Dumbbun

Cold stone walls stretched endlessly through the underground prison. Iron bars separated narrow cells. 

Most of the cells stood empty. 

Only one remained occupied. 

For over eight years. 

Inside sat a puppet once known as Chevalier. 

That name belonged to another life. 

Now... 

He called himself Osric. 

Morning, or what Osric guessed was morning, always began the same way. 

A stone bed. 

A thin blanket. 

Cold silence. 

He slowly opened his eyes and stared at the cracked ceiling above him. 

"...Three thousand..." 

He muttered to himself. 

"I've definitely counted over three thousand days now..." 

Perhaps more. 

He had long since stopped trusting the numbers. 

With an exaggerated groan, he threw himself upright and stretched, his joints clicking loudly. 

His plum-red hair stuck out wildly in every direction. 

He glanced at it. 

"...Eh." 

"What difference does it make?" 

Nobody down here cared what he looked like. 

Suddenly his expression changed. 

He frowned. 

"...Axe!" 

His voice echoed throughout the dungeon. 

"Why didn't you wake me earlier?" 

Osric hurried toward the iron bars and wrapped both clawed hands around them. 

His black claws scraped lightly against the metal. 

"Axe?" 

He called again. 

"...Where'd that oversized cat disappear to?" 

Silence. 

Osric sighed dramatically before letting go of the bars. 

"Unbelievable..." 

"My favorite blind executioner abandons me." 

He chuckled quietly to himself. 

There wasn't much else to laugh about. 

The cell was painfully boring. 

He stretched lazily, rolling his shoulders. 

Then... 

Heavy footsteps echoed through the corridor. 

A familiar voice followed. 

"What're you shouting my name for, Mousie?" 

Osric immediately grinned. 

"There you are." 

Standing outside the cell was the kingdom's Executioner. 

Axe. 

He carried his enormous executioner's axe slung casually across one shoulder as though it weighed nothing. 

Dark stains covered portions of his clothing and hands, remnants of countless executions that no amount of scrubbing ever seemed to remove. 

His appearance unsettled nearly everyone. 

His personality, however... 

Resembled an orange cat. 

Mischievous. 

Entirely impossible to predict. 

"You took your sweet time," Osric complained dramatically. 

He leaned against the bars. 

"You know I like being awake all day." 

"How am I supposed to keep track of time if you let me oversleep?" 

Axe only smirked. 

His bloodstained claws lazily reached through the bars, gently catching a loose strand of Osric's unruly hair. 

"You sounded peaceful." 

"So I left you alone." 

Osric stared. 

"...Seriously?" 

He let out an exaggerated sigh. 

"You're impossible." 

"...Damned cat." 

Axe laughed. 

He wasn't offended. 

If anything... 

He seemed pleased. 

Osric crossed his arms. 

"So..." 

"Do I get any visitors today?" 

Axe shifted his weight. 

His blind gaze turned slightly toward the prisoner. 

"Visitors." 

"Plural." 

Osric blinked. 

"...Plural?" 

Before he could ask another question, Axe simply turned around. 

"I'll let them surprise you." 

With that, the executioner disappeared down the corridor. 

Leaving Osric completely bewildered. 

Nearly an hour passed. 

Osric had almost drifted back to sleep sitting against the stone bed when familiar footsteps echoed toward his cell. 

He smiled immediately. 

"There you are." 

His younger brother. 

Intar. 

Unlike Osric, Intar's hair was far different colored, though both brothers shared the same striking hot-pink eyes. 

Only Osric possessed the peculiar spiral pattern within one of his. Well.. Because of the time in prison. 

Intar approached carrying a tray. 

Covered with cupcakes. 

Osric's entire face brightened. 

"You finally decided to visit." 

"What kept you so long~?" 

Intar stared at him. 

Utterly unimpressed. 

Without saying a word... 

He picked up one cupcake. 

And took a bite directly in front of Osric. 

Osric's smile vanished. 

"...No." 

"...You wouldn't." 

"You don't deserve one." 

Intar continued eating. 

Osric looked utterly heartbroken. 

"Oh come on!" 

"I'm sorry!" 

"I didn't mean it!" 

"You know I was joking!" 

Intar deliberately finished another bite before sighing. 

"You really are hopeless." 

After pretending to consider the matter far longer than necessary... 

He finally broke one cupcake in half. 

Only half. 

He passed it through the bars. 

Osric practically snatched it from his hands. 

Seconds later... 

It had vanished. 

"Thank you." 

His eyes practically sparkled. 

"I love you."  

"Don't get used to it." 

Intar muttered. 

The two stood quietly for a moment. 

Then... 

His expression became serious. 

"...How are you holding up?" 

Osric leaned casually against the bars. 

"The same as yesterday." 

"The same as last week." 

"The same as last year." 

He shrugged. 

"Not exactly much excitement happens inside a prison cell." 

His spiral eye shifted toward his brother. 

"What about you?" 

"How's life upstairs?" 

