Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Please remember I am not transphobic or homophobic, this story is just for the angst of it and meant to be a journey where Gem feels safe by the end of the book.

YOU CAN SKIP OVER THIS PART, IT'S NOT FULLY NEEDED TO READ THE BOOK

(THOUGH I DO RECOMMEND COMING BACK TO THE DICTIONARY)

Please look over the following themes of the story and if any of these make you uncomfortable, you are free to leave.

This story includes the following:

- Transphobia, Homophobia, Biphobia

- Physical and Mental Abuse

- Self Harm

- Weapons

- Mentions of Death

- Murder

-  Mentions of S/A (s3xual abu$e) (i will not write a scene with S/A, just parts hinting towards it)

- Angst

- Betrayal

- Online Friends

- Underage Drinking/Smoking

- Bullying (and cyberbullying)

- Threatening

- Censored(?) Swears

- Trauma and PTSD

- Panic Attacks

- Death

Now that those are listed and put out there, on with the.. other stuff.

Explaining Things

Deer Hybrids

The Whitetail deer is a species of deer where the bucks (males) get antlers while the doe (females) don't. Shedding takes place from mid-January to mid-April, but most mature bucks in good physical condition have dropped their antlers by the end of February. The younger bucks are slower to shed their antlers.
Deer hybrids have two legs. (because some people think they might be centaurs)

Deer Language (Antlerese)
Did I make a whole language for this book? Yes. Yes I did.

The deer hybrids have their own language, mostly made up of terms of endeernment. Though you can form a simple sentence with these words, it's not normal to go around speaking only in Antlerese (deer language. Hehe i like the name).

The Antlerese Dictionary (the parts in italics are spoken as deer vocals [like louder deer noises])

- Xrayuah (ss-ra-yu-augh) [no plural]
meaning "sweetheart" or "sweet"

- Swunyeihre (ss-woo-n-yay-hre) [plural: swunyeihree (ss-woo-n-yay-huree)
meaning "little one" or "child". ex: ' I saw swunyeihree ' (I saw children).
When paired with Xrayuah, it means "sweet child", or "kind one". ex: ' Thank you, swunyeihre-xrayuah '

- Rixaasr (ree-ks-auh-sir) [no plural]
used as an insult. Not necessarily a word. ex: ' You RIXAASR! ' (You DIRTBAG/SH*TBAG) or (You're FULL OF CRAP)
meaning "dirtbag", "sh*tbag", "full of crap". Often used in bar fights or duels. 

- Frauern (fur-aw-earn) [plural: frauerna (fur-aw-earn-ah)
another word for "female" or "doe", used commonly to describe young adult doe (the hot blonde b*tchy ones).
ex: ' a group of frauerna ' (a group of young adult females) [the ones ready/almost ready to mate]

- Frallurn (fur-all-earn) [plural: frallurno (fur-all-earn-no)
another word for "male" or "buck", used commonly to describe young adult bucks (mostly the troublemaking type).
ex: ' a group of frallurno ' (a group of young adult males) [the ones ready/almost ready to mate]

- Thahr (thar) [plural: thahrsre (thar-sir-ee)
meaning herd, or family.

- Vrix (vuh-ricks) [no plural]
meaning proud, satisfied, to be proud of.

- Reedthahr (reed-thar) [no plural]
an insult, meaning "disgrace" or "disgrace to the herd/family".
considered EXTREMELY rude. (like saying the n-word if you're white)
if said to doe by a buck, said buck will be imprisoned for a week

- Vrixthahr (vuh-ricks-thar) [no plural]
meaning "proud" or "satisfied"
also means "proud family member" "I'm proud of you"

- Shrooxahr (sh-roo-ks-ah-er) [no plural]

Extra Facts

Male children (swunyeihree/young bucks) are taught how to duel in schools, starting at 13 and ending at 16. They wear safety gear, like protective helmets and foam on their antlers, because since it's training they don't want to hurt eachother.

16 is the legal age to be able to actually duel, because once you turn 15-16 you start feeling the urge to mate. (this leads to a bunch of uncomfortable moments, and mating when 15 is actually a crime)

The females are a bit taller and stronger than the males naturally, so when it's almost mating season they can fight them off and intimidate them until they are ready to mate.

