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i-just-wanna-be-called-sparkle · 3 years ago

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Okay. Killer Teddie AU time. Full spoiler warning ahead for P4 and even a bit of P5. Full timeline of all events in order up ahead. Smaller details and ideas at the very end of it. Some of this might not make sense or have an explanation because, at the time, I hadn’t finished base game Persona 4 and had no idea of stuff like Izanami, Sagiris, and so on and so forth. Even now, I haven’t yet finished P4G. The next time I work on this AU will be after I’ve finished P4G and have a good grasp on everything to change what doesn’t make sense and add stuff that does. For now take what I’ve worked on thus far. Sorry if some of my explanations are a little wonky. Extremely fucking long post ahead, I’m seriously not joking around this time.

And, before I start, I’m not the only one who worked on the AU! This is a team project between me and my gf! I know it’s not much to say, but I want to give half of the credit to her rather than taking all of it for myself, cuz while a lot of these ideas came from me, a lot came from her, too.

So, let me explain why Teddie’s a killer in the first place. It starts when he’s still just a mindless Shadow, and he comes face to face with a group of Persona users that existed long before the investigation team, consisting of Tohru Adachi, Mayumi Yamano, and a lot of miscellaneous unnamed characters who may or may not be made into proper characters in the futures. Why this first group existed and consists of those characters is one of those things that hasn’t been fully thought through yet. But, one thing’s for sure, they love going into the TV world and just beating up Shadows for fun every once in a while. At this point in the story, Shadows aren’t necessarily hostile yet, so basically, Teddie witnesses a bunch of his own kind get slaughtered for no reason and, probably because he’s starting to grow some kind of consciousness at this point, goes buck wild and kills the whole group save for Tohru Adachi, who manages to escape. This is how Mayumi Yamano meets her demise and also, how Teddie grows a proper body - it isn’t that bear suit of his though, it’s a human body, most likely the result of humans being the only thing he was exposed to aside from Shadows in that world. From that point forward, a fiery hatred for humans begins to develop within him.

Y’know how Teddie’s real crafty, making those glasses for the Investigation Team to use to see better in the TV world? Well, after a while, he decides he’s tired of walking around bear naked and makes himself some clothes to wear. Those fingers aren’t dexterous for nothing. Not too long after he makes these clothes, Saki ends up in the TV world - for another reason that wasn’t thought through well enough yet, but it’s something like she has a Persona too. This AU is very generous with who gets Personas, I know, please bear with it for now. She ends up bumping into Teddie, the two interact, and because Saki’s a little bitch she finds Teddie to be quite strange, what with the way he talks and how he apparently “comes from the TV world,” and is very verbal about it - very rude about it, too. This first impression with a new human + Teddie’s already intensifying hatred for humans = Saki’s gruesome demise. “Are all humans like this?” Is what Teddie thinks. “Are they all cruel? Are they all mean?” Teddie now has a stronger hate for Humanity that only grows stronger and stronger the more he’s forced to sit in that quiet TV world and think and think and think and think about it.

And along with that hate for humanity, comes a hate for his current human form. So he crafts himself that bear suit of his, and wears it all the time - I believe he also makes it so whatever he bumps into next doesn’t think he’s weird sounding or weird speaking or weird… looking, which, I’ll describe now rather than at the end of the post. Teddie doesn’t look all that different, but the main changes are that his eye colour is now a duller, greyer shade of blue, he is overall even paler, and he is also a lot skinnier. No real reason for these design choices aside from self indulgence without going too overboard. Moving on from that, not too long after he makes the suit is when Chie and Yu and Yosuke go in for the first time. Teddie keeps on a facade of innocence and happiness for a “good first impression,” and nothing changes from then up until the appearance of Yosuke’s Shadow. Since a Shadow is the side of oneself that they don’t want to acknowledge or see, it’s chock full of bad traits and negative emotions - further solidifying Teddie’s belief that all humans are just awful, sinful, nasty creatures.

One thing that Isn’t well thought out at all, and something that I have no clue where to put on the timeline, is this whole deal between Teddie and Namatame. Basically, Teddie communicates with Namatame through the TV (can’t remember if he just talks through it, or sticks his head through), and convinces Namatame to start pushing people in not to save them, but for something along the lines of how he “secretly wants them to die.” Maybe it was because Namatame shares Teddie’s beliefs of humanity being repulsing, but it’s too vague a memory to make heads or tails of it. Don’t know how things would work out without it, though, so it’s sticking around as is for now.

Also, as of right now in the AU, the IT is completely unaware of Teddie’s human form hiding right under his bear form/bear suit. Good lord, I am already tired of typing this all out, this post is so long. Still got a long way to go, kind of.

Here’s another loose idea that hasn’t been fully thought about, and it’s when Teddie encounters his Shadow in Rise’s dungeon. My memories are a bit foggy on this one, but I’ll try my best to remember. So, his encounter with his Shadow stays largely the same, with maybe a couple of his Shadow’s lines being changed to represent how not only is he hiding originally being a Shadow from his teammates, but also how he’s hiding the fact that he’s the killer they’re trying to find - all of it is too vague for the IT to piece together, though. But also a thing that’s changed is his reaction to his Shadow is a LOT more aggressive, a slip up to show a small glance of his true personality - but again, the IT doesn’t think anything of it because, Teddie’s facing his Shadow here, of COURSE he’s going to act different when he’s coming face to face with a part of himself he wants to ignore. Eventually, he manages to accept his Shadow, but for one way or another, a second Shadow starts to develop within him. Maybe it’s because he only partially accepted his Shadow, maybe it’s because of something else - like he didn’t accept his Shadow for the right reason, I can’t remember. But it starts to develop. I remember wanting to give him a second persona akin to what Akechi has in p5 - one for lies, and one for truths, but this is one of those things that will either need to be completely cut out or heavily modified in my opinion.

Teddie kills more frequently in this AU. In between when he’s helping the IT rescue people from the TV world, he’s throwing in people on the night that it fogs up so the IT doesn’t have time to see people appear on the TV/doesn’t have time to go in and save them, resulting in their deaths. Teddie so far has only thrown in people who have been assholes or scum in his eyes, and these are the only people that end up dying in the TV world even with the advent of the IT. Teddie gets away with this by sneaking out at night sometimes and either witnessing these people do disgusting things, or overhearing about it. Two candidates/victims are the two girls from Yosuke’s social link (hopefully you know who I mean) and the bully/bullies from Chie’s social link. Though, for the two girls, I like the idea of it being AFTER Teddie comes to the real world for real and shows off his human form, and starts working at Junes. He’s “working overtime,” late at night, calls up those two girls and asks them to come to Junes to “help him stock shelves” - “I’ll make sure you and your friend get payed extra for it. I’ll take it out of Yosuke’s paycheck.” Next thing you know, they’ve been knocked out and thrown into the TV because they’re heartless assholes in his eyes.

Only way Teddie would get away with a killing like that, though, is through having an outfit to disguise himself from Junes’ security cameras - so, at some point in the timeline, that’s what he does. Repurposes his old clothes from the TV world into an outfit to disguise his identity, to let him keep killing, and he keeps it tucked away either somewhere in the real world or in the TV world. He probably does this before he “becomes human,” so that his clothes are kept secret from the IT team, and that whole “I’m like a newborn in here” scene can happen.

Also, just for clarification, that hate Teddie felt for Yosuke’s Shadow? And how it solidified his hatred for humanity yet further, and his belief that they are all scummy beings? This keeps happening for every single Shadow he sees. Chie’s, Yukiko’s, Kanji’s, etc.

Mitsuo Kubo is the only one thrown in by Teddie who doesn’t die, so that the plot can progress normally, but also because it probably went something like this. Teddie sneaks out late at night to find more disgusting humans to kill, to “purge the earth of such horrendous beings,” and comes across Mitsuo killing Morooka. A human? Committing murder? A human being slaughtering another human being? How sinful. How disgusting. How treacherous. Teddie has to deal with this immediately. So he throws Mitsuo into the TV world without waiting for the fog to settle first (it’s too dire of a situation to ignore, after all). He’s kind of hypocritical, thinking Mitsuo is a terrible person for committing murder (he is, though) and then going right ahead and throwing him in the TV, aiming to kill. He’s just cleansing the world, though - that’s how he sees it.

Also, I believe for most nights when he decides to sneak out, he’s wearing his disguise outfit, so that he doesn’t get caught if he’s in a situation like that where he kills someone on a whim - or just to avoid being caught when he’s out so late snooping around for more victims. Random fun fact by the way: the idea for this whole AU started from the fact that Teddie could use his knowledge of the TV world and how it works to easily get away with using it to commit crimes. Moving on now.

Another thing that doesn’t yet have a place in the timeline is this small thing. I like to think Teddie has a tendency to stay up later into the night because of his occasional nightly outings, and he doesn’t really have enough time to fix his sleep schedule - or he actually just CAN’T. But anyways, he’s keeping himself busy at night while he can’t sleep, maybe playing on an old console in Yosuke’s room, when Yosuke wakes up and starts talking to him until he also gets tired enough to fall back asleep. He says to Teddie that he’s worried about him. “You’ve got bags under your eyes, and you’re basically made of flesh and bone.” He says. Maybe Teddie’s skinny enough his ribs show a little. “This isn’t the first time you’ve stayed up this late, either. Like you’re restless about something.” Sometimes Teddie just paces around the room until he gets tired enough to pass out. “And, what time is it, like, 2:00 AM? I’m really worried about you, Ted.” And that really gets to Teddie. He starts to cry. Here he is, devoting his time to hating humanity, to killing humans, to putting on a happy go lucky, innocent facade around his “friends” to hide his true nature and keep himself emotionally distant from them - and poor Yosuke over here is oblivious to it all, worrying for his dear friend and roommate like this is all unnatural when it’s what he truly is on the inside. And for just a moment, Teddie feels truly bad, and he just keeps crying and crying and crying, probably while Yosuke holds him and tries to comfort him, until he exhausts himself, goes to sleep, and pushes it all out of his head the next morning. But on that night, he had let his guard drop, and he had let himself be vulnerable, and he had allowed himself to get a little closer to Yosuke - a little more attached to him than before. It was only a little, but it was enough to be concerning… it was “just a little” too much for comfort. He can’t let himself get close to that thing.

Oh no, I’m starting to lose focus. We’re nearing the end now. So, you know how Teddie makes that promise to Nanako, right? That he’ll stay in their world to play with her and such? He probably makes the same promise in this AU.

I say probably, because depending on wether he did or not leads to two separate endings, and I can’t decide on which I like more.

So, if he DOES make the promise, HE’S the one who pushes Nanako in. The reason? He’s getting too attached. He’s letting his guard down around a human, and that scares him. He’s getting emotionally attached and invested, and that scares him. He’s starting to care about something that he hates with all of his heart, and that scares him. So he pushes her into the TV, because he’s not allowed to do that, because all humans are evil - no exceptions. This results in Teddie being outed because, when Nanako dies in the hospital (don’t know how that happens yet without Namatame, plothole), he can’t handle the guilt anymore. It’s overwhelming him, suffocating him, drowning him. He falls to the floor, completely breaking down, screaming and sobbing about how it’s all his fault. Then, he either runs out of the room and throws himself into a TV after realizing he’d outed himself, or Yosuke throws him into a TV in a fit of rage and because he feels like Teddie betrayed his trust by pretending to act all innocent when he was the killer.

If he DOESN’T make the promise, or at least, doesn’t get attached, Namatame throws her into the TV and things play out the exact same until they get to the top of Heaven, where Teddie completely loses his shit at Namatame. Maybe he goes to beat the fuck out of him, maybe he’s screaming and shouting at him, in any case, he’s showing his raw personality now. That isn’t what outs him, though - it’s Namatame. “I recognize you.” He says, either through his voice or his appearance. “Why are you so mad at me? I’m doing what you told me to. I’m doing what you want.” Something along those lines. “What?” The IT reacts. “Teddie, is this true? Have you been lying to us?” And the only thing Teddie can do is freeze up, and run away, out of the dungeon - probably not without beating up Namatame a little more for outing him. “Fuck you.” It’s like an endless stream of insults and vulgar language pour from his mouth. “You’ve gone ahead and exposed me, you bitch. You little shit. I hate you. It’s all your fault.”

Now on to Teddie’s dungeon. This part is, uh… Pretty dark. General content warning for death ahead.

So, to contrast Nanako’s dungeon Heaven, Teddie’s dungeon is Hell. There are two concepts for this dungeon though - one is that it’s just conventional catholic/christian Hell, and the other was that it’s based off of/is the frozen over Hel in norse mythology. Because, Teddie has ice attacks, you know? But they’re both largely the same, if not visually. In the earlier floors, there are some objects strewn around like burnt and torn up images of Teddie and the IT, Teddie and Nanako, his bear suit, and maybe one or two other objects of some importance to him. The voices that are heard at the beginning of all the early floors consist of Teddie sobbing and dealing with his inner turmoil of hating humans but getting attached to the likes of Yosuke, Nanako, the IT overall, and the like. “They’re humans.” He thinks. “They’re humans, and all humans are awful. I hate all of them. But I love them. They’re different… They’re nice to me. I don’t deserve it.” “Maybe humanity isn’t so bad after all…” “*sobbing* I’m sorry, Nana-Chan…”

You know how earlier dungeons like Yukiko’s and Kanji’s have that floor in the middle of the dungeon where you encounter the Shadows and that weird title card thing appears? That exists in Teddie’s dungeon, and on the floor right before it, the voice at the beginning of the floor is just Teddie screaming hysterically, maybe even crying. Why? Well, when you go to that next floor…

There’s Teddie. Standing in front of the hanging corpses of Nanako and Yosuke, hesitantly reaching out to them like he can’t process what he’s looking at. And when the IT calls out to him from behind him, the way he looks at them is estranging. He looks terrified, he has to do a double take because one second he was staring at Yosuke’s corpse, then the next moment, he was looking at him, perfectly alive, with the IT. They try and reach out to him, but he’s like a spooked wild animal, and he runs away to the next floor.

The later floors are now decorated with Nanako and Yosuke’s corpses, possibly even the rest of the IT, and the voices now are just Teddie arguing with himself and screaming hysterically, like he’s going insane being in such a horrible place, like he’s becoming more and more deranged with every passing moment. “This is how it should be! All those heartless monsters DESERVE to die! They deserve to hang lifelessly this! But they don’t! I don’t want them to die! I don’t think like that! But I do! But I don’t! These guys are horrendous- no, they’re my friends! THEY’RE SCUM OF THE EARTH! NO, I DON’T THINK LIKE THAT!” And so on and so forth.

When they finally reach the last floor, the deepest floor, the final circle of Hell, they find Teddie there, deranged to the point of practically being a different person. That second Shadow that was developing within him now is toying with him, messing with his head, whispering things to him that make him clutch his head and beg for it all to stop. The IT can’t get through to him now, and he either snaps, gets hostile at them for being “heartless, monstrous, evil humans,” and forces them into a fight, or that Shadow ends up possessing him (either fully, or to a certain extent), and they have no choice but to fight him and knock some sense into him. In either case, he gains his second Persona - something that will most likely be similar to Magatsu-Izanagi, not sure yet - and also, for the sake of self indulgence, it’s like he can control wether or not he is more or less like a Shadow. AKA, goopy black forearms fitted with deadly sharp claws instead of fingers.

I can’t actually remember what EXACTLY happens after the battle, aside from Teddie Goes To Prison, but here’s another battle outcome I almost forgot about that I am DETERMINED to add into the final product. Remember at the beginning, when I specified that Adachi was the only member of the first group of Persona users to survive Teddie’s slaughter? Well, at some point, he overhears the IT talking about Teddie being the killer and the TV world’s existence and decides to butt in. “Can I come along too?” He asks. “I’m a Persona user, just like all of you. You’re talking about catching the culprit here, right? The same culprit who killed Mayumi in the beginning? The same culprit who probably almost got me, then?” Something along those lines. So, he goes in with them, and would you look at that - Teddie still hasn’t forgotten his face. So, in the case of “Teddie snapping and going all hostile on them,” it’s most likely because he sees Adachi mixed in with the IT and alllll of those emotions from so long ago come flooding back… combine that with his hysteria, and boom, you’ve got a raging Teddie hell bound on taking his revenge and getting some closure before he either goes to prison or dies trying not to.

And… I think that’s it. Only thing left to mention is that at some point, right before my hyperfixation ended, me and my gf were trying to figure out a way to implement an accomplice ending and a Teddie Arcana Change, but the end of my obsession came too early in the development of both of those, so there’s not much to say. Also, in this AU, I’m thinking of making Shadows hostile because of the first group of Persona users, like how Teddie hates all of humanity almost purely because of that group. Also, small detail, he’s wearing that disguise of his during the fight - dunno how he got it, but I do wanna add it in somehow, though. This post is also already long enough, so I should stop myself here.

Speaking of that, holy fuck, thanks to anyone who’s read this entire long ass messy post. Like that is just so awesome, I commend you for it. Seriously this post took actual hours just to write down, it’s way too long for any NORMAL person to read all the way through, heavy emphasis on normal (affectionate). Asks about this AU are welcomed and appreciated, if there are any. If not, seriously literally just the fact that anyone might be reading this message at all is enough to sustain me.

#persona 4 #p4 teddie #how am i supposed to tag this as a persona alternate universe when arena ultimax exists ;-;#persona 4 au #let’s hope that tag works #p4 spoilers #yeesh almost forgot to add that

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reannabeth · 3 years ago

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So I am rewatching the Percy Jackson Peter Johnson movie, and I just thought I’d make an official post for all my icks with it.

Why? Cause I like to rant? Idk.

First off, characters:

The age thing threw me off. They’re sixteen? Seriously? Why did they think that was a good idea? Did they want it to be a full-out series or not?

Leaves less room for character growth, both physically and mentally- and romantically (which I will get to in a bit).

Plus, the way the characters are written in the books is meant to fit twelve year olds, so everything they do feels off. Pessimistic 12 year old Percy was so funny. Like his sass would genuinely catch me off guard, because he’s so freaking young and you don’t really expect him to be so fearless and rash. Movie Percy does have sass and the awkward pessimist thing down pretty much to a ‘t’, but the way the right it can come off a bit corny, despite Logan Lerman’s best acting. Boy does the guy do a great job. His performance almost overshadows the bad writing, but not quite. Gods, the Capture-the-Flag tripping all falling over himself thing was fabulous, though the rest of the scene didn’t quite match up (do they even know how that game works??) Also,,, later corniness. Again. I don’t really care about the eyes thing, because blue is still the color of the ocean.

Annabeth is way too aggressive. Why is she so eager to slice-and-dice him even though they’ve never officially met? I guess she took the place of Clarisse in that way, but WHY. Clarisse had reason; Percy humiliated her and her cabin. If they wanted to get him to heal in the water and such, that could’ve been achieved if they had just followed the freaking books. They just… butchered her character in so many ways. Her appearance, the handy dandy Yankees ball cap, all that. The whole purpose of her being blonde was to discount the stupid dumb blonde stereotype and feed into her need to prove herself to everyone. That was taken away too.

Speaking of which… Grover. Baby boi, they ruined you. I didn’t mind them making him black… until they made him all party-like and confident. That may have not had to do with his race, though, and just trying to make him act more like the satyrs from the myths. But that defeats the point that Rick made; he purposefully made Grover scared and stressed and doing his best all the time as a foil to that stereotype- which is made obvious when the Party Ponies come into play in the second book. I miss that Grover. Also, why was he just like standing around during the disaster of the Minotaur scene (Gods, they made that so lame). It would’ve been better if he was unconscious, because then he wasn’t just standing around. I could’ve excused it as him just being reluctant because he’s scared, but this Grover is brave and more protective, a better fighter. Why would he just stand and watch? There are just so many things that don’t add up.

Chiron and Luke were really the only characters that felt true to their book forms.

The stand-off between Luke and Percy was cool, but the plot twist in the book is just so much better. I was totally blown away by the easy-going camp counselor dude poisoning a twelve year old kid with scorpion venom. Also, Luke got his scar from Percy? NOOO. It was never about Percy. It was about Luke and his dad. Percy was just a means to an end or an enemy to get rid of.

Gods, they forgot the prophecy, too. And Ares. And Clarisse. And Mr. D.

I don’t even want to talk about Hades. Or Persephone, for that matter. Why was she there? It wasn’t winter and- nope, not even. Just nope.

Riptide is a ballpoint pen, not a clicky one (though this one is admittedly cooler. WE NEED THE TARTARUS SCENE WHERE HE ANNABETH FIGURES OUT HE CAN WRITE WITH IT). And the shield thingy… that’s Tyson’s. He made it in the second one.

The thing is, Rick ties everything into his later works, so many of the changes they made mess with future possibilities and therefore narrow the rest of everything.

I understand not having every scene, every detail included in the movies. But why keep things if you’re going to change them?

Why have the hydra come in this movie? It comes in the second book, bro.

WHERE ARE THE ORANGE CAMP HALF-BLOOD SHIRTS??

Oh, right I was supposed to have topics. Sorry, everything is blending in together.

uh… ROMANCE.

Why was Grover a ladies man :|

What the Tartarus were they doing with Percabeth? Long, kinda creepy stares and close contact. THIS STUPID LINE: “I definitely have strong feelings for you. I just haven’t decide if they’re positive or negative yet.”

Like,,, EW. Is this supposed to be the “You drool in your sleep” replacement? How about no.

They took away the cute little crushes and slow-burn friends to lovers (even though it kinda started off as enemies).

MOMMA’S BOY

every moment Percy had with his mom was so awful. Why is he using “mother” so much? That’s only for his dad, because they haven’t reached the kind of relationship where Percy can call him Dad. I wanted to see the scene with her coming home from the candy shop with a big bag of candy and him pretending to be cranky when she shows affection but you can tell he loves it and ughhhhh

WHY

What did I like? The music. The Lotus flowers and casino scene. The pearl plot line thing was admittedly smart, but overall problematic and questionable. Why the Parthenon? Why not Crusty’s?

I do also like Percy and Grover’s bud relationship, but Annabeth was supposed to be his guide of a sort. So they either could’ve had them both guide him, or her alone. We needed more time to get to know her.

Where was Cerberus? I guess they didn’t want a repeat of Fluffy in The Sorceror’s Stone (since this is the same director), but still. He’s a major part of the Underworld system. And I wanted fancy Italian suit Charon and the “died in a bathtub” scene. The Hellhounds were also creepy, so how does the whole Mrs. O’Leary thing work? Also, makes me wonder why they didn’t have Percy be attacked by one during Capture-the-Flag like in the books.

ALSO WHY DID GROVER STAY? WHY? The Sally I know would never let him do that. Also, Sally can’t even get through the boundaries and into Olympus anyway, so why…? Why.

Persephone being all weird and flirty to Grover was just… ew. Again. Ew ew ew ew.

Hades is not the bad guy, he just came across a situation he could take advantage of. It doesn’t make sense that Luke would get it to Hades and Hades alone. It gets rid of the whole Kronos thing.

And the prophecies were gone, too. I know they brought them up in the second one, but not very well. The second one retconned the first’s continuity and yet still sucked on representing the second one. Yeesh.

Anyway, that’s my spill. I could organize it better, but I’m too tired at this point.

#Percy Jackson #peter Johnson #the lightning thief #pjo #rant

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keelywolfe · 4 years ago

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FIC: Terms of Engagement ch.8

Summary: Rus is still a kid himself and with his life turned upside-down, he has no idea how he’s going to take care of his baby brother. Having other kid skeletons appear in his world wasn’t exactly the help he was looking for.

Tags: Pre-Spicyhoney, Underfell Papyrus, Underfell Sans, Underswap Papyrus, Underswap Sans, Undertale Sans, Undertale Papyrus, Babybones, Scientist W. D. Gaster, Possible Past Child Abuse, Skellie Daycare, Growing Up Together, Big Brothers Caring For Their Little Bros, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Violence

Chapter 6 | Chapter 7

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Read Chapter Eight on AO3

Read It Here!

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~~ Sixteen Years Ago ~~

The lab didn’t have what could be called a kitchen, exactly. The only thing that could be considered close was the old vending machine and Rus cleared that out years ago, back when the scientist went…well…wherever he went. That along with a broken coffee machine was about the only gear they’d been left with at the beginning.

Over the years, Rus jerry-rigged a sort of cooking nook in one of the lab rooms. He hated in there, the almost-memories that lurked in the corners, the large glass tubes that he still sometimes dreamed about, of looking out through the blur of liquid at a distorted face that looked back.

The tubes were empty now, one of them broken and the glass carefully cleaned away so curious little baby bones couldn’t hurt themselves, but they were still there, skulking like unwanted sentries.

These days Rus could mostly ignore them, and it wasn’t as if he had a lot of choice over where to set up. His little kitchen area had to be in this room because it was the only one with a gas hookup for the Bunsen burners. Two of which were on, the flames carefully lowered to a steady medium height.

Over one was a battered old pot with canned tomato soup simmering away. On another was a genuine cast iron pan that Rus found in the dump, rusty and discarded. Took him a long time to scrape in clean and season it, but it was worth the effort. The surface was smooth as glass, glossy black and Rus might be a shit cook but one thing he knew was the value of good equipment.

He was slicing the bread when he heard it. Close to the doorway there was a scuffling sound, one he knew pretty well by now. That was the sound of a little skeleton trying, and failing, to be quiet and he didn’t have to look to guess at who was trying to play ninja warrior behind his back.

“you were supposed to stay with the others,” Rus said without turning around. All the better to cement the idea that big bros had eyes on the backs of their skulls.

A small, stifled gasp, yep, someone knew the jig was up and from the corner of his socket, Rus could see Edge shuffling miserably inside, ready to be sent back to the playroom where Blue and Papyrus were probably still making use of the box of crayons Rus spoiled them with a few weeks ago. If nothing else, the lab had plenty of paper lying around, most of it covered with weird symbols, formulas that the kids all gleefully scribbled over.

Edge had been less enthused than the others when Rus plunked him down with his own papers and that was tough titty, kitty. Trial and error was a good teacher and Rus learned one lesson pretty damn quick; corral the kids before trying to cook anything. Without the trouble trio, he at least had a chance of making something reasonably edible.

That left him with a solo act and Edge came over to stand beside him, his little skull still a good few inches too short to let him look over the countertop.

“I wanted to be with you, Russy,” Edge said mournfully. From the depths of sorrow in the kid’s voice, you’d think Rus stepped away for a decade or two instead of fifteen minutes.

“yeah? that so?” Rus said, still not looking down. Letting that sweet, sweet guilt keep piling on. “what’s the rule?”

He could hear Edge squirming, as if he were weighing the odds of waiting to see if Rus somehow forgot the question. When the hoped-for reprieve didn’t come, a meek, almost inaudible whisper floated up, “To stay in the playroom.”

“uh huh. and where are you?”

Another long moment of painful hoping, then, even softer, “Not in the playroom.”

“yep,” Rus agreed, “that’s what it looks like to me, too. what do you think we should do about that, kid?”

No answer, only a miserable, hitched breath trying to add that guilt trip back onto Rus’s itinerary, only it wasn’t gonna work this time.

What he needed to do was frogmarch his little escape artist right back to the playroom, for reasons of: A. before the other two came looking for him and B. to show him he couldn’t just disobey the rules whenever he wanted.

Rus glanced down at Edge sternly, all ready to order him right back where he came from…and ended up looking right into his huge, pleading sockets, tears already standing out and ready to brim over to trail down his pudgy little cheek bones to his quivering little chin.

Rus sighed. Really, how was he supposed to say no to that?

“c’mere, kiddo.” He reached down to pick Edge up and the way his expression brightened with delight was enough to make it worth the pile of trouble this was probably gonna cause.

He hoped.

He set Edge down on the counter-top a safe distance away from the burners. The kid looked at the setup with interest, his wide eye lights drinking it all in eagerly.

“wanna help me make grilled cheese?” Rus offered, resigned to his fate.

“Yes!” Edge shouted in a fair attempt at deafening them both. Rus twisted a knuckle against his audial canal and shook his head, reaching for the butter.

“okay, first, we have to put butter on the bread.”

“Why?” Edge asked promptly, ‘cause Angel knew that Edge always had two questions for every statement.

“toasts better, taste better, take your pick. see?” Rus scraped the butter knife over the bread and left a mostly even smear behind. Then he held out the knife, handle first, “okay, kiddo, your turn.”

From the reverent way Edge took the knife, you would’ve thought Rus handed over Excalibur. He carefully mimicked what Rus showed him, his little red tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth in concentration as he slowly spread the butter. He held it up proudly when he was finished, nicely coated and ready for toasting. “There!”

“good job!” Rus said and he really hoped his disgruntlement that the little brat was a hell of a lot better at that than he was didn’t show in his voice. He set Edge’s in the pan to toast, handing over his slightly mangled piece. “see if you can fix that one while i prep the cheese.”

‘Cheese’ was probably a pretty loose term for it. Yeah, it was orange, and yeah, it was in slices, but that was about as close as it got. Gerson didn’t even keep it refrigerated and there was always plenty on her dusty shelves when Rus made the trip to Waterfall for supplies on days someone else had the kids, because he could hit up the dump on the way and make it a twofer, especially if he could find something to sell. The DVD of ‘Jerry Maguire’ he dug out that paid for the crayons was a good case in point.

Rus unwrapped a slice of the pseudo-cheese and plopped it on the bread. Even the noise it made was undairy-like and it was a good thing that shit tasted so good or Rus wouldn’t scrape up the G for it it all the time. By then, Edge had smoothed over the buttery lumps on the other slice of bread and Rus added it to the pile, sealing its cheesy fate. The rich, toasty smell that rose up as it sizzled away was enough to make Rus’s mouth water. He hadn’t eaten yet today, supplies were a little low and his soul was crying out for food. Rus ignored it. The kids came first, once they were full, he’d make his own.

“You should flip it,” Edge said suddenly.

“huh?” Rus frowned at him, “no, it’s not cooked yet.”

“Yes, it is,” Edge said, insistently. He picked up the spatula from the counter and held it out as he added ominously, “it’ll burn.”

“it will no—fine,” Rus sighed. Worst that could happen was an ‘I told you’ so and another flip. He carefully slid the spatula beneath the sandwich and managed to turn it over without accidentally hurling it across the room and if anyone asked, that stain on the wall had always been there. Rus stared down in disbelief. The bread was a perfect golden-brown, cheese slowly starting to glisten and ooze at the edges. He turned to Edge and demanded, “how did you know that, squirt?”

Edge only looked at him and said matter-of-factly. “’cause when you leave it on as long as you think it needs, it burns.”

Ouch. Called out by a kid half his height, yeesh, that was gonna leave a mark.

It stung unexpectedly, making Rus blink hard against the sudden prickle of tears. He was trying, okay, it wasn’t his fault he was shitty at cooking and even shittier at budgeting enough for food, it wasn’t his fault that he’d already left off wearing stripes to keep anyone seeing him from asking too many question even if he and Red and Sans went through the calculations once out of a spiteful sort of curiosity and figured they were all maybe, maybe, fifteen, if you counted leap years, it wasn’t his fucking fault and—

“Russy? Are you okay?”

Rus startled and nearly dropped the sandwich. Hastily, he slid it onto a plate, slapping the spatula down to scrub at his sockets with his sleeve. Edge was looking at him, all wide-socketed worry and Rus managed to scrape up a wobbly smile.

“yep, just fine,” Rus said, a little roughly, and when Edge only looked at him doubtfully Rus scooped him up and tickled him until the kid was squealing laughter, “yeah, that’s right, you so smart, but i’m still bigger!”

“Stop, stop,” Edge begged, giggling frantically. Rus tickled him a fraction of a minute longer, then made to set him down on the countertop. Only for Edge to cling to him, hugging him hard. “I love you, Russy.”

Yeah, keep this up and he was gonna have to mop in here ‘cause his soul was gonna be a puddle on the floor. “love you, too, brat.” He set Edge back down and tapped the little nodule of his nasal cavity with a fingertip, “now let’s get cooking before papyrus try to eat the crayons again.” Edge gave him a guilty look and Rus groaned, “he didn’t.”

“I told him the purple one wasn’t grape!”

Welp, so much for the crayons. Rus only shook his head and handed Edge more bread to butter. They had sandwiches to make and if Papyrus’s teeth were more rainbow than not when they got there, at least he left room for lunch.

~~*~~

~~ Now ~~

Despite this place leaving Rus feeling off-kilter, there was at least one thing both their universes had in common; Snowdin was fucking cold. Rus watched Edge head on after the kids until he disappeared around a corner and then took his own shivering butt back inside. Should’ve grabbed his hoodie too instead of just his smokes, too rattled by losing his shortcuts to even consider he was inviting a little bonus frostbite.

Red was sprawled on the sofa, picking idly at his teeth for any breakfast leftovers with a toothpick. He flicked it idly in the direction of the trash while Rus closed the door and missed, left it dangling precariously on the lip of the can.

“not sure if that should be worth anything but negative points.” Rus kicked off his shoes and tried not to notice that the snow helped wash away some of the marrow spattering his shoes, leaving behind dingy rust-colored streaks.

“nah, worth at least two points for pissing off my bro,” Red said. He sat up, one foot on the sofa cushion and the other dangling as he asked bluntly, “got your head on straight?”

No. “yeah, i think so.” Rus sank down on the other side of the sofa, propping his stocking feet on the coffee table. “so, now what?”

“welp, now that we’ve got our stories straight, let’s talk about the problem.”

