#ugh tumble stop ruining my tags | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

razorblade180 · 4 years

Text

Rosebud Prologue:The first move.

In times of despair and sorrow there are fundamentally two options. Wallow in it, or move forward despite through the pain. A wise person would recommend escaping one’s own personal suffering. A wiser man would ask the question nobody else does. When you move forward, what happens to things left behind? They don’t fade away, not always. Sometimes...they try to keep up.

It was just another day. Ruby was doing dishes while her fourteen year old daughter, Carmine, held her baby brother in her arms. The little monster was enjoying his bottle while his happy sister hummed Gold to him. Ruby couldn’t help but feel all warm inside. Carmine had been doing everything and more to help out. This past year could’ve been way harder without her, but now things had fallen into a decent routine. More importantly, Ruby could say goodbye to sweatpants again and hello to corsets! Her body was back in action like it was before pregnancy. Loving her children had no limits but it felt heavenly to not feel like a balloon again. Jaune never complained though. Most likely because it meant it was his turn to whip her into shape. The sneaky husband loved helping with her stretches.

Ruby put away the last dish and dried her hands. “Wanna switch off?” She asked, clearly seeing Carmine enjoy her current duty. The girl shook her head no. “I’m fine feeding Garnet. Just another role as big sis!” Her smile practically reached her eyes. Ruby noticed Carmine had her red contacts in. “Going somewhere soon?

“Yep. When dad gets back with groceries I’m gonna head out to do a bit of patrolling. Thought I’d stop by Sun’s place and see if Aero wanted to join. He gets snippy if I don’t at least try and convince him to join.” Ruby laughed, that was pretty on brand for the boy. “Just don’t go around town starting trouble. I’m tired of the cops telling me you’re playing vigilante.” Carmine couldn’t help scoff at such exaggerated claims. “How’s it my fault I happened to encounter a gang leader in his hidden base of operations? It was poorly hidden. Besides, the cops haven’t called in weeks.”

Ruby’s scroll immediately starts ringing with the Vacou police department ID on it. She turns to Carmine and sighs. “Listen, I was wild like this too, but not this wild.” Carmine raised an eyebrow. “But...I haven’t done anything. In a while, or that they can prove…” she hoped. Ruby only shook her head tiredly and answered. “What or who did Carmine break?” The officer laughed lightly before it faded off. “No no, this isn’t about Carmine. One of the stations a couple of miles out of the kingdom to the neighboring towns called our department. If I’m correct, you were very close with Maria Calavera, yes?” Ruby moved away from her kids and spoke lower. Maria had passed away several years ago. It was the first time Carmine looked so hurt. “Yes, is everything okay? Did something happen to her house,”

“Her home is fine, but not her tombstone. Apparently some punk kid decided to defile it. The cops are wondering if you can drop by and scare the punk into proper shape. You know how people get when they meet you. Also you take care and technically on it, so pressing charges have to come from you.” Ruby was still processing someone disrespecting a grave. To what gain? Maria had no more enemies. Not to mention that her grave wasn’t in a cemetery. It was moved to a hill near the outskirts. “Yeah I’ll show up. I can’t promise I won’t scare the kid to death though. I can’t believe a person did such a thing. This world I’ll tell ya; give me a few minutes to head out. Have them with me so they can admire their work before I make them clean it all up.” Ruby hung up and let out a sigh. There was always something.

“Everything okay?” Carmine asked. She walked towards her mother and held Garnet's adorably chubby face in front of Ruby’s face. It was impossible not to smile at it. “Hehe, I’m fine. Looks like a certain baby is fine too. I might have to put this boy on a diet!” She poked his tummy and patted Carmine’s head. “I gotta go to your abuela’s gravesite. Somebody was messing with it and I gotta give them a stern talking to.” Carmine looked as stunned as Ruby did, then her face scowled. Ruby had seen that before. “Nah ah, you can not come and beat them up.”

Carmine poked her lips out. “You’re no fun. I guess I’ll keep the house safe with Garnet then.” As if she had a choice. Who else was gonna do it!? She stopped pouting when Ruby kissed her forehead. Carmine wanted to rub it off but her hands were full. “Mom!” Ruby stuck her tongue out childishly as she walked away. “Lock the door! You dad will be home soon.” The front door was closed and the house became a little more quiet. “Well it’s just you and I now.” Garnet blinked his eye at her curiously before spitting up a little on himself. Carmine closes her eyes to collect herself. “You’re lucky you’re cute.”

xxxx

The trip to Esperanza from the outskirts of Vacou was only a couple miles; not a real problem for someone who walked all the way to Haven. Ruby reached Maria’s small and festive hometown in about half an hour. It was still rather early for everyone to be out and about but noise and smells of food sizzling filled the air all the same. Ruby always liked this place. She spotted the tree that stood proudly on the hill on the other side of the town. Even from here she could see some limbs had been broken off and some kind of fabric flowing off of it. “Why would-ugh, teenagers.” Ruby groaned. Under the tree she could see a cop and another individual draped in a black hood. Now she was even more confused. An over eager fan or hater maybe? Many people around here loved Maria and her legendary status. Ruby wasted no time racing up to the vandalism, catching the raven haired officer off guard. Her emerald eyes bugged out at the sudden appearance.

“Gah! Wow, you’re faster up close. You should come with a bell.” Ruby chuckled at the statement. “I bet the grimm would love that idea.” A closer look at the tree revealed more damaged limbs and roughed up ground. Ruby turned to the cloaked figure who avoided her gaze. They were taller than Ruby expected but that’s all she could decipher. “Care to explain why you felt so compelled to ruin a memorial? Disrespecting the dead is pretty low.” She said firmly, crossing her arms for more affect.

The person hid further in their hood. Ruby waited for any possible response but there was only silence. They looked at the ground and dug their right foot into the dirt. The cop touched Ruby soldier. “He’s been pretty silent since I caught him red handed. There’s a mark on the back of the tree they spray painted. I can’t make sense of it but I was hoping you might be able to. For all I know, no gangs use that tag.” Ruby pointed star the culprit. “Don’t you dare try to run. We’re not finished young man.” He nodded. Ruby backed away slowly. There were always a few that tried running. It was as if they forgot what her semblance was.

A few steps from her and the cop told her that the dude was just gonna stay there. She finally turned around to examine the tree. “You said the back right? Gangs spray paint all the time so I might not know what….” her voice drifted into silence as she reached the other side of the trees. She had to take a few steps back to make sure she was seeing things okay. “This-This is…” words still eluded her as Ruby stared at black spray paint that perfectly made the image of a queen chess piece. Ruby could feel her face lose its color. “Cinder…” it was as if her name was a trigger for disaster. The tree suddenly was cut into by a blade that pierced the other side. Ruby was barely able to dodge the surprise attack, getting a clear view of the weapon. It was a scythe. Their culprit was holding a standard scythe that counted swinging at her. A small smirk was visible on the young man’s face as he came at her in full force.

The scythe constantly spun in his hand as he tried to swipe Ruby.The woman was done being surprised however. Ruby easily ducked and whipped out Cresent Rose. “Wanna play huh? Fine.” She hissed. Fighting first and asking questions later was something Ruby could get behind. She gripped the pole of her weapon tight and swung horizontally. The force alone caused enough pressure to push her opponent back while the blade barely scratched his torso. He had good reflexes. Ruby blitzed behind him and slashed him back before disappearing and reappearing in front of him. Ruby spun the bottom of her scythe and clipped his chin, then took a shot to thrust it forward. The sharp metal end would’ve connected to his face if an unexpected bullet didn’t hit Ruby in her arm. She turns her head to see the cop’s gun trained on her with deadly accuracy.

“What the hell are you-huh?” The emerald eyes of the cop turned pink and brown along with her hair. A familiar mischievous laughter comes from the old adversary as she twirls the gun and watches Ruby avoid the opponent in front of her. “Hey Rubes! You’re looking good; filled out quite a bit. I know your husband must like that.” She fired a few more bullets at Ruby’s feet to keep her moving as the red reaper was easily out classing the man in black, but he was nothing but persistent. He forced Ruby to jump by sweeping her feet and shoulder bashed her to the ground. Expert or not, Ruby was only so big. She quickly recovered by tumbling backwards and dashed towards Neo. For the first time in a long time, an ache more deadly than any blade pierced Ruby’s heart. Ruby couldn’t help but be bombarded with the memories of seventeen years ago.

“WHERE IS SHE!?” Ruby screamed at the smirking woman. That smirk pissed her off to no end. Not again, they’re not taking anything again. She swung Crescent Rose downward at Neo’s face, but quickly spun it sideways to shoot herself towards the right. The cloaked figure sprinted in front of her and blocked a horizontal slash that looked like it would’ve hit air, but wouldn’t. The Neo behind her shattered and the real one poked her head out from behind the man, happily surprised. “Damn, nothing gets past you anymore huh? Saw right through me.” Neo tried getting off another shot. “Still fast?” One bullet fired at close range only hit a rose petal. Instincts told Neo to push her partner out the way and duck. It was the right call. The edge of a scythe blade had been dropped and yanked backwards where Neo’s neck was. “I’m faster…”

Neo’s partner swung the end of the shaft to Neo to grab a hold of then Yanked her to safety behind him. “Phew, thanks darling. Told you she was the real deal.” Neo finally stopped smiling and glared at Ruby. “That’s What makes this next part so satisfying.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a detonator. Ruby’s body tensed up and her assault was halted. Neo’s thumb rubbed the top of the bottom rhythmically. “Guess where the bomb is?”

Ruby didn’t even flinch. “Leave the townspeople out of this or I swear-”

“Times up!” Neo hit the button and Ruby gasped. She went to dash at Neo but was hit in the side with a scythe from behind. The image in front of her shattered as she stumbled into it. An anger growl left her throat as Neo laughed. “Hahaha, kidding! This trigger does nothing.” She tossed it to the ground. “Still gullible after all these years. How are you not dead? Oh wait, others die for you.”

“Little…” Ruby grit her teeth and fired round after round at Neo. The cloaked man spun his scythe to deflect each one. He jumped forward with a downward slash but missed. Ruby spun in a tight vortex of petals that kept his feet fry the ground. She hooked his scythe with hers and yanked it out of his hands then hurled it Neo; not a shred of concern was seen as Neo leaned to the side and caught it. She turned to wink but saw Ruby behind her partner with the man on one knee and gripping the pole off Crescent Rose in an attempt to remove it from his neck before Ruby could choke him out. Neo pointed her pistol again but didn’t pull the trigger. With most of Ruby’s body behind his, it wouldn’t be a good idea to test her aim.

“Heroes take hostages now? That’s so cold”

“You would know.” Ruby pulled harder. “Must mean a lot to you if you’re not shooting. Where’s Cinder?”

“What? Am I not enough for you? Is my vengeance second rate? I thought you’d like me more after all we’ve been through.” Neo pouted.

“LAST CHANCE! OR-” Neo dropped the gun and yawned. “Or what? You’ll strangle him? That would be a terrible way to end a reunion, right Dustin?”

Just like that, Ruby felt her body go numb. “D-Dustin?” She muttered. Her grip accidentally loosened and the man ducked under the metal bar against his neck and rolled away in less than a second. The ground beneath Ruby trembled. Vines armed with thrones shot from the dirt and wrapped around her legs, waist, arms, and neck like barbed wire that pulled her down to her knees. The pain drained and felt a numbing, but Ruby could only stare at the black roses that bloomed on them slowly as the man walked towards Neo and grabbed his scythe. He looked back at Ruby who stared in disbelief, tears flooding her eyes. “D-Dustin…?” She repeated, her voice cracking. Ruby watched the man pull the hood off. Suddenly the world didn’t seem real. Her body felt ice cold with only the warmth of her tears on her face that came from silver eyes that became dim and cloudy; a perfect reflection of the ones in front her. Including the red and black hair. The difference being it was on a face that reflected not just her, but the man she married. It was only once, but Ruby never forgot that face. The face of the boy that made her a mother. The face she mourned for more times then she dared remember.

He finally spoke, “Hey mom. Glad you can make it.” The weight of cold and dense bone gripped Ruby’s shoulder. There wasn’t a nerve in her body that didn’t feel like fire and a heartbeat that didn’t sound like a boombox in her eardrums. If she was trembling before then she was now. Ruby didn’t even bother looking up. The shadow on the ground was enough. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world. It’s been quite some time since I met your mother in person. Isn’t that right?” The hand grabbed Ruby’s chin and turned it up to the right. Now Ruby had no choice but to look.

Cinder stood there looking down. Her previous outfit was ditched for dark purple leather pants and a black shirt that faintly glowed a deep fiery red like her heels. Not only was her arm different, looking fully formed and in case the bone armor grimm is known for, her eyes weren’t the same. One remained the same as before. The one that was never harmed. It was the injured one that made Ruby’s mouth run dry. The eye, it was silver as well. “Why don’t we catch up a bit? Normally I’m on a time crunch but since everyone is held up….” She turned Ruby’s head to the left and let her see what she had been missing out on. The wind around Vacou had picked up and turned a dust storm. In it, Ruby saw thousands of red eyes and the sign of fire. Alarm sirens blared seconds later.

“My gods…” Ruby gasped.

“Got to love subterranean grimm. Just have them move slow enough and a little magic to tip the weather in your advantage, then boom. Ambushed without a warning.” Cinder finally let her go sauntered over to Neo and Dustin. “Unfortunately it’s more smoke and mirrors than an actual bang. Tragedies on the scale of Beacon’s are hard to replicate. All you kids have grown up now and everywhere. It’s a pain in the ass. This event was just made to keep us uninterrupted.” Ruby tried struggling through the vines but could barely move. Every shift made her wince as they tightened. Not only that, but she actually felt weaker. They were doing more than restraining her. Cinder found amusement in the struggle. “Your son’s semblance is pretty annoying, isn’t it? Best not to move. Dustin, don’t over do it. I still want my fun.”

The pain eased and her strength was less inhibited. Ruby still couldn’t believe what was happening. She stared at her child who stared back, despondent. “Dustin, it’s me. I’m-”

He silenced her by tightening the single vine on her neck quickly. “I know exactly who you are.” Anger and vigor flooded his eyes in a glare that could only be seen as murderous. “And I have nothing to say to you.” Cinder rubbed his back. “Don’t mind him. You know how teens are, all rebellious and angry.” This situation was going so well she couldn’t help but laugh. “That being said, he’s grown into such a fine young man under my-”

“Ahem!” Neo said loudly. Cinder rolled her eyes and shrugged. “Under our guidance. He’s been quite helpful. Killing silver eyed people and learning their abilities has been far easier when he started helping out. It’s a shame, getting old that is. I used to go collecting by myself. Now he brings back the prizes for me sometimes.” Cinder rubbed the side of her face and saw Ruby shiver in shock. Their attention to each other was disrupted by a flashing light from Ruby’s pocket. The girl tried struggling again as Cinder reached for it and pulled out a scroll. Today got even surprisingly better all thanks to a home screen. “Oh well you look at that? Carmine was a person we expected to hear at least once, but I had no idea about the third one. What a handsome boy.”

Dustin’s body tensed tightly. “What…?” He muttered. Cinder tossed him the phone and sure enough, there the baby was with the rest of the family. Brand new silver eyes and all. The photo was blurred as Carmine’s name came up as the scroll rang. There was no hesitation in answering.

“Mom! Vacou’s being attacked and dad still isn’t back. Garnet is fine and no grimm are heading this way yet but-”

“CARMINE! TAKE YOUR BROTHER AND RUN!” Ruby screamed as loud as possible. Dustin hung up and looked at Cinder and she nodded. “Time for a family reunion.” She snapped her fingers and a nevermore descended from the sky for Dustin to jump on and head towards his brother and sister. Even with him gone, his vines still had a grasp on Ruby. It was weaker but the numbing pain still ran through her as she finally forced her way out of the ones around her arms and neck; air and sensation tried to fill her being again as she fell on her hands and knees. “My son, what did you do to him?” She raises her head with tears running down her face. Moving now would be stupid. Ruby had no choice but to recover.

“Me? You make it sound like I brainwashed him or abused him. No, no such thing.Granted it wasn’t my idea to keep him. The boy would’ve been dumped in a grimm pool or something if I had my way, then Neo had to step in and proposed a better idea.”

“Disguising as your nurse was far too much work to just have it end with a dead newborn. Besides, even I have my limits unlike some people” she glares the hell out of Cinder. “I can play the long game. A missing son returning to his family to erase it? That’s way more interesting don’t you think?”

Cinder circled around Ruby, watching the girl carefully as she indulged herself with explaining how a day like this could happen.“You asked me what I did to him. I did the only thing that made sense. I told the truth.” Ruby’s face softened. Her eyes scanned the ground as she tried to understand. The truth? Cinder groaned, “Boring I know, but a lie this big would be impossible. Ruby Rose, a name known by every last goddamn soul on Remnant. Between that and Dustin’s features, he’d figure out that he wasn’t ours sooner or later, so I told him exactly who he was. A child stolen by a hero's worst enemy. You should’ve seen the way he wept for you. I told him all I could. How incredible your reputation was to the masses and how you would be remembered throughout history for all time along with your friends. Surely a hero that elite would rescue their son, right?” She smirked, Cinder could see Ruby get pale from the implications.

“He...was waiting for me.” Ruby’s voice crackled and shook. A stark contrast from the laughter Cinder had. “Hahaha, oh he did more than wait! Time after time, your son tried escaping. Each attempt meant him killing grimm that I didn’t even have to influence, and each time it was up to either me or Neo to save his life. His will was quite astonishing, his mind sharp. He tried for years until one day...he actually escaped.”

“What?” Ruby wasn’t expecting Cinder to say that. “He escaped?” Cinder pulled out a scroll and nodded, “He was young too. Barely twelve if I remember. At this point I was at my wits end. I thought my choices were to cut my losses or kill him out of spite; Never did I expect him to come back with a look in his eyes I’ve never seen. The anger for his situation had changed. All because of one simple little thing.” The scroll was flipped around for Ruby to see. “Remember this day?”

Of all the things that Ruby expected, a picture of her from an old news photo wasn’t one of them. It was her holding Carmen up proudly after the girl’s first tournament. Her daughter had entered a jr competition at eight and took first place. Cinder put the scroll away. “Apparently he made it all the way to that event. Imagine the look on his face, seeing you smiling so purely with the sister he had no clue about? All that faith he put into you...and it meant nothing. Congratulations, how’s it feel to move forward? It brought him closer to me. My sweet Dustin.” Cinder and Neo fawned dramatically. Their laughter grew as Ruby’s anger rose. Her blood started to feel like it’s boiling and vision started to blur. Her eyes started glowing before flickering in and out constantly as she tried her damnedest to eradicate Cinder to no avail. A pounding in her head started forming that made her grip it. Cinder bent down and tugged hard on Ruby’s hair to stare right into her face with complete disdain. “That’s right Ruby, hate me. Hate me as much as I hate you. This isn’t about justice or preservation. Your anger vs ours. Let’s see who edges out.” Cinder backs away and blasts a wave of ice that only freezes then shatters only the vines. Crescent Rose is stabbed into the ground next to Ruby. This day was unavoidable. These feelings had been building a festering for years. Not just because of Dustin. Beacon, Pyrrha, the friends she’s hurt; the despair Cinder brought into Ruby’s life was too much and too often. Ruby had enough. She pulled herself up off the ground with her scythe. Eyes devoid of light beamed into the two pairs of glimmering evil as the clouds darkened the sky. Ruby could only think of one thing.The only thing that Cinder had thought about for ages.

“I’m gonna kill you.”

xxxx

The sounds of thunder and gun fire raged through and electrified the air as Dustin rode the nevermore. He looked back to see a concentration of wind and varying elements coming from where he left. “Looks like they’ve gotten serious. Time for me to get my party started.” He would be over Ruby’s house in a matter of minutes. Karma was finally gonna come knocking on her door. “A shame she won’t see this. Alright, time to see what my little sister I made-” a sudden pressure and force came upwards that hit like a canon. Next thing Dustin knew, the nevermore no longer had a head and was swan dive to the ground. He quickly jumped from the bird and rolled onto the sand to break his fall. Carmine watched the whole thing while cleaning grimm blood of her blade several feet away.

“I’ve never heard mom sound so panicked before. Grimm herds aren’t anything we haven’t handled before so I knew there was more to the situation; but what exactly is the more?” Carmine couldn’t make out his face from distance but the scythe on the sand and cloak were more than enough to be off putting. She stepped closer cautiously. The color of his hair and eyes immediately made her stop and jump back, placing her sword in front of her body as he stood. “Stop! Who are you?” He patted himself off and looked at his sister. Admittedly, he was caught off guard. This was already more interesting than he anticipated.

“What on Remnant possessed you to take out a grimm mid-flight? I doubt you noticed me.”

“A lone grimm going after a house outside of the kingdom when its friends are having a blast inside is pretty freaking suspicious. Now answer my question!” Her body tensed. Carmine didn’t know why but she felt as if his gaze alone might swallow her up like a pit of tar. There was no mistaking that color. His eyes looked fogged and hazy but they were definitely silver. Then there was his face. Carmine never imagined Garnet would look like grown up but this man’s face would’ve been pretty close.

“Huh, figures they never mentioned me. It was probably too shameful and humiliating to reveal such a major example of arrogance.” His words felt like venom and on the verge of being unhinged, yet maintaining a low tone of composure as he grabbed his weapon. “I think you already have a good guess on who I am, or do you need a closer look?”

Carmine saw the man vanish in the blink of an eye. She quickly rose her sword in front of her in a block that covered her entire body. A clash of metal crashed right into it and rattled her arms from the force. Now they were face to face with a similar look of intensity. “I….I don’t understand what’s going on!” Saying that this was unnerving was an understatement. Carmine has a job to do though. The longer he was with her, the further her clone was with Garnet. The only regret was splitting her sure evenly. Fighting an unknown opponent could go wrong.

“It’s simple really. You’re not the first born child of Jaune Arc and Ruby Rose. That kid got snatched by a witch.”

Carmine’s world felt like it stopped. “Cinder Fall.”

“Bingo.” A vine shot from the ground and wrapped around Carmine before flinging her. Dustin followed up with a leaping downward strike but Carmine corrected herself mid-air yo block it. “Heh, look at you…” his hand slid to the bottom of his scythe and started swiping side to side against Carmine’s defenses. Each contact made sparks fly and her arms ache from the weight of the attack. She couldn’t take it anymore and ducked under the next attack to get in close. Both opponents were no stranger to the limitations of a scythe or had to overcome them. Carmine knew he was likely to pull the entire thing back by bringing his hand to the top of the shaft, so she jumped straight up and grabbed her curved blade, Stamen, from both ends and swung it down to have it drop like a guillotine. The impact left a small crater where Dustin stood before he jumped out of the way. She had no expectations of hitting him but she needed breathing room. It was her turn on offense.

Carmine shot off three aura slashes before pursuing him. She watched closely as his scythe spun to block the attack and leaped over him to get a hit in from behind. More vines shot up and stabbed her hand before connecting. A low hiss came from her. This was obviously his semblance but knowing it’s function was hard to tell. More shot up around her in a circle. A simple spin cut them down to size easily and she unleashed a flurry of rapid attacks that clanged and bashed against his scythe when she wasn’t missing him entirely.

“Geez, maybe I overestimated. All the talk about my little sister and this is it?”

“Big talk from someone fighting a kid, and we’re not family!” Carmine swung at his left torso but was stopped dead in her tracks when he grabbed the blade with his hand. A jab to the throat made Carmine choke on her own breath as Dustin twisted her arm behind her then put her in a choke hold. Her feet barely scraped the sand as she desperately tried to breathe. Carmine could feel his breath on her ear as he whispered angrily through his teeth.

“Don’t act stupid and face the facts. It’s the least a sorry excuse for a replacement; don’t even have silver eyes like our brother.” He squeezed her wrist so tight she could feel it start to give. Stamen was dropped as she tried not to scream. “As for the age difference, three years ago I was already filling graves. What do you do? Rule over the talentless? Tournaments are useless. Just like you.”

