requests open

bea | 23 | twst sideblog | ao3

[strawberrygummiess]

rules + masterlist

hi i'm bea and i write twst fics

i'm also on ao3

RULES:

i write reader inserts only! i'll use gender-neutral pronouns unless specifically requested otherwise

max like, 2 characters at a time per request cuz i’m a yapper, lol

this is less of a rule, and more of a note- i don't do multipart stories! i'll do continuations of a fic, but there's never going to be a multichapter fic, unless it's reallyyy long. (EDIT: i broke my own rule but i will not make it a habit lol)

DO NOT SEND NSFW FOR CANONICALLY UNDERAGED CHARACTERS. I WILL NOT WRITE IT (and I will block you if applicable.)

i don't write dark content (incest, sexual assault, underage nsfw, gore, etc.)

i will try my best to fulfill requests, if in any case i cannot complete a request i will let you know and try my best to make a product you’re happy with

please mind when i close requests! i will delete any requests sent after i close dates

MASTERLIST:

click here

(if the link is broken search: strawberrygummiess mlist)

FIC PLAYLIST:

all of my fics are titled after songs, here's the list of them if you want to give them a listen (nutcracker soundtrack not included): spotify playlist link

[strawberrygummiess]

TLDR; new fic uploaded on ao3, read it here

happy new year everyone! so my last post was a lie! i got nothing done in the rest of 2025, and officially put the nutcracker on hiatus on ao3 :D

yeah what a year 2025 was. i got a job last year that is an hour away from where i live, so i have very little free time during the week to write. it's been rough trying to maintain a good work-life balance, and tbh, i'm still gonna have a hard time uploading unless i move closer, or get a new job. but i'm alive and i am still writing, and still trying to upload for yall. and omg cheers to the twst anime finally coming out! i've been in the twst fandom since 2021, so its really exciting to finally see it animated.

anyways, i wanted to link to my newest story here. it's multi chapter (but already almost finished IM SERIOUS I wrote it like a oneshot but I decided to break up the 20 pages into multiple parts) i will post it on tumblr when i complete it, so that i dont have like 10 posts cluttering my blog like the nutcracker. and uhhh yeah thats it for now!

seriously, here's to 2026, and hopefully more than 2 fics in a year.

-bea

[strawberrygummiess]

dropping a new fic on a random monday night/tuesday morning after an unexpected six month hiatus … heeeeeey

i’m gonna tentatively confirm that i’m back to posting- the high of uploading has me feeling good about myself lol. the tone of my new fics are probably gonna be all over the place while i try to find my groove again but inconsistency is way better than nothing!

to all my new followers, hey, hi, hello, i’m bea, i used to post a new fic every month or so but now idk what my upload schedule is/will be. i also am gonna start updating my christmas fic soon (fr this time, i mean it) to get in the spirit of the holidays and so that i don’t get distracted and then tired of christmas and put it away until the next year.

requests are open, but 99% of the time i just put out stories nobody asked for- if you have an idea, send it my way! it’s probably better than what i can come up with on my own.

anyways, hope to drop a new fic soon! til next time

👋🏽bea

p.s. sorry the formatting on tumblr/ao3 is goofy, i forgot how i used to format things. i’ll probably figure it out again.

[strawberrygummiess]

nomad.

malleus draconia x reader 2.3k words cross-posted on ao3 "It was like you had moved three steps forward and 100 steps backwards, or being promoted at work, where the reward was more responsibilities and an insignificant pay increase. Congratulations! You have officially been promoted from graveyard shifts with “Horton” to daytime assistant to Malleus Draconia, Crown Prince of Briar Valley. You are now responsible for accompanying him during club hours and providing adequate enrichment and entertainment for the prince. Did we mention he’s one of the most powerful mages in history, and can burn you to a crisp if you do something he doesn’t like? By the way, you do not qualify for hazard pay, and your salary has only gone up 10 cents an hour."

Recently, you’ve made a new friend.

A friend who is significantly more elusive and mysterious than any of the other students you’ve met thus far at Night Raven College. Which, before now, you thought to be impossible, considering all the colorful characters enrolled at NRC.

Half of the mystery was his insistence on meeting exclusively at night- the other half was his refusal to tell you his name, instead leaving you total creative freedom to name him yourself. He was lucky you weren’t in a foul mood that night- lest you nickname him something crass like you did the headmage; opting to name him (rather intuitively and brilliantly, if you did say so yourself) “Hornton”.

And for a while, that’s all you knew. Your friend, Hornton, who innocently visited you at midnight, exchanged a few cryptic words that always left you more confused than when you started, and then disappeared by daybreak like a strange, green-horned vampire. Yet, despite how fleeting the interactions were, you couldn’t help but eagerly anticipate his visits, far beyond how a “friend” would. The allure of meeting a polite, mysterious, and most importantly, handsome stranger in the middle of the night was almost too good to be true. It was practically a storyline from a fantastical romance novel. At this point, you were waiting for him to whisk you away and elope in the night, or for him to show up on your doorstep in the rain and propose à la Mr. Darcy.

It probably wouldn’t be too important that your relationship only develops in the dark. Probably. You could make it work. Everyone liked Dracula. Vampires are sexy.

However, after a few months, it became clear that Hornton had become comfortable with your current situation, and if you wanted to take your relationship to the next level, you would have to do so. So, you invited him to the VDC. And he reacted as normally as one would, with an ominous chuckle and a foreboding quip- but accepted, nonetheless. You were ecstatic that night, sleep coming swiftly. This would be the first time you saw him during the day- given he wasn’t actually a vampire, that is.

It was at the ruins of the VDC that you learned his real name: Malleus Draconia. It was spoken in nervous whispers and downturned eyes, a name that carried baggage and power, sending shivers down the spines of those who heard it.

Or to those who understood the weight behind it.

But you, “naïve and ignorant” Prefect of Ramshackle, did not. Instead, that day, you approached him as carefree as you always did, with the same silly nickname. You treated him like an old friend, parting the sea of students with ease, and grabbing his hand like it didn’t have the power to strike you down with lightning like Zeus.

“I’m not afraid of you now that I know your name. You’re the same old ‘Hornton’ to me.”

You figured, since he was so giddy after you said those words, that things would change. But it was as if the Monkey's Paw curled after that conversation. He didn’t stop visiting you- in fact, you saw him more often after officially joining the Gargoyles Studies Club, but he had the same coy and allusive act, as if you didn’t have a heart-to-heart at the VDC. It was like you had moved three steps forward and 100 steps backwards, or being promoted at work, where the reward was more responsibilities and an insignificant pay increase.

Congratulations! You have officially been promoted from graveyard shifts with “Horton” to daytime assistant to Malleus Draconia, Crown Prince of Briar Valley. You are now responsible for accompanying him during club hours and providing adequate enrichment and entertainment for the prince. Did we mention he’s one of the most powerful mages in history, and can burn you to a crisp if you do something he doesn’t like? By the way, you do not qualify for hazard pay, and your salary has only gone up 10 cents an hour.

You supposed there were worse things you could be responsible for, like caring for your insatiable cat, Grim, or reversing overblots, or being at the beck and call of the World’s Worst Headmaster.

…Oh, wait.

If there was one thing you- and your grades- could be grateful for, it was that you could finally sleep at night and not during Trein’s lectures. Truthfully, all those late-night visits were weighing on you, and the lack of sleep was affecting your ability to focus during class. Besides, it was fun to see him during the day. He didn’t sparkle in the sunlight, like a certain vampire-romance novel claimed, but he also didn’t crumble into ash, which you were significantly more thankful for. You didn’t even want to think about what the consequences were for accidentally killing a prince.

