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skylandersamalgamation · 3 months ago

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The Littlest of Gestures Mean a Lot

The following is a oneshot that I decided to write upon the suggestion of @doomstonee. She writes some DoomRanger stories and I really really like them, and they inspired me to write my own.

Here it is on my Wattpad if you want to read it there.

Author's Note (Pre-Reading):

One, this oneshot is written in a style that I do not often write in. It's written in a style more recognizeable as Stonee's and that's because I tried to write this oneshot my way and it just didn't work. For some reason, I couldn't get it to sound right. So I wrote it in the same first person and present tense manner as Stonee. Not trying to rip her off at all. It just did not work in my usual style. In fact, I rewrote it three times before settling on this version because it was such a struggle.

Also, there's a second author's note at the bottom but it's spoilers so I'd advice you read the oneshot first.

Reading people isn't a strong suit of mine. It never has been, and I don't think it ever will be. But, even then, I know when my best friend isn't himself. And is most certainly not himself right now. Free Ranger hasn’t been for a week and it’s starting to worry me. I have a bad feeling as to why he’s been off, but I’m sure that there is more that meets the eye.

It's 3 in the morning when I smell smoke in the air. That’s surprisingly normal here, so I don't pay much mind. But I do wake up, pull myself together (literally, my pillar is in pieces) and sneak out of my room. I don't want to wake anyone up, so I haven't bothered to put my armor back on. I make my way out of the hallway and down the stairs to the living room. Where there’s smoke, there's fire, and in our treehouse, that's in the living room. You’d think it’d be because of our fireplace, but it rarely ever is.

I round the corner and enter the living room to see Free Ranger standing there. He's got a bowl of burning plants, Air herbs I think, and he's waving around the smoke they're creating with one of his feathers. I've seen him do this before, it's called "smudging" and it's a cultural practice done by Storm Chickens. Something feels off though. His mood is pensive. I knock on the wall to alert him to my presence. Don’t want to make the mistake of jumpscaring a chicken with rather powerful lungs. Last time, the team made sure they chewed me up.

"Hey, Ray. You’re up early.” I say, giving him an admittedly lovestruck smile. I can’t help it, I’m smitten with him.

“Oh, hey Dom.” He smiles a little at me, but I can see that it’s forced. His eyes don’t lie though, I can see how much he loves me when I look at them. They’re tinted faintly with yellow, almost imperceptible to many. The lightning-bright glow of his light shines into the nearly pitch-black room, piercing through the darkness. I can see that his comb is messy and undone, not tied back in its usual ponytail and left hanging loose down his back. His tail is a similar story, having not been preened yet and fluffed with disarray. Free Ranger looks so unbelievably cute right now and if I had a heart that could, it would be leaping out of my chest and hitting me over the head. I’m so in love, but I need to focus on the task in my hand.

“Whatcha doin’ up at this hour? You don’t get up before 6, much less 3.”

“I smelled the smoke and got curious. How about you?”

"Just woke up that way. Figured I’d…do some smudging.” I noticed his hesitation but decided not to press while he’s in the middle of it. It feels inappropriate. So I wait. I take a seat on our couch and watch. He waves the smoke around himself, then me a few times, and then taps the embers out. He pauses for a moment and grimaces, his glow dimming before it perks back up. He turns to leave but I stop him.

“Ray, sunshine? Can we talk?” I ask, motioning for him to sit. My face is serious; his face is nervous. His glow dims again and I open my arms, welcoming him for a hug. His head twitches as he looks around, before he cautiously slips into my embrace. He and I curl up on the couch and he pulls a blanket over us. His head is on my shoulder. I kiss him on the forehead. Don’t have lips but anything is possible if you don’t care enough.

He looks up at me a little confused. “What’s up, Dom?” he asks. “You’re not yourself, Radyn. What’s wrong?” He looks at me again. “What do you mean? I’m fine.” Body language is not my specialty either, but I know Free Ranger well enough to waver a guess that he’s not being completely honest. I give him my best “I’m serious and I know you’re lying” face and run my fingers through his comb, detangling the glowing feathers.

“I’ve known you for over 200 years, Ray. I know when something’s up.” I hold him closer. “What’s got your stoat?”

Free Ranger chuckles lightly and pecks me on the cheek. It’s sweet and soft even though his beak is sharp keratin. I love his lovetaps. I can’t help the small giggle that erupts from my chest. I have a feeling that I messed up an idiom again but I don’t mind it. It made my darling Ray of sunshine laugh even in his pensive mood.

