wwomen . girls . 🥺💖 . starting to think i may be . more than just a faggot . at times

Steve Rogers Fanfiction Recommendations

Happy birthday, Steve!

I know that there are some (a lot?) of steve fans who sometimes struggle to find fics focused on him, so I am here now putting a list of Steve fics. I was going to fics that I haven't seen recommended a lot and most of the ones on this post have less than 200 kudos only, but I end up putting everything (it's probably easier to put my bookmarks as public but well...). It's a massive list (over 100 fics?), so it's will be separated into several posts/reblogs.

Not all of them are from Steve's POV or even have him as the main 'main' character, but rest assured he played an important role and is featured heavily. Lots of these are friendship-focused but I categorized them. The shippy ones are mostly samsteve, thundershield, and some rare pairings because I don't venture to other ships a lot and when I did it's to the rare ones instead lol. Hopefully, any of you can find some gems from this list and these are as enjoyable or as good as I remembered. I'll continue to update it, hopefully, every time I find new ones.

Fics are under read more.

General

The Rocket's Red Glare

Steve was born on the Fourth of July (no joke), so a party is in order! Unfortunately, PTSD decides to rear its ugly head. Fortunately, Steve's got an entire team at his back to help him through it. And screaming goats.

an entry in the scrapbook of absurdity

In which Steve turns into a baby and bites people.

Baby Steve Adventures

Captain America gets hit by a spell during a battle. The rest of the Avengers look after him.

Do You Remember Being Happy? ('Cause I Sure Don't)

"Dragr," Thor called them. "Demons" Clint had said. "Thieves" is what Steve labels them as. AKA, the one where Steve is captured by creatures that feed off of happy memories, and the team is left to pick up the pieces. Post-Avengers.

In Search of (Bucky, Family, Home)

Pairings: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov & Sam Wilson

A week following the events of CATWS, Steve recruits Natasha and Sam to help find Bucky.

Sam raised an eyebrow. “Do we need to recap again? You were shot three times, beaten near to death by an enhanced super soldier with a metal arm and then almost drowned. Yeah, your ass is going to need a few more days of healing time.”

The Truth When Captains Meet

Steve Rogers wakes up on an alien’s space ship being carried bridal style by Carol Danvers. As far as first meetings go, it’s memorable.

Irish Coffee

Pairings: Jessica Jones & Steve Rogers

Jessica runs into an incognito Cap at a cafe. They form an unlikely friendship of sorts.

The Lifetimes of Steve Rogers (Series)

What happens when Steve Rogers steps onto the quantum platform to return the Stones? Where does he go? What challenges does he find? Who does he meet? How many lifetimes can one man have?

Fifty-Two Pickup

Less than a week after the fall of the Triskelion, Steve Rogers is released from the hospital. Although his physical wounds are almost fully healed, other injuries need a bit more time, and some help from friends.

little kids get big so fast

Steve ends up having to take care of the deaged Defenders.

Grampa Steve's Bedtime Stories

If Mommy was away for work, then Morgan’s Grampa Steve came over to stay with her. He’d tuck her in, let her give Mommy a kiss on video chat, then hand her the picture of Daddy for his kiss. Once Daddy’s picture was back on the bookshelf, Grampa Steve would turn off the bedside lamp so that Miss Friday could cover the ceiling with stars, and ask Morgan what story she wanted to hear.

“Captain Steve, Grampa! Tell me Captain Steve!”

Grampa Steve sometimes read to her from books and other times watched a movie with her, but her favorite by far was when he told her Captain Steve’s Adventures Through the Multiverse.

On Camping Trips

Sam is more Hermione than Natasha is, and Steve doesn't want to be Harry.

Powerful

Steve loses the advantages of the super-soldier serum. This is not a tragedy.

His Dream

Pairings: Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson

As if on cue, Steve cut him off with a loud sneeze.

"Yeah. Like that." Sam nodded. "And please sneeze into your elbow next time, dude. You could've just started an epidemic."

"Sorry. Allergies." Steve excused, and Sam raised an eyebrow.

"How do you know it's allergies?" Sam asked, and Steve sighed, putting the ingredients together and solving the mystery of what the gas had actually done.

The answer wasn't ideal. "It feels like the seasonal allergies I had before. Before the serum- and I haven't had them since the serum."

Realization clicked in Sam's head.

"The gas de-serumed you."

Steve swallowed and nodded reluctantly.