But now wasn’t the time to think about the potential death of your friend/crush/vampire-prince, not when you had to study the differences between gargoyles and grotesques (because, sure, functionally you could understand that gargoyles were decorative waterspouts, but trying to identify the differences from so far away was not as easy as it looked!). It would be embarrassing to get it wrong for the third club meeting in a row, and you suspected your ignorance wasn’t endearing anymore.

You were scrolling on your phone at your usual meeting point, technically late, but still the first to arrive. You’d learned the hard way that Malleus’s ineptitude with time meant that “On-time” was unacceptable, “Late” was early, and “Early” was an “oops, I misread the date!” situation. At least you could enjoy the peaceful silence of the campus and a snack -sans Grim. Maybe you could even find a way to impress Malleus at today’s club meeting.

While you were plotting something interesting to say during your walk (“I’m something of a Tamagotchi expert myself,” or “I’ve learned how to make ice cream from scratch, what’s your favorite flavor?”), he appears. Or, more, he begins to appear.

Specks of white and green flutter in front of you, dancing rhythmically like fireflies, signifying Malleus’s arrival. It’s theatrical, beautiful, and always a showstopper. His ability to teleport was intriguing to you- eventually, you’d have to remember to ask him how that worked, and if he could somehow teleport with you in tow- and like so many other things, completely unique to him. Soon, the flickers of light took a familiar shape, and as quickly as they appeared, they were gone, leaving Malleus Draconia in their wake. You’re pleasantly surprised to see that he’s “late” today.

He smiles when he sees you. It’s warm and infectious, and it reaches his eyes in a way you rarely see anymore. You can’t help but match it, and you hope the butterflies in your stomach don’t make your face twist awkwardly.

“Hi, Hornton,” you greet, “Right on time. Are you ready to make our rounds?”

“Yes, I do believe it’s that time,” he affirms, already tilting his head towards the first building on your walk. Feeling a surge of bravery, you offer your arm in a princely manner, waving your other hand and giving a slight bow.

“Then shall we depart, Prince Tsunotaro?”

With a chuckle, Malleus loops his arm in yours, nestling comfortably into your side. It’s a bit awkward, half because of his height, the other because you’ve never been this close before. His touch is electrifying, and you can’t tell if that’s his magic or your nerves.

“We shall, my Child of Man,”

My child of man. It’s your nerves, but he isn’t helping.

--

Your route was long, starting at the entrance of the main building and ending at your dorm. You’ve never minded it; the campus was old, and each building was ornate and picturesque. They each housed their fair share of architectural wonders that were easy to miss with the hectic Night Raven College lifestyle. It was nice to slow down and appreciate your “temporary” home. Malleus had long pointed out every gargoyle on campus. At this point, your walks were more for slowly uncovering his facade than for enjoying the sights.

The walk was pleasant; the weather was transitioning from summer warmth to brisk fall winds, but while bundled in Malleus’s side, you were quite comfortable. Plus, for once, you’ve seemed to catch Malleus in a particularly chatty mood. He had taken to testing your knowledge on gargoyles this session, abruptly stopping your walk to point at a fixture and prompting you to identify what exactly you were looking at.

(“Hm… stop for a moment, Child of Man.” Malleus said, pulling you away from the path with a mischievous grin. You gave him a questioning glance, already feeling weary.

“Tell me, do you believe that a gargoyle, or a grotesque?” he asks, nodding his head towards the statues decorating the Hall of Mirrors. You squint your eyes trying to make out… anything, from this distance. You couldn’t tell if he knew that you couldn’t see the details when the statues were suspended 20ft above you, or if this was a bit of Lilia's cheekiness peeking out from behind his impassive persona.

“Uhhh… It’s a… grotesque?”

He chuckles, and for a second, you got the answer horrifically wrong before he responds again.

“And why do you think so?”

You groan, throwing your head back in playful annoyance. “Is this a test? Because I’m at a significant disadvantage here!” You gesture to yourself and then to the statue with a pout. Malleus only grins, his eyes bright with delight and crinkling in the corners. With a look like that, you can’t stand to leave him hanging.

You sigh dramatically and squint again. “Well… there are no spouts, and it's… tall, not long. So, it looks like- if I could see it- that it would be for decoration, making it a grotesque,” you conclude. He doesn’t respond; just smiles again and leads you back on the path with an affectionate squeeze to your arm.)

So far, you’ve gotten 2/3 right. Not bad, you.

You two had made your way back to Ramshackle before you knew it. Combined with your impromptu tests and idle chatter, the 3-mile walk went by in a flash. You were expecting to break quickly once you got to your dorm, as usual, when Malleus points to one of the structures on Ramshackle.

“Now,” Malleus leans down until his head is level with yours, and he’s so close that your cheeks brush. Your breath hitches, and your heart practically bursts out of your chest. He was so uncharacteristically touchy today. Which, honestly, you didn’t mind, but you would’ve loved a heads-up.

“Can you identify this one?” he asks, watching you intently. His intense stare is almost intimidating. He watches you squint your eyes and unconsciously crane your neck, trying your best to pick apart the characteristics of the architecture. He can probably feel your heart rate spike too, through some magical ability unique to him.

“Well…” you drag the “L” sound, trying your best to look anywhere but him. “It’s a gargoyle.”

“Because?”

“Because Ramshackle is your favorite place to look at gargoyles.”

Malleus stands back at full height, beaming down at you. You’re both relieved and disappointed that he isn’t so close anymore.

“You’re right. Ramshackle is my favorite.”

Now you two stand in front of your dorm, still arm-in-arm, but neither moves to break. This is the furthest forward you’ve gone in your relationship thus far, and you’re not ready to take the inevitable steps backwards. Humans age too quickly to have a slow burn this long!

“…Malleus?” You ask tentatively, braving a look at his profile. You don’t typically use his real name; in fact, you don’t know if you’ve ever used it in conversation with him, but it comes out without thinking. He was admiring the gargoyles decorating the sides of Ramshackle, not moving at the sound of his name. But the air still grows tense, and you know the ball is now in your court.

He responds with your name, a rarity for him as well. “Is everything alright?”

“Do you… are we…can…” You take a breath, trying to decide how to ask this question. “Can we talk about… us?”

“Us?” He finally turns his head to look at you, eyes curious, but calm. Thank God.

“Yeah, us. Like… do you… Do you like me?”

Relief spreads across Malleus’s face, as if you asked him a silly question, and he chuckles. “You’re my favorite, Child of Man,”

You try to ask him again- to clarify that you meant romantically, but he slowly untangles himself from your arms before you can say anything else. You reach out for his hand, fingers brushing against his gloved ones, but you can’t find the courage to fully latch on. You retract your hand as quickly as you reach out, hand flexing at your side. He watches you, big green eyes studying your movements again, and you notice his fingers twitching towards you, like he wants to hold your hand too. Neither of you moves, once again stuck in an emotional stalemate.

“You’re my favorite, too, Malleus,” you practically whisper. You swear you see his whole body twitch, like your words were lightning through him, but the movement is so slight that you’re not so sure. He doesn’t respond right away, and you start to wonder if you even said it at all when he finally nods goodbye to you.

