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thdorkmagnet · 5 years

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Light of the Sun and Star Chapter 25: Ludicrious Negotiations

Summary: His whole life Marco Diaz has been raised by monsters, living under the cruel rule of their leader, Toffee. But one day Marco escapes into Mewni where he meets a magical princess and Mewman like himself, who begins teaching him all about her world. Together they will learn about life, love, and the lights within each of them, as they change their world forever.

Chapter Synopsis: Marco finds himself caught in the middle of two rival Monster groups, as a new Monster named Ludo appears demanding Buff Frog stand down as leader. Marco will need to use all his skills of negotiation to fix this mess.

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Index

Disclaimer: Star vs and all its characters are owned by Daron Nefcy and Disney. All rights go to them.

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The door to Marco's room casually creaked open, as two small forms pocked their heads in, mischievous smiles on there faces as they stared at the lump under the covers of the hooded boy's bed. Daisy and Violet shared a chuckle as their big brother was none the wiser to their presence, still sleeping peacefully in his bed. The two tiptoed closer, making sure to make as little noise as possible, until they were now below the foot of his bed. The two covered their mouths to hold in their giggles, before they both whispered at the same time, “One... Two... THREE!”

They quickly jumped up onto the bed and the form buried beneath the covers, wrapping their arms around it and laughing their heads off, Daisy shouting, “Surprise, big brother! It's time to get up!”

“Yeah, wake up, sleepyhead! It's after noon!” Violet loudly added. But to the girl's surprise there was no resistance from whatever was lurking beneath the covers. The two shared a look, Marco would normally laugh or yawn or both when the two woke him like that, not just lay there in silence, meaning that whatever they were currently laying on couldn't be the hooded teen and they quickly ripped off the sheets to reveal the imposter.

“Corny!” the two exclaimed, staring in shock at the large stuffed corncob that Star had won Marco at the corn festival, one that the boy slept with nearly every night. Daisy put her hands on her hips, giving the toy an accusing frown as she questioned, “What are you doing pretending to be Marco?”

“And where's big brother?” Violet added, shooting Corny a dirty glare, who merely just continued to smile blissfully with his sewed on eyes and smile.

“He went to go visit his family,” came a sudden voice from in the room, making the twins jump in surprise, having not actually expected an answer.

“Corny, you can talk?!” Daisy exclaimed excitedly, leaning closer to the toy her eyes shining with bright possibilities.

“Actually that was me,” Star said from behind the two and the twins quickly spotted their cousin standing over them.

“Oh, right,” Daisy said sheepishly. “For a second I thought we used our Trait without realizing it.”

“What do you mean big brother went to go see his family?” Violet questioned huffily, standing up on the bed with her hands on her hips. “He was supposed to take us with him!”

“Well Marco wanted to,” Star stated calmly, not letting the young girl's bratty behavior get to her. “But-”

“You two are still grounded,” Lily suddenly interrupted, pocking her head into the room as she walked by.

Violet groaned, while Daisy breathed a quick sigh of relief, still not wanting to go anywhere near the dangerous and scary creatures. She had never been grateful to be grounded before. Her sister on the other hand...

“That's not fair, mom,” Violet whined, but their mother stood firm, saying in a scolding tone, “Well maybe next time you two will think twice before setting piggoats loose in the castle.”

Their mother then continued down the hallway, leaving her younger daughter grumbling in anger, as she sat down on the edge of the bed with her arms crossed. Star watched the young Butterfly's childish behavior, before saying knowingly, “Well, if you two are interested, Jackie is free today and I'm sure if you two asked her she would be happy to teach you who to ride on her skateboard.”

Violet instantly perked up, a smile on her face, while her twin sister gasped in delight. “Really?!” the gothic girl squealed, as she leaned closer to her cousin her eyes shimmering like Daisy's often did.

Star gave a quick nod. “Yep, but you two better hurry.” The two instantly shot off the bed, Daisy taking Corny with them, already shouting out the skater girl's name even though they were far from her bedroom. The blond royal just smiled and shook her head at the two antics, before following after them.

…

When Marco arrived at Buff Frog's home, a wide grin on his face as he prepared for the loving and warm embrace from his family when he surprised them with his visit, he was shocked to find almost all of them clumped around the doorway to the nearly finished home. And as Marco slowly approached them with curiosity, he was able to pick up bits and pieces of their hushed conversation.

“Do you think Buff Frog's okay in there?” Lobster Claw's asked worriedly.

“The boss can handle himself,” Beard Deer replied, not sounding nearly as anxious as he looked, his intense gaze hovering on the door. “Especially against that moron,” he added with a roll of his eyes.

“Yeah but still-”

“Hey guys,” Marco greeted cheerfully and they all turned to him for a single second, Spike Balls saying, “Oh hey Marco,” before they all turned back to the doorway.

There was a beat of silence, then every single Monster turned back to the hooded boy in a panic shouting out, “Marco!” Marco jumped slightly in surprise, but his smile remained as he looked at each member of his Monster family. “What are you doing here?” Lobster Claws asked.

“Oh um, I wanted to surprise you all with a visit,” he explained cheerfully, but picking up on their worried, anxious faces, several of them continually glancing back at the doorway, Marco asked with concern, “Should I not have?”

The Monsters all shared a look, before Beard Deer stepped over and put a hand on the boy's shoulder, saying, “We're always happy to see you, Marco, but now...” He paused trying to find a way to word this to his young charge without worrying him. “Is just not a great time.”

“Why, what's going on?” Marco asked inquisitively, now trying to peek around the Monsters and see inside with no luck.

Again the Monsters all shared a concerned stare, clearly debating on telling him or not, but they knew he would only persist if they tried to hide it from him so instead Bearicorn explained, “There's another Monster here visiting Buff Frog, on business.”

“Really, who?” Marco asked, his large brown eyes full of curiosity.

“Do you remember Buff Frog's story from the other day?” Beard Deer asked instead.

Marco nodded, ignoring the small twist to his insides. “Yeah.”

“Well, remember how Toffee had an accomplice, Ludo?” The boy again nodded his head. Beard Deer crossed his arms. “Yeah, well he's here talking to Buff Frog right now.”

“Seriously?!” Marco exclaimed his eyes growing wide. “But isn't he a bad guy like Toffee?”

All of the Monster grew quiet. “It's... complicated,” Beard Deer finally replied, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand.

Marco was silent for a second, deep in thought, before he asked, “What does he want to talk to Buff Frog about?”

Instead of an answer from the Monsters, there was instead a loud, high-pitched voice coming from inside the cozy cottage, muffled by the echoes and walls. “I will not be treated with such disrespect!” The doors busted open a second later, Buff Frog's Monsters quickly stepping back, as a new group of Monsters exited the cottage. There were about ten or so and as Marco looked between each of them, he couldn't tell which one was Ludo or not. Buff Frog's Monster and Ludo's apparent Monsters glared at each other, none saying a word, but not one refusing to break eye contact. “So are you and your boss leaving now?!” Beard Deer growled.

“Hey show some respect, Ludo is the rightful leader not that overgrown toad!” one of the rival Monsters shouted. Buff Frog's Monsters all growled at that.

“You zztill didn't anzzwer our quezztion,” Boo Fly replied.

“He'll leave whenever he's ready, tiny!” a small bat Monster stated and Boo Fly quickly flew into his face.

“Izz that a challenge, zzmall fry!” the fly Monster buzzed threateningly. Marco cocked his head to the side in confusion at the remark, noticing the two were about the same size.

“So what happened then, did your boss tell you to leave because he got tired of seeing your stupid face?” Lobster Claws snapped out insultingly.

Marco was growing more and more uncomfortable by all the bad mouthing that was going on between the two groups. After all, they were all Monsters so why weren't they getting along? He tugged on Beard Deer's shirt to draw his attention to him, the Monster turning to him with surprise as if he had forgotten the boy was even there. “What's going on, Beard Deer? Why are you guys being so mean to each other?” he asked quietly, not wanting to draw any attention onto himself.

“Ludo and Buff Frog have this kinda sort rivalry going on between one another, see not only was Ludo somewhat involved with Volkoz Bulgolyubov's death, but now he's trying to claim himself as the new leader of the Monsters.”

“Ohh,” Marco said in understanding. No wonder his family was being so hostile, this Ludo guy sounded like bad news.

Suddenly, one of Ludo's Monsters, a warthog like creature, spotted Marco, pointing him out with his metal, meat fork hand, saying loudly and angrily, “Hey, Mewman! What do you think you are doing here?!”

Marco shrunk under the intense gaze of the Monster, the others quickly forming a protective circle around the boy, Beard Deer pushing the boy behind him. “Back off, Meat Fork! The kid is under our protection!” the deer Monster growled threateningly.

“Oh yeah!” Meat Fork replied, his own voice a low rumble. “And why is that?”

“Cause this is Buff Frog's son, idiot!” Lobster Claws shouted. “And he's also a Diaz.”

