roy cruickshanks } d6 . fin

Tree bark skin wolf running spitting retro static marshmallow kingdoms and just another day ; one day, three hundred sixty five in a year and fifteen ticking on the sleeves of our cardigans sweaters - we have them every single day. Martin and I, we're blessed to have this life. The two of us are both warm blooded, thick skins and I've always had a thicker skull too I've always been told. We have the same brown hair, the same brown eyes and pale skin and frame and height and when we were younger I would constantly poke myself and then him. Poke the fat of my cheek and then poke his, then poke my rib cage and then poke his and I'd rub my eye and then I'd place my palm on his eye. 

He'd cry a lot more than me when we were kids too, during breaks the two of us would hang upside down on monkey bars and pretend we were somewhere outside baggy pants and hoodies with holes in them - back then it was just the two of us to take over the world. Martin on defense and I, his knight, his eyes and he my ears, together we'll take over the world I swear it on my soul. It's one of those blood truces that comes with growing up together - fifteen years and counting. I had a tooth fall out first, it was an eye tooth and it was cool at first, Martin inspecting it while I poked the hole in my mouth. We laughed our butts off and I counted the seconds waiting for a new one to take its spot. 

Never had the time for patience. 

I've always talked fast, never really processing words until they were already out of my mouth - it's not really a problem or anything. Ma always said if I kept spitting words like that more teeth would fall out but I shrugged, just more seconds to count. The gap was sore for a week, and it never filled until a year or two ago; it's not supposed to take that long, but oh well, he's just a shy fellow. When it first started breaking gums I punched Martin on the arm and tried to make him feel the edge of it but he was being lame. He called it gross and I shrugged calling his face gross with an open, gap toothed smile. 

Y'see, Martin and I we never had much really, our twin wardrobe was split and shared - work clothes, school clothes, a few good tee's, cardigans and jeans. They pretty much all had holes, the two of us had two ties combined, a black one and a stripped one and we used to alternate wearing them to school and then work until some Miguel kid called the stripped one tacky while Martin was wearing it so we swapped and I wear it from now on. 

Through our education we did this a lot, switching clothes in the bathroom if he stained his shirt or in general switching classes if he got bored and I didn't know what the hell I was doing - we're brothers after all. And even if I am the older one, who says I have to be the over achiever? Statistically or whatever it's the younger sibling who shoots higher anyways, and besides I'm a great guide at life, even if I am gonna get arthritis 6 minutes before him. Besides, he's the mage and I'm the guide; the brains and the bran, or whatever. Martin is one of the shier fellows, you see, like a seven year long gap tooth, he'll grow into it eventually or he might never grow into it and I'll still be there with him. At the apothecary I do clerk work, chewing stolen gum and reading one of the Victor's View magazines we have at the cashier - really I just look at the photos, I'm a visual learner.

But that's besides the point, he's not a people person; I mean he's not like a nonpeople person? He's a Roy-person and a cat person kinda but he likes humans too, he's just scared of them not liking him back and so when it comes to us two I'm the front man. The talka'. I do the questioning around here, you feel me? Martin works behind in the back with Uncle Merlin and they trust me to run things right in the front since we don't have the money to mess it up or hire others and sometimes I'm working alone while Martin is in the back until Merlin comes to yell at me to restock a mcthingy and to get my trash shoes off the counter. 

I mumble "they're not trash," under my breath and he tells me to quit my mumbling as he goes back in the back. And I'm grinning like the same idiot I've always been.

When they're caught up for a quick second in the back, Martin comes in the front and restocks the shelves or clean up the dishevels of books laying around - both my jobs, arguably, but it builds character, what kinda older brother would rob their mentee of that? I'll flick his forearm when he comes out the back room and if there isn't a line I'll come help him out (this all being assumed that I'm not asleep at the counter) and I've always felt the Merlin liked my brother more than me but I can't blame him since I'd be the same if I didn't have such a great relationship with myself. And I'd smile with a missing tooth back then with a pile of books in my arms as we carried them to the back room, telling him of all the possible wizard suspects that came through today - usually a man named Cypress, I don't trust a man who buys pumpkin spice every other day - and he'd nod and I'd nod.

The simpler days are the better ones.

I've always been a simpler soul, momma would tell me, that Martin took all the brains for himself, but I mean really I can't be that bad off. I have all the common sense I need and Martin has the rest and I mean, I was able to make it fifteen years pretty good I think, and I think momma blames me for that one time Martin and I got questioned for vandalism. Our twin brown heads sitting in front of two guidance counselors, one tall and one bald, my twelve-year legs swinging while Martin rubbed his hands together and looked at his lap - I was cool headed, I swear twelve years old I could've robbed a bank and poker faced my way out of it: perks of not having a brain. Martin had been nervous enough for the both of us and I tried to smile through the churning of my stomach - hell, maybe I should've been scared. We usually don't get caught, the two of us, since Martin's smart enough for the both of us and I'm an idiot enough to be as brave as I am at twelve, and the tall one talked to me while the bald one got Martin. I nodded my head and then he nodded. 

Yeah, I took the blame but Martin got some fire damage too and man, the counselors couldn't dig into me anywhere near momma could and it felt like a two days of silence from pa for some simple graffiti but Martin and I still went out and carved our names in the world. And together I'd fight for him and he'd fight for me for three years and three years more after.

One simple day at a time.