#it’s the ‘appare’ part that got me since. y’know. it can mean ‘clear skies’ | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

maluminspace · 5 years ago

Text

Genre: Angst/Vampire

Pairings: Luke/Hemmings Reader (kind of)

Word Count: 2.8k

Written for: 5sos fic event

Prompt: “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I have no idea what I’m doing. I almost never do.”

Event Masterlist

Trigger warnings: Strong language, references to vampirism and death, fighting, violence, blood, kidnapping

A/N: I was only gonna write one fic for this event but I saw that this au was left on our list and I got this idea for it. Thank you to @mermaidcashton for helping me with the plot and @h0tsos for hyping me up for it. I hope you all enjoy it. I’m fully aware that I’m an evil bitch for leaving this in the place I decided to end it. If you enjoy it, though, I might do a sequel...

***

It’d finally stopped raining; at least you had one thing to be thankful for tonight. The constant barrage of storms sweeping over the city from the nearby coast had made your already difficult job even harder over the past few nights. It was a relief, to say the least, that you were able walk the streets more freely, without your vision being compromised by an unyielding sheet of rain.

Unfortunately, the newly clear skies not only made your work a little easier - it also helped out your enemies. Not that the rain had ever stopped them from hunting, of course. They were like feral cats, stalking their prey and striking them down with ease regardless of the weather. The lack of rain meant that more people were out tonight, though, meaning that the group you’ve been following will no doubt find it much easier to find and corner their perceived foes.

You know that it won’t be long until they arrive. You’ve been studying them for weeks now; you know their style and their preferred hunting grounds. This particular alleyway behind a row of busy bars on Main Street was always on their hit list, particularly on weekends. It always plays host to every vampire’s favourite kind of prey; drunken youngsters, homeless people and hookers.

Taking your place beneath the rusting old fire escape of a tiny Chinese takeaway restaurant, you position yourself in the best spot to clearly see as much of the street and the alleyway as possible.

Life goes on around you as you wait. Dozens of people bustle by mere feet from you, unaware of your presence. Loud music and drunken laughter fill the air above the busy street and you simply build up a wall in your mind, trying to focus on the job at hand.

Just as you expected, your wait doesn’t last long at all. It can’t have been more than a half hour since you took your little hiding spot, when Luke Hemmings and his cronies turn the corner onto Main Street.

They blend in well, of course. Years of practice has taught them how to hide perfectly in plain sight. They could be any old group of friends, just four young men making their way home or to the next bar. They receive little to no attention from the crowds in the street, save for the odd person that stares at them lustfully before whispering to their friends about how good looking they are.

Luke and the others pay no attention to anyone or anything around them. All four of them appear calm and focused, just like they always do.

Despite the fact that they’re the enemy, you can’t help but be a little impressed. They certainly make for intriguing subjects. Luke is tall, effortlessly radiating a sense of importance. His dress sense undoubtedly helps give strength to that nameless confidence. From the shaggy, caramel coloured curls atop his head, all the way down to his shiny black boots, every inch of his 6ft2inch frame screamed fashion. That was perfect for city living, of course. He looked like any other 20 something trying to make his way in life and have as much fun as possible as he does so. You can’t help but watch him for a moment. The way he curls his lip slightly in response to some random drunk getting too close to him, reveals a flash of his gleaming teeth. As much as you hate yourself for it, you allow your eyes to drift over the spot where his designer silk shirt hangs low, exposing a little of his chest. His tight leather trousers draw your eye, too. How could you not admire the way that they hug his legs and hips as though they were made for him specifically.

His three comrades are arguably a little less striking. All of them had an individual identity that they wore clearly for the world to see, yet they were always overshadowed by Luke’s powerful aura.

You watch carefully as the group weaves their way past the various gaggles of tipsy friends until they reach the alleyway you've been waiting for them in.

Not surprisingly, they remain oblivious to your presence. You’ve had a lot of practice at this; you know how to do your job.

As the group move deeper into the alley, you venture out of your hiding place ensuring that you keep a solid distance between yourself and Luke’s little group, as you follow them carefully.

Despite the fact that two of Luke’s group appear physically stronger than him, the leader’s confidence and his unrivalled air of authority would leave no one in any doubt of who’s in charge.

Over the past few weeks you’ve learnt a lot about this little group. The ones they call Calum Hood and Ashton Irwin, the strong ones act as Luke’s muscle. Their strength is supported by their quick reflexes and you know they’ll be incredibly tough opponents when the time finally comes to fight them.

The fourth of the group, Michael Clifford, is probably the weakest link. He doesn’t quite have the skill set of the other three, but he still plays an important role. They often use him as bait, as his unthreatening appearance makes it almost impossible for anyone to believe he’s anything but an average man. You’d seen him in action many times now, luring unsuspecting victims into quiet corners before they’re ambushed by the rest of his group.

This group is definitely your biggest challenge yet, but you’re in no doubt that you can take them down. You know how they work, now. You’ve studied them for weeks and you’re sure that your own power and skill set is no match for them. The key is to pick them off one by one.

As you follow them deeper into the alleyway, you pay careful attention to the way they communicate with each other using silent hand gestures and facial expressions instead of words like they usually do. Something’s off about them tonight. It’s possible that they’re just trying to lay low but it’s more likely a reaction to something. Perhaps they feel threatened?

Your suspicions are confirmed when the group pass the open back door of a bar. They’re briefly illuminated by the fluorescent light from the kitchen. Michael’s the dead giveaway. His face is set into a defiant expression but it does little to hide the nervous energy radiating from him or the fear in his eyes.

For a moment, you’re confused. You know everything that’s happened with this group for the last two months. Studying them as closely as you have, means that there’s very little about them you’re not familiar with. This is unexpected, though. They have seemingly no reason to feel threatened. Why should they?

As they disappear on the other side of the open doorway, heading into a narrower part of the alleyway, you carefully skirt around the pool of light flooding from the bar. In their heightened state of awareness, you know that the group will react to the slightest sound or glimpse of anything they’re not expecting.

When you return to a darker part of the alley, you stay close to the tall buildings, allowing their shadows to keep you hidden as your eyes adjust to the deeper blackness. Just before you’re ready to continue your task, it suddenly strikes you that the alleyway has fallen silent. You can still hear the faint clattering from the bar’s kitchen just behind you, but Luke’s heavy booted footsteps have stopped.

Of course. It all makes sense now. Their heightened state of awareness, their apparently unexplained fear… They’ve realised you’re following them.

“You’re not as stealthy as you think you are, y’know.”

The voice drifting from the shadows is undoubtedly Calum’s. He sounds calm, there’s no trace of nerves or fear in his steady tone, just as you’d expect of him.

“We’re curious, though.” Luke added, stepping out from behind the dumpster he’d been lurking next to. “Do you have a sinister purpose for following us? Or are you just a big fan?”

Once again, you can’t help but be impressed by him. Despite his deep, ocean blue eyes and lanky limbs, Hemmings radiates power and a certain formidable quality. Of course, that may just be because you know what he is, perhaps all the others he hunts don’t feel it.

His cronies giggle at his lame joke but you pay no attention to them. You can easily dispatch all of three of them right here, right now, if it came to it. They might be strong, but you’re stronger.

“Ah, that big ego of yours will be your undoing, Hemmings.” You smirk, focusing on him but ensuring that the rest of his group stay in your peripheral vision.

He steps a little closer to you, a show of confidence but you can almost smell his nerves and the adrenaline pumping through him. His lightly stubbled jaw is firmly set and his eyes are solely focused on yours. “So you are a big fan of me.” He taunts, “I thought so. I’ve met others like you. Some of them whisper my name before I kill them. I wonder if you’ll be one of them?”

“Don’t flatter yourself, darling.” You smile, tilting your head to one side as you continue to search his eyes for any sign of weakness. “I’d never give you the satisfaction of using your forgettable name as my final word.”

If Luke feels any fear at all as you step closer to him, he doesn’t show it. “Tell that to your countless little friends.” He counters easily, he doesn’t even flinch as you crowd into his personal space. The rest of his group adopt their fighting stances but they don’t move in on you yet.

A cold laugh escapes you as you tear your eyes away from Luke’s in order to spare the other three a quick glance. “You’re too predictable.” You shrug, returning your full attention to the leader. “I’ve studied you for a while now, I know everything there is to know about all four of you. Your chances of getting past me are next to none.”

Lifting a hand, you signal for your backup team to show themselves. You’re glad that you trusted your intuition and hid some of your various ‘friends’ in strategic places. You were confident enough that you could fight these four alone, but it didn’t hurt to even out the numbers.

Just as you’d expect, Michael, Calum and Ashton close rank, they’re stronger when they fight as one unit and they know it. The key is to split them up, something you’ve given your team clear instructions to do.

“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll surrender. It’ll be quicker then… Believe me you don’t want to drag this out.”

Luke keeps his steady demeanour, his gaze never faltering. “Well, I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but I have no idea what I’m doing most of the time. I almost never do.” He utters quietly. “But if you’ve been watching me for as long as you say you have, you’ll know that, right?”

He’s playing with you, downplaying his strategy to give you a false sense of security. You’ve seen him do it before so it won’t fool you.

A slight nod of your head gives your team the go-ahead to start wearing down the companions.

Luke trusts his group, though. He knows that they have the capability to hold off your allies whilst he deals with you.

The sounds of the fray fills the small passage, snarls and growls get louder as the humans pull out their weapons.

It all feels like nothing more than background noise, though. All that truly matters in this moment is Luke. He’s absolutely the most formidable foe you’ve ever come up against and he fascinates you beyond all reasoning. “I’ve fought too many like you over the years.” You whisper in his ear, hoping that your lack of fear unnerves him.

“Do you know how many of your ‘friends’ have tried that line on me?” Luke scoffs. “None of my predecessors had my ability, my knowledge and my utter rage towards your kind. I’m also the first to admit that this is more of a team sport.”

Another laugh slips from your lips. “You’re not the first to bring your friends along for the ride, darling.” You assure him. “You won’t be the first to cry over their deaths, either.”

That’s it… The tiny sign of weakness you’ve been waiting to see makes a brief appearance as he’s forced to envisage the demise of his little buddies. It’s a fleeting glimmer of fear of sadness but it’s all you need to finalise your plan of action.

It’s clear from the depleting number of your allies around you, that Luke’s group is winning the fight. That’s of no consequence now, though. Your movements are too fast even for Luke’s incredible reflexes. You step behind him, your strong arms wrapping him in a vice-like grip. You allow your lips to get just close enough to his neck to graze over the pale skin. “You all think you’re the best until you’re in my grasp. You’ll be begging for your own life, long before I feel the need to beg for mine, slayer.” You resist the urge to show your fangs, knowing that even if you managed to kill Luke here and now, your cursed bloodlust would leave you momentarily vulnerable enough for his friends to stake you. It was a risk you weren’t willing to take, you needed to trust in your new plan.

Summoning all of your strength you throw Luke to the ground, delighting in the sickening crack of his head against the damp pavement. He doesn’t stay down for long, though. You notice him stagger to his feet as you grab one of your fellow vampires and whisper your plan of action into his ear. He responds with an evil smirk and immediately sets about following your orders.

It takes just a few seconds for that one minion to spread the word amongst the other vampires and it seems to light a fire in them all as they fight with a renewed vigour.

Your plan comes together quickly after that. The group of slayers get divided fairly easily. They become scattered along the alleyway, each fighting their own mini battles as you survey the situation. You have a final choice to make and it’s important that it’s done swiftly and smoothly.

Luke staggers over to his nearest friend, Ashton. They’re a powerful unit when they fight together but the vampires surrounding them take their entire concentration and focus.

Calum is fighting a pair of your quickest vampires with an expression that almost resembles enjoyment. He’s the one that feeds off the thrill of a battle the most. When he gets into a rhythm like the one he has now, there’s no stopping him.

That settles it then. You stay close to the wall of the nearest building, stalking through the dense shadows unnoticed. Luke will come looking for you in a moment, but you’ll be long gone with your hostage by then.

Michael is weakening. His movements have slowed and every punch or kick he receives wears him down that little bit further. He’s an easy target. He’s so focused on trying to stake one of his attackers that he never even notices you sneak up behind him. It takes only one swift movement, a careful yank of his messy blonde locks to knock his head into the wall he’s standing next to. He’s unconscious in a matter of seconds and at your command, the most muscular vampire in your brood heaves him over his shoulder, disappearing in the direction of your hidden lair before Luke and the other two even know what’s happened.

You take cover behind a dumpster a little further down the alley, waiting to see the terrified expression on Luke’s pretty little face when he realises his friend is gone.

Tag list: @catearscliffo @byxthexway @afuckingunicornn @painkillerash @moonchildsblack @calumbbyyy @h0tsos @loveroflrh @sexgodashton @megz1985 @myfalsedevotion @aulxna @honeyedlashton @tea4sykes @ghostofmashton @fairyintheglass @cashworthy @cashtonasfuck @opheliaaurora23 @5sosnsfw @wildmichaelflower @wildfl0wer-meg @irwinkitten @cxddlyash @wildmalumflower @cashtonasff5sos @iovehemmings @lowpowermodex @pinkbubbles-and-bigtroubles @celticclifford @5-secondsofcolor @queer-5sos @Secret-Diary-of-an-Aquarius @babylon-corgis @paradigmax @koalacal @treatallwithkindness @lovelybonesetc @morguleth @atlcalm @mantlereid @calumsmermaid @punkrockpreferences @mermaidcashton @mysticalhood

#luke hemmings #5sos #luke hemmings angst #luke hemmings imagine #luke hemmings blurb #luke hemmings fic #5sos angst #5sos fic #5sos imagine #5sos blurb #my writing #vampire!reader #slayer!luke #5sos writing collab

127 notes · View notes

missnight0wl · 4 years ago

Text

Wayward Son

I finally succumbed and wrote an AU fanfic where Jacob dies. It focuses on a few moments between the siblings over the years after the Cursed Vaults. And to be fair, death aspect aside, most of it is basically canon for their relationship.

And yes, the title is a reference to the song by Kansas because it does make me think of Jacob.

Words: 5560

Autumn, 1991

When Helena declared that she wanted to stay longer at home after her graduation, her parents seemed to take it as an obvious decision. Physically, she was completely well even before September. She wasn’t going to waste it, so she started helping at the grandparents’ bakery. Mentally, however… She still needed to heal. And they all needed some time together.

