#nu: branches

[dark-mobien34]

Madness Exeller

so basically this version of Exeller from the cannon one isn't part of nightmare universe but this version of Exeller I made is actually part of this nu Aus because he's a fannon one, but this story starts is where Exeller had enough of all resets by alice as we all know but this time Exeller finally remembers of all the efforts he killed everyone but still gets reset over & over, so this time Exeller has started to lose his mind aggressively & gets really insane & decides to kill Alice first so that he can kill everyone & so he did killed them in the end & has her head with it & wears alice's neckless & when he met fatal Exetior for the first time they don't look extremely friendly to each other & wanted to kill each other to death & decides to be fatal Exetior's ally whenever he needed to help him with something

Art by me

Madness Exeller (c) by me (DarkOfSnow34/Dark-Mobien34)

[zivazivc]

Hiii!! Ufff I don't know how to tell you that I love your take on Floyd. like some bad bad life decisions were taken (THAT SO!!! INTERESTING FOR HIM). Do you think he ever feels ashamed of himself when he looks at Branch's eyes, like "shit, this guy really believes in me" or "he doesn't even know everything I have done"? Like he has some really BIG "Love me Less by Max" vibes

They all really believe in his goodness which is worse

And OH he definitely feels so much shame and regret. I think a big part of why he fell as hard as he did was because he finally didn't have to be his brothers' mediator, and I guess at one point he forgot that he still needed to be the voice of reason for himself. His new band mates encouraging his reckless behavior didn't help. Honestly I personally think young Floyd was a very naive kid and very dependent on his older brothers but his strong empathy gave them all the impression that he was much more mature and independent than he really was...

So yeah... you can imagine that constantly partying, doing drugs and sleeping around wears someone down after a few years. I think Floyd also went gray like Branch (not for as long tho) and he broke up with the band wanting to go home badly, but he was also ashamed of showing his face after a number of years as a gray drug addict, so he kind of just ended up alone...

If we're sharing songs, I have to show you this one by Linkin Park because I think Floyd wrote it for Branch (and the rest of his family (and some parts also addressing himself)) while he was at that desperate and lonely period because I am also extremely emo

[toutplacid]

Trogne en hiver, Notre-Dame-de-Sanilhac (Dordogne) — stylo-bille 8 couleurs, carnet nº 135, 15 janvier 2023.

[snakeupcall]

I figured out what i didn't like about this one at first so i'm posting it again, this time for real

[datura21]

Derrière la glycine, son amie, se cache Ola.

[nu-metal-confessions]

just once, i'd love for fred, sam, john, and dj lethal to allow wes to paint them + dress them all in a signature borland stage looks for a show. i think it would be really fun and entertaining to see.

.

[miss-sofia]

#prev: #i am choosing to believe this man is chuck tingle

CHRIS PINE for Esquire Magazine (2023)

[brilag]

Le printemps est là, on attend les feuilles ! par brigitte lagravaire Via Flickr : 2019-13-21-Monflanquin

[red5tars]

We should talk more about naga gaz and scientist reader who thinks her cover is good as fuck because she’s managed to get reallyyy close to his nest but nu uh. Gaz knows and he’s highly entertained watching his darling mate slowly make her way willingly into his nest and arms 🙂‍↕️

-noona 💕💕

why yes beloved noona, we should talk more about him!

just like, imagine working at some sort of research center, specializing in the study of hybrids. while some might call them monstrosities, you and your team see them as the key to the future.

unfortunately, many of them see y'all as a nuisance. especially gaz.

he's been here about a month, yet retains the hostility he has since first arriving; hissing at the doctors, curling away into the trees, and constantly breaking stuff in his enclosure. he hasn't harmed any of the researches directly, but after he snapped a log in half with ease, everyone keeps there distance.

talk about letting him back out into the wild circulates across the building, his lack of cooperation threatening any progress. and you, little junior researcher, see an opportunity. think about it, you'll be respected amongst your peers, no longer a little assistant that gets ordered around. and they'll have another test subject.

nearly everyone is gone when you enter his enclosure, the lush greens a harsh contrast to the white hallways that make up the building. it would be a serene experience if you forgot about the apex predator that inhabited this place, watching, waiting for the right moment to strike.

"bit late to run some tests, doctor?"

a deep voice behind you makes you jump, finding gaz curled around some branch. you've only caught glimpses of him from behind the door, x-rays, and some shedded skin. none of it could compare to the beauty standing right in front of you.

his upper half is handsome, as if someone carved it from marble but what really caught your attention was his tail. the intricate pattern, shimmering despite the dim lights of the enclosure.

you almost forget that he could break your bones, too enamored by his appearance.

"i asked you a question," his comment snaps you out of it, the coldness of his words hitting you like a violent breeze.

"i-i'm not here to run any tests," you state, though gaz hardly seems convinced. if anything, he narrows his eyes, two little slits holding nothing but spite for you.

"really? then what are you here for, doctor?" it shakes you, the way he addresses your title with so much contempt. a title that isn't yours (yet), but who are you to tell him that?

"i.. i wanted to warn you. the other researchers are talking..” it's a miracle your voice stays leveled, hands trembling as you continue, "..that if you keep being uncooperative they'll throw you out."

the words hang in the air, gaz seeming to contemplate your words. rather than panic, he flashes a sharp grin, "well, that’s probably the best thing i’ve heard since i got here"

his response stuns you.

"b-but," you start, yet he already looks so disinterested, "you.. this could be bad! i mean you won't have the facilities resources or protection, and you’ve gotten so used to life here-"

"hey," he snaps, your lips closing together, "just because i'm kept in some lush prison does not make me your glorified pet," the reminder rings in your ears, embarassment warming your face.

"well, still," you say, "if they let you go it would just backtrack our research," not that anyone has managed to progress with gaz anyways, "you could advance society, lengthen lifespans, further evolution," his head perks up at that slightly.

"don't you want to be apart of that?"

his gaze hasn't softened, but at the very least his interest is piqued. you fail to realize how his eyes rove over you form, thinking about evolution.

gaz's lips curl into a grin, "well, now that you bring it up.." he begins to uncurl his tail, moving down the trunk, "you do have quite a convincing argument."

it's wrong to read it as such, but the way he glides down is nearly.. sensual. the smooth movements of his tail, his muscles flexing. as he finally makes his way to the ground, you're reminded of all the ways you two are different both in species and size.

“how about this, doctor," he's starts, moving closer towards you, "i'll be your cooperative little subject if you're the only one monitoring me." the deal makes your eyes widen. you, a simple researcher be in charge of him?

"well i-" you start, "i'm not too sure-"

"you seem a lot nicer than the others," he hums, a hand coming out to graze your face. it makes you shiver, the lack of warmth throwing you for a loop, "plus, being the sole scientist would have its perks, hm?"

a voice in your head tells you this is a bad idea, but it can hardly be heard by the applause and praise you'll get once you publish your findings, experiment with his genetics, re-define evolution.

"so what do you say, doctor?" he pulls you back in with the soft drone of his voice, deep brown eyes meeting yours, "do we have a deal?"

praise. recognition. progress.

"..yes."

——

the other researches are astounded that you, the little junior researcher they hired only months ago, managed to appeal to him. they all wonder how, but you tell them all will be revealed when you publish your studies.

if only they knew you were already conducting an experiment, the key to evolution tucked neatly into your womb.

[doyoulikethissong-poll]

Bright Light Bright Light featuring Mark Gatiss - Next To You 2020

Rod Thomas is a Welsh independent singer-songwriter, based in New York. He incorporates many elements of nu-disco into his music, also branching into synthpop, dance and house music. Two of his albums have reached the top 20 on the UK Independent Albums Chart. Thomas chose the stage name Bright Light Bright Light from a quote spoken by the character Gizmo in the 1984 movie Gremlins.

His fourth album Fun City was a number 1 UK Dance Album hit on its release in September 2020 receiving widespread critical acclaim, and it features a slew of LGBTQ+ talent adding their vocals. Actor/director/writer Mark Gatiss (known from Sherlock) added a spoken word piece on "Next To You". Thomas had previously worked with Gatiss by composing the theme tune for Gatiss's BBC4 series Queers, and appearing as an extra in Gatiss's tv series The League of Gentlemen.

"Next To You" received a total of 38,5% yes votes.

[sukunas-wife]

hello 👋 I absolutely love your writing and it makes me soft 💗 can I ask for something soft with baby yuji who won't stop crying until dad sukuna comes home and bc reader left him with babysitter 🥹 anyway idk if u take anons but if u do can I be 🩵

🥹 Yuji’s the kinda kid who looks up to his dad no matter what, there is no wrong in his eyes. so I can see a confused Sukuna threatening a baby sitter because his son is crying and not running to him screaming daddy! 😭

The palace was quiet aside from the fact Yuji was crying hysterically, his eyebrows furrowed and snot running down his nose. The babysitter was holding his kicking figure trying to get him to calm down. He was thrown halfway over his shoulder still reaching out for his mother who had left not too long ago. The babysitter finally relented, kneeling and setting Yuji down. “Hey buddy, I know you don’t spend a lot of time away from your parents but you’re gonna be okay we can play your favourite game. We can do anything you want.”

Yuji stood there fidgeting his hands, teary eyed as his bottom lip shook firm trying to hold back cries. “Cmon bud tell me what you want?” He held Yuji at arms length, looking hopeful now that the boy wasn’t screaming in his ear. “I wan..” his voice shaky “I WANT DADDY” he threw himself on the floor crying louder when he hit his head. The babysitter sighed, picking up Yuji and carrying him to the table, “Let’s get you something to eat, your mom left in such a rush I don’t know if you ate.”

Yuji sniffled, still teary eyed, when his babysitter left him alone at the table to run and get a quick snack. A mistake on his part, Yuji looked around before turning around and sliding off his chair. “‘M leaving.” Yuji ran to his room trying to hide under his bed when he heard his babysitter calling his name, and running around looking for him. “Hey bud! Yuji! Prince!?” He ran into the room stopping in front of his hiding spot, “Prince Yuji, your mom AND Dad gonna kill me if I lose you please!” His pleas were in vain when Yuji buckled down and refused to make a sound or come out. He was glaring at his babysitter’s feet, before he turned around and rushed out the room “where are ya kid?!”

As soon as the babysitter closed the door Yuji rushed out and to the tapestry on the wall wiggling to get behind it, “he won’t go to daddy’s room.” Just before he could jump to reach the door he felt something grab him and he screamed before busting out into tears. “DADDY HELP!” Flailing around while “Ryosuke” his babysitter tried to carry him back to the table, “Cmon Yuji! Ya gotta eat or at least work with me buddy.” He sat Yuji down at the table only for Yuji to look straight down with an angry pout, “Nu.”

“Please?” “Mm mm” He shook his head back and forth. “Please Prince Yuji?” “No!” He turned his back to Ryo trying to slip off the chair again only for Ryo to pull him back, “Can’t leave til we talk this out just tell me what I can do please?” Ryo was borderline begging only for Yuji to side eye him over his shoulder, with teary eyes “Hide and seek.” Ryo sighed “alright one game, but I’m hiding, you’d probably run out the house.”