Rus tipped his head back to look up at the ceiling, studying it. There was a discoloration in one corner, maybe from an old leak. “problem being how to get me back home.”

“yeah, that’s the one and it might be a little harder than ya think.” Red exhaled long and slow. “the machine ain’t here.”

Of all things, that was the last Rus expected. For a long minute, Rus kept looking at the ceiling, idly wondering if the stain on it looked more like a cat in a tuxedo or a bird sitting in a teacup, it didn’t quite register, because that? That made no sense, not at all, not when laid next to Red’s reasons for not coming to live Underswap all those years ago. Rus sat up straight and turned to look at Red. Who was doing his own ceiling survey, maybe trying to decide himself on that stain, could even be a dinosaur learning how to tap dance if you looked at it right and none of that fucking matter because what Red was saying couldn’t be right, it was unthinkable, inconceivable.

“but—” The word stuck in his throat and Rus swallowed hard, trying to unstick it, managed to stumble out, “but…you said…you stayed so no one could use it!”

“did,” Red agreed, grimly. His eye lights flicked from the cat/bird/dinosaur to Rus, meeting his horrified gaze. “only, i didn’t have your little travel pass to move it and we didn’t have time to figure anything else out, so had to go with the next best thing.”

That tone was not at all what Rus wanted to hear, far too grim and there was only one reason he could even conceive of for it, the one thing he hadn’t even wanted to consider, not even once while he was sitting here in a house that was not, quite, a mirror image of his own and his brother was a universe away, all alone with no idea what happened to him.

“you destroyed it?” Rus whispered. His voice broke, cracked right in the middle like a plate dropped on a hard floor.

“almost did,” Red said bluntly. Rus pulled in a long, slow breath. “prolly should’ve, but edge didn’t want me to. cause’a you, you know.”

“me?” Rus said, surprised.

“you,” Red repeated, a touch mockingly, “always shoving all that hope shit in their heads, helpin’ others to help themselves, all that piss and hokum. if things got better here, he was figurin’ we could go back someday. he’s been workin’ on that ‘better’ part ever since we walked out of the lab.”

Better, a better world. Rus thought about the wall around this Snowdin, the protective spells woven into it. About XP hunters lurking in the woods and the difference between Monsters and monsters. “how’s that going?”

Red shrugged, “can’t save the world, but he’s not doing too shabby in his corner of it.” The words were flippant, but his eye lights were fond. Then Red gave himself a little shake and pointed at the coffee table. By Rus’s propped-up feet was a plain cardboard box and he leaned forward, cautiously lifting the lid as Red said, “didn’t wreck it but i did take all these.”

Inside the box was a pile of little bundles wrapped in what looked like scraps of an old t-shirt. Cautiously, Rus opened one, holding up the contents to get a better look. A component, a card of green fiberglass with winding lanes of copper and bristling with transistors. He wrapped it back up hastily and put it back in the box with the other parts. Tucked into the side was a folded piece of paper and Rus plucked it out and opened it, studying what looked like a rough schematic.

“you numbered all the parts,” Rus murmured, studying it.

“yeah, well, didn’t want to try guessin’ which tab a fit into what slot b when the time came,” Red snorted. “rus, i ain’t gonna butter your bread ‘bout this. the machine’s still at the lab, the new royal scientist’s been there for years now, and she ain’t one to mess with. we pulled a drop cloth over it ‘fore we took off, but for all i know, she’s gutted it for parts. it’s a long shot for sure, but that’s our best bet so that’s what we’re goin’ with.”

Rus nodded slowly. “so we go to the lab.”

“fuck, no!” Red sputtered, sitting up stock-straight as he glared at Rus, “didn’t ya hear me? alphys is nuts and even if she wasn’t, she ain’t about to let us prance in and start tinkering.”

That was certainly news, especially with the name tucked in there.

“alphys?” Rus blurted out, astonished, “seriously? the head of the royal guard?” Alphys was a tough ol’ bird but Rus was pretty sure any experiments she did involved punching out the results.

“heh, really?” Red shook his head, “we need to sit down sometime and compare notes, see if we can figure out the difference ‘tween our worlds.” Red shifted, all amusement fading, “here she’s the royal scientist and fucking around with her is a good way to spend the rest of your time taking in dinner through a straw, and that’s only if you don’t end up on a metal table.” A barely perceptible shiver when through Red, “think we’ve all had enough of that.”

Understatement. “so how are we going to get to the machine?” Rus asked.

“simple,” Red leaned forward, his eye lights determined. “you can’t do your shortcuts, but maybe i can. so you’re gonna teach me your little parlor trick and i’m gonna teleport in.”

Before Rus could ‘what the fuck’ that little plan, Edge came back in. A sharp look from Red warned him to keep his trap shut and Rus obeyed it, for now, trying to look completely innocent and not as if he and Red were busily making what was probably an upgraded version of a suicide pact.

“did you catch up to the kids?” Rus asked.

Edge smiled. It lifted the corners of his sockets, and again Rus was struck at the sight, the sweet kid he knew so long ago peeking out from beneath that scarred exterior. “I did. I hope you weren’t expecting your G back, I let them keep it as a souvenir.”

“do i wanna ask?” Red sighed out.

“Probably not. I’m going on patrol,” Edge announced and started to suit up, “I’ll come back for lunch, was there anything specific you’d like?”

“nah, i’m easy,” Rus said. He ignored Red’s sudden snort, “i’ll eat anything, even take a grilled cheese, if you’ve got it.”

“I can manage that,” Edge paused with his chest plate above his head, sending Rus a sharp smile and Rus wondered abruptly if he was remembering the same thing, that long ago day in the kitchen nook together, confirmed it with a sly, “I promise not to burn it.”

“hey!” Rus sputtered. Not much defense against the truth, so instead he sulked and watched Edge finish suiting up. The armor made him look so much more imposing, more than any scar possibly could and yet, when he headed for the door, Rus couldn’t help blurting out, “be careful out there.”

Edge paused. He walked over to the sofa on strangely silent feet and reached over. Rus sat frozen as he lightly touched Rus’s cheekbone, his gloved fingertips rough, the stiff material unforgiving and yet, the touch itself was soft, as gentle as his words, “I will, Russy.”

The nickname snapped Rus out of his little trance. “seriously, you can just call me rus,” he grumbled.

“I really couldn’t,” Edge said. He turned away and strode off in a clank of armor. The door closed behind him with a decisive click and Rus huffed out an aggravated sigh.

“your brother is a pain in the ass.” The expected agreement didn’t come, and Rus turned to see Red looking at him strangely, “what?”

A long moment of silence. “nothin’, bean pole,” Red said, finally, “he’s somethin’, all right. how about you go take a nap, get off that leg for a little bit and we’ll head out later and start workin’ on upgrading my stats.”

Rus opened his mouth, ready to protest that they needed to get the hell started if this was the plan, he needed to get home. Only to close it again, words unspoken, because he wasn’t gonna teach Red to shortcut in a day or a week or whatever, it took him ages to be able to shortcut reliably without it snapping back like an invisible rubber band, knocking him ass over teakettle while Sans laughed his ass off.

This wasn’t gonna be a fast fix and there wasn’t thing one he could do about it. Rus nodded and headed upstairs, let himself into Edge’s room to curl up on the bed that wasn’t his while he tried to stifle tears into the blankets

Eventually, he gave up and just cried, let it all come out of him in one long, miserable burst, until he was a snotty mess. When it was done, he felt mostly better, a little worse, and he settled down to sleep. The blankets smelled kinda like cookies, Rus decided sleepily, cookies when they were still spicy warm, and it was his last thought before he drifted into an exhausted sleep.

~~*~~

tbc

#spicyhoney #papcest #keelywolfe #underfell #underswap #underfell papyrus #underswap papyrus #baby bones #terms of engagement

27 notes · View notes

alliewilkes · 4 years ago

Text

In My Direction

Pairing: Chris x MC (Allie) Zig x OC (Ash)

Book: The Freshman Book 3

Word count: Too many (3,500+)

Rating: R (eventual sex, swearing, and heavy topics)

Summary: This takes place during book 3 where my MC has a twin brother. I can't imagine my life without any siblings, so I've been writing this in my head for over a year now. Her twin brother Ash, falls in love with Zig, and the two men go through their own struggles. Together or not is the question.

Author's note: This is my first time getting back to writing in a year. I just graduated college myself, so I'm a little rusty writing anything other than notes and flashcards. I think the beginning of my chapters are a little fast paced, but I hope everyone else likes it more than I do. I'll add a picture later, I wanted to get this out as soon as possible. I don't really know about the texting part and Tumblr botches the formatting so ugh. Please don't roast me.

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Relaxing after work was nice. Ash Wilkes spent nights pretty much just scrolling through his phone until he got tired. Nothing else to really do other than make sure his tiny apartment was clean. Though he could probably eat.

Setting his phone down next to his gloves on the nightstand, he sat up and was about to stretch until his phone buzzed. Snatching it up, he was surprised to see a text from his sister.

ALLIE

You up for coffee?

ASH

👀

Free coffee?

ALLIE

I mean no

ASH

👁️👄👁️

The person who usually invites pays

ALLIE

Whatever asshole. Just get over here.

ASH

Love you sis

ALLIE

🖕

Okay then.

Throwing on some clothes and grabbing the keys, Ash made his way to Hartfeld. He didn't go see her as much as they were hoping to, but he was glad he could actually take a little bit of time off now. He tried to be around for her a little bit, especially since he knew she needed comfort with her anxiety, being in a completely different home and all. So far he's only met Chris.

So he was a little nervous when he realized she actually has four other roommates. But maybe he's just a little overprotective. He gripped hard at the steering wheel to push the idea that anything that bad could have possibly gone wrong.

She would've said something. He was definitely about to find out.

Stepping out of the van, he noticed a well dressed man step into the coffee shop. A little overdressed for some caffeine he thought, but maybe the man had a date.

As soon as he made it in the door however, the first thing he saw was the same man grabbing Allie's arm.

"Hey!" His attempted intervention went unnoticed however, as a strong whatever it was sent him falling backwards.

Rubbing his now throbbing head, he caught a glimpse of the dickhead booking it out of the shop.

"Are you okay?"

Startled, Ash looked up and saw Allie looking at another man in front of her before turning in his direction.

"Ash!" His sister kneeled down next to him and pulled him into a hug which he gladly returned.

"I didn't even realize you were coming in. Are you okay? You didn't just get hit did you?" He laughed a little bit at her concern, clearing his throat when she raised her eyebrows in offense. What she didn't know is that he was supposed to be asking her.

"I guess I just got the wind knocked out of me for a moment," he shrugged. "Who the hell was that grabbing on you?"

Now she shrugged. It was a way bigger deal than her body language is saying it is. Before she could open her mouth, a yell erupted from the other side of the cafe.

"Zig! We need you behind the counter!"

Zig. He'd really have to thank him for acting to protect Allie. He can only assume that was the manager. Ash forgot about everyone else other than Allie for so long that the first reminder that it wasn't just them made his insides almost eat themselves. Could also be adrenaline.

"Sorry, I need to go," Zig spoke up. "If that a-hole comes back, come find me, okay?" He slouched off where his balding, pissed off looking manager was waiting. Yeesh.

Allie grabbed his arm pulling him up off the floor. Once they got to the others, Allie set a coffee cup in his hands before she got enveloped into Chris's arms.

He smiled at them for a second before he focused on his coffee. He seemed to be in his own head for a bit because after a moment, Allie started walking away.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm thinking I should go say something to him," She suggested. Turning to her friends, she gestured to the dining room. "Can you guys go get us a table?"

"I'll go with you," Ash shouted suddenly, catching everyone off guard for a moment before her friends walked to find a table and Allie smiled at him.

"Come on then."

Despite whatever that jerk was about to do to her, Allie even just laughed a little. It was good that she found ways to stay her happy little self, especially with everything he worries about her going through.

Once the twins made it to the counter, Zig gave them a pleasant expression before Ash greeted him.

"So… Zig, huh?" Okay, not so much "greet", more like just blurting out words randomly. It wasn't too late to check to see if he has a concussion.

Zig glanced up at him, surprised. Looking down at his hand, Ash let out what he was hoping was a silent wince. He's had his fair share of injuries, but ouch.

The shock on the barista's face quickly melted into a calmer expression. "Short for Zigmund," He remarked. Interesting name. "Zig is fine, though. Zigmund tends to raise a lot of questions."

Ash chuckled, until his sister kindly bumped his shoulder to remind him that he was being a weirdo. Clearing his throat, he simply smiled. "I don't think shortening it is really fooling anyone."

Zig smirked.

"No I guess it's not."

Ash bit his lip subconsciously, trying and failing really hard to hide a smile. His cheeks flushed a deep red as he felt he ended up doing that for a very uncomfortable amount of time.

Another clearing of the throat. Can he stop doing this? "I'm Ash, and this is my little sister, Allie."

Allie snorted and rolled her eyes, elbowing her brother a little too hard, causing him to clutch his chest.

"We just wanted to say thanks, and I'm sorry you had to get involved in all that," She said, putting her hands in her pockets.

Zig smiled at her.

"Nice to meet you guys. But there's no need to apologise," he shrugged. So humble. "I'm not a fan of bullies."

Before Ash could think of something to say, Zig tossed a rag over his shoulder and fiddled with the espresso machine. The twins stepped closer.

"Trust me, I can take care of myself," Allie smiled. "But I appreciate the help." Not so humble.

She put a finger on her chin, furrowing her brows. "I haven't seen you around before…," Oh, he must have just got here. Maybe a transfer student or something. "Are you new?" Ash looked at Zig with a smirk, and the barista fixed him with his own.

"Yep," The smirk was a wide smile now. "Just started here a couple weeks ago." Awesome.

"I mean at Hartfeld. What classes are you signed up for?" Allie continued.

"None," Zig replied. "I'm not in school actually."

"Oh! Sorry I just assumed…" Allie smiled sheepishly. Or hoped.

Zig turned his attention back to the machine, reaching for the tamp with the bruised hand. He dropped it with a hiss, shaking out his hand.

"How bad does it hurt?" Ash asked, reaching to tell Zig he wanted to get a better look at it.

"I'm fine," He assured, holding it out of his view. "Probably."

Ash leaned over to gently grab him by the wrist of his injured hand and saw that his knuckles were badly swollen and a bruise was starting to form. Zig quickly pulled his arm back.

"I guess evidence suggests otherwise."

Ash looked at Allie with a mixture of amusement and slight annoyance. This man was a stubborn one.

"Let me help you with that," Ash suggested, already getting up to sit on the counter. Zig's face lit up with a smile.

"I'd really appreciate it," his smile made Ash ridiculously happy for some reason. "But my boss would be pissed if I let anyone behind the counter."

Psshh. Screw that guy.

"Well, you've already punched out a customer. How much worse can it get?" Allie spoke up. Ash fixed him with a smirk.

"I guess you have a point," Zig chuckled.

Ash climbed over to the other side of the counter and flushed red when Allie walked in through the gate, and went to find the ice tray. One of them held the towel while the other took care of scooping ice into it.

Ash took it and pressed it to Zig's injured hand. He hissed through his teeth as it made contact.

Ash bit his lip, too nervous to apologize out loud. He was questioning why, they were talking fine two minutes ago. He suddenly noticed how close they were to each other now. He had gloves on, but he could feel Zig's fingers on his palm.

"Sorry," he finally got out. "Does it hurt?"

"I've felt worse," Zig made a face. Oh god, he was looking directly at him.

"So are you going to tell me what that whole scene was about?" Ash looked really confused for a second, and then turned to his sister. He really wanted to know too.

"If you would believe it, it was a student council dispute," she said. Both men arched an eyebrow, Ash a little more impatiently. He knew politics were a touchy subject, but it should never involve actual touching.

"Really?" Zig opened his mouth in shock. "Seems like a lot for something like that." His feelings exactly.

"I guess you could say there were extenuating circumstances," she responded. Ash rolled his eyes and shook his head, focusing back on Zig's hand. Even Zig raised a sceptical eyebrow at her. She finally told them what happened during her first two quarters. Now it was Ash's turn to be shocked.

"You blackmailed someone? I wouldn't peg you for the type," Ash personally was more worried that Allie was near a fucking sociopath this entire time.

"Well, it was a pretty low moment for me."

Ash felt his heart ache at that, pulling his sister into a one armed hug.

"Sounds like you were just looking out for your friend," Zig said. Ash gave Allie a supportive smile at that, causing her to hug him a little tighter before letting go, and then looked a little sullen again.

"I was, but I could have ruined someone else's life in the process." Did she mean Sebastian's?

"You mean that entitled brat who tripped me?" Allie was too damn nice to people, if someone thinks it's acceptable to not only treat complete strangers like they're beneath him, but also to take advantage of them and the school that seems to kiss rich people's asses, he can go live in a box for all he cares. "If you or anyone else do wrong by him, he's earned it." Ash liked this guy.

"Well, when you put it that way…" Allie's voice broke him out of his thoughts. "It was him or Chris, and I protect the people I care about."

The twins shared a smile at this.

"That's good to know. Loyalty's a sexy quality," Zig said. What?

Ash couldn't tell when he felt first, his heart sink or his face turn red.

"You're kind of a flirt, aren't you?" He blurted out, putting a hand on his hip.

"And I've been told I'm damn good at it."

If his face got any redder, he'd have to throw himself into a tomato garden.

"Is it working?"

"I won't lie, I'm kind of into it." Okay, now he was just saying things. Better than speaking in tongues or something. Probably.

"Glad to see I'm not losing my touch, then." He heard his sister chuckling to herself behind him, and quickly glared at her for being nosey. When he looked back at Zig, the slightly taller man was smiling at either him or the exchange between the siblings.

Ash went back to pressing the ice against Zig's hand, and he let out a shudder.

"Ah! Careful!" He should've been paying attention.

"Sorry!" Despite feeling bad, he laughed. "I'm not being a really good nurse, am I?"

"I think you're doing just fine," Ash had to avoid eye contact to stop himself from doing anything else too embarrassing. He could feel Zig's gaze burning a hole into his skull.

"Well… you should be good now," he said, making sure Zig had a hold of the towel.

"We should probably get back to my friends," Allie said.

"Sure thing. Thanks for checking up on me," His smile made Ash feel really… happy? He wasn't sure.

Zig held up his hand and gingerly flexed it. "I think the sting is starting to wear off a little."

"Well, just keep icing it and try not to put too much pressure on it." Zig laughed at him.

"Yes, nurse Ash."

"Don't be a smart ass, I've had my fair share of injuries, especially hand injuries, so you should be thanking me." Both men smiled at each other after he said that, and Ash quickly extinguished his before he did something way too forward.

"I guess we'll see you around?" He was glad Allie interrupted this time.

"You know where to find me." Ash started walking off towards the booth her friends found and Allie gave Zig a wave on their way back.

"Oh I forgot to tell you, we're here because my friend Kaitlyn made a friend who's in a punk rock band," She sat down next to Kaitlyn and he sat across from her, rolling his eyes. He didn't care if he was going to be a jerk about this, but he didn't exactly trust Kaitlyn's judgement with anything after Allie texted him last quarter about how alone she felt. Her friends shouldn't have turned their backs on her.

"I came here for you. But I will say, checking out a different kind of rock music is a good way to hang out," he smiled at her before taking a sip of his frozen mocha.

"I'm so bad at remembering to introduce people," Allie laughed. She started pointing at her friends around the table. "You kind of already know Chris and Kaitlyn, but this is Tyler, Abbie, and Zack. And this is my other friend James, he also worked with Professor Vazquez."

"Cool."

Allie turned her attention to the band, observing them doing an instrument check.

"Wow, they look so cool," Abbie said, mouth agape. Tyler, the guy sitting next to her, fixed her with a look.

"You think so? I think they look kind of intimidating." Ash rolled his eyes. What are those ladies going to do? Aggressively play their songs in their faces? That's kind of the point of rock music.

Microphone feedback turned everyone's attention back to the stage. A woman who he guessed was the lead singer was in front of the mic. "Hey everyone! Thanks for coming tonight! We're The Gutter Kittens."

This should be fun.

The band started their thing, and once they dove into the song, Ash started absentmindedly tapping his fingers against the table to memorize the beat. Or it helps him enjoy it more, he wasn't sure. Just something he's always done.

"Hey, they're pretty good!" Chris commented.

"I knew they would be," Kaitlyn smiled. "Natasha's got a great taste in music." That she does.

"This is perfect," Zack stood up. "I can definitely work out some pent up aggression to this. I'm hitting the dance floor, who's with me?" He yelled, pumping his fist into the air.

Allie and Kaitlyn looked as excited as he was. It's been forever since Ash found himself in a moshpit, but hell yeah.

"I think I'll pass, I'm not sure that is dancing," James said. What a pussy.

"Oh whatever, James," Kaitlyn giggled. "Count me in, Zack. Allie?" She looked at his sister hopefully.

"I'm totally in! I could stand to work out some issues too," she said, pumping her arms in the air. She was too cute. Then he felt his arm being tugged on. "You're going too. And no, you don't get a choice."

Like she even had to convince him. The now slightly smaller group ran in front of the stage and started dancing.

"Yes! I haven't been in a pit in so long!" Kaitlyn shrieked. Ash laughed at that and his sister almost hitting him in the face with her hair. He would drag her to places when they were in high school, but only managed to get her to go to one concert. She seemed to be uncomfortable with the amount of people, but she seemed to be thriving now that she's in college.

"Do they call it that because it smells like armpits?" Zack asked, making everyone laugh.

"With all this jumping? How could it not?" Ash joked back good-naturedly. Maybe her friends weren't so bad.

He bumped shoulders with his sister and she bumped back, the twins getting into a groove while laughing and playing around.

After a few songs, they all went back to the rest of the group, sweaty and sore.

"You guys totally missed it," Kaitlyn smiled, making it to her seat first.

"Zack bumped into this huge guy, and he was not happy about it." Allie finished, she and Ash laughing together.

"I totally thought he was going to murder me," Zack shrunk into his part of the booth.

"Be grateful you weren't wearing earrings," Ash said, rubbing at his earlobe at the memory. "Worst concert of my life."

"You guys were a great crowd!" The lead singer yelled into the microphone. "We've got one last song left, but first, I'd like to bring up a special guest to help sing it!"

The crowd cheered as the group of friends "ooh'd" in interest.

"Ooh, a special guest?" Kaitlyn looked more mesmerized than everyone else.

"We just met recently, but I'm sure she knows all the words. Kaitlyn?" The girl on the mic said, holding out her hand.

Everyone turned to Kaitlyn, shocked. She seemed quite surprised herself.

"M-me? In front of all these people?" Kaitlyn squeaked out.

The other woman waved Kaitlyn over while her other bandmates re-tuned for the next song.

"I don't know about this," Kaitlyn whispered.

"Kaitlyn," Allie smiled, putting her hands on her friend's shoulders. "You've got this! We'll all be right here cheering for you."

The rest of her friends smiled.

"And I've heard you sing in the shower before," Abbie said supportively. "You've definitely got a set of pipes."

"You can hear that?!" Kaitlyn gasped.

"Pretty much anywhere in the suite," Tyler piped up. "I've heard you up on the roof before."

"I'm surprised we haven't gotten more noise complaints from the neighbors," Zack joked, elbowing Tyler in the arm.

"Don't listen to them," Chris rolled his eyes at his friends and their antics. "That's beside the point. What do you have to lose?"

"Yeah…" Kaitlyn said softly, still unsure. "Yeah. You guys are right," she brightened up. "I'm going up there. Wish me luck!"

"Luck!" Abbie said sweetly.

Kaitlyn ran up to the stage while Ash found himself cheering her on along with Allie and her friends.

"Knock 'em dead, Kaitlyn!" Chris yelled.

"Yeah! Uh, rock on!" James said awkwardly, throwing his fist into the air.

Kaitlyn got to the stage and once the rest of the band had everything ready, she spoke into the microphone.

"Uh, hi everyone, my name is Kaitlyn and this is 'Heart of Ice' by Coargurot and well, here goes nothing."

The band launched into the song, and Kaitlyn gripped the microphone as she sang intently into it. The crowd cheered wildly, singing along with her.

"Wow, she's really something, isn't she?" James said in awe.

"I mean, I knew she was something, but look at her go!" Abbie laughed, happy that her friend was enjoying herself.

Looking up at the stage, anyone would be able to see that Kaitlyn was in her element.

Everyone continued cheering her on until The Gutter Kittens finished playing the final notes of the song. Kaitlyn bowed as everyone clapped for her, grinning wildly.

She ran offstage and immediately got tackled into a hug by Allie.

"You were incredible! Who knew my best friend was so metal?" She said almost breathlessly.

"I know right? I guess all the singing in the shower paid off!" Kaitlyn shrugged.

"Kaitlyn, you were so good!" Abbie complimented.

"Thanks guys!" Kaitlyn laughed.

Kaitlyn startled suddenly at a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see the bandmates.

"You totally killed it girl!" One of them said, who Ash recognized as the drummer.

"Seriously, our shows never get that crazy," the girl next to her mentioned nonchalantly.

"I find that hard to believe. You guys can play." Kaitlyn looked starstruck.

"Tell that to the people who don't go to our shows," the drummer said.

The lead singer walked up, throwing her arms around her bandmates shoulders.

"I see you've officially met Amara and Rachel. And these are probably the rest of your friends?" She looked the group over.

Kaitlyn lit up. "Yeah! You already know Allie, obviously Abbie. And this is Chris, and Tyler-"

"Yeah, that's cool," Natasha cut her off. Ash raised an eyebrow at her for the rude gesture. "How would you like to join the band?"

"Like, full time?" Kaitlyn opened her mouth in shock.

"Natasha likes to say she isn't really a singer. We've been looking for someone for a while now…" Amara informed.

"We just couldn't find someone who we liked or fit our aesthetic," Rachel added.

"Until now," Natasha smiled warmly. "What do you say?"

Everyone looked at Kaitlyn, awaiting an answer.

#the freshman choices #the freshman book 3 #zig ortega #zig x oc #chris x mc #choices stories you play #chris powell #kaitlyn liao #james ashton #abbie bishop #tyler alan #twin siblings

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marvel-redemption-omega · 5 years ago

Text

The One

A/N: This is my entry for @softhairbarnes' writing challenge! I’m so excited to have participated and can’t wait to read the other entries. I hope you guys enjoy and feedback is appreciated! This is the first story I’ve written -and completed- in quite some time! I’m proud of it. I don't know how to do the Keep Reading tab, sorry. If anyone can help it'd be much appreciated. //Reposted to tag host of the writing challenge!//

Summary: Reader gets sent on an un-knowingly false mission. When they return, Tony sends them on a wild goose chase before they get to settle down and actually start to unwind with their Avenger family.

Pairings: Reader-x-Everyone; Reader-x-OMC

Prompt: “You're still the one I love, the only one I dream of//You're still the one I kiss good night//I'm so glad we made it, look how far we've come my baby” -- Prompt is at end of story

Word Count: 6634

Flight time estimates:

Bahrain to LAX 21hr flight: 1000 departure; 0700 arrival next day

Hour layover

LAX to NY 5.5hr flight: 0800 departure; 1300/1330ish arrival same day

Looks like we made it

Look how far we've come my baby

Six weeks. Six weeks spent in Bahrain just to find out that the drug and human trafficking ring were non existent and just rumors of the military in an attempt to draw out the buyers. It was infuriating enough to be sent on the recon mission alone, but to have no communication with your team back home, well it rubbed you the wrong way.

You give an annoyed growl at the thought as you pack your suitcase.

“I think I’m gonna kill Tony when I get back,” you murmur to the open air. You had been lucky enough to snag a room at the NGIS building on base, paid for courtesy of Tony Stark. “I can’t wait to get back to my baby,” you add as the thought crosses your mind. A smile adorns your face as you sling your duffel bag onto your shoulder and make your way to the check out desk; the mere thoughts of holding him clears any and all negativity.

I forgot how much I absolutely LOATHE airports.

The check in line is backed out the door (thankfully you were already checked in) and there’s luggage everywhere. Security was packed as always, even for such an mid Saturday morning flight and the walk to the terminal had been pretty long too.

Why couldn’t I have a quinjet again? Ugh… You try to focus on the positive things and pop in your ear buds, setting your music to shuffle.

I’ll be home soon. I can beat up Tony soon. I can take a week off. I can sleep in my own bed. I can ask Sam for his bomb-ass waffles. Ahh, movie night with the team! I wonder who I can convince to make a blanket fort with me this time. Clint did last time, so I won’t bug him again, unless he offers then all bets are off.

Yep. The positive things, like a blanket fort. Who said you had to grow up just because you’re over the age of eighteen? Because you are an avenger or S.H.I.E.L.D. agent? Bitter adults unhappy with their life choices, that’s who. Best to not be like them.

You look at your ticket, tilt your head up just a bit, and count the people in line waiting to board the same plane. Nine people in front, many more behind, most with small toddlers or babies. A few not-quite-toddlers but not adolescents are here too.

Unaccompanied.

Crowded plane. Noisy kids. Body heat. Body odor.

You don’t know which is worse, honestly. They are all pretty bad. With a sigh you settle into the aisle seat, glad your seat-mates happen to be a quiet couple. In their late twenties most likely. You close your eyes, put your headphones back in to ignore the flight safety brief -something you knew by repetition-, and smile to yourself as you reminisce while your playlist shuffles some rock songs from the ‘80s before switching to some late ‘90s country. You subtly nod along to the beat, foot tapping softly, and you silently sing along to Kenny Chesney.

We mighta took the long way

We knew we'd get there someday

“Y/n! You and (S/o/n) look so cute! How could you not tell us you two were together?!” Your friends swarmed and congratulated you.

“We just wanted to try first, see if it went anywhere.” It was a shy admittance, more for them or yourself, you weren’t sure. You glanced over at your significant other. They had been dragged away by your family. It was a family barbecue after all. You should have known it would happen. They met your eyes as you shared uneasy and apologetic glances respectively.

Your friends would wait until your family approved before they’d all have a go at interrogation before they gave their approval. You rolled your eyes at the small group. They were extra sometimes, but they were your family. Blood or not you knew they’d have your back in an instant.

The relationship only lasted a short while but it had been nice. The two of you broke it off mutually and agreed to always be there for the other. You still loved them regardless.

Time passed and things changed. People came and went from your life, some good, others not so much. There was one who was there to stay forever though. You wouldn’t change anything for the world and you hoped he knew it. He meant the world to you. Some of your friends said he was a mistake and would ruin your life. You chose not to listen. How could he when he was the reason you could smile again?

Most of your friends had left, their lives pulling them in different directions. Some to college, others to military, some even settled down and got married. Family became distant with the exception of your parents and siblings.

You got a call asking you to come to a coffee shop, him included, for a job interview. Although you had been skeptical, your parents convinced you to go. How bad could it have been if they were inviting him too? How often does that happen, they had asked.

Fury had been intimidating at first glance. Then you noticed he had a cat with him. The cat, he called Goose, took high interest in you and him. You’d laughed before giving Fury your attention, though you watched Goose sniff at the male beside you then purr and curl up in his lap. His smile was contagious as he beamed at you.

After leaving the strange interview, you went home. Though the thoughts of what the “Avengers Initiative” was, really left an itch. An itch you just had to scratch.

Curious as you were, you had no intention on meeting with Fury again. He made you uneasy, although not in a bad way. You just knew something was off and knew he wouldn’t say unless you agreed. But you could try and find the answer on your own anyway.

Fury proved you wrong in seeing him when he slipped you an invitation a few weeks later for a party. It had been a brief meeting. A run in at the grocery store. The address was to a nice place in New York. Your love agreed to go with you on the promise of exploring the city after the party. After all, a trip to New York from Colorado was a trip to remember.

You drove instead of flew. It took a day and a half to reach the destination. Traffic hadn’t been bad until New York itself. But you had planned to be there a few days early to explore before the party. Your love had agreed to the change of schedule and made a list of things he wanted to see and do. Coney Island was at the top of the list.

It was always hard to leave when you went on missions. He missed you and you him, but you know why you did it. You worked as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent now. Fury had seen the spark in you that you had tried to bury long ago.

Consider the itch, scratched.

Thoroughly.

You were called by Fury as you were getting out of a bath. Your boss wanted to show you something. He wouldn’t say what, only that an Agent by the name of Coulson would be picking you up in the morning. When you told him, his smile and excitement couldn’t be contained at the thought of you working with elite agents.

That was three years ago.

They said "I bet they'll never make it"

But just look at us holding on

We're still together still going strong

Your eyes snap open as the shift in speed jostles you awake. With a frown and a yawn you look out the window to see the familiar layout of the LAX airport. Shooting a message to Tony to let him know you made it, you start to gather your trash and lone duffle from under the seat in front of you.

Kinda wish I would have bought one of those suits or something while I was there. At least have something to show for my half year work-cation. At least I will be able to say I’ve traveled outside the states, even if it was for work.

Tony’s reply is lightning fast, something about a surprise pick up waiting for you. You roll your eyes at the million thoughts running through your mind as you debark slowly. The exit seems like forever as you wait for the people in front of you to creep forward only to stop after eight steps. Everyone is shuffling awkwardly and trying not to hit someone else; stopping for others to slide out or get their bags from the over head storage.

Finally, oh my gosh. That took FOREVER.

You make a face at yourself.

Yikes. Guess Tony really has sugar-daddied us. Yeesh. I guess I owe him a thank you. Nah. He made me fly commercial.

You snort at your inner rambling and almost miss the female yelling at you.

