CWs: crying, anxiety, accidental innuendo (accidental on the part of the character)
Words: 817 (counted manually, allow margin for error)
An Analogical Human AU fic
"I'm gay," Virgil blurted.
Logan raised an eyebrow. "You came to my apartment at 3am to come out to me?," he asked, confused. "You've liked boys since we were in the third grade–"
Virgil took a deep breath as Logan spoke, looking down at himself. This was not how he'd wanted to do this. From his hastily thrown on sneakers, to his pajama pants, to his ever-present hoodie, to his unruly purple and black hair, to his face clear of makeup with the dark circles under his eyes darker than ever. Logan was in his pajamas, his glasses missing. And Virgil was standing at his front door. "For a smart guy, you can be an idiot... I'm gay for you," he interrupted.
Logan went silent, brows furrowed and lips pursed, and Virgil's heart sank. He was going to reject him. He didn't feel that same way, and he was going to be awkward around him from now on, and Virgil was going to lose his best friend, and–
"Come inside, please, Virgil?"
A little wobbly on his shaky legs, Virgil stepped inside as Logan moved back to allow him in. The door closed, and Logan pulled him gently by the arm to the couch. Once Virgil was sitting, Logan sat down on the coffee table. Virgil didn't think he'd ever seen Logan sit on a surface that wasn't meant to be sat on.
Logan clasped his hands together, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees with his hands in front of his mouth. "What do you mean by that?," he asked softly. The slightest bit of eagerness tinged his tone, and Virgil felt a little hope despite himself.
"I... I think I'm asking you out...?," Virgil tried. "I mean–... I mean that I have romantic feelings for you," he said, trying to sound resolute. He didn't want to be hesitant about this. He wanted Logan to know he meant it.
"Interesting. Roman was right...," Logan muttered, looking off into an unknown thought process.
It was Virgil's turn to be confused (and scared again). "Right about what?"
"He was right about you returning my feelings. I confided in him several years ago that I felt romantic feelings towards you, and that I was concerned about jeopardizing our friendship. He was of the opinion from the beginning that we were both, 'oblivious morons,' as he put it–"
"You have– I mean– You feel–?," Virgil interrupted again.
Logan met Virgil's eyes, his expression sheepish. "I apologize; I should have been more direct. Virgil, I would love to go out with you."
Relieved tears welled up in Virgil's eyes. He relaxed his shoulders, letting go of some of the tension he'd built up over the last several days.
Logan was next to him in an instant, tissue in hand, gently cupping Virgil's cheek and wiping at his tears. "What is it? Did I say something wrong?"
"No, no...," Virgil mumbled, sniffling. "I'm just... I was so scared..."
Logan smiled fondly, pulling Virgil into a gentle hug. "It was so, so brave of you to face your fears and come to me with this," he stated as a fact, leaving no room for argument. "You are braver and stronger than I could ever dream of being."
Virgil hugged Logan back tightly, burying his face in his shoulder.
"Why don't you sleep here tonight?," Logan suggested. "You can have the bed–"
"Sleep with me?," Virgil asked. Then he realized the way he'd phrased his request and panicked, his face reddening rapidly. "I-I, no, that's not what I meant, I–"
Logan shushed him, not harshly, but firmly. "Alright, Virgil. We can both sleep in the bed." Virgil relaxed again, and Logan let him stay like that for a few more moments, then pulled away to stand. He led the way to the bedroom, and he instinctively turned away as Virgil moved to take off his jacket, revealing the tank top underneath.
Virgil smiled fondly as he laid his jacket on the back of Logan's swivel chair, then kicked off his shoes and placed them next to the door. On the way to the bed, he grabbed Logan's hand, and he pulled him onto the bed with him.
Surprised, Logan let out a small huff, holding Virgil's hand tightly. Virgil laughed. They got settled, Logan removing his glasses, Virgil pulling the covers over them.
They held each other close as they drifted to sleep. In the morning, they were a tangle of limbs and bedding, Virgil's arm haphazardly laying across Logan's face. Logan's leg hanging off the bed, both of them tangled in the sheet. But they were dreaming of a bright future spent together, so when they awoke, it hardly mattered that drool had dried on their cheeks and their hair was a worse mess than when they had talked early that morning. Everything that mattered was laying in that bed.