Carmine squirmed and bit her lip till she bled. Screw the pain and his words. Weak was the last thing she was, and she was gonna prove it. “LET. ME. GOOOO!” Carmine felt a pop in her wrist as she jerked forward, hard. Her feet stomped the ground and two rose clones appeared on each side, the first grabbed her sword and drove it against Dustin’s ribs. The blow broke his hold on the original by pushing him back. The second clone grabbed his legs so he would fall backwards. It worked. Dustin’s head hit the ground and he stared up to the sky as the first clone did the guillotine drop the original did earlier. “Take this!!!!” It screamed.

Dustin hit his fist against the ground. Vines shot pierced right through the clone then swooped low to stab the other. With the last of its strength, the first clone tossed the sword to the original as she watched her clones go limp; their bodies faded as black roses bloomed the vines. Maybe it was their manner of defeat, but Carmine started to sweat. She hadn’t even realized she picked up her blade and was backing away from the man surrounded by a garden of death. A gut feeling told her that being trapped in those spelled the end.

Her semblance was info Dustin knew nothing about. To see it was genuinely surprising, but nothing he had to fear. Not with Carmine looking like a deer in headlights. “Do you know what black roses symbolize?” Carmine didn’t answer. Instead she pulled out the second part of her weapon, Pistil, and combined it with Stamen. The blade curved downward while the collapsible tactical baton connected to the hilt to make her scythe. Dustin felt a surge of excitement run through him. Another surprise from his sister. “HAHAHAHA! Oh please don’t tell me you’re about to challenge me with that?” He laughed hysterically, his calm demeanor completely shifting to nothing short of rage. He stabbed his scythe in the ground. “Rotten Rose will ruin you.”

“Rosebud hasn’t failed me yet.” Carmine got low and held on with both hands. Her right wrist aches but adrenaline and necessity demanded its use. Carmine needed all the reach she could muster. Dustin was done talking and put up his hood. Alarms, screams, explosions, even the wind blowing felt muted to Carmine. The only thing that mattered was the reaper in front of her. She was going to get through this and reject those black roses. Today wasn’t death day. Not for her. The vines shot straight at her. Carmine shredded through them like a blender by twirling Rosebud. Two more vines from each side forced her to jump straight up. She pulled a trigger on the shaft of the used to be tactical baton. A slug round recoil sent her back to the ground where a massive sweeping attack severed the vines. It wasn’t enough.

Her brief rest was interrupted by more sprouting from the ground around her. Another gunshot sent her out of the center before they all stabbed her from every side. More and more dove in and out of the ground like serpents chasing prey. Dustin stood motionless as his sister fired herself in any direction she could to avoid a strike. Occasionally she was forced to stand her ground to cut several before dodging again. She tried to hide it, but Dustin could see the fear in her eyes. He was gonna force it out of her. A wall of thorny vines walled off Carmine from back stepping again. Dozens of vines came from everywhere in the front. The fear he wanted didn’t come. Carmine grit her teeth and started slashing through them head on.

Chunks of plants flew everywhere as Carmine hacked angrily through them. “Haaaaaa!” The girl could only scream through the pain as thorns scraped her skin like a million stabs. “Just...a little...more!!!!” She refused to stop until a swing cut through to the other side. The sight of Dustin’s shocked face spurred her on. Another gunshot was sending her straight at him with Rosebud’s blade eagerly awaiting to connect with his throat. “You’re done!!!!” All her force went into swinging the blade; too much strength in fact. Dustin simply leaned back Carmine completely whiffed. Her momentum kept her body rotating. In the moment her body had turned away from him, her eyes could only see the blood stained thorns she borrowed through. Carmine’s anger subsided and was reminded of the most basic rule of fighting. Keep track of your aura. Her mistake for forgetting was an instant and excruciating pain that crossed her from each shoulder down to the opposite hip. It all had happened so fast yet time felt slow as the ground seemed to rise to meet her.

Carmine laid face down on the ground. Her back started to feel wet. Like if someone was pouring something warm on it, something thick. Tears filled her eyes seconds later when the shock of it all was met by the stinging of sand and reality.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH~”

Carmine couldn’t stop screaming in agony. Her arms did her best to lift her but her right wrist gave out. Everything was giving out. There wasn’t a muscle that wasn’t shaking in her body. There wasn’t a thought of anything anymore with the sound of creeping plants and footsteps approaching while a shadow loomed over her. The silhouette of her blood dripping off the scythe that was ready to draw more. The shaft of it flipped her battered body over for her to stare into the eyes that should’ve been preserving life; but all she saw was them asking for hers. Was this despair? Carmine never felt anything like it before. For the first time in her life she felt powerless, weak. Her tears ran down her bloody and soiled face. “Pl-Please…” she said, quivering. “ I don’t wanna die…” she shut her eyes and lost all sense of self. “I DON’T WANNA DIE!!!”

“CARMINE!!!” Multiple people cried out from a distance. Dustin turned his dead and was immediately blasted by a laser gun in the face that knocked him away. The current of electricity stunned him momentarily as he saw three more people. Two of them he had heard and learned about. The leader of team SSSN and his partner. The third was an unknown boy with bird wings that picked up Carmine while the other two stood in front of them. “Sun and Neptune. What are the odds the partners of a disbanded team are hanging out today of all days? One of you doesn’t even live on this continent.” He glared at Neptune.

The duo immediately recognized the man in front of them and gasped. No way they wouldn’t. Neptune gasped, “Is that…?”

“No way…” Sun said. He looked back at an injured Carmine then to Dustin. No doubt about it. He clapped his hands together and summoned clones. Now wasn’t the time to let his guard down. “I don’t know how you’re here but I’m not letting you go. Aero, get Carmine far away from here.”

“Not on my watch!” Dustin dashed forward immediately. Neither the clones or pro huntsman were quick enough to stop him blitzing the both of them. He reached to grab the boy holding his sister, then poof, nothing. It was like magic. Dustin blinked and they were gone. They went from right in front of him to already being in the sky, several minutes away. Whatever happened wasn’t speed. He didn’t know what that was, but it was definitely the boy’s doing. He looked back at Sun and Neptune who were charging at him in full force. Dustin clicked his teeth and sighed. Play time was over. “Two pro huntsmen like yourselves is way more than I bargained for. Especially after my other reunion, sorry.” A faint light in the distance caught his eye while planning his exit. Whatever it was had speed and was heading towards the storm over Cinder’s battle. “If I was a betting man…” Dustin used his vines to left himself into the air and grab a passing nevermore to ride, leaving Sun and Neptune in the dust.

“Damnit!” Sun yelled.

“Never mind him, let’s get back to town and help.” Neptune said, seeing the light. “Jaune’s gonna be pissed.”

xxxx

Aero was flying as fast as he could to the medical station set up. Finding Jaune or his friend would be like searching for a needle in a haystack. What he wouldn’t give to have a healing semblance right now. The blood that came from Carmine and dripped down his arms as she wept in pain was burning a memory into him he didn’t want to ever see again.

“Hang in there Carmine! You’re gonna be just fine. Your clone found my mom so don’t worry about Garnet. He’s perfectly fine.” He told her to ease whatever pain and stress he could. The way she clung close to him wasn’t inspiring any change. Carmine kept weeping and shaking.

“Hurts…” she winced. “It hurts so much.” Aero felt a lump in his throat. The boy kept flying with all his might. The tears of the strongest person he knew weighed heavily on his heart the entire flight.”

xxxx

That fight against Reaper and Maiden wasn’t fairing too much better. Neo could attest to that as she laid on the ground, aura flickering and writhing in pain. The normally dry, dusty air was soaked with pouring rain thanks to Cinder. Neo picked herself up painfully slow and could barely keep track of the hundreds of petals and embers that danced in the air over panicking villagers. Who would’ve thought Little Red would’ve grown into such a warrior? To Neo, both Cinder and Ruby might as well be freaks. She watched Crescent Rose carv through ice thicker than a goliath’s flesh and slam into Cinder. The woman went right through the already destroyed memorial tree before recovering with a tiny cyclone of lightning and fire that enveloped Ruby. That too was immediately reduced to nothing. Fortunately, Ruby looked tired. Her own aura and breath looked to be draining.

“Looks like this might be it.” Neo aimed her pistol. “Sorry Cinder, I get the kill-” the blur of bright light raced into view and then before Neo. Her eyes were witnesses to the shining white aura of a furious knight with a sword poised to strike her neck. Any time to move was erased to her as the blade was swung. The force would’ve been enough to take her head. The only thing stopping that was Dustin’s scythe between them that went unnoticed until now. Dustin’s arms went numb but his face remained stern as he stared at his father inches away who was lost for words.

“D-Dustin?” He uttered in disbelief. The hesitation left Jaune open for Dustin’s vines to grab him and throw him towards Ruby. The battling women had finally realized company had arrived

Dustin helped lift Neo to her feet. “You alright?” A pinch on the cheek and a nod told him that was a yes. Cinder landed near them while still facing Ruby and now Jaune.

“Why are you back?” She growled.

“Things got complicated, more huntsman. Time to go. We didn’t come here from a swan song.”

“Like hell! I’m just getting started.” Cinder made a bow and arrow out of lightning and took aim. “Ruby dies today.”

Not if Ruby had anything to say about it. She was ready for another exchange of blows but her anger was quelled when the sight of fresh blood was washing off of Dustin’s scythe. “Dustin, what did you do?Where’s Carmine and Garnet!?” Jaune was still shaken by who he was seeing. How was this possible? The sight of Cinder and Neo enraged him but the words Ruby said were brought to the forefront of his mind. “Carmine? Sun and Neptune should’ve-”

“I never saw Garnet.” Dustin interrupted. “As for Carmine...I’m sure she’s in shock by now. Fortunately for her my full swing wasn’t possible with how close she was. All blood, no lasting damage. Well...that’s not true. Trauma is tricky like that.” He smirked at his parent’s mortified faces. Dustin touched Cinder’s back. “Let’s go! We’ll kill them later. That wasn’t the point of this anyways.”

Ruby and Jaune tried their best to ready themselves as their son stepped forward and pointed at them. “Mark today. The peace you’ve cultivated in my absence will fall as easily as your daughter did, by my- our hands.”he declared. Ruby wasn’t even sure who she was looking at. The face she remembered was not covered in a hate and tragedy that mirrored the two by his side. Her heart couldn’t take it, it wouldn’t. Ruby was about to try and grab him when a shriek filled the air. The villagers down below were being trapped and attacked by vines. Ruby looked at Dustin. “Stop this!”

“You can either stop it yourself, or chase us. Choose fast. It’s not healthy to be wrapped too long.” The nevemore more extended its wing for them to walk on. He watched Ruby take another step before tightening his grip on screaming children. Ruby and Jaune looked in conflicting frustration before Jaune went to help them. “Ruby! I can’t do it all alone!”

Once again Ruby was asked to make the choice to chase her child or do her job. Grief filled her as she looked at him then stared at Cinder in seething hate. “Your head will roll if it’s the last thing I do.” Ruby threatened, joining Jaune to save the people. The nevermore took off and Cinder angrily aimed her bow before Neo blocked her sight with her umbrella.

“Don’t. Let’s not give them more reasons to hunt us now. It’s like Dustin said. This was just our first move. Break their world, then their lives. We waited this long. Just look at our handy work.”

Cinder watched the chaos of a small town and kingdom struggle with her grimm. To say it didn’t make her smile would be a lie. Yeah, she needed more of this. “It’s no Beacon, but it’s a damn good place to start.” Cinder looked at Dustin with more pride than she knew how to deal with. “Oh how I have high hopes for you. Do keep making your mothers proud. Dustin bowed respectively and watched the ruin along with her.

Finally a new game had started and the first move was theirs. Dustin couldn’t wait for his next one. “Here’s to a speedy recovery Carmine… Your big brother will be sure to visit.”

#rwby #rwby au #rwby rosebud #jaune arc #ruby rose #rwby lancaster #carmine arc rose #sun wukong #neptune vasilias #dustin arc rose #cinder fall #neo politan #aero amitola

61 notes · View notes

bonjour-rainycity · 4 years

Text

A Firefighter in Shining...Denim?

**Originally posted on ff.net**

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters nor am I making any money from this story.

Summary: Human AU. Alice gets stuck in a tree while trying to rescue her cat from the woods. Thankfully, a certain firefighter just happens to be trying to meditate nearby. Hopefully, he can lend a hand.

Pairing: Alice x Jasper

Word count: 1275

Rating: K

Warnings: None

“Oh, no you don’t. Lou, come back here!” Begging her to understand me although I know she can’t, I chase my aging cat Louise out of the backyard from which she has escaped.

“Louise, please!” Heedless of my pleads, she darts across the road. I follow and nearly collide with a banged-up vehicle. The driver skids to a stop whilst shouting profanities that I do my best to ignore. I shoot a “sorry!” over my shoulder and continue the chase.

At a height of 4’10, my legs can’t be expected to be that long, and Louise has the distinct advantage of having four of them. She uses her speed and agility to disappear into the one of nearby forests of Forks. Knowing my search just became a thousand times more difficult, I groan. I take a deep breath, jog a few more paces into the forest, and look around. Growing up hunting and fishing with my family has taught me a few things about tracking, and it’s this knowledge (coupled with the quite obvious paw-prints in the mud) that leads me on a journey through the woods.

I follow the trail at a gym-teacher’s pace, doing my best to pay attention to my surroundings. After about 20 minutes, the trail goes cold. Frustrated, I lean up against a tree and think about what I’ll have to tell my little brother. In my head I see the tears he’ll try hard to hide. He’ll be so sad.

“Mew.”

My head snaps up.

“Meow.”

There it is again! I step away from the tree and spin in circles. Finally, I spot her, high up in a lush tree. Crap.

I pace as my mind works out the problem I’m facing. On one hand, poor Edward will be devastated when he finds out Louise is gone; on the other, I don’t very much like heights. It’s the image of Edward’s tear-stained face that finally motivates me to throw off my blazer and hop for the lowest branch. Four tries later, I’ve jumped and pulled my way up, about five and a half feet off the ground.

“Okay, good,” I sigh to myself. Gulping, I reach for the next branch and pull myself up. Then the next. And the next. The next. I keep going until I’m a good thirty feet off the ground and Louise is just out of arm’s reach to my right. “Louise,” I huff. In order to reach her, I’m going to have to stretch. I secure my hand as best as I can around the sturdiest branch closest to me and slowly walk along it to place me closer to Louise. I reach my arm out and continue stretching as far as I can. Almost there…

Crack!

I scream as I fall through the branches. Sticks and leaves scrape my body during my downward tumble. A cluster of branches halts my descent about ten feet down from my previous location. The noise evidently scared Louise, who has now jumped like a squirrel from this tree to the one next to it. Ugh.

“Ow,” I pout, looking over my now slightly-bleeding skin. There goes my Ralph Lauren blouse. Just as I’m wondering how the heck I’m going to safely untangle myself from this mess, I hear footsteps approaching quickly. Great. Someone to observe my extraordinary embarrassment.

A deep voice with southern drawl travels up to where I am caught in the tree. “Is someone up there?”

I briefly consider not answering so I can save my pride, but I reason that I would most likely seriously injure myself if I tried extract myself and capture Louise. I sigh, resigned.

“Yes, hello!” I try to sound as though I’m not in pain, but the stinging is becoming quite obvious.

“Are you hurt?” He’s noticed, then.

“Not badly. Just some scratches, is all.”

“Can you get yourself down, or do you need help?”

“Um,” I once again consider lying, but decide that is not in my best interest in the long-run. “I might need some help.”

“Comin’ up.”

There’s some rustling, and I gasp and grab the branches around me tighter as they begin to shake in response to the second presence.

“Well, look at you all tangled up.” His voice is lightly amused, much to my annoyance. “Might I ask what happened?”

I look up to answer and am met with the alluring combination of honey blond hair and brown eyes. I smile, annoyance fading quickly. “Hello.”

He gives a crooked smile in return. “Hello.” There’s a pause as I take in the sight in front of me. I should be wary--he’s a stranger, after all, but I feel strangely at peace. Safe, even. I remember his question. “Oh, I was trying to catch my cat, Louise. She escaped from my house and made a run for freedom.”

He chuckles, and it’s a lovely sound, like a bubbling spring. “If she’s still around, I can probably catch her after we get you safe on the ground.”

I nod and follow his instructions on how to untangle myself. The branches are unsteady and shake, which is frightening, but he keeps his hands on my forearms the whole time and I know he won’t let me fall. In just a few minutes I’m standing on the branch beside him, which bows a little under our combined weight. We make our way down the tree slowly, him descending a branch or two and then reaching his arms up to guide me down to meet him. Finally, we’re on the ground.

He heaves a breath, clapping his hands together. “Where’s the cat?”

I point to the tree next to us. He nods and scales it at three times the rate we descended the tree. There’s a yowl, a grunt, and man and cat drop down to the ground beside me.

“Louise, you bad cat!” I chastise her when I see the shining scratch across the man’s cheek.

He smiles easily. “Don’t worry about it. It’s part of the job.”

“So you frequently rescue cats from trees, then?”

“I’m a firefighter so, yes, it does take up a significant portion of my time.” He smiles almost bashfully, looking at the ground before meeting my eyes once again. “Meeting beautiful women thirty feet up, however, that might just be a one-time thing.”

I smile up at him even as a blush takes over my cheeks. “I’m Alice Brandon.”

“Jasper Whitlock, ma’am.” His southern drawl is once again evident, and my smile grows.

“What brought you to this neck of the woods today? If I may, that’s not quite a firefighter’s uniform.” I chuckle as I take in his outfit: Denim jeans, hiking boots, and a dark gray long-sleeved tee.

He snorts. “I was attempting to meditate. The high pitched scream kind of ruined it for me, but I’m pleased with the exchange.”

A comfortable silence passes as we stare at each other and grin. A disgruntled hiss from Louise interrupts us.

“My dad’s a doctor and should be home any minute if you want to get those scratches cleaned up. House is about a mile and a half that way.” He points west.

I know I shouldn’t follow a stranger to his home, but I feel perfectly comfortable with Jasper and I somehow know he isn’t a danger to me.

“Sure! What will we do with Louise?”

He scrunches his eyebrows in an adorable display of confusion. “She can have the run of the laundry room? I have a dog who’s never met a cat, but I’ll be sure Louise is safe.”

“Wonderful.”

On a whim, I slip my hands through his and we begin the walk to his home.

A/n Just something cute I would add to my Tumblr page!

xx,

Bjr

Permanent tag list: @puer-de-infinitate

#Jasper x alice #jalice #jalice fanfiction #jasper x alice fanfiction #twilight renaissance #jasper whitlock #alice cullen #jasper cullen #jasper hale #alice brandon

47 notes · View notes

vannahfanfics · 4 years

Text

The Path to Happiness

Category: Friendship Fluff

Fandom: Kingdom Hearts

Characters: Ventus, Terra, Aqua

Terra awoke with a strangled gasp, fisting the damp sheets as he bolted upright in bed. Ragged, strangled gasps tumbled from his lungs, and cold sweat poured down his pallid, clammy skin. Slowly, the visions of darkness and icy rush of fear melted from his system, making him bonelessly flop against the headboard. He drew his palm across his face, catching the sweat in the ridges of his hand; he then dropped his arm against the mattress and tilted his head back to look up at the ceiling with an exhausted sigh. He traced the patterns of the rafters through lidded eyes, trying to occupy his addled mind with meaningless drivel as the fear and doubt and guilt tried to creep back in from the shadows.

The sharp claws of nausea pawed at his belly, making bile bubble up into his throat. Reconciling with the fact that sleep would not find him for quite some time, he tossed the covers off himself and slipped out of bed. The tiled floor was cold against the soles of his feet as he shambled barefoot out of the room, allowing muscle memory to guide him through the gilded halls of the castle situated at the center of the Land of Departure. He couldn’t find his way consciously, as his mind was too spent from struggling with phantasms of past mistakes.

Moonlight streamed in from the stained-glass windows to dapple across his broad shoulders and throw dark shadows up in odd places. In a moment of lapsing mind, the darkness seemed to bulge up behind him in a hostile mass, latching onto his shoulders like a parasite ready to suck all the light left within him. With a strangled cry, Terra whirled around, unconsciously drawing his Keyblade. The hairs on the back of his neck rose to catch the sweat rolling down from his dampened brown tresses as he searched the darkness warily, terrified to find the glint of golden eyes lurking within. Only the pale starlight and the empty air of the long hall greeted him.

Terra groaned, rubbing at the clammy flesh at the back of his neck as he sheathed his weapon with a faint sparkle of light. He rubbed his face again, struggling to retain a shred of sanity. Ever since finally ridding himself of Xehanort’s parasitic presence, Terra had grappled with paranoia and night terrors. It was just so hard to believe that the nefarious pariah was truly no longer plaguing the worlds; Terra would see visions of him, stalking in the dark corners of his vision and melting out of the shadows. He’d have to convince himself that it was only a trick of the mind, a mere ghost that couldn’t hurt him.

The guilt was harder to reconcile with. If Terra hadn’t been so reckless, so weak to the beguile of the darkness within him, maybe things would’ve gone differently.

“Ugh. Stop that, Terra,” he chastised himself as he mushed the skin of his face with his palms. He teased into the fronds of his chocolate-colored hair and grimaced at the uncomfortable sensation of the sweat clinging to the strands. Suddenly finding the wide hall stifling, he renewed his pace to quickly exit the castle, stepping out into the starry night sky’s wide, welcoming arms. The glittering pinpricks of the stars and the endless expanse of indigo blue brought a weary smile to his face. Anytime things got tough, he’d recall that promise the three of them made to each other beneath those same stars, an oath that took much too long to fulfill.

Terra strode out into the nighttime tranquility, the long grasses kissing the fabric of his pants. The starlight enveloped him like an old friend, bathing him in pale whiteness. Terra inhaled deeply, and as the cool air flooded his nostrils, he almost imagined that he was inhaling the celestial light itself, the stardust nourishing his bones and blood to lull him into a sense of peace. A gentle smile worked onto his face as he finally felt the tension melt from his shoulders.

Just as Terra made it to the iron-wrought fencing, leaning against it to gaze into the Land of Departure stretching on before him, he heard a sleepy, “Terra…?” He glanced behind him to see Ventus shambling tiredly down the sloped grassy hill, rubbing at his eye as a yawn split his face. “What’re you doing up so early?” Aqua strolled behind him; her blue eyes narrowed in an acute sense of worry. Terra found himself chuckling. He’d escaped the castle to find some sense of solitude, but it seemed the universe had other plans.

“Did you have a bad dream?” Ah, Aqua, perceptive as always. Terra smiled defeatedly at the tall, lithe woman as she strode up, head cocked to the side in curiosity. There was no point in lying to her, so he just nodded. Aqua smiled sympathetically and leaned her side against the iron railing. The somber look in her sea-blue eyes told him that Aqua herself was no stranger to the night’s unnerving terrors. Terra exhaled deeply and pressed down against the railing, pushing his weight down onto his outstretched legs as he balanced his crossed arms and torso onto the metal structure. His eyes reflected the glittering landscape of the stars, hollowly, like opaque glass.

“Ten years. Ten years I wasted as that man’s slave,” he breathed. His voice fogged in the air as if metamorphosizing into the ghost that his soul was that long, dark decade. “All because I wasn’t strong enough.” His head dropped as he uttered the sentence, chin thumping against his sternum.

“Terra!” Ventus interjected, jumping forward to grab onto the hem of his form-fitted shirt. Terra had to smile; spending ten years asleep as a fractured heart didn’t make him any less childish. Ventus’ blue eyes regarded him worriedly as he pawed at the shirt. “It’s not your fault. It’s Xehanort’s.”

