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tiliamericana · 3 years

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Muay Thai: 1.03

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The florist down the street was a peaceful place, even if walking in the front door was a little like being punched in the nose. They had a scent pump hidden in a hanging pot by the front door—Nairi wasn’t entirely certain why they needed to spray heavy fragrance oils inside a place filled with flowers, but she’d never managed a flower shop herself. Maybe they were trying to hook pedestrians.

The college kid manning the counter waved in recognition, already turning to fetch her order from the shelf. “Back again?” he said cheerfully as she approached, setting her wrapped cuttings on the counter. “I shouldn’t really discourage repeat patronage, but you know these suckers are pretty easy to grow yourself, right?”

Nairi shrugged, handing her card over as he rung up her order. “I’m pretty bad at keeping plants alive.”

He gave her a rueful grin as he handed her the chip reader to finish the transaction. “I get that—I used to kill cactuses before I started working here. The nurseries we order from have some pretty fierce gardeners on staff though, got me sorted very quickly.”

“Mhm.”

He nodded and kept talking despite her disinterest. The Thursday morning flower rush clearly didn’t provide enough opportunities for socialization. “Yeah, they’re all local places who go all in on small seasonal batches and heritage seeds. The bigger commercial suppliers don’t really have the same kind of knowledge base, it’s very cool.”

Nairi gave him a polite smile as she pocketed her card and picked up the greenery. “I’ll take your word for it.”

“Have a great day!” he called out as she left through the flowers. She sneezed when she stepped into the fresh air outside and rubbed at her nose. Hopefully orchids would go out of fashion soon; she was rapidly coming to hate the smell.

It was a nice day, and she lingered for a moment before heading back inside the dojo. Sun streamed across the front room and she hesitated before leaving the door unlocked. She was close to her opening time anyway and if someone came in early the bell would ring. She tucked her wallet and keys into the desk drawer with the lock and crossed to the back room, leaving that door open behind her.

The second room had a viewing gallery rather than floor markings, and it was raised off the ground as a little balconette. It ran the length of the back wall with a built-in bench and was accessible by a stained wood step ladder; a very pretty feature, the real estate agent had said. Nairi had set her shrine at the far end of the balcony, on a little nook inset to the wall. It had had dividing shelves installed, probably for bags or shoes, but she’d pulled them out to make room.

She’d cleaned her vase that morning to replace the plants, filling it with clean water before she left. The kid at the florist’s hadn’t really reacted when she’d placed her weekly order for just green plants rather than anything with flowers, but she supposed she didn’t actually know what was considered ‘odd’ to buy from a florist.

Everything else was set up, so she lit the incense and knelt.

A few minutes later the bell rang. Nairi stared at the shrine in front of her for a few moments, then blinked and climbed to her feet. Halfway down the ladder someone called out her name, and her confusion only rose as she stepped onto the mats and crossed back to the front room.

The hooker from the night before, Cherry, was standing in the doorway. She was still half outside, door propped open with her hip, one hand behind her in the sunlight with a lit cigarette smoldering in her fingers. Her other hand was a bit closer to her body, probably to balance the cardboard tray with two coffee cups in it. Her expression brightened when she made eye contact with Nairi, and she smiled. “Oh, there you are! Wasn’t sure I had the right place.”

Nairi stared at her blankly. In the daylight Cherry looked like almost an entirely different person—slinky dress and soft make up gone, traded for faded and worn cutoffs and tank top with half laced docs. Her bare arms had tattoos of fire circling her wrists, tongues of flame licking up to her elbows and her clean face was rounder and freckled.

“Why are you here?” said Nairi blankly, staring at her.

Cherry grinned, juggling the cups between her elbow and shoulder very carefully. “You saved my ass and bought me dinner. I’ve been on dates that aren’t that nice, babe, I wanted to say thanks.”

She dropped the cigarette on the concrete and crushed it under the toe of her boot before stepping inside properly. The bell jingled again as the door swung shut behind her, and she blinked to adjust to the light inside before taking the few steps to close the distance between her and Nairi.

“I wasn’t sure what you liked,” she said, tugging one of the cups out of the tray and offering it to Nairi, “so I just picked the most inoffensive thing I could think of.”

Nairi took the cup after a moment and had a quick sip. Foamy, bitter coffee filled her mouth and she tried not to grimace as she swallowed. “Thanks.”

The corner of Cherry’s mouth twitched. “Not a latte kind of girl?”

Nairi winced. “I don’t drink coffee,” she admitted, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. “Sorry, it was really nice of you.”

“Can’t win ‘em all,” said Cherry, still smiling at her as she plucked the cup out of Nairi’s hand. “Do you like mochas, or teas or something?”

“Uh, I mean, tea usually, I don’t—caffeine gives me headaches—”

“Do you have some time before you open this place up?” asked Cherry, gesturing around the dojo.

“I guess, yeah, I scheduled for twelve, but no one shows up for—”

“Great!” said Cherry brightly. “C’mon, I don’t know how fancy Starbucks gets, but there’s this little posh place on the corner that looks like they’ll sneer at you for using teabags, lemme get you a pot?”

Nairi glanced at the clock over her door. There were fifteen minutes til she was scheduled to open, but, well, no one had booked or called about the noon session. “Okay,” she said after a moment.

Cherry grinned, raising the second coffee to her lips and sculling it in long gulps as Nairi slipped her shoes on. She dropped the coffee cups in Nairi’s wastepaper basket and reached out, grabbing Nairi by the wrist to tug her onto the street outside. Nairi took a second to lock up with the chain while Cherry tapped a toe impatiently, and when she turned back Cherry was watching her curiously.

“You have a problem with break ins?” she asked as Nairi stepped back next to her.

“No,” said Nairi, glancing at her. “Why do you ask?”

Cherry shrugged, hooking her hands into the back pockets of her shorts as they walked. “Heavy duty locks for this part of town, s’all. Though, I’ve lived in some pretty interesting places, and then college towns like, totally fuck with your perception of that stuff, so I’m probably not the best judge of what’s like, a ‘good area’ or whatever.”

Nairi hummed noncommittedly, keeping her gaze ahead of her. She could feel Cherry’s eyes on the side of her face and tried not to think too hard about what it was she was seeing.

The café Cherry took her to was on the other end of the street to Nairi’s building, and it was small and picturesque. It had low armchairs and beanbags dotted around the open air front space, and as it transitioned into the café proper the walls were lined with tall shelves sporting thick, coffee-table books and lush, overflowing ferns. Low chatter and the steaming of coffee machines filled the sparsely occupied room.

