A Healing Touch
"It's so…sparkly."
"Uh-huh."
"N-No, but it's really…" The prince trails off, fuzzy lips spread in a goofy smile, "…sparkly. Was it always that…"
"…sparkly?" The dragoness grunts.
"…what? What's sparkly?" Ralsei slumps against the girl's back, his snout buried in the crook of her neck.
"Gah, watch it! Your nose is all wet and…ugh." Susie grumbles, tilting her head away from the dazed goat hung limply around her.
"Pfft…"
She growls, "And you! Open the door, make yourself useful."
You roll your eyes, continuing to chuckle as you crack open the pale blue entryway.
"Aw come on, how often do you think he gets a piggy-back ride?" You shuffle through, making way for the grumpy dragoness, "Not that he'll probably remember. The Werewerewire really frazzled him."
Susie lugs the limp caprine across the threshold, continuing to emanate a variety of guttural noises, "Better not remember. And if he does, better pretend he doesn't." She gently drops Ralsei along the edge of the bed, struggling to unlink his robed arms, "Clingy little guy. Has more upper body strength than I thought."
You lean against the star-strewn wall, "It's the power of love."
"…power of nerds."
You shake your head, peering down at the cross-legged prince, his head slowly weaving from side to side, "He'll be fine…right? His hair is still standing on end from the shock…"
Susie tilts her head, casually poking Ralsei on his forehead, recoiling as he drops back against the pillow with a soft thud.
"…probably. Puzzle guy at the dojo said it happens sometimes." The dragoness scratches the back of her head, rustling her dense mane, "It doesn't kill anyone, sorta just messes them up for a day."
You narrow your eyes, "That's…good. I think." You sigh, "I still feel like one of us should stay with him for a bit though. I could probably go text my mom, tell her I'm staying with my dad or-"
You wince as the bed begins to vibrate, a near castle-rattling snore barely contained within the pillow.
"Ugh…is that…"
"Goddamn, little guy is like a lawnmower! No wonder he has the stairs boarded up; probably didn't want us finding out."
You pull away from the wall, wincing as another wave of snorting echoes through the room.
"…reminds me of someone." You gently smile at the goat below, pink horns peeking out from the pillow's embrace.
"Your brother?" Susie sniffs quietly.
You stare at the dragoness, "Uh…yeah. My brother." You dig a hand into your pocket, fishing an ancient cell phone out from the depths, "Getting pretty late…think he'll be okay here?"
Another grunt escapes the prince's lips as he wraps his arms around the pillow, hugging it tightly.
"Eh, he'll be fine. Lancer said he'd check on 'em after he puts his bike to bed." Susie's lips curl into a dull frown, "Besides, your mom's gonna kill you if you're late again." She mutters, dusting bits of white fur from her shoulders.
"Alright alright…" Your phone darkens, "I'll walk you back and then-" You glance back at Ralsei, his face thoroughly buried, "…he's gonna drool all over that, isn't he?"
"Oh it's gonna be soaked before we're even gone." The dragoness softly bumps against you, chuckling to herself.
A flash of pain streaks across your shoulder as you grit your teeth, a barely noticeable grunt escaping your lips. You desperately stifle the reaction, standing back to full. You cautiously stare at the dragoness as she turns away, a sense of relief washing over from her inattention.
You would be fine, no reason to worry her.
"Seriously though, Ralsei managed to dodge almost everything that rainbow colored fuzzball threw at us. I mean, 'cept for the last one. Hit him right in the chest. But he still managed to hang in there!" Susie's fangs reflect in the dull light, "He's getting stronger. Didn't think I'd see the day."
You chuckle, carefully pulling on your breastplate, "Y-Yeah, he's doing great."
The door cracks open, Ralsei's vicious snoring continuing to flow throughout the castle and into the hallway.
"Really should teach him how to use a weapon or something. N-Not that he needs to…use it." Susie stutters, "But I wanna make sure he can protect himself with more than a scarf. Like, if he can't use magic, does that thing still work? Or does it just turn into a not magical…thing."
You shrug, another shock running through your body, "I…y-yeah, I don't know. I'd imagine it works. Maybe it's enchanted or something."
The dragoness turns back around, amber eyes shining out the corner of her mane, "…you good? Sound…off."
"H-Huh? Yeah! Just tired. The battle really…tired me out. B-But I think I did pretty good, right?"