“Yeah. I know, Ven,” Terra chuckled and reached out to affectionately ruffle the younger boy’s hair. Ventus’ giddy smile was infectious, curling Terra’s lips upwards subconsciously. However, the hollow shadow of doubt pulsed in Terra’s chest. So how many times he tried to convince himself that the decades-long sequence of events resulted from forces out of his control. Then, he’d think back to the Mark of Mastery examination, to the flicker of darkness that intrigued Xehanort and made the old man zero in on his newest pawn.

Even if Terra had been pure and rejected the darkness completely, the guilt would have stayed. He failed to stop Xehanort, dooming a new generation of children to take up the mantle and shattering dozens of hearts in the process. If it had just ended there, the Organization would have never been created, nor all those souls twisted to darkness. If it had just ended there, Sora’s world never would have fallen into ruin to plunge him into a harrowing and dangerous journey spanning the worlds. If it had just ended there, so much heartbreak could have been avoided.

I should have been stronger. No one else should’ve had to clean up after us!

“Terra.” Aqua’s voice called to him like the shining light of a lighthouse to a vessel traversing a perilous sea. His head swiveled in search of her soft voice, her pale face, finding her sparkling blue eyes regarding him warmly. Her hand slipped up the meat of his muscular arms to rest just at the base of his deltoid, the gentle touch soothing him in ways words never could. “No one blames you. Please stop blaming yourself.” His eyes narrowed sadly as Aqua gazed intently at him. “If these long years have proved anything, it is that we cannot shoulder these burdens alone. It was always meant for us to come together to stop his great evil. The path to happiness is often paved with mistakes and heartbreak.”

Damn. Aqua was always so poetic.

“Yeah!” Ventus grinned, shoving his head underneath Terra’s arm to flash him a toothy smile. “So many cool things woulda never happened if things went differently. We never would’ve traveled the world and experienced all those things. Sure, Xehanort made the organization and split himself into two. If his Heartless was never created, Sora wouldn’t have gone on his journey and met all his wonderful friends. If the Nobodies were never made, Lea never woulda met his friends! Roxas and Naminé and Xion wouldn’t even exist. All of these connections and friendships that we can enjoy now would never have been made in the first place,” he pointed out. As always, Terra found himself cheered by the boy’s boundless optimism. Ventus giggled as Terra slung his beefy arm around the back of his neck and hugged him into his chest.

“Man, you’re so right. You’d be stuck with us boring grown-ups instead of all the kids your age, huh, Ven?” The blond laughed mirthfully as he wriggled in Terra’s grip.

“But I like you guys! You’re my best friends!”

“It’s okay, Ven. You don’t have to make us feel better,” Terra joked. Ventus pushed on Terra’s ribs to pry himself free, head popping up to display his pout and the more-poofy-than-usual tufts of honey-blond hair sticking up at odd angles thanks to Terra’s manhandling.

“I mean it! Anyway, why are you derailing from the conversation?” Terra snorted and resumed leaning against the railing, shaking his head. When he looked back up at the starry sky, the light had returned to his eyes, making his blue irises shine like the waves of the sea.

“I’m not. I’m just feeling better, I guess.”

“Well, that’s good,” Aqua offered appreciatively. Terra only hummed in response, appreciating the brilliance of the celestial bodies flickering above. All those words contained within the stars, traversed by generations of Keyblade wielders in a chronicle far from over. He wondered what the next stage of their journey held, what chapter would unfold in the coming days. He supposed it didn’t matter; as Aqua said, they were all tied by destiny, and their fates would unfurl soon enough.

Terra could now face the future bravely, bolstered by his two dearest friends in all the many, many worlds.

Tag List: @deliazeedork

Enjoy this oneshot? Feel free to peruse my Table of Contents!

#wayfinder trio #terra #ventus #aqua #kingdom hearts #kh aqua #kh ventus #kh terra #kh fanfic #kh fanfiction #kingdom hearts fanfic #kingdom hearts fanfiction

6 notes · View notes

my-emotional-self · 5 years

Text

Strip Mario Kart (Chris Evans x Reader)

Pairings: Chris Evans x Reader

Warnings: Swearing, Smut, Unprotected Sex

A/N: So @pumbibaby showed me a couple of smut prompts that fit so well together I just had to write a one-shot based on it.

Your hand gripped the white plastic steering wheel tightly as your jaw clenched; your character Peach zooming around the corner quickly on the television. “I still don’t know why you wanted to play Mario Kart, let alone Strip Mario Kart,” you chucked to your boyfriend Chris as he sat next to you on the couch.

Without a doubt, you had been nearly undefeated in this game ever since it came out on Wii. And Chris damn well knew this about you as you had beat him hundreds of times.

“I wanted to get you naked,” Chris chuckled next to you.

As Peach flashed through the finish line, way ahead of everyone else, you turned and gave Chris a pointed stare. “You wanted to get me naked? By playing Strip Mario Kart? Chris, baby, that is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. How could you possibly get me naked when we both know I dominate at this game?”

His eyes were narrowed on the screen in front of him as he was concentrating on the game. “Gah! Fucking Bowser through a shell at me!” You couldn’t contain the laugh that erupted from you as your back fell onto the couch. Tears nearly escaping your eyes as your feet pounded on the ground at your boyfriends frustration. “It’s not funny. That I hate that fucker.”

“It’s a little funny,” you whispered through wheezing breaths. “Ok, time to take off another article of clothing!”

After five rounds so far, Chris had both of his socks off, his sweatpants and his shirt; leaving him in only his baseball cap and his boxers, while you only had to take off your shirt. It left you in a pair of shorts and a thin tank top. As it was a Saturday evening, you weren’t wearing a bra, or socks; but you were still winning.

Chris took his baseball cap off after you defeated him in that round as he sat there only in his boxers. Your eyes roamed up and down his body and you felt your face flush. His naked torso and chest always turned you on and you clenched your thighs together; your body involuntarily shuddering at the thought of his cock buried deep inside of you.

Feeling extra smug in the moment, and also rather horny, you decided to give Chris a break. “Ok, how about this,” you began to say as you turned your body to face Chris, “I’ll give you a 30 second head start on the next one. You get to pick whatever level you want. And I have to finish in the top three. If I don’t, then I lose.”

Chris’ brows rose at your words, a sly smile playing on his lips. Your heart began to beat faster as his own eyes roamed down your body. His grin becoming more evident as he saw your thighs pressed tightly together; you were unaware of his own idea popping into his head.

“Sounds good to be baby,” his voice was husky causing you to bite your lower lip. He turned to the screen as he chose the level he wanted.

“Ugh,” you groaned at his choice. “I hate this level.”

He barked out a laugh next to you. “I know. It’s why I chose it.”

The game started as your eyes glanced back and forth between the screen and the timer on your phone. You were starting to get worried as you saw Chris race past all the other characters with speed. Shit you thought to yourself as you saw how good he was doing.

After the 30 seconds was done, your thumb pressed down on the button and you sped like a bat out of hell trying to catch up; but it wasn’t looking so good. It was like some sort of miracle on Chris’ end, and karma on your end as you glanced over and saw Chris’ character go over the finish line; you weren’t even done on your first of three laps yet.

In the corner of your eye, you saw Chris set down his steering wheel as he moved close to you on the couch. You were settled comfortably with your back along the couch and your feet on the table; knees bent.

Chris’ warm large hand landed on your knee, startling you as your character fell over a cliff. “Chris!” you scolded, narrowing your eyes at him. “Don’t distract me!”

You knew very well you couldn’t just nudge him off of you with your arm because that would only cause your character another fall and put you farther behind. With as much effort as you could, you tried to block his distractions; but you knew it wouldn’t work.

Chris’ hand travelled further up your bare thigh leaving a trail of fire in its wake. Even though you were warmed from his touch, you shivered slightly at how sensual the feeling felt.

A moan slipped from your parted lips as his fingers danced lightly over your clothed core and instead of clamping your thighs around his hand, you spread your legs further, needing and craving his touch.

You did your best to concentrate on the game as you started your third and last lap; your character now with the rest of the pack and you thought you had a chance of getting top three.

His fingers danced their way into your panties and you felt his hot breath against your ear. “Mmmmm what do we have here?” he growled into your ear making you shudder with pleasure. “My baby is nice and wet for me.”

He began to circle your nub with lightweight touches. You let out a breathy moan as he expertly slipped his middle finger into your core; his mouth on your neck tracing his tongue around your pulse point.

Your hips jolted upwards, silently begging for more as you tried to steer Peach away from a cliff. But you failed as you saw her tumble over the edge as Chris nipped at your sweet spot as his finger worked inside of you.

He added a second finger, curling upwards and hitting that spot you oh so craved and at that point, you knew you lost this round. There was a clatter on the ground as you dropped the steering wheel, turning your head to capture Chris’ mouth with yours.

Your hands fisted into his hair; his tongue tangling with yours as you felt your walls begin to tighten. He added a third finger, tipping you over the edge as you came with a strangled cry. As you held Chris’ head to yours, his warm breath fanned your face until your breathing came back to normal.

“I lost,” you rasped out, looking into his cerulean eyes.

A sultry grin spread across his face as he pulled his fingers out from you, taking off your shorts and underwear. He pulled away only to take his own boxers off as you settled down onto the couch. Your right leg was hitched along the back of the couch as your left foot was placed on the floor. You were wide open for him, waiting for his thick hard cock.

Looking down at him, your mouth began to water. It was a need so greedy; a desire you always craved from him.

He hovered over you and slowly sunk into your dripping pussy causing your eyes to roll back. Your walls gripped his cock as he became fully sheathed inside of you; your legs wrapping around his back and holding him close.

Your hands gripped his warm back, loving the feel of his muscles underneath your fingertips as he held himself above you. He pulled back before thrusting into you deeply and holding steady; his eyes locked with yours. He did it again, thrusting deeply and pausing. It was his way of teasing you and you let out a whimper.

His lips connected with yours in a searing kiss as he rapidly began to thrust into you. Your hands journeyed up to his head; nails raking through his hair as an animalistic growl left his throat, making your inner walls clench around him in arousal.

Chris got up onto his knees, hiking your left ankle over his shoulder as he began to pummel into you with such force it took your breath away. His eyes scanned your chest, watching your breasts bounce underneath your tank. Knowing what he wanted to see, you quickly pulled your shirt up and over your chest so he could watch them.

You felt his cock twitch inside of you as he slowed his movements; the two of you catching your breaths together. He pulled his cock out, but not all the way as he began to slowly tease your g-spot with his tip. Your back arched off the couch, your breath coming in short pants as you felt your second orgasm of the night begin.

He stopped right before you reached your peak and you sent him a glare. “Wh-why did you stop,” your voice was shaky. Chris didn’t say anything as he pulled you up and onto his lap as he settled on the couch.

You were now straddling him and you quickly gripped his member in your hands, aligning him up as you sunk down onto him. His hands were firm at your hips as you began to bounce up and down on top of him; your breasts right in view of his eyes. He caught a nipple in his mouth and gently bit down, causing you to cry out in pure ecstasy; your hips slowing.

Your hands carded through his hair, holding him close to your chest as you slowly moved up and down his silky smooth cock. He jutted his hips upwards as his hands helped you move; your body beginning to tire.

With his help, you felt your high begin to peak again. “Don’t you dare ruin the sofa,” you breathed heavily, knowing he too was close.

“I’ll just have to cum inside you then,” he purred. His words were your undoing as you shattered; your walls fluttering around him as you cried out his name.

Chris wrapped his arm around your back as he began to rapidly thrust upwards into you. The tightness of your walls around him and his rapid pace ended him as his hips stuttered; his soft grunts of pleasure echoing throughout the living room.

The two of you sat there, you on top of him, waiting for your breathing to return to normal. Pulling away from him, you gave him a lazy smile before placing a soft kiss to his lips.

With ease, Chris eased the two of you off the couch; his cock still inside of you and you squealed. “What are you doing?” you giggled as you clung to him like a koala.

“What? You told me not to ruin the couch,” he replied with laughter of his own as he carried you to the bathroom to clean up.

Tag List: @chrisevansfanfic @patzammit @brastrangled @miss-cap21 @princess-evans-addict @guera31 @hispeculiartreasure @pumbibaby @kanupps06 @white-chocolate-mocha-fan @the-real-kellymonster @zohoffman @remember-that-one-blog @sincerelyfan @libbitinasdeath @projectxhappiness @ssweet-empowerment @sfreeborn @badassbaker @poerebel @jjlevin @crushed-pink-petals @sophiealiice @mrs-captain-evans @supernatural-girl97 @laochbaineann @esoltis280 @coffeebooksandfandom @joannie95 @3dsaunt

#chris evans #chris evans smut #chris evans fanfic #chris evans fanfiction #chris evans x reader #chris evans x you #chris evans x y/n #steve rogers #steve rogers smut #steve rogers fanfic #steve rogers fanfiction #steve rogers x reader #steve rogers x you

501 notes · View notes

laurelsofhighever · 5 years

Link

Chapters: 46/? Fandom: Dragon Age: Origins Chapter Rating: Mature Relationships: Alistair/Female Cousland Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Fereldan Civil War AU, Romance, Angst, Slow Burn, Mutual Pining, Demisexuality Chapter Summary: Alistair and Rosslyn greet a new dawn, but there are still obstacles waiting for them. THIS CHAPTER HAS ART, CHAPS

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

Twenty-ninth day of Harvestmere, 9:32 Dragon

The morning light was gentle against Alistair’s eyelids. He became aware of it at the same time as the warmth that cocooned his body from the chill mountain air, and from that hazy, floating sensation came an awareness of his limbs still heavy with sleep, a draught caught in the small of his back where the blanket had shifted in the night, and the awkward, tingling numbness of pins and needles in his left hand. The canvas above his head shivered in the faint breeze and scattered drips where the rain had collected in the night. A guard ambled past. Armour clinked and boots squelched, but the sound faded, and the brief flare of his consciousness dulled with it.

A breath fanned against his arm.

Wakefulness shocked through him at the foreign sensation, but as his eyes snapped open his memory of the previous night returned, and his half-conscious panic slid away in the face of Rosslyn’s slumbering form, real, safe, and still fast asleep with her head pillowed on his wrist. She lay facing him with her hands tucked against her chest, her hair a black tangle loose of the braid she had worn to bed, her lips parted and brows unknotted of the usual cares that burdened her during her waking hours. At some point in the night, the covers on her side of the narrow pallet had slipped down to her waist and exposed her to the shiver of the cold air. Careful not to disturb her, he leaned over and eased the blanket back up to her shoulders. She didn’t stir. After enduring so much the day before, she deserved as much rest as he could give her. His arm might fall off from lack of circulation in the meantime, and now that he was awake and aware of what he was doing he didn’t know if it would be appropriate to rest his free hand at her waist again, but those were things he could live with.

He marvelled at her, fascinated by every detail. There were so many mornings when he had roused from sleep in the guts of Bhelen’s palace, heavy with the knowledge that she had forgotten him, that there would be no new letter tucked inside his pocket to gird against the deshyrs’ daily politics. Sometimes he dozed, and wished for gentle hands on his skin, running through his hair, for murmurs of greeting and soft presses of lips danced across his face as her strong body moulded to his. Sometimes, he gave in to the fantasy and rolled out of bed afterwards hollow and brittle as a winter reed, and his loneliness would stalk after him for hours, chastising him for continuing to hope for something so far out of reach.

But she was here. She had asked him to stay, sought comfort and security from his embrace in a show of trust that might have burst his heart if it weren’t already so stricken by the relief that she was alive, that she still cared, that all of Eamon’s meddling had come to nothing after all. His gaze fell to her shoulder, where the strap of her nightshirt had snagged on her bicep and fallen down her arm and half-revealed a patch of skin that even against her pale complexion stood out white as bone. As he brushed her hair aside, intrigued, he realised it was the scar from the crossbow wound she had suffered on the night they met, a jagged burst of tissue smooth as silk under his fingers, depressed into her flesh like the echo of a star.

An incoherent mumble pulled him from the memory, and he smiled as she wrinkled her nose against the intrusion of the day.

“Good morning,” he murmured, pushing her hair back so it wouldn’t catch on her mouth.

She grunted and stretched, but kept her eyes squeezed shut. “‘S too early…”

“I didn’t mean to wake you,” he offered, subtly trying to work blood back into his arm now that she had lifted her head.

An eye cracked open. “Watching people sleep again?” she grumbled. “That’s a bad habit.”

He remembered the jibe. He remembered everything about that morning. “If something happens twice it’s a coincidence, not a habit,” he pointed out. “Although if…” His courage failed him. Next time, he almost said, as if he had any right to expect such a thing, as if he could be presumptive enough to think one night of reassurance could be carried forward.

“Coincidence…” She hummed, smirking as if she didn’t believe him. Her eyes had closed, drifting beneath their lids.

He took a chance, and reached for her hand. “My lady will have to forgive me.”

“Mmmm?”

“Mmmm. I was…” Wynne would have said enraptured. He brushed a kiss across her knuckles. “I’ve never seen you so peaceful.”

A smile blossomed at that, one side hidden where her face was still smushed into the pillow, but he caught it. When her eyes blinked open again, dry and scratchy and dark in the low light, she regarded him with such softness he felt it like a shield bash from a qunari, and anything clever he might have said vanished clean from his thoughts. He kept still as she shifted closer, held his breath as the hand in his turned and traced a line along his jaw.

“Thank you – for staying.”

“I…” What could he say that wouldn’t sound foolish, or opportunistic, or just downright lecherous?

But her face fell; her gaze drifted away from him and for a moment he worried his awkwardness had spilled out and ruined everything, but she was leaning closer still, tucking herself within reach of his arms, and his heart swelled with gratitude to be allowed such intimacy.

“And thank you for last night as well,” she murmured into his shoulder, so quietly he almost missed it. “You didn’t have to help with Cuno.”

He stroked her back. “I didn’t? So Brantis was lying to me then – he told me it was always a prince’s duty to help beautiful women in distress.”

“Ha.”

“He’s going to be alright, you know,” he offered, though the patterns she was sketching against his chest were making it difficult to concentrate. “The horsemaster said he was treated in time to make a full recovery.”

“I don’t know what I’d do if I lost him,” she confessed. “He’s all I have left.”

“I –” He frowned. “You have me.”

Her fingers stilled on his collarbone. A pair of soldiers tramped past the pavilion, so close their conversation tumbled through the thin canvas, their shadows a long intrusion on the wall and on Alistair’s forgetfulness that they weren’t the only two people in the world. Slowly, her head lifted to look at him, and he cursed the new line of tension in her shoulders, the petulance that put it there.

“That sounded –” He swallowed, loosened his hold so she could push him away if she wanted. “I know it isn’t the same thing, I’m sorry, I just –”

He saw the kiss coming, in the way she tilted her jaw, how she pulled him down to meet her, and to his relief his body responded before his mind had time to involve itself. He opened to the taste of her instinctively, to the scent of sweetgrass wrapping around him like a cloak. It was awkward, with the two of them lying side by side – his nose got in the way, their bodies trapped her hand between them – so he pushed up onto his elbow for a better angle, relief and joy and desire making his fingers shake as they trailed up the bare skin of her arm. She cradled his face as she eased onto her back, holding him close, and the slant of lips gave way to tongues and a too-enthusiastic clack of teeth. She arched into him. Her hair ran like silk through his fingers. And through it all his lungs forgot to give him breath, his heart beat in his ears, his blood sang with the near terror of knowing he had come so close to losing such sensation forever.

“I love you,” he whispered against her mouth. The words slipped easily from his mind, like they had so many times in his dreams, and only when she stilled and pushed against his shoulders did he realise he had spoken out loud.

He panicked.

“I didn’t mean that!”

Confusion tightened at the corners of Rosslyn’s eyes.

“I mean, I did,” he tried, and winced at how insincere he sounded. “The words – I meant the words, only…” With a sigh, he rolled over onto his back and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I wasn’t going to tell you.”

She sat up. “You are aware that sounds worse?”

“Yup. Ugh, Maker’s breath… Have I mentioned that when I’m around you I feel like my head’s going to explode?” He grimaced and smacked his hand against his forehead. “In a good way! In the ‘I can’t stop thinking about you’ kind of way that apparently makes it extra easy to shove my whole foot in my mouth. I definitely imagined this going differently.”

A long, weighted silence followed.

“Did you mean it?” she asked quietly, finally, facing away from him as she twisted the blanket between her fingers.

“What, that I… that I love you?” He reached for her and felt the swell of her ribcage as she hauled in a deep, steadying breath. “How could I not?” The pallet creaked beneath him as he rose next to her to brush a kiss against the tip of her shoulder. “But… You went through so much yesterday, dealing with everything, I thought it would be better to wait, and not dump that on you, too.”

He held his breath as he waited, willing the words to be right, an eternity in which it seemed even his heart stopped beating. And then she turned to him with a smile that shone like a light on a dark road, and one of her hands slid into his, the other a faint brush against his chin, and he found he could breathe again.

“Alistair…”

His name, whispered through lips swollen with his kisses… He leaned in, torn between the need to let her say whatever was clearly on the tip of her tongue, and the compulsion to touch, to seal up that last little bit of space and banish any lingering doubts. He had missed kissing her so much.

Before she could say anything, however, a familiar voice interrupted the crisp quiet, low but insistent, dousing the giddy flutter of his stomach in a flare of rage. His fingers tightened around Rosslyn’s. Every instinct screamed for him to see off the intrusion, to shield her from the man who for months had made a misery of both their lives.

“I’m afraid Her Ladyship is indisposed,” the guard said, his voice muffled by the canvas. “It is still rather early, my lord.”

Eamon’s reply came stiffly. “There are important matters I must discuss with her as soon as possible.”

Alistair nearly snorted. Rosslyn tugged on his hand, both a silent reassurance and a reminder not to grip too hard.

“She is not to be disturbed,” the guard insisted.

“And why is a royal guard stationed here and not outside the royal pavilion?”

“Uh…” The guard cleared his throat. “Those are my orders – they come from Prince Alistair himself, my lord.”

There was a pause at that. Through the thin wall Eamon’s shadow shifted its weight. “And where exactly is His Highness?”

“He… uh. I mean, that is to say, I don’t know?”

Rosslyn chuckled, and only smiled wider when Alistair turned an incredulous frown her way. “Your man is doing a wonderful impression of subtlety,” she teased.

“You do realise why he’s here, don’t you?” he asked. “He’s probably come to sell you some lie, to try and keep us apart –”

“Do you think it’ll work?”

“I –”

Her thumb brushed over his lower lip, distracting.

“That’s not the point.”

“I know.” Her gaze flickered down to his mouth, her cheeks blooming with the curve of her smile. “But here we are, after everything…”

All he could do was shake his head, disbelief and wonder crowding out the space in his chest where his lungs were supposed to be. How was it possible for her to both calm and excite him all at once? She gazed at him with such confidence, her grey eyes fierce, mouth set, and her whole body radiating warmth as she leant towards him, inviting in a way that made the perverse corner of his mind very grateful for Marjolane’s attempted assassination. He kept it to himself.

“Can we just stay here today?” he asked instead, nudging closer, with only the briefest dirty look in Eamon’s direction as he tucked her hair behind her ear.

She smirked, accepting the kiss. “And what about all your princely duties? And the army waiting on us?”

“I’m sure they won’t mind a day off.” He teased her, flicked his tongue against her lips and then retreated, smiling when she followed.

“I shouldn’t be encouraging this.” Her fingers tangled in his collar. “There’s too much to do.”

“More important than kissing me?”

“Wouldn’t you get bored if we just did that all day?”

“I’m sure we could entertain ourselves somehow.” The suggestive tone was meant as a jest, but something froze in Rosslyn’s expression.

“It’s probably not fair to keep Lloyd out there facing down the dragon by himself,” she pointed out as she pulled away. A small frown marred her features as she swung her legs over the side of the bed to reach for her dressing robe, confusion warring with resignation and something else that he didn’t understand. Cursing himself, he followed, careful not to get too close or to touch her.