Jacob stayed at home as well. He insisted that he wanted to pass his N.E.W.T.s, and with some help from Dumbledore, he managed to get permission to take exams in June next year without going back to school. He was studying a bit, but usually, he was spending his days similar to his sister: trying to find his place. It had to be more difficult for him because of his absence. Some things had changed their place at the house, people had altered some of their customs. He got new habits too. For their mother, it was especially hard to accept his smoking. Nevertheless, they were surviving, learning each other anew. Helena liked in particular when they were catching up on all pop culture Jacob had missed. It felt familiar, almost like childhood. Almost like it could be normal again.

The days weren’t the worst with all their distractions. When the nights fell, though, it meant either sleepless hours or endless nightmares. If Helena woke up with a scream, Jacob would always run into her room, sitting on her bed and cradling her.

“Shhh. It’s okay, you’re safe,” he’d say, stroking her hair. “I’m here, I’m finally here. It’s just a dream…”

But it hardly was just a dream. Usually, it was her memories - and Jacob knew that.

“Will you sing to me?” she asked quietly once when she calmed down.

He chuckled softly. “Aren’t you too old for that?”

“Please?”

He sighed, left without a choice. They both got more comfortable on the bed, although Jacob was probably too tall for that. He cleared his throat, yet his voice was rather raspy when he began. It didn’t occur to her that he probably hadn’t sung in ages. Still, it quickly turned into a sound she remembered from years ago. Only before the last verse, he made a longer pause.

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.

You make me happy when skies are grey.

You’ll never know, dear, how much I love you.

Please, don’t take my sunshine away.

Spring, 1992

They were sitting at the table, and she was sceptically watching him staring at his books.

“You don’t need it, Jacob.”

He glanced at her before starting to browse pages. “But I want it.”

“Then why you’re just pretending that you’re studying?”

He cracked a smile, already knowing where she’s going with that. “Because I know most of those things.”

“See? Then you don’t need it.” She leant back in her chair. “Admit it, you’re just stalling before moving on.”

“Fine, maybe a little,” he replied, finally looking at her again.

She shook her head and sighed. “Bill should be here any moment now. I’ll go get my things.”

She left the room and went upstairs. She’d packed most of her belonging, but she still wanted to double-check everything. Besides, it’d take her mind off Jacob for a while. She was a little worried about him, but she didn’t want to nudge him. It was always hard to recognise if he was going through something because he was great at redirecting people’s attention, but it wasn’t even about him suppressing his emotions. It seemed like he was trying to get back the stolen time and feared that leaving would make it lost forever. As a result, he was stuck. He was offered a job at Gringotts with Helena, but he refused, making excuses about his exams. She wanted to do more for him, but she was ready for the next step, and she felt that if she wouldn’t take it, she’d got stuck as well.

She gathered her luggage and was about to get back to the living room when she heard Jacob and Bill talking.

“You sure you don’t want anything? Tea, water?”

“No, thanks.”

There was a moment of silence before Jacob spoke again. “You know, I never got a chance to thank you.”

“Hm?”

“For being a brother to her. When I failed--”

“Don’t,” Bill tried to interrupt him.

“No, I mean it. Thank you for taking care of her.” He took a deep breath before continuing, more tentatively. “It’s weird to think that you probably know her better than I ever could...”

Another pause preceded Bill asking: “What was she like as a child?”

“Oh.” Jacob got surprised by that question, but when he started to talk, Helena could almost hear him smiling. “She was like sunshine. Brightening your day and pissing off when she shone straight into your eyes. I suppose you know how it can be with younger siblings.” Bill laughed, and Jacob went on. “She… she was so curious about everything. They say there’s a certain age when kids won’t stop asking questions, but for Helena it was permanent. And she always had to defend everyone. Y’know, when Snape started teaching us, I complained about him back home, and she was like: you can’t say that, you don’t know him.” He modified his tone slightly to imitate her. “Maybe he has problems. You’re sometimes mean when you’re upset, too, but you’re a good person.”

They both chuckled.

“Well, she did change her mind on Snape, I can tell you that,” said Bill. “But other than that, sounds pretty much like Helena I know. Give her some time, Jacob. Give yourself time.”

The silence between them was longer now, so Helena took a few steps back to get some natural speed and pushed the door open. Two wizards were standing opposite each other and got startled when she entered.

“I thought I hear you,” she grinned at Bill. “What are you two plotting here, hm?”

“Oh, nothing at all,” the redhead replied with an innocent expression.

“Just gossiping about you,” Jacob added casually.

She gave them a suspicious stare. “Is that so?” She’d love to tease them, but they had to arrive with Bill at the appointed hour, so she glanced at her watch instead and then at her friend. “All right, I think I’m ready. We can get going.”

“You sure you have everything?” asked Jacob. Their parents said their goodbyes in the morning before leaving to work, so he took the responsibility of sending Helena off. “Mum left you package in the kitchen, did you take it? Do you have sunglasses? The cooler ones? What about sun cream?”

“I have everything,” she stopped his babbling with a hug.

“Be careful there, okay?”

She tightened her embrace in respond, feeling his ribs against her body. He still didn’t put on much weight.

Winter, 1994

Dear Jacob,

What the fuck do you mean you’re not coming? It’s Dad’s sixtieth birthday. SIXTIETH. You have to come. I don’t care what other plans you have - you knew about that day. Tell that pretty girl (or whatever you’re busy with nowadays) that you have responsibilities at home.

Seriously though, I know that you want to be here too, so… Please, try to make it.

Love you always,

- Ellie

“I can’t believe he didn’t come.”

“It’s all right, Ellie,” said Christopher. “I’m sure something just came up. He can visit us at the weekend.”

“Something came up? On your birthday?” Helena spat. “You know, but it’s not even that. He could’ve just let us know, say anything. It’s hard for all of us, but why he shouldn’t be trying too?”

Alice gave her a stern look. “Well, now you’re just picking on him.”

“I’m not! Mum, you got him a job at the Ministry. A good job. And what did he do? He quit--”

“That job was a bad idea from the beginning. You’d probably quit as well.”

“No, I wouldn’t!”

Alice only smiled softly. “You’re really not that different. Believe me, I know.”

The truth was that Helena was picking on Jacob. She indeed had no reasons to be mad at him, other than him not showing up on that specific day. He did quit his job, that part was accurate. But while she was certain that he’s getting in all sorts of troubles ever since, he never caused problems for them. He always appeared when his help was needed, during holidays or not. On top of that, Helena caught him a couple of times hiding money in places like a sugar bowl since their parents wouldn’t simply take it from him. But all of that made the current situation only worse. In the best-case scenario, it meant that he’s not telling her something big enough to stop him without giving any explanation. He could also be hurt, kidnapped, or worse…

“All I’m saying is that he has no excuse. Even if he’s too drunk or high to Apparate, he could’ve used stupid Floo Network or--”

And then, just like on command, the emerald green flames appeared in the fireplace, and Jacob entered the room, appearing quite confused.

“Did I make it?” he asked nobody in particular. He beamed when he looked at the clock. It was half-past eleven. He faced Christopher, spreading his arms wide. “Happy birthday, old chap.”

Over the whole day, the birthday man was trying to act unaffected by Jacob’s absence. Yet, he obviously got happier seeing his son.

“I’m so, so sorry that I’m late,” Jacob continued, not breaking their hug. “But! I do have an explanation!”

Helena rolled her eyes. Of course he did. Still, she got curious when he reached to his bag and took out a package covered in brown paper.

“I’ve found a lead for that a while ago, however, a bloke who was supposed to get it for me had some problems, and… let’s say he needed a reminder. Anyway, it created a delay, and long story short, I couldn’t risk not getting it at all after all the effort, so… That happened. And I’m really sorry once again, I should’ve known better from the beginning. But! At least I got some wine!”

When Christopher started to unwrap the gift, Jacob hurried to welcome both Alice and Helena.

“Oh my, is it the first edition?” Christopher was already holding an old book in his hands, studying the front page, his eyes twinkling.

“One of the first ones,” clarified Jacob. “But it has notes made by a professor from Uagadou.”

The old man looked at him excited before carefully browsing a couple of pages. “Oh, I have to compare it with my atlas. I’ll be right back.”

He left the room, patting Jacob on a shoulder while passing by. When he was gone, Alice looked attentively at her son.

“And I wonder how much did it cost you?”

Jacob shrugged and smirked. “A lovely dinner with my family.” He opened his bag again, pulling out two bottles of wine. “Did everyone leave already?”

“They did, not long before you came,” Alice replied softly.

To break the silence, Helena grabbed one of the bottles. “What about that wine? It looks fancy.”

“It is quite fancy. But this one is for Dad, and for Mum. We have the other one.” She looked at the other label and frowned her nose. “It’s the cheapest one they had, and it tastes like acid.” Jacob was clearly amused by his sister’s reaction.

Alice got up. “I’ll go bring some glasses then, how about that?” Then, she also left, letting the siblings stay alone.

“You’re mad at me, aren’t you?” Jacob asked finally.

“I thought we agreed to no secrets.”

This time it was him who rolled his eyes. “It’s no secret! I just wanted it to be a surprise!”

“Still, you could’ve told me! I’d cover for you!”

He was quiet for a moment, pondering on his words. A corner of his lips twitched faintly. “You know you’re terrible at surprises, Ellie.”

“That’s not true!” she said reproachfully. He only raised his eyebrow. “Oh, because I’d go to Dad and tell him everything, right?”

“No, but you’d tell Mum, and she’s no better than you.”

She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. Then, not thinking much, she opened the cheaper bottle and took a sip. She grimaced, regretting her decision immediately.

“I warned you it tastes like acid.” He was trying very hard to hold a laugh. “It gets somewhat better the more you drink.”

All four of them were sitting and talking until the late night, so by the time Helena woke up the next day, it was already noon. She got down to the kitchen where she found an unfinished bottle of wine as it turned out that Jacob brought bigger supplies with him. She took a clean glass and poured some liquor when her brother showed up out of nowhere and snatched it out of her hand.

“Ah ah ah, what do you think you’re doing?” he teased her.

She sighed. “I’m having a drink.”

“No, you’re not, young lady.”

“Jacob, I’m twenty-one. If I want to have a drink, you’re not gonna stop me.”

“I don’t care how old you are. It’s only past twelve.”

She gave him a stink eye because he was holding two glasses at the moment: hers and his own. “I’m guessing it’s your third one, you hypocrite.”

He seemed a bit perplexed for an instant, but then he grinned. “Only the second.” Still, he put both glasses on the side when Helena started brewing coffee.

“So, what you’re planning now?” she asked and covered a yawn.

“Like today or in general?”

“Both, I guess.”

“Well,” he started. “I wanted to visit grandparents’ today. That’s probably most of the day. And in general, I thought I could stay with you for a little.”

“Oh! But… I’m getting back to work.”

“I know. I wouldn’t bother you, I can get busy on my own or help you, whichever you prefer. And in the evenings, we could do something fun. What d’you say?”

Every now and then, Jacob would stop by whenever she was currently at her curse-breaking mission. However, he never stayed for long. They’d usually get out once, and after making sure she’s alright, he’d disappear. Spending more time together could be nice.

“Sure, sounds good,” she replied with a smile, filling two mugs with coffee.

Summer, 1995

Jacob was pacing between walls, running his fingers through his hair once in a while.

“We should leave,” he said eventually, stopping and crossing his arms.

Helena looked at him in disbelief. “What?”

“We should leave. I don’t know, to the States or whatever.”

“There’s a war coming, and you want to leave?”

“Yeah, exactly. You’re not gonna tell me it’s not a better solution than becoming Dumbledore’s soldier.”

She opened her mouth and closed it again, not being able to find the words. “I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Jacob, innocent people will be dying!”

“I know! You think I don’t?!” He started losing control over his voice. “But there are people ready to fight for them, and we don’t have to be among them! Even if Voldemort is back, he never got beyond Great Britain, so there’s no reason to think it’d be different any time soon. We’d be safe across the ocean.”

“How can you be so selfish?”

“I’m selfish?!” He made a sound between a gasp and a snigger, but when he spoke again, he was more steady. “Ellie, who helped you with the Cursed Vaults? Dumbledore? Who cared when we had to stop R which was, let me remind you, an international threat?”

“Oh, so that’s why we should do nothing now? Because that’s how we were treated? Do you hear yourself?! An eye for an eye and the whole world goes blind, Jacob, and passiveness can be as bad as violence! There will be more wizards thinking like you, but if we all leave, who’ll stay to fight?”

He wasn’t looking at her, and he switched to almost a whisper. “I was never selfish in my life. Never selfish enough to let the adults deal with all the cursed mess, as they should. Though, you know? Maybe I was selfish, maybe I just wanted to feel useful, fucking protector of everyone.” He sighed. “But you know where it got me? My best friend died when he was just fifteen, I had to leave my family, and I was imprisoned for years by R. Ellie, I…” His voice cracked and he swallowed hard, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Just for once, I don’t want to worry about people being in danger. If it’s selfish of me, so be it.” Their eyes finally met. “I don’t care. I just want some peace.”

“Well, that’s not how life works.”

She left, not giving him a chance to reply.

The rest of the day, she spent with some of her friends, learning more about the whole situation connected to Voldemort’s return. The first shock - caused also by Cedric’s death - had passed, and they had to focus on planning. Still, Helena kept going back in thoughts to Jacob. She probably was too harsh on him. She saw where he’s coming from. In fact, sending their parents off to the family in the States wasn’t a bad idea at all. She came home late, so she went straight to her bedroom to think things over.

The next morning, however, it was neither Christopher nor Alice who she found in the kitchen – it was Jacob.

“What you’re doing here?”

“Breakfast,” he replied blandly.

“No, I mean, I thought you’d just leave after yesterday.”

“Someone has to keep an eye on everything when you’re in Egypt, don’t you think?”

“I didn’t tell you I’m going back there…”

“Yeah, well.”

He was chopping some vegetables while eggs were frying on a pan. There’s a joking rule in their family that you could use magic in the kitchen only if you’d learnt to make the dish also without it. Jacob always preferred to prepare things Muggle way, though. Helena could never match him, even with the help of the spells.

“Thank you,” she said abashedly, sitting at the kitchen island.

“For what? Food’s not ready.”

“For joining our side.”

“No, my dear. Let’s make it clear,” he spoke firmly, involuntarily pointing a knife in her direction. “I’m on no one’s side but yours. Got it?”

“So… you’re not joining the Order?”

“Hell no.”

“Well, thank you anyway,” she repeated. “And I’m sorry. For yesterday. I don’t think you’re selfish at all.”

