Chapter Text
Shadow Milk tugged the final stitch on the red bear plush. Candy Apple had ripped its arm again. He never should have offered to fix the first one. He remembers that day vividly. Stupid Vanilly had been visiting the Spire to see how they were handling its rebuilding shortly after he’d ported it to the Vanilla Kingdom. This was in the early days of Vanilly’s Beast Redemption quest and Shadow Milk had been just too weak still to protest the intrusion of the Ancient in his tower.
Yep. No other reason the Ancient just walked through what should have been locked doors. None at all. He certainly didn’t want the bright idiot there.
So he’d strolled in all peacefully to the wreckage of their home. Shadow Milk had succeeded in summoning all the rubble to the small plot Pure Vanilla had set aside for him but hadn’t been able to do more than put the basic frame together before his magic had given out. He’d flopped on the floor and pretended to his little minions that he was there by choice when they’d found him like that, just being lazy. He’d quickly commanded them to get started clearing out the bottom floor rooms and their own personal quarters.
Black Sapphire had given him that look that said he was pretty sure Shadow Milk had just lied, but like a good little minion he had the decency to pretend he didn’t. It was hours later that Pure Vanilla had found him on the floor and asked him if he was alright. He’d laughed at the healers concern but the other simply sat next to him. At least he didn’t try to heal him. He didn’t want the confirmation that Pure Vanilla saw him as anything other than all powerful. As far as the idiot needed to know, he was at full strength again already and just playing nice because of his magnanimous personality.
So when Candy Apple came in, whining about having ripped her favorite plush of the week for the fifth time, the aforementioned bleeding heart had heard her. He offered to fix it for her, but she shouted that she wouldn’t let a betrayer touch her beloved gifts from Master Shadow Milk. Pure Vanilla had given him that look, the one that meant he was thinking stupid sappy thoughts again, and Shadow Milk had grumbled about it being simple to conjure endless toys for her to destroy.
Of course that prompted Pure Vanilla to ask if then mending the toys was equally easy. Candy Apple, who had previously been under the impression that once something breaks it was gone thanks to her candy apple bombs, had jumped onto him on the floor begging that he fix her plushies. When he’d finished wheezing, he’d shouted out an agreement to get her to leave him alone. Pure Vanilla had quietly then sent some healing magic through his body, making him feel disgustingly squishy.
Ever since that day, Candy Apple had brought him a plushie nearly every other day that needed mending. It had taken him over a month to mend all the plushies she'd ripped or tore over the years. What she was doing that she ripped them so often, he decided that he didn’t want to know. Whatever depravity was occurring in her teenage mind, he wanted no part of thank you very much!
Now he snipped the excess thread on plushie surgery patient number 392011 and threw it into a portal to Candy Apple’s room. He then checked on Black Sapphire’s project. The young adult was working on what he called his magnum opus. Consider Shadow Milk intrigued. It was quite the fascinating idea.
The world had gotten better technology since he’d been sealed in the Tree. Much of what magic could do, so could technology, and what it couldn't match was made up for in the unique things it could do. Black Sapphire was a genuinely smart boy and had figured out how the various machines worked almost as fast as Shadow Milk himself had and had found corners of the Cookienet that thrived on gossip. Sharing it freely between anonymous users with barely concealed facts that aired the juiciest deceits to bite into. Even the stories that were clearly falsehoods that had never happened further stoked the secret flames of chaos.
Black Sapphire had decided to try and make a podcast reading out submitted stories of this kind and giving his own brand of suave “advice” to the listeners. Most of it was just hamming up the drama of the story, stoking the fires for his own entertainment before pretending to care about the storyteller’s woe and give them ways to fix the issue. He said the later part was how he enticed people to come back for the drama. Shadow Milk was beginning to suspect that Black Sapphire just liked the attention that doing a "good deed" was getting him. Stupid Vanilly was influencing his minions now too. UGH.
Buuuuuuut it was sending power into Shadow Milk’s realm so who was he to stop it. He’d even featured on it once or twice, claiming the storyteller’s bad guy of the day simply must be lying because of the flakiness that seeped from the story like he could actually tell whether the story subject was in any way a real person. Either way people ate up his words just as much as Black Sapphire’s and he got to hear some juicy drama from the various kingdoms. All around a win win to be disgustingly honest.