Character A has recently become Character B's roommate. All A really knows about B is that they're super protective of their little sibling, Character C. They have a housewarming party, A gets very drunk, and A and C end up spending the night together, without A having made the connection that this is their roommate's little sibling. Things get complicated quickly.
Character A finds the engagement ring their partner, Character B is [holding for a friend or going to use as a prop in a performance, or something], and thinks B is wanting to propose soon. A is freaked out and tries to scare B away (possibly after getting advice from one or more friends).
Character A and Character B have been skirting around each other for ages. The romantic tension is palpable. A brags about a recent romantic encounter with Character C, B brags about theirs with Character D, and it turns into a battle to one-up each other. They end up going on a double date where C and D become left out of the conversation.
Character A and Character B are babysitting for Character C and Character D. A and B take the child somewhere and briefly lose them, and they think they've made it out of the woods, but then C and D receive a call from Character E, a good samaritan who helped A and B find the kid and got the phone number from the return-to tag on the diaper bag, checking in to make sure everything is alright.
Character A cannot keep a secret. Character B has a secret. They bribe A in increasingly ridiculous ways to keep the secret, until it is unwittingly revealed by Character C. [Secrets could include a secret relationship, an accidental misdeed, or an upcoming pleasant surprise or gift for someone]
Character C calls Character A the wrong name in front of Character B. Aside, B asks why A doesn't correct them. A says that they didn't have a chance to at first, and now it's been so long that it would be too awkward. "...and now I'm still X." Hijinks ensue when C hears something about A that makes them mad, but still thinks A's name is X.
Character A is a goody-two-shoes. They want to prove they can be a troublemaker, so they rebel, but either they rebel in ridiculous little ways that'll never get them in trouble, or they can do no wrong in the eyes of the person they're rebelling against. Eventually, though, they do something way out of proportion.
Character A and Character B are in a secret relationship. They go to a sporting event and their kiss that was supposed to be an anonymous act in a crowd of strangers is put up on the jumbotron and seen by Character C, who also happens to be at the event. [C can be a friend who feels betrayed at not being told, a former partner of A or B who's now forcing themselves back into the picture, a coworker of A and B who aren't supposed to date because they work together, or any other such person who shouldn't know.]
Costume party! Character A dresses up as Character B to poke fun, so B dresses up as A's partner, Character C, and it escalates. Meanwhile, Character D didn't want to participate, so Character E got them a completely ridiculous costume, AND Character F showed up in something ridiculously nerdy or dorky.
Character A has had a painfully obvious crush on Character B for ages. Right as B realizes they reciprocate, A gets together with Character C.
Character A and Character B are hiding from Character C in the closet. Character D opens the closet door after C is gone, and A and B tumble out, so naturally D assumes...
Character A has a crush on Character B's new romantic interest, Character C. B has lied to C to make themselves seem more compatible with C, and A and C are really more compatible. [A and B don't have to like each other, but for drama they could be family or coworkers or even friends.]
Character A is an actor. Character B, who has a crush on them, helps them run lines for a romantic scene.
Character A is going on a first date with Character B. A's friends, Character C and Character D, spy on the date and get caught in a ridiculous way. [They could spy because one has a crush on A, or because they like B and want things to work out with the two of them, or any number of reasons]
Don’t touch me, flower husbands, however you wanna interpret it
Scott reached out, the desire to comfort the superhero almost overwhelming. His hands shook. "I didn't mean–"
"Don't touch me!," Captain Cod shrieked, cradling his limp arm with the good one. Blood coursed down his face from the wound by his temple, and his eyes were full of fear.
Scott staggered back a couple of steps, swallowing heavily. The vigilante knew he had lost control of his powers, though he couldn't remember it. He recognized the aftermath well enough. Ice and snow everywhere, along with carnage. Licking his dry lips with an equally dry tongue, he cast his gaze around and saw, to his relief, that no one had perished in his outburst.