The other Monsters seemed visibly unsettled by this news, several of them losing their angry glares or backing down altogether. Meat Fork, however, continued glaring at the boy, saying stonily, “Yeah, well, his parents never did anything for me, so why should I care?”

“Because you'd be defying the decree of our late great ruler, Volkoz, that's why,” one of the two headed Monster stated harshly.

“And if you lay so much as a finger on Marco, I'll rip you in half with your own meat fork!” Beard Deer growled, threateningly.

Meat Fork instantly covered his metal limb with his clawed hand, looking disturbed by the threat as he said, “Hey, that's a low blow. This meat fork is a family heirloom, I'm very sensitive about it!”

Marco quickly tried to defuse the intense situation before a real fight broke out, pushing his way out of the crowd of Monsters as he said in the most calming voice he could manage, “Guys, it's okay, you don't have to fight with one another over me.”

But the others didn't seem to hear him, as Lobster Claws loudly stated, “Not now, Marco! We're busy fighting over you!”

The boy didn't hesitate, as he finally got out from the cramped space, making the probably unwise decision to stand between the two riled up groups, holding his hands up to try and tell them to stop. “Wait, guys!” he commanded, trying to mimic Star's regal tone he had often heard whenever she was going full on princess mode. “You'll all Monsters, there's no reason for you all to be fighting. I'm sure we can work something out, right?”

Before a single Monster could reply, there was another loud yell from inside the house, this time from none other than Marco's adopted father. “The answer is no, Ludo!” followed by the same squeaky voice from before. “You have no right to deny what is rightfully mine!”

Everyone all shared a glance with one another, before racing back over to the door, Marco included, until they were all crowded around it in a big Monster mob, Marco somehow getting in the front of the group without being trampled or run over. The boy peeked inside, along with the Monsters, seeing his father and apparent rival, sitting across from one another at a large table, both locked in a furious death glare match. Marco had never heard such a harsh tone from his dad or seen more hatred on his face from anyone other than Toffee, but then that made sense since this Monster had apparently worked alongside the lizard at one point.

They all began quietly creeping inside and the Mewman boy directed his attention to the other occupant of the table, getting his first good look at Ludo. To Marco at least, he didn't seem all that threatening, he was a short bird Monster of some sort with green almost greyish feathers and beady yellow eyes and a sharp pointed beak. He wore a skull helmet of some kind, though what animal it was Marco didn't recognize, a long flowing dark green robe that was much too long for him and flip-flops. He was so small in fact, that he sat on a large pile of pillows just so he could see over the table.

“That's Ludo?” Marco questioned aloud.

“Yep, that's him alright,” Beard Deer replied in a growl. Ludo meanwhile, was doing everything in his power to ignore the not-at-all quiet whisperings behind him, keeping his gaze level with Buff Frog.

“Wow, he looks different than I expected,” Marco observed innocently, the bird man's eye twitching and his body shaking with mirth, as he tried to hold back his anger.

“I kinda thought he would be taller,” Marco finished, the bird Monster suddenly snapping as he slammed his hands down on the table, yelling, “That's it!” He swerved in his seat, pointing a clawed finger at the boy and shouting, “You need to watch your mouth, brat, or I'll have my men here teach you a lesson!”

Marco was once again tightly guarded by his family, who surrounded their youngest, glaring threatening at every single Monster around them, warning them not to come anywhere close to the boy.

“You will do no such thing!” Buff Frog shouted back, rising from his seat, a look of pure hatred in his eyes.

Ludo regarded the boy for a moment before asking in annoyance and confusion, “What is a Mewman doing here in the first place?”

“He is my son,” Buff Frog stated. “He is allowed to be here.”

The bird Monster stared at Marco for another second before bursting into laughter, causing Buff Frog and his Monsters to glare in growing anger, while Marco just looked confused and slightly embarrassed, though he had no idea why. “You- You a-adopted a Mewman!” Ludo gasped out in between fits of laughter. “Seriously!”

“Well, technically I'm only half-Mewman, my dad was a human,” Marco pointed out helpfully, raising a finger in the air weakly.

“That's even worse!” Ludo exclaimed, laughing even harder now, to the point he was having trouble staying on his chair.

“That is enough, Ludo!” Buff Frog growled. “You will show my son respect.”

“Respect?” Ludo scoffed, his laughter finally ceasing. “What respect does a Mewman deserve anyway? It's not like any of them have ever done anything for us before.”

“Hey boss,” Meat Fork suddenly spoke up, whispering into the bird-man's ear. “Before you say anything else, you should know that that kid is the son of Rafael and Angela Diaz.”

“So,” Ludo said, not seeming at all affected by the news. “What does that matter?”

“It means that he is under Monster protection,” Buff Frog bitterly snapped. “Or have you forgotten rules?”

“Of course I remembered,” Ludo said, rolling his eyes as if it was obvious, though he very clearly hadn't.

“Then perhaps you just think yourself above them,” Buff Frog added with a warning frown.

Ludo growled at that, before saying through clenched teeth, “No, I was just testing to see if you remembered.” He regarded Marco closely for a second, who tried not to show his awkwardness over all the intense staring directed at him. “Though, now that you mention it, I do remember Toffee talking about them quite a bit,” Ludo said to Buff Frog, though his eyes remained locked on Marco.“He always thought they stuck their nose where they didn't belong, I didn't really care one way or the other.” Marco swallowed loudly, feeling his stomach clench, Buff Frog and the other Monsters easily picking up the hooded teen's distress, Buff Frog saying, harshly, “Enough, Ludo. I no want you upset my child. You said your piece, now leave!”

Ludo instantly swerved back around in the chair, shouting, “Not until you step down and make me the new leader of the Monsters!”

“Never!” Buff Frog yelled back, crossing his arms definitively. “You killed my father, you no deserve position!”

Ludo scoffed, rolling his eyes. “I had nothing to do with that. Toffee only said that if we joined together he would make me the new leader when the time was right. He never said anything about killing your dad.”

Marco and the Monsters watched back and forth as the two leaders argument continued, getting worse and worse by the second. Buff Frog was nearly shaking with anger at this point, as he spat out, “No lie! You knew something bad would happen!”

“Look I'm the victim here, too!” Ludo said defensively, a sorrowful and wounded look in his eyes and a hurt frown on his beak. “Toffee lied and manipulated me so he could get what he wanted and then betrayed me when he was done with me!”

Not one of the rival Monsters were moved by this, giving him a long, deadpanned stare, Beard Deer muttering, “Join the club.”

Ludo's face shifted to one of annoyance, dropping the act, as he childishly folded his arms in front of his chest and plopped down on his seat, yelling angrily, “Yeah well, I'm not leaving until you make me the leader!”

Marco, who had been keeping careful note of the situation, saw the look of pure frustration on his father's face and the unrelenting stubbornness of the small bird Monster and felt a desperate urge to help. He pondered for a moment, trying to think of some way he could aid his father when an idea came to mind and he smiled brightly, a fire lighting up his soul. “Maybe I can help,” he subtly suggested and every head turned to him in an instant. He tried to stand tall and not shrink from all the inquisitive stares, putting on the most confident and in control face he could.

“You?” Ludo asked with disbelief. “What can you do to help?”

“Well,” Marco said a little shyly, feeling his courage waver a little, before forcing himself to stand tall and puff out his chest, trying his best to replicate Star's look of assertiveness once again. “I am the Monster representative for Princess Star's peace commission. It's my job to help everyone work through a peaceful solution.”

“Oh good then you can tell your father to give me power over the Monsters,” Ludo replied with a smile, causing Buff Frog to frown.

“Umm, no,” Marco said carefully, trying his best not to upset the small Monster. “But maybe if you two talked to each other-”

“Talking! How is talking going to make me the Monster King?!” Ludo shouted skeptically.

“That not a thing,” Buff Frog replied bitterly.

“Well, I mean, it doesn't guarantee it,” Marco admitted honestly. “But if you two work through your issues, maybe we can come to an agreement that makes everyone happy.”

Ludo looked thoughtful for a moment, rubbing a clawed finger to just below his beak, and Marco felt his hopes rising. The other Monsters all seemed unsure of what to think of the bizarre offer, a mixed set of reactions ranging from positive optimism to mistrusting opposition. Meat Fork especially looked against the idea, whispering down to Ludo again, “Boss your not really going to-”

“Shh,” Ludo harshly shushed his lackey, holding up a hand, still staring off into space as he replied, “I'm thinking.”

Everyone waited a few more seconds for Ludo's reply, before the Monster nodded and said, “Fine. I'm in.”

Marco let out a little squeal of joy, Meat Fork and the rest of Ludo's minions giving him bizarre, disbelieving looks.

Buff Frog walked over to his son, asking quietly, “Marco, are you sure about this?”

“Of course I am dad,” Marco replied with a wide, confident smile. “In fact this is perfect! I get to try out my negotiating skills and help you at the same time! It's a win-win!”

Buff Frog tried not to show his concern as he saw how excited the boy was, wording his next question carefully to avoid hurting his child's feelings, “I appreciate help and I proud of what you doing, but Ludo is very stuck in ways. Once makes up his mind, it nearly impossible to change it.”