“…Good evening, Child of Man,” he says, eyes locking with yours. His pale skin can’t hide the slight flush on his cheeks, even if he tries to keep up his cool demeanor. And soon, like how he arrived, he dissipates, leaving the green and yellow specks of light in his wake. You smile, admiring the sight until they too, fade away.

This might’ve been the first time in a long time you’ve made actual progress in your relationship with Malleus. Three steps forward, zero steps back; no setbacks required. You didn’t get an answer to your question technically, but you were happy regardless.

You’re his favorite. That’s enough for now.

[chodzacaparodia]

It's frustrating that you can come up with the plot of an entire fic in just a few seconds, but writing it all down can take anywhere from never to forever.

[strawberrygummiess]

i hope now is a good time to mention that i have a few ao3 exclusive works bc i wanted to keep this blog sfw! so if you wanted to see some new fics i’ve got some up there. i even put out a new fic (nsfw be warned) today if you’d like to check it out

nutcracker update coming soon i promise 🤞🏽

[strawberrygummiess]

orlando in love.

silver (twst) x gender-neutral! reader 1.7k words cross-posted on ao3 "Despite your closeness to his Lord, your paths rarely crossed. Silver would hear affectionate stories of “my dear child of man” from Malleus, reluctant fondness from Sebek, and even the occasional doting comment from his father. You had touched the hearts of the Diasomnia dorm while never speaking to him."

Silver heard of you before he knew you.

You were like a myth on campus: whispers of a mysterious, otherworldly freshman who lived solitarily in the abandoned, haunted dorm. You- a magicless human (always joined by a beast who did possess the affinity for magic) enrolled in a magic school- were always present for the increasing number of overblots. It didn’t help that most of your friendships were with powerful students. Royalty, celebrities, affluent heirs, crime-boss-wannabes; all the most renowned and infamous students at Night Raven College were in your inner circle. And maybe, the most peculiar of all, you were friends with Malleus.

No pity, fear, or social climbing- just a genuine desire to bond with him.

You were bound to be the talk of campus. It was surprising that people didn’t talk about you more.

Despite your closeness to his Lord, your paths rarely crossed. Silver would hear affectionate stories of “my dear child of man” from Malleus, reluctant fondness from Sebek, and even the occasional doting comment from his father. You had touched the hearts of the Diasomnia dorm while never speaking to him. And although never having met you, Silver found himself already liking you.

It didn’t bother him initially. You were a first-year, he was a second-year. You weren’t in the same clubs. He kept a low profile; you were a social butterfly. It made sense why he hadn’t met you. Eventually, though, he found himself longing to meet the one who changed the lives of the most important people in his.

Maybe, if he was lucky, your schedules would align.

--

It wasn’t uncommon for Silver to nap outside. Although it wasn’t intentional, it was one of the better places to be, the warm sun heating his face, and the fauna shielding him from the unsavory dangers of nature. Despite the occasional bug crawling in unpleasant areas, falling asleep outside would always bode better than falling asleep during Trein’s lectures- saving him from the consequence of chastising from his classmates and his professor alike.

Lunch hour was a dangerous time for Silver. It always came with the risk of accidentally missing class if he fell asleep. Usually, he made sure to join his father and Sebek during lunch hour to avoid this. But when both of them had prior arrangements, he knew he’d have to try his best to keep himself awake. A challenge he typically failed.

So here he was, sitting in a secluded area of the courtyard. He was leaning against a tree, the sun shining brightly across his face. It was so bright, it should’ve kept him bright-eyed and focused for his next class. But alas, without realizing it, Silver’s eyes drifted closed, and he snored quietly in his lonesome corner.

“Hello,” the “o” is dragged out, melodic and playful. Your voice gently lulls him from his sleep, and he feels an unfamiliar grogginess creeping through his body. “There are better places to take a nap than on the ground, you know,” You said, poking Silver’s cheek. You almost gasped when his eyes opened, brilliant periwinkle, shining at you like stars. You try to chase away the flustered feeling in your chest with a wide grin, kneeling closer to him.

Silver shuffles his body, sitting up while you get closer to him. Despite your playful comment, you don’t intend to let him move from his spot, opting instead to join him on the ground. And despite not having seen you before, he knows you. The legend, real in front of him, tangible and visible at last, smiling at him like he was an old friend.

He understood then, why you were so loved.

“I’m so glad Grim irritated me today- funny thing to say, I know- but I wouldn’t have seen you otherwise,” you say, lying down in the grass. “I’ve been meaning to meet you, Silver.” You shift your head to face him, finding a comfortable position. “Everyone talks so highly of you, I needed to confirm you were the real deal,”

Oh. You wanted to meet him. You wanted to meet him.

“Is that so? I can’t imagine I’m that interesting,” he deflected.

“On the contrary. I’m very interested in you,” you say adamantly. “The mythical Silver, valiant and loyal knight of the Malleus Draconia. I had to meet the legend himself.”

(He almost laughed at your words. What a coincidence; thinking of each other so similarly.)

Despite his silence, you continue to smile up at him, eyes gleaming with fondness. The rumors were true; he was gorgeous. Striking silver hair and the most beautiful eyes you had ever seen. He was almost like a siren, so beautiful it was almost unnatural. You would be happy to sit and stare at him forever, happy to bless your eyes with something other than coursework and Grim.

“I see,” he says, after a beat of silence. “I hate to disappoint you though, Prefect. I’m afraid I’m just a regular knight and student. You’ve already met the legend, My Lord.”

Your grin grows impossibly wide. “And humble too! You are the real deal,” you begin to stand up, dusting off your uniform pants.

“Let’s get lunch together soon. I need to know if your personality is as princely as your face,”

--

Silver replays your first encounter a lot.

He likes to tell himself it's not purposeful. Most of the time, he thinks about it before he falls asleep. Your smile, your face gleaming in the sun, your soft hands poking his face, your pretty voice and laugh ringing in the air; the memory cradles him like a mother lulling him to slumber- far more often than he’d like.

You made good on your promise, finding him more often and spending your free time with him. It became a habit; meeting with him weekly for lunch and enjoying the sun together. You usually led the conversation, filling him in on school gossip and stories of your freshmen friends (Grim was quite the troublemaker, and he made a mental note to keep him far away from Malleus) while he fought to maintain consciousness.

You were practically a saint, maintaining patience even when he fell asleep while you spoke. He always felt terrible, but every time you soothed his doubts, continuing your story from where he last remembered like nothing happened.

Your kindness rivaled that of the Princess of yore, with her fondness of the Queen of Briar Valley. It was a refreshing feeling, so unusual among the normal behavior of Night Raven students. Even among the nicer students, you were a breath of fresh air- you held a sincerity akin to a Royal Sword student.

Thus, it was only natural that he began to look forward to your weekly visits. At first, Silver tried to deny it- he was doing his job as a knight by making sure you were truly safe for Malleus to be around of course- but deep in his heart he knew it was futile.

He was truly smitten from the first moment he met you.

So, while he was technically awake, he wasn’t listening to you while you chattered on about your day, complaining about Grim yet again. Instead, he was staring at you, taking in your face, your voice, just you. You were definitely worthy of Malleus’s attention. Probably above Silver’s company. And yet, here you were, donating your time like a charitable aristocrat.

“Hey, have you learned to sleep with your eyes open, Silver?” you joke, waving your hand in front of his face. He blinks, eyes focusing again once he realizes you’re calling to him.