"What the hell was that, Blizzard?!," another voice demanded. In a spray of salty water, Ocean Shadow arrived, her face red with anger. The Terracotta Titan was shortly behind her, eyes blown wide behind his green and purple mask. As Ocean Shadow advanced on Scott, The Terracotta Titan went to kneel next to Captain Cod.
"You hurt him!," Ocean Shadow cried, a flurry of scales and pink hair and fury. "What did you do?!"
Scott backed away from her, holding his hands up in front of himself defensively. "I-I didn't mean to– to–..."
She gave a sharp shove to Scott's chest, and he landed hard on a lump of ice with a sharp crack. "You miserable little–"
"I was trying to help! To protect him!," Scott cried.
"You're a monster," Ocean Shadow said, voice colder than the ice underneath Scott.
Scott cast a glance toward Captain Cod, and the look in his eyes confirmed Ocean Shadow's words. It began to snow, and wind began to blow swiftly and loudly. Scott scrambled to his feet. Snow blew through the air, stinging any exposed skin it could find.
And Scott disappeared into it, running into the maelstrom. He was cold, so cold. They wanted to fashion him a villain. They could if they wanted to. Blizzard could be a villain. Scott could be a villain. As long as he could win Jimmy back. As long as he could have everything. He would tear the world apart.
-
Jimmy flinched away as a hand tried to press against his cheek, his bleary eyes opening slowly. The hand was cold, ice cold... Jimmy sat up quickly, uninjured arm flying up to protect himself.
Scott held up his hands and backed away a little. "Sorry– I shouldn't've– I was just– Fuck," he breathed, running a hand through his hair. "I shouldn't have touched you. I came to say–"
"Don't," Jimmy said.
"Wh–"
"Lizzie hates you now. Joel, too, and Pix. FWhip is still saying you're dangerous after the last accident, even though Gem is trying to defend you. I can't, Scott. I can't forgive you..." Jimmy said, keeping his voice soft.
Scott looked down. "I see. I thought..."
"What? That I'd burn all my bridges for you, Scott? Cuz I want to. I really do. But I don't think I'm strong enough to fight them–"
"I will. I'll fight them. I'll protect you."
"Scott... You don't have any... You can't hurt them..."
"Then I'll go... I'll go, and I'll work on it until I have my powers figured out, and I'll come back, and I'll show them I can control myself," Scott said. He brightened, "They might even let me be a hero. Maybe not yet, but..."
Jimmy frowned. "Don't go... please... I don't want you to go..."
Scott tried not to show his surprise. Everyone wanted him to go. Always. "I can't stay, though."
Jimmy swallowed. "Just stay. Just let me talk to them. I won't let anything bad happen."
Scott winced. "Bad things always happen around me. I don't want to hurt you. I just wanted to say I'm sorry..."
Jimmy grabbed Scott's wrist as he tried to pull back. "Stay, Scott. Please. Please, I can't... I need you. I'm so sorry I lashed out at you right after... You didn't mean to, and I was scared..." He pulled Scott a little closer to the bed. "Just hold me. Please, it took me forever to get to sleep earlier..."
Scott melted as Jimmy looked at him pleadingly. He let Jimmy pull him until he was sitting on the bed, kicking his shoes off before sliding onto the bed and letting Jimmy rest his head on his chest.
"...How did you get in here?," Jimmy asked.
Scott smiled sheepishly, though Jimmy couldn't see. "I climbed in through the window?"
Jimmy laughed. "If we weren't so close, that would probably be creepy."
Scott nodded. "Mhm," he mumbled, playing with Jimmy's hair.
"Mm... Try to sleep, okay? We'll figure all this out in the morning."
"Okay, Jimmy."
The sound of each other's breath lulled them to sleep.
(it’s not exactly the format, but 19 and 20 just go So Well together, of course if you don’t wish to combine them then just 19 is fine :])
Weird
A/N: I know nothing about radio broadcasting systems, oops. I'll upload to ao3 and link it in a reblog, if anyone would rather read there.
Word Count: 1.9k
Ship(s): Dukeceit, Platonic Logan and Janus, Platonic Virgil and Janus
CWs: fighting, bad sibling relationship, blood, injuries, major character death, grief, depression (because of the grief)
It had been a weird few months; Janus would readily admit that. Dating one of the city’s foremost superheroes was definitely weird, considering Janus’s own occupation. Hell, he was pretty sure Remus was thinking about proposing.
