*beats characters with a stick*

But I knew you weren’t going to be there.]

Alex?

[Silence. I turn to see a red leaf on my desk.

Fuck.]

🍁 There's nothing but leaves, but the smell of maple. You turn out of your office, located in idk the big house the whole gang lives in now?? You follow your instincts, your impulse. I always told you to do that. Now, of all times, you choose to believe me.🍁

[I turn back too quickly, almost falling into the handle of the door and follow myself outside. This cannot be happening. Of all the goddamn years I’ve known Alex this cannot be happening.]

[I still try to tell myself I’m overreacting. I’ve seen some shit, and that’s made me paranoid right? Just trauma or something.]

[I breathe harder and turn the corner to the back of the house.]

[It’s that feeling you get when you watch horror movies, right? You’re convinced the killer is watching you, but he never is. It’s just you on edge.]

[My shoes slide beneath me over the fallen autumn colors.]

[It wasn’t paranoia anymore.]

[I saw you first.]

ALEX!

[I dove at your body, frantically searching for a pulse. I cant hear myself crying, I can’t hear anything over the rushing in my ears.]

Cmon, cmon, stay with me Alex, can you hear me? Alex, hold on please please please!

[I couldn’t find a pulse. I only notice the blood as my hands pull away from your head soaked in red. I only notice Rei when I try to look away.]

[I screamed, but didn’t even notice. What the fuck, what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck?! Alex was just asking for my help, I was just going to question Rei, Rei said they were innocent!]

🍁You smell maple. You remember I believed in in afterlife, in ghosts. You feel something hugging you, you hear just the faintest of whispers but the words are inaudible.🍁

[What... is that maple? Biscotti turns to look up, avoiding what was in front of him.]

[Mint believed in that afterlife thing, didn't he?]

[He feels a faint hug. Great, you're hallucinating. I need to get out of here. Please, please god I have to get out of here. Biscotti can't move himself, his muscles aren't working. He starts to cry, not knowing what was happening.]

🌿"Hey... hey. It's okay." The voice is small, barely even there, echoes of a scared whisper. It's hard to tell if it's a ghost or grief. If Mint would even know he's dead. If he would even reach out.🌿

🌿 The vines around his arms have shriveled, died, drowned in blood. It's not him hugging you, it can't be, you don't feel those vines... right?🌿

🌿 But his sword. The glint of it catches your eye. It's stuck into the ground next to him, but he clearly didn't use it. He's scratched and bruised, and of course the fatal blow to the back of his head. He was in a fight. He was assaulted. 🌿

🌿 But he didn't fight back. He had always been a bit on the sensitive side, that's probably why he went into medicine, but he wouldn't have died laying down. But here he was, laying down, face down, because in spite of everything, he didn't fight back 🌿

🌿 "I didn't want to hurt them." The voice is still faint and nearly drowned out by your own adrenaline. But as soon as it comes, it goes. He goes. The smell of mint is gone, his vines are dead. 🌿

Obsidian rolled his eyes. “God, do you ever stop talking?!” He asked, apparently nonchalant in spite of the world-ending problem behind Hunter. “I am going to staple your fucking mouth shut!” 

Not that that would solve the other problem.

Hunter had somehow built or obtained a nuclear bomb, a very large one at that, enough so that he had to set it up atop a structure. Only about 25 feet up, but enough to make Obsidian’s stomach twist. And Hunter had some countdown going until the end. 

It had all come a boil here and now. 

Hunter had people working under him, of course. But they were truly no match for Sugar’s hero council or whatever she called it, nor for Pumice. But that did mean Obsidian was alone facing off against someone he had once worked with. Actually, he wasn’t alone. 

Sugar was right here, right next to him, and just as if not more pissed and determined to stop Hunter. Of course it was the two of them. It always was. It seemed like everything just always came down to the two of them. It was always them. 

But the three of them were alone with the bomb, and alone at the top. It wasn’t high enough to give Obsidian the instant death he was terrified of, but it was high enough to make him anxious all the same. Though, admittedly, he had more pressing concerns. 

“You have one last chance to disable that thing.” Obsidian warned, pointing one of his blades at Hunter to make the threat clear. “Or I am rip your fucking lungs and watch you bleed out and suffocate on your own blood!” Admittedly, the fear Obsidian was feeling from being so high up was making him much more angry than usual.

But he didn’t want this world to die. And he didn’t want to die yet, either. And certainly not like this. 

