Listen, I know I suck at five sentence fics, we’ve already established that, right? I’m sorry, but you’re stuck with me and my pathetic five-sentence attempts until the end of this month. Here, have another one.
Today’s fic for the Writer’s Month 2021 challenge (see @writersmonth for more info) focuses on Thorin and Dwalin. I’ve always wanted to explore this relationship in various ways and this is a very quick study that involves one of my ideas.
Today’s prompt: setting: genderbend world
Fandom: The Hobbit Relationships: fem!Thorin x fem!Dwalin Rating:M Warnings: Guess what. Angst. Surpriiiise!
“We’re out of the clear!” – breathed Klaus out. The last of the Heimlich hospital growing smaller in the distance. Till it was nothing more but a bad smudge on a wide canvas. With the fading of the hospital, faded all your memories of that place. You left them there, not taking them with you. There was no use for it. Those memories you didn’t want to cherish, but rather watch them burn. Have the fires reflection burning on your pupils as the flames take away everything. Let’s watch the world burn. You ripped the hospital dress from you, showing your regular cloths you walked in the hospital with not so long ago.
Pulling the lid open of the trunk you were hiding in. The wind caught your hair. Sticking your hand out of the trunk, let you the dress flap against the current. With one swift release drifted it away, carried away as it fluttered around in the air before dropping hard to the ground. Landing in a puddle of dark water. Rolling the window back, exhaled you deep. A weight falling of your shoulders. Violet swallowed nervously beside you, having watched you. – “I feel like I might hate hospitals now.” – confessed you, laying back against the seat. Sunny sitting beside you. She looked up to you with a curious glance.
Whatever happened there will never be spoken off. It was the very first time you came face to face with Count Olaf. He was more gruesome then Klaus explained to you. You never thought he would actually attempt to harm you. Of course you were nothing to him, just a mere pawn in his way to the queen. Blocking his way to riches. The Baudelaire’s fortune. It was never meant for you to tag along for so long. After the Austere academy, you kind of stuck around without anyone complaining. The Baudelaire’s might like it to have someone else around as well. At least someone who stuck around for so long. Now you found yourself sitting in a trunk driving past the dreary landscape that leaded up to the Heimlich hospital. Count Olaf not having a clue of the trouble hiding in his trunk.
“Au!” – breathed Klaus out, feeling that his hand got squashed between some bodies. He tried to pull it out, almost knocking his hand against the trunk. Violet shushed him, not wanting Count Olaf to notice anything. It would be terrible if he pulled over, having the claim brought to him on a silver platter. Klaus sighed, laying his hand down as it landed on your stomach. Gulping loud, colored his cheeks a shade of pink. He tried to move it elsewhere but a shift from Sunny prevented him from doing so. Now he hoped you wouldn’t mind. You didn’t, feeling a flutter rise up to your throat as his warm hand laid on you.
After a dreadful long ride, came the car to a sudden stop. Violet listened in, her ear against the small gap that you had created. When it fell silent, nudged she you, letting you know now was the time. You pushed the trunk open, tumbling out in a not so graceful way. Violet rolled out of it as well, landing on top of you. Grunting and groaning in pain from your sore muscles. Sunny stood up straight, waving with her arms to be held. Violet rolled off you, taking Sunny in her arms. When you straightened your back, had Klaus come stumbling out as well.
He laughed breathless, his glasses standing wrongly on his nose. Laughing a bit, set you them straight for him. Violet shut the trunk close, taking the lead. All of you followed her away from the car. Freedom at last. Or at least how long it would take. You found yourself stuck at another event that no one could keep track of anymore. This time it revolved around a freak show. Caligari Carnaval. What a place. The eight wonder of the world, some would say. A circus tent with a bunch of freaks. It was pretty much clear Count Olaf’s long stretching fingers had its grip on this situation as well.
His sticky fingers everywhere. There was not a place he hadn’t had control over. The Baudelaire’s and you had infiltrated the Carnaval, dressed up as freaks. Who would even believe that. You certainly wouldn’t buy it so why should Count Olaf. He didn’t seem to recognize you, but that didn’t took away the fact that he loved to tease you. Perhaps he was playing along, or he was simply a blind fool. At the Carnaval were there new revelations about the entire VFD cause. It felt like you were getting woven deeper into the spider’s nest you had fallen into. A world of secret organizations you were yet to fully get a grip on. It all sounded gibberish to you. Just a made-up tale, you tell for bedtime. It truly didn’t take long for dangers to come around again. A certain evening presented as the ‘grand night’ was going to be memorable Count Olaf would say with a grin on his face. What you didn’t know was that it sure would mark a chapter in history. The history of the Baudelaire’s.
