Archive of Our Own ^beta

They help him. Spirit and Justice are constant presences, constant treasures that never think any less of him or treat him any different. They accept him as he is, accept his voicelessness as the important part of him that it is, never once questioning or demanding explanations.

Sometimes, when he's feeling outgoing, they'll go into town and chance meeting others, and he can trust Spirit or Justice will be right there with him. The few times anyone tries to converse with him, his family quickly intervenes, becoming his voice and protectors.

Target is an invaluable friend for life. No matter how long his silence, his long periods without even non-vocal expression, she is perfectly willing to fill it with her voice. Her patience and loyalty relax him in turn, and he opens up around her, just the slightest bit more light in his eyes, the hint of less tension in his ears. He repays her in his own way by listening intently to every word, holding on to it like an anchor to keep him locked in reality.

They explore together and his book is ever present, his purest form of expression in his sketches and stories based on what they find together. Target fills the silence with her stories and songs and he fills his book with images and words, and when he is particularly proud or brave, or if she asks, he will hand it to her and show his precious book, splaying his inner thoughts out on paper.

He likes the bird who also doesn't speak, except for special words and songs meant only for Spirit's honored ears. He finds a kindred spirit in her, and the few times they all gather together, a great and intimidating grouping of all his closest friends, he sits closest to her and furthest from everyone. Her words and her silence and her calmness and her anxiety swirl together into a prescience that relaxes his, calming him just enough to get through the night.

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He helps them.

Their family is small, and probably strange, and their interactions are often broken in many ways. He fits in wherever he is able and fills the cracks, mends the breaks, brings peace to a house of chaos.

Spirit suffers from her anxiety in debilitating hopeless ways, nearly every night. Justices' well meaning shouted words full of tactless truth serve only to cut her further, force her deeper into immobility, and soon she avoids him as much as possible whenever she feels the panic bubble up.

Instead it is the ever calm fox she seeks out, known to always be somewhere distant and daydreaming, often with his half forgotten book open in lap and pencil in paw. His silent but dependable presence encourages her and calms the hysteria. She sits with him as he dreams, resting her head on his shoulder. She watches as he draws, eyes wide with amazement as simple pencil lines turn into graceful pictures full of life. She is never turned away, never denied, and this calms her when all else fails.

Justice, though he is an encouragement to everyone he meets and a constant charmer, continues to struggle with a deep set anger at the world and all the wrongs he sees. He seems almost bipolar, in the fox's silent eyes, either all smiles and spreading positivity or angry at every thing he sees.

When the anger overflows, when he feels it almost turn to violence and physical attacks, only then does he seek out his fox friend. Only then does he let his silent, always dependable companion hear his ranting and raves, his passionate persuasions that go on for hours. He pours out all his frustrations, everything he sees and he knows is wrong with the world, everything that should be but isn't he empties his heart to the listening fox.

And in return he receives, nothing. A nod. An absent minded blink. Attention going away from him and back to a book full of unfinished stories. Because the fox doesn't speak, and he never has, and Justice knows that he never will. And somehow, that's ok. Somehow, that's exactly what he needs.

They reunite with a hug full of tears, their broken family of three, emotion on display for all to see and somehow, within the comfort of his family, Kul doesn't mind if anyone sees how he feels. They're not okay yet, and maybe they'll never make it there together, but they manage.

And for the fox, that's enough.