OR: Steve gets temporarily de-serumed, with his height and stature staying the same but his immune system being as bad as it was before, and has to stay in the hospital to prevent a severe allergic reaction or illness. Sam stays with him the whole time, making sure he's not alone.

A Strange Encounter

Things have gone awry and Strange is injured. With no other options, he's called for assistance from Captain America and his team.

even if we're apart, i'll always be with you

Steve finds a dirty toy bear at an abandoned gas station, on the way back from a school trip. He brings him home.

As Long as You’re Not Tired Yet of Talking

Pairings: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov

When Steve Rogers tells her, “Don’t be a stranger,” as they’re all going their own ways after New York, it makes her want to laugh.

Draw/Breath

Pairings: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov

Natasha like knowing what makes people tick. She likes knowing things, about her teammates and her coworkers and herself. Oddly enough, sometimes other people like knowing her too.

AKA: Natasha wants to know why Steve isn’t drawing anymore, and takes the long way round to get her answer. Because why not.

With Magic We Do Fly

Pairings: Wanda Maximoff & Steve Rogers

In Civil War we see Wanda fling Steve into the air with her magic. They must have practiced that, right?

Que Wanda throwing Steve against a wall. Many times.

Just Like We Practiced

Pairings: Wanda Maximoff & Steve Rogers

Steve had said, in the movie when he asked Wanda to lift him into the building, "Just like we practiced." But just how did they come up with the idea of her lifting people with her powers, and putting them up somewhere like an escalator? Perhaps it was because Wanda accidentally sent a certain tall, blond Avenger face-first into the floor once and he decided he would help her learn to utilize this as a confidence building exercise. Natasha keeps an eye, Thor and Sam help build the training grounds, and Wanda has found her new home. Takes place between AGE OF ULTRON and CIVIL WAR.

Black and White but Red and Blue

They're watching black and white film reels, but Steve sees them in colour.

"My shield may be black and white but it was red and blue. Just like the blue sky under which red blood was spilled. Like Bucky's blue eyes and Peggy's red lips..."

The Road Warriors

Characters: Sam Wilson (Marvel), Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanov (Marvel), Wanda Maximoff

It wasn't pretty, but somehow the four of them managed to make it through two years on the run.

We'll Fix It

Pairings: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov

Steve has a hard time after his battle with The Winter Soldier and isn't sure what to do with himself. After not seeing him for a week, Natasha finally shows up to his apartment unannounced to figure out how they can get back to work. There is some crying involved.

From Here On Out

Pairings: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov

The Accords, the search for Bucky, the fight at the airport ... In a world where nothing will ever be the same, sometimes the road to rebuilding trust and friendship is a little rockier than it should be.

AKA, the story of Steve & Natasha and how they got to where they are.

Set post-Civil War but pre-Infinity War.

I have this breath and I hold it tight

Parings: Wanda Maximoff & Steve Rogers, Clint Barton & Wanda Maximoff, Wanda Maximoff & Vision

Steve finally goes to Wanda’s tiny room and taps on the doorframe, although it’s hardly necessary, with the slightly warped floorboards creaking under his feet. “Hey,” he says. “Got a minute?”

Wanda's been a little withdrawn since Steve broke everyone out of the Raft. She's had a lot to think about.

to you.

Pairings: Pietro Maximoff & Wanda Maximoff, Clint Barton & Wanda Maximoff, Wanda Maximoff & Natasha Romanov, Wanda Maximoff & Steve Rogers, Wanda Maximoff & Sam Wilson, Wanda Maximoff & Tony Stark

It's Wanda's birthday today. She's not sure how to feel.

New Love

Pairings: Diana (Wonder Woman) & Steve Rogers

Near the end of World War II, Diana Prince finds herself attempting to reconnect to her long-gone, beloved Steve Trevor. However, she comes across Steve Rogers instead.

Sharing Life (And Canned Green Beans)

Pairings: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov

It’s Thanksgiving, and Steve is hiding in the second living room on the 8th floor of the penthouse apartments with a can of green beans.

I'm Fine

Steve slowly began to realize that the problem with being a national icon, a hero, and a role model, is that somehow, he became more than human. He become a symbol, not a person. So when he becomes increasingly unhappy, deeply depressed, and utterly adrift in a world where he doesn't belong, the loneliness and isolation are unbearable. How could anyone believe that an iconic hero like himself was really just an ordinary kid from Brooklyn, dying inside because everything he'd gained still wasn't enough to replace everything he'd lost? How could he possibly bring himself to bleed on the ones he loves? So he tells himself the same lie over and over, hoping one day, he'll believe it.

dogpile

"My dog ate my mission report" An injured Steve remembers something he has to do. Unabashed Steve and dogs fluff. "Didn't peg you for a pet guy." "Allergies."