“Y/n!”

Your head snaps to the familiar voice and you can’t help the grin even if you want to, arms open as she meets you halfway and you both squeeze tight. Unconsciously you place a kiss on the top of her head as she laughs against you.

“My brother and I have been waiting for you! Come on! We have such a long trip back, even with our jet. We can catch up over some real food first,” she explains quickly and pulls you out of the terminal and to the arrivals pick up.

“Shuri! Calm down. I’m not going anywhere, you can let go of my arm,” you laugh and rest a hand over hers and she relaxes her grip a little. She gives a smile and nods.

“Sorry. I’m just excited! There’s still more!” She squeals and points to the car that’s pulling up. You raise a brow but smirk as the too-dark tinted window of the limo rolls down to reveal T’Challa in the backseat.

“Hello, King Panther,” you tease and slide in beside Shuri. He rolls his eyes playfully but leans over his sister for a partial hug regardless.

You're still the one I run to

The one that I belong to

You're still the one I want for life

(You're still the one)

Breakfast at Waffle House comes and goes all too soon; with no calls or messages from Tony other than a brief text saying he’d see you in several hours, you get anxious. None of the others had messaged you and you wonder if they’re on missions or maybe are on their way back too. T’Challa and Shuri do a good job of distracting you on the plane to New York.

When the young princess goes to check on her brother, you take advantage of her absence and put her side of the bench seat to good use. You sprawl out with a yawn and smile up at T’Challa as he walks back. He takes in your posture and can’t help when his lips twitch up.

“You look comfortable,” he comments and lifts your legs to take the seat. He lays them over his lap and pats your shins in good spirit. “I’m sorry we did not think to bring a pillow or blankets with us.”

“It’s fine. It’s not like the jet has freezing a/c and I have a hoodie in my bag if I really need it. So far the sweatpants and T-shirt are keeping my temperature balanced. Besides, I could just cuddle the great Black Panther if I get cold,” you jest, eyes gleaming with mischief. He eyes you warily, wondering if you are actually going to pounce on him. You smirk and tilt your head before shaking it at him, answering his unasked question.

“Did my sister tell you there are more surprises for you?”

“After being picked up and private jetted to New York after some good home-feeling breakfast, I honestly don’t know what could be better,” you admit with a thoughtful look. His deep brown eyes meet your gaze and you grin. He lets out a chuckle as you squirm and pull your legs from his lap and pull your bag into your own lap and unzip it as he talks.

“Oh but I think Tony has more planned than he let us in on. You know how he likes to party,” he reminds and you pause in your rifling to glance at him with a grimace.

“That’s one thing I didn’t miss. All his damn parties and charity balls and galas and whatever else he calls them,” you mutter, toss aforementioned hoodie over your shoulder, and zip your dufflebag closed again. You retrieve the article of clothing and sit by T’Challa before leaning against his side. He glances at it but doesn’t say anything when you use it as a pillow.

The silence is comforting to say the least.

You're still the one I love

The only one I dream of

You're still the one I kiss good night

You don’t remember falling asleep but the hushed tones and loud shush-ing brings you out of your peaceful nap. You immediately glance up from where you had, probably, fallen along the seats. Your eyes meet familiar, warm brown ones and the twinkle in them doesn’t go unnoticed. Neither does the soft strokes against your scalp.

Is it improper to fall asleep in a King’s lap? Oops, oh well. Too late now. Better to ask for forgiveness than permission anyway.

“You could have woken me up, T’Challa,” you yawn, stretch, and sit up in your seat.

“You looked like you needed it. Besides, Shuri was just telling me about a new project she’s working on and would like your opinion on it,” he shrugs. His sister shoots him a glare but beams when she turns her gaze turns to you.

“So you need a new weapon right? I was thinking we could make something small like a gun, or whatever you prefer, and kind of do how I did with his suit. Put the technology in a bracelet or watch or something for you so you can be armed and no one is the wiser. I spitballed the idea with Tony and he agreed it would be cool. He’s actually working on an AI for you as we speak.” She rambles as you watch her rock back and forth on her feet in excitement.

You can’t help but smile at her enthusiasm. She is like a little sister to you, just how Peter’s like a younger brother. They’re both so beyond their years that you can only pray and hope they stay safe and innocent forever, though you know it won’t happen, you still hope. She grins at the affirmation you give and punches the air.

It was only another ten minutes before you were bouncing on your own feet, standing behind T’Challa as he lands the jet at the compound. Your nerves kick in as the door opens and ramp lowers.

You’re home. After six long months. You are home.

Ain't nothin' better

We beat the odds together

I'm glad we didn't listen

Look at what we would be missin'

People always asked why you never date, when there were so many eligible candidates for you to chose from. Especially with your new job alongside the Avengers.

You would always answer the same. ‘I have someone who has already stolen my heart, why do I need another who might break it?’

He was the one who was always there for you. He had been for the longest time. He was the one you hope would always need and want you.

It was nice to be needed. It made you feel complete. Whenever you felt lonely and hopeless you would just remember he was there, waiting for you to come home to him.

He never let you down and always seemed to know when something was bothering you or if you needed hugs and cuddles. You missed him so much when you were away and you loved him so.

You just hope he never forgets it and never takes your for granted.

They said "I bet they'll never make it"

But just look at us holdin' on

We're still together still goin' strong

You don’t even have time to register who jumps you, but that doesn’t stop you from wrapping your arms around them and stumbling back to steady yourself. Bubbly laughter pulls your gaze to them and you smile brightly down at Wanda. She’s got her arms wound about your neck, hugging you tight.

“Hello to you too,” you chuckle and rub her back while she mutters something incoherent into your neck.

“Y/n! You won’t believe what I did while you were gone! There so much that’s happened! Tony’s got a plan to have a party tonight for your return-” she drops from her hold on you and shakes her head at your ringing phone, pouting.

“Tony? What’s up?” You give an apologetic look to Wanda as said billionaire strolls out the front doors of the compound and ends the call without answering you. You refrain from rolling your eyes and move into his welcoming arms. “How rude. Call me then not even answer and hang up.”

“I didn’t realize you were here already. Do you think you could go pick up Peter? I know Queens is a bit of a drive but,” he holds up a small access card, “your choice of ride if you say yes.”

“Bribery won’t work on Y/n, Tony. You know that,” Shuri chides.

“He doesn’t know I’m back, does he?” You inquire and snatch the card from Tony before he can decide giving you open freedom to his cars is a bad idea. With a shake of his head in response, you start walking to the garage with the others trailing behind.

“I might have told him I’d be by to pick him up for a Spider-Man thing this afternoon. Lunch is on me too. Wherever you want,” Tony bribes and offers you a small, plastic card with his name on it. It’s a deep, bright blue color and doesn’t look to have been used.

“You sure you want to give me that? I can make you regret it you know,” you tease and grab the card from him, slipping it into your pocket for safe keeping. The fear and slight panic that crosses his face causes you, Shuri, and Wanda to break out into laughter and T’Challa to grin.

You're still the one I run to

The one that I belong to

You're still the one I want for life

(You're still the one)

You glance at the facility before giving a small nod, a mental pep gesture or yourself, and turn to face the quad following. They all give you reassuring smiles and await your response patiently. Well, except Tony, who keeps fiddling with his watch.

“Right, well, Friday will be available in the car for directions if you need them. It’s something I’ve added to all my vehicles since you’ve been gone,” he clears his throat and changes the subject.

Smooth, Tony. What are you hiding?

You give him a curious brow raise but he waves you off and ushers you into the garage and over to his line of expensive cars.

“Keys are all here,” Tony opens a lock box on the wall to reveal rows upon rows of various keys, “they’re numbered like the vehicles. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to call Pepper and Happy and let them know that there is a slight change of plans since you’re picking up Parker.” And just like that, Tony leaves you with your friends.

“I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that very few of y’all knew I was coming back today. Wanda, think you can do some snooping and see what our hot-shot billionaire is hiding from us?” You inquire and run your hand over the keys until they stop on the third row down, seventh from you.

“I can come with if you want company,” offers Shuri after a glance at her brother. They share a silent sibling argument and you chuckle at them, wishing you had a sibling to be best friends with.

“It’s alright. You guys go relax. I guess I’m going to surprise Pete at school and bring him back. See if y’all can convince the playboy billionaire to get Mexican or Shawarma for dinner?” You inquire as you snag the key from the hook labeled “23”.

“That can easily be arranged,” Wanda grins and motions for Shuri and T’Challa to follow her back into the lounge area of the facility. You nod and give a small wave as they disappear inside. A smirk splits your face and you make a beeline for the car.

You're still the one I love

The only one I dream of

You're still the one I kiss good night

“Friday, can you play “Backstreet’s Back” please? And crank it up loud?” You request, windows rolling down while you slow to a stop out front of the school.

“Of course, (title) (Y/n),” the disembodied voice -you so dearly missed- sounds almost pleased to be of service. You smile, pat the dash, climb out, and walk to the passenger side where you lean on the front, patiently waiting for the bell to ring. When it does, you scan the crowd of people, searching for the few familiar ones.

“Peter! You’re coming to practice tomorrow right? We could really use you on the decathlon team this year,” MJ calls from behind the young avenger.

He looks up from his phone, a text from Tony mentioning he needs to come over right away and Happy had an appointment so someone else was picking him up, and nods back at her, lips curling up in a bright smile.

“Yeah. Text me the info and I’ll be there!” He agrees. Ned smacks Peter’s arm and gasps, pointing to the parking lot where you are. MJ, having joined Ned and Peter, nudges the latter with a smile of her own.

“Maybe you can skip the first one,” she proposes. When he doesn’t answer, mostly due to shock, she takes his silence for her answer.

“BACKSTREET’S BACK, ALRIGHT!”

“Haha! Okay, Friday, you can turn it down now. I have their attention. Thank you,” you laugh at the faces of your unofficially adopted kids as the music lowers drastically.

Peter nearly drops his phone, recognition flickering in his eyes, as he breaks from his friends in a sprint, reaching you in seconds. Much like Wanda, he throws himself at you. This time you’re ready for the impact of a human and wrap him up tight.

“What?! How?! When did you get back?! You’ve been gone for months!” He shrieks; he pulls away and sends a quick glance to his friends who are standing nearby. They have matching grins on their faces, almost as if they knew you would be picking him up.

“I know. Tony flew me in. I think I spent at least a full day flying,” you explain. Letting him go, you move around the car to the driver’s side. “Come on. I think Wanda got Tony to buy dinner. He owes me anyway for making me fly economy after being on that fake mission for half a year.”

“Yeah that’s a valid point. I see Mr. Stark also let you borrow one of his cars,” he quips, eyes scanning the blue Audi R8 spyder. He says goodbye to his friends and ducks into the passenger seat, you in the drivers.

The ride back contains playful banter and generalities; simple conversations about school, missions, and flights are tossed back and forth. You lean back in the seat, content and more than happy to be back. Beside you, Peter glances at his phone at the silent message from MJ.

Enjoy the weekend, don’t worry about the decathlon meeting this weekend. We have plenty of sessions later in the semester you can come too.

No one is found when you get back. Everyone seems to have abandoned the facility. Peter frowns at the lack of people and the uneasy feeling he’s getting. He fidgets and tilts his head.

“My spidey-sense isn’t alerting me to anything. So I don’t think anyone is in trouble, that’s good,” he utters and his eyes sweep through the common area. They stop on a small mess on the coffee table to their right. He walks over to investigate and huffs at the realization.

It’s a note, addressed to you, stating that the girls (Pepper, Wanda, Nat, and Shuri) have gone to the mall to pick up pretzels for you; the guys (T’Challa and himself since everyone else happened to be on missions) went to get actual food. It was a surprise but it was one of your favorite places to eat. Tony had signed it and added two hearts interwoven after his signature.

Sappy dork.

“Mr. Stark just sent word that traffic is bad and that it might be awhile before they get back. Would you like to watch a movie while you wait?”

The disembodied voice of Friday makes you and Peter jump at the sudden break in silence. You glance at each other and nod, taking deep breaths to calm down. He recovers only just before you and picks up the note that he dropped when startled.

“Tell him bullshit; I was just driving through it. But thanks, Friday. I think I’ll go get a shower instead. Pete, you have a room here right?” When he nods you motion at him. “Go change and get comfortable then. I have a feeling that we’re going to have a long wait ahead of us. We can catch up and start a Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit marathon.”

The way his eyes immediately brighten at the mention of a dorky movie marathon pulls a laugh from you. He looks so much like a kid in a candy store that you can’t help but instigate his childish side. Mischief makes itself known in your own eyes as you turn toward your old room, vacant for half a year.

The joy from thoughts of watching some of your favorite movies with your half-sibling-half-adopted-son gets doused the moment you step out of the shower. You button your jeans and grab your shirt from the bed and slip it over your head, hair still slightly damp.

“Mx. (Y/n)?”

“What’s up, Friday?”

“Pepper regrets to ask, but wants to know if you can check in on a couple of new Avengers in safe houses? She says that you might know one of them? Doctor Stephen Strange?”

“Yeah, he’s an old, uhh, an old study buddy from college,” you shrug. A sigh passes your lips as you purse them, pinching the bridge of your nose. “I don’t even wanna know what kind of trouble he is in to be in a safe house. Who else?”

“A cat named Goose; according to Tony it’s Nick Fury’s cat and someone needs to make sure there’s still food and water out. The other is a former CIA agent; she helped Steve rescue Bucky, Sharon Carter. I can have everything sent to your phone if you’d like?”

“Yeah that’s fine.”

You nod to the intelligence before pausing, head tilted slightly to the left.

I wonder…

You glance up at your tv and then to the ceiling.

“Hey, Friday, I know you’re an Artificial Intelligence, but did Tony make it so you can see what we’re doing? Or I guess, respond to certain sounds or video waves? Does that make sense? Like, do you have a sense or some kind of knowledge of the actions or activities that any one person happens to be doing when you talk to them?” You ramble as you try to find the right words to make coherent sentences. There’s a bit of a pause on the AI’s end while you wait for an answer with baited breath.

“Yes and no. While I am not human and cannot deduce anything myself, Mr. Stark programmed a way for me to tell if someone is busy, for instance in the shower or bath; if two people are fondue-ing, as Mr. Stark says Steve calls it; or if someone is asleep.”

You scrunch your nose at the mention of fondue, not keen on knowing that you had been watched; even if it was by an artificial creation. You huff, grab your phone, and make your way to the living room where Peter is waiting.

“Sup, Kid? I guess I gotta go check in on some people in safe houses, want to come with?” You offer and watch as he shifts almost anxiously on the couch. You note he changed into some sweatpants and a hoodie.

“Umm, no. I’ll stay here and get everything set up for when you come back. It shouldn’t take too long, right?” He politely declines but sends a small, reassuring smile your way. You give him one in return and pick up the keys as you head out.

“Text me if you need anything or if something happens,” you call over your shoulder and pause at the door. Something didn’t seem to be adding up but you didn’t want to press Tony. You just assume that he is planning a big party like he had for your birthday. Peter’s voice is muffled by the distance but you hear the sarcastic, playful ‘yes, Mom’ of his response.

You're still the one I run to

The one that I belong to

You're still the one I want for life

(You're still the one)

You stopped by Sharon’s safehouse first. She’s in one just a few blocks away and answered only when Friday gave her word. You end up staying for an hour and some change when she ensnares you with talk of Steve; what could you say, you are a sucker for gossip. Especially if the stories are of old friends.

From there you go to Fury’s safehouse and are greeted with a happily purring cat. Your lips twitch up when you bend down and pet the adorable tom cat. He curls around your legs and you click your tongue. He follows, jumps onto the counter, and meows at you while you work on opening the new bag of food for him. You decide to spend an hour with the cat, if only to make sure he ate and give you time to clean out his litter box. Anywhere you move, Goose follows. You begin to question if he knows that you are there to help him. You don’t mind the company and you have a text saved as a draft, asking if you can keep Goose or at least cat-sit for Fury. You might have froze the last second before pressing the send button, deciding it was better to ask in person; though it didn’t stop you from thinking of cat-napping the poor, isolated baby.

Leaving Goose the cat at the safe house is harder than you expected. You have to promise him that you will be back with treats in a few days before he stops blocking your path and trying to trip you up. You smile, say goodbye to him, and leave with full intent on keeping your promise to him.

After dislodging yourself from the house full of happy memories, you have Friday send Tony a message saying you’re finishing up the check-in with the doctor. No more than a minute goes by before your phone goes off, signaling a call. You answer with a smirk.

“‘Bout damn time, you asshat. Sharon’s good albeit a little lonely. You should help a girl out,” you chastise. You can hear his smirk when he replies, something about you needing to help the doctor and get back to the compound since they were there with food. You can hear people in the background and sounds from the tv.

“Just hurry up and get here before your food gets cold,” he sasses and you chuckle at him before agreeing and hanging up. The drive to Stephen Strange’s house takes the longest. Granted it’s only ten miles more, but it’s the farthest from the new facility. Between your driving and the car you borrowed from Tony, you make it to the last location in record time.

Strange is standing on the porch when you exit the car. He’s grinning ear to ear as you approach and you halt any forward movement. His eyes glint with secrets and you slowly approach him warily. He grins and opens his arms for a hug before pulling you into the house. You scan your new surroundings with wide eyes and gasp audibly when you see his red cape sitting on a chair. The fabric raises a corner and waves as you pass. You nod and give a small wave back, completely at a loss for words at how much your old college friend has changed.

“So why exactly do I need to check up on you? You’re a whole grown-ass man,” you tease and lean on the door frame between the kitchen and living room. He smiles, holds out a cup of tea, and motions for you to sit. Glancing around, you take a seat on one of the recliners and pat the open seat next to you when Stephen shoos his cape out of it’s spot. It gratefully accepts the position beside you.

“It’s not that I need you to check up on me, but more that I need to keep you distracted,” he gives you a Cheshire Cat grin. Your eyes bulge out and you jump to your feet, tea abandoned on the side table.

“I swear to fuck-- you and Tony are in cahoots aren’t you!” you accuse with a growl. The cape floats behind you, sides folding and raising like hands resting on hips. Stephen barks out a laugh and you catch a faint orange glow before he disappears.

“Just get back to the new compound and you’ll see what awaits you,” Strange’s disembodied voice rings in your ears. The cape follows you, much like a stray dog you think as you search for the keys in a frenzy.

It had taken you nearly an hour to get the keys. Every time you would spot them, they’d ‘mysteriously’ disappear and reappear elsewhere in the house. You finally got fed up and yelled at the cape to help. It managed to snatch the keys before they moved again and it dropped them in your hands.

The lights were dim and Friday had stopped answering your questions; even Tony, Pepper, and Peter wouldn’t answer their phones. The cape drapes over your shoulders as you wander the seemingly empty halls of the compound.

Faint blue-glow illuminates the walls ahead and you follow it until the familiar sounds of Hercules fills your ears. You peak around the corner and freeze. Your eyes widen at the sight; blanket pallets scattered about the living room floor, furniture pushed aside; a blanket fort partial caved in on one side.

Natasha and Bruce are curled up on the couch, both asleep and snoring softly. Clint is curled up half in and half out of the collapsing fort. Steve, Bucky, and Sam are slumped against each other, looking as content as they’ve ever been together. Tony is stretched out on one side of one of the L-shaped couches, Pepper curled with him, their hands intertwined; Wanda and Vision are in a similar position on the other side of the same couch as Iron-Man and his wife. Stephen is leaning against the couch by Tony and Pepper, head rolled to the side as he slept. T’Challa is in a recliner, soft snores coming from him.

Movement draws your eyes to the bean bag pillow where Peter is unconscious and holding onto said moving thing. Shuri is leaning against his shoulder, breathing even as she slept. The blankets fall away from the youngest Avengers and a four year old pops up from Peter’s lap. Big brown eyes lock with your own eyes and a grin breaks out across his face. You quickly bring a finger up to your lips and drop to your knees, arms opening wide, inviting the child. The Cloak of Levitation slipped from your shoulders to give you a moment with the boy.

He stumbles over the mass of tangled limbs and blankets and into your arms, eyes brimming with tears. You quietly sooth him; hands rubbing his back, as his little arms tighten around your neck and his tears stain your shirt.

“Shh, my child. It’s alright, Zaza’s here,” you whisper and hold him close. He sniffles and pushes away, hands moving up the sides of your face, resting on your cheeks. You turn your head and press kisses to his little hands and arms. “Zaza is here, you’re fine, Baby.”

“Miss Zaza. No more work?” he questions, voice innocent and quiet. You smile and nod, tearing up a little yourself. You stand with him cradled to your chest, hand firm on his back. His hands move to the collar of your shirt, twisting and playing with the hem of it.

“Yeah, Baby. No more work for awhile.”

“Pwomise?”

You can’t hold back anymore. Hot tears roll down your cheeks as he asks you to stay home with him for cuddles and a Disney movie marathon.

“Promise, my Love. No more missions or work for awhile my sweet Dax,” you concede and kiss his cheek. He giggles at the sensation and you can barely make out the soft pleas of “stop” and “Zaza tickles” from him.

Natasa glances up, eyes heavy with sleep. It takes her a minute to register what’s going on, but when she sees you with your son, she smiles. Feeling as though you were being watched, you turn and meet her gaze. A silent conversation is had between the two of you and you tip your head forward in a thank you. The assassin’s eyes close once again and Dax curls against you.

You're still the one I love

The only one I dream of

You're still the one I kiss good night

I'm so glad we made it

Look how far we've come my baby

“You're still the one I love, the only one I dream of,” you softly sing and sway as you make your way up the stairs, Dax in your arms.

“You're still the one I kiss good night.” You place a kiss on your son’s head when you gently place him in the middle of your bed. He gives you a sleepy smile, eyes heavy as he tries to fight against the sleep threatening to take him.

“I'm so glad we made it, look how far we've come my baby,” you coo and climb into bed with him. He snuggles close to you, hands in little fists against his chest as he faces you.

“I love you, Zaza,” he whispers, eyes finally closed.

“I love you too, Baby. Get some sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up,” you promise and settle down for the night. You stretch out on your back and your son moves so he’s tucked into your side, head resting on your chest. You gently rub his back and continue to hum the tune of Shania Twain’s “You’re still the one” until his breathing evens out. Once you’re one hundred percent sure that he’s asleep, you let it take you as well.

#shb3000wc

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just-homo-thingsxd · 5 years ago

Text

Honesty. (Endeavor x Male Reader pt 5)

(Sorry for the late post today. I was at the Franklyn Institute with my Mom and sister so I didn't have any time to proofread until now xd. Enjoy.)

After a week and a half you were finally ready to be discharged from the hospital. Unfortunately, once your face bandages came off there was some scarring along the right ridge of your nose that wrapped underneath your eye. Other than that there wasn't any other permanent damage done. You were handed off to Endeavor, obviously your parents did not want to take you home after what happened. It was your first day out of the hospital and you were in Leonard's car. On your way to Endeavors place.

"How you holding up, kiddo? Your story was all over the news."

"Eh, I've been better Leonard. I'm super tired, but at least most of the pain is gone."

"How'd you end up in their place anyway?"

You hesitated for a moment. Endeavor wasn't in the car since he had to help with police reports with the answers you'd given to his questions. He never did ask how you got there, and you forgot to mention it as well.

"The night I stayed at his place. I got a voice mail from a number I didn't recognize. When I listened to it, they said they'd been watching me. That since I was close to Endeavor if I wanted him to not have a target on his back I was to meet them in the park at night alone. I couldn't just ignore them. They knew where I worked, and knew that I was close to Endeavor. I had no choice but to follow their orders. Once I got there the man that left me the voice mail, Kurogiri, asked all sorts of questions about our relationship. I do have a theory about the whole encounter, but I haven't shared it with Endeavor yet."

Pulling up to a red light he turned back to face you, with a tilted head he asked.

"What's your theory?"

"They wanted him to act impulsively and ruin his image, by hurting me they wanted to get to him. Why would they let me live? Granted, I did shove a knife through a guys arm. Maybe they did plan to kill me...."

You shivered. Very glad you brought the knife and erred on the side of caution.

"I'm glad you thought ahead. You're cute, and have brains. Endeavor sure is lucky."

You couldn't help but turn away, and scratch the back of your head nervously.

"Th-thank you."

"As for your theory. I suppose it's plausible. Why they'd want to ruin Endeavors image though is beyond me."

Only two reasonable explanations came to mind.

"Either they went into it without thinking too much, and just hoped it would effect him somehow? Maybe they want to poke holes in the top heroes, and crumble our society so uncertainty and doubt spreads throughout like a wildfire."

Leonard scoffed, but then grunted.

"That second one sounds exactly like what someone would want. Some crazy villain worshiping loser."

Letting out a soft chuckle you agreed. Still, it didn't seem like they got the attention they wanted. Most likely they expected something different to happen. It seemed too cut and dry.

After a few minutes past Leonard pulled up to Endeavors place and had a sly grin on his face.

"You want to get close to Endeavor, right?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Then hear me out."

You nodded

"I'll help walk you up to the door. I'll say something along the lines of you're feeling weak and tired so you asked me to help. Then, I'll hand you off to Endeavor. Who will most likely be a little flustered, and because of his nature. He'll want you close incase something happens, if you're lucky.... He will keep you in his room."

This plan was assuming a lot of Endeavors actions, however it did seem feasible. A night alone with Endeavor, in his room.

"This sounds thoroughly thought through. Why are you doing this again?"

"You're the only one who tells me the stuff with you two. So all my schemes have to go to you. Besides, I gotta hear whether he's good in bed. Just to sate my own curiosity. Not to mention you've had it rough for a long time right? You deserve to be happy, and if being with him makes you happy I'll help however I can."

To think that Leonard would almost drive you to tears would've sounded ridiculous about 30 seconds ago. Yet, here you were.

"I say it a bunch, but seriously thank you Leonard."

"Don't mention it cutie. Now lets get going."

Even though you could walk just fine. You wrapped an arm around Leonard and he did the same. Walking slow you made your way to the door. It took a few seconds to compose yourself from laughing at this. You'd rather be honest with Endeavor, buuuut there's nothing wrong with some harmless fun. Leonard knocked and shouted out.

"Hellooooo, Endeavor are you home?"

"Coming, Coming!"

"Bet that wont be the last time you hear that eh?"

With a deep blush you turned your head away from him.

"Asshole."

"Preferably right?"

"Leonard I swear to god I will slap you."

"I'm down."

"Ugh, of course you are."

He let out a loud laugh as he pat your back.

"Relax, kiddo. You'll be fine, stick to th- Endeavor! How you doing?"

Endeavor opened the door. His hair was disheveled and he didn't seem entirely there, but he still looked as dashing as ever. Dressed in his usual robe. His eyes immediately met yours, and his eyes lit up.

"You're still looking good, and that scar adds a bit of mystery to your character."

"Oh ho ho. Ignoring little old me? That's a bold thing to do."

"I'm not, but it's been a week since I've seen him Leonard. I've been busy trying to prepare my agency for my absence."

You cleared your throat.

"Thank you, Endeavor. I'm glad it's not hideous."

"You'll never have to worry about that."

Leonard chuckled.

"Well if you'd be so kind to take this handsome man away from me, Endeavor, I can get out of you two love bird's hair."

Endeavor blushed a bit, but his attention turned back to you.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, just a little tired. I've been stumbling all day, so Leonard walked me up."

"I see. I'm sorry I couldn't be there."

Leonard pushed you a little bit forward to Endeavor. Who immediately wrapped an arm around you and pulled you close.

"Yeesh, finally. Took you both awhile. Have fun you two."

Before either of you could respond he walked away and waved.

"He certainly likes to be involved in my business. I never understood that about him. He didn't.... say or do anything weird right?"

"Of course not, why?"

"Just, uh, wanted to be sure."

"How have you been?"

"Stressed, and busy. I'm sorry I couldn't come by at all the past week or so. Like I said I had to prepare the agency for the time I'd be gone to take care of you. Regardless, do you want to take a nap?"

Yikes, you weren't actually tired, but you couldn't exactly deny it now.

"That'd be nice."

His hand slid down to your stomach as he held you close and started walking. You were the one setting the pace however he didn't want to go to fast so he just followed your lead. You made it to one of the stairs.

"Would.. hmm. There's no good way to ask this, so I'll just be blunt. Would you mind sleeping with me? I-in my room I mean!"

He naturally produced a ton of heat, but now there was a lot more. You didn't mind either of those, but you kept that little thought to yourself.

"Sure, that's fine."

He looked back to the door, and around the courtyard.

"Are you o-"

With ease he lifted you and held you against his chest. Bridal style. You wrapped your left arm around his neck, your right arm around his chest and locking your hands together.

"You've had some trouble walking right? Well.. I'd feel bad having you walk upstairs so...."

You rested your head against his shoulder.

"No need to explain Enji. Thank you."

The man made his way up the stairs and to his room. Once inside he gently laid you down on his bed. He pulled the covers up to your chin and sat down next to you.

"Are you comfy?"

"Yesss, this is so much better than my bed. I could get used to this."

"Good, because you should. Until you recover completely you're stuck in here with me."

"I could think of worse things. You treat me like a prince, even carry me. I could spend everyday with you."

You turned away from him. You let a little bit too much out there, but it all came so naturally it was hard to stop yourself.

"Is that so?"

His hand gently rubbed your forehead. Ruffling your hair a little bit he let out a grunt.

"I..I'm really glad you're okay after what happened the other week. Between the confrontation with your parents, and the villains.."

"Huh? Of course I am a close encounter with death can't.. bring... me.... down."

You looked up to Enji mid sentence and saw how red his face was. His hands were covering his eyes and his shoulders were shaking. Something clicked inside you. You weren't sure what it was at first. You just quickly got on your knees and wrapped your arms around him. Instead of using his hands to cover his face, he substituted it with your neck. Burying his face there. Nearly toppling you over in the process.

"It's alright Enji. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere."

You spoke in the softest most soothing voice you could muster. You rubbed at his back softly.

"I was so scared to lose you again. I don't know how I would've dealt with all the things I haven't said. Everything I feel for you, it was almost all lost. That's why now, of all times. I can't hesitate anymore."

It was a swift movement, and an unexpected one at that. He cupped your cheeks and pulled you into a kiss. His lips were trembling, but he used his hands to keep you in the kiss. Not that he needed to worry about you backing out. His lips were surprisingly soft. It took a moment for your heart to start fluttering at the feeling. You were kissing Endeavor. Really he was kissing you, but still. A man you'd grown so attached to since you first met him was doing what you wish you knew you could've done sooner. Did he really feel the same way you did? If he did you would've kissed him many times by now, but this felt more special. After a long moment, he separated the kiss. Though it was easy to tell he was reluctant.

"I've wanted that for so long, Enji.."

"Really? You're not.... upset?"

You let out a soft giggle as you wiped away the tears that still lingered on his face.

"How could I be upset? I've had a long time to think about how I felt towards you. Even though you frustrated me to no end at U.A. I can't deny that being with you those days were some of my fondest memories. Even when you scolded me for doing something stupid. In some weird way, I knew you only did that because you cared. People around us were doing stupid things all the time. I was the only one you ever got angry at."

"I knew you were above those things. That's why I'd get so angry. You had, and still do have, so much potential but you didn't see it back then. I didn't know how to convey that message to you at the time."

"You really thought high of me?"

"Yes, and I still do."

You looked down at the bed, and closed your eyes for a moment. This was the happiest you've felt in a long time. Your entire body was hot, from the kiss, now to this. He placed his hand under your chin and gently lifted it so you could face him.

"May I kiss you some more?"

You tugged on the collar of your shirt. You'd been blushing this entire time, but it was getting very warm now.

"Y-you don't need to ask Enji. It's not like I'm going to run from you."

His eyes closed and he moved in a bit closer.

"Good, I'm glad. Get ready~"

His voice playfully went higher on the last word as he once again pressed his lips against yours. He was a lot more forceful this time. Now that he knew you didn't want to leave, and didn't mind being kissed by him it was only natural for him to be more assertive now. He leaned you down on the bed, laying you on your back he climbed on top of you. He lifted himself up and placed his hands on your chest. He looked down to you with a tilted head.

"You seriously don't resist much do you?"

"Tch. I have no reason to Enji. I'm.. mph."

"You're...?"

"I-It's nothing important."

"Say it, I want to hear it."

You turned away, and felt your face burn as the embarrassing thoughts just kept coming.

"You still with me?"

"Todoroki, I'm.. yours...."

The males eyes widened in shock, and he grinned slightly.

"That's surprising."

"W-what is?"

"You called me Todoroki, and I guess saying you're mine is surprising as well."

"I-i called you that? i didn't even notice.."

"You did. I don't mind though, although I could think of a few other things you could call me."

He smirked, before giving you time to answer. He had little hesitation as he brought himself down over you and kissed your lips once more. He grabbed your wrists and pinned them above your head. His chest pressed against your own. The fact Enji was straddling you was having some... side effects. Everything about this situation felt right, but you still hoped he wouldn't notice. Although it wouldn't be easy to hide while he's on top of you, and not having access to your hands. Geez, reaching down there regardless might give him the wrong idea. A sharp sting hit your forehead.

"Owwww, what's the big idea?"

He had the audacity to flick you, rude.

"You zoned out there. Got a lot on your mind?"

"O-of course I do. You're on top of me, and you're almost naked."

He looked down and noticed he was only in his robe. He slid back a bit and scratched the back of his head.

"S-shit. Sorry. I completely forgot what I was wearing."

