that they were trying to drive the pests into the center of the garden on the path, then catch them in one of the nets. Teal was going to dig out any holes that looked like they still had gnomes in them.
Unfortunately, this plan just resulted in all of them running around for a long while like they were being chased by an ogre, except for Emile and Janus, who were keeping the garden gnomes in the center. They had five of them.
By the time they were finished, it was a bit past noon. Teal put the garden gnomes in a burlap sack and asked Roman if he could take them as far out into the forest as possible and release them, so Roman went. Then Teal invited the rest of them inside.
“Dear, we’re all done,” he called, removing his jacket and leaving it on a chair by the door.
They walked through the den and into a kitchen, where a man stood by the oven. He looked over with a fond smile when Teal and Emile entered. His eyebrows shot up when more people followed. Then he smiled again. “I don’t think we have enough chairs, but we’ll make it work! Who are all of you?”
“We’re.. passing through and heard Teal and Emile in the garden,” Janus explained.
“Their friend said they’re on a quest!” Emile added.
Janus sighed. “Roman is prone to dramatics.”
“You can say that again,” Remus said.
“Well,” said the man at the oven. “I just got the stove hot enough. Can I make you lunch in thanks? We can introduce ourselves while I work on that.”
“You don’t have to-” Patton rushed to say.
“I am pretty hungry,” Remus admitted before Patton could quite finish. Patton pouted at him.
Janus couldn’t help but agree.
Teal had already begun dragging in every chair that he could find.
Patton made Janus sit down at the table, then sat next to him.
“So,” said the man as he got ingredients from cabinets. “My name is Dyad. I’m the dad around here,” he said with a small laugh.
“That’s because he’s Papa,” said Emile, pointing to Teal.
Dyad paused for a moment to ruffle Emile’s hair affectionately.
The group introduced themselves again as Dyad cooked. Patton kept offering help and getting refused. After a while, Dyad served food.
They talked pleasantly as they ate, Janus and Teal sharing gardening tips. Once everyone was finished with their lunch, there was a knock on the door.
“Emile, could you get that, honey?” asked Dyad.
Emile hopped up and practically ran to the door. When he opened it, Roman, Virgil, and Thomas stood at the door. “Hi, Roman,” he said happily. He peered around Roman to see the two others. He locked eyes with Thomas. “Thomas!” he cried and practically pushed past Roman to hug Thomas around the waist.
Thomas froze for a moment, then hugged Emile back, his eyes filling with tears. “You can touch me…” he mumbled.
“Only here,” Emile said back. He pulled away, then looked at Virgil. “Hi! I’m Emile!”
Virgil smiled a little, though he looked between Emile and Thomas curiously. “Virgil. Nice to meet you.”
Emile smiled back, then went back inside, gesturing for them to follow him into the house.
They followed, though Thomas walked stiffly and looked around carefully. It was the same, but… different. Very different. It still felt like home.
When they got to the kitchen, tears began to flow down Thomas’s face.
Virgil was the first to notice. He nudged him gently and asked softly, “Are you okay?”
Thomas didn’t respond to him. Instead, he hesitantly asked, “Dad? Papa?”
Both Teal and Dyad turned to look at him, then rushed, almost tripping over themselves, to hug him. Thomas held on to them tightly, trying his hardest not to sob.
Emile hugged Thomas again, too.
“How is this possible?” Thomas choked out.
“Um…” Roman said.
Janus elbowed him in the side, but he continued nonetheless.
“What’s going on?” Roman asked.
Thomas sniffled and wiped at his face.
“I brought Dad and Papa here so I could be with them,” Emile explained, though Roman didn’t find that very helpful to him. Emile continued, looking up at Thomas earnestly. “This is my little corner of the world, where I can live again. You can come here too, someday. But you still have a lot to do.”
“Emile-” Thomas began, but very suddenly, the house was gone. Teal, Dyad, and Emile were gone, too. It left all of them dizzy and disoriented. They sat in weathered chairs around a rotting table, except for Thomas and Virgil, who still stood. Tears flowed freely down Thomas’s face.