Hunter. Sugar was barely holding herself back from trying to kill him right there. Of the things she’s had to deal with, she’s never faced someone like this, someone who, her mind said, should be left to the council to take care of. But for some reason he’d managed to slip through their fingers, how, she had no clue. She didn’t want to think about how the hell he had gotten his hands on a fucking nuke.

She didn’t want to think about many people it would kill. She practically growled as she ground her teeth. So many lives for one sick mind.

The ticking of the bomb pierced through the rest of her thoughts and echoed in her head. Giving into her frustration wouldn’t help anyone, and she was not about to let this motherfucker get what he wanted. That clock needed to stop.

Sugar didn’t trust herself to speak as Obsidian screamed back to Hunter one last time. There was no way that she wouldn’t break and make a fatal mistake if she screamed what she wanted to. Hunter looked into her soul as he dared them to kill him.

Sugar dug the balls of her feet into the ground and rushed forward. She swung her body with her staff and drove it into the back of Hunter’s head with a shout, hard. He fell forward with a cry, right into Obsidian. Without hesitation Sugar turned and ran past him, towards the main problem. Obsidian, though even more angry to have Hunter suddenly collapsed on him, could deal with him for now. She couldn’t afford to waste any time.

She practically slid across the ground as she knelt at the base of the bomb. The light from the numbers blinked monotonously, obliviously. Okay, right, the detonator. Sugar hadn’t taken any special interest in bomb defusal in her training, but she remembered the basics that everyone was required to know. She hoped.

Suddenly she could hear commotion from behind her and fought the urge to look. No, stay focused! Obsidian’s got it under control. If he could kick her ass, he could kick his. Did she really just say that?? Focus on the task at hand.

Looking further, she could tell the device had been made, not stolen. The tech he used was mismatched but still functional, and it all connected to the center clock. Of course. She pulled the section from her staff that clicked out into a switchblade and began to pull the screen off. Sugar rolled her eyes to herself. God forbid villains have any creativity.

Hunter rubbed his neck and snarled, his wide eyes still gleaming with instability. “YOU OF ALL PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW THIS WORLD NEEDS TO DIE.” He yelled. 

Obsidian narrowed his eyes. “Not the entire world. There’s some things here worth protecting.” He snarled back. Without meaning to, he dared a glance past Hunter at Sugar. Maybe he agreed that the world was worthless, but she sure wasn’t. 

Hunter took advantage of the momentary distraction, and launched himself at Obsidian. His hands gripped Obsidian’s iconic jacket at the shoulders, as the two of them went over the edge of the building. 

Obsidian’s heart stopped. He barely grabbed onto the ledge, struggling to pull himself back up. No no no no! He screamed in his mind, feeling his whole body tense up. He tried to get a grip against the side of the building with his boots, but something… someone was weighing him down. 

Hunter was clinging to his legs. And was trying to climb him to get back up to the top. GET THE FUCK OFF OF ME. Obsidian’s throat was so tight and dry he couldn’t even bring himself to actually yell. He looked from the distant ground, to Hunter, and then to The Hero.

“SUGAR-” He yelled, his voice gravelly from his fear. Tears pricked and streamed down his face. He was absolutely terrified of heights like this. But he cut off in a choke. He was petrified. Time seemed to slow down as his heart and mind continued to race. Hunter was slowly climbing back up, and Obsidian couldn’t seem to shake him. 

As Sugar looked over and met his eyes, he realized what he was asking her to do. Tears continued to stream down his face. The bomb, the world-ending bomb, was the more important thing. And she was the most important thing. And her job, as The Hero, was to stop the bomb. 

Some things are worth protecting.

He let go of the ledge, even pushing away from it a bit. His stomach dropped as he fell through the air with Hunter under him. His whole body tensed up to such a point it almost hurt. Flying through the air, he felt like he couldn’t breathe. This had always been one of his deepest, worst fears. 

But he was okay with it, strangely. In the second he was in the air, he was alright with it. Sugar is The Hero, and she’ll stop the bomb. And he…

Obsidian rolled his eyes. “God, do you ever stop talking?!” He asked, apparently nonchalant in spite of the world-ending problem behind Hunter. “I am going to staple your fucking mouth shut!” 

Not that that would solve the other problem.

Hunter had somehow built or obtained a nuclear bomb, a very large one at that, enough so that he had to set it up atop a structure. Only about 25 feet up, but enough to make Obsidian’s stomach twist. And Hunter had some countdown going until the end. 

It had all come a boil here and now. 