Cherry went straight for the counter, tugging Nairi along with her. “Hey there!” she said in a friendly tone, flashing a bright smile at the bearded young man behind the counter. “Do you guys have any like, fun teas?”

He nodded, leaning over the counter to point at the chalkboard wall with the marker he’d been turning over in his hands. “Sure do. We’ve got all of these guys, plus, you know, like English Breakfast and stuff. The Sinnamon’s new, and Rose and Shine is very popular with soda and ice as a morning mocktail.”

The other teas on the menu were called things like ‘Rooid Boi’, ‘Lemon Aid’, ‘Raspberry Remnant’, and ‘Tea Thyme’ with the ingredients listed in a nigh incomprehensible chalked cursive. Nairi stared at them blankly.

Cherry squinted at them, mouth open slightly. “….Did you just forget to write the raspberry in on that one?” she asked, pointing at ‘Raspberry Remnant’.

“It used to have raspberry leaves in the blend, but we had some issues. We liked the name, so we kept it,” he said, shrugging.

Nairi ignored the wall and turned to address the guy instead. “Do you have anything with oolong?” she tried.

He nodded, pointing at a couple of the marked teas again. “Yeah, the Roasty Posie is oolong with mixed floral overtones, and Save the Teas uses an oolong base as well. If you’re looking for a gentler caffeine experience, then Rose and Shine uses white tea.” He grinned, leaning on the counter with his elbows. “Also, we do a uh, ‘house special’ with the Serenity Chill where we add booster shots of oolong and white tea—we call it ‘Aunt Mableton’s Icicle Situation’ after our manager’s cat.”

“Good to know,” said Nairi after a moment. “I’ll have a pot of Save the Teas, I guess?”

“Sure,” he said, leaning back and pulling the cap off the marker to write it down directly on the polished steel countertop. “Can I grab anything else for you ladies?”

“Can I grab an iced mocha,” said Cherry, turning her head and pointing at the glass case. “And like… one each of the fruit muffins?”

He nodded, adding them down as Nairi tugged out her wallet to pay. Cherry smacked her hand away and handed the guy some cash in exchange for the little table number, giving Nairi a wry grin. She stuffed the change into the tip jar and tugged Nairi over to a tall table by a bookshelf.

“You didn’t have to,” said Nairi as she shifted to take a stool on the far side so that the wall was behind her.

Cherry shrugged, dropping her wallet and phone on the tabletop before sitting across from her, kicking her booted feet back up onto the stool’s brace bar. “It’d be a pretty shitty way to pay you back for dinner, making you put out for brunch as well,” she said, poking her tongue out at Nairi.

Nairi wasn’t sure what to say to that and she fiddled with a loose thread in her cuff for several long moments. Eventually it got too awkward for her to bear, and she shifted. “Makes sense.”

“Aren’t you hot in that?” asked Cherry, crossing her arms on the table in front of her. Weirdly enough the only jewellery she was wearing was a small gold cross on a chain, no rings or bracelets. If Nairi had taken a second to think about how Cherry would dress off the job, this wouldn’t have been it.

She shrugged instead of answering the question.

“No, seriously,” said Cherry, her grin twitching a little at the corners. “I know it’s still a bit windy after midnight, but it’s still July, it’s like a hundred degrees out right now! How are you in long sleeves?”

“I just prefer it,” said Nairi, shrugging again. She felt an itch in the middle of her back, right between her shoulders, the way she did when someone was staring at her. There was only wall there. She resisted the urge to turn around and check anyway. “It’s light, you know, whatever.”

Cherry looked like she was going to push a little harder, but thankfully their food arrived and cut her off. Did it still count as brunch when it was nearly noon already? Either way, Cherry was thoroughly distracted, smiling sunnily at the cheerful girl with dreads and facial piercings who set their order across the table. Nairi had been given two glasses; both thick and squat, one filled with ice in deference to the weather.

Cherry sliced open one of the muffins, blueberry, and picked up the butter dish, waggling her eyebrows at Nairi over the mason jar that contained her iced mocha. “This place is a little… more than I was expecting.”

“It’s very… lush,” said Nairi, flicking her eyes to one side to give a hanging fern a deliberate look.

Cherry stifled an ugly snort, her head ducking as she pushed the muffins towards Nairi. “At least it’s interesting,” she said, hooking a hand around her jar of coffee. “Come on, tell me how the hippie tea is.”

Nairi poured a small cup of it out and took a careful sip, raising an eyebrow. “Organic,” she said. It actually wasn’t bad; a little woody and over steeped, but she was used to that at least.

Cherry took a long sip through her straw, eyebrow arched in return as she looked at Nairi through her eyelashes, then grimaced, leaning back. “Oh, that’s soy milk and straight cacao, I think this might be a vegan place.”

“Good to know,” said Nairi, smiling a little without thinking about it as Cherry picked up her half of the blueberry muffin.

“Are you vegan?” asked Cherry, tearing the muffin into chunks. “Or do you just like veggies for tempura?”

“Just vegetarian,” said Nairi, drinking more tea. “Don’t like meat. Milk and stuff is fine.”

“Don’t like violence against animals but you’re perfectly happy doling out a little of your own in the dark of the night?” teased Cherry, washing down her bites with more mocha.

“I have the black belts, I may as well put them to good use,” said Nairi with another awkward shrug, wishing she could get comfortable.

“’Belts’, huh? You know other stuff, not just Judo?”

Nairi hummed. “Krav Maga and Muay Thai as well. Belts or rankings and colours aren’t universal in different arts, but more people know what they generally mean, so, you know. My Muay school used armbands.”

Cherry nodded, one of her legs kicking the air under her stool. “Yeah? Do you teach those too or just Judo?”

“All three. I only have real students for Judo, though.”

“What makes someone a real student?”

“Showing up?”

Cherry snorted again, her hand flying to her mouth but not quite managing to hide her grin. “You don’t pull your punches anywhere, do you?”

Nairi shrugged again, not really sure how to take that.

Cherry seemed to find it an acceptable response anyway, openly watching Nairi with a fascinated expression. “Can I ask you something weird?”

“Sure,” said Nairi. It wasn’t like she could get more uncomfortable.

“So, like, ‘Nairi’ isn’t a super common name, and you seem proficient and reasonably scary,” said Cherry, peeling the paper away from another muffin as she watched Nairi indirectly. “And like, I keep my ears to the ground you know—or, well, fuck, okay, I occasionally end up in bed or working with people who have, uh, other hobbies cops might be interested in—”

Nairi wasn’t a hundred percent certain where she was going with this, but she tensed regardless, her expression relaxing into cool neutral.

If Cherry noticed, it didn’t stop her. “—Anyway, you wouldn’t happen to be the same Nairi who scared off the guys making meth a couple of blocks from here, would you?”

