Chapter Text
Once upon a time, roughly two hours before a grand ball, a tailor with the ears and tail of a raccoon hunched over his sewing table, foot pressed to the pedal as he finished the last line of stitching on a small cloak, the final piece to his outfit. The tailor, Tommy, held it up, watching as the small, shining details caught the light. It was far more extravagant than anything he’d usually wear, but today was a special day; it was the dawn of the masquerade ball, hosted by the rulers of the empire.
Of course, it was also very… Exclusive. After all, royalty can’t let just anybody into a castle filled to the brim with the rich and important. However, Tommy wasn’t “just anybody”, not that that was a very well known fact. To be quite honest, he preferred to keep it to himself.
He had an ability, not that that was really uncommon, but most people didn’t talk about theirs, especially not if they were powers that could be considered useful or dangerous. Tommy’s just so happened to fall under both of those categories.
He looked down at the thread that looped around his wrist. This one was far more special than any of the spools of color displayed neatly on the wall. This was no thread for sewing or stitching, no, this was a thread made out of fate. His own, to be exact.
Tommy could see the strings of anyone and everyone, as well as bend them however he so desired, so long as it didn’t involve life or death. He could bring misfortune or good will, but he couldn’t kill and he couldn’t create life, even if it had been there beforehand. That wasn’t his job, instead, that duty fell upon something else. The Other, as he liked to call it. It felt like a mirror of himself, but undoubtedly… wrong. Malicious.
It scared him, if he was being completely honest.
But that wasn’t important now, he had a ball to get ready for. Maybe, if he was lucky, he could show off his skills and secure a place for himself within the safety of the castle walls. Call him hopeful, maybe even overzealous, but it was considered the safest place in the empire, and even beyond . If he could get in, maybe he’d be able to get some proper sleep at night, without the feeling of prickles down his neck as something tried to see through his eye.
He could still remember the first time that had happened, his hand carefully reaching up to brush across the eyepatch that covered a good portion of his face. He hated the feeling, and it scared him even more to go through it while being alone. While he was helpful to the people of the small part of town he currently lived in, he couldn’t say he was exactly well liked. Not that it was his fault. He tried to make them at least tolerate his presence, but that backfired, because apparently he couldn’t use his abilities to help himself, even if the effect was meant to be on other people.
So, the best he could do was grab a canteen of water and place the mask he had made when he first decided he would try and get into the ball on his face, change into the clothes he’d made, then head out the door. He had a long walk ahead of him, after all.
—
The clothes he made kept well, though he wasn’t surprised. The dusty red cape was perfect for him, same with the suit he’d made out of spare materials and fabrics he’d bought out of his own paycheck. He’d sewn for several of the guest’s outfits, including the king and princes, so he knew what would and wouldn’t draw attention. Honestly, having something plainer would have seemed more out of place than this flashy ruffled outfit. Nobles longed to stand out, and yet most of them were cardboard cut-outs of the snobby nobles he read about. They looked for anything wrong with his work and picked at it until he was forced to either waste his work or grant them a discount.
Gods , he hated those types. The ones that complained and complained and complained about anything they could see. The skirt’s too high , or it’s not laced properly , or that’s not what I asked for , even in intermediate fittings. Of course it wouldn’t be what they asked for, because it wasn’t fucking done!
The clock struck three, and Tommy gently opened the door to the servants' tunnels. Laughter and chatter filled the room, so much that he knew he wouldn’t be noticed.
His ears flicked, catching the noise and honing in on one conversation to the next, eventually settling on someone talking at the far off wall, he couldn’t quite catch what it was, but it sounded like some random gossip. He could also see a long stretching table of food near where they were and- Oh, he should probably avoid going over there, lest he want the scolding of a lifetime. Tubbo had always been somewhat of a stickler for the rules. Well, at least when it meant getting on people's good side.
But Tommy was quite honestly sick of waiting for Tubbo to get enough of his name around that he could even be considered for working alongside his friend up here with all the prim and polish and golden trimmed marble. So, he would just have to stick to the more crowded parts of the ballroom, and hopefully he could get a chance to sneak at least a few scraps of food throughout the night.
Now, call him stupid for losing awareness of his surroundings so fast, but he became so caught up in quietly observing his friend work, he didn’t even notice the quiet taps of approaching footsteps until a hand was gently placed on his shoulder, causing him to let out a hiss, tail and ears bristling as he spun around to face the intruder, spitting out a few curses along the way. Of course, his voice quickly fell quiet as his eyes drew up and up and up and- Okay, seriously, who needs to be that fucking tall?
However, far past his better judgment, Tommy opened his mouth, to let an oh so eloquent, “What the fuck do you want?” tumble out.
The tall fuck actually laughed , though it didn’t seem unkind or patronizing like he was used to. “Sorry, sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. I was trying to get your attention. I’m supposed to greet guests, but maybe this wasn’t the best way to do it,” he joked, easing the tension. Now that Tommy wasn’t startled the fuck out of, he managed to get a glimpse of the noble’s clothes, before he realized, oh , that was his work. That was the suit he’d made for one of the princes.
He waved his hand dismissively, shrugging. “Don’t worry about it, you just startled me, is all.”