Now though, he was bored. His visit to Black Sapphire’s studio was to cure that boredom of the day. Or else he’d have to go bother Silly Vanilly. He ignored how his soul seemed to pulse at the thought of that. Nope. Black Sapphire was who he was here to see!
Turns out, Black Sapphire did have something juicy for him. Pure Vanilla had set up a party in the Vanilla Castle’s gardens for something. Black Sapphire told him he couldn’t disclose his source, so it was that Silverbell Faerie, but that he’d been told it was a certain Guardian’s birthday soon and that all the Ancients were in the Vanilla Kingdom to celebrate it.
He huffed and snarled about not caring about the stupid faerie flower. Black Sapphire gave him that look again before bowing with a sarcastic “Of course, Master Shadow Milk” tacked onto the end. Little gnat. He was getting bold in his adulthood. Whatever, he’d come crawling to his Master’s feet when he realized his silly little feelings for that faerie and realized that said faerie would outlive him. See if his Master would teach him how to become a pseudo-faerie then!
Of course he would.
But now he was in his room pointedly not sulking about Pure Vanilla not wanting him at his fancy party. He wasn’t. The party was full of the idiot hero squad anyway. Not like he cared what any of them thought now that he had his friends back.
The nerve bothered him though. How dare Pure Vanilla not invite the party king to his little event! He had dozens of plays that he hadn’t had the chance to perform yet. Sure, some of them were no longer suitable due to their little Play Nice rules. He was saving them for that silly Enchantress that thought she could muzzle the Beasts to do her bidding. He’d show her and he’ll make sure she never forgot it for an eternity when he caught her.
Contrary to the heroes belief, it was quite impossible to lie to the Beast of Deceit and him not notice it. He’d never been tricked by anyone in history ever in fact! Not even the Witches could lie to him anymore.
But back to the idiot pretend king. The half a penny soul stealer who thought he’d tricked the Beast. If it was a party the healer wanted for his beloved little flower, then a party he would get when Shadow Milk crashed it! Yes. Yes. It was time he paid his other half a little visit.
It was easy to melt into the shadows of his room and slip through the shadows of the Vanilla Kingdom to his destination. Black Sapphire had said it was in the gardens. He’d find the fool and make sure he regretted planning any little party without the Beast. Sure enough he’d found him sneaking away with the stupid flower. She should have been a rose for how much of a thorn she was in his side.
He let his laughter announce his arrival as soon as the two had found a secret little place to hide. He watched Pure Vanilla look about wildly while White Lily had let out an audible breath of pure frustration. Good. Let the flower burn.
“Silly Vanilly~~” He called out as sickeningly sweet as he could. He glared at their joined hands for only a moment before meticulously slipping his mask on. Entirely feigned exaggerated hurt melted off his words. “Imagine my surprise to hear there was a party happening and I wasn’t given an invitation. Oh, it simply shattered my heart, Vanilly. I thought we were friends now.”
He peaked at the healer and the flower on his stage, really trying to sell his utter pretend heartbreak. White Lily sucked in a breath and seemed nervous for some reason. Pure Vanilla was staring at him utterly gobsmacked. Had the idiot really thought he’d hid the party from him? Or was he simply in awe of his magnificent acting?
“My beautiful bluebird.” Pure Vanilla finally uttered with a startling amount of pure honey.
His what.
“I would never mean to hurt you. I didn't think you’d want to come because it was a party for White Lily.” Pure Vanilla continued, approaching Shadow Milk with eyes pleading like he was about to cry.
What was this performance? What improv direction was Pure Vanilla going for here? He sounded like a lover who’d just gotten caught cheating! The next thing Shadow Milk knew, Pure Vanilla was latched around his waist pleading with his eyes that Shadow Milk forgive him for this slight.
Realizing he'd froze on stage for entirely too long, Shadow Milk started laughing. He let himself really ramp up into a laughter of truly wild abandon. “Oh and here I thought I was the clown!” He wheezed, still unable to grasp the absurd direction that the blind healer was taking this performance. “Silly Vanilly is absolutely delulu today! Extra extra silly billy Silly Vanilly. What’s wrong with him?” He asked when he finally remembered the flower existed. She looked like she wanted off this stage. Tough.
“Help me get him into the side garden and I’ll explain.” She sounded thoroughly tired. Oh, for how long had Pure Vanilla been like this??