…Well, that wasn’t good, but it was leagues away from the worst thing she could have said. “I think I had a conversation with them,” she said politely, eyes flicking down to watch Cherry’s hands on the tabletop. She took a moment to consider and then added: “Sorry if that’s made one of your… ‘hobbies’ more difficult for you.”

Cherry snorted again and shook her head, looking distinctly unbothered. “Nah, not for me. I have a hard enough time making rent without that shit.”

She was still smiling.

Cherry swallowed her muffin and took a more gratuitous sip of her mocha, shifting how she was leaning on the table and looking up at Nairi properly again. “So you’re like, new in town right? Don’t know a lot of people yet?”

“What gave me away?” said Nairi, blinking at her.

“Just a feeling,” said Cherry, her cheeks dimpling as she polished off her drink. She climbed to her feet, tucking her wallet away, but flipping open her phone. “Do you wanna do this again some time? Like, I mean, tomorrow even if you want. I can come by earlier so we don’t run up against your opening, or we could grab food after you close for the day?”

“I—sure?” said Nairi, her mouth answering for her while she tried to process the abrupt change of gears. “I mean, what?”

“Catching up, getting to know each other, being friendly?” said Cherry brightly, shifting a little closer to Nairi. “You’ve got your dojo to open today and I need to clock some time at my day job, but I’d love to get to know you better, show you round town, introduce to some friends, even?”

Nairi only just managed to swallow the ‘Why?’ that was about to trip off her tongue. “Okay,” she said slowly. “I’d uh, yeah I’d like that?”

“Great!” said Cherry, holding out her phone with the screen open to a ‘new contact’ entry. “What’s your number?”

#serial fiction #series honey tree #book muay thai #103 #lgbt fiction

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kellanved-ammanas · 6 years

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Trick or Treat

“You want me to what?” Spy asked, looking confused.

“Take me trick-or-treating for Halloween this year. You weren’t there to do it with me when I was kid so you got to do it now,” Scout replied with a grin as he leaned against the wall instead of sitting on Spy’s desk – he’d get yelled at if he did that again. He was too old to go trick-or-treating but he’d dreamed of doing so with his father for ages as a kid and free candy was always good no matter how old he got. There was no law saying only kids could trick-or-treat so he was going to… if Spy was down for it, it’d be no fun alone. Though he could probably get some of their other teammates to come if Spy didn’t but… Spy had promised to do father/son stuff with Scout now that their relation to each other was open between them so Scout wanted him to do this.

But Spy still looked confused. “I don’t know what that is.”

“How do you not know what trick-or-treating is?”

Spy sighed, giving Scout that look that said he’d said something Spy thought was stupid, it wasn’t as harsh as it used to be though. “I’m from France, we don’t celebrate Halloween.”

“Oh.” Halloween was Scout’s favourite holiday, someone not celebrating it was almost inconceivable to him. “You still know what Halloween is though, right?” It’d be a lot harder to explain trick-or-treating if Spy didn’t know at least a little bit.

“Yes, you dress up as monsters and throw parties and get drunk naturally.” Ah, so he only had experience with the adult side of things. Well then, he might have fun going out and getting free candy too. … Wait, did he even like candy? Scout had never seen him eat any so maybe not but… who didn’t like candy?

“There’s another thing people do too, it’s called trick-or-treating. You dress up as a monster or whatever you like and go door to door and say ‘trick-or-treat’ when they answer and then they give you free candy.”

“That sounds like a recipe for disaster.”

“It’s fun though. And uh… most of my brothers had their dads take them and stuff, you know?” Scout had always been jealous that all his older half brothers knew their dads and occasionally did stuff with them while he never got that opportunity. Now he did have that opportunity if Spy was willing to go along with it anyway.

Spy studied him, his face unreadable under the mask before sighing. “Fine, if it means that much to you, I will take you.”

“Yes! Awesome, thank you.”

Spy’s expression as he examined the customs Scout had brought for them to go trick-or-treating in come Halloween night looked like he smelled something foul. In hindsight Scout should’ve expected such, this was Spy after all, pleasing him seemed nigh on impossible at times.

“What’s wrong with them?” Scout asked with a sigh. He thought they looked cool, one was a vampire, the other a skeleton. And unlike when he’d been growing up he’d had the money to buy them himself, so they weren’t hand-me-downs or sheet ghosts.

“They’re cheap,” Spy said as if that were the most disgusting of bad qualities. “They simply will not do.” He waved his hand in dismissive gesture as he turned away. “If we have to dress up for this trick-or-treating thing then let me handle the costumes.”

“Uh… okay.” Good thing Scout had kept the receipt.

“It looks badass, let me try it on.” Scout reached for the costume Spy had lain out on his coffee table for Scout to see. It was a nice suit but what really caught Scout’s eye was the full body cape, it was a vampire cape, the kind only seen in movies.

“No,” Spy said, grabbing his wrist. “I only want you wearing it for the shortest amount of time possible.”

“Ah, come on Dad, it looks cool.” Calling him ‘Dad’ often ended with Scout getting his way. Not this time apparently though as Spy continued to frown at him.

“No and if you damage it during the time I do let you wear it I’ll break every bone in your body and never let you touch any of my things again.”

“Uh… got it. I’ll be super careful with it, promise.” The first part was probably an empty threat but Scout didn’t want to risk it or not being allowed to touch Spy’s things.

“Good.” Spy nodded his affirmation as he pulled out a cigarette.

“What are you going to go as though?”

Spy shrugged. “I have not decided yet.”

“It’s next week though so you got to decide fast. And it’s got to be something cool so no fairy princess shit.”

Spy let out an exasperated sigh. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

***

Spy would be lying to himself if he didn’t admit that watching Scout run around the room at top speed so the cloak Spy had lent him flew out behind him was endearing. How he had so much energy was beyond Spy though, when Spy had been his age he hadn’t been nearly as wild and he doubted Scout’s Mom had been.

“Remember if you damage it you are going to pay for it,” Spy said loud enough to break through to Scout.

Scout stopped, not even breathing hard. “Yeah, yeah, I know, don’t worry, it’ll be fine. It’s cool though, I look badass.” He grabbed the edges of the cape and pulled them out and above above his head, making it splay out like wings behind him. “It’s soft too and smells nice.”

“Yes, yes, can we go now?” Spy had dressed up too. He’d strongly considered dressing up in something that would embarrass Scout, meaning something silly, but this was their first Halloween together and Scout was excited for it so Spy would embarrass him in some other way later. Instead he put on a different coloured suit and a masquerade mask, wearing his normal mask underneath just in case. Scout had expressed disappointment with it until Spy had distracted by letting him put on his costume. “The sooner we start the sooner we can get this over with.”

