Young Writers Society

Zander paced anxiously, getting more agitated every moment that passed. Now he didn't need to be the calm, collected one for Ky. Or Tomhas even for that matter. Or Tadaaki. Now, he could process his own emotions. And every impulse within him was just screaming what the actual fuck was that?

It shook him. Things like this rarely shook him. Sure, it was never fun to have to ward off an attack -- especially not at an event that was supposed to be as sacred as this. But it's not like this was the first time. It was the first time, however, that he'd had Ky in the vicinity when it did. Well, he supposed she'd been in a rather lot of danger when he was rescuing her as an infant -- but never since then.

He felt so guilty about her being in danger; and also so perplexed about why she was the one they were after. How could anyone be so cruel to her as to carve her up as a roast duck? And to send assassins, plural, to hurt her even after he died? She was in some deep shit, and he would be pulling out every last piece of information she had. He just had to be patient. He didn't want to traumatize her further. No matter how desperately he wanted to know the answers.

"What can I do to help?" Her arms slid under him, holding him closer to her. Tomhas began to steady his breaths again, using her touch to ground himself.
"Just be here," he said finally. "Just stay with me." He heard rather than saw her nod, and they lay there together in silence for awhile.

(Hahaha short stories are HARD! I’ve only ever successfully written one and ironically it was for my creative writing class in undergrad lol)

Tadaaki lay staring at the wall, listening to Aashi shush Tasia until she finally stopped whimpering and fell asleep. Then he heard Aashi stand up. He let out a silent sigh. He couldn’t do this. Not tonight.

“Aaki?” She crouched down next to him.

He knew she was going to touch him — she always touched him — but he still flinched when her hand landed on his shoulder. “Please go to sleep.”

“I want to be here for you,” she murmured.

“I appreciate that,” he answered, voice barely more than a whisper. “But you can’t do anything to fix this. Please go to bed.”

“I’ll sit with you—“

“Aashi,” his voice was a mixture between frustration and fear and general distress. “I know you think you’re helping, but you’re not.”

She was silent. He’d hurt her feelings. He didn’t have to look at her to know it.

“Ky told me I should ask you for what I need from you,” he continued, squeezing his eyes shut tightly. “And I need time to myself right now. And I’m sorry. I’m sorry I can’t be who you deserve. But I- I cant. I just can’t tonight, Aashi. I’m sorry.”

She was silent for another moment, then he felt her stand back up. “I love you.”

“I love you,” he murmured back.

(Mine is also for my undergrad creative writing class! I've written several before now but this one is so dialogue heavy and apparently that's not my strong suit so...)

(Also ouchhh)

"You're soaked," Anneke said after about fifteen minutes. "Aren't you cold?" Tomhas realized he was. He nodded. "Want to get into your nightshirt?"
"I just want to stay here," Tomhas sighed. "I don't care that I'm wet."
"Let me get it." She rose, leaving his back unprotected. Tomhas grunted in protest but didn't move to stop her; she was probably right that he should get out of this mess. He sat up, beginning to tug at his boots.

(😬)

Ky eventually got so exhausted she didn’t have the energy to keep crying. She just lay on her side, staring at the embers of the fire across the room. Gods. This was what she got for letting her guard down. She knew this was coming. She knew. And yet she’d let herself pretend that she was safe.

And look what it’d gotten her.

She wouldn’t be able to look a single one of them in the eyes tomorrow. Or ever again. They all knew it was her fault. Even if they were too polite to say it to her face. It was her fault. And they all knew it.

Anneke returned soon with his nightshirt and a pair of wool trousers. Tomhas took them gratefully and slid into them, piling his wet clothes near the rug and then curling back up under the blanket. Anneke joined him, resuming her position as big spoon.
"Better?" she asked.
"I still feel sick," Tomhas replied, staring into the flames in the hearth. "But I'm dry, yes. Thank you."

Ky didn’t want to go to sleep. If she slept, she was going to have a night scare. She knew it. Gods, did she know it. She could barely sleep — she’d been getting better lately, but still not good. This was going to take her back to living with Aleth. And she didn’t want to go.

