Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“As the sun sets in Hermit’s Hollow, all its citizens go to sleep. But they do not yet know of the dangers that lurk when the moon shines down on their homes. The monsters whose eyes glow in the dark. The hermits all sleep peacefully, though some who possess somewhat strange powers lay awake at night. Perhaps they can sense this supernatural danger lurking in their midst? Who’s to say…”

“Okay, seriously, guys, close your eyes. It’s nighttime, dudes.” Ren laughs. The hermits, who are all sitting neatly in a circle around him, quiet down. 

“Where’s the Master of Sleep when you need him, huh?” Doc laughs. Bdubs fakes being offended, sending other hermits laughing again.

“You all know your roles, right?” Ren looks around the circle for confirmation. Nobody speaks up, so he continues. “All right then, good night, hermits... May you see the sunrise once more… “ He flicks the lights off, enveloping the room in darkness.

Everybody closes their eyes, some putting their hands in front of their faces to be sure. Impulse does so as well. This isn’t his first time playing. They’ve all played Werewolves before, but it certainly is the first time with a group this big.

There were three werewolf cards, if he remembers correctly. Three enemies. And honestly? With all the other crazy roles they’re playing with, that’s more than enough to keep track of, in his opinion.

“Wait... the thief’s in this, right?” Iskall’s voice sounds. A couple others groan at his question.

“ Yes, Iskall. For the last time... the thief’s in. But if you ask again you’re out!” Ren sighs, but has to keep himself from laughing, Impulse can tell. He must be excited to lead the group, the story for such a big group for the first time as well.

“Alright,” Ren begins. “Hermit’s Hollow. A small town where supernatural occurrences are said to happen almost daily. Fairies, golems, and giant spiders are nothing out of the ordinary here. But werewolves... nobody has seen monsters quite like these before. As the citizens of Hermit’s Hollow fall asleep, one person stays awake. He or she who possesses the ability to steal power. Thief, please open your eyes, and choose whose identity you wish to take.”

It’s dead silent for a little while. Then Ren begins to walk around the circle, shuffling cards as not to give anything away.
Then, Ren speaks again. “If I touch your head, your powers have been taken by the thief, and you are now an ordinary villager.” Ren walks around the circle once more, slowly. Impulse holds his breath.

But he’s relieved when Ren passes him. He really didn’t want to lose his protector role, without it he knows he’d be screwed. Plus, the game’s never fun when you’re just an ordinary villager.

Ren’s only a few steps further when he hears Iskall yell out a loud “No!!!”, upon which the entire group groans and laughs, again. 

“Well, at least we know he’s not a werewolf.” Keralis says. “Definitely innocent.”

“Should we just start over?” Mumbo asks.

“Nooo... I just had a cool role!” Zedaph almost yells into Impulse’s ear. 

“So did I!” Iskall says. “I bet it was Grian. Anytime something’s missing he’s close by.”

“What?!” Grian yells from Impulse’s other side. He sounds genuinely offended. “That’s exactly the type of thing a suspicious person would say! Werewolf! J’accuse!”

Ren interrupts the group before things can escalate any further. “Whoa, guys, guys..! It’s the start of the first night and you’re already accusing each other! Let’s get back to bed, alright? Iskall, close your eyes.”

“But-!”

“Goodnight, my Swedish Potato.”

Iskall grumbles, but Impulse guesses Ren’s magic worked. Iskall keeps quiet, but Impulse just knows that he’s pouting.

This was going to be one hell of a game.

“Now that the town’s quiet again, an angelic figure wakes up. He or she spreads their wings, and flies through the abandoned streets of Hermit’s Hollow, looking through windows and peering into bedrooms to find the perfect couple to pair up. Cupid, who do you fire your arrows of love at?”

“That’s rather quick, are you sure, cupid?” Ren does an excellent job at not talking in one direction for too long.

“Very well, then. Cupid has chosen. Cupid has fired their arrows. If I touch your head, you have been hit. Wake up, open your eyes, and unite with your lover in the middle of the night out on the streets.”

Impulse waits until Ren has passed him. He’s relieved when he thinks he’s safe, but then he feels his hand on the top of his head. Oh no, even more things to be mindful of... 

“Now, remember, if one of you dies, the other will die of heartbreak, so make sure you stick together.” 

Impulse reluctantly opens his eyes, scanning the circle of hermits to find the other unlucky guy or girl. His eyes fall on Tango, who’s scanning the circle as well. As they make eye contact, Tango smirks and winks. He winks! Impulse can feel his heartbeat speed up. He’s just grateful that his blush is hidden in the darkness of the room. 

Ren’s voice startles Impulse, and he almost lets out a yelp.
“Alright, lovebirds. I know you just fell in love through magic and all, but we really must be moving on, now. The night is young, and so are the souls of the innocent whose blood will inevitably be spilled.”

Impulse shakes his head and closes his eyes, hiding his flustered smile behind his hands. God, why did it have to be Tango, of all people? Did cupid somehow know of his crush? Was it Zedaph? He swears he’s going to kill him when this game is over.

“Next, the protector wakes up. You can feel that something bad is about to happen tonight. There’s a bad energy that has crept its way into this town, so you prepare a spell to save yourself, or any person of your choosing from a murderous attack. Who do you wish to protect, protector?”

Impulse opens his eyes, eyeing over all the hermits once more. He honestly has no idea who to save. It was only the first night, there was nothing he could go off of. All cards were still on the table (or the floor), so there’s no point in strategizing just yet.
He could protect Tango. Maybe? But he’s at just as much risk of dying as he is himself. Besides, what if he’s a werewolf? Impulse doesn’t want to take any chances, so he points at himself.

Ren nods at him, and Impulse closes his eyes again.

“The defender has cast his spell, so that means-”

“Ahah! So it’s a guy!” Iskall laughs triumphantly.

“Iskall, I swear, if the werewolves don’t get you first I will kill you myself.” The group bursts out in laughter again, but they all quiet down quickly, wanting to get on with the game already.

“Now... with all this magical energy buzzing around at night, the seer awakens. Seer, please show me whose identity you wish to be revealed to you.”

Ren does his rounds, making sure to shuffle every single card he comes across. He’s really taking this seriously, isn’t he? Impulse shifts impatiently. If every night was going to be like this, how could they hope to ever get to the end of the game?

“Has the seer seen their desired card? Splendid. Now... as the seer sleeps, the beasts awaken. Werewolves, open your eyes, get acquainted with your pack, and decide on a delicious meal to satiate your hunger tonight.”

It’s silent for a few tense seconds, but then Ren sighs.

“Look, I know that this is a game of stealth and strategy, and I know that the Little Girl could be watching your every move, but if even I can’t make out who all the werewolves are, you’re doing something wrong.”

The hermits burst out in laughter again, and Impulse can’t help but snicker himself, too. 

“Right then. Excellent. Werewolves, who will be the first victim?”

“I swear if it’s me I will- Ow!” Impulse is sure that either Ren or False must have hit Iskall.

“The werewolves have chosen. The werewolves have had a feast. As they go to sleep with flesh in their bellies and blood between their teeth, the witch wakes up. Witch, you have two potions; one of life, and one of death. Do you wish to bring this victim back to life?”

Silence.

“And do you wish to kill someone else, and if so, who?”