“Yes, let’s go get free candy.” Scout grabbed the pillowcase he’d brought with him into Spy’s quarters – hopefully he’d at least washed it before deciding to use it like this, knowing him though it was unlikely – and headed back out. Spy had to fast walk to keep up with him.

Outside the base’s minivan was already out of the garage and the rest of the team was crowding around it. Everyone except for Sniper was heading to town to do Halloween stuff, namely getting drunk or going to parties. Which is what Spy used to think Halloween was all about since he’d never participated in it before, often choosing to hang out alone or occasionally with Sniper while everyone else took the given time off to goof off in town.

They all wore Halloween costumes. Pyro was dressed as a pink pony over his seemingly ever-present fireproof suit. Engie wore cat ears and nothing else special, lazy bum. Demoman was dressed as a pirate, not a costume he wore only on Halloween though so did it really count? Solider was decked out in American flag stuff, which was hardly a costume at all but not much more could be expected from him. Medic and Heavy had a Frankenstein theme going on, who even knew what they’d be up to in town?

Thankfully not much talk was exchanged before they all piled in. It was a tight uncomfortable squeeze but the drive wasn’t long.

It seemed the entirety of Tuefort decorated for Halloween. ‘Spooky’ stuff was everywhere, it was almost as bad as Christmas time except the decorations were tackier. Scout was hyped about it though from the moment they were out of the car, he yammered about Halloween stuff, his Boston accent thickening to near incomprehensibility as it often did when he got too excited – or drank too much coffee. As a result, Spy understood maybe one in every three words or so and he wasn’t given any time to interject so he resigned himself to just riding it out.

He kept an eye on their surroundings out of habit. Most of the rest of the trick-or-treaters were young people, a lot of kids and some teenagers. As suspected Scout was too old for this but the vast majority had at least one parent with them and Spy hadn’t been there to do this with Scout when he was the proper age so he’d humor him this year at least. With how loud and obnoxious Scout was he could probably be mistaken for a teenage anyway, as long as no one looked too closely or recognized him.

Scout approached the first house with Spy a step or two behind him. He rung the doorbell and an older lady answered it. “Trick-or-Treat,” he said, holding his pillow case open. She gave him an odd look before shrugging and dropping a small handful of candy into his bag from a large bowl by the door.

“See? Free candy,” Scout said as they moved back. “I’ll share some of it with you if you want.”

“No thanks.” Spy had tried American candy before and was not a fan. “Make sure none of it has been opened before you eat it.” It wasn’t likely anyone would poison candy intended for children but it was still a possibility.

“Yeah, I know.”

They continued on like that, if anyone had a problem with an adult taking advantage of the holiday to get free candy no one said anything. Aside from the garishness of the decorations and some of the costumes, it wasn’t too bad. If Spy had been alone he’d have been basically invisible, despite being out in the open no one paid him any mind. No one even paid much attention to Scout, he wasn’t the only loud person on the streets tonight and considering the fact that he was sober he wasn’t the worst of them either.

He talked at Spy between houses about Halloween stuff, movies, traditions, things he’d done during the holiday in the past, such as pulling pranks – sometimes kind of cruel – on his brothers or neighbours or pranks that had been pulled on him, often not nice ones from his brothers. A bit calmer, he was easier to understand. Though he still rarely gave Spy and opportunity to reply. Whatever though as long as he was happy Spy didn’t really care. And well, since he hadn’t been there, he was interested by the tales of Scout’s childhood.

At the speed he had them walking and the amount of houses that gave out candy here – apparently a lot compared to where Scout grew up in Boston – it wasn’t too long before Scout’s pillowcase was filled with candy. It was almost midnight too and the number of trick-or-treaters had thinned significantly. Meaning it was time to stop.

“You sure you don’t want some?” Scout asked. They were sitting on a park bench near where the car was parked and he was already stuffing his face with candy.

“I’m sure,” Spy replied. He was tired and wanted to go home. This outing hadn’t been as bad as it could’ve been but he was ready for it to be done now.

They sat there and waited for the others to show up. Scout was now too busy sorting through and eating candy to chat much, meaning they sat in silence. Spy was more than fine with that but he wished he’d brought a pack of cigarettes with him, he could use one right about now.

“Howdy partners.”

Spy looked up and over to see their teammates finally approaching – minus Sniper of course. Engie was walking in front, holding a hand up in greeting. Heavy walked behind him, Medic either passed out or asleep in his arms. Pyro walked with Demoman, righting him whenever he staggered too far in one direction or another as he continued to drink despite the fact he’d clearly had more than enough already, he was going to drink himself to death if this continued. And Soldier took up the rear, marching as if he were in a parade, typical.

“What happened to Medic?” Scout asked as they stood up.

“Drunk too much,” Heavy said with a shrug. “He’ll be grouch tomorrow so watch out.”

“You guys have fun?” Engie asked after peeking back over his shoulder to check on Demo and Pyro.

“Yeah, look at how much free candy we got.” Scout proudly held up the pillow case. Most of it was probably cheap and low quality, not that Scout would care.

“Let’s go, I have stuff I need to do tomorrow before we go back to fighting the next day,” Spy said. “I’ll drive.” He held out a hand towards Engie and Engie obediently tossed him the keys, meaning as suspected, he’d been drinking too even if it was nowhere near as much as the others.

“Shotgun.” Scout took off towards the car, running at top speed. Spy could only sigh and shake his head before following him, going much more slowly. Scout would just have to stand there, waiting for however long it took the rest of them to reach the car too.

The drive back was uneventful other than Demoman finally passing out halfway through. It was past one the morning before they finally arrived back at the base. Spy parked in the garage and they all unloaded and went their separate ways to go to their rooms.

“Hey uh… Spy, Dad,” Scout interrupted Spy before he could head into his rooms.

“Yeah?” Spy turned back to face him.

“Thanks for uh… humoring me tonight. I know it’s not really your thing and all but… it’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time, I… really appreciate it.” Rubbing the back of his neck, not once did Scout look up to meet Spy’s eyes. Which was probably for the best, Spy didn’t know how to react and his unsureness undoubtedly showed in his eyes before he got his expression under control again.

“You are very welcome.” He hadn’t had fun but… it didn’t matter as long as Scout did.

“And I didn’t tear your cloak.” Scout grinned, looking up but still not meeting Spy’s gaze. They were both bad at this whole family thing, huh? At least they were trying though, right? “I suppose you probably want it back now huh?”

“No, you can keep it.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really.” Spy had no real use for it and he could easily buy another if the need ever arose.