“I’m glad.” The prince smiled, and then corrected, “That you’re okay, not that I startled you. Obviously. Sorry, just- been talking to guests a little bit too much. It’s only been an hour and I’m losing my mind. I’m, uh, Ranboo, by the way.”
“I figured,” He didn't, Tommy had never bothered to learn what face went to what name when it came to the royals, if he was being honest, but he had to make it seem like he had some sort of knowledge on who they were if he wanted even a sliver of a chance at fitting in in this place. “I’m Tommy.”
“Tommy?” Prince Ranboo cocked his head. “It suits you. Honestly, I’m kind of glad you’re leaving behind the formalities.” He lowered his voice. “Between you and me, I keep forgetting who’s Duke who or Countess this or Baron that. I wish they had name tags, sometimes.”
Tommy snorted. “You and me both, I’d lose my mind if I had to remember the name of every stuck up prick in here.”
That got a startled laugh. “I’m not the one saying it here! They’re just a bit…” He was interrupted by one of the particularly haughty nobles he’d worked for (he remembered her, that bitch had made him drop his price down to only the cost of the materials).
“It’s good to see you, Prince Ranboo. You’re stunning as always, your Grace.” She curtseyed low. On her face was a peacock-feathered mask, so deeply unoriginal it made Tommy want to cringe.
Ranboo looked deeply uncomfortable. “Ah- Thank you, Lady…”
“Elizabeth.”
“Right. It must have slipped my mind. You look beautiful as well.”
She blushed and curtseyed, holding out a hand. “Would you honor me with a dance?”
Tommy turned to leave, expecting the prince to take it, but Ranboo’s shoes clicked against the ground in a step back, and he awkwardly responded, “Perhaps later. The festivities have just begun, and I have more guests to greet. I cannot spend all the night on the dance floor.”
That caught him off guard, and he glanced back, watching the black-and-white prince gently trying to get the noblewoman off his back as she pressured him.
“It won’t take long! Just one dance. Surely you want to unwind from your princely duties.” She grabbed his wrist, and Ranboo seemed deeply uncomfortable.
“My Lady-”
“He told you to piss off, didn’t he? You’re not hosting this shit, so you have no right making demands to the people who do. ” Tommy crossed his arms, tail twitching. “But go ahead, keep pushing, see if that gets you next year's invite.”
He had to fight back the urge to laugh as she gasped and quite literally clutched her pearls. “Such foul language! Your Grace, you should remove him from the ballroom!”
“I’ll deal with him,” Ranboo assured her. He put a hand on Tommy’s shoulder and moved to the door. For a second, he was worried he fucked up, but he heard Ranboo whisper, barely audible, “Thank you.”
Tommy flashed a small grin. “What, is my overwhelming charm winning you over, your highness?”
“Maybe it already has,” he joked back. “And she did say I should escort you from the ballroom, not that we couldn’t come back in . I think some time outside would be a nice break from all the guests.”
“Thank fuck, all the perfume and cologne was starting to give me an allergic reaction, I swear.”
“I’m wearing cologne,” he pointed out, opening the door. “Though, probably not as strong as some of the guests.”
“Well, given the fact that I’m not gagging like someone just tried to scent bomb my dumpster in the least eco-friendly way possible, I’d say you’re doing alright.” Tommy muttered with a small shrug.
Another laugh, and Ranboo pulled him outside. “You’re going to scare all the guests away,” he teased.
Tommy let out a dramatic gasp, placing a hand to his chest. “Me? I would never. Now, where to? Because I honestly have no fucking clue where anything is in this place.”
“Have you seen the gardens? They’re quite beautiful. The groundskeepers do a great job.”
“Show me, the tunnels didn’t exactly have the prettiest view-” Tommy cut himself off. “I uh, I mean…” Shit.
“No wonder you’re not pre- I mean- like a lot of the guests. You’re a worker, aren’t you?” Ranboo asked. He didn’t seem mad. “Which one?”
Tommy cringed. “Well, I wouldn’t say I exactly work here, but I did work on things that are here?”
“You- oh! You’re that tailor, aren’t you?” That tailor. It was a title he’d heard a thousand times before, except it was said with excitement, rather than malice. “Phil always calls you Thomas, so I didn’t connect it at first. Your work is amazing.”
“You… aren’t mad that I’m here?”
“No! I don’t care about any of that status stuff. You’re more interesting than everyone in there. I was actually really dreading this, but now I’m having fun . I’m glad you showed up. You’re pretty much my hero right now.”
Tommy rolled his eye, glad the mask hid the pink tint that crossed his cheeks. “You’re just trying to flatter me.”
“You should be a knight,” Ranboo declared, leading him forward. “Sir Tommy of Cloth.”
“Are you kidding? I have an easier time running away than I do fighting.”
The prince continued, a grin on his face. “Saving princes from uncomfortable situations and scandalizing people in all the kingdoms.”
“Well, you’re definitely right about that one. You know, you’re probably the second person I’ve ever met who hasn’t given me some long winded speech about ‘respect’.”
“Who’s the first?”
“You know that guy with all of the food? Brown hair, looks like a goat? He’s been my friend since I first got here, helped look out for me-” Tommy paused, eye wide as he glanced up at Ranboo. “Actually, don’t let him know I’m here, or else he’ll be so pissed.”
