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fantasies-fairytales-n-fics · 2 months

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Thranduil and Josie Pt. 170- Gypsy Origins Part 3 of 3

Summary: By the power of 3 times 3, let the truths of Jo's past finally be set free as Josselyn remains hypnotized by Haldir's power of truth. Her buried emotions evolve in a more descriptive manner which may not settle well with her when she is awakened.

*Chapter Warnings* language, angst, infidelity, mentions of child loss, child abandonment, child abduction

Chapter characters: Haldir, Josselyn, Julian, Caroline, Zeddicus, Jareth, Cassandra, Rumil, Orophin Chapter word count: 6,919

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Still under Haldir's powerful and unbreakable magic spell, Josselyn was permitted to relax while the Marchwarden tried to wrap his head around what she has revealed so far. What disturbed him the most, besides the revelation of your maternal grandfather, Viktor, the late vampire ruler and most diabolical of all fanged fiends, was yet another monstrous lie involving the witch turned vampire Caroline, your mother...or so everyone believed she was, because Haldir knew exactly where Josselyn's memories were headed. That Cassandra was your true birth mother. Faramir's also.

You would be hurt once again with that knowledge and as much as it crushed the Lorien elf's heart, you deserved every bit of the truth as to who you really were and he was going to give that to you. It had to be done and now... it was time to continue, for he now wanted to know more than ever just how your best friend Sarah became involved and if she could still be alive.

"It is time Josselyn. Continue....and please be discreet with any intimate details."

"I am so happy. I never thought I would see my grandfather again. Zeddicus is the only blood family I have left. This was my surprise Julian mentioned. He did this for me. Julian found him and brought him here. There was a time not long ago that he had left for a week. Now I know why. I love Julian even more now, but he must never know. Caroline will turn on me.

The sun is rising. We are all finishing the stew my grandfather had prepared for us for when we arrived. I am sitting by Julian. Caroline refuses to. She is barely touching her food. She has become withdrawn and when she does speak, it's retorting. Grandfather is across from me, holding a chicken while feeding and speaking to it. I've always believed he could understand animals and they him.

Grandfather wants to speak to me alone. We go for a walk. He tells me he has something for me. He has kept it safe for many years to give to me when I was old enough. He holds his hands out. They are empty. He places his fingers into his palm and magically pulls out a pendant. Dangling before me is a sparkling amethyst stone. There is something swirling inside of it. A mist? I am smiling in awe of it's beauty.

Grandfather...are you really a wizard? Like, a gypsy wizard maybe?

He is laughing and winks, then he whispers his traditional words when he does magic for me.

Hocus Pocus. It will be very useful to you as it has been for me. It must be placed over the heart to use it and it will take you wherever you wish to go in the blink of an eye. It is how I arrived here from the mundane world since I cannot fly like Julian. Be warned though, that you must always keep it safe, for it's one of 6 very powerful runestones and they all are greatly desired by evil hands. Like two of it's companions, the moonstone and the citrine, it can see the present, but this one is extra special because it can also see visions of the past and future. The stone's center possesses a very powerful water from the Lorien realm where it was created. And of course there is a little hint of...hocus pocus...in there as well."

Haldir's brow raised for a moment as he now recalled seeing Zeddicus in Lothlorien centuries ago with Celeborn and the Lady of the woods. He indeed was a wizard just as Josselyn had described him as, but not as powerful as Gandalf. He carried no staff, only a sword. Haldir remembered him as a puppeteer and magician. He communed with animals, had great knowledge and skill with herbs and potions and had the ability to change his image. He also possessed the power of fire and was a healer, even to the extent of limb rejuvenation.

"He then tells me what it does in more detail.

The past and present can be seen at any time, but the future can only be seen at 4 points of the year. The autumn and vernal equinox and the winter and summer solstice. It needs the rays of the full moon or the visions cannot be trusted. Be warned again that just because it holds such visionary power does not mean it should be entertained. There are many things we may end up wishing we did not know. Things like secrets of the past and present or traumatic events of the future.

The next morning comes. Grandfather and Julian are out on a walk. Caroline corners me. She overheard what the pendant can do. She wants me to use it for her to find Cassandra. I...I am clutching it tight. I'm scared of what she will do if she knows. I tell her I'm not sure how to even use it. She snaps at me. She tells me I better figure it out because I had promised to help her with her plan. I close my eyes and go with my instincts. I focus on Cassandra. I ask the stone to show me where she is and then I look into it. The misty swirl inside...it...it is clearing and I...I see her! I...I hear her!! So does Caroline. Cassandra is rubbing her stomach and singing to it. Hush little baby girl, don't say a word. Mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird. She is pregnant!!! and she somehow knows it's a another girl.

Caroline is smiling very wickedly and speaks into the stone.

Gotcha. And now I will come to claim what should have been mine!

I am upset. I ask her if she is going to kill Julian's child. Now she is upset. She yells at me.

What is wrong with you??!!

Stupid girl! I am not going to kill MY child because that is exactly what this child will be! A 7th daughter with powers that will also be mine. Now listen and listen good to my plan. I am going to leave for awhile to tuck Cassie away where she will never be found, with a little help from a certain goblin King. And when she is near her due time, I will come for her and take her far far away to give birth. I can't risk Ravenna snatching the baby for herself if she were to find out. All I have to do is summon him. As evil as he has become, this will be one hell of a thrill for him and all I will have to do is give his cock a little something in return.

Julian's evil brother Jareth? You're...you're going to...sleep..with him?

Well there's the lightbulb. You catch on quick. Jules fucked my sister. I will fuck his brother. When I return, I will tell Julian I am finally with child and make him believe I have forgiven him due to our little miracle. With a little dark magic, I can easily make myself appear pregnant. It seems more feasible than turning to gluttony just to become fat.

But...w...won't he think the child is Jareth's?

"Noooooooowah??? I am not going to tell him I slept with Jareth until much later on...years maybe...after he's already bonded with and come to deeply love the girl and then rip his heart out by telling him she is Jareth's. You see, Julian is going to continuously suffer for what he did, because when I'm betrayed, I hold grudges. I hold them forever. Even naughty Narcisse is now on my shit list. It has come to my attention that the wretched warlock secretly visited our solstice party on his travels to return the cheating Catherine to her clueless King in Lake Town. He knew what Julian and my sister did and certainly was never going to tell me and he will pay for it too, so you better not even THINK of crossing me. You will keep your mouth shut about all of this. Do you understand me little girl?? I can always summon Harker to take you back. Now that you're older, he'll probably use you the way he does your mother. You don't want him to be your first time do you?

No! No please, no. I...I won't say anything. I promise Caroline!! Please don't send me back. I'll do anything!!

Good girl. Now, stop you're blubbering. It's unbecoming. I am going to go tell Julian some bullshit that I am going to go visit my mother and think about things. I should have Cassie all shackled in her little dirty dungeon of iron bars in no time and I will see you when I get back. And do not even think of spying on me with that pendant. Ta ta!

Julian has bought her story. He looks sad. She was cruel to him as he begged her not to go. I feel terrible and so guilty. How can she hurt him like this? How can I???

It is the next evening. Caroline is gone. Grandfather is at one of the traveler's camp sites for a party that Julian declined to attend. I stayed home too. I didn't want to leave him alone. Julian is quiet. He is having a glass of wine at the kitchen table. I think he is trying to drown his sorrows. I want to make him feel better. I...I am making myself extra pretty to see if he notices. I ask if I can join him for some wine. He looks up at me. His eyes dilate and he smiles. I think he notices. My stomach drops as if I am falling.

Please, Josselyn. Allow me to pour you a glass. You...you look very lovely this evening. Have you decided to join the festivities?

No...I...I am quite happy right here..with you...I..I mean...I...

I am too frazzled to speak. I feel so embarrassed. He notices that too. He is trying to make me feel comfortable. His lays his hand upon mine.

I understand what you mean. I...I enjoy your company as well.

I know I am turning red. I can feel the heat on my cheeks which he also notices.

Your cheeks are quite flushed love. Is the fire too warm...or could it be that I make you nervous?

He pulls his hand away. The way he is smiling...I...I think he knows how I adore him. He once said he knows many things if they are not hidden from him. I am most terrible at hiding my feelings.

No..no of course not. I..I think I overdid it on the rouge. That's all.

I see. You do not need all of that nonsense on your face. Your beauty is strikingly natural.

You...you are too gracious Julian. I...I am so sorry for what you are going through. You...you do not deserve it. You are the best man I have ever known aside from my father and grandfather.

He is staring at me. I think I said too much. I drink down my wine and pour another. He is chuckling.

I do not think you have known many men to really know that, have you?

I...I do not need to. I don't want to know any other but you.

He is staring again. I should not have said that. It is so hard to stop myself. I...I want him to know but yet I know he shouldn't.

Is that so? You are something special Josselyn. So very beautiful and kind, on the inside as well as out. If only I had met you first. May I...confide something in you?

Of course. Your secrets are safe with me.

My mother forbids love. It is all about darkness and power to her after she was scorned by my father. I am a 7th son. I am supposed to be with a 7th daughter and reproduce another 7th. It is an endless cycle. I have defied the darkness and my mother. I want love because I feel love inside of me. Although my union with Caroline was arranged, I believed I could love her and I learned to eventually, but it still never felt quite right or real. It was more physical attraction than anything. I began to focus on having a child to love. He or she would not be some number to me like I was, but Caroline has not been able to conceive. I was beginning to think that it was myself that was the problem until Caroline confessed something to me yesterday before she left. She had become pregnant 6 times and had miscarried them all. She knew they were girls. She believed I would find her useless to me so she chose to lie to me instead. The only thing I find useless now is continuing on with this farce of a union. I have had much to think about on our journey here and since she left. Caroline was right. I should have known that it was Cassandra I was intimate with. Although their appearance is identical, with real love, one should know the difference for many other reasons....but I did not. I realize more than ever that the only connection she and I truly have, to quite simply put it is....being of witch heritage. It is all quite a surreal awakening.

I...I want to cry and throw up at the same time. I did not know Caroline was going to use Cassandra's story as her own, but I see why she did. So Julian would believe her upcoming fake pregnancy was his 7th child and now, Julian needlessly suffers even more believing he has lost 6 other children. He trusts me and yet I am lying to him too. Would he ever understand why? I am not even worried for myself anymore. I fear Caroline will do something terrible to Julian if I tell him the truth. My love for him is very real. My tears, I cannot hold them back any longer. Julian comes to sit by me. He tilts his head and touches my cheek.

Darling girl, why do you cry?

I...I cry for you. Your pain, it hurts me so. I want to take it all away. You deserve happiness and...true love.

He is staring again. His head tilts the other way. He wipes my tears with his thumb. He cradles my head in his hands and....he...he is leaning forward. His lips...they take mine. Soft and fully. Mine fit and move perfectly with his. Our tongues slowly caress. He tastes of his scent. Apples. The really sweet ones. Am I dreaming??

He pulls back and stares into my eyes once more. I can see my reflection in his. His eyes are torn between desire and worry.

Josselyn, please forgive me...You bring weakness upon me. I would give anything to make love to you right now, but not even a kiss can ever happen again. Caroline's intuition is very strong. She would know and if she ever hurt you, I would never forgive myself. I never knew you would come to mean so much to my heart. I will forever taste your caramel kiss. You must go to your room now. Zeddicus is coming. I sense him.

But Julian...I...I...you need to know...I lo...

He rushes his fingers to my lips. There's a tear in his eye.

No! Do not speak it precious one. Not now. Just know that I know. I have always known. Sweet dreams Josselyn.

I hear my grandfather's whistling. I do as Julian says and go to my room. I silently cry myself to sleep. Damn you Caroline. I want to give the pendant to Julian and let him see what she is doing, but I cannot risk it. I wish I had been left with Harker, for this pain is far worse."

Haldir let Josselyn rest again. This part of her tale seemed to weigh the heaviest upon her. He needed a rest too, for he knew how evil and vindictive Caroline was even before she became a vampire, but what she had done to her own sister and her husband was just appalling to him and his heart even went out to Josselyn. He felt her pain. He knew it all too well for his love of you and seeing you hurting so much.

It was time to move on. He aided Josselyn in giving her some water from his canteen and then asked her to continue.

"The day I dreaded has come. Caroline has returned after 7 days. I am cooking, but listening as she tells Julian the news. He sits down. He looks as if a hole has been punched through his chest. I catch a glance of his eyes. They are sorrowful. He is forcing a smile at her. He is worried she will miscarry again and he tells her so. She is angry that he cannot just be happy they have another chance. My heart is breaking for him.

Month after month goes by. Everyday is the same. Caroline is still a bitch. The only difference is the growing of her fake stomach and my relationship with Julian. He rarely speaks to me now but I know it is not to hurt me. It is to keep her happy and unaware of his feelings.

It is November. Caroline says Cassandra will give birth in December. A 7th daughter only carries for 7 months and the child is always born on the 7th day. Caroline and Julian have been fighting all the time. I just want to hold him, but I keep my distance and go on walks a lot. I love nature....and I watch my mother through the pendant when I am alone. I am going to stop. She is so far under Harker's spell, that it is not even her at all anymore. She looks different. Older. She wears a red dress. There are others dressed the same. The sisters of the dark. My mother is as wicked as Harker is. My grandfather's heart is broken. He misses his daughter. I miss her too. He and Julian are leaving to attempt to bargain with Harker to get her back. I don't like it. Caroline does because Julian will be out of her way for her to "have" the baby. She is the one who coaxed him into going.

Before Julian leaves, he takes me aside. He looks in my eyes. The dear sweet man says he is doing it for me. He wants me to be happy. I tell him I do not deserve to be happy. He says I deserve the world and kisses my forehead. I tell him to stop and talk to me every night at midnight. I will be watching and listening through the pendant. He smiles, whispers the words "faithfully my dearest girl" and leaves. I go in my room and cry my eyes out into my pillow. I never should have told them what I saw. I always ruin everything. If Julian learns what I have done, he will look at me the way he looks at Caroline now. I...I'm curious of the future...my future, now more than ever but it's too late to see it. I heeded my grandfather's warning about it and skipped the open door of the autumn equinox in September. The winter solstice is approaching. I still will not look when it comes. I wish my grandfather never would have given it to me. He said I will need it. I do not need it except for to see and hear my beloved Julian.

It is December and time to gather Cassandra. Caroline and I pack up a small trailer and head to a desolate area away from the other travelers so they will not see us leave through the portal. She has brought two of her henchmen to drive the carriage and for extra protection. They are traitorous warlocks that do her evil bidding. We all sit tight together upon the carriage. I do as grandfather explained and wear the pendant over my heart. I whisper the words "take us to the Goblin King's realm."

I've never seen anything like it. A doorway forms with an illuminated gateway, purple with a swirling mist like the amethyst.

The horses become agitated and do not want to go through it. Neither do I. I am frightened like they are. The drivers each snap the horses on their rears with the whips and they race forward. Just like that, we are there, simply like walking into another room. I am even more fearful now. We are in a dark and dead forest. It smells bad. Caroline says it is the bog of stench that lingers through the realm.

We approach the Misty mountains and upon the summit sits a colossal castle. There are hideous beasts all over the mountain as we ascend on the winding path. Goblins and orcs. They do not bother us. They know who Caroline is. Oh my god, WHO is that?? A man...with eccentric blonde hair. He reminds me of Dracula in his creepy high collared black cape. He is sitting in on an open window ledge of the fortress. He is spinning something in his hands. I think they are crystal balls? 3 of them. He is staring at me.

We all enter the castle as the doors open. There are ticking clocks everywhere as well. All with a 13th hour. It is like a maze of hallways and strange staircases. Some upside down. It is making me dizzy and nauseous. So is the overpowering smell of citrus. The man arrives out of nowhere and kisses Caroline's neck.

Hello Caroline. My my. Quite the beanpole for being 7 months with child. Illusions are thrilling are they not? Speaking of...hello there...Josselyn. I am Jareth. How are you enjoying my labyrinth?

He is leaning over me, staring me right in the eyes. His eyes...one brown, one blue. They are...oddly beautiful just as he is. But he scares me. He's exactly like Harker and nothing like Julian.

I...I...think it is...lovely?

He is loudly laughing. Yes, the gloom and doom IS quite lovely is it not? So are you child. You should be after ingesting the magic of my Queen.

I...I am so sorry! I swear, I did not mean to.

He is laughing again. Relax girl. I am not going to harm you. I find what you did, intentional or not, rather amusing. I can quite picture Ravenna's fearful face as time was running out. Oh how I would so have loved to have been a cockroach on the floor to personally witness it. Wretched woman unnerves me and now, unfortunately she is carrying my offspring which she is ever so undeserving of. I should never have pleasured her after what she has done but...I too have needs. At least....It's a boy! And I can mold him into my image. Speaking of needs. Caroline. Before you collect your....surrogate...I don't think your payment was quite enough for what I am doing for you, so I am raising the price. Join me in my chambers and when I am satisfied, my lips will remain sealed and you may be on your way. Josselyn dear. Have a seat. We won't be long.

Caroline is displeased but does as he asks. She does not sound displeased though as I hear her moaning echoes through the halls. Gross.

All the clocks begin to chime on the 13th hour. It's disorienting. I run outside for peace...and to quickly see Julian while I have the chance, for it is midnight. I believe the placement of the moon over Jareth's time trickery.

I pull the pendant up from my chest and wait. I am shaking with anticipation and lovesick with butterflies. I...I see him. He is sitting in a forest all alone. The moon is radiating over him. He looks like an angel.

I am here my dear Josselyn. I hope you are too. I wish I could hear you, see you...like you can me. Zeddicus and I have had no luck thus far in locating Harker on his travels, but I will not give up. Zed is resting now so I can speak to you. He knows of my feelings. He told me he does not have to be a wizard to know, for it is written all over my face when I speak of you. That is why I have kept my distance and I never spoke of you to Caroline. It is a gutting agony. I miss you immensely beautiful butterfly, for that is what you have become. I still see your bright blue eyes and taste your caramel lips. I can feel your delicate skin and hair of silk. I still hear the pounding of your heart when we touched and smell the sensual aroma of your arousal. You have bewitched me for eternity without even trying. I wish all could be different. I must go now. Until next time sweetheart, sweet dreams. You will be in mine.

