A half werewolf and a witch attend their first year at Monster University.
In which somehow, a unique witch makes it past the barrier and poses as a monster to support her sister. Unexpectedly, she finds herself drawn to the guy with deadly eyes, while her sister finds herself falling for a masterpiece.
Deuce Gorgon x Reader
Clawdeen Wolf x Frankie Stein
1. Whoops!
2. That's A Cake?
3. Let's Do This.
4. Coming Out Of The Dark
5. We Literally Just Got Here!
6. Frankie & Draculaura
7. Hallways And Dorms And A Gorgon, Oh My!
Closing the door softly behind me, I take a deep breath. "I feel weird doing this. I'm literally talking to a wall." I whisper to myself. Rolling my eyes, I look up at the ceiling. "Can you help me find my room?" I ask into the nothingness. The hallway remains silent; no walls move, no magical doors appear. "Um, hello?" I call out. The silence is deafening. Nodding, I shrug a bit. "Cool cool. I'll just find it myself." I sigh, heading down the hallway that splits off in two directions, both halls looking the same. Leaning back, I glance at the room number to my left. "101... I'm 221. Maybe it's on the second floor." I mumble. Shrugging, I turn down the left hallway, glancing at the numbers on the doors. '59? 180? What is this? Bingo?' Continuing to walk down the hall, it splits off again. Sighing, I take the right hallway this time and stop at the closest door. "327?! What the ham and cheese!" I exclaim, throwing my hand up.
Spinning around to head the other way, I bump into something. "Oof!" Stumbling back, my eyes widen. I tap the wall that appeared in front of me, hoping it's just an illusion and I can go back the way I came. "No, no, no." I say, panic starting to creep in. Whipping around, I quickly walk down the hall, taking a left at the end - the only way to go. "Okay, okay, it's fine. No need to panic." My breathing starts to pick up as every hallway looks the same, and the dorm room numbers continue to bounce around like they're being pulled from a lottery spinner. Feeling my panic shift into anger, I come to a complete stop in the middle of the umpteenth hallway I've turned down. "For flapjacks sake! I just want to find my dorm room!" I yell at the ceiling, more than likely looking like a deranged being. "I asked nicely!" I snap. Letting my trunk thump to the floor, I practically throw myself into a chair in the hallway, crossing my arms. The silence settles as I contemplate my life decisions so far.
"You know what? No." Standing up, I grab my trunk and march towards the end of the hallway. "I'm not giving up!" I exclaim, pointing towards the ceiling. "You will not win! I will find my room!" Swiftly rounding the corner, I crash into another wall and tumble to the floor. My wing knocks down a lamp on an end table and my trunk slams into a chair. A beat of silence passes as I lay on the floor. Tucking my face into my arms, I scream. "For the love of Godric's Hollow!" A chuckle pulls me from my short moment of rage. I go quiet and slowly look up. 'Wait, walls don't wear sneakers...' My eyes continue to travel towards the source of the sound. 'Or a green jacke-no... it can't be... oh sh-' My eyes widen as they meet vibrant green ones, hidden behind tinted glasses. "You again?" I ask out loud before my mind could reason with my mouth. There, in all his green glory, stood Deuce Gorgon.
"You okay?" Deuce asks with a small laugh as he holds a hand out to me. His sleeve slides up, revealing green scales lightly dusting the inside of his wrist. Sighing, I take his hand, allowing him to help me stand. "If I'm being honest, not really." I brush the imaginary dust off my clothes. "I am completely lost and I think this school has a vendetta against me. I can't even find my dorm room." I explain, looking up into his eyes, my cheeks turning slightly pink. He smiles as a small snake slithers out of his beanie, studying me with a tilt of its head before slithering back in. "Don't worry, we'll find your room." My wings ruffle a bit and he glances at them. "I'm Deuce by the way. Deuce Gorgon." He holds a hand out for me to shake. "So I've heard. Headmistress Bloodgood isn't exactly quiet." I smile and shake his hand, feeling a small spark. "Y/n Forrest. Freshman. Not the best with directions." He laughs, tucking his hands into his pockets and nods his head down the hall. "Common. What's your room number?" I walk over and grab my trunk from the floor, pulling the slightly crumpled paper with my dorm number from my pocket. My breath is caught in my throat as he leans close to look at the paper. Clearing my throat, I glance up at him. "Um, room 221." He nods, his smile on the verge of turning into a smirk.
We walk in peaceful silence, turning down hallways that look the same and room numbers that are never in order. "It's pretty bad when the monster I nearly mowed down... twice... has to help me find my dorm room." I say with a grimace. He chuckles, looking over at me. "Honestly? I don't mind." He shrugs. "Gives me a reason to walk with you." My eyes widen and the heat immediately creeps up on my face. Before I can respond, he stops outside a door. I look up at the faint numbers scrawled above on the metal plate. "Dorm room 221." Deuce says with a small gesture, leaning against the wall next to it. Looking around the hallway, I stare dumbfounded at the dorm room next to mine. "118." He glances behind him at the room before turning back to me. "Uh, yeah. What's wrong?" I point to my door. "This is my room." He nods slowly, looking confused. "That is my little sister's room." I pause, looking back and forth between the rooms like it would suddenly make sense. "I swear this room was not here!" I exclaim. "Maybe that's why the school didn't help me find my room... because it was right here." I say to myself.
I glance over at Deuce to see him trying to keep a straight face. Bumping him with my wing, he raises his hands in surrender, a smile taking over his features as he lets out a quiet chuckle. A bell rings out from the intercom system and Deuce clicks his tongue. "Curfew bell. Looks like you made it just in time, wings." I raise an eyebrow at the nickname. Smiling, he pushes off the wall and takes a step closer, looking down at me. I feel my cheeks start to heat up yet again and a weird, fluttery feeling in my stomach. "I'll see you tomorrow... y/n." He turns and starts to walk down the hallway. Glancing back over his shoulder at me, his smile widens, small fangs appearing. "Try not to get lost." He playfully winks and continues down the hall, out of sight. I let out a choked breath and turn to the door, twisting the handle. "Oh my Glinda, that was... wow." I whisper to myself, slowly pushing the door open to not disturb the other monsters in the room.
