Chapter Text
Grace was startled awake by her loud alarm clock. She had been in the middle of a wonderful dream, one that was quickly erased from her consciousness as she started to wake up more.
She heard noises coming from the other rooms - people arguing, the hum of the waffle maker that sent the aroma of food into the air, the TV playing morning cartoons. Those sounds had become somewhat of a comfort to her, knowing she wasn’t alone. Although she wasn’t sure if she would call the things in her apartment “roommates”. They came and went as they pleased. But Grace always looked forward to the mornings when they were all together.
Grace left her room, still in her pajamas, to find Blinky and Pokey sitting on the couch, focused on the TV.
“Morning, you two,” Grace said, stretching her arms.
“Morning,” Blinky replied, idly playing with the drawstrings of their hoodie. Their orange hair was down in a long, tangled mess, as if they too had just rolled out of bed.
Pokey, on the other hand, seemed ready for the day, as usually.
He ignored her, focused on Phineas and Ferb. Grace sat down on the couch between them and yawned. Judging by what was on TV and the Lords’ schedule they’d developed, breakfast would be ready any moment. Nibbly made the best breakfast in the world, and he could make anything. Grace preferred waffles, which Nibbly gladly offered with extra syrup.
Also in the kitchen, Wiggy and Tinky could be heard arguing about something unintelligible.
Grace turned to Blinky. “What are they talking about?”
Blinky shrugged, not looking up. “Don’t know. They’ve been at it all morning.”
Pokey said, “Yes, and I wish they would SHUT THE FUCK UP!”
Wiggly and Tinky’s voices both stopped at this. Wiggly popped his head through the doorway, causing Grace to giggle at the bitter expression on his face.
“Well, if somebody didn’t stop singing during their useless 4 am shower,” Wiggly shot back.
This time, Blinky snorted, and he and Grace exchanged an amused look. Wiggly and Pokey had a glaring contest before Blinky pulled themselves off the couch.
“What the fuck are you and Tinky yapping about, anyway?” he asked. “I haven’t seen this type of argument since you caught on that he made daylight savings happen four times in one year.”
Grace looked at him in surprise. “Did that really happen?”
Tinky strolled into the living room. “Ah, the year 1955. That was fun.”
“It was madness,” said Wiggly.
“It’s what we do,” Blinky reminded him.
Pokey groaned. “Can you all have this conversation in the other room? I’m trying to watch this.”
Rolling his eyes, Wiggly turned his attention to Grace and motioned for her to follow. Blinky helped her off the couch, and they walked into the kitchen, where the smell of food filled the air and made Grace’s mouth water. Grace sat down at the table.
Wiggly picked up a newspaper and sat down with a cup of coffee, his eyes squinting, reading it as if he were an old man.
Tinky tapped Grace on the shoulder to get her attention before pointing at the coffee mug. “ That is what we were arguing about.”
Looking between them, Grace asked, “The coffee?”
Tinky nodded. “When Wiggly drinks too much caffeine, he can get a little… hyper?”
“Manic,” Blinky suggested.
“That’s the right word,” said Tinky.
Wiggly ignored them, his lips pursed in annoyance.
Nibbly strolled in, holding a large plate of waffles for Grace. “Here you go, Gracie! I even mixed blueberries in.”
Grace smiled at him. “Thank you. Blinky, can you pass the syrup over there?”
Blinky tossed the bottle of syrup to Grace, who just barely caught it. Nibbly stared at the plate of food while Grace poured the syrup onto it. They licked their lips, but said nothing.
“You’d better not be thinking about eating the neighbor’s cat, again,” Blinky said.
“Of coooouuurse not,” Nibbly said. “I was actually thinking of eating the landlord.”
“Gross,” Tinky commented.
“It would delay the rent this month,” Wiggly noted, to which they all considered.
Grace shook her head, smiling. “No need. There’s actually a coworker who won’t get off my back. I’ll lure him into a store room in the CCRP building and summon you. He’s very hungry for a promotion.” The Rec Building and the CCRP Offices were connected.
Nibbly giggled. “Hmmm, hungry…”
Wiggly shook his head. “Just don’t forget the book this time. Otherwise, one of us will have to bring it to you.”