“Awesome. You’re the best, Dad. But I’ll let you go to bed now, I know you old people need your sleep.” Scout zoomed off down the hall, holding the cape up to make it flutter behind him.

Spy stared after him, grateful he’d been in a rush to leave, not even offended by the comment about him being old – it was true anyway. Scout of course hadn’t meant the other part like that, Spy was not and never would the best dad. It had just been a phrase, nothing more, but… it was nice to hear anyway.

He groaned at himself and he unlocked his door and stepped in. He was getting sappy in his old age. He should maybe stop and hardened up but… who cared? His son was an effective mercenary, he could take care of himself, so they could be family without much worry. Which was what they both wanted anyway so why fight it?

#Team Fortress 2 #TF2 #Fluff #Halloween Fluff #Halloween #Trick or Treating #Scout/Spy #Father/Son Bonding #Spy is a good dad for once #SpyDad

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minijenn · 6 years

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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

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“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

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letdecemberburninflames · 7 years

Text

Boys Will be Boys

Peter Pan x Mermaid!Reader | Part 6

Summary: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 7

Fic Type: Peter Pan x Mermaid!Reader Series

Warnings: Idk... None I think.

Author’s Note: As always, comment or message me to be added to the tag list. Constructive criticism is always appreciated.

I got the idea for this chapter from another imagine I saw somewhere else on Tumblr (and/or possibly Wattpad)... I can’t remember what it’s called and I can’t find it. If you know, please let me know so I can give credit.

Escaping Neverland was nearly impossible. Anyone with half a brain could tell you that. No one but the mermaids, who could travel across realms, could leave. And that was exactly what Y/N was counting on. However, the journey could cost her life. Was that a risk she was willing to take? Was she willing to give her life for her freedom? Anything to get off this damned island.

Y/N leaned back against the tree trunk. She was a good ways off the ground, and beneath her by the bonfire some of the older lost boys were talking, oblivious to her presence. She abandoned her plans for the time being to listen in on their conversation.

James’ voice floated upwards. “She’s alright though, isn’t she?” “Yeah, I mean, it’s not like I’ve actually seen a girl since I’ve been here, but she is pretty.” That was Owen. “I know right, I mean what I wouldn’t do to hit that.” Rufio chuckled lowly. “I would have her.” “Shut up! If anyone were to ‘have’ her, it’d be me. She is mine.” Devin argued defensively. “Yeah, like that’ll last!” “Uh, obviously it will.” The lost boys continued to argue while Y/N sat in the boughs of the trees, shaking her head. And they were all fighting over her. Men were so… Childish. They talked as if she was an object, something to be owned and controlled. It was ironic, seeing as how usually mermaids were the ones controlling men. In truth, though, none of them particularly struck her but Devin. Felix was alright: he was tall and muscular. He, for the most part, was calm and quiet, watching and listening. He knew more than he let on, was shifty and clever. But he would on occasions turn dark, and all the things that brewed beneath the surface would burst out in fits of violence. Once when Owen asked about his family, Felix flipped out, beating the kid to within an inch of his life.

James was just plain stupid. He was always doing things that nearly got him killed. Jumping off things, throwing backflips, and doing anything and everything anyone told him he couldn’t or shouldn’t do. Anything. Dares were just a game to him, as if his life (or anyone else’s for that matter) weren’t worth anything more than a good laugh. So what about Rufio? Yeah, no, he wasn’t even going to make the list at all. Sure he had big arms and could run faster than any of the others, but he was always the one to get himself hurt doing nothing and he was always the one who refused to shut up, even when everyone else was trying to sleep. The guy was never silent and always restless. His limitless energy became irritating, especially when he decided to wake everyone up for a round of hide and seek in the middle of the night. Owen? He was sweet and cute; he made her laugh when she needed it and he didn’t constantly want to fight, like the other boys. But that said, he couldn’t actually fight, and the kid was about as strong as a limp daisy. However, he was light on his feet, and quick too. He could climb trees and jump from limb to limb as agilely as if he was a squirrel. None of the lost boys particularly appealed to Y/N except Devin, who had his own flaws that she overlooked for the sake of his companionship. His main problem was that he was arrogant, and infuriatingly so. He thought he knew everything, and had an unshakable God complex. “What are you talking about, boys?” Y/N heard a new -but instantly recognizable- voice come into the conversation. Pan. The conversation suddenly clipped to a new level of interesting. She shifted in her spot so she could watch the boys beneath her. “Oh, hey there, Peter.” Devin greeted the boy king of the island with nervous causality.

Rufio nodded. “We were just talking ‘bout Y/N. She is pretty, isn’t she?” There was heavy pause, in which an awkward feeling that was weighted with a strange energy settled in the air. Y/N frowned. Not being able to see Pan’s face, she didn’t notice the scowl that was twisting itself onto his features over Rufio’s remark about her. “That’s who you’re talking about?” He asked, his voice oddly quiet. Neverland seemed to pause, as if waiting for their response. Devin faltered but, being the idiot he was, didn’t realise that that was the perfect moment to shut up. “Yeah, I mean, you see that she’s hot, right? I would seriously hit that, do you reckon she’d be up for it? Well, if I snuck her a sleeping poppy, it wouldn’t matter would it?” He joked, laughing loudly.

A couple of the other boys nodded in agreement, nervous smiles on their faces. They had tried to dissipate the awkward atmosphere. It didn’t work. Bastards, Y/N thought bitterly to herself, making a mental note to be wary around the poppies. “What the hell is wrong with you?!” Pan suddenly bellowed, the feeling in the air shifted. The heavy feeling in the air ignited with a intense fire.

Y/N raised her eyebrows. Twisting around in the branches, she could see his face now and a shiver of fear shot down her spine. Never before had she seen so much anger surround a person. His eyes glowed with a tangible and zealous fire, his feelings on the subject now obvious. Devin was practically done for. Pan’s eyes were dark with anger, his fists clenched and jaw set. An imposing aura radiated off of him that even Y/N could sense from far above. Devin was struggling to comprehend the change in the situation and stuttered. “Umm, well, I- err.”

The other boys, entranced by the wrathful atmosphere, watched in terror. No one wanted to be Pan’s victim, especially when he was in such a dangerous mood. In one swift movement, Pan had Devin by the neck. Gasping for breath, Devin clutched the hand that held his writhing figure just above the forest floor and begged him to release him in a strangled and nigh incomprehensible voice. Y/N gasped in shock. Unfortunately, just loud enough for Pan to hear. He looked up upon hearing Y/N’s voice from above, and searched for her face through the branches. He dropped Devin, who was gasping for breath, and cocked his head towards the canopy of leaves. “Y/N?” Pan called hesitantly.