He is standing up to leave. I'm sobbing.

No! No Julian, don't go. Wait!

I quickly blow a soft kiss to his image and whisper how much I love him. His hair.... it is taken by it! He looks in the direction of the breeze and closes his eyes. He moans softly and touches his lips.

Mmmm. A whisper and caramel kiss on the wings of a butterfly. Message received. Lightning strikes maybe once, maybe twice and it lights up the night. I see my gypsy.

He blows a kiss back and smiles so wickedly adorable. I feel the kiss in my very soul. Now I know what my grandfather meant when he said the pendant even holds a hint of hocus pocus in it.

I hear Caroline! but it...it's not her.....I run back inside to see the warlocks man handling a dirty and angry Cassandra. She is wearing some odd collar around her neck made of metal. It is tight and it has a small dark gemstone in the center. Cassandra's stomach is huge! Her eyes lock in mine.

You?!! From the forest... help me...help me please!!

Her arm lunges at me as they pull her out the door. I jump back against the wall. There's nothing I can do. I follow them outside. They put her in the trailer and bind her to the bed. I ask Caroline what is on her neck. I...I saw it on my mother once when I was watching her. She says it's called a Rada'han. A warlock's favorite toy per se. It simply appears to be a jewelry piece and something only wicked warlocks use. She says they have different stones in them that serve different purposes. This particular one has an iron meteorite stone in it's center. It is like an iron, salt and silverbane cocktail to a witch, rendering them powerless and it's far more debilitating. The stone is tight against the skin and low doses of the poison are slowly and consistently released and absorbed into the body. The collar can only be removed by a key in which Caroline holds. I worry the poison will hurt the baby. Caroline says the 7th born is protected in the womb. Maybe that is why her stomach is that big for only one child?

Her goodbyes are said to Jareth and we are leaving. I am glad. Jareth's realm makes me feel sick like I did in Ravenna's dark forest. Caroline is fine. I think it's because she has now become dark. We are out of the realm now and we are stopping. Caroline says we will use the portal again. I ask where we are going. She says far far south to a realm of humans, a place where no one knows her or Julian. Minas Tirith in the realm of Gondor. There is an eminent midwife there that she will seek aid from. She serves the wife of the city's notorious steward, Denethor.

We have arrived. The city is a prodigious pyramid of stone placed alongside the White mountains. I have counted 7 levels as we approach it. Just in time too. It is the 7th and Cassandra is in labor.

We are stopped at the gates. Caroline unties Cassandra and removes the collar. She warns her to remain silent if she wishes to live after the birth. I do not think she could speak much if she wanted to. She is in pain and can barely open her eyes.

Caroline puts her hair up in a bun and wears the hood on her cloak. She does not want to be witnessed as a twin. She tells them that we are gypsy travelers in urgent need of a midwife and that she was told by others along the way to come here. The guards hear Cassandra's cries and look in on her. They quickly guide us inside. We are given a room on the first level and told to wait.

Time passes. Cassandra is moaning and crying.

I am patting her forehead with a cool wet cloth. She grabs my hand and squeezes it. I squeeze back and whisper to her that I am so sorry. I feel so bad for her. Caroline is angry and orders me to stay away from her. She wants her to suffer.

A woman comes in. She wears servant attire but it is rather fancy. She introduces herself as the midwife. She goes right to Cassandra and preps. They begin. She tells her she sees the head and to push on the next contraction. Cassandra is cursing and screaming. This goes on for 6 more attempts. The baby is out! The midwife cleans out her mouth, smacks her bottom and she squeals! I am crying happy tears. I have never seen a child birth. The baby has red hair!! Cassandra is crying and reaches for her. The midwife cuts and clamps the cord, then places her in Cassandra's arms. She kisses her tiny forehead and tells her she loves her. They gaze at each other. It' so beautiful.

Caroline is a cold hearted bitch. She pries the child from Cassandra's weak arms. Cassandra cries that she wants her baby. She begs Caroline not to take her and then she passes out. The midwife says she needs rest. Caroline thanks her for her help and gives her a small bag of coins. She tells her we do not have time to stay, that we have a long journey ahead and must get the child home to her father as soon as she awakens. She says she is going to the trailer to clothe and feed the baby, then she will be back. She tells me to stay.

I am sitting by Cassandra while the midwife cleans up. She awakens. She grabs my hand again.

Don't let her take them both.

What? What do you mean both?

The boy. She does not want a boy. She will kill him like she did all of my other babies.

What boy? There is no boy. You had one child. A girl.

There is a boy. Twins...you must take him. Please!

I..I think the exhaustion and the poison are affecting your mind. There is no boy and even if there were, I cannot have a child. Harker, he owns me and will take it from me for Ravenna and I certainly can't just walk out of here with a baby because Caroline would see him.

Cassandra starts to moan and scream again. I jump up in fright. The midwife comes running back. Her eyes widen. She says she is having another baby! I'm in shock. Cassandra was right. I stand and watch as another head of red hair appears. 3 pushes and he is out, instantly screeching. The midwife tries to place him in Cassandra's arms but she refuses and becomes cruel. She tells the midwife she does not want the little bastard and to give him to someone else. I think her harsh words and demeanor is intentional. She is trying to protect her son. She tells the midwife to never speak of this or she will curse her. Cassandra must have gained enough strength to use some of her power after having the collar removed. With a strong glare, she forces the midwife's breath out of her, making her begin to choke. She quickly releases the terrified woman who now understands what Cassandra is.

Now do you see what I am capable of? Now go! Get that thing out of here!

The woman runs out with the baby boy and Cassandra passes out again. I clean her up as I wait for Caroline to return. I am shaking so bad.

Caroline soon returns with the baby girl and her two guards. Cassandra awakens. I think she senses her baby's presence. I can smell the child. It's a strong cherry scent, much like Cassandra's. The boy smelled of sweet apples like Julian.

Caroline places the collar back on Cassandra and the guards force her to her feet. We are on our way once again. Caroline makes me take us back to the goblin realm. We stop in the dark forest and the guards drag Cassandra out. There...there is a hill...and a door at the bottom of it. It is barely visible from all the trees, rocks and brush. Caroline calls it the hole in the hill. She says Jareth has it prepared for Cassandra and it will now be her new home. The door is unbreakable. It can only be accessed by Jareth's ring. No one will ever know she is here. She will be believed dead by all. Caroline wickedly laughs as her sister is pushed inside with the collar still around her neck. I can faintly hear her banging on the door and crying. I am crying. I despise Caroline for this. For ALL of this. If only I had powers, I would handle Caroline. Then I would take the girl and run back to Julian and tell him everything, even if he hated me for it.

We are back at the cabin now. Caroline has the baby all settled into her cradle. She is calling her Josephine.

It is almost midnight again. I am unable to leave and see Julian in the pendant, for Caroline wishes to speak to me. She seems...strange.

Tell me Josselyn dear. Do you take me for a fool?

I...I'm sorry, what? No, of course not.

I find that to be a lie. Something that you are very good at too. The crystal balls Jareth has. They have the power to see just as your pendant does. Jareth showed me something before we left his realm for Gondor. No, no Julian, please don't go!!! Ring a bell??? Daring little girl aren't you?? Or should I say....whore?

Caroline, please...you don't unders...

Liar!! My eyes and ears understand quite perfectly! You desire my husband as he desires you! Go on, deny it! I dare you!

I...I...wh...what are you going to...do to me??

Well unfortunately, I certainly cannot kill you. I don't need Harker coming after me, so I will do the next best thing. You will leave here and never speak of what you know to ANYONE and you will NEVER come near my husband or child ever again. If you do, I will have no choice but to take my chances with Harker's wrath. Grab your things and don't let the portal door hit you in the ass.

But...my...my grandfather! Please, let me wait for him.

I said get out...now! You can spy on him later and find him!

She follows me while I gather my stuff and then watches me as I walk off into the dark cold night. I trip and fall in the forest. I can't breathe. I am crying too hard. Julian, my sweet Julian. I'll never see him again. He'll never know the truth. What if she hurts him for knowing how he feels?? Maybe...I think I know someone who might be able to help. But...I...I could die for it....and I would...I would die for Julian's safety and happiness. I'm still afraid. She could kill him if I betray her. I don't know what to do!

I get up. I put the pendant on and I say the words. Take me to the Dorwinion castle."

Josselyn began to hyperventilate and Haldir quickly attempted to calm her with his emotion control as he took her hand, but it did not work. She was getting worse. The Lorein elf knew he had to bring her out of his hypnotic spell before she forgot everything. He couldn't risk it...or her well being. She still had not spoken of Lola and Sarah and that had been his main goal.

As his dilated eyes relaxed, Josselyn was released.

She toppled over against his chest and he allowed her to lay there until she caught her breath. A motion of his hand told Rumil and Orophin to give her some privacy, for he knew when she came to her senses, he was going to get an ear full of well deserved rage.

"Josselyn. Are you able to sit up? I would like you to drink some more of the healing water."

Her eyes fluttered open at the sound of Haldir's voice and she rolled them up to look at him. Haldir sighed, for her big blue eyes were filled with tears and pain. He never meant to hurt her.

She tilted her head to the side and gazed at him as if she did not know him, but she did. At least she thought she did as she stroked his blonde strands.

"J...Julian? You...you're here. You came for me. I...I love you so much."

Haldir was caught off guard when Josselyn pulled his lips to hers. In his perplexed state, he allowed it. It felt nice to have a woman's lips upon his again, although he wished they were yours. The kiss was full and deep, but Haldir abruptly ended it when her tongue slipped into his mouth.

Josselyn's eyes gaped as Haldir's face came into focus, then her eyes filled with rage.

"You! You son of a bitch!!"

The palm of her hand cracked hard and loud across his cheek and off she stormed through the forest. As Haldir caught up to her, she spun around, still raging mad.

"How dare you!! You wicked little elf man!! No one. No one was supposed to ever know those things!! Do you know what you've done??!! I am as good as dead now! If I had my powers, I would string you up in that tree by your balls!"

Rumil and Orophin arrived and raised their bows at her.

"Baw!" (No) Haldir snapped as he raised his hand at his brothers.

"Your anger is justified. You know why I had to force you. Jo deserves to know the truth. Do you not care about her??"

"What kind of question is that?? Of course I do! I was like a mother to that girl when....arrrgh! Just never mind!"

"I will not never mind. Tell me the rest. Help me help her. I can help you too. I will let no harm come to you. You can trust me."

Josselyn laughs hysterically. "Like you just now let harm come to me?? I have been on my own for so many years and I trust no one! Especially an elf! And obviously with good cause! And don't you think for one minute that I enjoyed that kiss!"

"So be it. Just know, when we return to the castle, I am going to show Jo all of this and she will seek you out for the rest of the answers. Knowing her like I do, she is going to be far more angry than you are right now, for you knew all of this and never told her. I would say you are much better off to tell me now and then I can speak with her and try to make her understand your reasoning."

Josselyn was quiet as she stared at him, then she softly spoke.

"You...you would actually do that for me? Try to help me, even after...after all of this. I mean...I...I kissed you, then I slapped you for one thing."

"I will. I am an elf of my word. As I said, you can trust me. You are safe. I will protect you."

Her eyes were skeptical for a moment and then she sighed.

"Alright. Fine. Have a seat. But you better buckle up elf boy. There's many more twists and turns."

@redeemer46

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wyvernstuff · 6 months

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If you had/have a hoard, what would/do you keep in it?

ohhh my gosh thank you for asking this. this is the perfect opportunity to rant abt my hoards !!

putting a cut bc i don’t wanna take up peoples feeds if they don’t care haha

okay so if we’re talking in this realm (fancy name for here and now) then i hoard plushies primarily! I used to collect beanie boos (had a well loved community that is now in a guilt bag in the spare room somewhere) but i’ve moved on to merchandise and squishmallows mostly- anyway they cover my whole room and bed and i love them so much !! not keeping surrounded by a pile of items i love feels wrong… those dragonic instincts i guess! and maybe angelic ones bc they feel like sleeping in a large and safe group? idk ..

one thing that i hoarded as a dragon and right now is crystals! they are so interesting and fun to look at, i’ve built up my collection over a super long time because i’ve boarded crystals for as long as i remember! usually i keep them in a treasure chest in my room but they are also spread out everywhere. i feel super connected to the crystals opal, tigers eye and amethyst! also rose quarts, citrine and a few others I can’t think of right now ! my favourite item in my crystal hoard is the large chunk of dark amethyst I keep by my bed, i got it as a gift from my mother a few years ago.

Now here’s the super fun one .. i’m a past life otherkin/therian/nonhuman so I remember keeping a large hoard in my western ice dragon life specifically!! I kept giant crystals, amulets and other jewellery, anything shiny that I saw whilst flying around the mountains in my cave. Treasure that had rolled down the mountain sides when travellers perished on their journeys was super easy to spot in the bright white snow but got covered up quickly. Very fun to search for and collect. In my life as a forest wyvern i don’t think i kept much as i travelled frequently, though i did instinctively grab anything that looked interesting and was intelligent enough to trade in those finds with more powerful dragons for food.

hope that’s the kinda information you were looking for and i didn’t just bore you, but it was fun to talk about !!

#thank you very much for the ask<3 #wyvs ramblings #otherkin #therian #alterhuman #nonhuman #dragonkin #angelkin #wyvernkin #dragon kin #dragonkin hoard

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mysteriouslytransparentwitch · 1 year

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The post of your personal situation made me both sad & happy. Sad, because it seems your efforts have been stifled (for now), but happy because you are keeping your personal advancements forefront & you’re meeting people to appreciate their passions in life. So I have hung this suncatcher/pendant on my lanai to send peace, hope & positive energies your way, every day. The sun has not come around so its not sparkling yet. Don’t know which crystals you prefer (amethyst, citrine, rose quartz, etc), but I can always swap out something you feel close to to help the energy!

Thank you very much for your presence, each time I write you are there and you write me a note.

I'm not going to lie to you, I was very emotional, I fell asleep around 1am, so I was completely tired. I had tears in transport. The only positive thing is my internal dialogue, it was less violent. The work with my shrink is starting to bear fruit. Currently, I am in a phase of frustration, sadness, anger but I try to allow myself these emotions, it is still conflicting, I am angry with spirituality. I still have things to work on with my shrink. I plan to buy a sun catcher too. I'll be up for a citrine and an amethyst. I still work on the faith of a better future.

thank you again for your message

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bookishlilcorner · 2 years

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Great Love Stories Always Start with Revenge

An Elucien fic.

Elucienweek2022 Day 5: Alternative Universe

Fluff, Comedy, Tension!, Witch Elain and Demon Fae Lucien in a modern setting.

TW(s): Blood. Cheating.

Word count: 3k

@elucienweek2022

Sypnosis: Elain Archeron is known for her baked goods, her bright and colourful dresses, her gardening skills and her sweet soul willing to help anyone in need. She is also one of the most powerful witches in her coven, and had just been cheated on. It is a known fact that even the kindest souls can bring destruction once they snapped, and Graysen had just done so by screwing her best friend. Now she wants revenge, for them to regret breaking her heart and betraying her, and so summons a demon from the infernal world to aid her. Except she might’ve made a slight mistake, or not?

Part 1 - Part 2

______________________________________________________________

Oh, fuck.

This was not supposed to happen.

Elain Archeron stood in her living room, clenching her sparkling multilayered peach dress is half horror, half frustration as she stared into the ominous figure in the middle. Her couch, TV stand, table and other furniture had been moved to the side to allow room for her seance. A large circle drawn with the big of cray she had left was displaced in the middle of the floor, in which candles lit the western and eastern parts and a bowl of water and mud laid on the southern and northern extremities. The entire circle was covered in purifying salt in order to trap the entity once it appeared.

Except it was not that kind of entity Elain had in mind.

“Ugh, I was in the middle of an exquisite feast.” The entity complained, his large hand scratching his head. “Why was I summoned, witch?”

His long fire red hair floated around him as if a breeze passed through the strands, although that was quite impossible considering she closed all her windows before starting her incantation. He had strong eyebrows, full lips, tall slightly arched nose and a clean shaven jaw. His eyes were different, one of russet and one of metal gold. He had scars on the skin around his gold eye. He wore one of the finest outfits she had ever seen, pure emerald green silk with sewed in gold ornaments that looked like an older version of a suit and brown boots that left trails of embers underneath. The medieval-like blazer was open, showing off his complexion, a beautiful golden brown gleaming under the muted remaining lights of the spell. He was absurdly fit, broad shoulders, hard muscles, glistening skin and a trail of hair leading to—

Snap out of it, Elain! She cursed herself and cleared her throat.

“I’m pretty sure I summoned a demon from the infernal world. You’re not supposed to be here, Faerie.” She said firmly, her voice more steady than expected.

Faeries were creatures who looked like humans, but had pointy ears. They were immortals, like witches, but most of all, they couldn’t be trusted. They were masters of manipulation and tricks.

“We’re referred as the Fae, or Fair folk. Faeries are more… delicate. And certainly less hot than I am.” He smirked, standing taller and flexing his muscles. “I mean, look at this.”

“Oh great. Not just a random Faerie, but a cocky one.” She sighed, grabbing her hair in frustration.

Elain moved to the side, turning to the rich brown table where her grimoires, one purple and the other yellow, were laid. She flipped through the pages of the purple one where all her spells and incantations were noted in pristine calligraphy. Crystals were laid here and there, amethyst, quartz, obsidian, topaz, and many more. She played with her necklace of clear quartz, citrine and amethyst. It was supposed to bring her protection, good health and good luck.

“I don’t understand,” she said once she read through the incantation she used, turning to face him, “I used the right spell. It was supposed to summon one of the demons of the Envy circle, not a fire wielding Fae who can’t keep his hands to himself. Get your hands off my bowl of mud! It’s expensive.” Her voice grew louder as she spoke.

