#tfyf

The bundle of warmth I fell asleep with last night was no longer there when I awoke. Now that I was sharing a bed for the first time in thirty years, the empty mattress felt cold and unwelcoming. Or… had I? Was it all in my head?

My clothes and prosthetic lay where I left them last night, but the other-worldly weapon and trunk full of clothes were MIA. I sprang out of bed, a metal object clinking against the floor. I tiptoed over to the sound of the noise. It was that fucking coin again, somehow out of its bag and staring into my soul. I slid the coin across the floor using my talon with a huff, shrugging on a bathrobe before racing out the room towards the gift shop.

“Stanley! Did we-” Stan, Dipper, and Mabel’s heads all whipped around to my direction as I slammed the door open, disturbing the peace with my frantic questions. Mabel’s face was covered in a cheesy powder, Dipper’s nose was buried in Journal 2, and Stan had been reading a newspaper. I tugged at the cross section of my robe, not expecting the kids to be relaxing with their uncle. “Ahh! I mean. Um!” My feathers stood up on end. Dumbass! Why’d you leave your room without your disguise? Now the kids-

“You can relax, Audie. I’ve closed the shack for the next couple of days, you don’t gotta worry about customers seeing ya without a disguise.” Stan brought the newspaper back to his face. “Customers? But the kids-” The sight of the vending machine opening and steam emerging from behind it cut off my panic.

Ford emerged with a cycloptopus wrapped around his left arm in a tussle. The kids rose from their positions, screaming in terror. Ford extended a commanding hand out to them. “Everyone get down! Don’t let it taste human flesh!” The same hand balled up into a fist to strike the creature directly on its eye, causing it to release its hold on his arm.

The creature fell to the floor with a splat, using its tentacles to scuttle around the gift shop. “What is it?!” Dipper cried, backing up into the magazine stand. “Can we keep it?” Mabel clasped her hands together with hope as it crawled up the counter. “Kill it! Kill it!” Stan smacked it with a newspaper.

Ford was quick on his feet, following the cycloptopus like a predator as he backed it up into a corner. With nowhere else to run, it hid behind some boxes. I ran back into the shack, rummaging through the kitchen cabinets for a big enough jar. When I returned, Ford was standing by the vending machine with a shocked Dipper before him, the burnt creature being held up by a single tentacle.

“Here, put it in this.” I popped the lid open, allowing Ford to place the creature inside. “Thanks, honey.” I passed him the jar, receiving a quick peck on my cheek as thanks. I could see Mabel’s cheery grin from the corner of my eye. “Well, call me for dinner!” He pressed a button on his gloves to close the door for him.

“Maybe next time then? Or not? Or never..” Dipper’s voice trailed off, clearly bummed by whatever Ford said to him in my absence. “Aww, Dipper, don't take it so hard.” Mabel sympathized with her brother, placing a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. Stan however, wasn’t having it. “No, do take it hard.” He swatted Dipper on the top of his head with a newspaper. “Take it hard and serious. My brother is a dangerous know-it-all, and the stuff he's messing with is even worse. Do yourself a favor and stay away from him, you hear me?”

Stan’s warning fell on deaf ears. “But, Grunkle Stan, all summer long I've wanted to know who the author of the journal was. Now the guy lives in our basement and I can't even talk to him.” Recognizing the direction things were headed in, I decided to chime in. “Dipper, coming from one of the creatures Ford studied, Stan has a point.” Dipper’s eyes widened in shock. “He may be a genius, but even geniuses get themselves into trouble.”

His head hung low. I could feel the desperation for answers radiate off of him. “Don't worry about what's in the basement. You belong up here with me, Mabel, and your Grauntie.” Stan slapped the counter to emphasize his point. “Actually Stan, I was gonna head down there in a few. I have some questions of my own for that man.” Stan’s face fell, obviously annoyed with my conflicting actions. I turned towards the Employees Only sign, ready to properly dress myself.

“W-Wait, Grauntie Audie!” Dipper’s hand tugged at my robe. “Do you think I could maybe give you my questions and have him answer them? That way I won’t have to go into the basement and end up in trouble.” My eye fell back on Stan who was completely fed up with Dipper’s insistence.

I couldn’t help but smile and give in to the kid’s quest for answers. If he was anything like Ford, it was better to give him the answers he’s looking for than to wait around and see what sticky situation he’d end up in. I flicked the brim of his hat. “Sure. Write up a sticky note with your questions and I’ll make sure to pass the message.” He pumped a fist in the air, a curt yes slipping out as I headed towards my room.

I stared at the dress on the floor. Now that the kids knew what I really was, there was no need for a disguise as long as the shack was closed. The thought was relieving, but also quite troubling as I scanned my closet. It dawned upon me that I didn’t really have clothes made for my body. I previously thought I’d be able to get a lot of use from the outfits Matilda gave me, but after years of eating human meals and my unexpected aging, they were too small for my older figure.

I could always go back to my tried and true open back dress, but I wanted something comfortable. I wanted to move all of my limbs without constraints. Unfortunately, I was out of options in that department. With a disappointed sigh, I forced the closet door shut, only for it to collide with a wooden edge. I looked down to see Ford’s trunk staring back at me.

I couldn’t help but grin as I rummaged through its contents. He didn’t seem to mind when I wore his clothes last night, I can’t imagine he’d be upset now. I settled on a yellow button up and a pair of green shorts. The shirt contained a miscellaneous stain that never let up no matter how many times it was thrown in the wash, so I cut the back open without a second thought to make room for my wings. The green track shorts already had a hole in them from how much he used to sleep in it, giving me the perfect slot to slip my tail through. Once I was fully dressed, I headed towards the sounds of Mabel. If anyone could make me some clothes, it would be her.

She was laying flat on her stomach in the TV room, various art supplies scattered around her as she wrote a letter to her parents. “Hey starlight, I got a job for ya.” She immediately sat up. “Are you going to have Dipper and I start training for flight school?!” I couldn’t help but giggle at her assumption. “No no, not that. I need clothing. Clothing specifically made for a harpy.”

As if she had been waiting for this moment the whole time, measuring tape materialized from her pencil pouch. She was all over me in seconds, marking my measurements with an efficiency like no other. All I could do was stand there in shock while obeying her subtle movements to get me to move my limbs. “I can do that for ya, but I’m gonna need a reference. I can always make assumptions based on measurements alone, but my job would be ten times easier with some sort of pattern to follow.” She was stretching my wings and talking like an old soul with decades of experience. This girl was truly a master of her craft.

“I have an old outfit in my closet, but it’s mostly torn to shreds.” She was writing numbers down, not breaking her concentration as I spoke. “Something is always better than nothing.” “Good point, I’ll only be a few.” She let go of my wing, already making progress on a sketch as I left the room.

Call me sentimental, but I never allowed myself to toss that green burlap top and those brown baggy ankle cuffed pants. The top was hanging on by mere threads and the pants would surely stop at my thighs if I tried to put them on now, but that didn’t matter. It was one of my few remaining ties to the skies above. I scooped up the garments to bring back to my designer.

I almost bumped into Soos on my way in. “Here they are! They’re a bit delicate so be gentle with them.” I reentered the room to a sad looking Dipper in front of the TV, book in hand. Mabel stood from her seat at the table, rushing to obtain the outfit. “Wow! Such beautiful craftsmanship!” Her eyes sparkled, admiring the stitching as she made her way back to work. I could feel myself wince as she held up the cloth.

“Grauntie Audie, I don’t suppose you’ve heard of Dungeons, Dungeons, and More Dungeons?” Dipper shoved the rulebook in my arms, eyes sparkling with desperation. “DD&MD? I haven’t played in decades!” Dipper, Mabel, and Stan all gasped in shock. “Y-You’ve played?” I giggled, handing the book back to him.

“Of course I have! It’s one of the few places where my species is actually recognized, even if I don’t agree with the stat block.” A wide grin spread across his face. “Could we play together?” “Sign me up! But it’s gonna have to wait. I have yet to go down to the basement.”

“Yeah, sure! Oh, and here.” Dipper fumbled with his hands as he withdrew the crumpled up sticky note from his pocket. “It's the questions I want to ask.” I unfurled the note, only to see just how small he wrote just to fit all his questions on the yellow paper. “I’ll be back in an hour or so. Don’t weigh the dice while I’m gone.” A small ‘I won’t’ followed me as I made my way to the vending machine.

A1BC3 The door opened with a hiss, allowing me entry. I couldn’t help but smile as I made my way down. For the past thirty years, I dreaded this elevator. The doors would creak and squeal as it fought through years of rust, and that goes without mentioning how unsettling the hallway leading up to it is. Each trip served to remind me of my inability to confront him sooner and the things I could have done differently. But now, it felt nostalgic.