“My apologies, Prefect, I lost focus for a moment,” he said, hoping you didn’t notice the embarrassment in his voice. “Please continue,”

You smile at him, tilting your head at him like a puppy. Usually, you’d continue like nothing happened, but now you were staring straight into him as if you were trying to read his mind.

“Yeesh- “you blink rapidly, scrunching your face in an exaggerated show of pain. “You win the staring contest. Something on your mind?”

He thinks about telling you. Telling you that you occupy his conversations, his thoughts, his dreams. Telling you that you’re distracting him from what matters most. Telling you that he’s stealing you away from the person who deserves you more than him. That maybe, even if he didn’t want to, it was best you two broke this off, for his Lord’s sake.

And he opens his mouth to do so, because Malleus comes first, of course (“Maybe you’re loyal to a fault,” your voice rings in his head. Silver ignores it) even if he doesn’t want to.

But, as if the Great Seven were looking down on him, Grim- your mischievous, troublesome, beast- crashes into your lap, howling for help.

“Henchhuman! I’m in big trouble! Save me!” He whines, burrowing further into your lap much to your annoyance. You scoop him up with a big sigh, pulling yourself up and stuffing the remnants of your lunch into your bag.

“I’m sorry Silver, raincheck?” you ask, scrambling to hold a frantic Grim and gather your belongings. Snapping out of his reverie, Silver moves to help you, slipping the bag on your shoulder with ease while you soothe the beast in your arms.

“Yes, of course, Prefect,” No! “Shall we meet here again next week?” Wrong answer!

You grin brightly moving closer to him. Silver fights the instinct to reach for his pen, reminding himself that you are not his sparring partner. Instead, once you’re parallel to him, you press your lips to his cheek. The cheek you poked weeks ago. Your lips are even softer than your hands. And in that moment, he feels himself short-circuit, fingers twitching over his pen while he tries to understand what happened.

It’s not until Grim squirms again, complaining of “feeling squished!” that you move away from him, your eyes gleaming with mischief. “It’s a date,” you confirm with a nod, walking off.

He’d have to thank Grim for all his trouble. It truly came in handy this time.

[strawberrygummiess]

orlando in love.

silver (twst) x gender-neutral! reader 1.7k words cross-posted on ao3 "Despite your closeness to his Lord, your paths rarely crossed. Silver would hear affectionate stories of “my dear child of man” from Malleus, reluctant fondness from Sebek, and even the occasional doting comment from his father. You had touched the hearts of the Diasomnia dorm while never speaking to him."

Silver heard of you before he knew you.

You were like a myth on campus: whispers of a mysterious, otherworldly freshman who lived solitarily in the abandoned, haunted dorm. You- a magicless human (always joined by a beast who did possess the affinity for magic) enrolled in a magic school- were always present for the increasing number of overblots. It didn’t help that most of your friendships were with powerful students. Royalty, celebrities, affluent heirs, crime-boss-wannabes; all the most renowned and infamous students at Night Raven College were in your inner circle. And maybe, the most peculiar of all, you were friends with Malleus.

No pity, fear, or social climbing- just a genuine desire to bond with him.

You were bound to be the talk of campus. It was surprising that people didn’t talk about you more.

Despite your closeness to his Lord, your paths rarely crossed. Silver would hear affectionate stories of “my dear child of man” from Malleus, reluctant fondness from Sebek, and even the occasional doting comment from his father. You had touched the hearts of the Diasomnia dorm while never speaking to him. And although never having met you, Silver found himself already liking you.

It didn’t bother him initially. You were a first-year, he was a second-year. You weren’t in the same clubs. He kept a low profile; you were a social butterfly. It made sense why he hadn’t met you. Eventually, though, he found himself longing to meet the one who changed the lives of the most important people in his.

Maybe, if he was lucky, your schedules would align.

--

It wasn’t uncommon for Silver to nap outside. Although it wasn’t intentional, it was one of the better places to be, the warm sun heating his face, and the fauna shielding him from the unsavory dangers of nature. Despite the occasional bug crawling in unpleasant areas, falling asleep outside would always bode better than falling asleep during Trein’s lectures- saving him from the consequence of chastising from his classmates and his professor alike.

Lunch hour was a dangerous time for Silver. It always came with the risk of accidentally missing class if he fell asleep. Usually, he made sure to join his father and Sebek during lunch hour to avoid this. But when both of them had prior arrangements, he knew he’d have to try his best to keep himself awake. A challenge he typically failed.

So here he was, sitting in a secluded area of the courtyard. He was leaning against a tree, the sun shining brightly across his face. It was so bright, it should’ve kept him bright-eyed and focused for his next class. But alas, without realizing it, Silver’s eyes drifted closed, and he snored quietly in his lonesome corner.

“Hello,” the “o” is dragged out, melodic and playful. Your voice gently lulls him from his sleep, and he feels an unfamiliar grogginess creeping through his body. “There are better places to take a nap than on the ground, you know,” You said, poking Silver’s cheek. You almost gasped when his eyes opened, brilliant periwinkle, shining at you like stars. You try to chase away the flustered feeling in your chest with a wide grin, kneeling closer to him.

Silver shuffles his body, sitting up while you get closer to him. Despite your playful comment, you don’t intend to let him move from his spot, opting instead to join him on the ground. And despite not having seen you before, he knows you. The legend, real in front of him, tangible and visible at last, smiling at him like he was an old friend.

He understood then, why you were so loved.

“I’m so glad Grim irritated me today- funny thing to say, I know- but I wouldn’t have seen you otherwise,” you say, lying down in the grass. “I’ve been meaning to meet you, Silver.” You shift your head to face him, finding a comfortable position. “Everyone talks so highly of you, I needed to confirm you were the real deal,”

Oh. You wanted to meet him. You wanted to meet him.

“Is that so? I can’t imagine I’m that interesting,” he deflected.

“On the contrary. I’m very interested in you,” you say adamantly. “The mythical Silver, valiant and loyal knight of the Malleus Draconia. I had to meet the legend himself.”

(He almost laughed at your words. What a coincidence; thinking of each other so similarly.)

Despite his silence, you continue to smile up at him, eyes gleaming with fondness. The rumors were true; he was gorgeous. Striking silver hair and the most beautiful eyes you had ever seen. He was almost like a siren, so beautiful it was almost unnatural. You would be happy to sit and stare at him forever, happy to bless your eyes with something other than coursework and Grim.

“I see,” he says, after a beat of silence. “I hate to disappoint you though, Prefect. I’m afraid I’m just a regular knight and student. You’ve already met the legend, My Lord.”

Your grin grows impossibly wide. “And humble too! You are the real deal,” you begin to stand up, dusting off your uniform pants.

“Let’s get lunch together soon. I need to know if your personality is as princely as your face,”

--

Silver replays your first encounter a lot.

He likes to tell himself it's not purposeful. Most of the time, he thinks about it before he falls asleep. Your smile, your face gleaming in the sun, your soft hands poking his face, your pretty voice and laugh ringing in the air; the memory cradles him like a mother lulling him to slumber- far more often than he’d like.

You made good on your promise, finding him more often and spending your free time with him. It became a habit; meeting with him weekly for lunch and enjoying the sun together. You usually led the conversation, filling him in on school gossip and stories of your freshmen friends (Grim was quite the troublemaker, and he made a mental note to keep him far away from Malleus) while he fought to maintain consciousness.

You were practically a saint, maintaining patience even when he fell asleep while you spoke. He always felt terrible, but every time you soothed his doubts, continuing your story from where he last remembered like nothing happened.