He looked back at her from his squatting position, moving his large hand away. “You paid a hefty price for… dirt?” He looked at her incredulously. “You have terrible spending habits.”

“That’s none of your business.”

“Why would mud be expensive? Is it some kind of witch thing?”

“Again. None of your business.”

“And how did you know about the fire?”

She pointed the embers trailing behind him with an obvious expression, one eyebrow raised.

“Right.” He said, lifting a hand. “And also, your incantation did work. Sort of.”

She squinted her, deadpanned. “You’re a Fae.”

“And a demon.” He exclaimed before surging his hand forward, trying to move it pass the circle of salt before bolts of electricity burned him. Dark smokes rose from his healing hand as he whistled, “Ouch, that was stronger than I thought. I didn’t expect that from a doe-eyed witch in a frilly dress. You look so… frail.”

She inhaled sharply, his insult raising her temper. She raised her hand, prepared to send another blast of power before lowering it again. No, she couldn’t do that. She needed his help after all.

Except, could he really help her?

“You’re half breed?” She asked.

He nodded, half bored by this turn of subject.

“What is your name?“

He scoffed. “You make an incantation to summon a demon and don’t bother to know his name? What a rookie mistake.”

She clenched her fist, her eyes glowing a faint hue of white. “Again, you were not the one supposed to show.”

An accidental blast of power shook the circle, sending the demon fae on his ass, who cursed in an ancient foreign language.

“Oh, sorry.” She exclaimed, feeling pangs of guilt inside. “Didn’t mean to do that.”

Witch she may be, but she was far too kind to thrive on someone’s undeserved pain. No matter how much of an arrogant, irritating douche they were.

He only stared at her with quiet fascination. “Interesting.”

She frowned, about to ask what was interesting, when he stood up, walking to the edge of the circle and smirked. “My name is Lucien, lord of mischief and chaos. Now, how shall I aid you, my lady?”

Her eyes grew slightly at the mention of his title.

Lord of mischief and chaos.

Elain had heard of him. He was a known trickster. A demon who caused havoc wherever he went and whatever he touched, relishing on chaos and misfortune. She only wanted a demon of a lower rank to help her in her plan, but a demon lord? One who was also Fae on top of it? This was too dangerous. A demon that powerful would be hard to control.

But controlling a powerful demon was not a first. She had done it before after all. She was a strong witch, one of the strongest in her coven. This was easy play. It shouldn’t be too hard.

“I need help to enact revenge on someone.” She explained, moving her feet forward to break the circle of salt and cray in order for him to leave the circle without issues. “If you’re willing to help. If not, I’ll just get someone else.”

Sure, she needed a demon, but she wouldn’t force anyone to do anything they didn’t want to do.

Luckily for her, Lucien only smiled. “Sure. A revenge. Can’t be too boring.”

“Now, if you would be willing to follow me.”

She turned her back on him, walking to the table to grab her grimoires. She heard a low, quiet laugh.

“Turning your back on a demon lord? You’re quite brave.” He said.

“I have a shield. Try anything and see it be thrown back at you.”

As if wanting to test that theory, flames appearing around his hand. He shot the ball of flames towards her, only for it to bounce back on him as if a wall surged from the earth. A shield of light surrounded her, its power so strong the scent burned his nose and drilled into his head, taking him by surprise.

A dark smile twisted his full lips. “Powerful. I like that.”

She shot him a sickeningly sweet smile. “I am no fool, my lord.“

The title she said in her warm voice was drenched in sarcasm. He rose an eyebrow and laughed approvingly.

“Also, you didn’t use much power on your ball of flame.”

“I only wanted to test your shield. Not hurt you.”

She walked to her kitchen, still hearing the words of the demon fae in her mind, and stopped in front of her glass cauldron resistant to heat filled with clear water. She heard footsteps enter the room, and the demon lord looked around. He took notice of her sage green painted walls, her white and gold marble cabinets, drawers, kitchen island and countertops, her brown chairs and table where laid a tablecloth of ivory and mint and a large deep bowl filled with citrus fruits.

He picked up a lemon, looking at her with amusement. “That’s a lot of citrus.”

She shrugged. “I love citrus.”

He snorted and put the fruit back in the bowl, a smile stretching on his handsome face. He turned to look at her, his attention so deeply focused it made her blush.

“What?”

“Just admiring my beautiful enchantress.” Lucien said calmly with a wink.

Careful, he’s the lord of mischief and chaos. She told herself.

Nothing about him could be trusted. Not yet.

She cleared her throat, her arms crossing on her torso and opening her mouth before she was interrupted.

“So let me guess. Your best friend betrayed you? Your sister double crossed you and left you for dead? your boyfriend cheated on you? And now you want revenge.” He said, grabbing an orange and peeling it without a care.

She eyed him, shocked. Two out of three spot on. “How…?”

He took a piece in his mouth, disappointment twisted his face. “Really? I was kind of hoping for something more thrilling. The double crossing one would’ve been interesting.”

She stayed quiet, urging him to give her an answer.

He rolled his eyes dramatically. “Cheating exes and besties betrayal are some of the most common reasons we’re summoned in your world. It wasn’t hard to guess.”

Elain pursed her lips, feeling embarrassed. Being a three hundred year old witch, this whole thing felt suddenly so stupid, but the flash of images of her boyfriend and best friend, of their limbs entangled on her bed brought forth her anger again, burning red.

And why care about this stupidly hot demon-slash-fae’s opinion anyways? She’ll never see him again after all this.

She dipped her hand in the cauldron of water, whispering words of the ancient language of witches. Glitters and a bright light appeared from her hand, swirling inside the water. She removed her hand, wiping the remaining water off with a pastel pink handkerchief as they both peered inside the now cloudy water swirling on its own by her magic.

The cloudy water then parted to show a man in his late twenties walking to a car with a Dunkin’s Donut bag in hand and an iced coffee. Brown hair cut short, light ivory skin, piercing blue eyes, he wore grey sweatpants and a basic black tee with sneakers. She heard a snort on her left.

“What’s funny?” Elain asked, irritation building up at the sight of his infuriating amused expression.

“All this energy on a man who looks like that? Look at his clothes. So bland and basic. He has no eye for fashion, nor taste for the finer things in life. And such boring facial traits.” Lucien said with disdain, shaking his head.

“Not everyone has the luxury for the finer things in life, my lord.” She said in a false sweet tone.

“Sure thing, but that doesn’t negate what I said. Such man is never deserving of a woman’s efforts on him, my lady. Positive or negative. Especially yours.”

She ignored the weird beating of her heart at his words, focusing on the task at hand. “It’s not just him.”

She moved her hand in the air left to right and the image shifted to reveal a woman with long platinum blonde hair in a long ponytail and green eyes clothed with black leggings and sports bra. She was apparently at the gym walking on a thread mill, sweat running on her bright beige skin.

“And that’s the best friend, I suppose. I guess she fucked your ex and you caught them in action. Charming.” He expressed as he took another bite.

Elain inhaled sharply, her vision turning red. Shaken by a violent urge, she slapped her hand inside the cauldron, the image of her best friend disappeared with the sudden waves. Lucien’s eyebrows shot up, surprised by her action. He had finished the orange and sat on a chair, his cheek lazily resting on his hand.

She was too focused on her emotions to give him any attention. The memories ran in her mind. The beautiful moments she had with her best friend Tanya, the years passing of bliss and happiness, the sweetness of her boyfriend, the rush of love she had felt for him.

She felt tears well behind her eyelids, her hands shaking by the weight of her overflowing emotions.

She didn’t even notice Lucien standing so close to her until he turned her head to face him, his palms cupping her cheeks. She could feel the contrast in her soft skin against his, rough but somehow still gentle and soft. He tilted her face up until she was staring into his mismatched eyes of russet and gold. He almost had… a soft expression in them. A mix of empathy, pity and something she couldn’t pinpoint danced inside his normal eye. Regardless of her irritation at the pity, she stayed mesmerized. Almost entranced.

She looked at the other eye, metal gold that seemed to glow slightly. Scars ran deep around the socket, looking rough and painful. She felt curiosity rise as she focused on it, but tamed it down. Now wasn’t the moment to ask.

“They don’t deserve your tears. They didn’t deserve your kind heart, your love, your empathy and sweetness. Nothing’s wrong with you—“

“I know nothing’s wrong with me.” She said weakly in between his speech, but he didn’t stop.

“— and they’re the ones who should be in turmoil over what they did to you. They’re trash — as humans often say — and deserve every ounce of your wrath. So, give them exactly that.”

She blinked in quiet shock. She didn’t expect him to be so… gentle. An arrogant, sassy and irritating asshole he may be, but he was also surprisingly gentle.

She pushed him away, all too aware of his towering presence, her hand on his bare chest. She felt flustered over him seeing through her so easily. She cleared her throat, willing her voice to be steady before saying. “Before I tell you my plan, I need you to make a blood pact with me.”

“A blood pact?”

“Regardless of your faerie nature, you’re still a half demon. A blood pact should work. For me to ensure I can trust you, you and I need to make one. This way, I can be fully sure that you won’t harm me or anyone I care about and that you fulfill what I ask of you.”

He shrugged. “Sure, but I’m still half Fae. Will it work just fine?”

That, she wasn’t sure. She hadn’t read anything on the effects of blood pact on demons with fae blood, but they were demons regardless.

“It should work just fine.” She said.

Right?

Lucien only smiled.

“What?”

He only pointed to her hand on his chest. Hard muscles flexed underneath her palm, his skin so warm. She swiftly moved her hand away, swallowing thickly.

“Anyways, let’s start.”

Elain walked to her countertop, opening the first drawer to pick her ceremonial knife. It was larger than most knives, the handle displaying delicately crafted roses and crystals in rose gold and the blade all rose gold reflecting the blinding sunlight.

“You leave a ceremonial knife in your kitchen drawer.” He asked, deadpanned.

“What? No, I moved it out of my basement a few hours ago.”

“Mmhm.”

She sighed and made her way back to where the demon fae was standing, lifting her hand with her palm facing up. She ran the blade through, face twisting at the sharp pain. Dark crimson blood flowed out and she tighten her hand into a fist.

“Your turn.”

He opened his hand, his eyes deeply beholding hers as she made a swift cut on his palm. He barely twitched. His eyes never left hers. She inhaled deeply, feeling the rising tension as much as the sting in her hand.

“I’m not going to lie. It is kind of hot.” He muttered lowly, his suddenly deeper voice moving something deep in her stomach.

She rolled her eyes, ignoring the weird feeling creeping up. “You’re so irritating.”

“I’d say charming.”

She ignored him again. Raising their hands so that their palms faced each other.

“Repeat after me.” She said firmly, not leaving him out of her sight. “I am bound to you, Elain Archeron, and offer you my services until revenge on Graysen and Tanya is enacted to your total satisfaction. I am not to bend the pact or terrible pain will befall upon me. And I am not to break the pact. Failure to do so will bring retribution on my and my family by tenfold. With my blood, I consent to this contract.”

Lucien repeated every world, syllable by syllable. He then pressed his hand against hers, his blood mixing with hers. Suddenly, golden specks of light emerged, a soft breeze coming from pure magic gently caressing their skin as the pact fulfilled.

A string of gold wrapped around their hands, digging into their skin until it bled. Elain hissed at the pain while Lucien stayed impassive.

Shortly after, everything came back to normal as quickly as the magic appeared. Elain withdrew her hand, staring at the cuts in her skin her blade and the string left behind. Lucien’s large hands took hers, surprising her once again at his gentleness as he caressed her skin. A faint reddish light appeared underneath his palms and she watched with fascination her skin healing.

“Well, that’s certainly convenient.” She expressed softly.

He moved his hand to her face, two fingers tilting her chin up so that she could stare at his face. He was much taller than she expected, towering over her easily. He tucked a strand of hair that fell from her ponytail behind her ears, the gesture so kind and intimate it shook her, heat moving from her chest to her core.

“So tell me, my lady,” he said softly. “How can I help in your revenge? I am all yours.”

#finally found how to put read more on mobile since I’m in another country without my laptop #elucien #elucienweek2022 #pro elucien #elain archeron #lucien vanserra #elucien fanfic #elucien fic #elucien fanfiction #elain x lucien #lucien x elain #elucien supremacy #acotar fanfic #acotar fic #acotar fanfiction #acotar #a court of thorns and roses #my posts

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andrewmoocow · 11 months

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Little Homeworld Life chapter 22: Seeing Black (originally posted on May 22, 2023)

AN: After almost a year of waiting, the Black Pearl Brigade have finally returned from their final battle with Cinnabar! It's been a while since I last wrote them, so bear with me as I try to get back into the swing of writing five or six characters who are almost the exact same. And in addition, we got another batch of new characters joining Black Rutile, one of whom we've already seen in De-Clustering during Tanzanite's flashback. The plot begins to thicken as we reach the epic climax of Little Homeworld Life.

Synopsis: The Black Pearl Brigade, now retired after defeating Cinnabar, decide to move to Earth. Meanwhile, Cinnabar is broken out of prison by another of Black Rutile's minions.

Cast:

Deedee Magno-Hall as The Black Pearl Brigade, Nacre, Pearl, Pearl Guards

Avi Roque as Cinnabar

Gina Torres as Andesine

Awkwafina as Kyanite

Allison Janney as Pyrite

Kimberly Brooks as Dalmatian Jasper

Zehra Fazal as Zoisite

Lena Hall as Bloodstone

Jodie Whittaker as Xenotime

Matthew Moy as Lars, Dante

Enuka Okuma as Rhodonite

Ashly Burch as Rutile Twins

Kathleen Fisher as Fluorite

Erica Luttrell as Padparadscha Sapphire

Estelle as Garnet

Michaela Dietz as Amethyst

Nancy Linari as Martha

Kate Miccuci as Sadie

Christine Baranski as Hessonite

Olivia Olson as Citrine

Kathleen Barr as Púrén

Noël Wells as Black Rutile

Della Saba as Aquamarine

Charlyne Yi as Eyeball

Larissa Gallagher as Bluebird Azurite

Shanelle Grey as Sally Grove

Zach Steele as Ronaldo

Uzo Aduba as Demantoid's Bismuths

Miriam Hyman as Demantoid's Bismuths

Shelby Rabara as Demantoid's Peridots

Featuring Barbara Dunkelman as Amber

And Kristen Schaal as Howlite

"Don't get too cocky, Andesine!" the red-clad captain of the Black Pearl Brigade yelled from her captain's chair at the other ship they were dogfighting with. "All systems, fire!"

"Will do, Cap!" Pony, the blue-dressed second in command of the Brigade, saluted before pointing the Servant's weapons at the ship. In the months since the fall of Black Rutile and Cinnabar, though the Black Pearls had planned on going wherever the winds took them, there were still members of the Rutile Rebels hiding across the universe that needed to be brought to justice. Andesine happened to be one of them. A former sergeant of Yellow Diamond feared far and wide for her sadism and patience, best demonstrated as Andesine heartlessly used her fleet as shields, the orange Gem dressed in samurai-like armor led an entire army of fellow Rutile Rebels in trying to conquer what territory had been lost by her master and comrades.

Along with Andesine were a long-haired orange Amber dressed in a tan jacket, brown zip-up overalls, and an orange scarf around her neck, and a Howlite with black veins spreading across her face wearing a turtle-necked sweater and a visor over her eyes.

"Lady Andesine, we seem to be evenly matched with these Pearls." Howlite cautioned her superior as Andesine's ship was at war with the Servant and the Sun Incinerator. "What do you suggest we do now?"

"I say we should keep firing, nerd!" Amber yelled at Howlite's face. "There's gotta be a weak point we can exploit or something!"

"Not everything can be solved with violence, you hotheaded clod!" Howlite argued with Amber. "Sometimes, we have to make a plan and wait for an opportunity!"

"Sometimes, plans don't always work out, and opportunities will fail too." Amber retorted. "Game, set, and match! Nailed it!"

"Can it, you fools!" Andesine commanded her two minions to cease their bickering. "While I agree with Amber that sometimes brute force can get good results, my current plan might be more Howlite's speed." This caused Howlite to stick her tongue out at Amber while Amber pulled down an eyelid. "What the Pearls don't realize is that I'm planning to break Cinnabar out of prison and bring her to Black Rutile, wherever she may be. My idea is to feign surrender so we can be taken to Revanche 666 and stage a breakout."

"That's a brilliant idea." Howlite agreed while side-eyeing Amber, who just rolled her eyes while folding her arms. "But how can we convince the Pearls that we surrender? Surely they'll get suspicious about what you have planned."

"Just follow my lead," Andesine answered before ordering her ships to stop firing and opening communications with the Black Pearl Brigade and the Off-Colors. "I'd like to arrange a formal meeting with the enemy fleet to reach a truce."

"What kind of truce?" Cap asked suspiciously.

"This better not be a trap, Andesine!" Lars shouted.

"No, there is no trap," Andesine promised while crossing her fingers behind her back, letting Amber and Howlite know she was telling a big, fat lie. "As of today, my associates and I peacefully surrender."

"Wait, already?!" Lars exclaimed. "We kinda thought that you'd resist just a little longer! What's with the sudden change in attitude?"

Andesine glanced at Amber, causing her to start speaking too. "Oh, well, uh," Amber stumbled over her words. "we just felt so tired by all the chasing and fighting and thought that it was time we tried changing ourselves for the better."

"That's right!" Howlite added just as shakily. "All this time, we were so lost and directionless; all this warfare just seemed so senseless!"

"I still do not trust them!" Braids, the Brigade's yellow-wearing strongman, said bluntly. "Bring them aboard our ship to see if they truly mean what they say!"

"Hey, you want a fight, Pearl?!" Amber yelled at Braids. "That's right, you and me! Right now! We're having it out! Come on, come on!"

"Everybody, calm down." Fluorite soothed the tensions between all three parties. "Now then, Andesine, are you really certain you surrender?"

"I am as certain as the universe is vast." Andesine replied before quickly flashing her two cohorts a smile. "Please bring us to Revanche 666 so we may consider what we've done."

"IQ, what can you make of this?" Braids asked IQ, the green-garbed intelligence officer of the team.