There were more than a few hard swallows and nervous coughs when the lost boys heard Pan. If Y/N really was up in the tree and had heard everything they’d said… There’d be hell to pay. She shifted in the tree, praying that Pan wouldn’t spot her. Her attempts to stay hidden proved useless, however, when she lost her balance and fell. She crashed through branches, grasping for something to break her fall. Over fifteen feet gave her enough time for the split thought of I’m going to break at least a rib, and there aren’t even any hospitals. Which was an odd thought because 1) she had never been to a hospital, never even seen one, 2) they were on a bloody island, of course there was no hospitals, and 3) she should probably be more worried about how Devin was going to react to finding out she was listening in on his conversation.

She fell down, down, down… into someone’s arms? “I- um, I-” She stammered uselessly as she found herself in Peter Pan’s grip.

Pan was shot with a sense of déjà vu as he held Y/N in his arms. A sunny day, saltwater licking the rocky shore, a girl in his arms, eyes filled with panic. The day he found her on Skull Rock. Gingerly, he set her back on her feet.

The lost boys saw their opportunity, and wisely turned tail and fled into the forest. The further away from Pan, Y/N, and Devin, the better.

Y/N stared at him, jaw set, trying to regain her composure, but she couldn’t keep the confusion out of her eyes. He could have just as easily let her fall. So why did he catch her? “Thank you.” She whispered when Pan set her down. She dismissed herself quickly, leaving the campsite to clear her head.

Devin didn’t fail to notice the exchange of glances between the two, and as he followed Y/N, he brushed past Pan, murmuring a threat. “Go anywhere near her, and I’ll kill her.”

---

Devin perched on a rock at the edge of the small tarn, watching a streamlined form with a glistening tail swim just beneath the surface. “Y/N, I was just joking-”

“I’m not mad at you, Devin.” Y/N surfaced, pressing water from her hair. A swim always helped cleanse her mind. “I basically lived on a ship as a kid. I grew up around men, I know how they think. Though I do find it quite funny that I keep having to save you from Pan.” She looked up at him, a smug grin playing on her face.

“Hilarious.” Devin rolled his sea-green eyes. “Let’s not forget who broke you out of your cage.” He leaned back, basking in the warm sun.

“Well, if we are going to go back that far, then let’s not forget who’s fault it was that I was in that cage in the first place, hm?” Y/N pulled herself up out of the water, and lay next to him, pulling her cloak around her shoulders from the stack of clothing next to her.

“Certainly not mine.” Devin rolled over on his side so he could talk to Y/N. “It was Pan’s. He brought you here.”

Y/N sighed, shaking her head. “I didn’t decide to come here. I washed up on shore, and Pan won’t let me leave.”

“Why?” Devin pulled her closer to him, letting his chin rest on her head. “Don’t you like it here?” He asked quietly, tracing circles on her back.

“No, Devin. I don’t. I want to leave. To go back...” She murmured against his chest.

“Back where? What could possibly be better than Neverland?”

Y/N let out a long sigh. “I can leave, you know. Swim away. I want to.” She sat up suddenly. “You should come with me! Devin, we can leave. Go somewhere without Peter. I can show you the pier, and my father’s ship, and town, and-”

“C’mon, you really want to leave?” Devin asked irritably.

“Yes, of course. Don’t you?”

Devin shook his head. “Where I came from- Well, let’s jus’ say I’m lucky Pan took me. I don’t plan on leaving anytime soon.”

The sound of footsteps attracted the couple’s attention, as a young, copper-skinned, dark-haired boy ran up to the beach of the pond. “Y/N and Devin, Peter’s called for everyone to return for dinner!” He shouted across the water.

“Alright, thank you, Parker!” Y/N called back. “I suppose we should go back.” She sighed, watching the water glisten in the light. She’d rather to be anywhere but in Pan’s presence.

Tag List: @masters-madness @truestbeliever28 @dreamsandtropics @gunnergirl117@sarcastichater @myfandomismyreality @sneakered-salamanders

#Peter Pan #peter pan imagine #peter pan oneshot #peter pan x reader #robbie kay x reader #Robbie Kay #ouat peter pan #ouat peter imagine

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talesofzestiria-r · 7 years

Text

Script: Elysia, Home of the Seraphim

Part 2 - Elysia, Home of the Seraphim

Download as PDF: click

For the complete list of skits, refer to this post: Skit List

For the overview of the whole script, click here: Script

If you find any mistakes or have questions, don’t hesitate to contact me.

S = Sorey

M = Mikleo

A = Alisha

Z = Zenrus

(Arrival at Elysia)

M: I'll go report this to Gramps.

S: Guess we can't keep quiet about all this.

M: Coming by afterwards?

S: Yeah.

Hey everyone, got someone to introduce to you!

(All seraphims of the town are gathering, but A can't see them)

S: This is my family living here at the shrine.

A: Is this... Uh... Some kind of perfomance piece?

S: uh, it's nothing. Don't worry about it.

A: You're an odd duck, you know that?

S: I guess?

That's my house. You go ahead and rest. I've got something to take care of.

A: May I have a look around the village?

S: Well, sure. But don't cause trouble!

A: Of course not. I'll behave as if I were in a shrine to the seraphim.

S: Yeah, exactly!

A: I'll try not to make any waves.

S: Oh man. I sure hope Mikleo's chat with Gramps went over well.

(S enters Z's house)

M: And I'll let you hear the rest from Sorey himself.

Z: I reckon I'll have to.

You idiots!

S: Hi Gramps... I'm back.

Z: How could you bring a human into our domain?!

M: Easy, Gramps. Didn't you say you'd listen to Sorey's side of the story too?

Z: That's just what I'm about to do!

You know full well the rules, Sorey. How could you break them like this?

S: I'm sorry Gramps. But I couldn't just leave her there.

Z: Her kind is sure to bring nothing but trouble to our domain!

S: But I'm „her kind“ too, you know.

Z: You were raised aloung with our kind, which nurtured in you the ability to perceive us and converse with us. Normal humans have no such capacity. You should understand that more than anyone else!

S: Well, it is true. She doesn't appear to have any resonance.

M: But Gramps, this is the first time Sorey's ever met a fellow human.

Z: Perhaps. But if she can't see or hear the same things we do, she has no business in this realm.

S & M: …

Z: I have raised both of you as my own since you were but babes, all the while doing my best to protect this land.

S: And for that I am grateful.

Z: And I did that because the time draws near when you will both serve to protect this shrine, just as all the oterhs have done. Our priority is the peace of Elysia. Any intruders, no matter how harmless, must be cast out.

S: Yes...

Z: Then it's time she left.