She crosses her arms, spiked bangles dancing across her leather vest, "Sure, yeah. I mean, of course." Fervor returns to her stance, "Hell, you did awesome. Like, that Rudinn narrowed in on you pretty bad. Think he hated your face or something."
Laughter strains in your chest as you casually lean against the wall, the effort turning into a haphazard stumble.
"Totally, hated me. But I parried a lot of it! And…yeah." You mumble.
"Hell yeah! When you put your sword up, I was like, 'Aw crap, gonna have to carry both of them back.' But then you just lined it all up and…"
The dragoness' excitement slowly dwindles, her eyes narrowing.
"…okay, what's happening?"
"Huh?"
She sidles closer, jacket brushing against the stone walls, "This. What's up?" She waves her hand in front of you, claws dancing against your plated form.
"…sorry. I'm just wiped. I think I put too much into the fight, especially after everything today."
The dragoness frowns, brow furrowed, "Right, you had that test in second period or whatever. Math?"
You smile, "Y-Yeah. Just a lot in one day. Normally it'd be fine, but I didn't sleep super well and…"
Susie leans in, her glittering scales brushing against your cheek, "Should'a told me."
You sigh, "I know, but they already set the match up and…" You shut your eyes, "You were so excited. Didn't want to ruin that." A pained chuckle rises up, "It's cute when you get like that. Your scales flare a little, and you just kept snorting to yourself while waiting for them to call us up, and-"
The dragoness spins away, hiding under her mane, "Ugh, nevermind, go stay with Ralsei, he needs you."
You begin to break, the wheezing chuckle turning into a full-blown cackle.
"Sh-Shut-up! Agh! You're lucky I don't-"
You choke, lurching forward, gritting your teeth once more.
"K-Kris?!"
"I'm good! I'm good. Just-"
"Hell no you aren't!" She dashes closer, boots clattering in the silent hall, "What's happening? Are you sick? Ah crap, did you get zapped? I was watching the Werewerewire, if I had seen them coming for you I-"
"Susie! It's okay!" You grin, forcing down the searing pain, "Come on, let's get home before-"
You freeze, following Susie's gaze.
Her eyes were locked onto your arm, a stuttering breath escaping through her maw.
You watch as a trail of crimson streaks across your azure flesh, pooling against the base of your gauntlet.
Damn it all.
"…K-Kris?"
You bite your lip, taking a deep breath.
"…I didn't parry all of the Rudinn's attacks. One got…lodged? It got under the armor, scraped me up a little. Guess I forgot to secure all the buckles or something before the fight, must have been loose." You sigh, silently pulling at the leather straps securing each plate, "I checked after everything though, it's not bad. Seriously. I'll just go home and throw a couple bandages on it like usual."
You risk a glance at the panicked girl, the forced smile fading under her icy gaze.
"Susie, I'm okay. I promise."
"…what do you mean, 'like usual,'?"
Her eyes continue to burn into you, following each quiet movement as you struggle for a response.
"I-I don't mean…well, like…when I get hit?" You reach to wipe your arm, hand frozen in the air for fear of staining more than your gauntlet, "Sometimes a bit of magic will get me. It's never been serious. The only time it was ever bad was with the King. One of the spades really nicked me, but it healed pretty quick."
You watch as the dragoness stands petrified, scales losing color.
"I'm okay." You rub your neck.
"No you're not."
You pause, "…but I am?"
"No! No, I mean…" Her amber eyes flare to life, breaths becoming ragged, "Why…but…when I get hit by that stuff, it's never bad! It just hits me and bounces off most of the time! They never throw out any crap that can actually hurt!"
"…don't have scales."
Susie's maw drops, eyes widening by the second.
"Humans are…" You laugh, a strained effort, "We're kinda squishy. But we bounce back pretty fast." Pain fades back in, closing out your attempts to save face, "My mom would always tell me I had to be twice as careful with everything…think she just got tired of me trying to climb every tree in our backyard. I was…not a smart kid. Or good at climbing."
You continue to ramble, attempting to quell the dragoness' subtle shaking.
"Ralsei typically helps me out if I get caught during a fight. But it's fine, nothing a few bandages and sleep won't fix!" You force your tone higher, fighting down another agonizing bite as your breastplate shifts, "Come on, you can walk me home. I'll tell you some of the questions that popped up on the test today, and some of the answers…not sure if they're the correct ones but-"
Susie begins shaking her head, mane dancing across her pale features. In the blink of an eye, the dragoness dashes past you, her own spiked door creaking open.