For mating season, the herd of teens and adults (teens and adults do not mate with eachother, it's illegal) goes to a more private place, a flower field or two away from the town.

Older adults start to stop feeling the urge to mate in their late 40's, early 50's and 60's. Once this happens they don't go to migrate for mating season.

The bucks in their teens are jerks and have little respect for their elders, leading to plenty of bar fights. You'd be surprised how many bar fights these deer get into.

If someone in the village has a scar or two and is a deer hybrid, it's automatically assumed the scar(s) are from a bar fight.

All the deer hybrids have 3 fingers. Like dragonborns from DnD, but they have hooved fingers. They have hooves on their feet, and the back of the feet are almost natural high heels.

The whole village/town is considered a herd to a single hybrid, but if it leaves or is banished from the herd, it thinks of the people it's close to as it's herd.

It's impossible for a deer hybrid to grow blonde hair, so dyeing it blonde is very flashy and considered cool. You'll see plenty of dyed hair in a deer hybrid village.

And... that's it, I suppose!

Enjoy the story!

:)

Chapter Text

-

Gem flipped through the dresses and skirts on the clothing rack, admiring their beautiful colours and patterns. He stopped at the sight of a gorgeous pink dress, with white laces on the sleeves and darker pink swirls all over it. It had two white buttons near the top, and it was perfect.

He took the hanger with the dress on it, and held it in front of him, looking into the mirror. A wide, happy smile placed itself on his face.

"Hey, kid." The cashier caught his attention. She was a doe with long golden-brown hair, maybe in her mid twenties, with a scowl on her face.

"Those dresses there are for girls, like me. Boys, like you, don't wear them." she said, pointing at him with one of her three clawed fingers.

"Oh!" He looked down at the clothing in his hooves, gently smoothing over some of the ruffled up laces. "But... I kind of like it."

The woman looked like she was going to argue back when Gem's mother, who happened to be both taller and visibly stronger, slammed a hand on the paying desk, frightening the cashier slightly.

"Oh, let him have it," She sounded almost tired. "It's just a phase he'll grow out of anyways."

Gem was too happy to notice the swear the cashier uttered as she pressed numbers into the register, but his mother wasn't.

"Care to repeat that?" She gave the woman a deadly glare, her claws nearly scraping the glass and alerting the other shoppers' sensitive ears.

"N-Nothing. Would you... like the receipt?" Gem's mother snatched the piece of paper from the other doe's hoof, turning and walking back to Gem.

"Thanks, mum." Gem smiled, hoping he wouldn't be scolded for wanting the dress.

"Of course." Instead of what he was expecting, his mother's tone was gentle and sweet and she knelt down, running a hand gently over Gem's head. "Anything for my swunyeihree-xrayuah"

Gem beamed up at his mom. She might be tired from time to time, but she tried her best to be an amazing mother.

"Mum! MUM! Can I get this shirt?!" Gem's twin brother, Scott, ran towards the two, holding a blue T-shirt with a red rocket on it.

Mum laughed lightheartedly. "Yeah, sure. Go put it on the counter and wait for me, I'll grab some more stuff." She stood and picked some ear piercings for herself, then walked towards the counter and placed them beside Scott's shirt.

Gem followed, hugging his dress close to his chest. He couldn't wait to get home and try it on.

The bells jingled as the family of three left the store, Mum holding the glass door so her boys could pass.

Gem and Scott giggled, holding their new clothes and chatting with eachother.

Mum walked just behind them, her long ginger hair gently swaying in the breeze. Every step she took made a soft click against the stones embedded into the ground as a path.

The air was humid and the clouds above them darkened. Their home was only minutes away when the first few drops began to fall. Soon it was raining softly, but the deer hybrids didn't seem to mind. They carried on as normal, nearly ignoring the rain unless it prevented them from continuing their current activities.

Gem blinked and shook the rain from his ears. His home was to the right of the path, and he pulled his brother with him inside.