S: Can we at least give her time to prepare for her depature?

Z: Hmph... Just make it quick.

S: Thank you.

M: Gramps?

Z: I know, I know Mikleo.

He means well, in all things.

But that's the very reason I'm so worried for him.

(S enters his house)

M: Hey.

(M gives S the glove of the Shepherd)

M: Here's that thing I found in the ruins.

S: Oh?

Is this crest what I think it is?

M: Yup. This is the mark of the Shepherd.

S: I knew it!

The chosen one who communicates with the seraphim, controlling their incredible powers as if they were his own...

The „Shepherd“. Hah hah!

M: Sound like your kinda thing?

S: Maybe.

M: I always thought that mankind's savior would actually look a bit more imposing.

S: Be silent, seraph-beast!

M: I shall not.

S: Hmm.

M: Excavated relics aren't play-toys.

S: True.

M: She certainly is taking her time.

S: I'll see what's up.

(S goes outside and meets A)

A: Hmmm...

S: Enjoy yourself?

A: I sure did. But it's weird, I felt like I was being watched the whole time.

(stomach growling)

A: Ah...

S: Shall we eat?

A: I'm sorry. I feel like I'm going to faint!

S: Let's head to my place!

(On the way to the house)

Gosh, I hope we didn't worry him.

A: Hm?

S: Oh, uh... nothing.

Welcome in.

(Both are eating, A seems absentminding)

S: Hey.

A: Hm?

S: So then, what's your hometown like?

A: Well, I'm from the capital, Ladylake, in the Kingdom of Hyland.

S: Ladylake? Like in the legend of the Sacred Blade?

A: You've heard of it?

S: It was in the Celestial Record!

The legend says the Lady of the Lake guards the Sacred Blade, and the one who draws it becomes the Shepherd, right?

A: Yes. It was a lively and bustling town blessed with bountiful water, rich in festivals and fine drink.

S: Wait... „was“?

A: Well, it used to be.

S: Things must be hard for folks in the world below.

A: Below?

S: The land that lies beneath the mountaintops. I've never left home before.

A: You've always lived here by yourself?

Sounds to me like you're the one who's had it rough.

S: Heh heh.

Oh, let me help you get ready for your return trip tomorrow!

You need anything? Bread, rations? Stuff like that?

A: That'd be great! If you have any tools or a sleeping bag, it'd be great too.

S: Gotcha. Well then, first we'll need to do some hunting! I'll be your guide tomorrow.

A: Thank you so much for everything.

(next day, outside of the house)

M: Good morning.

S: Good mornin'.

Seraph: Come on, hurry it up, Mikleo! We ain't got time to mess around!

M: Yeah, I'll leave in a moment.

Gramps gave me all kind of things to take care of. I'm gonna be pretty swamped for a while.

S: Bummer. Well, don't you worry about me at least.

M: Sorey, Gramps only wants--

S: Yeah, I know.

Seraphim: Mikleo!

M: Maybe later.

S: Sure.

(To A) Good morning! You sleep okay?

A: Yeah, like a log! Been ages since I've done that.

S: Allright then. Shall we?

The prickleboars lurk to the left of the entry gate. It's an ideal hunting place.

A: Got it.

→ Skit/ Discovery Point: Elysalark Fledglings

S: Oh hey! There's no baby elysalarks in the nest anymore. I remember when one of 'em fell from the nest, I was gonna keep it and raise it, but Gramps wouldn't let me.

„A kept bird will never learn to fly“, he said. „Put it back.“

Guess you made it out of the nest on your own, huh?

→ Skit/ Discovery Point: The Elysian Goat

A: Such robust horns... Just like the dragons of legend.

S: Hahaha! What, like in fairy tales? You're something else.

A: Don't go near it! There's no telling how dangerous untamed beasts like those are.

S: Aw, don't worry, we're friends! Uh, well mostly. They did kick me four or five times when I was little.

A: You're... „friends“?

S: Yup! Sometimes they give me milk, and I make cheese and yogurt with everyone.

A: The mark of true friendship.

S: Yeah, it's the best!

(Seeing a monster)

S: There's a prickleboar.

A: So that's one, huh.

S: Their meat is easy to preserve when smoked, and super tasty! And the skin has all kind of uses too.

A: I almost feel sorry for it.

S: Wanna leave?

A: No. My spirit is prepared. Besides, I can't get this sort of experience back home!

S: Okay. Here we go!

S: hey, pretty smooth moves!

A: Thank you. You're rather capable yourself.

S: Okay! Guess we need a few more.

A: I don't see any around.

S: You'll find them if you look.

S: Hey, how far is it to Ladylake?

A: Let's see. I expect about to or three days.

S: Really? I had no idea it was so close!

A: But the forest at the base of the mountain is surprisingly easy to get lost in.

S: Must be the power of Gramps domain.

→ Skit: Battling the Prickleboars

A: Sorey, your sword technique is... eclectic.

Which school are you from?

S: Which school?

A: Yes. Isn't there a name signifying the style? Your swordmaster's name, perhaps.

S: Hmmmm.... I guess mine would have to be the „prickleboar school“!

A: Prickleboar school?

S: For me, it was food. For prickleboars, it was survival. Everyday, me and them, a neverending life-or-deat struggle.

A: You really are a child of nature, aren't you.

S: But it was those days that taught me how to fight.

There's no better teacher—no more exacting taskmaster—than the humble prickleboar!

A: Thus, prickleboar school.

S: You got it!

But I guess I should say „tuskmaster“.

A: Heh.

(Inside the house)

A: Sorey?

S: Oh, did I wake you? Sorry 'bout that.

A: You're sure into that book, aren't you.

S: I've read it countless times since my childhood.

A: One day, I want to explore ruins all over the world.

Everyone who's read the Celestial Record says that, and I'm no exception.

But sadly, now is not the time for some jaunt around the world.

For several years now, the world has been plunged into a nigh-incomprehensible state of chaos.

S: Chaos?

A: Mysterious illnesses, incessant storms, people bursting into flames...

There are those that say even the dead have begun to walk the earth again.

S: Woah, hang on. What are you talking about?

A: You don't believe me? Or you think this is a joke?

S: No, I...

A: The situation is beyond grave.

S: Huh?

A: The chaos has caused abnormal climate changes all over the world.

As a result, we are on the verge of endureing widespread crop death, famine, and starvation.And worst of all are the rumors of governments planning to replenish their dwindling resources through war. It mustn't come to that.

S: Can nothing be done?

A: Who knows. There's nothing to hang onto but legends.

S: Which is why you---

Nevermind. I won't ask.

I think I'm gonna just hit the hay here myself. Sleep well.