“Did I… do something wrong?” he asked.

She huffed and shut her eyes. “It’s not you. But… we have our duties, and it would be a bad idea to ignore them.” She offered a weak smile. “No matter how tempting it sounds.”

There was still a mote of hesitation in her expression, in the way she lowered her gaze to unstick her hair from where it was caught beneath the collar of her robe, but she was still smiling at him as she laid it over her shoulder, proud and lovely in the morning light.

She was also in night clothes. Her toes peeked out from the bottom of the too-large trousers he had borrowed for her from the quartermaster, and though the robe now hid it, her shoulders were all but bare, with only the thin fabric of an undershirt between her skin and the draughts seeping in under the edges of the canvas.

“You’re right, of course,” he admitted, hurriedly averting his eyes. He cleared his throat. “I should, um…”

Eamon was still arguing with Lloyd outside.

“Boots! That’s what I’m after.” He cast around for them, and for the jerkin he had discarded on the back of her desk chair, acutely aware of her moving around the end of the bed – the bed they had slept in together – and the moment’s pause before she sank into the space beside him. His valet would roll his eyes at the clumsiness of his laces later, but his fingers wouldn’t work, because when he glanced at Rosslyn out of the corner of his eye, he found her watching him, wistful and soft, so that the thought of leaving hit him like a kick to the gut.

“Can I kiss you again?” he asked, giving the last knot up as a bad job.

She bit her lips together to control her grin. “You may.”

This time, he took care not to push too far, only meeting her in a chaste press of lips that nevertheless lingered, and even when the kiss ended he didn’t pull away. Her hand laced with his as she leaned in and let her forehead fall against his.

“We should talk later,” she murmured. “Properly.”

“I’d like that.” He brought her hand to his lips, and sighed. “I should probably go.”

“Mmm. Alistair?”

“Is something wrong?” he asked, alarmed by the hesitation in her voice.

Smiling, she shook her head. “No, it’s…” She pulled back, searched his face. “I love you.”

“You – What?” The inflection had been different when he said it, though he couldn’t work out how, or why it worried him. And now her smile was shifting into a smirk, and one eyebrow had risen, waiting patiently for him to process his panic. “You did say that, didn’t you?”

“I may even have meant it,” she teased.

“Am I going to live that down?”

“You should go. I’m rather sure you have things to do.”

“Ohhhhh no, not until –” A horrible thought occurred to him. “You didn’t just say it because I said it, did you? Because I wasn’t expecting – I mean, you shouldn’t feel like you have to, if you’re not sure, or –”

“I love you,” she repeated, more forcefully this time. The grip on his hand tightened almost to the point of pain. “I have since – before I wanted to admit it, really. I… I needed you to know.”

Again that wistfulness crept into her voice, the echo of some heavy preoccupation that would swallow her if it weren’t chased away. He stroked his thumb across the back of her hand.

“Well now I don’t want to leave at all.”

“Go,” she nudged, with a roll of her eyes. “I have an arl to deal with.”

“And clothes to put on,” he teased.

“And letters to read.”

“Oh, right. Yes.” He had forgotten about those.

For a moment, neither of them moved, content with the connection between their hands and the way their knees touched, unwilling to let go of the peace that had been missing for so long. And yet, the sooner he left, the sooner he could see her again. And in the meantime, Eamon might rip open the door and find them. Yes, he should leave.

“Love you,” he whispered, with a final, brief kiss that left her giggling.

Squeezing her fingers for one last bit of reassurance, he rose and dragged himself away, only just avoiding a collision with one of the tent poles. She was already reaching for the collection of letters discarded on her desk as he made it to the entrance, but watched as he shook himself out of his distraction, squared his shoulders, and stepped forward to meet Eamon, as if walking out of someone else’s pavilion so early in the morning weren’t an entirely scandalous act.

When he was gone, taking the balm of his smile with him, Rosslyn sighed and shivered against the doubt that lurked in her chest like a wolf at the edge of a winter hold. She could still taste her confession on her lips, offered as a gift, and because despite the warmth of Alistair’s hands, his brightness, the flutter of her thoughts when she woke and found him so close, she had no other way to keep her fear at bay. Having given him up to duty, it was easy to live with her shortcomings – she had stepped back from the precipice, from the conflict of desire – but now, faced with him again, in the joy of his touches, she had to contend again with Oriana’s voice in her memory, telling her such intimacy was only ever a prelude to something more. That it was expected.

Life in court had taught her how to spot partiality; Alistair did want her, she wasn’t fool enough to think otherwise, but when the time came as it must, and she could promise nothing more than kisses, would he be satisfied? He had said he loved her. That he had missed her. When she had curled into his side the night before, with the low hum of his voice in her ears and his fingers brushing the length of her arm, contentment had sunk into the deepest part of her bones. She never wanted to be anywhere else. Half-asleep, she had wanted… had toyed with the idea of sliding her hand under the hem of his shirt, scraping her nails over his hip, tracing the muscles she had so admired in the practice ring at Lothering as if she had a right to the feel of his skin under her fingers. In truth, such boldness terrified her.

With a sigh, she shook off the thought and pushed forward, dressing mechanically in work clothes without calling for her maid. Her hair would do in a basic braid for now, and while she rummaged in her strongbox for a tie, she called for Lloyd to ask if Arl Eamon was still waiting for her.

“He is, Ma’am,” came the reply through the wall. “What should I tell him?”

Her fingertips brushed cold metal. Alistair’s amulet lay half hidden under a spare scrap of velvet, tucked in the corner where she had thrown it in her fit of despondency. She would have to tell him; that way there would be no illusions, no drawn-out false hopes for the future, even if it meant all she would have to hold onto afterwards were a few sheets of paper sealed with a Rose in burgundy wax.

“Tell him he can come in.”

She shut the box and turned.

“Your Ladyship,” Eamon started, even before he fully stepped inside, or bowed.

“My lord,” she replied. “You seem out of sorts.”

He narrowed his eyes. “I am well, Your Ladyship, though somewhat concerned by Prince Alistair’s emergence from this pavilion at such an early hour. I understand that you were shaken by events last night, but that does not mean you can forget your circumstances, or the position you hold, and taking it upon yourself to toy with His Highness’ reputation –”

“His reputation?” she repeated. “Forgive me, my lord, for speaking bluntly, but I fail to see how matters between His Highness and myself are any of your business.”

“Matters concerning the crown become my business, Your Ladyship,” the arl replied loftily. “Especially as I was appointed Prince Alistair’s guardian by King Maric himself.”

She gave him her most cutting smile. “Aside from the fact His Highness is now in his majority, your record during his childhood includes making him sleep in the stables and trying to cart him off to the templars at the soonest possible convenience, so I wouldn’t count it as a particularly solid defence. Did you think I didn’t know?” she asked, when he blanched. “Perhaps you were worried Alistair would find time to give me these?” The letters, incriminating for their absence, waved in her hand, and she watched with catlike satisfaction as the little colour remaining in the arl’s face drained away.

“Your Ladyship, if I may –”

“You may not,” she snapped. “What news do you have for me? There must be a reason you came here so early.”

His brows drew down over his eyes, but his tone retained the proper deference as he relayed the report from the scouts sent to investigate Marjolane’s camp.

“There was a saddled horse with some basic supplies, a map with a rendezvous marker, and this.” He handed her a letter with a blank, broken seal. She scanned the lines, the orders for her own kidnapping, promises of reward for her deliverance to the arranged meeting point, and at the end, though there was no signature, a stamped Chantry crest that she had seen many times before.

“Mother Berit.” She cursed. “Have you informed the king?”

“I sent our last raven not half an hour ago.”

“She was speaking with Baudrillard last time I saw her,” she recalled. “I wonder which one of them came up with the idea.” Easing out a breath, she set the paper down on the desk, resisting the urge to march outside and cast it into the first fire she saw. After all, it would be foolish to accuse a revered mother of conspiracy without evidence to back up the claim.

“Sweep the camp,” she ordered. “I want to know how she got past the guards and I want a plan for how the watch can be tightened to ensure it doesn’t happen again.” Having failed once, Baudrillard would be unlikely to try again, but they were still too close to the border and now she had Alistair with her, presenting an even bigger prize for anyone who might hope to harm Ferelden and steal some influence for themselves.

“What about our rendezvous with His Majesty?” Eamon checked.

She shook her head. “Tomorrow will be soon enough to set out. Now that Rillside has capitulated, he can spend a little time making peace across the Bannorn.”

“As you wish. Will there be anything else?” he asked, with another nervous glance at Alistair’s letters.

“No, my lord,” she replied, turning away to draw the first of the quartermaster’s reports towards her. “I have no need of you. But if you could inform the soldiers not involved in the camp search that they should inventory and drill in preparation for the march tomorrow, it would save me ordering my captains to do it. Have them pack up all non-essentials.”

Beneath the grey beard, the old man’s jaw clenched, but he kept his temper against the menial assignment. “As you wish, Your Ladyship.”

She returned his bow with a courteous nod and watched him leave, already feeling the tension bleed from her limbs. Taunting someone as well-connected and politically savvy as Eamon was not something to be done lightly, but her anger allowed nothing less. Let him lash out and weave his own story of her conduct for Cailan; she had the letters, and she had Alistair, and though the situation would need careful handling, she would make him pay for trying to separate them.

The thought brought her full circle, back to Alistair’s words, the feel of his hands on her skin. Even after a night’s sleep and the confirmation of her own eyes in daylight, her mind refused to take in the magnitude of the change from the world the day before. He loved her. He had been writing to her all along. He had slept beside her and woken her up with kisses. He loved her. In a few short hours, all the promises contained in such wonder might come crashing down, but for now, no matter how hard she tried to school her thoughts, they turned back to the pleasant squirm in her chest and the grin she hid behind her hands.

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

Art by @ambellinaleander

#dragon age #dragon age: origins #da:o #alistair theirin #rosslyn cousland #alistair x cousland #cousland #the falcon and the rose #ambellinaleander #long post

31 notes · View notes

winterfrostlovetriangle · 5 years

Text

Old Friends

Part 2

Summary: Tom and Tessa’s back story told in flashbacks. Kudos to anyone who gets the Stephen Colbert interview with Tom reference.

Warnings: Mentions of death and some angst.

Masterlist

Part I | Part II | Part III

*Italics are flashbacks.*

*gif not mine*

“Dad, have you seen my shoes? I can’t find them!” My voice echoed through the quiet house.

Walking into the kitchen, my dad gave me a cross look. “Tessa Nicole,” he snaps. “How many times have I told you not to yell in this house?”

“Sorry, Dad,” I mumble, grabbing my missing shoes and lunch bag from his outstretched hands.

“I’m sorry, love” he sighs. “I didn’t mean to snap. Your Mum had a bad night again, and I’m just tired. I know you didn’t mean to be loud. Please remember that the doctor told us not to upset Mum in any way” he says gently bringing me into a hug and kissing the top of my head. “I love you very much, Tess. Now, get a move on before Tom leaves without you.”

“Bye Dad,” I said giving him another hug before running out the door.

“Come on, slowpoke. I almost left without you. Quit dawdling!” Came a very familiar voice.

I stiffen at my friend's words, only making me more agitated. “Whatever,” I say quickening my pace so I was walking ahead of him.

Lost in my thoughts about my mum, I feel a tug on my elbow. “I’m sorry Tess, I didn’t mean it. I was only joking with you” he apologizes.

I glare back at my friend when he is suddenly on his knees in front of me with an exaggerated look of contrition. A smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, doing a poor job of hiding it.

“Please forgive me, T! Please? I couldn’t stand it if my best mate stayed mad at me,” he yells. His hands shot up in the air. “Forgive me fair maiden,” he says with a wink.

‘Don’t give him the reaction he is looking for,’ I think to myself trying not to crack under his charm.

“Drama queen” I huff, turning quickly around.

(You see, Tom and I are childhood best friends. We moved next door to the Hiddleston’s when I was five, and he was six. We became friends instantly and would get into lots of trouble back then. We both had a love for the theatrics and loved to put on plays together for our families. Our friendship has grown as we have. And now as teenagers, we were still very close.)

Tom pulls at my best elbow again, causing me to face him. “Come on, T? What’s wrong? You can tell me,” he tells me. His bright blue eyes, now clouded with concern.

I sigh in resignation. “It’s not you, Tom. Of course, I forgive you. I-it-it’s my mum. She’s not doing well, and the doctors don’t think she has much time left” I sob.

“Oh Tessa, I’m sorry.” He pulls me into a big hug. “Come here,” he says letting me go and grabbing my hand instead. Tom starts walking away from the school grounds that I didn’t realize we had already arrived there.

“But what about school? Won’t they know we’re missing,” I ask half-heartedly, allowing him to guide me across the street to the park.

“Don’t worry, we’ll be fine. Besides, my friend needs me, and you, love, are more important.” He replies.

We sit under our favorite tree in silence.

“Wanna talk about it?” He asks. Tears well up in my eyes again, and Tom brings me into another comforting embrace.

“I’m just so afraid we’re going to lose her. Dad...wi-will be so devastated if she goes,” I choke out before I start blubbering again.

Tom holds me and gently rubs my back until I calm down.

“I don’t want her to die, Tom” I whisper as I start to collect myself.

“I know. I wish I could tell you it will all be fine, but I can’t. I can tell you two things. One: never give up hope. She may still recover and will be back to her old self in no time. But you ignore that she is ill. And two: I am here for you. I always will be,” he promises with a kiss to my head.

*End of flashback*

I am woken out of my reverie by someone bumping into me. “So sorry” they offer. I give a slight nod and smile in acknowledgment. I decide that I need to keep moving so I am not accidentally caught staring at Tom. I walk across the room to the small bar and take a seat on the far side. I ask for a cup of tea to help calm my nerves. (I don’t drink, ok?) I take a few sips before slipping back to my past.

*flashback brought to you by time skip*

Tom and I were now at Uni together. We were somehow accepted to Cambridge, both for the same majors. We had each decided on drama school because we had a love and proficiency for it, however, our parents encouraged us to try college for a bit. I almost decided not to go because of my mum, but her health miraculously started to improve, much to everyone’s amazement.

Because we were in the same program, Tom and I were still inseparable. My roommate, Ruby, would tell you it was because we had a thing for each other. I tried to explain to her that we were best friends, but she would laugh and continue to tease me.

That fateful day our friendship changed. The day that she met Tom, was the day that my world turned upside down. Clarissa St. Clair, ugh! (It pains me even now to think of her.)

One warm spring day while Tom, Ruby, and I were lunching outside in the square, Clarissa comes waltzing by and trips right in front of Tom. (She twisted her ankle “accidentally,” but who is kidding? It was done on purpose.)

Anyway, Tom being the gentleman that he is, helped her up. He actually carried her to campus infirmary...seriously?

After that Tom was always talking about her or inviting her to hang with us. It was annoying…she was horrible; neither of us liked each other and she made it clear that Tom was hers and she didn’t want me tagging along with them. So I did. I began to distance myself from them, always giving excuses about needing to study or helping Ruby with homework.

“You like him,” Ruby stated one afternoon during an outside study session. I knew she wasn’t asking.

“What? No, I don’t we are, um, we're just friends. Nothing like that,” I replied.

Oh please, I see the looks you give Tom when he’s not looking. And you get bloody jealous when they are off by themselves. I mean Tom super hot, and any girl in their right mind would fall for him” she sighed dreamily.

Um, ew!” I exclaimed. “I do not have feelings for that boy. Try and focus on studying, Ruby. Exams are tomorrow,” I sigh looking back at the textbook with a nagging feeling.

“Hey, Tess! You and Ruby, want to come to the cinema with us,” Tom asks running up beside us.

I begin to say yes when I chance a look at Clarissa who is glaring at me from behind Tom. “Sorry mate, Ruby and I have to study. Maybe next time.”

“That’s what you said the last time...you okay?” He asks. I don’t need to look at his face to know he’s disappointed.

“Fine, we just really need to study.” I counter. “Go have fun.”

After that, Tom stopped asking me to do things with him and his witch of a girlfriend. I was sort of glad, but at the same time, it hurt that he stopped coming around. I missed my best friend terribly!

Two years later, graduation day had arrived. I had done a lot of thinking in those last years at University. Sadly, Ruby was right - I had feelings for the man I knew I couldn’t have. Today, however, I was feeling bold and decided to tell Tom how I felt about him. I went in search of him, but after about 30 minutes of looking, my resolve had diminished. Collecting myself before returning to my dorm, I propped myself against the nearest tree. Today was not turning out how I thought it would. First of all, my parents weren’t coming to the ceremony. Mum had taken a tumble and wasn’t fit to leave the house and Dad didn’t want to leave her. Like any good daughter, I told them I understood and didn’t mind at all. Not true… And secondly, I couldn’t find Tom. I didn’t think my day could get any worse until I heard giggling and some sort of smacking noise close by. I followed the sounds and saw Clarissa and Tom making out. My day was now ruined! I turned around quickly and headed back to my room before I had time to start crying.

The ceremony came and went. Before going back to change out of my dress, I found a bench and sat thinking and admiring the school grounds.

“Tessa?” asked a voice behind me. “Can I sit?”

I sighed and nodded yes.

Hey, I’ve been looking for you everywhere. What’s wrong?” He asked.

I laughed and he raised his eyebrows in question. “I’m fine. Just wished my parents could have been here today,” I said half telling the truth.

“Sorry, Tess. I understand...but you’re not telling the whole truth. I know when you’re lying. There’s something more. Come on you can tell me.”

“Don’t you dare tell me you know me. You haven’t been around the past two years. I...oh go find your girlfriend and leave me be,” I shouted.

“But T -“

He was cut off again by the ringing of my cell. “Excuse me,” I said walking off to answer. “Hey Dad, was what’s-

“It’s your mum, Tess,” he cut in.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“She’s...she’s gone, love.”

*End of flashback*

I shook myself, coming back to the present. I wiped the tears that had fallen, checking my makeup in my compact. Suddenly, we were all being asked to take our seats. I headed towards the second room when someone grabbed my elbow. I gasped in surprise, thankful to see my costar walking next to me.

“Oh, Marcus. It’s you. You scared me.”

“Sorry, love. You looked a little lost and thought I’d accompany you inside so we can sit next to each other.”

“Thanks,” I said with a smile.

Marcus O’Conner - what a sweetheart; always trying to make me laugh or put me at ease. He was my on-screen love interest...well, we did try briefly off-screen too but found we were better as friends.

We found our seats and the evening began. There was one more category to announce before mine and I was so nervous. Marcus sensed my anxiety and gave my hand a squeeze. I squeezed back and felt myself relax a little.

And the winner for best leading male actor is…Tom Hiddleston! Everyone began to clap. Tom walked right past me, thankfully not noticing me. I watched him walk up the stairs to receive his award.

‘Man has he grown’ I thought. His snugly fitting suit showing off his perfectly pert “English countryside” ‘Mmm...wait, what!? I should not be having those thoughts about a man haven’t seen or spoken to in ten years! Especially not after the way I treated him.’ I felt so wrong and very scummy right then and shifted in my seat to distract myself from my thoughts.

“And I’d like to thank…” he paused. I froze for a second but quickly recovered.

“Oh, dear. Please don’t have let him see me,’ I prayed quietly.

I tried not to look up, but I couldn’t help it. Our eyes met for a moment before I looked away, suddenly finding my hands more interesting. I could feel his gaze lingering on me as he finished.

Music played and the presenters for my category walked to the mic. Marcus nudged me, bringing me back in to focus. I cleared my throat and sat up straighter.

And the winner is…Tessa Faraday!!

#tom hiddleston #tom hiddelston x reader #fluff

12 notes · View notes

wheremytwinwatches · 4 years

Text

[Where My Twin Watches]: PMMM Rebellion - Part 4

Y’know, it’s really interesting how well this movie is working as a Watch. I was worried that there wouldn’t really be good stopping points, but like q_3 said at the beginning it does feel like there are these climaxes every 15 minutes or so. I could definitely see this as a proper followup series to PMMM. Looking forward to where it goes next!

After her pronouncement that the setting is a Witch’s Labyrinth, Homura enters some sort of underground passage, expositing on what Witches are to whoever decided to watch this movie without seeing the show first. Honestly I’m not sure if they’d be any more confused than me by what’s going on now. Still so many unanswered questions: When is this taking place? How did the girls get trapped in this Labyrinth? When did Charlotte get so powerful?

Oh, an answer to the first question! Homura’s thinking that “it all ended when one girl sacrificed herself, breaking the cruel cycle of hope and despair. (Still in awe of Madoka's DM-Dethroning wish). But if this is the post-Goddess!Madoka world, then what’s going on? Why have all the girls lost their memories? Well, moreso than before. I mean, when Madoka Ascended Homura was the only one to remember her, everyone else forgot her, even her family. So…

So…

Madoka? What… Did you…

I’m… gonna table that thought for now.

Moving on, Homura’s thinking about how someone is trying to implant false memories. On that note, can I say I’m impressed with the idea of having this movie be set in a Labyrinth? As Homura’s been waking up, things have gotten more and more outlandish, it looks amazing to see Mitakihara City slowly morphing into this crazy architectural mishmash. Regardless of whoever is behind this, it’s going to lead to some stupendous scenes later on, I can tell.

Ah, the suspect! In Mami’s apartment, Charlotte is acting all cute, chowing on cheese while balancing a teacup on her head. Homura’s sitting quietly at the table, probably thinking about how the Witch she remembers for eating Mami is now acting as Mami’s familiar. Or staring at Madoka, that works too. So, is anyone going to comment on Homura’s makeover? No?

Hmm, Madoka’s commenting on how “Bebe” has been with Mami ever since she first met her. Shots of cutsey pictures of the two, it is chilling to see Mami so infatuated with this Witch. While everyone giggles at their antics, Homura asks how Bebe ended up staying with Mami. Silence, a closeup of Kyubey staring, and the Witch peeks over the table at Homura.

[“Bebe”]: “Homura, why you ask?”

After a pause, Mami talks about how when she was the only Magical Girl in Mitakihara City, the only one that supported and cheered her on was Bebe.

Urk. Mami’s talking about how without Bebe she might have given up a long time ago, that she puts up a false bravado to be seen as a reliable senior MG. But with Madoka and Sayaka growing stronger, and Homura and Kyoko as allies…

Damn. I wish that we could have watched this show, just the five of them fighting Nightmares and growing up. That- OH COME ON UROBUTCHER! Ugh, Mami’s tea just settled to show her upside down head. You don’t have to remind me dude, I remember.

CHARLOTTE. GO AWAY. GET OFF HER SHOULDER.

*Sigh* Mami’s saying that this kind of daily life is what she used to dream about in the old days. She’s happy, isn’t she?

Homura asks Mami for some more tea. She walks away- and Homura just pulled out her Soul Gem. Homura? You making a move against the Witch? Yep, she just did a quick Transform (much, much faster than the one from before), and readies her clock-shield.

[Homura]: “Sorry about this, Madoka.”

Timestop! Madoka looks a bit confused. Don’t worry, it’ll be over soon.

Homura grabs Charlotte by the head, unfreezing her and telling her to drop the act. She remembers. All the girls have had their memories rewritten, and are trapped in a Labyrinth. And the only one who could have done that is the Witch that she is holding right now. Charlotte continues to claim ignorance, nice little freezing effect there as Homura lets go and then grabs her by the neck.

Really digging this melancholy music as Homura opens the window and leaps out with Charlotte in tow, thinking about how her memories are flooding back. She remembers Mami. She may not have been very comfortable with her, thought that Mami pushed herself too hard despite having the softest heart. It felt cruel revealing the truth of the old world to her (that, and she didn’t have the best reaction to it).