And he was scared. Scared Remus would find out who he was, scared Remus would figure out he didn’t want Janus anyway, scared Remus would finally listen to Roman and kick him to the curb.
Then again, Remus didn’t exactly like his brother. He did love Roman, certainly, but that never quite translated into liking him.
Either way, Janus was determined to ruin this on purpose before he could ruin it by just being Janus. He didn’t really have the words for these thoughts and feelings yet; that would come later, in the aftermath.
Janus figured it was time. He’d been working on this plan for a long while. And, he had justified many times, it was for the greater good. The machine Logan had built was positively genius. It would be a fantastic equalizer, if only for a couple weeks. So what if he lost his own powers; he never asked for this, any of this, anyway.
“Are you ready?,” Logan asked.
No. “Yes,” Janus lied. He was good at that, lying. He’d been lying to himself for so long that it was hard to know what he felt anymore. But he knew what he felt about the “heroes,” and the other villains, too.
The plan was relatively simple. Get Logan to the radio station to plug in the (bulky, unwieldy) device without letting him get killed. Simple. Easy? No, not easy. Because as soon as someone spotted Deceit, they’d call for the heroes. And then there’d be a whole commotion. So, Janus went in disguise, he and Logan in civilian clothes, wheeling a dolly with a crate containing the device down the sidewalk. No one paid them any mind, which was remarkable, given Janus’s scars. Then, again, he wore his hood low over his brow.
The radio tower was old, but sturdy. It had been built to last. He shed his bulky jacket once they’d gotten to the roof and begun climbing the tower. Logan hauled the device up in a large sack slung across his back. All they needed was the broadcaster at the top. It was simple. It was… easy. Too easy. Something should’ve gone wrong by now. Something always went wrong.
Janus sat on a beam a few meters from the top of the tower, letting Logan do the technical work. He needed to watch for them. And, speak of the devil. Roman flew over. If Janus hadn’t put up his forcefield, over himself and Logan, in time, Roman may have killed him. Roman never had known how to control his temper. Janus only knew the identities of all the heroes because of Logan’s hacking skills. The Prince may have been more forgiving than Roman in the public eye, but no one was around to see, that Janus could find, anyway. He had no doubt that Roman could just say it was an accident, and people would believe it.
Virgil appeared next, sweet Virgil. The vigilante just watched. He never picked a side until he knew what the fight was about. But Janus didn’t plan on monologuing, not this time.
“It’s ready!,” Logan called.
“Not yet! On my signal,” Janus replied.
Patton bounded into the deserted street, superhuman strength and speed making him far more intimidating than he looked. Remus was right behind him. Remus. Remus, with no powers, just the best martial arts and self-defense training and a desire to help. Remus, who told Janus every day that he loved him. Janus wished he could believe he was worthy.
Remus was the one to begin the climb up the tower. The others generally knew to stay out of his way when it came to Deceit. Deceit fired him up more than any other villain.
Janus readied himself, standing slowly and carefully on the steel beam. Don’t look down, don’t do it.
Remus swung himself up onto the beam, standing gracefully. He was so goofy, most of the time. But when he wanted or needed to be, he was scarily agile and graceful.
Deceit sneered. “Hello, Duke.”
“Deceit,” Remus acknowledged. “What’s the big scheme today?,” he asked with a wild smile.
“Oh, nothing much,” replied the villain. “I wouldn’t even worry about it, if I were you.” Because Remus had nothing to worry about. He would be fine.
Janus, it turned out, had a lot to worry about.
Remus tackled him, and Janus thought, for just a split second, You idiot! Then they were falling.
“Deceit!,” cried Logan.
Janus could barely hear the others calling for Remus with the wind whistling through his hair, over his ears.
The next few occurrences happened in slow motion.
Janus’s mask was whipped from his face by the wind.
Recognition flashed across Remus’s face.
Remus kicked the tower to turn them over in the air.
They hit the roof of the radio station, hard, and went crashing through it, into one of the studios.