“Yeah, yeah.” He still sounded a bit coldly, but he smirked ever so slightly. “Just…” His voice got softer as he knitted his brows in a worried expression. “I beg you, Ellie, be smart. Just because you’ll be outside Europe doesn’t mean it’ll be safe. It’ll be hell everywhere. And above all, remember: no information is worth dying for.”

“I know, I know…” She reassured him, though it felt like there’s not much she could say. “So, what are you planning to do?”

“I dunno,” he shrugged. “Maybe I could renew some connections in Knockturn Alley.”

“Oh, because that sounds very safe.”

“No, it doesn’t,” he cut in. “I’m aware of that. And that was my point. If you get involved, it’ll always be dangerous. But because you’re too stubborn to listen, I can’t simply… sit and watch, y’know. I don’t want to hear from some strangers one day: Hey, remember that cursed siblings? Yeah, the younger one just died. She was killed by fucking Death Eaters because she refused to learn from her brother’s mistakes. And he screwed up again because he could’ve done something.”

She bit her lips to hide a smile. Jacob only glanced at her, shaking his head with feigned disapproval before he focused back at his cooking.

May 1998

It was getting crowded at the Hog’s Head when Helena spotted Jacob near the door waving his hand at her. She immediately rushed to him.

“Jacob! You came!”

He frowned in confusion. “Of course. I told you so.”

“I guess part of me wanted you to not come…”

“Do you really think I’d let you go into a battle alone?” he asked raising his eyebrow.

“I’m not alone,” she replied, mindlessly pulling his flannel. “And you don’t want to be here.”

“And I don’t want you to be here either. But I know I won’t convince you to leave because Charlie’s here. And he’s here because his whole family is here. And I’m definitely not gonna discuss with all the Weasleys because it’d be both pointless and possibly stupid.” His smile faded away when Helena didn’t even react to his joke. “Hey, we faced worse before, didn’t we? At least we’re not the main target for a change, right?”

She nodded haltingly as Jacob embraced her with one arm, leading away from the entrance.

By the time they arrived at Hogwarts, the battle was raging. It was overwhelming chaos with troops of people storming to the castle. Helena was keeping both Charlie and Jacob in the reach of her sight, but as they were in the Entrance Hall, one scream caught their attention among all the noises.

“Fire! There’s a fire!” yelled someone.

“Then put it down!” they heard in a respond.

“I can’t! They had to cast Fiendfyre!”

Three of them froze. If it actually was the curse, there’s no way students could deal with it, and it’d be bad to let it spread. On the other hand, it could’ve been regular fire, looking more dangerous due to fear and panic.

“I’ll go check it,” decided Jacob. “We’ll meet in the Great Hall. Look after her, okay?” he added, smirking at Charlie.

Helena briefly squeezed his hand. “Be careful.”

In the next moment, Jacob was running up the staircase while Helena and Charlie joined the crowd moving to the Great Hall where most of the fighting was occurring. It seemed like they’re gaining the advantage over Death Eaters, but it was still heated, and spells were shooting from all sides. Helena had just helped some girls counter an attack and was looking for Charlie when she felt a sudden sharp headache. For a split second, her vision went black, which was enough distraction to not notice a beam of light speeding in her direction. She tried to dodge it, but it was too late, and the spell grazed her side, causing her to fall.

“Nell!” Charlie appeared almost out of nowhere and kneeled next to her. “Are you all right? Talk to me…”

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” she hurried to calm him down, though she grimaced with pain.

Charlie quickly checked the spot where she was hit. Her blouse was torn, revealing red skin, but there was no wound. “Come on, let’s take you from here.”

He helped her get up and led her to the edges of the room where he spotted Ben Copper tending to two students.

“Ben! We need you!”

The Healer hearing his name turned his head to them. “What happened?”

“Nothing, I’m fine,” replied Helena. “I can--”

“No, you have to rest at least,” Charlie cut in. “Keep an eye on her, Ben.”

He deflected one more spell and run back into the fight. Ben in the meantime tried to examine her, but she gently pushed him away.

“It’s nothing, really. There’s no time for that.”

She was calm but determined, so Ben didn’t push. “All right, but you’re not going back there. I need some cover when I take care of those two.”

He pointed to a Hufflepuff girl and a Ravenclaw boy behind them, both visibly scared. Helena nodded and took her position. Everyone’s attention seemed to concentrate towards the centre of the Great Hall, so they weren’t being attacked directly, but stray curses almost hit them a couple of times. Helena also managed to stop some Death Eaters, whether from escaping or assaulting the others.

Suddenly, the shouting in the middle became louder, and the whole atmosphere got more tense. Helena was too far to tell what’s it about exactly, though - until almost all went silent. She exchanged questioning looks with Ben.

“Go, see what’s happening,” he told her.

When she finally broke into the crowd, she realised that everyone was paralysed because of the encounter within the circle. The Boy Who Lived was facing the Dark Lord. She tensely watched them moving in constant distance between them, looking ready to attack. She listened to the story of the Elder Wand, of the big intrigue behind that war. And then, with just one hit from both sides, it was over. Voldemort was dead.

The joyful cheering exploded around her. Everyone was trying to reach Harry Potter now, pushing her in that direction. But she needed to find someone else. She was scanning people in search of familiar faces to finally pick up Charlie’s. She ran right into his arms, laughing with relief. However, when she made sure that he’s all right, she felt a wave of anxiety.

“Have you seen Jacob?” she asked, holding onto his arm.

Charlie shook his head and his face got graver. “There are so many people. I still haven’t seen everyone.”

“I better go search for him…”

“I’m sure he’s fine.” He sounded confident, but she knew it was only because she needed to hear that. Anything could’ve happened, and a bad feeling was growing inside her chest.

She left the Great Hall, going oppositely to the most. She didn’t get far when she met Rowan, and she almost sobbed at her sight.

“Helen!”

“Rowan! You’re all right!” she whimpered, hugging her tightly. “Oh god, I didn’t see you at all, I didn’t know--”

Her voice cracked, so Rowan started patting her back calmingly. When they finally parted, Helena noticed an open wound on her friend’s arm.

“Oh god, you’re not all right!”

“It’s not a big deal.” Rowan waved her hand. “I’ll take care of it in a moment.”

Helena frowned, but she nodded and swallowed hard. “Have you seen Jacob somewhere?”

Rowan’s eyes got wider. “No, I haven’t. I thought he’d be with you.”

“He was. But then we got separated.”

“He’s probably helping people around the castle. There’s a lot of the injured. Do you want me to help you find him?”

Helena looked at her arm and took a deep breath. “No. It doesn’t look good, you better have it checked.”

Rowan hesitated, but she agreed to go see the Healers while Helena continued her search, walking faster through the debris, calling Jacob’s name. She started to think that perhaps they missed each other and she should return… when she finally spotted him on one of the higher levels. He was lying unconscious under the wall. There had to be a cut on his head because blood covered a part of his face.

“No…”

She approached him slowly as if it could delay the terrible truth. She fell to her knees and leant over him, cupping his face.

“Jacob, can you hear me?” She brushed his cheek with her thumb. “Open your eyes, Jacob…” She laid her fingers on his neck. There was no pulse. “Open your eyes, please,” she repeated. “Don’t do this to me…”

She wanted to believe that if she waited long enough, if she’d be patient enough, he’d come back – just like Rowan. That it’s not real, just another lie in her life. But at the same time, she knew that Jacob was truly gone. It was a battle, and he was just one of the casualties. She didn’t even know how he died.

She sat on the ground, leaning on the wall, and pulled Jacob up on her chest. She wasn’t sure how long she was holding him before she heard footsteps and Charlie got down next to her. He didn’t speak.

“It’s not fair, Charlie,” she whispered, sniffling.

“I know.”

“It wasn’t his war, he didn’t even want to fight. We should’ve left as he said.”

Charlie tried to touch her arm, but she got startled, so he just sat by her side instead.

“He already saved that fucking school! And for what?!” she cried out. “To be killed like that?!”

Her last words turned into a shriek. She pulled Jacob’s body up again as it was slipping from her grasp. He was too heavy, and she was too tired to carry him. Some more time had passed before they were found by Ben.

“Helen…” he started softly. “I’m so sorry. But we have to take him to the Great Hall.”

She finally raised her head and looked at them. Ben was squatting in front of her, Charlie still in the same place. She took a deep breath and carefully rested Jacob against the wall. Then, Charlie helped her stand up once more that day, and she immediately buried her face in his chest. She couldn’t watch Jacob being taken away. When she looked at Charlie, though, she recognised that there’s more bad news to come.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, trying to contain trembling of her voice. “Who else?”

His eyes were glistening. “Tonks… and her husband… they didn’t make it.” Helena covered her mouth with both hands. “And Fred--” The words stuck in his throat.

“He’s just a kid…” she murmured, hugging him again. “I’m sorry, Charlie…”

She wanted to stay with him and comfort him. She wanted to find Rowan and make sure that nobody else got hurt. But all the noises were overwhelming, and she felt like she started suffocating.

“I have to get out of here. I’m sorry…”

She somehow reached the exit, not fully registering things around her. Only some young excited wizard stopped her when she was about to leave.

“We won! Can you believe it?!”

“Did we, really…?”

He was too thrilled to notice her blank stare, and so he quickly went his way. As soon as Helena got outside, she choked on the morning air. She sat on the stairs and embraced herself in an attempt to control the shaking of her body.

“Hey, may I?”

Another minutes or hours escaped her attention. This time, it was Talbott standing above her. She nodded without a word, and he took a seat on one of the steps.

“I’ve heard about your brother. I’m really sorry.”

She bit her lips to stop a weep, but the tears fell down her face. They were sitting a long moment in silence.

“Will it always hurt?” she finally said weakly.

Talbott watched her with compassion. “Yeah.”

“What am I supposed to do?”

“Move on,” he replied softly. “Find something worth forgetting about the pain. And most importantly, always remember the good things.” He hesitated before patting her shoulder. “Tonks would want us to celebrate the victory,” he added with a sad smile. “You know where to find me if you need to.”

And like that, she was left alone. She hid her face in her hands. It suddenly occurred to her that her parents probably didn’t know anything yet, so she wondered whether she should go back to the castle or home. But then, she was disturbed again.

“Hey, are you all right?”

She had to shade her eyes from the sun to see who’s talking to her. To her surprise, it was Harry Potter himself. The Boy Who Lived who just defeated the Dark Lord was asking her if she’s all right. He was the same age as her when she entered the final Cursed Vault. The same age as Jacob when he joined R. She suddenly felt bad because if her experience taught her anything, probably nobody showed much concern about Harry in all of that. When the wizarding world would stop relying on children to solve their problems?

“Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks.”

He took a closer look at her. “Do we know each other?”

“No, I don’t think so. I mean, I know you…”

“No, but I’m pretty sure I saw you at the Burrow.”

“Oh!” She smiled faintly at that remark. It was almost funny that they never had an occasion to be introduced properly. “That is possible, indeed.”

“Well, nice to finally meet you then. I’m Harry.”

He reached out his hand to her. He appeared as exhausted as she felt. “Helena.”

“Are you sure you don’t need anything?”

She nodded. “Don’t mind me. But I guess you could use some help with those blankets.”

She took a part of the armful he was carrying, and they headed together back inside. She started helping wherever it was needed. She found Rowan being tended to by Ben and who was upset with him because he didn’t let her go find Helena – but he insisted that Rowan’s wound might’ve been too serious. She spent some time with the Weasleys, grieving over Fred. She was trying to keep herself busy and bring consolation to the others.

And the same thought was motivating her in years to come, just to not let herself get lost in the emptiness. Eventually, she even learnt to be happy again. But nothing could change the fact that in the Battle of Hogwarts she lost not only brother and friends. Part of herself died that day as well.

#long post #hogwarts mystery #hphm #hphm mc #jacob's sibling #helena ellis #hphm jacob #jacob ellis #alice ellis #christopher ellis #bill weasley #charlie weasley #post hphm #my writing

31 notes · View notes

monohart · 5 years ago

Text

clouds. (college!au)

ft. mark lee, sunny days and the brink of adolescence.

dating the campus’ radio dj was not an easy job

he was always, always busy, especially in the evenings.

he was exempted from 2/3 of his classes this semester to fit in broadcasting sessions and also to mentor the new broadcasters.

apparently they recruited a freshman, jisung. but he was a shy little bean, and mark needed to spend a lot more hours mentoring him.

which kinda meant that you would spend less time with your boyfriend

thankfully, y’all had similar classes.

there was this one class which was a capstone subject

which meant if u want to graduate u HAD to take it lol

and he aced all of the assessments in that subject so far this year

but you were just a bit competitive, so with exams coming, you planned to score a higher grade than him

which.. was an easy job, right? he spent most of his nights hosting the radio show anyway.

it both bugged and made you so extremely proud that mark was already getting proper job offers from major broadcasting channels

like when he got his first offer, he actually just finished a broadcast at around 3am, and was on the way back home

but he read the email on his phone and took a detour to your apartment

which scared the sh*t out of you

mark its almost 4am you could’ve just sent me a text??

“i don’t care i just needed to tell you this in person, oh my goodness is this even real????”

idk mark you tell me???

it was real, because he started getting offer after offer in the following week

but thankfully he didn’t pop by your place in the middle of the night again, after that first time

because you actually let him stay over that night and -

he held you in his arms as he leant against your headboard

and you just used him as a pillow because he you made him take a quick shower and he smelt of your soap but he still smelled of him and it was a comforting scent which sent you off the dreamland real quick

and he actually watched you fall asleep and made sure you were asleep before he pulled out his laptop to work on an assignment that was due the next day

when you woke up the next morning, you felt something cold and hard prod your back and you panicked for a moment before realising it was his laptop

and you heard the shower running so you knew it was mark going through his morning routine

but then you thought.... did he even sleep?

when he hopped out of the bathroom clad in same the clothes he wore the night before, he was still drying his hair with a towel

and his face was strew with exhaustion

but as soon as he saw you sitting groggily on the edge of your bed, his face lit up and he strode over to kiss the top of your head

“mark, did you even sleep?”

“nope, but i’m off again, i’ve got to hand in my assignment! i’ll see you for lunch?”

“wait what assignment?? did you need help on it?”