Yuji just stared at Ryo with dry tears in his eyes, “…okay..” Yuji put his head down on the table counting, listening to Ryo walking away and out of the room. As soon as he was gone Yuji ran out the other side of the dining room and ran straight for your room, “he can’t catch me,” his little legs making it to his parents room he tried to quietly close the door before running to the bed clinging to the blanket trying to climb up. “Tora” Yuji grunted, finally climbing onto the bed where he snatched his stuffed tiger, hugging it. Everything was quiet, Yuji sat there with his back against the headboard. Bringing his knees up he hugged his plushie, before the tears started to quietly fall, “want my daddy..” he flopped over onto your pillow, the tears slowly falling while he looked out your room’s window. The sky was blue, the tree branches outside were big and green, the birds that used to sing in the morning and coo at night were gone… he was alone. He closed his eyes blindly reaching for the blanket to cover himself, there was a tight feeling in his little chest and he sniffled crying himself to sleep.

Yuji woke up hot, his face and body sweating. Tora was on the floor. His hair sticking to his forehead and he started to tear up until he heard a loud banging and screaming. “LORD SUKUNA! IM SORRY IM SO SORRY PLEASE FORGIVE ME I'VE BEEN LOOKING ALL DAY HE SAID HE THE YOUNG PRINCE! He said he wanted to play Hide and seek!- You fool you humans are useless pathetic excuses of flesh If I find my son and he’s hurt in any way IT. WILL. BE. YOUR. LIFE.” A loud thud, “URAUME don’t let him leave.” It sounded like Sukuna was snarling, “YUJI.” “Daddy!”

Yuji rushed, falling off the bed and jumping back up with Tora in one hand. He rushed to the door jumping to catch the knob. “YUJI” Sukuna’s voice was loud and clear through the heavy wooden door, “where the hell is MY SON.” Yuji could hear the loud banging and shocked gasps of the maids. Finally managing to get the door open he squeezed through “Daaaad!” Yuji stood in front of the door, red faced and happy to see his dad. Sukuna’s head snapped to look at his son, relief visibly washed over him. “Where wer- daaaaaad” Yuji started to cry for his dad, eyes closing when he rubbed his free hand against his eyes. Sukuna was shocked as he knelt down and called his son in a softer voice, “Come here Yuji.” Yuji sniffled and ran to his dad standing between his legs burying his face in his stomach trying to hug him the best his short chubby arms would. Sukuna’s stare softened as he ran a hand up and down Yuji’s back the boy’s cries and shaky breaths getting quieter the longer he was in his dads embrace. Picking him up as he stood, Yuji let his head fall on his dads shoulder hugging his tiger to his chest, his breathing was wheezy after crying himself sick. “What did this idiot do to you?” Sukuna turned to walk towards the babysitter who was kneeling rigid on the floor of the throne room. “…nothing..” was all Yuji mumbled when he saw the poor guy. “He didn’t hit you? Scare you? Make you cry?” Sukuna was staring down at his son. “No but he was annoying.” Yuji said, looking up at his dad. “Did you eat?” On que Yuji’s stomach grumbled, “no..” “He didn't feed you?” “I ran and hid..”

“Uraume,” Sukuna was staring the man down, Uraume left quickly “Yes Lord Sukuna.”

“You,” Ryo’s eyes quickly flicked up and down, not wanting to face Lord Sukuna, King of Curses for too long, “I’m feeling merciful.. Get out, and never come back by the time my son counts to five and I’ll let you live.”

“One… two…” Ryo struggled to get up, having already taken one hit from Sukuna, “uhh… three!” Ryo was managing to get out of the throne room to the door “Four… ehh ff..sss” Sukuna looked at his son confused, “six!” Yuji bounced, smiling up at his dad who was staring in disbelief. “Oh.. five!” The door closed by the time Yuji said five, “Really saved that guy huh?” Yuji hugged his dads neck “m hungry..”

“Let’s go, Uraume should be fixing something up, I’ll have to talk to your mother about those Damn babysitters too.” Yuji just smiled up at his dad, “You’re so strong daddy.”

Tysm for ask 🩵

@sad-darksoul @cyder-puff @satorisgirl @bontensbabygirl @lupita97lm @sakuxxi @mercymccann @simpforyoubitch @certainduckanchor @domainofmarie @najiiix @bakugou-katsukis-wife

[dark-mobien34]

NU: branches team (NU!murder time)

NU: branches all of the ocs are by me (DarkOfSnow34/Dark-Mobien34)

Original NU is by "Jaiz Koys"

[archeo-starwars]

You wouldn't happen to have an extensive layout dissection of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant? Or even a list of all notable and obscure sections of the Jedi Temple? OR or even labelled areas that are public and reserved for only temple residents. Both from canon and legends, please and thank you!!!

The best I managed to find comes from Star Wars Complete Locations - you may check out the whole archived version here. The “zoom in” option is pretty good for reading details. Below the pages (I suppose the best is to open them in new tab for better reading):

As for the list of locations, I recommend wookiepedia's list. Plenty of data, both for Legends and New Canon.

Additional sources worth to check out:

Jedi Temple Locations & Jedi Temple History - both published as official material on star wars.com in regard to prequels and New Canon sources. Pictures and references to various places inside Temple.

Star Wars.com's The Clone Wars episode guide + videoclips from the series, like

A) Jedi Archives Tour (the entrance to one of the most restricted areas of the temple: The Holocron Vault).

B) Layout of Jedi Temple Library (source)

C) Jedi Temple funeral room + environment illustration by Tara Rueping (source)

Old Data Bank for Jedi Temple

HoloNews mentioning "a mob of 20 university students attempted to infiltrate the Jedi Temple" and "managing to get as far as the Second Atrium Lobby"

Star Wars Battlefront (2) game wiki provides some map and location description

and if you have time (and patience) you can watch gameplay from 501st Legion's mission in Jedi Temple for reference, like this one

The wookiepedia's articles should give enough good idea of the rooms, their location and functions, but I'm adding a few source pages:

STAR WARS: FACT FILES #36 provides a lot informations what and where was inside the Temple and some general data about visitors, security, Grand Balcony, Grand Corridor & Towers. Not all is super specific, but worth checking out for sure.

The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia mentions this:

and for Jedi Temple entry:

As for the named locations that are public or reserved for only temple residents, there is definitely a division like that, however I'm not sure if this issue was very well explained. The source gives us some ideas, like for example, Jedi Archives have data accessible only for Jedi with rank of Master or higher (thus most likely separated areas to study). At the same time, Fact Files #25 says that Jedi Archives offers an "excellent resources to researchers, including star-map hologram consoles", but also an access to entire scientific and historical knowledge of the Republic

so non-Jedi were allowed to use Jedi Library/Archives for their own research and work-related needs. We also must remember that the Jedi Order had various scientific branches, including archaeology, exploring unknown regions, and medicine, so logically thinking Jedi worked with other, non-Jedi specialists of many fields.

We also know from various sources, that politicians and important guests were invited for various occasions. We could see in Republic comics series that Bail Organa, Mon Mothma and senator Ask Aak were allowed to listen to Jedi reporting before High Council about his last battle

or attending Jedi Funeral like Duchess Satine and Padme Amidala did for the (fake) Obi-Wan's one or just visiting as a friend/comrade-in-arm

I would need to make more research about this issue as there is plenty tie-in material to Jedi Temple on Coruscant that would take a lot time to study, but at this moment, I think the best is assume how far a non-Jedi may walk into Temple will depend greatly who is that person and what is nature of their business with Jedi.

At the same time, Purge: Seconds to Die has this line "Clone Troopers? This deep in the Temple? Not permitted."

The Jedi was in Archives herself, so it is worth to take into account that clones could have more limited access to Temple than the average guest before war did. At the same time, clone troopers could make a report before Yoda and Mace Windu/High Council, as was presented by Star Wars Tales (Honor Bound):

so it is not like they were outright forbidden to enter the temple either.

Hope it will help!

[threepandas]

Counting Down: 1 [Next ->]

The worst part about knowing the end? Is the beginning and middle. The waiting to change. The hoping it can. Days, spent with the low fear, ever churning, that it will all make no difference. Your actions. Your plans. The hopes you have placed in Fate's fickle hands.

Entering the Creche at an awkward age, too soon to be Legend, too late to be Peer. I was destined to be an adult by the time Anikin arrived. Getting up there, by the time the Order fell. Not yet old enough to be an Elder... yet destined to never live long enough to see such an age.

Obviously, I refused.

Looked around, locked eyes on the closest most manageable Character Of Relevance and took a chance. After all, was it not? The Jedi WAY? To inconvenience the Sith at every turn? So... first Crecheling, then Initiate, then baby Padawan Me, tracked the poor man down. Hunted him for SPORT.

Meditate with me, Knight Dooku! Can you teach me about this or that, Knight Dooku? What is the correct use of seashell tongs in formal dining, when attending a formal feast with the aristocracy, during this specific religious holiday, Knight Dooku? (No, no, on the moon not the planet.)

Congratulations on you Mastery! Master Dooku!

Pushing and shoving my way into his life. Persistent, much to everyone's amusement, and his baffled chagrin. It was like befriending a fussy, regal looking, semi-feral cat. Force knows, for all his training, he's terrible at casual interactions. He was older them me, yes. And Mentor of sorts, certainly. For a time. But? We became... friendly? I like to think? I certainly chased him down enough.

He's a dramatic and awkward man, Yan, and he'd be lost without us; Sifo, Nu, and I. Occasionally Yoda, but that does come and go. Not to metion... well... his Padawans. (Damn it, Yan. They can't read the subtext from your pointed silences! Use your WORDS.) The sort of man who is... sturdy, but brittle. Like an old, unbending tree.

Which makes it all the worse, when the pressure becomes too much. Because it does not merely crack. No. No, such men? They shatter in terrible and unpredictable ways. Unbreakable right up until they are not. Unending right up until the crash.

It is...? Both tragic and hilarious, in a that way, that Yan should live surrounded by so many prophets. Yet he does not, can not, and never will see the end coming. Surrounded by legends, both old and new. Born with every marker for greatness. Yet he...? He will be considered little more then a footnote, in someone else's history. At best.

And the worst part of his Fall? The absolutely worst part? Is the Light I still feel, each time I look at him, the GOOD I know is there. Resolute and noble, dignified and full of grace. A diplomat. Expert swordsman. Makes magnificent tea. The driest wit imaginable. He... he is YAN. Not Count Dooku. Not some Sith Apprentice. Just... just Yan.

My friend.

I meditate on it a lot. The Force gives no clear answers. Still, I do try, sitting in the gardens. Tucked away several stories up, past the considerate veil of several sweeping branches. I never did succeed in figuring out which planet the tree hails from, I suspect it might be either a long dead one or some small moon. It's a truely lovely, sturdy, thing nonetheless.

Far below, younglings shriek and play growl. Running carefree, to work off energy before evening meditation. Each a tiny blaze of starlight dancing at the edge of my vision.

A bit bright, I note, but nothing concerning.

The Halls of Healing will have to increase my prescription again. My glasses are no longer blocking enough... I sigh. Considering that. My sight? Is at least partially genetic. While I may be predominantly human, just because someone looks human passing, doesnt mean they genetically are one. My ancestors were, to put it mildly, a bit... Mandalorian.