"Hm, I can indeed conclude they are suspicious." IQ nodded in response. "But if they want to surrender, that makes our jobs easier."

"Andesine is going to surrender, but she has something sinister planned!" Padparadscha Sapphire exclaimed.

"Ignore her," Andesine stated. "Please, take us away, for we are now the last of the Rutile Rebels yet to be arrested!"

"She's right, it's only this fleet left to go, and then we've caught them all!" Pony added. "In any case, you're all under arrest! Lay down your arms, and we'll take you in quietly!"

"At long last, we have them all." Tails, the pink-wearing sharpshooter, smiled in relief. "What a relief."

"Okay, you three, just stay right there while we take you to prison," Lars ordered the three Rutile Rebels as he ended communications with Andesine, who began grinning evilly as soon as their eyes were off her.

"Flawless victory." Andesine declared to Amber and Howlite. "Once we receive our sentence, we shall form a plan from there."

"I like the way you're thinking, boss!" Amber said, rubbing her nose with her thumb and smirking.

"You always were a very patient Gem who loved taking advantage of whatever situation you got in," Howlite added as Andesine's ship was seized by the Black Pearls and the Off-Colors, causing the three Gems to raise their hands in surrender. "I hope you know what you're doing here, Andesine."

"Trust me; I know exactly what I'm doing," Andesine assured with a smirk.

Soon, Andesine and her fleet were transported to Revanche 666 to be admitted into the prison and brought to their cells. By this point in time, the number of prisoners had slowly decreased as more and more of the Rutile Rebels were rehabilitated in confinement and allowed to rejoin society. However, Cinnabar and her cohorts were among the prisoners that refused to accept defeat no matter how much the Black Pearls, Peridots, and Bismuths tried to convince them to abandon their warmongering ways. Now, they were soon to be joined by Andesine, Amber, Howlite, and all the other Gems who pledged allegiance to the trio, just as Andesine had planned.

"Okay, all of you single file!" Lars commanded the Gems being shown to their cells. "Nobody makes a ruckus; this is a prison we're running here, not a fight club."

"Did they seriously turn our headquarters into a prison?!" Amber yelled in outrage.

"I recognize the irony as well, Amber," Howlite replied dourly.

"Well, I think that should be everyone," Rhodonite said happily. "At long last, the universe is free of the Rutile Rebels. That reminds me, how has Black Rutile been doing since she was exiled to Earth?"

"Probably off plotting her revenge or something; I don't care anymore," Lars replied. "I'm just glad we finally put these bigots down once and for all."

"LOOK WHO'S TALKING!" a fusion loyal to Andesine yelled from the line.

"Hey, what did I say about making a ruckus?!" Lars yelled back. "Anyways, what else should we do now that we finally have some free time?"

"Yes, I've been wondering that too." Nacre, the Brigade's latest recruit, and medic dressed in white and formerly known as Shell, stated. "In the time since I've gained a physical body, I don't think I've had enough time to think about how it feels. There is just so much about the universe that I want to learn more about!"

"Well, if that's the case, why don't we find somewhere to retire to?" Cap asked. "Any suggestions?"

"We could go back to Kyukanza." Braids suggested. "The atmosphere and scenery are positively glorious."

"Or we could go to East Walleef again." IQ added. "Surely, the townsfolk will welcome us after how we saved them from Mr. Manco."

"Hm, good choices, all of you." Cap nodded in recognition of her teammates' options. "However, my decision differs ever so slightly. From this day on, we shall become residents of Earth!"

"Oh, Earth!" Nacre exclaimed cheerfully. "I've only been there as an artificial intelligence, but to be there as a full Gem would be so exciting!"

"Huh, what a weird coincidence." Lars realized as his eyes widened. "I've actually been planning on visiting Earth sometime to catch up with everybody down there. Why don't we both go there?"

"That would be a good idea." Tails nodded in agreement. "We can make a day out of it, have a little fun, reconnect with old friends, and make a new home."

"Well, what are we waiting for?!" Pony exclaimed. "Let's get a move on already!"

As the Black Pearls and the Off-Colors boarded their ships and left Revanche 666 for Earth, Andesine was getting acquainted with her new living situation while being led to her cell. Around her, she could see Gems sitting in their small cells guarded by a destabilizing field. Dalmatian Jasper was bouncing a ball against the wall of her cell, Xenotime was facing the corner and didn't turn once, Pyrite had been tallying up how many days she spent in confinement, Kyanite shapeshifted her hand into a harmonica, Bloodstone paced around her cell no doubt coming up with new crackpot theories, and Zoisite laid on her bench to stare at the ceiling. And then there was Cinnabar. What Andesine thought was once a proud and confident leader worthy of being Black Rutile's apprentice now sat defeated in her cell, contemplating how her actions led to her downfall.

"We're sorry that we failed, my lord." Andesine said to the caged Cinnabar.

"Don't fret, Andesine." Cinnabar sighed in defeat. "I failed just as hard."

"Okay, this will be your home until you finally realize what you're missing here." A Black Pearl guard said as she guided Andesine to her cell and closed the destabilizing field behind her. "Don't think about trying to get out. These cells were made to poof anyone who tries to escape."

As soon as the guard left, Andesine heard a knock on the wall. Surprisingly, she had been placed right next to Cinnabar's cell. "So, how did you get here?" Cinnabar asked. "How badly did you lose?"

"We didn't lose; we surrendered," Andesine said, to the shock and horror of Cinnabar and her cohorts. "But that's what we want them to think. We feigned loss because we plan to break you out and return to Black Rutile on Earth." She revealed. "Hopefully, she'll welcome us back in spite of our past failures to conquer the universe in her name."

"Wait, you want to break out of here?!" Dalmatian Jasper yelled. "No Gem ever escapes from Revanche!" The ball she was throwing then hit her in the face.

"They got round-the-clock security, and the Pearls show no mercy to anyone trying to escape!" Zoisite added.

"This is basically a suicide mission!" Kyanite stated, taking a break from her harmonica playing to show her concern. "And I'm unsure if Black Rutile would ever want us back."

"Hold on, everyone, let's just hear her out." Pyrite calmed everybody down. "Now, why do you think you'll be able to break out?"

"Because I have a little thing called hope," Andesine assured. "Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies."

"Good to see you're so optimistic," Bloodstone said.

"Hope can be a far stronger tool than fear, you know," Howlite stated. "After all, fear is the mind-killer and the little-death that will bring total obliteration."

"Aw, but we just got here!" Amber complained. "I've been planning on stabbing someone with a shiv!"

"Just as long as that someone isn't me." Xenotime declared as she slowly turned her head from the corner of her cell.

"So what do you say, Cinnabar?" Andesine asked Cinnabar, who was now reinspired by her fellow rebel's words of wisdom as she knocked on the wall again.

"I'm in." Cinnabar declared eagerly.

Meanwhile, on Earth, the Pearls had touched down in Little Homeworld, ready to start new lives away from the menace of the Rutile Rebels. Upon landing outside its gates, the Pearls disembarked from their ship to tour the Gem town and were greeted by its inhabitants along the way. The sights around her utterly enamored Nacre, as she was only here as an AI before, but now she could live her life as a full Pearl.

"Oh, hello there, welcome to Little Homeworld." The Brigade could hear Pearl greet them before she realized who she was talking to. "Oh my, the Black Pearl Brigade, is that you? How have you been lately? And who's this new Pearl?"

"Oh, we have much to tell you about what we've done since we were last here." Cap laughed awkwardly. "First of all, this is Nacre." Nacre gave a polite shake of Pearl's hand. "You may know her better as Shell, but now she gained a physical body after saving us by restoring our memories after we were temporarily amnesiac thanks to Cinnabar."

"Wait, Shell? As in the Shell from the Reef?" Pearl asked just as Garnet and Amethyst joined her. "How did that happen?"

"Well, that is actually a long story." Nacre stated. "You see, it all started when the Pearls' ship crashed into the Reef during an adventure and-"

"Well, well, well." Black Rutile declared as she reunited with the Pearls. "Hello there, Brigade. Fancy seeing you back here. I see you've got a wardrobe change and a new recruit." She glanced at Nacre. "A little taller than the rest of you, I see."

"You must be Black Rutile." Nacre said. "I've heard about how cruel and selfish you were, but I never thought I'd see you in person someday."

"Those are all just facetious lies!" Black Rutile barked at Nacre. "Now then, Pearls, what brings you here?"

"We're actually planning on moving into Little Homeworld now that we've taken down all your followers." Cap announced to Black Rutile. "Andesine surrendered pretty easily, surprisingly enough, but we got a feeling she has something planned."

"That's Andesine for you, always planning ahead of everyone else." Black Rutile replied before looking to the Crystal Gems. "Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, why don't you go and make the Pearls at home while I talk with them?"

"Fine, but don't do anything funny!" Amethyst agreed before walking away. "Hey, where do you think we should put it?"

"Guess we'll just have to pick a random spot." Garnet declared as the three Crystal Gems got further and further away, allowing Black Rutile to talk with her former foot soldiers in private.

"You remember what we agreed upon last time you visited Earth, correct?" Black Rutile asked menacingly, pulling out her bowie knife to prove her point. "Tell anyone about our little scuffle, and I'll make sure they pay the price."

"Yes, we still remember." Pony proclaimed. "But if you think you can control us again, we will have no choice but to expose you."

"Wait, what deal?" Nacre asked curiously. "I was on the Servant then, so I'm a little lost here." At the same time, the Servant began hovering above Little Homeworld as Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl piloted it to a good spot where they could make it into a new home for the Pearls.

"Basically, Black Rutile forced us never to tell anybody she was hiding in the woods." IQ recounted. "But I guess that doesn't work anymore since everybody knows you're here now."

"Oh, you think you're cute?!" Black Rutile snarled angrily.

"Please, we're adorable!" Braids confidently answered. "Jokes aside, this place is now under our protection! I do no doubt that you are plotting glorious revenge, and we shall not stand for it!"

"Well, go ahead, make my day." Black Rutile grinned. "If you feel like you are this town's protectors, then I dare one of you to hit me as hard as you can. Which one of you dares?" The Pearls all looked at each other awkwardly, taken aback by Black Rutile's sudden challenge. However, Nacre was quick to accept the offer.

"I'll do it!" Nacre eagerly cheered.

"Wow, you're quite enthusiastic for a piece of fresh meat." Black Rutile laughed. "Hit me with your best shot; fire away if you have to!" Unfortunately for Black Rutile, she only got a gentle tap on the chest. "You're joking, right?"

Back at Revanche 666, a great escape was soon to take place. Headed by Andesine and Cinnabar, the Rutile Rebels that were still imprisoned were plotting to break out of their confinement and escape to Earth, where Cinnabar had stated Black Rutile was currently located. After ripping off a part of the wall in her cell, Howlite tinkered with the wires to hack into the security systems and deactivate the destabilizing fields so they could exit their cells safely and find somewhere to hide from the guards.

"Okay, everybody, here is the plan." Andesine declared. "Once Cinnabar and I return to our cells, we'll act perfectly natural while the rest of you follow our orders." She then began putting the Gems into groups based on their assignments. "Howlite, you, Xenotime, and Bloodstone will take over the security systems and free everyone else from their cells. Amber, Dalmatian Jasper, and Zoisite will hold all personnel hostage. Finally, Kyanite and Pyrite will find us a ship to steal so we can be home free. Are we clear on this?"

"One question," Howlite said. "If our plan is found out, how shall we compensate for such an event?"

"It's quite simple," Andesine answered. "In case that happens, we shall take no survivors."

With that, the escape plan sprang into action. Almost immediately, DJ and Amber pretended to start a prison riot to get the guards' attention, their acting skills working flawlessly as Zoisite also pretended to try and break up the fight.

"I'm telling you, the Viltrumites stand no chance against the Chimera Sui Generis!" DJ argued with Amber. "Their superior strength and superhuman abilities make them unstoppable!"

"But a Chimera Sui Generis is far more durable than you realize!" Amber yelled back. "They can take a beating without breaking a sweat! And that's not even taking into account their squid forms!"

"Please, you two, stop fighting over such trivial things!" Zoisite begged the two fighting Gems as a group of Black Pearl and Bismuth guards arrived on the scene.

"Are we going to need to intervene here?" one of the Pearls asked threateningly while pointing her spear at DJ.

"Well, you just happened to show up at the right time." Dalmatian Jasper smirked as her gem conjured a hook to snag the Pearl by the neck. "Let's make one thing clear here, Pearl! I'm in charge of this joint now, and anyone who says otherwise will have to answer to my friends!" Zoisite followed up on her partner's threat by pulling out her naginata and taking out a Bismuth in one fell swoop. Meanwhile, Amber pulled out her weapon, a kusarigama, and used the chain to strange another Pearl to the point of poofing. "Do I make myself clear?"

"How did you even escape?!" the Pearl exclaimed in horror.

"Let's just say some friends of ours are smarter than you think." Dalmatian Jasper grinned.

"I think we're on the verge of a breakout here!" a Bismuth operating the security cameras exclaimed as she watched DJ and Amber fight the Pearls before she gave orders to the rest of the prison staff. "All units, mobilize to subdue the prisoners! I repeat, subdue the prisoners!"

"I don't believe that'll be necessary." Howlite said as she stood behind the Bismuth and struck her down with her baseball bat. "Bloodstone, Xenotime, you take out the rest of the guards! I'll shut down the rest of the cells!"

"Sounds like a plan," Xenotime answered robotically as she made time freeze around her, stopping the oncoming Bismuths in their tracks and poofing them all with ruthless precision and mechanical grace. As soon as time resumed, it was like Xenotime defeated them all in less than a second.

"Cheater." Bloodstone grimaced. "Didn't even let me get a hit in."

"Wibbly wobbly timey wimey powers, deal with it." Xenotime retorted smugly before turning to Howlite. "How is everything going?"

"I'm in!" Howlite declared as she shut down the entire defense grid and allowed every remaining prisoner to escape, causing mass chaos in Revanche 666 as far as the eye can see. "I love it when a plan comes together." However, while all the security cameras have been shut off by Howlite's hacking, at least one was left unnoticed by the three Gems. And it was still running.

Cinnabar and Andesine emerged from their cells to see the rioting Gems wreaking havoc and overwhelming the guards with their anger at being kept away for so long. The two grinned at each other, as it seemed their plan had gone off without a hitch.

"It's official; this prison is ours." Cinnabar proclaimed before a Peridot was dropped at their feet.

"Why are you doing this?" the Peridot yelled in terror. "How did you plan all this?!"

"It's a secret to everyone." Andesine winked at the Peridot before pulling a communicator from the gem on her chest. "Kyanite, how is finding a ship going?"

"Well, funny you should mention that because me and Pyrite just ran into a problem." Kyanite nervously said.

"Oh no." Cinnabar moaned. "What is it?"

"Hessonite just came and destroyed all the other ships," Kyanite said on the other end as she and Pyrite came face to face with Hessonite and Citrine. Every other ship in the prison had been destroyed, leaving Hessonite's warship the only one left, and Kyanite & Pyrite were currently at the end of the line.

"We've been watching this prison for quite some time in the event something like this happens." Hessonite declared while presenting her sword.

"But how did you know?!" Kyanite yelled.

"That Howlite forgot to shut off a camera that was running on backup power," Citrine answered as she grabbed a defenseless Kyanite and Pyrite.

"What?! How was I supposed to know?!" Cinnabar screamed as the communicator was snatched from Kyanite's hand and crushed to bits.

"HOWLITE!" Andesine screamed for her chief scientist to meet her. "Why didn't you tell us that there was backup power here?"

"Well, because I wanted us to fail, and I was a mole for the Crystal Gems this whole time." Howlite smiled before she screamed, "OBVIOUSLY, I DIDN'T KNOW!"

"No matter, it's just Hessonite coming for us." Dalmatian Jasper stated as the other Rutile Rebels gathered around their two red-colored bosses. "We got a little thing called strength in numbers."

"Well, we're going to need a lot of that strength to complete the mission." Cinnabar stated as Hessonite and Citrine marched into the central area of the prison before they tossed Kyanite and Pyrite to her feet. "Pitiful."

"So this is what Andesine meant when she said she surrendered." Citrine observed the prison riot. "I should've known she was planning to break all of you out."

"And we won't let you tell anyone about it." Andesine said while drawing her flaming sword from her gem and motioning for her followers to attack. "CHARGE!"

"And that's how we narrowly escaped the Trandoshans." Lars recounted a tale of his adventures to his parents, the Crystal Gems, and his friends at a welcome-back barbecue held at his old home. "Moral of the story is don't get in the way of their hunts. They'll make sure you pay the price."

"Sounds like you've had quite the adventures since you were last here," Garnet said. "though I'm sure ours might be some good competition."

"Yeah, we had a shipping war, a beach party, a spy adventure, a krav maga tournament, a talent show, became celebrities! We even met ourselves from another dimension!" Amethyst eagerly added. "You would not believe all the crazy stuff we've been through!"

"Those do sound pretty exciting," Fluorite answered slowly. "I wish we had been there to experience all of that."

"Yeah, sounds like Earth just got a little more exciting." Lars's mother agreed. "Are you still sure you want to keep doing your space adventures, Lars?"

"I'm sure, Mom." Lars answered. "Besides, now that I'm pretty much immortal, I'm probably going to outlive pretty much everyone here, and I don't think I ever want to experience that."

"Well, you do you, Lars." Sadie accepted. "But if you ever feel like stopping by again, my mom and I always have a room to spare."

"Thanks, Sadie." Lars smiled at his old co-worker. "Sure, I've had fun traveling the stars with the Off-Colors, but it wasn't without some problems. Like these snake people I've had a few close calls with."

"Wait a second, did you say snake people?!" Ronaldo yelled as he slammed his hands on the picnic table. "I knew it; I knew they were real!"

"Never a dull moment with you, Ronaldo." Dante shook his head in amusement while everyone else just gave him weird looks.