The door screeched open and there he was, hunched over a workbench with a bottle of ink and searching the drawers frantically. “Did you lose something?” My voice brought him out of his concentration, brow furrowing with annoyance. “What’re you doing down here? You know it isn’t safe.” I spread my wings out to pluck a singular crimson feather, placing it between his fingertips.

“I could ask you the same thing.” His gaze fell on the fresh feather, twirling it for further inspection. “I woke up to a cold, empty bed. You had me thinking I dreamt of your return.” He refused to look at me, only fishing out a pocket knife to make the proper cuts for a quill. “I have important business to attend to.” Was the only response I got as the, now, finished quill danced on the pages of his journal. My tail flicked in frustration, its contact against the various machinery reminding me of its newfound freedom. I hooked it around his waist, forcing him to look at me.

“Stanford. Enough of this, please.” My eyes landed where the pendant hung from his neck. I placed my claw over the gemstone, caressing it with care. “You can keep your secrets, whatever they may be, but I need you close-by to get my magic back.” The pendant thrummed beneath my touch, its warmth resonating through my veins.

He let out a sigh, no doubt frustrated by my necessary clinginess. The feeling didn’t last long. A smile tugged at his lips the moment his eyes fell on me, being met with my pleading eye and pouting lip. “Alright. Just give me a moment, I have one last thing I’d like to take care of.” He planted a kiss on the top of my head before walking out towards the direction of the portal.

I couldn’t hide my smile. Even early on in our relationship, not once did he give in to my demands this easily. I pumped my fist in the air, taking a seat on the swivel chair. A sizable curtain had been draped over the window overseeing the portal. Curiosity nagged at me as I reached a claw up to pull back the covers.

A scream, followed by wood snapping and a series of ‘Ow’s startled me. My head whipped around to the source of distress, only to see Dipper face first on the floor. The desk had fallen over, spilling the ink and shattering the jar containing the cycloptopus. The destruction wasn’t my main concern. Dipper’s well being, however, was.

“Dipper! Are you alright?” I rushed to the kid’s side, helping him to his feet. “I’m ok!” I cradled his arm to check for wounds, causing him to wince. “My dice rolled under the shack and the ground collapsed below me.” He shook his arm to show that it was fine before reaching for his die.

“Dipper! Stop!” Ford’s commanding voice caused my head to turn. “What did I say about coming down here?” His voice was laced with irritation as he approached. “My work is far too dangerous for a single living soul to spend even one second in-” His eyes landed on the die in Dipper’s hands. “Wait! Is that a 38-sided die from Dungeons, Dungeons, and More Dungeons?!”

The starstruck look on both of their faces was almost too much to handle. “Yeah! Y-you know this game too?” His posture straightened, deadpan look on his face. “With pen and paper, shield and sword…” “Our quest shall be our sweet reward!” They finished in unison, erupting in laughter. I couldn’t help but laugh with them.

“This is my favorite game in the whole multiverse!” Two fingers reached for the die in Dipper’s hands. “I taught Y/N how to play just so I could have a campaign. I can’t believe they still make it!” Nerdiness bounced off the walls of the lab. “They do! Grauntie Audie and I were gonna play when she came back!” Dipper held out the rulebook for him to take.

“My boy, do you know what this means? We must stop everything I've been working on at once…” Ford kneeled down, head at his eye level. “AND PLAY!” Excitement radiated off the pair, staring at each other with wide grins. The sound of something scurrying pulled my attention away from them, gaze landing on the cycloptopus right as it was going to take a bite out of Ford.

“Ford! Look out!” My warning was too late. The creature sunk its sharp teeth into the left side of his skull, wrapping its tentacles around his face. His grin didn’t falter in the slightest, only reaching up with a single hand to pull the creature off. “That's... going to leave a mark.” The left side of his face was red with irritation and covered in blisters. I pulled the boys away from the creature, tail reaching for the previously discarded pocket knife. I didn’t even give the creature a chance to flee, stabbing the creature in the eye with a shout. Black goo oozed from the wound as it twitched for a few seconds before going limp.

I wiped ooze off with the corner of my shirt, sliding the knife into Ford’s breast pocket. The boys stood there, frozen in shock at my display. “Close your mouths, you’ll catch flies. Also, you. Sit down. I’m getting the first aid kit.” I brought Stanford to sit in the swivel chair, the right side of his face blossoming with a blush to match his left side.

“I’m gonna get the rest of the game pieces from where I fell.” Dipper raced over to the elevator, eager to get this campaign up and running. I pulled the first aid kit out from one of the drawers in the desk, retrieving wipes, a needle, and some disinfectant. “Hold still so I can take care of ya.” I cupped his face, gently cleaning the area while trying to be mindful of any indication of pain.

All I got instead were big blue eyes marveling at me. “I forgot how… effective you could be.” One-by-one, each blister was popped. A black puss-like substance pooling out and collecting onto the wipes. “You forgot your fiancée was raised to be a warrior?” I couldn’t help the snarkiness of my tone, a smile tugging at my lips as I finished up my nurse duties. “Yeah.. even though it's something I’ve always admired about you.” My claws froze as the first aid kit closed with a snap. A small blush crept up my cheeks, feathers rising up along with it.

A chuckle fell from his lips. “Glad to know your feathers still rise up like a cat whenever you’re flustered.” My gaze fell to my arms, claws carding through them to calm them down. I chewed my lip, trying to think of a comeback. “You should see your ears whenever I do the smallest of things.” His eyes followed my fingers as they hovered over the top two buttons of my shirt, popping them out of place. Like magic, the tips of his ears were dusted a shade of pink. “W-Well can you- Wait a minute. You’re wearing my clothes again?!”

His ears burned brighter at the realization, causing me to laugh. “You only just now noticed?” My tail swished around behind me like a metronome. “I’m shocked you thought I’d ever stop.” I stored the first aid kit back into its proper place right as the elevator dinged with Dipper’s arrival.

“Alright I got the- woah!” Dipper’s eyes widened in shock upon seeing Stanford, blister-free and sporting red tipped ears. “Did you cast a spell or something? It looks like he was never injured at all!” I couldn’t help but laugh, thankful that the boy was oblivious to the blush on his uncle’s face. “Of course I did, but I don’t give away my secrets that easily.”

Dipper opened the box’s contents, spreading them out on the floor. “Here’s the rulebook and some character sheets, I’d imagine a lot has changed since you guys last played.” Ford’s eyes scanned the pages, absorbing all the additions he missed out on. I rested my chin on his shoulder, accidentally burying his elbow into the feathers on my chest. My claw glided up his back as I tried to keep up with his reading. Dipper busied himself in making his character sheet, missing out on the shudder and the noise that slipped out of Ford’s mouth at my ministrations.

Ford turned his head to glare at me in hopes I would cut it out in front of Dipper. I simply stuck out my tongue in a playful manner, tail curling up around his upper thigh. “You’re distracting me, let me read.” Using the elbow pressed against me, he nudged me off of him. A fit of giggles erupted from my chest as I caught myself from stumbling backwards.

“While you’re reading, I meant to ask. Who’s gonna be the-” “I’ll do it!” Stanford answered Dipper’s question before it was even out, spooking the kid a bit. Ford cleared his throat, the wide grin he sported melted back to its usual stern expression, now with a bit of softness behind his eyes. “I’ll DM. I haven’t done it in so long, it’s one of the things I miss the most.” Ford picked up one of the character sheets. “I’ll still have a character in the campaign, but I won’t be too involved in puzzle solving.” His voice trailed off as he started muttering to himself, completely wrapped up in his own thoughts.

“Have you decided what you’re gonna play yet, Grauntie Audie?” My eye landed on the last remaining blank sheet, wracking my brain for options. “I think I’ll go with a giff monk named Boulder.” Dipper’s eyes lit up at my choice. “I’ve never played with a giff before. I was just going to go with my centaur wizard ‘Galeth the Great’. He’s an old soul that’s had many tribulations throughout his life. His wife died during childbirth and his son, Aden, ran away from home.” I nodded, listening to the character’s backstory with intrigue. “I’ll go ahead and round out the party with my paladin elf, Pompous Edison.”

I couldn’t help but groan at Ford’s character choice. “I thought you retired that character.” He turned to me with a shit eating grin. “I did, but it would be a shame if Dipper didn’t experience the joy that is Pompous.” I rolled my eye but the smile on my face betrayed me. I couldn’t be annoyed with this man for long, even if I tried.