Ranboo laughed again. “My lips are sealed. After all, you’re a knight now, not a tailor. You’re technically allowed to be here.”
Tommy grinned. “Good, he’d have my head if I got into any sort of trouble. Not that I would, of course, I’m an absolute pleasure to be around.”
“Of course not. Why would you say anything most nobles deem crude? You certainly haven’t thus far.”
“I’m appalled that you’d even suggest such a thing, I’m the epitome of politeness.” Tommy said, taking a dramatic bow.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Ranboo giggled. It was insane how well he was clicking with someone that should have been so far above him that the most he’d ever get was a glance. “Oh! Hold on, close your eyes. I have an idea.”
“A surprise? For me? Oh, Ranboo, you shouldn’t have.” Tommy joked as he covered the single eyehole in his mask with a hand.
He heard a bit of shuffling, and then felt the stem of a flower being tucked in his ear. “There. You can open them now.”
Tommy blinked, moving his hand from his eye to carefully touch the flower. “What’s this?”
“It’s an allium. It’s purple, so it matches well with the red on your outfit. It’s also my favorite kind of flower, so there are plenty of them around.” He held up a matching one, a soft pink-purple color that contrasted with his entirely black-and-white outfit and mask.
Tommy quickly plucked the flower from the other’s hand. “Well if I have to wear one…" He stood on his toes, but somehow that still wasn't enough to reach Ranboo's ear, so he just settled for tucking the little bloom securely into the breast pocket on Ranboo’s vest. “Then so do you.”
Ranboo beamed. “A boutonniere! That’s a good idea. You are the fashion expert, after all.”
“You flatter me, really. What is that, the third title you’ve given me in the last twenty minutes?”
“I can give you more,” he piped up helpfully. “And you’ll have to remember and recite all of them for access to formal events.”
Tommy shot him a look. “You say that like it’s a bad thing- Well, I guess it would be for everyone else who actually has ‘more important’ things to do. I mean, can you imagine a room full of stuck up people having to wait two hours for me to finish listing off every title that explains just how awesome I am?”
“Maybe that would give them some respect,” the prince muttered, and then put a hand over his mouth. “I didn’t mean to say that aloud.”
Tommy smirked. “Look at that, I’m already rubbing off on you, I’m such a good influence.”
“You’re a terrible influence,” he huffed, but there was a subtle grin on his face as he shook his head.
“I’m wonderful, you adore me!” Tommy shot back. “I am your hero after all.”
“You are.” He sighed. “You did save me from having to talk to her. It’s not like I don’t like dancing, it’s just, ah… it takes certain people to enjoy it with. And those who interrupt me are not those types of people.”
Tommy nodded. “I get it, she’s always been a real ass anyway. You know, I made her that fuckin dress, and she had the audacity to complain the whole time! Nothing was good enough. I bet she’d be giving you an earful about not following her exact one-two step just right.”
“No way. She’d probably just be sucking up to me the whole time. She’s the type to think she somehow has the charm to convince me to marry.” He shook his head at the mere thought. “I wouldn’t be interested even if I was looking for a partner. Which I’m decidedly not.”
“She’d be too much of a hassle anyway, trust me. Once she works her way into something law binding, she’ll get whatever she can out of it, probably won’t even hold up her end of the deal! Rich people really are ridiculous, nitpicking every little detail and then not even having a shred of decency to pay what they agreed to.” Tommy ended off the small rant with a small huff and a shake of his head.
“Wait, did she not pay you your due?” The frown on Ranboo’s face was wholly unusual. Not directed at Tommy, but on his behalf.
Tommy smiled ever so slightly at the prospect of someone actually being upset for him, but explained nonetheless. “Well apparently, the contract was no longer binding because it fell through the requested time limit, which never would have happened if I didn’t keep needing to change the details on the damn thing.”
“That’s- that’s ridiculous . It’s legal, but it’s entirely immoral. And for such good craftsmanship, too. I’m surprised you didn’t decline her completely!” Someone angry really shouldn’t have made him feel so safe.
“When one bad review can ruin your livelihood, it’s kinda hard to do that, unfortunately.” Tommy shrugged. “Plus, I hadn’t even realized that she was going to be like that before I was already a pretty significant way through the project. So I had to choose between the chance of losing a little money, or a lot of money, and I don’t know about you, but I’d rather be able to afford to eat.”
Ranboo just stared at him for a long second, and Tommy realized belatedly that financial stress was not a struggle he’d ever had to go through. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled, sounding so damn sincere that Tommy didn’t have it in him to be bitter about their difference in status. “If you need any help-”
Tommy waved at him dismissively for the second time that day. “I can handle myself just fine, trust me. If I ever did end up struggling that hard, I would just crash Tubbo’s dinner. He’s so used to it, he usually makes enough for at least two people anyways.”
“You shouldn’t have to, though. Social systems are so… ugh! It’s unfair that jerks like them get off scot-free and people like you have to struggle.” He cast a glance at the castle in disdain. “It makes me want to burn this place down sometimes.”
Tommy snorted. “Then where would all the people who live in it go? As fucked as the system is, a lot of people rely on it to survive, if it was changed gradually, then sure, a lot of shit could be fixed, but I don’t think arson is very gradual.”