-
Thomas didn’t speak again until they were sat around a campfire again. Everyone else was quiet, trying not to disturb him too much as he appeared to be deep in thought. Finally, he looked up, meeting eyes with Remy over his tinted glasses. Thomas’s eyes were bloodshot, and Remy’s eyes had bags under them.
“Emile was my brother,” he said, voice hoarse.
“Was?” Patton asked gently.
Thomas nodded. “He was seven, and I was six, and our village was raided.”
There was silence for several moments. Then Remy spoke up, “You don’t have to talk about it.”
Thomas coughed. “But I should.”
Janus frowned. “You shouldn’t do anything that will cause you pain,” he said.
“I need to,” Thomas insisted.
Remy nodded slightly, face deathly serious for once. He reached over and grabbed Thomas’s hand, squeezing it tightly.
Thomas shot Remy a sad smile, then looked around at the rest of the group. “Teal and Dyad, Papa and Dad, they adopted us before I can remember. They took care of us and made sure we were happy. The other people in our village were amazing, too. We all took care of each other. It was full of good people.” He paused, taking a shaky breath in and letting it out in a heavy sigh. “I’m the only survivor.”
Patton gasped softly, and Remus put an arm around him.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Virgil said.
Thomas shook his head. “It was a long time ago.” He smiled a wobbly smile. “Emile died protecting me. He hid me, and took an arrow to the chest before he could hide himself.”
Remy squeezed his hand again.
“He didn’t die, though, not all the way,” said Thomas. “Some of the goddesses took him in. He’s…”
“The Child God of Magic,” Janus finished in a soft voice.
“How’d you know?” Thomas asked.
Janus frowned. “I just… did.”
“The church was an accident,” Thomas said. “I went to look for help, and I told the people in the next village over that I was saved by my dead brother, and they just kind of… picked it up. We built a temple to him, and they took care of me. The temple helped him gain power, and…”
“How’d you become a knight?” Roman asked.
Thomas shrugged. “I wanted to help people. It made sense.”
Logan, who had been looking down pensively this whole time, looked up. “You gave Emile new life. You should be proud of that.”
Thomas smiled again. “Thanks.”
“We should go to sleep,” Roman said after a bit of silence. “Long day tomorrow.”
Continued in Part 2...
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oh-my-may · 7 months ago
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I GOT ARLECCHINO AND HER WEAPON!!
Had to lose 50/50 to Qiqi tho, of course. At least it qas early. Also for some reason I had like 20+ pity on weapon banner already. I can't actually remember when I pulled something there... i think it might have been Neuvi's first banner?
Anywho as usual I got a bit overwhelmed with the new version content and I was quite sad I couldn't immediately get to her Boss :( of course they had to tie it to a world quest...
I started it but then got too tired after work. What I played of it so far was very cool tho! I can't wait to get into Remuria and King Remus lore, it already got me so excited at its first mention during world quests in 4.0.
I also love Arle'a playstyle! She definitely reminds me of Neuvilette in a sense that she doesn't really need any teammates. She can only receive healing through herself and so far she's the only character who's got the Bond of Life mechanic in her kit. I remember that a bunch of the craftable 4star weapons from Fontaine applied it to characters too tho, right? I wonder if there's gonna be mlre charaxters with that mechanic now? Although it feels quite late now. I don't look at leaks anymore so I'm assuming Sigewinne is a healer and a hesler with that mechanic seems weird to me? And for Clorinde I also think it wouldn't make sense? I mean it would also be cool if she wouls be the only character that had this... since it's unique and all.