"In."
You barely have a moment to turn around before you feel an open palm at your back, carefully guiding you out from the hall and into the neon pink room.
"W-Wait, Susie!"
"Sit down." She points to the razor-sharp bed, blankets and sheets twisted in a haphazard mound.
"Why?! Come on, I'm fi-"
Amber eyes stare inches from your face, a fanged maw now hovering close enough for gusts of warm breath to coat your neck.
You stare back, defiance leaving your body in seconds. You limply perch atop the mattress' edge, looping your greaves between the protruding yellow spikes at the base. You cradle your arm. The bleeding appeared to have stopped, though you weren't going to risk staining the sheets. You shake your head. If you just managed to parry the last couple attacks…
Your eyes are drawn upwards, watching as the dragoness begins snapping her fingers, a growl echoing out, "…Susie?"
"Y-Yeah, gimme a second."
She continues snapping, a few test efforts, then a final impact that produces sparks of light. The sudden flash catches her off guard, the surprise in her eyes soon blooming into a look of satisfaction.
"So…" You click your tongue, "…can you whistle too? I've never been good at snapping my fingers. Or whistling. I more just…sputter." You rock from side to side, the mattress creaking underneath.
"Strip."
You choke on the next words.
"W-Whu-"
"Take off your armor." The dragoness turns away, dragging the leather jacket off her shoulders and throwing the blackened outerwear to the side.
You attempt to clear your throat, coughing painfully in the process, "O-Okay, look, there's gotta be a better way to phrase what you mean..."
"Why? Come on, take your armor off. Can't heal through all of it. Magic would probably just bounce off."
Susie drops against the mattress, scaled arms glittering under the soft light, her sleeveless top framing much of her muscular form.
You stare up at the ceiling, closing your eyes.
Focus Kris.
"You really don't have to Susie…"
"Yes, I do. Now stop whining."
You squeeze your eyes tightly for a moment, a dejected sigh diminishing the last of your resolve.
You reach up, fingers dancing along the buckles securing the reflective plate. Four clicks sound out before the heavy metal loosens painfully. You grit your teeth, wrapping your fingers around the armor's edge. The plate mail drifts from your chest, sticking for a moment, but then allowing your escape. You carefully place the chest piece against the bed's frame, unfurling the scarf around your neck. You try to breathe, the rise and fall of your lungs stuttering as cool air hits each gash.
"…shit." Susie mutters.
You hesitate for a moment, eventually dragging your gaze downwards, three separate cuts flaring in your vision. Each drew a cruel line across your frame, dancing along the top of your arm and closing in on your neckline. They were…clean. Thankfully. As if a real diamond's point was brought mercilessly against your flesh. They stretched further than you thought; deeper than you thought. A barely noticeable breeze stings the inflamed lines, the noticeably more jagged wound across your upper arm sending a vicious surge of pain outwards.
You shake your head, hair dancing in your eyes. Not as bad as what the King did, but definitely up there.
"This is, 'okay,'? This is what you just slap a bandage on and deal with?" You wince as a growl emanates from your side.
Your eyes trace lines across the floor, a muted expression painting your features. It was all you could offer.
An exhausted sigh escapes her lips, "…sorry. Alright, hold still."
You feel Susie's claws gently rest against your upper back, supporting your weight with surprising care. A flickering spark shoots from her fingers as she desperately snaps the digits in front of you, struggling to bring the arcane energy to life.
You bite the bottom of your lip. This is fine. It would be fine. She only cast that sleep spell the one time; it was an accident. Ralsei probably did that plenty of times before he figured everything out. Besides, you needed the sleep anyway. You weren't really a fan of passing out in the middle of the dojo and falling headfirst into the counter, but everyone came away perfectly fine.
A concussion here and there wasn't a big deal.
"Come on…" Susie continues snapping her fingers, scales sliding against each other in the frenzied attempt.
A sudden mote of light flares from her claws.
"Hell yeah! Alright, hold still and-"
The magic wavers, sharpening and intensifying along her finger. You watch as the ember-like form scales upwards, the arcane energy spiraling further and further into the air.
"Uh…I'm not su-"
The pillar of light shoots skyward, inches from your face, leaving a single, blackened hole in the ceiling.