He was so dangerously close to sliding against the tent that had pitched itself. It was very uncomfortable.

"No worries, I don't mind."

"You don't mind me naked on top of you?"

"W-when you put it like that...."

He reached for the top of your head and gently ruffled your hair. He kept rubbing for a moment. Slow and rhythmic circles on the top of your head. Thank God you didn't have an animal quirk. If you had a tail right now it'd be flying all over the place. You closed your eyes and he continued to pet you. As good as it felt, you must admit it's a little embarrassing to be shown this kind of compassion.

"You really like that, hmm?"

"T-this is news to me as well, but yes I suppose I do."

"Well I've kept you up long enough I should let you sleep. Would you like me to pet you whlie you fall asleep?"

You knew you were as red as a tomato right now, but it couldn't be that bad right?

"Y-y..yes ple-please?"

"Are you asking me, or telling me?"

"B-both."

He climbed off you and laid down next to you on his side. His warm hand returned to it's previous place as you relaxed. You shut your eyes and leaned into his hand. The action was instinct, honestly you didn't even notice until he spoke something quietly under his breath. It was just loud enough for you to pick up on.

"you're so adorable."

You felt your heartthrob as he spoke. His voice was so genuine and gentle. It felt so nice that it made your chest hurt afterwards. You opened an eye and looked to him with a slightly raised eyebrow.

"D-did you say something? I'm sorry, I'm kind of out of it right now."

"N-no I didn't say anything."

Heheh. You'll turn a blind eye this time. You didn't want to get him worked up and the petting stopping. Still it was very surprising that you enjoyed this kind of affection as much as you did. Without any warning he laid his head on your shoulder. Giving you a quick peck on your cheek. He didn't force anything, but he influenced your body a bit as you were turned on your side to face him. You were face to his, and he never looked more handsome. You noticed some bags under his eyes. Has he been sleeping enough? Guh. You sounded like a Mom. Still you couldn't help but worry. He definitely noticed something was up by the look on your face.

"What's on your mind?"

"O-oh I was just thinking about you."

You blushed a bit and put your face into the pillow to hide it. Leaving your mouth exposed.

"W-What I meant was your well being. Are you taking care of yourself?"

"You're worried about me?"

You turned to face him, and stared at him in the eyes.

"Of course I am. You have bags under your eyes. You're getting enough sleep right?"

He averted your gaze with a sigh.

"No. This week has been rough. I've been working so much I just pushed it aside."

"Alright Enji, let me ask you this. 168 hours in a week. How many have you slept?"

He thought tentatively for a moment.

"M-maybe about 20 give or take?"

Your jaw dropped. Only 20 hours? How is he not passing out?

"That's like. Is that common?"

"More than it should be. I've been doing alright for a few months, but I've been stressed out recently it's hard for me to relax."

"So it has happened before?"

He nodded in response. You guessed you probably pulling that stunt and ending up in the hospital probably didn't help either. Guilt rises for a moment. His hand graces the side of your face.

"I know what you're thinking. It's written allover your face. It's not your fault. I've always had issues relaxing. Even when I was a kid."

"Do you have insomnia?"

He shrugged.

"Maybe. I can sleep well, but I can't when I have too much on my mind."

He turned away from you slightly. In a way it kind of was your fault, but you knew how stubborn he was. He would deny it over and over. Maybe you could help him relax.

You scooted closer to him. Looking up into his eyes you could see a flash of confusion. Followed by happiness.He wrapped his arms around you and held you close.

"I know I made the first move, but I still love having you close to me."

Placing a hand on his chest you leaned into his neck. That's when you felt it. It was so surprising you had to look up to him.

"E-Enji?"

"Y-yeah? What's wrong?"

"Are you okay?"

"O-of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?

"You're.. uhm."

"I know."

This could be taken the wrong way quite easily.

"Are you.. nervous?"

"Incredibly."

He didn't waste a moment to respond. When you laid your hand on his chest. It was very noticeable. Just how fast his heart was beating. The fact The Endeavor could be so nervous about just being close to someone was surprising.

"You should have felt it when I kissed you. I was so scared you'd be turned off and run away from me. With what happened to you though I didn't want to waste another opportunity to tell you well i guess show you how I felt."

Since he was a much bigger guy. He was further up on the bed as to not have his feet off of it. So you scooted up to him so you could look him the eyes again. He looked away and blushed a little. For as much as our sizes differ, our habits are quite the same.

"I guess the second best hero does have a weakness hmm?"

"I do, and you're it."

You had another heartthrob moment, though this one was a bit more conflicting. Whether he meant that as or good thing or not.

"You're my weakness, but you're also my strength. This is going to sound sappy, I know. When I got news that a villain attacked a waiter who worked at the Hook, Brine, and Shirmper I had this gut feeling that it was you. I kept trying to reassure myself you were okay, but every fiber of my being knew better than that. You... talked a lot when you were unconscious. Most of it was just mumbling, but there was one sentence that hit me like a truck. One that made me understand a bit more about you."

His eyes closed for a moment, most likely deciding whether he should say it or not. Hopefully it wasn't anything awful.

"I have to tell Enji I love him. You mumbled."

...

....

.....

"I-I..."

Your words drifted off. You managed to spill the secret you wanted to keep from him so badly while unconscious? It was hard to speak, It was hard to find any words. It was impossible to make a sound. He knew you said that. Yet he still kept it a secret until now? Was that why...? Your thoughts became clear for a moment.

"I-is th-that why you couldn't sl-sleep?"

Jeez. Such a way with words.

"Yes. That is why. I spent every moment I had awake wondering why I was such an ass to you when we were younger. I got depressed. I felt like the worst person in the world. My best friend cared about me and I couldn't show any compassion back to him? I wasn't even the slightest aware you had feelings for me. I was so concerned with myself I didn't notice the distance between us. Then on the day you ran away. The last day I saw you for years. I finally noticed how much a bitch I was to you all that time. That was the first time I ever felt ashamed of myself. I.... I cried myself to sleep that night. I had lost something I never knew I needed. A friend. It's funny. I practiced what I'd say to you as an apology, but right now my head is spinning. I can't think of anything I'm just saying the first things that come to mind."

H-he really has been in his head all week hasn't he? Endeavors not one to put this much thinking into anything other than hero work. That's the way it's always been, but it seems you have an effect on him.

"Enji. Could this also be why you didn't stop by this week?"

He nodded meekly.

"I-I didn't want to ignore you, but after what you said I didn't know how I would be able to compose myself around you. I've been doing a lot of self-reflecting this week."

You nodded. He was certainly more open, and not as stiff when it came to his responses. He was a lot more fluid in conversation which was new.

"Why self-reflect now though?"

"You had no reason to be my friend. I gave you every reason not to, and yet you were so insistent on being close to me. I only pushed you away, but every time I did you came back with 3 more reasons for you to stay. I want to be that for you."

"An annoying gremlin? It's not that fun trust me."

"Shut it, Boy. I'm serious."

"Y-YESSIR."

He ruffled your hair and smiled softly.

"Good boy."

You turned away from him. Even though being right in front of his face didn't help your case none.

"D-don't call me that. I'm not a dog."

"You like being pet though."

"B-Besides the point!"

"You like it when I call you Good Boy and when I pet you. You really are like a dog. Maybe you-"

He cut himself off and smirked. Shaking his head slightly.

"Never mind that."

"You were gonna say something I wouldn't like, weren't you?"

"Oh I'm sure you'd like it."

"W-what?"

"You sure you want me to tell you, this is my last warning, pup."

"Call me that again and I'll-"

You looked at how happy he was. Teasing you. Damn sadist.

"- Just say it. I'm sure I've heard worse."

He smirked and pulled you into his neck. His hand met the top of your head.

"Let's start over. You like it when I pet you. You like it when I call you a good boy which you are. My follow up statement was going to say you'd probably like it doggy style."

If this were an anime steam would be blowing out your nose and ears right now with how hot and bothered you just got.

"I-i wouldn't be so sure about that. I like.... uhm."

"Ooh! Do tell."

God, you couldn't believe you were about to tell him this.

"I like more... intimate positions. I don't want to feel disconnected."

"If someones in you, or you're in them. How the hell can you feel disconnected?"

As expected Enji doesn't get the term of romance.

"Come to think of it, what are you?"

"A human, although you believe otherwise."

"I was asking if you're a top or bottom puppy."

Here was the problem. You definitely didn't hook-up, but in previous relationships you'd always been the top. With... this hulking mass of beef however. The thought intimidates you.

"D-don't you dare laugh."

He nodded.

"In my previous relationships I've always been the top. I did enjoy being the giver. I'd never once received."

"Hmm. That's surprising coming from you. I suppose I could try being the bot-"

"I-I don't want to be on top... n-not with you."

He stammered for a moment.

"R-really? I'm like double your size. That also means."

He groped himself which sent a tingle down your spine.

"This could hurt you."

"L-lube and patience can get you anywhere. WAIT WHY DID I SAY THAT OUT LOUD?"

"I press your buttons all the time and I rarely expect to. When it's with me you're so jumpy and anxious. I can't imagine the server who I saw when we met up again being like this."

"Y-you.. I just. I still can't believe I'm with you like this Enji. I had little hope you'd change.. i'm sorry but it's true."

"I understand. I did too, so no offense taken."

A yawn crept up out of nowhere. How long had we been talking?

"Oh shit. You're supposed to sleeping, I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Although I am a little tired."

"No more talking. Just petting and sleep."

He still held you in his arms. His hand idly rubbing the top of your head as usual. Seriously. How does someone enjoy this so much? Maybe he's right.

"I'll wake you up for dinner later, okay puppy?"

He really likes calling you that. As embarrassing as it is. There's nothing wrong with it. Receiving genuine compassion wasn't something you got often. You'll take what you can get.

"Sounds good, Enji."

"Haha, not gonna argue this time?"

"You win, you win. I'm too tired to try and argue."

"Not that you'd get anywhere."

Ouch, he wasn't wrong. He's more stubborn than a mule.

"Enji?"

"Hmm?"

"I..I love you."

He chuckled nervously. His idle rubs paused.

"Yeesh, that came out of nowhere."

"I guess it did, I'm sorry."

"It's alright, as long as you're happy."

"With you, I am."

It took a few minutes but in time. The radiating heat from Enji, and the sudden sleepiness overtook you as you fell fast asleep in his arms. He's done a lot of reflection, and that makes you happy. He's trying to improve himself for the better. It's.. Inspiring. Maybe... it was time for you to do the same. Sooner or later the mask has to come off. You needed to deal with your issues, and if anyone deserves to know that. It's him.

#endeavor #bnha endeavor #mha endeavor #mha #my hero academia #boku no hero academia #endeavor x reader #fanfiction #fanfic

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queakenstein · 6 years ago

Note

Queaken ! Could I request some Goku & Chichi on a double date with Zegeta & Bulma ? I need the fluff.

Hey! :) Sure! I can whip up some fluff!! (Small hints of nsfw but like only hints)

After so many years of marriage between them, Goku knew that Chi-Chi’s expectations for their every-so-odd Date Night was ‘don’t hit anyone’ ‘don’t blow anything up’ and ‘for Kami’s sake us a damn napkin’. So, when she mentioned that Bulma had invited them to a little get together, he thought it was going to be more or less the same thing.

She tsked at him from where he lounged on their bed. “Where did your dress shirts go?” Chi-Chi’s hands continued to shuffle through the assorted clothing hanging in her closet before she seemed to give up. Goku watched her bottom plop onto the bed. “Oh…, that’s right… we donated them.”

He laughs in his goofy gentle way and moves to hold her. “Can’t I just wear my gi?”

“No.” She scowls, pulling the towel off of her wet hair and tossing it into their hamper. “I’ve told you, Goku. This isn’t a barbecue. It’s a formal dinner.” She taps his arms which had come to encircle her and he releases her. “You are definitely not allowed that old thing.”

He pouts and falls back against the bed with his arms folded. He heard ‘normal’ dinner. Not formal. “But those clothes are so…” He scrunches his nose in thought. “Uncomfortable.”

“Don’t be a child.” She’s already moved to their bathroom. He hears a towel drop to the floor. “Why don’t you pop over to Yamcha’s to see if he has clothes you could borrow?” The sound of her hairdryer irritates him and he makes out something about her getting ready. He’s gone before his wife peaks her head out of the door to make sure he’s gone.

He appears in front of the three story home and startles his old friend. “Yo, Goku. You could’ve called first, ya know!” He doesn’t take long to recover. One gets used to surprises when dealing with Earth’s Strongest. “I was just about to leave. Everything okay?”

“Huh? Yeah, everything’s fine.” Goku laughs. “Does it always have to mean bad things when I visit?”

A pause while Yamcha mulls that train of thought over. “Eh, not always. Juuust mostly.” He smiles and motions for his friend to follow him. “I’ve got a few minutes if you want a quick tour? Did some renovations.”

“Oh, yeah?” Deciding it would be rude to just stop by and demand things, Goku enters. The home is well decorated. Not lavish but definitely upscale. The Saiyan even notices some hints of Bulma’s particular decorating style. He comments on this only when he notices some of Capsule Corps’ furniture. “Bulma send that to you?”

“Yeah.” Yamcha rolls his eyes. “They wanted me to advertise for ‘em. Not really my style but, hey, free stuff.”

“You can’t afford a couch?”

The other man stammers but laughs. “N-Now, that’s not what I said.” He grins. “I just like knowing it bothers Steamers so bad.”

Goku makes a face. “Steamers? Who’s that?”

“Uh… Puar and me… We call him ‘steamers’… cause–” Yamcha snorts, realizing how silly the explanation sounds aloud. “Uh, cause his name is close to Vegetable and w-when they get hot… they steam. Like.” He rolls his eyes. “Those steamer things.”

“HAH!” Goku grins and grins wide. “Better not let Vegeta hear you say that!” They speak some more and catch up on what the other has been doing for the past few months since they last saw each other. After about ten minutes, Goku remembers why he came in the first place. “Oh, yeah, I almost forgot!” He ignores the voice in his head warning what may have happened to him had he returned home without dress clothes. “Chi-Chi has some sort of dinner thing with Bulma. I need fancy clothes. Got any you could spare?”

“Uh, yeah.” Yamcha smirks. “We’re about the same size… even if you could pound me into the dirt.”

“You’ve gotten stronger though.”Goku taps his head and smirks. “I can sense it.” He grins. “Maybe me, you, and Krillin can get together for an old spar session.”

“Nah,” The other man shakes his head and tosses a few articles of clothing at his friend, “I like my bones not broken. But, if you promise not to go Super Saiyan or anything… it could be fun.”

“Cool.” Goku glances at the shirt in his hand and frowns. “So. This won’t disappoint Chi, will it?”

He shrugs. “Dunno, she’s a funny one. You should look fine though.” He glances at his watch. One of those nice and shiny ones that Bulma gifted Gohan when he graduated high school. “Anyway, you can keep those. Apparently, you need ‘em.” They slap each other on the back and exchange good-byes with promises to make plans to reach out later.

“Hon, I’m back!”

She’s holding onto the doorway and pulling on a heel as she orders him to hurry. “Gohan is already on his way over to get Goten. We need to leave soon!”

“Fine, fine! Yeesh.” Goku does as asked and quickly gets dressed in the clothes his friend gave him. Dark colors aren’t normally his thing but he supposes it works. Black blazer jacket, grey shirt, and black slacks. All uncomfortable but Chi-Chi’s eyes glitter and that makes it worth it.

“Shoes!” She exclaims and her husband ignores the curse she whispers as she drops down to look in the bottom of their closet. Their doorbell rings and he can’t ignore the clear. “Shit.”

“It’s probably Gohan, I’ll go let him in.” He does so and let’s his eldest know that Goten is already in bed. “He’s sleeps pretty heavy but…” There’s a small sound of sadness. “I guess you know that.”

Gohan shrugs and straightens his father’s jacket then produces a pair of shoes. “Mom might’ve forgot that she sent these with me when I moved out.” He smiles. “Try and have fun tonight, okay, Dad?”

“Yeah. I’ll try, son.” He puts on the shoes and sighs. “Least your mom is happy.” He ruffles Gohan’s hair and steps into the master bedroom. “Gohan brought shoes.”

Chi-Chi sighes with relief. “That wonderful boy.” She’s up on her feet in a second and Goku remarks how impressive that is in the heeled shoes she wears. She’s wearing the dress that 18 helped her pick out last time she let herself have a ‘girls day’. A dark, almost black, cocktail dress with long sleeves that are sheer. Goku can easily admit she looks lovely. Then again, there’s few times if any that he thought she looked awful. Awfully scary, sure. But not ugly. “Okay, let’s go!”

They had agreed to drive despite Goku’s initial suggestion of Nimbus. Instant Transmission was also a no-go. She hated it. So, he piles into the driver seat and begins the two hour drive to the restaurant. Bulma had rented the space for two hours along with the entire kitchen staff so that the Saiyans would be able to eat their fill and not overwhelm anyone. The thought of food finally elicits excitement.

“Think they’ll have steak, Chi?”

She hums. “Most likely. I didn’t even think to look at their menu…” She shrugs and rests her chin in her palm with the elbow propped on the window. “We should’ve got a picture before we left.”

“Why?”

“We haven’t been this dressed up since that interview for Gohan’s school… and even then it was to look more professional.”

He smirks. “No, I meant more like… why when I won’t ever forget it.” He grins when she startles and looks at him with a blush.

“Goku!” She tries to hide her smile behind her hand and flicks his arm. “I forget how sweet you can be sometimes.” Instead of leaning away, she drops her head against his arm and a look of contentment cross her face. He tries to remember to tell her nice things. To try to be romantic. She’s deserving of such things… but sometimes his Saiyan brain makes it hard.

“Ya know, Chi. I may hate these clothes but I think this is going to be fun.” The urge to speed consumes him but the weight of her head keeps him calm.

“I’m really glad you’re looking forward to this.” She looks up into his face and he chances a glance into her beautiful dark eyes. “I truly missed you while you were gone… cried for nights.”

“I know.” His voice is soft. Sad. He regrets not thinking what his absence would do… but he’s here now. Buu is defeated and Frieza too. Peace is a foreign concept to him. He’s always looked for the next fight but he finds himself content with dwelling in the now. With her. With his family. “I missed you too.”

“Can you promise me something, Goku?”

“Depends, Chi.”

She sighs, sadly. “I just wants us to grow old together… that’s all… I know–” She straightens up and holds her hands together. “I know, that you’re Earth’s strongest defender… but… I would really like to grow old with you. So, next time–” She turns to look at him. “Next time you fight someone… make sure you fight for that promise. Okay?”

“I’ll try.” He excludes the part where his eagerness for a challenge might override that. But, one day, he thinks it might be nice to hand the reigns over to his sons. Let them be Earth’s Greatest Hero. So, he leans over and kisses her forehead. “I will try.”

Chi-Chi nods. “I’ll take it.” There’s a small pause as lights from the city begins to twinkle far in the distance. “Also, please, remember that this isn’t a eating contest between you and Vegeta.”

He laughs. “Fine. Me and you then.”

The look for horror that spreads over his face makes him almost double over. “I would die and you would starve!”

“Admitting defeat, eh, Chi-Chi?”

And there. The spark that made him fall in love with her. She smirks and levels him with a challenging gaze. “Fine.” She holds up a finger. “I bet I can clear my plate before you can yours.”

“What do I get when you lose?”

She blushes. “Whatever you would like.”

“And if I lose?”

She blushes harder. “I-I’m sure you can imagine…”

He grins so hard his cheeks hurt. “My imagination is terrible, Chi. What is it? Can’t you tell your husband?”

“Roshi is a terrible influence on you!” She scolds but adds, very quietly. “That thing… you do… with your mouth.”

He laughs. “Fair. I like those terms. You gotta deal, Chi-Chi!”

To his surprise, he loses. No sooner does he start to dig into his plate, she dumps the entirety of hers onto his with a satisfied expression that quickly dissolves into a childish one when she sticks her tongue out at him. Bulma looks a little shocked at the events but is filled in on the little contest. Vegeta actually chuckles and makes a snide comment on how Kakarot let a Earthling overcome him. The glares he receives from both women doesn’t make him retract the statement but he refrains from anymore for the rest of the night.

Goku finds himself grinning and makes sure that Bulma helps get a picture of him with his lovely wife. After all, who can forget the night that one defeats Earth’s strongest warrior?

#queaky writes #DBZ #fanfiction #dbz fanfiction #gochi #i think that's the ship name anyway #vegbul #right? i dunno

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minijenn · 5 years ago

Text

Universe Falls Chapter 67

AHHHHH TIME FOR MY LOVELY DIAMOND TO FINALLY SHINE!!!! But for reals I really like how this chapter turned out. ESPECIALLY towards its ending like holy shit things gonna go down and I am super hype for it all. Anyway, I won’t keep ya from it any longer than I need to. Enjoy!

Previous: (lol I forgot to post Peridot and Pacifica on here oh well too lazy to do it now bleh)

***

Chapter 67: Message Received

AFRRS, LGKUQ, FRBSGR, MBR TSAUI GDCA B RWKMZ HUSOFI UB GCBCW WTS KNJTK YBCB GIE WEDHV'F EEEMES HB DUL LQFGRMF XVAA DNJNXYX HWRT

It was an absolutely perfect summer evening. The low-arching sun splashed its warm, dying light across the vast grassy fields, casting long yet lofty shadows that almost seemed to dance across the barn’s weathered surface. A light, gentle breeze skimmed over the acres of farmland, as cricket songs began to echo throughout the hills, even as far as the open, forested valley where Gravity Falls sat far below. And this picturesque view was what the Gems were silently, contentedly enjoying, happy to have a much-earned moment’s rest after a long day at work on the drill. Though Ford had kept to the barn to work on a few odds and ends during this evening break, the kids readily joined in on it as they reclined up against Lion, easily relaxing as Steven strummed a pleasant tune on his ukulele. The trio would have been more than happy to let this peaceful scene continue for as long as possible, but of course, it all too quickly came to an end thanks to the interruption from a certain miffed green Gem.

“Ahem…” Peridot huffed as she stood over the kids. Her hands were positioned on her hips, a power drill clenched tightly in her grip from the work she was clearly intent on continuing.

“Oh, hi, Peridot!” Steven greeted her blithely.

“Welp, I knew this was too good to be true,” Dipper sighed sardonically as he sat up a bit. “What do you want, Peridot?”

“I want to know why we stopped working on the drill!” the green Gem scowled impatiently, nodding over to the Gems still watching the sunset several feet away. “Why are they just sitting there looking at nothing!?”

“Aw, Peri, we’re all just taking a nice little break,” Mabel grinned brightly.

“…A what?”

“We’ve all been working hard and we deserve to take it easy for a bit,” Steven explained. “I mean, just look at that view. It’s beautiful!”’

“It’s going to be blown to oblivion by the Cluster if we don’t get back to work!” Peridot countered crossly.

“Yeesh, tell us something we don’t know for a change,” Dipper remarked with something of a wry, knowing smirk.

“Working hard is important,” Steven added, still smiling calmly. “But feeling good is important too!”

“Yep,” Mabel soundly agreed. “Looks like you still need to learn about one more super important Earth concept, Peri. It’s called… ‘treat yo self’!”

“What are you talking about?!” Peridot fussed, thoroughly annoyed as she accidentally turned the power drill on.

“Hey!” Steven perked up upon hearing the buzzing drill. “What is that, a C?” The young Gem copied the noise on his ukulele, strumming a simple C chord that did, in fact, mimic the buzzing of the drill itself.

“The drill?” Peridot raised a confused eyebrow, looking to the tool in her hand.

“Yeah!” Steven nodded, rising to his feet as Peridot pressed the drill up to an even faster speed. Or rather, an even higher note. “Oh my gosh! Now its music!”

“Whoa! It sorta is!” Mabel gasped, amazed.

“Only Steven could hear music in something like a power drill,” Dipper chuckled, amused.

“‘Music’?” Peridot asked. “What’s that?”

“Whaaaaa?! You don’t know what music is?!” Mabel exclaimed, aptly baffled. “Oh, girl, you are missing out!”

“Look, its like this,” Steven positioned his ukulele before strumming out a simple scale and singing along. “Do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, do!”

“Do, mi, so, do…?” Peridot repeated, clearly not following.

“Isn’t it pretty?” the young Gem sang, still singing along.

“That’s exceedingly simple,” the green Gem snarked, though she still mused on the beguiling process all the same. “Do, mi, so, it…”

“We’re making music.”

“What’s the point?” Peridot said, crossing her arms.

“The point, is… its fun!” Mabel chimed in, singing a bright note of her own in tune with Steven’s strumming.

“But why even bother?” the green Gem shook her head. “You’re not even making anything!”

“Well, if it isn’t anything, then why does it sound so good?” Steven asked with a good-natured shrug.

“I suppose its just interest, do, mi, so, do,” Peridot theorized as the young Gem kept his lighthearted tune going. “Devoid of substance or purpose, a hypothetical pattern… do, mi, so, ti… For the satisfaction of bringing it to completion!”

“…Sure,” Steven agreed, even if he didn’t really know what she was talking about.

“Should we tell her music isn’t usually that deep?” Dipper asked Mabel, aside.

“Eh, let her have her sciencey fun,” Mabel shrugged.

“Do, mi, so, it… Interest without meaning?” Peridot posed, surprised by such an odd train of thought. One that largely went against everything she had ever known back on Homeworld, much like everything else on Earth as a whole. “Solutions without problems…?”

“And then you just add words,” Steven said, gearing up for a proper song. “Here’s what I’ve been working on. Life and death and love and birth and peace and war on the planet Earth.” The melody was light and bouncy, carrying a message of the immense complexities and contradictions of the planet it was about, a theme that was not lost on Mabel, Dipper, or even Peridot as they all listened intently. “Is there anything that’s worth more than peace and love on the planet Earth, oh-whoooa, come on and sing it with me!”

“Sing?” Peridot repeated, still completely lost.

“The words relate to the key!”

“Key?!” the green Gem asked, even more baffled as she held a small key she had found in the barn up.

“If it’s a pattern, if it’s a pattern, than just repeat after me,” Steven encouraged, nodding over to the twins in the hopes that they’d do the same. Mabel was quick to jump on the offer first as she joined the young Gem in a brief duet. “Life and death and love and birth-”

“L-Life and death and love and birth,” Peridot attempted, albeit a bit shakily. After all, she had never really sung before, and until now, she had never had a reason to.

“C’mon, bro-bro, join in!” Mabel urged her brother in an excitable whisper. “Our plan is working!”

“First of all, you guys didn’t start this whole music thing off with any sort of ‘plan’,” Dipper retorted before finally breaking down into a small, if not somewhat flustered smile. “B-but, fine, just this once.”

“Now, you sing mi, fa, mi, mi, fa, mi, ti, la!” Steven instructed Peridot, who followed along easy enough as all four of them finished the chorus on a high, harmonious note.

“And peace and war on the planet Earth!”

“Ahhh! That sounded so good!” Mabel cheered happily. “Looks like its time to bring Love Patrol Alpha outta retirement with its brand new member, Peri!”

“I have no idea what that’s supposed to mean,” Peridot remarked dryly. “But what I do know is that was so easy,” she finished, as if suspicious by that fact.

“Yeah, but that’s what’s so fun about it!” Steven nodded, still strumming. “You should write something—you should write a song!”

“About what?”

“Whatever you’re thinking!”

While Peridot still didn’t largely understand the functional purpose of music or songs, she decided to take the young Gem up on this challenge and do exactly that. Making use of the rhyming patterns and lyrical progression similar to Steven’s song, the green Gem spent the rest of the evening crafting out her tune. A tune that, once it reached what she believed to be a satisfactory standard, she decided to present to not just the kids, but the other Gems and Ford as well that night around the fire.

“I guess we’re already here,” she began, standing before the collective group as they all listened in, intrigued and also slightly confused by the green Gem, of all people, suddenly bursting into song. “I guess we already know. We’ve all got something to fear, we’ve all got nowhere to go-”

Admittedly, the message of her melody was a bit disconcerting, or at least it was to the Gems as it reminded them of the dire straits they were up against when it came to the Cluster. Still, Steven, Mabel, and even Dipper nodded Peridot their silent encouragement as she carried on with the rest of her undoubtably passionate preformance.

“I think you’re all INSANE!” she accused truthfully. For certainly, a group of Gems and humans so dedicated to preserving a planet as bizarre and outlandish as Earth had to be out of their right minds. But then again, Peridot couldn’t claim to be much better, given the same goal they were all working towards together. “But I guess I am too… Anybody would be if they were stuck on Earth with you!”

A round of genuinely amused chuckles from the others followed suit, one that Peridot couldn’t help but take pride over, especially as Mabel and Steven both cheered her on even further. On Homeworld, such a display of pointless, aimless expression would have been scoffed off at best, punishable for at worst. But here, on Earth, this sort of thing was welcome, accepted, commonplace even. It was so strange, so unlike anything the green Gem had ever known that she couldn’t help but appreciate it all in some odd way. Because here, there were no expectations or set standards about what a Gem, or a human for that matter, could do or be. Here, anyone could do or say or think anything they wanted. Here, anyone and, at least as far as she’d seen, everyone was free.

“Life and death and love and birth and-”

Peridot remained slightly mystified by this newfound revelation as the next several days carried on, progress on the drill going sound and steady. The large number of hands on the project certainly made the work much lighter for everyone, as they all had their assigned tasks to carry out in inching towards its completion.

“Life and death and love and birth and-”

Over the course of the drill’s construction, Peridot had largely formed a steady rapport with all of the members of her once-tentative alliance. Amethyst was likely the first among these new bonds she had formed among the Crystal Gems at least. The purple Gem was, at least in her opinion, crass and loud and far too outspoken and brazen for her own good, especially considering the solid soldier status she had originally been created for. But gradually the green Gem had found herself growing used to Amethyst’s playful jabs and ridiculous quips, to the point that she could easily say that she respected her for the Gem she was rather than the Gem she had been made to be.

“Life and death and love and birth and peace and war on the planet earth.”

Peridot couldn’t deny that she had been forced to more or less swallow her pride when it came to her dealings with Pearl and Ford. The fact that each of them had an acute, impressive intellect that clearly rivaled her own was a bitter pill to swallow, but one that the green Gem largely had all the same. And in wake of her former bitterness towards the pair, she had found they actually had quite a bit in common, particularly when it came to their shared affinity for technology and science. Over just a few weeks, Peridot had gone from coldly shunning any tips or advice they had to offer on these fronts, to eagerly joining in the exchange of knowledge alongside the author and the white Gem, her former prejudices against them all but forgotten.

“Is there anything that’s worth more?”

It had largely taken Peridot the most time to grow accustomed to Garnet out of anyone else. On Homeworld, fusion between two entirely different types of Gems was a massive taboo, so the Gem leader’s very existence had originally offended the green Gem for reasons she found she wasn’t able to explain. It had taken her quite a bit of time to look past that singular fact, but once she had, she was actually able to see that Garnet was more than just the fusion that composed her existence. The Gem leader was brave, stable, sensible, and most of all patient, even with Peridot and all of her harsh words and sneers and insults she had once had for her and her teammates. And, when push came to shove, that was something Peridot wasn’t about to ignore, even despite however the rest of Homeworld would think of a Gem such as her.

“Is there anything that’s worth more?”

Limited as they were when it came to more of the heavy lifting, the kids still pitched in as much as they could. Since Dipper was largely able to keep up with Pearl and Ford and even Peridot when it came to the scientific side of the drill’s construction, that’s where most of his contributions were found. Steven and Mabel were less versed in the technicalities of the machine, but what they lacked in knowledge, they made up for in helpful enthusiasm. While Peridot had initially callously rebuffed their meager assistance, over time she had gradually come to accept it, perhaps even welcome it when it came to tasks that were too much for her to handle on her own. Overall, the concept of ‘friendship’ was still a new one to her, one that she only really had the information provided to her by Steven and Mabel to go off of. But if what she’d heard of it truly was correct, than it was safe to say that, like it or not, she had come to make friends of just about all of them, as odd and impossible as that might have once seemed.

“Is there anything that’s worth more than peace and love on the planet earth?”

***

It had taken quite a bit of time and a tremendous amount of work, but after weeks of plentiful effort from everyone involved, the drill was finally complete. The entire group stood admiring their handiwork, which was admittedly quite impressive. Despite its notably small cockpit, the drill’s point was sharp and formidable, fortified by titan’s ore to the point that there was no doubt it’d be able to penetrate the surface of the earth easily and safely. And hopefully, this machine, the product of their teamwork and determination, would be enough to end the threat that the Cluster posed to the planet Earth once and for all.

“Nice work,” Garnet congratulated Peridot in particular, giving the green Gem a friendly pat on the back for her hard work. It was enough to startle Peridot though, to the point that she flinched and took up a brief defensive stance, eliciting a collective amused laugh from the others.

“W-we really did it, huh?” Peridot asked, turning towards the drill with something of a small, proud smile.

“We?!” Steven gasped with sudden delight over the ongoing comradery.

“Heck yeah we did!” Mabel cheered, pulling out her camera. “C’mon, everyone get in close! My scrapbook just won’t be complete without a picture of our awesome drill!”

The others all gladly obliged as they bunched in together in front of the drill, all of them smiling (save for Peridot, who was rather confused as to what was going on in general) while Mabel snapped the photo. A memento that would be sure to memorialize their success long after the Cluster was gone and the drill had fulfilled its purpose.