Quietly creeping in, I gently shut the door behind me, turning back to survey the room. My eyes widen, my jaw drops, and my trunk thumps to the floor. I'm completely frozen, in awe of the room before me. My room. Literally. Mine. Taking slow steps into the room, I spin around, trying to take in everything I could. On the left side of the room is a bed with lots of soft, fluffy pillows and blankets, a small dresser, and a bookshelf. On the right side, there's a cozy chair with a small footstool, a large circular mirror hanging on the wall, and a coffee table with lit candles. 'Are those... magic?' I hum in thought. Tucked away in the far right corner is a mini kitchen, equipped with a stove, an oven, shelves lined with ingredients, and drawers filled with cooking and baking necessities. The whole room is tied together with plants of all kinds; some draped across the ceiling, some set on shelves and small stands, and vines growing up the walls. Mixed with the plants are tiny fairy lights, creating a glow off the leaves, reminding me of my magic.
"Holy guacamole... I guess the school does tailor the rooms for us." Picking up my trunk, I set it on the bed and pop the latches, opening the lid. A white snake peers up at me from a glass terrarium with an unimpressed look. "I'm sorry! It's not my fault I got lost!" I explain, gently picking up the enclosure and setting it on my desk. Opening the top, I leave Chloe to explore on her own. "Geez, cut me some slack." Rolling my eyes, I tuck my wings in and slip off my backpack, setting it on the desk next to the terrarium with Chloe still staring me down like I committed the most heinous crime. I let out a sigh and walk back to the trunk, unpacking everything. Reaching into the trunk with both hands, I heave out a stack of my witchcraft books... 13 to be exact. "Hopefully they don't check our rooms." I mumble to myself, adding them to the bookshelf one by one.
Humming softly, I grab my phone and call Dad. The line doesn't even have a chance to ring once before it's picked up, and his face appears on the screen. "Hello?!" Dad calls out excitedly. "Hi Dad." I giggle at his excitement, sitting cross-legged on my bed. "Hey honey! How's it going? How's the school? How are the monsters?" He asks rapid-fire questions, his phone shifting to an awkward angle. "Whoa whoa, calm down, Dad!" I laugh. "Fix the camera! I can't even see your face anymore!" I giggle as the phone is moved around. His face appears on the screen again. "It's going good. The school is good. I had a bit of trouble finding my room but this uh, really sweet monster helped me out." I trail off as my thoughts drift to Deuce. "Mhm... and is this monster cute?" Dad smirks as I pale at his question. "Dad!" He just laughs at my reddening cheeks. "Well it's good to hear from you, honey. I just spoke to Clawdeen, too. Even though she's there, she still says 'Hi'." He smiles as I laugh and nod. "Alright Dad, I gotta go finish unpacking and make some cookies." His smile fades at that. "Are you really doing okay, honey? You love to bake, but you also bake when you're nervous." He asks softly. I smile softly. "I'm good, Dad. Just, new school, new peo- er monsters, it's just a little overwhelming, but I'll be okay. I promise." He gives me a look but sighs, nodding his head. "Okay. I love you, kiddo." He smiles softly. "I love you too, Dad." I smile and the screen goes blank as the call ends.
Sighing, I stand up and head to the dresser, pulling out a pair of gray sweats, a green tanktop, and my bear slippers, courtesy of Clawdeen. Swiftly changing clothes, I head over to the mini kitchen. "Time to bake some cookies." Walking over to the bookshelf, I run my finger over the titles before finding the one I'm looking for. "Necronomnomnom, Recipes and Rites from the Lore of H.P. Lovecraft." I pull bowls, mixers, and ingredients from the cabinets, a certain Gorgon still lingering in the back of my mind. "I wonder if he likes cookies?" I ask myself, slowly getting lost in the sweetness of baking, green eyes still lingering in the back of my mind.
honestly, this phrase has been on my mind more times than i can count. i've kidnapped it, taken it as a hostage with no ransom money because i need it to live permanently in my head.
Twisting and turning to get through the main crowd, I spot Clawdeen not far down the slowly emptying hallway, looking a little lost. I wince as the intercom lets out screeching feedback. "Attention students, class schedules will be delivered to dorm rooms tonight by gargoyle. If you are unhappy with your schedule, do not provoke your gargoyle. They will bite." I laugh at the thought and catch up to Clawdeen. "You look a little lost." She sheepishly smiles and shrugs. "I may have taken a wrong turn at some point. "Are you okay?" She asks as I loop my arm with hers, pulling her along. "Yeah! I'm good, I just had a question for someone." Clawdeen gives me a skeptical look but doesn't press further.
Seeing the same undead girl with pale green skin, blue hair, and pink glasses, I smile at her. "Excuse me, how are we supposed to find our dorm rooms? Did they email us or something-" She cuts me off. "You dont find your room. Your room finds you." She smiles softly. "The school is alive." Suddenly, she lets out a loud cackle. Clawdeen jumps a bit but smiles nonetheless. Once she stops cackling, I raise an eyebrow at her. She pauses before throwing her hands up in defeat. "Okay, that always gets the freshman." Clawdeen cringes and awkwardly laughs. "Sorry, it's just you have some dirt in your teeth." The girl reels back and runs her tongue along her teeth. "I'm Clawdeen, and this is y/n." I smile at the girl. "I'm Ghoulia." She introduces herself as she scrubs her teeth with her finger. "Hi Ghoulia. Can you help us find-" She interrupts Clawdeen. "Okay, school is alive. Ask." She says, brushing by us. 'Are all monsters going to be rude? I swear if they are...' My eye twitches slightly. Smirking, I glance behind us at her fleeting form and snap my fingers. Ghoulia yells out as she trips over nothing and lands on her face. Clearing my throat, I turn back to Clawdeen, who thankfully didn't notice anything.
"Oh. School's alive." Clawdeen whispers and nods, looking up at the ceiling. "Um, can you help us find our-" The wall beside us begins to creek and a door morphs on the wall, sliding open like elevator doors, revealing another hallway. We stand there in complete shock. "Holy sh-" Clawdeen elbows me in the side. "Sorry." I say absentmindedly. Walking down the hall, we find the door to Clawdeen's dorm room. Turning the knob, the door slowly opens, revealing a room with three separate sides. On the table in front of us are three name cards with gifts. "Draculaura? Frankie Stein? Guess you've got two roommates, Clawdeen." Not getting a response, I look over to see her in awe of her side of the room. There was a bed with a small desk, but what stood out the most were the vines and leaves wrapping around everything. "Wow! This is for me?" Clawdeen smiles excitedly and sets her dufflebag on the bed as I set my trunk beside it to give my hand a break.