“nope, i got it done last night! thanks for letting me crash.”

before you could stop him, he pressed a hasty kiss on your lips before grabbing his laptop and bag and rushed out the door

and you sigh because

this was how dating mark lee, the campus dj, was like.

anyway

now, you guys were just a few days away from finishing the semester’s classes

and this was your last semester... given if you’ll pass the exams lol

so it was kinda the last few days you’d be able to spend together, on campus.

summer was coming

and the sun was so bright these days, it cleared the skies

no rain, none at all

which was not entirely Great because rainy days helped you study... and rainy days also meant more people tuned in on the campus radio

which meant

mark was kinda jobless today

which ALSO meant!!!

you could finally spend a whole day with him.

but, oh man...

when he called you around 11pm the night before, he was also checking his email and ... accidentally forgot that he had another assignment due at 8am the following morning

guess who didn’t get any sleep at all again!!!

your heart hurt seeing him work so hard

but somehow he convinced you to go to sleep first and not stay up to help him

he still got the assignment in on time because hes mark lee

so when you guys sat on the lawn in the middle of campus just like any typical college couple would on a nice sunny day, mark lay his head on your lap and used one of your textbooks to shield his eyes from the sun

and you were using his laptop to compile your notes from the semester, and also to help him tidy up his

“hey baby...?”

“hmm?”

you waited for mark to continue his sentence but he went silent

“mark, what?”

“mark-”

you lifted your textbook from his face only to find that he had fallen asleep.

his lips were slightly parted and he was snoring really quietly, and his fingers were in loose fists as they rested on his belly.

dont deny but you busted the biggest uwu didnt you

ofc like

you couldn’t possibly waste this precious photo opportunity but

your phone was just slightly out of reach rip

so when you grappled for it, mark woke up in an instant

he sat up real quick, and a tuft of his hair was sticking up messily.

“oh no, i didnt mean to-”

“so d’you wonder why we’re all clouds?”

you stared at each other with equally as confused frowns lol

like mark was actually

hella confused

but your expression literally read wtf

he didn’t really notice but instead yawned and held his arm out to you

and you move closer to him, snuggling into his side as he slowly lays the both of you down again, in a way so you could use his arm as a pillow.

the sun was really really bright so y’all lay there with your eyes squished shut

“we’re all just clouds, aren’t we?”

his serious question was met by your quiet scoff

“no, no, i’m for real. y’know how everything we do are for exams. exams this, assignments that... gpa... scores.. grades... deadlines... those kinda things. they turn us into clouds.”

“that is one extremely weird way to describe college students, mark.”

“no, baby, but... it’s accurate, isn’t it? the anxiety, stress, exhaustion... and just about everything we do turn us all into little clouds.”

“do elaborate, cause i don’t get why you’re comparing us to condensed water vapour.”

mark chuckled a little, and you roll your eyes figuratively, keeping your eyes tightly shut to shield it from the unforgiving sun.

"actually, never mind, it sounded way better in my head.”

at that point you were getting up to lie on your side

he turned his head and squinted at you as you gently placed a hand on his chest

"are you writing lyrics again?”

he hummed quietly and you shift a few inches closer to him.

“show me. i want to read those lyrics, no matter how dumb you think they are.”

“they’re not ready yet.”

“if you’re writing about anxiety, i can be your muse.”

“no way, you’re not a cloud. you’re a sunflower.”

he wrote lyrics all the time and most of the time he’d write them about you

sometimes he’d let you read them, sometimes he kept them to himself

and you’d catch him grinning idiotically over some lyric he wrote some time ago

so when he goes to sleep you would sneak a peak at it and it’s basically a love letter to first-date-you, or a diary entry of how he feels every time he sends u home from a date or from school but its so dreamy and seems unreal but you kNOW ITS REAL!!

bc u were there!!

anyway

idk what came over you but you slung an arm around his torso and rested your head against his shoulder and he let out a quiet little puff of breath

you would think he’s pretty ok with skinship since y’all been together for so long

but yeah it was chill and okay and he’d be super clingy at home but when y’all were in public

man,,, he got so flustered and nervous

u just wanted to cuddle lol but he suddenly turned into a robot

the sun made everything seem slow and warm and sluggish which was pretty okay with you because you were finally spending time with mark!!!

and he was soft and squishy and a little bit awkward but so so so cute so u rly just wanted the moment to last longer

but no

just as u were about to drift off a Shadow™ loomed over u both

mark probably fell asleep again tbh

u heard a rly loud camera go CLICK and distinct voices whisper-yelling at each other

and there was a struggle

and the struggle ended with a Butt falling onto mark’s other shoulder

“MARK IM SO SORRY RENJUN PUSHED ME”

“NO YOU STINK YOU FELL BY YOURSELF”

“oh hey guys shut up the photo turned out alright”

“JENO SHUT UP THEY’RE RIGHT THERE”

mark was sitting up and you fussed over his other shoulder which was attacked by jaemin’s butt

and although he was so .. unfortunately.. woken up from his nap he was grinning and squinting up at his squabbling friends

and he chuckled as he watched u stand up and wrestle jeno for his phone to see the Photo

he was watching you chase chenle and renjun around the lawn, the two boys purposefully running slower to tease u

donghyuck sat down next to mark and put his head on his shoulder to mimic you from a few minutes ago

“oh you’re disgusting please go away.”

hyuck turned his head and batted his eyelashes up at mark who was still watching u with a dreamy smile

“you’re leaving soon, we just wanted to spend time with you before u abandon us”

mark laughed and told him he’s only graduating

but hyuck scowled and nudged mark with his elbow then gestured in your direction

“but you spend more time with her nowadays than you do with us”

mark let out a loud laugh and shook his head

“she’s my girlfriend.”

“so?”

“she’s my lover.”

“so??”

“she’s... everything to me.”

jisung, who was listening, gagged and haechan slapped mark’s tummy while hollering

and then u look over at them from the other side of the lawn, wondering why mark was lying on the floor again and why the other dreamies were surrounding him in a cultish circle

jeno and jaemin turned to face you with big chummy smiles on their faces and together they made heart arms at u

some other people on the lawn were beginning to stare and so u hide behind chenle bc renjun is too tiny

then jisung must’ve texted their group chat because renjun cackles and leads you back to the group

and u notice how bright mark’s face was which makes u blush like crazy as well

and even though stress from school, work and everything in general, was making u feel like a big and heavy raincloud

one look at mark lee made u feel like sunflowers and daisies

it totally didn’t help that when he’d look at you, the corners of his eyes would crinkle ever so slightly, and his eyes would shine with genuine adoration

and his cute little lips would stretch into the widest grin

uwu

and u bet the next batch of lyrics he gonna write is gonna be about you again!!

96 notes · View notes

silvergalaxyx7 · 3 years ago

Text

Friday Night Funkin Original Story (Corrupta Nigrum) [Part 4: Eyes Of The Giver]

Part 4: Eyes Of The Giver

Geovanni walked down Dore Street, having just come from Winterland Plaza, an unusual name for a location, seeing as though it was open during all forms of seasons, though he would admit that the only interesting time he had even cared to pay attention to the place was during the very season it was named after, where illusions and gunpoint all had occurred at once for his viewing, not that he wouldn’t stop the events of course, though since they were in the hands of Daddy Dearest, he had allowed them to unfold in front of him, although that goddamn lemon shaped creature hadn’t made the view quite enjoyable, torturing poor Boyfriend in that way.

He wondered how the boy was after they had last met a few weeks ago, especially after witnessing the entire ordeal that had occurred between the sorcerer and Girlfriend, bringin the thought of placing an end to the girl’s resistance in saving their world within his mind, if the concern that Sarv hadn’t found any Blacyx as of late hadn’t hit him first.

Whether the reason for finding more Blacyx was to simply delay the inevitable capture and exorcism-like experiment on Girlfriend herself or if it was truly necessary was something that conflicted the sorcerer's mind, though he simply had to carry on, especially when everyone was relying on him, whether they knew it or not, so he couldn’t simply give up now.

As for Sky herself, the brief yet clear explanation of the plan he had set in motion for himself, Sarv, possibly Ruv, and the girl herself was given the other day, though he supposed it wouldn’t hurt to go over it once more for the sake of clarification, especially since the girl had gotten along with the other two who had offered her whatever accommodation they could gift out of the kindness of their heart.

The sorcerer’s team had only consisted of three individuals including himself, though he could already feel the eccentricity and diversity within it, in both physical and mental aspects of the group itself.

Today he had decided that it would be nice to pay them a visit, especially since Sarv hadn’t reported on any Blacyx since he had brought in Sky two days ago, though the process understandably took some time, being that the nun was scanning the entire globe to find the creatures and, with Geovanni’s own modification to the spell, various nearby realities as well.

Despite the lack of progress they had made however, Geovanni had some individuals he wished to visit himself, the creatures in this world and others being people who he had felt could assist them as much as Sky and Sarv themselves had already done for him.

He was honestly fairly surprised to find how much people gravitated towards him when he offered his assistance in solving whatever problems they may have, though he never minded the duty as it was still part of his title as guardian and protector of peace, as cheesy as that may sound in his mind.

He was glad they were enjoying each other’s company this whole time however, like some strange family, though he never shied away from doing as he promised, especially towards Sarv in which he had consistently visited the church whenever he could, which was usually during the Sundays.

He continued walking down the sidewalk, the clear sky above him glinting sunlight through the darkened red liquid of soda that he had brought as a gift of his visit, though it was a substitute for wine due to Sky’s own age and Ruv’s apparent distaste for the drink.

However, something did not feel right.

Geovanni could hear the sounds of footsteps echo behind him, the same sound he had been hearing for every corner he had taken, though he had accepted it as the groups of people that would walk past him, the city itself being fairly busy during this time of year, though when he turned the street leading to the Holy Granda Church.

The strange part is that nobody lived here, and no one visited the church to his knowledge and Sarv’s explanation, the street itself being far more empty as it was far in the distance beyond an array of abandoned apartment buildings that were readied for dismantalation due to reports of supposed “hauntings” in the area, though he supposed that’s what happens when the church beyond them was literally run by a demon itself.

The sorcerer turned around, the sound of footsteps ceasing as he stood in front of an empty apartment complex, the street barren and empty, enough vegetation taking over to deem it an avenue compared to its street name which was faded from the sign towards the beginning of its cul-de-sac entrance.

“Hello? Is anyone there?” Geovanni called out, the only response he could hear being heavy breathing coming from the small alleyway between two apartment buildings not too far from where he was, the individual’s breathing loud enough to echo the street itself, “If you are attempting to hide your presence, I am sorry to inform you that you are not doing a very good job, though I won’t hurt you, so just come out.”

With those words, and a minute or two of hesitation, the figure emerged from the alley, it being…….Boyfriend.

“Beep Bop ski doo pop…. (Hey, Geovanni….)” the boy gave a small and sheepish wave, his voice having returned to its natural form.

“Boyfriend?” Geovanni called out in surprise, shifting the weight of his groceries so that it wouldn’t disrupt him, “What are you doing here? Where’s Lu-er-I mean Girlfriend?”

“Beep, beep bo beep sepoppop poo, bebop doo….drop udop? (Oh, well she said she was going out with her friend Carol for the evening, and….you can’t understand me, can you?)” Boyfriend gave a sad sigh.

“What was that?” Geovanni tilted his head in confusion before realizing the problem, “Oh, right, the spell!”

Placing his paper bag on a nearby set of broken and overtaken steps, the sorcerer kneeled down as he performed the same spell he had used on Boyfriend the first time they had met once again, the boy taking deep breath before looking up at him with a thankful smile, his body still fidgeting for a moment.

“Thanks homie-erm-sir, I owe you another one!” Boyfriend grinned, Geovanni immediately taking notice of the slower and less confident movements of the boy’s body and words, standing back up.

“No need for the formalities, and think nothing of it…” he had said slowly, placing his hands in his pockets, “Boyfriend, are you doing well?”

“Hmm? Oh, um, yeah, yeah, I’m good!” Boyfriend’s voice squeaked, a sign he wasn’t being truthful.

“Are you sure?” Geovanni kneeled back down, wanting to meet the boy at eye level with the same form of respect he had given Sky, “Remember, I am here if you require any form of assistance from me, no matter what it is.”

Boyfriend squirmed once again, wanting to so desperately and instinctually grab onto his mic and simply rap his problems away, though Girlfriend is the one that usually carried them for him, and his trip was supposed to be short, he was supposed to ask the sorcerer for some clarification to ease his mind of the metaphorical demons that existed inside of it within a world of literal ones.

You would think that after seeing what he was unsure was everything, talking to people would get easier, talking about his feelings specifically.

He supposed he was still human inside, something that could either be reassuring, after being a part of the Dearest family recently, or scary, due to the vulnerability he could have against creatures, friends and foes, that could seriously hurt him, people that couldn't be swayed with a thousand rap battles.

“Actually…..can we chew-the-fat? Y’know, like a one-to-one convo?” Boyfriend asked.

“Chew-the-fat? Convo?” Geovanni repeated with a puzzled expression.

“Sorry, I meant to, like, talk,” Boyfriend quickly corrected.

“O-Oh, yes, absolutely,” the sorcerer reached down to pick up his groceries, “I was actually heading over to the church at the moment, but if you want, you can come and-”

“No,” the boy interrupted, scratching the back of his head nervously, “I was wondering if we could talk alone, here?”

“Here….?” Geovanni looked around them, the sound of rustling leaves filling the barren street as the melody of street signs, billboards, and occasional car radio echoed in a muffled capacity of noise in the distance, the sorcerer looking back toward the end of the cul-de-sac, viewing the church’s peeling pink paint and its jet blck roofing who’s decrepit nature was also apparent, “Alright, why not?”

The sorcerer sat on the stairs, patting on them as a gesture for Boyfriend to join him as the boy did so, the wet and cold sensation underneath making both jolt for a moment before giving simultaneous laughs.

“Man, you’re really top dog, y’know?” the boy looked up into the sky above them, something he hadn’t done much, mostly and constantly staring at what lay in front of him, preparing for the next battle as the obstacles that stood in his way of being a popular and the best rapper were due to the fame he had so much sought to gain.

“I simply wish to help those that I can whenever I am able to do so,” Geovanni joined the boy in staring at the cloudless world above their own, all the creatures that both had seen beyond the stars, past our own worlds, seeming like a journey years in the making, “What is on your mind?”

“I….” Boyfriend stopped, figuring out how to best put his emotions into words, something that his “beeps” and “boops” would cover for them beforehand, “I’ve got a lot on my mind right now, and I’m not sure how I can get through all my problems right now.”

“Are you not happy with Miss Dearest?” the sorcerer asked, looking back down at the boy with a warm smile.

“Y-yeah, I am, obviously, though I guess…..hmm…..I think I’m not happy with myself?” Boyfriend questioned his own mentality and emotions, “Does that make sense?”