"SHIT!" Susie recoils, flailing her hand to the side, the light flickering in and out of existence. She growls as the energy dims, "Damn it damn it damn it! Sorry!"
"…uh…it's…okay?" You swallow painfully as you bring your hand up to your mop of hair, clasping two fingers together against a smoldering strand.
You sniff.
So that's what burnt hair smells like: bad.
"Agh, stupid magic freaks out if you do even the smallest…" The mauve dragon huffs, shoulders sagging, "…sorry. Again."
You lean into the dragoness, head resting against her shoulder's rigid scales, "It's okay. Again."
"Alright, one more time. Promise I'll get it." She balls her hands into fists, rigidly held to her lap. Her eyes dart back to yours, glowing amber silently pleading.
"…okay." You smile back, watching as her fangs crease into a wild grin.
"Right. Right! Okay, gotta…focus, breathe, temper the…whatever!"
You sit back up, allowing her scaled fingers to hover across the more painful marks. You close your eyes, noticing a crackling in the air once more.
She's got this. You trust her.
The crackling intensifies for a moment, beginning to die down into a low hum. You allow your eyes to flutter open, squinting as light weaves a glare across your shoulder. The hum soon pulses to a rhythm, a calm warble echoing across the room as wisps of gentle white flames arc along each gash. You instinctively wince, expecting the worst.
But…the pain doesn't manifest. No searing burn, no electrifying shock, not even the sting of a wound being dressed. The flowing motes caress along your body, weaving through the cruel lines until any hints of fiery red vanish from sight. You curiously watch as the wounds seal shut, only the tattered under armor remaining as a souvenir from your injuries.
"Susie-"
"Hold up, one left." The dragoness' claws continue to shakily trace the lines, motes of light spiraling down her forearm, "And…there. I think…" She audibly swallows, an exhausted breath soon following, "Think it's good."
You roll your shoulder as she shrinks away, quietly waving the light from her palm.
"That's…better than good. It's just gone. That was…" You touch a hand to the exposed skin, "There isn't even a scar or anything! It's just…gone. Healed. I knew you could do it, but…Susie, that was…"
You let out a sigh of relief, a goofy smile resting on your face. You spot the dragoness out of the corner of your eye, hands clasped together, face buried under her curtain of hair.
"…Susie?"
You lean off the bed. Risking everything, you reach out, waving a hand past her hair. She freezes as you reveal the demure dragoness hidden away, scales having transitioned from a panicked white to a surging, deeper purple. Her eyes dance across her lap as she continues to fumble with her hands.
"…thanks for saving me."
You hesitate for a moment, a single shuddered breath breaking forth. You bring yourself closer, pecking the girl on the cheek, her scales burning against your lips. You retrieve your hand, allowing the curtain of hair to swirl back around. The dragoness pulls her mane closer, burying herself into nonexistence.
"…welcome." She mumbles.
You silently chuckle, soon falling back against the mound of twisted sheets and blankets with a short thump. The pitch-black cover wraps around your head, forming into a makeshift pillow.
"…so, no pain?"
You adjust the blanket, pulling at the side, "Nah. Not even a little."
The mattress bounces as the dragoness joins you, her mane falling across your arm.
"Cool." Susie turns, her eyes softening, "Thanks for…letting me try. Or whatever."
"There was a choice?"
She snorts, "Not really. But still. Thanks for…trusting me."
"Of course. I knew you could do it. Just thought it'd take longer, or that I'd still be a bit sore." You stretch, a soft pop emanating from your neck, "It's like I never got hit. How long have you been able to do that?"
Susie reaches behind her, grunting quietly as her claws search through the twisted bedding. After a few seconds of effort, a pillow lands in your vision, clutched tightly to the dragoness' chest.
"Been…practicing."
You curl into the blanket, "Wait, with Ralsei?" A bemused grin pulls on your lips, "So you've been coming here behind my back!"
The pillow's end slumps against your face as you sputter away.
"It's not like that…just between classes or whatever. Or when you're working at your dad's shop."
You chuckle, "It's cool. I'm only somewhat heartbroken."
Susie grumbles, bringing her maw atop the pillow's downy surface, "Yeah yeah." A timid smile rests on her lips, "Ralsei's showing me a couple tricks. Even Lancer gave me some pointers."
"Wait, Lancer?" You tilt your head to the side, watching the dragoness' eyes light up.