Stanford grabbed the cutout of Probabilitor to cover some spare notes and cleared his throat, ready to narrate. We started off in a tavern, as most campaigns do. Boulder sat at the bar, guzzling down a rather large pitcher of beer while trying to ignore Pompous as he talked Boulder’s ear off. Galeth approached the duo, Dipper cleared his throat and spoke in the deepest voice he could muster. “Excuse me, have either of you two seen my son Aden around?”

Boulder shook their head. “I’m afraid I haven’t.” Ford tsked and crossed his arms in a sassy manner, always leaning into the theatrics when it came to his favorite snob. “If I had seen a slimy young colt prancing around, I wouldn’t even bother to be here.” Pompous’ nose twitched in annoyance. Galeth hung his head low, sighing in defeat and muttering a barely audible thanks. Right as he was about to walk away, a sheep crashed through the window causing the room to fill with chaos.

“Is there anything wrong with the sheep?” Dipper asked. “The sheep appears to be a normal sheep but it does have a scroll in its mouth.” “I down the rest of my drink and take the scroll from the sheep’s mouth to cast the spell.” Ford chuckled at my eagerness. “Make an arcana check.” I grabbed the thirty eight sided die and rolled… a three.

“You try to cast the spell but since you down the drink so quickly, a gnarly burp erupts from your chest instead.” Dipper laughed at Boulder’s actions. “Let me take a crack at it… 26! Success!” Dipper raised his fist towards the air in excitement.

“Oh thank you so much! I was hoping someone would finally be able to understand me!” My claw smacked my mouth shut the moment Ford used a high pitched voice the sheep. My laughter was sure to be disruptive. “My name is Neda. I was cursed into this body and need the help of some adventurers to return to my original form. Do you wish to follow the sheep?” Dipper and I nod, and off we went into the forest.

Neda led us through the forest to a hobbit hole. Galeth tried to open the door, but it was locked. Pompous was the one to point out the glowing holes with different shapes and the four stone balls with a similar glow. “I feel like we should put a ball in each hole, just to test it.” I suggested. “You place a ball in each hole and both the holes and door glow red. A chute protrudes from the wall and four identical stones roll down to reset the puzzle.”

“What a brainiac this one is.” Pompous scoffed. “Oh yeah? And where are your bright ideas, Edison?!” Boulder retorted with a huff. “I noticed the detailing on the stones were rather oddly placed.” Dipper tapped a finger against his chin. “Can I try rotating the stone where the detailing meets?” “Yes you can. The corner of the stone shifts similarly to a Cubic’s Cube.” Dipper’s eyes lit up. “I configure the stone into a cube and drop it into the corresponding hole.” “The hole glows green.”

After shifting the rest of the stones, the door opens, allowing us entry. The door shuts behind us, forbidding us from leaving. The area was dark, the only light coming from Galeth’s lantern as we made our way inside. “Guys. We have a problem.” Pompous whispered, trying to get us to back away. “Yeah, we can barely see. What’s wrong-” Suddenly, the room bursted into three columns of flames. Three red dragonborns had been hiding in the dark.

“That’s wrong!” Pompous screeched. “Roll for initiative.” I got an 8 and Dipper got a 25. “Did you tamper with the dice or something?” The two laughed at my poor luck. The dragonborns rolled higher than all of us. One attacked Neda and missed. Another went for Galeth and the last hit Boulder with a crit. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever played with someone this unlucky.” Dipper commented, going through his list of spells. He casted fire bolt and successfully hit Neda’s attacker. Pompous finished off the job, using his bonus action to keep the sheep safe. “Alright Y/N, what’re you gonna do?”

“With my brass knuckles, I’m gonna punch him right in the kisser.” “Alright, roll to hit.” I pick up the dice, shaking it in my claws. My luck has been trash, hopefully this one will be good. I blow them for good luck and….

Nat one.

“For a giff, you have a shockingly low alcohol tolerance. Your punch misses the dragonborn entirely, causing you to fall flat on your face.” I couldn’t help but frown. “Alright, these dice hate me. I’m gonna head upstairs and find my old dice.” I rose from the floor, making my way to the elevator. Ford opened his mouth to speak, sensing my frustration.

Not wanting to leave a bad taste in the air, I continued. “Boulder, in his drunken stupor, refuses to get up from the cold floor beneath him. ‘Galeth, I’m gonna need ya to finish em’ off for me!’” My in-character dialogue wiped the worry off their faces. I could hear Dipper’s excitement as the elevator rose to the ground floor.

I hobbled back upstairs directly to my room. After a few minutes of rummaging through my desk, my claws landed on a familiar pouch. I pulled it out and dumped its contents into my palm, only to have a coin and a pair of contacts fall out. “Ok, this is getting out of hand. You were on the floor just this morning.” I hung the drawstring on a yellow thumbtack, hoping I’d be able to keep an eye on it. I reached back into the drawer, this time retrieving the correct bag of dice.

I was about to make my way back to the basement, only for Stan and Mabel’s mischievous giggling to distract me. “What are you two getting all giggly about?” Stan and Mabel were huddled around the table. Liters of Pitt Cola, bags of gummy worms, various chip cylinders, multiple bowls of popcorn, and many other snacks were spread out like a buffet. “Grauntie Audie! We’re just preparing our snack arrangement for tomorrow’s season finale of Duck-tective.” Mabel moved her arms as she spoke, littering the ground with snacks.

“That’s tomorrow?!” My jaw dropped in horror. With all the shenanigans of the portal and getting Ford back, I completely forgot to finish catching up. “Oh pins! It totally slipped my mind! Do you think we could maybe watch the last episode before the finale?” Stan slapped a hand on my back, barely missing my wings. “Of course we can! Gives us more reason to be hyped.” Mabel slapped her face as she let out a gasp.

“I SHOULD MAKE YOU A DUCK-TECTIVE OUTFIT!” She bounced eagerly on her heels. “That’s fine by me, but you also gotta make me some normal clothes.” Her head bobbled with excitement. “I’ll get to work on it right away! Remember, it’s at noon.” With plans made for tomorrow and sneakily stealing a bag of jelly beans, I made my way back to the lab.

“-With one final blow, Probabilitor stumbles to the ground. ‘This isn’t the last you’ve seen of me, Galeth!!’ His head rolls to the side, dead.. for now.” Dipper was doing a little victory dance at the wizard’s defeat. The two were laughing. Ford placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him down.

“I got my dice and some snacks!” I shook the two bags as proof. “Oh, Grauntie Audie! I just beat Probabilitor!” Dipper rushed to my side, yanking my wrist to lead me towards the board. “What? But how? I thought you would fill this dungeon to the brim with puzzles like you always do?” I was pulled to sit and get a closer look at the dice rolls.

“I did! I was just expecting Dipper to be at the same level of experience as you. Clearly I was wrong, since he solved the puzzles so quickly!” Ouch. “Just because I solved them fast, doesn’t mean they were easy! I wouldn’t have made it to the final boss so quickly if not for my high perception rolls and your clever hints.” I could feel my heart sink as they blabbered compliments to each other.

Their initial nerding out was adorable and watching them recite the game’s slogan was adorable. But… something changed. There was a sparkle in their eyes as they laughed, a sparkle that wasn’t there when I went upstairs. Dipper was eager but still weary of Ford when he first came down and Ford, although smitten by the twins, put up a wall to close himself off.

All of that uncertainty and distrust was gone. These two experienced something that brought them closer, forming a tight bond. I’m sure a lot of ‘you had to be there’s will be said about this oneshot. It was comforting to see Ford get along with another member of his family, but..

Why wasn’t I happy for him?

I shook my head to rid myself of this feeling, flashing the boys the most sincere smile I could. “I feel a little guilty since you weren’t able to play the rest of the oneshot.” Ford rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. I rolled my eye, opening the bag of jellybeans and popping one in his mouth. “Oh, hush. I’m just glad you found another party member for you to torment with your confusing puzzles.” His cheeks were already pink from laughing, but it was the twitch of his lips that told me they were glowing brighter for a different reason.

“We should play again tomorrow! I’d like to take a crack at DMing for you two.” Dipper suggested as he packed up the pieces. “You two can go on ahead. I made plans with Mabel to try on the clothes she’s fixing up for me.” I looked back at Ford, expression back to its former giddiness.

“Good luck making a dungeon for such a high difficulty.” His tone was devilish as Dipper made his way to the elevator. “I’ll make sure it’s impossible!” He shouted back right as the doors closed. Stanford rose from his seat with a laugh. “Oh man, you should’ve seen the look on his face for the Neda reveal.”