Also this update came with quite a few cool quality of life changes! The map index looks different now and there's a bunch of new teapot stuff that makes it less of a hassle :) also the expanded inventory for enhancement ores... it was getting on my nerves. Now all I need to be happy is for them to add artifact loadouts and pre-set parties for the spiral abyss. I mean like... the game should save the parties you used in the previous reset in game, kinda like HSR does it for Memory of Chaos. I find it annoying to keep remembering what teams I used. It's not like other teams couldn't clear those floors, but after a few weeks floors 9 and 10 feel like a chore because they never change until big versions... yeah
Gonna dive more into the world quest tonight. Idk if you habw to finish it to get the boss, but usually that's the structure of the world quests... I just hope it's not too long. I wouldn't mind it if unlocking the boss wasn't tied to it. They've done this before and I just don't get it... make the boss accessible normally on the map and then just make him appear during the world quest at the end, is that so hard? This way most people are gonna forcibly skip through all the dialogue and the actual lore of a good quest just to level Arle as quickly as possible... i thought we were done with this but guess not. Or why would they give quick access to the Arle weekly boss but not the other one that is arguably a lot less spoiler-y? Idk man.
Aside from this though I like the update so far. The new map looks gorgeous and I didn't expect them to add a new city to Sumeru out of the blue? Guess it was to fill the map hole properly but I was still quite surprised to see they gave all of Northern Sumeru a coastline. Can't wait to go there :)
Will keep you updated with my thoughts on version content later.
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looking-at-the-deiwos · 1 month ago
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Yemós
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Also found as Yemo. Their name means "Twin" or "Double"
Yemós is the ruler of the afterlife or Underworld (Dhubnóm). They are the deity of the dead and may be prayed to by those about to die, or on behalf of those who have just died. Yemós is also characterized as bigender.
Yemós is not the deity of death, however. They are the one who rules over the dead, but they do not make them die, or decide when they will.
Yemós is the twin of Mónus or Mánnus and both are the protagonists of the Proto Indo-European creation myth:
Proto Indo-European creation myth
From the primeval chaos (G̑hā́nos) eventually emerged the universal principle of order, the Ártus. From these two emerged a cosmic egg, the Olyōwyóm. After it hatched three beings came into existance: Ammādhēinús, the primeval cow; and the twins Yemós and Mónus. Ammadheinús then nourished the two twins.
Eventually, Mónus sacrificed Ammadheinús and his own twin Yemós. Mónus then dismembers the body of Yemós and uses the parts to create the world: Their skull becomes the sky; their body the earth; their hair the trees and grass; their blood the rivers and seas; their brain the clouds; their bones the mountains and stones, etc. From Ammadheinús' body came all animal life.
From their sacrifice, Yemós became the first to die and also the first immortal, becoming the first deity after their sacrificial death, ruler of the underworld and of the dead, of which they are the first. Mónus became the first priest, the first king and the first mortal. From Mónus all humans descend.
After their sacrifice, Yemós begot the twelve primordial deities, the G̑hṃg̑ṇ̄tṓs, from which in turn descend the Deiwṓs and from which descend the Amséwes and all the lesser deities. So Yemós is the ancestor of all deities.
Offerings
taken from here
Skull (possibly with crown or gold wire(s))
black lantern
burial shroud
tomb image with spirals (maybe made into a candle holder)
inverted cauldron
red and black woven rope hanging from ceiling
crow or raven feathers wrapped in gold wire
depictions or imagery of skulls or tombs
Dirt with flame-colored stone
a large golden bead, or a number of small golden beads
Devotional acts
Learn about and honor your ancestors/those who have passed
Keep family heirlooms
Visit the graves of family members and leave flowers
Visit cemeteries and if allowed leave flowers
Learn about death and how to address it in a healthy way
Work on learning how to let go of the past
Visit ruins or ghost towns (safely!)
Associations
Skulls
Graveyards
Darkness
Black and red
Crows and ravens (because of their black feathers)
The feast of Samhain
October
Descendants in later pantheons
Yama (Vedic)
Yima (Iranian)
Ymir (Nordic)
Remus (Roman)
Hades, in their role as ruler of the underworld (Greek)
Dis, in their role as ruler of the underworld (Roman)
Finally, here's their wikipedia article (shared with their brother)
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