"Y-Yeah. He actually knows a lot of junk. Doesn't know how to do the healing stuff, but he showed me how to…like, focus. But in a way I can understand, ya know?" She snorts, brushing her arm against her maw, "Prince fuzzball is great at what he does, but when he gets going, he just goes. Lancer doesn't know anything past throwing those weird club things, but he showed me how to breathe in this way that helps."
You study the dragoness, "And that chant? 'Focus, breathe, temper-' something?"
"That's Ralsei's whole schtick. He says you gotta have a process, like a thing you do each time that helps you remember. " Her lips curl to show a number of shining fangs, "You ever listened to him when he's casting spells? He sings part of a lullaby under his breath. Says it helps him focus."
"Uh…yeah, think I've heard him sing it before." You stare off, remembering just how effective the prince's singing could be in a fight.
"Well, I don't got anything yet. Haven't figured out what works. Tried doing that pose I did before…didn't work. So, I figure if it's gonna be tough to do either way, I may as well just snap my fingers." Claws raise in your vision as the girl forces them together, a dull click ringing out, "Ralsei said I should do that whole chant with it, but…eh."
Your eyes drift across her tired face as you struggle to fight down the swelling in your chest.
"I dunno. Think I'm getting better, but everything takes so long to get down…" The dragoness grumbles, "I want to be good with all the other stuff we do. If Ralsei gets knocked out, if you're hurting, I don't…" Her hand drops back down against the pillow, "I'm gonna be better. But in my own way, ya know? One thing at a time, and then-"
Her piercing eyes snap back to yours, narrowing.
"…you're doing that face."
"No I'm not."
"Kris, you've been grinning like an idiot for the past five minutes."
"No I haven't."
She rolls her eyes, "Ugh…just say whatever you're gonna say."
"…I'm proud of you."
Susie stares back. The look of annoyance drifts away, a curious, muted expression left behind. The dragoness searches for an answer, some follow-up or quip. The silence hangs in the air, ringing in your ears, the soft smile held upon your face.
"…um, that's…" You hear her swallow, a maelstrom of thoughts and feelings sweeping through the girl.
"I also love you, but the pride thing feels more relevant right now."
Susie's arms curl tightly around the pillow, claws nearly tearing into the surface, "W-Wha-"
"I mean, I could go down the list, I guess. Love you, think you're cute, excited to think my girlfriend is becoming a mage, proud of what you're doing for yourself, thrilled that-"
You feel the pillow thrown against your face as you're buried underneath, continuing to mumble through the feathery insides.
"Y-You can't, you, like…GAH!" Susie bellows from above, soon releasing you from the plush barricade.
"-and the fact that you could probably lift, like, three of me…" You continue chattering, the words disappearing into laughter as you hear the dragoness slam the pillow against her own maw, "Alright, alright, sorry." You stammer through the laughter, "You can come out now, it's safe."
Searing purple scales reveal themselves slowly from underneath, each gem-like pattern burning into a myriad of shades.
"…I am proud of you though. And I love you." You close in on the dragoness, holding close to her arm, "I think it's awesome you're practicing. Makes me feel…safe."
The scaled girl curls into you, maw buried in your neck and messy brown hair, "Urgh…" She grumbles, "Trying. I mean, trying to do…that. Not letting you get messed up. No matter what." Her muscular arms form around you, dragging you against her chest tightly, "I don't know. Just wanna do more, or something."
Susie throws the pillow off to the side, a soft thump resonating from unknown parts of the room. Her arm sweeps back over, claws drifting along your back.
"…you actually proud?"
You pull yourself closer, "…more than you can believe."
You feel her maw against your cheek, chin just barely shuddering, "Tch…" She shakes her head, "Maybe…maybe you could come with? L-Like, I know humans aren't really…magical. But if you wanted to be there when I'm practicing with Ralsei…?"
"Just tell me when. I can always sneak out of class." You grin, "Heck, maybe I'll sneak out anyway. I think Ms. Alphys has been slacking lately; she probably thinks I stopped since its been a few months."
Susie lets out a booming laughter, the roar straining in your ear, "Come on, you can barely get through the window without breaking your neck."
You grumble, burying yourself against her scales, the searing heat beginning to die down.
"Ralsei can be pretty tough though, when he's trying to teach ya something."
You raise an eyebrow.