Hunter had people working under him, of course. But they were truly no match for Sugar’s hero council or whatever she called it, nor for Pumice. But that did mean Obsidian was alone facing off against someone he had once worked with. Actually, he wasn’t alone. 

Sugar was right here, right next to him, and just as if not more pissed and determined to stop Hunter. Of course it was the two of them. It always was. It seemed like everything just always came down to the two of them. It was always them. 

But the three of them were alone with the bomb, and alone at the top. It wasn’t high enough to give Obsidian the instant death he was terrified of, but it was high enough to make him anxious all the same. Though, admittedly, he had more pressing concerns. 

“You have one last chance to disable that thing.” Obsidian warned, pointing one of his blades at Hunter to make the threat clear. “Or I am rip your fucking lungs and watch you bleed out and suffocate on your own blood!” Admittedly, the fear Obsidian was feeling from being so high up was making him much more angry than usual.

But he didn’t want this world to die. And he didn’t want to die yet, either. And certainly not like this. 

Hunter. Sugar was barely holding herself back from trying to kill him right there. Of the things she’s had to deal with, she’s never faced someone like this, someone who, her mind said, should be left to the council to take care of. But for some reason he’d managed to slip through their fingers, how, she had no clue. She didn’t want to think about how the hell he had gotten his hands on a fucking nuke.

She didn’t want to think about many people it would kill. She practically growled as she ground her teeth. So many lives for one sick mind.

The ticking of the bomb pierced through the rest of her thoughts and echoed in her head. Giving into her frustration wouldn’t help anyone, and she was not about to let this motherfucker get what he wanted. That clock needed to stop.

Sugar didn’t trust herself to speak as Obsidian screamed back to Hunter one last time. There was no way that she wouldn’t break and make a fatal mistake if she screamed what she wanted to. Hunter looked into her soul as he dared them to kill him.

Sugar dug the balls of her feet into the ground and rushed forward. She swung her body with her staff and drove it into the back of Hunter’s head with a shout, hard. He fell forward with a cry, right into Obsidian. Without hesitation Sugar turned and ran past him, towards the main problem. Obsidian, though even more angry to have Hunter suddenly collapsed on him, could deal with him for now. She couldn’t afford to waste any time.

She practically slid across the ground as she knelt at the base of the bomb. The light from the numbers blinked monotonously, obliviously. Okay, right, the detonator. Sugar hadn’t taken any special interest in bomb defusal in her training, but she remembered the basics that everyone was required to know. She hoped.

Suddenly she could hear commotion from behind her and fought the urge to look. No, stay focused! Obsidian’s got it under control. If he could kick her ass, he could kick his. Did she really just say that?? Focus on the task at hand.

Looking further, she could tell the device had been made, not stolen. The tech he used was mismatched but still functional, and it all connected to the center clock. Of course. She pulled the section from her staff that clicked out into a switchblade and began to pull the screen off. Sugar rolled her eyes to herself. God forbid villains have any creativity.

Hunter rubbed his neck and snarled, his wide eyes still gleaming with instability. “YOU OF ALL PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW THIS WORLD NEEDS TO DIE.” He yelled. 

Obsidian narrowed his eyes. “Not the entire world. There’s some things here worth protecting.” He snarled back. Without meaning to, he dared a glance past Hunter at Sugar. Maybe he agreed that the world was worthless, but she sure wasn’t. 

Hunter took advantage of the momentary distraction, and launched himself at Obsidian. His hands gripped Obsidian’s iconic jacket at the shoulders, as the two of them went over the edge of the building. 

Obsidian’s heart stopped. He barely grabbed onto the ledge, struggling to pull himself back up. No no no no! He screamed in his mind, feeling his whole body tense up. He tried to get a grip against the side of the building with his boots, but something… someone was weighing him down. 

Hunter was clinging to his legs. And was trying to climb him to get back up to the top. GET THE FUCK OFF OF ME. Obsidian’s throat was so tight and dry he couldn’t even bring himself to actually yell. He looked from the distant ground, to Hunter, and then to The Hero.

“SUGAR-” He yelled, his voice gravelly from his fear. Tears pricked and streamed down his face. He was absolutely terrified of heights like this. But he cut off in a choke. He was petrified. Time seemed to slow down as his heart and mind continued to race. Hunter was slowly climbing back up, and Obsidian couldn’t seem to shake him. 

As Sugar looked over and met his eyes, he realized what he was asking her to do. Tears continued to stream down his face. The bomb, the world-ending bomb, was the more important thing. And she was the most important thing. And her job, as The Hero, was to stop the bomb. 