Intar folded his arms. 

"...Fine." 

The answer was too short. 

Too forced. 

Osric noticed. 

"...Chev..." 

Intar caught himself. 

"...Osric." 

His voice softened. 

"...Why are you like this?" 

Silence settled between them. 

For once... 

Osric had no clever answer. 

His smile faded. 

"...I'm sorry." 

Only those two words. 

Intar lowered his head. 

He couldn't bear hearing them. 

Without another word... 

He quietly turned and walked away. 

Osric watched him disappear. 

His brother had already lost their parents in a terrible fire. 

Now... 

The only family he had left remained trapped behind iron bars. 

Every visit hurt them both. 

The afternoon passed painfully slowly. 

Osric eventually surrendered to boredom. 

He lay flat upon the cold stone floor, staring upward. 

A single broken light bulb hung from the ceiling. 

It hadn't worked in years. 

"...One day somebody should fix that." 

He sighed dramatically. 

Then... 

"Doesn't your back hurt lying on stone all day?" 

Osric froze. 

He knew that voice. 

He lifted his head upside down to peer through the bars. 

"...Balevier?" 

Standing outside the cell was a puppet unlike any other. 

Soft shades of pink colored his porcelain shell. 

Delicate cracks spread across his face and body, revealing beautiful rose-colored stone beneath. 

Even his eyes appeared hidden beneath shimmering pink stone. 

Yet somehow... 

He saw just enough. 

His strawberry-pink hair, streaked with lines of creamy vanilla, framed a warm smile that always seemed effortlessly charming. 

Osric quickly hid his surprise. 

Instead... 

He smirked. 

"So..." 

"The kingdom's giant piece of candy finally remembered I exist?" 

Balevier chuckled. 

"I came to visit my friend." 

"My friend?" 

Osric pushed himself upright and marched toward the bars. 

His claws struck the iron loudly. 

"When exactly was your last visit?" 

Balevier's smile faltered. 

"I..." 

"Months ago." 

Osric answered for him. 

"Excellent friendship." 

Silence. 

Balevier looked genuinely regretful. 

"I didn't mean.." 

Osric sighed. 

Then... 

Almost instantly... 

His grin returned. 

The serious mood disappeared as though it had never existed. 

"Ah..." 

"Forget it." 

"I'd rather tease you than stay grumpy." 

He leaned forward between the bars. 

Close enough that only inches remained between them. 

One clawed hand reached through the iron. 

His fingertips caught the front of Balevier's shirt, gently drawing him closer. 

"You smell rather nice today." 

His voice dropped playfully. 

Balevier blinked. 

A faint blush colored his cheeks. 

"Oh?" 

"You noticed?" 

His smile became delightfully mischievous. 

Instead of retreating... 

He stepped closer. 

He gently wrapped one hand around Osric's wrist. 

Then slowly guided the clawed hand upward until it rested against his own cheek. 

"So..." 

"Does it make you feel any better?" 

Osric froze. 

Completely. 

He loved flirting. 

Watching others become embarrassed had always been one of his favorite amusements. 

But whenever someone flirted back... 

His confidence evaporated. 

A deep blush spread across his face. 

"...Seriously?" 

He muttered quietly. 

"Why do you always flirt back?" 

Balevier smiled wider. 

"Because..." 

"Your reactions are adorable." 

Osric went silent... everything went so quiet. 

Their faces were so close that he could feel Balevier’s breath against him... 

He could not take another second. 

Before he could think better of it... 

He suddenly pulled Balevier forward. 

Their lips met. 

A quick kiss. 

Impulsive. 

Bold. 

Before either of them could react further, Osric playfully nipped Balevier's lower lip. 

Then immediately pushed him backward. 

Silence. 

Balevier stared. 

One finger touched the tiny bead of black blood left upon his lip. 

Then... 

He laughed softly. 

"My..." 

"That was rather daring." 

His smile became teasing once more. 

"You know..." 

"I wouldn't have minded if you'd stayed a little longer." 

Osric covered his mouth with one hand. 

His blush somehow deepened. 

"...Balevier." 

"...You terrible tease." 

"...Go away." 

Balevier laughed warmly. 

Instead of answering, he reached into his pocket. 

"I almost forgot." 

He withdrew a neatly wrapped chocolate bar. 

Osric's favorite. 

He slipped it carefully through the bars. 

"For you." 

Osric stared. 

"...How..." 

"...did you know?" 

Balevier only smiled. 

"I pay attention." 

Before Osric could find another sarcastic remark... 

Balevier turned and quietly disappeared into the darkness of the dungeon. 

Osric remained standing beside the bars. 

Chocolate resting quietly in his hands. 

For once... 

The dungeon felt just a little less empty. 

And despite every effort to hide it... 

A small smile lingered on his face long after Balevier had gone. 

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Tags of characters:

Executioner by @the-dumb-bun <3

Intar by @quetzalpotato <3

For jestyn:

For knighter:

For Wizzy and Jestyn?

For everyone: