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THUD!
Nathaniel shoots up from his slumber with a gasp, his eyes darting around the darkened bedroom for what could have made that sound.
"What was that?" He turns on his bedside lamp to look around but finds nothing. But right as he turns it back off, he hears,
THUD!
-And turns the lamp back on before turning it back off when the noise stops. However, Marc can't help but be roused from his sleep. "Nathaniel, dear? Would you like me to see what's causing the ruckus?" Getting a nod in response, Marc gets out of his bed and goes to look out the window.
"What do you see?" Nathaniel asks with the covers pulled close to him.
"Only your beautiful roses and nothing else," Marc answers, his black and white eyes scanning the yard. "You have absolutely no reason to be frightened-"
THUD!
Marc hurriedly leaps back into bed and pulls the covers over his head. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Nathaniel giving him an unimpressed look. "Uh... You know, at work, I heard Aurore and Mireille discussing a few unsavory characters settling in the neighborhood. Who knows what they might be up to? Robbing houses, vandalizing property-
"-Making objects appear out of thin air, reversing people's traits," Nathaniel adds.
"Oh, Nath, I'm sure they weren't talking about us. We've been very careful with our powers."
THUD!
With a yelp, Nathaniel hastily turns his lamp on and whips out a pencil and pad from his nightstand drawer. With it, he draws a bigger bed for him and Marc to sleep in together. The two waste no time climbing in and hiding under the sheets. "One of us should really take a look," he whimpers.
"Yes," Marc nods. "ONE of us should." It's a staring contest between the two that Nathaniel loses. Mustering up his courage, he shakily draws the bedroom curtains before erasing them. The curtains disappear, and Nathaniel can clearly see the tree branches moving with the wind and hitting the window.
"... We handled that well," Nathaniel chirps. His lips curl into a smirk. "And, I must say, I am enjoying sharing a bed with you." Marc wears a matching smirk and points to the lamp, saying, "From light to dark. Reversion."
"Marc, which cardigan looks better? Left or right?"
Marc opens his mouth about to say something but stops short when he sees that both cardigans are exactly the same- in color, neckline, and number of buttons. "Nath, those are identical."
Nathaniel rolls his eyes. "Leave it to the monochrome man to not know his colors. One is orchid and one is amethyst," he says as if it were obvious.
"Ah, of course. How could I miss that?" Marc ties his tie as he looks the cardigans over and tries to tell which is which. "Uh... I guess... Orchid?" He points to the one in Nathaniel's left hand and is met with an eye roll.
"This is clearly amethyst. Come on, Marc." He sets the cardigans down on the armrest of the sofa and helps Marc straighten his tie. "Sorry, I'm just a bit nervous. I want to make a good first impression with Austin Armbruster and the rest of the event planning committee, and I'm all over the place."
As if responding to his inner turmoil, several items of furniture in the room disappear and reappear in different areas. The lamps are now on the stairs, the television is on the couch, and the armchair is now in the dining room. As he and Marc got acquainted with their new neighbors, they helped the couple learn the ins and outs of the town of Dans Le Placard, especially the people on the event planning committee. Those are the people you want to make a good first impression with, especially Austin Armbruster. For Nathaniel, being in his inner circle is just one step closer to him and Marc seeming like a normal couple.
Marc chuckles. "I'll say." He points to his tie, which Nathaniel has tied into a strange-looking bow tie, much to his frustration. "Love, it's fine. Come here." Nathaniel instantly falls into his arms as Marc rubs circles on his back. "Everything will go perfectly, and you are going to knock everyone's socks off. You're a delight, after all."
"It's more than that. It's about... Appearing as normal as possible," Nathaniel emphasizes. "Doing our neighborly duty and participating with the neighbors. Me, with the event committee, and you with the neighborhood watch, stopping trees from tapping against windows."
"Oh! Thanks for the reminder." With one last squeeze, he kisses the top of Nathaniel's head. "From strange to normal. Reversion!" He points to himself and in an instant, his black-and-white skin, hair, and eyes become more normal colors. "I better be off. Someone's got to make sure the town's security is up to date." Nathaniel beams and tilts his head up to kiss him right before Marc heads out.
Now alone, he picks the identical cardigans back up and looks at one with a discerning gaze. "How could he mistake this for orchid?"
Although dressed and ready to head out, Nathaniel just can't find it in himself to leave yet without fluffing one of the couch pillows. Who knows? He might have company over. Mid-fluff, he hears a crash coming from outside.
He walks outside, and there he spots it in his rose bushes. Nathaniel stands in the middle of the stone walkway, doing nothing but staring intently at the... At the toy helicopter- the red toy helicopter.
Taking a tentative step forward, he pulls the toy out of the bushes by one of its blades, holding it as if it will burn his whole hand. This... Isn't right. It shouldn't be this way. It's supposed to be like everything else, not this splash of... Color.
Nathaniel spends a lot of time staring at the toy that he doesn't notice until he hears,
"Look, it's the star o' the show!" At the sound of Austin T's voice, Nathaniel drops the toy back into the rose bushes, the foliage managing to hide the offending object. But for how long? "Well, let's get a move on. Austin A waits for no one, y'know." He holds out his arm that isn't holding the container of muffins, and Nathaniel, plastering on a smile, links his arm with his as they go down the sidewalk.
"Get ready to meet the Queen of the Cul de Sac and his Merry Homemakers."
"Oh, Austin T, I'm sure Austin A is plenty nice," Nathaniel says as they approach the large two-story home.
"Well, you'll notice his roses bloom under penalty of death," the brunette smirks before turning serious. "A bit of friendly advice, one homemaker to another. Austin A is the key to everything in this town. Country club memberships, lavish parties, school admissions... Marriage licenses for the... Oddball couple."
Nathaniel blushes. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves."
"I'm just saying," Austin T continues. "If you get in with Austin A, you are set for life. Mind those P's and Q's, maybe bake a pie, and things will be perfect." He knocks on the door, and not a moment later, the blonde Austin answers, his smile brighter than any lamp.
"TeeTee, dear! I've missed you and your muffins," he chirps before glancing at the second guest. "Oh, and Nathaniel Kurtzberg. That is a darling amethyst cardigan. Someone's got taste. Well, don't just stand around, come on in and meet the gang." He ushers them inside and leads them into the living room.
Austin T whispers to Nathaniel, "And that's homemaker speak for, 'Welcome to hell, peons.'"
"The Rotary Club will be finishing up the stage set-up for the magic show very shortly," explains Kendra, her blonde braid swishing with her movements. As she speaks, Nathaniel carefully watches Austin A from across the living room, finding himself mimicking his actions from sipping his martini to crossing his legs. "... The gazebo's got a fresh coat of paint, and the decorations are looking gorgeous. And, if you notice the antique footlights, they're from my store."
Everyone murmurs amongst themselves, all positive things from what Nathaniel hears. Then it all stops when Austin A asks, "And the chairs?"
"... Oh. I didn't ask about the chairs."
The blonde throws his head back with an airy laugh. "Well, you better not ask me if you can chair any committees in the future." Everyone instinctively laughs at his wordplay while Kendra tries to take it in stride and quietly heads back to her seat. Austin T nudges Nathaniel in the arm and mouths, "I told you."
"Not to worry, dear, I will take care of them," Austin A. assures. "As you all know, the magic show is the sole fundraiser of DuPont Elementary... Not that those folks care to acknowledge it." As he talks, Austin T. passes Kendra a flask, and she wastes no time taking a large swig.
"... In the eight years since I founded..."
"Say, that cardigan is peachy keen," says another redhead passing a tray of cookies to Nathaniel, and he visibly relaxes.
"Oh, thank you. I was worried." At the sound of Austin A clearing his voice, the two straighten up and turn their attention back to him.
"Less chatter and more stuff that matters, fellas," he chirps with his pearly white smile and continues his spiel. "Remember, this is all for the children, especially for that one special little boy who just wanted to wear mother's pearls."
The other redhead shakes his head with a fond smile before a look of uncertainty crosses his features. "He sounds so sure of himself... I don't know what I'm doing here."
"I get that," Nathaniel whispers back. "I'm Nathaniel."
"Uh... I'm Austin Quinlan."
"And I'm irritated," Austin A says in a strained sing-song voice. "Anyway! Tickets for the show are sold out... This is when you clap." On cue, everyone claps until, "Now you can stop."
Victoria, slumped in their wheelchair, takes a swig of the flask Kendra passes to them. "How is anyone doing this sober?"
When he made it to Simon and Denise's home for the neighborhood watch meeting, Marc had been expecting to walk in on the other breadwinners discussing ways to keep the neighborhood safe from potential vandals, maybe talking about taking shifts to patrol the neighborhood or perhaps installing some fancy state of the art street cameras... This just feels like gossip hour.
"Now, you know how Austin A's been bragging about his homemade cookies?" Jean inquires. "Well, just the other day, I saw Little Miss Liar buying those same cookies from the store."
Spinelli smirks and points to him. "Hey now, that's my man you're talking about," he chides over the laughter.
"I'll do you one better," Zoé adds. "Did you know Kendra Anne whitens her teeth?"
Ismael snaps his fingers. "I knew it. No one's got a set that white."
"Oh, that's nothing." Everyone turns to see Marc, who they're now just noticing. He leaves them in suspense for a moment. "Aurore here's a heterosexual." After a beat, everyone in the room bursts into laughter and Simon pulls up a chair for him.
"I told you guys he wasn't a square," Simon laughs and pours Marc a glass. He, however, moves the glass before he can put it upright, resulting in Marc's wrist getting wet as he's reaching for his glass. "Now, who's bringing what to the barbecue later today?"
"Well, Mason's been experimenting with..."
Marc fervently tries to dry his wrist with a nearby napkin, only to deeply regret it when he feels that it's wet and the papery skin of his wrist disintegrates even more, leaving his still-dry hand hanging on by a thread until eventually...
"... Well, you know Austin T's bringing his muffins."
Marc puts his arms behind his back, attempting to look nonchalant as the others talk and hopefully don't notice his handless wrist or his hand scuttling out through the window.
"Goodness, I am so sorry for today, for seeming like a... Oh, what's the word?" Austin A laughs as he and Nathaniel collect plates. "A bit of a psycho!"
Nathaniel gives a warm smile in return. "It's quite understandable, and thanks for hanging back to talk. You know, I feel like we may have gotten off on the wrong foot, and-"
"Oh, I'm glad we have this chance to talk, Nathaniel," the blonde says, tilting his head slightly. "I've heard many things about you. Well, about you and your partner." For the briefest second, Nathaniel swears he sees his eye twitch.
"... I'm not sure what all you heard, but we're just like any other couple," Nathaniel says, his tone bordering assertive.
"... I don't believe you..." They never break each other's stares until they hear static coming over the radio and cutting off the song that's playing.
"Little kitty on a roof! Little kitty-" "Nathaniel?" "His lady-" "-aniel, can you hear me?"
"Who is that?... Why did he bring me here?" Austin A's breathing comes out in short breaths.
"Nathaniel?"
"Please! Please, I'm scared!"
"...ere's... your A... thaniel?"
CRASH!
Both gasp as the radio suddenly bursts into smoke. Amidst his surprise, Austin A accidentally shatters the glass in his hand with his grip. He and Nathaniel stare at each other for the longest time until Nathaniel notices the blood slowly seeping from his hand.
"Oh- oh, my goodness!" Nathaniel rushes to grab a paper towel and presses it on Austin A's wound. The blonde, for a moment, says nothing, looking as if he's recomposing himself before saying, "Pop quiz, Nathaniel."
As if nothing happened.
"How does a homemaker get a bloodstain out of white linen?... They do it themself," he chirps before heading away.
They say one is never fully dressed without two important accessories. That special someone on their arm... And their white gold-plated, sapphire-encrusted Lapin brand wristwatch. Lapin. She'll make time for you.
"Thank you, all so much for coming!" Austin A says into the microphone. "Remember, the magic show starts in five minutes, and if you haven't yet, be sure to donate a little something to DuPont Elementary!" A woman with a curly bob walking by pulls her son away from him. Austin A scoffs, "What a bitch."
"Your mic is still on," Victoria points out.
"... Of a show we have coming!"
"Nathaniel!" Marc catches up with him, panting while covering his arm with his vest. "We have a tiny problem."
Nathaniel eyes him suspiciously. "Define 'tiny.'"