"I know, right?" A happy voice exclaimes behind us. Nearly jumping a foot in the air, I turn to see the silver-booted monster from earlier, with light blue colored skin and gray and blue hair. "The school totally customizes our rooms for us. It's so cozy." They smile and walk over to us. "I'm Frankie, pronouns they/them. I'm only 16 days old." Clawdeen smiles brightly and nods in greeting. "Hi! Clawdeen, she/her. Nice to meet ya." I smirk, seeing Clawdeen's cheeks turning a light pink. "I'm y/n, she/her. I'm Clawdeen's older sister." I smile as Frankie waves at me. "My full name is Frankie Stein. I was just created by my parents, but not in the way that others are created by their parents like werewolves." Clawdeens eyes widen as she nods. "I was actually made in the lab using some of the world's most impressive historical figures as parts." All I could do was blink in shock. "Holy cannoli."
I watch as a halo of electricity wraps around Frankie's temples and moves up the top of their head before disappearing with a small ding. "Did you know that the word werewolf comes from the old English word "werwulf"," Clawdeen nods along and smiles softly. "although many believe the original origin is the Norse "varúlfur", which is hard to say. It means "one in wolf's skin." Clawdeen's smile widens as she lightly laughs, shaking her head. "I did not know any of that." Frankie looks off to the side, confused. "I didn't know I knew any of that." Looking back at us, they beam. "I've got a bunch of famous brain parts in my head," Frankie explains, Clawdeen's eyes never leaving them. "Like Einstein, Marie Curie, Plato, some lady named Liz who apparently invented the internet but didn't get any credit. I guess I've got all the knowledge too." Frankie taps the side of their head, knocking their finger off. "Oh, sorry, loose joints." They pick up the finger and twist it back on, giving a sheepish smile.
"Uh, so! Is it just us creeps in here?" Clawdeen asks, now looking anywhere but at Frankie. 'Awe, little wolf has a crush!' I smirk at Clawdeen, and she nudges me. "Um, I don't think so cause there's- there's also that." Frankie points to the other corner of the room. Looking over, we see a black and gray coffin with a bat emblem at the top of it. "How can we tell if they're home?" I shrug as Frankie chimes in. "Maybe we knock!" The coffin door swings open. "Never knock on a closed coffin." A girl with pink and black hair says, stepping out. 'Ah, Draculaura. Great.' Clawdeen smiles in greeting. "Hi, I'm Clawdeen, that's y/n, and this is Frankie. Frankie and I are your new-" Draculaura turns to them, cutting Clawdeen off. "Roomates." She smiles, but it's clearly fake. "Welcome, I'm Draculaura. Is this your first time sharing a dorm room?" Clawdeen and Frankie nod, smiling excitedly. "Yeah, it is!" I narrow my eyes at Draculaura, crossing my arms. "Okay, great." Draculaura's smile slips from her face. "Let's talk ground rules. And don't take this the wrong way, I'm just a private person." My wings bristle at her attitude. "Well ya could've gone about it in a nicer way." I mumble, rolling my eyes as she gestures to her coffin. "This side of the room is mine." She points to the other side of the room. "That side is yours. Got it?" Clawdeen smiles awkwardly. "Yeah!"
Seeing Frankie move from the corner of my eye, I smirk, watching as they climb in Draculaura's coffin. "Wow!" The other two look over at the sound. "Do you think of this as like, a house or a bed?" Frankie asks, starting to close the door. I let out a laugh and watch Draculaura rush forward, stopping Frankie from closing the door. "Okay, okay. Out. My side. Remember?" She sighs, turning to address Clawdeen and Frankie. "You know the type of monster who loves to be surrounded with others so they feel a real sense of connection and community?" I growl when she gives another fake smile. 'I swear every monster here is pushing my buttons... wait, did I just growl?' Coughing slightly, I clear my throat as Clawdeen nods, relieved. "Yes. That's why I'm here." Draculaura's fake smile drops completely. "Yeah, I'm not one of those monsters." Clawdeen glances away awkwardly. "So please, keep to your side of the room and I won't have to suck all your blood out." Draculaura climbs into her coffin and slams the door shut.
We all look at each other. "I would love to see her try." I say with a shrug. We snap our heads back to the coffin as the door opens. "And no garlic, even garlic powder, or anchovies because, they're gross." Draculaura demands before closing the door again. "She's fun." Clawdeen rolls her eyes as she turns back to her bed. "I'm not even sure I have blood." Frankie says with a smile. Walking back to their side, Frankie looks over at us. "Well, first day of class tomorrow. I'm all charged up!" They exclaim as they sit in a chair that looks like it's from a hair salon. "Er, I will be." Suddenly, the dome on top of the chair lights up with electricity, "charging" Frankie. Clawdeen smiles, turning back to her bag. She pulls out a photo of us with Dad, and I nudge her gently as Dad's voice calls out from our memory. 'Remember, the school is serious about keeping humans out.'
Clawdeen gazes at the photo, glancing back at Frankie. She tucks the photo back into her bag and takes a deep breath. Opening my arms for her, she steps close and wraps her arms around me. "I've never seen you so happy, Claw. I'm glad you made the choice to come here." I slowly pull away, running my finger along the side of her ear. "Plus, there's a certain monster who seems to have caught your eye." I whisper, wiggling my eyebrows and winking. Clawdeen lets out a soft laugh and pushes me away. Quietly giggling, I grab my trunk and head towards the door. Glancing back over my shoulder, I smile softly at Clawdeen. "Get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning." She nods. "Thank you for being here with me, y/n. It means more than I can put into words." I nod, too scared to speak since I know I'll start crying. "Goodnight little wolf." I open the door, stepping out into the hallway. "Goodnight sparks."
Catching myself on the unfortunate monster's chest, I wince as my knees collide with the ground, both of us coming to a halt on the floor. "Frankenstein! Where are they?" I hear them mumble as I scramble away. "I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying attention and then I, of course, tripped over absolutely nothing! I didn't see you and oh my guppy, I need to be more careful-" They interrupt me with a small laugh. "It's alright, really, but um, have you seen my glasses?" I look on the floor around us and spot them beside me. 'Tinted? That's odd.' Gently picking the glasses up, I hold them out for the monster to take. It was only when they didn't reach for the glasses that I finally look up.