More silence. Ren paces around the circle like a... like a wolf. Impulse has to admit, he’s doing a great job at keeping the atmosphere tense, despite all the laughter and some hermit’s actions.

Both the witch and Ren take their time. Impulse shifts uncomfortably, his legs under him are starting to fall asleep. He can’t wait to open his eyes again. Finally, Ren speaks up.

“The witch seems to be pleased with their actions. They go back to bed just before the break of dawn. And as the sun rises above Hermit’s Hollow, so do it’s citizens.”

“All wake up, except for... “

Chapter Text

“Mumbo.”

Ren flicks the lights on again.

“I’m sorry, but you’ve been murdered.”

The group gasps and ‘aww’s, but Mumbo huffs and throws his card into the middle of the circle.

“Stupid game. I had a stupid role, anyway.”

Multiple people hunch over to see his card, Impulse included. Stress grabs it and turns it over, revealing the picture of a villager. Impulse sighs, relieved. That meant that they hadn’t really lost anyone important, at least.
Everybody else thinks so too, apparently. “Oh thank god, he’s not the protector.” Grian says, to which Mumbo gasps dramatically.

“I hope the werewolves get you, next.” He scoffs.

“Alright, that’s enough. Mumbo, you’re dead. Go sit on the dead-people-couch.” Ren nods at the couch behind him. With a pout Mumbo gets up and plops down onto the couch just outside the circle of hermits. He crosses his arms, but Impulse can see the smile tugging at his lips. He gets to see everything play out before him, now. Lucky.

The news of the first death does make tensions rise, however.

“'Thank god, he’s not the protector’ ? What’s that supposed to mean?” Bdubs directs at Grian.

“I’m just saying,” He says. “we all know we’re glad that we didn’t lose someone who could help us with their powers.”

“Help? Yeah, right. What a help the protector has been, tonight. Great job protecting Mumbo, who, might I say, is dead because of their help!”

“Jeez, Bdubs, calm down, man.” Doc says.

“Yeah, the protector only had a 1 in 13 chance of getting it right. Right?” Zedaph adds.

“And what about the witch?” 

“What about the witch?”

“Guys... we need to stick together. There’s just been a murder, and-”

“I swear... Doc looks suspicious enough for two werewolves.”

“Hey-!”

People are now yelling at and through each other, accusing hermits of being werewolves left and right. Impulse is starting to feel overwhelmed, he tries to keep track of what everybody’s saying, but nothing makes sense anymore.

Then, the lights begin to flicker, causing everybody to quiet down.

“My friends... What happened tonight was a tragedy.” Everybody turns to look at Ren, who’s standing at the light switch. He looks at all the hermits in the circle, one by one.

“In chaotic times like these, you must come together. You must elect a mayor, to lead your discussions, to gather information, and to help the people of Hermit’s Hollow to weed out the wolves.”

It’s silent for a couple of tense seconds. Everybody looks around the room, waiting for someone to speak up.

“Yes. Right... Ren’s right.” Bdubs finally says, a lot calmer now. “We need someone to lead us. Anybody have any ideas?”

“I, uh... I think we should elect Iskall.” Keralis says. “You know, he’s the only one we can trust is not a monster for sure.”

Nobody argues with him, though Impulse for sure expected at least somebody to.

“Very fine. All hands up in the air. On the count of three, I want you all to point at the one you’d like to vote for. Ready?”

“One,” Everybody raises their hand.

“two,” Impulse looks around the room. The hermits seem determined.

“three!” Impulse points at Iskall. Keralis did have a point, after all.

He smiles as he sees that literally everybody else is pointing at Iskall, as well. Great. Either the werewolves were very clever, or they were all cowards. No clues as to who they could be, yet. That in and of itself is quite suspicious.

“With a surprising unanimous vote, I hereby elect Iskall your new mayor!” Ren hands him the extra card, depicting a badge of some sorts.

“All hail Mayor Iskall!” Bdubs yells, earning him a couple of ‘shhh’s from his neighbors.

“Awesome.” Iskall grins. “Now, for my first act as mayor, I’d like to open the discussion on Mumbo’s Murder. Has anybody seen anything suspicious tonight?”

“I don’t want to draw any attention to myself, but I definitely heard something to my left when the wolves were awake.” Cleo says as she brings up her hands in defense. “Just saying.”

Impulse looks at her. Zedaph is sitting in between him and her. Is he a werewolf? 

“Noise doesn’t mean anything, though.” False says. “If the Little Girl saw anything, he or she should speak up.”

Was that really a good idea? To reveal their roles so early on in the game? But before Impulse can say anything, Grian speaks up next to him.

“Yeah! That’s me!” He blurts out. “I couldn’t look at everyone, but Bdubs is a wolf, for sure.”

“Whoa whoa whoa, what-!?” 

From Impulse’s other side, Zedaph yells out, “He’s not the little girl, I am!”

“Ooooh... conflict..!” 

“There can be only one!”

“But who’s to say that there cannot be two of the same thing in this world? Identity is nothing if not malleable by those around oneself. There can be two little peeping girls, right?”

“Joe, I love you, but no. There’s only one peeping girl in this town.”

“Well, Zedaph’s outburst is suspicious enough in my book, I vote for him.”

“It’s Bdubs, I’m telling you!”

“But how can you know? You’re not the little girl!” Zedaph cries out. Does he even know that Grian is trying to help him? Impulse facepalms at his neighbor’s actions.

“Well, one of you’s got to confess.”

“Alright, everybody, if I may.” Iskall says. The hermits go quiet again. “Grian, Zedaph, I’m giving both of you a chance to explain yourselves. We have no use for identity thieves in this our town. And to me you’re both quite suspicious right now.”

Zedaph yelps indignantly, whilst Grian has a calm expression on his face. He must have played this game many times before, Impulse thinks. He isn’t sure who to believe. For all he knows, they could both be werewolves, trying to distract everybody else from what’s really going on.

“Grian, you first.”

“Alright then.” He clears his throat. “I confess, I’m not the peeking girl. But by saying this, I am putting myself in great danger, as the wolves might be able to figure out who I really am. It’s only a matter of time before I’ll be devoured.”

“Liar... “ Bdubs says under his breath.

“I can’t reveal my sources, but I can say that we’ll all be in great danger if you vote to kill me straight away.”

Everybody seems to think his words over. Even Impulse is convinced he might be the seer, or maybe the witch.

“I’m not buying it.” Bdubs stubbornly says. Impulse can see Tango nod in agreement. 

Tango... he hasn’t said much since the start of this game. Does he know more than he’s letting on? Impulse wonders what he could be getting at. He could be trying to blend into the background as to not garner too much attention to himself. Tango notices him staring, he winks at Impulse, who can feel his cheeks heating up again. God, he hopes that this game is over sooner than later. He can’t keep a straight face when Tango’s right there.

“Now, Zedaph.”

“Like I said, I’m the little girl. But I guess I’ll die by the hands of the werewolves tonight, anyway, so there’s no point in arguing. So if you want to murder an innocent villager, go ahead and be my guest.” Zedaph seems pretty convinced his death is inevitable. Impulse can’t help but think he’s speaking the truth, though. In his mind, it’s Cleo who’s the most suspicious. She was the first one to draw attention away from herself, after all.