“Is this about what had occurred the other week?” Geovanni asked, “I assure you that Girlfriend had meant well, hiding her secret from you, though I guess learning she was a demon could perhaps place you in some form of shock-”

“Oh, no, I knew about her smokin new form already,” Boyfriend clarified, “She told me about it the first time we met.”

“Oh…..I see,” Geovanni rubbed his thumbs together, “Apologies for assuming.”

“Nah, you’re good, it’s just…..you said you watched my battles before, right?” he asked.

“That is correct.”

“Right, and you remember every battle too?”

“More or less,” the sorcerer shrugged, “I keep a detailed note of any important encounters you may have had, and especially entities or creatures that could prove dangerous to Girlfriend’s safety due to my duty and all, but in most cases I do.”

“Okay…..do you remember Senpai?” the boy finally spoke his concern, Geovanni blinking in confusion for a moment before placing a finger on his chin, squinting his eyes in remembrance.

“Yes, that handsome boy who mentioned gargling his testicles across your face,” he responded with a shudder.

“No, the other Senpai,” Boyfriend reiterated, trying to give a small smile.

“The spiritual entity?”

“Yeah….him.”

“Of course, why do you ask?”

“How much did you see?”

“Well, mostly whenever your obstruction is a safe distance from Girlfriend, I tend to cease observing your entire lives in order to keep your privacy intact, much to Daddy Dearest’s displeasure though that could be our little secret, though I simply remember him threatening to posses both of your bodies until you had defeated him in your slittle song before returning back home,” the sorcerer considered his explanation for a moment, “Did I miss anything else?”

Boyfriend gave a small and slow nod.

“After I beat him, he was pretty down, so I told him, I promised him, that I would find a way to save him from this curse and rescue him from the game Daddy D put him in,” Boyfriend explained, giving a breath of relief to finally tell someone that, though it wasn’t as if he hadn’t trusted Girlfriend anyway.

“Ah, I believe I understand now,” Geovanni gave a nod of comprehension, leaning back against the steps, “You seem to have made a promise that you are yet to accomplish, and in doing so you are filled with some form of regret, are you not?”

“....mhm….”

“Have you come up with any potential way to rescue him?”

“W-Well, Girlfriend doesn’t want to and her parents are the ones who caused this…...so I was wondering if…?” he looked up at the sorcerer with a bashful smile.

“Oh! Oh…..I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I cannot help you with that,” Geovanni responded with a guilty look in his eyes.

“W-What?”

“If Daddy Dearest was truly the individual responsible for that poor man’s current form then I’m afraid my magical interference won’t do much in the line of one of the most powerful demons that exists in this world, not to mention that I have the capability to alter and view the appearance of souls, as you had seen previously, though I cannot manipulate the transportation of such, like raising the dead of placing people in temporary physical shells of a body, fake or real,” Geovanni explained, noticing Boyfriend’s somber expression grow on every word he had said, “Once again, I’m terribly sorry! Oh dear, I made your day even worse, haven’t I? I didn’t mean to-”

“Nah bro, don’t worry about it,” Boyfriend clenched his fist, looking down at it, “I was hoping you could help me out, but if I gotta keep on moving up in the world to hold my solid, my promise, to that guy, then I will…….but then there’s Girlfriend.”

“What about her?”

“It’s not like I don't trust her, I-I do, but there’s just so many things going around us and….” Boyfriend sighed, looking to the side, “Geovanni, level with me here.”

“Ah, alright,” the sorcerer hunched over, trying to bring his height to Boyfriend’s, though failing to do so.

“Whenever me and her are having these awesome rap battles together, and whenever we have to go to another one again and again, I…..I get tired, and I get mad, but I don’t want her to think that I don’t want to be with her, but the point is that…….look, am I bad for thinking this is her fault to begin with?” he asked.

“Her fault for what exactly?”

“For this, all of this,” Boyfriend gestured all around them, “Having to fight all these enemies for something she could’ve just stopped if she spoke up to her goddamn dad.”

“Well, if you want my opinion, you seem to have an unsteady and fickle connection with Girlfriend to begin with, and any proper relationship, be it platonic or romantic, must have a trusting atmosphere between the individuals of such a commitment, though it’s only human to blame the events occurring around you on another person or another aspect of life, though I don’t believe that makes you a bad person by definition,” Geovanni explained, looking out towards the church, his moment with Sky coming back to his mind, “You are merely…..confused, and being so is completely reasonable in this strange world of ours, though it doesn’t mean that you cannot stand up and make it your own.

You are capable of so much good Boyfriend, and the events occurring around you, as unfair and draining as they may seem, are simply the obstacles that we all face in life.

While others face taxes and fruit themed trouble with our idols, you face and have faced lemon shaped monsters, smoking individuals, gunpoint from park strangers, and even a studious necromancer, and while all those encounters may have seemed like negative events within your life, hasn’t it made your growth and affection towards Girlfriend stronger?”

“I guess, but it’s like I don’t know what she's hiding anymore, and it feels like she doesn’t trust me as much as I don’t trust her sometimes, y’know? First it was Tabi and then this whole corruption thing inside of her?” Boyfriend looked down, tears forming in his eyes, “I-I…..I just wanna make people smile when they hear my music and I wanna be with my babe, but if I can’t do one, then I can’t even get close to getting both.”

“Then speak with her, Boyfriend,” Geovanni placed his arm around the boy’s shoulder, “I’ve watched Girlfriend for a long time now and it seems as if she always liked pushing people away because it seems as if she believes she might hurt them were they to find out the truth behind her abilities, her propensity to hurt others that goes far beyond any average citizen within this city, goodness, even the world, but show her that you care about her, that you would stay by her side no matter what occurs, because you do, do you not?”

“Of course!” Boyfriend looked up with a confident expression, “I didn’t come all this way just to give her up!”

“Then go to her and fight for your love,” Geovanni stood up, extending his hand to bring the boy to his feet as well, “Even if you find trouble in your relationship and end up breaking things up with her, and even if your love may feel estranged and far off into a distant land, I have an inner feeling that you two will find each other again, I just know it.”

“Man, you’re a melodramatic guy, aren’t ya?” Boyfriend shook the sorcerer’s hand before hesitantly hugging Geovanni’s body, though due to his height, that mainly accounted for his stomach, “Thanks dude.”

“It is my utmost pleasure,” Geovanni gave a small nod before patting the boy’s back and picking up his groceries once more.

“You know, you remind me of a guy I met not too long ago,” Boyfriend beat his own chest with his fist before holding a peace sign in the air, “He would like you. Anyways, I better get going before Girlfriend starts tearing down half the city lookin for me, see ya later homie!”

“Until we meet again, Boyfriend,” Geovanni said with a slow wave before giving a sigh.

The thought of the Corrupta Nigrum tearing down half of the city through Boyfriend’s own indirect implication of such an event made for a fairly unpleasant thought, though he would stop it…….although he hoped Girlfriend wouldn’t have to be lost in such a promise.

Though promises had to be kept….right?

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

Trying to recede any negative thoughts further back into his mind, Geovanni pushed forward, making his way into the bubblegum colored building, such a bright, though desaturated color, being enough to bring back some form of positivity within the mind of the sorcerer.

The others wouldn’t mind a visit this unexpectedly, right?

They had been doing quite well without the sorcerer’s intervention, say for Sky’s various rude comments every so often, and they had grown quite familiar with each other as of late so it would be best to at least reward them for a job well done.

In addition to this was the fact that visiting the church every now and then did place some form of ease within Geovanni’s mind, this being extremely important due to the amount of stress and responsibility he had placed not only upon himself but indirectly upon Boyfriend in taking care of and watching over Girlfriend whose emotions were something that should not go unchecked if they all wished to still remain alive within this reality.

Having something like an existential crisis out of nowhere would ruin the sorcerer's plans and their world as they know it, so it would be in everyone’s best interest if they could prevent the entity from wreaking havoc beyond Melo Dee City.

In any case, he had felt confident that everything would work out, even more so considering that all of them shared a common home within their universe, so it would help if the people they met would cooperate with them rather well.

Whatever the situation may be, he will form the best team he can, and they will save the world together.

Geovanni turned the knob of the church’s secondary interior door, readying himself to enter the main hall with a large smile.

Nothing could ever ruin this day.

“AHHHHH!” Sky’s screams were the first sound to enter the sorcerer's ears as he entered the large array of pews.

“WHAT IN THE WORLD IS WRONG WITH YOU?!” Sarv’s screaming followed suit as Geovanni noticed what the hell had been occurring at the moment.

Sky had somehow made her way onto the nun’s back, pulling on her twin veils as Sarv tried so desperately to get her off, the two running in circles towards the front of the altar, Ruv also following behind both of the girls, though at a much slower pace, as the strange sight was completed within the sorcerer's viewpoint.

“Ruv, would you be a dear and PLEASE REMOVE THIS INSOLENT DEMON FROM MY BACK?!” Sarv exclaimed as the man simply sighed.

“She’s too fast and feisty,” Ruv explained, reaching towards Sky, only to be swiped at, the girl having momentarily shifted into her manifested form.

“AHHH!” Sky and Sarv continued screaming.

“Oh dear…” Geovanni quickly placed his groceries down onto one of the pews and performed the sign of the cross on one knee before rushing up to the trio, “People, people, what in the world is going on here?!”

“SHUT UP YOU ICE CREAM LOOKING B…..” Sky stopped her insult, noticing who had just arrived, before the girl’s eyes sparkled with excitement, jumping off of Sarv before embracing the sorcerer, “Geovanni!”

“Well, hello there Miss Sky,” Geovanni stroked the girl’s hair before looking up at Sarv, who was now panting heavily, the nun’s movements woozy, “Miss Sarvente, are you alright?”

“I’m….fine….just….tired,” Sarv responded, leaning against Ruv who simply gave a silent nod towards the sorcerer who nodded in return.

“I would guess you’ve all had quite the morning,” Geovanni gave a small smile, much to Sarv and Sky’s scoff, “You were all doing so well a few days ago, what happened?”

No one had responded, the sorcerer looking up at Ruv.

“They are not the exact right match for each other,” the man explained.

“Yes, well, that doesn’t exactly explained what had occurred,” Geovanni gave a fake smile, only to be met with a thumbs up from the man, before looking down at Sky who was sticking her tongue out at Sarv, the nun imitating the insult, “Sky, would you like to explain what happened?”

“Hmph!” the girl responded before pressing her face against the sorcerer's vest.

“Alright then…...Sarvente?” Geovanni looked up at the nun who was straightening her veils once again, the small cross on the left side of her cap crooked, Sarv looking up at attention before clearing her throat, regaining composure.

“Well, this little devil of a child had been fairly nervous when it came to the accommodation we had given her upstairs, so we had assured her that this church was a safe haven of repent, sympathy, and second chances, so she had decided to recount the events that had transpired through her life which, unknown to myself or Ruv, had included crucifying the daughter of those infamous demons!” Sarv crossed her arms in anger, “I, of course, was shocked at this revelation, but as an esteemed follower of God, I had allowed her to start anew though the usage of prayers and daily mass, but she refused!”

“It was my choice!” Sky exclaimed.

“Well, this situation seems fairly familiar,” Geovanni sighed, “Haven’t you been through this already?”

“Yes, well, I would have accepted an alternative way of penance from her, but she constantly called my teachings and prayers “stupid” and “a waste of time” throughout our one-to-one discussion about how she could better improve on her emotional and mental health, not to mention continously trying to force me into my less than favorable demonic form for the sake of entertainment,” Sarv huffed, “I swear, she is the most disgraceful child, second to that boy and his beloved.”

“I see….” Geovanni looked down at Sky who still had her head pressed against his shirt, “Sky, is this true?”

“Mmmph, mphm, mph!” Sky mumbled, her voice muffled against his clothing.

“Come now, I know you’re trying to hide the truth, but if you won’t tell me, I’ll just have to believe Sarvente’s words-”

“No, no, I’ll talk!” Sky exclaimed, looking at the man with frantic worry before pulling away, placing her hands within her hoodie, “It was…..um….it’s only that….erm….argh, fine it’s true!”

“Why would you consider speaking ill of Miss Sarvente’s teachings, especially after she had allowed you to stay with her in this church?” Geovanni crossed his arms in disappointment, “And why try to change her into her demonic variation when we are wanting to keep our operation a secret from any organizations who wish to disrupt us.”

“Hmph, well I just wanted…..I…..Ijustwantedtocheckifshepadsherbreasts!”

“Pardon me?”

“I wanted to see if she pads her breasts!” Sky exclaimed, “There, are you happy?!”

“W-WHAT?!” Sarv cried while hugging her chest, the nun’s face blushing red while Ruv’s eyes only slightly widened.

“O-Oh, I see….?” Geovanni’s face also grew a small tint of red before the sorcerer's shook his head, looking back at Sarv with a respectful look, “Well, Miss Sarvente, if you wouldn’t mind ending this silly argument, would you answer Sky’s query?”

“Y-You cannot be serious!” Sarv tried to protest, but everyone's unwavering expressions answered her question, “Fine, if you wish to know, I do not add any enhancements that God hasn't already laid upon me to my pure or impure forms, alright?”

“See, everything is solved, right?” Geovanni looked down, though Sky’s expression still remained rather somber, “Sky, are you sure you are doing alright. As much as I do not wish to pursue something that is personal to yourself, that can’t be the only reason towards your disrespectful nature, can it?”

“I-I…” Sky took a deep breath, weaving her hands through her hair as she pushed it back, “It’s just that, when Sarv was talking about second chances and what happened to her when she tried to go to heaven, I thought that I could be the next one something like that happens to.

I thought that my actions are so unforgivable I could never even try to go past them and start a new life when everyone knows what I did, even someone as cool as her.

Because that’s what I am, right?

What I’ll always be…….some stupid fangirl.

A-And there’s always this voice in my head that tells me to keep going after Boyfriend, that he’s my perfect match, and then that makes me think that I’ve gone back to square one, someone who’s a bad person, who doesn’t deserve happiness like the rest of you.”

Sky looked around the main hall, staring into everyone’s faces, though the girl herself didn’t cry when talking within this self-deprecating tone of hers like she had done before.

Her eyes, her expression, was more so…..tired.

That was all she had felt, tired of the voice inside her head, tired of trying to move on, tired of believing there is more to her than just disappointment, and tired of herself for even trying to convince her innermost doubt to come into this world in the first place.