Your kindness rivaled that of the Princess of yore, with her fondness of the Queen of Briar Valley. It was a refreshing feeling, so unusual among the normal behavior of Night Raven students. Even among the nicer students, you were a breath of fresh air- you held a sincerity akin to a Royal Sword student.

Thus, it was only natural that he began to look forward to your weekly visits. At first, Silver tried to deny it- he was doing his job as a knight by making sure you were truly safe for Malleus to be around of course- but deep in his heart he knew it was futile.

He was truly smitten from the first moment he met you.

So, while he was technically awake, he wasn’t listening to you while you chattered on about your day, complaining about Grim yet again. Instead, he was staring at you, taking in your face, your voice, just you. You were definitely worthy of Malleus’s attention. Probably above Silver’s company. And yet, here you were, donating your time like a charitable aristocrat.

“Hey, have you learned to sleep with your eyes open, Silver?” you joke, waving your hand in front of his face. He blinks, eyes focusing again once he realizes you’re calling to him.

“My apologies, Prefect, I lost focus for a moment,” he said, hoping you didn’t notice the embarrassment in his voice. “Please continue,”

You smile at him, tilting your head at him like a puppy. Usually, you’d continue like nothing happened, but now you were staring straight into him as if you were trying to read his mind.

“Yeesh- “you blink rapidly, scrunching your face in an exaggerated show of pain. “You win the staring contest. Something on your mind?”

He thinks about telling you. Telling you that you occupy his conversations, his thoughts, his dreams. Telling you that you’re distracting him from what matters most. Telling you that he’s stealing you away from the person who deserves you more than him. That maybe, even if he didn’t want to, it was best you two broke this off, for his Lord’s sake.

And he opens his mouth to do so, because Malleus comes first, of course (“Maybe you’re loyal to a fault,” your voice rings in his head. Silver ignores it) even if he doesn’t want to.

But, as if the Great Seven were looking down on him, Grim- your mischievous, troublesome, beast- crashes into your lap, howling for help.

“Henchhuman! I’m in big trouble! Save me!” He whines, burrowing further into your lap much to your annoyance. You scoop him up with a big sigh, pulling yourself up and stuffing the remnants of your lunch into your bag.

“I’m sorry Silver, raincheck?” you ask, scrambling to hold a frantic Grim and gather your belongings. Snapping out of his reverie, Silver moves to help you, slipping the bag on your shoulder with ease while you soothe the beast in your arms.

“Yes, of course, Prefect,” No! “Shall we meet here again next week?” Wrong answer!

You grin brightly moving closer to him. Silver fights the instinct to reach for his pen, reminding himself that you are not his sparring partner. Instead, once you’re parallel to him, you press your lips to his cheek. The cheek you poked weeks ago. Your lips are even softer than your hands. And in that moment, he feels himself short-circuit, fingers twitching over his pen while he tries to understand what happened.

It’s not until Grim squirms again, complaining of “feeling squished!” that you move away from him, your eyes gleaming with mischief. “It’s a date,” you confirm with a nod, walking off.

He’d have to thank Grim for all his trouble. It truly came in handy this time.

[strawberrygummiess]

the new japanese breakfast song “orlando in love” will absolutely influence a future fic, btw

[strawberrygummiess]

happy new year everyone! i wasn’t writing for very long in 2024, but thank you for all the support regardless 🫶🏽 i plan to write plenty more in 2025, i love playing dolls with these characters lol

cheers to 2025, and to finishing that damn nutcracker fic 🥂

[strawberrygummiess]

the nutcracker.

chapter 3 | chapter 4: march of the marzipan militia nutcracker x reader staff & reader che'nya x reader 2.3k words cross-posted on ao3 "He continues to talk, but you’ve stopped listening. Surely, he was exaggerating. A millennium? A thousand years? And you were still searching for them? There was no way the only solution to the Rat King was a fairytale. You would simply get Grim back yourself, Sugar Plum Fairy be damned."

The walk to Confiserie is quiet.

It wasn’t for a lack of trying. You’d think that after your near-death experience, you could wrangle answers out of your Nutcracker friend. In the forest, when he held you tight to his chest and looked at you with such a look in his eyes, you figured you had made some progress in getting closer to him (albeit, with minimal effort on your end, but if you were so effortlessly charming than you would use it to your advantage). But once again, when you try to pry information out of him, he smiles and shakes his head, ignoring your badgering to continue walking.

At this point, you admit defeat. Maybe everyone from this mirror world is a strange creature, and you’re only offending him with your pestering. You had yet to meet another human since the rat attack, and based on everything that happened since then, you wouldn’t be surprised if they were far and few between.

You do consider it progress that he acknowledges you now, even if he quickly changes the subject. However, even if he won’t answer your questions about the land, or himself, you are set on finding something else to call him.

“What is your name? Or what can I call you besides Nutcracker?” you ask, looking down at your feet when you hear the clicks of your shoes. Slowly, the snow on the ground has given away to a worn stone path, signaling that you’ve finally left the snowy forest. The ground looks completely untouched by the winter air, the grass is bright green and healthy and the trees bushy and full. The view of the field is beautiful, and you gape in awe at the serenity of the walk.

“You’re very adamant on finding this out,” he says, shocking you out of your reverie. He says, continuing to look forward. You frown, increasing your speed until you move before him, stopping him.

“I will stop asking you personal questions if you tell me your name,”

He stares at you for a second, debating. For a second, you think you might’ve won him over, watching as he opens his mouth to answer you before he frowns, grabs your arm, and pulls you behind him, drawing his sword with the other.

“Who goes there?” he shouts, his grip still tight on your wrist. If the wood of his hand weren’t bruising the skin, it would be a comforting gesture. Instead, you wince in pain, trying to stay quiet.

You cower behind your Nutcracker, peering over his shoulder to see what spooked him. You hadn’t heard anything, and when you looked around him, you couldn’t see anything either. Rook would be ashamed of your subpar hunter instincts.

“What is it?” you whisper, standing on your tippy toes to whisper in his wooden ear. The Nutcracker doesn’t respond, continuing to point his sword ahead. If you squint, you can see the town center up ahead. Otherwise, all you can see are abandoned cottages and empty fields. The outskirts of the town were practically deserted, and you couldn’t help the eerie feeling rising through your chest.

It was a complete ghost town. Paired with the beautiful scenery, it looked more like a painting than a real town.

“It really is I, who should be asking you, ‘Who goes there?’”

The voice is so quiet, it sounds like a whisper in your ear. But when you turn, there is no one beside you. A giggle fills the air, ringing out like a horn, yet no one is around you or the Nutcracker.

“Show yourself!”

“We mean no harm!” You cry, putting your hand over the Nutcracker’s, urging him to lower his sword. “We just want to find the Sugar Plum Fairy.”

The voice laughs again. “A figure more elusive than I. You sure do have your work cut out for you,” You move around the Nutcracker, looking for the source of the voice, trying to find your way closer. Your Nutcracker reaches out for you, urging you to stay beside him, but you continue to search.

And then, out of thin air, pops a boy.

“Oh!” You cry, stumbling backwards. It’s not a full body, but just his head. He peers at you with a cat-like grin, purple locks blending in with his violet military beret. Where an insignia would be, is instead a sugar-coated sugar plum.

“Do you serve the Sugar Plum Fairy? Do you know where they are?” you ask pointing to the candy on his hat.