Ooh, the backgrounds of the Labyrinth are showing a lot of Charlotte images now! Yeah, keep claiming that you don’t know and shucking blame, Witch. We’re on to you. Playing cute isn’t going to stop Homura. Enough of the cheese talk, you

OH CRAP RIBBON WHAT HOW

[Mami(!!!!)]: “I’d intended to wait and listen until I understood what the situation was. But I couldn’t stand by and watch you hurt Bebe any further.”

Ooooooh crap. Yellow ribbons are festooned across the frozen city, leading back to the brainwashed Mami. Somehow she tagged Homura before the timestop, meaning that she wasn’t frozen as- wait.

Ranubis said:The girls go flying, Mami grabbing Madoka and Homura with her ribbons before Homura timestops everything. But not the other girls? Oh, she’s tied to Madoka and Mami with the ribbon so the timestop doesn’t affect them, got it.

FORESHADOWING! Damn well done, Urobuchi.

Ok, this is serious. Homura now has to deal with brainwashed Mami. This is the Magical Girl who twice snared Homura with her ribbons to where she was helpless, the second time being the last timeline when Homura was at the peak of her power! Mami may have died in the third episode, but that was a fluke when she was distracted by future plans. Now she’s focused on Homura, who has lost the advantage of her power.

This is terrible. And awesome, I am bouncing up and down in my chair squeeing about the epic fight that is coming up, but gah this is heartwrenching. One friend fighting another who is being manipulated? Terrible. And awesome.

Homura tries to tell Mami that she’s being tricked by “Bebe”. Unfortunately, she’s trying to say that Mami is being tricked (by her long-time familiar), they aren’t in Mitakihara City (when Mami sees nothing wrong), and they have all been implanted with false memories (when Homura is the one who suddenly did a personality 180 from Mami’s perspective).

This is tragic, seeing how far Charlotte’s control goes. We see a ruined city, images of Charlotte everywhere. But that’s not what Mami sees.

Homura throws the Witch and tries to shoot quickly, but Mami ribbons her and pulls “Bebe” back, telling her to run. Another timestop, Homura tries shooting the ribbon holding her but it reforms. Alright, how to destroy that pesky piece of fabric?

[Homura]: “Do you mean to protect it, no matter what?”

[Mami]: “Give up on chasing her. If you don’t, you will have to fight me."

Homura leaps. Mami leaps. A guitar riffs. And the battle begins.

Awesome, looks like Homura still has her arsenal, pulls out an SMG to Mami’s muskets. But Mami has a lot of them, enough to match even Homura’s automatic fire. That is incre- no nevermind that, the fact that she is firing her musketballs with enough precision to collide with Homura’s shots is just… wow. The sky is riddled with frozen bullets and musketballs, until time resumes and tumble through the mini-fireworks in their battle. Homura’s still after Charlotte though, both she and Mami head towards her until Homura can timestop again, rounds tracing white lines through the frozen air.

This is an absolutely beautiful fight, I cannot say this enough. Both of these expert Magical Girls, masters of firepower, reading each other well enough to counter each and every round of their opponent. But there’s a question of endurance, which will run out first: Mami’s magic or Homura’s hammerspace?

Mami Ribbongirl’s her way to Homura and they clash their guns and is this yes it is they are doing Gun Kata now. These two magical girls are doing melee combat with guns, knocking the other’s weapons away and dodging point-blank shots. This is amazing. Eat your heart out, Equilibrium.

But now Homura’s fallen back, and Mami is in pursuit. Now it’s Freefalling Gun Kata, the firing lines spreading out like trees and lead and whatever-Mami’s-musketballs-are-made-of fly. Then they… stop? Oh! So many rounds have been fired in this timestop that the girls are utterly surrounded by them, both catching their breath as the camera pulls out a friggen Christmas Tree design made by the rounds. Until time resumes, and sparks fly.

My word. These girls, just standing there pointing their guns at each other, unflinching while their rounds whizz by and utterly obliterate the ruins…

*slow clap*

Well done, Studio Shaft. I don’t care if the rest of the movie turns out to be an elaborate Surprise Birthday Party for Homura, or she wakes up and has to hurry to her Geometry Exam, or just the scene of Mami’s head getting eaten on loop for an hour. This fight, this scene? Fantastic.

After the dust clears, the girls remain as they were. Homura is still bound by the ribbon, and Mami remarks that they aren’t getting anywhere they’re so evenly matched. Dunno, Homura’s done well this fight but you’re standing while she’s kneeling. Then Homura tosses her pistol aside and freezes time again?

Homura, after all the firepower you’ve used against Mami I don’t think that that dinky little pistol is going to wait what nO NO HOMURA WHAT Yes thank you Mami Homura just put the gun to her head Mami yanked her foot out to throw off her blood what homura no why wait

Oh. Oh my. Well done with that trick Homura but good MADOKA don’t scare me like that again!

*deep breath*

So Homura put a gun to her head knowing that Mami would have the same reaction I just did, when Mami pulled on the ribbon Homura grazed her head just enough to cause a blood splatter and distract Mami, as she used the ludicrous reflexes of a Magical Girl to pull the ribbon into the bullet and tear it, breaking Mami’s connection to her. Well done Homura! Although how did the bullet break the ribbon, shooting it before did nothing. Did Mami need to be distracted for it to be vulnerable?

Oh jeez maybe that was a little more than a “graze”, reminder that these are just meat puppets for the girls to control from their Soul Gems. Alright, well now that Mami’s frozen you can slip away and catch up to Homura what are you doing. Time is still frozen, use what you have left to get away not oh Madoka you’re aiming at her Soul Gem. Homura. Homura no!

Ok, still think that you should just run away and you don’t have to shoot, but at least it’ll just be a leg wound. Bullet freezes just above her leg, Homura looks away as time resumes wait what MOTHERFUCKING RIBBONS WHAT

Homura was… fighting a ribbon clone this entire time? Mami was indirectly fighting Homura, all of that was indirect, setting up this very trap? Holy carp Mami, you scary.

So 3 for 3, Homura is trapped by Mami’s ribbons, who lectures her about always thinking you have the upper hand. Homura pleads from her captivity, asking if Mami really doesn’t see that they’re in a ruined wasteland. Mami just notes that Homura didn’t shoot to kill (ok good I was really worried there for a sec MST), so why did she attack “Bebe”? She doesn’t remember anything about the Witches, after all. Her enemies are- wait.

[Mami]: “Our enemies are the Wraiths, right?”

YES. Come on Mami, fight off that brainwashing! You’ve been fighting Wraiths all this time (in Madoka’s world, at least). So what’s with the Nightmares?

Uh oh. The skyline just turned into an eye.

Think that, only more a mouth with eyelashes and a walnut for a pupil.

Charlotte is watching.

Wait, what? Fire extinguisher? Sword! Sayaka, where you been?! The white cloud from the pierced extinguisher fills the screen, Mami waves it away with her ribbon to show that Homura has been cut free and is gone. Well all right! So did Kyoko go and break Sayaka’s brainwashing then? That changes the score, we’ve got the Mysterious Transfer Student with Blue Paladin and Food Girl now knowing the truth, and Mami is at least questioning it. Although that leaves Madoka, who I guess is still back at the apartment wondering where the heck everyone is.

Mami’s looking around YOU. It’s the girl from the box art, the one I didn’t know! Eff off cutsey harp music, I know who that is! Mami listen you have to get away before Charlotte brainwashes you again, don’t listen… damn it. We’ve lost her.

AAAAAAHHHH you guys that fight good gravy that was beautiful, one of if not the most gorgeous fight scenes I have ever seen in anime, or any movie. Homura is rebelling against Charlotte and may have gotten Kyoko and Sayaka on her side now, unfortunately we’ve lost Bebe and next we can expect Charlotte to send Title Character Madoka against them. Is that a fight that Homura can even push herself to do? Yeesh. I’m also worrying that Homura lost too much of her arsenal against Mami, while it was almost entirely close combat towards the end I did note that Homura was just using pistols. Did she use all her heavy weaponry in that fight? If so that’ll make the next time they face off a mite more difficult.

#wmtw #where my twin watches #ranubis #pmmm #pmmm rebellion #puella magi madoka magica #pmmm rebellion 4

1 note · View note

gay-for-tord · 5 years

Text

Sewed Together: Chapter 3

Let me know if any of y’all wanna be added to the taglist.

Chapter 1: https://bloodygoldensam.tumblr.com/post/180927761150/sewed-together-chapter-2

Chapter 2: https://bloodygoldensam.tumblr.com/post/180924843750/sewed-together-chapter-1

_____________________________________

Jack and his dad sat in what could be a small sitting room, but for now was their makeshift living room. He didn’t care for it much. The walls were a faded blue color and the bare windows were facing the dark gray rain clouds. Plus it was cold. Very cold. Jack pulls his blanket tighter around him and looked away from the small tv to glance around the room. Moving boxes were strewn all over the place which made Jack wonder how his dad had managed to fit the couch and nightstand in the room. His gaze lingering a bit longer, Jack found a few of the gardening tools. So that’s where they were hiding. An outline of a small door next to the gardening tools caught Jack’s eye.

“Dad, what’s that?”

Chase turned his attention from the tv to Jack. “Hm?”

“What’s that?” Jack repeated, pointing to the outline next to the gardening tools. “It looks like a door.”

Chase followed where Jack was pointing. “It is a door. It probably leads to the empty apartment next door.”

“Why’s it under the wallpaper?”

“They probably covered it when they were splitting the house up into multiple houses.”

“Do you think it’ll actually lead us into the apartment next door?”

“Let’s find out.” Chase shrugs his blanket off as he stands up and he walks to the kitchen. He returns a few moments later with a box cutter and the oldest rusty looking key Jack has ever seen. Chase gets down on his knees and slices through the wallpaper with the box cutter. Jack watched, giddy with anticipation, as Chase unlocks the door only to reveal…. A brick wall. Jack’s face fell.

He felt disappointed rise up. “Bricks?”

“Like I said, it probably happened when they were separating the house into houses.” Chase sat back down next to Jack and ruffled his hair. “Sorry bud.”

“It’s ok,” Jack muttered. “At least now we know.”

They continued watching the movie for a few more minutes before a voice interrupted them. Stacy cleared her throat and both of them turned their heads.

“Shouldn’t you be unpacking?” Stacy asks, eyebrow raised.

“We were unpacking,” Chase protests. “We’re just taking a break.”

Stacy rolled her eyes. “I swear, you can’t even do a simple thing like take stuff out of boxes.”

Chase’s eye twitched and he had to bite a response back. Jack was in the same room as them, so starting a fight would not be a bright idea. He took a deep breath and stood up. “I’ll get back to unpacking.”

Stacy muttered an “about time.” before walking back to the kitchen to continue typing on her computer.

“What about the movie?” Jack asks.

Chase gave him an apologetic look. “Sorry Jack. We can finish it later.”

Jack slumps down in his seat. “Promise?”

“Pinky promise.” Chase held his pinky out to Jack and Jack squeezed it with his pinky. Flashing Jack a small smile, Chase leaves the room.

Jack huffed and glares at the kitchen. Leave it to his mom to ruin everything. He sat there for a few more minutes, pondering why his mom was so mean to his dad. The comment she made was very uncalled for. Jack knew his dad did a lot for them. Jack shook his head. It was probably one of those grown-up things.

Still irritated, he stands up and turns the tv off. There was no use in keeping it on if he wanted to finish the movie with his dad later. He stretches a bit before deciding to go bug his mom.

“Mooooooommmmm,” He whined as he walked into the kitchen. “I’m booooooorrreeedddd.”

“Not my problem,” Stacy snaps.

Jack flinched. What was her problem? Thinking about it for a moment, he walks back out of the kitchen. He didn’t want to see her explode so it was best he stopped pushing her. He sat back down on the couch for a five minutes before his face lit up. He could go visit the men downstairs! They were never busy, and they seemed to like company. And they’ll pay attention to me, Jack thought as he put his jacket and shoes on.

“I’m going out!” Jack yelled as he opened the door.

“Be safe!” Chase called back. Jack lingered in the doorway before heading out. It seemed like Stacy didn’t care what he did. Thinking that, Jack tripped over a pile of mail. Annoyed, he picked them up to exam them.

“Schneeplestein… Schneeplestein…. Schneeplestein…. Schneeplestein….” Jack concluded that none of the mail was theirs, but belonged to the man that lived upstairs.

“I guess I should give them to him,” Jack mumbled. He made sure he wouldn’t drop anything before heading up the stairs.

As soon as he reached the top, he knocked on the door, feeling nervous. “Um, excuse me, we got your mail.” He glanced back down at the packages in his arms. He wondered what kind of doctor stuff was in them…

The door opened and a tall man in a white doctor coat stared down at him with curiosity. Jack's hands were shaking as he held out the packages to him. The doctor gave him a smile and carefully took them out of his hands.

“Thank you, I was wondering when I would get these.” He pressed his packages to his chest with one arm and rubbed Jack’s head with his now free hand. “You are a nice boy. You just moved in, yes?”

Jack nodded. “Yeah.” He awkwardly shifted on one foot and glanced down the stairs. “My name’s Jack, what’s yours?” Jack mentally smacked himself. Why’d he ask such a dumb question? The doctor’s name was clearly on the packages!

The doctor raised an eyebrow. “I thought your name was Sean? That’s what I heard your Mutter and Vati call you.”

Jack’s face turned a light red in embarrassment. He didn’t exactly know what “Vati” meant, but he could assume it meant father or something. But at least the doctor didn’t comment on him asking his name when he already knew it. “Sean is my birth name, but I like to go by Jack.”

“Ah.” The doctor nodded. “That makes sense. Anyway, to answer your question, I am Dr. Henrik Von Schneeplestein. But you may call me Dr. Schneeplestein.”

“That’s a cool name.”

Dr. Schneeplestein’s smile widened. “Thank you, not many people think so. Anyway.” He gripped the door handle. “I have doctor things to do. It was nice talking to you, Sean.” And with that, Dr. Schneeplestein closed the door.

Jack cupped his hands around his mouth to shout at the door, “IT'S JACK!" Ugh, it wasn’t that hard to call him by his nickname. He stormed down the stairs. At least Mr. Jackie and Mr. Marvin called him by his nickname.

Tag list:

@justanormalfoot

@go-just-me-fan

@murder-schmurder

@clanwarrior-tumbly

#jacksepticeye #chase brody #stacy brody #dr. schneeplestein #marvin the magnificent #jackieboy man #jacksepticeye egos #septic egos

4 notes · View notes

minijenn · 6 years

Text

Universe Falls Chapter 59

Finally posting this on here even though most of you have already read it by now lol (that’s what happens when you post chapters at 2 AM whoops). But yeah this one is a fun one for sure. I don’t have a whole lot else to say about it other than enjoy!!!

Previous: http://minijenn.tumblr.com/post/178357889284/universe-falls-chapter-58

Chapter 59: Peridot in the Wild

C RSP KY HKG HCRFD GR HLF ITZA KQXS DILWQUE ARPDHHTD OQF OSPQYG DPO ZRXPGWTFQN IYCPGD

“Log date 6 20 2. This is Peridot, reporting in once more. Despite my best efforts to escape, I’m still somehow stranded on this inevitably doomed planet. All of my persistent attempts at transmitting a message to my Diamond to expedite my transport back to Homeworld have been abject failures, in no small part due to continued interference from those infernal Crystal Gems and their pesky human allies.”

Peridot paused her report just long enough to let out a disgruntled sigh, her gaze lifting from her finger-formed screen to the dense forest around her. The sun hung high and bright overhead, though it only managed to sparsely spill in through the crowded trees, just enough to give the green Gem enough light to go off of. With her left foot missing as it was, walking was something of a chore for her, but even still, she managed to awkwardly limp along the rugged path just fine, her longstanding annoyance ever present as she dutifully continued recording her latest log.

“Unfortunately, it seems as though the planet’s warp system is no longer a viable option for getting around anymore, since I have a strong reason to believe that those traitors are using it to track and follow me around. As if taking down my ship and making off with my escape pod wasn’t bad enough…”

“And so I’ve found that I have no choice but to travel on foot. Literal foot since those Crystal Gems also decided to steal my other gravity connector after I forcibly had to detach it in my latest escape from them… All the same, I’m determined to press on and get off this miserable excuse for a planet before the Cluster finally wipes it from existence once and for all.”

The green Gem stopped short once more, glancing around her unfamiliar surroundings, surroundings that were not at all akin to the Homeworld she was so used to. “…I repeat, I am going to get off this planet and get back home… no matter what it takes…”

And on this assurance largely meant for herself more than anyone else, Peridot finished her report, her screen dissipating back into her usually disjointed fingers as she continued on her way. Despite her bold resolve, she couldn’t deny that she was still rather frustrated, both with herself and with the largest obstacle that had been keeping her from getting safely back to Homeworld thus far: the Crystal Gems. No matter what she did or what method she tried, those rebels always seemed to be right on her tail, undermining her mission every step of the way in a series of interferences that had been ongoing even before she had ever stepped foot on the planet Earth. For reasons completely beyond Peridot’s understanding, those bothersome Gems and the numerous humans that often tagged along with them were intent on capturing her and keeping her from even so much as returning home. And in light of such unending aggravation, the green Gem found herself growing quite fond of the idea of eliminating the roadblock that they posed to her, once and for all.

The only problem (on top of countless other problems) was that she had no idea how to claim such sought-after revenge, even if she could.

Which was why Peridot had no choice but to forge on ahead, hoping that a long-awaited solution to her plight would come to her eventually as she continued her journey. A journey that really had no destination at all, save for Homeworld, though she hadn’t even begun her passage back there yet at all. With the warp pads no longer serving as an option for her, lest the Crystal Gems find and apprehend her, the green Gem had taken to wandering for the past several days, largely not paying much mind to her direction or location. She knew well that such aimless traveling was something of a waste of precious time, but it was really the only thing she could think of at that point. All her other options had been exhausted or ruined altogether by the Crystal Gems. The best she could hope for now was for a brilliant idea, an unexpected miracle, or both.

But, in reality what she ended up getting was even more annoyance to add onto her already palpable amounts.

“Ugh, stupid clump of a planet with its stupid minute organic lifeforms…” Peridot grumbled to herself as she attempted to shoo away the cloud of gnats that had taken to following her around. On sheer luck alone she managed to swipe one of the bugs out of midair, catching its tiny wings between her fingers as she held it close to get a better look. “What functional purpose do you even serve outside of being a complete nuisance?” When the now-dead insect offered her no response, the green Gem simply rolled her eyes and let it fall to the ground before finally chasing off the rest of its kin with a sharp, succinct blast from her finger’s laser. “And I thought humans were annoying… This place is-” Peridot cut herself off the moment her remaining foot stomped down into a rather sizable puddle of mud, splashing dirt all over her otherwise pristine leg. “Augh! Oh come on!” she yelled, hobbling out of the mud so she could clean herself up. “Why anybody would wanna preserve a planet as useless and backwards as this one is beyond me. Those Crystal Clods must be out of their Gems to think this pathetic rock is worth protecting. Well, too bad for them because once the Cluster emerges there won’t be an Earth left for them to protect!”

As caught up in her frustrated rant as she was, the green Gem didn’t even notice the forest behind her begin to shift somewhat, trees bending just the slightest bit as something, or rather reached through them. In fact, Peridot only realized what was happening when a massive hand composed of nothing but shingled tree bark launched out of the tree line only a few feet away from her, easily grabbing a deer that was wandering by before pulling it right back into the woods from whence it came. Needless to say that the green Gem was aptly startled by this, and as the hand disappeared back into the forest, she inevitably ended up tumbling to the ground as a result of the resulting heavy rumbling.

“W-what in the stars…?” she muttered to herself, her eyes wide as she shakily stood to stand. Alarmed and curious, Peridot decided to take a cursory peak into the rather sizable gap the giant hand had left in the trees only seconds ago. However, instead of finding whatever huge figure that huge hand might have belonged to, she was struck by another bizarre anomaly altogether. Quite literally in fact as a creature resembling both a hawk and an octopus came flying at her, its several short tentacles latching onto her fact as she fell back, straight into the puddle of mud she had stepped in earlier.

“H-hey! Get off me, you freakish clod!” Peridot shouted, frantically trying to pry the hawktopus off her face despite its insistent grip as it continually pecked away at her, screeching wildly all the while. After what seemed like ages of angry struggling, the green Gem finally did manage to rip the creature away, even if it did leave several suction marks all over her face as she tossed the flailing hybrid to the ground, her outrage with its unexpected attack quite clear. “Oh, screeeee yourself!” she mocked the hawktopus as it limply picked itself up and rose to fly off with few further signs of aggression. “And good riddance, you grotesque abomination.”

Regardless of this startling encounter, Peridot was quick to pull herself back together and move past it, turning her nose up at the mysterious woods as she continued on, hoping to not come across any more bizarre, vitriolic creatures along the way. She maintained her haughty manner for quite some time, until she met yet another roadblock, this time in the form of a small wooden sign that she ended up walking directly into.

“OW! Oh, what is it this time?” the green Gem scowled, backing away from the sign to read what it had to say. “‘Now entering Gravity Falls’…” Peridot paused briefly for a moment, raising a cynical eyebrow at this before staunchly moving on. “Uh, of course it does, Doesn’t gravity fall everywhere on this cruddy planet? Why even bother putting something so obvious on a location marker like that?”

The green Gem simply shook her head, the strange logic of the inhabitants of the Earth completely lost on her as usual. Not that she really cared too much to look into them and learn about them; doing so would be an utter waste of time she simply didn’t have. The Earth’s time was running short, which meant that trying to examine whatever resources the planet might have had would certainly end up being all for naught once everything was said and done.

Once again, it wasn’t very long before Peridot was broken out of her ongoing train of thought as she ventured into the threshold of a clearing, one that forced her to stop in her tracks on how bizarre its sole inhabitant was alone. Sitting squarely underneath an inexplicable rainbow was a small, stout creature with a bright, cheery smile, a petite green hat positioned next to an ever-glowing horn, and a multicolored beard and fail as it stood upon four short and shiny hooves. Bewildered by such a sight, Peridot simply stared down at it in complete bafflement for a moment before, surprisingly enough, the creature somehow spoke up instead.

“Top o’ the mornin’ to ya, lassie!” it quipped, maintaining its effervescent, somewhat ignorant grin. “Wha’ brings ya lot out here to this neck o’ the woods, to the magical clearin’ of ye here enchanted Leprecorn!”

“…What?” Peridot asked, completely lost thanks to the Leprecorn’s nigh incomprehensible accent.

“Oy, hold that thought there, lassie, is’ time for me half-hourly trad,” the Leprecorn interjected before brightly closing his eyes and pointing his horn up towards his nearby rainbow. Against all logic, the horn began emitting a rather blaring rendition of ‘Oh Danny Boy”, to which the Leprecorn seemed to absolutely relish, though Peridot was much less amused.

“Riiiight…” the green Gem scoffed, only sparing the Leprecorn another dry glance as she prepared to move past him. “I’m just going to go then… You can just keep doing… whatever it is that’s going on right now…”

And with that, Peridot was more than ready to simply continue on her way and leave the Leprecorn completely behind. That is, until the Leprecorn decided, for whatever reason, to blithely follow after her, continuing its Irish serenade all the while. At first, the green Gem tried paying him no mind save for a brief, bitter glance over her shoulder at him every now and then. But as he went into about his seventh round of “Oh Danny Boy”, she was quickly starting to crumble underneath the immense aggravation the creature was apparently intent on giving her.

“Augh! Will you stop following me already with that incessant noise of yours, you frustrating, unintelligible, over-colorful clod!?” she shouted, towering over the Leprecorn fiercely as he finally paused his music and grinned up at her sweetly before offering a simple, terse response.

“Nope!”

With this, Peridot was no longer able to contain her mounting fury. On a sheer burst of anger alone, she lashed out, swinging her leg forward to kick the Leprecorn away from her, only to end up falling to the ground as a result of her missing over foot to steady herself. As a result, the creature only ended up flying a few feet away, seemingly unharmed and unphased as he quickly trotted right back over to Peridot to begin gnawing on her leg in apparent retaliation. Further outraged by this, the green Gem decided to not hold back, her fingers instantly forming into her laser, which she didn’t hesitate to fire at the bothersome Leprecorn.