Black jeans, green jacket, green hair, black beanie. 'Wait, why are his eyes closed?' I let out a choked breath. 'Shiitakemushrooms... he's the Gorgon and I just knocked his glasses off! Son of a black lagoon!' Clearing my throat, I lean forward, closer to him. "Uh, here." I say softly, slipping the glasses on. 'Oh shoot! I don't remember his name.' He slowly opens his eyes and blinks a few times as his vision focuses on me. "Whoa..." He says in awe. I back away as I hear my name being called. "S-sorry! Sorry!" My wings flutter and create a gust of wind, lifting me from the ground, onto my feet. Taking another step back, I look into his eyes before quickly looking away. "S-sorry!" I squeak out as I turn at the sound of my name being called again.
Clawdeen rushes over, too excited to notice the Gorgon on the floor or my red cheeks. "Common sparks! Let's find our dorm rooms!" Taking my hand, Clawdeen pulls me towards our bags as I glance back over my shoulder at the Gorgon. I see his friend with red hair and orange skin lean down next to him, saying something, but the Gorgon's piercing eyes never left me. Quickly looking away, I grab my trunk and stand in line with Clawdeen, behind a girl with pastel colored features, including her clothes. "Hi, Abbey Bominable, freshman." The monster hands her a ticket and Clawdeen steps forward. "Clawdeen Wolf, freshman." Clawdeen takes her ticket with her room number and moves to the side of me. I bump her with my wing playfully, making her giggle. "Y/n Forrest, freshman." As I take my ticket with my room number on it, a loud voice catches my attention. "Mr. Gorgon," I hear headmistress Bloodgood call over the chatter. Glancing over, my eyes widen. 'Oh my goop... I can now see why they call her headless.' Finding the Gorgon amongst the other monsters, I see him turn to her. "I've got my eye on you this year, Deuce." The Gorgon smiles and gives a small wave. "Won't be any trouble from me this year, headmistress." I tilt my head curiously. 'Hm, Deuce. I'll have to remember that.'
The Gorgon's eyes meet mine once again. Quickly looking away before he can see my pink cheeks, I notice a professor standing next to the headmistress. He had small horns coming out of his forehead, but other than that, he looks completely human. 'He looks like me... Is he human?' I furrow my brow and continue to stare at the professor, trying to listen in on what they're saying. Without taking my eyes off them, I reach out and touch Clawdeen's arm. "Um, Clawdeen, you go on ahead. There's something I gotta do." I glance back at her. "Are you sure?" She asks, voice filled with concern. "I'm sure little wolf. I'll catch up in a few minutes." I reach up and brush one of her ears, smiling as it twitches at the touch. She smiles and nods, heading towards a bustling hallway. I move swiftly through the crowd and stand near the headmistress and professor to listen in on their conversation. 'There's something off about this professor. I just know it.'
Casually leaning against a wall, I pull out a book from my backpack, pretending to read. "Gorgons are always trouble." The headmistress says, her head still held high. The professor next to her lets out a short laugh. "Oh, my Uncle Stan got turned to stone by a Gorgon." She brings her head back down to her neck, and he hands her a riding crop. "Aunt Rita had to put him in the yard." She gazes out at the students as the professor turns to her, continuing to talk. "Um, I'm just psyched to be here, headmistress, changing lives-" A girl with pale green skin, blue hair, and pink glasses stops for a moment and clears her throat, interrupting him. "And changing undeads. We're making a difference." He finishes with a smile towards the headmistress. "Mh-hmm, well, let's see how you feel after a few hundred years of classes, Mr. Komos." They begin to walk towards the man in the cloak who was speaking with the pink and black haired girl earlier. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to chat up a rich alumnus so we can pay our salaries." The headmistress says to Mr. Komos quietly before changing her tone.
"Drac! Welcome to campus. You look so dead." She says, walking up to him with a big smile. "No time for flattery, Bloodgood." He says before lowering his voice. "The Founders Council has heard credible reports that witchcraft is secretly being practiced on campus." Headmistress Bloodgood looks shocked. "Oh dear, that's very serious." I gasp as Drac raises his voice. "It is an abomination!" They both pause for a moment and look around. "We must do all we can to keep this disgusting human practice away from our children." Drac whispers to her. "I assure you we'll do everything in our power to root out this abhorrent behavior." Headmistress Bloodgood expresses. "Oh! And thank you very much for your generous donation last year." Drac rolls his eyes and transforms into a bat, flying away. The headmistress sighs. "Always a delight." I swallow thickly. 'A suspicious professor AND witchcraft is considered an abomination? We literally just got here!' I sigh and shove my book back into my bag. "This is going to be a long year."
We step into the bright portal. Clawdeen looks at all the swirling patterns, dragging her claws along the edge, watching the mist weave between her fingers. "I spent my life in the shadows, creepin round the corners, tryin to find a home to land." Touching the side of the portal, it ripples under my fingertips. "I've spent my nights feelin lonely, dreamin of what could be, but this is where I take my stand." I smile as the portal lights up under her footsteps. "I might be nervous, but I'm an optimist. It's an adventure, ready to take the risk." Listening to Clawdeen sing, the tips of my wings brush the walls, causing the wisps of colors to move between the feathers. "Lookin' for monsters, lookin' for family. Could this be what I've been waiting for?" Clawdeen steps out of the portal, but I stumble behind her as my wing hits the edge of the stone wall surrounding it. Looking up, we see the looming school before us. It. Was. Massive. Fog dances across the ground as we look at the giant clock tower, centered in the middle of the school.
The clock tower begins to ring and Clawdeen gasps. "Oh shoot! We're late!" We run through the courtyard to the stairs leading up to the main door. We slip in the cracked door and stop dead in our tracks. "Oh, that's a lot of monsters." I whisper to myself, seeing monsters of all kinds socializing in the lobby. "Um, Clawdeen?" She smiles as bright as the moon. "This is what I've been waiting for!" Clawdeen steps down the stairs into the lobby. "Here I am, I'm coming out of the dark." I look around as the other monsters start to dance. "Not afraid to show my secrets or my scars." She looks at the other monsters in complete awe. "This is where I'm finally free, this is where I'm meant to be." Clawdeen begins to walk backward. "Here I am I'm coming out of the dark, out of the dark." She spins around and skips back to the door where I'm glued to my spot.