The interior of the small house wasn't much, but it was comfortable. When you walked in, there was a soft gray rug under your hooves, and hooks to hang coats and keys on the wall to your left. if you continued right, you'd see a spacious kitchen, complete with an island and stools to sit on. Turning left past that, there was the back of a couch facing you. Beyond the couch was another rug, this one black and circular, a coffee table, an armchair, and two shelves full of board games. Tucked into the corner past that was a set of pale wooden stairs that lead up to the bedrooms and the TV room.

Gem ran to the coffee table and lay his dress out flat, smoothing over the fabrics and brushing off the raindrops. He let out a sigh of relief when it wasn't ruined.

Scott, beside him, had his own shirt in one arm. He seemed more concerned over the fact Gem's dress might be ruined than if his own article of clothing was wet. Once he confirmed the dress was okay, he excitedly asked,

"Wanna play dress-up?!"

Gem gasped, "YES!" He squealed and grabbed his dress, following Scott up the staircase to their rooms.

Once up the staircase, there was a rug over dark wooden flooring. Two doors to the left marked where Gem and Scott's rooms were. 

Scott's door was decorated with dinosaur stickers and pictures of a bee hybrid playing the electric guitar. The bee hybrid had bright blonde hair with darker streaks in it that shone in the lighting of the concert. His wings were splayed out behind him, glittering with red, yellow, purple, and blue lights of glowsticks from the crowd.

Gem's door was painted to look like vines, and it was covered in a mix of shiny and puffy stickers, some cool leaves he'd found, and pictures of mushrooms and wild animals Gem took himself with a camera he got for his birthday a year ago.

Mum's door was off to the side by a bookshelf. It was a plain coffee-brown door with some lighter brown star shapes scattered around it and a mirror just beside it. Even hers was decorated.

Scott took Gem by the hand and dragged him to the middle of the room, leaving him there while he went to find the costume bin under an old couch in the corner. He got down on his knees and pulled it out, setting it on the couch and opening it.

"Can we play fairytale?!" Gem asked, holding his dress delicately.

"Can I be a dragon?" Scott countered, pulling out the dragon costume (a hat with horns and a tail with a velcro strap).

"Yeah! I'll be the princess!" Gem ran to the mirror and slipped on his new dress, gasping at how gorgeous he looked. He twirled a few times and giggled, running his hooves gently over the swirls and buttons.

"GRR!" Scott exclaimed, his feet spread apart as he wore the dragon costume.

"AAH!" Gem squealed, climbing on top of the couch. "Don't attack me! This is my tower!"

"ROARRR! I'M GONNA EAT YOUUU!"

"OH NOOOOO!" Gem flopped dramatically onto the arm of the couch. "Wait. We don't have someone to be the prince!" He said, and Scott nodded slowly, thinking.

"Can a princess also be a hero?" Scott wondered.

Gem was quiet. He hummed in thought before gasping excitedly. "Let's ask Mum!"

The two jumped up and ran down the stairs. Gem accidentally bumped into Scott when he stopped suddenly. "Ow! What-"

"Shh! Mum's on the phone." He said, stepping aside so Gem could see.

Their mother's face was twisted in anger as she shouted into the phone. "No, you don't! You fucking made me raise these kids on my own-"

Gem gasped quietly, covering his mouth. Mum swore. That must mean she's very angry.

"DON'T YOU INTERRUPT ME." She growled, slamming a hand on the kitchen counter. "You piece of- you rixaasr! I've dealt with two boys for five years on my own, and suddenly you want to jump in?!"

"Who's she talking to?" Gem asked quietly. At some point his hand slipped into Scott's, but he didn't mind.

"I dunno."

"Reedthahr." She hissed, "Have fun with your new GIRLFRIEND!" She spat it like it was rotten food, hanging up angrily.

Gem thought he could see steam rising from his mother's hair.

"M-mummy?" He asked, terrified for his life as she looked over. She didn't do anything bad. She just sighed, and sat down at the table. "Come here, kids." She murmured in a soft voice, visibly exhausted.

Gem and Scott rushed forwards, and Mum pulled them into a hug. "It's okay. Mummy was just yelling at Daddy. He's a very bad man."

"Okay, mum. I love you!" Gem met her copper eyes with his own emerald.

"I love you too, boys."

-

ok that's all I have from the one week phase where I was obsessed with writing this. byeee