Violet and Klaus in disguise were pushing a cart forwards, noticing for the first time since being at the Carnaval an upcoming crowd. They started to settle down in the large tent. Sunny and you being addressed as food distributors. Wearing a striped red and white hat and apron. Around your neck, the strap of the wooden platform in which you carried the popcorn bags. Klaus and Violet made eye contact with the both of you, pushing the cart to a certain place in the arena. With wide eyes, let you them know you had no idea what was to come. – “Hey!” – a thin man with a tiny moustache called out to you.
“Yes.” – replied you, turning away from the Baudelaire’s. He pointed at your popcorn, making you slightly roll your eyes at him. You got up between the crowd, handing him the bag of terrible popcorn. It looked like it had been sitting around for a while. Sunny took the front rows for her part, letting people take a bag from it. You maneuvered through the upper rows, handing out popcorn. Standing a bit taller then the rest, had you a great view of the arena. In the back were a few of Count Olaf’s henchman rolling a large wooden circle closer to the curtains of the backstage area.
Quickly making your way down, met you up with Sunny. – “What do you think is up with that?” – asked you in a low voice. You never knew who was listening in. Sunny pulled her shoulders up. Count Olaf came to the center of the arena, the twins at his side, dressed in the same colors as your apron. You tossed the last bag of popcorn at a man, getting out of the view of the crowd. Sunny and you regrouped with Klaus and Violet, who stood by the side. Count Olaf started the show, making all of you look questionable but angsty at each other. With Count Olaf it was always going to be a show. It just was never clear who would be the center of it. At whom the spotlight would be shone.
You swallowed nervously, hearing the lions growl from the pit they had dug. Klaus came standing beside you, letting his hand slip into yours. – “It will be over soon.” – whispered he to you. Not knowing how strong his words would sound in a matter of minutes. Count Olaf kept rallying up the crowd that didn’t seem to care. A snarky kid was throwing popcorn your way, hitting you in the face with it. Klaus pulled you behind him, showing his fist to the kid. The kid responded by sticking his tongue out, throwing more into Klaus’s face. Agitated, took he a few steps back with you so the kid couldn’t reach you.
A spotlight shot on, blinding you as it illuminated the four of you. – “Do we have our first volunteer.” – called Count Olaf out with a sneaky grin. – “Doesn’t the volunteer have to come from the crowd?” – whispered Violet at her brother with a nervous swallow. Count Olaf snapped with his fingers, pointing in your direction when nothing happened. Gasping loud felt you suddenly two hands grip onto your arms. – “Hey! What… let me go!” – shouted you out, looking over both your shoulders to see who it was. It was the elderly twins, who for their age had a lot of strength in their arms. They started to push you forwards as the volunteer. Klaus gritted his teeth, grabbing for the twins as a firm around went around him.
Locking his arms against his body. Klaus kept struggling, trying to break free as the tall blunt man had him locked in one simple grip. Violet shrugged her shoulder, trying to get the hooked man’s hook from her shoulder. – “What murderous plan do you have now!” – called Violet out to the hooked man. It made Klaus widen his eyes. Could it be? Could it be that Count Olaf had cooked up another plan to get rid of another obstacle in his way? Klaus couldn’t think about it. It felt like a punch to his stomach. Another blow he had to harden himself to. You got dragged into the center of the arena. The same wooden circle from before had been rolled behind Count Olaf.
“Now the greatest performance ever!” – cheered he out. The twins pulled you towards the wooden circle, strapping your hands to it. It immediately occurred to you what this was. Gasping loud were you being used as a living bullseye. – “Murderer!” – screamed you out, your vision getting foggy by the second. Count Olaf grinned, walking up to you. – “It is nothing personal, child.” – said he to you, showing you the knife for a moment. – “I can’t have a show without a showstopper.” – chuckled he out. – “You reptile!” – spitted you at him. Count Olaf, wiped some spit of his cheek, clicking his tongue in the process. – “I might be vile, but I always get what I want.” – breathed he out, getting all up in your face. It made you look away, to avoid being this close to him. – “Your precious freaks will be next in line.” – he pointed with the knife at the lion’s pit, making you gasp loud. He then stepped back, demanding an applause that never came. – “Bring forth the freak!” – hissed he out, his expression stern. One of the Carnaval freaks got pushed from behind the curtains, coming in sight.