“I know,” Marco replied, giving his dad a pleading look. “But I'm more than prepared to deal with it. Mr. Candle gave me a bunch of books to help me and I've read all of them at least once.” Buff Frog still looked unsure, so Marco went full on begging, giving his dad his signature puppy dog pout and clapping his hands together, shaking them. “Please, let me help, please, please, please!”

Buff Frog sighed, swallowing down his protective instincts before saying, “Very well, then.”

“Oh thanks dad, you won't regret it!” Marco cheered, wrapping his arms around his dad in a tight hug. Buff Frog held his son close, trying to ignore the small feeling at the back of his mind that all was not right. I hope I made the right decision, he thought to himself.

The second the boy pulled away he shouted, “I have to call Star!” Marco quickly reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, dialing Star's number, too excited to wait any longer.

Meanwhile, Meat Fork leaned closer to his leader, still with a quizzical look on his face, as he asked, “You're not really going to go along with this, are you boss?”

“No, of course not, idiot,” Ludo hissed, in a barely suppressed whisper. “I'm going to manipulate the brat into convincing his dad to step down and give the position to me.” He chuckled evilly to himself for thinking of such an ingenious plan. Meat Fork didn't look so sure, asking hesitantly, “And what if you can't?”

Ludo paused, before a look of annoyance crossed his face, saying sharply, “Then we force him!” He looked back over to where his hated rival and his precious son were talking. “Just be ready if things go sour,” he instructed his subordinate softly.

Ludo plastered on a wide, innocent smile as he loudly cleared his throat, drawing the attention back onto him, the hooded teen who had been on his phone quickly signed off and hung up. “So let's get started, shall we?”

…

Star sat on the grass watching as Jackie led the two twins around on her skateboards, smiling at her cousins' cuteness. Violet held onto Jackie's hand with a confident look, staring forward fearlessly, though she was standing much too high on the board. She would have long since tipped the whole thing over if her instructor hadn't noticed and made sure to hold her just far enough in front of her to counterbalance the weight.

Daisy, on the other hand, was doing just the opposite, clinging tightly onto the teen's other hand, her eyes sealed shut and her feet just barely apart. Corny was strapped tightly to her back as a makeshift backpack and wearing Jackie's helmet after Daisy had insisted he have one on too.

Star was pulled out of her thoughts as she heard a cheerful chime coming from her phone. “Space Unicorn, soaring through the stars!” The girl smiled recognizing the ringtone as none other than that of her boyfriend and pulled the phone out of her pocket, putting it to her ear. “Hey Marco, what's up?”

“STAR!” Marco's excited voice yelled through the speaker, forcing Star to hold the phone away from her ear, nearly dropping it on the floor in surprise. “You'll never guess what is happening!”

“What?” Star asked curiously, leaning comfortably back on the grass, her eyes once again returning to Jackie and the twins.

“I'm helping Buff Frog with a disagreement with another Monster!” Star eyes widened in surprise.

“Wait, really?!” Star asked, her voice full of pride and joy. “That's great Marco!”

“I know right!” Marco agreed, his voice practically a squeal. “Well I mean not the disagreement but y'know me getting to help.”

Star chuckled. “Yeah, I got that,” she said sweetly, before adding, “So who's the Monsters?”

“His name's Ludo.”

Star felt her heart drop at that, saying quickly, “Wasn't that the Monster that was working with Toffee?”

“Yeah but, he didn't mean to do anything bad. Toffee manipulated him like the rest of the Monsters,” Marco explained.

Star still felt uneasy, biting her lip to keep herself from disagreeing with the boy's plan, but knew she had to trust Marco, regardless of how she felt. “Okay, well, just.... be careful all right.”

“I will,” Marco replied, his voice still ringing with excitement and Star smiled again.

“Oh and Marco,” Star started.

“Yeah?” she heard him ask, the confusion in his tone obvious.

“I'm proud of you,” she said sweetly. She listened for his response, almost feeling his bright blush on the other side of the phone as he paused just a bit too long.

“Th-Thanks,” Marco said softly, almost shyly but she could hear a slight giddiness in his voice as well. There was another pause, Star hearing a muffled sound in the background but couldn't make it out. “I gotta go, Star,” her boyfriend added a moment later, sounding hurried.

“Okay, see you later, Marco,” Star said, before hanging up on the phone. She took a deep breath, trying to remind herself not to worry over him. This was his job, after all. She would have to get used to him doing that kind of stuff if he was gonna to stay a member of her peace commission and she would never, ever take that away from him. She just needed to stop worrying about him so much, it was unhealthy. Besides, if things did somehow go south then Buff Frog and the others would be there to protect him.

Her mind suddenly flashed back against her will to Toffee's castle, watching helplessly from the other side of an unbreakable wall as the lizard took away the most precious thing in her world, and she shuddered. No, she firmly reminded herself. That won't happen again. Marco's fine.

A call from Violet broke Star out of her thoughts, causing the girl to jump. “Hey Star, look at this!”

The blond looked over to see her small cousin now standing on the skateboard without Jackie to hold her hand, flying solo while the skater girl watched her closely. She had fixed the position of her feet so she was in the center of the board, instead of the very front, after Jackie had redirected her on how to stand. Daisy was still holding Jackie's hand, though she had opened her eyes and moved her feet just a little further apart, as well as no longer squeezing the life out of poor Jackie's wrist, so it was progress at least.

Star smiled and clapped at her little cousin's accomplishment, doing her best to push her worries and thoughts of Marco to the very back of her mind and focus back on spending time with her young family members. She silenced the last of the troubling thoughts with a final, confirming one of her own, Marco will be fine.

…

Marco took in a deep breath, gathering his nerves, as he took his place at the head of the table, looking between the two Monsters to his left and right. Buff Frog was watching Ludo with a suspicious, almost warning glare, while the bird Monster seemed oddly chipper, which only doubled the amphibian's mistrust. He racked his brain for a moment, biting his lip as he tried to think of where to begin, his mind suddenly drawing a firm blank. Come on, Marco this is not the time for you to shut down, he reminded himself. But he had. The pressure of the situation had already gotten to him, his mind betraying him as it reminded him of what was at stake should he fail, and all the stares on him were not helping his concentration any, either. He suddenly wanted the floor to just open up and swallow him whole as he fought back a blush.

But he pushed past these irrational fears, taking back control of his mind with a small reminder that his parents never backed down and neither would he. So not knowing what else to do, he cleared his throat and said the only thing that came to mind, “Buff Frog, why don't you tell Ludo how you feel?”

Ludo and his lackeys all rolled their eyes, but Buff Frog face didn't change in the slightest as he obliged his son and said, “I feel I don't trust Ludo, I still think he had something to do with father's death.”

Marco nodded, trying to keep on a professional face as he turned to Ludo and asked, “And Ludo how does that make you feel?”

“Ridiculous,” Ludo muttered under his breath in annoyance. Marco hadn't caught it though, asking, “What?”

“I said I'm hurt that Buff Frog would accuse me of something like that without any proof,” Ludo said, loud enough so the boy could hear, putting on a sad face.

Buff Frog fists clenched but he didn't react other than that, his gaze stony. “Okay,” Marco said, turning back to his dad, who met his eye for a second. “And dad, do you have any proof that Ludo killed your dad?” The hooded teen made sure to keep his voice light but apologetic so as not to upset his adopted father.

Buff Frog shook his head. “No is just feeling,” the amphibian replied honestly.

“And what makes you think that?” Marco asked.

“Because his family and mine have been at odds for generations.”

Marco was surprised by that response, asking confused, “Wait, what?”

Buff Frog locked gaze with his son again as he explained, “Ludo's family bitter because their ancestors lost right to power to mine.”

“Because you cheated,” Ludo yelled, suddenly infuriated. “My family would have won that battle if you stupid frogs hadn't kept jumping out of the way of all of our attacks!”

“We frogs, that what we do,” Buff Frog commented, with zero emotion. “Besides your family can fly. How that fair?”

“Well, not all of us can! And that's not the point!” Ludo shouted defensively.

The two glared harshly at each other and Marco knew he had to quickly interject before he lost control of the situation. “Okay, okay,” Marco said in the most calming voice he could. “So yeah, both of your families may have fought in the past but that doesn't mean you have to.”

“I want what is rightfully mine, Buff Frog!” Ludo yelled, ignoring Marco altogether.

“You can't have it, Ludo! I worked too long to give it up now!” Buff Frog shouted back, his accent laced with venom. “I not risk same thing happened with Toffee to happen again!”

Marco tried not to panic, as the two continued to fight, but realized he was in way over his head here. No amount of studying could have prepared him for this. This was different from the books he had read, much more complex than most scenarios it had presented. The scars for this problem ran deep. He tried to keep steady, even breaths as he pondered a way to resolve this conflict. What would his parents do in this situation? At this thought, the boy felt a soft glowing in his cheeks and suddenly shouted, “Enough!”