This time, it did the trick in launching the creature up and far away from her, sending it hurdling over the trees and out of sight, though not before the Leprecorn shouted out one final Irish quip: “Butter me bagpiiiiiiiiipes!”

“Hmph, I’ll do no such thing, you… something-corn!” Peridot crossed her arms as she picked herself up off the ground once more. “That was by far one of the most infuriating creatures I think I’ve ever had the misfortune of dealing with. But… look on the bright side, Peridot; the probability of you running into any similar annoyances around here is likely very low. Or at least… I hope it is…”

Even despite her high hopes, Peridot didn’t get too much of a chance to press on once more before she stopped once again, this time on her own volition as she ventured into an entirely different part of the forest, one that carried an air of magic and mystery in the very air itself. Though somewhat curious of the practically glimmering trees surrounding her, the green Gem’s attention was immediately caught upon seeing the sparkling stone structure afar off in the distance.

“Oh, finally! Civilization!” Peridot sighed in relief, hoping that this landmark could give her something to go off of as to her current location. Not wasting any time, the green Gem began hobbling over to the apparent stony fortress, paying its fancy gold accents and large wooden doors little mind as she prepared to slip in through them, completely unaware of the very disgruntled trio resting just on the other side of them.

“Be careful with that ice pack!” Celestabellebethabelle snapped at her attending faun as he anxiously positioned some ice on her very bruised back. “The last thing I need is spilt ice all over the place. The blood stains are bad enough as it is…”

“Yo, C-Beth, could we get in on some of that ice maybe?” the red unicorn asked as he tended to his own various wounds and bruises.

“Yeah, man, my hoof is KILLING me over here!” the blue unicorn exclaimed, holding up his practically broken foot as much as he could.

“No!” Celestabellebethabelle staunchly refused. “I’M the one who was injured the most yesterday, which means I’M the one who gets the most medical attention! It’s only fair.”

“Pffft, says the unicorn that ticked the pack of humans who beat the stuffing outta us off in the first place,” the blue unicorn muttered, rolling his eyes.

“I HEARD that, Maurice!”

“Ha! You just got called OUT, bro!”

“Oh, shut up, Barry,” Maurice scowled, swiftly kicking Barry right in his injured leg.

“Ow! My leg!”

“Um… excuse me?” Peridot boredly interjected as she stepped into the unicorns’ glen, overall unimpressed by the trio of mystical creatures before her. “Where-”

The green Gem was almost immediately cut off as all three of the unicorns shot to their feet, crowding around her with their sharp horns poised to attack and their shared manners fierce and hostile right from the start. “You!” Celestabellebethabelle shouted sharply. “Y-you’re one of those bothersome Crystal Gems, aren’t you?!”

“What?!” Peridot scoffed, unable to hold back a harsh laugh at the thought. “Of course, I’m not a-”

“Don’t try to deny it!” the unicorn countered hotly. “You have one of those stones on your head, just like the pale brute who came through here yesterday with that rowdy group of mannerless humans! Well, I’ll have you know that since then, we’ve established a strict ‘no Gems’ policy across our entire enchanted realm!”

“Yeah, its on that sign over there!” Maurice exclaimed, pointing over to the sign on the wall that read “Crystal Gems: DO NOT INTERACT”.

“But I’m not a-”

“SILENCE!” Celestabellebethabelle barked, edging her horn just the slightest bit closer to the startled green Gem. “We’re not about to fall for any of your shameful tricks! Now, begone from the mystical glade of the unicorns or ELSE!”

“Oh great, just what I need,” Peridot huffed, rolling her eyes. “More ‘corns’. Listen, I don’t know what you corny clods are on about, but I’m telling you that I’m not one of those infernal Crystal Gems!”

“Oh yeah? And why should we believe you, huh?” Maurice asked, glaring at the green Gem distrustfully. “Why, just yesterday, one of your buddies came in here with a whole bunch of humans, kicked our butts, and stole all our treasure!”

“Well, it was our treasure until we handed it over to them to get them to stop hitting us…” Barry pointed out.

“SHUT UP, BARRY!” both Maurice and Celestabellebethabelle snapped to their innocent companion.

“Anyway…” Peridot spoke up, her tone casual enough as she slowly pushed Celestabellebethabelle’s horn away from her. “You can believe me because I’m actually on the exact opposite side of those Crystal Clods. And by that I mean, the winning side. In fact, if anything, those Gems have been nothing but a nuisance to me since the moment I first made contact with this pathetic planet. What I wouldn’t give to hunt those traitors down and make them pay for what they’ve done to me!”

Upon hearing this incensed proclamation, the unicorns couldn’t help but exchange a round of smug, knowing grins, all three of them largely having the same idea at the same time. “So… you’re seeking revenge against those unbearable Crystal Gems and their human compatriots too, hm?” Celestabellebethabelle asked, her tone much more calm and affable than before.

“Uh, didn’t you hear a word of what I just said? Of course, I am!” Peridot exclaimed, her disjointed fingers curled up into tight fists at her sides.

“Well then, it seems as though you’re in luck,” the unicorn said, shaking her mane gracefully. “From what I’ve heard, their base isn’t too far away from here. Certainly with such close proximity it would be quite easy for you to find your way there and… hm… you know, engage in some much-needed… vengeance, perhaps?”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Peridot shook her head in disbelief at this claim. “You’re telling me that the Crystal Gems’ base is somewhere nearby, completely defenseless and just waiting to be attacked by someone with the proper ambition and resources?”

“That’s EXACTLY what I’m saying.”

For a brief moment, the green Gem took pause, seeming to take such serendipitous news in before breaking down into a delighted, devious snicker. “Aha! This is perfect! All I need to do is make it to those traitors’ base and conquer it as my own like I should have done from the second my ship touched down here on Earth. And then, from there, getting back to Homeworld will be as easy as commandeering whatever resources they previous stole from me to get the Galaxy Warp up and running again! Its so simple, yet so brilliant! I can’t believe I’d never even considered it before now!”

“Yes, yes, that’s very nice and all,” Celestabellebethabelle said, her tone rather dismissive as she began pushing Peridot out of the glen using her horn. “Now run along and get that glorious ‘revenge’ of yours and don’t forget to get a few knocks on those nasty Crystal Gems in for us. And with that, you’re off, never to return to our mystical home again, goodbye and good luck!”

“But wait! I-” Peridot didn’t get a chance to finish as the glen’s gates slammed shut on her the moment she was shoved out of them. Back inside, all three of the unicorns let out a shared sigh of relief as they plopped back to their usual spots on the ground to continue tending to their still-healing wounds, glad to be rid of their unexpected and unwelcome guest.

“Hey, C-Beth, you really think that she has a chance against those Crystal Gems?” Maurice asked after a moment of relaxed silence.

“Are you kidding me? Of course, she doesn’t,” Celestabellebethabelle scoffed incredulously. “I mean, did you even see her, she looks absolutely pathetic with that missing foot and all. I just told her all that to get her to leave us alone.”

“Heh, same ol’ C-Beth,” Barry chuckled. “Once a scammer, always a scammer.”

Unamused by such a callous comment in light of recent circumstances, Celestabellebethabelle quickly retaliated it, landing yet another kick on Barry’s banged-up leg. “Shut up, Barry.”

With renewed purpose in her step, Peridot set out from the unicorns’ glen, heading off in the direction Celestabellebethabelle had pointed to in the hopes that it would lead her to the Crystal Gems’ base sooner or later. Despite the rather harsh reception she had received from the unicorns, the green Gem hardly gave them a second thought, since her thoughts were now all completely focused on the revenge she hoped was very soon in store for her. In fact, she was so excited for her upcoming retribution, that she began plotting it out aloud to herself as she trudged along to her now concrete destination, knowing that she had to have the perfect plan ready to carry out the moment she arrived.

“So I’ll start by laying low with a careful surveillance operation to pinpoint any inherent weaknesses or chinks in their defenses,” Peridot mused, tapping away at her finger screen as she recorded her plan thoroughly. “Once I find a suitable, I think I’ll take the Pearl out first using my blaster seeing as how she’s clearly the weakest of the group. While the other two erupt into chaos, I’ll sneak into their base and reclaim my escape pod, using it to crush the Amethyst and that abomination of a fusion once and for all before rewiring it to function as a proper space-faring vessel.”

As distracted with her plotting as she was, the green Gem didn’t even happen to notice the several sets of eyes that had been peering out through the increasing darkness of the forest as the afternoon sun began to transition into dusk. Eyes that continued following her every move as she traversed the path through the trees, completely unaware of their watchful gaze.

“And finally, I’ll make quick and easy work of the Steven, the Dipper, and the Mabel before blasting their base to smithereens and taking off back to Homeworld with no further obstacles or aggravations whatsoever,” Peridot finished, grinning in smug satisfaction as her screen reverted back into her fingers. “Maybe if I have a little extra time, I might even track down that irksome Stepper and make it pay for destroying my attack robinoids!”

The green Gem let out a vindictive chuckle at the thought of such vengeance, still not noticing as the trees around her began to subtly shuffle, a handful of quiet whispers spreading throughout them, none of which Peridot heard whatsoever. “All the same, I’m sure that the moment I step foot back on Homeworld, my Diamond will be beyond impressed with me for taking out the last of the Earth resistance. I might even get a promotion, my own Pearl! Or even my own squadron of lower-level Peridots to lead! Who knows? Maybe this whole getting stuck on Earth thing could be the best thing that ever happened to me!”

No sooner had the green Gem finished detailing her lavish fantasy to herself than she was quickly broken out of it the moment something fell out of the woods and onto the path in front of her. Peridot stopped short right before the small lump on the ground before her, one that she curiously poked at with her finger before it sprang to life and hopped to its feet.

“Oh here we go again…” Peridot groaned, scowling down at the small, bearded man before her. “I know I shouldn’t even bother to ask this but… what in the name of the Diamonds are you supposed to be?”

“Schmebulock!” the tiny man proclaimed blithely.

“A ‘Schmebulock’, hm?” the green Gem raised an eyebrow as she picked the gnome up by the tip of his pointy hat. “Well, at least you’re not another irritating ‘corn’. So tell me, you ‘Schmebulock’, how far away is the Crystal Gems’ base from here?”

“Schmebulock!”

“Yes, yes, I know the name of your bizarre species already,” Peridot huffed impatiently. “What I want to know is how close I am to exacting vengeance upon my enemies!”

“Schmebulock!”

“Oh forget it!” the green Gem snapped, throwing the repetitive gnome to the ground. “I don’t know why I’m even wasting my time with any of you earth abominations! You’re all just a bunch of infuriating, exasperating, completely useless clo-”

Before Peridot could even get the rest of her insult out, she was suddenly tackled from behind, a massive force shoving her roughly to the ground without any warning whatsoever. The green Gem gasped in shock, but that was all she had time to do before her unknown assailant pulled a large sack over her head, effectively blinding her and gagging her at once. Of course, she struggled against whoever her attacker was, yet said attacker was apparently quite strong as they managed to pin her arms behind her back, tying them up tightly to the point that even her detached fingers were restrained. Peridot continued shouting unheard threats and insults out at her captors, largely believing them to be the Crystal Gems, especially as she felt not just one, but several sets of hands hoist her up into the air and begin to carry her off to parts unknown.

The journey to whatever destination she was being hauled off to seemed to take ages, but by the time Peridot was finally set down into an apparent seat, she was more than a bit miffed with her captors. In fact, she was already spewing several harsh words towards them out, even as the sack over her head was at long last removed.

“And if you think I’m going to go easy on you Crystal Clods for this then you’ve got… another thing… coming?” Peridot trailed off into confusion as she finally caught sight of exactly who her attackers were. And needless to say that as soon as she saw the large group of tiny men who had managed to so easily subdue and kidnap her, she was quite surprised.

“Well, hellooooo there, gorgeous!” the supposed leader of these small men exclaimed brightly as he stood upon the shoulders of two of his fellows. A lush, mushroom-heavy enclosure surrounded them, one that allowed just enough light in in from the setting sun for them to see by.

“…What?” Peridot asked, completely lost by such a forward greeting.

“You know, I gotta hand it to you guys,” the lead gnome ignored her to grin to his many surrounding companions instead. “You weren’t kidding when you said this one was a looker. I mean, just get a load of her hair! Its almost as pointy and sharp as our hats are, which is saying something, since they’re all considered to be grade-A weapons!” To prove his point, he tapped the tip of his own pointed hat, only to instantly draw his hand back with a hiss of pain. “Ow!”

“Hey, hey!” Peridot shouted, wiggling a bit to try and get out of the tight ropes still binding her. “I don’t know where all you Schmebulocks get off with attacking and restraining me like this-”

“Uh, only one of us is Schmebulock,” one of the other gnomes spoke up, pointing to the aforementioned tiny man beside him.

“Schmebulock!” Schmebulock exclaimed in his usual absent-minded way.

“So what are the rest of you, then?” the green Gem asked, not really caring as she discreetly continued trying to slip out of her bonds.

“We’re gnomes, toots!” their leader exclaimed, his tone still quite flirtatious. “I’m Jeff, and… let’s see, there’s Carson, Mike, Kyle, Tito, Bobby, Kent, Dan, Andy, Jason, Liam, Ro-”

“I DON’T CARE!” Peridot interupted quite early on into the extensive list of gnomes. “Now, you listen here, you ‘gnomes’, I’ve had just about enough of you meddling Earth creatures getting in my way. So either you release me this instant or I’ll make all of you diminutive beings pay just as much as I plan on making those insufferable Crystal Gems pay for what they’ve done to me, so get to it right now or suffer dire consequences!”

For a moment, the collective group of gnomes was silent upon such a direct and outraged threat, though a moment or so later, a murmur of approval stirred through the crowd, much to Peridot’s confusion. “Wow! And she’s feisty too!” Jeff exclaimed, quite impressed. “We like that in our future queens, don’t we boys?”

“Wooo!” a rambunctious cheer rose up throughout the rest of the gnomes, all of them clearly celebrating something that Peridot obviously didn’t understand, though she didn’t get a chance to ask as Jeff continued.

“But as for the whole ‘letting you go’ thing, I’m afraid that’s a no can do,” he said, his tone casual and playful as he leaned against the green Gem’s shoulder. “First off, we fixed you up with some extra strength, enchanted troll-hair rope. That stuff’s pretty much unbreakable, no matter how much you try to bust out of it. Second off, we’re in a bit of a… pinch, so to speak. A pinch that you just might be able to help us all out with, sweetheart!”

“I’m not interested,” Peridot huffed, completely opposed to the idea of helping any Earth creature, especially those who so brutishly captured and imprisoned her.

“Well, maybe you will be once you hear us out,” Jeff smirked knowingly. “See, we’ve been suffering from a bit of a queen shortage around here ever since our last one was eaten by a rabid badger. We had our eyes on a few… replacements from time to time, but none of them have really… worked out too well. So… we were wondering if…”

“If… what?” Peridot asked, still not following.

“If you’d marry all one thousand of us and be our new gnome queen for all eternity!” Jeff grinned, kneeling down on the other gnomes he was standing on to offer the green Gem a ring composed of twigs and an acorn. “Sorry this ring isn’t anything too fancy. Our nicer one got blown away in a… leaf blower incident.”

Initially, Peridot said nothing, looking between the ring Jeff was offering her to the massive group of gnomes before her, all eagerly awaiting her response. When she finally did address them, however, she posed a question that none of them had really been expecting. “What’s a ‘queen’?”

“Oh, well, ya know, its… uh… a queen is… hm…” Jeff trailed off, unsure of how to explain.

“Well, the last queen tucked us all in every night,” one of the other gnomes spoke up.

“Yeah! And she made us cookies!”

“Oh, I remember she used to put bandages on my boo-boos!”

“And she cleaned up after all of our wild and crazy game nights!”

“Pfft, you really think I’m going to do all that for you tiny clumps?” Peridot scoffed, turning her nose up at the thought. “You all must be seriously damaged then. I’m much too important to be subjugated into the role of nothing more than a glorified servant for a bunch of-”

“Oh wait! I almost forgot!” one of the gnomes interjected. “The queen also told us all what to do all the time!”

“Oh yeah, that’s right!” another gnome exclaimed. “And we’d do whatever she said, too!”

“Yep! Cause she was the one in charge!”

“….She what?” Peridot asked, suddenly quite curious upon hearing all this.

“Oh yeah, the queen was the boss, no question,” a gnome nodded seriously. “There was this one time when she ordered us to all stack onto each other to form one giant, super gnome so we could attack the neighboring fairy colony for stealing our measuring cups. That’s become one of our signature moves ever since!”

“So… your so-called ‘queen’ is essentially your supreme leader then?” the green Gem pressed intently. “The one who rallies you to battle against your enemies, whoever they may be?”

“Yep!”

“Pretty much!”

“All our queen has to do is point out who to attack and we’ll beat em’ to a pulp for her!”

With this convenient information in mind, Peridot couldn’t help but smirk deviously as she formed an immediate plan, one that would certainly serve her much better than simply trying to do things entirely on her own. “So… suppose I do decide to be your new ‘queen’,” she began, calm and confident. “Then that means I’ll be completely and utterly in charge of every single one of you, correct?”

“Yep, that’s the deal,” Jeff nodded.

“And that also means that I can command you to do anything I please, right?”

“Uh, yeah, that’s right.”

“Which means… if I order you to attack the Crystal Gems and shatter them into itty bitty bits, then you’d have no choice but to do it, right?”

“Um… I-I guess?” Jeff frowned, the other gnomes sharing his worried sentiment as the green Gem started to let out an unhinged chuckle.

“Ha! Then it’s the perfect plan!” Peridot proclaimed triumphantly, completely consumed with her thoughts of vengeance as she looked back to the gnomes with a winning grin. “I choose to accept your offer to be queen under the grounds that you help me lay siege on their base so I can take back what’s rightfully mine!”

“Uh… ok, sure, I guess we could do that?” Jeff shrugged, not too concerned with such violent intentions. “To be honestly, those three have always played hard to get with us anyway, so who knows? Getting back at them for all those years of rejection could be kinda fun.”

“Yes!” the green Gem cheered, still laughing manically. “If this works, I’ll be back on Homeworld in no time!”

“Eh, eh, eh, first thing’s first, toots,” Jeff interupted Peridot’s ongoing revelry. “Before we can go on any sort of revenge rampage, we gotta have ourselves a wedding.”

“Wedding?” Peridot asked, unfamiliar with the concept.

“That’s what I said, and that’s what we’re gonna do!” Jeff proclaimed, snapping his fingers. “Untie our dear bride-to-be here, boys! She can’t hold the bouquet with her hands strapped behind her back like that!”

At this, several gnomes scurried forward and did just that, finally releasing Peridot from her bonds and allowing her to properly stand once more. “Alright, fine,” she huffed, wiggling her previously restrained fingers around a bit to get used to using them again. “Let’s get this ‘wedding’ thing over with as quickly as possible so can hurry up and get those abysmal Crystal Clods already!”

“You got it, sweetheart!” Jeff winked to the green Gem. “All we gotta do is set up the podium and find a good rabbit to serve as our priest, then we marry every single one of us off to you, then there’s the reception, not to mention the post-reception party, followed by the pre-honeymoon party, the honeymoon itself, and then the post-honeymoon party. So I’d say all that chalks up to be somewhere in the ballpark of… 287 days? Roughly?”

“278 days?!” Peridot repeated, absolutely aghast.

“Roughly,” Jeff reiterated.

“I don’t have that kind of time to wait!” the green Gem snapped fiercely. “This planet isn’t even going to exist anymore 278 days from now! I need to attack those Crystal Gems and get back to Homeworld now!”

“Hey, that’s not our problem, toots,” Jeff shrugged apathetically. “You wanna be our queen? Then you gotta go through all the right processes and ceremonies, whether you like it or not.”

“I think I have a better idea,” Peridot scowled, pulling herself up to her full height as she towered over a majority of the gnomes. “I say, we call this pointless ‘wedding’ of yours off, you instant me as your leader and we strike the Crystal Gems’ base immediately! Or else!” To show that she was serious with this demand, the green Gem swiftly formed her hands into her blaster, taking aim at the entire group of gnomes as she charged her laser up to fire at any instant.

In light of the clear danger they were in under the green Gem, the gnomes took pause, all of them looking to Jeff for word on what to do next. And fortunately for them, their leader had a plan, as always. “Well, when you put it like that…” he smiled, snapping his fingers once more as the other gnomes quickly followed his unspoken command. “I think maybe we have an even better idea…”

“Oh yeah?” Peridot scoffed, still keeping her blaster aimed at the gnomes, even as they began to congregate close together. “And what exactly might this ‘better’ idea be, you miniature, half-wit, overly-forward bunch of clo-”

The green Gem instantly cut herself off as the gnomes finished pulling themselves together, all too quickly rising to a height far greater than her own. Together, the gnomes had indeed done as they had described, forming a massive “super” gnome of sorts, composed of the entirety of their number and controlled by Jeff from atop its exceedingly high up head.

“You were saying, toots?” he asked, sending a smug grin down to Peridot far below him.

Though the green Gem’s expression was awash in shock at the imposing monster before her, she still had enough wits about her to put a finger up and take in a breath, almost as if she was going to say something. Inevitably though, she didn’t, instead wisely opting to flee from this newfound danger almost as soon as she saw it. Swiftly turning on her one remaining heel, Peridot sprinted (or rather hurriedly limped) off in the opposite direction, knowing she was far too outnumbered and overpowered to try and fight back against the gnomes with just her blaster alone.

“Wha—Hey! Get back here and be our wife!” Jeff shouted, commanding the mass of gnomes to run after her. Peridot nearly lost her footing from the rumbling steps of the gnome monster behind her, but even so, she maintained her footing and hurried out of the cave, not even caring about her direction whatsoever as she ran and only occasionally looked back at the beast still in hot pursuit.

“C’mon! Don’t you play hard to get too!” Jeff goaded somewhat angrily from his high perch. “I promise, as soon as we get done with all of the parties and honeymoons and everything else, then we’ll go get that sweet revenge of yours.”

“If you had your way, then by time we’d actually get around to doing that, this entire planet and everything on it would be gone!” Peridot shouted back just as fiercely, though as she did, she was quick to notice that the gnomes were quickly starting to gain on her. In fact, they were getting so close that their large, collective hand soon started to swipe at her in an attempt to capture her once more, though the green Gem narrowly managed to dodge their grasp.

After another such closer call, Peridot decided that her lack of two feet was really getting her nowhere fast in this frantic escape. Which was why, as the gnomes went in to try and grab her once more, the green Gem quickly threw her arm up, her fingers starting to spin rapidly until they were moving fast enough to propel her upwards. Peridot kept herself small and scarce as she helicoptered up and away from the gnomes, finally getting higher than they were, though it was clear that they didn’t intend on giving up so soon.

“Whoa, hold on there! You’re not getting away that easily!” Jeff exclaimed, commanding the gnome monster to point directly at the fleeing green Gem. At this, several smaller gnomes shot out from the monster’s hands, their sharp, pointed hats all aimed directly at Peridot as she sailed through the air. With a panicked gasp, the green Gem haphazardly maneuvered herself out of the path of most of them, save for the one gnome that managed to directly strike her in her other shoulder, sending her flying completely haywire all over the place.

“Ow!” Peridot cried, sparing a brief glance back at the gnomes as she tried her best to right herself. “Leave me alone, you puny pebbles!”

“Not until you agree to be our queen!” Jeff shot back just as harshly. “We seriously need one, in case you haven’t noticed! Can’t you see how desperate we are for love?!”