Some things are worth protecting.

He let go of the ledge, even pushing away from it a bit. His stomach dropped as he fell through the air with Hunter under him. His whole body tensed up to such a point it almost hurt. Flying through the air, he felt like he couldn’t breathe. This had always been one of his deepest, worst fears. 

But he was okay with it, strangely. In the second he was in the air, he was alright with it. Sugar is The Hero, and she’ll stop the bomb. And he…

“I am completely and totally fine, why do you ask?”

Missouri sounded genuine. And he was.

He sighed, and moved his head from his pillow.

Right now was no different.

“I am completely and totally fine, why do you ask?”

Obsidian rolled his eyes. “God, do you ever stop talking?!” He asked, apparently nonchalant in spite of the world-ending problem behind Hunter. “I am going to staple your fucking mouth shut!” 

Not that that would solve the other problem.

Hunter had somehow built or obtained a nuclear bomb, a very large one at that, enough so that he had to set it up atop a structure. Only about 25 feet up, but enough to make Obsidian’s stomach twist. And Hunter had some countdown going until the end. 

It had all come a boil here and now. 

Hunter had people working under him, of course. But they were truly no match for Sugar’s hero council or whatever she called it, nor for Pumice. But that did mean Obsidian was alone facing off against someone he had once worked with. Actually, he wasn’t alone. 

Sugar was right here, right next to him, and just as if not more pissed and determined to stop Hunter. Of course it was the two of them. It always was. It seemed like everything just always came down to the two of them. It was always them. 

But the three of them were alone with the bomb, and alone at the top. It wasn’t high enough to give Obsidian the instant death he was terrified of, but it was high enough to make him anxious all the same. Though, admittedly, he had more pressing concerns. 

“You have one last chance to disable that thing.” Obsidian warned, pointing one of his blades at Hunter to make the threat clear. “Or I am rip your fucking lungs and watch you bleed out and suffocate on your own blood!” Admittedly, the fear Obsidian was feeling from being so high up was making him much more angry than usual.

But he didn’t want this world to die. And he didn’t want to die yet, either. And certainly not like this. 

Hunter. Sugar was barely holding herself back from trying to kill him right there. Of the things she’s had to deal with, she’s never faced someone like this, someone who, her mind said, should be left to the council to take care of. But for some reason he’d managed to slip through their fingers, how, she had no clue. She didn’t want to think about how the hell he had gotten his hands on a fucking nuke.

She didn’t want to think about many people it would kill. She practically growled as she ground her teeth. So many lives for one sick mind.

The ticking of the bomb pierced through the rest of her thoughts and echoed in her head. Giving into her frustration wouldn’t help anyone, and she was not about to let this motherfucker get what he wanted. That clock needed to stop.

Sugar didn’t trust herself to speak as Obsidian screamed back to Hunter one last time. There was no way that she wouldn’t break and make a fatal mistake if she screamed what she wanted to. Hunter looked into her soul as he dared them to kill him.

Sugar dug the balls of her feet into the ground and rushed forward. She swung her body with her staff and drove it into the back of Hunter’s head with a shout, hard. He fell forward with a cry, right into Obsidian. Without hesitation Sugar turned and ran past him, towards the main problem. Obsidian, though even more angry to have Hunter suddenly collapsed on him, could deal with him for now. She couldn’t afford to waste any time.

She practically slid across the ground as she knelt at the base of the bomb. The light from the numbers blinked monotonously, obliviously. Okay, right, the detonator. Sugar hadn’t taken any special interest in bomb defusal in her training, but she remembered the basics that everyone was required to know. She hoped.

Suddenly she could hear commotion from behind her and fought the urge to look. No, stay focused! Obsidian’s got it under control. If he could kick her ass, he could kick his. Did she really just say that?? Focus on the task at hand.

Looking further, she could tell the device had been made, not stolen. The tech he used was mismatched but still functional, and it all connected to the center clock. Of course. She pulled the section from her staff that clicked out into a switchblade and began to pull the screen off. Sugar rolled her eyes to herself. God forbid villains have any creativity.

Hunter rubbed his neck and snarled, his wide eyes still gleaming with instability. “YOU OF ALL PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW THIS WORLD NEEDS TO DIE.” He yelled. 

Obsidian narrowed his eyes. “Not the entire world. There’s some things here worth protecting.” He snarled back. Without meaning to, he dared a glance past Hunter at Sugar. Maybe he agreed that the world was worthless, but she sure wasn’t. 