“If you really are who you say you are,” Tango finally says. “then who did you see? Help us out for the next couple of days.”

The group nods at Tango’s words, and Impulse agrees as well. If he’s going to die, he might as well lend them his knowledge.

Zedaph sighs, seeming a bit nervous. “I- er... I couldn’t see everybody, for obvious reasons.” A couple hermits groan. “But I can say with certainty that Stress and Doc are innocent.”

Those are the people sitting across from him. Does that mean that Tango is innocent, too? 

“I’m inclined to believe him.” Joe says.

“Well I don’t believe it.” Cleo shakes her head. “That’s such a broad statement to make, anyone could have said that.”

“Come on, Cleo, he’s doing us a favor, isn’t he?” False says. Cleo huffs.

“Grian, Zedaph, thank you for your words. Now, has everybody made up their mind?” Iskall takes the lead.

The hermits all nod, and then Ren speaks up again. “Hands in the air, and on the count of three, point at the person you would like to kill! One, two, three!”

It’s a criss-cross of arms pointing in every single direction. Impulse would have guessed that it’d be more clear, after what Zedaph had told them.

“Hands in the air for Grian.” Impulse sees three people raise their hands.

“Hands in the air for Zedaph.” A considerably larger number of people raise their hands this time. False is still pointing at Doc, and Joe points directly at Tango. Impulse’s hand is still accusing Cleo, but he knows that it won’t matter anymore.

“Six people, that’s quite the number.” Ren says as he’s tallied up the votes. “I’m sorry Zedaph, but the town has decided. Please reveal your role and join Mumbo in the Land of the Dead.”

Zedaph looks annoyed, but not disappointed. He flips his card to reveal the picture of the little girl. Crap, the werewolves got their way. Another innocent life lost! Did that mean that Cleo really was a werewolf?

“Dammit!” Iskall exclaims. “We really need to be more careful of who we accuse. Tomorrow I want to hear valid arguments!”

“If you don’t die tonight, that is.” Stress snickers. Impulse can’t help but laugh, too. Still, he hopes Iskall survives. If he were to die he’d have to pass on his mayor card to somebody else. And if it were to fall into the wrong hands (or claws), they’d have no hope of beating the werewolves!

Ren walks back over to the light switch, and switches it off. The room, enveloped in darkness once more, seems a lot more threatening, now. Impulse closes his eyes.

“Night falls once more upon the town of Hermit’s Hollow. Unsatisfied with what transpired during the day, the townsfolk go to sleep with a heavy heart. They can only hope that their lives will be spared from the ruthless beasts who have invaded their ranks.” Impulse shudders.

“Good night, hermits. Sleep tight, and don’t let the werewolves bite...”

Chapter Text

“The sun has barely set, but already the protector can feel a chance in the atmosphere. Those monsters... those beasts are going to strike again tonight. Protector, wake up, and choose someone to save from certain death by werewolves.”

Impulse opens his eyes. He looks around the circle, brows knit as he considers his options. He can’t protect himself, because he did so the first night already. He could protect Iskall, their mayor, for his death could cause a lot of commotion.

Grian said he’d be at risk of dying as well. But something about Grian’s smooth way of talking himself out of being lynched by an angry mob didn’t sit well with Impulse. Of course, he didn’t trust Cleo one bit, so she was out of the question.

Impulse looks at Mumbo and Zedaph on the couch. They look back at him attentively. 

Tango hasn’t done anything to make himself suspicious, as of yet. Because of him, Zedaph shared his knowledge that Doc and Stress were innocent, which had to count for something. And, of course, the two of them being connected via Cupid’s arrows, if he protected Tango, he’d also protect himself.

It’s his safest bet. Impulse internally sighs and points at Tango. He knows Zedaph is smiling at him, but he has no choice. If Tango were to die, he’d be dead as well. Better be safe than sorry, right?

Ren confirms his choice, and Impulse puts his hands in front of his eyes again.

“Now, the seer. Having seen what happened during the day, you can feel that some people may be lying about who they really are. In order to find their true identities, you reach out to the stars above once again. Who do you wish to unmask?”

Ren does the same trick he did the first night, shuffling every single card in the circle as he stalks past. Luckily only the first night took as long as it did; there were far less roles to wake up each following night.

“Is the seer satisfied with what they have uncovered? Great. Now... werewolves... You have tasted flesh and blood... You have seen the turmoil that it causes when the sun rises. Who do you wish to wreak havoc upon? Who will be your meal for tonight? With the little girl already dead, surely you’ll have no trouble deciding, right?”

“Yeah, thanks for that.” Zedaph yells from the couch.

“I’m sorry!” Cleo yells back.

“Hey! The dead don’t speak, and neither do the undead when they are sleeping.” Impulse stifles a laugh. He was supposed to be paying attention, to try and see if he could hear any suspicious movement whilst the werewolves were deciding.

No such luck, though. Whoever these werewolves are, they really are clever. Impulse waits patiently until Ren announces that they’ve gone back to sleep. 

“The werewolves have agreed on a victim. Now, back to sleep, murderous beasts.”

“I hope you all have nightmares about how we’re going to lynch you all tomorrow morning!” Keralis whispers.

“It is nearly morning when the witch wakes up. Witch, this person has been killed tonight. Do you wish to save them?”

Ren is standing awfully close to Impulse. He can feel his heart beating in his throat.

“And do you wish to use your potion of death? And if so, on whom?”

Ren begins walking around the circle again. Did the witch pick someone to die? Were two people going to die tonight? Oh god, what if they chose Tango? Impulse’s power could not protect against the witch, could it? Crap. This was too much, Impulse was way too invested in this. Just let morning come already!

The lights flickering on catch him off guard. “And just like that, the night is gone, driven away by the sun.”

Impulse opens his eyes, blinking against the harsh light.

“The people of Hermit’s Hollow wake up to the bloodied remains of none other than... 

...Keralis!”

Chapter Text

“Not Keralis! My sweet prince... I’ll never see those eyes full of life again!” Bdubs dramatically drapes himself over Stress’s lap.

Impulse looks around the room for anything suspicious. Almost all hermits seem shocked at the news that Keralis died. Either the wolves are very good actors, or... or the witch had something to do with it.

“Keralis, reveal your role and off to the Couch of the Dead you go.” Ren says. Keralis shows his card, the same image of a villager on it as Mumbo’s card had revealed.

“Shit.” Doc murmurs.

“I’m getting a sense of deja vu, guys.” Stress says.

“Same. I can’t believe we still have all the important roles still in the game. No offense, Zed.” Tango says.

“None taken.”

“That may be true, but that also means that there’s still three bloody werewolves afoot.” Cleo pipes up. “That’s three werewolves against seven villagers. After today, it could be even less. I don’t like those odds one bit.”

“Cleo’s right.” Iskall says. “We need to be tactical. I want to hear from every single one of you. Remember what I said yesterday; valid reasons.”

 “Well, I vote for Impulse. He’s barely said anything this entire game.”

“That doesn’t mean anything!”

“It’s suspicious behaviour, is what it means.”

“That’s not a valid reason, Doc.”

“Oh yeah? And what about Keralis and Joe? They haven’t said much, either.”

“Can you blame them for not being able to get in between all your bickering?”