Where their was a will, there was apparently, a way; And now I pay the price for it. It's honestly a miracle they never "married", as it were, themselves into a genetic dead end. Some sort of metaphorical space mule scenario, as it were. Yet? Despite all that seeming success? Luck is not eternal. And should you keep gambling? Eventual you will roll poorly.

I was that poor hand. That unfortunate luck. Loved of course. Expected even. My parents both wanted and were delighted by me. But? I screamed. Could not bear to be near people. My inheritance? A truely unfortunate luck of the draw. When combine with Force Sensitivity? My eyes reacted to "Light" poorly. Very, VERY poorly.

They were blinding to me. A mere child with no shields to speak of, no Force training to push BACK with. Like being force to look direct at the sun, again and again. It HURT. Because I could See.

Where others saw merely flesh? I saw deeper. Not infalliblly, not perfectly, I was hardly some omniscient god, but... oh. Oh. The world was so Bright. So LUMINOUS. The Force swirling and burning and flowing. In everything, from humble to grand. People shine, and yes, it is beautiful. But it also? Hurts. Because it IS, ultimately, being forced to stare directly at bright, ever shifting, sometimes flickering LIGHT.

I have a lifelong disability. Can not FUNCTION without my filtering shade glasses.

Or, if you are one of the ignorant assholes, who even NOW still seek to use me? I have what you might call? A"gift~☆".

According to Healer Che, it was some highly recessive trait. (From a planet I honest didn't even know I had heritage on, much less could find on a navigation system.) A subterranean people, due to the truely ungodly surface conditions. VERY sensitive to energy signatures and light. Which...? When you slap on a whole NEW super special Force sensing ability? Filtered through the same brain? Wires unfortunately crossed.

It could have happened it anyone. Unfortunately, it happened to me. Now I'm effectively blind around large collections of sentients. Or Life in general, depending on the intensity. To say NOTHING of Force Nexus! Dear merciful FUCK, that was the sort of accident only you make ONCE and then NEVER again. I was lucky to keep my vision. At all. Full stop.

Sifo was not so lucky. His Visions being neither natural nor kind. The Force seizing him again and again, to plunge him into vivid scenes of carnage. Death and horrors in the home he so loved. I would would be forced to, should I fail, see the Fall of the Order once. But Sifo? Oh... oh, dear Sifo...

Sifo, had seen it fall ten thousand times.

Even Yan did listen to him. Not truely. But there is camaraderie, in the horrors. In whispering, "it's not their fault", through choking tears. Forgiving the victims that will one day kill us. There is... a certain, heavy, sort of friendship... born of pressing your foreheads together, fingers intertwined, knuckles white with terror, as you shudder in the dark.

I think it helped, helps, that he has someone, who believes him. Anyone. Not just humoring him, the mad man sprouting prophecies of doom. But truely believes him. Knows he is right. And that if nothing is done? Everyone will die.

But... BUT! It CAN NOT, be Kamino, Sifo. Not that, never that.

In the dark, I remind him of prophets, seeking to avoid their visions, and instead? Ensuring the worst, comes to pass. Defense, Sifo. Escape. We are JEDI. Do not let fear blind you, to who you ARE. Do not let it take down a path of darkness.

I wrap him in the Light. Tuck my Force presence close, like I'm hiding him again my side, a youngling tucked into the safety of my robe. Shhhh, my friend. It is okay to be afraid. I am too. We can do this together. We are not alone. I believe you.

We are the pillars of his mental health, Yan and I. It concerns the healers greatly. The council. Honestly? It concerns me. But what can I do? No one else CAN help Sifo, until the first take the step of recognizing he is not, in fact, insane. He is a perfectly SANE man, reacting in entirely reasonable ways, to unspeakable Nexus born horrors. Slowly cracking under the isolation and grief. A jedi pushed and pushed, far past the point lesser men would have broken.

And if? He need a woman young enough to be his one of his student's, to rely on? So be it. I am a Knight now, I can handle it. (I have been handling it, since the incident. Since I was a Crecheling. Where the fuck were all of YOU? Ah, that's right. Calling him insane. Making things WORSE.)

I breathe out slow and controlled. My meditation is getting me no where. Rising, I carefully hop down, using the Force to slow my fall, much to the awe of various Crechelings. I can not help but smile. Was I ever that small? So easily impressed? I bow to my tiny fellow jedi. Delighted, they scramble to bow back. Thrilled to show off how grown up and serious they are, how well down they can do it.

Reaching out with my senses, I look for Yan, politely avoiding doing more then the briefest brush as I reach past others. I am not the first, nor will I be the last. There are hundreds of such searches a day. Some clumsy and heavy handed, from Crechelings or Initiates. Some soft as brushing strands of silk. Knights or Masters, looking for friends, looking for students where the should not be.

The Temple feels alive, noisy even, when you know how to feel it.

Ah, there he is! Heading from the High Council's cha-Grief. Horror. A gutting pain that numbs and spreads.

Caught off gaurd, I am sent reeling. Stumbling, without grace, over my own feet into a nearby wall. Glad for it, as I desperately grab at my chest and wheeze, drawing the alarmed attention of nearby Knights and Guards. Because... because, the other direction? Had I stumbled in the other direction, I would have hit the railing. Fully doubt I... I would have been able t-too.... oh Force-!

It takes entirely too long to seperate my emotions from Yan's. To realize what's happening. My panic feeding into the pain. My pain feeding into the panic. Yan. S-Something happened to Yan! I manage to gasp it out. P-please! S.. Someone! Go! Go check on Master Dooku!

The world spins as I try to force air into my body. It refuses to come. Whatever horrible pain Yan is in, leeching down our connection. Into me. Hurting. Made so, SO much worse, by my having been actively looking for him. I close my eyes, teeth gritting, and trying to stop digging my nails into skin. I-It won't help. There's nothing physically there.

But it hurts! God, does it HURT!

It feels like my WORLD has been shredded. My heart, crushed, cruel and slow in my chest. H-he's having a panic attack. Has to be! Or-! Or being attacked! I d-don't... don't KNOW!

A passing Master has hurried over, now kneels next to me. Various Knights pushing whatever calm and safety the can at me. No one is quite certain what will help. But they try. Desperately, stubbornly, resolute to the last... they TRY.

Breathe with me, begs the Master. Pressing my hand to his chest. Just copy my breathing. Help is coming. Release what pain you can, into the Force. We will help you. Let us help you.

I try.

Desperately, I Try.

The Healers end up having to give us sedatives, Yan and I. Sifo ends up... worse. The entire event triggering another, nasty, round of visions. He is incoherent. Trapped. Staring up at the Death Star from the surface of Alderaan, through countless eyes, begging to be heard. His soul, small and desperate, replaying the end, over and over. Even as he tries to protect what souls he can from the inevitable.

He cries for this too. They won't believe him, I know. Even as he thrashs and begs. For the lives of the innocent to be spared, for monsters to hold their fire. I will though. I will. I always do.

But Sifo will be lost for days. Yan, however? As he sits, on the bed, just the other side me? Sits stiff and properly. Blankly. As the healers words wash over him. I doubt a single on has registered. Of the three of us, I am the only one even remotely functioning. Yet... yet I still, don't know what has happened.

Nodding one last time to the healer assigned to me. Promising that yes, I will most certainly rest. I slip my my bed and sweep over to stand next to Yan's. The Healer's concerned and frustrated. He knows Yan's not listening. But has to try. I shoot him a strained, closed lipped, smile. Quietly take charge of my unresponsive friend.

The Healers relief is palpable. Our notes and instructions are not terribly dissimilar. Rest, food, no missions or upsets. Got it.

Gently, I guide Yan from the Healing Halls. Alarmed, that he let's himself be led. He never let's himself be led like this. Insists he is no invalid, to be coddled. Yet... here he is. Mind a thousand parsecs away.

Bringing him to his rooms, I key in his code then gently guide him to his favorite chair. Lightly guide him down into it. Not... not once, during the entire walk back, has he responded to anything. I am beginning to grow afraid.

Fussing, I drag up that terribly pretentious Serranian musician, on his music system. The one I can't stand. I am worried. Sacrifices must be made. Boring and insipid music fills the room. Very fancy! Come on, Yan. This is his new piece! Don't you want to comment on it? Come, tell me why it's so much better then the racket youngling blast these days. I'll call you an old man...

Nothing.

Worry growing, I begin making his favorite tea. Digging out his special occasion snacks. Something, anything, to get a reaction. As things brew, a sound too wounded to truly be a laugh, chokes it's way out of him.

"Xana-...My..." he starts. Stops. Normally sharp mind refusing to obey him, as he tries to summon words. He looks lost.

"My Grand-Padawan is dead." His voice is brittle, alien sounding in his mouth. I nearly drop the plate of snacks I was carrying over, in response. Horrified. "He was supposed be returning a knight. Qui-gon was.. was so proud of him. Adored him. This has destroyed him. Will destroy all of us. I... I have lost everything."

No. No, you have NOT.

Striding forward and all but dumping the plate on the side table next to him, I reach for my friend with both hands. With my Force presence. I refuse. No, damn it! I Will NOT lose him. Not like this, not TOO this!

Listen. LISTEN to me, Yan Dooku. So help me Stars, Gods both big and small, you will not succumb to this!

The greatest lie the Dark has ever told, is that it will make things better. That it can help you with your pain. Would Xanatos want his death to destroy you? Would the child of your child, want his legacy to be the ruin of everyone he loved? It is okay to grieve. You NEED to grieve. But remember you Padawans. Remember their Padawans.

Your Lineage still lives, Yan Dooku.

It is hurting, mourning, but ALIVE. Don't you dare run from it in your grief. You are better then that. I am here. Sifo and Nu are here. Yoda, is here. We will carry this pain together, okay?

Closing his eyes, he let his head rest more heavily against my hands. Dampness darkened his eyelashes, but no true tears formed or fell. He didn't seem to have it in him. Not yet. His hands though... his hands? Shook as they slowly, haltingly, like a droid with seizing joints, reached out for me.

I moved from leaning over him to sitting on the arm rest of his fancy Serranian high backed chair. That he didn't even grumble over me "abusing his furniture" by putting weight on the arm rest like this? Gods.

Leaning into him, I wrapped my arms around his head and shoulders. Like a shield against the universe. Used the Force to pull the tea, finally done, and pour it into a nice cup. Properly of course. See, Yan? I remember your lectures. Here, drink.

He... did not.

Just leaned, sagged against me, as he shuddered with grief. Hands wrapped around a cup of fragrant tea. Music filling the air. Tucked safe inside my Force presence, as best I could.

In... Out... In... Out... There was a slight stutter to it, a hitch, that in a less controlled man? Might have broken into a sob. But... instead, Yan meditated. That first cup going to waste. The second following, as it slowly went cold. Needs must, though, and tea? Can be replaced. Yan can not.

Emptying wasted cups, I poured more. Rested my head atop his own. Matched his breathing as I slipped into a light meditation with him. The room was quite enough. The position not terribly comfortable. But honestly? We'd both meditated under worse conditions, and it had been... A DAY.

To put it mildly.

I didn't like the look of Yan's Force Presence. It was like a fault line had been struck. Spreading terrible spiderwebbing cracks in otherwise sturdy stone. I was no mind healer... really, not a healer at all, I was a Seeker, but? I had learned a few tricks. After all, not every child I had found? Was found in a safe and loving home. Most weren't, honestly.