"This is amazing!" Clawdeen exclaimed with a small laugh. "Yeah, definitely crazy. I didn't expect it to be so," I struggle to find the right word. Looking over at Clawdeen, I see her smile start to drop. "So amazing! Like, monsters of every kind? Singing? Dancing? It's great! But you know me, I have two left feet." Her smile returns, and she shrugs, nudging her shoulder with mine. "You'll find your rhythm, sparks." Setting my trunk down, I sit on the edge of it, watching the monsters move about.
A flash of black catches my eye, and I watch two bats transform into monsters. The man in the cloak begins talking to the young girl with pink and black hair. "No, Draculaura, your performance here must be exemplary. I was top of my class here, as was -" She cut him off with a small eye roll. "Your father, and his father, and his father, going back a thousand years. I got it Dad, no pressure." She shrugs, and his eyes widen. "No, there is pressure. They're all still undead." He says as he takes her suitcase. "And don't think they won't call me all the time asking how you're doing." He exclaimes before turning and walking down a hallway. Suddenly, she's surrounded by dancers. "So this is it, back at school, still livin by his rules, how can I find some air to breathe. I'm not a king, that's him, and no one tells him, "No", I just need a chance to find my wings." I let out a noise of confusion, my wings twitching in response. 'What in the High School Musical is going on?'
My attention is drawn to a blue monster with knee-high silver boots. They walk up to a girl who seems to be completely focused on her phone. "Hi, name's Frankie. Frankie Stein." They introduce themself, but the girl just turns another way, not looking away from her phone. 'Well that's just rude. How difficult is it to take 5 seconds to say hello.' I frown. Frankie, as they called themself, doesn't seem to mind and moves to another monster. "Mabuhay! Kumusta ka?" My eyes widen as they greet a monster in a different language. 'Well, I wasn't expecting that.' The monsters don't pay Frankie any mind. Completely unfazed, they walk to a group of monsters. "Name's Frankie. Shalom. I'm 15 days old." Every monster was on their phone, ignoring Frankie's attempts to introduce themself. The monsters and Frankie start dancing stiffly, almost in a doll or robot-like way. "I might be nervous, but I'm an optimist. It's an adventure, ready to take the risk." Frankie moves through the crowd, looking at all the monsters. "I see the monsters, they look like family. This is what I've been waitin' for!" They smile brightly.
Every monster twirled in sync and clawd hands grab mine, dragging me away from my trunk as a backpack is thrown where I was previously sitting. I gasp and bring my wings close to my body in a panic. "Oh, no, no, no, I don't dance!" My words fell on deaf ears as I stumble into the middle of the crowd, trying to follow the dance and not hit anyone with my wings. "Here I am, I'm comin' out of the dark. Not afraid to show my secrets or my scars." I spin with them, trying to keep up. 'Step to the lef- Oop no! Step to the right and back and arms and righ- Ah left!' Clawdeen moves with the music flawlessly. "This is where I'm finally free, this is where I'm meant to be. Here I am, I'm comin' out of the dark. Out of the dark." There was a growl amongst the monsters.
Making my way back to a side wall, I hear the sound of heavy, marching footsteps. I watch what looks to be 4 mummies carry in a girl on a lounge chair. They gently set her down, and she elegantly stands. "Cleo!" Another girl with colorful hair yells as she runs up to her. "Lagoona!" They give a small hug and kiss on the cheek. "Welcome back bestie. I just saw Deuce." Both monsters glance over to wherever this guy is. "I don't care. We broke up over the summer." Cleo says nonchalantly as Lagoona gasps. "What? I'm sorry. You need me to eat him?" She opens her mouth wide, revealing sharp teeth that could tear through flesh in seconds and lets out a roar, scaring the life out of me. 'Holy cheeseballs! That's a lot of teeth!' My wings wrap around me as I try to avoid drawing any attention to myself. "No, it's fine. I'm so over him." Cleo says, shaking her head. "Completely and totally over him." I roll my eyes as she leans against one of her mummies and very obviously stares at whoever she was talking about.
Following her gaze, I see a guy with green hair, a beanie, and, for some reason, tinted glasses. 'Hm, interesting. He's kinda cute.' An orange skined guy with red hair walks up to him. "Deuce, bro, welcome back." He smiles at the sight of his friend. "Heath, what up man?" They do a bro hug. "I got a feeling this year is gonna be hot." The guy, Heath, says as he lights his hair on fire, throwing his arm over Deuce's shoulder. "Hey, ready to make some more mischief?" Heath asks quietly, right before he snatches Deuce's beanie off. I gasp as his green hair is revealed along with a bunch of snakes. 'Holy rabies! He's a gorgon!' A girl lets out a small scream as she walks by, and he takes his beanie back. I giggle quietly, my wings shaking from my laughter.
Deuce turns to look around, fiddling with his beanie. Somehow, someway, we lock eyes from across the room. My eyes go wide and I feel my cheeks heat up. 'Oh gravy, what do I do? I've never met another monster!' My wings ruffle themselves as I lift my hand in a small wave. He gives a small smile and waves back, turning to his friend. "Yeah, I uh, missed you man, but I'm actually switching things up this year, trying to avoid mischief." Deuce says while slipping his snakes back into his beanie. "Yeah, that sounds terrible." Heath laughs as he stomps and claps a beat with the surrounding monsters, doing a handshake with Deuce. 'Again with the dancing?' I think to myself, letting out a sigh.
All the monsters start walking back and forth in the lobby. Even though it's physically impossible, I try to push myself even further against the wall, wishing it would swallow me whole. 'Clawdeen if I survive this, you are in so much trouble.' The pink and black haired girl, Draculaura, steps to the front. "I might be nervous, but I'm an optimist." The guy with green hair, Deuce, walks across with the dark-haired girl, Cleo, crossing paths with him. "It's an adventure, ready to take the risk." Frankie shuffles up and smiles at everyone. "I see the monsters, they look like family." Clawdeen runs over, grabbing my hand again, and beams as she moves to the front, dragging me behind her. "This is what I've been waitin' for!" Every monster jumped and began dancing in sync. "Here I am, I'm comin' out of the dark. Not afraid to show my secrets or my scars." I finally start to get the hang of the dance and fall into the rhythm with everyone, my wings moving with the motions, the fluffy feathers floating in the breeze. "This is where I'm finally free, this is where I'm meant to be. Here I am, I'm comin' out of the dark. Out of the dark."