“I know, I know. It wouldn’t fix anything.” He sighed. “It just makes me upset. I’m supposed to grin and bear it, but it gets hard, you know? It must sound terribly insensitive in light of what you’ve shared, but being royal isn’t exactly easy. Everything feels fake sometimes. Like it’s one tap from breaking like glass.” He strode forward to the garden’s entrance, looking at the hedges. “All the perfection the outside is made to see is fake.”
“Keeping up appearances isn’t easy,” Tommy agreed. “It’s probably why I struggle so much in the first place. Was never one for politeness, you know?”
“I’m honestly glad. It’s nice to see someone that’s not fake. I’m guilty of it myself, honestly.” He spared a small, sad smile at an allium. “I’m not quite sure what’s me and what’s appearances anymore.”
Tommy nudged him with an elbow. “Nah, you’ve got personality, trust me. I’ve met all kinds of people in my life and I’m sure you have too, so you know that there’s nobody that’s exactly the same, no matter how much they try and fake it.”
“Tell that to the nobles,” Ranboo shot back quietly, in the same tone of nervous yet excited honesty he had when he commented something a bit offensive to some people.
“See? That’s exactly what I’m talking about! If you can make an opinion on your own without someone telling you why or how you should do it, you’ve got your own mind up in there. Sure, people will influence it sometimes, but you can do the same right back.”
The prince gave him a soft smile and teased, “You’re wiser than you come across as.”
“Yeah, turns out you don’t actually need any schooling to learn a thing or two.” Tommy shrugged.
Ranboo stayed silent for a long moment, then hesitantly took his hand, a subtle question of is this okay? in his eyes. “Why don’t we look around the garden? If you haven’t seen it before, I have lots to show you.”
Tommy gave his hand a gentle squeeze, equally silent acceptance. “Fuck yeah, show me the whole flower arsenal.”
Ranboo beamed, and the next hour was spent listening to explanations about flower meanings and care, comparisons between perennials and annuals and which plant grew best in what conditions. Normally, it would have bored him, but his friend spoke with such passion and excitement that he couldn’t help but listen. Even though it wasn’t in the usual fashion, the boy really did have charisma.
As the sun dimmed slowly in the sky, Ranboo grabbed his hand and pulled him aside into a nook of the garden Tommy hadn’t even realized was there before. “This is my favorite place in the garden. Maybe in the whole kingdom, honestly. I don’t have any duties here. I can just sit and think, or read, or draw, or whatever I want.”
Alliums grew all around, entwined with the hedges in some places. The ground was littered with other wildflowers as well, the pattern broken only by stones that led to a flat marble foundation with a trellis above it, providing both shade and an extra place for flowers. Near the back edge of the little roofed area was a white stone bench, elegantly curved to have a back and sides for resting arms. It was enough to fit maybe three people, and next to the left edge, there was a small table with a jukebox and some discs on it.
Tommy’s eye widened when he saw it, and he knelt down next to the musical contraption. “I haven’t had the chance to use one of these in ages, I used to play just about every disc on the wall in that old coffee shop in the lower district before theirs broke.”
“Oh! I wonder if there are some of the same discs there? Go ahead and look!”
Tommy quickly sat up on his knees, and began sifting through the pile of music discs, eventually coming across one with a green sticker around the middle. It wasn’t as worn as the one he used to play in the cafe, but it was the same song he would quietly hum to himself as he worked, even if it did lack the occasional scratch and bump. “This one was always nice.” He commented, holding up Cat.
Ranboo nodded. “Put it in the jukebox, then. I’ve always liked that one, too.”
Tommy obliged, gently sliding the disc into the jukebox and letting the soft, bubbly melody wash over as he swayed to the rhythm. “It was one of my favorites when I was younger, annoyed just about everybody by playing it over and over again.”
Ranboo laughed. “There’s nobody out here to annoy, though. In fact, if it’s not too much…” He held out a hand. “May I have this dance?”
Tommy stared for a moment, trying to figure out how to get the words out without sounding like a total moron. “I uh- I’ve never actually been able to…”
“Oh. Do you not know how?”
Tommy shrugged. “Could never really afford to go to any lessons, most I know was uncoordinated dancing with whoever was on the floor at the time.”
“Let me teach you, then. I’ve had enough lessons for the both of us.” The prince smiled encouragingly.
“Alright,” Tommy muttered, carefully retaking Ranboo’s hand. “But if we fall on our asses, it’s your fault.”
Ranboo beamed at him. “Alright. Probably the most important dance style is the waltz. It has six steps. I’ll lead, and you do the opposite. To make it more clear, I’ll tell you which foot to put where, too. To start, I put my hand on your waist and you put it on my shoulder. Or, uh… maybe we should do the opposite,” he considered. “With you being shorter and all.”
“Honestly, who gave you the right to be that tall?” Tommy asked jokingly as he followed the instructions.
“Alright, if you’re leading now, that makes the steps just a bit different. Step forward with your right,” he instructed as he stepped back with his left, making a perfect space for Tommy to put his foot. He followed the directions, met with, “good! Now, in one motion, move your left forward and out.” Again, he instructed inversely, and Tommy copied. “Then, feet together- good. Then, do all that, but with the other side, and that’s it. It’s really not that hard.”