You learned to soothe, as a Seeker. Learn how to help. Children, after all, don't know Light from Dark. They just know that if they reach for the magic in their head? Bad things go away and good things tend to happen. Sometimes they hurt themselves by accident. Sometimes they hurt themselves... because the alternative was worse.

"You know, my dear? Some days I think you are the only Jedi with any compassion left. The boy never should have been sent there. Not for his trials. The lives of others are not a child's test. And to be asked to face one's own family? It... it was cruel."

Yan sent his cup around me, to rest on the side table, before gently tugging me down into his lap. He hugged me close, like a child squeezing a stuffed animal for comfort, face buried in the crook between my shoulder and neck. Like he was hiding from the world. I rest my head against his shoulder, eyes closed.

We were both... so tired, weren't we. This was nice.

"When did it all become about proving ones purity? One's superiority of morals? We are supposed to help people. Not lord over them. If I wished to do THAT, I would merely need to return to Serrano. Become a Count. You and Sifo are the only one who seem to understand me."

"I think I would go mad, without you."

Yes. I worry that you would, Yan. I worry that you would.

[ghostbsuter]

The house of Nightingale & Constantine ( P. 2 )

> previous part , > next part

.・゜-: ✧ :-

"Okay, who the heck is that?"

Danny storms out of the elevator, positively pissed at the appearance of another old house in his territory.

"Frederich Isak Showenhower, aka Freakshow, current heir of a long line of thiefs." John lets out a suffering groan, not even daring to take out a cigarette under Alfred's sharp gaze.

"Shoot, freakshow?"

"You know him?"

"Ancients, he mind controlled me at some point."

(He isn't gonna knowledge the narrowed eyes of the bat. Nu-uh.)

Constantine whistles at that, giving a wince. "Yeah, we all had go through that at one point."

"Didn't know he was a descendant of an old house, but I don't recognise the name Showenhower?"

John clicks his tongue, shrugging. "They branched out from the original house of Chatterton." He points at the screen, showing their current annoyance for all to see.

"What strange is, is that the house of Chatterton had many names in its line, so why is Showenhower of all the current heir? I'm calling tomfoolery."

"Oh no, I'm fully agreeing."

"Care to share with the class?" Jason, Red hood, asks, eyebrow raised and leaning against the table.

"Houses of the dark, old ones at that, are powerful." Danny explains. "The original house is always the most powerful, each branch can, depending of how far the connection is to the original, be very weak or very strong."

"But this here?" John gestures to the screen. "This smells like betrayal."

"The house of Chatterton was one of the youngest of oldest houses, new compared to the Nightingales and Constantines." The younger took over again, frowning.

"And yet Showenhower is the heir, which shouldn't happen since the family is rather estranged from the original. It should've only happen when no other house, those closer, are unable to take the title."

"It means they disappeared, and one cannot simply disappear once connected to a house of dark." The Hellblazer looks grim, eyening the golden pocket watch.

"Midnight soon," he glances at the Nightingale. "Should we?"

"Where are you going?" Bruce steps forward, cowl laying like a hood behind him.

Danny peers up at the man, apologetic. "B? Can you let me and Connie handle this?"

The man is looking at Constantine with sharp eye, conveying his message and intent clearly.

("Let him get hurt and we will hunt you down.")

"Alright, chum. Be careful."

He receives a bright smile, making it almost, only almost, worth it.

"Alright, chum. Be careful."

He receives a bright smile, making it almost, only almost, worth it.

Nightingale looks at Constantine.

These are no normal circumstances.

"The house of Nightingale offers a temporary truce until the suspected betrayal of a house of dark is fully investigated."

"The house of Constantine accepts the temporary truce offer and gladly accepts the request of help for the betrayal of a house of dark."

They shook hands, whispering "so mote it be." to legalise the spell and then are off to go.

Danny waves at his family as John teleports them both away.

"I'm betting 50 bucks that Constantine fails in protecting danny."

"I bet 60 for danny finishing the job!"

"70 for–"

(Bets were made, and all parties waited for the true end.)

[thesharkwhalewhoohooooo]

Bridget x fem! Oc

10977 words 💪💪💪

"Hello darling." Jess smirked as she appeared behind Bridget, twirling the girl and evading when Ella tried to pull her away.

"Jess! Good to finally see you again." The princess smiled, nudging her with her shoulder.

"Mhm, of course... princess." She grinned, side stepping and catching Bridget by the wrist just when she was about to collide with the ground.

"Ulianaaaa!" She called out to the sea witch, alerting her of Bridget's position.

"Bridget, that's not your friend." Ella snatched her from Jess, who rolled her eyes.

"Of course i'm not! Could you imagine?" She cackled, her vibrant pink and purple hair illuminating the dark hallway as she dissolved in strips of the two colours.

"Have a nice day princess..."

-

"Hiiiiiiii~" Jess called out to her fellow wonderlandian, lounging on a branch as if she'd never fall off.

"Oh? Hello Jess! How are you doing?" The girl skipped over, standing under the tree so Jess only had to tilt her head down to look at her.

"Nothing much...." She lazily smirked, tracing eights on the bark.

"Mind if I join you?" She merely hummed, shifting to lay on her back and let her legs and arms dangle, carefully balancing her weight over the branch so she wouldn't fall either way.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself all alone? Didn't think you'd do anything like that, you know, with your desperate proclamations of being friendless?" Bridget reached up and jokingly tugged on her hair, which got her an annoyed glare.

"Don't be so silly! I'm not always saying I have no friends, besides, Ella is my friend! And you are-!"

"Nu-uh." The girl smiled up at her, nodding.

"Of course not!" Jess jumped down, landing perfectly in front of her and clasping her hands together behind her back.

"So, what are you doing in the woods? You know the creatures that dwell here." She circled her, placing a hand on her shoulder as she held out her arm alongside the other, gesturing around, bright pink and purple sparks revealed shadowy creatures that chased human silhouettes.

"Oh dear! That doesn't seem all too good now does it? How about we go and have some tea? I got us Twisted Turnarounds, I know it's your favourite." The Cheshire thought about it for a while, still holding onto her shoulders but this time also putting her chin on it.

"Mh, for once, i'll join you."

-

"Ha ha haaa! Oh shapes and twisted spheres! Always such a pleasure." Jess grinned as she spun around in the air, everything in the room contorting into spirals or spheres, Bridget clinging to her chair desperately as she stared at her teacup filled with the swirling green and purple tea.

"Oh dearie, I don't think this is all that pleasurable." She muttered under her breath, carefully glancing up at the girl who was happily flying around her room.

"Why would you drink it if you don't enjoy it? You still have the Hearts and Harlot one don't you? You had that once, it was hilarious!" Jess appeared behind her, placing her hands on her shoulders and flipping over her head, twirling through the air before slowly coming to a stop.

"Don't remind me of that, it's embarrassing. Also, it's impolite to not drink the same tea as your guest."

"That or you're just asking me out." Bridget blushed and looked down, the effect of the tea wearing off.

"But what's the name again-? Sweets of the Spineless? Spice Hectic Carnaval? The one with the bomb of sweets?" She slowly circled around Bridget in the air, sipping her tea as the princess rested her chin on her palm.

"Mh, would you like to switch to Wonder Under?" Jess grimaced, but turned around and placed her cup down on the table.

"Sure..." Bridget smiled up at her before the Cheshire turned back around to float on her back.

"You know, it's not that nice to float around with your back turned when you're a guest." Bridget pointed out, holding up the cup to Jess, who let her hand trial up her arm before she took it from her.

"Mh, is it? Haven't noticed." She turned around with a smirk, staring at the princess.

"You can turn around! I get it!" She looked away with a blush, bringing her cup to her lips.

"M'kay. Have you heard what the hare and Hatter saw when they passed the castle?" Bridget leaned closer, intrigued by her words.

"What'd they see? Did my mom hand out another beheading? Honestly it's so outdated, coming here has really opened my eyes to that, when I'm queen I'll limit my beheadings- yeah no sorry." She sheepishly smiled, accidentally going on a little rant, getting a look from Jess to shut up.

"Not a beheading, even though I'd love to be there for that, your parents were taking a stroll in the woods without guards! And! They were going towards the Rabbit hole! Without guards!... wait I think he said it was a carriage...." Jess hummed in thought, Bridget's eyes widened.

"A carriage?!"

"Yep! Just like that, they had Rabbit make a portal to me to break the news. Also apparently my dad pranked the captain of the guards so I should be cautious when I see him and not try anything, which is so rude! At least tell me which one! It was probably Jack of Clubs, he always has something against us, also, tell your mom to stop favouring the heart cards, it's bullshit because the Jack of Hearts gets to make dumb arrests for nothing!" Bridget wasn't listening around halfway through, too busy frantically tidying her room to pay attention to the girl floating above her head.

"You do realise I can clean all this up in a millisecond?" That got her to snap her head up to her, eyes wide.

She reached out to Jess, who watched her movements out of the corner of her eye, and grabbed onto the back of her collar, pulling her down and moving her hand to the front of her sweater's collar.

"Mh?"

"And you didn't tell me earlier?!"

-

A mere few hours later, the Hearts family had arrived at Merlin Academy, expecting to surprise their daughter.

Obviously, Jess saw them, as she was laying on a pipe that ran across the roof, containing the hot water for the school.

"Bridget~!" She called out to the girl, running a clawed hand across her back as she landed behind her, placing an arm around her shoulders and leaning closer.

"Her imperial majesty is here." She whispered into her ear, softly biting it with her canines after.

"Huh-?" Bridget squeaked out, flushing red as she felt her teeth, before she realised what she said.

"Mom's here?! Okay- act surprised!" She spun around to the entrance of the library, placing down her book on the chair she was about to sit in before Jess spoiled that.

"I mean I won't, but if you rush up to her it'll look like someone snitched..." Jess sat down on the arm of the chair, pushing back her cuticles.

"Oh yeah! Of course- i'll just sit! Right here... and wait...."

"You want to go greet her desperately don't you?" Bridget quickly nodded, but sat down nonetheless, opening her book and leaning against the pillows, and even though she was giddily waiting on her parents, she still felt relieved she didn't have to leave the warmth of the fire.

That, and the fact that Jess had just sprawled herself over her lap, softly scratching her nails down her arm, eliciting a giggle from Bridget's lips.

They sat there in comfortable silence, Bridget's hand eventually finding it's way into Jess' hair, who had leaned closer to it with a content smile, softly purring from deep within her chest.

"Bridget!" Her mother eventually came bustling in, her dress as magnificent as her empire, and her crown as sparkly as -her smile- the brightest stars.

"Mom!" Bridget smiled brightly, almost knocking a drowsy Jess out of her lap if it wasn't for her floating a mere centimeter above the ground.

"Oh wow, the hospitality here is wonderful." She grumbled, floating into an upright position and turning to face the three royals, Bridget's father smiling at her as his wife and daughter hugged.

"Hello Jess, your father raised quite the stir the other day."

"Mhm, as I've heard... but i've also heard that the Jack of Hearts has been harassing a few innocent citizens, care to chat about him?" The man held back his sigh, instead looking at his daughter.

"Hello bridget, how is it going at school?"

"It's going great! I finally befriended Jess for one-!"

"No you didn't."

