Know that Home is Your Name (art by @puowei my beloved)
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Grim munched on the warm samosa gripped between his paws, his sharp teeth making easy work of the delicate layers of filo dough that covered the savory meat filling inside. Founding Day at Ramshackle was in full swing before him, with all his classmates and upperclassmen appeared to be enjoying themselves quite a bit. Even the teachers seemed pleased, surveying all the new growth and hard-won repairs made to the previously dilapidated grounds. Maybe Bramble waking him up so early to finish decorating hadn't been such a bad idea...
"Now why would the Great Mage Grim be sitting all by his lonesome?" His ears perked at the sound of Bramble's gentle teasing. His hench-human (fairy?) looked a bit tired from cooking and playing hostess all day, yet she still smiled down at him, brighter than the spring sun. The familiar quickly turned away from her with a huff, his stomach twisting uncharacteristically.
Then came a rusle of fabric and grass as Bramble slowly sat herself down next to him. The deep red color of her blouse and skirt bringing out the warmth of her skin and the luster of the long alizarin curls flowing down her back. She was wearing one of those complicated, pleated outfits from her world. Her world, Grim thought, the place where she left her younger brother behind.
The person she loved the most.
He heard about the guy. How could he not? Every chance she got, his hench-fairy would talk about how great a guy her brother was. How much she missed him, how she couldn't wait to see him again.
Ugh.
"What'er you doing here Bramble? Shouldn't you be out there making sure all those dolts don't start a fight?" Grim quickly finished off the pastry in his arms, unable to even taste it. But then she laughed and Grim had to look back at her. He'd rather give up tuna forever than ever admit how much he liked the sound.
The golden embroidery on her clothes glinted warmly in the dim light around them. With Grim in a newly tailored Ceremonial Robe and Bramble glittering with loaned jewels, they made a rather odd but dashing picture as they sat side-by-side. She, a human turned half-fairy. He, a monster turned student of magic. And to think that when they both arrived at their dorm they had been at such odds...
"I have faith in them to keep it together for a little while, at least."
"Myeh, that's stupid."
She smiled at that. One of those eye-crinkling small ones, the ones that made him feel like they were sharing a secret. Like this, it would be easy to believe they'd always be here, be together. But the more Grim looked at Bramble', the more he felt that Bramble was moving further and further away from him. And closer and closer back to her home.
And he hated it.
He didn't want her to go home. Screw her stupid brother! A man ought to take care of himself! He didn't need Bramble, he had her for all his life. But Grim? She had just come into his, she couldn't leave so soon.
"Grim...Why are you sitting so far from me?" Her voice was soft in the way she reserved only for him. The same tone she used when they were curled up together for warmth in Ramshackle as she sang him little lullabies in languages he didn't know. She rested a soft hand on her knee as she tilted her head ever so slightly to meet his eyes. Her blue scarf flowing between them, a teal connection from her to him.
Grim looked away once again.
It felt like something was stuck in his throat, but no amount of swallowing made any food dislodge itself. He wanted to scream from the top of his lungs, but no words came out. Stay. Stay here with me. With all of us. I don't take care of you very well right now, but I swear I'll do better than your home ever did. You won't even miss that selfish brother of yours!
Bramble reached out, curling her thin, work-worn hands around to rub and scratch at his face the way he liked. Subtly turning the monster's furred face back in her direction as he smiled unwittingly. Her fingers always gentle, her nails just long and sharp enough to scratch pleasantly.
It was Bramble who cooked their food and cleaned their dorm. It was Bramble to woke him up in the morning and made him brush his teeth. It was Bramble who made sure they had money for necessities and that Grim finished his homework on time.
But maybe he could learn?
Maybe he could figure out how to do more things, enough things that the idea of staying with Grim wasn't such a bad one. That way she wouldn't go back to that stupid world with that stupider brother of her's.
"There's that smile I love!" There was a golden glint of mischief in Bramble's eyes that gave Grim half a mind to turn away and pout once more. If only to keep the fairy's attention on him. He, half-heartedly, batted her hand away with greasy paws. But Bramble simply wrinkled her nose and leaned over to press a kiss between his ears, smelling like home the only way Grim knew.
No one and no thing had ever cared for him like her. Bramble had made sure he was fed, clean, and ready each and every day to accomplish his dreams. Having believed in him since day one. Heck, if he asked, Grim was sure she'd let him sink his fangs into her arm if she thought it'd help him. But what had he given her?
Not enough.
Not enough to keep her from going home, anyway.
"Now that you've finished pouting...I have some good news to share." The monster's stomach sunk and roiled. Suddenly he wanted to spit fire, he wanted to turn and set Ramshackle ablaze. Because, if he destroyed it, he wouldn't have a home and if he didn't have a home Bramble couldn't leave. She wouldn't. She'd stay and she'd take care of him and treat him so kindly he'd burn down another dorm just to keep her in Twisted Wonderland. He flattened his ears, fire bubbling behind his throat.
"...what?"
"Crowley's finally approved of my request to add my mother's last name to my file. I'm officially Bramble Euricide, Housewarden of the Ramshackle Dorm!"
Grim blinked.
Huh? That's it? She...She wasn't going home? She wasn't leaving him? She...She was staying. She was staying! Here! With him!
"And..."
Grim froze.
"I asked him to add 'Euricide' as your last name as well...but only if you want to! I-If that's to much I can't just let him know, he probably hasn't even glanced at our files since the first day so-" Bramble leaned a bit away from him, flustered. She looked away hurriedly, lashes low and shy over her pale pink-gold eyes.
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why do I need a last name? Ain't that for your family?" Bramble went very still. Even the vines swirling and sprouting behind her slight pointed ears froze as if caught in a sudden frost. Slowly, her eyes widened as she turned back to look at him. She was silent for one, two, three heartbeats. Then her brows furrowed and her eyes softened in shock.
In heartbreak.
"Grim. Grim, you are my family."
Bramble reached for him, opening her arms just enough to welcome him. But she didn't pull him to her. She hesitated, hands just outstretched in front of him. Wow, Grim thought.
She's so stupid.
He leaped into her soft arms, and, immediately, was surrounded by her warmth. In fact, Bramble was so warm that it even made the back of Grim's eyes burn ever so slightly. Darn things even started to sweat. He knew his claws must have hurt her skin as he clung to her, but she held him too tightly to care. Grim made a small noise in his throat, rubbing his cheek against hers as her vines began to sprout soft lilac-colored flowers. Bramble stifled a soft sob against his fur, hugging the little creature close with every ounce of love she had.
"We've been through too much not to be, b-but if you don't want to be-"
"I n-never said that you dummy!"
A family. A friend. A companion at the start and end of the world. How blessed he was, Grim thought, how happy his life finally was.
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i commissioned @puowei to draw bramble (my twst oc) and she did such a beautiful, wonderful, kind job that couldn't help but add a hopefully-equally sweet snippet between my Ramshackle duo. puo has an immense talent and skill only rivaled by her unyielding kindness and i cannot recommend her services enough. thank you for all your hard work, and for bringing so much life and beauty to sweet, tragic little brambleberry <3
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tagging - @le-monchou and @twstnettle