The room went dead quite, everyone looking at Marco in pure shock and awe, none of them, not even Buff Frog and the rest of his Monster family had ever heard the boy shout like that. But the boy didn't back down as he added, “That was a long time ago and you're both holding on to things you can't change! The past is the past, there is no since in fighting over something you two had nothing to do with in the first place!”

The boy panted for a moment, the heat in his cheeks fading, as he looked around at the Monsters, who were all staring at him wide-eyed and slack-jawed. Where had that come from? He wondered to himself, but didn't waste too much time dwelling on it, taking advantage of the Monsters shocked position to say in a much softer tone, “Now can you both agree to forgive each other and let go of the past?”

The boy looked between the two Monster leaders for a moment, Ludo crossing his arms and plopping down onto his pile of pillows grumpily, not looking in either of their direction. Buff Frog, meanwhile, had a sheepish look on his face, but seemed hesitant to speak. Finally, he matched his son's gaze and sighed deeply, before saying, “I apologize if Ludo does.”

“What! I'm not apologizing for-” Ludo started to say, but a loud cough from Meat Fork for some reason stopped Ludo from continuing. He frowned for a second, before plastering on a fake smile, saying in a stained tone, “I mean, yes of course. I'm sorry Buff Frog.”

Buff Frog eyed him suspiciously for a second before saying blankly, “I sorry too.”

“See, that wasn't so hard!” Marco complimented the both of them, Ludo grumbling something incoherent under his breath. “We're making some real progress, guys!” the Mewman boy shouted energetically, pumping a fist into the air, but when no one cheered or reacted in any way and he quickly took his seat again, his face flushing bright red. He coughed, trying to recover from his embarrassment, before continuing, “So now that we got that out of the way... umm, Ludo you said you worked with Toffee before he betrayed you, right?”

“Yes, that's right,” Ludo said bitterly, as old wounds were reopened for the small bird Monster.

“What exactly did you work together on?” Marco asked.

Ludo sighed, looking sorrowfully at the ceiling, as he recounted the memory. “I helped him discredit Volkoz and Buff Frog so that he could rise in power. The deal was once the two of them were out of the way, I would be made leader.” Ludo's face twisted into an angry frown, his voice steadily rising. “Instead, he took it all for himself and left me with nothing. I was swept away and forgotten about and every attempt I made to gain it back, Toffee would push me right back down again! But I'll get even with him! Now that's he's out of the way, nothing will stop me from having my revenge! I'll show that stupid lizard who the real leader is!!”

“Ludo?” Marco said, trying to break him from his venom-fueled enchantment, the small bird seething with pent-up rage toward the hated lizard. “Ludo? LUDO?!” Marco yelled this time, finally gaining the Monster's attention. “Look I know you were hurt by what Toffee did, but so was everyone else. Toffee betrayed all of us and we all got hurt by him in some way.” He paused as he tenderly rubbed his neck, cringing openly. “That's why me and Buff Frog and the other Monsters are all trying to work on some way to repair all the damage Toffee's done. He left the world in a really bad place, but maybe with your help we can make things better.” Marco smiled genuinely at the Monster as he added, “What do you say?”

Ludo eyed the boy for a second before asking, “Does this mean you're going to make me the Monster King?”

The smile instantly fell from Marco's face, as Buff Frog snapped, “No, it does not.” He rolled his eyes as he added, “There no such thing.””

“M-Maybe we can work something out,” Marco stuttered nervously, sweat dripping down his face as he struggled to remain calm. He was losing control of the situation again.

“No bother, Marco,” Buff Frog said to his son, but his eyes were on Ludo, glaring openly. “He is not going to change mind.”

“No wait!” Marco quickly shouted, standing up from his chair, leaning heavily against the table as he whipped his head to the bird Monster once more. “Ludo, come on, there has to be some way you would agree to some sort of compromise?!”

“Instead of asking me, you should be asking your dad!” Ludo said, quickly turning the situation on its head as he pointed an accusing finger at Buff Frog. “He's the one who's being selfish and unwilling to negotiate! If I was made leader I would be happy to go along with your plan, but no Buff Frog just wants to horde all the power for himself!”

Marco looked over at his father, waiting to see his reaction, but Buff Frog had gone stiff and still, his eyes betraying no emotion whatsoever and that startled Marco so much more. He knew all too well that sometimes people were the most dangerous when they went quiet, the silence and wait almost as unnerving as when they did finally snap. He hated to see his father so void of feeling and felt his chest clench itself into tight knots. “Dad,” Marco began. “I know that's not true.”

“Of course it is!” Ludo continued, his voice a high-pitched shout, the words digging deep into Marco's skull and then stabbing themselves into his brain. “Face it kid, your dad is a selfish jerk! I mean, he could have stopped Toffee at any time but instead he allowed him to get stronger and then stood back and let your parents die!”

Guilt flooded Buff Frog's face and Marco felt tears start to flood his vision as he said in a loud, confident tone, “That's not true. That wasn't Buff Frog's fault. He just didn't know what to do to stop Toffee, that's all. And he would never betray my parents like that. He loved them and he loves me and you have no right to call him selfish, cause he gave up everything to keep me safe!”

Marco just stood there with tears still in his eyes that had yet to spill, as he stared at Ludo. Buff Frog looked touched at the boy's words, his face softening as he whispered, “Marco...”

“Yeah well, it doesn't matter. That position is supposed to be mine! It was promised to me, it is my birthright and I'm not letting anyone take it away from me again, especially not you and your father!” Ludo yelled. Then he turned to one of his minions and shouted, “Meat Fork, now!”

It happened at lightening speed, but to Buff Frog and his Monsters it was like it was happening in slow motion, all of them too invested in the conversation to take note of just how close Meat Fork had gotten to Marco's chair, so none of them were ready or able to stop him, as the Monster in question went to stab Marco with his metal hand. Luckily, the boy saw the attack coming out of the corner of his eye and his instincts took over as he put his feet on the side of the table and pushed, effectively tipping his chair backward and narrowly avoiding being impaled.

Before the Monster could go in for another strike, he was tackled by Buff Frog, who slammed him down on the ground, hissing out, “Stay away from my son!”

After that, the tense atmosphere of the country home exploded into an all-out battle, pitting Monster against Monster, minion against minion, as they all violently clashed with one another. Well all except Ludo who was content just to watch the whole thing from his chair, yelling commands to his minions as the battle raged, even though the only name of them he had memorized was that of his second-in-command.

“No you idiot, not that way!”

“Don't just stand there and take it, you fool!”

“Stop getting beat up! He's just a stupid fly!”

Marco tried to gain back control of the situation as he yelled over to them, “Wait, stop! There's no need to fight one another. Let's just go back to- ahh!” Marco screamed and ducked, narrowly missing getting hit in the head by a flying chair and he quickly hid beneath the table.

The hooded teen continued to watch with a frown as his family effectively fought off the enemy Monsters with no trouble. This was not going the way he had planned. Suddenly, his phone rang and he answered it without looking away from all the fighting. “Hello?”

“Hey Marco, how's it going?” It was Star. Marco felt his heart race, as he looked up at all the Monsters still deep in their intense brawl.

“Uhh, we're hitting a bit of rough patch right now,” he said nervously.

“What's all that noise?” Star asked, concern ringing in her tone.

“Oh um, well negotiations sorta fell apart and they all started, um, hitting each other,” he replied, trying to ease her into the news gently to avoid freaking his girlfriend out.

“WHAT?!” Star screamed and Marco cringed, knowing he had failed in that regard.

“No, no, it's okay,” Marco weakly reassured her. “I've still got this under control. They just need to work out their anger is all. And once they're through and they've got everything out in the open then we'll go back to talking.”

“Marco I don't think that's how that works,” Star pointed out, still sounding beside herself with worry.

“Well I read it in one of my books once,” Marco said defensively.

“Look Marco I think you need to-” Marco never heard the end of what Star was about to say as something grabbed him by the back of his hood and pulled him out from under the table, causing the boy to drop his phone and let out a startled scream. This drew everyone's attention, the fighting instantly ceasing as everyone turned to see Meat Fork throw the boy across the room, his side slamming into the wall, injuring his shoulder and causing his vision to spin.

“No, leave him out of this!” Buff Frog yelled his voice broken by both anger and fear, but he was too far away to reach them in time.

Meat Fork drew closer, Marco still trying to recover from the impact of his fall, rubbing absentmindedly at his head, trying his best to get his bearings back, as he looked around with blurry, disoriented vision, every voice sounding faded and far away. Buff Frog felt a deep, primal fear fill him as Meat Fork raised a foot up to kick the unsuspecting Marco and Buff Frog opened his mouth to shout at him to stop, the others doing the same when a portal opened up and a blast of magical energy shot out of it, instantly striking Meat Fork and sending him flying far away from Marco.

Star stepped out of it a second later, holding a smoking wand in front of her, her eyes scanning the faces of the Monsters for a moment. Buff Frog and the rest of his allies let out a sigh of relief.

