*Rat's point of view*

I sat lazily in the Starbucks, writing all the prophecies that I'd received into the book of life. Sometimes I really really hated my assignment as the Writer of this story. I'd receive prophecies all night sometimes. It always concerned Madeline how long I would be awake sometimes. I sometimes was awake for weeks. I didn't exactly need sleep, but I did prefer sleep over consciousness. I was assigned one family to focus on: Alastor's. And it was a pain. The universe seemed to have it out for his family. That was why I was assigned to them: I can write quickly and I can go for weeks without stopping. I only can go until the universe decides to let me go. I know when it's going to.

"What do you want?" I heard Bones ask someone. I looked up, to find Bones standing at the counter with a shorter person, getting out their wallet.

"Uh...just a plain black coffee." The other person said in a soft alto Scottish accent.

"Okay, one dark roast coffee and an iced guava black tea." Bones told the demon running the counter.

"What sizes?" The demon asked.

"The tea is a venti and..." Bones trailed off, looking at their companion.

"I have no idea what the hell the sizes mean." The other person said flatly.

"They'll have a regular venti." Bones decided, smiling slightly at the barista.

"Mmmm-kay. Names?"

"Uh, the guava is under Bones and the dark roast is for Clover." Bones said.

"Thank you. It will be out in a little bit." The barista said before shouting at the other worker to make the tea.

I watched Bones and Clover stand there and discuss their game plan for shopping that day. Bones had hidden their extra eyes and arms, choosing to look more like Alastor than Angel in this situation. I could feel their pain at having to do it because of thoughts like: "I am a monster", "everyone hates my appearance", and "why try to be accepted as what I am?" and I sympathized strongly, but also knew that they were one of the most uniquely beautiful people I'd seen. There really wasn't a reason why they had to change how they looked in Hell, where everyone looks different from one another. But I knew that they didn't like all the attention their appearance got them.

I decided to pay Valerie a visit, getting up and putting my things in my bag before leaving with my half-finished coffee in hand.

The Artist Dorm was warm when I stepped inside. Raffle was sitting patiently at the front desk and they smiled when I approached, greeting me in ASL with their lips making the movements of the words.

"Hi, Raffle, where's Valerie?" I asked, signing as I spoke. Raffle led me down the hall, their leg brace making a lot of noise as they went. I'm going to specify, Raffle is deaf in one ear and prefers not to speak because they have no volume control. Raffle ran right up to where Valerie was, behind the camera and tugged on her sleeve.

"Hi, Raffy." Valerie said as she signed. "What's up?"

Raffle simply pointed at me.

"Hello, Valerie." I said.

"Rat. What can I do you for?" Valerie replied.

"I saw Bones today. They were hiding their features and clearly hated it. No self-confidence detected. Self-depreciation all around them and I don't think their companion sensed it." I told her.

"Ah. Do you want me to see what I can do?" Valerie asked. "Mercy's wedding is next week. We can probably get them an outfit if they don't already have one."

"They finally decided on a date, huh?" I asked.

"Oh yeah, they did." Valerie said, leading me from the photo room into the lobby, calling Bones. "Heyyy, sweetheart. How've you been? Yuh-huh, I know it darling, life can suck. Oh, yeah, I've been good. Hey, uh...do you want me to help you get something to wear to the wedding? Oh! Shopping spree! Love that, may I join you guys? See you two soon! Mmm-hmmm, okay. Sure. Bye." Valerie hung up. "So, Bones has a homeless soldier living with them in their dorm. The soldier's name is Clover and they don't have any proper clothes other than a dress they found and some heels that were tossed aside. So, I'm gonna help Bones out with getting Clover comfortable and situated."

"Thank you so much, Valerie. That would mean the world to Bones." I said, gently squeezing the tall model's arm. Valerie patted my back and gave me a tight smile before walking away to get into more fashionable clothes.

"Take care of yourself, Rat. Just leave it to me." Valerie advised. And then she was gone.

"I will."

My words stood alone in the empty room. I lowered my gaze and left, heading home. I wouldn't really be needed anymore after I put in the final prophecy of my time. I was really dying this time. The least I could do was to make sure that this family would be secure and happy in their lives. And I've seen each and every one die some way or another. It's a painful thing that comes with being a Writer.

Tears fell from my eyes and I started to make my way to the airport on the surface. I wanted to see my town one more time. The other world is much blander, the town was torn down before I was a Writer. In this world it still stands, defiant to the changes the decades should've brought.

-----

"Hi, Mom." I said to a grave. "It's been a while, hasn't it. I know we didn't have the best mother-child relationship, especially when I started changing my body without your permission, but look at me now. I'm mostly happy now. I'm a Writer and I've taken on the world boldly. But sadly, in the other world...I-it's nothing you'd care about. Sorry for bothering you." I said, walking away from the grave as the rain poured down. I held my umbrella above my head as I walked to my stepmother and father's shared grave.

"Hi, Dad and Mama. I've been talking to my siblings. They can't leave Texas to visit, but I'm here. I made time to see you guys before...I can finally actually see you guys and hug you for once. I miss you guys so much." I said, laughing slightly as my nose got all stuffy because I was emotional. "I got top surgery, tattoos, and other body mods and you guys gave me so much support for doing it. I don't know what I would've done without you guys." I put a few new painted rocks on the grave with a penny for both. I walked back to the house that I had lived in for my whole life before most of my family died. The yard was overgrown with flowers and the paint on the fence was peeling. I carefully pushed open the front door, which was still purple on the outside to contrast the yellow paint of the house. It hadn't changed at all since I was last there.

The grand piano was still in place. The books were all neatly organized in the shelf, like I had left them. My mess on the kitchen table was still there, along with the random place where my deceased brother had cut in the table with his pocket knife on accident. I saw the splatters of paint leftover from painting projects I'd done with my beloved. My art was taped everywhere, the beautiful characters I brought to life in my fiction novel on each page in soft watercolors. FELL-ECT, my android character who I voiced for a little while in the audiobooks, was sitting still on the counter, her soft sunrise-colored eyes closed. My record player sat abandoned in the corner, dust collected on it.

I picked up my little android and sat her on the window sill with her solar panels showing. I dusted off my record player and put on the record I'd made with my favorite songs on it, moving the couch so I could dance by myself in the living room as my music played.

"Baby, you're like lightning in a bottle and I can't let you go now that I got it! And all I need is to be struck by your electric love~" I heard a familiar voice sing with the record player. I looked over at it to find a memory spirit of myself from the past, starved and sitting next to the record player and drawing the pictures on the wall. My pre-T voice echoed through the air and I listened to it before joining in. Our voices blended together beautifully and my past self looked up as though hearing and seeing me and smiled, an innocent, gap-toothed smile. I danced, throwing myself into the air and gracefully spinning. I had taken many dance classes after I got top surgery so I could dance, like I wanted to as a little kid. There was a point in my life when I was addicted to dancing of all the things. My past self seemed to be filled with wonder at the sight of me dancing so easily. It joined me, its movements much shakier and slower.

I chuckled, guiding it along.

-----

"Hello!" FELL-ECT said as they woke up. The child android's eyes lit up upon seeing me. "Daddy! It's been forever! I was worried about you not ever coming back!"

"Hi, sweetheart." I said, smiling at what I considered to be my child. "I missed you, but to be honest I was really really busy with work and kinda forgot about you."

"I know. I'm just glad you're home and safe, Daddy."