She was reaching to try for the healer again so he laughed and tried to free himself. Only for the idiot to whine at him and pout with those soft lips of his. He forgot his lines all over again and was forced to look to his fellow actor for aid, reluctant as he was to admit he had no control over this scene anymore. She attempted to pry the warm, practically melted idiot off him but he didn’t lessen his constricting hold. He… he wasn’t going to let go, was he? Shadow Milk sighed with great theatrics and blinked his scepter into his hands. His floating spell was easy to cast as breathing so he gave White Lily her cue to exit stage left. At least one of these Ancient fools could follow stage directions and she led him to the side garden with hurried steps. Of course, she would. She was probably praying no one else but Shadow Milk had caught them on their secret little rendezvous.
She wasted no time at all once they were hidden away from prying eyes and ears. “It seems my faeries were under the impression that Pure Vanilla was being too shy to confess his feelings to me. They gave him some form of love potion and he’s been hanging off everyone since.”
Yeah, he got it. She won. The idiot was her little plaything now. Why not rub it in more.
He was about to snarl out a response when Pure Vanilla practically tripped over his own feet to grab a little more of Shadow Milk’s coattails. He’d almost knocked them down, and that was a feat considering neither of them were bound by gravity at all right now!
“Bluebird, I was waiting for you. I had secretly hoped you’d come to the party. I know Silverbell and Black Sapphire talk whenever they can sneak away so I thought perhaps the news would make it to you.” Shadow Milk couldn’t help being thrown off of his lines for the third time that night. If Pure Vanilla had been sneaking around with the faerie flower, why was he acting like Shadow Milk was the highlight of his perfect little night? “I hoped perhaps you’d decide to show up even if it was only in my cloak again like you sometimes do. I love when you try to sneak cuddles like that. I’ll cuddle you all you want.”
Oh! It got worse!! He let out some nervous laughter trying to quiet the blind idiot before he spilled all their little secrets. How had the other even known Shadow Milk snuck into his cloak sometimes?! It definitely was not for cuddles and he did not need the faerie flower having anything close to that idea. Shut up shut up shut up!
“Wow! They really scrambled his head up, huh?? What’d they give him?” He choked out the words, trying to cover up just how much the stage fright was starting to affect him now. What was this trainwreck of a performance?!
White Lily deflated in front of him. “I don’t actually know. They just said that he would be more open with his affections for a while. Clearly you can see the effect of that.”
More open with his affections!? That was the understatement of a lifetime! The cookie was practically climbing into his skin suit. He tried to flip into his exaggerated thinking pose, one a sculptor from several centuries ago had carved painstakingly before he’d smashed it to bits. Only problem was he forgot the gummy worms for brains that was clinging to him wasn’t about to let him go.
He was blessed with a moment of Pure Vanilla’s genuine laughter for a moment before his cheek landed in his lap. Shadow Milk cringed internally and dropped his new pose immediately. He cancelled the floating spell on Pure Vanilla so that such problems would never happen again. No, his leg was not burning from that brief moment of contact nor was his face thank you very much! Stage lighting was simply warm to all stuck under the spotlight.
“So Silly Vanilly is amorous to everyone he sees. What’s the plan here?” He asked, trying not to think of the gentle back and forth motion that Pure Vanilla was making, rubbing his nose into Shadow Milk’s ribcage. He put his hand on the blonde’s forehead to try and cease the distracting motion, digging his claws into his fancy little hairdo. Wait, was his marking blue again?!?
White Lily looked like she’d swallowed a sour lemon. Ha! Serves her right, he’d gotten Vanilly’s undivided attention now and he wasn’t about to give his plaything back anytime soon. His claws inadvertently clenched into Vanilly’s hair at the possessive thought and he felt more than heard Pure Vanilla’s gentle hum in response against his side.
“I was going to get him to his room and hope that it wore off on its own. If not, I have some faeries to interrogate again and a spell to find to hopefully break it.” She glanced down at the cuddle bug, likely trying to formulate a way to get Shadow Milk off her stage.
“That’s not the most detailed stage instructions, Guardian.” He gestured to where Pure Vanilla was currently attempting to fold his ribs into a new formation, finally letting go of the healer’s extremely soft hair. Nope, he didn’t just think that out loud! “How are we to get him to his room when he’s like this?”