Back at Little Homeworld, Nacre was taking in the sights and sounds of Earth. Such a wonderful planet to be on, she thought while exploring Little Homeworld and greeting all the Gems she passed by. She hadn't felt this amazing since she used her powers to restore her creations to normal and gain her physical body to join them in saving Homeworld. But now, after spending so much time in the cold darkness of space, she yearned for a change of scenery. Sure, the Pearls visited many planets in their travels, but they only stayed for a short time due to their missions.

As Nacre sat down on a bench and serenely felt the air comb her body, she suddenly heard a faint voice talking. "-was able to get through to that Reginald Johnson fellow you've informed me about." The voice said. "He was a prejudiced psycho who uses his media influence to spread his garbage takes, but he's also pretty agreeable."

"Who said that?" Nacre muttered as she turned around to discover a nearby house resembling Black Rutile's old headquarters. Tiptoeing closer to the home, Nacre spied on Black Rutile through the window and saw her conversing on a computer with a blonde human in glasses.

"Excellent work Sally!" Black Rutile thanked her human associate. "Talking to him should be very entertaining."

"I could feel my brain shrinking with every word he said." Sally Grove groaned in annoyance. "This is why I never trusted men; they're all the same dumbasses who not only do not realize how much is handed to them but still think they're the victims when they mess everything up because of their lazy entitlement and fragile egos."

"Yeah yeah, I've heard it a thousand times from your videos." Black Rutile declared before she realized she was being watched. "Hang on a second; I need to take this. See you soon." She shut off the video and marched towards the window to find Nacre trying to hide from her. "I know you're out there, Pearl."

"How did you find me?!" Nacre shouted as she tried desperately to hide, even though it was hopeless.

"Word of advice, little one, I am far smarter than you realize." Black Rutile smirked back. "TOPAZ!" On cue, Topaz appeared to snatch Nacre by the waist with her massive hands. "Return this Pearl to her friends at once."

"Yes, my Rutile." Topaz nodded obediently before looking down at Nacre. "No hard feelings, okay?"

"Let me go!" Nacre yelled as she tried to wriggle free from Topaz's grip while being carried away, leaving Black Rutile alone with her thoughts.

"Should've known someone was onto me." Black Rutile shook her head disdainfully before going back inside.

The Pearls were now getting themselves situated at their ship-turned-Earth home. Cap was modifying all the rooms to be homier, Pony had laid out a carpet in the bridge, IQ was helping Braids move a couch into the ship, and Tails was moving some decorations around. "Nice choice of carpet there." Tails commented on the ornate Persian carpet with gold tassels, a blue outer section, and a purple inner section with red and gold patterns throughout. "Really ties the room together."

Just then, there was a knock at the door. "Ooh, I wasn't expecting company so soon!" Pony exclaimed cheerfully as she walked up to answer it. "Sorry, we'll throw a housewarming party lat-" She then realized that Nacre was being delivered to the Pearls by Topaz, who had a message for the five.

"Black Rutile wants you to know that she doesn't want anyone interfering with her plans," Topaz said glumly. "Otherwise, and I hate to say this, but there will be consequences." She then tossed Nacre into the ship before walking away.

"Nacre, what happened?!" Braids exclaimed while dropping the couch on IQ's foot and racing to check on the team's healer.

"I was simply enjoying being on Earth when I overheard Black Rutile talking with this wicked human on the computer," Nacre explained what she went through. "Or at least, I think that's what she felt like. She said such awful things about other humans, and it made me suspicious. I think Black Rutile might be plotting her revenge or something."

"Well, if that's the case, someone has to know," IQ said as she shapeshifted her foot away from the couch. "Púrén?"

"Yes, IQ?" the Servant's primary AI, Púrén, asked.

"Signal the Crystal Gems; we must tell them what's up." IQ declared. "And I think it's time we tell them about where we found her."

As the Black Pearls left the Servant, Black Rutile had been watching them through one of her spy drones, and she was not happy at how they finally went back on her deal. "Alas, I can't seem to trust anyone on this planet." She shook her head in dismay before turning to Aquamarine and Eyeball. "You two, I have some disloyal Pearls that just moved here."

"What do you want us to do, my Rutile?" Eyeball asked.

"Fuse and terminate them." Black Rutile answered while making a slashing motion across her neck. "Are we clear?"

"Very clear." Aquamarine snickered before she and her Ruby sidekick joined hands and fused into Bluebird Azurite, who laughed maniacally before flying away.

Later that day, as the barbecue was winding down and everyone said their goodbyes, Lars heard something coming from the Sun Incinerator. Getting onboard the ship, he pushed a button on the console that showed him a staticky image of a fearful Hessonite. Lars had never seen Hessonite so timorous before. "Uh, is something wrong, Hessonite?"

"Lars, help!" Hessonite cried, but her message was too garbled for the pink human to get the whole message. "-evan-666-Cinna-Andesi-break-Citrine-ship, save us! Plea-" The message abruptly ended, leaving Lars wondering what she meant.

"This is where scum like you belong!" Dalmatian Jasper growled as she tossed a freshly poofed Hessonite and Citrine into the same cell and shut it behind them. "And lucky us, you gave us a ship to use, too, since you destroyed all of them."

The rioting began quieting as the Rutile Rebels began boarding Hessonite's warship to escape Revanche 666 and search for Earth. "Well, this plan has surely been more successful than I thought." Andesine commented while leading the Gems in hijacking the ship. "I was expecting at least one of our minions to give their lives for the good of our cause."

"That's not very comforting." Howlite said calmly.

"I was hoping to see you be used as a meat shield," Amber smirked.

"Don't you start, Amber!" Howlite yelled at Amber before Andesine broke them up.

"Enough bickering; we have work to do." Andesine proclaimed. "Cinnabar, I hope you have a good excuse for when Black Rutile sees you."

"I understand, Andesine." Cinnabar muttered in acceptance of her possible terrible fate. "Whatever Black Rutile must do, I shall accept."

"Yeesh, real bring-down prison has turned her into." Zoisite snarked while walking alongside Dalmatian Jasper.

"At least she's less nihilistic than Xenotime," DJ added, much to Xenotime's anger.

"You make a few overdramatic declarations, and suddenly you're the emo of the group!" Xenotime complained just as Hessonite and Citrine reformed in their cell to see everyone leaving. "Hey, look, they're back!"

"You see what happens when you put too much faith in Steven?" Cinnabar smirked cruelly at the two vigilantes. "This is where it'll get you."

"You won't get away with this!" Hessonite cursed Cinnabar as she and Andesine left with the other Rutile Rebels. "Don't think you can just take my ship and leave!"

"Uh, Hessonite, you kinda forgot one thing," Citrine stated. "Yours is the only ship left here since you destroyed all the others to try and keep them from escaping. Not a great plan."

"Well, looks like we're stuck here," Hessonite replied, realizing her own recklessness at the worst moment. With her ship now in Andesine and Cinnabar's hands, Hessonite was stranded on Revanche 666 with no known way of getting help.

Back on Earth, the Pearls were informing the Crystal Gems at the temple of Black Rutile's plans and how she threatened them. Outside, however, Bluebird Azurite was hiding from sight with her ice saber at the ready. "At long last, a chance to finally kill two birds with one stone." She laughed deviously as the cutlass lit on fire. "Or, in this case, one sword."

"I don't think so!" Lars cried as he grabbed Bluebird from behind and suplexed her onto the deck. "The Pearls told me everything, and I have something to tell you." He added while picking up Bluebird by her wing. "Run. Run away, Bluebird, back to your master. And tell her that no matter what she has planned, the Crystal Gems will be coming for her soon."

"And you just ran away?!" Black Rutile began yelling in Bluebird's face when the fusion returned to give her the bad news. "Whatever, they know what I'm doing! But they still don't realize what I'll do to get there."

"I deeply apologize, my Rutile." Bluebird apologized to Black Rutile just as they heard a loud rumbling sound from outside. "Is it just me, or are there tons of things just coming from the sky lately?"

"One second." Black Rutile said while pulling up her visor to check her surroundings, in which she discovered Hessonite's warship hovering over the forest where Jasper once made her home. "Hessonite? What's she doing here?"

"I don't think that's Hessonite, my Rutile." Bluebird observed. "Otherwise, she'd be landing somewhere to meet the Crystal Gems, not out in the woods. Someone must've taken the ship from her."

"Well, let's not dawdle for so long! Let's get moving!" Black Rutile said as she grabbed onto Bluebird, and the two flew towards the forest, where they found Hessonite's ship waiting for them. When the pair landed, a large reverse pyramid detached from the ship and descended on top of Jasper's old cave, destroying it and allowing Andesine, Howlite, Amber, and Cinnabar's cabal to disembark.

"Black Rutile, we have brought you Cinnabar." Andesine declared and shoved Cinnabar forward to meet her old master for the first time in months. "Do with her as you may."

"Hello again, Cinnabar." Black Rutile ominously greeted her former apprentice. "I've been told what happened when you went against those Pearls. And now, thanks to you, they are living here on Earth. What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I'm sorry for everything Black Rutile, those Pearls had me outfoxed at every turn!" Cinnabar begged for forgiveness while dropping to her knees. "I accept any punishment you shall give me!"

Instead of punishing her, however, Black Rutile picked Cinnabar up by the collar of her jacket and gave her a tender pat on the head. "No need to cry, my friend." She said sympathetically. "It's not entirely your fault because your failures can all be traced to one source."

"Do I even need to ask?" Andesine asked.

"Yes, Steven." Black Rutile proclaimed. "Everything the Pearls did was in service of that little tyrant's corrupted paradise! But slowly but surely, I have been taking control of the creatures he loves most: humans. Now then, let me ask you one thing. People talk loud when they want to sound smart, right?"

"CORRECT!" Bloodstone yelled loudly as a demonstration of Black Rutile's point.

"Well, that is what I've discovered recently." Black Rutile continued. "My ventures through the Internet have allowed me to discover that there are tons of people out there who, no matter how poor their moral character is, everyone will believe whatever they say. And naturally, I have taken advantage of this."

"So what are you saying?" Cinnabar asked nervously.

"I'm saying my new plan is more personal than ever before." Black Rutile responded. "Now then, are you all with me?" The rebellious Gems said nothing, only getting on one knee and bowing in reverence of their genius leader. "That's just what I needed to hear." She declared evilly as the Rutile Rebels began coming back together under her banner.

Only four chapters left until the finale, and we seem to be getting into the real good stuff. Andesine, Amber and Howlite, my resident Captain Kirk, Dr. McCoy and Mr. Spock for this chapter, were based off an idea for a story by a reviewer that I'm sad to say doesn't fit into my current plans, but I was more than happy to insert these characters into this world and fitting them into the Rutile Rebels. In the meantime, we'll have two more slice of life episodes to get down before we move onto the big two-part finale I estimate will be sometime in late June. Keep watching the skies everyone, and see you real soon.

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sonatasoftware · 8 months

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Cooling Neck Wraps - Good For Beating The Heating And Healing Injuries

The main principle behind chakra care is that there are seven energy centers at various points on the body system. It is said that putting the correct stones on these centers of energy can help a healing process. There is not any one stone that works for everyone as well as on every energy center. You may have to experiment but by knowing what works other people keeping everything you may choose a starting point of your own. 1/ When you get a tore or a website online, involving why somebody this crystal and what you're looking it's promote. Then, look at the crystals with you half shut and let your hand move over them. When your hand wants to stop, allow it to sadly and understand the crystal under it or thing to it . You will be using your right brain a person do every part is earn money . brain that can truly aid in this. What's the only option in crystals for low energy? Carnelian. I love this stone backsplashes. It's a pretty orange color and is related to Jasper. It aids us with confidence, boldness, initiative, and assertiveness. Carnelian helps us get contact with our feelings also. It also warms and cleanses the blood and kidneys while stimulating passion and sex. If you are attracted for the stone, you will need to put just a little piece pc into your pocket and carry it with you have. I've noticed quite a few men over age of 50 need this stone. Then observe a large, glowing and delightful temple, which looks very "Romanesque". Around the globe shimmering a rainbow of colors, especially silver and gold. The Temple contains large entrance doorway, in which guarded by two huge Mer-Angels, one female and also the other boy. On the foot of the entrance you see all kinds of crystals located on the ocean floor that are shimmering and exquisite. You see pink rose quartz, clear quartz, purple amethyst, yellow citrine, green tourmaline, moonstone, and a lot of other crystals, some of which you haven't seen prior to the! You also feel that inside on the temple are several very large and beautiful crystals, that known just like the healing crystals of Atlantis. You can do this simple self-healing technique on yourself by laying down, being placed in your mediation chair or standing track of your feet shoulder width apart. What do these crystals do? These special crystals enable consumer to direct pure Divine Energy into and through their physical body. Using crystals can be a natural technique to enhance the human body's own healing capability, to process energy at a higher rate of moaning. Think of one's problem or intent in the amazing healing crystal, f.g. 'I want to heal my arm.' Then bringing the intent into nowadays moment think or say, 'My arm is strong and healthy' and assemble the crystal in the forehead while you keep thinking this. Now take the crystal and move it over the arm, make it with you and every often put it to your own again, move it over the arm again and repeat your record. You can find that amazing healing crystals have intense powers to magnify and generate thoughts as well as. Keep doing this for 10 days and those do find they are excited at their healing powers that the crystals have helped to magnify.

#luckycrystals

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beaversatemygrandma · 3 years

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Learning that the wiccan girl i used to work with is currently spouting qanon bullshit doesn’t even surprise me.

It all started with her coming up to me immediately recognizing the fact that I’m highly empathic and then proceeding to try to convince me that im one of the select few with special abilities and whatever. (i mean my mom says the same. i just pass off as a damn fae creature at this point) Then once we were friends, there was her trying to convince me to go to a ritual at the beach on the full moon to drink menstrual blood. Well i didn’t do any of that. I just kinda backed away at that point but she was friends with literally All of my work friends so i was stuck with her even after she lost the job. I still see her around somehow and its been like 3 years so yeah.

#starting to wonder what kind of people i wouldve met if i didnt move to fl rn #because holy fuck theyre really showing their crazy around here #the only good thing she did was talk me down from a panic attack at work by using a damn healing crystal #how it worked idk #but it did #i keep amethyst and citrine around now #but then again my mom also supports the healing crystal stuff and got me a nice set of stones last year #that girl also shamed me for not dating the guy i was sleeping with when we had first met #she even once did it while i was not in a good mindset which sent me into a SPIRAL #the spiral somehow pushed me towards the guy and we somehow never even dated but we still talk a lot and are close friends #so maybe she was right about how sex makes you spiritual level because we're still on the same wavelength #then again we might just be compatible people sooo #if i meet another dang wiccan who thinks im a wiccan im gonna scream tho #im not i swear #i was just raised by a pagan woman who genuinely thinks im a fae #i also found a book of healing spells in my late grandmothers stuff while living with my granddad #i kept that book #is all this because of the pagans in my family and how i might spiritually be at these people's levels #possibly yes #do i understand any of this stuff #no not at all #but do i keep getting gifted healing crystals and white sage?#oh yeah ive got a lot of pretty rocks now #and sage that i will never burn most likely #but yeah today is just me looking over the local people ik and wondering what the fuck theyre thinking #because i dont think they think #most of them are just showing their evil sides lately and im getting nervous #fl locals are damn wild my dudes #i wonder if theres a spell in that book for these sorts of situations #beavers speaks

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lilly-onthevalley · 3 years

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☁️ Your environment ☁️

When levelling up most of the things I see focus on your physical attributes but this post is going to talk about your environment, your home. A sound mind resides in a sound home.

What you are around effects your mood, vibration, body and mind. Making sure you know how to cultivate and create a soothing atmosphere in your home is an essential skill.

🌿 Clean ! 🌿

There is nothing shameful about cleaning, ladies and gentlemen. You should be in charge of cleansing your own room at the least. A towel and some liquid soap will do your room a lot of good. Remove that dust that dries and irritates your nose. Remove all the old cups and old plates. Vacuum or sweep the floors. Make sure there is no opportunity for mold and insects to breed. I personally see cleaning as a banishing ritual in a sense, banishing all the dirt which carries a low vibration which will make you sick the more you sit in it. Make sure your room is well ventilated as well. Keep the flow of energy open and free.

💜 Ambiance 💜

Make your room aesthetic, create an ambiance that makes you feel alive and productive. Personally I love to burn frankincense, oud, sage and oils in my space. The scent also catches onto your clothes and provides a scent that's subtle and can't be achieved by any perfume. My favourite oils to burn vanilla and camomile, they are amazing for creating a relaxing atmosphere. Invest in a good room and linen spray too, lemon is a great scent for your bedding. Scented candles are also amazing to make a room even cozier. After that you can now put things like crystals, salt statues and plants as things to raise the overall vibration and clean atmosphere in the room. Amethyst is very nice in your bed room and Citrine would be good for the living room. Cacti are also very nice to keep in bathrooms since they do not need much to survive. Colour is also a great thing when creating an ambiance, purple tinted lights, a white blanket, blue curtains, red carpet - things like this can easily elevate your atmosphere. Adding religious or spiritual ornaments which you believe and respect are also a nice add.

✨ Subliminals ✨

What I mean by subliminals is keeping certain little things that trigger thoughts in your mind. Like perhaps leaving a certain book around with a certain title which will remind you of a certain life principle you want to keep up. Keeping a yin and Yang symbol to remind you about principals like as above so as below / as within so as without. Scents can also be subliminal. Keeping mirrors close by to remind you to look your best. Things like this are very personal and unique to yourself and what you want. Painting are great too. Getting a replica of your favourite art piece on Amazon or framing your favourite vinyl is a good idea too. I'm planning to get a Bosch painting, I love his work so much.

- 💗

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becoming-persephone · 2 years

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Words spoken and written have vibrations that weave themselves around us. If you are connecting with words of positivity, trust, and gratitude, you will welcome that energy into your life. Like the Buddha said, “what you think, you become. What you feel, you attract. What you imagine, you create.”

Before You Manifest

ground into gratitude: journal every day or week about what you are grateful for in your life right now. This allows you to root into what is important to you, providing a sense of clarity.

The Core of Manifesting

what do you want to FEEL?:

what do you DESIRE?:

what do those feelings and desires look like? visualize.