Ludo on the other hand looked furious and confused at the sudden intrusion. “What, another Mewman?! Who the heck is this one?!” the bird Monster yelled. The blond spotted Marco and instantly ran to his side, shouting, “Marco, are you okay?!”

“Star?” Marco said, still tenderly rubbing his head.

“Seriously, who are you?!” Ludo asked again rudely and Star turned to him with fire in her eyes.

“I'm Princess Star Butterfly,” the girl spat, bitterly. “And I'm not happy that you just attacked my boyfriend!”

Ludo looked disinterested, waving off the girl's anger like it was no big deal. “I didn't attack him, he was just in the middle of a fight, he was bound to get hurt.”

Star's hand clenched into a tight fist as she shouted, “Marco had nothing to do with this fight, he was trying to prevent this! He only wanted to help you!”

Ludo rolled his eyes. “Oh please, the only way that boy could help us is if he convinced his dad to give me my rightful position,” the Monster muttered irritably.

Buff Frog grabbed the small Monster by his oversized robe, making him squeak, lifting him up so they were face to face as he growled, “I willing to negotiate but moment you attacked my son you lost privilege.” He threw the Monster to the ground, the other Monsters shouting, “Boss!” and rushing to his side.

Ludo slowly sat up a look of fury on his face, as he glared daggers up at Buff Frog. “How dare you treat me with such disrespect!” the Monster growled.

Buff Frog showed no signs of remorse or guilt, as he stared down at the Monster with a stony gaze and stated in a commanding, booming voice that echoed through every corner of the country home, “For your treachery and breaking decree by late leader Volkoz Bulgolyubov, I hereby banish you, Ludo Avairus, from Monster land and any who follow you! May you be seen as traitor for rest of days.”

“What?!” Ludo screeched, his eyes blown wide with shock. “Y-You can't do that!”

“I already did,” Buff Frog said, his voice low but dangerous. “Now get out of my house.”

Ludo's face twisted into one of pure hate and anger as he turned to Marco, who now stood by Star's side having recovered from the attack, pointing an accusing finger at him. “You! You are the one who did this to me! This is all your fault!”

“What, no I,” Marco whispered softly, his eyes full of guilt. Star put her arms around the boy in a protective and comforting hug.

“Don't put the blame on Marco. You brought this on yourself, Ludo,” Star snapped.

Beard Deer and Bearicorn grabbed the bird Monster by other arm dragging him to the door, as he continued to screech his complaints and his plans for retaliation, putting up a fight every step of the way. “This isn't over! I will get even with you Buff Frog! Just you wait! Just you wait!”

He was flung out the door, his minions following after their leader, shooting hateful glares as they exited the house as well. The second the last Monster was out the door, Marco collapsed to his knees, burying his face in his hands. “Marco?” Star said in concern, bending down to his side and putting a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“I failed!” he cried. “I couldn't do it, because of me a Monster just got banished!”

“No, Marco. You didn't fail, Ludo just didn't listen,” Star reassured him.

Marco's turned to her, suddenly as he shouted in distress, “My parents would have been able to get him to listen! Instead, I let them and Buff Frog and you down! I'm a disappointment!”

Star pulled him into a tight hug, as Buff Frog came closer, lowering himself so he was level with his child. “My boy, you are never disappointment. I love you and so did parents. They failed many times as well. There were many they unable to turn with words. Some have too much hate to change.”

“Really?” Marco said softly.

Buff Frog nodded, as he gently cupped his son's cheek in his claw. “Da. But every failure, they carry on, they keep fighting and you must as well.”

Marco gave his dad a little smile, before he clutched onto his head in panic once again as a new fear surfaced in his eyes. “But how am I supposed to help bring peace to all of Mewni if I can't even help you solve one Monster's problem?” The boy's breath was shallow, as he clung to small strands of his brown hair.

Star gently grabbed his hands, removing them from his skull and he looked to her with surprise, forgetting his panic as his cheeks flushed. She gave him a long, loving look as she said softly, “You already brought peace to Mewni, Marco, remember? You did something that no one else could. You may not have been able to turn Ludo, but there will be plenty of chances to help the rest of the Monsters see the right way. You just need a little more practice is all.”

He gave Star a grateful smile. “Well I am a fast learner,” Marco joked quietly.

“Yeah you are,” she said, running a hand through his hair once, before pulling him in for another hug. Buff Frog and the rest of the Monsters joined in, the boy closing his eyes as he soaked in the moment.

“Thanks everyone,” Marco said cheerfully, feeling his heart warm surrounded by the loving embrace of his family.

The Monsters pulled away and Marco asked his girlfriend, “So how were you able to open up that portal so fast, anyway? Weren't you at the castle?”

Star blushed bright red, as she stuttered out, “Oh, um, well... the thing is, um- I just...” She let out a deep sigh, before confessing, “I was sorta waiting nearby, just in case you needed me.”

“Star, you didn't have to do that,” Marco told her and she lowered her head in shame.

“Yeah, I know. I should trust you. But I couldn't stop thinking about what if something happened. And-And- I just worry about you is all,” Star admitted, absentmindedly playing with a strand of hair. “Sorry,” she muttered shamefully.

Marco surprised Star with a quick kiss on the lips, before he told her, “Don't be,” he said joyfully. “I think it's sweet. It's good to know you'll always be here for me. I always feel safe with you around.”

Star blushed beet red, her heart cheek marks thumping against her will, as she stared deep into the chocolate brown of his eyes. “But please don't worry about me, Star?” Marco asked, his voice still tender and light. “I'm fine. It doesn't all fall to you. I have lots of people looking after me. So you can relax, okay?”

Star nodded slowly, saying, “Yeah, you're right, Marco.” She paused before adding in a whisper, “And I will always be here for you.” Then she kissed him again and the boy melted into it, kissing her back tenderly as it deepened, their cheek marks once again turning bright white.

While the two teens were still lost in their conversation and kiss, Buff Frog and the Monsters were quietly discussing much more pressing matters, out of ear shot of their young charge and his girlfriend. “What are we gonna do about Ludo, boss?” Lobster Claws asked.

“Yeah, you heard what he said and that little guy is really persistent,” Bearicorn added.

Three Eyed Potato Baby garbled something, that almost none of them could understand, Buff From turning to Lobster Claws who quickly translated, “He said that without Toffee, there is no one to keep Ludo from doing whatever he wants.”

Buff Frog sighed, before saying darkly, “I fear you all right. This is not last we see of Ludo, my friends. Even banishment not enough to stop him from revenge. Though hopefully will delay. Still, must keep eye open.” He turned to the crustacean, saying, “And Lobster Claw. I have job for you.”

Lobster Claws did a quick salute, saying bravely, “Sure thing, boss. Whatever you need.”

The frog looked over his shoulder, making sure the boy couldn't hear, but he was deep in a kiss with his girlfriend. Still the amphibian pulled his ally close and lowered his voice to that of a whisper as he commanded, “Keep eye on Marco. Do not let him out of sight.”

Lobster Claws nodded, puffing his chest out as he proudly stated, “You can count on me, boss. I won't let you down.”

Buff Frog nodded, saying, “Good. Now biggest worry is how many fall to Ludo's side. I must keep control of Monsters or Ludo take it away from me again.”

“Don't worry, boss. Everyone knows your our real leader. No one's going to follow Ludo, especially after you banished him. And the few who do aren't really worth having around anyway,” Beard Deer said and the others all nodded.

“And we'll do what we can to keep the Monsters feeling safe,” Marco suddenly said behind them, the Monsters turning to see Star and Marco now joining in on the conversation with bright smiles and flushed cheeks, their hands intertwined.

“Once we get the commission going that is,” Star added, sheepishly. There were still a few things that needed to be finished before it was ready.

Buff Frog nodded and said, “You two do that. We do what we can here.” His serious face softened into a smile as he added, “But that can wait for another day. Right now, I want spend time with my son.”

Marco beamed from ear to ear at that, his eyes shimmering with joy at the idea of some quality time with his father as he gave him a tight hug, loudly stating, “Yes, that sounds awesome, dad! I have so much to tell you!”

“I can't wait to hear it,” Buff Frog said warmly.

Star began slowly backing up, pulling out her dimensional scissors from her purse. “Well you all have fun, I better head back,” she said, pointing her thumb behind her, excusing herself. “Violet will be super upset if she finds out that we both came to see you guys without her.”

“Okay, bye Star,” Marco said, giving her a quick peck on the cheek.

“Bye Marco,” she replied, cutting open a portal and stepping through. Once it closed, Buff Frog turned to Marco with confusion, asking, “Who's Violet?”

“My little sister,” Marco replied simply.

Every Monster blinked once, their eyes suddenly wide. “Uhhh, come again,” Bearicorn stuttered, him and every other Monsters mind spinning as they tried to comprehend the boy's words.

“I think we need you explain,” Buff Frog added, looking downright disturbed.

…

Ludo stomped his way through the forest, his minions following reluctantly behind him, watching as their leader seethed with rage, muttering choice words under his breath. “Stupid, rotten Buff Frog. How dare he banish me. I'll show him.”