"Uh, small, miniature-"
"Marc," he says sternly. After he looks around, Marc uncovers his arm and Nathaniel tries not to gasp when he sees that his hand is gone. "What happened?!" He whisper-screams. "Oh, gee. It's fine, I can fix this. I just need a pencil and paper."
"That only solves one problem," Marc says. "My wrist was the one to get wet, and now my hand is going about somewhere."
Nathaniel groans. "Of course, it is." His eyes narrow when he notices a bit of movement by the snack table. "There you are." Spotting a pencil on the sign-in table, he snags that before saying to Marc, "Sorry, sweetie." He takes Marc's arm and rolls up his sleeve, using his paper skin to draw his detached hand. However, the hand moves out of his line of sight before he can erase it. "Follow that hand."
It should be as easy as it seems, but Marc's hand is surprisingly quick on its' own, hiding behind displays or on an unnoticing someone's person before scuttling off again, and Marc and Nathaniel are left trying to keep everything under wraps from the guests. Nathaniel has had quite enough, though.
"That's it," he declares and rubs his hands together. A mass of black ink seeps from his palms and drips onto the ground, forming a small blob-like substance. "After it." The ink blob slinks around peoples' legs and any decor, occasionally dripping on the ground, not that anyone notices. The ink blob soon corners the hand by the snack table, pouncing on it with incredible speed before it can run off again, and successfully dissolving it.
Nathaniel grins. "Gotcha."
"Yes!" Amidst his excitement, Marc's blazer falls off his arm, revealing his missing hand for everyone around to see.
"Goodness, Marc! What happened to your hand?" Reshma asks.
Slowly, more eyes are focusing on them as Marc stammers for an excuse. That is until Nathaniel notices, Jean, sharply dressed and in a top hat. "And that was just the opening act from our amazing magician, Jean Duparc, and his assistant, Ismael Prisk! Give 'em a hand, folks! Literally!" Subtly, he taps the drawing he made of Marc's hand with the tip of his pencil, and before everyone's eyes, Marc's hand reappears, getting everyone to applaud as they believe it's all part of Jean and Ismael's show.
"Oh, my gosh, people are clapping for me, and I did nothing but look gorgeous!" Jean grins and waves to the crowd.
Night falls quickly. Marc and Nathaniel return home after a long day at the block party, both sighing with relief as it's all over.
"What was I so worried about?" Nathaniel asks himself. Marc, back to his monochrome skin, sits down on the couch with him. "We fit in just fine."
Marc smiles and taps him on the nose. "What have I been telling you, dear?"
"Hush." Nathaniel giggles as Marc starts kissing his neck. "Well, I can think of some people who don't find us normal," he says in a somber tone as he recalls the judgemental looks of some guests from outside the neighborhood.
"Those people? Nathaniel, that's only their fear and ignorance talking," Marc assures. "We are every bit- if not more- as normal as they are. And I don't want you to forget it." He captures Nathaniel's lips for a chaste but loving kiss, but then suddenly pulls Nathaniel into his arms when he hears a loud sound coming from outside. A look of annoyance across his face, he stands. "If it's that blasted tree again, I will reverse its roots!"
Nathaniel follows him outside and onto the sidewalk, both not seeing anything in the dimly illuminated streets of the neighborhood. They then hear the strange sound again, not coming from anywhere in the streets, but... Up.
They tilt their heads upward. If not for the bright stars and the moon, they couldn't tell that the dark sky was rippling.
The sky only returns to normal when something falls and lands on the ground.
A toy yoyo.
"... No," is all Nathaniel utters.
"We are every bit- if not more- as normal as they are," Marc assures Nathaniel. "And I don't want you to forget it." He captures Nathaniel's lips for a chaste kiss. While they're in each other's embrace, Marc notices something on Nathaniel's face... Color. "Nath..."
They marvel as these red sparkles sweep across the walls, the furniture, and even them, leaving their black-and-white environment completely colorized. When the magical force that did this leaves everything in color, Nathaniel stares in awe at his colorized attire before looking into Marc's beautiful green eyes. They embrace once more as the radio plays in the background.
…
"Little kitty on a roof!"
…
…
"'Cause it was us against the world
But what do I do when you're not around?"
..
"Nathaniel?"
..
..
"Without you, I'd drown~"
.
.
"Nathaniel? We're getting you out, Nathaniel!"
.
"Waiting for you..."