#and now I must find that fanfic that's prolly 10000x better than this

[wackybuddiemewbs]

Buddie Moodboard - Stardust AU

To send this much ahead: It's another moodboard no one asked for, yet here we are. And I've been officially (as per this post's reply) enabled by @justsmilestuffhappens, so any complaints can go straight (hehe, straight with those two dorks from that weewoo show...) there.

A fallen star may be a common happenstance for many people, but those who know of the magic all around us will tell you that a star is more than a light in the sky. And they will also tell you that there are many people who'd a great many things to obtain a fallen star.

In his hometown Wall, Eddie readies himself for the next battle after his return from the war. His wife left Wall. He only found a letter, telling him that she cannot be with him anymore, after he ran away from his duties to play soldier, leaving her to fend for herself. Not even catching a fallen star would help that matter, as she writes.

Eddie is willing to put that to the test. After seeing a star fall, he sets his mind to bring it to Shannon. His grandmother gave him some Babylonian candles that could take him right to the star and then to Shannon. But only once he passes the wall of Wall, which gave it its name, by the way.

Unfortunately, he is not familiar with the workings of those candles, so almost all the candle is gone when he lights it to transport to the star. Even worse so, the star is not at all what he assumed it to be, proving hard to be stuffed into a pocket: It's a man who makes his discontent about his situation known. Loudly. Not quite what Eddie envisioned a star to act like. Not that he had any reason to think stars had a way of acting to begin with. He thought they were just stones of precious metal.

So much to that.

Be it as it may, the star calling himself "Buck" expresses no concern whatsoever for Eddie's perils, arguing that he has better to do than help him "win back a woman who's likely gotten lucky, staying clear of such a mule for a husband." Eddie uses a magical rope his grandmother also gave him to tie Buck to him. After all, too much is at stake. Buck can laugh about it all he wants, Eddie does not care. He will deliver that fallen star to his wife.

At the same time, some other place on the other side of the wall, an evil Witcher awakes from his slumber, readying himself to find the fallen star. After all, only a star's heart grants immortality in this world. And since it has been many years since he saw a star fall to the earth last, it is due time for him to replenish.

Buck, still none too pleased with any of this, makes his swift escape thanks to a very helpful unicorn. What does he care for this stubborn soldier trying to win back a woman who expects miracles of him to somehow keep loving him? That makes no sense to Buck. He may not know much about love but that which he learned from a distance, but that much he can tell: It is unconditional.

Or at the very least it should be.

And anyway, he has important business to attend on earth. He is already far too late anyway. Because Buck was foolish enough to hesitate for what was only seconds in his own time. Though years have passed down below since that moment he froze.

But never again.

Tired and in pain from the rough landing, Buck stops at an inn that almost miraculously appears in the midst of nowhere. The innkeeper is a nice fellow, even though his son seems to have more in common with a goat than anything else. Though Buck rather takes up with such antics than the brute treatment of the soldier who had the audacity to tie him up and drag him to his wife to settle their quarrels.

After a bath and some rest, he will be as good as new, as the innkeeper tells him. And for the first time ever since he landed, Buck feels anything close to happiness, something close to kindness.

Eddie, meanwhile, has a strange dream, a soft voice calling out to him, telling him to find the fallen star, or else he will die. Eddie rushes to save Buck once he awakens, even if that means to trick someone of royal blood into giving him a ride.

He makes it just in time to intercept the innkeeper from cutting Buck's chest open to carve out his heart, revealing himself to be the Witcher. Using the last stump of his candle, Eddie urges Buck to wish them home, only that to Buck, sadly, home is in the clouds. Amidst a thunderstorm, that is no good place to be, both have to find out the very hard way.

If all of that wasn't bad enough, they are then captured by pirates harvesting thunderbolts in the sky. Captain Nash is known to be brutal and ruthless, which means neither one may ever make it home again. Tied back to back, the two finally have some honest conversation. After all, with death so near, there is no need for secrecy, now is there?

Eddie reveals that he wishes to redeem himself to his wife, so she may come back not just for his sake but for his son's. She ran out on them because of Eddie's actions. He hoped that by showing his devotion to her, she may come to understand that it was a moment of weakness and that she will forgive him. So his son does not have to suffer for his inadequacy ever again. So he is no longer stricken by grief and sadness.

This confession does soften Buck's heart. While he still believes that the endeavor is futile, he knows that a parent's love for their children is indeed unconditional and the purest thing he ever gazed upon from above the clouds.

Buck, for his part, lets Eddie know that his affairs on earth revolve around his sister. She fell from the sky before him. Mere seconds. But he hesitated a moment too long, which means she has been on earth for a few years. They wanted to fall together, away from their parents, whose love had been bound by conditions.