“Oh, I’m not doing that,” Blinky said. “It’s raining out.”
Grace nodded. “It’s on the table by the door. I haven’t forgotten it in a while.”
Blinky winced. “I don’t think it’s a great idea to keep it by the door. What if someone walks in?”
Wiggly shrugged. “Since when does anyone come here?” He looked at Grace. “No offense.”
Grace smiled shyly. “Well, you guys like to come here.”
Pokey walked in as she said this, and the five Lords exchanged glances. Grace couldn’t read the look on their faces, especially because there were five of them. There were times when Grace wished she could read their minds. The Lords worked in mysterious ways. There were always mixed signals; it was something she had gotten used to after three years of being around them.
She liked to think the reason they’d kept her around for so long was because they liked being around her. Why else would they show up at her apartment three mornings a week? But Grace also remembered she was the one carrying out their deeds.
But she couldn’t deny she didn’t enjoy having The Lords in Black around, too.
Instead of commenting, Wiggly sniffed, adjusting the newspaper. “We all have things to do today. Eat your breakfast and start getting ready for work.” There was the Wiggly she knew.
Grace turned to Nibbly, who smiled and rolled his eyes. “Eat up, Gracie!”
Grace wasted no time eating the waffles, which were the fluffiest, sweetest, most delicious things she had ever tasted. The blueberries were an amazing touch. For some reason, Nibbly knew where to get fresh fruit and real maple syrup.
After finishing her breakfast, she went to the bathroom and took a quick shower, then put a towel over her body and headed to her room.
Blinky just so happened to be sitting on her bed, looking at the phone he always seemed to be carrying around. Grace always wondered if the phone even worked the way a normal cell phone would. She had even asked him a few times. Blinky never answered, simply laughing at an unspoken joke and winking at her over his glasses. Grace started to fear what he had on that phone.
Because of all his eyes, Grace understood privacy was never Blinky’s thing. However, they usually left Grace alone unless they wanted to discuss something with them. Unfortunately, those times happened to be Grace’s most vulnerable moments.
Grace faced away from Blinky, who was occupied by their phone anyway, as she got dressed.
“Are you sure you don’t want to take the day off today?” Blinky asked.
Grace turned her head towards him slightly. “Huh?”
“What do you mortals call it? ‘Raining cats and dogs?’ Nobody wants to go to a theme park in the rain. They’re all afraid of lightning striking one of the rides. Please. That’s the least dangerous thing that could happen there.”
“So, are you staying here today?”
“Yeah. Pokey claimed Drowsy Town for himself for the day. Something about needing the Sniggles to rehearse for one of his bullshit musicals.”
Grace shrugged. “I was actually thinking about leaving work early. Depends on how fast I can feed that coworker to Nibbly.”
Blinky laughed, getting off the bed as Grace finished dressing. Grabbing the brush on the dresser, Blinky combed it through his long, tangled orange hair. They hadn’t changed their look much since the first time Grace had seen them. While The Lords in Black no longer looked like high schoolers, Blinky and Nibbly more often kept their feminine appearance. Grace wondered if it was because that's how she saw them first, and they kept it that way to not screw with their image in her mind. Obviously, after three years of knowing them, Grace had seen each of the Lords take many forms - female, male, neither. But Blinky usually looked like the orange-haired girl with a purple hoodie that Grace had come to know him as.
“You’re staring,” Blinky said, and Grace’s face turned red. Blinky looked at her over his sunglasses. “And there are bags under your eyes. I think the coffee is still hot. Go get some before Wiggly drinks it all.” He sighed. “I guess I’m gonna have to deal with him today.”
Grace raised an eyebrow. “Why would you have to deal with him?”
Shrugging a shoulder, Blinky answered, “I think he's been bored. Happens every few hundred years. The coffee is always a warning sign…” Too confused to respond, Grace just stared at him. Blinky just laughed again, setting the hairbrush on the dresser. “Better not to question it. Trying to understand would break your little mortal brain.”
Grace pouted. There was a lot she didn’t understand. She knew she had asked this question many times before, but she asked again, “I don’t get it. We’re not at a Black Altar, and yet you all can go wherever you please without being summoned. How?”