“We Marzipan serve all who need us,” he says, head bobbing between you and the Nutcracker. “Although we've been stretched awfully thin these days, due to the Rat King,” He sighs. You feel a weight on your back pushing you forward, realizing he’d languidly leaned on you for support. By now you can see his whole body, violet military uniform coming into view. He pokes your nose and giggles again.

“We’ve been stuck recruiting from all over the lands. Candy Canes from the north, Chocolates from the west, Coffee from the south,” he begins listing many different regions. You glance at the Nutcracker, hoping for some sort of clarity, but he glances at you with an equally bewildered look.

Weird meet weirder.

“So… help me understand a little bit,” you say, turning your head to look at the boy on your shoulder. He looked no older than a teenager yet was dressed up to fight in a war. You tried to ignore the pang in your chest at the thought. “You’re a part of a Marzipan Military- “

“-militia,”

“-Right, and you’re fighting the Rat King… and I’m guessing you don’t know where the Sugar Plum Fairy is.” You summarize, shifting your shoulder to get his head to lie comfortably. He takes the bait, practically purring as he stretches his neck into yours, relaxing.

“My, you’re smarter than you look, little human. No one’s heard from Sugar Plum in a millennium, it's unsurprising that in our time of need, they’re nowhere to be found. Our own Royal family though- “

He continues to talk, but you’ve stopped listening. Surely, he was exaggerating. A millennium? A thousand years? And you were still searching for them? There was no way the only solution to the Rat King was a fairytale. You would simply get Grim back yourself, Sugar Plum Fairy be damned.

“Your General, you say? Take us to him, won’t you?” The Nutcracker says, knocking you back into the present. The boy on your shoulder sighs, before pushing himself off your back, standing straight.

“Oh no, not I. I must remain at my post, but go on ahead- you’ll find him eventually,” he giggles, and just as he appears, he fades away, until nothing is left but his Cheshire smile.

You’re left stunned and turn to your Nutcracker, who tsks in irritation, before continuing to walk toward the town center.

--

Just like the outskirts of the village, Confiserie Town Center is barren. Shops are barricaded and boarded up, looking abandoned. The whole town seems completely deserted.

“Hello?” you cry out, much to the chagrin of your Nutcracker. “Is anyone here? We met your… uh… lookout!” You move through the town center, yelling at anyone who could hear you.

“Are you mad?” The Nutcracker cries, grabbing your arm. “Who knows what’s out here? You’re inviting anything out to attack you!” He chastises you, pulling you behind him, grip tight. You roll your eyes, annoyed with the knightly act by now.

“The Marzipan are fighting the Rat King. Clearly, they’re our allies. We might think to have their help against the Rat King instead of the Sugar Plum Fairy,”

“Preposterous!” A voice cries from the Town Hall. Scrambling out from behind boarded doors is a tall man with a shako hat, strangely bright yellow. In the center was a sugared lemon, matching his uniform. “There is no army in the world that can beat the Rat King, especially a hodgepodge militia!”

He scrambles over, and standing at full height, you’re surprised when he towers above you. He peers down at you, almost like a curious bird, tilting his head back and forth. “You are searching for the Sugar Plum Fairy? You dare brave our dangerous lands? How brave you are, how courageous!” He grins, grabbing your face and squishing your cheeks together.

“Are you the General of the Militia?” The Nutcracker asks, moving between you and the birdman. You’re thankful to be freed from the strong man, rubbing your sore cheeks. Everyone from this world has such a strong grip!

“Yes, yes, I so generously lent my expertise for a failure of a militia, and yet we lack manpower and support. It is quite sad indeed, is it not, my wooden lad?” The birdman says, bringing his hands to his head in shame. “How am I to fight a real army with a plethora of silly children and old men, I ask? If you’re set on finding Sugar Plum you must, oh yes, you must!”

You move to stand next to the Nutcracker, pouting. He gives you a smug look as if to say “See; we must find the Sugar Plum Fairy like I said,” glancing at the Birdman while he had his miniature tantrum.

“Excuse me!” you interrupt, waving your hands in his face. “We know the Sugar Plum Fairy hasn’t been seen in quite some time, but do you happen to know where we could begin to look for them? We need their help to defeat the Rat King, and free my friend.”

The Birdman stops for a second, rubbing his chin with his fingers. He mumbles a series of “no… no… maybe… yes, that’s it!” before snapping his fingers in excitement.

“Peach! Pear! Prune! Plum! I need your assistance!” he practically sings, cupping his hands around his mouth to announce his call.

From the boarded-up building, four men emerge. One is very old, much too old to be a part of any militia. The next is so skinny, you’d think he’s too malnourished to serve any use. The next man is incredibly muscular, large, and boisterous, with a shining smile. The last man is almost model-like, too pretty to be a part of any military.

“Quite a rag-tag group, is it not?” The Nutcracker whispers in your ear. You giggle and nod.

“Lads! These two brave souls are searching for the Sugar Plum Fairy. In my generosity, I’ve allowed them to confer with my intelligence team. Aren’t I so merciful!’

“Maybe so, if we had any information to pass on,” the older man, Prune, quips. “Alas, as you may know, the Sugar Plum Fairy hasn’t been seen in quite some time,”

“Yes sir,” you nod. “But we must! My friend was taken captive by the Rat King. I have to save him, and we can’t do that without their help!”

Prune hums, shaking his head. The muscular and the pretty man mumble to themselves, also seeming stumped by your predicament. The skinny man laughs, grasping you and the Nutcracker in his arms.

“All is not lost, Little Sweets! I may know a way to help you in your quest.” He says, leaning close between your faces. “The Sugar Plum may be elusive, but their magic can be called upon!” He releases your shoulders and fishes through his jacket pockets, pulling out a small sack.

“Sugar Plum is the guardian of the Land of Sweets. Legend states that they can be summoned only by gathering magic from every inch of the land and chanting the spell of Noel. And, luckily for you, Little Sweets, we’ve gathered many of the Lands’ people right here.” He gives you an impish grin. “You find the other soldiers, ask them for a little bit of… ah- pixie dust and you’ll be ready to summon Sugar Plum in no time,”

The Nutcracker outstretches his hand and Peach places the bag in his hand. “As a start, I’ve provided you the magic of the Marzipan. For free, of course, so long as you use your newfound knowledge for good. Help us defeat the Rat King and we’ll be indebted to you.”

“Thank you, thank you so much!” You cry, grasping his hands. “We will. I promise.”

“We will restore order and hope to these lands and release you from your duties. Soon the Marzipan may return to their ordinary lives,” The Nutcracker says, giving a slight, princely bow. “For now, if you may- point us toward your barracks. We must converse with the rest of the soldiers.”

The Lemon-General/Birdman directs you toward the barracks while chanting about his generosity and benevolence which fills you with a deep sense of Deja vu. The Nutcracker chimes in with polite remarks, nodding and agreeing while sending you occasional incredulous glances.

You were happy to see his sense of humor coming out after a while. You hadn’t learned his name yet, but maybe you could make a nickname for him. Nut? Nutty? Cracker? Scratch that- all of those were horrible! Maybe you were losing your touch. Or maybe you could spice it up somehow. How would Rook say it? Casse-noix? You could shorten it to just Noix, and he’d be none the wiser to his nickname just being “nut”.  

When you begin giggling to yourself, Noix shoots you a questioning look. You smile at him, tilting your head as you inspect him. The classy red uniform (much nicer than the rest of the colorful military uniforms you have seen thus far) matches his gray hair quite nicely. Despite being made of wood, he was quite handsome. Noix definitely suited him.