“Uhh, boss,” Meat Fork finally spoke up and the small bird Monster sighed, before snapping, “What?!” “What's the plan?”

“The plan is we get even with that rotten Buff Frog and take the throne back by force!” Ludo shouted, his eyes practically ablaze with rage, his tiny claws clutching his staff so tight, it looked like it might bend.

“How are we gonna do that?” Meat Fork asked. “Buff Frog and his lackeys are better than us. We'd never beat them in a fair fight and I doubt any of the other Monsters will join us now that we're traitors.”

Ludo turned his back on his minion, as he continued storming along. “Then we don't fight fair.” His tone was hard and left no room for argument, his mind spinning as he tried to think of the perfect scheme to take his position back from that miserable toad. “I just need to think of the perfect plan and then I will be ruler once more.” His screeching voice raised, as he proclamation echoed through the forest around him. “Just you wait Buff Frog. I, Ludo Avarius, will be the Monster King!”

…

“Uh boss, pretty sure that still isn't a thing.”

“Shut up, Meat Fork! Your ruining my dramatic moment!!”

#Star vs #Star vs AU #My Writing #Light of the Sun and Stars #Starco

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ancientbooshartifacts · 4 years

Text

Cool Party the Other Night

Author: Thieving-Gypsy

Year: 2010

Rating: NC-17

Pairing: Howard/OFC

It's a few days after Howard's birthday party, and Vince is still courting that girl he met. Well. "Courting" doesn't cover it, really. Howard winces at a particularly loud moan from upstairs, the creak of bedsprings and the rhythmic thud-thud-thud of the headboard against the wall. If that's chipped the paint and they have to redecorate, Vince better not think that's coming out of petty cash. No sir, that's coming directly out of Vince's hairspray budget. Let's see how smug he is then, Howard thinks, feeling quite smug himself at the thought of getting one over on him. It doesn't last. There's a giggle from upstairs, it could be coming from either one of them. Howard slumps against the counter, propping his chin on his hand and wondering which deity he could have offended to make his life like this. If this is karma, karma is wrong. He's fiercely intelligent, devilishly handsome, his talents are many and varied, his sense of humour is witty and whimsical, he helps old ladies across the road and then helps them back again when they hit him with their handbags and snap that they never wanted to cross the road anyway. Howard Moon is a good person (Howard thinks to himself) but where's the payoff? Vince is the one who ends up risking friction burns on his johnson, even after all his crimes against good taste and that shocking ridiculous scene on the roof the night of the party where he took advantage of Howard's good nature to save his own neck. The only thing Howard got was a night spent terrified and crying in the bottom of the airing cupboard hoping Old Gregg would get bored of waiting and go away, but every time he opened the door to check Gregg was there tapping his foot and smiling and staring like a serial killer. I can wait all night, Howard, I'm Old Gregg! he said, as if that explained it all. Naboo kicked him out eventually with the rest of the party stragglers, then gave Howard a disgusted look and called him a batty crease when Howard awkwardly bought him a bunch of flowers the next morning to say thank you. It's a good thing the shop's been so quiet lately. Customers don't need to hear this kind of nonsense when they're innocently looking for a rare Bleedin' Gums Murphy LP, it's just not professional. Or maybe they would like it, but that sort of clientele doesn't belong here anyway. You've got to keep a sense of pride when you're a shopkeeper. Even in a dodgy part of town, even if the last customer you saw buying something was a wide-eyed teenage boy paying for Vince's autograph three days ago, you still need your pride or you might as well be dead. He sort of wishes he was, listening to those dirty noises get louder and faster for what feels like the billionth cycle. And then the bell above the door rings, sounding like a hallelujah. A girl comes into the shop. An angel with black and red hair and skin like smooth pale cream. Howard stands up quickly and adjusts his hat to a rakish charming sort of angle, smoothing down the front of his shirt and giving her his very best smile. She looks sort of frightened then. Well, that's not unusual, she probably saw something unpleasant outside. It's that sort of street. "Good afternoon madam," he starts – then all of a sudden he recognises her from that ghastly spin the bottle game at the party and feels himself turn pale. She had a number eight stuck on her back, and she heard Naboo trick Howard's confession out of him. Could his life get any more tragic and painful? Yes, he discovers, because she recognises him too. "Hey, Howard," she says. He can't tell whether she's smirking or smiling. "Cool party the other night." "Ha ha, yes, it was rather, wasn't it? Ha ha. I hope you tried the quiche, I made it myself."

"Oookay." Surely it's a smile. She's coming closer, anyway, right over to where Howard is, putting the silver jacket she's carrying on the counter between them. What does it mean? Is it some sort of offering? Is this how women offer themselves? He feels the blood rise back in his cheeks, but then she speaks again and ruins it. "Vince gave me that to borrow cos it was cold walking home, can you give it back to him? When he's finished," she adds, glancing at the ceiling. She really is smirking this time, and that strikes him as very odd. Isn't she jealous? Most girls would be jealous and go running out of the shop weeping and talking about nunneries because there's no point any more if Vince has found someone else. Maybe he's in with a shot after all! Howard smooths his moustache with his fingertips, very glad he put on his best taupe rollneck this morning even without a special occasion planned. Surely that's fate. Serendipity. Something. He can see them already, blissfully content in a country cottage, all crawling honeysuckle and chirruping birds, making sweet fulfilling love together every night while the children sleep soundly and dream of happy things and a team of editors go back to college to train for different careers because the world-famous novelist-poet-playwright Howard Moon's words are so perfect, so incredibly gripping, informative and rich with life-changing meaning, that he needs no changes made at all. He realises he's nodding his head like a dog ornament on the back shelf of a car, and makes himself stop. "Of course, madam, of course, I'll see that he gets it post-haste." "Cheers." Eight gives him that smile again and turns round to go. Howard panics and bangs into a shelf in his rush to get out from behind the counter and block her way. "While you're here, might I interest you in the soothing jazz tones of-" "No. I don't think you might." "Well then, what about..." Everything in the shop is shit it's all shit and he hates it here and his life should have been so different and why does nothing ever ever ever go right? "This lovely flying jacket? Vintage World War Two, genuine bullet hole in the collar to add that bit of authenticity and you can barely even see the bloodstains, ha ha ha..." She actually laughs at that, it bubbles up and spills out and she looks like it surprises her but it's a definite laugh. "You're a crack up, Howard, you're hilarious. I didn't bring any money. I might come back another time though and you can show me someone's torn parachute or a charred ejector seat that didn't open properly." Is that a date? That sounds very much like a date. Howard's palms feel sweaty on the sleeve of the jacket and he carefully hangs it back on the hat stand where he found it so he doesn't leave handprints. "I would like that very much indeed, shall we say next Tuesday?" "Seriously, Howard, I've got to go." But why would she be lingering and saying she had to go instead of just going if she didn't find him intriguingly attractive? Today is turning out to be a roaring success after all. "Then please allow me to escort you home," he says, formally on purpose so he doesn't scare her away with his aggressive manliness or sound like the sort of sexual predator who would pester a young woman when she's just trying to run a simple errand. "This is no place for an innocent young lady to be walking on her own when it's getting dark, especially one as, I hope you don't mind me saying, charmingly beautiful as you." Eight looks out the cluttered shop window into the bright afternoon sunlight. After what feels like forever she turns back and almost gives Howard a heart attack. "Yeah. Alright, then."

"...Yes?" he repeats stupidly, and Eight grins like a wicked little pixie. "Yeah. Why not." "Oh. Well. Alright then. Let's go, shall we?" That hussy upstairs is shrieking Vince's name. So is Vince, the vain little tart. Howard doesn't even leave a note. If they ever satisfy themselves and come downstairs for a cup of tea, they're just going to have to worry themselves sick about where Howard's disappeared to in the middle of a working day. He flips the door sign to closed and follows Eight out into the grimy street. He's trying to work out whether he should put a safe guiding gentlemanly hand on the small of her back when she glances up at him sideways and says, "So... you're a virgin, then?" * "Not any more," Howard's gasping half an hour later. Eight looks at him with raised eyebrows. "What?" "Not a virgin any more." "Howard, mate. You're fingering me, you're not having sex." It happened all at once, it seemed, time-lapse flashes like a nature documentary about the sprouting of a seed: one moment they were walking through Dalston, the next he was accepting the offer of a cup of tea, the next she was lying back on the couch with her legs over his and her dress hitched up around her waist, pushing her black cotton knickers aside and holding his hand at the wrist to direct him where to touch. His head is a blur, he feels slightly sick – not because it's not nice, because it is, but because he always thought men were supposed to be the ones desperate for sex on a first date and the women were bashful modest flowers. Eight's got her hand over his, pressing on top of his fingernail and moving in little circles over the wet, warm flesh between her legs. He can't see what he's doing, her pants and their hands are on the way, but that's probably a good thing because he's tenting up the front of his trousers already and he is so not ready for this to be over yet. "Do it like that," she says, a little bit flushed, a little bit breathless. "Right there. Good. A bit faster... good. Oh." Is this what's supposed to happen? Don't things go inside when you're having sex? Is she – oh god – another freakish anomaly like Old Gregg? Actually, it's hard to care any more. So what if she is? She's still pretty, and she's willing to let him touch her when the whole world seems to be against the idea of him having any sort of nice time at all. She's perfect. "Take my pants off," she says. Howard scrabbles to obey as quickly as possible, pulling them down her legs and stretching the leg holes over her boots. It's like a new world underneath, dark curling little hairs and wet pink flesh. It's horrific. She's got to be a freak, there's no way Vince would get so excited about something that's so vile to look at. But it's too late to stop now, the hand around his wrist is directing him lower down and pressing until his first finger slips inside her. He makes a ridiculous unmanly sort of noise in his throat, shame and desire all tangled together,and Eight bends one leg up to rest on top of the cushion behind Howard's head, spreading her monstrosity wider. He takes the initiative and slides another finger in beside the first, so she blinks and looks at him in surprise then flashes a filthy curling little smile and sighs quietly, like a happy moan. "Nice. How big's your dick?" "Excuse me?" Howard splutters, blushing furiously. "Just asking. Because I can take another finger if you want, but if your dick's smaller than three fingers I'll be upset so maybe you shouldn't." "Let me assure you, madam, my-" He can't make himself say it. "-my equipment is perfectly adequate for the job at hand, so to speak."