“You can’t just point fingers at anybody for stupid reasons like that!”

“Oh, now it’s not a stupid reason, is it?”

“Listen, I don’t think we should kill Impulse.”

“Cahoots! You two are in cahoots!”

“Guys-!”

“Why are you so quiet, Bdubs? Got anything to hide?”

“What?! I’ve got nothing to hide!”

“Grian did say that he was suspicious.”

“I said nothing of the sort!”

“Something along those lines, anyway.”

“Whatever.”

“You lot are just trying to create a distraction, aren’t ya? Pointing fingers all around so we don’t know who to trust anymore.”

“Isn’t that the point of the game?”

“No!!!”

“Maybe you’re a werewolf, then?”

“Come on, now.”

“That’s exactly what a werewolf would say in a situation like this.”

“Just look at Bdubs. He even looks like a werewolf.”

“Your goat looks like a werewolf!”

“You take that back-!”

“Everybody! Shut up!!!” Iskall yells. The hermits in the circle, and even those on the couch all look at him with their mouths agape.

“This is clearly not getting us anywhere. I’m going to ask you all one by one to tell us who you think is the most suspicious, and why. That way we can all voice our opinions and not get interrupted.”

“Dude what? That’s going to take way too long.”

“I don’t care, I’m the mayor, and I say we go at it this way. Grian, you first.”

Some hermits sigh and roll their eyes, but they do (try to) keep their mouths shut as they listen to everybody’s statements.

“Alright, um... I think the way Bdubs tried to defend himself is quite suspicious.”

“But that’s the same way Zedaph had to defend himself yesterday, and look where that got him!”

“Shh, we haven’t got all day.” Iskall says. “Impulse, what do you think?”

“Right. I think it’s Cleo, she was the first to accuse Zedaph, wasn’t she?”

“Good point. Cleo, what do you have to say for yourself?”

“All I can say is that I heard the same noises to my left when the werewolves were awake, so I think Impulse is trying to hide something.”

“False?” 

“Bdubs. He’s not acting like himself.”

“Tango?”

“Whoa- are you not gonna give us your own opinion?”

“At the end, I wanna hear everybody else’s first.”

“Fair enough... Have you seen the way Doc reacted when Ren revealed that Keralis died? I’m willing to bet that he’s got something to do with it.”

“I did see that!” Grian says. Impulse is starting to find everything the guy says more and more suspicious. Maybe Cleo was right... maybe he was sitting right next to a werewolf..!

“Doc?”

“I think it’s Bdubs.”

“Oh you little-”

“Stress?”

“I don’t like the way Grian keeps talking himself out of everything.” She says. Exactly! Impulse thinks. Glad someone else has noticed as well.

“Bdubs?”

“I don’t know how you can all be so blind. Grian’s the real threat here.”

“And Joe, what do you say?”

“I’m going along with the opinion of the one person I know I can trust in this town. I vote for Bdubs.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?!” Bdubs says. Joe just shrugs.

“Alright. Thank you for your participation, everybody. We’ve heard many good reasons for suspicion. I’m inclined to follow Impulse’s claim, though. Cleo seemed quite persistent about there being a werewolf next to her, which there clearly wasn’t.”

“I’m telling you, it’s-”

“No more talking. I’ve heard enough. Is everybody ready to vote?” Looking around the circle, Impulse can see everybody nod or otherwise agree. He’s been convinced by Stress’s words, though. He’s going to vote for Grian.

“Put your hands in the air like you just don’t care!” Ren beams.

“One, two, three!”

Yet again, people are pointing in every single possible direction. Ren spins around in the circle to try and count all the votes.

“Hands up for Bdubs, please.” Four people raise their hands.

“No!” Stress yelps. “How many are against Grian? Come on, guys!” Impulse looks around, but can only see Bdubs voting for him as well. It wasn’t enough. Crap, if only he’d told Iskall that he changed his mind!

“It’s three against four.” Ren declares. “With two votes for Cleo, and one for Impulse.” Hermits groan in disappointment all around the circle.

“I’m sorry. Bdubs, but you’ve been lynched, please reveal-”

“You’re going to regret this!” Bdubs yells. He frowns and throws his card rightside-up in the middle of the circle. On it is the green image of the huntsman. Oh. Oh!

Bdubs is smirking, now, looking straight at Grian, who goes white as a sheet.

“I’m taking you with me, imposter. Show us your true nature!”

Grian reluctantly turns over his card. Before Impulse has a chance to look the whole group begins to cheer. So he really was a werewolf! Maybe they still had a chance to win!

“Ahah!” Bdubs yells. “Take that!”

Grian groans as the group celebrates. Impulse looks around the room to see if anyone looks... off. He can’t see anything of the sort, though. His eyes fall on Tango again, and Tango looks back. He winks at him. Again! His heart skips a beat or two, but this time Impulse doesn’t blush as deeply as before. He’s happy that they finally got a wolf, too, of course. He smiles back at Tango. They’ve survived another day.

Ren claps his hands together. “Nicely done, hermits. Very nicely done. Two souls will be joining the Land of the Dead... Oh, this pleases the Grim- I mean, the Game Master greatly... “ The hermits laugh, but quickly quiet down. 

“Filled with euphoria from uncovering one of the foul beasts, the people of Hermit’s Hollow find themselves almost unable to fall asleep as easily as before. But the evil is not yet defeated, my friends. Oh no... Two more wolves stalk the streets at night, looking for their next meal. They’ve lost one of their brethren, and they’re out for revenge... “

The lights turn off, and everybody closes their eyes.

“No one knows whether or not this will be their last night. Still, they sleep with a sound heart, confident that they can take whatever the night brings...“

Chapter Text

“Hermit’s Hollow’s one protector wakes up at the slightest of disturbances on the streets. You can feel that they are about to attack again. Hungrier and angrier than ever, now that they’ve lost one of their own.”

Impulse opens his eyes.

“Who do you wish to protect?”

He looks around the circle. It’s significantly smaller, now that two people were killed during the previous day.

Stress voted for Grian as well, so her he knew he could trust. Doc... well... even if he were an actual angel he’d manage to make himself look suspicious. Tango Impulse knew was on his side, but he couldn’t protect him this time around. Iskall was innocent in Impulse’s book, and he was sure that he wasn’t the primary target of the wolves at the moment. False voted for Bdubs, and Cleo voted for him to be killed. And while something tells him that Cleo may actually be innocent, he doesn’t trust her enough to use his power of protection on her.

And then there was Joe, now to his left. He voted for Bdubs as well, but looked quite shocked to find out that he was the huntsman. He said he’d follow the only person who he knew he could trust... Now, was that Doc, False, or Grian? God... all this thinking was hurting his brain way too much.

Just to be safe, and because he doesn’t know if there really are any other valid options, Impulse points at himself again. If the witch didn’t do anything, he could be certain that he’d at least see another day.

“Then, the seer wakes up. Seer, your powers could greatly benefit the chance of survival for this small village. Your people may have uncovered the identity of one wolf, but two still roam free. They need your help, they need your powers. Whose soul do you wish to unveil?”

Ren walks around the circle, slowly shuffling cards so as to not reveal whose card the seer has seen. 

“Did you see what you wanted to see?” Ren asks.