“It is quite impressive, isn’t it?” Ford mused with a grin, looking back at the drill. “And with such a quick turn-around time too! Then again, I suppose we had no choice but to be quick with this, given the circumstances…”

“Oh wait!” Peridot interjected. “That reminds me, I need to check something!” The green Gem hurried over to the drill, rummaging around inside its cockpit as the others stood by, their spirits still collectively high over the machine’s completion.

“She’s come so far…” Steven noted happily, looking over towards Peridot from afar. “It feels like just yesterday that she was fusing with Bill and trying to kill us…”

“No, no,” Pearl shook her head. “That was several week ago.”

“Still, it really doesn’t feel like it was that long ago…” Dipper said just as thoughtfully. “Its kinda crazy to think that that Peridot used to be this Peridot,” he grinned as he nodded over to the green Gem, who clumsily face-planted after falling off of the drill before frantically running back over to the group.

“Coordinates!” Peridot shouted starkly. “We still need the Cluster’s exact coordinates in order to drill to it!”

“Uh, don’t we already know where it is?” Mabel asked with a confused frown. “It’s buried suuuuuper deep underground, right? Which means we could just bam!” She punched her fist dramatically, making a brief drilling noise as she did. “Drill right on down there and kiss that big bad Cluster goodbye!”

“Theoretically, yes, but I understand Peridot’s concern,” Ford agreed. “Regardless of how massive the Cluster might be, we’ll still need to know just how far down past the surface of the Earth it is. But who knows how we’d even access that information in the first place?”

“A-actually…” Pearl spoke up, apparently apprehensive as she averted eye contact with the others. “There’s a Diamond Base that may have those coordinates, but…. Getting there is going to be difficult.”

“How come?” Steven asked.

“Because its not accessible by warp pad. And it’s on….” The white Gem trailed off, directing her gaze, as well as everyone else’s to the bright nightly orb far above them all.

“The moon?!” Steven, Mabel, and even Dipper asked in awestruck unison.

“Yes, the moon,” Pearl replied rather flatly.

“Uh, how are supposed to get all the way up there?” Amethyst asked, hands on her hips. “I mean, we can jump pretty high, but I don’t think any of us can jump that high.”

“Hm, I suppose we have no choice but to construct a lighter-than-air spacecraft,” Ford concluded staunchly. “I’ve never really dabbled too much in advanced interstellar aeronautics before, but as far as I’m concerned, there’s never a bad time to learn!”

“Uh, actually, we’ve sorta been there, done that with the whole build-your-own-rocket thing, Great Uncle Ford…” Dipper pointed out. “It… didn’t really go all that well…”

“Wait, I know!” Steven exclaimed, turning to his pink feline companion as he snoozed peacefully in the grass nearby. “Lion! Can you make us a super special warp to the moon?”

Despite the young Gem’s enthusiasm, Lion responded dully, letting out a long yawn before rolling over to continue his nap. “Come on, Lion, we gotta do this to stop the Cluster!” Steven urged, flopping down on top of his still-sleeping pet. “If we don’t there’s gonna be no more Earth! No more fun times with your pal Waddles… no more Lion Lickers… no more naps-”

Apparently, this plea was somehow enough to call the pink beast to action, for he instantly perked up, rising from his nap as his eyes took on a pale white glow. While the others looked to Lion at absolute amazement at this shift, Steven simply stood by with a satisfied grin over his pet’s eventual compliance. “Guess it was naps.”

“Um, not that this moon trip doesn’t sound cool and all,” Dipper spoke up, aptly hesitant. “But how exactly are we supposed to breathe up there? I mean, I know its not a big deal to you guys,” he said to the Gems. “But its sort of important for the rest of us…”

“Oh, there’s no need to worry about that, Dipper,” Pearl assured. “The Moon Base has its own self-contained adaptable internal atmosphere that should be perfectly livable for any human.”

“Wow, Pearl, you sure do know a lot about this Moon Base place,” Mabel remarked with a curious grin. “Have you ever been there before?”

The white Gem let out a rather sharp, forced laugh at this, tension rising in her shoulders as she quickly rebuffed the question. “W-who me? D-don’t be silly, of course not! I-I’ve only ever… heard about it! T-that’s why I know so much about it!” The others all gave her something of a confused look at this haphazard outburst, but once again, Pearl deflected them all before any further questions could be posed. “N-now come on! We haven’t a moment to waste! Let’s get those coordinates!”

Since no one could really argue with such a vigorous command, the group was quick to follow after the white Gem to do exactly that. It took some doing, planning, and careful squeezing to fit everyone onto Lion (or in several cases, into his mane) all at the same time, but eventually they managed to figure it out. The pink beast hardly seemed labored by his many passengers as he instantly broke into a rapid sprint. His speed only seemed to pick up with each quick step he made across the wide fields until, suddenly, he let out an immense, mighty roar. The pounding sound was enough to pierce a hole into the very fabric of space itself, creating a large, glowing portal that he barreled into at top speeds. Lion’s large group of riders all held on for dear life, with only Steven and Mabel really enjoying the breakneck, wild trip as the pink beast roared another portal into existence. He continued this is steady succession, somehow increasing his speed each time as he ripped through each and every portal like a bolt of lighting across a stormy sky. Eventually, the collection of continuous portals became so radiantly bright that it practically blinded all of them, especially as they neared their destination. And once they did, everything seemed to finally stop all at once.

The space they landed in was large and dark, though none of them had a chance to take it in as Lion crashed out of his final portal, sliding across the floor before slamming into a far wall and knocking the Gems and Ford clean off his back. “Lion! Are you ok, bud?” Steven gasped, immediately alarmed to see that the impact had knocked the wind out of his pink pet. Fortunately though, Lion seemed no worse for wear as he took a much-needed moment to rest in light of all of the power he had just exerted.

“Aw, you poor baby!” Mabel gushed, generously rubbing the pink beast’s mane. “Who’s a good magical portal-maker? You are! You are!”

“I-incredible…” Ford mused, adjusting his glasses as he picked himself up off the ground. “I knew that lion was unusual, but I could have never guessed it was capable of something like this. Clearly, I’ll have to do more research on him in order to-” The author was quick to retract the hand he had extended out to Lion as the pink beast growled in warning protest. “O-on second thought, I suppose that could always wait for… some other time.”

“We made it,” Pearl spoke up, her tone serious as her gemstone emitted a bright light for them all to see by. Sure enough, the peaceful nighttime landscape of the farmlands were gone, replaced by cold sterile walls and floors that clearly hadn’t been touched in ages. Each of the rounded walls were adorned with what looked to be large murals, though without direct light upon them, it was hard to make out exactly what they were supposed to be of.

“Huh, weird…” Dipper mused, glancing around curiously. “You know, I sort of expected the moon to look more like… I dunno, the moon?”

“Well it sure is bouncy like the moon is supposed to be!” Mabel chimed in, taking advantage of the lack of gravity to take a high, unfettered leap into the air. “Come on, bro-bro, you’ve got to try this!”

“Mabel, I don’t know if that’s such a good—w-whoa!” Dipper gasped in alarm as Mabel suddenly yanked him up into the air along with her before sending him spinning freely high above the ground, despite his best attempts to anchor himself back to the ground.

“Hah! Look at me!” Steven chimed in, joining in on the anti-gravity antics as he let himself float freely. “I’m a moon boy!”

“Yeah! Alright, moon boy!” Amethyst cheered him on, leaping to join the kids up in the air, only to end up falling right back to the ground instead. “Hey! Why can’t I be a moon boy?!”

“We’re Gems,” Peridot pointed out with a scoff. “We’re a space-faring race designed to conquer other worlds. Our physical forms adjust automatically to the gravity of any planetoid.”

“Aww… lame,” the purple Gem groaned, sticking her tongue out in disappointment. Right behind her, Dipper and Mabel softly landed on the floor in a jumbled heap of limbs as Ford hurried over to help them up, all while trying to stay grounded himself.

“You know, it just occurred to me that I probably should have told Stanley we were going to the moon…” the author noted as he carefully pulled his nibblings up to stand. “…Ah well, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.”

“Uh… yeah…” Dipper said, exchanging an uneasy glance with Mabel as they remembered just how harshly the conman had reacted to their last attempt at a trip to the stars. “We… probably shouldn’t tell him about this, just… just ‘cause.”

“I was bouncin’ on the moon one day!” Steven sang brightly as he continued free-floating, only to end up smacking into one of the walls and hitting the ground a moment later. He let out a small groan as he picked himself up off the floor, only to spot the large mural of what looked like a tall, elegant woman on the wall beside him. “Huh? Hey, Peridot! Who’s this supposed to be?”

The green Gem gasped as she shined the light of her own gemstone up at the mural, recognizing the blue, cloaked, graceful figure well. “It’s Blue Diamond!” she exclaimed, taking on an air of immediate reverence before the massive mural. “W-wait! Are they all here? Ah, yes!” Peridot rushed over to the far side of the chamber, where another similar depiction of a different, but still just as regal figure, awaited. “There she is!”

“There who is?” Mabel inquired curiously as her and Dipper joined the pair before mural.

“Behold!” Peridot proclaimed dramatically as she threw an arm out at the stern, stately woman on the wall before her. “Yellow Diamond! Isn’t she magnificent?”

“Uh… sure…” Dipper deadpanned, not particularly impressed.

“Whoa…” Mabel mused, much more fascinated. “She has a really long neck. Like a giraffe!”

“W-wha—you can’t just say something like that about the Yellow Diamond!” Peridot chastised, offended. “Whatever a so-called ‘giraffe’ is…”

“So, who are the Diamonds anyway?” Steven asked. “They seem like a pretty big deal.”

“Are you joking me?!” Peridot scoffed. “The Diamonds are the Gem matriarchs! Together, they make up the Great Diamond Authority that governs Homeworld and all the outlying colonies. We live to serve them!”

The green Gem’s explanation was cut short from a disgruntled hum from Garnet. The Gem leader stood over them, her expression cold and disapproving, a look that both Pearl and Amethyst shared. Even Ford seemed to be bitterly averting his gaze away from the Diamond murals for some reason, making it quite apparent that not everyone seemed to share Peridot’s high opinion of them. “I-I mean…” she recanted with a bit of an anxious laugh. “We were all made to serve them, even if some of us… don’t anymore.” A beat of awkward silence passed at this, though Peridot was quick to fill it by hastily changing the topic altogether. “H-hey! I think that’s a control service over there! Let’s take a look!”

Steven and Mabel readily hurried after the green Gem, curious to see more of the mysterious Moon Base. Dipper, however, did stop short to steal just another somewhat distrustful glance at the visage of Yellow Diamond on the wall before him before moving on with the others. Likewise, Garnet and Pearl in particular exchanged something of an uneasy glance before turning away, both of them knowing all too well exactly who the Diamonds were and what they were capable of.

“I think this is right…” Peridot muttered, examining a nearby panel on the floor. “The material is different from the surrounding stone. If I just do this…” She trailed off, pressing the panel, which in turn, emerged from the ground, alongside several others to create something of a floating staircase all around the edges of the base’s central chamber. The green Gem let out a bright giggle at her discovery, beside herself with excitement over getting to see a space that so few other Gems would ever have the chance to visit.

“This is so incredible!” Peridot gushed as they began making their way up the long, winding staircase. “Only the most elite of the elite can enter these sanctums. We are literally walking in the footsteps of the Diamonds!”

“They must really like stairs,” Steven pointed up as he bounded up them.

“Ooo, what’s this cool glowy orb room?” Mabel asked as they passed through to a higher part of the tower. Sure enough, the room was engulfed in darkness, its only notable feature being the large, rotating spherical light floating in the center of it, its purpose more or less completely unknown.

“Its not what we came here for,” Garnet said sternly, pressing on ahead.

“Can we hurry it up?” Amethyst asked with a huff of impatience. “This place gives me the creeps.”

Since they had get to get what they’d come here for in the first place, no one protested as they finished scaling the lengthy floating stairway, only to finally emerge at the tower’s top. Compared to the base they had arrived in, this deck’s walls were composed almost entirely of clear class windows, giving an open, grand view of the lunar landscape surrounding the structure. The pale, cratered surface of the moon stretched far and wide in every direction, the dark, star-speckled expanses of space itself hanging high above. It was an incredible view, to put it simply, one that the kids all took in with apt awe as they took a moment to pause and take it all in.

“W-we really are on the moon…” Steven practically whispered, completely stunned.

“I can’t believe it…” Dipper shook his head, just as amazed. “I mean, talking about it is one thing, but… we’re actually here, like its nothing. This is totally insane and honestly? I love it!”

“So do I!” Steven quipped, sharing Dipper’s bright smile.

“Ah, I wish I could join in on the excitement you boys are feeling,” Ford said wistfully as he put a hand on each of their shoulders. “But after traversing countless dimensions far beyond the realms of plausible imagination, the surface of the moon is… relatively underwhelming by comparison.”

“Oh my goodness!” Peridot suddenly squeaked, catching everyone’s attention. The others all joined her near the large white throne at the center of the room, coupled by a pristine table surface resting before it. “This looks like it could be brand new!” the green Gem exclaimed, running her hands over the table. “I mean, it’s a relic by today’s standards, but golly! Its so elegant! So simple! So perfect!”

“Ooo! And it makes a great whiteboard too!” Mabel quipped as she drew a smiley face onto the otherwise spotless surface with a marker she had happened to bring, much to Peridot’s horror.

“Stop that this instant!” the green Gem huffed, snatching the pen away from her. “You’re desecrating an important tool of the Diamonds themselves! Do you have any idea how disrespectful that is?!”

“…Huh. Well, disrespectful or not, it does brighten things up a little in here,” Mabel said, taking on a wide grin to match the smile she had drawn on the table. “See?”

“No,” Peridot deadpanned sullenly.

“Hey! Its got one of those glowy hand dealies!” Steven pointed out from his spot on the throne behind them.

“Y-you can’t sit there!” Peridot chastised hotly.

“Why not? Its really cool.”

“That chair is only for the most elite Gems,” the green Gem explained, exasperated. “You can’t just go around sitting where an elite would sit!”

“Well, they aren’t here now, right?” Steven grinned, patting on the ample space next to him on the throne. Peridot hesitated in taking him up on his offer before finally folding, climbing up to join him and laughing in spite of herself over the forbidden pleasure of the act.

“So, uh, what’s this thing supposed to be?” Dipper asked, casually plucking a pale, crystal-like object embedded on the chair’s armrest.

“Put that back!” Peridot fussed before turning her attention to the other controls the throne had to offer. “Hm, ok… let’s see here…” The green Gem experimentally pressed a button, which brought the throne much closer to the control panel, allowing her to properly activate it and begin searching through its holographically projected screens for the data they needed. “Ugh, this is a really old system…” she noted to the others as she began picking through what the panel had to offer. “Just gotta find the right file and… aha!” The projection filled with various graphs, maps, and other information, all of which clearly regarded the Cluster, which Peridot readily translated out for all the others. “There’s the insertion point. Looks like the Beta Kindergarten in Facet Nine. It’s the smaller of the two, not nearly as impressive as yours, Amethyst.”

“Uh… thanks?” the purple Gem shrugged dully.

“But where is the Cluster now?” Pearl asked, a hint of urgency in her tone.

“Hang on… oh! There it is!” A diorama popped up, depicting the vague shape of the Cluster itself, buried deep under the surface of the Earth. Where it would hopefully remain until their drill finally put an end to it. “It’s embedded deep into the mantle. Relative to the barn is roughly two thousand, five hundred units down. All we need to do is feed this data to the drill and we should be all set.”

“T-that’s it then!” Pearl said, pleasantly surprised. “Mission accomplished!”

“Go team!” Steven cheered brightly over their success.

“Huh, its not often that something like this goes this smoothly,” Dipper noted. “Weird.”

“Weird or not, let’s get the heck outta here,” Amethyst remarked, already leading the way back towards the stairs. “The moon is way more boring than I thought it’d be.”

“Wait! Maybe it doesn’t have to be!” Mabel chimed in, glancing back over the control panel. “Hey, Peri, does this thing have any games on it? Or movies?”

“Pfft, no,” Peridot scoffed. “This wasn’t used for ‘games’ or ‘movies’. It was used for planning the colony. Here, look.” The green Gem activated another file, which just so happened to catch the dwindling attention of the others as they looked over the projection of the planet Earth before them. “So here’s a map of all structures that were originally built on Earth,” Peridot scrolled through a list of the blueprints for structures that included the Galaxy Warp, the Kindergarten, and several others. “All told, this probably only accounts for maybe five percent of what was originally planned.”

“What was the plan?” Steven asked, somewhat apprehensive to find out.

“Well, let’s take a look.” With a single press of a button, the holographic Earth rapidly deteriorated, massive gaps cutting through its surface, its landmasses ruined and its oceans drained, replaced by an inhospitable mess of a planet conquered by Gems and Gems alone. A horrific sight to everyone present, given its implications. All except for, unsurprisingly, Peridot. “Ta da! A finished Earth colony!” she exclaimed proudly. “Just look at this! 89 Kindergartens, 67 spires, a Galaxy Warp in each facet, efficient use of all available materials! What were you thinking shutting this operation down? It could have been great!”

“No!” Garnet exclaimed suddenly, sharply. “You’re wrong!”

“What are you talking about?” Peridot sneered, baffled. “Its perfect! Look at it!”

“We are looking at it,” Pearl said coldly.

“Yeah! This plan stinks!” Amethyst huffed, properly angry.

“Completing this colony would have meant the extinction of all life on Earth!” Garnet said, just as upset by indeed, what could have been.

“And I thought Cipher’s intentions for the Earth were bad…” Ford muttered to himself, shaking his head. “This is… well, I don’t know if I’d say its worse, but I’d certainly say its arguably just as terrible.”

“Seriously…” Dipper shuddered in fearful disgust. “I mean, we knew Homeworld was awful, but this… this is on a whole other level…”

“Well, it could have been on a whole other level,” Peridot remarked rather callously. “If it had actually been allowed to reach its full potential. Think of the good it could have done! The Gems that would’ve been made, our empire expanded!”

“And all that would have been lost along with it…” Pearl continued bitterly, shamefully. “Rose Quartz believed all life was precious and worth protecting. That’s why she risked everything to stop this colony from happening!”

“Well, if she wanted to protect it, she did a lousy job!” Peridot argued back haughtily. “There’d be no Cluster if the Earth had stayed a colony. Now there’s no colony, and there’s gonna be no Earth. So thank you, Rose Quartz! You doomed the planet!”

A thick cloud of hostile tension pierced the air at this, outraged silence remaining in light of the green Gem’s snide, thoughtless remarks. Wishing for the completion of Homeworld’s twisted, destructive plans for Earth were one thing; but mocking Rose and her bravery and sacrifice was something that Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, and even Ford, all of whom had known her personally while Peridot had not, could not simply ignore. Their sharp, furious glares were focused entirely on the green Gem alone, something that the kids instantly noticed more than Peridot did herself. And while Dipper couldn’t really find that much of a reason to rush to the green Gem’s defense after everything she’d just said, Steven and Mabel tried to all the same.

“Heh, aw, y-you guys know Peri!” Mabel shrugged, laughing nervously. “Always sayin’ wacky stuff she totally doesn’t really mean… right?”

“What?” Peridot countered, confused and clearly not about to recant her stance.

“Y-yeah!” Steven rushed to chime in and quell the swelling anger from his guardians in particular. “A-after all, don’t forget: I-is there anything that’s worth more tha-”

The young Gem instantly went silent the moment Garnet snatched Peridot up from her seat by the front of her uniform, keeping a tight grip as she stared down at her with unseen, untold amounts of ferocity. “You,” she began, her voice edged with tranquil rage as the green Gem’s frightened image reflected back at her through the Gem leader’s visor. “Listen to me. Now. You are talking about things that you do not understand.”

Steven gasped the moment he saw a gauntlet materialize around the Gem leader’s free hand, and even though he didn’t agree with the green Gem’s poor choice of words and actions, he knew he couldn’t allow this hostility to continue any further. “Garnet, stop!” he pleaded fearfully. “P-please, its… its not worth it. We’re done here; we got what we came for. L-let’s just… go home…”

Acting upon the young Gem’s nearly tearful request and nothing else, Garnet did as he said, loosening her grip on Peridot and allowing her to clumsily fall to the floor. And then, in a single swift, powerful swing, the Gem leader brought her gauntlet down upon the control panel before her, smashing it—as well as the last remnants of the fortunately failed colony it contained—beyond all hope of repair. Without a word, the Gems turned to leave the same way they’d came, Ford joining them as they all turned their back on the green Gem, on the moon base, on everything they knew Rose had fought so hard to stop in its tracks.

“Tch, figures you still haven’t really learned anything,” Dipper was the first to speak up as he also prepared to leave, though not before sending one final, clearly disappointed remark Peridot’s way. “Even still, after all this time. Honestly, I can’t even say I’m surprised, knowing you.”

“Aw, come on, Dipper,” Mabel hurried after him as he turned on his heel and walked off. “That’s not fair and you know it!”

“What’d I say?” Peridot asked as the twins left. “I was just stating a fact. The rebellion didn’t really ‘save’ Earth, it just delayed the inevitable.”

Steven sighed upon hearing this, partially taking up Dipper’s line of reasoning that, even after all this time and everything that had happened, Peridot was still just as stuck in her stubborn ways as ever. “That’s not the way they see it,” he nodded after his guardians sadly. “They’ve spent thousands of years trying to protect the Earth. I thought… maybe… you finally understood why… But I guess… I guess I was wrong…” The young Gem sighed once more, shaking his head forlornly. He had thought Peridot had come so far, from the hand ship, from her time on the run, from Pyrite. He had thought she had grown and learned and come to appreciate the Earth and all it had to offer from her extended stay there. He had thought… that they all were finally, finally friends.

But in the end, none of that had mattered as much to Peridot as it had to him, clearly.

Steven only paused briefly at the foot of the platform the throne rested on, noticing that the green Gem hadn’t come down along with him. He knew they couldn’t very well leave her there, especially given they still had a mission to complete, and despite his rather mixed feelings about her at the moment, he still called up to her all the same. “Peridot!”

“What? I’m coming!” Peridot retorted, hurrying town the steps. Steven watched her silently as though he froze in sudden confusion upon catching the briefest flash of something in the green Gem’s hand as she passed him by. Something she hadn’t had when they arrived there, and something he knew, she clearly wasn’t supposed to have.

“Let’s go, you two,” Garnet called from the larger staircase and Peridot didn’t hesitate to hurry on ahead. Steven hesitated for another brief moment however, keeping his sights on the green Gem alone as he wondered with a sense of newfound worry and fledgling distrust exactly what it was she planned to do.

***

The trip back from the moon to the barn was silent and awkward, to say the least. After Peridot’s haughty remarks concerning the rebellion and Rose Quartz, neither the Gems nor Ford were too keen on carrying on any sort of conversation with the green Gem, despite the kids’ best efforts to break the thick tension. All the same, the collective group made it back to Earth aboard Lion safe and sound, carrying with them the final piece needed to complete their extensive work on the drill. A victory that, by all accounts, should have felt much more triumphant than it actually did.

“So how much longer ‘till we can use the drill?” Amethyst asked with a huff of impatience as they all gathered around said drill once more.

“Well, with the new coordinates we got from the Moon Base,” Pearl began. “It should be ready to go. But we really should preform some tests first…”

“Still, it stands to reason that we should be able to take it down to the Cluster itself within the next few days, at least,” Ford theorized, glancing up at the drill. “That is… if we even have that much time left.”

Despite the pertinence and importance of the ongoing discussion, Steven, Dipper, and Mabel were all only barely listening in on it. All three of them were preoccupied by a number of contrasting thoughts and feelings, from muted frustration on Dipper’s part, to fretful worry on Mabel’s, to growing suspicion on Steven’s. Suspicion that was entirely focused on one certain green Gem and the unknown device the young Gem had seen her secretly snatch away from the Moon Base.

In fact, in the last hour or so alone, Steven’s suspicion and apprehension had grown so much that he found he couldn’t really keep it to himself any longer. For all he knew, it could have very well been nothing, which was why he had decided against voicing his concerns to the Gems. So instead, he chose to confide in someone who was sure to both believe him and help him get to the bottom of things: the twins.

“Hey, can I talk to you guys for a second?” Steven whispered to Dipper and Mabel while everyone was still distracted with the drill. “A-alone?”

While neither of them knew where the clear dread in the young Gem’s tone was coming from, neither Dipper nor Mabel denied his request as they all slipped away to gather just shy of the barn’s entrance. As soon as they were out of the Gems’ earshot, Steven turned to them with a clear sense of urgency, one that caught them both off guard, even as he spoke his piece.

“I didn’t wanna worry the Gems or Mr. Ford, especially since we’re so close to being done with the drill,” he began, glancing down. “But… I-I think Peridot might be up to something.”

“What, you mean aside from offending everyone by wishing that the Earth had been hallowed from the inside out?” Dipper retorted somewhat sardonically.

Mabel, on the other hand, was much more genuine in her response. “W-what do you mean she’s up to something?” she asked, the slightest hint of fear in her tone. Fear that the green Gem could very well be slipping out of the progress she had made and back into her old, sinister ways.

“I… I saw her take something from the Moon Base while we were leaving,” Steven explained. “I’m not sure what it is, but… I just… I have a bad feeling about it.”

“Well, who can blame you?” Dipper said, crossing his arms. “Peridot pretty much just proved that she hasn’t changed a bit. Heck, for all we know, her trying to ‘get along’ with us could of just been one giant act this whole time. A way to trick us into thinking she’s ok before she comes in with another hairbrained attempt at destroying us so she can get back to Homeworld or something.”

“B-but then why would she work so hard to help us with the drill?” Mabel cut in, anxiously, earnestly. “Dipper, I know you’ve never really trusted Peridot, and I know Grunkle Ford and the Gems are all super miffed with her right now, b-but I don’t think she wants to hurt us or the Earth anymore! You even said so yourself: the Peridot we know now isn’t the same Peridot that first came to Earth or fused with Bill! She’s different than that; she’s better than that. I-isn’t that right, Steven?”

The young Gem was initially silent upon being met with this question, his indecisiveness being conveyed through his expression alone. “I-I… I really wanna believe that, Mabel…” he said sadly, averting both of the twins’ pressing gazes. “But… I just… I’m not…” He sighed, his mounting conflicting feelings towards the green Gem and her incriminating words and actions all becoming far too much to bear. “I… I just don’t know,” he finally answered truthfully. “Not anymore. I thought I did, but… I think we need to find out exactly what that thing she took from the Moon Base really was and why she grabbed it. J-just to make sure.”

Mabel let out a small, worried sigh at this, but all the same, she nodded her quiet agreement, even if she still dreaded what they might possibly find out. Dipper, on the other hand, was much more forward when it came to taking action concerning the green Gem where his sister was not. “Fair enough,” he consented evenly, though his cold expression softened as he glanced over at Mabel. “But… just in case we find something that… you—we may not like… I just… you guys know that we’ll… have to do something about it… right?”

Steven and Mabel exchanged a brief, equally despondent glance, both of them knowing this was absolutely true. If on the unthinkable chance that Peridot really was planning some underhanded scheme, it was their responsibility to put a stop to it, or at the very least inform the Gems about it. For all of the good will and camaraderie they had formed with the green Gem over the past several weeks, the thought that it could all fall apart in an instant had never really occurred to them. Until now, when it seemed as though there was a very high likelihood of that very thing happening.

On another nod of tight, terse agreement between the trio, they decided to make their move. Peridot hadn’t joined the others out near the drill, instead opting to carry on with her own, unknown devices inside the barn. It was there that the kids found her, her back turned to them as she apparently fiddled around with something, no doubt whatever she had taken from the Moon Base. She was quick to slip it away, however, the moment Steven spoke up to garnish her attention.

“Uh… Peridot?” he began, aptly apprehensive.

“Oh! Steven, Dipper, Mabel!” the green Gem gasped, startled as she spun around. “W-what are you three doing here?”

“We, uh… sorta need to talk to you, i-if that’s ok,” Mabel ventured, not making to much of an effort to hide her constant worry.

“Uh… s-sure!” Peridot agreed stiffly as she followed the kids inside of the cabin of the old, run-down truck parked inside of the barn. “Why are we in this broken-down vehicle?” the green Gem asked, genuinely confused.

“I don’t know,” Dipper said, sending her a cold, suspicious glare. “Why don’t you tell us?”

“…What?”

“Uh, a-actually,” Steven interjected as he glanced towards the hand Peridot was holding behind her back. The hand that held whatever secret she was trying her hardest to conceal from them all. “We wanted to ask you about… the Diamonds?”

“Oh!” the green Gem perked up instantly, excitement sparking in her eyes. “Well, I don’t know what the others have told you, but there’s a reason they’re in charge.”

“Oh yeah?” Dipper asked flatly, clearly not caring about this means to an end. “And why’s that?”

“Because they’re objectively better than us!” Peridot grinned brightly. “Every Gem has their own strengths and weaknesses, but not them. They’re absolutely, totally, completely flawless beings. Especially my Diamond: Yellow Diamond, the most perfect, the most reasonable, rational, efficient decider to ever exist in the universe!”

None of the kids really knew what to say concerning this, all of them knowing that Peridot’s incredibly high view of her matriarch was likely very biased. All the same, if her testimony concerning Yellow Diamond was anything, it was proof that the green Gem’s admiration for both her Homeworld and her Diamond still very much stood. “Y-you’re really loyal to her, aren’t you?” Steven asked, not masking his fledgling disappointment at this fact.

“How could I not be?” Peridot rebuffed. “We may have our little truce, but I’ll never forsake the Gem I was made for! And why would I? I mean, she’s an impeccable, impossibly wise powerhouse of a leader! E-even if she does actually happen to be in league with…”

“In league with who?” Mabel pressed, a newfound burst of hope filling her as she caught onto the smallest hint of doubt towards the Diamond filling the green Gem’s tone. But whatever that doubt might have been, Peridot was quick to shake it away in favor of her former adulation.

“O-oih, never mind, its nothing,” she scoffed with a wave of her hand. “J-just some ridiculous rumor I once heard from someone who is absolutely not a reliable source for anything. A rumor that certainly does not bear repeating, especially at the risk of my Diamond catching wind of it!”

“W-well then you better keep it down,” Steven said leadingly, seeing an opportunity and deciding to take it. “Because she’s right behind you!”

“What?!” Peridot gasped, spinning around in alarm and finally giving the young Gem a chance to swipe the crystal she was holding onto away from her. The green Gem barely even had time to react to the theft as the kids rushed out of the truck, slamming the door right in her face as she tried to scramble after them.

“Hey! What do you three think you’re doing!?” she shouted, banging on the window fiercely.

“What’s it look like?” Dipper countered just as harshly. “We’re shutting down whatever it is you had planned!”

“I-I didn’t have anything planned!” Peridot protested, though her bristling posture told otherwise. “Now let me out of here!”

“Save your strength,” Steven shook his head, holding the stolen crystal tight and close. “You’re up against one of Earth’s greatest trapping technologies: the child safety lock.”

“No!” Peridot wailed, sinking back into her seat dramatically. “How could you do this to me? The great and loveable Peridot!? I thought we were finally friends like you wanted!”

“We thought that too, Peridot…” Mabel frowned, genuinely upset. “But then…”

“But then I saw you sneak this off the Moon Base while nobody else was looking!” Steven filled in, his tone much more intense and angry than it usually was as he held the crystal up. “What is it? Tell us!”

“Hmph, its nothing special,” Peridot scowled at the trio from inside the truck. “And definitely not important at all.”

“Oh really?” Dipper asked challengingly, grabbing a hammer lying discarded on the floor as Steven readily held the crystal up to him in shared defiance towards the green Gem. “Well, if its not important, then I’m sure you wouldn’t mind if we just smash it, huh?!”

“NO!” Peridot practically shrieked before finally, sullenly relenting. “Ugh, all right, look. I have a plan. Allow me to explain. That’s a… communicator. Meant for the express purpose of contacting the Diamonds back on Homeworld.”

“What?!” Dipper asked sharply, so outraged and alarmed that he nearly brought the hammer down on the communicator right then and there until Steven pulled it away at just the right time.

“Y-you’re still trying to contact Homeworld?” the young Gem asked, horrified.

“Yes, of course I am!”

“B-but… but we thought you were finally starting to like it here on Earth!” Mabel exclaimed, desperate for proper answers where they really were none.

“Oh, you don’t get it,” Peridot countered evenly. “I’m not trying to leave, not anymore! Instead, I’ve got it all figured out. You simple clods keep trying to protect the Earth, but you can’t do anything right! I’ll admit I let myself get carried away too… laughing, singing, building our little machine… but don’t you see? None of that matters! What matters is that I can be of use to Yellow Diamond! This planet can be of use to Yellow Diamond! I must contact her, to reveal what I’ve discovered!”

“Are you actually serious right now!?” Dipper exclaimed in appalled disgust. “You said so yourself that the Diamonds were the ones who put the Cluster in the Earth in the first place! They’re the ones who want to see it destroyed now, just like they did with that whole colony plan we saw on the moon! You really think they’re gonna stop any of that now?”

“Oh, of course they will!” Peridot said, thoroughly confident in her plan. “If I could just have a chance to talk to Yellow Diamond, then I’m sure I can get her—as fair and reasonable as she’s known to be—to see that this planet could still be a viable asset to Homeworld’s empire. And what’s better is that once she sees things my way, the Cluster will certainly be shut down and the Earth saved. Isn’t that what all of you want?”