"-And I was just studying for Physics! How is it all going back home? Jess only tells me about trivial matters." She shot the cat a look, who responded by shrugging.

"Can't tell me those matters aren't funny."

"Oh it's going absolutely wonderful! The last few weeks have gone absolutely flawless!" Jess snorted at the Queen's words, that woman did not know about the new tea -drug- running around.

"Apart from James doing a few minor damages to a new bridge." The woman shot a light glare at Jess, who was contemplating leaving if she was only going to get accused of stuff her father did.

-

"Bridget~?" The cat purred from behind her, softly scratching her nails along her shoulders as she rounded the couch, Bridget grinning at her.

"Hi! What's u-?" She stopped herself, Jess plopping herself in her lap and sprawling herself out sideways, her head tilted up by the armrest.

"What a charming position." She joked, Jess smirked, elongating her nails and jokingly scratching at her nose.

"If you keep this up i'll be even more disturbing to your 'studies'." She glanced at the cookbook, Bridget's cheeks flushed red, she had been caught.

"I never said I was studying, did you happen to see Ella on your way over? I missed a bit of Merlin's class." Jess turned around and slid down a bit, laying face down in Bridget's lap.

"I saw her, she didn't see me... wait no she did, she told me 'fly away you maniacal butterfly.'." Bridget shook her head with a giggle, tangling her fingers in Jess' straight hair, scratching her scalp.

"Sounds like her, I'll ask her later then."

-

"Wassup Queenie." Jess smirked, appearing in stripes above the Queen's throne, Bridget frowned when she heard her voice echo through the throne room.

"What is it Cat." She didn't bother looking up, knowing that Jess was most probably just lazing around, melted over the throne as if it wasn't poking in her back.

"Mh, I just adore how you greet me. I've heard from a little birdie that you've given the order to find me, dead or alive." Bridget gritted her teeth, her glare locked straight ahead, not wanting to give her the satisfaction of looking up.

"Not that I needed to do that, seeing as you dwell the shadows of my castle." She bit back, her grip on her scepter tightening as it itched to be used to slam Jess down from up there. "But seeing as I never seem to catch you, I thought they'd maybe try kill you in your slumber."

Jess hummed, one of her hands reaching out and plucking a strand of hair out of the meticulously styled updo, her hand dangling tauntingly above her head.

"Of course, well, i'm here now. Also, did you hear about your marriage?" That got the queen's attention, and she begrudgingly looked up at the vibrantly coloured cat.

"Well? Spit it out!" Jess smirked down at her, pulling her hand back and floating down from the throne, sitting down on the armrest, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Your dearest parents seem to think you're taking too long, and they've arranged your marriage to the lord of Cloves through a tournament, he's... certainly someone." Jess held back her snort, which Bridget noticed, of course.

"And that means?" Jess sighed, leaning forwards so she could look Bridget in the eye, who was sitting frigidly straight.

"First of all, loosen up, you'll get a stroke if you keep up like this, second of all, i'll tell you if you stop the search, I'd like to take a catnap in peace, i'll throw in coming by to give you some information every now and then."

"You mean coming by with information whenever you get it."

"Mh, sure, whatever. That Cloves man is so weird, like he's so boring, and he's boring in a 'Why do you not have a life' way, he does not have any friends, goes to brothels, doesn't have any hobbies. Besides maybe going to brothels... he probably just paid your parents a lot and the tournament was a coverup for it." The queen staid silent for a moment, then the doors opened and the announcer started introducing someone, which made Bridget knock Jess off of her throne, the woman floating in the middle of the air, because the throne was heavily elevated above the actual floor.

"Your Royal Imperial Majesty! Introducing the Lord of Cloves from Cloveville." Bridget held back her disappointed sigh at the man's face, he really was nothing out of the ordinary, and she meant that in a bad way, there was literally nothing about him that she found even lightly attractive.

"Is everyone in your town as short as you?" Her cold tone rang through the room as her icy glare pointed at him, the man bowing before her.

"I mean from what I gathered that was the only unordinary thing about him." Jess was back above the throne, lounging there as if it was a couch.

"If I may ask, your majesty, who is that?" The man spoke up, earning him a light scoff from the queen, and Jess' cat eyes zeroing in on him, narrowing as she smirked.

"He seems awfully chatty too, you sure you don't want to do the good old swinger?" She referred to the beheading, a fate he will most likely have after a few years, tops.

"Let's see who my parents picked out for me, they must be desperate if they do something like this without telling me." Bridget waved her off, the man seemed offended but didn't show it much.

"I'll leave you two to it then, don't be too swayed by his ordinary charm Darling."

-

"How awful has it been?" Jess draped herself over Bridget's desk, which was almost empty anyways.

"A bit more and he won't be in my way." The Cheshire grinned at her, reaching out to boop her nose.

"Seems reasonable, in the meantime, I figured out why your parents would ever doom someone to such an early grave." She casually twisted her back so the letteropener wouldn't dig into her abdomen, rolling over into the redhead's lap instead.

"You should really stop the death threats, they're kind of annoying." She turned into a cat, sprawling herself out on the fabric of her dress.

"Turns out they just want an heir, scared you'll turn into too much of a cat lady." The cat smirked at her reference, Bridget rolling her eyes with a scoff.

"I can't believe the nerve those two have!" Jess yawned, stretching before rolling up, closing her eyes to leave Bridget with that information.

"Oh yeah, the man has made himself comfortable in his quarters, has asked quite a few maids if they would be interested already." She threw in, placing her head on her paws, feeling the Queen stiffen up.

"What? He doesn't even have the respect to wait until after we're married to continue his harlot ways?" Jess rolled her eyes behind her closed eyelids, shuffling a bit closer to the Queen's stomach.

-

"Off with his head!"

"That certainly didn't last long." Jess chimed up from above the Queen, floating a bit less than a meter above her crown.

"Her Imperial Highness shall take her leave now!" The announcer announced, the throne got carried back to the throne room, where she'd switch thrones.

"Really, was he that bad in bed?" Jess pried for more information, flying on her back besides the throne, looking at the Queen, who had her icy stare pointed straight forward.

"Gods if you're this grumpy he must've really been a weak one." She snorted out a laugh, grinning when the Queen finally glanced at her with a displeased frown.

"Don't frown so much, wrinkles." She pointed at her forehead, twirling backwards so she could fly up to the throne on her stomach, waiting for the Queen of Hearts whilst sitting on the armrest, crossing her arms with a smirk when she arrived and glared down at her.

"So?" The woman let out a quick huff, leaning with her elbow on the other armrest, placing her chin on her palm.

"Dispose of his body the usual way, he is not worth of the respect of a funeral." She waved off the servants, then looked at Jess from the corner of her eyes.

"He was indeed not worth my time, nor was I his, apparently." She fished out one of her cards from one of the folds of her dress, holding the card up to the cat, who smelled the blood on it before she saw the red splattered across the ace of hearts.

"Oh wow, you're actually pregnant? You do realise you usually don't see that this fast right?" The Queen gestured for her to think further.

"You waited to execute him... smart." She let out an agreeing hum, inspecting her shark red nails in disinterest of the subject.

"Got a name?"

"Red Baccarat of Hearts." Jess shrugged, throwing the card back onto her lap, placing an arm on her head and leaning onto it.

"Well, not my kid, not my problem."

-

"Hello my little Red." Jess cooed, crouching besides the crib, sticking her fingers through the gaps and grinning when the little baby took ahold of her fingers.

"Aww, look at how cute she is!" She looked up at the Queen, who looked down at her disapprovingly.

"If you don't want her I'll take her." The cat smirked at her, getting kicked in her ankles for it.

She stumbled a bit, leaning on the crib for support, and standing up to avoid losing her balance again.

"You were so kind..." she grumbled out, leaning over the crib to take the kid into her arms, softly cradling her and bouncing her.

"Well, that little girl is dead now, so get used to it you flea invested beast." She made no move to take Red from the 'flea invested beast', so she shrugged it off.

"You're going to be such a little rascal! Just like your mommy!" She quickly floated up to the ceiling when she saw Queen readying another kick, her pointed heels were no joke.

"Calm it lady! My god-."

"I am dealing with sore breasts and pain everywhere, I'm still standing, you can handle a little kick to the legs." The woman fiercely glared at her, gritting her teeth in anger.

"Mhm, of course I can, just not when you're wearing pointed heels, right baby? You're such a cutie!" She cradled her face in her hands, awwing at how she held onto her thumb.

-

"Hello little Rascal." Jess smirked, walking along the ceiling, approaching the redheaded 7 year old.

"Jess! Don't tell mom!" The cat looked down-up?- at the princess, placing her hands on her hips with a grin.

"Sure I won't little princess, if you tell me where your mother is." Red sighed in relief, Jess dropping down to stand in front of the little kid.

"She's in her office, how did you not know that?" Jess rolled her eyes, patting the kid's head before she disappeared in a swarm of pink and purple stripes.

"Hello dearest." She whispered into the Queen's ear, softly biting it after, the woman's hand snapped up and gripped onto Jess' hair when she was about to pull away, roughly pulling her to stand next to her instead.

"What do you think of this." She directed her head towards a document, wait- no, a letter.

"People write to you? You don't even have friends." The grip of her hair tightened, and she swore she could feel it ripping out of her scalp.

"Answer me you circus beast." Her nails dug into her scalp, Jess groaned as she tried to get her head out of her grasp.

"The letter." She reluctantly read it, glancing over at the Queen with a confused frown.

"I know you're not used to social interactions, but if you think something's wrong with this you might have actual issues with it." The Queen rolled her eyes, forcing the cat to crouch down so she didn't have to hold up her arm that far anymore.

"It's a threat to go to war." The explanation did not help Jess at all.

"Okay? I mean his kid's going to be ming in a few weeks right? Why bother?" She gritted her teeth, glaring at Jess, picking up the letter and pointing out the last sentence with her clawed thumb.

"He's doing it in a last ditch effort to get us to join Auradon, which is ridiculous!" Jess nodded, letting out a yawn, covering her mouth with her hand.

"He thinks he can just win the war in a few weeks!" Jess nodded, getting comfortable on the ground. The Queen's grip on her hair tightening once more, making her jerk her head closer to it to try and relieve the pain.

"I mean we have magic, which he banned, and a bunch of refugees that have to use magic to survive, so I don't think we even can lose." Her grip loosened, allowing her hand to slip out of her hair as Jess stood up.

"Mh. Right." She hadn't thought of that, which shocked Jess more than the threat of war.

"You hadn't thought of that?" She let out, baffled at the fact. She hopped up on the desk, crossing her legs as the Queen leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms.

"Well, it didn't seem relevant." Jess shrugged, gesturing her hand over the desk, a teaset appearing in a bunch of spiralling ribbons.

"Tea?"

-

"Well that was disappointing." Jess mused, watching from above the Queen's throne as the battlefield reddened, the Auradonian army quickly thinning out into merel specks of blue.

"It is, I had expected a bit more of a struggle." The Queen had wanted more entertainment, but was bitterly disappointed.

"Anyway, would you like to take back the rabbit hole now?" She circled the throne, floating in front of her face with a grin.

"Mh, I suppose, but Fairy Godmother would never allow such slacking, go try it and report back." Jess sighed, flipping backwards to fly over the red fields, flooded with cards fighting the weakened Auradon troops.