I quirked an eyebrow at him, popping a jelly bean into my mouth. “Neda reveal?” Ford froze, turning to me and grasping my shoulders. “Neda was Galeth’s son.” If I was stuck before, I was certainly not going to escape Ford’s ramblings now. For the next two hours, Ford rambled on about the campaign, occasionally pausing mid-sentence when I offered him a jelly bean to open his mouth. His face would bloom into a blush, only to go right back to describing his shock towards Dipper’s approach to his puzzles.

“-And for the green glass door puzzle, he asked if Galeth could go in. The answer was any animal or animal-adjacent species. What I didn’t expect was for him to take my ‘yes’ literally and charge right through the door!” Ford’s shoulders bounced with laughter. It was nice to see him so carefree and laughing. But why couldn’t it have been because of me?

“Alright, you old geezer. You’ve had a day full of adventure and I’ve decided it’s time to head to bed.” Stanford’s face fell with a pout. “But I haven’t even told you about the encounter with the final boss.” My wings cupped his back, pulling him towards the elevator. “You can tell me all about it when we’re in bed.”

And talk about the final boss he did. He followed me through the halls as I did my nightly routine. Not even scolding him for being loud while the kids were asleep stopped him, he simply just started whispering as we walked down the hallway. What did get him to stop was when I commented on his choice of sleepwear.

“Aren’t you going to change into something more comfortable?” I eyed him up and down. Even though I slept fully naked, I didn’t find it strange until I witnessed Ford hop into bed in his current outfit. Shoes and all. “...I like to be prepared for anything.” After a little quarrel, he settled on taking off his boots and nothing else, before going right back to yapping.

The pendant was starting to regain its color, but not as much as I hoped. Due to leaving in the middle of the night and his DD&MD session with Dipper, the gemstone was still a dark brown. Only a small amount of orange shining through. His arm wrapped around my belly, pulling me close as he whispered about the campaign.

I wanted to listen to every word that came out of his mouth, but something nagged at me. At the end of the day, I was the one he loved. I was the one he held close as night grew old. So then why did it feel like he was drifting away from me? My eye was trained on the drawstring pinned to the corkboard, eyelids growing heavy as sleep pulled them closed.

~~~

My limbs were heavy as I pulled my face out of the mud. My head was spinning, a groan escaping my throat as I attempted to rise to my feet. My claws were… hooves? I glanced down at the rest of my form. My brown feathers and talons were replaced with rough gray skin. I was a Giff.

The sounds of grunting pulled my attention back in front of me. A centaur wielding a large staff galloped before me. “Eat fire, you hypotenuse hooligan!” Dipper’s voice cried out from the beast. Waves of fire shot out from all around him, effectively engulfing the opposing wizard. Said wizard, Probabilitor, cried out as he rose to his feet. “Have a taste of my math ray!” A bundle of numbers and symbols shot out of his hands. His aim was sloppy, landing in the space between me and the centaur.

“Time to finish you off!” The centaur spoke. “Once and for all!” Ford’s voice joined in. I hadn’t even realized the figure on the centaur’s back to be… Pompous Edison? Together, the two of them grasped onto the staff, striking Probabilitor with Thunderous Smite. The wizard shook, robes and skin flaring up as he was burned to a crisp.

The pair high-fived and cheered in celebration. I pushed myself up to my feet, only to be pulled back down. Their laughter filled my ears as I started to sink into the mud. “Guys! Help me!” My heavy arms splashed in the mud. “Did you hear something?” Pompous spoke. “The only thing I can hear is the sound of victory!” Galeth spoke in a sing-song voice. They were looking right at me. My cries became muffled as the ground pulled me under.

I awoke gasping for air. Somehow in my sleep, I managed to end up with my face smothered into a pillow. I rolled over onto my back with my wings fanned out. Another morning in an empty bed. My head rolled over to gaze at the clock. 11:23 am

I rose to my feet with a stretch. The ability to sleep in was nice, but what was the point if I didn’t feel well rested? I spared a glance at myself in the mirror. Wrinkles on my face still sagged with no signs of stopping and my eye bags weren’t doing me any favors. If Ford spent time with me like I asked him to, I wouldn’t shrivel up into a raisin until I was a century old.

I just need to have a proper date with him, that’ll be sure to bring us closer. I rummaged through the bottom drawer of my dresser, pushing aside various clothing items. My eye landed on a familiar wooden box, pulling it out and observing its contents. The two crimson rings laid there on the soft satin pillow, not showing a hint of age from the day they were crafted.

Since I was never able to give Stanford these rings, they never leaked any magic. I originally planned for them to be his wedding bands, but with the turn of events, I could use them to propose. Just to see if he hasn’t changed his mind. He most likely hasn’t, but it would serve as a good reminder to him that we’re supposed to be wed. I tucked the box back into the dresser and made my way to the attic.

I was only able to knock once before Mabel pulled me inside, twirling me around to face the door. “You gotta close your eyes before I show you the final reveal. I have a few more stitches I need to address before you can strut your stuff.” I couldn’t help but laugh, covering my eye with a claw. “Alrighty then, just make sure to sit me down first so I don’t trip and fall.” She pulled me towards her bed, Waddles immediately crawled into my lap.

The sounds of a sewing machine and the occasional snort filled the room as I pet the pig. “Almost…… Done!” I heard her pull the cloth out from under the machine. “Can I look now or did you have plans to dress me as well?” “You can open them!”

My claw lowered to reveal a dark green window pane plaid poncho with velcro on the back to strap in my wings. The pants were brown and cuffed with a duck foot patterned all over. If the pants weren’t a bit patronizing without the context of the show, I would wear these everyday. “What do you think?” “I love it!” Her eyes sparkled like the stars.

“Well what’re you waiting for? Put it on!” She forced me behind the curtain in her shared room. “We don’t have a lot of time left if you want to squeeze in the most recent episode!” I hurried to scramble out of my bathrobe and into my new outfit. I pulled back the curtains, striking a pose for Mabel.

“How do I look?” I puckered my lips to really accentuate the look. “Stunning! I can’t wait for you to model more of my creations!” She rummaged through her hangers, pulling out her duck-tective sweater and pinning his signature hat to her headband. Her hand wrapped around my wrist to pull me to the door. “Oh! Almost forgot!” She let go of my hand, putting on her feathered earrings before leading me downstairs.

“Mabel, who gave you th-” A heavy knock interrupted me. Mabel opened it to reveal Grenda. “Hello again Misses- AHHHH!” Grenda screamed as she saw me. “Mabel! Your Grauntie has been turned into Big Bird!” Grenda hid behind Mabel, shaking with fear. “She wasn’t turned into a bird, she’s always been a harpy!” Mabel laughed, trying to encourage her friend to get closer to me.

“I used to wear a disguise and blend in because of reactions like yours.” I couldn’t help but awkwardly chuckle. “Sorry Misses Pines, I didn’t mean to scream like that. You’re still very pretty.” I couldn’t help but chuckle at the girl’s embarrassment. “No offense was taken, don’t worry hun.”

Stan made his way into the room, sporting a bowtie. “Woah! Someone’s all dressed up.” I wiggled my eyebrows at him, flashing him a smirk. “It's a big night. I think we all remember where we were, when-” Mabel yelled, patting her great uncle’s legs to shush him. “Don’t spoil! Audie hasn’t seen it, remember?”

“Holy smokes. Thanks for that, pumpkin. Wouldn’t want to reveal such an impactful moment.” Stan let out a breath of relief. “How much time do we have anyway?” I asked, Mabel’s eyes landed on the grandfather clock. “It’s 11:28! We gotta hurry if we’re gonna squeeze that episode in!” Mabel and Grenda got behind me and Stan, pushing us into the TV room.

What we hadn’t expected was to step right onto a sea of graphing paper. “Graph paper! Kill it! Kill it!” Grenda stomped on the paper with fever. “Dipper, could you maybe move this to another room?” Mabel asked her brother, only to get a response from her other grunkle.

“No dice! We ran out of room in the basement and we're going for a world record! Now, dice!” Stanford’s die tumbled across the board, no doubt in an impactful moment of their campaign. “32, yes!” His arms shot up in the air. “7,000 points damage!” Dipper laughed with him, clearly not surviving the encounter. The four of us groaned, our plans now squashed thanks to their game.

“You wanna break a record, Ford? You already got it for world's nerdiest old man.” Stanley threw out an insult, infuriated by this unexpected surprise. “Hey, at least I'm not all keyed up to watch a kid's show.” Ford shot back, defending his position. Stan defended the show, not standing for any Duck-tective slander.

“Grunkle Stan, it starts in a few minutes!” Mabel cried, causing her uncle to make his way over to the TV. Ford caught his wrist moments before he could turn it on, rising to his feet. “Move that and pay the price!” His voice was low, almost growling at Stanley. I couldn’t help the way my feathers ruffled up as I watched the two argue. “It's my TV room!” Enough is enough. “It's my house, you-”

“BOYS!”

My shout was loud enough for everyone’s head to whip around towards me. “There’s no need for this! You two can pack it up and take it to my room so the TV room is free. Not everything needs to be a petty argument!” I stomped my talon in frustration, tail cracking behind me.

Stanford let out a sigh, knowing that I was right. “Fine.. just. Listen, Stanley, did it ever occur to you that if you joined us you might actually have fun?” Ford shook his sack of dice as an invitation to his brother. “What? Now you listen to me!” Stanley nabbed the bag from his brother’s grasp. “As long as I live I will never…” Dipper spoke to try and stop his uncle.

“Ever…” “Stanley!” “Play your smartypants nerd game!” The bag collided with the floor, a sea of dice spilling out. One of the dice fell out of a plastic case, a blue lighting emitting from it and shocking the DDMD box. In an instant, the characters on the cover came to life.

“Mortals of dimension 46'\, kneel before me and… snivel! I am Probabilitor! The greatest wizard in all of mathology! Give or take an error of 0.4.” Blue lighting filled the room as he spoke, the band of misfits behind him glaring at us. “Eh, is this normal?” Stanley muttered, encouraging the girls to take a step back.

“Have you come to send us on the quest of a lifetime because we're the smartest players you've ever met?” Dipper asked, hopeful this encounter would not result in disaster. “You are the smartest players I've ever met! That's why I'm going to eat your brains to gain your intelligence. It's what I do.” The orc behind him confirmed his decision.

“Seize them!” Probabilitor commanded his goons, pointing his staff at us. Stanford pulled his trench coat back, arming himself with a gun. Has he had that the whole time? “Your math is no match for my gun, you idiot!” “Math ray!” Stanford was wrong, as the series of numbers was strong enough to break a sizable hole into the side of the shack.

“I'm not here to play games!” The orc grabbed Ford and Dipper, their struggling having no effect on his grip. Probabilitor flew out with his blue magic, the orc being picked up by a griffin. “Now to the forest, for the ultimate game!”

“Oh no you don’t!” I dashed into my room, nabbing my prosthetic and my hunting knife before darting out after them. I’m not letting another thing take Stanford away from me and I don’t know if my conscience could take it if something happened to Dipper. The knife rested between my fangs as I pulled the straps and buckles into place, not letting them out of my sight. The moment I heard the last click, I shot myself up into the air.

I flew high above them, making sure to get enough height before nose diving right towards them. “Give me back my fiancé!” My knife sunk straight into the griffin’s thigh, causing it to cry out in pain. “What?! Another creature?” Probabilitor turned around to face me. My wings flapped with vigor, keeping me afloat next to the griffin. “G-Grauntie Audie?!”

“Hand them over!” I rammed into the orc’s side, hoping to loosen his grip. Instead all I received was a swift peck into the top of my skull, the strike knocking me off course. A blue magic surrounded me, locking me in place. “Would you look at that? A harpy eloped with a human! This is priceless!” Probabilitor laughed as I struggled in his hold.

He turned me around in the air, using the opportunity to examine me. “Oh? What’s this? Such a deep red coloring! I would’ve assumed you to be a part of the Crow’s Nest.” The group laughed as they descended to the ground below. “I-I am! I still have my status and when I-” I was cut off with another laugh from the wizard. “If you were truly a harpy with the powers of the season, then you should not falter so easily when I do this!” A coil of magic wrapped itself around my skull, constricting and knocking me out cold.