Buck only ever started to shine to make up for the absence of a dying star, his brother Daniel. Daniel did not fall, though. He simply burned out before his time. He understood too late that their constellation looked wrong because something was amiss, and his light did not shine bright enough to fix it. He was not enough, plain and simple.

Buck is taken aback by Eddie's promise to help him search for his sister, under the condition that he comes with him to his wife first. Before she takes leave to another town and out of his grasp forever. Maybe Eddie is not at all what he seemed to be. And maybe, just maybe, Buck was not entirely wrong in his longing to fall to not just watch from above but to live among the humans.

If they make it out alive, that is.

Readying themselves for what's to come, Captain Nash makes his presence known. Strangely so, the man reveals himself to be nothing like the legends told about him. He is a passionate cook, always sees to his crew's wellbeing, and is smitten by his wife working for the royal guard of Stormhold - a union kept under wraps for just those reasons. The Captain fakes Eddie's death to appease his men, who know nothing about the Captain's true self.

Or so it would seem.

Eddie is to remain hidden until they can deliver the thunderbolts to the next best dealer, so that he can appear to them in disguise to travel the rest of the way. So the plan, at least.

Once they arrive, Buck is made to come along as the Captain's "prisoner". But as he wanders about, his eyes catch sight of a boy who does not look like he belongs with the questionable dealers that lumber around this shop. The boy reveals that he used a stump of a Babylonian candle to go search his father while his grandmother was asleep. And since his father pursued the fallen star, he wished himself to land right where the star was headed. Worrying about the boy, Buck insists on taking him aboard.

The surprises seem unending as the crew gets to know Captain Nash's "nephew", only for said nephew to see his very own son in Buck's arms.

"It appears I haven't seen my nephew for so long that it escaped my notice he had a boy in the meantime. Congratulations!"

That seems to settle the matter with the crew, at least. Eddie, meanwhile, is none too pleased to learn that his son somehow managed to find him in this other, very dangerous world on the other side of the wall. Christopher seems to pay no mind to it, instantly taking a liking to Buck, wanting to know all about how it comes he shines sometimes.

Captain Nash agrees to escort Eddie's son to his wife. She will deliver him safely back to Wall in no time, as he is well aware of her resources, including many Babylonian candles.

And so, the merry crew spends quite a joyous time. Christopher seems to light up about as much as Buck does. Finally, he gets to know true kindness, friendship, and companionship. He enjoys cooking with Captain Nash, fencing lessons with him and Eddie, and dancing around on deck, swinging Christopher around just to hear him giggle with sheer glee.

Before they part ways, the Captain advises Eddie to be very cautious. He knows what Buck truly is, and he understands that there are many people out there who'd do him harm only just to obtain the magic of a fallen star. Eddie vows to protect him, as Captain Nash promises to oversee his son's safe return.

Eddie manages to stop a caravan ridden by a witch, a woman who seemingly won't take notice of Buck, no matter how loud he yells at her. She agrees to bring him to where he needs to go. As it turns out, Shannon since returned to Wall, which means that all they have to do is go back home.

While the witch keeps up her part of the deal to deliver him as he is, she still transforms him into a mouse for the travel. Buck is shocked and demands of the witch to lift the curse, but she won't notice him.

How strange.

Be it no matter, Buck watches over the little mouse, and believing himself safe to speak right from his heart, admits that he fell in love with Eddie, that he loves him and his son and would want to spend the rest of his days just with them. That if he was enough for them, that would be more he could ever ask for.

His shock is all the greater once Eddie wakes up after his transformation at the inn he dragged him to, smiling oh so softly, asking questions about something a mouse wanting nothing but cheese should have no business worrying about.

As it turns out, he heard every word Buck spoke. But before the star can panic, Eddie embraces him, telling him he feels the same. The two spend the night together. And for the first time, Buck spends his night dreaming, dreaming of a bright and happy future.

The shock is all the greater for him next morning. He innkeeper tells him Eddie left him a message, delcaring that he chose Shannon after all and will do what's best for Christopher. With his heart broken, Buck wanders about the town aimlessly.

Buck is just about to cross the wall, hoping to bid farewell to Eddie and Christopher before going ahead to find his sister, only to be stopped by just that woman, begging him not to cross the border.

Maddie knows that he will turn to stardust if he crosses the wall. She tries to soothe her distraught brother, but that is when the Witcher reappears and takes them both to his castle.

Unaware of this, Eddie seeks out Shannon to speak to her, only to find a lock of hair he'd taken along turned to dust.

And so, he runs to keep his promise, so he may look upon his star again...

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