“To be fair, he’s only done this to you and Dark Cacao so far. He seems to be very conscious of boundaries if you set them with him. I think you and Dark Cacao are getting this treatment because neither of you have told him that he cannot hug you and so he is.” She answered quickly, exposition dumping some missed context for him. How generous. Wait. Vanilly had draped himself over the boring chocolate Ancient too? He crossed his arms and huffed, searching the shadows for direction in this continuing circus of a night. “He was only willing to hold my hand because once upon a time, I told him I don’t like my chest or belly touched.”
Shadow Milk looked back at the flower. Right, Vanilly had explained to him what boundaries were and how one should never ever cross them and blah blah blah. He’d promptly told the king that he’d let the other do absolutely anything to him and never complain. With the obvious exception of the Tree. He’d laughed for days at the concerned and flustered face the other had made. Oh, how he wished he could read the Pure Vanilly's thoughts then!
“Alright, well what’s the plan once Huggles here lets go?”
She stared at him like he was supposed to be directing this little show. Can you blame her? It was a smart move but he wasn’t the one who set this stage, little flower!
“I’d planned to get him to his room by trying to fly to his balcony to avoid catching any of his staff in the hallway with a cuddly Pure Vanilla on the loose.” She admitted, her wings twitching to life with the reminder.
And oh what a funny image that was to envision. Shadow Milk cackled at the thought and pretended to wipe the tears from his eyes. “Oh, I’d kill to see Silly Vanilly accost some poor servant. So we get lover koala here to his bed and then what? Just hope it wears off by tomorrow?” He asked a bit more sharply, starting to lose his patience with this endless scene.
She glanced down at the helpless idiot one more time. He barely resisted growling at her. Just admit you’ve lost and move on already! As if to agree with his thoughts, she nods, which he preens at.
“I think we should probably try and get some food and water in him in case that somehow dilutes the potion somehow? If it’s like alcohol it may help soak up some of it.”
Shadow Milk thought about it for a moment before conceding to her point with a little flash of an illusionary light bulb. “That could work I suppose. This is your party though, isn’t it? A little celebration of another year you’ve existed in the world? How about I get him food and water then take him to his room so you can go enjoy your little party?” Shoo little flower so he could play with this absolutely adora– idiotic mess of a revered hero. Oh, if only his silly followers could see the healer now, nuzzling into a Beast like he was a starved man finally finding a banquet laid out in front of him.
White Lily made that face again. “Perhaps… I think they’d understand if I was gone a little while longer.” She tried to reason.
Shadow Milk finally let the mask crack. How dare she still be trying to act like she won tonight! Had the last ten minutes of utter defeat literally rubbing his stupid warm face into Shadow Milk's stomach not solidified that enough? “What? Guardian still doesn’t trust me with her precious little friend?” He snarled out, allowing the break in his character. Perhaps it was time for a different stage direction.
“Shadow Milk…” Came a gentle breath that seemed to ensnare his own for a moment. “White Lily doesn’t like to leave any task half finished. She went to the ends of Earthbread looking for the answer to a single question.” Gentle hands reached up to gently clutch at Shadow Milk’s face. He stared down at the healer who was determined that with every action he would throw the script right out the window again. “Besides, she knows I trust you. So she will trust me in my trust in you too.”
Shadow Milk stared into the veritable puppy dog eyes being sent his way, pleading and warm. He wanted to steal away the show and he had many times over. He shifted to look at the Guardian who still wanted to stand in his way of finishing this little scene. He felt the shadows behind him lash out with his growing annoyance.
They stared at each other at an impasse for a slightly too long to be comfortable time. Finally she conceded defeat. She gave up all the fight in her form all at once. “He’s right. You’ve more than proved that at the very least, you aren’t a danger to him anymore through all this. You have had months to enact a revenge scheme while he let you live here but instead you let him help you convince the others to abandon Dark Enchantress. I’ll trust you because he does.”
Finally. The Guardian yielded to the Beast folks! He’d won against the little witch flower’s wicked wiles. He almost smirked at her and let himself drool over the admission. Only another little squeeze trying to rearrange his rib cage had him glancing down at his prize. He looked so happy to be caught by the big bad wolf finally. Oh, he was going to devour him whole.
Not tonight though.