~~~

When I came to, Dipper and Ford stood next to their siblings with cupcakes in hand. I was still tied to the tree, hunting knife a few feet away from me. My tail swished around as it tried its best to bring the weapon closer, but only ended up smacking it further away. Just my luck.

“Guys! We can watch the second showing of Duck-tective! It's not too late!” Grenda squeezed her Duck-tective toy to the family. I struggled under the rope. “A little help here?” The Stan twins turned to face me, realization on their faces at my inebriated state. “I’m on it.” Ford picked up the knife, setting me free.

“Thanks hun.” My tail curled around his wrist, pulling him in for a quick kiss as thanks. Mabel squeed and I could hear Stan mutter something about us getting a room. “I… I’m sorry I couldn’t save you both. All I saw was someone trying to take you away again and I just sprung into action.” Ford chuckled, pulling me to my feet to join the rest of the family on the path.

“It’s alright, your efforts didn’t go unnoticed. You should’ve heard Dipper’s amazement once you were out cold.” I couldn’t help but smile at the thought. These nerds are going to be a handful, that’s for sure.

When I opened my eye, the bed was… warm. I couldn’t believe it. I carefully shuffled under the covers to be greeted by the sight of a snoring Stanford resting beside me. His lips were slightly parted, a bit of drool trickling down his cheek. He looked so peaceful. I tried my best to crawl out of bed without waking him, but my mission ended in failure.

A muscular arm wrapped itself around my midsection, pulling my back flush against him. Even through layers of clothing, I could still feel something try to greet me this morning. My feathers stood on end as a blush crept to my cheeks. I could either continue trying to break free from his hold and risk disturbing him, or I could lay with him and bask in the moment. My gaze drifted towards the mirror’s reflection, catching a glimpse of our tangled limbs beneath the covers and setting my decision in stone. I let my shoulders relax as I succumbed to his warmth.

I don’t know how long it was he continued to sleep for, but boy did he move. A grumble would leave his lips each time he pulled me closer, almost as if he was trying to protect me from whatever monster was tormenting his dream. He nuzzled his cheek into my own, lips pursed in a frown. “Over my dead body..” He growled, hot breath fanning my reddening cheeks. He pulled me even closer, throbbing beneath me.

When he finally did stir, he buried himself into my neck and greeted it with a kiss. “G’morning, songbird.” His gravely morning voice rumbled in his chest against my back. The sound was like honey to my ears. “Good morning, handsome.” I turned to face him, a wicked grin spreading across my cheeks when I saw his eyes remained closed. “Is that a gun in your pocket, or are you that happy to wake up next to me~?” His eyes shot open, immediately trying to put some distance between us and pulling at the covers.

“I-It’s a natural side effect of w-when testosterone levels are at their highest, Y/N!” His embarrassed reaction led me to explode into a fit of laughter. The way his face would turn a rosy red that trailed all the way up to the tips of his ears paired with that flustered expression of his was just too cute. “I know, I know. I just missed teasing ya about it~” I planted a kiss to the tip of his nose before nuzzling into his chest. He responded with an annoyed huff, but still wrapped an arm around my waist.

My tail moved beneath the covers, gently grazing up his leg towards his inner thigh. My movements were stopped by a finger curling around the base of my tail, sending a shiver up my spine. “Y/N, it’s too early for this.” He scolded, voice still groggy as he gave my tail a gentle tug. “You’re no fun.” I whined, weaseling my way out of his grasp to sit on the edge of the bed and stretch.

“What’s on today’s agenda?” I spoke between grunts, stretching my arms above my head. I could feel the bed move as Stanford sat up beside me. “There’s still a plentiful amount of work for me to address down in the lab.” His six fingered hands carded through my feathers as he spoke. “Although I enjoy your company, I cannot afford any distractions.” They now rested on my shoulders, rubbing soothing circles into them and drawing a pleasurable hum from my lips. “I thought it was too early for this.”

A chuckle reverberated in his chest as his fingers delicately broke the keratin seal from one of my pin feathers. “It is, I just missed teasing ya about it~” He kissed my temple and rose from the bed, leaving my feathers all ruffled up and face flushed. I could tell he was proud of himself solely based on the smile he wore as he pulled on his boots. “You play dirty.” That smile turned into laughter, causing him to spare a glance at me before retrieving his gun. “That’s rich coming from the avian that sleeps in the nude.” My eye fell to my lap. “Touché.” With a quick peck to my lips, he was out the door.

Although Ford had left the room, the smile he graced me with stayed on my lips. These were the mornings I yearned for. The ones I would crave as the nights grew old, and all I could do was sob as I clenched the empty bed sheets even tighter. Sure, he’s distant, and as unhealthily obsessed with his work as ever, but he still had that soft side.