"Alright then, let's have it." She pushes his hand away suddenly and stands up, leaving the room without looking back like she just expects him to follow her. He gets hit in the face with something as he's going through the bedroom door; it's her dress, she just pulled it off over her head and now she's reaching behind herself to unhook her bra and sitting down to unzip her boots. She gives him that look again when she's on the bed, naked on her back with one knee up and her foot flat on the mattress. She's doing to herself what he was just doing, gently stroking between her legs with her fingertips, biting her painted lower lip and catching her breath in her throat. Howard feels horrendously out of place. Future wife or not, something about this feels very strange and wrong indeed. Her displaying herself like a common tramp and caressing her abnormality like it's a beloved pet while Howard stands there mutely, fully-clothed including a straw hat and holding her crumpled dress. "Let me help you out," she says, still circling gently with her first two fingertips and smirking. "The next step is, you take off your clothes. Time-lapse again. It seems to take a nanosecond, then he's standing there with his hands protecting his modesty. It's a good thing he's got big hands, he thinks proudly, then that terror stabs back in his guts and he freezes like he's on stage. "Come here," Eight says, gradually breaking through with her calm voice and cool instructions. "Move your hands away, let me see you. Come and get on the bed. It's okay to touch me. Shall I show you what you do?" He just nods, moving as directed but still completely unable to think up the right words to say to somebody who's got her hand wrapped around his bits and pieces – his bits and pieces, he thinks crazily, she's touching his balls, why would anybody do that? But it feels good, he can't deny that, it's sending white-hot floods of goosebumps rushing over his skin and even if he's got no words he can still make noises, strange pathetic little whimpers and trembling pleas for things he doesn't know the details of. Eight pushes him back so he's lying against the pillow, pointing up like Excalibur, but she stops stroking him so she can straddle his legs and roll a condom on, and knee-walks a few steps up the mattress, holding him steady there so she can sink down around him. It's hot and tight and completely overwhelming. Howard's vision blurs and he feels like he's going to faint but then Eight grabs his nipple and pinches hard, dragging him back. He stares at her, feeling vaguely abused, but she just smiles sweetly and holds his hands to bring them to her hips. "Now you're having sex." "And... this is normal, is it?" he mumbles, hypnotised by the sight of his thingy disappearing up her when she raises and lowers her body above his. It makes her laugh, shaking her dyed red fringe out of her eyes and tipping her head back like she's reading something interesting on the ceiling. "The man's normally a bit more involved, but yeah, close enough." "I can get involved," Howard says desperately, "I can, let me show you-" His words turn into a choking sort of moan when she moves again. It's so obvious now how it's meant to be, he can do this, it's simple, it's the most natural thing in the world... Eight lets him turn them over so she's the one on her back, and Howard slips almost all the way out of her and drives back in hard. She moans just like Vince's floozy moaned, and like it's some kind of trigger: Howard shivers all over and comes, thrusting frantically into her and whimpering.

It's quiet after. He can't move, he stays there on top of her, stroking his fingers through her hair and feeling a slow lazy smile spread across his face. Nothing matters any more, not the teasing pitying looks at the party, not Vince's complete lack of shame and self-control and regard for other people's feelings, nothing – Howard's got a girlfriend, and life is wonderful. "Um," she says after a while. "Yes, my darling?" Howard murmurs, loving how much he sounds like Clark Gable or one of those other smooth manly charmers from old romance films. "Get off me, yeah?" "Oh. Sorry." He rolls onto his back hastily. It's no wonder she can't bear to be touched after such a mindblowing experience, she's probably feeling vulnerable, she's probably struggling to come to terms with the reality of it. "Is there anything you need, darling, can I do anything for you?" "Yeah, just pull the front door shut behind you on the way out, it should lock on its own." What? "...what?" "And tell your darling mate Vince if he's really sick and sad enough to keep my knickers even when he's shagging other girls then I'll stop hassling him to get them back, and let him know in as much detail as you want that I'm not waiting round for him either." "Oh." It's not so much a flash of realisation as a falling anvil. "This was... revenge?" The imaginary honeysuckle house burns down to rubble before his eyes and Eight just laughs, carefree and oblivious like Vince, like everyone else. Howard slowly starts to get dressed and decides to set up a permanent home in the airing cupboard, where it's safe and dark.

#the mighty boosh #mighty boosh #boosh #howard moon #vince noir #howard moon/OFC

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mariequitecontrarie · 7 years

Text

Sunshine

Summary: While they live out their life together on the Edge of Realms, Rumplestiltskin secretly uses the dagger to extend Belle’s life, but she knows the truth. A/N: Several days after watching “Beauty,” I'm still grappling with a lot of complex emotions. I wrote this kind of a fix based on my self-comforting head-canon that Belle and Rumple celebrated well over 100 years of marriage, thanks to him using the dagger occasionally, not to offer immortality, but to make her life just a little longer. I hope this brings you comfort, friends. Rating: T Word Count: 2400

On AO3

A brilliant ray of sunshine peeks through the crack between the closed curtains, illuminating a fresh streak of silver in Belle’s hair. Rumplestiltskin frowns at the soft, white strands, his heart hammering against his ribs.

He is curled against her side in bed, propped up on an elbow, enthralled in watching his wife of twenty-seven years sleep. The sweet warmth of her breath washes over his chest, and her soft, rose-scented hair tickles his outstretched arm. She shifts onto her back and giggles in her sleep, hugging the pillow against her chest, and he can’t help but grin at the joyful noise. Tiny lines are etched into her soft skin, the marks of a life well-lived. She is a vision, brighter and more lovely than he can comprehend, and he sighs, weary yet blissfully content. Every day with Belle is a blessing, and whether they’re off on adventures together or spending a quiet season at home, the years since Gideon was returned to them as a baby have been the happiest he’s ever known. He wouldn’t exchange a moment with his family for all the power in all the realms.

For generations, he spent sleepless nights haunting the floors of his castle, his basement, his study, or his shop, restless with plans, striving for a peace he could not name. But this home is theirs, built together in love on the outer edges of existence. Every beam of wood hammered into place with their hands, every photograph and memento collected on their travels. In the evenings, the two of them stretch out on a blanket in the front yard to talk and eat and play games, their cheeks gently warmed by the eternal summer day.

No change time makes to Belle’s body can make her any less beautiful in his eyes. With each passing day, he loves her more, and he wishes he could murder all the years he wasted, stumbling through a winter of his own making, craving power, chasing control.

Old habits aren’t easy to escape, though, and when the time comes, letting Belle go will be the hardest thing he ever does.

The long-buried beast roars at the thought of losing her, and he curls his fingers in her nightgown, clenching his fists in the fabric and wanting to smother her tight against his chest. Sometimes, he wants to bar the door and block out the light, ignoring the endless days stretching out before him like a macabre parade. Can he mount the sun like a stallion and force its descent beneath the horizon?

No. He and Belle have settled in a place where the sun never sets and the light never dims. Where the skies are a sweeping tapestry of blues and pink, mauve and gold, more breathtaking than anything he’s ever seen swirled upon a canvas. “It’s like living in a place called Alaska,” Belle once told him, her eyes shining with girlish enthusiasm. “Instead of eighty days of uninterrupted brightness, we’ll have eighty years!”

But the sun that orders his days isn’t the one in the sky. His Sun is snoring in the bed next to him.