“Sky…” Geovanni embraced the girl who simply took a deep breath, letting the gesture warm her body, keep her negative thoughts away, even if it were for a moment, “I understand that you wish to heal yourself, and you believe that may seem impossible given the circumstances that you are in, but look around you.

Everyone within this room has uncertain circumstances, life events, even their own doubts that things might not turn out alright in the end, even if the Corrupta Nigrum had never even existed, and it is hard to convince oneself that you are the best individual you may be, but it is something we must strive to do in order to overcome the challenges we face day after day.

Although, as much as we wish to accomplish the full journey on our own, self-forgiveness is merely part of the route.

We rely on others to help guide our way to the end of the adventure of our own discovery, and we wish to help you as much as you wish to aid others.

Sarvente has Ruvyzvat have each other to lean on, to count on in terms of helping themselves through whatever situation they are in, as supernaturally large as it may be, you have myself and the tankmen to rely on if you ever need help or feel self-doubt within yourself, and I….I have….”

Geovanni had stopped talking, contemplating to himself who in the world could be his closest friend, the individual who had inspired him to do all of this.

Springheel? That young witch from the school who he had often seen and talked to in his travels, oh what was her name, Myra?

Was he the one who had been alone?

“You have us…” Sarv answered the question for him, the sorcerer looking up at the nun who had given him a reassuring smile.

“Right, I have you all….” Geovanni nodded back, placing his attention back on Sky, “We all have our troubles, though the path of healing from your trinity of suffering can only come through communication, trust, and respect for those around you, among many other things, and if you cannot offer that, well, that is why we have those around us, to care and remind us of what is most important, what we are living for.”

“Hmm….” Sky contemplated the sorcerer’s words, “Can I trust you to help me, to not abandon me like my “friends” back home?”

“That depends,” Geovanni narrowed his eyes, “Can I trust you to assist me with my troubles, to not abandon my goals, my hopes, and my dreams like those closest to me had?”

“Y-Yes!” Sky exclaimed quickly before giving a small cough, “I-I mean, yeah, you can trust me.”

“Then you can trust me to help you,” Geovanni instinctually extended his hand out before Sky simply embraced him once again, the two pulling away as the sorcerer wiped away what he was surprised to find to be tears on his cheek, “Oh dear, I’m breaking down again, excuse me.”

“No need to apologize Mr. Gouge,” Sarv gave a warm smile, the nun herself also having shed a tear or two, Ruv still remaining a bit neutral, though his usual stern expression had softened somewhat, almost as if the man himself was contemplating on what had been said, “Your way with words and the connection you have with others is admirable and incredible.”

“Again Sarv, it is Geovanni,” the sorcerer corrected her before walking back to retrieve the groceries, Sky following a bit behind, “But thank you, for everything that is. In any case, this isn’t the time to experience a somber event in our lives, but to treat each other with kindness, and I have done such a thing as a reward for your cooperation with my plan and with each other in this unfortunate time we are living in.”

“Oh, you didn’t need to do that,” Sarv waved away at the sorcerer’s gift.

“No, I insist,” Geovanni walked back to the front of the main hall before walking towards the green house where Sarv and Ruv had allowed him to stay at when it came to discussing their plans or simply eating whatever the nun was capable of making, their generosity knowing no bounds, as his own, “I wished to do something nice, and simply coming to visit just to discuss our mission isn’t exactly stress free, now is it?”

“You’re truly kind,” Sarv followed the sorcerer who began unpacking the items from his bag which had contained a variety of vegetables such as carrots, leaks, tomatoes, and other long or small foods, the bottle of an unbranded soda, plastic cups and plates, a bucket of napoleon ice cream, an item that momentarily confused the nun, and…..a carefully wrapped and baked candy bunny.

“I’ve decided to make some stew for lunch today, if you wouldn’t mind assisting me with the meal of course,” Geovanni began pulling back his sleeves as Sarv gave small nods of acknowledgement, Sky’s eyes widening with joy at the sight of the animal shaped sweet.

“Oh, this is so adorable!” the girl squealed, admiring the dessert, “Is this….?”

“Yes, that is for yourself,” Geovanni gave a small laugh, “I thought you might be quite somber due to my prolonged absence, so I went out of my way to specifically make a treat for you, though now I do feel a bit guilty at not preparing another two for Ruvyzvat and Sarvente-”

“You think too much of us!” Sarv waved away the sorcerer's concerns, “It is quite alright, Ruv doesn’t really like sweets anyway, and I have already had too much this month alone.”

“Well then, I suppose that alleviates my concerns a small amount,” Geovanni smiled before beginning to grab the ingredients and walking toward the doorway which led to the living section of the church, “Sarvente, would you mind directing me towards your kitchen?”

“Not at all, right this way!” the nun began carrying the rest of the items, leaving Sky to admire her reward before stopping at the exit of the greenhouse, looking back at the girl, “Oh, and Sky?”

“Hmm?” the girl looked back at Sarv, holding the small bunny within both her palms with gentle precision and care.

“You do deserve second chances,” the nun gave a sincere smile, “And I will help you, in your own preferred way of course.”

“Sarv…” Sky stared at her before giving a nod, a spark of hope in her eyes, “Right, thank you.”

Sarv simply nodded before humming a tune, following behind Geovanni as Ruv joined the two soon after, looking out towards Sky who had returned to affectionately patting the candied animal, the man simply sighing, his grip on the wall tightening a small bit, cracks beginning to form underneath his hands, as a distant memory, one containing the faces, the eyes of those children and the families they belong to, families he had hurt.

Those innocent eyes and smiles.

He shook his head, remembering Sarv’s teachings that explained how an individual’s actions didn’t define who they are, but rather how they responded to them is what had mattered most to a person’s future.

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

Lunch had come and gone, the conversations the group had made throughout such a time being enough to remember such an event, speaking of the teachings that Sarv lived for, the non-violent adventures Ruv had gone on throughout his travels along the northeastern portion of the world, Sky’s own world beyond their own, and Geovanni’s experiences in the arcane world, including the variety of people who he had passed by during his travels.

Strangely enough, during dessert, Sky hadn’t eaten the candy bunny, insisting on keeping it refrigerated so she could think of the sorcerer’s kindness whenever he was away, not to mention Sarv’s continual hesitation in eating the ice cream, though Geovanni hadn’t thought anything of it.

Instead, he had grinned when the other three had begun conversing among themselves, thinking that if even Ruv had opened up during this visit, then he had definitely been going in the right direction in terms of getting the group to love-er-cooperate with each other like a family-no-team, yes, that’s what they were doing.

Unfortunately, they still had a mission to complete and such niceties would have to end soon.

“Alright people, it is time to go over what we have so far in terms of our plan,” Geovanni began, having made everyone sit towards the back of the main hall within the church, “Sarvente, would you start?”

“Of course,” the nun stood up, holding a few pages of their plan that the sorcerer had written out for her, “The reason we are gathering Blacyx, a group of entities that branched off of but are still connected to the Corrupta Nigrum, a being of raw destructive energy and disharmony that, if ever released, would destroy all realities with its mere presence, though God, our Allfather, had sealed him away.

However, when dimensions had begun appearing, the small holes that allowed them to open within our world had also led it to follow through, spilling into various realities including this one and infecting people with its form.

These creatures are the mentioned Blacyx who, if pieces of the Corrupta Nigrum are removed from, will cause it to form into its whole part, a piece of it that, however small it may be, can still pose a threat to our reality, turning it into those that are already corrupted.

Our world, unlike many others that exist adjacent to it, has a prophecy of sorts in which the daughter of two demons will possess a gateway that, if ever released through her feeling some form of disheartened emotions, could release the largest variant of the being that we have seen.

Our mission is to gather as much of the Blacyx as possible, though the searching spell that I and Geovanni have created, so that we can annihilate the creature ahead of time, have Ruv placed in charge of any necessary communications between all of us, then allow Girlfriend, the Filia Obumbratio, or daughter of shadows, to release the being into our world.

That’s where Sky, a Blacyx herself, comes in.

Using her ability to manifest personal pocket dimensions, she should be able to trap the being inside while still remaining anchored to our dimension and form of reality.”

“What do you mean should be?” Sky questioned.

“This is all extremely experimental of course,” Geovanni admitted, “Though seeing what you had done back in the militarized zone, it should be as close as we can predict to being accurate in terms of what will really occur, but do you know the full extent of your manifest?”

“No, I’ve only used it once before, not including when I first met you, but I’m able to control it pretty well, though my emotions on the other hand….” Sky gave a sheepish smile.

“Well, then it would be best if you learn how to control them as soon as possible,” Sarv suggested, Ruv nodding in agreement.

“It is better to have everything prepared and readied ahead of time in order to reduce any casualties when the time ever comes,” Ruv explained.

“I couldn’t have said it better myself,” Geovanni gave an approving nod towards the man who simply responded with his usual neutral expression, “Which is the secondary reason to why I had visited you all today. I have decided that we can’t all be everywhere at once in terms of watching Boyfriend and Girlfriend, though I have the capabilities to watch over the latter, so I have decided to visit someone who can.”

“Another member to be added into our group?” Sarv asked.

“Exactly,” the sorcerer responded, looking down at his hands, “Although I am nearly incapable of creating nor keeping portals open for a large amount of time, though with Sarvente’s assistance, we could perhaps keep allow some form of transportation, and you all can watch from this side as I try to reason with him.”

“Him?” Ruv questioned.

“A interdimensional entity capable of perceiving all of time and space, hidden behind a smile of a mask that I still have trouble determined was real or not, though he mostly uses it to watch and admire Boyfriend like some type of extreme fanatic,” Geovanni explained before looking over at Sky, “Almost like yourself, Sky.”

“H-Hey, there are other people who are fans of Boyfriend, you know?” the girl crossed her arms with a pout.

“Fair enough,” the sorcerer nodded, “Anyway, have we received any signs of additional Blacyx around the area or beyond it, Sarvente?”

“Not that I am aware of,” the nun shook her head.

“Very well then, let us begin,” Geovanni clapped his hands together before turning around and distancing them once again.

A long yellow string of light connected the center of both his palms, the sorcerer moving his hands in varying gestures as rotating and circumnavigating circles with arcane symbols surrounded the space between his fingertips, before a spark began being outlined on the ground in front of him, drawing out a symbol with a variety of symbols within its interior area, a warm aura of light washing over the four of them.

“Sarv, if you would cast an enhancement spell please,” Geovanni called out as Sarv, mesmerized by the ornate imagery of the sorcerer's magic, snapped back to reality.

“Oh, right!” the nun exclaimed before rushing to his side, taking a deep breath as a black fog expelled from all her facial openings before consuming her body in darkness before such clouds expelled outward, a demonic version of the nun taking its place as Sarv extended her hands outward, a pink glow enveloping them.

In doing so, the symbols within the circle, and the shape’s outline as well, began to radiate a lavender hue from their edges, adding a layer of depth to the image it portrayed.

The ground underneath the group vibrated furiously before cracks emitting a red glow erupted from the side of the amalgamation representing Sarv and Geovanni’s magical efforts, a small shimmer beginning to form above the center of the circle, similar to that of Sky’s back in the battleground.

A thin line began appearing, a mixture of yellow and pink swirling around it before it slowly began expanding, a sound akin to ripping paper being heard from it, until it had fully opened, a swirling pool of colors appearing inside of it which cleared like fog on a window, showing what lay beyond this gateway.

Silhouettes of trees were shown dotting an area composed of an infinitely empty land of pink ground, the trees themselves geometrically inaccurate, their leaves almost seeming to be squares and octagons rather than their normal elliptical shapes.

“What in the world….?” Sarv took a step forward before Geovanni held out his hand to stop her.

“This portal should hold well enough, though we do not want it to close too quickly, especially since it is quite unstable with both mine and Savente’s inexperience in dealing with transportational gateways to entirely new dimensions, and we definitely do not want to allow any more of the Corrupta Nigrum to slip into our universe and reality, so I will try to be as quick as I can,” Geovanni explained before taking a step forward, entering the circle of symbols, his shoes beginning to liquify, small black particles entering the portal itself, before the sorcerer turned back with a small nod, “Alright, wish me luck.”

Ruv and Sky simply nodded in return before the sorcerer continued walking, his entire body liquifying and compressing into a thin line of blob that more easily entered the gateway, disappearing entirely from this world, a blurry icon of his body being seen from across the portal’s view.

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

From Geovanni’s point of view, the world was just as simplistic as it appeared from first being viewed by the group, a barren and infinite space of a pink hue with only polygonal trees left in it to add some form of decoration and uniqueness to its appearance, though it never really mattered what it looked like, especially when he had a mission to complete.

“Hello?” the sorcerer called out, his voice predictably echoing out into the space.

Unfortunately, no voice had called back.

“Is our individual not present?” Sarv asked through the portal, Geovanni looking around the area.

“Hmm, this is the same location I had observed when Boyfriend and Girlfriend had first been transported here,” he turned back to look at the group when, suddenly, all of their eyes had widened in fear, “Perhaps there was a mistake with the spell itself, or maybe he has already left…...wait, what’s wrong?”

“Behind you…” Sky pointed.

“Oh dear…” Geovanni squeezed his eyes shut before slowly turning around, the sorcerer’s body shaking vigorously without even witnessing the very being he had seen beforehand, although such an indirect perspective from the past couldn’t compare to seeing the creature up close.

Opening his eyes, Geovanni could nearly feel his heart stop as in front of him lay an amalgamation of a creature with purple skin, golden outlines that almost appeared to be armor at first glance before realizing it was connected to its body, a crown of the same material and texture, two hooks for feet, a creepily large smile with a dry mouth, and even drier eyes bulging out of its sockets, the creature standing completely still to the point where the sorcerer couldn’t tell if it was even breathing.

“What in the world is that monstrosity?” Sarv whispered, Ruv taking a step forward, placing his arms in front of both the nun and Sky, glaring at the creature who simply continued staring at Geovanni.

“Starecrown….” Geovanni answered, taking a deep gulp before moving forward a small bit, “H-Hello there!”

The sorcerer extended his hand out to the creature who simply continued to stare on indefinitely, though it truly did feel like he was looking for something despite simply seeming to stare off into space, examining the very essence of Geovanni’s own soul.

“U-Um, is he…..dead?” Sky commented before jumping as Starecrown’s eyes slowly moved to look at her beyond the gateway, his dry smile widening even more.

Immediately, the creature let out an excruciating scream as Geovanni fell to his knees, covering his ears as he nearly felt all the air leave his lungs, if his heart hadn’t almost given out first, the group outside the portal also doing the same, Starecrown suddenly appearing in front of the portal’s screen in a blink of an eye, almost as if he had been there the entire time.