He seemed a bit nervous at first, camera shy one would say before completely unfolding to the fame of the crowd. He threw his hands up, parading to get a taste of applause. Some clapped lousy without much effort that felt like enough for him. Count Olaf stationed him in place, handing him the knife. – “No!” – heard you from afar. Your eyes were drawn to it, seeing a desperate Klaus break his way free. Violet was moving hasty as well, not caring if her clothing would rip. The Carnaval freak got putted on a blindfold that seemed to interest the crowd. They were sitting on the edge of their seats, waiting for what was to come. Nodding with a knot in your throat, knew you this was the end. There was no such things as a happy ending in these unfortunate events. There was no way of escaping your faith this time.
In the hostile hospital you got lucky, not your luck had run out. The entire crowd was silent as the Carnaval freak positioned himself before you. From a distance was he going to throw a knife. The intention was not to hit you, but those chances would be very slim. He threw his knife, captivating everyone. With a thud landed it in the wooden frame, making you exhale loud and deep. The Carnaval freak lifted his blindfold up, seeing his own victory for his own.
Some people clapped in the crowd, finding it astonishing. – “Now unhand me! You had your throw!” – called you out loud, moving your strapped hands. Count Olaf purred unpleasantly. Klaus and Violet had broken their way free, running up to you. Klaus came standing between the two of you, Violet freeing you. – “Enough Count Olaf!” – shouted Klaus out loud. Count Olaf sputtered at the mention of his name, as it was a foreign one. – “How many more lives will you sacrifice for our fortune?” – begged Klaus to know. He wanted to know when was enough. – “When I get my hands on it!” – responded he bitter. Violet tapped him against his shoulder, letting him know you were free. He nodded, keeping a close eye on Count Olaf. The four of you started running out of the tent.
Running for your freedom again. Klaus pushed the tents flaps aside, almost feeling victorious for escaping. From behind you heard you commotion. Count Olaf and his gang of goons had come raging hell. The knife waving in his hand. Count Olaf threw the knife as he had a good shot. You gasped, seeing the knife twirl across. Your eyes followed the trail of the knife, gasping at to where it was going. – “No!” – yelled you out, stretching your hand out. Your voice caught the attention of those around you, turning around to Count Olaf and his henchman. He had come to a stop, watching the knife fly with an eager smile.
Klaus widened his eyes with a gasp, seeing the knife eye him. Then his vision got blocked by a figure. You came standing before him, catching the knife with your body. The impact of the knife stuck inside of you, made your body backlash a bit. Releasing a long and shaky breath, sunk you slowly through your knees. Klaus moved down with you, following the pace of your body as he caught you in his arms. The blood kissed your chest and stained your shirt, making the irregularity of the crimson circle on your clothes start to grow uncontrollably.
You felt the pain so vividly that you could scream, but you didn’t because something was holding onto your throat. You stared up into his eyes as the pain in her chest slowly started to go numb, as did any other feeling in your body. A haze over Klaus’s eyes settled for shock and sorrow. Breathlessly was he letting his eyes run all over your face and body, trying to get a sense of it. – “Klaus… Klaus… It’s okay…” – whispered you out, reaching your hand slowly up. Klaus took it with a shaky breath, holding onto it tightly. – “Stay… stay with me…” – forced he out, his words almost caught in his mouth.
You tasted the salty tears slipping down your cheeks, unstoppable. You knew you brought this upon yourself by sacrificing yourself for him. You weren’t crying for the pain, pain? You didn’t even feel pain. No, you were crying because of his eyes. Seeing that little sparkle of hope slowly fade away into nothingness. A hope he might lose forever. – “Klaus…” – said you, your breath choking. – “Please… don’t leave me yet… You… Y/n… I have yet to explore more about your meaning. You were my friend yes… but perhaps even more… that I feel like I can never fully explore now. A feeling stolen from me.” – cried he out. – “It had to be me…” – whispered you out. Violet was shedding tears, holding tight onto Sunny. – “Out of us… it had to be me…” – Klaus wiped his eyes dry, wanting to get a clear vision of you. - “Can you do something for me..?” - murmured you, smiling softly. - “Yes, anything.. anything, Y/n…. what is it..?” - He replied, willing to do anything in his power for you. - “Smile…”- you answered as you took your final breath, your body falling limp in his arms. So he did. He granted you one last smile. Fulfilling your final wish.