"Oh my!" She smirked when she saw the king by the burrow, her grin growing unnaturally, freaking him out, not the princess he had dragged along though, her screams for help stopped and instead she started crying as she tried to get out even harder now.

"What? Can't handle a bit of resistance?" He gritted his teeth, growling at her.

"Wow! Hostile!" She teasingly held up her hands, the man's grip on the Princess' arm tightening, who looked like she'd been crying for a while.

"Nice distraction, not good enough though." The man tried running through the rabbit hole, presumably to close it again and abandon his men here, but Jess swooped in and grabbed him by the collar, lifting him up high.

High enough that if he dropped, the least it would do is break his legs.

"Hello princess." She smirked at Red, who had bitted the king and fallen out of his hold, Jess catching her and letting the man drop down to his demise.

"Mom!" Jess froze, but quickly let it go when Red started sobbing into her shoulder, gripping at her shirt and skin like she'd disappear.

"I'm here now darling, I'm here." She carefully held her up under her thighs, Red's legs wrapping around her waist tightly, clinging to her like a koala.

"He- he was suddenly there- and- and then he-!" She tried to explain, but her hiccups stopped that, and she buried her face into her neck even further.

"He can't reach you now, literally, he just closed the burrow." She pointed down, and Red hesitantly parted ways with her neck to look down, where the rabbit hole was bolted up again.

"Let's go see how it's going with your mother now, all right?" The princess glanced down at where the sea of soldiers were turning back into cards, all returning to one person, and shook her head.

"I don't wanna go back! She's mean and doesn't even care about me! Take me back to your forest Jess, please!" She wrapped her arms around her torso, digging her nails into her skin in an attempt to force her to take her with.

"I'm fine with that, but your mother would have my head-!"

"She can't capture you for long enough to do that silly! Bow take me back to the forest where you've hidden the hare." Jess' smile dropped, looking into the girl's eyes with her own wide ones, blown with disbelief.

"Are you blackmailing me?" The little smirk she got in response spoke volumes, and the cat sighed, she didn't have much of a choice now.

"All right."

-

As much as it physically pained her to abandon the woman who held her thoughts captive, she had to keep her people safe, even if it meant 'kidnapping' the princess.

"Don't eat anything unless you know for sure it won't do anything." She warned, passing the caterpillar who frowned at her.

"Why say such things to her? I can't play that way." He lazily slurred, leaning on his elbows as he held his pipe up to his lips, puffing out a red circle into Red's face.

"Catter, this is Willow, don't try anything." She hissed the last part at him, the March Hare hopping up to them with a grin.

"Jess! Jess you have to try the new tea we found! Oh-! Who's this?! A new participant!" He cheered, covering the caterpillar's tantrum about how he doesn't do anything ever and he's the most innocent caterpillar ever.

"Oh of course! Willow, you have to meet March Hare, he and the Hatter keep the teashop running! Even though it changed locations constantly." Red looked up at her with wide eyes, then grinned brightly.

"I love it here!" She giggled as she ran after the Hare, meeting Mallymkun and Bill, who had been fixing up one of the broken teacups for the Hare.

"Hey Bill, how's the pottery coming along?" The lizard had taken up pottery, since he couldn't do much fixing up as a refugee.

"Absolutely terrific! I've just finished a new teapot for Maddox!" He referred to the teen, who was sitting on the twisted roof of the teahouse and attempting to balance his handstand on the tip of it.

"Maddox!" She yelled up at the 15 year old, who looked at her and jumped down with a grin, landing on his hat and putting it back on.

"Jess! How's it going in the tea-less spectacle?" He mentioned the Hearts Castle, and Jess grimaced.

"I'm not going to be able to go there anymore, but anyways, meet Willow! Isn't she just a cutie!" Red got pulled back to Jess by the collar of the dress the maids had forced onto her, waving at the boy with a matching grin.

"Cheshire! Come get your tea before it gets hot!" Hatter called out to her, holding up the cup with the swirling frozen mist above it.

"Will do Hatter!" She placed both her hands on Red's shoulders and turned her around when Maddox joined his father and the Hare. "Your name is Willow here, I found you in the castle and you were freshly orphaned, I saved you from becoming a card soldier."

"Hero complex much." Red scoffed out, but agreed to the pinky promise Jess held out to her. "Sure, I'll do that mom, no worries." She slipped it out unconsciously, and didn't even notice, giddily joining the other three for tea as the caterpillar slowly approached the frozen cat.

"You've brought the princess to us?" He arched a brow at her stupidity, "why would you lure her right to your doors?"

"She doesn't really show how much she cares for her, I'll keep her until she sees how much she missed her mom and then I'll take her back." The bug rolled his eyes, leaning on Jess' shoulder as he puffed out a cloud of blue.

"I don't see that working out, believe me."

"I don't believe you."

"How dare you!"

-

That 'keeping her until she sees she's better off in the castle' didn't work out, and after 8 years of the cards raiding the forest periodically, Red running around and angering the cards, and Jess having a constant crisis about how to get the love of her life to forgive her -and realising how deeply in love she is with the Queen-, Jess had finally gotten Red to agree to returning, but only after the tea shop had almost gotten caught 3 times and the cards realising who had been dwelling them and stealing their rations.

"Okay- guys! Willow's going back to the castle now- because she's actually princess Red and I'm ditching her!" Red slapped her on the back of her head with a grin, then wrapped her arm around her shoulders and leaned forwards.

"Don't miss me too much!" Mallymkun squealed and jumped onto her, climbing up till he got picked up by Red and held up to her face, hugging her cheek as his squeaks of sadness worsened.

"I already knew all of that." Maddox proudly raised his hand, his father chugging his tea and slamming down the cup before pointing at Jess.

"You and your tomfoolery had us all baffled beyond our own madness! You dare defy our laws of knowledge!" Jess just stared at him, then at the Hare, who had jumped over the table and was hugging Red tightly.

"You'll always have a place with us Willow, even though I knew about you being the princess since the beginning." The caterpillar patter her head, but the Hare pulled him into a group hug, which Hatter couldn't refuse and rushed to join.

"Bill! Join us!" Jess grinned at the man, who quickly joined them wi the Maddox, all three hugging them all tightly.

"We'll miss you kiddo." Maddox jokingly ruffled her hair, which Jess had spend far too long on to be messed with, so she slapped his hands away with a glare.

"No! I took too long for you to just do that!" He rolled his eyes, Red doing the same.

"You're 15 now-."

"And you're 23, old ass grandpa." Red shot back at the hatter, who squared up for a fight.

"You want to fight?! Come here then!" They both tried to launch at the other, but their parents held them back with a sigh.

"Kill him after I return you to the Queen." Jess patted her hair down, and Red crossed her arms with a huff.

"You have to visit!"

"I will Bill, don't worry, I'll break loads of stuff for you to fix."

".... Or don't visit, I'm fine-."

-

"Queen." Jess' grin was the first thing visible, hanging before the Queen's face mockingly.

"Cheshire." She gritted out, glaring at the face that appeared soon after.

"I got you something." It took everything in the Queen to not use the scepter in her hand to impale the woman right then and there.

"And what is that? Betrayal? Treason?" She instead shoved the cat back from being in her face, but since she was floating she only managed to make her more backwards a bit.

"Mh, better. Red darling!" She called out to the redhead, who appeared in one of the heart-shaped windows near the glass dome of the ceiling.

"Red...." The Queen gasped softly, eyes wide as she saw her own daughter jump down the tall walls, to her own demise.

If not for the springs of ribbons launching her over to the throne, and her mad grin as she flew through the air at them, she would've thought she was hallucinating.

She was caught just before she fell off the small platform of the throne, Jess holding her hand and pulling her back to stand in front of her mother.

"Hi mom." It sounded weird to her, and maybe Jess too, to hear herself call someone else than Jess her mother.

"Red. You've returned." Her facade of heartless rose quicker than the cupcakes she used to bake, and Jess felt her heart get ripped out a bit further from its cage.

"Glad to see you haven't changed." The princess scoffed, rolling her eyes as she crossed her arms.

"I'm not glad to see how much Jess has changed you, vandalising my soldiers and my parlour?! I should behead you right here and now!" The woman stood up, and Jess had to float away from the platform to not stand with their faces pressed together. -when it wasn't on her terms she would flush red-

"And for you to betray me by taking my daughter from me! I thought you were in Auradon!" Jess' eyes widened a bit, did she... care? Was she worried about her?! Did she actually feel something else for her?! Did she finally have her chance to-?!

"I never thought you'd stoop so low, honestly, you did not even care to return to report if the burrow could be kept open, why did I keep you around then?! For nothing?!" Jess nearly looked down, but instead she faced her head on with her own mad smirk, identical to the one Red had given them before.

"Maybe, not like you could do anything about me being around though." She saw her clench her jaw, then look over to her daughter as if she dismissed whatever Jess had said.

"Well, since you've returned now, go back to your room and do whatever, I'll call for you when needed." She saw Red's expression falter, locking eyes with the girl who she considered a daughter, seeing the hurt behind the carefree curtain of mischief.

"M'kay, I'll be off then, c'mon m- Jess!" She stumbled over the words a bit, but quickly covered it up, grabbing Jess' wrist and dragging her with.

"Leave her." The Queen ordered, and Red glanced at Jess, who shrugged, before continuing on her way without her.

"Where did you take her." She started off strong, Jess sighing as she floated up and sat on an imaginary chair.

"Everywhere the eyes can see and only the path between them is where I was to be seen." She grinned, the Queen rolling her eyes at her words.

"Of course you'd respond like that. I could have you hung and quartered for treason and you say such nonsense." Jess took the time that the Queen needed to close her eyes and rub the bridge of her nose in disappointment to stare at her perfect features.

She hadn't changed a bit, her hair still as red as the blood she shed, her eyes had the same unforgiving glaze, her crown still sat rigidly, shining a light through the night to bring sailors to their doom.

Never in her life had she expected this to end up the way it did, if she knew she would've fled long ago, maybe then she could've convinced herself that her one true love wasn't that, that she had someone else waiting for her.

Who was she kidding, she was doomed. The moment she locked eyes with that girl who she taunted relentlessly when they were kids, she knew she'd never need anyone else in her life.

She could've staid in the dark besides her, be her shadow for as long as she needed, but this- this tyranny, she almost wished she had just spoken up and said something, anything, that could make her not float above her, playing the strings of her crown in the hopes that she wouldn't find her friends, but at her side, holding her hand as she makes the decision to burn down Auradonian troops.

It's not her fault that the girl she knew had stoled her heart, refusing to give it back even when she lost her name in the midst of her anger, when she lost her anchor, and thereby her mind.

The Hearts family were the royals with the curse, Wonderland would never allow one to rule above others without repercussions, it's always a trade, power for sanity, whether they manage to keep their madness in control or not is the true question.

"What matters is that she's back now, I can go back to training my soldiers for war." Jess wanted to just kiss her right then and there, beg her not to, beg her to keep Wonderlandians out of it, beg her to keep her forest out of this war she planned.

"Do what you want Queen, can't imagine what the new king has done in his time." She grinned, the Queen glared at her as her body loosened into ribbons.

-

"Don't get in too much trouble, and if you come back, visit us first." Jess had managed to pull Red into a corner of the courtyard, where they had a bit more privacy.