“Very well. Now, wolves. You’ve waited long enough. Your bellies rumble and your mouths are watering at the thought of revenge. This town has wronged you, and there will be hell to pay. Who do you choose to tear to shreds tonight?”

The wolves decide quickly, in contrast to Impulse.

“Yes... Delicious... “ Ren chuckles. Some hermits laugh nervously.

“Now, at last, the witch wakes up. Witch, this is the corpse of the person that has been mauled to death. Do you wish to bring them back to life?”

Someone from over at the couch gasps.

“And do you wish to use your other potion to take somebody else down? And if so, who?”

“Excellent. The witch goes back to sleep just before dawn. As the sun breaks the horizon, it casts its glow over the small town of Hermit’s Hollow. Not everybody wakes up, however. There’s been another murder... “

Chapter Text

“Docson... you’ve been murdered!”

Doc grumbled, and the hermits who are still alive look various degrees of shocked and surprised.

“Why Doc? He’s half metal, doesn’t seem like a great snack to me.” Tango laughs.

“I thought so too, oh well... “ Doc gets up, revealing his card to be the witch.

Iskall gasps, “So you were the-”

“Oh snap! Our first real casualty!”

“We need Sherlock Grian on the case.”

“Sherlock Grian is a dead man.”

“A dead wolf.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

“Doc, did you use your potions at all?” False asks as he plops down onto the couch.

“Can’t say- I’m dead now, aren’t I?”

“Crap. Well, we’re back to square one, I believe.”

“Don’t you think he would have used his potions on himself if he could have?”

“Well I for one would like to see everybody who voted for Bdubs yesterday explain themselves.” Iskall takes the lead again. He may not be the best mayor in terms of decisions, but at least he knows how to get everybody to quiet down.

“We know Grian voted for him, and he was a wolf. So it’s only natural we investigate this further. Joe, you voted for him, didn’t you?”

“That is correct, my Swedish friend.”

“Why?”

“For I merely followed the example of the only person I thought I could trust. I saw it in their eyes, they had great skill and had great aptitude for all kinds of magic. I am but a sheep following his words.”

“What? Don’t look at me like that!” Zedaph yells from the couch.

“'His’, huh?” Iskall rubs his chin, deep in thought. “If I remember correctly, Doc is the only other guy who voted for him, right?” Some hermits nod. “Alright, Joe, I know enough. Now, False, what is your explanation?”

“I was just convinced that he was a werewolf... All the other times we play this game he acts all happy and nice, but this time. This time he was different. Immediately accusing others and reacting very curtly to other’s words... I have nothing else to say. I’ll follow the mayor’s decisions from now on.”

“Alright, alright. That’s what I like to hear.” Iskall nods. 

“Now, since it worked so well in our favor last time, I propose we each say who we find most suspicious one by one again. I want you all to really think everything over... Tango, you first.”

“Right... I have no authority here, but I’m sticking with my choice from the previous day, Cleo.”

Cleo rolls her eyes at that, Impulse notices. 

“And why do you think I’m a werewolf, Tango?”

“Simple! You kept saying that you heard werewolf-y activity to your left, but it wasn’t Zedaph, and I know that it isn’t Impulse. Sure, Grian was one, but he was seated quite a bit further for you to notice.” Tango catches Impulse’s eye, and he has to keep himself from blushing again.

Whilst the group’s attention is turned to the next hermit, Tango keeps his gaze on him. Impulse sees the man making a shape with his hands. It looks like... it looks like the letter ‘H’... Wait. Does Tango know..?

Tango raises his eyebrows at him, and Impulse nods discreetly. Perhaps Tango is the seer? He definitely knows what’s going on, at least. Impulse is shaken from his thoughts as Iskall yells his name.

“Gosh, sorry.” He shakes his head.

“Well, who do you think we should vote for?”

“Oh man... honestly? I have no idea anymore. It’s all pretty vague and I feel like we’ve gotten nowhere, really.”

“That’s understandable.” Iskall says. “Cleo, what do you say?”

“I say that Impulse is still very much suspicious.”

“False?”

“I’m gonna agree with Stress, she was right about Grian the first night, after all.”

“I see, that makes sense. I’m voting for Cleo as well.”

“Oh my god... “

“Everybody ready to vote?” Ren pipes up. Impulse guesses so. If most of the other hermits are voting for Cleo, then so will he.

“One, two, three!”

Indeed, five people, Impulse included, vote for Cleo.

Impulse notices that Cleo has her finger pointed at him, again. And other than that Joe is accusing Tango of being a werewolf. He couldn’t be... could he?

“Yay! Cleo is a zombie again!” Keralis exclaims.

“Oh shut it, you. I was just a normal villager.” All remaining hermits gasp as they realize their mistake.

“Crap. I really didn’t see that one coming.” Iskall says.

“I’m so sorry, Cleo, I really thought-”

“I know, Stress, I know.” Cleo gets up and turns to face the circle. “You guys better get those wolves before they get you. I’ll forgive you if you can at least do that.”

Impulse swallows. He knows it’s just a game, but she really does sound intimidating like that. Things should be speeding up after tonight. He hopes, at least.

Ren walks back to the light switch, ready to narrate the end of the day, when Joe speaks up.

“My fellow hermits, before the night falls, I feel like I must say something, for I fear that I may not see the break of day.” All eyes turn toe Joe, who looks a little nervous.

“It is hard to say, and I will understand if you do not see it from my point of view, but something tells me that Impulse can be trusted, not unlike our very own, very human mayor.”

Iskall nods at him. “Thank you, Joe. I’m sure your words will not be forgotten.”

Joe nods back, and then closes his eyes. Impulse and the others follow him, and Ren turns off the lights again.

“What a strange day it’s been, here in the ever-shrinking village. There are still two wolves on the loose, and in their growing unease, the villagers have executed yet again another innocent... How much longer will they stay alive? Do they still have the manpower left to find, let alone kill their attackers? Only time will tell, my friends... Only time will tell.”

Chapter Text

“The sun sets for the fourth time since the werewolves have started their never ending chain of killings. And the fact that the town’s paranoid people don’t even trust themselves is only aiding their cause. But before the wolves can devour somebody else, the protector wakes up.”

Impulse opens his eyes.

“Who do you wish to save from the monsters’ wrath?” Ren asks.

The group is getting smaller and smaller. How Impulse managed to stay alive up until this point, he has no idea. He can’t protect himself this night. Who’s left? They all voted for Cleo during the day, apart from Joe, who voted for... Tango... At this point Impulse is starting to think he may actually be one of the werewolves. If that’s the case, then he wouldn’t have to bother with protecting his lover (in-game only! ), right?

Plus, he seemed to deduce that Impulse was the protector. Healer, protector, defender... They had many names for the same role. And Impulse knew that Tango knew this as well. Making that ‘H’ shape was no coincidence.

Stress was right with one of her hunches, but Cleo was innocent in the end. And Joe’s cryptic words heavily suggested that he was the seer, but Iskall was still the only one he knew for sure wasn’t a werewolf. If he died, and gave his mayor role to the wrong person (which would be a 40% chance), then they really didn’t stand a chance to win at all.

That’s it. Impulse has made up his mind. He points at Iskall, Ren confirms his choice, and then he goes back to ‘sleep’.