"Think you can sleep now?"
"No."
"Okay." Anneke nestled closer to him, and Tomhas relaxed into the sound of her breathing, the feeling of her chest rising and falling against his back. She was so good to him, like nobody had been good to him before. Gaius was a great brother, but he had never been a warm person. The closest Tomhas had ever come to loving someone this much was with the Reeve's son. Daran had been his name, if Tomhas had recalled correctly. A bright, green-eyed young boy with hair so pale it was almost white and a lithe, muscular body. They'd been about twelve when they'd met, and thirteen or fourteen when they first went to bed with one another. They never did anything besides kiss and hold each other tight, fall asleep together. The night Tomhas and Daran went beyond that had been one of wonderful experimentation, a little pain, and wild curiosity. Tomhas had been sure he could spend his life with Daran after that night, and he fell asleep thinking so.
Then the next morning he'd woken to wet bedsheets and Daran's glassy gaze right in his face, blood everywhere, soaking into his pale, pale hair turning it crimson, seeping from the cut that split him from neck to groin. Michael standing over them both, face twisted into such a hateful expression that Tomhas was sure he would kill him too.
He had not tried that with another boy until Emery convinced him one cold night, and that was only one time. He pushed away everybody else, boys and girls alike, until he and Gaius were banished. Then Anneke came into the picture with her crooked smile and slightly oversized front teeth, and her laugh and her hair that was the best kind of red. She was safe, she wouldn't let anyone hurt them.

(Well shit, okay xD)

Tadaaki didn't want to sleep, either. He knew what was going to happen when he did -- gods, maybe he should just go sleep in the stable instead. He shook the thought away. Aashi wasn't going to sleep at all if he left her alone in this room. She looked to him for safety, even though they'd all just seen that he was weak. Well, that he couldn't fight, anyway. He'd been Aleth's muscle plenty of times -- but never against anyone who actually knew what they were doing.

He was worthless as a protector against real threats.

But, Aashi needed to sleep. And he could tell that she was still awake -- she was still emitting anxious energy, even though she was completely silent. Maybe that was why he knew she was still awake -- her breathing wasn't heavy like it was when she slept. She must have known he'd slip away as soon as she fell asleep, and was therefore waiting him out.

So he finally decided to go to sleep. And hope to the gods that he didn't do anything they'd come to regret.

(Whoop there's the backstory)

Eventually Anneke's breathing became slow, deep, even, and her grip on him relaxed. Tomhas watched the fire, unwilling to close his eyes now that his thoughts were turning back to the assassination attempt and the blood, and Daran.

(I mean, glad to finally have the full picture. But holy hell lol)

It was snowy. Ky felt the coldness against her face and on the tips of her fingers. Things were peaceful. Far, far too peaceful. Papa was there. And Tomhas. She was happier than she'd been her whole life. Telling Tomhas about how wonderful Papa was; telling Papa about how wonderful Tomhas was. And together, both of them were lavishing praise and love on her. She was leaning against Papa's shoulder and Tomhas sat on her opposite side. He held her hand as Papa brushed her hair out of her face. It was long. Wild. It always was wild.

"I'm so proud of you, baby girl," Papa murmured. "You look more like your mama every day. And she's looking down on us with nothing but pride and admiration for the woman you're becoming. I feel it in my bones.

(Michael details are never, never pretty)

(Wanna skip? Tomhas is gonna be up all night thinking but he'll be calmed down soon)

(Sure! Next morning? Or elsewhere?)

(Next morning works for me. I think we need to resolve some stuff before we shift over to Gaius returning to Pratik)

(I agree. Need some room for decompression haha)

"Forever and always," Papa murmured.

"Forever and always," Ky agreed.

"Forever and always," Tomhas echoed.

Ky looked at him, surprised. But then realized she didn't mind. Papa and Tomhas liked each other. Loved her. The day couldn't get better.

And then suddenly she didn't know where she was. No, wait, she'd been here before. Crouched behind the carcasses in Mr. Myrond's butcher shop. Holding a knife. Making sure she was squarely in front of Talia.

It was the same soldier kicking the ribcage over onto them. Pulling her in the air. She sank the knife into his shoulder in the same place. But when his fist came towards her this time, suddenly it was Aleth swinging instead.

And then she was stuck. In the snow. Buried to her neck. Aleth yanked the knife out of his shoulder and stabbed Papa. Over. And over. And over. Tomhas stood up to try to stop him -- and Ky watched as Aleth sliced his throat open. He fell to his knees. There was blood everywhere. Soaking into the snow around him.

Ky woke with a small yelp as she slammed her arm into the wall in the midst of her struggling. The blankets were knotted around her legs. Her brow was covered in a cold sweat. And her arm hurt so, so, so very badly. She shuddered and began trembling even worse than she had the night before. Somehow, she was even tireder now than when she'd drifted off.

She lay in bed for hours after that, watching as the sky finally turned light. Then she got up and got dressed. Would there be breakfast? Would she look petulant if she refused to go? Gods, there was no way to win this. She'd just need to make it through somehow.