Hunter took advantage of the momentary distraction, and launched himself at Obsidian. His hands gripped Obsidian’s iconic jacket at the shoulders, as the two of them went over the edge of the building. 

Obsidian’s heart stopped. He barely grabbed onto the ledge, struggling to pull himself back up. No no no no! He screamed in his mind, feeling his whole body tense up. He tried to get a grip against the side of the building with his boots, but something... someone was weighing him down. 

Hunter was clinging to his legs. And was trying to climb him to get back up to the top. GET THE FUCK OFF OF ME. Obsidian’s throat was so tight and dry he couldn’t even bring himself to actually yell. He looked from the distant ground, to Hunter, and then to The Hero.

“SUGAR-” He yelled, his voice gravelly from his fear. Tears pricked and streamed down his face. He was absolutely terrified of heights like this. But he cut off in a choke. He was petrified. Time seemed to slow down as his heart and mind continued to race. Hunter was slowly climbing back up, and Obsidian couldn’t seem to shake him. 

As Sugar looked over and met his eyes, he realized what he was asking her to do. Tears continued to stream down his face. The bomb, the world-ending bomb, was the more important thing. And she was the most important thing. And her job, as The Hero, was to stop the bomb. 

Some things are worth protecting.

He let go of the ledge, even pushing away from it a bit. His stomach dropped as he fell through the air with Hunter under him. His whole body tensed up to such a point it almost hurt. Flying through the air, he felt like he couldn’t breathe. This had always been one of his deepest, worst fears. 

But he was okay with it, strangely. In the second he was in the air, he was alright with it. Sugar is The Hero, and she’ll stop the bomb. And he...

He was just sitting there, arms crossed, looking well..cross. Pissed and a little lonely. Wy sighed, think about what kind of fight they would get into today. He wasn't really in the mood for that. But, screw it. As long as it didn't escalate, everything would be fine. He walked up behind him.

"Hey, dumbass, you havin' fun? You look pissed off, the crowd too big for you?"

Wy said, leaning on Dallas' table, lighting a cigarette.

"...but really, you havin' a good night? It's weird seein' you without that stupid hat, I'll tell you."

He said, with a small chuckle.

Dallas wasn’t exactly in the best mood. Callum had only just barely fucked off after trying to start a fight, but he had refused to take their bait. Not at christmas, this was family time! He was still annoyed with them, though. And even moreso that they had tried to pick a fight at all. Callum was inches from getting physical with him. 

He regretted his earlier decision not to drink. But as he looked around the room, someone had to stay sober. And as everyone’s bigger brother, he had to take that responsibility. Alaska certainly wasn’t going to. 

Dallas turned as Wy began to talk. He almost jumped, because Wy had approached from his blind side, but he had heard someone walking up. He blinked, his brow raising. Lord, why must you test me? 

“No sir.” Dallas replied, apparently forgetting that using formalities like that is actually formal to the rest of the country. He smiled politely, though there was a genuine spark to it. The holidays always did bring out the best in him. “I’m used to it. I like bein’ around our family.” 

“Good as I can.” Dallas muttered, still a bit annoyed from Callum. But he wasn’t about to get into it, and not with Wy of all people. His smile returned. “Yeah, someone swiped it...” He said, shrugging. “Suppose I ain’t that surprised.”

"Your hair doesn't look that bad. You should go without it more, in my opinion."

Wy said, actually not lying. He finally sitting down in an actual chair. But Wy like most gay people can't sit correctly in a chair, and put his feet up on the table, still smoking that cigarette. He made extra sure to sit exactly where Dallas could see him.

"So, ya bring anyone special here this year? A special lady, maybe?"

Dallas raised his eyebrow at Wy’s feet on the table. He wanted to say something, but decided to let it go. Impolite as it was, it was Christmas. And he really didn’t want to start any fights. This was family time, wasn’t it? And, much as they weren’t exactly fans of each other, Wy was his brother. Wasn’t he?

Wy’s effort to stay in his visual field didn’t escape Dallas’ notice. It was odd. Wy wasn’t one to take advantage of his blind spots or the lack of depth perception. But it wasn’t like Wy usually made the effort, either. Dallas smiled. He did appreciate that. 

He blinked when Wy began smoking a second cigarette alongside the first. That was certainly unusual, to say the least. “I don’t wanna tell you how to live your life,” he began “but a cigar is better for that. Think I have some, if ya like.” He offered. 