Rumplestiltskin frowns again at the newest lock of grey hair on Belle’s head, then searches her face anxiously. Another soft snore whistles past her lips, and he reaches for the dagger. He holds up the blade in the meager light of the darkened bedroom, then traces the outline of his name with a fingertip. His love is aging, and this loathsome dagger keeps him from doing the same. Last week Belle sneezed, and he hurriedly wove a spell of healing power into a new blue shawl and wrapped it around her shoulders, protecting her from catching a cold. While she was lost in her reading the other day, a new wrinkle broke out on her soft brow, and he smoothed it with a wave of his hand. Tonight, in between her deep, even breaths, his ears prick at the creak of her bones, the swell of her joints. It’s not appearances he worries about—True Love has never been about the way they look—it’s knowing that every beat of her mortal heart carries her father away from him, hastening the day when she will leave him behind.

He circles her head with the dagger, and the lock of silver hair turns chestnut brown once more. Relief mingles with guilt and he brushes his mouth against her cheek. “Oh, Belle,” he whispers against her temple, “forgive me for my weakness.”

Tomorrow, he’ll swallow the lie and pray she doesn’t notice what he’s done. Belle doesn’t want to live forever, and neither does he. To outlive Gideon and their grandchildren would be a soul-crushing blow he would never recover from. But a few extra years to extend their happiness?

It’s a minor price to pay to cheat death for just a little while.

xoxo

Belle dabs moisturizer under her eyes and squints at her reflection in the afternoon light, then gathers her hair in a loose ponytail, tilting her head to the side. She’s groggy from her nap, but weren’t the grooves bracketing her mouth deeper yesterday? Behind her, she catches Rumple watching her in the mirror, the telltale tick in his jaw betraying his concern.

She knows that sheepish look; last night he used the dagger, making her younger while she slept. In all their years together, he’s rarely touched the blade except to heal Gideon from a serious illness, but since she sprained her wrist hauling a bucket of water from the well down the hill a few months ago, Rumple has grown cautious and protective, urging her to rest more, snapping photographs every day, prowling along the cliff to scan the horizon for hints of the sunset.

But they both know the truth. Here on the Edge of Realms, only she is subject to the passage of time.

Belle shrugs and offers her husband a reassuring smile, then heads to the kitchen to start dinner while Rumple goes outside to put a fresh coat of stain on the front deck. Her changing looks and slower steps don’t trouble her. Age is but a number and physical beauty a fleeting pleasure. Now at fifty-two, she looks like the older spouse, but Rumple is somewhere in the neighborhood of three hundred and sixty. Sometimes she teases him about being the older woman, poking his ribs and declaring that she’s robbed the cradle. He always rewards her jokes with a good-natured chuckle, but she knows deep down it frightens him, the idea of her growing older.

If Rumple is ever to be free of the dagger’s thrall, however, the fairy prophesy that led them here to the ends of the worlds demands her obedience: “When the Dark One finds Eternal Love at the Sun’s brightest set where time stops, the path will appear to where the Darkness should rest.”

She began their relationship as his servant as the ransom for her people, and someday, when she dies, she will be the ransom for him. As fulfilling as their as their life together is, her fondest wish is for Rumple to finally be free. Her earthly death is only a temporary end to their story.

Meanwhile, there’s nothing wrong with stretching out her days to ease Rumple’s mind. If he vanishes a grey or dissolves a wrinkle, what harm does it do? Before Gideon was born, she shamed him far too often for turning to his power for solutions. Now she knows better. These are the allowance you make, the grace you offer when you glimpse the reflection of forever in the eyes of someone who loves you.

He comes through the front door, smelling of leather and sweat, and her heart flips over at the sight of his precious, dimpled grin—the special smile he reserves for her alone. Even after all these years of marriage, he never fails to make her pulse skitter just by entering a room.

They sit down for dinner and while they eat and chat, she looks around the tidy Victorian cottage they built together with a satisfied smile. She’s so proud of him, of the man he’s become. There’s a softness about him now, a lightness in his step. The cold confidence of the Dark One has melted away, revealing a sensitive man who is quick with a kind word, and easy with a boyish smile. After so many years of cloaking himself in dark suits, he’s back to wearing the bright vests, flowing shirts, and form-fitting trousers he favored in the Dark Castle.

Belle isn’t complaining.

After they wash and put away the dishes, Rumple retires to his spinning wheel, and Belle settles on the sofa with a blanket and thumbs through a cookbook, looking for recipes. Tomorrow Jefferson and Grace are coming to visit, and marmalade-smothered chicken is their favorite.

Rumple shifts on his stool, and the wheel stops with a creak. When she looks at him, his gaze is moving over her again, sharp and serious. She sticks her tongue out, breaking the tension, and he laughs.

With a mischievous light in his eyes, he stands and approaches with a slow, easy stride, a lion lazily stalking its prey. She runs her teeth over her lower lip, admiring his compact thighs and the curve of his backside as he bends over the phonograph machine to start the music. His confidence falters when he faces her, and he rubs his fingers together in the nervous gesture she adores.

“May I have this dance, Mrs. Gold?” He offers his hand, his eyes ancient and soulful, and filled with so much love that she struggles for breath.

“Always.” She drops her book to the floor and clasps his warm fingers as he draws her off the sofa and into his gentle, practiced embrace. She’ll never grow tired of dancing in his arms.

He leads her in a graceful promenade, and for a few minutes they dance in comfortable silence, pressed hip-to-hip, bodies swaying softly to the music.

“Belle, I have a confession to make.” Looking abashed, he swallows hard, then fingers a lock of her hair. “I’ve been—at night while you sleep, sometimes I use the dagger. Mostly to heal you from sickness or prevent an injury, but sometimes to turn back the clock.” He bows his head. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t—”

She lifts his chin with her fingertips, and stops his excuses with a tender kiss. “Rumple, I haven’t been sick in over ten years; did you really think I didn’t know?”

His eyes widen and his cheeks flush beneath his tan. “You did?”

“Yes, and I understand.” She glides her hands up his shoulders and into his hair. “It’s all right to be afraid, darling. And it’s natural to want as many years together as possible. You’ve been worried about this for a long time, haven’t you?”

He nods miserably. “There’s nothing else the dagger is good for, except giving us more time.” He glances at the bureau where they store the blade, his voice wobbling. “The sun still hasn’t set, but tonight I realized something—you’re my constant, sweetheart. Not the sun, not the stars in the sky, you. My true north. For centuries I walked in darkness, I lost Bae, and I rotted in solitude, without any goodness to guide me. Then you came along, my flicker of light, my sunshine. I don’t ever want to forget the man you’ve helped me become.”

“And you won’t. You’re a good man with a pure heart, and a little magic doesn’t change that.” She cradles his cheek and soothes him with another kiss. “Neither one of us is perfect, Rumple, and this is my fault as much as yours. I could have made it easier by telling you I knew.”

“You trusted me to come to you when I was ready.” Still swaying to the music, he lifts her hand from his shoulder and brushes her knuckles with a kiss.

She knows how much her trust means to him, and tears prick her eyes. Oh, how far they've come. The smile they share is one of relief, and they wipe tears away from each other’s eyes, and continue the dance.

xoxo

Arm in arm, they float upstairs to their bedroom on the final sweet strains of the melody.

Rumplestiltskin’s blood boils thick with desire, but he undresses Belle with slow deliberation, stopping to look his fill, covering every bit of exposed skin with kisses. She opens her arms with a welcoming moan and he shrouds her with his body, then glides into her depths

They haven’t always been good at communicating, but this, their physical connection has always transcended words. Her response to his touch is as exuberant as when she first became his bride, and he presses tight against her, claiming her mouth with a savage hunger that both devours and begs to be consumed. Fire erupts in his veins, their joining rough and urgent, then he pours himself inside her with a shout.

He stays with her, panting against her neck while their bodies cool and their breaths slow. She brushes wetness off his cheeks, and only then does he realize he’s been crying.

“Are you all right?” Belle whispers, tightening her arms around his back.

He nods, but his lower lip trembles, and fresh tears roll down his cheeks, hot and salty. She pulls him closer still, encouraging him to weep, rocking him like she used to rock Gideon, until all the tension melts from his shoulders and he is boneless and exhausted.

Belle moves to rise, and he makes an embarrassing sound of protest, not wanting to let go.

“Shhh, I’ll be right back.” Quickly she shuts the curtains, plunging the room into blackness, and returns to him, sliding back under the covers.

He smiles wryly in the dark. There’s no need for the light outside when his eternal, blazing sun burns right here in this room.

Soon Belle falls into a pleasure-drugged slumber, and he feels sleep pulling at him, too. Contentment floods him and he croons nonsense against her ear, comforting them both. “You’ll always be my sunshine, Belle.”

Many years from now, Belle will pass from this world, and he will journey to find the guardian so he can join her forever—his sunshine, his peace. He can’t help but be grateful today is not that day. He tightens the covers around her shoulders and wraps his arms around her securely, his light, his true love, his salvation.

And he sleeps.

###

#rumbelle #rumbelle fic #rumplestiltskin x belle #post episode #fix it fic #rumbelle fix #angst with a hopeful ending #ouat 7x04 beauty #sunshine #mqc writes

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