“It’s goat, not stoat, Dominic.” Free Ranger corrects me and sighs, laying his head back down. “And…I guess you’ve finally cracked the code to reading me, huh…”

I nod and kiss him again. “I’m your boyfriend, it’s my job. Now come on, what is it that’s bothering you? Is there anything I can do?” I paused and my voice becomes a little quieter. “Is it because of your birthday coming up?” His birthday has always been a sore subject, and for good reason. The rooster underwent a tragedy no one should ever have to experience, and it shaped his very being for the next 21 years of his life…and to this day, the pain still lingers.

Free Ranger trills softly, claws running across my smooth bald head. He likes that I’m bald. I think it’s because he enjoys rubbing his face all over my face and head. It’s how chickens show affection, so you best believe that I enjoy every moment of it. “Well, it…it…it’s stupid. It’s nothing, really, just stupid angst over my parents. Again.”

He’s so dismissive of his feelings. Always has been, and I wish he wasn’t.

“Radyn…” I begin to stroke his feathers. “Angsting over your parents it’s stupid. I know how hard it’s been for you to move on from what happened. That isn’t “nothing”, sunshine.”

“I…Dom, it’s been over 200 years. I should be over this. I shouldn’t be so upset all the time. But…” Free Ranger sighs and goes limp across my body, sounding so tired and drained. “I’ve gotten therapy for the survivor’s guilt. I should be over it. For the most part, I am over it. I’ve accepted it.”

“Survivor’s guilt isn’t something you can cure like a cold. It will always be with you, you just have to let it be a part of you, not what defines you or decides who you are and what you do.” I kiss him yet again and lean my face against his beak. Our eyes meet. I love his eyes so much. They’re blank, but that makes them all the more expressive. I can see everything in them, every bit of sadness, happiness, love and pain. “It’s OK to feel that pain, Radyn. Therapy or not. Take comfort in the progress you’ve made. You’ve done so well; you’re in a much better spot than you were a century ago.”

He nuzzles me, his touch so tender for someone whose fingertips are not fingers, but instead thick, curved claws. “You always have such insightful wisdom, honey.” he says. “Thanks…I needed to hear that.”

I nuzzle right back and hug him more as he lays atop my body. “Is that all that’s been bothering you, Ray?” I question.

Free Ranger pauses for a moment, then shakes his head. “No…there’s something else.” He sighs again, his voice filled with frustrated aggrievement. I begin to pet him more, large fingers combing through dense, thick, fluffy feathering. He shakes his body and fluffs his feathers out before settling down. He does that a lot, usually when he’s cold or trying to get comfortable. I’m not sure which it is so I pull another blanket over us. Just in case.

“I spoke with my therapist at the beginning of the week. She says that…” he pauses briefly, needing a moment to collect his thoughts. “She says that she wants me to celebrate it and make new memories of it. Do something happy and try to avoid making myself sad.”

I frown. No wonder my poor rooster has been acting off. That’s a steep order. In the time we were a team in Skylands together, a little over 100 years, Free Ranger never celebrated his birthday outside of 3 occasions. He didn’t even tell us when it was for 10 years. The only reason he ever celebrated it those 3 times was, to be honest, because everyone else threw him a surprise birthday. To my surprise, he actually liked the gesture.

Free Ranger takes notice of my face. “Yeah, see? You get it. You know why that’s so…so difficult to do. Dissociation that day from everything around it…I’d rather stay inside during a hurricane. And I can’t even go storm chasing because it’s clear weather for the next month.”

He looks inquisitively outside. “Do you think a rain dance would summon some bad weather?” Now that sounds a little more like the Free Ranger I fell in love with. I smile at him lightly and shrug. “I don’t know. Maybe you could spend your birthday doing that. Maybe even teach us. I’m sure the Ancients can’t ignore a plea for bad weather from 16 Skylanders.”

The rooster laughs a little, a genuine smile on his face for the first time today. “One can hope, that’s for sure.” he says.

We share a small laugh and some more happy grins before returning to the main focus of discussion. “So…do you have any ideas for what you’re going to do?” I wonder. Free Ranger shrugs. “No clue, and…I…kinda forgot to…say…anything…to the team that I was instructed to do this.” he replies sheepishly.

I breathe a sigh of relief. “That’s OK, there’s still time. Your birthday’s the 21rst, that’s not until tomorrow.”

Free Ranger shoots me a funny face. “Honey? Today is the 21rst.”

“No, it’s tomorrow. It’s still night time. It’s not tomorrow until-” I look at the clock on the wall; thank the Ancients it’s digital. It reads 4:10am. AM means morning. Oh dear. OH DEAR. I am a terrible boyfriend.