"How did you even manage to get here?" Red frowned, they hadn't taken Jess with.

"Doesn't matter, you stole Maddox's time machine, do you have it with you?" Red looked like she had been caught, but slowly nodded.

"Your mother is going to stage a coup, and it's only going to anger her more in the end, she'll have even more soldiers and flood us out of our woods, please go back and stop this madness Red." She held her hands, her own claws sharpening as she got emotional, not that you could see that though.

"All right, I don't even know what you mean by that but-...."

"Red! Why are you talking to nothing?" The Queen stood behind her suddenly, and she shot around, eyes wide.

"Uh- I wasn't." The Queen narrowed her eyes, then rolled them and gestured for her to follow to their seats.

As Jess had said, the Queen had staged a coup, and Red had taken her and Chloe into the past, to Merlin Academy.

"Why are you so... nice?" Red asked, astonished as she saw her mother smile.

"Why not? You get more with sugar than salt!" She grinned, jumping with a squeal of surprise when someone traced a clawed hand up her spine.

"Hello Bridget...." Jess smirked as she saw Bridget's flushed face, looking away from the girl as she slapped her arm.

"Stop that!" She grinned, then she caught sight of the new girl, turning her head to face her with a grin and sly eyes, cautiously eyeing her up and down as her arm around Bridget's shoulders tightened.

"And who might you be?" Red arched a brow at the cat, who mirrored the action, her other hand reaching out for a handshake.

"I'm Red, you?" She shook her hand, the clawed fingers almost ripped open hers, which she didn't seem apologetic about in the slightest... did she do it on purpose?

"Jess Cheshire." She rolled her eyes before facing the princess again, grinning as Bridget turned to face her fully.

"Can I copy-?"

"Jess! Do your own homework!" Bridget half whined half scolded, slightly frowning.

"You look as frightening as a glitter cupcake." Jess pinched her cheeks, careful not to maul her face.

"Stop that!" Bridget full on whined now, slapping her hands away with a pout.

"All right! Got it!" Jess held up her hands, stepping away from her, sending Red a warning glare before dispersing into ribbons.

"Hey Bridget! Was that Jess?" Ella called over to them, Merlin completely ignoring all the yelling in his classroom.

"Yeah! She asked for my homework! Hey-! Not more than one!" She slapped the invisible hand that was reaching for another cupcake, and it slowly revealed Jess standing over Bridget with a grin, making her flush bright red.

"Why not?" Leaning closer, she tried to get one again, but Bridget snapped out of it and grabbed both of her hands.

"Don't! They're for the others!"

-

Red had never felt as disgusted as when she saw Jess practically throwing herself at her mother.

Her mom horning over her bio mom was not on her bingo card, nor did she want it to be.

"This is so awkward." She whispered to Chloe, the both of them sitting in the courtyard with Ella, just waiting for Bridget to finally detach Jess from her and join them.

"Why? They're so cute!"

"That's my mom and the woman who birthed me, and one of them is deeply in love with the other." Chloe grimaced at the thought, but she couldn't see the sexual implications Jess was making, so didn't really see the problem fully.

"Jess! Stop doing as if you're some guy and let Bridget join us over here!" Ella called out to them, getting a fierce glare from said girl, whilst Bridget smiled at them and skipped over, Jess lazily walking after her and sitting down next to her, slinging her arm around her shoulders and leaning closer.

"I can't wait for castlecoming!" Bridget squealed, and the two time travellers shared a look.

"Mh.... Maybe-." Jess cut herself off, smirking and leaning closer to Bridget when she turned to her to ask what she wanted to say, bumping their noses together.

Bridget's eyes widened, her cheeks dusting pink as she ducked and found refugee in her hands, Ella smirking at the two.

"Ohhh, so missus Fleabag has found someone to take to the big night! How exciting." This time Jess turned red, eyes wide as her ears turned red too, moving up and down happily.

"I-I don't have a date..." she shakily shot back, glaring at the girl, who gave her a mischievous smile.

"'Course you don't, nobody wants to go with a fleabag." Red threw in, smirking as Jess gasped and held her chest.

"How dare you!"

"She's not a fleabag! Also! I want to go with this fleabag!" Bridget suddenly burst out, shooting up and pointing at the cat who was staring up at her with wide eyes.

"What?" Jess's wide eyes flooded with adoration for the adorable link princess of hearts, whose eyes only filled with horror at the thought of being caught.

She tried running, fumbling out of the seats of the picnic table.

"I mean- I wouldn't mind...." Jess continued when Bridget had one leg over the chair, she froze, staring at the girl in front of her with those wide adorable brown eyes.

"W-what?" She managed to squeak out, and Jess smiled, still incredibly nervous because this is the girl who she had known since forever and pulled some pretty horrible pranks on.

"I wouldn't mind going to Castlecoming with you."

-

"We just saved Auradon!" Chloe cheered, "with only one sentence too! I'm sure Jess'll protect her when they try turning her into a monster." Red slowly nodded, still worried about Uliana.

"You're still worried?" Red looked away, she had been caught, and turned around on her bed to hide her face into her pillow.

"We can always take a sneak peek at your mom’s looking glass, I mean we’ve done it before.” Chloe shrugged, and Red contemplated it.

“Allright little miss good! We gotta go visit Bridget!”

-

“It worked….” Red’s eyes widened when she saw her mother had completely changed, her hair was dark pink now instead of blood red, and still slightly curled. Her dress was pink and white instead of pink and black, and she still had White Rabbit as her loyal lackey, and this time Jess wasn’t hiding behind a spell or two, just hanging off of her shoulder with a grin directed at Red, who turned to Chloe, who did the same thing, both smiling, before grabbing her face and quickly pecking her lips.

She left Chloe, who stared after her with even wider eyes than before, reaching out to try and grab her wrist but was whisked away by her family to celebrate her getting into AP.

“Ohhhh, finally made it official with little miss Bluey?” Jess teased, getting a jab in the ribs by Bridget, who smiled brightly at her daughter and brought her into a hug.

“I’m so proud of you sweetheart! I can’t wait for you to make loads of friends and have them over!” Jess shook her head in disagreement.

“Nope! I’m not hosting that many kids, not doing it! The Tea House doesn’t have enough room.” Bridget let out a sigh at her antics, and pecked Red’s forehead before turning to Jess for bicker.

“The Tea House has unlimited space!”

“It’s limited by the eye of the beholder’s imagination!”

-

Red had been way too awkward to just ask if the two were in a relationship, so she didn’t, but now she was stuck in spring break with two women who apparently never even dated.

“Can you pass me the salt Jess?” The cat smirked, holding the salt shaker between her fingertips.

“Ask nicely~!” Bridget gave her a look, then looked over at her daughter.

“Red, sawetheart, could you give me the salt please?” The girl nodded and handed it over, Bridget smiling at Jess who looked fake upset.

Red was too immersed in how much Wonderland had changed, well, not changed.

The flowers were all kinds of colours, not only red, they still talked, so the constant complaining didn’t change, the castle didn’t have big

, tall and imposing castle walls, and the whole castle had a lighter tint to it.

All the burned villages weren’t burned and only flourished further, half the forest wasn’t burned off, the tea shop was an actual tea shop now, and Bill still had a job as a royal handyman.

All was good, better even, all but the relationship between Bridget and Jess.

She heard from Chloe, who asked her mom, that Bridget apparently thought that the date to Castlecoming meant something platonic, and Jess had been too scared to even softly paw at the idea of pursuing a relationship with the queen.

“Red? Red!” Jess threw her fork at Red, who quickly caught it, used to her shenanigans.

“Don’t throw a fork at my kid!” Bridget, however, protested, and Red honestly wasn’t sure how long she could go watching them tiptoe on the line of homoerotic and platonic.

One of them was going to become awful and tyrannical, non pun intended.

-

“So, how’s it going?” Chloe asked, straightening her suit jacket as her eyes scanned the Hearts ballroom, where Bridget had hosted a ball for…. They actually didn’t know what for, and invited the Charmings.

“One of them is going to snap and turn evil.” Red filled her in, the both of them standing in a corner with alcohol-free drinks in their hands, looking like they were plotting to steal all the cookies off of the plate and were planning a huge heist for it.

“Who’s going to turn evil?” Ella interrupted the two, she had crept up behind them and stepped in between them.

“Jess and my mom, they seem to have something going on.” Red explained after she got over the shock, Chloe still didn’t let go of her hands though.

“Oh right, the situation. That’s been going on for years now.” They were astonished that it actually had a name, but they quickly shook out of it again when a man approached Bridget, who had been left unattended by Jess for less than a second.

They held their breath as he struck up a conversation, holding an eye out for Jess.

The whispers around them started, about who the man was and his relationship to the unmarried queen.

They finally noticed the bright purple and pink head of hair, but it wasn’t going in the right direction.

They spotted her near the front of the crowd, in the middle of all the whispers, and had turned around with two drinks in her hands, quickly shuffling out of the big red double doors.

“Oh, I think this might just be the end, or they’ll make up and it’ll go back to normal.” Ella commented, then left the two girls, who shared a look and unanimously agreed to go after Jess.

They found her in a hallway a few minutes walking away, just enough so she couldn’t be heard by the party goers.

“Jess?” The woman’s head shot up, eyes bright, but they dimmed a bit when they connected with Red’s.

“Yeah?” Oh wait her eyes were literally glowing in the dark.

“We were just worried, since you left so abruptly.” Chloe explained, Red nodding along as she observed her former adoptive mother.

In this timeline, she was just the fun aunt, not the parent who stepped up and took her from her neglecting mother, not the woman who spend 8 years teacher her everything about the forest.

“Oh it’s nothing girls, how about you two go back in and I’ll join you after a bit-!”

“Why don’t you say something.” Red cut her off, staring into her eyes.

“I don’t understand.” She knew that she did know, but she would never admit that to her.

“Why don’t you stop all those men from asking my mom out, you can do something about it, why don’t you?” Jess stared at her for a while, then looked down at her nails.

“Not like she cares, she’s your mother, I’m not talking about this to you.” The two girls shared another look, and closed in on the cat, who noticed and arched a brow.

“What?”

“Tell us why you think that?” Chloe pried carefully, tilting her head curiously.

“You sure you want that one? She acts like a dog.” Red rolled her eyes at her attempt to deflect, and it almost worked if it wasn’t for Red snapping Chloe out of trying to come up with a rebuttal.

“Why.” Red crossed her arms, glaring at Jess, who glared right back.

“Why do you have to know, it has nothing to do with you two.”

“It’s my mom, now what did she do to make you think she doesn’t care.” Jess sighed, leaning back against the wall as she looked at Red.

“She doesn’t care because every date I’ve asked her on has been seen as platonic, even worse, I thought we were dating for almost a year when we weren’t, so not only was I embarrassed, I had to explain to my friends that I wasn’t in a happy relationship, but I had just mistaken myself.” Red grimaced, and Chloe reached out to pat her on the back.

“That’s shitty.”

“Poor you, you must’ve been so heartbroken!”

“You guys are 20 years younger than me why the living hell are you talking to me about this.”

-

“I’m just here for-! going to go now….” Jess stopped in her tracks, her usual ‘barge into Bridget’s room and force her to wake up and get ready, ending up with getting dragged into a cuddle session’ wasn’t going to be like that now, because the queen was up… awake… and- with a man.