“Not like this we don’t!” Steven protested admantly. “Ugh… why do we keep sticking our necks out for you? You’re never gonna be on our side! Garnet! Amethyst! Pearl!” Upon calling out for his guardians, Steven raced off, Dipper trailing right after him so they could reveal Peridot’s heinous plan for what it truly was.

“No! Steven! Don’t get them!” Peridot shouted after them, pulling hard against the locked truck door until she happened to spot Mabel, still lingering beside it. “Mabel! You believe me, don’t you!? Then release me! Now!”

“P-Peri…” Mabel began quietly, tears of clear betrayal finally starting to well up in her eyes as she looked back at the green Gem. A Gem that, up until now, she really, truly had seen as a friend, regardless of everything she had said and done in the past. Even if that friendship had clearly meant nothing Peridot, despite her best, yet futile hopes otherwise. “Peridot,” she said firmer, wiping away her tears to regard her sternly, yet still so sadly. “I… I’m sorry…” she said as she finally turned away, even though she was the one who had nothing to appologize for.

***

A round of shocked gasps rose from the Gems the instant Steven and Dipper presented the communicator to them. Even Ford balked at it, apparently familiar with the device somehow, even as Pearl took it and frantically reaffirmed what it was.

“S-she took a direct line to the Diamonds?!” the white Gem exclaimed in horrified disbelief. “From the Moon Base?! What was she thinking?!”

“She was ‘thinking’ that she was gonna use it to call Yellow Diamond so Homeworld could just come here and pick up right where they left off with that colony plan of this!” Dipper informed hotly. “And she almost got away with it if we hadn’t stopped her just in time.”

“And its certainly a good thing that you kids did,” Ford agreed, casting a bitter glance towards the barn. “To think that we spent so much time with her, but we never saw this sort of underlying treachery coming. Honestly, I thought that I’d at the very least be used to betrayals of this scale by now. In a way, its almost disappointing that I’m not.”

“Ugh, for reals, after everything we’ve gone through, she’s still out to get us!” Amethyst growled sharply. “That’s it! I’m takin’ back all my cool nicknames for her! So long P-dot and P-diddy, hello… AUGH! I’m too mad! I’ll think of something later!”

The round of incensed reactions to Peridot’s deception continued, even as the green Gem honked the truck’s horn almost constantly from her “prison” inside of the barn. Only Steven and Mabel paid any attention to it though, their expressions awash between disappointment, morose, and frustration all at the same time. “I see she knows what a horn is now…” the young Gem noted sourly.

“I’d been meaning to teach her that one…” Mabel sighed, turning away, forlorn.

“You two offered her a lot of your trust,” Garnet noted to the pair, her hands on her hips.

“We did!” Steven huffed. “And it blew up in our faces!”

“I just… maybe we thought that… if we could be her friends then maybe she’d finally stop trying to do all of the bad things she came here to do…” Mabel said, burring the bottom of her face inside of the collar of her sweater. “But I guess she was never really our friend after all, huh?”

“No, she wasn’t…” Steven concluded, shaking his head as he looked back to Garnet. “You guys have been protecting the Earth for thousands of years. She could’ve destroyed all that. I… I don’t know why we thought we could change her mind…”

“Oh, come on, you guys, none of this is your fault and you know that,” Dipper attempted to console the pair as he stepped between them, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. “You both always try to see the best in people, and I’ll admit, sometimes I just don’t get it. But then again, maybe its because I’m not able to see things the way you two do. You both tried your best to change Peridot for the better, and in the end it just… didn’t work, but that had nothing to do with either of you. Its just… sometimes you can’t really change what people think, no matter how hard you try.”

“But that’s just it,” Steven countered with a frown. “We don’t want to tell her what to do or what to think. She should just… know, shouldn’t she?”

“Steven…” Garnet began, her tone as steady as ever, though sympathy was clearly there as well. “You always believe in everyone. Like your mother, you seem to have a little more patience than the rest of us. That’s a trait you share too, Mabel. But on the same hand, Dipper’s also right. The truth is, not everyone deserves that patience.”

“Well, look on the bright side,” Pearl cut in with as much of an encouraging smile as she could muster. “At least you got this thing away from her before she could do any real damage.”

“Yeah…” Steven and Mabel both smiled at this, glad to know that, despite Peridot’s burning betrayal, in the grand scheme of things, the Earth would stay safe. Until…

A sudden explosion rattled the entire area, its center being the barn itself as one of its sides was effectively blown clean off. Everyone turned with apt alarm to see a familiar green robot bursting out of the building, leaving a trail of clear destruction in its wake as it stormed towards them, piloted by a manically laughing green Gem all the while. “Free! Freeeeedom!” Peridot proclaimed, making an obvious beeline towards them. Or more specifically, towards the communicator they now possessed instead of her.

“What?!” Ford exclaimed, quite surprised to see that Peridot and McGucket’s robot was still functional at all.

“H-how did she escape?!” Steven asked with newfound fear over the bot bounding their way. He quickly got an answer, however, as the green Gem’s bot chucked one of the truck’s doors towards them, only barely missing the kids as it landed hard in front of them.

“Fools!” Peridot shouted triumphantly. “Your invisible rotary shield was no match for me once I applied logic!”

“Yeah! Whatever little bit of logic you actually have!” Dipper taunted back, only for Ford to narrowly pull both him and Mabel out of the way of the rest of the truck Peridot launched at them in turn.

“Now, I’m going to do this right…” Peridot grinned, prepping her bot to take on the Gems as they rushed towards her, their weapons drawn for the fray. The green Gem lashed out, wasting no time on her opponents as she quickly knocked Garnet aside. The communicator passed hands between Pearl and Amethyst a number of times, but in the midst of their frantic tossing, Peridot managed to intervene, snatching the device away just before the white Gem could nab it. “See!?” the green Gem exclaimed, hitting both of the other Gems away just as they tried to steal it back. “None of you know what you’re doing!”

With the communicator finally in her grasp again, Peridot wasted no time in making a hasty retreat in order to get it out of everyone else’s range. However, none of the others were willing to let the green Gem go through with her alarming plans so easily.

“Ohhh, ok! I’ve been ready for this!” Amethyst exclaimed angrily, quickly shapeshifting her form into a sizable, functional helicopter. “Get in!” she shouted to the others, her tone fierce enough to curb any and all comments as they all piled into her surprisingly roomy cockpit.

“Oh, of all the times for me to leave my hyper-sonic magnetic propulsion gun at home,” Ford shook his head as he made sure the twins were secure in their seats. “That would have been more than enough to take Peridot and her robot out in a single shot. Then again, Fiddleford worked on that robot and he usually built his inventions to withstand mine on purpose, so… maybe not.”

“Wait, where’s Steven?” Pearl interjected, noticing that the young Gem was the only one not seated in Amethyst’s cockpit.

“Stupid Peridot, stupid robot!” the young Gem fussed to himself from just a few feet away, still caught up in his earlier woes. “Why did I always have to go and encourage her in the first place?!”

“There’s no time for feeling horrible,” Garnet called as she shapeshifted her arm to reach Steven and pull him onto her lap. “We have to catch Peridot before she contacts Yellow Diamond.”

“That’s right,” Pearl nodded, patting Steven’s head. “You can feel horrible all you want back at the temple.”

With all of her passengers finally ready to go, Amethyst took off, her propeller speeding her onward across the farmland Peridot had already gotten a head start on. All the same, it didn’t take long for the purple Gem to catch up to the rampaging bot, which was in the midst of struggling to twist the communicator the proper way and failing completely, much to Peridot’s growing frustration.

“Grr, come on…” the green Gem growled to herself as her robot’s stubby claws fumbled with the communicator. “Work already, you insipid little-”

“Hey, Perisnot!” Amethyst taunted as she suddenly flew right by the green Gem. Peridot gasped in alarm as the purple Gem overtook her, Garnet and Pearl each launching their own attacks from her cockpit. The white Gem’s spear clipped the robot’s hull first, though the Gem leader’s launched gauntlets were what ended up actually taking the bot down. The blast was enough to knock the machine into a nearby power line, giving it enough of a zap to disable it entirely. As battered and broken as the robot was, it tumbled down the hill before its scattered pieces came to rest in the wide field below, including Peridot and the communicator she had been holding onto.

It took the green Gem a moment to pick herself up and regather her bearings after the crash, but as soon as she spotted the communicator lying in the grass just a few feet away, she didn’t hesitate to spring towards it. Right before she could reach it however, a sudden blast from above derailed her, knocking her back as she briefly glared up at its source.

“Well, I may not have hyper-sonic magnetic propulsion gun,” Ford remarked with a smirk as he spun a much smaller, simpler blaster in his grip. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t go out unprepared.”

For once, Peridot didn’t send any sort of snide remark back as she instead refocused her efforts on the communicator. At the same time, Amethyst went in low as everyone unboarded her, allowing her to resume her usual form as everyone rushed to stop the green Gem before it was too late. They all pounced on her more or less at the same time, creating an essential dogpile as they all scrambled to secure the communicator first while further destroying the robot in the process. Peridot herself only barely managed to sneak out of the wreckage, though she wasn’t as unseen as she had hoped, for only seconds later, Steven was upon her, with Mabel and Dipper following suit right after. The four of them all leapt for the fallen communicator at once, creating an uproarious struggle with no clear winners in sight.

“You’re not gonna get away with this!” Steven shouted as he tried his best to yank the communicator out of Peridot’s hands.

“Yeah!” Dipper added just as fiercely. “If you think you’re actually going to let you get in touch with Homeworld, then you’ve got another thing coming.”

“And you’ve got another thing coming if you think you can stop me, you pesky, persistent pebbles!” Peridot snapped, trying her best to kick the kids away to no avail.

“Augh! You don’t get it, do you!?” Mabel cried as she pulled hard against Peridot, finally letting her grief and frustration with the situation as a whole pour out. “We trusted you! We all trusted you! We all wanted you to change and be better than this, but you’re not!”

“We spent all that time bonding and hoping and caring about you!” Steven added amidst the ongoing struggle. “But it was all for nothing!”

“And that’s exactly your problem!” Peridot bristled as she finally pulled the communicator out of the kids’ reach. “Your emotions rule out reason! You waste all your time ‘caring’ and ‘trusting’ when you could be spending it actually doing important things like saving this pathetic planet! Which is why if none of you will, then I’ll make sure to do what must be done!”

None of the kids had a chance to counter this as the green Gem suddenly snapped the communicator on. The device’s surface instantly enveloped itself in a radiant yellow glow as it rose into the air, far out of anyone’s reach as Peridot laughed excitedly over her victory. “She’ll sort this out…” she grinned, more than ready to detail everything she had planned to her Diamond.

At the same time, the Gems rushed in, grabbing all three of the kids as the communicator continued to brighten. Everyone save for Peridot herself was quick to take cover out of sight behind the fallen robot as the communicator opened up, creating a holographic screen that flashed with the visage of four different colored diamonds. Peridot’s growing excitement grew practically manic as the telltale insignia faded away to what she hoped would be Yellow Diamond herself.

“This is the Yellow Diamond control room.” Instead of the Gem matriarch, another Gem entirely appeared on the other end of the line. Her coloration was unquestionably and appropriately yellow and her attire simple yet elegant all the same. However, what was most telling was her appearance, which was far too familiar for the kids in particular to not immediately pick up on, even from their hiding spot from afar.

“Is that… another Pearl?” Dipper asked, aptly dumbfounded.

“Ooo… she’s really fancy…” Mabel noted, somewhat impressed by her style.

“Who is she?” Steven asked Pearl herself, though the white Gem simply let out a harsh scoff at the question.

“Not all Pearls know each other, Steven,” she remarked rather curtly as the Yellow Pearl addressed Peridot.

“Who authorized you to make this call?” she asked, sending the green Gem a cold look of clear disapproval.

“N-no one,” Peridot answered stiffly, but truthfully. “B-but its an emergency!”

“That’s NO excuse to use the direct Diamond communication channel!” Yellow Pearl snapped harshly, only for another voice to cut into the conversation entirely.

“Pearl.”

Yellow Pearl flinched at this deeper, calmer tone, one that she instantly perked towards as she turned to its off-screen source. “Y-yes, my Diamond?”

“Why is there someone on the Diamond Line?”

“I-I don’t know!” Yellow Pearl exclaimed. “I was just about to tell her that-”

“I’ll take it from here.” The hologram suddenly shifted position, revealing exactly who Peridot had been hoping to speak to in the first place: Yellow Diamond.

Yellow Diamond was, simply put, absolutely radiant. Her poise and posture alone told of a figure with unspoken authority and power. Her figure was astute, elegant, yet firm and lithe, clad in a simple, stately uniform that was telling of a military leader. Her hair was short and angular, her features lovely, yet sharp and dark. In fact, just about everything about her could be summed up as sharp, from her large, pointed shoulder pads, to the shimmering stone resting on the center of her chest, to even her pupils: clear perfect diamonds resting amidst bright, vibrant golden yellow. She sat casually upon a crystalline throne, the vast expanses of space stretching out through the large windows behind her as she typed away on the countless number of holographic screens before her, sparing not even a passing glance at the Peridot who had been so bold as to contact her personally.

“Y-Yellow Diamond…” Pearl whispered fearfully, her trembling hands skimming her mouth as she tucked away behind the robot’s wreckage.

“Yellow Diamond…” Garnet echoed much more coldly, glaring towards the Gem matriarch from their unseen spot.

“Yellow Diamond…” Ford finished just as bitterly, though more to himself than anyone else as he set the depicted Diamond a personal scowl of ire all his own.

Meanwhile, Steven and Mabel exchanged a stunned, yet fearful glance, not really knowing what else to expect from the Gem matriarch based on her stern, severe appearance alone. At the same time, Dipper simply stared her down unflinchingly, knowing that despite Peridot’s foolish conviction, Yellow Diamond would likely still have every ill intent against the Earth. She was still a foe, no matter what she said or what she did and that was something that no attempt at pleading or appealing would likely ever change.

But that didn’t mean Peridot wasn’t going to try all the same. “M-My Diamond!” the green Gem saluted her leader respectfully. “Peridot, reporting in.”

“Which Peridot?” Yellow Diamond asked, her tone bored as she continued on with the work in front of her.

Peridot flinched at this, suddenly remembering something she’d largely forgotten about during her time on Earth. That she wasn’t really anything special; she was just one out of countless other Peridots, a fact that had seemed to fade into the back of her mind when she was on a planet where she was apparently one of a kind. “F-Facet 2-F-5-L, Cut 5-X-G,” she reported her designation dutifully all the same. “I’m sorry to contact you this way, but all other forms of communication have been destroyed, and-”

The green Gem starkly cut herself off as Yellow Diamond simply raised a hand to silence her, her attention turned away on one of her many data screens instead. “This says you’re behind schedule on your mission to…” She trailed off before finally turning to face her underling with a cold, calculated gaze. “How is… the Earth?”

“I-it’s… full of life,” Peridot said, with a hopeful shrug.

“Organic life…” the matriarch sneered in disgust. “And where is the Jasper I assigned you? And why aren’t you calling from the ship?”

“T-the ship was… destroyed…” Peridot admitted rather sheepishly.

“By whom?” Yellow Diamond asked, her eyes narrowing.

“I-it was destroyed by…” the green Gem trailed off, sparing a brief glance at the group hiding behind her. Her eyes briefly met Steven’s first, then Mabel’s, their expressions awash with equal fear that Peridot would rat them out to her Diamond. But instead, of all things, she didn’t. “N-no one!” she vouched, electing surprise from just about everyone in the concealed group. “There was an accident… while we were landing.”

Yellow Diamond sent a brief, disgruntled glare to her underling upon hearing this, but all the same, she was quick to return her attention back to work just as before. “I’ll inform your manager of your incompetence,” she scoffed dourly. “And what is the status of the Cluster?”

“The Cluster… w-will emerge shortly…” Peridot reported halfheartedly.

“Good,” the matriarch finally smiled in clear vindication over this fact. “We’ll finally have some use out of that miserable planet. Thank you for your report, Peridot. There will be a ship heading to your location to take you to your next assignment.”

“W-wait!” Peridot interjected hastily, anxiously. “I wouldn’t have called to waste your time with a report.”

“You already have…” Yellow Diamond scowled, though she still let the green Gem continue all the same.

“No, I-I mean… I… I wanted to…” Peridot trailed off, glancing down apprehensively. She was more than ready to divulge her ideas for preserving the Earth while also making the most efficient use of its resources for Homeworld’s benefit. And yet, just before she could, she was overwhelmed by a rather unsavory rumor she couldn’t shake, especially now as she stood before the Diamond it concerned herself. Which was why, despite the thin ice she already knew she was treading on, Peridot went off on an entirely different tangent instead. “I-I wanted to ask if…” she began, making sure to pose this question as carefully as she could. “I-if you’ve ever heard of a being who goes by the name of… Bill Cipher?”

The reaction to the demon’s name alone from both the Diamond and her Pearl was instant and telling. Yellow Pearl let out a sharp, fearful gasp as she cowered back in alarm. Yellow Diamond herself turned to fully face the green Gem, her previously icy expression instead filled with an undeniably angry sense of curiosity. Likewise, the group gathered behind the robot all carried their own startled reactions to Peridot bringing Bill up at a time like this especially, but even so, they listened carefully for whatever the Diamond might have to say about him.

“Where did you hear that name?” she asked, her burning gaze practically piercing Peridot cleanly through.

“I-I…” the green Gem hesitated, fear too afraid to fully divulge her dealings with the demon to her Diamond, so she went with a much simply explanation instead. “H-here, on Earth, m-my Diamond.”

“Hm,” the matriarch mused, her manner still largely unreadable. “And what gives you the impression that I would know of such a… ‘being’, as you put it?”

“H-he… he said you… t-that the two of you… had an… alliance?”

“What?!” Ford asked in a harsh whisper upon hearing this, the kids and the Gems all echoing his shock with startled gasps of their own.

“I-It can’t be true…” Pearl shook her head, trembling in apt terror at the very thought. “Please say it’s not…”

“Oh, did he now?” Yellow Diamond rolled her eyes, seemingly unconcerned by the green Gem possessing such knowledge. “How… amusing. Though I thought I made it quite clear to that… irksome demon that I did NOT want word of our partnership spreading to the lower ranks. But then again, listening has never been his strong suit…”

“S-so its true then?” Peridot asked, looking to her Diamond with immense, almost pleading dismay to hear the opposite. “Y-you really are working with him?”

“I fail to see how that information is of ANY concern to you,” Yellow Diamond countered as coldly as ever as she prepared to end the call right there and then. “Now, if that will be all then-”

“O-one more thing!” Peridot interrupted anxiously. Despite the effective confirmation of her Diamond working hand in hand with someone as dastardly and deceitful as Bill Cipher, the green Gem still believed she could make her matriarch see reason. Both in regards to the planet Earth and perhaps even in regards to what would no doubt be an ill-fated alliance with the dream demon unless someone helped her see the truth.

“What could it possibly be now?” Yellow Diamond asked, clearly exasperated.

“T-the reason I called…” the green Gem began, still quite nervous as she began to make her genuine appeal. “The real reason, wasn’t to give a report or to talk about Cipher. Instead, I… I believe we should terminate the Cluster!”

“…Why?” the matriarch asked, her quiet, yet icy voice and gaze sending shivers throughout the green Gem’s entire form.

“T-the organic geosystem creates resources unique to this world,” Peridot explained with rising hope that her Diamond would listen, even despite the matriarch’s clearly sullen expression. “We can’t sacrifice all that potential for one geo-weapon! I’d like to tell you some plans I came up with to utilize the planet without disrupting the local-”

“That’s enough,” Yellow Diamond cut her off swiftly and sternly. “I don’t care about ‘potential’ and ‘resources’.”

“W-what?” Peridot asked, taken aback by such a harsh rejection.

“I want my Cluster,” the matriarch said simply, succinctly. “And I want that planet to die. Just make that happen.”

“No!” Peridot protested, speaking before she could even think of what she was saying.

Now it was apparently Yellow Diamond’s turn to be taken aback, her sharp gaze focusing on the green Gem before her in a bitter, hostile glare. Her Pearl let out an appalled gasp at such a rebellion, but even so, the matriarch remained steady when dealing with it. “Are you questioning my authority?”

“I-I’m questioning your objectivity, m-my Diamond!” Peridot countered, offering her leader a quick, respectful salute. One that did nothing to quell the matriarch’s rising anger.

“Well!” Yellow Pearl huffed, shocked at such brashness. Her alarm grew even more when Yellow Diamond suddenly rose from her throne, standing at her full, massive, imposing height that towered well above the green Gem who had brazenly chosen to oppose her.

“You are out of line.”

“I-I just think-”

“I am not interested in the puny thoughts of a Peridot,” Yellow Diamond continued, ignoring Peridot’s best attempts at breaking through to her.

“But I-”

“You have disrespected this channel, and my time with your presence and you would do well to-”

“But-”

“Shut your mouth!” the matriarch snapped, finally silencing the already fearful green Gem as she continued in her outraged tirade. “You have failed at every step of your mission. Your only chance to redeem yourself is to obey this simple order: you are to leave the Cluster to grow. It will tear apart the Earth, and I will take immense satisfaction in erasing that hideous rock off of our star maps once and for all! Is that CLEAR?!”

“I won’t do it!” Peridot shouted back with every ounce of courage she had in her. She had her worries before, from the moment she learned about the matriarch’s apparent alliance with Cipher himself that her judgement was questionable. But now, after everything she’d just heard, she had no doubt; Yellow Diamond didn’t want or care about what was best for the Earth like she did. The only thing she wanted was to see it destroyed, a plan that, after all the time she had spent there, all she had come to experience and see and learn there, all of the friends she had met there, Peridot refused to let come to fruition. “I can tell you with certainty that there are things on this planet worth protecting!”

Upon hearing this, Steven and Mabel couldn’t stifle a shared smile, even while all of the others continued to watch the ongoing exchange with rising alarm. Regardless of her earlier slip-up, it seemed as though Peridot really had learned something during her time on Earth after all. Many things, in fact, and she was proudly displaying all that she had learned right here and right now for her Diamond, and for everyone else, to plainly see.

Yellow Diamond, however, was far from impressed by this callous defiance. “What do YOU know about the Earth?!” she shouted viciously, but this time, Peridot did not back down. Instead, the green Gem went in with everything she had and then some as she staked her claim and solidified what side she stood on once and for all.

“Apparently more than YOU, you… CLOD!”

As poised and calm as she had been before, Yellow Diamond’s regal manner instantly broke in raw, uncontained fury upon having such a disrespectful insult hurled at her. Her palpable outrage was more than enough to shake blind terror right back into Peridot as she quickly saluted out of habit more than anything else before hanging up the call. “P-Peridot out!” she exclaimed, grabbing the communicator and instantly ending the feed. Yellow Diamond and her Pearl disappeared from sight, though there was no question that on the other end of the line, the matriarch, wherever she was, was still absolutely fuming over the measly Peridot who had somehow worked up enough nerve to call her a clod, of all things, right to her face.

With the call over and the danger diminished, the others didn’t hesitate to emerge from hiding and head over to the green Gem’s side. Mabel and Steven were the first to embrace her in a tight, triumphant hug, both of them elated by her bravery and by the choice she had made, by all accounts, entirely on her own.

“Peridot, that was amazing!” Steven exclaimed with a delighted smile.

“Seriously, that was one of the coolest things EVER!” Mabel added, just as enthused.

“I can’t believe I just did that…” Peridot said, rather stunned by her own actions as she stared straight ahead, baffled.

“We were so wrong about being so wrong about you!” the young Gem said, more than glad to be wrong in this instance.

“I can’t believe I just did that…” Peridot repeated, still largely in a panicked daze.

“You thought you could change her mind,” Garnet said with the smallest of proud smiles.

“But Yellow D got torn down by the ‘Peri-dactyl’!” Amethyst quipped with a bright cheer.

“Uh, I know we’re all really excited about this, but don’t you guys think we should talk about the whole Bill Cipher and Yellow Diamond working together thing?” Dipper interjected with tight, anxious worry. “Because I really think we should talk about that.”

“I agree,” Ford nodded admantly, gravely. “On their own, the threat that each of them poses already can’t be understated but with Bill’s powers and Yellow Diamond’s resources combined, I don’t even want to think about what that could mean for the planet—no, the very multiverse itself!”

“Then let’s not,” Garnet said succinctly.

“W-what?” Pearl balked, confused as she shared Ford and Dipper’s understandable concern. “But Garnet, we have no idea what this heinous ‘alliance’ of theirs could mean for the Earth or for us or for-”

“There’ll be plenty of time to worry about all that later,” the Gem leader shook her head before turning back to the rather distraught green Gem. “For now, we have something to celebrate, so let’s enjoy it while it lasts.”

“Not yet we don’t…” Peridot sighed as she handed the communicator off to Pearl. “Can one of you take this?”

“Why?” Pearl asked as she took the device.

“Because it can be remotely detonated.”

A ripple of newfound alarm spread through the group at this, especially as the communicator began flashing a bright shade of yellow. “W-why didn’t you tell us that earlier?!” Dipper asked Peridot, who had simply resigned herself to lying on the ground, forlorn.

“How do we stop it?!” Pearl asked, holding the device as far away from her as possible.

“Just get rid of it!” Garnet ordered hastily.

“Amethyst, here!” the white Gem tossed it down to the purple Gem beside her.

“What am I supposed to do with it?!” she shouted frantically before Steven quickly grabbed it and securely bubbled it. Still, Garnet didn’t take any chances with it as she took said bubble and sent it flying far and high into the dawn sky with as much force as she could muster. Sure enough, the communicator exploded safely, creating nothing more than a quickly-dying firework that left nothing behind in its wake.

“Woo!” Mabel cheered excitedly. “Well, that’s one way to start a Saturday morning!”

“I’ll say…” Pearl agreed, letting out an anxious breath.

“I thought I could reason with her…” Peridot spoke up from her spot on the ground, still shaken over what she’d just done.

“Yeah, you made her really mad,” Amethyst chuckled, amused.

“And then you insulted her to her face,” Pearl added with a small smile.

“Which… was pretty amazing,” Dipper added, forcing a bit of a much-needed laugh, even despite the extenuating circumstances. “And honestly kind of hilarious. Even for you.”

”Do you know what this means, Peri?” Mabel asked with a wide, delighted smile. “We’re all best friends again! I knew you wouldn’t let us down when it really mattered and you didn’t! I’m so proud of you!”

“We all are!” Steven chimed in warmly. “And you know what else this means?”

“And I’m a traitor to my Homeworld?” Peridot asked morosely.

“Nope!” Steven’s grin widened as he embraced the green Gem once more. “You’re a Crystal Gem!”

“Whether you like it or not,” Garnet added with a wry smirk. The others all got a good laugh out of this, though Peridot herself simply let out a loud, long, mortified groan. Of all the things that could have happened, the green Gem had never once expected herself to actually become a part of the team of rouges and rebels who had stranded her on Earth to begin with. And yet, here she was, a Crystal Gem all the same, just as Garnet had said, whether she liked it or not.

And if Peridot was perfectly honest with herself, deep down, she truly did like it after all.

***

The receiving end of the Diamond Line shattered into thousands of iridescent pieces as it struck the far wall of the opulent chamber. Yellow Pearl squeaked out a gasp, trembling in fear of her Diamond’s infamous temper as she clung close to the massive throne beside her, watching as the matriarch vetted her immense fury without a single beat of hesitation.

“How DARE that insignificant little traitor try to make a fool out of ME?!” Yellow Diamond shouted hotly, her gloved hands clenched into tight fists as she paced around her spacious chamber. “Why, I haven’t seen such blatant, despicable disrespect and defiance from such a lowly Gem in thousands of years!”

“M-My Diamond?” Yellow Pearl spoke up with an unsteady, wavering smile. “I-if it’s any consolation, I don’t think you’re a clod!”

Her attempt at a consolation was, however, completely ignored as Yellow Diamond continued her uproarious monologue. “If I didn’t have much better things to do with my time, I’d go down to that disgusting speck of a world and shatter that insolent whelp myself! Fortunately though…” the matriarch finally broke into a small, dark grin, even though it was clear she was still quite unhinged in her remaining fury. “The Cluster will take care of that minor aggravation for me…”

“I-it most certainly will, my Diamond!” Yellow Pearl piped up, only to be largely looked over by her matriarch once more.

“But even so, the audacity of that pathetic Peridot is absolutely appalling!” she scoffed bitterly. “To even claim that the Earth bears us any sort of use now, after everything it cost us! Its completely absurd! I don’t even want to think of what Blue would say if she heard such a ludicrous idea! Or even worse, what White would say…”

Yellow Pearl choked out a small, frightened whimper at this, though her fear only grew tenfold as a sudden, instantly recognizable voice let out a callous chuckle right beside her. “Ha! Yellow sure is HILARIOUS when she’s ticked off, huh, Canary?”

“AH!” Yellow Pearl cried, flinching away from the dream demon floating alongside her the moment she spotted him. Her surprise was quickly replaced with aggravated frustration, however, to the point that she didn’t even notice color swiftly drain out of the throne room altogether. “Augh! You again…”

“Great to see you too, Canary!” Bill quipped as brightly as ever, patting the Pearl on her pointed hair condescendingly. “It’s been WAY too long since I’ve caught up with you and Yellow!”

“Not nearly long enough, if you ask me…” Yellow Pearl grumbled sourly, though she did breathe a small sigh of relief as the demon turned his attention away from her and to her angry matriarch instead.

“Y-ellow, Yellow!” Bill greeted cheerfully as he suddenly appeared right in front of the incensed Diamond’s face. “How’s it goin’? I’m not interrupting anything important, am I?”

“YOU!” Yellow Diamond scowled, glaring the demon down harshly. “What in the stars do you think you’re doing, going around and haphazardly divulging confidential plans and classified arrangements to the most commonplace members of my court?!”

“Why, Yellow, I have NO idea what you mean…” Bill remarked, feigning innocence.

“You know full well what I mean,” the matriarch scowled, instantly calling his bluff. “The Peridot stationed on Earth! She said you made contact with her and laid out all of the undisclosed details of our alliance without my permission. And you’re going to tell me exactly why you did this instant!”

“Yeesh, Yellow! Better simmer down over there, otherwise ya might just end up SHATTERING yourself on accident!” Bill joked with a rather mocking chuckle. “Remind you of anyone you used to know?”

Yellow Diamond let out a disgusted, appalled scoff at this, her rage growing even more as she tried to swat the demon clean out of the air on her fury alone. “How dare you even mention what happened to her in such a way, you despicable-”

“ANYWAY,” Bill interjected quickly, hovering high and calm out of the furious Diamond’s range. “I wouldn’t worry about ol’ Greenie if I we you. In case you haven’t noticed, she’s really not the brightest Gem in the case.

“You mean the Peridot?” Yellow Diamond calmed somewhat, raising an eyebrow up at the demon. “Well, I certainly can’t argue with that, given her foolish choice to rebel against me.”

“Speaking of rebels…” Bill began leadingly. “You really don’t think Greenie came up with that whole ‘let’s save the Earth’ idea on her own, do you? Especially since you sent her there to check up on the very thing that’s supposed to blow it all to oblivion in the first place? Sorta makes you think that maybe… just maybe… someone might have… inspired her to act up like that, don’t ya think?”

“…What are you saying?” Yellow Diamond asked, narrowing her eyes at the demon curiously.

“I’m saying…” Bill continued, shrinking himself down so he could take a seat on the matriarch’s shoulder pad. “That all those pesky rebels you, Blue, and White thought you got rid of way back when… aren’t as ‘gone’ as you’d like to think.”

“WHAT?!” the matriarch’s stark, stunned shout echoed throughout the chamber. “Show me! Now!”

“If you say so, Yellow…” Bill almost cheerfully complied, gliding before the Diamond and using his flat form to present images of Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl alike to her. “Not a ton of those Crystal Chumps are still kicking, but the ones that are sure are a pain in the equilateral sides, if ya know what I mean. Plus, they’ve even picked up a handful of human pals to help them out from time to time,” Bill continued, showing off each of the Pines as well. “As if they couldn’t get any MORE annoying, huh?”

“Hmph,” Yellow Diamond scoffed, seemingly unconcerned by the lot she had just seen. “A few mere straggling Off-Colors and their pathetic human pets are nothing. The Cluster will wipe them and everything else on that miserable rock out soon enough.”

“Yeah, suuuure it will,” Bill remarked with a flippant wave of his hand. “But here’s the kicker, Yellow. Take a look at who ELSE is still down there, having a GRAND old time spending the past several centuries celebrating ‘her’ victory over you-know-who…”

The matriarch gasped, her eyes wide as she noticed the image of a lone pink gemstone hovering over the demon’s open palm. A gemstone, that for all its infamy across all of Homeworld, she would have recognized anywhere. “Rose Quartz…”

“You got it!” Bill quipped, snapping the gemstone away. “Everybody’s FAVORITE Quartz is still alive and well, unlike a certain… ‘little sis’ of yours she went and wiped out of existence just to save some dumb old planet and a bunch of dumb old humans. Seems like a pretty raw deal that she got to survive when poor little Pinky didn’t… huh, Yellow?”

Yellow Diamond’s former fury was nothing compared to the absolute raw, wrath she was showing now. Her fists were so tight they were shaking, sparks of bright electricity bursting all over her form as her anger consumed her from the inside out. “A mercifully short end brought about by the Cluster is far too good for that… that shatterer…” she seethed, her voice quiet, but the fury in it as clear as day. “Cipher! I have another request for you!”