Blinky tilted his head. “We’ve told you before: you feed us, we gain more power, and in return, you get power. That’s the simplest way we can put it.”
“So, you’re connected to me?”
“We’re connected to everything, Gracie. We’re gods. Thanks to you, our reach has become further; it’s always worked that way. With the strength given to us by our worshipers, it helps us reach out further, beyond The Black and White. How the hell do you think I was able to set up Watcher World? But to try and answer your question, yes, we are connected to you and your place. You let us in here, so we’re allowed to stay.”
Grace was tempted to ask again if they liked being there in the first place. But she knew if they didn’t answer before, why would they answer now?
“Well, then, what are you going to do today? While you’re here with Wiggly?”
“Most likely, stop him from ruining the apartment in his caffeinated high. You’re welcome, by the way. Now, go get some coffee before he drinks it all.” Blinky pushed Grace out of her own room.
Not seeing Wiggly, Nibbly, or Pokey on her way to the kitchen, Tinky was waiting for her by the coffee pot as if he were guarding it. There was still a lot in the pot. Grace went over and poured herself a small cup. It was Tinky who finally convinced her to drink coffee instead of hot water at the legal age of twenty-one. It changed her whole life, helping her wake up and get things done faster. After a few months of spending her days rushing around, then passing out, Grace learned that one cup in the morning doesn’t hurt.
“What exactly do you do on rainy days?” Tinky asked. “It’s not like you can go outside with those little brats of yours.”
Grace shook her head. “No, day camp was canceled because of the weather. I’m just going to be planning some events.”
Tinky sighed. “Ah, camp. Ted told me all about the horrors of Abstinence Camp.”
Gasping, Grace said, “Abstinence Camp was great. You got unlimited graham crackers!”
“WHAT?!” Nibbly shouted, running into the room. “What is this about the unlimited graham crackers you speak of?”
Grace took a sip of coffee. “Graham crackers were originally made to be an anti-aphrodisiac.”
“Did it work?”
“I don’t actually know.”
Nibbly placed a hand on Tinky’s shoulder, having to reach up high. “Tinky, you and I have an experiment to do today.”
Grace laughed.
Tinky said, “Better get going, Gracie. You’re going to be late.”
Quickly looking at the clock on the wall, Grace realized it was already 8:30 pm.
“Oh, cheese and crackers!” she said, chugging the rest of her coffee and running to the apartment entryway.
Behind her, Nibbly called, “What about cheese and crackers?!”
Passing through the living room, Grace saw Pokey watching a synchronized dance on TV, as if studying it. She remembered what Blinky said about Pokey training the Sniggles for something. He must have noticed her watching him, because he slowly turned to her.
Grace hesitated. “I’m about to head to work.”
“Okay…”
Why was talking to Pokey always so awkward? Who was Grace kidding? Talking to any of them was awkward.
“Hey, I was thinking of doing some Zumba classes at the Rec Center. But I doubt I would be able to do it without dancing headfirst into the giant mirror.”
“Most likely,” he agreed bluntly.
Grace took a breath. “I was wondering if you could give me some tips. Maybe teach me a few dances.”
Pokey looked at her, his eyebrows pitched. At first, Grace was about to say “never mind” until he sighed and turned back to the TV. “I’ll see if I have the time.”
Well, it wasn’t a “no”.
Grace went to the entryway, making sure her bag was packed, before walking out the door.
Outside, on the covered landing, Wiggly stood, holding The Black Book out. Grace’s eyes widened.
“Gosh darn it!” she said, taking the book from him. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t say sorry to me,” Wiggly said. “But I doubt Nibbly would forgive you if you forgot his snack.”
Grace nodded.
Surprisingly, as she started walking out of the apartment complex and onto the rainy streets, Wiggly followed her. They were quiet for a while, the sound of the rain on hot pavement and an occasional clap of thunder in the distance creating a dreary atmosphere.
Wiggly walked fast, most likely due to the caffeine, so Grace had to struggle to keep up. People around them moved slowly, some struggling with their umbrellas, while others trudged along, getting soaked during their own commute.
“You know,” Wiggly said, “this isn’t too different from what Drowsy Town is like.”