He pretended to laugh off the victory like it was meaningless. Like he hadn’t just stolen his favorite plaything directly from the claws of another. “I see the fool is rubbing off on everyone in this stupid kingdom.” He smirked at his little inside joke, a squiggly little warmth blooming in his chest when the fool in question laughed with him.
His mirth was short lived. The defeated Guardian waves her hand toward him. “Maybe you should grab some snacks and drinks from the kitchens while I get Pure Vanilla to his room.” He almost snarls at her that she had functioning legs too, when she tacks on. “You can more easily sneak away a large amount of food than the guest of honor.”
He stares at her for a moment. Fine, he can take a stage cue. He lets himself melt away content in his knowledge that the flower had metaphorically rolled over and showed him her belly. She’d bring the spellbound king to his room and she would return to the little party they were throwing in her honor, leaving the delectable little faerie as an offering for the Beast to find.
It was nothing to slip into the kitchens and grab a serving tray that was loaded with replacement refreshments for the party. Just slipped it off the counter and into his other realm with none the wiser. Gone between one blink and the next. He slowly slithered his way through the shadows of the castle up to the king’s rooms to find his other half.
When he arrived, the blind king was staring at the stars like they held the answers to the universe’s every mystery, leaning on the balcony railing. The fool wasn’t even using his seeing eye staff, the eye on stand by staring at nothing. He quietly plopped the serving tray onto the desk in the corner of the room, careful not to make a sound with the healer’s heightened sense of hearing. He melted out of the shadows directly behind his other half.
Time to drop the act.
“So silly.” He purred to the healer. There was a small start before the other turned and smiled like the healer himself was a star from the sky. “Silly Vanilly actually ate something a faerie gave him without any regard for the consequences?”
The healer laughed. “I suppose I did. But Hollyberry would have given me another lecture if I didn’t eat before the party and they were right there…” He sighed, moving toward Shadow Milk as if to latch onto him again.
Shadow Milk drifted backward into the room and then up out of reach of the fairytale prince under him. Still looking up at him with those melted eyes that just oozed with forbidden warmth. Shadow Milk laughed at the pout he got when the other realized that he couldn’t reach him for more disgustingly soft cuddles.
“Ah ah! I’ll come back down when you tell me just what in the world you ate.” Shadow Milk shook a finger at the blonde below. He needed this information if they were going to determine whether this was going to be an ongoing encore. “Do you even remember anymore or has your brain double baked in your head yet?”
Pure Vanilla seemed to puzzle over that for a moment. Oh, dear. Shadow Milk could almost hear the springs winding up in his favorite plaything’s little head. “It was a cupcake? I don’t remember what flavor it was anymore.” He admitted like he was disappointed with himself.
Great. They’d disguised it. Of course they had. He supposed he should be glad the fool didn’t eat or drink an obvious magical concoction considering the healer had learned magic at his school and they didn’t just let anyone attend that. He did a small twirl in the air prepared to ask another question when the blonde cut off his script.
“It’s adorable when you do that.” He said with such determination. All drunken waver suddenly vanishing from his voice and leaving just the gentle admission behind.
“What?”
“The little twirls and flips that you do when you're thinking. Is it fun?” He asked, eyes still watching Shadow Milk’s gently rotating form. He’d never fully stopped his little rotation, just allowing himself to drift.
Shadow Milk allowed laughter to bubble out of him. “Of course it’s fun. Why would I do it if it was boring?”
Pure Vanilla nodded like he’d expected that answer. He was still staring up at him with those hazy melted eyes. Shadow Milk allowed himself to finally look over the silly outfit the faeries had apparently forced the healer into.
It was well made. Ever looking the part of a fairytale prince off to woo the hearts of the princess. Only this prince had gotten kidnapped by the big bad wolf and it had no intention of letting him go. Still he could appreciate art made by others. The wings in particular were a lovely construction clearly attempting to match the sugar scales of true faerie wings as closely as they could. These faeries really pulled out all the stops to make him the perfect bait for their flower.
Which made his victory only all the sweeter to have stolen him from right out of her hands.
“You look absolutely ridiculous, Silly Vanilly.” He cooed with false syrup dripping from his lips. “The foolish little faerie look really suits you.” He laughed at his own joke, hearing an answering giggle from the other.
