The Blacksmith

V

♔𝘙𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘔𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘭♔

𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯. 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬, 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘬, 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘺 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘬𝘺. 𝘈 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘸 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘪𝘭𝘥, 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘦. 𝘉𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴.

Blinking to adjust their eyes to the dark room when they awoke. Sitting up they stare at their finger, a phantom trace of a prick was felt.

They never liked those kind of dreams, ones where a feeling can carry over when the dreamer wakes.

Getting out of bed, carefully so they don't wake Grim up. Their efforts went to waste as a harsh knock shook the house.

"Myaah...hey [name].... I know it's the middle of the night but I think we have a visitor," Grim lets out a yawn as he speaks, having been woken up abruptly. "Maybe it's those pesky ghost again? They just don't know when to quit."

[name] goes to grab Grim, holding him gently in their arms. Softly scratching behind his ears.

"I don't think it's a ghost Grim, they know we had a long night," their voice is soft and comforting.

The monster leans into their touch, both bodies radiating heat. Walking down stairs, that now don't give a person fear just by steeping on one. ([name] had fixed them when they got back from the mines, it was an easy task for them to do)

"Who is it?" They shout, not opening the door until they get a name.

"It's me, Ace! Just let me in, all right?" Ace's voice sounded dejected. It was different from the usual teasing and proudness, it caused [name] to get a bit worried.

Even though they haven't known each other for long, [name] felt a connection between the little group. Maybe it was because they know their secret, or maybe they feel like their home around the rowdy teens.

Opening the door, both [name] and Grim's eyes widened. A familiar looking collar was on Ace's neck.

"What the fu-"
✦✧✦✧
Ace had just finished telling the residents of Ramshackle how he got the collar.

[name] didn't know what exactly to feel. They just stared at Ace for a good second before talking.

"Have you tried apologizing to him?" They ask, still stunned.

Ace just scoffs at them, complaining how their not taken his side. [name] just sighs.

"I'm not taking anyone's side, Ace. I'm genuinely curious," they say Grim next to them so they can stand up from the dusty couch.

When the ginger hair male didn't respond, they took it as a no.

"It was wrong for you to take a tart without permission, but it was also wrong for him to deny you of getting food. Tomorrow you'll apologize."