All the monsters return to what they were doing like nothing happened. Clawdeen takes a step back as she brushes off her jacket. Trying to get my bearings, I trip over absolutely nothing. "Watch out!" I yell as I stumble into someone, knocking us both to the ground.
After dinner and a surprisingly delicious cake, Dad smiles softly and gently pushes me and Clawdeen towards the stairs. "I'll clean up. You both go pack." We turn and wrap our arms around him in another hug. Pulling away, we excitedly climb up the stairs to our rooms. I stop in front of my door, looking over at Clawdeen. "Ready?" She smiles brightly and nods. "Ready." I push my door open and close it behind me as Clawdeen heads into her own room. Looking over, I see Chloe, my white ball python, fast asleep on my bed. Taking a deep breath, I walk over to my closet, opening the doors. Pulling out my tan trunk, I gently set it on the bed, trying not to wake Chloe. "Okay, now, what to pack?" I whisper to myself. "What's the weather even like in the monster world?" I shrug and hum to myself as I start to fold some clothes, placing them in my trunk.
Wiggling in a few pairs of shoes, I manage to fit all my necessities, but it wouldn't close. "Hmm, how about this." I put as much weight as I can on the top of it, but the latches don't even come close to touching. "Well, that's unfortunate. New plan!" Grabbing my wand from my nightstand, I cast a spell, making the inside of the trunk larger than the outside. "Ha! Magic. Never fails." I reach out and gently pick up Chloe, waking her. "Okay, Chloe. It's going to be a wild ride, but I promise you'll be safe." Placing her in the terrarium I built, I close the lid and carry it over to my trunk. "I'll get you out as soon as I can." I set her in and close the top of the trunk, snapping the latches shut.
Pulling out a green, scale textured shirt and a brown corduroy skirt, I slip them on and grab my brown Doc Martens. Walking over to my dresser, I add a black belt with a gold snake and emerald earrings with gold snakes. I slip on my boots and grab my dark green backpack off my desk, wiggling my arms into the straps. Taking a deep breath, I pick up my trunk and head towards my bedroom door.Throwing open the door with a bit too much force, it slams into the wall. "Whoops! Sorry!" I call out as I squeeze through the doorway with my trunk. Hearing giggling, I turn to see Clawdeen with a simple dufflebag. "I don't wanna hear a peep little wolf." She holds her free hand up in surrender. "I didn't say anything sparks." I give her a look. "No, but you were thinking it." She giggles and shakes her head. Walking over, I wrap an arm around her shoulders. "You look nice, little wolf." Clawdeen, dressed in a jean skirt, moon printed shirt, purple boots, a zebra printed belt, and her corduroy purple jacket, smiles as bright as the moon. "Thanks, sparks. I love the snake theme." I ruffle her hair a bit and pull away, letting her walk down the stairs first.
Dad stood in the living room, jacket on, truck keys in hand. He turns at the sound of our footsteps and smiles softly. "Ready girls?" He asks. We nod excitedly. Dad looks over at me. "Okay, sparks, got your necklace?" He asks me. "Yep!" I say as Clawdeen joins in. "Your ring?" I nod. "Yep!" Dad smiles. "Wand?" Reaching down into boot, I pull out my wand. "Yep!" Dad and Clawdeen simultaneously ask, "Got your sense of adventure?" I shake my head. "Nope!" We all laugh and head out to the truck.
◇◇◇
I sit in the backseat, Clawdeens head laid across my lap as she looks out the window at the passing trees. Dad glances in the rearview mirror, smiling at us with adoration in his eyes. Reaching over, I gently brush my finger along Clawdeens ear like Mom used to, watching her ear twitch under my touch. She smiles up at me before focusing back on the trees being illuminated by the moon. We turn down a secluded dirt road, thick forests lining both sides of the path. After driving for several more minutes, the truck slowed down and came to a stop. Dad jumps out and walks towards a mass of trees that create an arch walkway.
I softly nudge Clawdeen to sit up, opening the door. "It's here?" Clawdeen asks as she hops out of the truck behind me, closing the door shut. "Yes. It's right here, somewhere." Dad says, looking at the arch of trees in front of him like something's going to appear out of nowhere. "Monster University is a bunch of trees?" Clawdeen asks. "Fun." We walk around to stand in the illuminated area created by the trucks headlights as Dad turns back to us. "No, there's a- a thing here." He explains, turning back to the trees and continuing to look around. Clawdeen looks at me and I shrug in response. "It glows. Your mother showed me." Clawdeen makes a face of doubt and walks up beside him. "Where, Dad?" The sound of leaves rustling and branches breaking fills the air as the trees begin to morph together in the center of the arch. A swirling portal of purple, blue, and green reveals itself with a high-pitched ring as we look on in awe. "Right here." Dad says as Clawdeen watches the swirling portal in shock. "Whoa, you found it." I smile and shake my head. "No," Dad looks at her and smiles. "It found you."
Pulling my wand from thin air, I twirl it around in my hand. I close my eyes, imagining monster features. Taking a deep breath, I lean down and bring my wand up in an arch from toe to head, creating a spark of gold light at the end of my wand. Swirling it above me, there's a shift in the air. Clawdeen gasps and I open my eyes, turning to them. "Well? How do I look? Monster-ish?" Dad opens and closes his mouth several times. "Um, those are wings..." He says in shock as my eyes widen. "Wait, what?" I spin in circles, catching a glimpse of the feathery, black wings on my back. "It was only supposed to be fangs and claws! Not wings!" I rush out with a small lisp, not used to the longer teeth. A bit dizzy from spining so much, I stumble around. Clawdeen rushes forward and holds my arms to steady me. "It's okay! It's perfect." She smiles softly. I nod slowly, looking over at Dad.
"This is as far as I can go, being a full-blown homosapian and all." Dad joked to us. "Oh, you need your stuff." He jogs back to the truck, opening the door. "Clawdeen, don't forget to wear your re-fanger every night." She smiles softly as he makes sure she has everything she needs. "Did you remember your claw clippers?" I ask, glancing at her nails, the purple color sparkling even in the dim light. "Yes. I'll be sure to tame your claws, too." She giggles and bumps her hip with mine. Dad closes the truck door, Clawdeen's backpack, dufflebag, and my trunk in his hands. "School supplies?" Dad asks as Clawdeen and I respond. "Uh-huh." I gently bump my shoulder against hers. "Your phone charger?" I ask. "Mm-hmm." Dad hands me my trunk and holds out Clawdeen's dufflebag. "And all your clothes?" Dad asks. Clawdeen's eyes widen. "My clothes, I forgot all my clothes." She exclaimes in faux panic. "Really?" Dad asks as he steps back towards the truck. We laugh as Clawdeen takes her dufflebag. "No, Dad. I've got everything. You don't need to worry." Dad helps slip on her backpack. "You say that like there's a button I can push to turn it off." Taking a step back, he gives us a soft look. It doesn't last long as he rushes forward, bringing both of us into a hug. "Oh, sweetie, honey. I'm gonna miss you both a lot, like, an unhealthy amount." We step back and look at Dad. I can feel my eyes starting to water and I know Clawdeen's are doing the same. "All right, we're doing this." She smiles and turns to the portal, her curls flying with her movements.