“You… like this outfit?” Pure Vanilla asked with a quiet shyness. He stared up at him with such an open innocence in his expression. A neediness that Shadow Milk was quickly becoming addicted to.
Oh, he really was absolutely fun in this state. He almost wished it would last a bit longer so he would have endless material with which to tease the healer with. Perhaps he’d have to learn what this potion was so that he could replicate it for himself. What was it like to be under this spell? Maybe he could convince the blonde to take this potion again if they ever got back to playing their little games since he wasn’t allowed to use cookie prizes anymore.
Maybe he could get him to do other things too… What a delightfully wicked thought. He smiled down at the foolish little faerie king below him. Yes, he decided he liked this character of Pure Vanilla’s making. He’d have to make sure it came out again someday.
“Why don’t you eat something?” He pointed his scepter at the tray of food on the desk, righting himself into a cross legged position. “I stole this just for you foolish little flower.”
Pure Vanilla glanced at the desk like he’d never seen it before in his life. He walked over to it and gently reached for a random little desert on the tray. Shadow Milk watched, barely restraining his purr of delight that the king was so willingly following his stage directions for once. Usually their encounters were him following the king’s directions until he lost the script. Now he was the one in charge of the entire scene. It was exhilarating.
Pure Vanilla looked up at him again, his eyes melting impossibly further. Shadow Milk wondered what was stirring in that overcooked noggin of his. He reached up for one of Shadow Milk’s coattails again and pouted when the Beast let them curl up behind him out of his reach. That look was simply delicious. He needed to make the king make that face more often. He allowed a cruel smirk to slide across his face.
He flipped himself fully upside down to sit on the ceiling, as far from the grasp of the little faerie king as he could get. Sure enough that little pout fluttered deeper on his face for a moment. Those melty eyes almost looked close to tears now. How cute. He was a silly Vanilly like this. Sillier than even the regular old Vanilly.
“Come down.” Came the soft pleading voice, wavering with the force of the emotions melting out of his every pore.
Well, how could he say no to that now.
He allowed himself to let gravity drop him down to the floor, catching himself only inches from it and watching the flower king flutter over in concern for the wolf. He seemed to realize Shadow Milk was perfectly fine after he’d kneeled down next to him and found him floating just fine.
Pure Vanilla then started giggling again, that sweet melody now unrestrained. Shadow Milk needed to leave soon or he’d never let the faerie king see another day. His urge to squish that face was getting overwhelming. Who knew all he had to do to get Pure Vanilla being utterly wrecked was let some faeries play with him for a day!?
This was a hundred times better than what he’d done with the Truthless Recluse. He could concede when someone wrote a better script than him. Look at this malleable little fool just putty in his hands! What had he been thinking when this had been an option?!
“Do you want one?” Pure Vanilla asked him softly, like he was afraid to shatter the silence they’d been basking in.
Shadow Milk jumped slightly, being pulled out of his thoughts and scripts quite abruptly. He tilted his head at his other knowing he’d elaborate eventually.
Pure Vanilla stood and wandered back over to the tray. He pulled a blueberry tart off of it and wandered back over where Shadow Milk was now sitting in the air once again. He watched as Pure Vanilla held the tart out to him with all the care that he usually reserved for feeding his stupid little birds and sheep.
“Want one?” He asked again, that melty look returning to his stupid squishable face.
“Beasts don’t need to eat.” He answered with his usual prepared answer. This wasn't the first time Vanilly had tried to convince him to try food, but he couldn’t remember the last time he’d genuinely enjoyed food. It was before the Tree that much was for sure and so he wasn't about to give in now. He saw the pout starting to form again and smirked, quickly redirecting the blonde’s attention. “Besides that tray was for you to eat. I got it for you! Don’t tell me you are rebuffing my generous gift. How cruel of the little faerie king to toy with me so.”
Pure Vanilla truly flushed for the first time that night. He’d had a warm hint of jam in his cheeks ever since Shadow Milk had appeared but now he was almost trying to change his dough color entirely. He shook his head and bit into the tart himself. The little whimper he made nearly sent Shadow Milk into orbit. It didn’t escape his notice that it was one of his main ingredients that had pulled that sound from the fake faerie. That wasn’t a shot to his ego at all. Nope! Totally normal reactions to a silly little flower eating food he’d just had.