One that was warm and affectionate. One that would bring back flora that he was unfamiliar with and offer them to me as a gift because “their striking colors reminded me of you.” One that came home crying with a pile of twigs in his arms, fully believing he accidentally drowned a baby scampfire when in reality it was just the result of someone carelessly discarding their used cigarette. One that apologized profusely when he pulled out a chunk of feathers from the back of my head after burying himself deep inside my-

I shook my head and jumped to my feet, ridding myself of those thoughts. The sudden movement caused a series of sparks to shoot up my arm. I could feel my feathers start to grow underneath the bandage. There was no way in hell the area would heal without proper stitches. My gaze traveled to my closet, only to realize the Duck-tective outfit from a few days ago was the sole thing Mable managed to craft for me thus far. Clothing first, stitches later. I pulled on the matching outfit and popped my glass eye in before following my nose towards the kitchen.

Stan was manning the stove, frying up some breakfast and humming the ‘Stan Wrong Song’. Dipper was hunched over the table with enough graphing paper surrounding him to be considered a new tablecloth. “Good morning boys, either of you too seen Mabel around? My little seamstress promised me some new outfits.” “Haven’t seen her all morning, I just assumed she was sleeping over with one of her friends.” Stan set Dipper’s plate of food right on top of where he was working before pulling out a chair for me and handing me a mug of coffee.

Dipper nudged his plate to the side, stabbing one of the eggs and feeding himself. “She’s out by the lake hanging out with her new friend. I think she said his name was Luka?” His eyes were glued to his map making while he spoke between bites. “I heard her talking to herself about wanting to dazzle him with ‘human cuisine’ or something.” My eyebrows rose in confusion as I guided the mug to my lips.

“That explains why there’s no more sugar in the pantry. Also all the plastic dinosaurs on the counter.” Stan mused to himself, picking up a hot pink triceratops. Am I the only one concerned for this girl? “Human meals? She made friends with an anomaly or something?” Dipper simply shrugged. “I dunno. I asked her a few days ago if I could meet him, but he’s apparently really shy.”

“Hey familyyyyyyyyyyyy!” Right on cue, Mabel waltzed through the front door. She climbed into her seat, sporting those feathered earrings and now a matching pendant around her neck. “Look at this cool necklace Luka gave me! He says it’s magical!” The pendant was a foggy blue that perfectly matched the color of her earrings. The straps holding it up, however, weren’t in the best condition. They were handmade and strung together by a novice. Upon closer inspection, the center of the pendant looked as if it were made of tree sap. Not only that, but it almost looked as if encased inside was a-

a feather?!

“Mabel, who exactly is your new friend?” Mabel’s eyes sparkled with delight, intertwining our fingers from across the table. “Oh my gosh, Grauntie Audie! You should meet Luka! As a fellow harpy, I’m sure you’d both-”

“HE’S A HARPY?!” I shot up from my seat, anger boiling inside of me. “Uh, yeah! He’s really sweet and I honestly think the reason why he’s a little shy is because-” A quiet knock on the front door interrupted Mabel’s explanation. I wasted no time, racing to open the door to be greeted by a small box with a note on top.

For my sweet Mabel, After seeing how much you enjoyed my gifts, I had to make you another! I know I just gave you the pendant, but I really wanted you to have this. You just look so pretty with them on. Hope you enjoy it! -Luka

The box’s contents revealed a blue ring made of tree sap. Sure enough, another turquoise feather was wrapped around inside. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught some of the nearby bushes rustling. This boy was watching and patiently waiting for Mabel’s reaction. I was fuming at this point. A harpy was trying to court Mabel while she’s OBLIVIOUS to it?!! Mabel’s head peeked out of the doorway, tugging my arm to get a look for herself.

“Grauntie Audie, what’s in the-”

“Give me your earrings.” My claws curled around the pendant, pulling it down and snapping it in two. I could see tears start to well up in her eyes, but I knew it was for the best.

“What?!! But why-”

“I’ll explain later, but hand it to me now.” The gravity of my tone spooked her into compliance, wordlessly forfeiting the jewelry.

I stomped into the yard, box in hand as I shouted to the shrubbery. “Luka! I don’t know who you are, but I hereby FORBID YOU from attempting any further advances on Mabel. She already has a harpy in her life to protect her and doesn’t need another.”

I chucked the box into the foliage, watching the bush rustle again as it caught the package. “If you are displeased in the slightest by my decree, take it up with the Crow’s Nest. Tell them Y/N Autumn Joy sent you!” With a huff, I marched back to the shack. The shadow of the harpy casting on the ground as he retreated back into the skies.

I slammed the door shut, leaning against the wood and slumping against it with a sigh. What a way to start my morning. “What was all that about?” I lifted my head to be greeted by the audience I garnered consisting of Stan and the twins looking at me with a mix of worry and confusion.

“That harpy was trying to court Mabel.”

“WHAT?!”

Their combined shouts nearly shattered my eardrums. I pinched the bridge of my nose, still on edge from the altercation. “I need more coffee before I give this explanation.” Stan guided me back into the kitchen, pulling out my chair for me again and nudging my mug closer. I lifted the mug to my lips and closed my eye, the warm liquid soothing my throat and doing an excellent job of calming me down. When I opened my eye again, three pairs were staring intently at me with varying levels of restlessness. I placed my mug down with a sigh, mentally preparing myself for this explanation.

“For starters, magic flows through every living thing. Humans, animals, bugs, trees, you name it. We all essentially have a circulatory system in our bodies for magic. That’s how it is for most living creatures, but harpies are a special case. Not only does it flow through our veins, but the barb of each and every feather on our bodies serves as another channel for magic to flow through, allowing us to have magic literally pouring out of us at all times.

“How does this relate to-” I shot Stan a glare, effectively silencing him from interrupting.

“Because we have so much magic pouring out of our bodies, it makes us very powerful magic users. It also has the downside of making us prone to magic leakage, which can be detrimental to our health. The solution we’ve developed is to create a magical circuit with our spare feathers by encasing them in tree resin and gifting them to those closest to us for them to attune to. Once attuned, it provides us with an extra reserve to pull from. However, due to the way our culture evolved over the years, this tradition has become synonymous with romantic relationships.” Mabel’s eyes widened in shock at the revelation, her brother on the other hand fished out Journal 2 from his vest and was now scanning through the pages.

“So let me get this straight. Some random bird was gifting Mabel his feathers to get more power?” Stan was trying his best to keep his cool in front of the twins, but his clenched fist and gritted teeth revealed the anger festering inside. “It’s worse than that, sadly. Since our magic has such a strong tendency of leaking, once you have an extra reserve, your body slowly starts dying if you’re ever without it.”

Stan slammed his fist down on the table, ready to go into an angry spout, but Dipper’s gasp after reading the journal pages with a blacklight prevented him from doing so. “The journal mentions you giving great uncle Ford a pendant that he attuned to as well as a quill. I-I’ve seen that pendant before. It looks like it’s empty.” Dipper slowly looked up at me, a sadness consuming his eyes. “Were you… are you dying?”

In an instant, any trace of anger that was in Stan’s body was replaced with sorrow. I averted my gaze from him. If it hurt my heart just simply watching him unclench his fist and hesitantly reach for me, it would surely shatter if I looked him in the eye. “...Yes. Well.. I was dying. Luckily for me, harpies live much longer than humans do. My genetics also blessed me with powerful magic reserves.. and I couldn’t exactly fly. But… but I would be lying if I said I could have gone another thirty years without him. Heck, I would’ve probably croaked within the next three years if we didn’t get him back when we did.”

Stan’s hands were now firmly gripping my shoulders, eyes red from trying to hold back tears. “YOU WERE SLOWLY DYING?!! WHY DIDN’T YOU SAY SOMETHING!! WE COULD’VE-”“YOU WERE SLOWLY DYING THAT WHOLE TIME AND DIDN’T EVEN THINK TO TELL ME?!!” I flinched at Stan’s cry, heart breaking at the crack in his voice. “There was nothing you could have done…” I brought my claws up to hold his wrist comfortingly. “Telling you would’ve only made you worry more.”

The gravity of my own dwindling life expectancy hung in the air and suffocated us. The only noise filling the room were the occasional ticking of the grandfather clock from the hallway and the slow drip of the faucet. The tension in the room was starting to physically hurt. I wanted to curl up into a ball and hide. Thankfully, Mabel’s voice broke the silence. “I-Is there a way to regenerate the magic in your reserve?”

I smiled softly at her, thankful that she was the one who broke the silence. “The best way to restore the reserve is by st- by spending time with the carrier of your reserve.” I could see the gears turning in Mabel’s head. “Then…Then you should go on dates with great uncle Ford to get your magic back!” I could feel my face heat up as she let out a gasp. “I could make you a fancy outfit for your magic refill dates!”