“For you, maybe. I don’t know how this rhythm is supposed to work yet though. Fish out of water and all that.” All complaints aside, it really wasn’t that difficult, but Tommy had always enjoyed being a tad overdramatic.
“Well, let’s do it slow, and then try it with the music. Cat’s not a traditional waltz, but any song can work.” The disc had stopped, so Ranboo started… counting? “One-” he put his foot back, and Tommy followed. “Two-” That was the second motion, and it clicked for Tommy. It was counting the steps.
With that, it became a lot easier. He messed up and stepped on Ranboo’s toes more than once, but eventually, they got into the swing of it and even added a little bit of a turn. Then, he backed away, put the disc in, and rejoined, and they were dancing, actually dancing, and fuck, Tommy was good at it, pride and comradery blooming in his chest as he laughed in delight. It wasn’t the same rhythm, but they made it work, and it was genuinely fun .
Suddenly, Ranboo’s grip changed, and Tommy fell back into a dip with a startled yelp. Ranboo grinned at him (though it looked more like a smirk). “And that’s how you waltz.”
“Fuck off,” Tommy hissed, though there was no real bite to the words.
“I can and will drop you,” he snorted as he helped Tommy up.
“Nah, you’re too polite for that, would probably try and catch me again if you did.”
“I would,” he admitted. “You called my bluff.”
The clock rang out five times, and Ranboo’s cheeks went purple with embarrassment. “Has it been that long already?”
Tommy let out a short, cheeky laugh. “Time flies when you’re in my amazing presence.”
Whatever Ranboo said next, Tommy wasn’t able to hear over the sudden ringing in his ears. All joy was drained suddenly, too suddenly, as The Other’s presence made itself known, creeping through his veins like slowly-forming ice. His breath caught in his throat and he put a hand tight against his eye, nails digging into the lid. His heart thudded out of his chest. He could feel them staring, watching through his eye like some sort of parasite. Hands grabbed his wrists, and he panicked, straining against them.
He let out high pitched whine, trying to will away his ability to feel anything, all of it piling up like an overwhelming mess. “Go away,” He bit out, voice choked. He never actually knew if The Other could hear him or not, but if they could, they never listened.
One hand let go, but the voice in the background persisted. It didn’t sound like the whispers he would get from The Other, far more high-pitched and muffled. When Tommy moved to claw at the remaining eye, though, it latched back on.
All too suddenly, after a few seconds that felt like agonizing minutes, The Other finally released, sending him toppling into warm arms.
“-mmy- Tommy, please, talk to me! Tell me what’s wrong!” Ranboo’s voice came into clarity again, and he realized belatedly that that was the voice he had been hearing.
Air rushed back into his lungs with a stuttered gasp, and he had to repeat the motions of choking down a lungful of air several times before his vision fully cleared. He reached up, tugging at his raccoon ear, a small nervous tic he picked up somewhere along the line in his life.
Tommy bowed his head, pressing just slightly into the chest beneath it. “Shit,” There weren’t really any better words to explain how he felt, maybe an eloquent ‘fuck’?
“Do you need to go to the physician? Are you hurt?” Oh. He was still talking. “What happened?”
Great, how the fuck was Tommy supposed to explain that? “It was an, uh… A drawback, from my ability.” That was probably the best way to sum it up, better than ‘Oh, yeah, some fucked up entity likes to partially posses me from time to time.’
“Oh, thank the gods,” Ranboo murmured, and warm arms suddenly wrapped around Tommy’s midsection. “Did it hurt you? Does it happen often?”
Tommy teetered his hand back and forth, as if to say ‘more or less’. In all honesty, it seemed to happen at random; sometimes it would happen multiple times a day, others, it wouldn’t happen for weeks. “Depends, I guess.”
“It really startled me,” Ranboo admitted earnestly. “One second, you were fine, and then you just- just started trying to claw your own eye. I’m sorry if I made it worse, I just didn’t want you hurting yourself.”
“It’s fine, honestly, I’m thankful for it, would rather not go completely blind, would make my job a bit hard and all that. I’d probably have to hire someone to read out orders and help me pick colors and all that.”
“Fully-? Oh. Oh, shoot, I didn’t know! I’m sorry if I’ve been insensitive.” Ranboo pulled away, looking him in the eye. “I genuinely didn’t know, I’m so sorry.”
“I prefer it when people don’t treat me differently, if I’m being quite honest. I mean, I rather people not act like I’m glass or or time bomb just because of…” Tommy gestured vaguely at the blank spot on his mask where his left eye should be.
“Oh- yeah, yeah, okay. Got it. I was just worried, because I mentioned eyes a few times. Honestly, I just thought it was an aesthetic thing,” he admitted. “That just makes you all the more impressive, though, honestly.”
“Flattery, Ranboo.” Tommy quipped.
“No, I’m serious! You’re able to do everything without depth perception, all of the time. That’s really cool.”
“I could do it with my eye closed. Practiced it, actually, just in case.” And that was true, there were some close calls which had Tommy scared, so he had spent a good chunk of time making sure he’d still be able to do what he liked without having to worry about it coming out as a jumbled mess. Relying only on his sense of touch and muscle memory was a bit difficult to get used to, but he managed. Although sometimes the colors came out just a touch wonky.