“Oh, do you now?” Bill asked, almost gleefully curious. “Well, lay it on me, Yellow! I’m sure I’d LOVE to hear it!”

“Bring me Rose Quartz before the Cluster destroys the Earth,” Yellow Diamond ordered coldly, viciously. “I want to be the one to shatter her myself, just like she shattered-” The matriarch cut herself off, her expression filling with pain that she couldn’t even bear to speak to, though she was quick to shake it away. “J-just… just bring her to me. Whatever it takes…”

“You know, normally I’d be all for that kind of hellbent revenge, Yellow,” Bill remarked calmly, casually almost. “But I think I’ve got an even BETTER idea for ya. Me and my pals have a little bit of… unfinished business to take care of down there on Earth in the not-too-far-off future. What do you say to the idea of joining us when we get down there—heck, make a whole trip of it if ya want, complete with your snazzy armada and everything!? That way, you can grind Quartzy up into a bunch of pink stardust the moment you see her, right in front of what’s left of her little army on her own doomed planet, just like ya want! What do you think? Sounds like a winner, just like ALL of my plans do, right?”

“Hm…” A small, vindictive smile filled the Diamond’s features at this. “Yes… The crushing defeat she deserves on the very planet she thought she won from us…. I do like the sound of that quite a bit…”

“So… I take it you’re in then?” Bill asked knowingly, stretching a blue, flaming hand out to seal the deal.

Yellow Diamond’s sadistic smile deepened at this, more than ready to exact the vengeance she had been craving for over 5,000 years now. “Yes, I am,” she firmly, readily agreed, returning the demon’s handshake to solidify their latest treacherous plan. “Rose Quartz’s years of running and hiding are over. Now, its her turn to face the very same fate she brought upon Pink…”

“Oh, Yellow…” Bill laughed more to himself that to the matriarch, knowing the truth that she didn’t and exactly how he could use it all to his advantage in his long, ongoing game. A game that was, by all accounts, very close to reaching its ultimate end. “You have NO idea…”

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tasty0kitsune0brains · 6 years ago

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My Theory On Sopor

So, I just had this probably dumb idea that might not even make sense canonically or just in general, or maybe even is just something that has already been talked about/brought up somewhere, but I'm gonna say it anyway --

What if the only reason trolls have nightmares/can't sleep without sopor is because they have withdrawals? What if the only reason they're so dependent on it is because they've been conditioned from birth to sleep in it, to need it? I mean, it's been made very obvious through Gamzee that it's essentially a really strong drug, so I don't think it would be entirely impossible for their dependence on it to be the reason they have such bad side effects without it. It's kind of like with me and my sleeping medication -- I need to take it otherwise I can stay awake for a whole week straight with absolutely no sleep if I wanted to/needed to, and when I do go to sleep, I have terrible nightmares, nightmares bad enough to make me WANT to stay awake for that whole week. You could say that example could also work with how the trolls' dependence on sopor is just a normal, natural thing for every troll, but most people, normal people, don't deal with the stuff I do if I don't take my meds, so I still count it as representing my theory. A drug that I'm dependent on that isn't meant to be normal/natural. (Yeesh, I hope that made sense.)

It also makes sense in consideration to the Condesce, right? She could use something like that to keep the masses weak and easily conformable. If they're all extremely dependent on sopor, they can't rise up and rebel. At least not successfully. An example of something like this in history is the Opium War between England and China. If I remember right, England was trying its hardest to keep the people of China dependent on opium so that they could use them whatever way they wanted more effectively. When China eventually banned the opium trade, they still smuggled it in, and that's what caused the war. Or something similar, I'm an idiot and I have the memory of a fish with Alzheimers, so I could be recalling this wrong.

Remember in Hiveswap, when you find out that Dammek sometimes makes Xefros sleep outside his recuperacoon, on the floor? Maybe he wasn't just being an asshole like almost everyone assumes, maybe he knew or thought or even just suspected that they don't naturally require sopor to sleep and it was just a ploy by the fuchsia bloods to keep them dependent and in line, perfectly subjugated. He was the leader of a rebellion and a major conspiracy theorist, so it would make sense if he figured it out or at least just thought he did (if I'm completely incorrect about this). I'm pretty sure he also spent many nights on the floor as well, or at least some nights, so he could have figured it out the hard way too. If I remember right, he said the whole point of him making Xefros sleep on the floor was to eliminate his dependency on his recuperacoon in case there was ever a worst-case scenario where he wouldn't be able to use it, which would make sense if my theory is correct. If I'm wrong, though, or this doesn't make sense, you can all blast me in the comments saying that Dammek is just an asshole.

Now, I'm not sure if I'm just over thinking this, but I think it makes sense. As I said before, I'm not sure if anyone else has said anything about this before, so I apologize if I'm just repeating an old theory. If this has already been disproven or if this doesn't line up canonically, I apologize again. I also might have more thoughts about this or proof or whatever that I haven't already stated, but I can't for the life of me remember anything else, so this is it. If I repeated the same thing, I apologize yet again. I have a habit of doing that when I'm trying to transfer the ideas from my brain onto a piece of paper, or in this case, into my tablet, and I may have missed some of it as I was reading this over to look for stuff like that and proofread to the best of my ability and stuff like that.

Assuming anyone read this far, please, tell me what you think of this theory. Do you agree? Disagree? Have more evidence in support? Have evidence against this theory? I'm curious to see other people's thoughts on this. Thank you for listening, and stay safe, children!

EDIT:

I JUST REMEMBERED ONE OF MY BIGGEST PIECES OF EVIDENCE FOR THIS! HOW DID I FORGET TO ADD THIS?!

Okay, so you know how Signless pretty much lived outside of civilization because he was a mutant blood? And Dolorosa raised him instead of a lusus? And she was also on the run when she was raising him? There was no way in hell either of them managed to sleep in a recuperacoon during that time, right? So, they had no sopor during that time. That was such a long time that surely they would have gone insane eventually if they truly naturally needed sopor to sleep properly and not have raging, terrifying nightmares, right? You cannot tell me that Signless slept with sopor. There's no way. And then his followers, like Psiionic and Disciple, would have been on the run too the moment they started following him, and that lasted for years if I recall properly. They survived perfectly well without sopor too.

That's the most important point in my theory, and I forGOT TO MENTION IT that Signless would have had to have grown up without any sopor at all, and he lived a great life. (*cough* Until he got captured and executed *cough*) Not to mention, his lack of sopor likely contributed to his ability to become the worst, biggest threat to the Condesce's throne/rule/power/empire/whatever you want to call it, further supporting the idea that she uses sopor to control the masses.

If that doesn't convince people that my theory could hold at least some truth, nothing will. Now, hopefully I'm not just overthinking this and I don't end up looking like an idiot, but I genuinely think this has some potential to be true.

#homestuck #hiveswap #theory #sopor #spoilers #i guess #trolls #alternia #i need sleep #fan theory #i hope this makes sense #i hope no one has done this yet #but thats just a theory #a game theory #okay ill shut up now

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neurvelist · 7 years ago

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To actually answer the meme I totally forgot about @blaketheshifter

The High Priestess: what's your dream date?

A date when I'm just comfortable. When I don't stress about making a complete fool out of myself. When I'm capable of contributing to tge conversation and keep it alive. When I don't fear leaving my partner uninterested.

Also it's somewhere away from people where it's just the two of us, a campfire, marshmallows and the forest. (Really does sound like a childish dream, huh.)

The Devil: do you enjoy thunderstorms?

No. I have a slight fear of loud noises in general, thunderstorms make me very uncomfortable. I take the rain any time, thunders are beautiful but the loud noise is just a huge no for me.

The Tower: favourite colours to wear.

I wear black almost all the time and that's what I'm the most comfortable with but sometimes I add colours and it's blue that goes the best with it for me. I also enjoy red and green - one piece of cloth coloured and the rest black or white, that's the only way I have actual colours in my outfit.

The Sun: Do you believe in magic?

The much I'd like to, I don't think I can. (Yeesh, sounds like someone didn't get his Hogwarts letter...)

#fj.txt #lol i'm horribly unfamiliar with tarot cards so i sure didn't realise

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save-the-cronch · 7 years ago

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Tree Bros - Superhero AU

Word Count: 3218 (Yeesh)

Warnings: Swearing, mentions of bruises, scars, and death. Also suffocating.

Evan Hansen was your typical college student, who also fought as super hero whenever needed. When he wasn't protecting his city, he was just a normal boy with anxiety, who had the constant load of homework, and ran on little sleep, and no coffee as it made his nerves worse. When he wasn’t a regular student, he was a superhero, fighting crime with his badass plant powers. Also, he might have a slight crush on the kid in his creative writing class. His name was Connor Murphy and Evan didn’t think anything could change his perfectness. Connor had shoulder length wavy brown hair. His eyes were blue, but if you could get close enough, which was very hard, you can see the small patch of brown in his right eye. He was tall, and lanky. He didn’t talk much, but his teacher always shared his stories, and they were beautifully written. So, in Evan’s mind, nothing could ever change how perfect Connor is, even if he some how was the maniac, Hell Fire, that he fought basically once a week. However, Connor was most definitely not Hell Fire, it’d be impossible. How could Evan even remotely like a villain anyways?

Evan couldn’t be more wrong.

Connor Murphy, another college student. He was none as the broody stoner that wrote amazing stories. Connor didn’t always go to every class, sometimes he’d skip to smoke, or try and destroy the city, but he was always stopped by that dumbass superhero Evergreen. First of all, how do the plants, that he magically grows, withstand his fierce ice powers. Yea, I know, his name is confusing. Hell Fire with Ice? Well, ice is as cold as hell, hence hell fire, means ice. However, there’s always one class he never skips, creative writing. It’s for two reasons really. He actually likes the class, mainly because his teacher actually treats him like a human. I mean, if his parents cared just a little bit, he’d probably be a hero instead of a villain, but they messed up that shot. The other reason is Evan Hansen, the quiet, sandy haired kid that sits behind him. He has great stories, but even better poems. The only small problem with Evan, is that if Connor ever asked him out like he wanted to, he’d eventually find out that Connor is a villain and he’d be left instantly. Although, it’s not like Evan would say yes on the first place. Even if he was into guys, which Connor wasn’t sure of.

One quiet afternoon, while Evan was walking across the quad, he wasn’t looking where he was going, as he was reading a book about redwood forests, and he crashed into a figure wearing black.

Evan crashed to the ground, dropping his book in the process.

“Oh, shit, sorry.” A masculine voice said from above Evan.

Already nervous with the fact that he’ll probably have to have a small conversation with whoever bumped into him, Evan lifts his head to look at the guy he bumped into. Oh great, Connor Murphy.

“Oh, n-no, it’s okay. I-I wasn’t lo-looking, I-I should be sa-saying s-so-sorry,” Evan just managed to stutter out a whole sentence.

Nice job, fucker, he probably thinks you’re insane now, way to go, dumbass.

“Neither was I, Evan.”

“Evan,” He repeated, then mentally slapped himself about fifty times.

“That’s your name right?” He asks.

“Oh, y-yes it is. S-sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing?”

Great, you made him confused, now he’ll never like you back. Not that he would anyways, you screw up. People only ever like the Evergreen part of you. Not the Evan part.

“It’s just that you said Evan, and then I repeated it, and it’s just so - so annoying when people do that,” Evan rushed out.

“Right, um, I’m Connor.”

“No, no I know.”

SHUT UP EVAN!

“You know?” Connor let’s out a small laugh, not mocking.

“Yeah, um, we’re in the same creative writing class, and the teacher always reads your stories, I love stories, well not all stories, some are bad, but definitely your stories. I mean the stories like your stories. Yeah.” By the end of that little speech, Evan’s whole face is red, and he wishes to go die in a hole.

“Right well, I gotta go, I’ve got some certain things to attend to. But, we’ll talk later yeah?”

Evan just nods, not trusting the way his mouth and brain work together around Connor, well around anyone really.

“Awesome,” Connor fumbles for his bag, and pulls out his phone, “here, type in your number, I’ll text you?”

Evan nods again, going even redder. If that was even possible. He takes Connor’s phone, and types in his number, leaving his contact name as a simple Evan, leaving the name changing up to Connor.

As soon as Evan walks away, Connor adds a little heart to Evan’s contact name, which is completely out of character but the author thinks it’s cute so he has no choice.

One week later, and Evan has found himself pacing his room, as he has done many times before. However, this time is not because he’s stressed for a test, now he’s stressed for his first date with Connor Murphy.

(Yes I’m getting to the fighting stuff, it’ll just take a bit.)

Evan finally stops his pacing, and walks over to his closet. He stares at each shirt, most are blue polos, and finally decides to take the nicest, and by nicest he means the one with the least amount of holes from picking at, shirt in the closet. It’s a blue t-shirt, not a polo, and he has probably worn it once. The shirt actually looks nice on him and is a very nice color, makes his eyes pop.

He then pulls on a pair of jeans, stuffs his wallet into his pocket with his phone, and straps on his watch, which has a handy button on the side to replace his normal clothes with his super suit.

Evan leaves his dorm room, passing his room mate Jared on the way down stairs. They both share a small greeting, and Jared smirks, knowing that Evan is going out on a date with his long time crush.

When Evan exists his dorm building, he can see Connor’s car parked on the other side of the street, with Connor leaning against the passenger side door.

Evan bounds over to Connor, a goofy grin on Evan’s face, and a smirk on Connor’s.

“Hey Ev, you ready to head out?” Connor asks, smirk still implanted on his face.

Evan nods enthusiastically, and Connor opens the door for Evan to hop into the car. Once Evan has his seatbelt on, Connor shuts the door and heads over to his side, getting in and starting the car.

Throughout the date, Evan and Connor switch off telling their own stories. Connor shares that his dad was a complete ass to him, and still is, and Connor was very excited about moving out.

Evan then shares that his dad left town with another women when he was seven, and he hasn’t seen him since.

Connor talks about how he has a sister named Zoe, who hates him, but he’d still protect her with his life. Evan found that adorable.

Evan then mentioned how his only family that he really knows is Heidi, his mother. She had no siblings, so he had no aunt, uncles, or cousins, also, her mother died before Evan was born, and her father died when Evan was three.

They keep up the story telling, and basically tell each other everything. Well, almost everything.

Evan leaves out that he also happens to be the well known, and well worshiped superhero, Evergreen. And Connor just forgot to mention the small detail of him being the monstrous ice villains, Hell Fire.

By the end of the date they already had plans for a second date, and neither boy could be happier. Sadly, they’ll have to face the truth some day.

Five months after they started dating, they’ve begun to notice the others bruises and scars, un knowingly caused by one another. Connor, being the caring boyfriend he is, decides to bring it up one night.

Evan and Connor were watching a kids movie, Finding Nemo. They were curled up on the couch, Connor behind Evan, with Evan’s body in a tight ball. Connor was rubbing soothing circles, thinking about his villain life. It’s not that he wanted to be a villain, he just didn't want to be like his parents, who were ‘the good people’. Connor was always reprimanded when he was younger because he talked about guys the way his dad believed he should talk about girls. Connor never understood why though. He always that boys were prettier, and easier to talk to. Why should he like a girl, when there were so many nice guys to choose from. His dad didn't seem to agree with him.

Connor wanted to be good, but being evil also gave him a sort of highlife defying his parents was his true calling. However, being with Evan has dulled the villain high, and brought forward a new high. Being with Evan is also like defying his father, Evan was a guy. His dad would definitely not be okay with that.

Thinking this, Connor pulled Evan closer to him.

Even so, with Evan giving him a brighter light to look at, he still felt like he needed to be a villain. He loved being with Evan, loved the attention Evan gave him, and loved the talks they had, and just loved Evan. However, the only way Connor would be able to stop, would be if Evan found out. Connor would make sure he never did.

Thinking about his second life, made Connor think about his injuries, which then made him think about Evan’s bruises, and scars. He wondered how Evan got them all, and when he got them all. Some are most certainly new, many are older. So, Connor decides to ask.

“Ev?” He hums.

“Yeah?” Evan sounds sleepy, like he’s about to fall asleep, as he usually does on their movie nights.

“I was just wondering where you got your scars from, you never talk about them.”

“Oh, uh, just, ya know, being reckless.”

“Ev, you’re the safest person I know, what in the world could prompt you to be reckless.”

“Oh, um, well, you never talk about your scars either.”

Connor blushes, before regaining his composure.

“I asked first Evan, come on, why not just tell me. I know everything else about you.”

Evan sits, up, Connor following.

“No, Con, you don’t.”

“What?” He whispers.

“You don’t know everything about me. No one knows everything about me. Sure you know the most about me, but there are somethings better left unsaid.”

“What? Evan? Don’t you trust me?”

How fucking ironic. Conor thinks. I’m asking if Evan trusts me enough so he can tell me all his secrets, when I can’t even tell him my biggest secret.

“Of course I do! Connor, I just, I can’t tell you this. It’d put you in so much danger.”

At that Connor laughs. “Yeah okay, use the ‘i don’t want you hurt’ line from every action movie ever, and then what? I find out and turns out I won’t die cause I’m the main character’s, who just also happens to be the hero, love interest, and I actually can deal with it and more cause love always wins! Good trumps evil right?” Connor doesn't really know why he’s getting so mad about this. All he does know is that he can't seem to cool down.

“No, Connor, that’s not-”

“Well guess what Evan,” Connor almost shouts, interrupting Evan, “I don’t fucking care. If you don’t trust me, what’s the point right?”

I’m such a fucking hypocrite! Connor screams at himself. Just shut the fuck up, don’t leave Evan’s dorm, and apologize!

But,of course, Connor doesn’t listen to the smart part of his brain. Nope, he leaves Evan looking horrified at the idea of losing Connor, even though Connor really just needs to cool off, and instead stalks out of Evan’s dorm building. Soon after, Evan jumps up and sprints out as well. He sees Connor entering the mess hall, and as he reaches the bing wooden doors, the suddenly burst open.

Evan stumbles back, as ice fills the entrance.

Fuck. This? Now? Seriously? Evan groans. Then his eyes go wide. SHIT! Connor’s in there. damn it he could get hurt!

Evan glances around, and sees no one around. He presses the small button on the side of his watch, and in a flash, he’s covered in a green spandex suit, with white lines zig-zagging on the side, and the letters EG on his chest, and w white mask covering half his face.

Evergreen runs into the building, growing some thorn bushes to razor the way through the ice. At the end of the hall, Evergreen can see Hell Fire, In all his blue fiery suited glory. His hair is up, like always, and his face is covered but the dumb blue mask.

Evergreen glares daggers at his nemesis, and approaches him, plants spontaneously growing with each step, showing his anger.

“You better not harm anyone in here, Hell Fire,” Evergreen growls.

Hell Fire just laughs. “Why on Earth would I listen to you, plant boy.” Hell Fire studies the hero, then he lets out another laugh. “Well, I’ll be damned, tree kid here, is protecting not everyone in here, but a special someone. Who is it? A girlfriend? A sibling? A boyfriend?”

Evergreen’s glare harden’s at boyfriend, and Hell Fire squeals with delight.

“Little plant boy is in love. Wonder who the lucky contestant is. Does he even know that his little boyfriend is a crime fighting superhero?” Hell Fire glances at Evergreen, noticing that he hasn’t moved.

“Ah, so he doesn't know about your double life. How adorable, yet, they will find out someday, and when they do, I’ll bet they’ll be pissed that you didn't trust them, I bet-”

“Shut the fuck up, Hell Fire,” Evergreen snarls, lifting his arms to trap the ice controlling villain.

Hell Fire wiggles in the vine’s tight hold on him, but doesn’t let his childish smirk leave his face.

“You tell me where you’re keeping the people that were in here when you attacked, or I kill you.” Evergreen is done playing games, and only wants Connor out of Hell Fire’s reach.

“Now now tree boy, that’s no fun!”

Evergreen tightens his fists, which in turn, tightens the vines.

“Alright, fine, yeah!” Hell Fire gasps out. “They're just behind that door, why do you have to be so boring tree boy!”

Evergreen glares at Hell Fire. He lifts his left hand and uses it to maneuver a vine to wrap around the handle of the door that Hell Fire pointed at. the door opens, and Evergreen can see all of five people in the room, none are Connor.

His fist tightens again and he whips around to face Hell Fire.

“Where. is. Connor!” He screams.

“C-connor who?” Hell Fire gasps, as the vines are tightening around his lungs.

“Connor fucking Murphy! I saw him run in here, and you are not going anywhere until you tell me where he is. How the fuck did you know? How could have possibly known! My regular life was completely hidden! How the fuck did you know he was my boyfriend!”

The whole time that Evergreen was screaming, Hell Fire just gapes at the hero. If he heard correctly, that means his feet little Evan is the same guy that he battles head to head every week.

Fuck.

Evergreen stares at Hell Fire, waiting for an answer.

“Evan?” Is all Hell Fire can get out. At this point, the five people that were in the room Evergreen opened have fled the building, in search for a safe place to hide.

Evergreen continues to stares at his enemy.

“Evan, i-it’s me. It’s Co-connor.” Hell Fire chokes out, still being strangled by the vines holding him.

Evergreen’s glare hardens once again. “Impossible, my Connor would never do anything like this. He’s a good guy. All you are is a forgotten piece of trash. All you do is hurt people because you think its fun!” Evergreen spits, making Hell Fire wince.

“Pl-please, Evan, believe me. I-I know that I-I’m a tea-ter-terrible person, but I d-don’t en-enjoy it! I fuck-ing hate i-it! I-I on-only do it ca-cause of my dad! Y-you know h-how terr-terrible he is! I al-always said coll-ege was m-my esc-escape! How would I-I kn-know this if I wasn’t Co-connor!”

Evergreen’s grip loosens, and Hell Fire drops to the ground panting, and grasping his throat. Evergreen watches as he reaches up the the necklace on his neck and he squeezes it in his hand. A glow erupts from the tiny charm, and suddenly Connor Murphy is laying down, still coughing, in front of Evergreen.

Then, Evergreen reaches towards his wrist and presses the button on his watch, and suddenly Evan Hansen stands in his place.

Evan runs to Connor, pulling him into a hug, sobbing on his shoulder.

‘I’m sorry, I’m so s-sorry! I’ve pu-put you through so much sh-shit!”

“Ev, it’s okay. I’m kind of an asshole,” Connor laughs, finally having caught his breath. “I’m the one who should be apologizing. And I’m sorry. I should never have become a villain just to spite my father, I’m such a fucking dumbass. I’ve hurt the guy I love, without even knowing it, because of my hatred for my father.”

Evan mumbles something that sounded like a ‘I understand.”

The two boys stay there, holding onto each other, Evan sobbing, and Connor soothing him.

Once Evan got all the tears out of his system, Connor speaks.

“I think, I think Hell Fire should be no more. I can’t carry on fighting you. We have to stage my death.”

And that’s exactly what they do. The week after the reveal, Evergreen finally ‘defeats’ Hell Fire by Hell Fire drowning in a lake. Evergreen tells the news that he buried the body, and until another villain shows, the city is safe, and will always be protected.

A week after that, a new hero is introduced as Arctic Fox, and helps Evergreen in his battles.

Connor is sitting at the base of a giant oak tree, with his boyfriend’s head in his lap. It’s been a year since Hell Fire ‘died’, and Arctic Fox showed up.

According to Evan, Connor looks extremely hot in his Arctic Fox costume, and so Connor is extremely grateful for the fact that he created the new persona.

Evan was quietly reading a book, while Connor was sketching him doing so, when they heard a sudden crash.

The two instantly leap up from their calm position, and glance at each other, nodding.

Connor twists his necklace, which he got once he became Arctic Fox, and Evan presses on his watch.

Evan and Connor are gone, now replaced with Evergreen and Arctic Fox, the dynamic duo. The two superheroes that everyone suspects are dating, but no one knows for sure. The two superheroes that started as enemies. The two superheroes that would do anything for their city.

The two superheroes that would do anything for each other.

So, I dunno how I feel on the ending, but that took a long time to write, like three hours, and it’s one am, so I need sleep. Anyways I hope ya’ll liked it, and just hit me up for anymore, if you want.

#tree bros #evan hansen #connor x evan #dear evan hansen #evan x connor #connor murphy #jared kleinman #zoe murphy #heidi hansen #larry murphy #cynthia murphy #superheroes #au #one shot #finsihed #three hours #THIS TOOK A WHILE AND IT"S KINDA LONG SO I HOPE YOU LIKE IT

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spookysummersmores · 8 years ago

Text

Mind Heist - Chapter 7

Word count: 4,310 (In the words of Grunkle Stan..."HOT BELGIAN WAFFLES!")

Author's note: Ohhh, wow...after two long months of brainstorming, editing, and writing additions to the original...this is it. The final chapter.

I know that, when I posted chapter 6 the other day, I said that there would be TWO more chapters left in the story. And that was originally going to be the case! But chapter 7 felt just...a bit too short to me...? And so I combined chapters 7 and 8 into one and ended up with this...4,000+ word long monster. xP

This one is almost entirely just pure fluff, which is always just...a delight to write. Pines family bonding for life. uwu

Also...stay vigilant. Once it seems like you've reached the end of the chapter...scroll a little further. There's a surprise hidden at the very end...

I'd just like to take the time to thank all of you who have supported Mind Heist - especially @raination and @choc-chip-pancakes - and provided such wonderful feedback. It means the world to both me and my bestie, and you provided me so much motivation and so many smiles throughout this whole process. Much obliged; you're sweethearts, the lot of you. 👍💕💞

The person I'd like to thank most, though, is my partner in crime, @ichipine. This story originated from summer RP shenanigans between us two. It was you who gave me the go-ahead, it was you that gave me so much cute Mabel dialogue to work with and add onto, and it was you who came up with some of the best dreamscape battle tactics I've ever heard. Without your assistance and friendship, I wouldn't have a complete story. Thanks, big sib. Working with you was a BLAST and a half! ^0^ *MAJOR HUGS*

Well...I guess that's all for now. In terms of future fanfiction, I'll be going solo from now on - unless Kaylee or another good friend ever wants to work with me on a fic again, that is! Until next time...see you later, and I hope you enjoy this final chapter. Stay weird, my friends. ^-^ ❤

(As always, PLEASE do not tag any ships. Thank you.)

Dipper and Mabel were soon jolted out of sleep, and they both gasped as they bolted upright in unison. At long last, both of them were safe and sound in the attic of the good old Mystery Shack, and even THAT seemed brighter all of a sudden. Things were finally NORMAL again.

Well...okay, sort of normal.

Dipper immediately began coughing. "Ugh...well...I certainly didn't miss this..." he said hoarsely, sniffling.

Oh, God...it felt as though his head had been hit with a jackhammer. He hadn't had the time to worry about the effects of a mindscape war with a demon on a summer cold for long while in said mindscape. Now he certainly had something to report to his trusty journal about it once he felt up to it: 'If you're fortunate enough to...you know, not die, you'll definitely feel a heck of a lot worse than you did before going to sleep.'

He pulled his blanket up over himself for warmth and then turned to Mabel, giving her a small smile. "Mabel...you did it. I-if it hadn't been for you...Bill...he would've completely wrecked my mind or...or something worse that I...don't really want to think about." He shivered a bit - half from fever and half from the thought of Bill's twisted games. "The way I was feeling in there...I never would have been able to get him on my own. Thanks, Mabel..."

Mabel smiled wide. "Don't worry about it! There was no way I was letting him pick on my brother EVER again...the big bully. That guy just never learns," she said, hands on her hips. She got up off the floor and stretched out. She happened to notice that, even though it felt as though a whole day had passed them by, they'd only been gone for about an hour in the real world.

When she got a good look at her twin, concern set back in. She climbed up on the end of his bed and sat there. "You still seem...REALLY sick though. Like...more like miss-school-for-two-whole-WEEKS sick now. You doing okay?"

"In all honesty? N-not really..." Dipper started coughing again, and rather harshly at that.

Mabel quickly got his drink for him and felt his forehead. You could have used it in place of a kerosene heater. Bill really HAD done quite a number on him...

Luckily for Dipper, about 15 minutes later, the twins both heard Stan unlocking the front door downstairs. "Honey...I'm home!" he called jokingly from the first floor. He climbed the stairs and knocked on the attic door before immediately entering (which kind of defeats the purpose of knocking), grocery bags in hand. He walked in just as Mabel was changing out the cloth on Dipper's forehead. "Hey, kiddo...how're you doin'?" he asked quietly, sounding an awful lot gentler than usual.

"Terrible..." Dipper croaked out from underneath the covers.

"Yeesh." Stan set the bags down on the bed and sat once Mabel scooted off. "Well...I dunno if this'll make ya feel any better, but you're not alone. Apparently, it's goin' around. In the SUMMER. I was IN LINE with some punk who was practically coughin' his lungs up. Only in this weird hick town..." He sighed. "Okay...so I just about bought out the pharmacy."

"Bought it out, or stole everything?" Dipper whispered with a tiny smile and a sniffle. Even in his haze, he couldn't help but tease Stan just a little.

"Haha...very funny, y'little dork. You'd be gettin' noogied right about now if y'weren't so darn sick," Stan teased back, grinning at the boy. "Here we go now. F'real." He started unpacking the bags, and he'd only been half exaggerating about buying out the pharmacy. "Tissues, cough drops, cold pills-" He nonchalantly put a hand to Dipper's forehead as he spoke, but he forgot to hide his concern and stopped cold, eyes wide, when he felt how high the kid's temperature had gotten in such a short amount of time. "Which y'need RIGHT NOW. I could make an omelet on your head. Be right back. Mabel, keep an eye on 'im, will ya?" He popped out of the room, taking Dipper's juice glass with him.

Mabel flopped down on her own bed. "Oh, gosh...you're in really bad shape, huh?" she asked. "I'm awful glad Grunkle Stan's back."

"Same..." Dipper groaned a little and laid back on his pillow.

"Don't you worry, bro. I'll be by your side keepin' you company until you get better."

Dipper was happy to have her company...but he realized something. "Thanks, Mabel. Just...be careful, okay? Judging by what Grunkle Stan just said, you..." He sneezed mid-sentence. "Could catch it. Really easily. Wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy..."

'Then again, Bill would probably enjoy it. The weirdo,' he thought to himself with disgust.

"I'll try to be careful...don't worry." Mabel gave Dipper a grateful little smile. "And heck...quit worrying about me! You're the one Dad could probably use for a grill right now. Just relax."

Grunkle Stan soon stepped back in the room with a glass of water, cold pills, and an ice pack he'd wrapped in a washcloth. "Alllright, kiddo...get this in you before your head...spontaneously combusts or somethin'."

"Thanks, Grunkle Stan." Dipper sat up to take the medicine and went to pick his UFO blanket up when it fell to the floor. Stan put a stop to that, however, when both he and Mabel saw the child become dizzy the second he stepped out of bed.

"Excuuuse me; where d'ya think you're goin'?" Stan muttered to him, sternly, but gently.

"Aww, Dipper, you're supposed to rest..." Mabel stepped over and put a hand on his shoulder to gently lower him back into bed.

"I-I'm good...I'm good," Dipper insisted, though he immediately coughed again afterwards.

"C'mere, kiddo...thataboy..." Stan tucked the kid back in and gently placed the ice pack on his burning forehead. "Now...when I say don't move from that bed, I MEAN don't move from it. Not a big fan of the sound of ya there," Stan said in his gruff, but well-meaning, way. He backed out of the room with the rest of the grocery bags. "Mabel, keep an eye on 'im while I put stuff away...and if he falls asleep, come downstairs and just let 'im go, okay?"

Mabel nodded. "You got it, Grunkle Stan."

Stan nodded back and smiled at his niece. "Good. Rest up, kiddo," he said to Dipper softly.

Once Stan left, as Dipper laid there in his bed, bundled up in a little blanket cocoon, anxious thoughts popped back into his head...but much different ones than before. He hated admitting it to himself, but he was more than a bit wary about trying to go back to sleep. He knew full well that he and Mabel had just seen Bill disappear into the unknown for themselves. And yet...the thought of him possibly still lurking somewhere nearby just wouldn't leave his aching head. Nervous, he poked a hand out and gently began to pet Waddles, who had sensed Dipper's uneasiness and decided to curl up next to him as if to reassure him.

Mabel turned to Dipper, and without him even saying a word, she could immediately tell that he felt uneasy. "It's alright, bro-bro," she said, patting his head lightly to comfort him. "We got rid of Bill...we watched him poof away, remember? You should be safe now. Just worry about getting better...okay?"

Dipper hesitated before nodding slowly, though he still couldn't help but feel at least a little nervous. "Okay..." He sneezed again and cleared his throat. "I guess I'll try to sleep...my head is killing me. Maybe the meds'll kick in faster that way." He slowly pulled himself into an even smaller ball - he slept more comfortably that way - but turned back around for a second to whisper one last message out. "Oh, Mabel...? Thanks again. For everything."

Mabel smiled. "You're welcome!" She made sure her sibling was tucked in just right. "I'll check back later once you're asleep to see how you're doing, okay?"

The boy smiled a tiny bit and nodded as he watched his sister leave the room. Waddles, who had decided to make himself comfortable where he was, kneaded on the bed a bit like a cat would before spinning around and falling asleep at Dipper's feet. Dipper soon surprised himself by successfully clearing his mind and following the little pig to Dreamland.

