A/N: This is my first story...

I hope it goes well, and that you enjoy it n.n

Leave a review or whatever.

Thank you! :D

Be Tavros ==

The new school year brought about a new start for Tavros Nitram. He had finally gained the opportunity to walk after years of being confined into a wheelchair, after being fitted for prosthetic legs. He finally felt happier and more confident than he had in a long while. This would prove to be unusual for the other kids at school; usually not a word was heard from the young man. This, of course, didn't mean he had nothing to say, just that he worried about the effects of his words to a great extent.

The first morning of the new year was exciting for two reasons. Firstly; he was able to get out of bed without the help from his older, more extravagant brother Rufioh, and secondly he would be receiving his first letter from his school-assigned penpal. The penpal project was designed for less-confident students to meet other people from difficult and different backgrounds, and somehow make them make friends.

This year, it was in a partnership with the 'Mental Institute' for Juveniles in the next city over. No one liked to use the word 'Asylum' in today's society, most people thought that it made them sound less threatening, and more approachable. For this reason, a lot more people applied for a penpal, seemingly to delve into the lives of 'The Crazies', whereas Tavros wanted only to gain more confidence by talking to all sorts of people. He had no ulterior motive, only to be nice. That's what Tavros was, 'nice'. It's said that kids who are hard done by, and are seen as 'ugly' by society have the most golden of hearts. Which is what the young man possessed. And he felt that he needed to be nice to whoever the person he would be writing to. After all, who else would be?

Still wobbly on his new legs, the boy struggled down the stairs, clutching onto the banister as he moved slowly, step by step. He was at least going to try and make it to the living room before he collapsed, he decided.

His brother, Rufioh, noticed him from the open door of the parlor where he sat and stood to help.

"Hey, dude, do you-"

"Uh no, no...I'm, uh, fine. I've got to, practice, don't I?" The younger sibling grumbled as he furrowed his eyebrows in concentration.

"You've been, 'practicing' all summer, don't you think that, you've done enough for now?" The older sibling rolled his eyes in disdain, reluctantly keeping himself from helping his little brother.

Tavros reached the end of the stairs and beamed. "It was... easier, this time, I think."

"That's great, kiddo. Are you eating breakfast? Or, will you just leave it?" Rufioh stretched his arms above his head, unrippling the tightened muscles he had received from sleep.

"I'm okay, uh, thank you." Tavros chuckled. "I'll probably eat at school. I would like to, um, get there quite quickly, anyway."

"Hmm?" Rufioh perked up and smirked. "Why so eager, huh?" The man crossed his arms and leaned down until he was nose-to-nose with his younger brother. "Could it be, that you have gained some kind of interest for a girl at school?"

"N-no!" Tavros blushed bright red across his tanned face. It wasn't true-although there was a truly adorable girl he was friends with, he would never think of her as more than that, both because this would complicate things between them, and because she was in love with someone else. There would be no point even considering a relationship with her.

"Hahaha... Okay Tav, I get it, I get it." Rufioh grinned, a glint in his eye revealed he was thinking something very different to what Tavros hoped. The older male, four years the younger's senior, ruffled his younger brother's mohawked hair. "Your hair's, getting long again."

"Yeah I, uh, know." Tavros replied, pulling up his trouser leg to feel the shiny prosthetic attached to him. The foreign body felt cold, a harsh comparison to the knee just above it. He pushed the thought of the unfamiliarity out of his mind and dropped the leg of his jeans back down and looked up.

"Ready to go?"

"Yeah."

The car journey was the same, with only a lack of a wheelchair beside Tavros on the back seat. Conversation was scarce during that time, which was fine for both of the brothers, since Tavros wasn't much of a talker, especially in the morning.

Instead, almost inaudiable music played sullenly on the radio, interrupted occasionally by the dj announcing the next track. Tavros stared vacantly out of the window at the passing cars and blur of the vegetation in rows on either side of the street. He was going to see his friend, Nepeta Leijon, after two months of rehabilitation; it would be the first time he would be able to give her a proper hug. She said she was looking forward to it over pesterchum...

Nepeta was a rather hyperactive girl, to say the least, with no concept of seasons or temperature as she always wore some form of kitten or cat themed hat, and her trademark green jacket. She had an undeniable love for animals, and roleplay games- something the two teenagers had in common.

The vehicle stopped, early as per usual, in front of the highschool building. Kids from the school immediately noticed something different about Tavros when he entered the school- notably, that he had legs.

I...I don't think, I like this very much... Tavros thought to himself as he made his way slowly but cautiously into the school grounds to wait inside the doorway of the highschool for Nepeta.

"Hey Toradumbass! Nice legs." A voice called out from about two meters away. Tavros stiffened and carried on walking.

Go away, go away go-

"Hey!" The awful voice called again, "I'm talking to you!"

Be Gamzee ==

It's curious how writing a letter to someone you have never met can be so difficult. Simply starting the note is almost impossible.

Merely writing "Hi" could be seen as far too personal, however "Hello", "Dear" or "To whom it may concern" sounds far too traditional.

Gamzee Makara, however, was not a traditional, or indeed typical person. Inside the common room of the 'institute' he sat at a well-lit table with his feet up on the surface, staring at the ceiling thoughtfully as he considered what he should write.

The piece of paper lying on the desk was blotted with ink and goodness-knows-what else, crumbled and dog-eared at the corners.

"How am I supposed to start this motherfucker?" The tall, lanky male asked himself softly, touching an index finger onto his lip. He didn't even know if whoever he was writing to was male or female. He reasoned that his answer would be delivered when he finally got around to asking if the letter his mystery penpal had been dropped off at the institute's post office. Or maybe, they'd just get tired of waiting for him to haul his lazy ass up there and deliver it especially to him.

"Yeah...That'd be pretty motherfucking cool..." Gamzee chuckled.

"Makara. Language." A voice warned. The warden of the place Gamzee resided stood beside the table, arms folded, jolding an envelope between the left finger and thumb.

"Heh, no worries, man." Gamzee grinned a sleepy, half-lidded smile. "What the motherfuck have you got in your hand?" The man took in a breath to scold the boy about his use of unsavoury language, but exhaled when he knew it wouldn't be any use.

"A letter," He tossed the envelope onto the desk. "From your penpal. Or, whatever."

"Bitchtits wicked," Gamzee grinned and rubbed his own tangled, black hair. "Thanks."

The warden watched as Gamzee inspected the envelope, and spoke again. "You're coming out soon, aren't you? In about two months?"

"You know it, motherfucker!"

"Well... have you put any thought into where you'll be living? Job?"

"Not really, if I'm honest...I don't really all up and motherfucking think of this sort of stuff...I guess I'll see if Bro wants to talk about it." Gamzee's smile lowered a little, them brightened up again. "Thanks, man! I'll motherfucking speak to you later." he grinned and waved as the warden walked away, probably to settle other things.

Gamzee looked at the letter once again. It was written in a tidy, orange font, cute and neat.

Must be a girl or something.

"tO MY PENPAL- i DON'T KNOW YOUR NAME YET, SORRY }:)

aLTERNIA cITY iNSTITUTE FOR jUVINILES"

Gamzee could imagine she was adorable already, with the cute awkwardness showing through the text. He smiled, biting his lip in thought.

He knew what to write.