“Is there anyone to help you so that that doesn’t happen? Maybe you should see a doctor,” Ranboo worried.
“Not something a doctor can help, and I live by myself so…” Tommy trailed off, letting the short explanation hang in the air.
“So… nobody?”
Tommy gave a short nod. “I have Tubbo, sometimes. But most people tend to not like my personality very much, and if they can look past that long enough to actually see me like- like that, then they don’t stick around much longer. Loose canon, unpredictable and all that.”
Ranboo looked genuinely upset. “That’s-”
“Ranboo!”
The prince looked startled, then annoyed. “Wilbur,” he muttered, both to Tommy and himself. “He may seem noble and stuck-up, but he’s not actually noble. You two would get along swimmingly.”
Before Tommy could get a word out, Wilbur was already in front of them. The man was… oddly familiar. It felt like Tommy should know him. “Escaping from your honorable duties, I see. Did you run around saying the fastest hello’s imaginable or did you find an excuse to run off?”
“Such faith,” Ranboo shot back. “I did say hello, mind you! And found an excuse. I was escorting a guest out.” He crossed his arms. “Of course, he’s going to return later, but he insulted one of the nobles.” A smile played at his lips, and even Wilbur seemed pleased at that.
“Rebelling now, are we? I thought the day would never come.” Wilbur had a small twinkle in his eye as he tilted his head. “So, when will I get to meet this mystery man?”
“Now. You need your glasses,” Ranboo pointed out wryly.
“Huh- oh! So you’re the troublemaker?” Wilbur asked. “Good to meet you.”
Tommy did his best not to show that he was startled by the attention coming back to him, straightening his posture ever so slightly. “Uh, yeah. Yep, that’d be me, the greatest man at calling out assholes.”
“That’s fucking amazing,” Wilbur responded, without skipping a beat, and there was something about hearing one of the twin heirs to the throne swear that almost made Tommy choke on air.
“You think so?”
“Pissing off rich assholes is something I’ve always wanted to do. Unfortunately, due to the nature of monarchy and sponsors and the political battlefield and blah, blah, blah, I can’t, unless I want the Antarctic Empire to end up with civil unrest. Rich non -assholes insulting rich assholes? That’s fair game.”
Tommy nodded in agreement. “I’ve kicked many out of my humble abode for having some kind of attitude straight through the door. No mercy for the impolite, I say.”
“Oh, I like you already. What’s your name?”
“It’s Tommy,” He answered, although it felt a bit awkward not asking the question in return. Rich people and their ever-growing popularity, he supposes.
“Huh. I don’t remember your name on the list,” Wilbur hummed.
Tommy froze, sending a quick, worried glance over to Ranboo. “Oh? That’s… unfortunate, I’ve always thought I was quite the memorable guy.”
“Without a memorable name, perhaps.” Wilbur laughed. “Either way, Prince Ranboo , your presence is required in the ballroom. It’s five-thirty soon, you know what that means.”
Ranboo just groaned, looking like he’d swallowed a lemon.
Tommy held back from spitting insults at Wilbur, instead opting to make fun of Ranboo for… Whatever it was that ruined the prince's mood. “What, having a coronation already?”
Wilbur balked at that. “What? He’s never even been trained for ruling, I’m the one that’s next in line!”
“Okay, and?” Tommy raised an eyebrow at him. “Ranboo is way better than you. Plus, how else am I supposed to get a crown of my own?”
Ranboo went purple with the implication, and Tommy laughed at him. “Gold-digger,” he quipped, a bit flustered.
“Me? Never.” Tommy grinned, glad to know the joke wasn’t lost on either of the brothers.
Wilbur raised an eyebrow at Ranboo, who stared back in exasperation. “He’s just like that,” the black-and-white prince explained.
The mockingbird-masked brunette merely shook his head. “Sure. Either way, you’ve gotta give that speech, mister adult.”
“What speech?” Tommy wouldn’t say he was particularly interested, he had heard plenty of stories about just how boring speeches were. However, he was curious why Ranboo of all people was supposed to give one.
“I-”
“He turned eighteen a week ago, so he has to announce it to the kingdom. Same as Tech and I had to, but we had to make a speech together, which was hell . It would be easier for him, if he didn’t have extreme social awkwardness. One time, when he was thirteen-” Wilbur started, and Ranboo cut him off, ear tips bright purple.
“Do not -”
“-he was clinging to me during a formal event-”
“Wilbur-”
“-and I went to the bathroom, and he waited for me, and when someone else came out-”
“You’re a terrible brother-”
“-he thought it was me and ended up hugging a random noble for a full minute.”
Ranboo put his head in his hands with a long groan, and Tommy could feel the heat on his face from where he stood.
Tommy couldn’t help laughing, though he did try and cover it with his hand, not that that worked very well. “Lighten up, Ranboob, I’ll be hearing just about every embarrassing story you’ve got. I have decided that you’re stuck with me forever.”
“This is terrible,” the prince whined into his hands. “I’m never letting you two near each other again.”
“You can’t control me! That’s like, abuse of power or some shit.” Tommy stated matter-of-factly.
“I can control Wilbur. I’m going to lock him in the dungeon.” Ranboo peeked through his fingers.