Her grip on the doorknob tightened as her eyes widened, her mouth moving before her brain did, eyes wide as she saw Bridget in her robe and the man in her bed.

I mean, she’s an adult woman, she should be allowed- how else would Red be here- I mean this is totally acceptable she’s a grown woman with needs and wants like every-

She slammed the doors she had barged in through shut, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath before quickly hurrying down the corridor, having been banned from teleporting in the halls because she scared a few too many servants on ‘accident’.

-

“Where’s Jess? She’s usually the one hoarding all the sausages.” Red frowned as she looked around the dining room, hearing Bridget’s sigh her and Chloe’s heads snapped to her from looking around.

“She may have… walked into my room this morning….” She looked so uncomfortable talking about it, and the man at the table in Jess’ spot only laughed.

“She walked in on us the morning after we had sex.” He finished, and Red nearly puked her breakfast back out, Chloe choking on her tea.

Their wide eyes met Bridget’s, who pinched the bridge of her nose.

“You know, this isn’t going to work out. Guards! Please escort him out!” She called for the guards, and the man complained and protested loudly through the hallways until he was set outside.

“So where’d Jess run off to? I thought she might be with you two?” They both shook their heads, and Bridget frowned.

“Mh, that’s strange, well, I guess I’ll send out a few guards to search for her, could you two check the tea store?” Red quickly nodded, grabbing Chloe’s hand and dragging her out of the room, waving goodbye to her mother.

“So my mom’s not gay.” She concluded in the safety of her own room, which had a door this time, and Chloe shrugged.

“You don’t know, she can still like Jess.” Chloe shrugged from her place on Chloe’s bed, staring at the girl as she paced across her room.

“This is a tragedy! How will- where is Jess even?!” Red turned to Chloe, dragging her away again as the girl groaned for her to calm down.

-

Tea house was a bust, she wasn’t there, so the only reasonable thing to do was to dress Chloe up in her most ‘unsuspecting girl’ outfit and send her out into the forest in hopes of getting pranked by Jess.

“I’m not doing this.” Chloe eventually set her foot down when Red was about to drop her in the woods.

“What?”

“We’re going back to the castle and telling Bridget about all of this, including the fact that Jess is missing, and that she’s madly in love with her, and then we’ll be done-!”

“No!” Both Red and Jess yelled at the same time, the woman appearing in between them with a frown.

“No telling Bridget, i’m not missing, also did she come looking for me?” Red and Chloe glanced at each other, and Chloe looked away, she really couldn’t lie.

“Yeah, she quickly checked the tea shop and the town but she had some work to do so she send us and some guards.” Jess nodded at her, grabbing both of their hands before teleporting them to the castle again, and herself into Bridget’s office.

“Hi!” Bridget jumped up with a squeal, holding up her hands with her cards between her fingers as defence, then realising who it was.

“Don’t scare me like that Jess! Where were you?” She sighed in relief, picking up her pen again to return to her paperwork.

“I was in the forest, searching for some people to play pranks on, Red found me and told me to get back, apparently you were worried~?” She teased, and Bridget looked up with a frown.

“Worried? Jess, you’re a grown woman, I’d be worried if you were gone for a week, not a few hours.” Jess’ cheeks dusted pink in embarrassment, which Bridget didn’t notice, luckily, and instead she returned to her paperwork again.

“Besides, it would’ve been extremely uncomfortable, because you walked into my room whilst I was with a man, and you reacted pretty… strongly.”

“Yeah…. Strongly.” Not like I’ve been in love with you since forever.

-

“You had me embarras myself in front of her! This isn’t funny Red!” Jess had burst into the girl’s room, who had huddled up with Chloe on her bed and was half asleep when she came in.

“Kind of is- not! Absolutely not!” She changed her answer when Chloe jabbed her in the stomach.

“She told me, and I quote! ‘You’re a grown woman, I’d be worried if you were gone for a week, not a few hours.’ ?!” The princess of Hearts grimaced, looking at the woman standing in her doorway.

“That’s awful, but once again, I’m a kid… and this isn’t something I want to get into, so could you cry it out somewhere else?” Jess understood that, pretty normal, I mean she was on the verge of tears about her mom so she got it.

She quickly exited the room, roaming the castle halls as she was lost in thought.

Eventually she ended up in front of Bridget’s room, the pink heart shaped doors bringing a sense of heart breaking nostalgia up her throat.

“Stupid princesses and their stupid crowns and stupid smiles.” She grumbled, turning around and hastily walking away, not wanting to bump into the woman who clearly couldn’t give a lesser fuck about her and her well being.

“Jess!” The Hare hopped up to her as she appeared in front of the tea shop, looking down at the man with a near stone impression.

“The usual? A Wonder Under? Or are you going back to-?”

“Twisted spheres and Ribbonous spirals, if you could.” She sat down at the large table, the hatter sliding the cup towards her with a grin.

“How’s it going with little miss queen?” The hare quickly did a cut throat motion to stop him from asking further, and he zipped his lips and threw away the key…. Quickly searching for it because he did want to talk.

“Apparently! I’m nothing more than a friend, I could be gone for a week and then she’ll be worried! Because I’m a grown woman, who doesn’t need her to be happy and who definitely doesn’t think about her all the time, because that’d be unhealthy and heartbreaking.” Her claws dug into her palms, the other almost shattering the cup, which trembled in her unstable hold.

“Because I’m just a nuisance who keeps barging into her room in the morning, and who holds her hand, and who-!” Her mouth was covered by a hand.

The caterpillar was stood behind her, his multitude of hands reaching for the tea cup offered to him.

“Stop your rambling, for I am here, the wide one here to heed your warnings and quell your fears.”

“That sounds stupid.”

“You sound stupid!”

-

“I just want her to see how much I love her, you know? Like what have I ever done to indicate I wanted to be ‘just a friend’ to her?” Jess, ever the womanizer (Bridget doesn’t agree), had gathered up a few girls in the bar she had settled in, sitting st the bar with the girls circling around her listening to her talk.

Okay- half of them were there because girls stick together and they wanted to help her get out of the life changing revelation that her best friend might actually not like her back, and they might not be just playing and too nervous to ask the other out.

The other half was also there for that reason, but stuck around not because of girlhood, but because they just wanted to see if this girl could be their future partner or not.

“So now I don’t know what to do. Do I stop talking to her? Do I keep talking to her? How can I get over her?” They let out a collective hum, one of them- Chelsea, who was here on vacation, spoke up first.

“Ditch her.”

It caused an uproar, both from the girls and the other people at the bar who were listening in.

All of a sudden the whole bar was huddled around Jess, all agreeing and disagreeing with each other on how to handle it.

“Ditch the woman! Not worth it!” A man yelled, getting quite a few agreeing yells.

“Keep in contact, that’s your best friend girl! Don’t let this get in the way!” Someone else exclaimed, once again shouts of agreement.

“But our whole relationship was basically me thinking we were just dancing around the subject of dating, and her not even knowing I was interested. I asked her out to castlecoming!” A collective gasp.

“Ditch!”

“No!”

“Yes!”

“What is going on here?” Bridget herself had come down from her castle, which barely happened at night, especially not in a bar.

“Oh-!”

“The queen!”

“Queen Bridget!” The sea parted, and as if it was out of a movie, they locked eyes and she smiled.

“Jess, there you are, I had been looking for you.” There it was! She does worry about me! Why would I ever think she didn’t?

“I need your help picking out a dress! I have a date tonight with a suitor! I’m so excited!” Bridget had rushed them into her quarters, into her closet.

“Right. Suitor.” Jess gritted her teeth, glaring at her feet for being so fucking dumb as to think she’s ever want to be with someone like her.

As stupid, morally blind, neon coloured as her.

If she didn’t watch out her skin would turn bright pink, which had happened before, no queen would want to be with someone who turns pink when they’re distracted.

“So! Pink or white?” She held up both dresses, and Jess narrowed her eyes, that alcohol was kicking in.

“Yeah, I can’t really see, I’m black out drunk.” She grinned before she collapsed.

Wether it was from the rollercoaster of a day she had, or from the alcohol, she’ll never know, what she did know, was when she woke up in Bridget’s bed, there was a bucket and some paracetamol on the nightstand, and a note with a glass of water.

Jess grabbed the note, almost too quick, and her eyes excitedly scanned over it’s contents, her smile quickly dying down.

‘I don’t know if i’ll be back when you wake up, so I’ve left you some painkillers and water to ease the headache you’re bound to get. I chose to go with the pink dress by the way! I’m going on a date with a guy named Arthur, not the old one. He’s pretty nice from what I’ve heard of him. I’m trying to get more out there, you know, since Red’s gone almost all year it gets pretty lonely in the castle. Sleep loads and don’t get too sick!

Love, Your Bridget.’

Jess stared at the note for a while, before she let it fall and turned around to scream in one of the white and pink pillows, screaming until her voice was hoarse and she couldn’t make a sound or else it’d hurt.

“It get lonely in this castle!” She mocked, turned back around with a huff, frowning deeply, “what am I even to her?! Do I even exist outside of her just friends section?! And why would she give me his name?! To murder him?!” She groaned, her voice hurt, and her heart hurt, and her head hurt, and her body hurt, and her stomach- she puled into the bucket, slowly sitting up and at the side of the bed, standing up and rinsing out her sickness from the white bucket, handing it to one of the servants outside the doors, explaining that she already rinsed it but it needed more thorough cleaning, before closing the door to Bridget’s quarters once more.

“Stupid Bridget with her stupid smile and her stupid hair and her stupid face and her stupid words!” She wanted to yell, scream and cry into the woman’s face, but she couldn’t, because Bridget doesn’t know, and will never know, because with the way things are going, Jess will never even have a chance.

She laid on her back on the sheets, staring up at the ceiling, the same ceiling she had spend hundreds of nights under with Bridget, sleep overs that lasted well over a week, staring into each other’s eyes, guessing answers on their vacation homework, holding hands as they wrote essays, talking about her kingdom, sharing kisses, their fears of the future, cuddling, Bridget’s fear of being a bad mom to Red.

The usual stuff.

At least, that’s what Jess wanted to belief.

She wanted so, so desperately for all of their shared nights to mean something, that she made it mean something, to her, at least.

To Bridget, those were just her early 20s, just her exploring and living life, going to parties, getting drunk, trying random recipes that usually ended in disaster.

Now they’re almost 40, and Jess has no idea what to do, if she even wants to do anything, what wiuld she even do?

Bridget has it all figured out, she’s the queen, had a daughter, is searching for a boyfriend.

Her life is perfect, because she never cared about all that.

She never cared about Jess and her professing her love all those times, all those years ago, she only shrugged it off, she didn’t care that she got pregnant from that one night stand, she had an heir, good for her.

She didn’t care.

She lived life, she was happy because she didn’t look back too much.

Jess did care.

She cared too much.

Her whole live, all she had ever done was care, about Bridget, Ella, Red, Chloe, Chad, her friends at the teashop.

She didn’t want to care, so she put up this big act of being all that and being horrible and mean, but she cared, too much.

So much so that she’ll never find love again, purely because she cared too much about Bridget, Bridget and her stupidly pretty face.