I slap my hand over my face, using the blanket to muffle the noise. My beloved rooster suddenly bursts out laughing, having to hold his beak shut to avoid waking the others. “Dom, my sweet sweet honey, it’s already morning.” he chokes out, smiling wide with amusement. I have the goofiest, most embarrassed, sheepish and proud grin on my face from making my darling Ray of sunshine laugh.

“Oh what a horrible boyfriend am I. Forgetting that today is the day the love of my life blessed this world with his presence.” I say, a little dramatic in my tone for comedy. Free Ranger is beside himself with laughter. His mood has improved dramatically and he’s no longer pensive.

“Dominic, honey, thank you. I needed that laugh. I’ve been so stressed out and worried about what I’d do today and how I’d break it to the team.” He kisses me, his sharp beak scraping my stone mouth. He has a beak, I don’t have lips. Again, it’s amazing how anything is possible when you do not care hard enough. I kiss him back and the two of us just lay there savoring the other’s presence.

Eventually, we stop. I’ve remembered something, something I’ve had for a long while now, but have been apprehensive over unveiling. “Sunshine, about what your therapist said.” I begin, sitting up from the couch. Free Ranger looks at me, once more serious, but this time in an understanding and curious manner. His chicken curiosity is so very endearing and it warms my nonexistent heart to see it all over his face.

“Yes? What about it, honey?”

“Well, you said that she wanted you to try and make new memories…and..well…” I’m struggling to put my thoughts into words. I take a moment to think it through. My beloved rooster waits patiently. I’m so grateful for him.

“I know that the memories of that day will always be there, and I don’t want to invalidate them at all. So, this is your choice to make; what I’m about to ask you.”

“I understand, Dom. Lay it on me.”

I nod. “I have something that I think would aid you in making new memories for your birthday. Positive ones, at least, I hope they’re positive.”

“What is it?”

“It’s a gift. One that should hold significant cultural meaning. I got it made a while ago, but I wasn’t sure when or how I would give it to you. Now, with what’s been asked, I feel like…I feel like it would be best to give to you now. So, would you like me to give it to you now as a birthday gift?”

Free Ranger takes a minute to process. I sit and wait. I don’t expect him to say yes or anything. I understand fully if he doesn’t want it right now. I am ready for him to say-

“Yeah, sure, I mean…that sounds…yes. I’d like that, Dom.” he answers. I blink, processing. Then it hits me. He said “yes”. I get up and sprint for my room, moving my pillar as quickly and as quietly as I can. I briefly wish I’d swapped legs with Stink Bomb or Trap Shadow. Those two could run a marathon in a library and nobody would notice. Anyway, I get to my room, grab the box and haul my pillar back to the living room. I’ve only just realized that this is Free Ranger’s first birthday where he and I are boyfriends. I feel all happy inside at that. I guess it shows because my observant rooster mate has the lights of the room on and is looking at me funny.

“Something’s got you all giddy like a storm chick. What is it, Dom?” he queries. “Patience, my lightning lover. Open the box and you will see.” I don’t always give such strangely dramatic speech, but I feel it’s necessary at this moment.

Free Ranger takes the box into its claws. It’s neatly wrapped in unassuming blue paper and tied with a gold ribbon. No surprise for who it was for. He unwraps it, tearing through the wrapping with his claws. I suddenly remember just how sharp those things are.

The box is now unwrapped. Free Ranger scans the box curiously, a black felt box of high-quality and subtle fanciness. He looks at me and makes quite the adorable little chicken noise. “This is a really nice box. Dominic, what did you get me?”

He opens it and bawks in surprise before covering his beak. I see tears forming in his eyes.

“Do you like it?”

He pounces me with a kiss, one full of love and gratefulness. I almost fall over from shock, but thankfully, he’s only 30lbs and I am…far heavier than that. I kiss him right back and pull him into my arms, curling back up on the couch and taking a moment in time to just exist with my true love. When we finally break apart, Free Ranger is crying.

“Dominic…I can’t believe you…” He sounds overjoyed and the smile on his beak is as beautiful as a sunny summer storm. “Put it on, I want to see on you.” I say.

Free Ranger reaches into the box and removes the object. It’s a necklace, a very special necklace, one deeply intertwined with the culture of storm chickens. It’s a multilayered necklace, two layers of black chain, both strung with turquoise beads. In front hangs a white dreamcatcher-inspired pendant that’s flanked by a yellow lightning shaped storm chicken feather to create a semicircle shape, specifically the comb feather. Beneath the pendant hang 5 red feathers.

He looks at me with a look I’ve never seen before. This gift goes beyond what a regular birthday gift might. Something about it touches his very being, and I can see it all reflected in his featureless glowing eyes.