“I’ll tell all of the prisoners about when you were twelve,” Wilbur threatened.
“Nevermind.”
“Would you if I asked you to, though?” Tommy asked.
“Well, uh, looks like I need to do that speech!” Ranboo turned on his heel, grabbing Tommy’s hand. “Let’s go back inside.”
Tommy absolutely did not squeak in surprise as he was dragged off towards the ballroom again. “What was that for? I was having a very lovely conversation with your brother, you know.”
“He’s a terrible influence. Never trust a musician,” Ranboo huffed.
“You plan to keep me from speaking to my in-laws when we live in the same castle?” Tommy asked, doing his best to sound incredulous.
The way Ranboo sputtered was worth it. “In-laws?!”
“Yes, we’re getting married so I don’t get kicked out when they find out I’m not some rich prick, keep up.” Tommy was joking, of course, but it wasn’t actually the worst idea he’d ever had.
“When did we come up with this?” The prince definitely seemed flustered, but not actively upset.
“Like, five minutes ago.” Tommy shrugged. “I think it’s a pretty fool-proof plan though.”
“It would be kind of funny,” Ranboo pointed out offhandedly.
Tommy blinked at him. “Wait, for real? You’re being serious?”
The prince gave him a sly grin. “Maybe. Maybe not. You’ll have to see. Just watch me drop to one knee in the middle of my speech. Surely there’s nothing wrong with marrying someone I just met.”
Tommy let out a small giggle. “You’d get in so much trouble, I swear.”
“It would be in so many gossip columns. The scandal of the century. Can you imagine the headlines?”
“We’d go down in history for one of the most weirdly elaborate pranks to ever happen.” Tommy agreed.
Ranboo laughed and opened the door of the ballroom. Immediately, the laughter died, and the prince’s smile faded. He let go of Tommy’s hand. Normally, Tommy wasn’t looked twice at, and now all eyes were being trained on him. It felt almost like The Other with the sense of unease it gave him.
“You’re late,” a pink-haired man wearing a boar mask and crown whispered. The other twin prince.
“Sorry, Techno. I got caught up.” Ranboo ducked his head.
“Phil’s waiting for you up front.”
Tommy gave a small wave goodbye as Ranboo vanished off into the crowd. Hopefully it would only be a short speech, he already felt nervous being left on his own, though, that might have been due to how many people’s eyes still lingered on him. A lot of them were bad at hiding it, not even realizing they’d been caught for a whole second when Tommy glanced their way.
However, the worst was probably Ranboo’s brother, the one next to him now. Wilbur was great, but this guy, (Techno, Ranboo had said?) was probably one of the most intimidating people Tommy had ever encountered. He just hoped that if Ranboo did decide to actually go through with the joke he made earlier, that he would have managed to slip away into the crowd. He didn’t doubt for a second that out of the two brothers, the one next to him would be the first to pummel him into the ground.
Both of their attentions were caught away from each other by Ranboo clearing his throat up front, voice enchanted by one of the standby castle workers.
“Ahem- ah- hello?” He sounded terribly unsure of himself, and he seemed to notice, because he winced. “Sorry for my, uh… lateness. My apologies. It’s a good thing princes Technoblade and Wilbur are here to keep me in check. They’re much more punctual than I.” It got a few laughs, but they were pity laughs.
“Yes, ah- well-” Ranboo caught Tommy’s eye, and the tailor tried his best to make his smile seem encouraging. It seemed to work, because the prince took a deep breath. “It’s good to see all of you present. If the monarchy is the heart of the Antarctic empire, its citizens are the rest of the body. Both would be lost without each other. I am extremely lucky to be born into a life of rule over such a prosperous kingdom. Though I may not be the heir to the throne or even hope to become this empire’s king, it puts me in a unique position to see everyone as they are.
“From the landowners to the farmers to the tailors-” another glance at Tommy. “Each is important and valued. And though I am grown, I hope I can retain that childlike sense of wonder about how amazing every individual in this kingdom is. I could want nothing more. From the bottom of my heart,” he bowed, “thank you for giving me the privilege of being your prince.”
It was a short speech, but Ranboo had a passion, a way with words that could raise or destroy an empire. But it was gone just as soon, as the prince seemed to come to himself and fluster. “Enjoy the ball, everyone,” he called, and hurried off the stage amidst a round of applause.
Tommy would say that he had waited patiently for Ranboo to come back to him, but would be lying, proved by the way he shoved a path through the crowd to get as close to the stage as possible before Ranboo met him halfway. “That was great man, I liked how short it was, most people like to drag things like that out a lot.”
“Really? I kind of felt like it wasn’t enough, and I absolutely went off-script,” he admitted quietly as the king started speaking again, seeming all-too-aware of the people around them.
“Nah, short and sweet is always better in my opinion. Why use so many words when just a couple get the same point across?”
Ranboo opened his mouth to respond, but the clock’s chime and the shifting of the crowd caught him off-guard. Before Tommy could even ask, the prince was explaining. “It’s the formal dance.”
Oh. He’d heard of that. It was usually led by the reason for celebration and a partner of their choosing. Of course, that put Ranboo back in the spotlight, several nobles trying to catch his attention. He looked overwhelmed, but he managed to hold his hand out for Tommy to take.