“Seer, use those eyes of yours and pry into the mind of a person of your choosing. Use your powers to uncover the truth. Whose true nature do you wish to see?”

Ren stalks around the circle, and Impulse is glad it’s only getting smaller and smaller, because Ren really likes to take his time with this. Impulse knows he has nothing to fear if the seer sees his card, but still he’s nervous when Ren shuffles his card.

“Has the seer seen what they wished to see?”

“Great. Now, the werewolves wake up once more. The population is gradually shrinking, and you shake with anticipation as you pace around the villager’s houses, looking for a possible meal, looking to see who’s left.”

There were two wolves. Two wolves, and four villagers. After today there’d only be three innocents left. If they were to execute a wolf, then they’d stand a chance to win. But if the wolves got their way... Was there even a way he and Tango could still win? God... this was absolutely wrecking Impulse’s brain.

It seems the wolves can’t quite agree on who to kill, as they take a little longer to decide than usual. They must realize the life-or-death situation they’re all in, as well.

“The wolves have chosen their feast for tonight. Oh, what a beautiful display of guts and gore they have left. With no witch to bring them back to life, their body is splayed in the street, just barely enough left to recognize who it once was. The people of Hermit’s Hollow open their eyes, and wake up to the corpse of none other than... 

Joe of the Hills. “

Chapter Text

“I knew it!” Joe uncharacteristically spits out. “I’m glad I warned y’all, heed my words, friends.” Joe reveals his card, showing the symbol of the seer. 

Well, that certainly could have gone better. Crap, why didn’t Impulse listen to him?
Because he voted for Tango, that’s why. Dammit, everybody always seems like a potential threat when they’re playing this game. At least he now knows for sure that Tango is a werewolf. Zedaph did say that Stress was innocent, and he’s quite sure that Iskall is, too.

“Bloody hell.” Stress sighs.

“You can say that.” Tango laughs.

“Well, you lot know I’m innocent, right? I don’t have a clue about everybody else, though.”

“Joe voted for Tango two times in a row, didn’t he?” False says.

“I think so, yeah.”

“Isn’t that proof enough?”

“It certainly is suspicious.”

“Oh come on, Iskall, you can’t possibly say that-”

“Enough of that. It’s Impulse.” Tango interrupts.

“Wh- excuse me?” Impulse says. Was he being serious right now? Is he actually accusing- wait. Wait, no, that can’t be it. He must be getting at something, he must be playing it up. He’s giving Impulse a chance to defend himself, to deflect the blame, so they can execute someone else, right?

Stirring everything up so no one knows what’s going on anymore, alright... Yeah, he’s picking up what Tango’s putting down... 

“We know that our mayor is safe, and we have a reputable, albeit dead, source that says that Stress can be trusted. It’s gotta be you and False, right?”

“Woah, didn’t Joe literally just say that Impulse could be trusted? That he should be kept alive?” Iskall argues.

“Yeah, and then he was killed. They could be in cahoots. I don’t know how, but I don’t trust it.”

Then Stress speaks up. “I don’t like how Tango has been going about all willy-nilly. If we can trust Impulse and Iskall, that leaves only one option in my mind.” She says. “Joe has voted for him two times now. He was telling us something, I just know it.”

“I’m inclined to agree.” Iskall says. Wait. Wait, no! He can’t have them lynch Tango! He’d die, too! And honestly. He loves Iskall, he really does. But he doesn’t trust him to win this entire game on behalf of all of the innocent villagers. 

Plus, he doesn’t like to admit it, but he’s quite invested into this, now. He’d like to win, for a change. Impulse is always on the losing team, somehow. And now that he’s in a team with Tango... He likes scheming with him! As silent as it is, they’re working together. Impulse doesn’t want it to end all of a sudden.

“I... I don’t think Tango’s a werewolf.” He pipes up.

“You don’t?”

“What’s your reasoning?”

“Trust me on this one, Iskall.” He winks at him. “Have I ever given you a reason to doubt? Maybe once, yes, but Joe told you, right? He was the seer. That’s one hell of a power he had.”
Please pick up on the signs, Iskall. You’re a dense mayor but please... Impulse had to convince him.

“Tango may want me dead, but I know he’s not a werewolf. If that doesn’t tell you how much I trust him, then... “

“Well... Joe did say that you could be trusted. And he was innocent, so who knows... you may be telling the truth.” Impulse flashes his most innocent smile at the mayor. This was going to work. They just had to convince False, and then-

“False, what do you say? Stress claims to be innocent, and so do Impulse and Tango, in a way. You have given me reason to doubt you before, but if Stress turns out to be a wolf... No, actually...  I don’t know what to think anymore. You guys are all suspicious as hell to me. All I know is that it looks like Impulse is protecting Tango.”

“Why don’t we just vote and see what comes out of it?” False suggests.

But before they can do so Tango decides to stir the pot even more.

“It’s you, isn’t it, Stress?” 

“...Pardon?”

“Sure, keep on saying how you ‘don’t like the way we go unnoticed’ or whatever, but secretly you’re the one who’s slipping under everyone’s radar! Placing the blame on others, I see what you’re doing... ”

Impulse knows what he has to do. He just has to make it less obvious. He has to somehow communicate to the other werewolf that he’s with them. That they’re going to go for Stress. They’d use the support of the other werewolf to stay alive! Brilliant! And if Stress really is a werewolf, that’d be a win for the townsfolk. If she wasn’t, then that meant that False was one... right? 

Impulse joins Tango in accusing Stress. “Seems like a fair point to me. What kind of credibility do you have?” I’m so sorry, Stress, I need to put the blame on you to save my own skin. It’s nothing personal, please forgive me.

Stress seems surprised by their accusations, she stutters as she tries to rebuttal their ‘arguments’. “Wh- what do you mean? I thought you trusted me! Since the very beginning Zed has said-”

“Zed?” Tango raises his eyebrows. “Zed who could only see two people in a very dark room, whilst trying to hide himself from the werewolves’ sight? Yeah, right.”

“That’s ridiculous! I... I... “ She seems lost for words.

“Iskall, you know I’m innocent, right? They’re wolves. They’re both wolves, I’m tellin’ ya!”

Iskall massages his temples, eyes shut in thought. “I believe you, Stress. I believe you.” He sighs. “Let’s go for Tango, alright?”

Stress nods. “Alright.”

“False, will you still follow my lead?”

“Sure, Iskall.” She says, but with Iskall’s eyes still closed, she sneaks a wink towards Tango. So she’s a-!

Ren claps in his hands, undoubtedly enjoying the mayhem of it all. “Hands up, everybody, get ready to vote!” 

“Three...  two... one!”

Impulse points at Stress. Carefully, he looks around the small circle. Just as he thought, False and Tango are both pointing at her as well.

“What?!” She exclaims.

Iskall gasps loudly. “False?!”

False merely shrugs. Stress and Iskall both indeed voted for Tango, but it was not enough. Phew. It really was a close call, this time. If False had decided to actually follow Iskall, then... But it looks like she’s made up in her mind that the werewolves were going to win, right? Two wolves versus two villagers. With his protector role it could propose a challenge, sure, but if she was convinced that Impulse was on their side, then... 

“That’s three votes for Stress, then. I’m sorry for your loss, citizens of Hermit’s Hollow.” Ren says. “Stress, please go join the others on the Couch of the Dead.”