(next day)

A: Good morning.

S: Good morning! You ready to get to work? We gotta make those rations and bags from the prickleboars we hunted yesterday.

A: You got it.

S: Heh heh. Afraid it isn't exactly super fun, though!

A: Well, let me know when you're ready to start.

So, what do you need me to do?

(all things are sewn)

A: Sorry for putting you to work like this.

S: Oh, I'm pretty used to it.

A: With your help, I'll be able to leave tomorrow. Thanks so much.

S: Yeah? Great. Well, better rest up for tomorrow.

I ought to let Gramps know.

(S outside, alone)

S: Wish I'd asked her more about the world below.

(S in Z's house)

S: Hey, Gramps. She says she's leaving tomorrow.

Z: I see. We'll all be sure to see her off. After all, one must always be hospitable to one's guests.

S: Thanks!

(next day, entry of Elysia)

A: I really owe you. Thank you so much.

S: You gonna be okay by yourself?

A: I cannot cause more trouble for you than I already have.

S: I see.

(A sighs)

S: You'll be fine. Just follow that map and you'll get through the forest with no problems.

A: Oh, it's not that. I believe you.

Alisha.

S: Huh?

A: That's my name. Alisha Diphda.

S: Alisha?

A: You didn't even know who I was, and you helped me without asking anything in return.

Whereas I thought only of myself, leaving you without even a name by which to call me... As a knight, I am ashamed. Please find it in your heart to forgive me.

S: I-it's okay.

A: I must confess something to you.

S: Hm?

A: I know this sounds strange, but I believe that the seraphim really do exist.

The myths and legends that are preserved in the Celestial Record must be more than mere fairy tales.

S: Yeah.

A: This crisis that has befallen our world...

I believe that only the one spoken of in the ancient legends can truly restore order.

S: The Shepherd you mean.

A: You're not going to ridicule me? Everyone back in town does.

S: Of course not.

A: You're a real saint, you know that?

The Sacred Blad Festival is soon to commence in Ladylake.

A trial will be held based on the legend of the Shepherd's sword.

A trial I think you might be interested in.

S: Me?

A: Time to go.

But please, give it some serious thought when you have the time.

S: How come?

A: The Shepherd I see in my mind when I read the legends...

I have to say, he reminds me a lot of you.

S: …

(M gives S a dagger)

S: What's this?

M: Gramps asked me to go out search the ruins and find some clues about that girl. I've been down there looking.

S: So wait, this is Alisha's?

M: This is the crest of Hyland.

I don't think this „Alisha“ is any ordinary knight.

Z: I know this is diffucult for you, but it really is for the best.

M: Gramps?

Z: Hmm... Someone has infiltrated my domain.

Blast and damnation! Hiding your presence, are you? Crafty bugger!

Everyone, be warned! There is an intruder in our realm! Find them!

They've concealed their presence, so chance are good it's a hellion! Search with extreme caution!

S: We'll go, too.

Z: Very well. If it is a hellion, quick measures must be taken. I'm counting on you.

Seraphim: I have a hunch we'll find it around the forest.

S: Good idea.

(In the ruins)

Aaaaaaaaaaaaah!

(Lunarre (L) eats Mason (Seraphim))

S: Mason?!

L: How odd. I didn't expect to find anything but the main course here...

But now there's two more side dishes!

M: What on earth is this thing? Is this the hellion?

This is not the place for one such as you! Leave at once!

L: Hee hee hee heee!

Impudent brat.

I can smell the fear wafting off of you. Thos tender arms, trying to conceal their shivers...

(L steckt S in Brand, M löscht) (L sets S on fire, M extinguishes)

S: Urgh!

M: Sorey!

L: Mmm, aren't you a succulent treat.

M: What?!

L: Did I stutter?

I'm saying I'm going to eat you!

S: As if! I can take you! Prepare to meet your doom, hellion!

(after the fight)

M: All talk, aren't you.

S: Still haven't had enough yet?

M: Begone!

(L eats Mason completely)

S: Ah!

M: Mason!

S: He... He ate Mason!

M: Is... Is this what hellions are capable of?

(Z and all other seraphim of the town appear)

Z: Away with you, evil being!

Seraphim: Or you wanna take us all on at once?

L: Hmph. I shouldn't be snacking anyway. Not when the main course is getting away.

(L is gone)

S: Mason...

(Everyone is shocked)

Z: We can handle the rest.

M: Gramps. That fox-looking thing... Was that really a hellion?

They can talk to us?

Z: Yes. That's the form of a human who has become a hellion. Corrupted, essentially.

S: Humans can become hellions?

Z: Now, it's time you went back home and rest.

M: We should. C'mon... Let's head back.

S: Right.

(S and M are out of hearing distance)

Z: So... It begins anew.

(House of S)

S: … What on earth did it come here to do?

(Backflash)

L: How odd. I didn't expect to find anything but the main course here...

Not when the main course is getting away.

S: Wait a minute. Was it going after... her?

(Backflash end, S packs his things and wants to leave Elysia)

S: They'll probably freak out with me gone suddenly...

Sorry, everyone!

(S looks back)

Okay.

M: Oh?

S: Woah, Mikleo! Why are you here?

M: Thought I'd let you duck out of here?

S: Well...

M: I'm going too.

S: Seriously?

M: We can talk more while we travel. We don't have time.

But from what the fox man said, it's fair to assume that he's after Alisha.

S: You picked up on that too, huh?

M: Of course. Now, let's hurry.

S: Hey.

M: What? What's gotten into you all of a sudden?

S: I'm just really happy you came with me!

M: I couldn't let you navigate the world of humans alone. Not as guileless as you are.

S: I bet Gramps is mad though.

M: He was ready for it, in a way. He knew you'd leave someday.

S: Hey, I'm just stepping out for a bit, I'll see him again.

M: Gramps has always known.

That once you left, you'd live the rest of your days with humans.

(M gives S the pipe from Z)

S: Is this from Gramps?

M: We'll need money to get by in human society. He said to sell that if we're ever in a bind.

And there's a message for you as well.

„Walk the path you believe in and live your life to the fullest, and I know you will not go astray.“

That's what he said.

(S hugs the pipe)

S: Let's go!

(M and S see the outside world for the first time)

M: Incredible!

By themselves, people are such frail things. That is why, in times of calamity, they pray for a Shepherd to save them.

S: Woah! This is really it! This is our world!

The era later known as the „Age of Chaos“ gave birth to a new Shepherd. This... Is his story.

#tales of #tales of zestiria #tales of zestiria r #toz #sorey #mikleo #script #alisha #story #scenario #elysia

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tiliamericana · 3 years

Text

Muay Thai 1.02