::Writing collab with @hexedspirits-wakingdreams Chapter 1:
This was the moment the gambler had foreseen since arriving. The trial was longer than he’d thought and being hooked was the least of his problems. As Lisa stood over him the sun peeked out from the ever dark sky lighting up her back. She writhed in her own pain a moment bringing her hands out of the gambler’s stomach. Fortunately nothing vital was struck yet and wouldn’t be as now the swamp-witch that stood over him was human and no longer the beast she so hated being.
Ace removed his jacket offering it to her for decency. She covered up in the gamblers bloodied coat as he wrapped himself in torn bits of his shirt. Trial pieces faded as the real bayou lit up around them. Lisa helped the injured gambler to his feet as they searched for some place to get out of the murky water, at this rate Ace’s injuries could get infected. They hit land and Lisa inspected the wounds, they were definitely not clean and neither was the hook wound. They’d be infected by morning if they didn’t get washed out real well soon.
Lisa trusted the gambler and she knew he probably didn’t have any other choice but to trust her. Which made it easy enough for him to allow her to make a semblance of a camp and filter some water over and over heating a bottle then boiling the water she’d filtered. She then scrubbed his wounds with it. Still scolding he groaned as it re-opened some of the wounds. It was no alcohol or sterile for sure clean, but it’d keep him alive and mostly healthy for the night, as they worked their way to a familiar place. A parked pale rose, against a dock well placed not too broken down either, but completely abandoned.
Ace and Lisa went inside, she fixed up as much medical supplies as she could and properly fixed Ace’s wounds. Apologizing every time he even implied he was in pain. Finally letting him rest she showered and put on a nice dress. The boat had a filter system for shower and non-consumption water but other water was kept in big gallon jugs in one of the back rooms. The white rooms were highlighted with blues and pinks giving the illusion of a more city-styled home.
Ace rested in front of the fire on one of the love-seats in the main room as Lisa brought in mugs of tea for both of them. She set his next to him and sat down on the other chair. Despite the little mishaps now and then and the arguments they were rather nice friends. He didn’t mind the changes so much coming from her and she didn’t mind as much when he went on with his sailor’s mouth. She didn’t look or act her age. None of the older people brought to that world did besides Bill, looking his age but not acting it.
The two discussed what might’ve happened to the others, agreeing they probably ended up in other maps like they did. Lisa promised she’d buy him more clothes so he wasn’t stuck with a ripped up shirt, jacket and beat up jeans. Her own clothes looked brand new as she had just pulled the pink and white dress out of her closet. Matching hat and a parasol that sat by the door showed this was probably a favorite outfit of hers. A miracle she didn’t end up in this outfit instead of the other that was now nothing but a scrap of cloth.
Ace watched as she combed out her dreads letting them become the very curly mess she usually avoided. She git frustrated in her braiding attempts and asked Ace to try. Having no experience with curly hair it took him a while to understand what did and didn’t work. Eventually he got it enough to where hr could braid her hair in rows, not exactly small braids as usual but they were smaller than one big braid and they kept her hair confined to a spot without being back to the dreads she had previously.
He found when he finished she was asleep against his chair and he let himself relax, sinking further into the chair himself. Upon waking up she was very excited and pleased with just how wonderfully he’d done for never doing braids like it before. She never thought he’d be so patient with it and didn’t expect he’d actually finish braiding her hair. He didn’t sleep like she had, he knew he needed rest but he was too worried to keep an eye on everything and wanted to know his friends were safe.
Lisa checked on Ace’s wounds again making sure he was healing. Then she went out to see if the boat would start. As it whined to a start Ace whimpered as he walked up the stairs finding himself wobbling as the boat turned. He got to the top and held the windows’ edges staring out into the distance as she approached a nearby modern-ish town.
The boat came to a halt as Lisa hopped down the stairs ace stayed in the upper deck watching her take her bright parasol into the town. She had quite a high life for supposedly not being employed before the entity’s realm. He watched as she browsed down the farmers market finding a basket she flirted and moved about and he watched as the probability’s around her changed to slowly allow her to get away with everything.
Making it less likely for her to be noticed stealing. She obscured her actions as she continued talking, her words almost hypnotized people temporarily THIS was what Ace signed up for. He made it more likely for her to look at him and he pointed at a tailor. He wanted an outfit so he could participate in the trouble. This is what would let him rest tonight.