Her hand wrapped itself around my wrist, pulling me out of my chair. “Come on! I need to show you what I’ve made so far! That way I know what to make you in the future!” She started running out of the room, dragging me along like a toy before stopping in her tracks to yell at her brother. “DIPPER! GO GET GRUNKLE FORD! HIS ALMOST WIFE IS DYING AND HE’S WASTING AWAY IN THE BASEMENT!” I nearly tripped over my talons as the girl brought me to her room, shoving me behind the curtains once again. “I’ve only made you two more outfits, but I think you’re gonna love them!” Her voice came out as a sing-song as she rummaged around.

I could feel my head start to spin with how chaotic the day has been. Although it was one of my goals this morning was to see Mabel’s progress, I also didn’t expect for her to start blabbering on how she would plan the perfect date for me. “Alright, here’s the first pair. Go ahead and try it on!” Her hand peeked out from the curtains, a familiar pair of brown pants and an olive green shirt extended out to me. No way.

“Mabel, did you-“ “Ah ah ah! No questions! Only wearing!” A grin spread across my cheeks as I held up the clothing. Sure enough, Mabel somehow deconstructed the patterns of my hunting gear and managed to make me a brand new pair. The pants were in good condition minus the loose button and small tears, but how she managed to replicate the bundle of shreds that was my shirt was beyond me.

They fit me perfectly. The shirt actually covered my entire torso without feeling completely exposed in the back for my wings to move freely. And the pants were just as mobile as I remembered. I pulled back the curtain, a few tears pricked my eye as I beamed with joy. Mabel clapped her hands with excitement. “How did you-“ “Don’t question my Mabel magic!“ Hurried footsteps could be heard from outside the door, and in barged Ford and Dipper. “I was told Y/N was dying?! Where’s the threat? Who do I have to-”

Ford’s line of questioning came to a halt the moment his eyes landed on me. His pupils dilated as they looked me over from head to toe, his cheeks blossoming into a soft shade of pink. I could feel my own cheeks heat up at his reaction, flashing him an awkward smile and giving him a small wave. “Grunkle Ford! We should’ve been planning your dates with Grauntie Audie weeks ago! Now I have to rush to assemble a week’s worth of dates!”

Ford shook his head in disbelief at Mabel’s claim. “What? No, Mabel. That won’t be necessary-” Mabel brought her hand up to silence her great uncle. “Too late! I’ve already assembled a bag of necessities for you to go have a date by the lake!” She picked up a duffel bag from off the floor and chucked it into my arms. Did she really make me a-

“GET OUT OF HERE YOU WINGED RATS!!!!”

Stan’s booming voice from outside interrupted any further plans Mabel was going to share with us. Immediately, the group of us bolted down the stairs. Ford’s hand instinctively reached for his gun, ready to draw it if he needed to protect his family.

In front of Stan stood three harpies, two of them sporting the same soft pink and green coloring while a smaller turquoise one hid behind them. The small bird’s feathers matched the exact shade of blue on Mabel’s jewelry. My feathers fanned out behind me, already trying to create a protective barrier to shield the twins. The thinner of the two spoke in a soft voice.

“Sir, we’re not here for-”

“I don’t care who you are, I don’t want any more bird brains trying to magically elope with my family!” Stan stomped his foot in anger, grip tightening on the newspaper he held. His actions caused the taller one to flinch, but it only stirred a rage within the beefier one. They pushed their accomplice to the side, pointing the tip of their spear in Stan’s face.

“We tried being civil, sir, but we will not hesitate to use force if you don’t tell us where-”

“Grauntie Audie! I wanna see!” Mabel whispered behind me, using her fingers to make a gap between my sets of wings. The sound of her voice caused the young harpy to face our direction. When he saw Mabel, his eyes lit up as he immediately started soaring towards us.

“Sweetie, wait!” The sweeter harpy shouted after him, reaching her claw out and failing to snag him. “Mabel! I’m so sorry! I didn’t know you-” The rage from an hour ago stirred inside of me once again. I crouched down to the boy’s level, taking a step towards him to prevent him from getting any closer. The fletchling stopped firmly in his tracks, staring up at me with horror.

“Back up, little one. I already warned you once.” I growled, causing the boy to stumble off the porch and land on his rear. I loomed over him, following him as he scrambled towards the other two harpies he brought with him. The moment he managed to get up on his feet and scurry behind his protectors, my face dropped. From afar, it was hard to tell exactly who these birds were, but now that I stood a few feet away from them, their faces became clear as day.

“...Lily?”

I could feel my feathers start to stand on end as I watched the sisters’ do the same. Time ceased to exist as we stared at each other. It was as if they had just encountered a ghost. Tears swelled in Lily’s eyes while her sister’s mouth hung open in shock, lowering her weapon from Stan’s face. “Holy nimbus..”

“AJ!”

Lily scooped me up in her arms and took me to the skies. “I’ve missed you so much.” A symphony of chirps and coos flooded the air as we held each other close. I nuzzled into her shoulder, my own claws gripped onto her with an intensity like no other. Over forty years had passed since I last held my best friend. Chrissy followed behind us moments after, gawking at me in utter disbelief. “This is where you’ve been? Living amongst humans?”

“Yes!” I pulled my head away to face Chrissy, only to snap back to Lily as I heard her sniffling. Her eyes were pink from crying. “We thought you were dead...” I scoffed in disbelief.

“What? Why would you think I-?” I cut myself off as the memories came flooding back from that fateful afternoon. The hunt, the rainfall, the pain, and the look of terror in her eyes as she retreated back to the skies. The most she saw that day was Leo pinning me against a tree and throwing me to the ground. She had no idea the events that unfolded as the rain continued to fall. My fate was his narrative to mold however he pleased.

I couldn’t hide the look of exasperation that slowly dawned on my face as I watched my talons make contact with the ground’s surface. My eye slowly drifted back up to meet Lily’s, pleading with her to tell me his story wasn’t as twisted as I hoped. “What did Leo say happened?” Her eyes were full of guilt as she averted her gaze.

“Well.. he first thanked us for leaving since he knew things were going to get messy. He also kept apologizing because he said that he might have gotten a little too far when you darted into the woods without him. He came back really late that night and kept on searching for a week. He ended up returning with a few scraps of your clothes and some of your feathers… he feared the humans got to you.”

I couldn’t help but blink in disbelief. “That is the exact opposite of what happened! Leo left me out to die on that cliff! In fact, I probably would’ve ended up dead if Stanford didn’t find me in the rain and decide to take me in!” It was Lily’s turn to be confused.

“Who’s Stanford?”

I turned my head toward the shack, ready to call him over, only to see him already approaching. Stan took his place by the kids, making sure to put himself between the twins and us. I felt a sharp pain in my chest at the sight, both understanding that it was only natural to fear others who threaten you with a spear, but also hurt with the knowledge of how nice these girls can be.

The scientists took a few tentative steps towards us, a sheepish but excited grin on his face. “Are… Are you two Lily and Chrysanthemum? Y/N’s told me so much about-” Chrissy turned in place, drawing her spear once again as Ford got closer.

“Back up, fleshy. We aren’t exactly buddy-buddy with your kind.” The sisters towered over him significantly. Despite this, they still shuffled away from him as they were still unsure about humans. What made them back away from Ford and not Stanley was beyond me.

Ford simply muttered to himself in fascination, eyes glued to Chrissy’s protruding black feathers around her neck. I couldn’t help but laugh, some things never change. I placed a hand on Chrissy’s shoulder and offered her a reassuring smile. “You guys can relax. This is Stanford, the one who saved my life.”

I fanned my wings out to pull Ford into my side. The moment my wings were on full display, I heard a small gasp slip out from Lily’s lips. She slowly circled behind us before carding her claws through my wings. “Aj… What actually happened to you?” I let out a nervous laugh upon seeing the worry in her eyes.

“Well, like I said. Leo left me out to die. I lost my primaries that day and was pushed off-” Chrissy’s eyes were trained on Ford’s chest before she nudged her sister to the side, gripping onto my shoulders with worry. “Girl, never mind your wings. I’m more concerned about…” She gave another glance at Ford, more notably, the pendant dangling around his neck. “Did you seriously offer your feathers for a human to attune with?”

I shrugged off Chrissy’s hold on me. All of this physical touch was starting to get irritating. “Yes! Ford is my partner. Why is this such a shocker to you both?”