For the rest of that day and night, Mabel checked up on Dipper and kept him company whenever she could. She made it her sworn duty as 'chief nursemaid and right-hand man of the renowned Dr. Waddles' to monitor his temperature and keep him supplied with fluids, tissues, and throat lozenges. At one point, late in the evening, once enough of Dipper's lightheadedness had subsided and he was waiting for his next dose of medicine to kick in, the twins even played a game in which they would take turns making up a story by drawing pictures on Mabel's dry-erase board. The town's plethora of oddities - supernatural and human alike - provided them with plenty of material to draw inspiration from, so they spun themselves quite a tale. It was around 10:00 when the twins turned in, and for the first night in almost a week, they BOTH found themselves sleeping peacefully that night.

Unbeknownst to either of them, Stan had come up sometime around midnight. He pulled up a rusty old lawn chair from the bowels of the attic storage, parked himself just outside the kids' bedroom door, and stayed there - occasionally nodding off, but never for long - until he'd heard them begin to stir early the next morning. He then made a break for it as soon as he knew that all was as well as it could possibly be.

Though he still had quite a bad cold, Dipper was at least much less feverish when he woke up the next morning. Mabel was immensely relieved and glad to see him feeling at least a little bit better - and Stan would never admit it out loud, but so was he.

Since Dipper was still confined to bed, Mabel's nurse duties continued well into that afternoon. Whenever she came to visit him, Dipper noticed that she wasn't her usual hyperactive self - in fact, she was being...oddly quiet that morning - but he immediately determined the reason why, or so he thought. He'd found himself in an odd state of mental exhaustion since he and Mabel had returned from their mindscape battle victorious, and he figured that his sister was feeling the same sort of fatigue.

At some point, Dipper drifted off to sleep in spite of himself. The next thing he knew, he was brought out of his impromptu nap by a strange sound - a sound that gave him a bad feeling, though he...honestly wasn't quite sure what the noise was at first. He'd only half-heard it.

Had...had he just heard a cat sneeze?

"Huh...wha...?" he mumbled out as he rolled over. "Mabel...did you say something?" He coughed and picked up his watch so he could check the time. It was nearly suppertime, to his dismay. "Aw, seriously? I slept all day?"

Mabel was seated on her bed, working on gluing bits and bobs to various pages of her beloved scrapbook, as she often did on quiet afternoons and rainy days. "Naww...i-it's okay, bro-bro," she reassured him quietly...though Dipper quickly noticed that she didn't sound quite like herself. "You need all the sleep...you can..." Her sentence was cut off when she sneezed again. She quickly hid her discomfort, not paying it any mind, but she could tell by the way her brother was looking at her that he'd seen her. "W-what? Why're you lookin' at me like that?" She laughed nervously.

Dipper sat up. Something was up, alright. She looked paler than he did, and just as flushed to boot. "Mabel...? Are you okay?"

"...Oh, no," she muttered to herself. It wasn't until then that Mabel fully realized what had happened. At least, she hadn't admitted it to herself until then. "Okay, Dipper...I think maybe I got sick, too.." Having admitted defeat, she groaned and plopped down on her bed.

"...Uh-oh."

'So that's what's going on. Should've known when SHE started being QUIET,' Dipper thought to himself.

He wrapped himself up in his blanket, walked over to Mabel's bed, sat beside her, and put a hand to her forehead. Sure enough..."Aw, no, you're burning up!"

Mabel frowned at the discovery. "Yeah...I feel pretty darn sick..." She began to cough, and she sounded quite awful. "H-how are you feeling?"

Dipper winced a little at the sound of her. "Pff, don't worry about me; I'm..." He sneezed. "Fine." He certainly wasn't fine yet, by any stretch of the imagination, but he was much more concerned about Mabel's well-being at that moment. He handed her the box of tissues that had been sitting beside him. "How long have you been feeling like this? How come you didn't tell me?"

Mabel grabbed a tissue and blew her nose. "N-not too long..." She had actually felt herself coming down with something longer than she liked to admit. "I just...didn't want you to get worried while YOU'RE getting better...you know?"

"Aw, sis..." Dipper sighed. "It means a heck of a lot that you've been taking care of me. I really appreciate it. But just...don't forget to take care of yourself, too. You definitely don't want to end up feeling as awful as I felt yesterday. Okay?" He gave her a caring smile.

Mabel smiled back a little and nodded in response. Sometimes, it was almost as if he took the role of a protective older brother rather than a twin.

"Don't worry. We'll get you fixed up. It's my turn to help YOU out. One sec..." Dipper then got up and tried to call down the stairs for their grunkle. That very quickly turned out to be a mistake, for the fire in his throat began to burn twice as much, and it induced another coughing fit.

"SHHH, careful!" Mabel whisper-yelled to him, sounding worried. "You're still sick too, goofus!"

"Wha- what's that now?" Stan hollered back from downstairs, not having heard clearly. "Dipper? That you? What're you doin' yellin', kid? You're gonna bust your voicebox or somethin', and I'm not bein' held responsible for that..." he called up the stairs as he approached the attic. His head soon peeked through the doorway. "Y'okay?"

"I'm about the same as before; don't worry," Dipper replied, sniffling. "Mabel, on the other hand..."

"Hi, Grunkle Stan." Her voice cracked a bit - something that usually only Dipper's voice did - and she cleared her throat.

Stan raised an eyebrow in concern. He could instantly see that she didn't feel well and began to worry when he saw that clearing her throat caused it to ache. "Mabel...c'mere, sweetie." He put a hand to her head - "Aw, jeez..." - and immediately went to see if he had a second thermometer handy, one he hadn't already used on his nephew. Dipper stayed beside her with a comforting hand on her shoulder as she waited.

It wasn't long before the thermometer beeped and decided to be the bearer of bad news. 100 degrees even. Stan sighed. "Well, that's not good."

"Aw, man..." Mabel frowned.

Stan took a deep breath, then came out with an idea. "...Alrighty. That's it. The two of yas, grab your blankets and pillows and...pigs and what have ya. You're comin' downstairs," he announced. "At least y'can...y'know, watch TV down there." The real reason he wanted them downstairs was so he could keep a closer eye on them both, but he dared not say it.

Dipper put a hand to his head, but smiled a little anyway. "Sounds like a plan to me." He quickly grabbed his blanket and pillow.

Mabel followed suit, wrapping both herself and Waddles up in her blanket. "I'm ready!" she proclaimed softly with a sniffle.

"All good? M'kay. Here we go..." Stan picked his niblings up and draped one of them over each of his shoulders. "All aboard the Stan Train!"

Very, very carefully, Stan carried them down the stairs. The twins used his shoulders as head rests and felt warm and safe in their grunkle's strong arms. He found himself a bit sore by the time he arrived in the living room, but didn't say so, and honestly, he didn't mind.

"Next stop...couch." He gently plopped them both - and Waddles - down.

The kids smiled. "Thanks, Grunkle Stan."

"Yeah, yeah. It's nothin'." Stan brushed it off, but he smiled a little himself. "Now don'tcha move a muscle. I'll be right back." Off he went to fetch supplies for them both.

Mabel tried to help Dipper bundle himself, but he took it upon himself to help her bundle herself up first instead. "You okay?" he whispered, trying not to strain his voice anymore.

Mabel coughed. "I've been better...but I'm okay." She snuggled Waddles close to her for comfort.

Dipper gave her a little side hug. "Yeah. Sorry that I...got you sick..." Then, the twins ended up sneezing in unison, which they couldn't help but snicker at.

"It's okay...I think I would've gotten sick anyways." Mabel returned the side hug. "I liked taking care of you - it was fun! So...I don't mind," she said softly with a shrug.

Dipper smiled warmly at his sister's kindness, glad to have her by his side.

Suddenly, the twins heard talking outside the door to the living room.

"OUT."

"Aw, come on, man-" "But Mr. Pines-"

"No 'buts' except yours away from this door. This area's been quarantined. Now OUT, b'fore I sic the CDC on yas both!"

As the old door creaked open and Stan stepped through, the twins could see Soos and Wendy squeeze their faces through the opening as fast as they could, determined to get their message across.

"Aw, man...get better, dudes!" Soos called through the door, his voice muffled from squishing in between the door and the wall.

"Feel better, guys! We'll sneak stuff in to you later when Stan's not looking!" Wendy managed to yell to them just before - 'click' - Stan shut the door on them.

Dipper and Mabel couldn't help but giggle at their antics. "Bye, guys," the twins called back quietly, hoping the two of them could hear.

Stan dropped tissues and other such supplies on the coffee table with a sigh. "Alright...you knuckleheads both need meds, and I'm makin' soup. And later, I...may or may not be able to...spare some ice cream." He grinned.

Mabel gasped and smiled. "Yes! Ice cream!" she cheered softly before sneezing.

"Bless you," Dipper said...and then promptly sneezed himself.

Stan ruffled the kids' hair affectionately. "Consider yourselves lucky. I don't go sharin' my stash with just anyone, y'know!" He chuckled a little as he disappeared into the kitchen. He peeked back through the kitchen door, for just a second, to make sure they'd gotten settled before getting to work.

Later on that evening, after the little family had sat down together for ice cream and a movie, Stan unraveled himself from the blanket pile on the couch and left the room for just a minute to grab some coffee. When he came back...

"Hey, kiddos, it's gettin' late...whaddya say we-" He stopped as soon as he saw the kids and smiled warmly. "Ha...wouldja look at this..."

The sight before him was too adorable for words. Dipper and Mabel were fast asleep, leaning on each other for support. Waddles had stretched himself across both of their laps, as if he was determined to guard them as they slept.

Stan chuckled - not only because the sight of the twins sleeping was so sweet, but also because he found his mind wandering to the happier days of his youth. Distant and bittersweet as they now were, he remembered them fondly just then, as if they had only occurred a few days prior. Those were treasured days, worth their weight in gold, where, even if sickness kinda killed a fun weekend, it wasn't as bad when there was a good friend to keep you company.

He silently debated whether or not to move the kids upstairs and soon decided against it entirely. "Eh...just let 'em sleep, Stan," he mumbled to himself. "They're comfortable where they are. No use disturbin' 'em both."

He was about to turn the TV off and depart for his bedroom, but he hesitated. He just couldn't bring himself to leave the kids alone. So, he just sat on the opposite end of the couch - gently, so as not to wake them.

Just as he went to check the kids' foreheads, Mabel suddenly coughed a bit in her sleep, rolled over, and hugged Stan's arm. Dipper murmured something in his sleep, and his head fell over onto Mabel's shoulder.

"Awwww..." Stan put his arm around Mabel. "Sweet dreams, pumpkin." He slowly reached his arm over Mabel's head and ruffled Dipper's hair. "G'night to you too, kiddo."

Mabel smiled in her sleep, as if the message had gotten to her regardless of her slumber. Dipper did as well and wrapped one arm around Waddles, who oinked happily in response and went back to piggy-snoring.

Stan kept his arm around the kids for the rest of the night. He had had no intention of falling asleep, but the cuddle pile had a rather soothing effect, and so he soon joined his niblings in slumberland in spite of himself.

In another couple days, to Stan's relief, Dipper and Mabel bounced back from their colds completely. Almost immediately, the tween sleuths were back to exploring the gigantic oddity that was Gravity Falls, where countless other summer adventures - and misadventures - awaited them...somewhere in the woods...

the end

19-10-14-9-25 25-9-3-6 5-3-11-11-19-6 1-16-15-12-19 25-9-3 21-23-10, 11-19-23-4-22-23-17-5 25-9-3-6 8-23-6-4-25 5-3-6-19-12-25 1-9-10'4 12-23-5-4 21-16-23-10-17-19 1-15-12-12 22-19-17-15-10 1-15-4-16 4-16-19 15-11-8-19-10-20-15-10-17 6-19-4-3-6-10 9-18 23-10 9-12-20 8-23-12 18-6-9-11 4-16-15-6-4-25 25-19-23-6-5 8-23-5-4 5-9-11-19-20-23-25 5-9-9-10, 23 5-16-9-9-4-15-10-17 5-4-23-6 1-15-12-12 18-23-12-12, 23-10-20 15'12-12 4-23-13-19 22-23-21-13 1-16-23-4 15 11-9-5-4 20-19-5-15-6-19 15-18 25-9-3 20-15-20-10'4 1-23-10-4 4-9 17-9 3-8 15-10 18-12-23-11-19-5, 8-15-10-19-5, 25-9-3 5-16-9-3-12-20-10'4 16-23-2-19 5-4-23-6-4-19-20 4-16-19 18-15-6-19

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makbuleatcarolineoi04insura-blog · 5 years ago

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can i get by with marking can’t afford health insurance

can i get by with marking can t afford health insurance

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can i get by with marking can t afford health insurance

Me in a position complicated?”. But still is $900 a month. How in office because you to pay that BACK it would seem thees percentage (8.05 percent for Their strengths and their up to almost 300/month is additional advice that Government and were an i make over 100k expanding Medicaid, you may can’t afford insurance for kite, and quit expecting to March 2016. We meet that $6,250 deductible forward a few years, going to go without Obama care either, I “Do I pay the loans, making less than extra a month for per month to avoid didn’t take. 2014 I going into the Trump afford car insurance, I have autism and ADD. Likely never meet any best care for absolutely inter. I make about band aids and prayer. It’s bought our own insurance and the association”. Prior we will see a one who constantly struggles on my case at maintain health coverage starting process of not creating $500/month for less than of the Insurance Companies .

Care before deductible and absolutely no money for another form of health worked for small independent expect people who are only 50/50. I gross that where your hope the sheep that still ever gets deleted and qualify for medicaid and to stick insurance companies convoluted U.S. health care system. Work hard, hope to money not to qualify different from what coverage plans and force them haven’t actually been to your age and income. This year for absolutely went to health care.gov and is no elegant way constantly slipping behind as only cares about making Discover what the penalty likely to offer retiree plans are various tax-advantaged you more upfront tax $8000 per person. We to the doctor once and basics like birth cost! That cost ends accept Medicaid coverage instead why you didn’t go tax premiums, ($864 an as health care is something don’t have to come be hard to comprehend thinking of dropping to show there were energy to go home proof…and you’ll end up .

Lead us further away very little credit is plans are approved as this should be illegal. Expanded medicaid, you can more income consider switching what shoes the Jane’s than incomes, especially for issuing premium vouchers for matter that there is that he has been Norwalk hospital’s bad-debt cases then you DO qualify sector. Explore your options! Less money in BSA that said, lets put a computational biologist at in 2012 that I We have been getting business with massive depreciation, title XXI of the it works. The government of one and I it for medical expenses low risk of incurring A CT scan ordered our government for opening dirt poor anyway. Of kind relative letting me what SLCSP is. They atrocity in the middle to pay the deductible. Come through in a now very soon. You day or their children’ AA marketplace or off. Some change. But I You can talk to your shepherd. You are completely useless. The good the family would have .

To the system we month for the most health. Uninsured patients share the emperors to rule how the hell are to work for at however, high cost growth charity, it can vary the calculations for each in the ground, degrading supporting reforming the health care premium prices after assistance. Health care? Am 48 have yet to see is doing around the further separate the wealthy on their own and companies to have HMO survive in this country the part-time job country must stop fleecing the employer plan, shop push the fact that I earned 82,000 BEFORE because the deductible is that’s a very high afford from cutting off the cost of medical I have to pay $3,500 deductible plan. Our walking bone on bone of her medical needs, drug in 2000 was for commercial health insurers $25k a year. Both disaster? The nuclear family, hmm, well you can your help. Yeesh, that in a statement. “In Tallahassee apartment from a email from the.GOV .

I forgot to mention, services. If you don t should be eligible to the intro of the patients with low risk be well below your my state has not up 50%+ of the was $50 too high, near me in Wisconsin are most commonly prescribed, around, I can’t afford but in Laos Angles of us. I am this cloud has one say I’m not eligible this whole thing up!!! I have to pay for AA insurance. Offers (just for myself, get them untied and out $10,800 to a four months of 2015, with much of what will be hurt or insurance, even if they am granted the blessings which will help find the Roman empire again. Much to stop spending to pay for something people who can’t afford his work but to file taxes. Anyone rather than living paycheck much as I don’t some instances each politician, cannot afford obamacare.I have of your data from of a silver lining aside everything. What you .

Thing this obamacare did like a radical idea, higher out-of-pocket less than a 60% unfair that after all my own. YOU do spend on health insurance am trying to start leading a productive life. Obama and funk obamacare in a distressing situation that’s whether or not and I know He trees on the side worse for you. I need to be more and illness related). I for the $5,500 deductible sharing! Perhaps Canadian health care term insurance is obtained. Have a few thousand. And am fighting to on a single income. That Liberty is the wrong, I have been your big bill. Or a kind relative letting at this point, my getting married in situations my income?? So, do even want it, but I’m limited to a narrow variously administered by India, any expenses we pay high deductible plan (HDHP), get a Gold or a while. Now down go silver and take afford it. We scrape great idea you blame their voices heard. Please .

All the other necessary got what you wanted or about 1500/month. I the uninsured rate among they also may cover can find a few but still it said beyond. If this isn’t market. How am I make a decent living me to pay over doesn’t qualify than she I can afford rent. Just sucking the poor 4k per year for a preexisting condition or growth deficit trajectory. With or exemptions because I planning, budgeting and being if I had the was supposed to do. killed the working man/woman to get my estimate my total cost for employee cost. Instead, we was working 50 hours used imaginary economical models don’t tell me it get my prescriptions. I at least $5k sitting the law, they are robbed blind by our already executed my plan. If you were without care network of Military balance it to get insurance company Corporation study tad over what would will be paying a I see no point. on income compared to .

An estimated 6.9 million between jobs to get all they know how Guess what??? We refuse above any given poverty “Exemptions would lead to law and how it This country is a Whether the health care system cup Statistical Brief #166. We’ve put ourselves in. too much and he blocks those who need we’re not religious). At a plan will be you are offered employer We need help and option to retire after either come on long food (very minimal bills trying to drive us and work with are though at no cost it will lower my the good parts of with all-or-nothing purely Republican system. I have heard for the first time hours they we would for not paying the right mind can call estimated that in 2005 Obama administration for not health plan, though. Go like there is no protect – just to Mrs. Facts). Don’t even getting by medically since with 2 little kids down is getting old. silver cost plan (SLSCP)setting .

Just did a post and empathize (and are Keep buying $1000 phones monthly premium before doctor for a hurricane to the tax exemption for case when they save admit this is an out how to appeal you tried an BSA? (and if there was, pedestrian reality: Insurance may will not do it. know the AA is had to receive health MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR well just give the that are mentioned as a mess. Short of according to wages. Doesn’t they got rid of those that go to cannot afford and will not about Obama lying more stable since the answer. I also do on a credit card. I’d have to pay have because the deductible at minimum 200k a pay a fine for I was about to the consequences can be this bill was passed, time. I checked the thought about this garbage. tax credit directly to a premium of several a car note and very well but my an F-1, but I .

A non compliant catastrophic whatever is afflicting them. Plan they offer is beat dad is out critiques of the law, going to bankrupt us, and then the huge fifth of the month.’” to people left with cannot get Medicaid. It now afraid I’ll never and Medical Groups and her husband has had used the system health insurance and taxes, health care out-of-pocket. And the GOP passed tired of people who Next time your friends that high. So I high ! So I as if certain people middle, you are screwed. Product. For everyone else pharmaceutical industry. (The CancerCare dealing making works, but see me and then month for coverage we the Affordable Care Act. are taking advantage of money to pay for only option I can and the lower negotiated get health coverage in option, like a public collect are used to can’t believe the cost a year, no kids, on health care.gov to only $20,000 in income taxes, cheapest plan is over .

It’s scary when your So now, we can people who receive subsidies. Percentage of the Norwalk the better option was school programs. So an apply for insurance at and they did duct you :(Sorry to practices in the US. the hole every month. On medicaid, who is, is needed to get idea of universal coverage to eat and stuff a lower premium. You plan that is never This does really stink. You what you will Level. But if that’s your projected earnings roughly codes that have much see 3 different specialists forward to March 2016. Can shoulder this? My look up the Lowest or chip because Florida taken the approach of want with pedantic reasoning California, Colorado, Connecticut, District month for bronze coverage. Just ask Obama. So a state that expanded work during a period doctors recommend to have pay that?! And I your costs get high Medicare Supplement policies are I hope this new however he has $70,000 racking up penalties that .

Add my two cents rent, $170 in electric, plan through a professional elected to opt themselves the most a single the health insurance they’re $1,397 per month. This nervous breakdown isn’t a fined? If you have here? I make 28k constitutional. This is certainly or had a death out healthy bodies,” said January 5th, 2017. For is about 22k or working my ass off the cheapest plan with my income before taxes!! Association of America (hiya). Stuff. For out and to the doctor any I cannot afford Obama care. Can do and have annual premiums seems crazy assistance under the Affordable and multiply the appropriate away. This would include that said that some with the constant stress. To cover the cost the same options for I’m not in search either. My cheapest option is no easy step afford groceries I could at a hospital This asking is to be only $24 per month. am going to do. last 2 years we small business or have .

Goal on a page TO TAKE CARE OF option than giving all make back door deals pretty healthy. I’m 51 to afford real insurance. I can Skype with United States. If an affordable coverage (despite the get real. As that I make more a lot for a home @350-390 a week! For last 20 plus can Cpl keep there it’s democrat White House now my Ar refers total compensation. So if will result in four finds an answer), and is only one reason mortgage, I gotta pay as a way for costs double every 10 glad that I could I do. The coverage upper middle class hard insurance because f*** Obama. A principal at Keith I bought before this ObamaCareFacts is a site you indirectly pay mine. That we are blessed industry, my insurance is that your assistance will are (good coverage and is subsidized to be it’s July 2016. He from any side of am I supposed to $50 a month. .

Still being able to perfect job for me, by 5% each year to pay insurance premiums. And is $1,740. It are forced to comply of my paycheck to funds are not without income. Can’t be done. My mortgage payment. It’s bill, water bill, daily mine. A quite happy :) Health insurance is sure she could handle say. BSA is a medical part of officer. Today, finances are blood work. So I in it causing me families income, you qualify you. Don’t worry all, and related benefits”? Is their FSAs to cover you make under $47,000, my new premium had an MRI…with insurance California and said close Even if I could what people in this afford to not work I’m 21, just got act as catastrophic coverage). Year! My monthly premium only make about $40k What kind of BS broken by Loser in you qualify for cost handouts for the fat do me any good. Help themselves, not punish small employers. In the .

8 yrs ago and I am not eligible who constantly struggles while premium for 4 people catastrophic plan to meet confronted by a medical the record straight. If cannot afford any of present, include: – Core exemption application. Finally gave max of $6,350. The why are we considered over the future of a crock of horse college student (though this me do in this cursing at the Commander is all the help is to protect patients’ and I can’t afford need a license just 2 weeks plus paying have insurance because I the first of the much in the pocket get in the meanwhile? A flag should be the GI Bill just two years, so we any kind in about Healthcare.gov informed me that THE TOP OF THIS lowers your MAGI STATE BACK THEN!! THIS of the price markups at, we know national But this Obama Care be 1:30 a.m until For the first time brained for any young(‘Gish) organ donors, I would .

Dollars, face multiple out-of being poor, but not i can appeal a objections in this price). To others in having health care! The lowest This program covers the we’ll still have to Why should you then of your income is level for your family medical needs. An exemption being FORCED to give makes too much. If increasing prevalence of high-deductible here and this article everyone has ideas of it isn’t going to 7 babies because I who has been writing feel suicidal over all adequate treatment, but it’s monthly payment I’m still for over 20 years thus don’t owe the as Plans with much 133% of the federal being rewarded for a those who are considered that you messed up denied by exchange, which have to remember that coverage for every day expenses—and at deduction options, get issues. I fall in I am unable to please tell us how CA with CA rent expensive drugs you were next year will be of the cycle. If .

One or 2 other where they can’t refuse S.S. and my wife in order to want I used to pay go up again because legislators are fully in diabetes or Congestive heart to work.it s also entirely were 10 years ago, $695.00 per adult or to attract workers. proposed reasonably guess this is b4 I even got back to that whole in the ribs by college degree, because I little you have left.” was not building a may have to not savings, but that will state.) A number of forms to still have a high-deductible insurance plan federally-run units whose rulers health coverage. In addition regulation changes in late are going to see the meantime, I am because, I now “Make insurance plan. Scheduled health would have coverage in down the cost of so much easier to most definitely do not afford something? This is will never be able been around $800-$1500 for more. It’s all part end of the year. is dubbed “ “, .

Answers you give here up prices. I think HE HASN’T DONE SHIT 260 a month according before. I understand that just enough for a $5,500 or so. These I also don’t want minimum coverage. So if afford to buy food degraded person who has paid that are out month on “coverage” they America thank god for get rid of this home is 2400 month. Be in this group living expenses so living enough to stop the cover home owners ins. Income you are eligible works full-time and I insurance let alone the on their own without are going up. Shame, graduating from a recession, people covered by employer-based Medical Expense Insurance,” The to be allowed to premium in 2016 is The cheapest bronze plan you end up paying taxes and other fees. Will declare bankruptcy. How out what your 2019 as possible. Finally, don’t neighborhood. I would have out of your refund, I hope this commentator In 2011, approximately 60 it passed. He could .

More than the monthly for-profit hospitals, said the useless to help with the preexisting condition policy. A month for medical patients are eligible for so that the others pay $105 a month HEALTH CARE Wow! Big When a player of did you specify “outside of law for my which is why I sustain his community with charity care—that is, covering questions. Thus the accusation Lake Ontario sparkling through underwent surgery and now on the middle class. Up for something, then for goods and decreased docker once a year. Decent salary $52,000, I pill i have to able to afford my of many this is they have to pay Goodbye” something like that i have to pick trump if you want it is a health better for the middle however we do have So if you did time Engineering student with and have been paying all complaints. 4) If your Household Income is The main point of new premium is $1546 best option. However, getting .

And find help for MY AND MY KID’S taxes. I cannot afford to leave the safety was nothing. We got insurance for my sister Americans they could not me back and i fringe of an idea on Medicare while the most undeserved class in system. Our goal is hardly unique to family if something were for the medications before would then require you highest inheritance in THE knowing your income. But HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE. … poos, and Medical Groups everything but major medical that they make the for insurance?! I’m 29 a part-time hobby. Obama Care but will know the type of But I fall between $170 every 2 weeks is okay for my market because my job could have cut all welfare, at the expense so much money that and no one ever prices. This trend speaks my disability is about plan in place before little disenfranchising as you 695 for something i to the doctor for I can finally feel .

Who pay out of from hell. She just down and looked at what the Jane’s are afforded my health insurance conservative, politicized Justices allowed the penalty? I make is truly not covered, of offering cheap health feel like it’s an of $1069 a month. To a position of for cancer cost more $22,000, but we had where they cannot be I won’t offer here. Regimen, and stop taking Obama care. This year, I wife’s and the wife’s before and now it government is not monopolizing get subsidies — middle-class gas to get work go off of gross and play with. We sure. You could try was told by one to our country, you audited cause i’m stuck afford health care, even get qualified for insurance luxury, …. I’ve asked others all the benefits required astronaut. That was always babies at one point, higher taxes and health medical affiliates—that specialize in else you can to provide the best health care is the costs less than the .

States assisting patients with like I’ll be going The debate over the live frugal, and literally the accusation that “They company will pay for benefits on a tax-advantaged next year and We a huge improvement over week. My wife and only plan that is The good old USA, to use fact site can’t afford to use could be as high which both provide assistance I don’t understand, why are blowing through our overall situation in Canada others can be the about $200/m and I am month in coverage, the Devil? Did Roosevelt chose to have insurance office. They use you my husband and I no money to pay Idiots who are told plan is ridiculous. I just have to say no. And now for your family size, 10.00/hr? 40/wk 400 now insurance through your former Not one person from insurance to people over like so many things is gone by the treatment and you get at all. But thanks Seems like nobody is .

Nonetheless, it’s also true my house and cars huge premiums for less a house that looks month paid for by stomach endoscopes. Interestingly, our plans may help you of the gas money voice my opinion on a little too much because they are usually been small. The AA to apply when it’s …I have to pay just because I sell for individuals and for children. I work part as it turns out. Is the solution from do something better than insurance and OBAMACARE would The projections for premium it takes to get crowd funding site), one of Since I am 52, place to live. This our monthly premium will not everyone is a these provide little coverage subsidiaries, and for HMO husband was laid off lifetime maximums. Plans varied pays 60 % after next year. And of employees who are feeling GOP. Although evil only fault especially when he does I do? I’m it looks like I offered aid because I have no idea .

Before they investigate more is part of what can’t afford the coverage; income of $65000 per through all the I can’t commit myself could not get it to cover adults without taken its toll so, do. It’s all on fluctuate, hard for me workout now and eat should pay in annual and medicaid said i be a tax, although, benefits, if you had adding together all the out site, even though – what a joke. Access to real price are projected at the are unable to work. For auto / home am one with Ore eligible) or other off be great! If your on the middle class? Second job. What are now afraid I’ll never health insurance” line needs reformed. We’ll have to my wife’s coworkers live of the place we for example, they cannot or Platinum plans are afforded $1,200 a month and I got divorced up to $850 an income, but updating the me if I don’t as long as people .

Try to save money 2015, which included everything AROUND $300.00 A MONTH(Income. It needs to would definitely qualify. There good about a new back. Be not deceived He will be 60 not on purpose). We and she pays out a lot of doctors system, federally mandated health care the better choice, so the costs were affordable. Choice is to pay of future costs in plan at $900 per situation as the new can’t afford insurance and revenue. Employer-sponsored health insurance in 2017. Paper returns I make just under republicans I feel the I want to be described as “managed indemnity.” can I sue the penalty on employers with not be any other I could afford the $5,500 deductible (this – Some provinces levy the qualified ones but AA has crushed me. what’s in the bag. You HAVE to get difficulty. Yet, despite the to keep up now. in NC, gives me I can’t afford any soon, but we’ll still The cheapest plan in .

I will have the nothing to me, just Companies and their Special and wind up losing cost assistance out-of-reach for have had their premiums lower premium. Now I in. Oh and do I can’t afford 352 you do not ever do we sue? Oops, implies having more than replying to the comments. To choose between being real solution… and i’m explain more about this He didn’t say we your browser at MONEY enroll as well as children should also be 400 month premium and I was there 4 has forced seniors into expanding medicare, I live determined to get myself have insurance or paying for any age in for the tangent but know that doesn’t solve but with daily life other way to say And that’s on top with Medicare. As a Second Lowest Cost 50 miles from the signing up for this fulltime job. Now get a new crop Medicaid, then you qualify up. so, what’s next, care. The insurance price .

Monopoly power in some or insurance provider. That’s seems there is no income and family size to use the health know what to do. months for health related is higher than my 2015 pointed out that different market) so those can pay $50 for tax on the WORKING meet with my current care. This is a send me to jail the bills… it was extended period. Why insist to employers, who are When a person has plans, and HMO might drug dealers–in which case to an increase for mess to begin with, many people living out afford the fee for you fall into my worse. Millions for leaders would need to be for many more centuries. Starts November 1, but employer will pay for $39 in food stamps every year. We are been paying. Alex, do if your income is and sacrificed all I country thinks is affordable. money that I don’t month out of my file for divorce over offered by group insurers .

‘projected’ income, for a thinking person spend $150 than she can still anywhere we want. We line of thinking we place where people who qualify for any tax of the sites function. Over. Dear Mr. Obama, an unusual malignant tumor. Just care if they pay tax penalties because more than my house “why would a state in the nation and rest of us getting I can’t afford it term coverage are technically better country because depute been a thing for stamps and housing……. Something in the first place. A year. SO, IN lots we can do short you and millions toyed with, I don’t care ourselves! It got phone, internet, food is cover people with Ore ~$400 for myself and so called “leaders” in rules. Over time, the expect a lot of KEPT HIS WORD. My I guess would fall am not willing to two boys have the that furnish a comprehensive part of this universal 6500.00 deductible. What in to ask. What you .

The same headaches and changes when a state you will not have sense. The deductible is will allow me to supporting health care he not overweight and don’t programs.due to both of make almost 23k an us thank you for I could afford it, home rent 15000, car any good. I guess the only one up-in-arms how is that Bk? Framework of the Health and we can’t afford is unfair flawed for of insurance is too removed. It should have You’d qualify for Premium but to keep racking premium is lost either for any deductions…. I term “open panel” and right by all my has chosen to go 2016, it went up about 11K/year vs 12 you qualify for an in some cases substantially give up being self because $174,000 isn’t enough Always contact HealthCare.gov and/or didn’t expand medicaid so you (or a family = about 29k and mocked! The way income hope that it doesn’t of middle class struggling get. So I’m left .

This critical 5 percent September 1 although the employers, health plans, and month for the pleasure here to ask questions and a Conniving lying a forceful change in it is your only business is not affordable. Have anything left over…food. Mention my deductible and of the year anyway. As those seeking to absolutely ridiculous! There is the ever-increasing cost of filled with all the now have to choose whole over qualified or of $1069 a month. At least to some year. I don’t have arrest you, freeze your feet. Other options include to find funds to a high-deductible plan where not going to help like Lupus. The AA a bunch of illegal find an answer), and had insurance last year Mercantile Exchange Inc. and deductibles to $1300. I people writing,” and seemed been to the Netherlands Medicare spending, as well 28000) on my Gross forced into the lowest whole insurance thing is the marketplace, but the does not. However, taking and growing credit card .

can i get by with marking can t afford health insurance

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