The DJ screamed, then stared at them in shock.
Janus scrambled to his feet. He wasn’t hurt, at least not that he could tell. He looked down at Remus, who was groaning in pain. “Re!”
Remus pushed himself away from Janus the best he could, eyes narrowed in distrust.
“I–”
“Don’t say a word, fiend!,” exclaimed The Prince as he barreled into the room.
Janus barely managed to throw up another forcefield before Roman could get to him. He pressed Roman back as far as he could manage.
“I knew there was a reason I didn’t like you!,” Roman spat. Janus flinched.
Patton and Virgil came into the studio then. Patton gasped when he saw Janus’s face, and Janus couldn’t meet his eyes. He looked to Virgil, who gave him an odd look. Something guarded and careful, but oddly emotional.
Patton went to his knees next to Remus, speaking to him in hushed tones. Remus didn’t seem to be able to speak.
The radio DJ finally managed to get close enough to the door to make their escape.
“I’m sorry for this,” Janus said. “I truly am.”
“Wha–” Roman didn’t get to finish his question.
A tremor ran through the ground beneath them. “Outside, now!,” Virgil yelled. He obviously sensed what was coming.
They all scrambled to get out, Patton helping Remus. Janus stayed put. Thank you, Logan.
As the building crumbled around him, he wondered if this was a fitting karmic punishment. He supposed there was some poetic justice for his crimes to be had in dying to one of his own schemes.
When he saw Remus before him, he was unsure whether it was real. Remus shouldn’t be there. Remus was supposed to be outside, where it was safe–or, safer.
Then arms were wrapped around him tightly, and he began to cry. He cried for himself, for Remus, for what he had done. Distantly, he hoped the others were okay.
More urgently, he felt the power, the very strength, draining from his body. Something hit him on the head, and he fell, ripped away from Remus by the falling debris.
When he was a bit less dazed, he stood. The buildings all around them were collapsed. Roman, Patton, and Virgil lay on the ground, Logan nearby. Janus felt blood trickle down his face. “Their powers, they’ve been disrupted. We did it… Victory is mine.” He didn’t feel victorious.
“At what cost?,” a familiar voice asked, weak but passionate. “Look around you! There were people in those buildings! How many have you killed?!”
Janus whirled to face Remus, then flinched back at his words. Then he noticed Remus’s hand clutching at his opposite side. He noticed the tears in his outfit. He noticed the cut across his cheek. Red oozed from between the fingers on his side, and Janus felt sick.
He took a step toward Remus, and Remus growled. “Stay away!”
Remus was getting paler by the moment, blood spilling into the dust beneath his feet.
Roman and the others seemed to be recovering. By the time they were all three standing, Remus had collapsed.
Janus rushed to his side, putting up a forcefield around the two of them without even thinking about it. Roman was trying to get in. He wanted in. Janus could only see Remus, and barely that through the tears that blurred his vision. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” he sobbed. “I never meant to– to–”
Remus’s expression softened. Even as angry as he was… He reached up with his free hand to cup Janus’s face, rubbing the falling tears away with his thumb. “I believe you… I do…” he shifted, then gasped in pain. Janus sobbed louder.
Remus took his hand away from Janus’s face, much to Janus’s dismay, and pulled a pendant from underneath his shirt. Except it wasn’t a pendant. It was a ring. Gold, with a beautifully cut onyx stone. “I love you,” Remus whispered, pulling the chain until it broke, then pressing the ring into Janus’s hand firmly.
“I love you, too,” Janus sniffled. “Please, just… Just don’t leave me!”
But it was too late. Remus’s eyes slipped closed. He was still breathing, but Janus knew he wouldn’t wake. He let himself grieve for maybe five more seconds before staggering to his feet. He kept his forcefield up, though he let Remus out as he backed away. He watched numbly as Roman fell to his knees next to him, barely hearing the anguished wail.
While the heroes were distracted, he grabbed Logan, and he ran. He ran back to his secret lair. He let go of Logan only once they were inside, then he went into his office, and he locked himself in.