Ways to Manifesting

create a vision board with images that capture how you to FEEL and what your DESIRE.

on the back of the vision board write your intention with the belief and expectation that it is going to happen

tip: don’t specify a day or time rather choose a month or season you want it to happen on/by

create a dream box, a place where you can write out your intentions and place them inside with a clear quartz crystal

this allows for your intentions to be “planted” but not your sole focus, giving them time to be nurtured by the universe

create a personal mantra for yourself to repeat daily, like a prayer

ex: I Trust (say x3) or My Trust Is In The Universe etc.

take a clear quartz chunk and speak what you want to manifest into the quartz, allow the vibration of your voice to blanket the crystal.

place the crystal in a dark bag for protection (black or blue)

during morning prayer or spell work place this stone by your heart as you recite your personal manifestation mantra

Words of Wisdom

ask the universe and your guides for messages and signs

have an affirmation that keeps you connected to your intention

Ex: I found my home. I love my new job. I will have a daughter

Crystals for Manifesting: Clear Quartz, Tree Agate, Aquamarine, Amethyst, Citrine, Moonstone

Gods & Goddesses To Connect With

Ganesh (hindu): a god who removes obstacles

Tyche (greek): a goddess of fortune, chance and fate

Spider Woman (native american): a goddess who creates a webbing of energy to put you on your fated path

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lyssaloveesmagick · 3 years

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LET'S TALK CRYSTALS!

~ Everything has energy, and if you believe in Tarot cards I believe you should also believe in the energy crystals radiate, as they are more natural than any form of divination. ☺️

~ Each Crystal is different, different colors and shapes each have specific uses but many have multiple uses. Lots of crystals are used in Chakra work, Dream work and other forms of energy/ascension/alignment work. The closer to natural the stone is, the more potent it will be. Polished stones still work well, just often at a slower pace. Bigger crystals will be stronger too.

~ When working with crystals in Chakra work most of the time the color of the stone will align with the corresponding chakra.

For example:

♥️ ROOT - Garnet, Carnelian, Red Jasper, Bloodstone. (I love using obsidian here too but I want to discuss this stone lower in the post)

🧡 SACRAL PLEXUS - Sunstone, Orange Calcite, Tigers Eye & Citrine

💛 SOLAR PLEXUS - Pyrite, Aragonite, Amber & Yellow Tourmaline

💚 HEART - Emerald, Malachite, Amazonite & Green Aventurine (& Rose Quartz)

💙 THROAT - Apatite, Soladite, Turquoise & Blue Kyanite ... Think light blue/teal here.

🧿 3rd EYE - Laborodite (my favorite crystal), Azurite, Lapis Lazuli & Sapphire

💜 CROWN - Amethyst, Moonstone, Lepidolite & Howlite

Now, the colors dont HAVE to match. There are plenty of chakra healers/balancers that dont coordinate colors BUT I love to match so there's my list!

🤍 Obsidian (mentioned above) is great for protection!

🤍 Selanite is great for clearing energy & charging other crystals. You can get it as a plate or bowl to rest your daily crystals on so they're ready to go in the morning.

🤍 Clear Quartz is an everything stone! You can literally charge it with any intention. Its a good stand in for anything you dont have. With Quartz being a high vibrational stone it will work to align you with its vibration, often sending you ideas to help you take inspired action to illuminate and clear your path. My favorite of the Quartz family is Lumerian, but stones such as Citrine, Amethyst, Smoky Quartz & Rose Quartz are all in the same family. Be knowledgeable when buying Citrine & Amethyst as some are man made by heat treatment.

🤍 MOLDAVITE is a popular one lately so let's talk about it. Moldavite is a tektite, which is technically not a crystal but still acts like one. It was created in a single meteorite impact in Bohemia that occurred about 15 million years ago. It is ONLY found in the Czech Republic which causes it to be extremely rare & now often faked due to it's increasing demand. So beware of its very high price & be alert when buying. Because of its birth story it's energy is at times chaotic, which you can also see within the stone when examining it, as the inner lines have no pattern & it also holds tiny air bubbles. Like Clear Quartz, its a high vibrational "stone" that works to align you with its vibration. So if you are interacting with low vibrational people or activities it will work to remove these from your life usually by aligning your thought patterns with the correct actions. It may bring you some magic but more often than not you will be asked to take inspired action to have it work properly. This is one piece I cannot sleep with in my room at all!!

~ Check that your crystal dealer is selling ethically sourced stones & be sure to do your research on which crystal/tektite will work best for your desired intentions before purchasing & activating them! I find it best to only work with 1-4 crystals at a time when outside of my home. 2 is my sweet spot, but we are all different & our sensitivity changes as we develop empathy towards universal energy.

~ Ok! Now that we've got the basics on picking your crystal out of the way, here's how to use them!!

~ You should cleanse your crystal after purchasing it to remove the energy of anyone who has handled them or any negative experiences they've endured before reaching you. Not all practicioners believe this & not all stones hold negativity but I believe it's good practice & can't hurt so here's what I know: You can do this in many ways. Sound cleansing (via bells or soundbowls or even YouTube sound baths), kosher or Himalayan salt bath, brown rice, smoke cleanse (via ethically sourced Sage, Palo Santo or Incense) or for certain stones you can soak them in running water or salt/sun/moonwater to cleanse & charge - BUT use caution as some, such as moldavite, laborodite & selenite (most crystals ending in ite) will dissolve in water, especially hot water so again, do your research on the specifics - you can burry them in dirt outside or in your house plants for a few hours just watch out for rain/damp soil, a Selanite or Quartz dish will cleanse & charge any stone, & my personal favorite method - setting them out under the moonlight! I think the Sun works too but the Moon is preferred by most practitioners. It usually only takes a couple hours with most of these methods. Smaller crystals can be cleansed with breath & feather wind.

~ To charge them, moonlight is ideal. Setting them in a windowsill or outside for 3-5 hours will work perfectly! You can soak them in saltwater under the sun too. This amplifies their natural energy before adding your own.

~ To program & active each crystal you'll essentially be forming a bond with each one individually. You can do this simply by holding it in your dominant hand (usually the right hand as the left body is for recieving intuitive nudges), meditate with the crystal wrapped in both hands, envisioning what you'd like to accomplish together & commanding it to activate. I personally find that the universe works best when we say please & thank you. I also like to kiss my energy into each stone after we've spent a few moments bonding.

~ Now your crystals are ready to move energy & help you develop your growth! All you have to do is place them accordingly in your home or carry them on you. Again, I find it best to only carry about 2 on me at a time. I have also found that sleeping with too many in my room gives me restless sleep, even just 1 high vibrational stone on my dresser is usually too much for me, but the lower chakra stones or blue stones are usually okay. Some people keep them on an altar or in a grid (YouTube is very helpful for learning gridwork) some keep them in windowsills - just use caution as some stones get sunbleached - & some people like me have a few crystals in each room! You can look into the best placements for each stone you own for best uses & placements depending on your intentions.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_

I get the most potent dreams with Red Garnet under my pillow & Blue Kyanite on my side table. I keep a large Rose Quartz, medium Amethys & Selanite, & some smaller Obsidian, Moonstone, Laborodite, Rainbow Hematite & Quartz pieces & Gold flakes on my dresser... Although as I'm typing this im wondering if that Laborodite is why I haven't been sleeping as well or if it's just all the Eclipse & Retrograde Energy going around in this 2021 air 😆

Either way, I hope you've found this post to be of some use & if you have any questions or anything I can add please don't hesitate to reach out!!! (Use of Evil Eye as 3rd Eye symbol in this post is soley meant for aesthetic but I do wish protection, peace & prosperity on all it lay sight on)

HAPPY HEALING!! 🤍

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dustofbrokenheart · 2 years

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For the valentines match up thing~

i’m 5”7, dyed auburn hair, green/hazelish?? (idk) eyes, witchy grunge hippie style

i love music, i love to write, i like to read, practice witchcraft, ummmmmmm yea, and i have a preference for the lost boys!!

In hindsight, maybe you shouldn't have thanked him for the first crystal...

Because once you did that, he kept bringing more and more, like a crow rummaging around. But rather than keep the shiny things for himself, he insisted on bringing them to you. Then again, all the boys were pretty feral so being compared to crows might be accurate.

"Thanks, Paul," you smiled as you added the latest one to your now rather large collection. Amethyst, quartz, citrine, and a whole bunch of others.

A big puppy smile lit up his face. "Anything for you, babe. Every time you use all these rocks, I want you to feel my love for you pouring out, like a cosmic sprinkler."

You giggled and gave him a back hug. "Dude. You do realize that not all these are used for love spells, right?"

You and Paul would have a lot to talk about with music and although he's not a practicer himself, I think he'd find your being a witch super interesting. He may not understand how everything works but he'd be great at fetching (begging, borrowing, and stealing, really) ingredients and items for you.

A Michael-Star combo would also be very interested in you given that you're basically Michael's type and Star would share fashion/witchy interests with you. But I kept the final choice between the vamp boys in case bi-polycules aren't your thing :)

#valentines

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pearlsfallingdown · 2 years

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Crystal care masterpost!

Hi and welcome! :D

This post is meant to be a basic guide on how to take care of your crystals and serve as a little inspo of things you can use them for~

In this post you'll find:

╔═══════════════════╗

⋆How to connect with a crystal

⋆ How to cleanse and take care of it

⋆ Daily life uses ╚═══════════════════╝

⬤◐〇◑⬤

⋆How to connect with a crystal

First things first, how do you exactly connect to one? Well, there's plenty of ways in which we can feel a connection with them, here are some:

Do you find a crystal pretty? (they all are but like one that particularly catches your attention)

Do you think you should put some work on a specific aspect of your personality (ex. introspection, communication, confidence)?

Were you attracted to the properties of a crystal?

Attraction comes in many ways and all of them are valid so, if a crystal catches your eye, do follow your instincts because it most likely means they're trying to tell you something ;)

Quick disclaimer, though!

Consumer culture is a thing we should all be aware of when purchasing something, especially in magick, since it's quite easy to fall for the trap of "needing" certain things to accomplish something, so do be cautious and try to discard any similar behaviours.

⋆How to cleanse and take care of it

So, you have your cool new crystal, what now? Cleansing it and connecting with it seems like a good idea.

When it comes to cleansing there are various ways in which we can preserve its energy:

- Smoke/inciense cleansing

This method is one of the most convenient and easy ones to do! You can choose your scent of choice and just light up an inciense to clean your crystal with smoke. Here, you just need to let the smoke pass by, easy, right?

- Water cleansing

Here's a tricky one: not all crystals stand a water cleansing. For some, water will make the crystal crack, for others, it will literally disintegrate because of its components so it's vital to search whether your crystal can be submerged in water or not.

Crystals that can go under water: all of the quartzes can (clear, smokey, amethyst, citrine, etc) and most of the crystals with a hardness level of at least 6 (see Mohs scale of mineral hardness)

Crystals that can´t go underwater: malachyte, lapislazuli, aragonite. All of the crystals whose name ends with "-ite", crystals with a hardness level below 6.

- Earth cleansing

This is a cleaning method for the brave! It consists of letting your crystal rest on soil for a while (15 min, an hour, a night, you decide it!). This is a cool way for your crystals to reconnect with the Earth but if you like to keep your crystals physically clean, though, I do not recommend this method since you may not be able to wash off the excess dirt with water.

- Connection cleansing!

This last method is quite hard to achieve if you get distracted easily but pretty effective if you lack access to the previous methods! Basically, you need to keep your crystal close to you for a while and just breath deeply and visualize the energetic recharge, this is a good time to communicate any intentions you have for your crystal or just clarify in which way are you asking for their help, too!

After your first cleanse, I highly recommend just staring at the crystal for a while, get to know it! This way, you can connect easily with it.

Energetics charges are generally done on a full moon (once every month) but you might want to keep some crystals away from the sun as it could fade some of their color away.

As to when to cleanse your crystal, just listen to your intuition again! Some indicators that your crystal might need a cleansing are losing its shine or sensing an off energy from them; also if you feel you've been demanding a little too much from them a good cleansing might do!

So that wraps up the general cares for crystals so what do we do with them in the meantime?

⋆ Daily life uses

You might think is kinda weird to just carry pretty rocks around in order to use them but, although carrying some crystals or crystal jewlery with you might be a handy way to use them, there are many ways in which we can do so.

Are you studying for finals and need to get focused? Put your crystals over your computer or studying device for some help!

Keeping a crystal under your pillow, say, an amethyst, is pretty useful for keeping nightmares away.

Are you planning on making a ritual or a spell? See if any of your crystals help you amplify the energy you're trying to attract!

Crystals wich connect with the 3rd eye chakra are also useful for a divination session or just doing some introspection and thinking.

⬤◐〇◑⬤

Keep in mind that crystals are small pieces of the Earth that carry insane ammounts of knowledge so they're the perfect guides for not only helping but enhancing our own work. ❤ Hope this helped!

#crystals #magical #witches #witchcraft #magick #wicca #witchblr #esoterismo #energy cleansing #divination #tarotblr #cartomancy #crystal magic #crystal witch #calcite

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thespianbooks · 3 years

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A Court of Nightmares and Starlight //Chapter 20//

Masterlist

tags: @thron3ofbooks, @df3ndyr, @courtofjurdan, @art-e-mis, @herondamnn, @the-third-me, @im-still-trying-here, @emikadreams, @paytin77, @mis-lil-red, @sleeping-and-books, @lucieisabooknerd, @amandaraey-sunshine, @easy-p-lemon, @azymondias05, @dagypsygirl, @makeshift-utopia) *bold tags don’t work ;-;

Posting a little earlier because last week I posted a little later than I meant to 😅

XXX

"Eris is High Lord of the Autumn Court?" Mor asked carefully, her warm eyes widened in subtle horror.

In the weeks that followed the news of the civil unrest taking place in Autumn, all the courts of Prythian had been on a collective edge. As our spymaster indicated in his reports, Eris indeed sent letters to every court—asking for aid in the fight against his father, and almost every one had begrudgingly sent a small contingency of their armies; Kallias being the only one to outright refuse. After bearing witness firsthand to Beron's insolence at the summit, they all were hesitant to trust that Eris would be any better—especially Kallias, whose heavily pregnant mate had been targeted by the older male. They were surprised, however, to see the legion of Illyrians that Cassian sent; realizing later that we were retaliating directly against Beron for not only his assault against me at the summit, but for his attack on Velaris as well. They also knew of the tenuous alliance Rhys and I had with Eris for his help during the war, and one-by-one they offered their support for the male in a fortnight.

Azriel nodded in response to Mor, taking a subtle step closer as she loosed a shaky breath. After meeting with his brothers, Rhys had called for the rest of us to gather in the library in order to disclose the information they received earlier this morning—that Eris had beaten his father and was crowned as the new High Lord of Autumn, while his despicable father rotted in their prison, for now.

"What now?" I asked as Mor remained speechless, her eyes still darting from side to side as she processed the news.

The last decade of peace hadn't lessened the hatred she bore towards the Autumn male, and I understood how it must've felt to learn that the male who caused her unbearable pain—had left her for dead, was now elevated to a high position of power.

"Now that bastard keeps a leash on Keir, until we and the other courts can pull back our forces and recuperate before tackling our next issue." Rhysand answered, keeping a watchful eye on his cousin.

"How long will that take?" Amren asked from her seat next to Mor, subtly moving closer and offering the blonde her glass of wine.

"Two or three weeks, give or take." Cassian responded as Mor took that glass and gulped down the remainder of its contents.

"How exactly will he do that?" Elain asked timidly, she hadn't been very involved in the meetings where we developed our plan of action—the war with Hybern still too fresh in her memory for her to actively participate as she had back then. She was finally in a good place, nearly recovered mentally, and talks of going to war again only gave her painful reminders of what she had lost then.

I placed a hand over hers gently. "Rhys has been writing back and forth with Eris over the last two weeks. Once he started gaining an advantage over his father, Eris received a letter from Keir offering to create an alliance," I explained.

"You mean renew an alliance," Mor said bitterly as she stood and crossed over to the set of windows, hands on her hips.

I frowned, sharing a look with Rhysand. "But Eris is our ally in this coup. I have already instructed him to keep Keir sidetracked with false promises of a treaty while we work together with the other courts and replenish our armies," he reassured.

"You really think we can trust him?" Mor asked, turning back to face us. "He's been biding his time until he could win his father's throne, using us as leverage, how do we know he'll keep his word now that he has it?"

"He is ruthless, cousin, there's no doubt about that. He also knows that he would be at a severe disadvantage if he paired with Keir in the coup. His court just underwent a civil war, it is in shambles and he now has to navigate how to deal with his father's supporters and piece his court back together. Partnering with Keir would be disastrous and result in his court falling apart completely," Rhys explained calmly.

"If for some batshit crazy reason he does decide to side with Keir, we outnumber them now." Cassian added. "With the other courts on our side, they can't win."

Mor still looked unconvinced as she turned back to the window without another word. I saw Azriel watching her, a flicker of yearning in those hazel eyes, but he looked away as Elain spoke up again.

"Is there any news of Vassa…?" She asked quietly.

"She was recovered and returned to her home in the Mortal Lands, by Lucien." He answered her just as softly.

A pall of silence fell over us—Mor's rage continued to simmer as she stared out the window; while my sister and the shadowsinger exchanged a prolonged look before she finally looked down at her lap. Whether or not she acknowledged the fact that it was her mate that rescued the mortal queen, or whether or not she cared, I could only guess.

Rhys cleared his throat. "In the meantime, we keep waiting while Eris keeps Keir distracted. During that time, the other courts will be steadily sending their forces until those who fought in Autumn are recovered and can accompany the rest. If all goes according to plan, we have approximately two weeks until we're hosting the other courts and High Lords," he continued.

"Where are we going to host five High Lords, their entourages, and armies? We can't use the palace above the Court of Nightmares, Keir will know." I asked, bewildered.

"We'll host them here, in Velaris," Rhys answered with a rouge smirk.