“Ooooo, Sky, my dearest friend, so we finally meet!” Starecrown called out to the girl in a raspy, almost incomprehensible voice, his eyes widening with pure and utter joy that just about contrasted his horrific appearance.

“Wha, huh?” Sky opened her eyes upon hearing the creature’s voice, shakingly pointing towards him, “Y-You, you’re the one who’s been…..no, I-I…..you’re not…”

“Hrng! Alright then, that was quite painful….” Geovanni slowly stood up, placing his hand above his heart, just to ensure it was still beating, before taking a deep breath and giving a small smile, “Ah, so I see you’ve already met Sky.”

“Oh yes, we’ve been communicating quite often, and she has a magnificent voice!” Starecrown explained, though he didn’t remove his eyes from the girl, causing her understandable discomfort.

“You’re the voice i-in my head, a-aren’t y-you?” Sky asked, taking a few steps back before sitting down on the pew, such a large distance doing nothing to decrease the unsettling gaze Starecrown had set on her.

This creature was the voice guiding her actions, her path, to true love this whole time?

No, something that terrifying couldn’t possibly be any good.

“Well, fanatics are quite communicative, aren’t they?” Geovanni gave a nervous grin before once again extending his hand at the creature, “Hello there, I am Geovanni Gouge, at your service.”

“Oh, I know you are…” Starecrown slowly turned his head towards the sorcerer, causing the man to simply wince, his extended hand trembling a small bit, before the creature simply smiled, extending one of his hooked feet towards Geovanni, shaking his hand slowly, it’s hook feeling somewhat metallic and cold to the touch.

“Do you now?” Geovanni responded with a nervous smile.

“Indeed darling, I know all of you quite well….” Starecrown continued, pointing his hook towards his eye, “We’re both perceivers of Boyfriend’s endeavours, are we not?”

“O-Oh, I believe I understand what you mean,” Geovanni’s concerned expression shifted to that of contentedness and familiarity, “From what understand of your nature as an interdimensional entity, of which I know little of, you follow Boyfriend’s journey through viewing him in whatever spacial area he occupies throughout time and space respectively, although I am afraid to inform you that my primary directive is in protecting and observing Boyfriend’s beloved, Girlfriend, although I must say I am quite a fan of yours.”

“A fan…..of me?” Starecrown paused for a moment before abruptly screaming once again, terrifying and shocking everyone around him as the creature’s body momentarily inverted itself into a red and white monstrous version of itself in which hundreds upon millions of teeth appeared around its body, its tongue dropping to the floor before picking itself back up, the creature returning to its neutral state, “Oh I am so honored to have an individual such as yourself within my presence!”

“The feeling is….mutual?” the sorcerer smiled in return, “I must say, and please do not take any offense to my words, but you are far nicer than your appearance led me to believe, as much as I do not like making accusations without properly understanding the situation of an individual first.”

“Quite true…” Starecrown turned back to look at those beyond the portal, Sky still in some form of shock from the entire ordeal, “It is so much fun to be standing within you all at this very moment, so much so that I would absolutely adore seeing your vocal chords perform beautifully…..especially you, Sky.”

“M-Me…?” the girl responded timidly.

“A superfan of Boyfriend, and one who lures him into an extradimensional void of all places?” Starecrown’s smile widened even more, “It seems as if we have much to discuss. Our commonalities are quite wonderful indeed!”

“As much as I would love to sing with you, I am afraid we don't have much time for simple niceties, so I implore you to please listen to the request I have come here to discuss with you,” Geovanni instinctually gave a small bow.

“Mmmm, go on….” Starecrown tilted its head a small bit.

“We have a mission to accomplish, this being the complete destructions and banishment of an extra dimensional entity such as yourself that aims to destroy that aims to destroy and annihilate all of our reality and many others, though its spread is thin and broadened, and one piece of it lays dormant within our world at this very moment,” the sorcerer began to explain.

“Ah, yes, I remember witnessing such an event the other week,” Starcrown interrupted, “You are referring to Girlfriend’s sudden outburst, right?”

“Unfortunately yes, so I have decided to gather the strongest and adept individuals I have seen or know of and together we can place a stop to this entire circumstance, for not only Boyfriend’s safety, but the entire world’s,” Geovanni explained, the creature slowly decreasing in height, contemplating a potential response.

Boyfriend loved the world and its people, right?

Without the world, his career would be over!

“Very well!” Starecrown exclaimed, immediately growing in height until he stood almost seven feet tall, far exceeding Geovanni’s own stature, the sorcerer looking back up at the creature’s unblinking gaze, “Tell me what I must do, for Boyfriend's sake!”

“Someone’s obsessed….” Sky mumbled ironically, rubbing her temples as the situation she was in became far clearer to digest and understand.

“Glorious!” Geovanni clapped his hands together once more, “I will be sure to tell him what you have agreed to, but for now, let me explain your role in this entire situation, and you all listen as well, alright?”

“S-Sure thing, but….” Sarv looked over at Starecrown’s rather terrifying expression, “Do we really need to depend on this demon’s assistance for a task we are rather fine doing on our own?”

“Demon….?” Starecrown tilted its head far beyond the average limit of a normal person, “Dear, I am but a simple angel in search of observing Boyfriend’s journey with great interest.”

“An angel?” Sarv questioned.

“Most definitely! Here, allow me to demonstrate….” Starecrown suggested before twisting his body once again.

Teeth and tongues slithering around what appeared to be a mound of flesh that had once been his body before it began shaking vigorously, a loud scream erupting from within it as light exploding forth, building everyone momentarily before Geovanni looked back over at where the creature had stood, the entity now in its place being far easier to bare witness to, it having much of the same design as Starecrown’s previous form with an addition of a pair of wings, a rotating broken halo, and some strange symbol on the creature’s forehead as he finally blinked with a sigh of satisfaction.

“Ah, much better….” Starecrown began blinking rapidly.

“That’s right, I forgot about your true form,” Geovanni nodded, “I was beginning to wonder if I had simply imagined that part of Boyfriend’s journey.”

“So, this is an angel….?” Sarv gripped onto her shirt, her eyes narrowing down, not in suspicion or anger, but in some form of fear, “Does this mean y-you know the Allfather?”

“I…..don’t…..know…..” Starecrown responded slowly, his stare seeming far more genuine than creepy in this new form.

“Oh, alright then….” Sarv sighed, seemingly out of relief, although a part of her was disappointed at the lack of a connection between the two.

“Please, we cannot keep conversing!” Geovanni exclaimed before the sound of static came from the portal which had momentarily flickered in and out, signaling that time was almost up, “Alright, here’s what I need from you. You are an interdimensional entity that can view time and space as you please, so I require that you continue monitoring Boyfriend, even when he is not singing against his foes, and report any unusual changes towards me, even if they seem minute in nature, though I also request that you try and see if you can perceive the Corrupta Nigrum itself, observing its changes and attempts to enter our reality, and report such findings back to myself or Lady Sarvente, understood?”

“I believe so, yes….” Starecrown gave a slow nod.

“Good!” Geovanni interjected before running towards the portal which was flickering in and out even more, “I hope we can speak soon, especially as new friends, but until then, I bid you goodbye!”

“Until we next meet!” Starecrown waved as the sorcerer jumped back towards the portal, being caught by Sarvente and Ruv, as it closed behind him, the symbols on the around immediately bursting into flames as he rolled away from them as they began to fade away with the fire.

“Well that was…..interesting,” Sarv commented as Geovanni began to stand up, brushing off the little bit of ash that had stained his pants, nodding in agreement.

“Yes, but I do hope he is capable of completing our request,” Geovanni sighed, “The more eyes we have around the world, the better.”

“So that’s why you wanted that freak to join the mission?!” Sky exclaimed, standing up from the pew with an angered expression.

“Sky, I-I wasn’t aware that you had such a connection with him, I swear!” Geovanni responded.

“Yeah, I bet you didn’t!” Sky retorted, crossing her arms, small tears of fear trickling down her face, “That thing was the whole reason why I…...why I…….whatever, I’m gonna take a walk.”

“Sky, I….” Geovanni began before Sky had already turned around, walking down the aisle before leaving the building.

“I will go and talk to her,” Sarv began before Ruv placed his hand in front of her, shaking his head.

“HeT, I’ll go, you stay here in case anybody wants to join the church,” Ruv explained.

“Ruv, you know that doesn’t happen too often, and you’re still a wanted criminal-”

“I’ll be careful, I promise….” the man looked at Geovanni with certainty before beginning to turn around, Sarv placingher hand on his shoulder, embracing him.

“You’d better be,” she responded, “Any sign of danger and you return back home…..both of you, understand?”

“Of course….” Ruv nodded before leaving the building as well, Sarv and Geovanni being left behind in silence.

“It’s hard to give her peace of mind….” Geovanni rubbed his arms, sitting down on one of the pews as Sarv walked over, placing her hand on his shoulder.

“She just needs some time to heal,” the nun explained with a warm smile, “She does feel grateful for your help, even if she doesn’t show it often.”

“I suppose….” Geovanni gave an uncertain smile in return, “Sarvente, may I make a request?”

“Of course,” the nun sat down next to the sorcerer.

“May we begin a small praying session right now?” he asked, “It helps calm my nerves a small bit.”

“Prayer?!” Sarv exclaimed in excitement before coughing, returning her composure, “Absolutely, but do you remember yours?”

“Unfortunately not….” the sorcerer admitted.

“That’s fine, I’ll help,” Sarv placed her hands together as Geovanni imitated the gesture, “Now then, follow me.”

With the silence of the church leading their words, the nun and the sorcerer began their statements for hope towards the uncertain future they were only just beginning, and perhaps light could feel the darkness that would inevitably arrive to meet them.

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

Starecrown hummed a cheerful melody, this being one of the songs Boyfriend had sung with Daddy Dearest, onc of the first instances that he had seen the boy’s magnificent performance on the stage, leading to his eventual popularity among the city and beyond this very world itself, opening a large screen in from of him as it flickered to life, showing the creature’s idol walking besides Girlfriend and another girl, one with darkened skin and curly black hair, a look of uncertainty in the boy’s eyes, but Starecrown was far too excited in seeing his hero to notice.

“Enjoying the view….?” a calm, yet demonic voice spoke out behind the creature as Starecrown turned around with a welcoming smile.

“Oh most definitely!” the creature responded.

The figure leaned down, itself being a tall and slender creature of black with a laid crescent shaped face resembling a banana, hundreds of smiling teeth looking down at Starecrown’s important activity, placing its clawed hands on the creature’s shoulder.

“Fred is going to be fairly angry when he hears you are assisting Boyfriend without his explicit permission, you know,” the figure said.

“Oh I’m sure he’ll be alright this once….” Starecrown responded, keeping his eyes on Boyfriend through the screen.

“And who exactly is it that you are doing this for?” the figure asked.

“Geovanni Gouge, but you already knew that.”

“I did…...and who is this against again?”

“The Corrupta Nigrum….”

“Hmm, I haven’t heard that name in a while.”

“Are the AADL still trying to contain it?”

“Yes, but it gives us a chance to escape their perception.”

“Does that mean we should help them fight it?”

“Fred would say no, but I honestly do not care at the moment, so have a blast.”

“Marvelous!”

“If you wouldn’t mind however, I must speak with Fred about the current state of the Corrupta Nigrum itself, especially since it is a portion of your mission.”

“Thank you once again!”

“Oh pay no mind to it,” the figure melted back into the ground with a grin, “I am not doing this for you, but for my own entertainment, though there is a thin line between the two. See you later Starecrown.”

“Goodbye Banana Demon….”

- End Of Part 4 -

Friday Night Funkin’ is an open-source donationware rhythm game developed by Cameron “ninjamuffin99” Taylor, David “PhantomArcade” Brown, Isaac “kawaisprite” Garcia, and evilsk8r.

Mid-Fight Masses is a Friday Night Funkin’ Game Mod by Dokki.doodlez and all respective characters associated with it are also owned by said creator.

Sky was a mod made by bbpanzu and character inspired by bfswifeforever.

Starecrown and all affiliated characters of the mod were made by Jofini.

#original story #Corrupta Nigrum #friday night funkin

0 notes

theknudsencasa-blog · 7 years ago

Text

big woods, small adventure.

This past weekend was an idyllic insight to what autumn means to the Knudsen casa. It’s been raining 50% of the time the last few days, with cloudy skies and low temperatures settling in Friday and not vacating until mid-afternoon today. To set the mood indoors accordingly, I’ve been burning candles with the lights down low, the fireplace glimmering a slow flicker with its gentle click-click-click patter filling my ears, indicating it’s still functioning after a summer without use. Nate and Kunu napped away the afternoon on Sunday, and I spent the day sitting at the computer desk working on some freelance work as we prepared for yet another busy week before a long Labor Day weekend.

The fact that it is already basically September and I’m writing my first blog post of the year isn’t lost on me. From relatives to coworkers to friends, I’ve received a few comments - some intrigued, some snide, all from a place of genuine interest - indicating people miss my posts. It’s heartwarming and frustrating all at the same time, and while there’s been no shortage of material to write about, the wheels just haven’t been clicking for me the past few months.

Since my last blog posting, a lot has been buzzing at the Knudsen casa and beyond. To catch you up to speed, here’s what you missed:

I celebrated the new year with wonderful people and was actually able to stay up until 3AM, much to my ancient and decrepit body’s surprise

Donald Trump took office and my Twitter feed lost its mind

I was offered a transition to full-time from part-time at my workplace

I intimately high-fived Matt Damon and subsequently got gangrene after not washing my hand for four months (half of this is a lie – and not the more fantastical half, either)

Nate and I were both sick for a combined total of two months straight

I drove an unwilling but supportive Nathan through a blizzard to see Brendon Urie live – for free

I went back to Las Vegas and experienced a real What Happens in Vegas moment by getting escorted out of a swim resort after getting way too drunk at 2 in the afternoon (sorry, workplace that thought hiring me as a full-time representative of their company was a good idea)

I lost 20 pounds (but kept my gigantic calves in the process)

Nate passed his Principles & Practices of Engineering exam after a few hard weeks of studying

I raised $300 to help animals in the greater Twin Cities area and found my true calling in life

Nate and I visited Wisconsin and actually had a good time, probably because there was cheese and beer involved as well as terrific company

We finally landscaped our yard in front and truly became part of the north-facing neighborhood by including hostas in our foliage

I accomplished my first animal foster situation by bringing home a stray kitten and caring for him before finding him a loving home with my little sis, Kara

We stained our deck and experienced three straight days of rain afterward, because we are really good at adulting and homeowning

… among other things.