“Well, with that I think it’s time you get to bed.” He abruptly straightened himself out into his usual standing position. Which is to say vaguely vertical while still being completely weightless. “Come on. I’ll put the tray away for you to enjoy later.”
Promptly he banishes the tray back into the other realm. It’d stay fresh there however long he wanted it to be suspended in time. He turned to Pure Vanilla and waved a little goodbye to him. Pure Vanilla gave him that watery little pout again.
“Okay. Good night, Shadow Milk.” He said, sounding like his heart was shattering into a million pieces with every word.
“Hey, cheer up little faerie king.” Shadow Milk leaned forward to make sure his face was crystal clear for his other. “I’ll come to tease you about this again in the morning. Until then, sweet dreams little flower~”
Pure Vanilla looked happy with that. “Alright. I can always cuddle other you until your return.”
Shadow Milk’s thoughts slammed to a stop once again. What. Script burned again, new lines added. So many drafts today! When would this little faerie cease surprising him?
“Other me?” He asked with a deliberate quiet to mask his unease.
Pure Vanilla simply lit up like he’d just told him there as a new lamb in the pasture. He turned and hurried over to his bedside table, something Shadow Milk had been ignoring as meaningless set design only to be woefully unprepared for what Pure Vanilla turned around with.
The plush he’d jokingly gave Truthless Recluse in the Spire. Pure Vanilla had kept it. It even looked like he’d cleaned it up from the rubble he’d undoubtedly had to shift through to get it. One of the button eyes was scratched and a small rip was visible on the sleeve almost hidden by the little cuff.
Shadow Milk was at a loss for what to do with this knowledge. Just as dreadful as any forbidden tome he had stored in the library of his own endless stream of consciousness.
He’d kept it.
Pure Vanilla held it now with such gentleness. “I need to get the little rip fixed. I thought about going to you but I was embarrassed to admit I had it.” He smiled up at Shadow Milk. “Now I don’t have to be embarrassed. You finally let me be your friend.”
Shadow Milk was dreaming. Alright Eternal Sugar, this had been really funny but it could stop now. He laughed, letting his utter disbelief bleed out of him.
“Alright. If you still have that tomorrow, I’ll fix it for you. How’s that?” Shadow Milk purred sweetly to the little phantom. “Go to bed, little faerie. I’ll find you in the morning.”
And with that he melted away into the shadows and fled back to his tower. Funny little dream this whole thing was. Somehow he hadn’t noticed he was dreaming for once. Damn. He had actually believed he’d defeated the flower. Now that he knew it was a dream, he was almost disappointed. Almost. The sinking feeling in his dough was nothing.
He let himself drift in a random room of his Spire. Closing his eyes and waiting for the dream to end. Time passed and eventually he heard a small commotion below him. There it is. He was waking up then. He flipped over and saw Black Sapphire dragging a clearly unconscious Candy Apple toward her bedroom. When he noticed Shadow Milk watching, he set the gently snoring Candy Apple down and came to his Master.
“Was the party fun, Master Shadow Milk?” Black Sapphire asked, his usual smug look across his face.
“What party..?”
Black Sapphire faltered for a moment. He recovered quickly. He hadn’t taught his minions excellent improv skills for nothing. “The party for White Lily. You did end up leaving to mess with them, right?”
“Oh. Was that tonight?” He pretended to think. Black Sapphire was saying the party was real. Unless he was still dreaming. But if the party was real, so was… “Oh, well. I dislike the flower anyway.” He dismissed his minion, who looked puzzled for a moment before shrugging and going back to dragging his co-minion to bed.
Idly, he wondered if he should be concerned about what they had gotten up to while he was gone. They were old enough to take care of themselves, he reasoned and flew to his bedroom to flop on the bed. The bed was placed vertically on the wall, as was his writing desk and a set of bookshelves hung on the ceiling, but why not have some fun with the interior design of your Spire when gravity doesn’t exist. He wasn’t boring unlike some Beasts! His Spire had class and aesthetic.
If it wasn’t a dream… Pure Vanilla was actually..?
He snatched one of the many pillows on his bed and allowed himself to rip into it as he clutched it underneath his chest, feet swinging excitedly. Oh, he couldn’t wait to see Silly Vanilly’s face in the morning when he made him remember every embarrassing detail of what he did. It would be his greatest play yet!