"Like, it's always, 'Don't point that at other people!', or, 'Don't cast spells from The Tome of something something!', stuff like that." Susie pouts, a single fang pressing past her lips, "…asks about us a lot too."
You clear your throat, "U-Uh…what does he ask about?"
The dragoness shakes her head, reaching back behind and pulling the blanket out from a twisted heap, "Everything. Too much. Little guy is so…excited. Wants to know if we've written poems to each other, if we've met each other's parents-"
"I mean, technically we have…"
The blanket sweeps over you, "Kinda? Either way. Wanted to know if we hug, and then he gets into this whole squealing fit when he thinks about how much taller I am compared to you. Says it's 'cute'." Susie huffs, wrapping the cover tightly along your back, "He asks if you've given me flowers, if I've given you flowers…if he can put flowers together for us to give…"
"…I could. My dad does own a flower shop. Think we have some azaleas growing right now." You tilt your head to the side.
"Those got thorns?"
"…no?"
"Lame. Kinda like the texture; makes it crunchier."
You blink, shaking your head.
"Man…magic really messes you up. Not sure how fuzzball does it." The scaled girl yawns inches from your face, fangs nearly touching your cheek, "Mmph…"
You rest your head in her arm, uncaring of the pattern her scales will inevitably leave, "…thanks again Susie."
Your eyes begin to flutter, the dragoness' soothing growls vibrating against your chest. You roll your shoulder one last time, testing for any residual shocks of pain. You breathe a sigh of relief. Not even sore. You glance back at the resting dragon, her mane drifting across the two of you.
She did make you feel safe. More than anything in the world. The healing magic certainly helped, but this…
You snuggle closer, a single grunt sweeping through the top of your hair.
This was all you needed.
…
Wait.
Your eyes shoot open as you struggle to reach down, barely fishing the phone from your pocket. You squint as the display flares to life. Your heart sinks.
"Crap! Susie?! Hey, come on, we gotta go! Damn it, my mom's gonna kill me, and then punish me when I'm dead, and-"
The dragoness' arm sweeps up from below, unconsciously dragging you closer, locking around your body. You let out a grunt as the wind is nearly knocked from you. You blink back to reality, finding yourself sealed against her.
"S-Susie?! Wake up! Seriously, we need to-"
You begin to wiggle, struggling to find room between you and the snoozing dragon. You manage an inch, a single bit of space, only for her arm to pull you in once more. A vicious snarl drifts out from the scaled girl, freezing you in place.
"Wha-"
You cautiously peer back above, only to find the dragoness locked in blissful sleep, seemingly unaware of her body's unconscious possessiveness.
"…damn it."
You slump against her, resigned to your fate.
…
You were…lost in the forest. No, hit by a car? Maybe if you still had the cuts from before, but mom wouldn't buy that now. Maybe you found a lost dog and helped it get back home. Mom did like dogs, that could work.
"Hey mom, sorry I'm late, I was just stuck in bed with my girlfriend for hours. So, what's for dinner?" You mutter, sighing into Susie's arm.
…definitely going with the dog excuse.
[Author's Note]
Yo.
Sorry if this is on the shorter/sloppier side. Wanted something smaller and just had the idea out of the blue. I have a bunch of other stuff I'm poking at which is eating up my creative time, but I wanted to drop back into this fluff for a bit. I've got a bigger chapter for this I'm working through, three other Deltarune related fics (two romance, one drama/action), and two original ideas I want to bring to light. Now, all that could die in my graveyard of drafts I keep on my desktop, but I'd like to make them all work down the line. Especially the original stuff. Promise that won't take away from my obsession with cheesy Deltarune romance fluff. But hey, if you enjoy some post-apocalyptic roadtrip action and interviewing horrific monsters using incredibly dull bureaucratic policies, I may have some trash you can peruse in the (maybe, kinda) near future!
Regardless, fluff and romance will continue unabated! I'm too much of a sappy dork, can't stop myself. Take care, and, as always, thank you for taking the time to read all this!
(P.S. Giant thanks to deadmannewil for helping roll through this and give me some advice. Check them out, they do good Krusie stuff and are a friend of mine.)
(P.P.S. Check out Patchwork Crow's new fic, Falsetto's Guide to Making Friends. It's freaking adorable. And they somehow took some sleep-deprived nonsense I came up with and made a compelling story. In which yes, I will be screaming about how that made me melt into a giddy puddle.)