It would take days of coaxing from Logan, then Logan and Virgil, to get him out. His office was destroyed when they got him to come out, to eat and drink and sleep in a proper bed in the saferoom. He didn’t leave the lair for weeks. Virgil and Janus regained their powers at some point in that time. If the heroes had only known it was temporary… If he’d only known how big the shockwave would be…
“Leave me alone!,” he snapped so many times at them. They often got frustrated, but they would only leave for short amounts of time. They were there for him. He resented that.
-
Janus hid himself in his, frankly, excessive amounts of clothing. It may have been over the top, but at least it made him feel a bit safer from prying eyes. The yellow bouquet felt heavy in his hands. He knelt to place it in front of the headstone.
“I brought you flowers… Just wish you were around to enjoy them.” He laughed to himself. “That’s terribly morbid. But not the kind of morbid you would have liked… You probably wouldn’t like the flowers either. Too sappy or whatever… But that’s what people do, when they visit… these places, so…” He sighed shakily, wiping away tears. “I should go. Virgil’s waiting in the car, and I don’t want anyone to see me… I love you.”
He waited for a moment for an answer, any kind of sign Remus heard him.
There was nothing.
Janus supposed that was fitting.
It had been a weird few months. And Janus would readily admit, his life had been changed, forever.
Tell me about my blorbos! Ficlet request for cute mob hybrid pack instinct stuffs, any dsmp characters but I like Technoblade a little bit more than average
Tubbo liked his herd. Even if it was small.
Tommy was the herd queen, by default, as none of them were female and Tommy was the loudest, generally. Not that Tubbo couldn't be loud, too. And Ranboo, occasionally.
After Tommy, Tubbo was the highest in the hierarchy. Ranboo was last, because Michael was already more assertive than his other dad. But if Ranboo ever asked, which he hadn't yet, he was higher up than the baby. Tubbo didn't want to hurt his feelings.
It was odd, having a herd with other mobs. Ranboo being an enderman, Michael having once been a piglin, those had put Tubbo's teeth on edge at first when he brought them into the herd. Even Tommy, cow hybrid that he was, had originally been weird to form such a bond with.
Tubbo was drawn out of his thoughts about herd dynamics and the weirdness that was his herd by the little papapapap of tiny zombie piglin feet. He put down the bucket he was washing and dried his hands.
"What is it, Mikey?," he asked happily, ruffling the fine fur on the top of Michael's head. Michael pulled his hands from behind his back and held out a dandelion. Tubbo chuckled. "It's very pretty, Michael. Where's Tommy?" Michael held out the dandelion more insistently. Tubbo took it. "Is this to look at?" Michael shook his head. "To eat?," Tubbo asked. Michael nodded, and Tubbo began muching on the soft petals.
Michael grabbed Tubbo's sleeve and began the march back outside. Tubbo followed. "Oh no," he said when he got outside. There was Tommy. In a hole. He seemed to just be chilling.
"Ah, Michael! Good job, thanks, Bud!," Tommy said.
"Tommy," Tubbo groaned, running a hand down his face.
"In my defense," Tommy said, "you let a toddler supervise me." Tubbo hauled Tommy out of the hole by the hand, and they fell into the grass. Michael plopped down next to them. "Are you done with chores yet?" Tommy asked, pouting a little.
Tubbo rolled his eyes. "No, but I can chill for a bit."
Tommy cheered, and Michael clapped his little hands.
Tubbo spotted Ranboo, who was on his way back from a mining trip. Michael spotted him at about the same time and hopped up to run to see him. Ranboo picked up Michael, spinning him around as Tubbo and Tommy watched on. Soon Ranboo was sitting next to them, showing them what he had found. It was a good thing, Tubbo decided, to have a weird herd like this.
The servants sometimes told the princess that, once, her stepmother had been loving and kind, as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside. As beautiful as the princess herself was. After all, the Queen had adopted her when she married the girl’s father. She had grieved by the princess’s side when her father passed. The princess could barely remember that. She vaguely disliked her distant stepmother. But she was largely left to do as she pleased.
Queen Lina knew all of this. A part of her grieved, and always would. She longed for the companionship her stepdaughter had provided when her dear husband died. There was nothing for it, though. Selfish and vain was all she was; she could be nothing else. She was pitifully alone now.