He took a moment to process the question. He wasn’t sure why Wy was asking, but after a moment he shook his head. “No, not this year.” He spoke, his drawl leaving a bit. He did enjoy dating the occasional human, and he had even been married before, but he knew it wouldn’t last. 

The sound of yelling made Dallas look over to see that a couple of the other states had managed to get into a drunken fight. 

"yeah, luckily I don't have a boyfriend- I mean girlfriend to subject to this either. And I would like the cigar, thanks."

He said, looking down suddenly, putting out his cigarettes. They were almost gone anyways. He just hoped Dallas didn't hear the mistake he made, with all the yelling. He didn't want Dallas to know about that yet. He didn't know what he'd say, but he suspected it wouldn't be anything good. He looked up again.

"So..um... why was Cal yellin' earlier? They're usually yellin' at you, no offense."

“Well, when ya do get one, don’t drag her to this!” He said, still joking around a bit. 

Ulises sat down on a chair, giving Monty a small wave.

"It's good to see you though, you're always nice to me."

Monty blinked as Ulises sat down, but she gave them a smile as they did. As usually happened when she was speaking one on one with anyone, Utah’s state flowers began to bloom on her antlers. 

"well... you're right about that. I am gay, but there's something else-"

They stopped.

"I don't know if you'd get it though. You probably will and maybe I'm being stupid, but I..I don't feel like a man, Monty."

Then she smiled. 

“You’re not stupid.” She said softly, standing up. She wrapped her arms around them, hugging them tight. She felt tears in her eyes. After all this time, she wasn’t alone. “Oh, Ulises, I...” she didn’t exactly know how to phrase it. She wasn’t out, and had only ever told a couple of her siblings.

"no, not that either. I don't feel like either. It just feels kinda dumb... like I should've figure this out before. Like... I'm pretty old. You think that I'd... actually think about it."

They muttered sadly, finding themself crying as well. They just wiped the tears away.

"but I'm glad I've figured it out at all. It's better now than never."

They said, letting out a sigh of relief.

"I just... didn't know who else to tell..."

When they began to cry, she pulled them back into a hug, putting a hand on the back of their hand to let them know they could cry against her. What were sisters for? She knew fully well why they were crying, it was a stressful thing to go through. 

She smiled a bit when they said they didn’t know who else to turn to.

That seemed to be a theme in her life. Her siblings having some sort of gender crisis and turning to her. Well, Ulises had turned to her. She had to go out and find Hamilton when they had freaked out. 

“I’m glad you told me.” She said, hugging them just a bit tighter. “I...” she paused, still struggling for the words. Would Ulises even recognize the word transgender? Would they even know what she was talking about? It was one thing to not feel like anything, but when you felt like the ‘other’ gender...

They kind of paused when she said that, not knowing what that meant.

"Why would you know...? I know Hamilton is kinda like me but..."

Ulises seemed to be struggling to connect the dots in their head. What did that mean? They looked at her again. Ulises wondered if she was trans too, well, maybe.

"I'm glad you're helping, but what does that mean?"

Only one other person knew. And that was her own twin, and she had only told them to try and calm them down. They had been panicking, not unlike herself now. But this time was different. Ulises had already reached their conclusion, and definitely wasn’t outright panicking. 

Would they think any differently of her? She knew they had had some connection with the LDS in the past... and she knew what those people thought of people like her. Tears pricked her eyes at the thought. She loved Ulises, they were her sibling! She didn’t want to lose them.

She took in a deep breath.

“I’m- I’m transgender.” She said, her voice shaking. She wasn’t brave enough to look at them as she said it. “I mean, I am a woman.” She explained, looking away further. “But when I was younger, before even when I was my own country, everyone thought I- I was-” she cut off, shutting her eyes tight. She can’t even say it. 

Was all Ulises said, hugging Monty tighter, not for their own comfort, but because they knew she needed it. They could tell how scared she was. Why would they be scared to tell them, though? It wasn't like they would tell anyone, they wouldn't do that...

"I'm glad you told me. Thank you. Does anyone else know?"

They asked, looking up at her for a minute and seeing her upset face. They suddenly felt bad. Was this because of their religion? Well, old religion. They knew what LDS thought of people like them.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry- I'm not in the Church anymore Monty..."

They suddenly whispered, feeling like they were going to cry as well just from seeing her so upset.

"I couldn't stand it anymore I hated it-"

“Just- Just Hamilton.” Monty whispered. “I mean, I’m sure others have guessed, but I...” she trailed off. She hugged them tighter. 