Stress pouts as she flips her card. On the light blue background he can see the image of a little angel with a bow and arrow.

...

Cupid.

“So you-!” Impulse gasps, Stress however winks at him, a finger in front of her lips. She plops down in between the other hermits on the couch, which, Impulse just now notices, is starting to look absolutely ridiculous with so many people on it.

“Way to go, wolves!” Grian cheers.

“You bunch of useless people... “ Mumbo sighs. He’s seen everything that’s been happening from the very start, being the first one to be killed. He must not realize that he and Tango are in cahoots... Wait... has everybody forgotten about cupid? Even as she’s killed? 

Chatter of the hermits fills the room, and whilst everybody’s occupied talking about what kind of mind games just occured, Tango catches Impulse’s attention again. How could he not? They’re sitting right next to each other now. 

He checks to see if Iskall or False are watching, but they seem really into voicing their own opinions and thought processes with the others. Tango makes the same ‘H’ shape with his hands again, and then pokes Impulse’s side, raising his eyebrows. Is he... he’s asking if he can protect himself tonight, isn’t he? Impulse nods curtly, a smile tugging at his lips. Tango had a plan, and he could only guess how it was going to play out...

Chapter Text

“Shenanigans are afoot, my friends... “ Ren whispers into the dark room.

“Does the mayor know of all that transpires in the dead of the night? Do the innocent villagers cower in fear, or will they finally band together in order to defeat the wolves? Two wolves remain, stalking the streets to claim another victim. But, there is one special villager who has managed to stay alive throughout all the chaos. Oh, protector, you may be your town’s last hope... Who do you wish to protect tonight?”

Impulse opens his eyes. He can feel the stares of everybody on the couch in his back.

As ‘discussed’ with Tango, he points at himself. Ren nods and Impulse goes back to sleep again.

It’s silent. It’s tense.

“Werewolves... It’s time to wake up.” Ren says.

“Tonight may be your last chance at a nice meal before you’ll have to find a new town to terrorize. Who do you choose for tonight’s feast?”

Impulse waits patiently as it takes the wolves a little longer than previously to decide on a victim. He had an idea of what Tango had planned, but putting it into action might take a little more work, after all.

Either Iskall would bite the dust today, and he’d be left with the two werewolves, or they’d vote for him to die and they’d all see the break of day. Or, now that he thinks about it, they could execute one of themselves, though Impulse has no idea whether or not that’d actually benefit anybody.

Or! Or... Iskall was a werewolf all along..! That’d throw the whole game for a loop! No, he couldn’t be... Iskall was way too competitive and straightforward to plan that far ahead, right? He’d be one hell of a sneaky werewolf if he was, though. That’s for sure.

“Come on, guys, I’m anxious to see what’s going to happen!” Iskall says. Impulse mentally narrows his eyes at him. 

Finally Ren hums, taking back control over the game.

“Seems like the wolves feel quite tense as well, huh? But they’ve decided, folks, they’ve decided who they’d like to kill.”

Iskall shifts anxiously next to Impulse.

“But there will be no feast tonight, my fellow hermits. Oh, no... instead, for the first time, everybody wakes up!”

Chapter Text

“No one’s dead!” Ren says, flicking the lights back on.

“What?!” False exclaims, only for her to quickly put her hands in front of her mouth, eyes wide.

Iskall grins, and Tango shakes his head, smiling. Was this part of Tango’s plan? False has just given herself away, hasn’t she?

“Werewolf!” Iskall says, pointing at her accusingly. “All in favor of lynching the wolf?”

Impulse raises his hand, and so does his partner in crime.

“That should do it. Right, Ren?”

Ren nods at Iskall, who pumps his fist in the air in celebration.

“Any last words, False?” He asks.

False sighs, shaking her head. “I thought he wouldn’t- Oh man... I can’t believe I did that, so close to the end of the game... “

“I’m sorry, Falsie,” Ren says. “a classic mistake has gotten you killed. Now, please join the others over yonder.”

False looks defeated, she turns her card over to reveal the image of a werewolf. 

“Woo! Nicely done, villagers!” Bdubs yells from the couch.

“Oh man, it’s been way too long since we’ve seen that.” Tango says.

“At last we’ve uncovered another werewolf.” Impulse says, just to have said something.

Iskall eyes both him and Tango warily as they shuffle even closer. He somehow looks both excited and nervous at the same time.

“Look, I don’t know which one of you I can trust, alright? It all depends on the protector. Whichever one of you it is, you better check your priorities, we’re so close to winning!”

Impulse and Tango share a look.

“And we’re absolutely sure that there’s only one werewolf left?” Ren nods again. “There were only three, I really thought it’d be too easy for a group this big, but... guess I was wrong.” He laughs.

Iskall shakes his head disgruntledly. “I don’t think it would do me any good to share my thoughts out loud any further. I can only hope that the protector is on the right side of history.”

Impulse has to keep himself from smiling, and Tango smirks.  

“Are you guys ready for night to fall again?” All three of them nod.

They bring their hands in front of their eyes again, though Impulse has to admit, being this close to the end of the game has gotten him a bit nervous as well.
Though part of that could be attributed to him sitting so damn close to Tango, but who’s to say, really?

“After a fine victory for the townsfolk, what remains of the villagers of Hermit’s Hollow goes back to sleep... There’s one wolf left, one innocent villager, and one person with...  special powers.”

“You better protect me, or else we’re all screwed.” Iskall grumbles. Man, he’s really taking this seriously, isn’t he? Impulse rolls his eyes behind his hands.

“But what will this night bring our small village?”

Chapter Text

“Protector, would you be so kind as to wake up? The mayor is praying for your protection... And the Dead are anxious to see what will happen on this, possibly last, night in Hermit’s Hollow.”

Impulse opens his eyes, looking at the two remaining people. He could very well drag it out ever further, but frankly, Impulse doesn’t think he can take waiting any longer. He wants to win! He wants to celebrate with Tango! He wants to... well, who’s to say, really, what he wants to do with him? Impulse blushes as he points at his partner in crime.

He can hear False gasp from over at the couch, as do a couple others. Have they finally realized what was really going on behind the scenes? Impulse smirks, not daring to face any of his fallen friends out of fear that he’d give himself away before the morning even came.

Ren confirms his choice, and Impulse quickly covers his face with his hands. 

Now it’s up to Tango.

“Wolf... You are now alone. Your final companion has been killed during the day, though I can not tell if you find it tragic at all... “

False huffs.

“Either way, you get another chance. To feast, to kill, or perhaps to enact revenge... Who do you wish to devour tonight?”

Come on, Tango, don’t screw this up now, please.

Impulse hears Iskall take a deep breath. Ren stalks around the circle painfully slowly for possibly the last time, dragging the inevitable out for as long as possible. With the witch and the seer out of the game the nights are incredibly short.

“How interesting.” Ren finally says, still circling the three remaining hermits in the middle of the room. “The wolf has chosen. The people of Hermit’s Hollow all wake up, except for... “

Chapter Text

“Iskall...”

Ren flicks the lights on. The three remaining hermits open their eyes and look up at the game master.

Tango can’t contain his smirk, Iskall looks confident, and Impulse knows he can’t hide how nervous he feels.

“...You’ve been demised.”