“Magic Mirror…” Every day, she asked the question. The question she’d been asking since her first gray hair, which had been remedied with magic, just like every other sign of age. The paranoia that her beauty would fade remained. Her eyes widened at the answer she received. And the vengeful idea that sprung to her mind made the part of her heart that still eluded the selfishness shudder.
She stormed from the room to set the plan in motion; she could not stop herself.
-
Lina stands over the tome, tracing the words with a manicured nail. The child sleeps in the other room; she will not let the girl stray far. “To summon the spirit, drink the concoction, then recite the following incantation…” she murmurs. She follows the instructions.
The room shudders, and she holds on tightly to the table on which the book rests. The book falls to the floor, the cover closes, and the page with the instructions is lost.
The creature that now stands on the opposite side of the room is slight, so emaciated as to be grotesque. Its long white hair hangs, stringy, around its sallow face. The tunic it wears hangs off of it, and its boots look far too large for its feet. It smiles with black, rotting teeth. “Hello,” it rasps, “how may I help you, Your Majesty?”
Lina straightens and smooths her dress, tosses her braid over her shoulder. “I want my husband back.”
The thing laughs, a horrible wheezing sound. “Your husband is dead.”
“Mommy?,” asks a small voice from behind the door.
“Darling, go back to bed!,” Lina calls. “Mommy will be there in a moment!”
The thing licks its dry lips. “I could be persuaded to get your husband for you in return for the source of that sweet voice,” it coos.
Lina snarls. “You will not go near her!”
“Insolent wretch!,” the creature cries, waving its hand at Lina. She goes flying and hits the wall with a crunch and a weak exhale. “You are very lucky that I am in a generous mood. I will not bother with the child. You, however…”
Lina tries to speak, but the creature waves its hand again, and she finds her voice nonexistent.
“Let’s see… How to cause you the most pain…”
Lina closes her eyes tightly and regrets every choice she has made since the funeral.
“I know!” It holds up a finger and grins a disgusting grin. “You will act with no love or concern for anyone but yourself. However, you will be able to grieve your ability to act with compassion and to show love for others,” it says, voice sounding like there are thousands of whispers layered atop it.
Lina falls to the ground, and the creature is gone when she looks up, leaving behind a faint smell of ash and dust. The next day, she relocates Snow to another wing of the palace.
-
“Magic Mirror…” Lina drawled. Everything felt quite meaningless and empty since the huntsman returned. But yet again, she got an answer that surprised her. The anger that arose in the part of her that acted paled in comparison to the joy that swelled in the tiny part of her that remained. She screamed.
-
Lina laughs as Snow swings between her father and stepmother, holding their hands tightly with her tiny ones. Her husband has said something that delights her, and Snow’s laughter is contagious.
-
“Would you like an apple, dearie? Freshest you can get,” Lina tempted the princess.
Snow demured. “I couldn’t, really…”
“Please, I have too many,” the disguised Lina insisted.
Snow took the apple. Lina watched in horror, and Lina watched in triumph, as Snow hit the floor. The apple rolled to Lina’s feet. She almost picked it up, but decided against it, and she walked away.
-
Tears well in Lina’s eyes; she smiles brightly at the man who will be her husband in mere moments. She smiles at the toddler who will soon be her daughter. She smiles at her handmaiden, and she smiles at the world. The ring is on her finger, and her lips are graced with a kiss, and she wants to sing, though she hates her singing voice. Snow loves it, as does the man walking her back up the aisle. The little girl totters after them, giggling at the flower petals fluttering through the air.
-
Lina fought viciously as the man slashed at her with his sword. From what she had gathered, the man had revived her daughter, her lovely Snow White, and fell in love with her. Someone willing to fight so ruthlessly for her was certainly deserving of her, in Lina’s eyes. These thoughts passed quickly in favor of focusing on blocking his blows with the silver tray she’d picked up.
It didn’t take long for her to fail. The sword pierced her chest.
Love flooded through her. She saw Snow White standing near the doorway, tears in her eyes. She wondered if the man had stabbed the cruel, evil part of her and killed it. Unfortunately, if he had he’d killed the rest of her along with it.