Tommy hesitated for a moment. Sure, Ranboo had shown him the basics of the dance, but he still stumbled. Plus, that was when they were on their own in the garden, this was a room full of people, people he would have to impress. “I’m gonna ruin your reputation, you know.” He muttered as he finally caved and took the offered hand, letting himself be led out into the open ballroom.
“I don’t care,” he replied with a soft grin. “Gossip columns, remember?” The enderian put a hand on his shoulder, and he followed suit with one on the prince’s waist.
The orchestra in the corner of the room slowly hummed to life, it was an unfamiliar song, but the rhythm was the same as what he had been taught earlier. Arguably, it was actually easier to keep pace with than Cat was, since this song was actually made for ballroom dancing. The few times Tommy did end up stumbling, Ranboo had made one maneuver or another to cover it and make it look purposeful, which Tommy was eternally grateful for.
It was fairly easy to forget the crowd, all the eyes glued to him as he just got lost in the moment with his new friend. If someone had told him as he left his house that morning that he would be partaking in the first dance of the ball with the youngest prince, he would have laughed right in their faces. Mostly because he was the only one that could control fate.
For the first time in a long time, he actually felt calm. No creeping sensation that something would go wrong, that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t change it. A weight that had been on his shoulders for as long as he could remember was just gone. Taken to the wind with every note of the music.
He could hear the song reaching a crescendo and the pace quickened, a slow dance turning to fast spins and twirls that almost made him feel dizzy. Then, right before the final note rang out, he felt as if he was falling, a dark void and shimmering purple particles engulfed both him and Ranboo as his heart dropped to his stomach, eye wide and his hands tightened to a death grip where he held onto Ranboo’s own and his suit jacket.
It was over in a mere blink, the color splashing back into the world as he was dipped low in the final move of the dance, right on the center stage, when he knew for a fact that they had been all the way across the room.
“Holy shit.” Tommy whispered to himself, just barely loud enough for Ranboo to hear.
“Sorry,” Ranboo whispered back. “Should have warned you.” He helped the raccoon hybrid up as cheers filled the room, the audience enamored with the trick.
Tommy shook his head quickly. “No, no, it was cool! I just wasn’t expecting it, is all. Was that your ability or…?”
He nodded. “Yeah. Teleportation. Do you want to try it again? It’s a lot quicker than walking back.”
“Sure,” Tommy nodded, and just like that he was sent back into the same gut sinking feeling and then standing in a completely new area of the ballroom. The disorientation faded quicker this time, at least. It was actually kind of fun, and Tommy found himself hoping he’d get to do it more often.
“So,” Ranboo murmured as the orchestra moved to play another song. “This next one is a partner swap. Everyone else is going to be dancing, too, but partway through the song, there will be a rotation where everyone finds a new partner to dance with. I’ll go, so someone else can find you, since you’re new to this. It should be the same deal, alright? Just like we practiced.”
“Yeah, sure, I can do that, easy as hell.” Tommy boasted, though he knew he wasn’t really hiding his nerves all that well. “Just, ah, don’t send me off with that dickhead from earlier, yeah?”
“I’ll try,” he promised. The first notes of the song played, and Tommy… actually recognized it.
Mellohi.
It was a short song, hardly lasting longer than a minute, but as much as Tommy used to love it when he was younger, he prayed that it would just end. It was a lovely song, all things considered, some used to think that the old disc in the cafe made it sound creepy, with its odd pauses and scratches, but Tommy always refused to see that point of view, at least until The Other made their first appearance.
He didn’t think hearing the song would make the place where his eye should be ache, especially since it was such a different rendition than what he had grown used to. The only silver lining he could really grasp onto was that fact that it was easy to keep pace with, both because it fit the pace of a simple waltz, and because it was a song he actually knew.
There was a spot in the middle that sounded a bit more cheery than the rest of the song, it was the bit that Tommy had always liked. Apparently Ranboo enjoyed the tidbit as well, if the way he was teleporting them around the room with every beat had to show for anything.
Then it switched back, and Tommy would have to say, that was was the moment everything got fucked up. All the people around the room began to switch partners and though Tommy knew to expect it, he had no idea where, or who he would end up with. The moment Ranboo let go of his hand, someone else grabbed ahold of it, and he was spun around to face a mask with a simple smile carved into it.
Tommy was never really one to ‘sense’ magic, but whoever it was that he had been paired with was flooding with it, powerful enough to send a shiver down his spine and leave him feeling like a puddle of anxiety. Maybe he was being a bit judgemental, but he could practically feel the evil drifting off the person in waves. In a way, it almost felt familiar.
“It’s good to finally meet you, tailor,” the man murmured, and Tommy went pale. “I’ve been waiting quite a while.”
Tommy felt sick. Something was clearly wrong, every ounce of common sense he had was screaming that at him. It was fine, though, just a few more seconds to the song and he’d be right back with Ranboo. “Do I… know you?”
“In a way.” The stranger shifted his grip to inspect Tommy’s wrist, keeping the rhythm easily. “I know you, though. Hell of a bracelet you’ve got, by the way.”
Nobody but Tommy could see that thread. Nobody but Tommy and one other person.
This man was The Other.