She eventually brought back a pure white stain-proof Tux with a bright green dress shirt and white bow-tie. White panama hat, cane and his freshly cleaned off shades topped the outfit off. They both strolled back into the little village as she charmed with endless words he used good looks and probability deception. Eventually finding themselves with a fridge of the finest food and plenty of time to make their way to a place out of sight. They finally relax as they smile and talk about how certain people reacted funny to things seeming off.
Ace made fun of people with a crawdad he was holding. Soon picking it apart with his fork and knife. This was the life to him. Pulling bull shit not caring of consequences this was fun. He’d cause trouble until he had a reason not to. Not knowing if he was anywhere near his friends, he had no idea if he’d ever find those reasons not to cause trouble again.
After a few days Lisa began calling him “Swamp Rat” and he called her “Bayou Bird” in return seeing as she was a morning person and he was a brat which she had shortened to Rat. They found this extremely funny to be these poise rich-folk looking couple and then just call each other “Swamp rat” and “Bayou Bird” Leaving the people around them in wonder at what these two were on.
They talked after each little “Raid” about the people and things that were passed up. He did her braids more often and after a couple months had passed they were like siblings. She began showing him how potions worked and didn’t eventually forgetting most of what had happened in the entity’s realm. Every now and then Ace woke up in a cold sweat remembering Bill, asking to do another search with the tracking magic. Each time turning up with nothing.
I would kill you.✧ I would physically hurt you.✧ I would attack you unprovoked.✧ I would manipulate you.✧ I dislike you.✧ You annoy me.✧ You scare me.✧ You intimidate me.✧ I hope I intimidate you.✧ I pity you.✧ You disgust me.✧ I hate you.✧ I’m indifferent toward you.✧ I’d like to get to know you better.✧ I’d like to spend more time with you. ✧ I’d like to be friends with you.✧ I’m unsure what to think of you.✧ I’m unsure how I feel about you.✧ You are my friend.✧ You are my best friend.✧ You are my mentor.✧ I look up to you.✧ I respect you.✧ You are my hero.✧ You inspire me.✧ You are my enemy.✧ You make me happy.✧ I want to protect you.✧ I would fight by your side.✧ I consider you an equal.✧ I think you are beneath me.✧ I think you are above me.✧ I would lie for you.✧ I would lie to you.✧ I would sleep with you.✧ I would sleep by your side.✧ I would hug you.✧ I would kiss you.✧ You are family to me.✧ I would die for you.✧ I would kill for you.✧ I would trust you with my life.✧ I would trust you with my most precious belonging.✧ I would trust you with a secret.✧ I would trust you with my biggest / darkest secret.✧ I love you (platonically).✧ I love you (romantically).
(supernal twin) Philip:
I would kill you.✧ I would physically hurt you.✧ I would attack you unprovoked.✧ I would manipulate you.✧ I dislike you.✧ You annoy me.✧ You scare me.✧ You intimidate me.✧ I hope I intimidate you.✧ I pity you.✧ You disgust me.✧ I hate you.✧ I’m indifferent toward you.✧ I’d like to get to know you better.✧ I’d like to spend more time with you. ✧ I’d like to be friends with you.✧ I’m unsure what to think of you.✧ I’m unsure how I feel about you.✧ You are my friend.✧ You are my best friend.✧ You are my mentor.✧ I look up to you.✧ I respect you.✧ You are my hero.✧ You inspire me.✧ You are my enemy.✧ You make me happy.✧ I want to protect you.✧ I would fight by your side.✧ I consider you an equal.✧ I think you are beneath me.✧ I think you are above me.✧ I would lie for you.✧ I would lie to you.✧ I would sleep with you.✧ I would sleep by your side.✧ I would hug you.✧ I would kiss you.✧ You are family to me.✧ I would die for you.✧ I would kill for you.✧ I would trust you with my life.✧ I would trust you with my most precious belonging.✧ I would trust you with a secret.✧ I would trust you with my biggest / darkest secret.✧ I love you (platonically).✧ I love you (romantically).
Gravityby Eden for yea boy Quentin, poor boy was just a kid thrown into a terrible situation he deserves to sleep.
Magic Dance - Labyrinth Karliene’s cover, I feel like your Hags a little more whimsical then in cannon, so here’s a song that’s little more light hearted.
💭 Him an Phil could start a band with double th’ding dongin’. Or make out. Either way, ah’d watch. 💭When she says m’ah real sweet cookie, ah wonder if she means m’half baked…? 💭That’s some spoiled lookin’ meat if ah ever did see some. Better slug’im so Ma don’t git th’godly runs.