With a newfound hope, you follow the Lemon General and Noix, ready to gather some magic.

[strawberrygummiess]

i have been as sick as a dog for the last few days, i'm sorry everyone ;-: next chapter will be out overnight i'm sure

[strawberrygummiess]

just a heads up- i tried to get a chapter out before my trip but i just ran out of time- i’ll be out of town until the 21st🫶🏽 when i get back it’ll have to be a chapter everyday (or double features) to be done by christmas uh oh

see yall then! logging off for now

[strawberrygummiess]

i am back from my mini vacation! new chapter tonight 🫶🏽

[strawberrygummiess]

just a heads up- i tried to get a chapter out before my trip but i just ran out of time- i’ll be out of town until the 21st🫶🏽 when i get back it’ll have to be a chapter everyday (or double features) to be done by christmas uh oh

see yall then! logging off for now

[strawberrygummiess]

Do you have a visual for the nutcracker? Not to spoil who he is but like does he look more like the traditional wooden kind with tufts of hair? Or more like the in nutcracker prince 1990?

Hi anon! In the first chapter, I tried to describe the Nutcracker as the most stereotypical one you could buy in the store, lol.

like these:

to keep the identity of the Nutcracker a secret, I wanted him to look like the gift the reader got in the first chapter, just life-sized lol.

but I neglected to describe him in the recent chapters, so that's my bad! I'll be sure to add more descriptions in the upcoming chapter to avoid any further confusion!

thanks for reading! and thanks for asking lol!

[strawberrygummiess]

I 💗 the nutcracker story 🤧

Did not expect Rollo as the rat king but he’s a good fit!

Thank you for sharing your writing ❤️🙏

aw thank you so much anon <3 it means a lot to hear that people are enjoying this story so much haha

just for you, here's chapter 3

[strawberrygummiess]

the nutcracker.

chpt. 2 | chapter 3: waltz of the snowflakes the nutcracker x reader heartslabyul x reader 2.6k words cross-posted on ao3 "You cup your hands around your mouth and puff hot air into them. You notice the bed of your fingernails are turning purple. “What gives? It wasn’t cold when we got here!” “Hmm…” He looks around. “The Pixies must know we’re here now. They’re welcoming us with fresh snow for winter.” On cue, it begins to snow. It starts light, a few snowflakes landing delicately on your nose. The snow made the forest glow beautifully, snowflakes shining like stars in the blue light. If you weren’t so cold, you would fall back into the pillowy ground and soak up the snow. Instead, you shivered in The Nutcracker's grasp, watching the landscape dramatically change. "

You didn’t know what to expect after you crossed through the mirror.

Truthfully you didn’t think you would go through the mirror at all. You figured you’d push your hands into the solid glass and wake up from this strange dream. And yet when you pressed your hand against the glass, your fingers slowly inched forward, moving through like water. And then, when you brought your whole body through, you were in a completely different world. Gone was your room in Ramshackle. Now you stood in ankle-deep snow surrounded by trees that almost shone blue in the light.

Despite standing in the snow, you didn’t feel cold. You were still in your pajamas, (and you had quickly thrown on a pair of real shoes before leaving.) but even in a weather-inappropriate outfit, no chill or ice fills the air, feeling more like a spring day.

You walked alongside the Nutcracker, sneaking glances at his profile. His gaze was focused and determined, as it was during the mouse battle. He moved robotically, one side lifting awkwardly when he took a step. It looked unnatural for him to walk, and you couldn’t decide if it was because he just came alive, or if he was trapped in a nutcracker’s body.

You didn’t even know his name. The last time you asked, he avoided the question. And based on his quiet demeanor, he would never tell you of his own volition. Conversation starters flew through your mind: “So, you never answered me earlier- who are you?”; “Why does everyone here look vaguely familiar?”; “Has this place always been in my mirror? Do you happen to know a nice mouse named Mickey?” You sigh, shaking your head defeatedly. None of these questions would warrant a satisfying answer from him- he’d shut down as soon as you pried too much for his liking. You were no closer to understanding him, or the land he was taking you through.

While you were walking, the weather began to shift. Slowly the air got cooler until you were shivering and watching your breath puff out before you. The snow got tougher to move through, the ice melting through your shoes and soaking your feet uncomfortably.

“Why did it get so cold suddenly?” you huff, clutching and rubbing your arms. You’re regretting not bringing a coat with you. You sniffled miserably, nose running and dribbling due to the wind.

You glanced at the Nutcracker. Besides his awkward gait, he seemed to pay no mind to the sudden freezing temperature, wooden eyes still cast forward. If he heard you, he made no indication that he did, ignoring your question to trek forward. You purse your lips, annoyed. Maybe he didn’t want to answer personal questions, but writing you off completely was irritating.

“Hey,” you prompted, touching his arm. Despite the frigid air, the wood was still warm. You let your hand linger on his shoulder, indulging in the small bit of warmth in the freezing forest. “I don’t know if I can keep moving through this, I don’t have the right clothes, and it's freezing,”

The Nutcracker turns his head towards you, eyes cast downwards at your hand on his shoulder. He hesitates for a second, as if not expecting you to touch him before he finally looks at your face.

You must be in worse shape than you thought because his eyes widen in shock at the state of you. For all you know, you’ve turned into a walking icicle.

“Your lips are blue. Are they supposed to do that?” The Nutcracker moves your hand from his arm and cradles you into his chest, attempting to warm you up like he already knows the answer. The wood is slowly getting colder, but you greedily take whatever warmth is left, pressing your cheek into his chest.

“No!” You cry cupping your hands around your mouth and puffing hot air into them. You notice the bed of your fingernails are turning purple. “What gives? It wasn’t cold when we got here!”

“Hmm…” He looks around. “The Pixies must know we’re here now. They’re welcoming us with fresh snow for winter.”

On cue, it begins to snow. It starts light, a few snowflakes landing delicately on your nose. The snow made the forest glow beautifully, snowflakes shining like stars in the blue light. If you weren’t so cold, you would fall back into the pillowy ground and soak up the snow. Instead, you shivered in The Nutcracker's grasp, watching the landscape dramatically change.

“The Pixies…?” you ask, watching the trees as the branches frost at the tips. It looked like dew; crystal clear drips gracing each branch. Most of the trees in the forest were bare, leaves long dead due to the winter air, but the ice acted like fresh leaves, weighing the branches down until they bowed to the ground.

“The Snow Pixies to be exact… they’ll go dormant once winter ends, but until then…” The Nutcracker looks up, extending an arm into the sky as if inviting snowflakes into his hand.

After a second, he brings his arm down to your eye level. In his hand, is a little blue pixie.

“Oh!” you gasp in shock. A boy, as tall as the Nutcracker’s hand, beamed at you, a lazy glint in his eye. He was multiple shades of blue: his skin was almost white, a tinted sky blue that contrasted against his royal blue hair. Under his right eye was a snowflake tattoo, a deep warm blue that popped against his skin.

That definitely felt familiar.

“Hello there,” you greet, leaning in closer. He flutters his wings at you, giving you a boyish grin as he flutters up from the Nutcracker’s hand to get even closer to your face. “Are you the one making it so cold?”

His laugh rings out clearly; little jingles like a bell, as he presses a hand against your nose. He’s so cold he burns, and the action shocks another gasp from your lips. He laughs again and presses his face into your cheek, and to your surprise, it’s much warmer than his hand. His kisses shock your skin, the switch from frigid to scalding, and you huff again.