"And their armies will camp out in the Northern Forests of the Illyrian Steppes," Cassian finished, crossing his arms over his broad chest with a crooked grin of his own. "We'll give them a little taste of what it's like in those mountains."

"What if Kallon gets reports of those gathered armies? He'll alert Keir," I challenged.

Rhys placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder, squeezing gently. "They'll be stationed outside of Windhaven camp. Kallon is too busy rallying his rebels to bother checking in on his rival camp. We'll be setting up wards to shield them once they've become large enough; the other High Lords and I will take turns keeping them up."

I squeezed his hand back, leaning back against the cushion of my chair and running a free hand over my belly. Madja continued to assure Rhys and I that our son was growing at the expected rate and remained perfectly healthy. My recovery continued to improve, and the healer had alleviated some of the conditions for my confinement. I was now allowed out of bed for short walks around the estate; I could also paint and tend to some of my duties as High Lady, like writing letters and sorting through reports, but needed to maintain a light and easy schedule—nothing involving anything too strenuous. Since I was on the cusp of entering the last stage of pregnancy, only a few short months away from giving birth, she advised that I remain in the estate until my time came—when my period of nesting began, and Rhys would whisk me away to the Cabin in preparation for the birth of our son.

"Will there be fighting?" Nesta asked.

She stood beside Cassian; hands neatly folded in front of her as she turned a raised chin to the male. Though I couldn't see it, I knew the memories that flashed behind her fierce grey-blue eyes—of Cassian on the battlefield during the war; of the injuries he sustained.

"It's doubtful," Rhys replied for the commander. "We outnumber his Darkbringers and rogue Illyrians six-to-one. Once he and Kallon get word of the troops gathered in the Steppes, they'll come to meet us with their own. If they're smart, they'll realize sooner rather than later how ill-fated their cause has become and surrender."

Mor scoffed from her place at the window. "Like hell they will. You know that bastard won't go down without a fight."

"Then there will be a slaughter. Either way, they lose." Rhys said easily. "They'll be reminded of why previous coup attempts have been thwarted, and the Illyrians will be put in their place once again. As for Keir," he shared a meaningful look with his cousin as citrine and amethyst clashed. I pictured the paints I would use, emphasizing just the shape and fierceness of that shared look.

"So...we have nothing to worry about?" Elain asked hesitantly.

I took her hand again, "We're safe Elain. With our allies and this plan, the coup will fail. This confrontation is nothing like how it was with Hybern."

She nodded, her tense shoulders easing a bit. Amren crossed one leg over the other as a crooked grin lined her lips. "At least this time I won't be needing to sacrifice my life for you lot."

"We could always add you to the front lines. They don't know you don't have any powers; we could just use you to intimidate them to death," Cassian quipped.

"She's far too small for that," Azriel added.

Cassian roared in laughter as Amren glared at the spymaster. I half-heartedly laughed, noting the edge that lingered between my mate and his cousin; until Mor turned away and walked out of the library.

Is she okay? I asked through the bond.

As okay as she can be. She hates that Eris is High Lord, but I just informed her that I will be turning her wretched father over to her after this coup is over

Did that help?

Not as much as I would have hoped

Let me go talk to her. It's been a while since we've talked alone, maybe I can help her sort through her feelings.

Rhys only nodded in response before crossing over to stand in front of me and helped ease me to my feet. Despite my remarkable recovery, my growing belly still made my movements slower and slower. I was also beginning to notice that my balance was growing increasingly skewed but blamed it on the bed rest for now. The others hardly noticed as he escorted me to the door; their continued conversations and my departure a subtle indication that our meeting was over.

"How are you feeling?" Rhys asked once we were in the hallway, wrapping an arm around my waist as we walked.

"I'm fine. It's been nice to walk around again, even if I'm stuck indoors for now," I said.

A small frown came to his face and I quickly realized how my words sounded. The last time I had been confined inside an estate…

"It's not the same," I quickly amended. "I'm doing it for our little Bash," I said while rubbing my stomach for emphasis. "For both of our health. You're not locking me away and forbidding me from entering the city."

He took my hand in his free one, bringing it to his lips. "Never," he said. "Maybe in another couple of weeks Madga will deem it safe for us to resume our walks out along the Sidra. We'll get to enjoy the weather while it's still warm."

I smiled. "After this coup is over, and those responsible are taken care of, we'll get to enjoy it. We'll get to enjoy this," I said as I looked down at my middle.

Rhys's eyes softened as his gaze moved to my stomach, and I felt our son stretch in my belly. We stopped short of Mor's room and he pressed a kiss to my brow, his hands holding either side of my swollen abdomen. "Yes, we will."

I breathed in his scent and sighed lightly before pulling him in for a quick kiss. "You go take care of business. I'll talk to Mor and spend the day with her."

He nodded before taking a step back, "I'll be in my office if you need me."

"I'll be fine," I reminded him.

He smirked and kissed my belly goodbye before winnowing away. I took in another inhale before I stepped around the corner and approached Mor's door. Before I could knock, however, the door swung open with the blonde on the other side of it. She ushered me inside wordlessly and I followed suit, walking into her suite.

"You didn't need to come check on me," she said as she closed the door behind me.

"I figured you needed someone to talk to after hearing the news," I said as I worked to lower myself on the plush settee in the center of her room.

She sighed and plopped herself onto the seat beside me, helping me down and stared at her feet. "I knew it was bound to happen someday, especially after the deal Rhys made with him, but…" she trailed off.

"But it's different actually seeing it become a reality," I affirmed and touched her shoulder gently.

"I know, and you're completely entitled to your feelings. After everything that's happened, on top of this coup orchestrated by Keir," I shook my head and squeezed her shoulder. "I'm sorry Mor."

She continued to stare at the ground until her dark-honeyed eyes finally met mine. "I'm well over five-hundred centuries old, and yet any knowledge of the two of them working together—even under a guise for our sake just…" she shook her head, truly unable to voice the rage boiling underneath her skin, her elegant fingers curling into fists.

I touched one of those fists, levelling my gaze with hers. "Mor, I promise you, if Eris so much as looks at us the wrong way, we'll take care of him. The last thing we do is trust him, and I know Rhys wouldn't hesitate to rip him to shreds if he tries anything like his father did." I promised.

The corner of her mouth twitched upward slightly, and she sighed. "I know the alliance is necessary. I'm just not happy about it," she lamented.

"Neither am I," I assured, and she dipped her head in approval before uncurling her hands and bringing one to touch my stomach gently.

"How is he?" she asked.

Ever since revealing to my sisters that I was expecting a boy, the news hadn't remained a secret for long. Elain had been so delighted and shared the news with Mor and Amren during dinner that same night; Cassian then boasting that he had known for some time, which launched into a debate with the entire inner circle. I then sheepishly promised Rhysand that I wouldn't reveal our son's name until after his birth.

"He's good, moving a lot right now," I answered and smiled at feeling a kick. "Feel that?"

Mor's widened grin was answer enough as she continued to stroke my belly, encouraging my son to kick more and laughed as he responded to her movements and words.

"How does it feel for you?" She asked.

I shrugged. "It's hard to describe, the more he grows the different it feels. Viviane once told me that once I reach the end stages, I'll start to feel feet, fists, and elbows in there."

Mor cringed. "Does it hurt at all?"

I shook my head. "I think he's still too small. His movements are noticeable but not painful."

She nodded and studied my belly for a silent minute, caressing it lightly. "I can't wait for all of this to be over so we can turn all the attention on you, little one. Auntie Mor already has so many presents for you," she cooed.

I blinked, "Presents?"

She grinned mischievously, "Wanna see?"

I nodded with a laugh, but as she got up and crossed over to her enormous closet, a knock came at her door. Raising a brow, she walked over and opened it; a sentry waiting outside of it before she allowed him in.

"Pardon me, milady, but Lucien Vanserra is here to see you," the sentry informed me, albeit a bit hesitant.

I balked at him. "Here on the grounds?" I asked to confirm.

Lucien was about the only male welcomed in and out of Velaris; due to his connection with Elain, and his desire to be closer from time-to-time after the war, he had his own apartment in the city. However, since constructing the estate, he only visited on a few occasions.

The sentry nodded, "Yes. He arrived moments ago, insisting on an audience with you. Lord Rhysand greeted him, but he still maintains in meeting with you alone."

I paused to think. Knowing my mate, he was leaving the decision to me. "Is he alright?" I asked cautiously. "He isn't hurt, is he?"

The sentry shook his head. "He seems well, but unyielding."

"Maybe it has something to do with his swine of a brother," Mor offered. "I'll go with you. If he's angry, the last thing we want is for him to lash out at you in your condition."

"Lucien wouldn't hurt me Mor. If anything, he's probably hurting too. I have a feeling something else has happened," I said before motioning her to help me stand.

I grunted a bit with effort as she helped me get to my feet, a little wearier than I had previously been. Mor frowned, "We can send for him after dinner, once you've gotten some food and rest."

"I'll meet him in the sitting room attached to my suite. I can rest there and talk with him, and I know you all won't be far," I insisted and linked my arm with hers.

"Tell Lucien I will meet him in my sitting room in five minutes," I said to the sentry, who bowed in response and left the room.

"Are you sure about this Feyre? If he upsets you and puts too much strain on you and the baby…" Mor began.

"It's all right Mor," I assured her as she escorted me out of her room. "I think it's Lucien's turn to vent to a friend about the new High Lord of Autumn."

Mor cringed, recalling the cruel revelation Eris had unleashed on his youngest brother at the summit months ago. Still, as she led me back to the sitting room adjoined to my suite, she waited with me for Lucien's arrival. Moments later, my disheveled friend strode in, his russet eye wide while the mechanical one whirring as he took us in. He didn't so much as look at Mor as he cautiously approached me.

"Did you know?" He asked me by way of greeting. "About Helion and my mother? About-" he began but cut himself off as he finally realized Mor was standing beside the chaise lounge I perched on.

I turned a look at her and she understood my request. "I'll be down the hall," she said before leaving us alone.

"Did you know about their affair? That Helion is my-" he cut himself off again, unable to say the words as he paced the room.

I only offered a small nod, watching him empathetically. "Yes," I said softly.

"When?" He asked, still pacing back and forth across the carpet. "When did you figure it out? Or who told you? Was it my father? I mean, was it-"

"I figured it out after I first met Helion; before the war with Hybern started and we all gathered for the first time at Thesan's palace. He told me the story of what happened to your mother, her sisters, and how he rescued her during the first war." I answered, interrupting his rambling questions.

He stopped pacing and faced me. "Did Rhysand know?"

I shook my head. "Not until I figured it out myself. I made the connection; Rhys didn't realize it until I did."

His arms grew slack at his sides. "So, it's not some well-known secret that all of Prythian knows about and just hid from me?"

"No Lucien, it-" I began but then he interrupted.

"So why didn't you tell me, Feyre?" He asked, both of his eyes wide and bewildered. "You've known all this time and you didn't think to tell me? I thought we were friends!"

I frowned as he snapped at me, my hormones surging and causing tears to well in my eyes. It must have been evident, because he sighed and took a mild step towards me before turning away and running both hands through his bright auburn hair with an exasperated sigh. I quickly put my emotions in check, not wanting my irrational mood swing to interrupt Lucien's moment.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"No, Lucien, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. Honestly, I didn't think it was my place, and after what happened at the summit, I thought it was the last thing you wanted to hear." I explained.

He sighed heavily and crossed his arms over his chest, staring at the ground. "My father...I mean, Beron, told me. When he attacked the Mortal Lands and took Vassa. He...claimed I was 'no son of his' and said I was nothing more than a Day Court bastard. I was shocked, and then he started the attack. I tried to fight him off, to protect Vassa, but then…" his voice faded as his eye turned hazy, the other whirring out of focus as he recalled whatever details that occurred that day.

I slowly offered my hand, still seated, and it took a minute before he registered my movement and took it. I motioned for him to sit beside me and he did, his shoulders slumped over slightly as an invisible weight pressed on them.

"When Eris was crowned, my fa...Beron, imprisoned; my mother summoned me back to the palace. She broke down and explained everything, told me of her relationship with Helion and that he was my biological father. She never told him," he went on, voice barely above a whisper.

"She loved him, Feyre, and her husband kept her there. Imprisoned to serve as Lady of the Autumn Court, even while she carried another male's child," he pressed a palm onto his good eye, massaging the stress from it.

I placed a tentative hand on his shoulder, squeezing it softly. "How is she?"

He sighed. "Relieved. Eris is granting her a separation from Beron before he...finds a way to deal with him, but when she told me about Helion, she seemed...broken." He met my gaze again,

"You were almost her. All those years ago with Tamlin, when I didn't do anything to stop it. I almost let what happened to my mother happen to you," he said, a subtle horror laced in his voice.

"What happened to your mother wasn't your fault, Lucien." I said, moving my hand from his shoulder to his hand.

"I knew. A part of me knew she wasn't happy with my father," he cringed. "Beron. Yet I didn't try to take her away. I didn't do anything, and neither did Helion."

I sighed and moved a little closer to him. "Lucien, there was nothing you could have done. Beron had complete control over her. Even if you could, she probably wouldn't have left for fear of him and what he might do."

"But that's the point, I could have," he jumped back to his feet, pacing again. "I could have done something for her, for you, and I didn't. I couldn't protect her, or you, and I couldn't protect Vassa! I couldn't even protect your sister, my mate, from what Hybern did to her and Nesta. What kind of male am I that I can't protect the ones I care for, the ones I love?"

I frowned, "Lucien-"

"No, I...he took Vassa, Feyre. He managed to find that sorcerer that controls her and forced her into her firebird form. The way she screamed; it was...I couldn't bear it. Then learning what he did to my mother, and remembering what happened to you...to Elain, to even Jesminda, and how I allowed it all to happen. I...what…" he looked around frantically, his chest heaving a bit as he paced.

I did my best to rise as quickly and cautiously as I could before I approached him and threw my arms around him in an embrace. His arms were pinned at his sides as I held him, his body going rigid at first—until slowly he relaxed, his arms going limp before slowly wrapping his arms around me in return. Despite the complicated past with Tamlin, the one instance where he did have a say, he was my friend and had more than made up for it since. Beron had given him a life of turbulence; him and his brothers making Lucien's life hell until he found reprieve in the Spring Court. Then, once his closest friend had begun turning into a tyrant reminiscent of his father, those feelings of being trapped returned—unable to help me to the extent he wanted. After escaping that, after the war, he once again found solace with his human friends...until Beron's latest attack.

Lucien had felt so out of control in his own life, and every time little moments of freedom were offered—whether by finding a home in the Spring Court, then being welcomed to Velaris and the Mortal Realm, it seemed to crumble before him. Now with this latest truth revealed to him, it was no wonder that he was beginning to crumble next.

I wouldn't let that happen.

"Your mother is safe. I am safe. Elain is safe, and Vassa is safe," I said. "We are all safe now Lucien. Yes, we each endured some version of hell, but we survived. Just like you are doing now," I pulled back at arm's length to meet his gaze.

"You saved Vassa. As for me and Elain, who knows what would have happened if you hadn't done your part during the war; if you hadn't guided the Mortals, and Drakon and Miyram's army down the right path. As for your mother, you did what you could. Unfortunately, there was nothing you could do while she remained subservient under Beron, but now she is free of him. There is so much to look forward to Lucien," I took his hands again, squeezing them. "There will be good days and bad—don't let the hard days win."

Lucien blinked at me; his russet eye growing soft while the golden one whirred quietly. He continued to stare at me before he embraced me again, pulling me in a little too tightly and I cringed at the pressure on my stomach. He gasped and stepped back.

"Are you okay?" he asked

I nodded with a weary laugh, holding my stomach. "I'm fine, you just squished him a little."

He looked at my stomach, as if he just noticed it and helped me back to my seat carefully. "I almost forgot how far along you were. I haven't seen you since the summit."

"It's weird huh?" I motioned to my enlarged belly. "Sometimes I'm still a little surprised when I see myself in the mirror."

"Is he okay? I heard what you did...after what happened in Velaris," he asked with a frown.

"We're okay. We had a little scare, but my healer took care of us right away. I was on bedrest for a while, and technically still recovering, but I'm better now." I answered, resting my arms over my stomach.

He shook his head. "Rhysand must've lost his mind. I nearly did when Vassa was taken, and she isn't," he stopped himself with another shake of his head—as if trying to erase the memory of what happened to the mortal Queen.

I raised my brow at the tone in his voice, his worry for the fierce mortal woman. I paused as he loosed a long breath, finally cooled from his panic. "Do you want me to call Elain? I know she was worried about Vassa too, maybe you can assure her that she's alright?"

Lucien shook his head. "No, it's alright, I should get back to Vassa," he said, but paused when he met my questioning stare. "And Jurian; the mortal lands."

I laughed. "But…" he started. "Will you tell her I was here?"

"Yes. I'll let her know you're taking care of Vassa."

He dipped his head in a subtle nod and sighed again. "Thank you Feyre," he said softly.

"Anytime Lucien, just remember what I said okay?"

He offered a stiff smile before leaning down to give me a parting hug before escorting himself out. Rhys appeared in the doorway a second later.

"Well," he started. "That was intense."

I sighed, slumping back against the lounge and running my hands over my stomach. "He was upset. Beron told him about Helion and his mother."

Rhys released his own deep exhale and crossed over to the lounge, scooping me up easily and I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, resting my head against his shoulder. He walked us into our adjoining bedroom, laying me across the bed carefully and spreading out beside me. I rubbed my stomach lightly, watching it before Rhys placed a hand at the apex of my belly.

"He'll recover. It'll take time, but he will come to terms with the news," he said quietly as he ran his hand over the expanse of my stomach.

"Do you think Helion knows?" I asked.

"He probably suspects after the comment Eris made at the summit," he responded, voice still low. "Though I'm not sure what he'll do about it."

"What would you have done, if it were us? If I had actually married Tamlin, and in my time spent here to fulfill the bargain, you and I fell in love regardless? If we had conceived our son and I was stuck in the Spring Court, forced to name him Tamlin's…" I flinched at just the mere thought of it, of how easily it could have been me.