“Oh!” Mumbo yells from the couch.

Impulse watches as the realization dawns on him. He sees the confusion confusion in his look, his mouth dropping open in surprise, and perhaps even betrayal.

“What?! Y- you’ve got to be kidding me!” He yells.

“GG, guys.” False says.

“Congratulations!” Stress adds.

“What do you mean? The game isn’t over yet! We- we can still win! I have to give one of you my mayor card!”

“Nah man, it’s all over.” Tango says.

Iskall narrows his eyes at him. “...What do you mean? There’s still one werewolf left!”

“You’re forgetting about something, Iskall. Something that happened in the veeeeery beginning of the game.”

“Huh-?”

“ME!!!” Stress says as she jumps up from the couch.

“Stress? But- You were... “ Iskall’s shoulders drop as he lets out a little gasp. He must have it figured out, now.

“You were cupid...” He almost whispers. “I... I totally forgot about that.” He lets out a single laugh.

“Everybody always forgets about cupid!” Stress chuckles, “I can’t believe you’d forget about me!”

Tango puts his hand on Iskall’s shoulder, who seems to stare into the distance as he mutters the situation over. 

“Iskall, I love you, man. But you are the worst mayor I’ve ever had in a game of Werewolves.” Tango cracks up, and so do many more hermits on the couch.

Iskall looks around the ‘circle’. He looks at Tango, at Impulse, and then at Stress. Impulse can almost see the cogs turning in his head. 

“Does that mean... that they won?” Iskall asks.

“They sure did.” Ren smiles back.

It’s silent for a few tense seconds. 

Then the realization seems to dawn onto everybody. The ‘dead’ hermits start piling off the couch, back into the center of the room, cheering and laughing and talking loudly with each other about what in the world just happened.

Tango launches himself into Impulse’s arms, and Impulse, stunned, tenses up.

“Ha hah! We did it, man! We did it!” Tango can’t contain the excitement in his voice as he almost yells into Impulse’s shoulder. Impulse laughs, letting out a sigh of relief. They really did it. They actually won the game! They survived!!!

Tango grins at Impulse, and pulls him up into a proper hug. Impulse hugs him back tightly, sharing his excitement about the game and working together and finally being in his arms..!

“Alright, lovebirds.” Iskall addresses them. “Which one of you was the werewolf then, huh?”

Tango breaks away, still keeping his arm around Impulse’s shoulder. He raises his hand sheepishly.

“I KNEW IT!” Joe yells from somewhere in the room. “I SAW HIM, I SAW HIM THAT NIGHT AND THEN THEY KILLED ME!!!” Cleo punches him in his shoulder before ruffling his hair. “I’m sure you did, hun.” She laughs, then walks up to Tango and Impulse.

“So a werewolf and the protector, huh? That’s one hell of a power couple.” Impulse can feel his cheeks heating up again.

“Well, GG, my dudes.” Iskall offers both of them a high five.

“That’s insane, really. Kill off every single person in town just to be together.” Doc says. Iskall whisks the green man away when he sees him, however. Gesturing wildly and pointing accusedly towards his face and the cards.

And then he’s being whisked away by Bdubs, who starts doing the same thing. Iskall was going to have a riot explaining his actions to all the townspeople he wronged.

Suddenly Stress has her arms around Impulse’s other shoulder. “How are my star-crossed lovers doing?” She chuckles.

“Why, we’re just basking in the glory of just having won the game.” Tango says, and Impulse nods at that.

“Y’know? I’m glad I paired you twos up. Once I got my role I knew what I had to do.” Zedaph laughs at her words, nodding vigorously.

“And... seeing as you two survived, technically... I also won.” Stress smiles.

“Great job on eliminating everybody.”

“And going against your own kind, traitor.” False laughs.

“Oh, I’d murder the entire town to be with Impulse in a heartbeat.” Tango’s laugh vibrates through Impulse’s own chest. It tugs at his heart, calling a laugh of his own to escape.

“Y’know... I did consider the alternative.”

“What?”

“Kill Impulse, sneakily, in the end. But then we’d both die, and I really don’t like the prospect of that... “

“I thought about all possible options.” Impulse says. “But somehow the option of being killed never crossed my mind.”

“It’d be tragically romantic, though.” False shrugs.

“Yeah, but... I couldn’t.” Tango says, turning his attention to Impulse. His eyes are warm and there’s a hint of... of love and adoration in his eyes. The sudden attention sends chills up Impulse’s spine.

“Well... I don’t think we can top this game. At least not tonight.” 

“I agree.”

“So do I.” Ren says. Then he jumps up on the couch in an effort to look taller, and addresses everybody in the room. “Alright, my fellow hermits, that concludes our games night!” They all cheer or make some other form of noise.

“Thank you all for coming, feel free to stick around, and I hope to see you all next week!”

“Man... Scar and Cub were really missing out.”

“Imagine if we got X and Etho to play as well!”

"Imagine the chaos!"

“Then maybe the piper could be added, too!”

“And more wolves!”

“Move wolves!!!” Grian cheers.

“Ren, I gotta say, bro. Well done on the storytelling.”

“Naw... Thanks, my dude!“

“Next time let’s do something with aliens!” 

“Yeah! Aliens who, like, take control of the host’s mind, and there’s more and more of them each night!” 

“That’s ridiculous, Mumbo.” Grian laughs.

Impulse takes a minute just to take it all in. It’s all quite overwhelming. The excitement buzzing from everybody around, the relief of all the tension from the game. The game that they just won. And the fact that Tango still had his arm wrapped around him. Warm. Safe. 

Then Tango turns to Impulse, a lovely smile on his face.

“Well... That certainly was something.”

Impulse nods. “That was awesome. We work great together.”

“Great job on picking up on my hints.” He smirks.

“Great job on not making them obvious!” Impulse retaliates.

“I’m serious, Impulse. I- How could you never have realized?”

Impulse frowns. “What do you mean?”

Now it was Tango’s turn to look flustered, the color red creeping up on his cheeks.

“Well... Iskall may have been quite dense, but... all this time, I- I... “

Then Impulse realizes what Tango is trying to say. He gasps because it's exactly the thing he’s been struggling to get himself to say, too.

Tango’s face is beetroot red, and Impulse smiles up at him.

“Do you want to, maybe... go somewhere? Together?” 

Impulse is nodding at him before he even finishes his question. Tango lets out a sigh of relief, and holds out his hand. Impulse takes it, and they turn to leave.

Somebody, Impulse can’t see who, behind them wolf-whistles. How appropriate, he thinks.

Ren looks through his window as he sees two people leave. Even if the moon didn’t provide enough light for him to see, he could guess who they are.

They walk up to the little boardwalk, but before they get in a boat, Tango pulls Impulse in for another embrace. Impulse looks up at Tango and... pecks his lips quickly. Ren can make out a flustered expression on Tango’s face, which quickly evolves into a grin before he dives back in. Ren averts his gaze, turning his attention back to the room full of hermits. He'd hear all about it in the morning, he's sure.

“And as the moon shines down on the two lovers, the tale of Hermit’s Hollow doesn’t end in a complete tragedy. The two leave the town together, looking for a place where they can love each other freely. Where are they going? Where will they end up? What might the rest of this night bring them? Who’s to say...”