“A bit too desperate if you ask me!” the green Gem retorted, only to be struck by yet another gnome. This one hit her directly in the back, and it was enough to send her plummeting, her helicopter fingers no longer able to sustain her as she fell directly into the thick of the woods, crying out fearfully all the while. Fortunately, as she landed, several tree branches cushioned her fall on the way down, though only barely as she still hit all of them before finally dropping into a dark, crowded clearing. Still, Peridot barely even had a moment to gather her bearings as the gnome monster’s booming footsteps echoed through the surrounding area, accompanied by Jeff’s rather grating, very persistent call.

“Future wife, are you still out here?!” he shouted from some unknown distance away as Peridot rushed to hide herself out of sight behind the nearest tree. “If you come out, we’ll let you pick our honeymoon spot! Well, as long as its not some beach or something. Sand and gnome beards to not mix!”

Peridot waited for what seemed like ages, not even daring to move an inch until the gnome monster’s rumbling sounds finally faded off into the distance. At last, the green Gem finally gave herself time to let out a sigh of relief over her daring escape, barely even noticing the several twigs and leaves sticking out of her hair, the multiple rips and tears on her bodysuit, or the copious dents in her lower arms and legs.

“Ugh… stupid gnomes…” Peridot grumbled to herself as she set off once more, limping more now than ever. “Stupid unicorns… stupid leprecorn… stupid everything!” The green Gem let out another severely aggravated sigh as she brushed some of the dirt off her chest, though clearly there was still plenty left everywhere else. “Nothing on this worthless planet makes any sense! Its inhabitants, from the humans, to the Crystal Gems, to… whatever kind of creatures I’ve been encountering lately, are all completely infuriating! It will be a relief to watch the Cluster destroy this miserable place once and for all so I’ll never have to so much as think about it ever again!”

As frustrated as the green Gem currently was, she still forced herself to regain some semblance of calm as she remembered exactly what her current objective was: to find the Crystal Gems and make them pay for trapping her on this loathed planet in the first place. In her eyes, this feat alone would make all of the annoyance and toil she had been through to get there more than worth it. And yes, as she continued along in pursuit of this vindictive scheme, she gradually began to realize something alarming: the events of her capture at the hands of the gnome as well as the trajectory of her sudden, disastrous landing more than likely sent her far off the path the unicorns had set her on towards the Crystal Gems’ base. Which meant…

“I’m lost…” Peridot stopped short, her jaw dropping in disbelief as she looked around the dark woods surrounding her. Night had finally fallen in full, casting everything in dark, ominous shadows and leaving only the pale green light that the gemstone on her forehead had to act as a guide. Other than that, there were no makers telling her where to go, no signs indicating any sort of direction, no leads to off of whatsoever. And as the green Gem came to grips with that, a certain sort of despair, one that she decided to express in the only way she really knew how: through a log.

“L-log date 6 20 2… a-again…” she began uneasily, her screen materializing as she slowly moved to lean against a nearby tree. “I’m… still no closer to getting off this awful planet than I was before and… and to be honest, I’m not really sure how things could get any worse than they currently are now. I’ve wandered around this infernal forested biome for what seems like eons and all I have to show for it are a bunch of encounters with several strange, hostile creatures who, as far as I’m concerned, shouldn’t even exist, much less function as they do!”

Peridot paused for a moment, glancing up at the woods around her just as she barely spotted what she thought was a shadow, though it disappeared much too quick for her to even catch. Somewhere in the far off distance, a group of manly, rowdy shouts rose up from a group of manotaurs on the hunt, though the green Gem had no intention of going to see them for herself. In fact, she hardly even cared to acknowledge the large, rather majestic creature that was something of an elegant mix between an owl and a dragon that suddenly glided through the clearing swiftly and silently before disappearing back into the forest. Really, after the harrowing day she’d just had, it’d take a lot more than that to startle or surprise her at this point.

Of course, the dragon-owl deciding to land its droppings squarely on her shoulder as it passed by did catch her off guard quite a bit.

“Ugh…” Peridot groaned, flicking the unsavory substance off of her. “Its official. I hate everything about this planet. Still…” She sighed sadly as she brought up an image of Homeworld on her touch screen. “It seems as though I’m doomed just as much as everything else here. Why am I even kidding myself at this point? I’m never going to make it back to Homeworld in time and its all because of those enraging, interloping, despicable Crystal Gems! I would have never even came to this planet in the first place if not for their constant interference with my mission! But even I could have never guessed that they’d crash my ship and trap me here to die along with the rest of them! This is all just a game to them, and it’s a game they’ve clearly won since I’ve done just about everything in my power to leave the Earth and return home! But… nothing’s worked…”

Peridot’s finger screen split at this, her log officially coming to an end, though she still continued talking, more to herself than anyone else as she slowly slumped down to sit against the side of the tree. “My Diamond’s not coming to get me… No one is… I really am stuck here, for however long the Earth has left… And its time I finally accept that. Its hopeless… I’m finished…” The green Gem was unable to deny the hint of genuine grief mixed with fear as she leaned her head back against the tree so she could get a proper look at the clear night sky above her. She was almost on the verge of tears, completely and absolutely dejected, especially as she caught sight of the distant star she knew to be Homeworld, which, as she sat there, alone and sad in the dark, seemed so very close, but was ultimately still so very far away. “Still…” she said to herself, a single tear finally falling out from under her visor as she submitted herself to her eventual dark fate. “What I wouldn’t give to be there again, even just one final time…”

Peridot continued to stare up at that far off star for quite some time, the nighttime noises of the forest filling in for her despondent silence. For the briefest of moments, the green Gem almost felt herself relax amidst the sounds of the easy breeze wafting through the trees, the crickets chirping somewhere in the distance, and the glistening radiance of the stars up above. However, this relative calm was not destined to last. For just as Peridot was almost starting to enjoy it, she happened to steal a glance down at the ground below her, only to gasp in shock to realize that the color had all but drained from it. This odd phenomena continued as greyscale filled all of her other immediate surroundings, from the trees, to the grass, to even the night sky above. Startled, by this, the green Gem quickly hopped to her feet, spinning around to investigate the now colorless tree behind her. She didn’t get to look for very long however, before she was caught off guard once again, this time by a simple tap on her shoulder. Not wanting to take any more chances with any potentially hostile magical creatures, Peridot swiftly turned back around, her fingers already formed into her blaster as she faced whatever was behind her. Yet, as for exactly what was behind her was perhaps the very last thing she could have ever expected.

“Heya, Greenie, how ya doin’!?” the bizarre triangular being greeted with a bright salute as he floated apace away from her. “Wait, I don’t need to ask you that since I’ve basically been watching you all day, and lemme tell you, based on what I’ve seen, the answer to that question is: not too hot. Ha!”

Needless to say that Peridot was easily caught off guard by this being’s sudden and bewildering appearance, which was why she maintained her blaster as she gave him a cold, scrutinizing glare. “And who exactly are you supposed to be?”

“Who am I?” the dream demon repeated in faux offence. “I’m none other than the one and only Bill Cipher, duh!”

“…Who?” Peridot asked, still staying on the defensive, despite Bill’s apparently upbeat tone.

“Come on, Greenie, I’m shocked you’ve never heard of me,” Bill remarked as he easily circled the green Gem. “After all, we’ve got a LOT in common!”

“Oh really?” Peridot asked, eyeing him suspiciously. “Like what, exactly?”

“Well, for starters, there’s that incredibly handsome shape we both have going on,” the demon quipped, snapping his fingers to outline a glow around Peridot’s triangular hair.

“Are you referring to the uniformly angular shape of my hair?” she asked, picking a stray twig out of it.

“Sure am! Looks mighty familiar, doesn’t it?” Bill asked, pointing to his own triangular form.

“Hm… from a purely geometric standpoint, I suppose,” Peridot mused, gradually lowering her blaster. “Though even so, that’s highly coincidental considering you’re a… whatever it is you are.”

“I’ll tell you what I am, Greenie, I’m the answer to all your problems!” the demon exclaimed, gliding up a bit higher with a showy flair.

“I… highly doubt that…” the green Gem remarked, quite unimpressed by Bill’s chipper presentation thus far. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go wallow in misery elsewhere.” Peridot prepared to press on, refusing to let herself get distracted by another bothersome pest from the surrounding area given her last several aggravating encounters. However, Bill apparently wasn’t content to simply let her move past him so easily, which was why he somehow managed to shift her position entirely on simply a whim, knocking her back right to where she had started in what seemed like an instant. “W-what the-?!”

“Hey, what’s the rush, Greenie?” Bill asked, pulling his cane out of nothingness as he spun it around playfully. “Its not like the Earth’s about to explode from the inside out or anything, is it? Oh wait, yeah it is!”

“Wha-” Peridot gasped, her eyes wide with surprise as the demon laughed callously over this grim fact. “H-how do you know about-”

“Please, Greenie, I know just about everything there is to know about this boring blob of dirt,” Bill rolled his eye. “Including that big, bad ‘geowepon’ your dear ol’ Diamond shoved into its crust centuries ago! Heck, its been down there so long that I’m surprised its not common knowledge by now, but then again, most of the meatskins on this planet are about as dense as they are easy to maim.”

“Ugh, tell me about it…” the green Gem groaned, still exasperated by her previous encounters.

“Still, kid, you’re so ready to just run off that haven’t even given me a chance to mention the OTHER thing the two of us have in common.”

“And that would be…?”

“We both wanna see a certain group of Crystal Chumps shattered right out of existence, if you know what I mean…”

Peridot stilled at this, her surprise growing even more upon hearing such a bold, yet relatable claim. A claim that she couldn’t help but seek a follow up on, even if she had no idea where that follow up might lead. “Let me get this straight,” she began evenly enough. “You want to get rid of those impertinent Crystal Clods too? Why?”

“Isn’t is obvious?” Bill asked with a hint of genuine aggravation towards the Gems in his tone. “Because they’re a bunch of pain in the neck goody-two-shoes! Not to mention… Well, let’s just say there’s this special little… trinket one of their human pals has that I’d really like to get my hands on. Most of those chumps don’t even know about it yet, but the minute they find out about it, it’ll make getting it ten times as hard for me.”

“Hm, sort of sounds like my escape pod that they rudely decided to steal for themselves without any kind of thought or reason whatsoever,” Peridot noted, not particularly caring too much about whatever the specific ‘trinket’ Bill was describing actually was.

“Yeah, just like that!” the demon exclaimed with a thumbs up. “Good news is, I’ve cooked up the PERFECT plan to finally crush those Gems like the bugs they are once and for all. And, since we’re both barking up the same tree with that whole goal, Greenie, I decided I might as well see if you wanted to jump in on that plan with me and knock them and their little human buddies out for good. After all, its like I always say; two triangles are better than one!”

“That is an… interesting proposal…” Peridot said, genuinely intrigued by the thought of teaming up with someone who already had a concrete plan in mind to get rid of her continual foes. “What exactly did you have in mind?”

“Well, I can’t tell you all the juicy details JUST yet…” Bill said, his tone ever cheerful, even as a hint of malice began to enter it. “But what I CAN say is that if everything goes off without a hitch, not only will we wipe those ‘dangerous rebels’ off the face of the soon-to-be non-existent Earth, but I’ll make sure you have a one-way ticket, all expenses paid ticket back to Homeworld, Greenie!”

“WHAT?!” Peridot gasped, completely floored by such incredible news. “Y-you can get me back to Homeworld?!”

“Yep! And it’d be real easy too!” the demon assured cordially. “All I’d need from you is your help in snuffing out those Crystal Chumps, which, hey! You were gonna do anyway, right? So, its like you’ll be killing two birds with one stone! Or, I guess in an analogy, you’d actually understand, Greenie, it’d be like killing a bunch of stupid pests then making it back home just in the nick of time to watch this planet go KABOOM!” At this, a loud, violent explosion seemed to rattle the entire clearing, throwing Peridot to the ground as she shook her head to clear it from the now settling din.

“A-as… interesting as all that sounds,” Peridot began, slowly and shakily rising to stand again. “I’d still like to know what specific methods we’d be using to obliterate those traitors before simply diving right in.”

“Ah, you don’t need to worry you’re pretty little triangular head about any of that, kid, I got it all covered!” Bill said with a nonchalant wave of his hand. “Honestly, you sound a whole lot like Yellow with all those questions about ‘battle plans’ and ‘tactics’, like anyone’s ever needed anything like that to win before!”

“Y-Yellow?!” Peridot asked, once again startled by the demon’s boldness. “As in… my Diamond?”

“The one and only!” the demon exclaimed blithely. “Then again, its not really hard to confuse any of them. I mean, they’re all conveniently color-coded, plus there’s only four of them. Well, technically there’s only three since one of them isn’t really much of ANYTHING nowadays, but ya know what I mean.”

“And what precisely would someone like you know about my Diamond?!” the green Gem asked in a huff, knowing that certainly, the illustrious Yellow Diamond would never associate herself with someone as roughish and uncouth as Bill came across.

“Oh, a ton!” Bill said as though it was obvious. “Me and Yellow go WAY back, back to before you were even a pile of unformed minerals in the ground, Greenie! She trusts me for just about everything, you know. I’m sorta like her eye in the sky when it comes to this hunk of rock here. Both literally and figuratively!” The demon laughed as his singular eye flashed brightly, illuminating the entire clearing for a brief moment before retuning it back to colorless darkness.

“B-but that doesn’t make any sense!” Peridot shook her head dismissively. “My Diamond is flawless, a pillar of order and reason. Two things that a being like you clearly doesn’t possess.”

“Aw, thanks, Greenie!” Bill quipped, genuinely flattered.

“A-and besides! There’s no possible way you could be in alliance with my Diamond,” the green Gem staunchly concluded. “Because if you were working with my Diamond, then certainly her loyal court, which includes me would have heard about it! Which, for the record, up until now, I certainly haven’t.”

“Which is totally your loss, kid, I’m a pretty interesting guy to know!” the demon chuckled, amused by Peridot’s frustration. “Still, you’d be pretty darn surprised by all the things Yellow’s never told any of you lower level grunts. Guess it goes to prove that even Diamonds aren’t completely transparent, ironically enough.”

“But-”

“Eh, but enough about boring ol’ Yellow,” Bill interjected quickly. “Let’s get back to talking about our plan to turn those Crystal Gems into Crystal DUST. Now, this is probably the best bargain you’re gonna get anywhere around here, Greenie, what with the whole free ride back to Homeworld and everything bundled right in, so what do ya say?” The demon extended his hand at this, alight with bright blue fire as Peridot took an anxious step back from it on instinct alone. “Would you rather be stuck here on this miserable rock until it’s finally wiped clean outta this galaxy or do you wanna get even with those Chumps and finally get back to where you’re supposed to be? Its all up to you…”

At this stark, heavy offer, Peridot naturally hesitated, her gaze captivated by the azure flames before her as she took a moment to carefully mull it all over. What Bill was promising her sounded like an absolute dream come true: a chance to take out the Crystal Gems and to get off this doomed planet all in one fell, easy swoop. On that simple aspect alone, the green Gem was almost very inclined to take this deal right then and there, no questions asked. And yet… she couldn’t help but wonder exactly what the demon intended on doing on a practical level to off the Gems and send her home. By all accounts, he had been very terse and vague in his explanations, not giving her very much at all to go off of save for mere promises alone. Promises that she didn’t even know would carry any actual weight at all.

And then, of course, there was the matter that Bill was apparently in league with her Diamond. It was a bold, audacious claim, one that Peridot wasn’t sure if she completely believed, given how stern and solitary Yellow Diamond usually came across as to her. Certainly, a being as radiant, powerful, and wise as a Diamond wouldn’t need the aid of someone as rowdy, ill-mannered, and chaotic as a dream demon. And certainly, if her Diamond wouldn’t need the help of a demon, then Peridot saw no reason as to why she’d need to seek his help out either. Which was why, despite all of the lofty promises Bill had made to her, she ultimately, coldly gave him her answer.

“I… think I’ll make do on my own, if its all the same to you,” the green Gem said, pulling her hand away from the one the demon had presented to her.

“Well, hey then, no worries!” Bill retracted his own hand, his manner surprisingly still bright and amicable, despite this rejection. “After all, if anyone’s equipped enough to handle a bunch of dull ol’ ‘clods’ like those Crystal Chumps, then it’s you, Greenie!”

“Wait… really?” Peridot asked, surprised by the demon’s apparent confidence in her.

“Really!” the demon confirmed. “But still, if you DO find yourself needing a hand in breaking a few of those rebellious space rocks, then my offer’s always on the table! All you gotta do is ASK.” Bill’s tone turned startling dark and ominous at this, enough to elicit a small gasp of surprise out of Peridot before he quickly resumed his usually cheery ways. “Oh, by the way! Here’s a free tip: that fancy temple of theirs is actually right through that bunch of trees over there.” He pointed out a thicket only a few feet away from them. “Figured I’d give you a decent head start on that good old fashioned ‘revenge’ of yours, right?”

“O-oh… well, um… that’s… much appreciated,” the green Gem nodded gruffly, unsure of how to properly thank the demon for such genuinely valuable intel.

“Anything for you, Greenie!” Bill exclaimed as he rose high into the sky above Peridot. “Well, I gotta run. Still, I have a feeling I’ll be seeing you again VERY soon. Just remember, that if you’re ever in a pinch, just call your good buddy Bill to bail you out. I’ll be there in a SNAP!”

With a swift snap of his fingers, the demon completely disappeared and the world instantly reverted back to its usual nighttime color pallet. Peridot gasped by the suddenness of it all, still largely bewildered by her rather bizarre encounter with Bill alone. Still, out of all the strange creatures she had encountered over the past several hours, he was by far the least irritating. And that was saying something, since the demon was, in fact, rather annoying on his own.

Still, the green Gem cautiously decided to heed his directions, making her way over to the small break in the nearby trees in the hopes that it would finally lead her to the Gems’ base. All the while, however, she couldn’t help but wonder exactly what might have transpired if she really had taken Bill up on his mysterious offer. Would he have really gotten her back to Homeworld, or would he have just ultimately left her high and dry like everyone else around these parts seemed to have done? Peridot supposed she’d never really get a chance to know, though she did hold onto the fact that Bill’s offer did still apparently stand. Not that she thought she’d ever really need to take him up on it but still, it was the thought that counted.

At the same time, the green Gem couldn’t really get the thought of the demon and her Diamond working together out of her mind either. The thought seemed completely preposterous and out of the question, yet some small part of her still wondered if it could somehow be true. Yellow Diamond was a reliable, logical leader, yes, but she was also known to be somewhat distant from her Gems, ruling over them with a tight, authoritarian fist, but never really engaging with too many of them on a personal level. Perhaps, as a ruler, she could harbor a few secrets or alliances she kept hidden out of her court’s sight for their own good, but why then would she hide her dealings with someone like Bill away? What would even be the point of that? Why wouldn’t Homeworld, or at the very least her own Gems, be allotted to such simple, unassuming information?

These were all questions that Peridot had no answers to, nor did she believe she needed to have answers to them because she was still quite confident in the fact that Bill had completely fabricated such an alliance from the start. Crafted it as a way to draw her into agreeing to his terms, so to speak. It was a clever argument to be sure, one that the green Gem nearly fell for, but even then she was much too wise to be fully duped by it.

Still, Peridot was quick to put such worrying thoughts aside as she finally peered through the trees, a wide, excited, admittedly relieved smile spreading across her face at what she saw. Though a small, ramshackle shack rested in the darkness immediately before her, just up the hill from it was a structure she instantly recognized from her initial landing on Earth weeks ago: the Crystal Gems’ temple itself, standing tall and proud over the surrounding area, completely unsuspecting of the intruder it was about to receive.

“Yes!” Peridot cheered to herself in an triumphant whisper, knowing that her long, aggravating struggles were finally, finally about to come to an end. She was going to eradicate the Crystal Gems and their human allies like the simple nuisances that they were, she was going to repair the Homeworld warp, and she was going to make it back to Homeworld at long, long last. And most of all, she was going to do it all on her own, without any help from unicorns, gnomes, or demons alike. “Prepare yourself, you Crystal Clods… Because I’m about to settle this, once and for all…”

#jen writes #universe falls #peridot in the wild #peridot #unicorns #gnomes #leprecorn #bill cipher #gravity falls #steven universe #crossover #au #fanfic #keyword is clod

11 notes · View notes

pagesoflauren · 6 years

Text

A Thousand Years (vampire!Jack x reader AU) - Chapter 20

Chapter 19 Masterlist

Summary: The big day has arrived!

A/N: Y/N walks down the aisle to this song, and their first dance is to this song :)

Friday, October 5th

“Time to go Jack!” Garrett says as he, Ash and Thomas bound into the room, followed by Jack’s cousins.

Y/N’s the first to get up from the couch, running to her friends to hug them as they congratulate her and tell her about their excitement before greeting her future in-laws.

Jack, on the other hand, is stalling, counting his money though he knows he took out enough for a decent night out and making sure his phone is charged.

“Got everything?” his fiancee asks, smiling at him as she hands him his jacket. “Yeah,” he nods, putting his arms through the sleeves and shrugging the garment onto his shoulders. “We’ll let you two say goodbye,” Ash says, not trying to hide his rolling eyes.

The men file out of the room, the door slightly cracked.

“I love you,” he says, running his knuckles across her cheek. She takes his hand in hers, kissing the back of it before getting on her toes to press a kiss to his lips. He presses his lips to hers more firmly, arms coming around her waist to pull her body flush to his.

“Can’t we throw tradition to the wind and I can stay here with you?” he mumbles. “You’ve always been one for tradition, what happened?” “But…I’ll miss you,” he pouts as he buries his face in her neck. “Just one night without me. Then after tomorrow, you have me forever,” she reassures, lightly tugging at his hair to bring his face away from her neck so she can look at him. “Forever?” “Mhmm.” She bumps her nose with his. They stay that way for a few heartbeats, foreheads pressed to each other as they hold each other. “Go have fun,” she says. “One more kiss?” “ONE MORE AND THEN LET’S GO!” Ash yells through the crack of the door.

Y/N is giggling when Jack captures her lips with his again, his hands cradling her face as her hands rest on his chest. When he pulls away, he’s quick to hold her to him again, pressing more kisses on her forehead.

“Okay, bridal order,” she says, pushing herself as far away from him as possible, “You have to leave.” “You’re kicking me out?” he asks in a pained voice as she pushes him to the door. “Yeah, or else you’ll never leave.” “You sure we can’t just forget tradition and—“ “Yes, I’m sure,” she laughs. “One more,” he bargains, standing in the doorframe as his groomsmen wait in the hallway. “Nope, you’ve reached the kissing limit for the evening, time to go,” Ash says, grabbing Jack’s shoulder and beginning to pull him down the hallway toward the elevator. “I love you!” he shouts to her as she waves. “I love you, too, Jack!” “Come on, mate.”

They file into the elevator, Jack at the front as his groomsmen stand behind him.

“See you at the altar!” she calls, blowing him a kiss. “See you at the altar,” he responds as the doors close.

Once the elevator starts moving, he feels a smack on the back of his head.

“You’re such a sap.”

Jack throws the tarp over the series of garden wire wrapped in fairy lights he and his groomsmen constructed to create the flower tunnel, meant to provide a shady pathway for him and his wife to walk through after the ceremony.

Wife. He smiles at the word.

“Ugh Jack! This is so boring! We could’ve had strippers!” his cousins groan, laying the tarp over the rest of the tunnel. It stretches a decent distance and will be a pain to take down. But Jack doesn’t have to worry about that. By then, he and Y/N will be in the wedding suite and off to Finland tomorrow.

“Mate, I’m pretty sure it would dampen the mood if I burst into flames and fell to a pile of ashes right after my wedding ceremony,” Jack says.

“Besides, I’m married, he’s happily taken,” Thomas adds, fastening the tarp on the grass.