“Dom…it’s…I love you so much, honey. Thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.” He wipes some tears from his eyes as he slips it over his head and round his neck.

“Look at that! It fits like a dove!” I grin. “Glove, my sweet.” he says, claws fiddling with the necklace. “Oh, right.” I reply, reaching out to brush my hand through his neck feathers and feel the necklace. It feels like it belongs where it is. Like it’s serving its purpose perfectly as intended.

“How did you get this? Where did you get this? Why did you get this?” Free Ranger questions, stunned beyond belief at what he’s been given.

“The 2nd year we were a part of the SWAP Force, you and I once talked about culture. You told me all about yours, about your practices, your beliefs, everything there was. I especially remembered what you told me about the turquoise gemstone and how important it was to storm chickens. How it was customary to gift it to chicks when they hatched and how you wished you could carry your parents turquoise jewelry, but couldn’t as it had been lost in the storm. How you wished you could afford to buy something turquoise but never could.”

My beloved rooster listens intently, more tears in his eyes as I explain. I know that they’re ones of happiness because he just can’t wipe that beautiful smile off his beak and I’m so thankful for that.

“I also remembered what you told me once about jewelry. How it was your “guilty pleasure” that you could never indulge in. And, well, I still had your address while you lived back in your old home, so shortly after you and I became a couple, I had Master Eon and Quigley portal me there and I went to go get this necklace made for you. I had no idea when I was going to give it to you, but I’d say our first year as a couple is the best time, don’t you think?”

I point to the color choice. “I specifically asked for these four colors to be chosen. Every detail of this design was picked because of the cultural significance it held. I wanted you to have something special that really connected to your culture and heritage.”

Free Ranger wraps his arms around me and nuzzles me again. “I hope that this is a good gift. I know I can’t give you exactly what you wanted.” I whisper into his ear, nuzzling him right back.

“What you’ve given me is more than anything I could have ever wanted. I don’t need my parents’ jewelry, if it’s from you that’s already more than enough. You’re the love of my life, my mate. This necklace…it’s more than just a “good gift”. It’s…I feel as if it’s almost healed a part of my soul.” He chuckles. “Maybe that’s a bit dramatic, but it does feel like a part of me has been affected in the most positive of ways.”

I hug my lovely rooster and wrap him in the blanketed warmth of the couch once again. He cuddles up with me and nestles into my arms, necklace still worn. He’s so soft and warm. He’s like a pillow of pure sunshine. I can feel myself slipping into sleep again as I embrace him. I’m really not a morning person. There’s a reason I’m never up before 6am. He seems to accept my sleepiness and he fluffs his feathers again, becoming even softer and cuddlier. My arms wrap around his back as his are placed around my shoulders and neck. He trills, not bothering with regular words anymore. I sigh and whisper in his ear.

“Happy birthday, my dear Radyn.”

And that's a wrap. This oneshot was unusually difficult to write, but I'm happy with how it turned out nonetheless. In the meantime, it's time for the second author's note.

Author's Note (Post-Reading):

This would be the necklace that Free Ranger was given by Doom Stone. I like to headcanon that Storm Chicken culture is inspired by elements of Native American cultures, and I've written that into my document on the biology of Storm Chickens. For example, the importance of turquoise, the practice of smudging and others mentioned here. Henceforth, the necklace takes heavy Native American inspiration.

The shape is based on a squash blossom with the yellow feathers creating a sort of semicircle shape, the naja, which is central to the squash blossom necklace. I referenced real Navajo jewelry and real squash blossom necklaces when drawing it as well. I had a total of 9 tabs of pure research open all at one time to draw this.

The dreamcatcher-inspired pendant is drawn to look as accurate to a real dreamcatcher as possible, including a singular bead to represent the spider from the legend. The use of turquoise beading is because turquoise holds significance to several Native tribes such as the Navajo, Pueblo and Hopi.

The colors used are also Native, coming from the medicine wheel which has black, red, white and yellow. The white and yellow were specifically chosen to be the central eyecatching pendant as those colors are what I associate with storm chickens since both feather on Free Ranger's design.

Anyway, that's a wrap completely. I hope you enjoy this DoomRanger oneshot, and maybe I'll make more.

#Skylanders #Skylanders Swap Force #Doom Stone #Free Ranger #Doom Stone x Free Ranger #Free Ranger x Doom Stone #DoomRanger #Fanfiction #Oneshot #Skylanders Fanfiction #Skylanders Fanfic #Skylanders Oneshot #Skylanders Ships #Skylanders AU #Amalgamation AU

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