“You’re not making me cry.” Even while so emotional, Monty just wanted Ulises to be okay. “It’s a scary thing to talk about! As I’m sure you can attest.” She smiled, though tears were still rolling down her face. 

Maple was simply enjoying her coffee. It was nice to not only get out of the house, but out of her neighborhood. That jackass could stuff it, she wanted to see the world. And coffee was a rare treat for her, it just didn’t seem to exist in her “zone”. 

But that didn’t mean she didn’t want a little taste from home. She was busy pouring some syrup from her flask into the coffee when a voice surprised her. She looked up and smiled, closing the and pocketing the flask. The girl before her was honestly, really, really cute. 

“Oh, I come here all the time!” Maple said with a smile. “Well, I try to, anyways! You know how it is.” She shrugged and made a ‘what can ya do’ face. She gestured to the seat across from her. 

“Been there?” Maple echoed with a smile. “I have to live up there!” Her smile faltered a bit. “I’m normally not this far south. Because... yknow...” she gestured vaguely. But she knew Tabby would understand. There couldn’t be a person in this land that hadn’t heard of the increasing travel restrictions. Especially against people like Maple.

He was just sitting there, arms crossed, looking well..cross. Pissed and a little lonely. Wy sighed, think about what kind of fight they would get into today. He wasn't really in the mood for that. But, screw it. As long as it didn't escalate, everything would be fine. He walked up behind him.

"Hey, dumbass, you havin' fun? You look pissed off, the crowd too big for you?"

Wy said, leaning on Dallas' table, lighting a cigarette.

"...but really, you havin' a good night? It's weird seein' you without that stupid hat, I'll tell you."

He said, with a small chuckle.

Dallas wasn’t exactly in the best mood. Callum had only just barely fucked off after trying to start a fight, but he had refused to take their bait. Not at christmas, this was family time! He was still annoyed with them, though. And even moreso that they had tried to pick a fight at all. Callum was inches from getting physical with him. 

He regretted his earlier decision not to drink. But as he looked around the room, someone had to stay sober. And as everyone’s bigger brother, he had to take that responsibility. Alaska certainly wasn’t going to. 

Dallas turned as Wy began to talk. He almost jumped, because Wy had approached from his blind side, but he had heard someone walking up. He blinked, his brow raising. Lord, why must you test me? 

“No sir.” Dallas replied, apparently forgetting that using formalities like that is actually formal to the rest of the country. He smiled politely, though there was a genuine spark to it. The holidays always did bring out the best in him. “I’m used to it. I like bein’ around our family.” 

“Good as I can.” Dallas muttered, still a bit annoyed from Callum. But he wasn’t about to get into it, and not with Wy of all people. His smile returned. “Yeah, someone swiped it...” He said, shrugging. “Suppose I ain’t that surprised.”

"Your hair doesn't look that bad. You should go without it more, in my opinion."

Wy said, actually not lying. He finally sitting down in an actual chair. But Wy like most gay people can't sit correctly in a chair, and put his feet up on the table, still smoking that cigarette. He made extra sure to sit exactly where Dallas could see him.

"So, ya bring anyone special here this year? A special lady, maybe?"

Dallas raised his eyebrow at Wy’s feet on the table. He wanted to say something, but decided to let it go. Impolite as it was, it was Christmas. And he really didn’t want to start any fights. This was family time, wasn’t it? And, much as they weren’t exactly fans of each other, Wy was his brother. Wasn’t he?

Wy’s effort to stay in his visual field didn’t escape Dallas’ notice. It was odd. Wy wasn’t one to take advantage of his blind spots or the lack of depth perception. But it wasn’t like Wy usually made the effort, either. Dallas smiled. He did appreciate that. 

He blinked when Wy began smoking a second cigarette alongside the first. That was certainly unusual, to say the least. “I don’t wanna tell you how to live your life,” he began “but a cigar is better for that. Think I have some, if ya like.” He offered. 

He took a moment to process the question. He wasn’t sure why Wy was asking, but after a moment he shook his head. “No, not this year.” He spoke, his drawl leaving a bit. He did enjoy dating the occasional human, and he had even been married before, but he knew it wouldn’t last. 

The sound of yelling made Dallas look over to see that a couple of the other states had managed to get into a drunken fight. 

Ulises sat down on a chair, giving Monty a small wave.

"It's good to see you though, you're always nice to me."