Suddenly, Dad pulls me into another hug. "Make sure she doesn't get into too much trouble." He said softly, but I knew what he really meant - keep her safe. "I will. I promise." He pulls away and places his hand on my cheek, gently stroking it. "They'd be so proud of how far you've come, y/n." I feel tears building in my eyes once again. It's been 15 years since I lost my parents and not a day goes by that I don't think about them and wonder if they'd be proud of me.
"You be safe. Even though you look like a monster, you're still human." He smiles softly as I take a shaky breath. Nodding my head, I catch up with Clawdeen. "You okay?" She asks, concerned when she sees my watery eyes. I nod. "I'm good." She reaches out, taking my hand in hers as we walk towards the portal. "Remember," we turn back at the sound of Dad's voice. "The school is serious about keeping humans out." Clawdeen frowns. "You've really gotta keep that part of you secret." She takes a deep breath as I squeeze her hand. "And if anything goes wrong, you can always come home. I'll be awake, like, until you graduate." We smile at him, simultaneously saying, "We know, Dad." Turning back, we walk up to the edge of the portal. "I love you both!" Dad calls out as we glance back. "We love you too, Dad!" We turn to each other. "Ready, little wolf?" I ask. She nods, smiling brighter than ever. "Ready, sparks!" We take a deep breath and look at the swirling portal. "Let's do this."
We reach the house at sundown, the large front windows creating a beacon of light in the dreary weather. Jogging up the driveway past Dad's truck, Clawdeen jumped up onto her balcony, landing with a small thump. I casually look around to make sure no one is watching before casting a floating spell without my wand, a rare ability for a witch. Clawdeen reached out once I was in range and pulled me down to the balcony. "I'm still amazed every time you do that." Clawdeen said, referring to my wandless magic. We both step inside her room just as we hear a crash coming from downstairs. "Oh no, no, no, no!" I hear Dad say. "Dad?!" Clawdeen and I call out, rushing down the stairs.
He calls out right as we turn the corner leading into the kitchen. "Y/n! Clawdeen! Freeze! Right there! Close your eyes Clawdeen." He said frantically, stepping in front of her. She closes her eyes, looking confused. A smile crosses my features as I realize Dad set up the house to celebrate Clawdeen's birthday. "Huh, Dad?" Clawdeen asks as he gently holds her arms and guides her to the living room. "Sorry, sorry. No, no, no, you're fine. You're fine, right." He spoke quickly, moving her to stand in front of the mantel. "What is happening?" She laughes as he moves around, fixing some of the decorations. "Nothing, just, just you wait for it." I grab the 'Happy 18th!' sign and motion him to take the other end. "And okay, all right." We move together and hang it up. Looking over at me, he mouthed 'Does it look good?'. I nod and give him a thumbs up. "Okay, open them."
Clawdeen opens her eyes to see the birthday sign on the mantel along with a glittery number 18. "Surprise!" Dad and I call out using a party horn and small confetti popper. "Awe, you guys threw me a birthday party?" Clawdeen lit up brighter than the moon. "We tried to, but you came back so early from your hike. You were supposed to keep her out longer, y/n." He said giving me a playful look. I raise my hands in surrender. Walking over to the dinner table, he lifts a box. "Look, I made a cake! Don't judge." He says, revealing the cake that looks like it's melting.
"That's a cake?" I question too late as I registered what he'd just said. Dad gave me a look. "I mean, I thought it was the Mona Lisa. It's gorgeous! Very abstract." I smile brightly and he laughs. "Nice save kid." He says as Clawdeen lets out a laugh, "Thanks, Dad." She says but her smile started to drop, "Really nice of you." Dad, noticing the change in her tone, looked at her, "You okay?" His vision was block for half a second as he removed the flour covered apron. I turn to her and move my hand across my neck, 'Not yet!' I mouthed to her. "Yeah!" She said as she sat down at the table, me plopping down in the chair next to her. "Okay, good. So I made that tofu jalapeño casserole that you like, with extra almonds this time." I bump my knee with hers and nod a bit. Clawdeen let out a soft sigh and nodded.
"Dad, listen." She starts as she pulls an orange and black envelope from her pocket. "There's something I've gotta to talk to you about." Sliding it over to him, he picks it up and opens it, revealing the acceptance letter inside. "What's this?" He asks. "That is my acceptance letter to Monster University." She explains and smiles. I hold my breath, unsure of what his reaction will be. "Honey, we talked about this." He says as he refolds the envelope and slides it back to her. "Mom had an amazing time when she went there!" Clawdeen says, trying to convince him to let her go. "Your mother was a full monster." Clawdeen's smile dropped a bit. "I'm human, and I'm sorry sweetie. They don't accept half monsters." He explains.
I slip down in my chair, my anxiety rising. Clawdeen reaches over and grabs my hand. "Well they accepted us. We've been living our whole lives in hiding." She says. "I mean, I can't even go to the park without getting chased!" Clawdeen explains. "You were chased?" Dad leans forward in concern. Clawdeen pauses. "Yes, and maybe we'll have better luck in the monster world." She sighs and I squeeze her hand. "That's all we want Dad, a chance to belong somewhere." I say as he sighs and nods. "You've gotta find your place in the world. I get it." He strikes a match and lights the candles on her cake. "My little girls are growing up." He smiles. "So, is that a yes?" Clawdeen starts to smile and Dad nods. "Make a wish." Clawdeen takes a breath and blows out the candles.
