A little light AU for your reading pleasure! For those of you who are unaware, it is 100% canon that if Tode and Cybilene grew up together, they would be Creepy Twins. We get to explore that through the eyes of their cousin/babysitter Augie. Enjoy!
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Bartholomew and Cybilene aren’t normal.
Yes, obviously, “normal” is kind of an insulting concept, I know, Kibs. Like yes, the big folk are the weird ones, and definitely need to get their priorities straight about creativity and community and joy, yes, blah blah blah—
But that’s not what I’m talking about, okay? Bartholomew and Cybilene. They’re just…strange.
All right so for an example—I’m babysitting them last week. Auntie and Uncle had some errands to run and needed an extra set of eyes. So I’m making them some dinner and I call them, like hey Cyb and Bart, come eat. Now they don’t answer, but I figure they’re just playing and I turn around.
And they’re right behind me, being completely silent. Holding hands. And they say—in unison, mind you—“Yes Augie?”
Why are you—no it was creepy, Kibs, I’m telling you!
Maybe you had to be there.
Okay but then I’m tucking them into bed, right, and then I say good night to Cybilene and she says—and this is verbatim— “Will you tuck our friend in too?” And I’m of course like, what friend? I’m thinking she’s talking about a teddy bear or something. But no, Kibs. She points to an empty corner and says, “The Shadow Man.”
The Shadow Man, Kibs.
And then Bart says, “He doesn’t like you.”
Like.
What am I supposed to do with that.
No, Kibs! No! It was not a joke! They are too young to do pranks! Their idea of pranks is coloring something with the wrong crayon!
All right fine, you want the kicker?
I closed their door. Their parents told me to and they have a night light, it’s fine. And then I sit down in the kitchen and make myself a snack and read my book.
And then.
I hear a noise outside. And you know how it is when you’re babysitting, you get paranoid. So I grabbed a cricket bat from the umbrella stand—
No, Kibs, I don’t know why they have a cricket bat in the umbrella stand.
Anyway, grab the bat, and then I open the front door.
And Kibs. I swear to the gods. They’re standing there on the porch.
I don’t know, I said the first thing that came to mind! How did you get out there! And Cybilene says, “He’s sleepwalking.” And mind you, his eyes were wide open.
Yeah, I put them back to bed immediately, and just for funsies I check the window. It’s locked from the inside, Kibs.
All I’m saying is that Cybilene and Bartholomew are creepy. They are not normal.
…I’m gonna ask Aunty and Uncle for a raise next time.