Monty blinked as Ulises sat down, but she gave them a smile as they did. As usually happened when she was speaking one on one with anyone, Utah’s state flowers began to bloom on her antlers. 

"well... you're right about that. I am gay, but there's something else-"

They stopped.

"I don't know if you'd get it though. You probably will and maybe I'm being stupid, but I..I don't feel like a man, Monty."

Then she smiled. 

“You’re not stupid.” She said softly, standing up. She wrapped her arms around them, hugging them tight. She felt tears in her eyes. After all this time, she wasn’t alone. “Oh, Ulises, I...” she didn’t exactly know how to phrase it. She wasn’t out, and had only ever told a couple of her siblings.

"no, not that either. I don't feel like either. It just feels kinda dumb... like I should've figure this out before. Like... I'm pretty old. You think that I'd... actually think about it."

They muttered sadly, finding themself crying as well. They just wiped the tears away.

"but I'm glad I've figured it out at all. It's better now than never."

They said, letting out a sigh of relief.

"I just... didn't know who else to tell..."

When they began to cry, she pulled them back into a hug, putting a hand on the back of their hand to let them know they could cry against her. What were sisters for? She knew fully well why they were crying, it was a stressful thing to go through. 

She smiled a bit when they said they didn’t know who else to turn to.

That seemed to be a theme in her life. Her siblings having some sort of gender crisis and turning to her. Well, Ulises had turned to her. She had to go out and find Hamilton when they had freaked out. 

“I’m glad you told me.” She said, hugging them just a bit tighter. “I...” she paused, still struggling for the words. Would Ulises even recognize the word transgender? Would they even know what she was talking about? It was one thing to not feel like anything, but when you felt like the ‘other’ gender...

They kind of paused when she said that, not knowing what that meant.

"Why would you know...? I know Hamilton is kinda like me but..."

Ulises seemed to be struggling to connect the dots in their head. What did that mean? They looked at her again. Ulises wondered if she was trans too, well, maybe.

"I'm glad you're helping, but what does that mean?"

Only one other person knew. And that was her own twin, and she had only told them to try and calm them down. They had been panicking, not unlike herself now. But this time was different. Ulises had already reached their conclusion, and definitely wasn’t outright panicking. 

Would they think any differently of her? She knew they had had some connection with the LDS in the past... and she knew what those people thought of people like her. Tears pricked her eyes at the thought. She loved Ulises, they were her sibling! She didn’t want to lose them.

She took in a deep breath.

“I’m- I’m transgender.” She said, her voice shaking. She wasn’t brave enough to look at them as she said it. “I mean, I am a woman.” She explained, looking away further. “But when I was younger, before even when I was my own country, everyone thought I- I was-” she cut off, shutting her eyes tight. She can’t even say it. 

Ulises sat down on a chair, giving Monty a small wave.

"It's good to see you though, you're always nice to me."

Monty blinked as Ulises sat down, but she gave them a smile as they did. As usually happened when she was speaking one on one with anyone, Utah’s state flowers began to bloom on her antlers. 

"well... you're right about that. I am gay, but there's something else-"

They stopped.

"I don't know if you'd get it though. You probably will and maybe I'm being stupid, but I..I don't feel like a man, Monty."

Then she smiled. 

“You’re not stupid.” She said softly, standing up. She wrapped her arms around them, hugging them tight. She felt tears in her eyes. After all this time, she wasn’t alone. “Oh, Ulises, I...” she didn’t exactly know how to phrase it. She wasn’t out, and had only ever told a couple of her siblings.

"no, not that either. I don't feel like either. It just feels kinda dumb... like I should've figure this out before. Like... I'm pretty old. You think that I'd... actually think about it."

They muttered sadly, finding themself crying as well. They just wiped the tears away.

"but I'm glad I've figured it out at all. It's better now than never."

They said, letting out a sigh of relief.

"I just... didn't know who else to tell..."

When they began to cry, she pulled them back into a hug, putting a hand on the back of their hand to let them know they could cry against her. What were sisters for? She knew fully well why they were crying, it was a stressful thing to go through. 

She smiled a bit when they said they didn’t know who else to turn to.

That seemed to be a theme in her life. Her siblings having some sort of gender crisis and turning to her. Well, Ulises had turned to her. She had to go out and find Hamilton when they had freaked out. 

“I’m glad you told me.” She said, hugging them just a bit tighter. “I...” she paused, still struggling for the words. Would Ulises even recognize the word transgender? Would they even know what she was talking about? It was one thing to not feel like anything, but when you felt like the ‘other’ gender...