There’s not much justification for me to explain about the lack of posts aside from I just didn’t want to do it. Honestly. My whole life, I’ve been the kind of person who gets so wound up and overwhelmed by something minimal, I’ll react one of two ways: either I will go all out and do way more than I need to to compensate for feeling so overwhelmed (trip/PTO planning, employment searches, meal planning) OR I will give up on all things entirely and just let it die a sudden death (thank you cards, filling photo frames with pictures of people I actually care about instead of weird candid black-and-white shots of people I don’t know, blog posts, calling to schedule my car an oil change oh goodness I’m over 2,000 miles over and I should really make that call).

HOWEVER, here for your reading pleasure is the ULTIMATE JUSTIFICATION PARAGRAPH(s), commence: I actually started a blog post about our California trip in March when the weather started getting nicer, but I left the draft to rot in my composer due to lack of interest. The post, titled “my life as a California raisin” because I literally don’t know anything about California except for the fact that animated dancing raisins from the 80s use its namesake, apparently?, was intentionally left alone as an act of defiance; I had a lot of people nicely asking when my next blog post was coming out, and I went through one of those teenage angsty “I DON’T HAVE TO BE WHO ANYBODY ELSE WANTS ME TO BE! IT’S MY BLOG AND I’LL DO WHAT I WANT!” phases and just turned off my computer and left it. I also was a little nervous, because we didn’t really take any photos of our California trip, and I didn’t have clear documentation of much of anything – especially the event everybody wanted to hear about most, when Matt Damon and I fell in love while simultaneously touching hands for a split second in a television studio.

We also didn’t do anything monstrous or overly awe-inspiring in Cali – or at least nothing physical like the struggle of hiking Angels Landing, which I’ve been told was one of my better entries – but it was a solid, long, well-deserved vacation for both of us. A mixture of relaxation, crashing on futons owned by long-distance friends, and enjoying happy hour drinks (priority), our California trip was a great way to begin our adventures in 2017. I, however, am not going to document it – just because honestly, I don’t remember half of what we did now. It was nearly seven months ago (oh my GOD!) and we have other things to get through, like the awesome nature of the last two camping trips Nate and I took as well as whatever else I want, because this is my blog and you can’t tell me what to do! So if you came here looking for that, I guess I have disappointed you once again and I am not sorry.

One thing I do remember, however, was the true starting point of our summer this year: our first camping trip, accomplished in May. We enjoyed some time in Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park near Faribault, a brand new state park for us, mixing car camping with delicious downtown dinners to make a really delightful weekend away.

NERSTRAND-BIG WOODS STATE PARK MAY 12-14

Friday – Day 0.5 I left work around 4:30 on Friday to meet Nate at the North Star Park and Ride in Elk River, our meeting destination that only made sense as we needed to drop off a car before venturing south. We left his pickup and jumped in the Kia, beginning our travels to Northfield for some grub before arriving in the park. Our plan was to go to The Tavern, because they seemed to have a wide variety of 21 Day Fix-approved food, and my hopes were high to get a salad instead of a salt-coma inducing gut bomb of a burger, because I’d been doing very well on my portion-controlled diet plan as of late and had even planned out all the camp food for the weekend to be fix-approved.

However, after stopping at the Cabelas in Rogers, my hunger had quickly escalated for greasy, delicious, artery-clogging food, and I threw my healthy eating plans aside to order a Spin Dip burger and fries because I have never had much self control. I also added a tall Angry Orchard to my bill for good measure, as I’m definitely the kind of person who is all or nothing, y’know?

After inhaling most of my meal in less than 10 minutes because I am an animal, Nate looked at me very concerned across the table as I instantly puffed up to the size of Violet Beauregarde and turned roughly the same color. My body was turning on me real quick and we finished our beers, leaving as speedily as possible so I could lay flat in the car and hug my pillow whilst moaning on our way to Nerstrand-Big Woods SP.

The drive from Northfield to NBW was about 20 minutes, just enough time for me to stretch out my oversized belly and Nate to lay out our game plan. We would get to the park and utilize the remaining light of the day to set-up our sleeping situation and snuggle in for the night. Then, we’d go to bed and wake up at our leisure, making a prime breakfast before a morning of hiking and an afternoon of paddling on the Cannon River.

Just a little before bed tent selfie! You can see up the corner, we like to tie our lantern to the top of the tent, much like recessed lighting.

After I snapped that selfie, I quickly passed out, and the day was done.

Saturday – Day 1 The next morning had a bit of a chill to it when I woke up, but hints of warm summer day lingered in the breeze, waiting for the sun to peek out from behind the clouds. As I lounged in the warmth of the sleeping bags Nate was already out of the tent, sipping some steaming caramel hot cocoa and setting up his hammock. Once I put on some warmer clothes, I left the tent to help aid with breakfast.

Our set-up. I am getting breakfast ready.

As you can see from our campsite photo there, our tent is huge! If you follow along really closely with any of our adventures, you may note the tent you’ve seen us use before is small and orange. This Coleman tent was my parents’ hand-me-down and it’s our car camping tent. Because it’s so large, it doesn’t work well when it comes to backpacking, but car camping.. that’s another story.

First and foremost, I love car camping. It’s easy, it’s safe, and most importantly, you have SO MANY FOOD POSSIBILITIES. Let’s be real, over half the fun of camping is the food. Right?! But when you’re backpacking it, you have limited options due to not being able to keep food cold, as well as spacing issues. And sometimes it really sucks when you just want to down a ton of food after a grueling hike, and all you have is a Clif bar.

WELL, when we went to Big Woods, we did not have that problem.

For once I planned most of the trip’s meals, trying to stay to my 21 Day Fix portions and planning method as best as I could. I tried to make protein a priority throughout the day, as well as including hard veggies that could take a beating on the trail for snacks, and we ended up with this for breakfast. Eggs with cheese and salsa and lil smokies. What a way to start the day, right?!

After our power breakfast, which I do have to say was a bit more filling than a donut, we tidied up our campsite and set off on the trails. Nate and I were both excited to explore Big Woods for a few reasons. One, it was our first camping trip of the year, and we were eager to dust off our hiking boots and stretch our legs in the woods; and two, it was blooming season! We got to the park a week or so too late for the really intense flowering period, but still caught many beautiful insights to the season’s change. Neither of us had really been to a park that so prominently featured flowers as a “must see”, so we were intent on grabbing some prime photos on our trip. Luckily, the day delivered.

We first ventured down the Hidden Falls Trail on the east side of the park. We’d talked to the park ranger in the visitor center right away, asking for tips, and had been informed that most of the trails on the south end were downtrodden with mud as a result of the intense rain they’d had the week prior. The north end of the park was more or less the same. But the central portions of the park were where the flowers were blooming anyway, and he recommended we hit that up before anything else. So we did.

Endangered dwarf trout lily on the Hidden Falls Trail, found exclusively in Minnesota (known as “endemic”).

I’m actually not very experienced when it comes to flower photography, so I’m not kidding when I tell you I was a little unnerved at the thought of getting good shots for a blog or our own personal use. I’m the same way whenever I try photographing something severely beautiful. I always convince myself I’m not quite good enough at it and when I get home my photos will be crap and it’ll be like I didn’t even go. Sort of like FOMO, but PTSD style? Luckily, I like how this batch turned out.

One of my favorite shots of the day. This flower is bloodroot, if I’m not mistaken.

However, aside from spring flowers, there’s a lot of reason to go visit Nerstrand Big Woods. How about, for instance, the big woods?

Along each of the trails we did throughout the weekend, we were both in awe of the trees. They were so easy to get lost in! We absolutely loved it. Canopies lined the paths and engulfed you, covering you just enough that you felt like a part of the nature that surrounded you, but not enough that you felt cut off from civilization/on the verge of living with wolves.

Nate, reading every sign on every path. As you can imagine, going to museums with him is really fun.

Once we finished the first loop of the Hidden Falls Trail, we decided to go for loop two. After all, we absolutely needed to, or so we’d been told. There was a waterfall to see!

While the waterfall at NBWSP isn’t big, especially compared to those on the North Shore (see ya this fall!), it was still a sight to behold. With all the fresh green on the trees, the gushing water was truly spectacular! By the time we reached the falls, the park was hopping. Many families were taking photos in front of the falls, and kids were playing in the cool water, throwing rocks. We backed away from the falls at first, entering further back into the river that flowed from them. I crossed some rocks and we both took some center of the river shots before admiring the other beauty around us.

Once we took a seat on the rocks just outside of the waterfall, Nate and I watched countless people come in and admire the falls, breaking open our pack to snack on veggies and trail mix. I remember we were both very happy and content.

Once we stood up and had prepared to move on, we decided to take a few final photos by the falls before heading out on our way. We had more of the day to get through, anyway: we wanted to finish up the trail systems relatively quickly to make it to Cannon Falls to canoe down the river on time.

We did not leave, however, until I skirted the waterfall and stood right in the middle of it like a super nerd. P.S., if you’re wondering? YES, this was exceptionally cold on my toes.

Then we continued on our merry way.

We made our way back to the campsite quickly, but still took the time to pause and look at flowers, too. We encountered a naturalist along the path and he took his time explaining the flowers to us, telling us what to hunt for and pointing out examples of each thing with careful consideration. In case you haven’t, please talk to your local naturalist when you go to a state park. Generally, they are awesome, and they know their stuff.

Also along our path, we discovered this: one of the weirdest tree formations I’ve ever seen.

This little fellow is called jack-in-the-pulpit! They are truly beautiful (and quite hard to spot).

Once we made it back to our camp, we gathered our belongings, tidied our tent, and left to drive to Cannon Falls. We had decided to work our arms a little by canoeing down the Cannon River, since I mean who really loves leg day, anyway?

Yeah, that’s my husband. I guess he has a tendency of looking sort of like a hippie when we’re on the water if this photo speaks any truth at all.

Our trip down the river was relatively unremarkable. If I remember correctly, we went about six miles, and it went very quickly. The trees along the river were starting to fill, but there wasn’t much wildlife, so the paddle was primarily us (me) floating and eating. We did encounter some people who were swinging into the river via two old, ratchety-looking ropes, and they tried hard to convince us to join them. We both politely declined and watched them as we continued to float down the way.

Once finished with our paddle, we were escorted back on a bus, which picked up a handful of other people at the same time. I tried to make friends with a dog on the way back and by the time we had reached the vehicle, I was so grief-stricken by the fact that we didn’t have a dog Nate took me out for ice cream from a vintage, drive-up diner and I annihilated a shake like it was absolutely nobody’s business.

We arrived back at our campsite in Nerstrand Big Woods in the early afternoon. We’d gotten out of bed quite early that morning in anticipation of a big day and now found ourselves at camp with a lot of time on our hands. Before cooking, we both settled in - Nate in his hammock and me at the picnic table - for some naps and reading time.

Before long, however, the hunger started creeping in. It was probably because we knew what our meal was going to be: steak and potato foil packets.

We seasoned our packets - steak, onion, red peppers, and red potatoes - with montreal steak seasoning and garlic powder. Then, we put them in the fire to roast!

The finished product.

After we ate, Nate was stuffed, but I was severely upset. I didn’t bring s’mores stuff - remember, I had packed only food that was 21 Day Fix approved because I foolishly thought I could make it a whole weekend at camp without S’MORES!!!! - and began whining for dessert almost instantly. Luckily, I did know my self control would be relatively bad, so we did have a delicious dessert - camp style.

First, I cut into two bananas (peel on) just enough we could use it as a boat. We stuffed peanut butter and dark chocolate chips into the crevices, then wrapped them in foil and put them on the fire.

The end result was delicious! A warm, gooey, delectable - albeit slightly healthy - version of camp dessert.

The rest of the night we huddled in next to the fire and watched the light dwindle. Once the sun went down, we reflected on our day before going to shower and wash some of the dirt off of our tired bodies. We then retreated into the tent and fell asleep to the sound of coyotes howling in the distance.

Sunday – Day 2 Early on in the morning we awoke and ate some food: eggs and leftover steak/onions/peppers. Feeling replenished, we quickly tore down the tent and vacated the campsite, ready for the next person to take our spot and enjoy the tranquility of the big woods.

After moving our vehicle, we decided to go an additional few miles on the trails to the south of the park before heading home. We didn’t have a timeline to adhere to but knew we wanted to get out of the park before afternoon as to get home at a decent time. We also had to drive back to Elk River and grab the vehicles, which was a little out of the way and added onto our journey time.

On the trails, the sun rose up high, and we both began to sweat. It seemed like summer was here! But we still enjoyed some spring blooms as we made our way into the wetter portions of the park.

The further south we got into the park, we realized we were hiking quite a bit more than we had anticipated. Turns out, we’d incorrectly navigated the skiing trails, and had ended up walking directly past our turn-around point. At that time we both decided, me in quite a frustrated manner, that we would be putting on a few more miles than anticipated. As we continued along, however, I tried to focus in and take more photos, alleviating the stress I felt.

We both decided to look for an orange flower to keep us busy. Spoiler: Nate won.

Me, in what I hope is my secondary element. I would venture to guess my primary element is on the couch under a fluffy blanket watching Parks and Recreation or The Office whilst eating cheez-its. #balance?

As we made our way back up the far side of NBW, Nate asked very sweetly if we could take the Prairie Trail, as he wanted to see some wide open spaces after being caught in masses of trees for longer than expected. I, if you’ll recall, absolutely despise the plains, and was outwardly frustrated with this development. I reluctantly agreed and we went on our way to the Prairie Trail.

The trail ended up being probably half a mile longer than marked, and I absolutely gave up and sat on a bench once we reached what looked like the end. Nate, however, continued venturing up the sloped prairie to snap some photos. I do have to admit, he got some nice pictures. But I was pretty done with everything by that time and I just wanted some substantial food.

After we left the Prairie Trail we walked as quickly as possible back to the car. By the time we reached it and parked near the visitor center, the picnic area was packed and cars lined the driveways twofold. Springtime is always when Nerstrand peaks in its visitor count, and it’s because of the beautiful views like we saw - including but not limited to flowers and huge, towering trees.

Once we left the park, we drove through Faribault to fuel up, and then were on our merry way. We stopped in Elk River to get some good old-fashioned ice cream and then drove the remaining 50 miles home, to a happy Kunu bean and a warm, comfortable bed.

And so our first camping weekend of the year was complete.

0 notes