From the little Grace knew about Drowsy Town, this made sense - dark, wet, and sad. No wonder The Lords in Black were in Hatchetfield so often. Maybe they got sick of ruling their realm for so long, they decided to take a break. Maybe their invading Grace’s apartment three times a week was just a quick vacation from their everyday lives.
Grace knew she would never understand how The Lords in Black worked. She could study The Black Book - memorize every spell and ritual, dedicate her life to worshiping them and feeding them souls, and even spend her free time with them. And yet, after three years, she was still left in the dark.
“When I die,” Grace started to ask, “will you bring me to Drowsy Town, too?”
Wiggly turned to her, grinning. “We haven’t decided yet. Why? Would you like to go? Why would you want to spend eternity with us when you’re already doing it in life?”
Grace hesitated. She suddenly regretted asking that question. It might be one she didn’t want the answer to. At least, not until the time came. But Wiggly offered her a sympathetic look, which was still just as unsettling.
“I just… I’ve dedicated three years of my life to you,” Grace said quietly. “And you’ve been nothing but fair to me. All of you still scare me, though.”
“I will admit, we’re hesitant to say you have anything to do with our goals. We could easily replace you.” Wiggly paused for a moment before continuing, “But we won’t. You’ve been the best follower to us since Willabella.”
Grace nodded. “Your first disciple.”
“Precisely. And let me tell you something that if you repeat to the others, I will indeed take your soul to Drowsy Town. Blinky likes watching you, Nibbly likes cooking for you, Tinky likes helping you manage your schedule, and even Pokey likes it when you ask him how to dance and sing. We wouldn’t stick around if we didn’t enjoy being around you.”
“Then, why do you like me?”
Grace hadn’t realized they were already in the parking lot of the Rec Center.
“You realize we’re all brothers, right?” Wiggly asked.
“Yeah.”
“While we all live in The Black and White, being united under a new roof has given us a new view on this world and how we affect it. And each other. Think of it as one of your recreational activities. Bonding and all that bullshit.”
Grace nodded slowly. She looked at the clock on the side of the building, three minutes before 9 am. Grace smiled, turning to Wiggly.
“Tell Nibbly I’ll summon him in the CCRP building by lunch time,” she told him.
“And that’s why we would never get by without you,” Wiggly said.
Entering the Rec Building, Grace turned to look out the window, and Wiggly was gone. She brushed a strand of wet hair out of her face and made her way to her office.
The coworker in particular was handing a coffee to their boss. Grace glared at him, taking one last look in her bag to make sure she had The Black Book. It wasn’t a competition; Grace couldn't care less about any promotion. But it was his cocky attitude, his tendency to kiss their boss’s ass, and his audacity to flirt with the other female coworkers reminded her of some people from her past. She had gotten rid of them and made the world better for it. And, if it meant feeding Nibblenephim, a little power for herself surely wouldn’t hurt.
But first, she had other work to attend to.
Grace opened her email to see a message from Stephanie Lauter, one of the members of the town council, and a friend from high school.
The message read:
Dear Grace Chasity,
Last week, the tax collector went missing around 6 am at Beanie’s. You were reported to have been seen in the area around 6:10 a.m. If you’re going to continue your little rituals in our town, please be more discreet and tell those idiots living in your apartment to consider moving to a different town.
Sincerely,
Stephanie Lauter
Hatchetfield Town Council
Grace leaned back in her seat. Steph knew how to make the most formal yet casual emails.
It had been months since they had last spoken in person. Somehow, Steph caught on to what Grace and The Lords in Black had been doing for years, but she couldn’t do anything about it.
Turning in her chair, Grace got the attention of her stupid coworker.
“Hey, I hear there’s going to be a surprise party for someone at the CCRP building around lunch time,” she lied.
Her coworker looked confused. “I never heard about it.”
Grace laughed. “That’s because it’s a surprise. You wouldn’t want to miss it and be the only one to not show up, would you?”
Her coworker agreed and decided to meet her at the CCRP building around noon. Grace smirked, turning back in her chair and pulling out The Black Book, memorizing the page for summoning The One Who Feasts In The Dark.
It didn’t matter what Stephanie said. Grace liked having The Lords in Black around.