The Sleeping Citadel: Gray Magic

It's Nice to Have a Friend

AN: Originally posted 1/26/2024. Reposted 2/29/2024.

School bell rings, walking home, sidewalk chalk covered in snow...
The first girl's lip curled. As they trudged out of their local elementary school towards the ring of empty and awaiting buses, she noticed another girl up ahead. She was taller and thinner with longer hair, but otherwise, she and the first girl shared the same pale skin and black hair. She was on her hands and knees in the snow, and the first girl couldn't help but scoff and shake her head in disdain. Didn't that idiot know that was how people caught hippo- hyper- hype-thermos -thermostat-whatever. The thing that happened when people were left in the cold for too long!

The first girl approached the second, so quietly that the second didn't even know she was there. The first observed the second in silence for several minutes more. It was obvious the second girl was looking for something lost in the snow. Didn't that idiot know how hard it was to find something in snow? Unless it was large, or a high-contrast color... But even then, with the snow still falling all around them, it wouldn't take long for even big and bright objects to be buried quickly. That was why the first girl was concerned about the hypo-whatever.

Without a sound, she walked around until she was directly in front of the first girl. With a flat expression, she held out a little black glove.

"Huh?" The taller, thinner girl looked up at the shorter one. Her black eyes were wide with awe.

Well? The first girl asked, silently raising an eyebrow as she continued to hold out the glove. Then, the second girl smiled at her.

Several minutes later, they were boarding the buses. "Wanna hang out?" the second girl asked.

"No."

But the second girl, as the first would come to learn, was persistent. She would even joke that the first girl's temper was as short as her hair, and by contrast, while her own hair was long, her willingness to wait for the first girl to finally open up to her and befriend her was equally long. It took a lot of patience, the first girl slower to warm up than the winter weather all around them, but eventually, her tune finally changed.

Wanna hang out?

Yeah, sounds like fun.
The first girl went over to the house of the second, and they stayed up late, almost all night long, which was more than the first girl could've ever imagined. I know I said yes to a sleepover, but I didn't think I'd actually enjoy it...

Then the second girl passed her a note, and even when they finally turned in for the night, their childish energy at last exhausted as they huddled together under a fort made of pillows and covers, the first girl fell asleep with that note in her hand. It's nice to have a friend.

ooo

Light pink sky up on the roof. Sun sinks down, no curfew.

A decade later, three girls sat on the rooftop of the third one's house. Her name was Nevermore, the newest friend of Sonorhc and Reaper. Elementary school was now high school, and the trio were budding and blooming in their powers. Resurrection, destruction, shadows; Sonorhc, Reaper, Nevermore. They were three peas in a pod, but just because things looked peaceful on the outside...

"So, who's up for some 20 questions?!" Reaper was as boisterous, playful, loud, and energetic as ever. Sonorhc's expression was deadpanning, and Nevermore's was slightly nervous, her wide eyes seeming even larger behind her round spectacles. They answered honestly, however, no matter how silly or serious the questions became. Nevermore bit her lip and took a deep breath in.

I've been stressed out lately...

Yeah, me too.

Nevermore looked up in surprise, having not expected her two friends to feel the same way. Sonorhc always seemed so uncaring, like the world could end around her and she would remain as stoic, unmoved, and unchanging as ever. And Reaper? Well, she was the life and light of every party. Nevermore was just their anxious, awkward third wheel that they took in out of pity because her power complemented theirs.

No, that wasn't true. Reaper was shockingly honest and frank about the things that troubled her mind, and even though Sonorhc was a girl of far fewer words, she still grunted and nodded once. Nevermore blinked, then her eyes filled with tears. Reaper was too busy talking, sighing, staring at the moon and stars above, to notice, but Sonorhc, who sat between the two girls, saw the way Nevermore's eyes began to glisten more than normal. They'd met in high school, working on a project together, and Sonorhc had been kind enough to introduce Nevermore to Reaper. Now...

Something gave you the nerve to touch my hand...

Sonorhc, who once saw Nevermore as nothing but a painfully shy nerd who made a good school project partner, had finally softened and warmed up to her just as she had to Reaper. Yeah, Nevermore could still be annoying in her own way, but she also had her strengths, virtues, and things that made Sonorhc want to care for her, just as she had with Reaper a decade prior.

Then Sonorhc rested her other hand on Reaper's, and Reaper finally stopped talking, but only to look at Sonorhc with the same wide-eyed surprise as Nevermore. A second later, though, Reaper's face split into a wide smile. She could tell from the warning flash in Sonorhc's eyes that Sonorhc wanted Reaper to keep her trap shut, so Reaper nodded and was content to rest her hand on Sonorhc's. Her mind ran the same track as Nevermore's, and even Sonorhc, no matter how reluctant she was to acknowledge her true feelings. It's nice to have a friend.

ooo

Church bells ring, carry me home. Rice on the ground looks like snow.
Another decade later and the Dark Triad was still together, only this time, they were even closer than ever before. The chapel in one of the emptier and more abandoned parts of town was finally put to good use as three intertwined souls at last externalized their bonds. Sonorhc wore a simple black tux with a white dress shirt underneath. Reaper, meanwhile, was far more extravagant. She wore a dress with a tuxedo jacket over top of it, but she chose red flairs and accents, and all sorts of shades of black and gray.

Then last, but certainly not least, was Nevermore. They were like a mix of Sonorhc and Reaper, wearing the same style of outfit as Reaper, but they were as lowkey and simplistic as Sonorhc. Nevermore wore a black dress with a white dress shirt and black jacket over it. Waiting at the head of the chapel was the one who would officiate their polycule. There was not a dry eye in the house, except Sonorhc's of course.

"BS!" Reaper laughed, shouldering her old, childhood bestie and her new polycule queerplatonic partner. "Just cuz you ain't crying doesn't mean there ain't any tears!"

"Umm... But isn't that what crying is?" Nevermore asked, tilting their head and touching their chin. There were tears behind their spectacles too.

"Honestly, Nev, I would've thought you knew us better by now!" Reaper said in mock indignation as she wrapped an arm around Sonorhc's waist. Sonorhc's always had a bit of trouble connecting to people, but that doesn't mean she doesn't, and when she does, boy oh boy...

Reaper would call Sonorhc's bluff and have her back. "Isn't that right, babe?" she winked and teased, leaning over to kiss Sonorhc's head.

"Reaper!" Sonorhc crossed her arms and scowled and looked away, but only because she finally felt something prickle in her eyes.

And then, they crossed the threshold of Sonorhc's house, three as one; home. Sonorhc smiled as Reaper and Nevermore flanked her on either side, entering her house with the same relieved expression. As fun as the ceremony was, it was nice to be home and with just each other for company.

"So, what do we do now?" asked Nevermore, excitement rising in their voice. They were tired, but they still rode the high of the ceremony. It was their first time being home as a polycule recognized by all of society! They were still the same people they always were, of course, but there was still an air of excitement and newness.

"Stay in bed the whole weekend?" Sonorhc and Reaper suggested at the same time, one deadpanning and the other excited. They paused to look at each other, then Nevermore (who'd been secretly hoping they would say that), and they all burst out laughing together. It's nice to have a friend!

AN: Spontaneously realized this is a perfect song for my 3 aro-ace queerplatonic polycule OCs

Also it's hilarious listening to this song now bc I went to youtube by default and it's just a whole bunch of M3gan comments LOL

Obligatory "I liked this song before it was popular" flex. I'm a swiftie with a problem, what can I say? LOL

(Lover is a great album tho, honestly)