“If you are, I don’t appreciate it. I nearly froze to death out here,”

The pixie jingles again, pressing a hand to your face as a warning, before pressing apology kisses above your brow. Eventually, once he’s done one side of your face, he pulls back and sighs dramatically, draping his body on your shoulder in exhaustion.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” you move him to your hand (noticeably smaller than the Nutcracker’s) and bring him up to your ear. “Are you tired?”

“Very!” He squeaks. You grin excitedly, happy to be able to hear him. “You’re huge!”

 You frown. Maybe his silence was a blessing.

“Could you help me? We’re trying to find the Sugar Plum Fairy, but I can’t find them if I freeze out here. Could you call your friends to help warm me up?” You ask, already feeling the chill return to the left side of your face.

“Ugh, actually,” he says sheepishly. “I’m not on good terms with my liege, currently. Don’t know how open he is to helping visitors right now,” he laughs again, bells ringing in your ears. “You might be all out of luck little human,”

The Nutcracker grabs the pixie quickly, lifting him by the wings in his wooden hand. “That will not do. Call upon any Snow Pixie you can find and tell them I sent for them.” He lectures.

They converse for a second, the pixie ringing in disagreement before finally fluttering off in a huff, leaving a trail of blue snowflakes lingering in the air. You don’t know how the Nutcracker could hear him- especially with wooden ears. You attribute it to his affinity for magic. Either way, you are left in the cold again with your Nutcracker.

“Is he getting help?” You ask, looking up at him. He nods, watching the pixie until his glow fades into the distance. “Good… I hope he comes back soon,”

--

You don’t know how long you were left alone in the snow. You’re shivering again, leaning into the Nutcracker, desperate for warmth. He holds you princess-style, lifting your feet from the snow to keep them dry. You feel weak, eyes struggling to stay open as your body succumbs to the winter chill.

“So much for a welcome,” you mumble—the Nutcracker hums in agreement, pulling you tightly to his chest. “It’s more like a farewell,”

“Silence that talk at once,” The Nutcracker hisses. “You must stay alive for your cat,”

You sigh pitifully. Grim. Of course. You have to find Grim. You have to go home. But you’re so cold. And so tired. You could close your eyes- for just a second, and take a small nap before the pixies return.

Little jingles make you drowsily open your eyes. The little pixie boy is back, fluttering around your face, saying something you can’t understand. He says something else, but you shake your head.

“I can’t hear you when you’re that far away. Come closer to my ear,” your hands shake as you point to the side of your head. You hear the fluttering of his wings when he gets closer, and the tickle of his body as he settles on the side of your head, leaning over to talk into your ear.

“Hey! Shapen up! I brought you my Queen, so show some respect!” He cries into your ear. You look around and find a sky full of blue lights, glittering and jingling like stars and bells. The sound is magical, ringing out into the forest in a melody unfamiliar to your ears, but beautiful, nonetheless.

“Oh. Thank you,” You say, watching a group of pixies fly towards you. “I must apologize, Your Majesty, but I am inappropriately dressed for your gifts,”

They jingle in response, and you smile, not understanding.

“You broke Rule 457 with your attire! It clearly states that on Saturday mornings, humans must wear pink-striped pajamas and a green plaid peacoat when visiting the Forest of Fir! You must study the laws of the land before you visit!” The Queen squeaks- so loud you can hear him despite his distance from your ear. He flutters close to your face- to the displeasure of his retainers, who struggle to follow him at his speed. He’s smaller than the other pixies, but his size doesn’t stop his poise- he stands straighter and more refined than your friend. He shares the same blue color scheme, this time with decorated royal robes fitting of a Queen.

 “What say you-“he halts when he sees the state of you so close, eyelashes decorated with snowflakes and lips chapped and blue. Your skin is pale, eyes unfocused and lazy as you smile again.

His retainers chime among themselves at your condition. You hear the squeaks of the pixie by your ear: “Yeah, according to the hunk of wood, they’re dying out here. But I don’t know, they look like us now, don’t they?”

One flutters to your ear to scold the boy by your ear. “Humans aren’t supposed to be blue!” he cries. This one has a tattoo on his opposite eye, acting as a perfect pair to your friend. “They will die if they don’t get warm!”

“You didn’t tell me that human!” your friend cries, panicked. “I thought you were being dramatic!” He flutters off your ear to join the Queen who nervously floats around your face, analyzing your condition.

“It is quite rude to let a guest of the Fir Forest pass in my presence.” The Queen says. “Very well, we shall help you, but I expect you to brush up on the laws of this land before your next visit,” He nods to his retainers, a pixie in a dashing hat, and one with a ponytail, before raising his scepter to your nose.

The pixies jingle again, the beautiful bell melody filling your ears again as they dance around you. The shades of blue are beautiful, they move like a sparkling sea around your body, as they chant a spell around you.

You don’t know how ice fairies can warm you up, but you slowly regain feeling in your fingers and toes, and soon find yourself more alert as your body returns to your natural temperature. The pixies are almost dancing, blue sparkles and snowflakes drifting around you in an ethereal display of magic. You’re mesmerized by their work, watching as flurries of snowflakes shoot around you in a circle, encasing you in a warm icebox. You glance at your Nutcracker, surprised to find him looking at you.

Even with his limited expressions, you see the affection in his eyes.

Flustered, you return your glance to the pixies, who are nearing the end of their spell. The Queen flies forward, lifting his scepter from your nose to the sky, and you watch in awe as the forest fills with a beam of bright light and snow. The snowflakes around you settle, and the bells cease as the pixies return to the forest.

You are left with your friend, the original pixie, who flies around you, checking to see if you’ll survive the rest of the journey. He rings out, looking confident at the sight of your face, no longer pale and sickly.

“Thank you,” you smile warmly, pressing your index finger to your lips. You press it lightly onto his head, ruffling his hair even with your slight touch. He glows the brightest blue you’ve seen thus far, flustered and embarrassed, before ringing out again and flying into the distance.

The Nutcracker sets you down once he’s gone, ensuring you’ve warmed up completely. You feel rejuvenated, excitedly flopping into the snow once he puts you down. It’s the softest snow you’ve ever felt, pillowy and cloudlike under your fingers. You don’t feel the chill, instead feeling the plushness of a warm blanket. You sigh as you relax in it, happy to indulge in the Snow Pixies’ welcome gift at last.

“Why would Snow Pixies have warming spells anyway?” you ask, moving your arms and legs to make a snow angel. “It seems counterintuitive,”

“It’s not a warming spell. They made you resistant to the frost.” The Nutcracker says, extending his arm to you. You pout but grab it anyways, dusting the snow off your pajamas. You did have a mission, but after nearly freezing to death, you wanted to enjoy the magical snow. “It seems the side effect is wanting to play in the snow,” he chuckles, watching you attempt to make a snowball.

Once caught, you drop it, watching it splat in front of your feet. You give him a sheepish grin. “Right. I should focus. We gotta find Grim. And the Sugar Plum Fairy.” He nods in agreement and points into the distance.

“Just beyond the forest, there’s a village named Confiserie. We’ll travel through and ask for anyone if they know the whereabouts of the Sugar Plum Fairy,” he says, moving forward in the direction of the town. “

Grabbing the Nutcracker’s arm, you pull him forward, spirit renewed after your near-death experience. “All right then, tally ho, Nutcracker! Let’s get out of this forest and rejoin civilization, shall we?”

If he could grin, you’re sure he would.