crypt

At one moment the world was seething and painful. Then it wasn’t. It was dark and rigid. You could even say cold. Who was he now? What was he?

Arthur gasps, shooting up from where he laid on the wooden floor. “John?”

“I’m here, Arthur.”

“I—I don’t know...where are we?”

“A small theatre. We’re center stage. The curtains are a red that you don’t forget. Even after a millenia.”

Arthur ran his hand down his face. “Kayne.”

A laugh rung out from behind the curtains. It was an all too different laugh.

“That’s—”

“My laugh?”

“Bingo!” the voice shouts as the curtains burst open to reveal—

“Arthur, it’s you!”

They both stared for a moment until Arthur got the nerve to ask. “What the fuck is going on?”

“Is that any way to speak to me—I mean you—me?” He rubbed his hands together and took a few light steps forward. “Artie, I’m in your body, you’re in mine. Would be a bit more obvious if you looked down even once.”

Arthur’s turned his head to look down before he could even think. “He isn’t lying.”

“Did you do this? Did you swap us?”

Kayne scoffs. “No, I wouldn’t dare impose on your sanctuary. I’m unsure of how this happened but oh, I am glad it did!”

“Why?” Arthur and John both choke out at the same time.

“Oh, Artie, this ass is premium,” he said, placing his hands on his sides and popping a hip. “I never thought I’d be in such a five star vessel!”

“Kayne, please.”

“No, no. I want to try something.” He steps back a few steps, lifts his leg and drops into a split. “Wow, you can be flexible.”

“Arthur, he’s dropped into the splits, your—his—your legs are straining a bit. I think your eyes are tearing up.”

Kayne groans. “It is a tad bit of a strain.” He sighed, pushing up from the splits. “It’d be best if you stretched so this doesn’t happen next time—”

“There won’t be a next time.”

“Oh—I’m sorry, Artie, but there most certainly will be! I am having so much fun like this.” He begins dancing around and grabs Arthur’s hand to pull him up. “Come on, a little pep in your step would be wonderful!”

“Arthur, do not dance with him. This is ridiculous.”

Arthur stays still, gripping tightly at his abdomen. Kayne won’t admit it but, he hates seeing his own body looks so down. It bums him out. “At least smile. A frown doesn’t suit me.” He brings his fingers up to Arthur's face and pulls the edges of his lips into a smile. “Let’s have some fun.”

Arthur is a bit worried he won’t get his body back. At this point it’s reasonable. “What are you doing now,” he growled.

“He’s—”

“I’m testing your limits!”

John huffs. “He’s doing pull ups.”

“Jesus fucking Christ.”

It had been hours upon hours of limit testing by now. John had been slightly amused by the cartwheels but grew quickly tired afterwards. Arthur took this time to examine Kayne’s body, hoping to find something that will make him want to swap back. “John, I have an idea.”

“Is it a stupid one?”

“Possibly.”

“Do it.”

Kayne stopped pulling himself up and watched as Arthur grabbed onto the waistband of his—Kayne's body’s—trousers and yanked down. Nothing happened. They stayed there. “Perverted plan,” Kayne teased, resuming his pull ups.

“God damnit!”

“Humiliation attempt. That was embarrassing, not stupid. But I think we should try use this situation. Maybe we could find Kayne's weak spot.”

“Weak for you two absolutely anywhere, boys!” Kayne shouted., moving to a newly summoned iron maiden. He rubbed his hands together, smiling as he kicked it open.

“Arthur he was testing normal limits but now he’s brought in an iron maiden.”

“Jesus Ch—that’s enough.” Arthur charges over to Kayne and grabs his arm. A wave of static electricity passed through both of them and in a flash of nausea, Arthur is thrown to where Kayne stood. “Am—Am I?”

“Back in your body? Yes—very unfortunate for me.” Kayne arched his back. It let out a loud, far too-long lasting crunch. “Christ, Artie! Your posture has ruined me!”

“Send us back. Now.”

Kayne sighs. “Someone’s cranky.” He snaps his fingers and they all are back on Earth. “Have fun being boring,” he says through a chuckle. Then snaps and is gone.

They sit in silence for a moment before Arthur vomits. As he wipes his mouth with his sleeve, he asks, “Is my posture really that shit?”

“Do you want me to be honest?”

“Of course I fucking do, John!”

...

It had been years since Arthur got Faroe back. Nothing felt completely correct. The keys of the piano now always had a chill beneath his fingers, like they weren’t meant to be there. The door creaked open an inch. “Faroe?”

The sweet voice of that baby was no longer there. It was now the voice of a, still sweet, beautiful young woman. “Father, can we talk?’

“Come on in.”

She let the door fall closed behind her as she stepped in. She wore her favourite dress. She had mentioned that it's yellow colour reminded her of simpler times. Arthur scooted over to the side, allowing Faroe to sit on the piano bench next to him. “I think it’ll be easier for me to say it if you play.”

Arthur let out an ‘oh’ as he adjusted his position to be able to play. He begun to play the intro to Faroe’s song as she spoke, “You know I prefer the company of other women. It’s taken a lot out of me to try speak to men in ways that are befitting of a young woman like me. And—I’ve tried to speak to women in such ways—as an experiment. It felt so natural.” She wiped her eyes. “I wish at times the world was not so cruel to those who want the company of someone the same as them. I don’t count on you to understand.” Arthur’s playing began to slow. “I just need you to be here, always.”

Arthur stopped, fingers hovering just above the next progression. A tear rolled down Faroe’s cheek. He rushed his hand to catch the tear. “Oh, Faroe. I do understand.”

“Fath—”

“No, Faroe. I understand wholly how you are feeling. I find it nuanced to connect in a way demanded of us to those we don’t wish to. I will never push you away for that.” He adjusted his tie. “Do you have anyone?”

“No, but there are many charming women on the streets.”

Arthur felt that cold dissipate from the piano. “I do.”

Faroe adjusted to face him with fully. “Who?”

“You know who.”