#u can read this as platonic or romantic uh whichever u so desire

[arospecsyourblockdudes]

Once is chance

It was a mild night, even with the usual Dogwarts wind chill. So, Ren and Martyn had taken advantage of it and invited the Red Knights over for a little campfire.

BigB thought it was a great idea. For one, the sky was clear. It was warmer in Dogwarts by a fire than it was in his own house. And two, it was a nice moment of calm in this game. Even with Ren’s bloodstained crown, and the various pairs of red eyes sat around the campfire, it was easy to ignore.

“You know what, dudes? We should tell ghost stories.” Skizz smiled, glancing around the group.

“What, like teenage sleepovers?” Martyn asked. “Bit juvenile for us, big grown men.”

Etho elbowed Martyn in the side and chuckled. “Oh, someone’s scared!”

“I am not scared!” Martyn replied, suspiciously defensive. “It’s just that-“

BigB grinned and listened to the two bickering. Seemed like just about everyone in Dogwarts was an old married couple. He met Ren’s eyes from across the fire, and the other man smiled and shrugged.

“Actually, guys,” BigB spoke up suddenly, an idea striking. “I have a pretty good ghost story.”

“Ooh, yeah! Go on, B, tell us.” Skizz nodded encouragingly.

“Well…I dunno. It’s pretty scary.” BigB conspicuously glanced at Martyn, who feigned offense.

Etho laughed. “Go on, hit us with it. I’ll go next.”

BigB glanced around the campfire, putting on a mischievous grin and leaning in close, trying to get some spooky shadows on his face. “Once upon a time, a long long time ago, there lived an ugly, grumpy old man named Morty Gage. Morty lived in—“

“Hold on, hold on!” Martyn gestured at BigB. “This is slander! He’s being mean to me and my feelings are hurt!”

Everyone had a good small laugh, except Ren who apparently found the whole thing hilarious.

BigB had only known a few people of this group, and he liked learning new things about the people he didn’t. Scar had a silver tongue and you shouldn’t listen to a word he says, Scott has an eye for aesthetics, Bdubs was very loud, and Ren. Ren always seemed to laugh the loudest.

BigB liked that about him.

Twice is coincidence

Ren only left his post at the top of his tower once the moon was high overhead, and the only sounds to be heard were the usual crickets and phantoms.

He made his way down to the yard, keeping one hand against the wall. After all of….everything, he was a bit dizzy with nerves, and honestly, it’s pretty reasonable.

BigB sat against the wall of his ugly little house, hood and mask down, having a bit of bread. He smiled at Ren when he came out and held out his bread. Ren shook his head and sat next to him.

“Dude, I don’t even know how you’re eating.” Ren grinned nervously. “I’m sweating all over the place.”

“I’m not gonna starve just because of, what, five hundred million boogeymen?” BigB finished eating and brushed some crumbs off his lap. “I think I’m not even processing it enough to be stressed, to be fair.”

“How did we survive all that?” Ren pulled his own mask down and took a few deep breaths. “Not only that, but Lizzie’s red, so we’re down our queen. Which is the most important chess piece!” Under the jokes, something in him finally clicks that oh yeah his first and closest ally, the one who gave him a life in exchange for his eternal devotion is just gone.

“Yeah….I miss having her around.” BigB sighed. “Can’t believe she tried to rob us, too! I mean….she could’ve asked.”

“She could’ve asked!” Ren exclaimed, sitting up suddenly. “It’s not like I gave her my word that I’d be loyal to her literally forever or anything! Past death and red names and all! If she asked me…” He trailed off, losing his train of thought some. Was this how Cleo had felt? Except with more arson and bloodlust, but maybe similar.

“I dunno. I think being red does something to you.” BigB picked at a few blades of grass, tearing them into small pieces. More anxious than he let on, Ren guessed. “I wasn’t red for very long last time, but I saw it in other people. Plus, the boogeyman curse is like temporary red name.” He tilted his head up to the stars and dug out little grooves in the dirt with his fingertips. “I think it really forces you out of your mind.”

Ren nodded slowly. He sure remembers being red. He was himself mostly, unless he got angry or paranoid or prideful. Then he was a bit somewhere else, hidden in that angry fog. “It’s not very nice, being red.” He chuckled weakly. “Probably just that then. I just feel like I should’ve done more. She died twice and I was nowhere near to protect or help like I said I would. Like…maybe I just broke my promise to her.”

BigB stayed quiet, but he wrapped an arm around Ren and pulled him into a loose hug. And that was enough.

Trice is fate

It’s hot outside, especially so close to the savannah, but Box is always cool inside. BigB, perched on one of their chests, watches Ren planting some of their wheat seeds and humming some song BigB doesn’t know.

“Dude, I can’t believe we’re soulmates.” BigB says, marking the sixth time that either of them has brought it up. He can’t help himself though! It just feels right that it’s them.

“I know! Me neither!” Ren props his hoe against the wall and does a small spin, tail wagging like mad. “We’re gonna take this server by storm, us and Box. They won’t know what hit ‘em!”

BigB chuckled and got up to lean over the fence they’d put around their makeshift farm. It was sort of janky, but it worked. “It’s kinda funny it’s us again. I thought….well. I don’t know what I thought. I don’t think I expected it. But I’m happy about it.”

“Well….if you’d wanted somebody else, then…well.” Ren trailed off, tripping over his words.

“No no, it’s not bad!” BigB rushed to say. “I am happy. It was frog-prophesied. I just thought it was funny, us again. Not in a bad way.”

“Ok, alright.” Ren grinned and moved to stand by BigB. “What’s this about frogs, then?”

“Oh! I’d meant to tell you. I asked a frog to lead me to my soulmate, and I followed where it was going. And I found you in your cave.”

BigB could see Ren’s eyes light up even behind the sunglasses. “That’s so cool! And very cute! The frog knew what was up, dude.”

“He really did.” BigB nodded. “Hey, what if-“ He cut himself off.

“What if what?” Ren leaned forward, ears pricked up.

BigB shook his head “Nah, it was stupid. Random thought, you know.”

“I wanna hear the stupid thought. I mean, you hear all mine.”

“That is very true. Well, I was just thinking…” He pauses, feeling his face heating up. This is very stupid, but Ren is his soulmate so why not? “I was thinking, what if we were soulmates in the other games, before this? Obviously not with the linked lives thing, but….just us. We always find each other.”

“Oh! That’s not stupid, man, that’s pretty awesome!” Ren smiles brightly. BigB always kinda thought he looked like the sun when he was happy. “I don’t know if that’s true but I have decided that it is! B, we are now soulmates all the time.”

“It was more convenient the last couple times.” BigB grinned. “When we didn’t share a life.”

“Yeah, well. I’ll just try not to die to stupid things if you promise too.” Ren held out his right hand.

BigB laughed and shook it. “Sounds like a deal to me.”