I smile and cheer a bit. Dad pauses. "Wait, you keep saying we. What do you mean we?" I open and close my mouth like a fish out of water. "Um, well, you see," I pause before slowly pulling out my own envelope. Dad looks confused. "But you're not a monster?" I slowly pull off my hat, exposing my most unique feature; two twisted black horns set on my head. Dad sighs. "Honey, we've been over this as well. You may have a very distant ancestor that was a monster, but your horns don't make you a monster. You're a witch, a human witch." I look over at Clawdeen. "I'm going to be grounded for the rest of my life." She gives a so-so motion with her hand.
Taking a deep breath, I look back at Dad. "Well, I may or may not have lied on the application about literally everything except my name." I say quickly as he takes a moment to process what I said. "You did what?" He asks in shock. "I'm not going to let her do this alone. She's always there for me so I'm going to be there for her, even if I have to break a few rules!" Dad takes a moment before he smiles softly. "She's lucky to have a sister like you." Dad stands from the table. "Okay, who's hungry? I'm starving!" He walks into the kitchen and starts to dish up three plates. I feel arms wrap around me. "Thanks y/n." I smile and move my arms around her. "I'll always be here for you Clawdeen. No matter what." Dad walks over and wraps his arms around both of us. "Group hug!" We all laugh, squeezing eachother tight. "Now, let's eat some casserole and cake!"
The skatepark was fairly empty on this grey day, leaving plenty of room to skate without bumping into someone. The sun was blocked by the clouds, and the wind had started to pick up. 'Smells like rain.' I thought right as thunder roared in the distance. For once, it wasn't me causing a storm to brew. I stood off to the side in my boots and cozy sweater, hat placed delicately on my head to cover my most unique feature, watching as my sister waited at the edge of the bowl to drop in. Dressed in loose jeans and a purple camo jacket, she ensured the hood hid her features from the outside world. Setting the back of her skateboard down, she placed her foot on the edge of it. I watch as she drops in, flying towards the semi-crowded center mound. She slides onto the rail in front of the people and gracefully drops off, rolling over another mound before skating up the side of the bowl in a perfect arch. I could hear the gasps in the crowd as she caught everyones attention with her skill.
She skates up another wall, passing a woman on a bench with her child, and skates back to the rail on the center mound. Stepping towards the bowl, I sit down with my legs hanging over the drop. Skating over to an empty bowl, she flips herself up in the air, the board gripped in one hand while her other hand supports herself on the edge. The crowd starts cheering. "Awesome! Whoo!" I heard some kids say. "Yeah! That's my sister!" I yell and clap excitedly. She maneuvers around the mounds and up the side again.
As she was skating back down, a guy rolled in front of her. "Dude, look out!" He yelled as I gasped, knowing the outcome of this situation wouldn't be good. "Oh no!" I watch as they collide, Clawdeen tumbling forward and falling on her hands and knees in front of everyone. I could only wince as her hood fell down and her helmet flew off. A mass of pink and purple curly hair was exposed but what drew their attenttion the most were her golden eyes and the pair of pink wolf ears on top of her head, adorned with a few piercings that I may or may not have helped with. "Whoops!" She said before I heard the murmur through the crowd. "Doggie?" The little girl questioned. Clawdeen gave a fanged smile. "Hi." She said. "Oh shiitake mushrooms..." I said, jumping down into the bowl and rushing to Clawdeens' side. Suddenly a guy screamed and she nodded. "That's my que." Grabbing her board, she ran towards the forest with me hot on her heels. 'Why did I have to wear these boots today!' I thought, pushing myself to run faster as the crowd chased us.
When we got to the edge of the forest, Clawdeen jumped from tree to tree, propelling herself forward. "Which way?! Did you see it?! Where did it go? Where's its sister?!" I heard them yell out far behind me. "Up here!" Clawdeen said as she jumped up to the top of a tree. "We aren't all built with super wolfy abilities, Claw!" I whisper yell as I reach down into my boot, pulling out my wand and casting an enchantment, slowly disappearing from sight. Pressing against the tree Clawdeen was hiding in, the crowd runs into the clearing, phones raised. "Where'd it go? I don't see it." Someone called out. "It's gone." The crowd spun around trying to catch a glimpse of us. "That was crazy." Someone said. I move a bit and step on a dry branch, a snap echoing through the clearing. "Did you guys hear something? What was that thing?" A murmur went through the crowd. "Was that a girl?" A woman asked. "It wasn't a girl. It was an animal." Someone responded. "Come on, let's go. That was crazy." They said. "It looked like a werewolf." A girl called out. "Whatever, let's get out of here." Everyone started to leave the clearing. "It was terrifying." were the last words of the crowd as they went back to the skatepark.
Once they were out of sight, I let out a sigh, ceasing the enchantment. 'Why did people have to be so cruel?' Clawdeen dropped down right beside me from the top of the tree, causing me to jump. "Holy cannoli, Claw! Don't do that!" She let out a small laugh, nodding her head in the direction of her house. "Come on. I need you to be there when I give dad the news," she pauses as the smile slowly slips from her face, "I just hope he understands." I softly smile and loop my arm with hers. "Everything will be fine. He'll understand that you need to do this. For yourself and mom." Clawdeen took a deep breath. "You're right." I let a beat of silence pass. "...am I ever wrong?" Clawdeen laughed as she lightly hit my arm. "Alright, alright, let's go home." We head off in the direction of her house, our arms linked together. "Maybe next time we come here, I can skate with you." I gave a cheeky smile as Clawdeen slowly looked over at me. "For your own safety, there is no way I'm letting you on a board. You trip over nothing!" She jokingly exclaimes right as I stumble over a tree root. "Case in point!" I bump my shoulder against hers. "That's not fair! It jumped out in front of me!" We stare at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter.
'That's right, my sister is a werewolf! It's been a difficult life for both of us, but I have a feeling that something's going to change this year. Now, for better or worse? I'll let you know when I find out.'
man older generations just dont get how hard it is to get a job these days
youre trying to find entry levels jobs but they all require at least four years of knighthood or a lordship, the listings are only ever things like "stable cleaner, $7/hr" or "king of the realm, $120k annual, REQUIRED: sword from the lady of the lake"
ok you found a posting youre qualified for. now list list all of your conquests and all your chivalric values on your resume and then add your resume as a pdf and now also rewrite them in the boxes that auto populated and fix the formatting
and you cant tell older generations all of that because theyll just tell you about how they got their job by walking into a royal court and swearing fealty to the first king they saw and being granted a knighthood on the spot. literally if you try to do that these days the archers on the castle turrets will get you before the rattling of your armor is even within earshot