The vampires and mortals make good progress, managing to install the lanterns and some flowers before the mortals tapped out for the evening, sleep getting the better of them. The vampires then speed up, pinning flowers in quickly, hanging flowy pieces of white fabric and placing benches every few feet. Jack flips the switch, seeing the fairy lights and lanterns switch on, making it a perfect photo spot and protective barrier between him and the sun. It had cost him a fortune and almost taken all night, but they made it, an hour to spare before the sunrise. It’d be worth it, especially to see Y/N in her dress to tie the scene together.

The men retreat into the house to relax before the wedding.

Saturday, October 6th

Y/N laughs, surrounded by her bridesmaids and mum as she gets her hair done, the stylist taking strands and wrapping them around a curling iron to pin up later. Socks lounges happily in her lap, his bowtie fastened around his neck in preparation for his role in the wedding. He and Beans are meant to walk down the aisle (they are apart of the family, after all). Her stomach was full of brunch, hoping the meal would last her until after the ceremony.

Once her hair is done and her makeup is finished off, her bridesmaids help her into her dress and shoes, while others fasten the clasps of her bracelet and locket.

There’s a knock on the door as Y/N’s mum is pinning the veil in her hair. Poppy opens the door, gasps loudly, and shuts it halfway.

“What is it?” everyone asks, looking toward her. “It’s Jack,” Poppy states, “I just didn’t want him to see Y/N.” “I need to talk to her,” Jack says. “Y/N?”

She picks up her dress so that she doesn’t trip over the hem and walks over to the door, positioning herself so she can remain hidden behind it. Poppy leaves them to tend to elsewhere.

“Jack?” Y/N asks. She sees his hand come through the opening and reaches out to grab it. “Y/N, my love,” she hears him say. “I’m here,” she says quietly, not wanting the other women in the room to hear. She squeezes his hand and she smiles when he squeezes back. “You…you sure about this?” “About what?” “About this. Getting married,” he pauses, “M-Marrying me.” “Jack, what—“ “Because if you want, you can call it all off and I’d be okay with it.” “Why are you asking me this?”

He’s quiet for a minute. “Because forever’s an awful long time. And if you’d rather spend it with someone who’s human, I’d be okay—“

“No,” she interrupts, squeezing his hand even tighter, “No. I’m not marrying anyone else. I love you. And I’m not gonna love anyone else as much as I love you. There’s a reason you’ve stayed on this Earth for so long, and it’s because you were made for me. I love you, but I kinda hate you right now because this is making me cry and I’m gonna ruin my makeup now.”

“No, lass, don’t cry,” he rushes, “I just wanted to check.”

She wipes away a stray tear, “You’re gonna have to try harder if you’re gonna get rid of me, Lowden.”

She hears him laugh and feels him press his lips to the back of her hand. “I’ll see you at the altar,” he whispers.

“I’ll see you there.”

He squeezes her hand once more and he’s gone, only the ghost of his hand holding hers remaining. The ceremony was in an hour, but she was beginning to get restless. The photographer snaps some photos of her and her bridesmaids together before leaving to photograph Jack and his groomsmen.

“Before we go, Jack wanted you to tie these around your bouquet,” Poppy says, handing her a box. Y/N takes off the cover to find a pair of dog tags. Jack’s, from the wars. They’re embossed with his name and his RAF squadron, though the next of kin detail is new.

Lowden, Y/N Relation: Wife

It’s followed by their address and phone number, and Y/N just about dissolves into a fit of tears right then and there. Poppy takes the tags from her and fastens the chain around her bouquet as the makeup artist works to prevent the makeup from smudging.

“Damn him, making me cry before the ceremony even happens.”

The room bursts into laughter, sharing a few moments together before toasting to the bride and making the trip to the venue.

Jack knows his heart would be beating out of his chest if he were mortal. He wrings his hands as he stands at the altar, his groomsmen standing beside him as the guests chat amongst themselves.

“Stop fidgeting, mate,” Thomas whispers, “People are gonna think you don’t wanna marry her.”

Jack knows it’s all in good fun, but he’s still offended, scowling at his friend.

A few digital watches ring, signaling the start of the seventeenth hour in the day. The ceremony would start any minute. He spots Y/N’s mum peeking through the door at the other end of the Great Hall, signaling the officiant that they were ready.

Jack swallows thickly before Thomas nudges him.

“Didn’t you say you wanted to be the last one to see her?” “Changed my mind,” he mutters in reply.

The hall quiets down at the signal of the officiant, and the DJ presses play.

When the music plays, Jack can hardly contain his tears. He’d been waiting for this for so long. Waiting for her.

I've waited a hundred years

But I'd wait a million more for you

Each of her bridesmaids walks individually, smiling brightly, especially at Jack knowing they’ve seen his bride before he has.

Nothing prepared me for

What the privilege of being yours would do

Jack and the guests watch with amusement as the cats trot down the aisle before curling about his feet, the most obedient and affectionate towards him he’s ever seen them.

If I had only felt the warmth within your touch

If I had only seen how you smile when you blush

Adrian’s last before Y/N, walking with the basket of rings. He spots Jack at the end of the aisle and practically sprints to him, much to his mother’s horror at the fear the rings will tumble out. Jack kneels down to catch the little boy in his arms, chuckling when his arms squeeze around his shoulders.

“I love you, Uncle Jack.”

“Love you, too, Adrian. My best groomsman.”

Jack kisses Adrian’s cheek before letting him go. Per the rehearsal, Adrian gives the basket to Thomas before sitting down with his mum.

Or how you curl your lip when you concentrate enough

Well I would have known

What I was living for all along

What I've been living for

The music fades briefly as the officiant instructs everyone to stand. When it starts up again, the doors are opened and she’s there, one arm hooked with her father’s.

Your love is my turning page

Where only the sweetest words remain

They begin walking, painstakingly slow. She looks exactly how he predicted: she’s absolutely ethereal, the veil floating behind her as she walks.

Every kiss is a cursive line

Every touch is a redefined phrase.

Everyone’s looking at her, and rightfully so. She’s so beautiful, nothing he’s seen or will see can ever compare. But she’s looking at him, with her pretty doe eyes and small smile, and it reminds him of when he first met her. His hand flies up to cover his mouth and he inhales deeply as he closes his eyes, feeling tears run down his face. When he opens his eyes, she’s smiling widely at him.

I surrender who I’ve been for who you are

Nothing makes me stronger than your fragile heart

Y/N’s father nods to him before kissing his daughter’s cheek. He musters up enough energy to suppress his tears, shaking Jack’s hand before taking his seat next to his wife. Y/N hands her bouquet to Poppy before facing Jack, smiling brightly.

If I had only felt how it feels to be yours

Well I would have known

What I’ve been living for all along

What I’ve been living for

Jack’s hands reach up to cup her cheeks and he almost kisses her before the officiant intervenes.

“Slow down, big guy, gotta wait a few minutes.”

“Sorry, I forgot.”

Introductions and readings are heard as if they were spoken far away. Jack can’t think about anything but her; her heartbeat, her breathing, the way she blinks, the way hair is purposely placed in her face to frame her features, how her lips purse.

Soon enough, he’s handed a microphone and instructed to read his vows. He reaches into his breast pocket and pulls out the small, crinkled, folded up piece of paper that he had fretted over multiple times that day. He unfolds it with shaky hands, fidgeting with the microphone and paper before he finds a good way to hold the items in his hands.

“The last time I was in the sun was in 1877. And since then, nothing much happened to me. I worked and stayed home. I lost track of days and years, only knowing when to leave for work when my alarm clock went off. But, I know I met you on a Thursday. We went on our first date on Friday. You told me you loved me for the first time on a Tuesday before I went to work. We finished painting our house on a Wednesday in July. In the third week of April, we installed windows that made sunlight safe for me. You led me into the sun on a Saturday. We got engaged on a Saturday. And now we’re getting married on a Saturday. Time follows the sun. You are my sun, the celestial being that traps me in a gravitational pull, that warms me and brings so much light and life to my world. And I, God, I can’t thank you enough for giving that to me.”

He takes a moment to look at her, not missing the way she mouths I love you. He mouths them back, receiving some coos from the audience.

“I’ve been waiting so long to stand here and say my vows to somebody. The fact that it’s you makes it all that waiting so worthwhile. I promise to keep you safe and make you happy. I’ll always take care of you and protect you. Nothing will ever get in the way of me fulfilling those promises. Nothing will compare to you in beauty or how happy you make me or how important you are to me, my sunshine. I love you, Y/N. And I’ll never stop.”

She’s sobbing, trying her best to keep her composure, and Jack can’t help it when he appeals to the officiate for one kiss on the cheek. He’s on the verge of his own tears, only nodding. Jack gently and eagerly takes her hands, leaning down to press a kiss to her wet cheek.

“Just a few more minutes, love,” he whispers. “Yes, yes, of course,” she sighs, thankful for the display of affection.

More coos arise from the audience and Jack addresses them through the microphone, “Sorry, couldn’t help it,” he chuckles.

He passes the microphone to Y/N, giving her hands a squeeze. She smiles at him before she’s handed her own vows. She carefully unfolds the delicate paper, having been folded and unfolded over and over and bent across the width of Poppy’s bouquet. She sighs once it’s open, smiling as she reads over the first few lines.

“Jack,” she pauses after breathing his name, “Jack, my love. When I met you, I was just looking for something to help me sleep for the night. Instead, I got you. You have cheered me on and kept me sane throughout my time finishing uni. You have kept me safe and allowed me into your world. Never mind the things that may be limitations: not being able to go into the sun or your skin being cold. From the moment I first realized I loved you, I wanted to do what I could to help you feel alive, and you let me. You let me make you happy. You let me come close and keep you warm while you helped me sleep. And nothing has ever made me happier than doing that for you.”

She relaxes her arm, the paper falling away from her view, ad-libbing her next sentence, “So, yeah, all those things you said in your vows only happened because you let me.”

They share a laugh before she brings the paper back up to read again. “I want to be by your side forever, because that’s where I’m happiest, and I hope that’s how I can make you happy. Nothing will ever be more important to me. I love you, Jack Lowden. I love when you breathe with me even though you don’t have to, cook for me even when you don’t eat and I even love you when you get a little too overbearing and think I have TB when it’s really just a cough.”

More laughs echo from everyone at the ceremony.

“Most of all, I love your heart. I love being able to hold it and keep it safe. I love you, Jack. And I will spend everyday of the rest of my life reminding you.”

Y/N hands the piece of paper back to Poppy and gives the microphone back to the officiant, who begins introducing the ring ceremony. Jack smiles as he slides the embossed wedding band on Y/N’s finger to rest above her engagement ring and buzzes with excitement as she gives him his ring. He’s all too happy to wear it, a symbol and visual promise of his love for her.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I present Mr. and Mrs. Jack Lowden! You may seal your marriage with a kiss.”

He sweeps her into his arms, happy to finally have her close and be able to press his lips to hers. Her arms wrap tightly around his neck, holding him just as close. Once they pull away, Y/N takes her bouquet back and lets Jack lead her back up the aisle and to the conservatory.

“We did it,” she says to him, beaming, “Was it everything you hoped for?”

“More. Far more than I could’ve dreamed. And you,” he says, “You’re everything.”

“Oh, Jack,” she sighs blissfully, the both of them stuck in the honeymoonish bubble of happiness, “I love you.”

The photographer rushes to snap photos of them walking through the flower tunnel. Despite her requests to get them to look at her, they can’t stop looking at each other. She works with what they give her, paying special attention to when a piece of fabric hits Jack in the face and Y/N doubles over in laughter. It’s love, and it’s palpable. There was no doubt about it.

After the big introduction and a few toasts, Y/N was ready to dig into her salad when she was pulled away from the table by her little cousins, who had no interest in a plate full of leafy greens. She entertains them happily and Jack follows, hanging out with Adrian as Y/N’s cousins marvel at how big her dress is when she sits down.

“Was I a good groom-man Uncle Jack?” Adrian asks.

“The best one, and most important. Wouldn’t have the rings without you.”

Jack pinches his cheek and the two chat among themselves, Adrian proudly showing his new uncle his loose tooth. Before long, Jenny comes by to collect her son for dinner.

“You’ve both been so lovely with him,” she compliments, “and them for that matter.” She motions to Y/N with the other children, listening animatedly to their stories about school and friends. “When’s that happening?”

Jack feels a drop in his chest. “Not sure,” he states simply, the message made clear by his tone and facial expression. It’s heartbreaking, but it’s a reality they may have to face.

Jenny sighs, “Well, I have to ask you… if-if anything happens to me, or my husband for that matter, will you take Adrian?” “Yes,” he answers quickly, “Yes, we will.” “Wonderful,” she says, kissing his cheek, “Welcome to the family, dear.”

Jack thanks her before looking back at his bride. He plays with the thought of her having children, though he doesn’t know if it’s possible at all. He wishes this was something they had discussed before he proposed, before the ceremony. He stops himself from thinking the worst when the photographer approaches, asking to take more photos. He stands to retrieve his wife, letting her know they’re needed. The cats are brought along as well, photobombing by pawing at their humans as moments are made permanent on film.

Jack stands to the side as Y/N takes a few solo shots. When she’s told he can come back, Y/N turns to find him slowly lowering into a chair, coat tails sprawling across the seat as his left hand reaches behind him to brace himself against the back rest while he leans forward, right elbow resting on his knee. His face is covered with his right hand. From what she can see, his shoulders are heaving; he’s crying.

“Jack?” she asks cautiously, gathering her dress up as she squats to try and get a better view of his face. “Jack, darling, what’s wrong?” “You’re my wife,” he sputters, wiping his tears as best he can, though more spill over his eyelids to soak his cheeks again. “Oh, I wouldn’t have married you if I had known being your wife would upset you so much,” she teases, trying to make light of the situation. “No,” he says, blindly reaching for her hands, “Not crying like that. You’re a dream and you’re wearing that dress—“ “Jack, I know you’re upset that it’s not completely white, but that’s hardly something to cry over,” she smiles, still teasing. That coaxes a chuckle out of him. “You look so beautiful,” he sighs, presses kisses across her hands, on any patch of skin he can reach.

Y/N reaches up, cupping his face to wipe away his tears as he stands.

“You’re my husband,” she states simply, adjusting his boutonniere.

He smiles at that. “Yours. Yours forever.”

After the last set of toasts, Y/N is once again swept away from food for the first dance.

There’s a foreign piano tune playing over the speakers as Jack looks at his wife curiously.

“What is this?” he asks, stopping as they reach the center of the dance floor. They bow and curtsy to each other before Jack takes her waist and hand and Y/N rests her hand on her shoulder.

They sway almost aimlessly as the lyrics begin playing.

One look at you, my whole life falls in line.

“Every time I hear this song I think of you,” she says, making Jack’s ears perk as he hears more lyrics.

I prayed for you before I called you mine.

Oh I can’t believe it’s true sometimes. Oh I can’t believe it’s true...

“I get to love you,” she sings softly, slightly off tune but it doesn’t matter. Only he can hear her and it’s the most beautiful thing he’s ever heard, only second to her saying his name.

“It’s the best thing that I’ll ever do. I get to love you, it’s a promise I’m making to you.”

She holds him closer, arm wrapping around his neck as his forehead leans against hers.

“Whatever my come, your heart I will choose. Forever I’m yours, forever I do.”

Jack feels tears falling down his cheeks, sobbing quietly as she continues singing the lyrics to him.

“I get to love you, I get to love you.”

As much as he’d been waiting for her, she’d been waiting for him. She didn’t know quite how to articulate it, mostly because she didn’t realize it. But what better way to do it than at their wedding in front of their friends and family, still in their own little bubble immersed in each other?

Jack drops her hand and wraps both arms around her waist, holding her flush against him as he rests his head on her shoulder. She holds him just as tightly, humming the tune and running her fingers through his hair.

They had spent weeks practicing the waltz, Jack teaching her by letting her stand on his toes before she felt comfortable enough to do it on her own. It was all out the window know, flooded away by tears of happiness and heavy emotions. Still, it was perfect. Still better than Jack could’ve ever imagined, still more than anything Y/N could’ve possibly asked for in a wedding and a husband.

Cake cutting was an event in its own right. The cake was intricately decorated: Jack and Y/N at the top, gold ribbon tied around both of them, wrapped around the cake. A fondant replica of Beans unravels the ribbon at the bottom, while a model of Socks pokes out from another tier of the cake. It was comedic and so perfectly represented their household life according to Jack. All was well until Beans was frightened and sent running across the dessert table with his tail sky high, knocking the cake stand and little fondant figures of the married couple to the floor. Y/N’s mum reprimanded her for allowing the cats to stay, but she couldn’t be bothered. If anything had to go wrong at her wedding, at least it was only that.

Y/N is ready to slice a big piece for herself when Jack’s nieces intercept her, much to her quiet dismay. She happily entertains them, though, learning more about their family and telling them about Jack. Her husband chuckles, knowing how hungry she is; he heard her stomach growling during the ceremony.

“May I borrow her for a moment?” Y/N hears him behind her and feels his hand rest on the small of her back. “Of course, of course!” his nieces gush, hands waving them off.

Y/N takes care to lift the hem of her dress, walking with him as he directs her toward the door of the conservatory.

“Taking me away for a makeout session?” she jokes, “sounds a bit juvenile, don’t you think?”

They enter the flower tunnel, still illuminated by the fairy lights and lined with benches that have long been abandoned since the dancing started. It was just the two of them.

Jack dusts off a bench for her to sit on, making sure she’s comfortable before he sits down himself.

“I noticed you look a little famished, so I got you this.”

He brings his hand out from behind him, revealing a large slice of cake. Y/N squeals giddily at it, clapping her hands together. She takes it from him and digs in, shoveling large pieces into her mouth. She moans blissfully at her first taste of food since the morning, going almost eight hours without eating.

“I love you,” she sighs, her mouth full and cheek smeared with frosting. “I love you, too,” he smiles, taking out his pocket square to wipe the frosting away. He hears the click of the camera shutter, the photographer having come to capture some candids.

“Ignore me,” she says, “I’m invisible.”

Y/N hikes her dress up to her knees, the fabric puffing and fluffing up as she rests her legs across Jack’s lap. She continues to eat, his hand behind her so he can support her back with his arm. They snigger and gossip about family and friends, quietly laughing at some people’s outfit choices and crazy dance moves. For a moment, they’re not at their crazy, hectic wedding. They’re on the couch in Jack’s living room, watching TV and the cats are wandering about.

The evening comes to a close after a few more dances, Jack’s cheesy dance moves making an appearance as the more fast-paced songs play. They find each other immediately when a slower songs play, sometimes even swaying in each other’s arms when the music picks up again.

When it’s time for them to retreat back to the hotel, they’re sent off with their guests tossing chunks of glitter instead of rice, much to Y/N’s amusement when they get into the car.

“You’re like Edward Cullen in the sun,” she giggles, brushing some of it off his cheeks.

When they get to the hotel, they’re greeted and congratulated by the staff in the lobby. Jack helps lift the train of her dress as they exit the elevator and walk to their suite, unlocking the door and pushing it open for Y/N to walk in first. When he’s certain all of her dress has gone through, he follows.

She squeals in surprise when he scoops her up in his arms.

“You were so eager to throw tradition to the wind yesterday,” Y/N giggles, burying her face in his neck and breathing deeply. His skin is warm from the hot air of the reception, but still maintains the cool temperature she’s become so accustomed to.

“Can’t not carry you through the doorway to the wedding bed,” he smiles, kissing her cheek.

His hands find her waist as he sets her down, kissing her deeply, still feeling the bliss of being married, something he knows will never wear off for him. Y/N hums and puts her hands over his.

“Wait, I need food. I’m so hungry.”

Y/N’s veil lays discarded next to her shoes, one ahead of the other. Her jewelry is strewn across the dresser, earrings on opposite ends and bracelets tangled together. Jack’s cravat is in a puddle next to her shoes, though he took care to hang his jacket on the bed post. He rolled up his sleeves to his elbows and loosened the first few buttons of his shirt to allow himself to breathe more comfortably.

Breathing isn’t a necessity to Jack and he knows that. But as long as Y/N is breathing, he wants to do it with her.

She eats messily, having not eaten since breakfast that morning, save for the slice of cake she managed to have when her guests let her have a moment of peace (though she and Jack did have to sneak away for that to happen). After finishing a whole basket of bread and butter, she dives into a plate of chicken tenders and fries, purposely avoiding the carrot sticks that also came with the meal. Jack wipes away some crumbs along the corner of her mouth, kissing her cheek when she looks at him and smiles as she chews.

“Thank you,” she mutters.

“Mm,” he smiles, pressing a longer, firmer kiss on her temple as she reaches for the milkshake on the bedside table. She takes a big gulp before sighing in relief.

“I’m sorry, I’m just…I’m so—“

“I know,” he says gently, pinching her cheek lightly. “Eat, it’s okay.”

Jack had also ordered a chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream for her, though the ice cream is a melted pool of white, soaking into the cake. She can’t be bothered though, it takes the same either way. She sighs happily at the taste and Jack takes care to wipe the corners of her mouth again when chocolate stains the skin there. When she’s done, they clean up, leaving the tray of plates and glasses in the hallway outside the room.

Jack helps Y/N out of her gown, pulling the tongue of the zipper down and revealing the white lacy undergarments she bought specifically for the night. Though, when she looks at him over her shoulder, she’s looks regretful.

“Jack, I’m—“

“I know,” he says again, smiling. Her dress falls in a pool around her feet and Jack unbuttons his shirt the rest of the way before helping her put it on. He sheds his suit trousers, digging through his luggage to find a more comfortable pair to wear to bed. He fastens a few of the buttons, just enough to keep the shirt on and also be comfortable for her to sleep in.

“I love you,” she laughs, throwing her arms around him and pressing her lips to his. She looks at him, the both of them stuck in post-wedding bliss, when her eyes suddenly widen in realization. “I forgot! My present!”

She rushes away from him to her luggage, pulling out a stuffed animal teddy bear.

“I remember after we got Haggis you mentioned wishing you had more stuffed animals,” she smiles, handing it to him.

Jack smiles as he takes the bear from her. “You know, when I said we should name the stuffed sheep Haggis, I was joking.”

“Well, too late, it’s stuck with me, so it’s stuck with that name forever.” “Mm. And what’s this guy’s name?” “Cardy.” “Like that girl who sings ‘Bodak Yellow’?” “No, like cardiology…like my heart.”

He looks at her confusedly, following her instructions when she tells him to hold it to his ear. He hears the telltale rhythm of a heartbeat.

“Had it done so that no matter what happens, you know you have my heart forever.”

He tries his best to keep the tears from falling, though he can’t help it when a few fall despite his efforts.

“I love you,” he says simply, kissing her cheek.

He sets the bear on the dresser and goes to his luggage, pulling out his present, neatly gift wrapped in paper of her favorite color. It’s a hefty package and she’s embarrassed at how simple her gift is. She carefully peels the paper away, finding three simple medium brown hardcover books, each marked with Roman numeral. When she checks the spines, she finds the title of her favorite book, etched in gold letters.

Pride & Prejudice.

She carefully pulls the cover open, trying to make sure her tears don’t fall on the pages. The cover page confirms what she thought it was: an original publication from 1814.

She shuts the cover and wipes her tears, setting the books next to Jack’s teddy bear.

“I love you,” she says, conveying her gratitude in the three words as well.

He scoops her into his arms again, falling into the bed’s fluffy downy covers with her in a fit of giggles. They get under together, legs and feet tangling as they hold each other close. She nuzzles her face into his neck, feeling sleep cloud her mind and her eyelids heavy with exhaustion. Jack’s left hand comes up to stroke across her forehead in soothing patterns and help her sleep, his wedding band catching the buttery light of the bedside lamp.

He smiles, taking in the image to lock away in his memories forever, to remember when he’s happy, when he’s sad, when he’s cross with her, when he has days where he can’t believe she’s his, he’s hers and they’re each other’s forever.

tagging: @albionscastle

#Jack Lowden #Jack Lowden x reader #Jack Lowden AU

16 notes · View notes