Rhys took my chin gently, tilting my head back to meet his violet eyes, sparkling intensely. "I would have torn the world apart for you, Feyre," he reminded me.

I smiled half-heartedly before he pulled me closer. "We don't know exactly how hard Helion tried to get her back, perhaps now they'll get the end they deserved," he said.

"Maybe," I mused, playing with the collar of his black tunic. "Did Eris...say anything about what he plans to do with Beron?"

"He's keeping him imprisoned until further notice. Said he might turn him over to us once we have Keir and Kallon in our custody," he said as his fingertips traced my side lightly.

I shivered at his touch, a part of me resenting Madja for deeming any sexual activity still too strenuous during my recovery. I hummed in response, "He'd actually let us execute his father?"

Rhys shrugged. "Beron will die regardless, along with Keir and Kallon."

"Mmm, what a fitting end for the three of them." I murmured, my eyes beginning to feel heavy as my mate's warmth continued to envelop me.

He noticed the fatigue in my voice and pressed a kiss to my brow. "All this talk of war and its lasting effects is wearing you down my love," he teased.

I rolled my eyes, closing them as I laid my head on his shoulder. "It wouldn't be if I weren't so busy growing a powerful high fae," I muttered.

I felt his dark chuckle rattle in his chest. "Sleep Feyre," he whispered as a hand ran down my back gently.

Sebastian must've wanted the same, because despite his constant movements and kicks just a while earlier, he was now calm—perhaps slipping into his own nap. I felt myself fading, too tired to respond with a witty remark and only stirred slightly when I felt Rhys move from my side and press another kiss to my brow.

I dreamt of Sebastian running through a pile of bright red and orange leaves, laughing and giggling as they crunched under his feet, Lucien standing at a distance with a content smile on his face—Vassa at his side.

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immortal-dreamer-aes · 3 years

Text

I have an obsession with gemstones and military men lets do this

Grif: orange calcite, tries eating plants, plays dead when lunarians arrive, has pieces of almadine to replace lost pieces

Simmons: Almadine Garnet “almadine”, statistics of battles nerd, good at running, replacement arm made from silver alloy (gave up pieces for orange calcite)

Sarge: red jasper “jasp”, laughs during battles, can and will abandon partners to fight lunarians, most likely to be broken by choice, wants a bigger sword than anyone else

Donut: pink diamond, missing right eye but didn’t ask for a replacement, likes helping red beryl with fashion, violently caring to the flowers outside the school, throws their sword a lot

Lopez: Cassiterite, never fully learned how to speak, loses their head a lot, responsible for architecture and weapon repair, sick of everyone’s shit, understands admirabillis but no one believes them

Doc: Alexandrite (violet for doc, red for o’malley), never leaves the school, helps organize medical supplies, gets picked on a lot or just ignored, wants literally one day of rest

Church: Lazulite, breaks a lot, specifically knows what memories are stored where, already been broken a lot but reassembled, lost for a while before returning as a lunarian (ch. 95)

Tucker: Aquamarine, probably looks at some lunarian illustrations and thinks, “they’re hot,” spends too much time arranging their hair, has an adopted admirabillis (junior), has the accidental highest number of gem to lunarians casualty ratio

Caboose: Blue Diamond, talks to every plant and animal along patrol, brings them all home and takes care of them, like seriously their room is a lot of dirt and bugs with birds sitting at the window, scratches their finish a lot, wants a shiro in its full form

Tex: Bort Diamond, has purposely broken other gems if dared, one scratch=death to every living thing in a ten mile radius, only pieces left after most fell into the ocean

Sister: honey calcite, hates Aquamarine’s guts, regales a lot with orange calcite, stands by the chord shore a lot while bored, would also fuck a lunarian or moon gem (diopside)

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Carolina: blue topaz, never leaves a fight with a scratch, judges based on hardness, volunteers for winter shifts, takes after bort but hates them being mentioned, stays with lunarian lazulite

Wash: Celestine, winter gem, formerly super awkward but became battle hardened after losing several partners, trains the younger houseki, everyone loves them

York: citrine, extra with their sword techniques, likes annoying Celestine, former partner of blue topaz, missing left eye (replaced with pearl)

North/South: amethyst twin crystals (slight pigment difference), both sneak out at night, north tries talking to animals and holding them, south tends to scare them away, eventually split apart and get taken to the moon separately

Maine: howlite, definitive proof that low hardness does not mean weakness, og Celestine partner, cassiterite level of mute, never hesitates to take an arrow or spear for others, sleepwalks during hibernation

CT: hawk’s eye, nighttime patrol, sits alone most of the time, secretly watches the winter shift, LOATHES the hardness hierarchy

Wyoming: albite, good at dodging, makes up jokes as a pastime during patrol, also very extra with sword tricks, never stays with a partner for long

Florida/Flowers: turquoise, handmade weapons, the only gem that laughs at albite’s jokes, usually quiet otherwise, briefly partnered with aquamarine before being taken

The triplets (ohio, iowa, and idaho): sodalite cluster, the only trio partnership, all three somehow managed to survive a trip into the ocean, play hypothetical games a lot in boredom, never saw a lunarian until it was too late

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Kimball: euclase, command speaker, former partner of Zircon, cracks at the thought of them now, demanding, needs a damn nap, mom friend of the entire chorus group

Doyle: barite, current partner of Euclase, can barely lift the lightest blade, flinches at the slightest bit of movement in the field, euclase has definitely almost broken them in rage

Palomo: green fluorite, lost partners but barely notices, whines during tasks, stutter of the gods, surprisingly still on earth

Jensen: grossular, likes helping with building and architecture but usually breaks something/someone by accident, also hates going outside

Andersmith: Haüyne, everything is symbolic, pats heads for comfort, parent friend, cracked by zircon once

Bitters: Marcasite, sleeps on patrol, doesn’t move when butterflies land on them, has tried eating plants and failed

Matthews: Pyrite, youngest houseki, listens to every command without question, repeatedly broken during battle but always comes back in one piece, covers for Marcasite’s naps

Grey: sugilite, main doctor, scares Alexandrite, psychoanalysis for life, delays fixing to look into individual pieces, desperately wants to dissect lunarians but chooses not

Locus: Diopside, moon gem, refuses to give up pieces of celestine, prefers larger blade but anything works, scares lunarians to a haunting degree

Felix: zircon, moon gem, knives, purposely tries keeping other gems in pristine condition to break them later, lives for annoying diopside

Sharkface: pyrope, moon gem, has tried breaking zircon multiple times, hangs around admirabillis on the moon, wants to see the ocean one day

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Dylan: lunarian, writes about the gems in-depth, tries her best to save any pieces not crushed to dust yet, sneaks between moon and earth

Jax: admirabillis, everyone really wishes he couldn’t speak but he does, tries eating moon dust to Dylan’s dismay, also sneaks between the moon and earth on sunspots

Temple: chrysocolla, lives alone in the ocean trying to find the pieces of orange fluorite (Biff), washes ashore after a while and harasses lunarian Lazulite, breaks another gem to try and negotiate OF being returned

Genkins: lunarian noble, wears as much jewelry as possible, like symbolic pieces (lazulite, bort, etc.), will swing a weapon at any lunarian or gem without warning

Chrovos: lunarian noble, admirabillis breeder, crushes/sculpts gem pieces, adores Pink diamond (makes them a little eyepatch)

—————————

One: azurite, lives for sparring/training, makes jokes about the older gems, hotheaded, easily runs into battle even against orders, likes being partnered with Spinel

East: spinel, fastest of the squad, also hates the hardness scale, first year almost lost to the ice floes, missing torso pieces, coddled by heliodor (in their own way), hates being partnered with Azurite

Raymond: sphene, most likely to cuddle a shiro until it reforms, forgets the hardness of others half the time, that comes at the consequence of crashing into harder gems and breaking, very jumpy but coordinated

Axel: pyrope, former partner of red diamond, original arms missing replaced with gold/platinum alloy (ice floes trying to save spinel), pun-king, also likes tending to plants

West: heliodor, leader of shatter squad™️, protective of spinel (saw them born from the chord shore), strict to the hardness scale, dad friend, has seen a lot of gems lost

Tiny: yellow topaz, lives for architecture and weapons maintenance, also furniture builder, has cracked a few gems with hugs, the best card player

Diesel: dumortierite, moon gem, lotta different pieces, agate legs, different varieties across body (synthetic and captured), barely remembers their name half the time because of it, has a huge soft spot for red diamond and spinel

Phase: spinel (twin crystal), synthetic in torso holes, good at delivering precise damage, never sticks with one hairstyle or outfit, refuses to be seen on earth, takes everything to hold back smashing Azurite

Zero: red diamond, former partner of Pyrope, it’s big sword or no sword, wants to be the last houseki standing on the moon and earth, former winter shift, sleepwalks

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johannstutt413 · 3 years

Text

(requested by anonymous)

The Doctor was in her office, but she’d stopped working several hours ago; in fact, when Orchid came by to ask about her squad’s upcoming deployment, she found her at the empty assistant’s desk with what looked like a full-blown toolbox at her side. “Good afternoon, Doctor. I didn’t come at a bad time, did I?”

“Oh, hey, Orchid! Nah, I’m just working on some’n for my anniversary.” She held up the ring she was working on. “It’s our first, so I wanna do some’n extra special, ya know?”

“Anniversary? I didn’t know you were even seeing anyone. Who’s the lucky guy? Or gal, either way.”

That earned the Liberi a smile. “Blue, Glaucus, and I are going on six months now.”

“Huh. Like, all three of you together?” She whistled. “I think one’s about all I can handle.”

“I think that’s partially because of who that one person is, though.” The Doctor’s smile was somewhere between caustic and glacial as she fired off her retort.

Orchid sighed. “Yeah, you’ve got a point there...So, do you have an update for me on when my team’s heading out into the field? Poppy’s trying to schedule chainsaw lessons with Blaze, and it’s probably better for those to happen on deployment rather than in one of the training areas.”

“Oh, yeah, definitely.” She rolled her chair across the floor to reach her computer. “Lemme see where I put you...”

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Blue Poison was sitting at the counter with a pencil and pad of paper, sketching and erasing more than she ever had before. Cakes were supposed to be her thing, so why was this so hard…

“Hey, Blue!” Gummy walked in, a box of ingredients in her arms. “Everything okay? You looked stressed.”

“I’m making a cake for my anniversary today, and I want it to be perfect...but I don’t know how to make it look the way I want it to.”

The chef set her box on a side table. “Maybe I can help? Mousse has been-”

“Hi, Gummy!” Speak of the Feline, and she shall appear. “Oh, Miss Blue? You look worried.”

“Mousse, you showed up just in time! Blue’s baking an anniversary cake, but she’s worried it won’t look good. Can you help us come up with something that’ll really wow her special someone?”

The Anura mumbled, “Someones. I have two girlfriends.”

“Sure, I can help!” A black cat appeared out of nowhere with her sketchpad. “What kind of cake do you want to make?”

“...A wedding cake.”

While Rhodes Island’s best bakers conspired to craft the perfect anniversary cake, Glaucus tinkered in her room, looking through schematics to find the pieces she needed for the ideas in her head. It wasn’t every day she had something to celebrate, so she felt like she really had to make this special, but she was quickly discovering she didn’t have many ideas that made good toys. “Hmm...The Doctor said she’d like something she can set on her desk, and Blue likes watching the clouds on the top deck. Maybe something held in a magnetic field that has a liquid component? That would be interesting, and it shouldn’t be too hard to make. I will need a container of some kind for it, though.”

*knock knock* “Glaucus?” That was Mayer’s voice at the door. “Do you have the prototype for the magnetic field generator model?”

“One second.” The Supporter engaged her exosuit, walked over to the table she set the model on, and opened the door to hand it to the Anaty at the door...

...Who looked behind her and saw what she was working on. “Has it already been six months?”

“Hmm?” Glaucus followed her eyes. “Yeah. I want to make them something like levitating lava lamps. Actually, can I borrow a few Meeboos? I need some help with the containers, and I’m not entirely sure what I want to fill them with for the best effect.”

“I’ll do you one better and help you myself. It’s been kind of a slow day, but helping you out might teach me something I can use on the magnet-powered Meeboo!”

With a little trepidation, she let Mayer inside. “Alright, you can help me out. We’re gonna need two of them.”

“Obviously.” The Anaty chuckled. “What else would you do, ask them both to share?”

“...I am so glad I work with someone this perceptive.”

--- --- --- --- ---

The Doctor’s shift came to an end, and she returned home with a trio of rings in her pocket, eager to start celebrating. She wondered if her girlfriends had gotten as into this idea of anniversaries as she had; for her, it was a brand new type of memory, one that, even as an amnesiac, she knew was a new sort of experience, and one she was looking forward to having many more of...

‘Home’ for the trio was the Doctor’s suite, partially because it’d been the largest of their three rooms, partially because she was the only one who didn’t need a separate workshop for her stuff, and partially because her room had been site zero...entirely by accident. All three of them being there had been intentional, at least - Meteor had held a meet-and-greet sort of thing for the more introverted folks, the sort of event only a team mom could have considered and then kept enjoyable, and afterwards Blue and Glaucus had taken up on the Doctor’s offer for a nightcap.

They quickly discovered none of them could actually drink alcohol, each for a completely different reason, so it’d turned into the three of them talking the night away instead. The Anura made a remark that this was the most of Glaucus’ voice she’d heard since they’d met, and the Supporter admitted with a blush that this was the most comfortable she’d felt around a pair of people since she’d arrived. That got the two of them talking about life before Rhodes Island; Blue reminisced about walking hand-in-hand with friends, which prompted the Doctor and Glaucus to ask why she didn’t at RI. She sighed, saying most people were too scared of the possibility of her poisoning them to consider it - and before she could even finish the sentence, they’d each grabbed the hand closest to them with a level of coordination they couldn’t have even planned.

Man, that was a fun night.

Anyway, the Doctor went to unlock her door, only to have Blue open it for her with a bright smile, already out of her work clothes and in something casual. “Welcome home~ How was work?”

“Slow as hell, honestly.” She went for a kiss, encouraged by the frosting on the Anura’s upper lip. “You made dessert, I take it?”

“You’ll see. Glue got back a few minutes ago and went to the bedroom to change, if you want to join her.”

A shrug. “I think I’ll keep you company until she’s out. Did you burn yourself, dear?”

“Hmm? Oh, this?” She shook her head. “I dropped a beaker and cut myself while cleaning up. Nothing serious.”

“Gotcha. Hey, that was quick!” They both turned to watch Glaucus walk out of the bedroom.

The Supporter waved. “Didn’t need to do much. Are we ready to start?”

“Yeah, let’s do it!” The Doctor rubbed her hands together in anticipation. “I can’t wait to see... this...cake...Holy shit.”

“You’ve really outdone yourself, Blue,” Glaucus agreed, swooping in to take her hand as their third tried to figure out how to tackle the three-tiered titan in front of them.

She giggled. “I’m happy you both think so. I had some help planning it, but it turned out even better than I expected.”

“This reminds me of something,” the Doctor noted as they took the topmost layer for themselves, “but...I don’t know what.”

“It’s a wedding cake,” the Supporter replied.

The Anura nodded. “I’ve always wanted to try making one, and I thought this was as good a time as any. Is it good, Doctor?”

“You know how addicted I am to your cakes, Blue.” She’d already eaten a third of the portion she’d retrieved. “I’m happy there’s enough of this one to last a couple days.”

“Once we’re done eating, I have something as well.” Glue chimed in while it was on her mind. “We should wait, though. The frosting might stain them.”

The Doctor flashed her a thumbs up, and after they’d had their fill (keeping in mind they were planning to go out to eat), Glaucus went back to the bedroom and returned with a pair of blue boxes with green bows on top, each manageable with one hand. “They’re a bit fragile, but I think they’re pretty neat.”

“...This is magnetic, isn’t it?” The Anura opened her box and pulled out a small double-capped cylinder with two distinct layers of liquid along with a flat black base.

“How do we turn them on?” The Doctor wondered aloud. “I don’t see a switch or any- oh, wait, it’s this, isn’t it?”

The Supporter smiled as she found the clicker she’d taped to the top of the box. “Green turns it on, red turns it off; both are gradual to ensure the cylinder doesn’t move too fast and shatter.”

“That’s really co- no, this is awwwwesome. I’m totally taking this to my office.” She’d expected it to float, because Glaucus’ thing was magnets, but to spin as well? That was next-level shit.

“You color-coordinated them as well,” Blue noted with admiration before kissing her on the cheek. “It reminds me of a stormy evening sky.”

Glue blushed. “Then I’m two-for-two.”

“Oh! Speaking of, I made us something, too!” The Doctor fished in her pocket, found the rings, and kept her hand there for a moment.

“...You’ve talked about making jewelry on slower days,” the Anura said, “but it’d be a pain to keep three chains in one pocket.”

Glaucus had to sit down, as even with her exoskeleton on, her knees suddenly felt weak. “Blue, I think I know what she made.”

“Let me know if you guessed right :D.” She held out her hand, and there were three rings - simple silver bands, nearly identical except for differently-colored stones on top - one sapphire, one amethyst, and one citrine.

“I was.” The Supporter fell sideways, laying across Blue’s lap. “We already have the wedding cake.”

The Doctor balked. “Not that I’d say no, but it still feels kinda early for that.”

“All in good time. I’ll consider it a promise for the future.” Blue accepted the amethyst for herself and put the sapphire ring on Glaucus’ finger.

“Same...” Glue, it appeared, was down for the count. “I might need a minute before...dinner...”

That was just fine in their book; the Doctor helped the Anura take their sluggish girlfriend somewhere more comfortable before disengaging the exoskeleton for some late afternoon cuddling. Despite all the blue in their lives (I mean, just look at those color schemes), life had never been brighter...

#arknights #glaucus (arknights)#blue poison (arknights)#i'm still in shock how long this got #and how it refused to be written faster #guess the sea slug energy kinda spreads don't it?#get it cuz Glaucus is a sea slug?#eh?#...anyway happy anniversary to my favorite frog and her two girlfriends #arknights fic

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