Lily cleared her throat, fidgeting with her plumage as she spoke. “It’s less that we’re surprised, and more of what Leo will have to say about it..” My eye twitched with annoyance, tail curling around Stanford’s waist and pulling him into my side possessively. “I don’t care about what Leo has to say! Why would I care about anything that cockatoo has to say after he practically exiled me?!!”

The sisters shot each other a worried glance, debating to themselves internally. Chrissy let out a sigh, eyes full of disdain as she spoke. “A lot has changed since you were last in Avia.. Leo’s become-”

Four shadows loomed above us. “Restrain them!” A commanding voice shouted. Before I could even react, a gray and gold harpy tackled Stanford to the ground, pinning him to the dirt below. The other two harpies flew right past us, beelining towards Stan and the twins. “LEAVE THEM ALONE!”

I attempted to chase after them, only to be pulled back by my tail and into the fourth harpy’s arms. I growled as I struggled against my captor, finally managing to turn myself around and out of their grip. The face of blue feathers I was greeted with shocked me to my core.

“..Jack?”

His cold dark eyes glared at me with annoyance. His face was tired and worn, eyes a mix of disbelief and irritation. He jerked me back towards him, whispering in my ear.

“Y/N, what in cirrus are you doing with humans of all things?!” My tail wedged itself between us to shove him away. “Starting a lemonade business, obviously. What does it look like I’m doing?” Jack opened his mouth ready to snap back, only to be stopped by Lily's hand on his shoulder.

“Honey… Why did you come here? I told you I had things under control.” Honey…? Jack’s shoulders relaxed slightly under her touch, but he still spoke with frustration. “We can't just leave her here. Who knows how long the news of Y/N living amongst humans would have stayed a secret for, and we both know it would be on sight if Leo found out.”

Jack’s words were like a dagger to her chest as she hung her head low with shame. He let out a sigh before continuing. “It's best if we have three of the four members of the Crow’s Nest to escort her back up to Avia. We would be able to make a case for her that could result in her survival.” Three? Who’s the third? Lily slowly brought her head up to look Jack in the eye, clearly toiling with the emotions inside of her. Chrissy begrudgingly put a hand on her sister’s shoulder for comfort. “As much as I hate to admit it, Jack’s right.”

“Do I not get a say in any of this?!” It felt unsettling to be treated in such a manner. I grew up with these three by my side. When I had last seen them, we were practically a family. Now I was being treated as if I was a threat to all of our society.

My outcry would be dismissed the moment the dark grey harpy spoke with her commanding voice. “Sir, as much as I don’t mind leaving the humans trapped here until further notice, they are intelligent beings. I have no doubt that they would be able to escape and find a way to reach us now that our presence has been known. I strongly recommend that we take them with us to prevent any casualties.”

“LET ME GO YOU STUFFED PILLOW!” My gaze followed Stan’s voice, only to see him pressed up against the wooden beam of the porch by a red harpy. The twins were also struggling as they were being carried like barrels over the other brown harpy’s shoulders. My wings fanned out behind me as I turned back towards Jack, eye full of rage.

“We’re not going anywhere if this is how you’re going to treat my family.” I could see the anger swirling inside of him, only to be halted by the sight of Luka tugging at his shirt. “Papa.. Please be gentle with them. I know they’re human, but I know Mabel wouldn’t hurt a fly a-and she really cares about her family.”

I watched as the corner of his eye twitched in frustration before finally giving in. “Fine.. Soleil, have your siblings carry the humans with care up to Avia.” The gray harpy nodded before turning towards the other two and grabbing their attention with a sharp whistle. “Robyn! Mac! Easy with the flesh bags.”

The two turned their attention towards their sister, the brown one looking a bit disappointed at the request. Regardless, the two adjusted their holds on the Pines family to cradle them in their arms before shooting up into the sky.

Jack eyed me with a raised eyebrow. “Don’t tell me I’m gonna have to carry you back up there.” He spoke in a more exhausted tone than he did before. A hint of that familiar kindness in his eyes shining through. His change in attitude brought a small smile to my face. That’s more like the Jack I remembered.

“No no. I just have to get my prosthetic from inside.” The flock of harpies that remained on the ground stared at me in bewilderment as I darted into the shack. I slid into my room and threw on the prosthetic, pausing before I left. I don’t know what was in store for me when I returned to my old home after forty years, but it would be smart if I came prepared. I quickly made my way around the room to assemble my satchel. My bow, quiver, hunting knife, notebook, and a few pens were assembled onto my person as I made my way back out the door.

When I was back outside, Jack was waiting by the door while everyone else was hovering a few feet above the ground. Soleil, at least I think that was her name, had Ford slung over her shoulder. Jack offered his claw out to me. “Come on, let’s head back home.” I smacked his claw away gently, eye darting back to Ford. “Actually, I’d prefer to take my fiancé’s hand.”

I flew towards the gray harpy and attempted to take Stanford from her arms, only for her to tighten her grip on him. “I don’t think so. Why should I trust you with him after you’ve spent forty years together?”

I couldn’t help but smirk to myself. This was the only time where I’d ever be happy to see that thing so dark. “Might want to take a closer look at that pendant of his.” Her eyebrow raised in confusion as she held Ford out as if he were a cat to inspect him. The moment she caught a glimpse of how faint the glow was within the pendant, she slowly offered him to me. Her expression remained cold, but her eyes held a world of worry and confusion in them as she watched me adjust my grip on Ford.

Jack shot up not long after. “Great. Now let’s go before we get surrounded by soldiers.” With that, we started our ascent towards the clouds and towards Avia. My mind was racing as I observed the scene before me. Chrissy led the pack with the red harpy and Stan at her side, bickering with the old man over his complaints and questions. The twins were gripping onto the white and brown harpy for dear life as she struggled to hold them. The harpy’s struggle resulted in Soleil flying over and pulling Dipper out of her arms. Luka decided to fly next to them, and was now trying to spark up a conversation with the twins.

I felt Ford’s grip on me tighten, pulling me out of my trance. “Dearest, what… what’s exactly happening right now?” My eyebrows rose at his question. “Uhh… I’m not entirely sure.” My gaze shifted past him, glancing over at Jack and Lily to look for answers. Lily flew in closer to us, pulling Jack along with him by the hand.

“We don’t really know either. We’re hoping that since Jack, Soleil, and I are the ones to bring you back that Leo will listen to us when we state our case.” I shook my head. “Wait a minute. Why is Soleil so important? And what do you mean Leo will ‘listen’? Doesn’t the Crow’s Nest come to important decisions together?”

The two shot each other a worried glance before allowing Jack to continue. “Well… we’re supposed to but… Leo’s kind of become a tyrant. And Soleil hasn’t lost Fight or Flight against Mac or Robyn since she first won.” I couldn’t help but blink in disbelief.

“Those three are my siblings?” They nodded as I stared back at the three of them. The longer I looked, the more they resembled my parents. Soleli with her mostly gray feathers and longer tail definitely held dad’s hawk genes, but the other two? Practically a spitting image of my cardinal mother.

“I had no idea your siblings were such… striking individuals.” Ford mused aloud. “I had no idea I even had siblings.” I continued to gawk at them as we got closer and closer to Avia. Robyn was bickering with her sister about how she could handle carrying the twins. It was comical to watch the tuft of feathers around her neck ruffle up while Soleil responded in a collected manner.

Despite all the complaints coming out of Stan’s mouth, Mac didn’t really seem to mind. If anything, it seemed he was focused on what his sisters were bickering over as opposed to his passenger’s criticisms. A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he watched Robyn begrudgingly agree with her sister.

I was an older sister.. I was an older sister and I didn’t even know it. The loss of my primaries stripped me of the opportunity to be a part of my own family. To watch my own flesh and blood grow into wonderful birds. I could have trained them to be excellent warriors, showed them the best places to hunt for game, to watch them fly for the first time.

My grip tightened the more I thought about what could have been. The sudden change must’ve grabbed Ford’s attention, as he brought his hand to cup my cheek and snap me out of my thoughts. “Darling, are you alright?” The worry in his eyes brought me back to reality.

Sure, I didn’t have the choice to grow with my family, but it brought me to a different one. If I hadn’t been in such a battered state that rainy day, I might have never met Stanford. And without Stanford, I wouldn’t have met Stanley, Fiddleford, Soos, Wendy, or the kids. I wouldn’t have been able to learn so much about humans. Funny to think that by trying to have me learn a lesson, Leo only brought me closer to them. Hold on-

“I’m sorry, you said Leo’s become a tyrant? What do you mean by that?” We flew up into the clouds, finally reaching the city. “I think you’d understand if you saw him yourself.”