Alone In This World (Together)

Pairings: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov & Sam Wilson

“We’re fugitives,” Steve said finally. “It might never get better.”

“The world’s always going to need saving," Sam replied. "We’re still Avengers. No one can take that away from us.” Then, like they hadn't been having an entire conversation before, “So when do we leave?”

“Once night falls.”

Do we have any idea where she is?”

“No.” Steve took a sip of his coffee. “But I know where she’ll be.”

it gets the worst at night

Pairings: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov

Here's how it goes: Natasha sometimes shares a bed with Steve. It's not what it sounds like.

(In which there are Colombian drug lords, awkward boners, cuddly super-soldiers and the Avengers are all giant dorks.)

Shelter

Pairings: Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson

Sam and Steve, right after the fall of SHIELD.

Princely Bickering

Pairings: Jane Foster/Thor, Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson, Steve Rogers & Jane Foster, Steve Rogers & Thor

Steve allows Sam to lean up and inspect his head for bruises and blood. He then checks out Steve’s eyes. ‘Do you know where you are?’ Steve rolls his eyes. ‘Don’t be an ass, Cap, apparently you can break.’ ‘London, England, chasing apparently useless Hydra intel despite having about five hundred international arrest warrants out for us because we’re just that stupid,’ says Steve. Sam pats him - gently - on the shoulder. Life on the run isn't easy, especially not after an injury. Fortunately Steve still has a few allies left.

And The Seconds Tick Down

AU of Civil War. How the world ended in twenty steps when Steve died.

"Grant" and "Francis" Go Shopping

Pairings: Clint Barton & Steve Rogers

Steve and Clint both have holiday shopping to do for their family of choice, so they make a day trip to an outlet mall, have a few heart to hearts, use some coupons, buy a bunch of presents, and eventually get through their shopping lists.

A Tune Without Words

Pairings: Jane Foster/Thor, Steve Rogers & Thor, Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson

As he and Sam prepare to begin searching for Bucky, Steve gets various offers of help—some more unexpected than others.

Purpose

Tony Stark wins the fight in Siberia completely by accident.

Steve Rogers does not resist his arrest as he is taken to the Raft.

Sam Wilson, T'Challa, and Pepper Potts pick up the pieces.

Full of Wounds and Still Standing on my Feet

Pairings: Steve Rogers & Wanda Maximoff

The five times Steve looked out for Wanda, and one time Wanda decided someone needed to look out for Steve.

Three Awakenings

The first three times that Steve Rogers woke up during his first twenty-four hours in the twenty-first century.

Making Your Own Future

Characters: Steve Rogers, Diana Prince, Steve Trevor Five times -- plus one -- that Diana Prince and Steve Rogers encountered one another.

Better Living Through Pizza

Pairings: Clint Barton & Steve Rogers

Steve takes some time off from soldiering and Avengering to get his head on straight, and Clint is assigned to keep an eye on him, because apparently SHIELD believes in the blind leading the blind. Steve really needs a hobby, since modern television shows baffle him, but Clint keeps bringing him DVDs and pizza.

Five Times Clint Barton Spoke with Steve Rogers about Growing Old and the One Time He Didn't.

Pairings: Clint Barton & Steve Rogers

When Steve Rogers reappeared from the past as an old man, there was a lot of catching up to do. Clint Barton made sure nobody got left behind.

Hammer's Totally Heavy-Handed and Incompetent Revenge

"So, at the end of IM2, Justin Hammer swears revenge on Pepper. He waits until Tony and Rhodey are halfway across the world to launch his attack.

Unfortunately for him, thanks to SHIELD, Iron Man and War Machine aren't the only superheroes in Pepper's rolladex. Steve thinks Pepper's just swell and doesn't take too kindly to somebody trying to hurt her."

Cue badass!Steve and competent!Pepper

Fan Mail

Steve starts getting his fan mail and receives an invitation to the prom. Written for a prompt at the Avengers kink meme. It was a great prompt, and so much fun to write and get feedback for!

Prom. Steve 'Grandpa Iceberg' Rogers at a 21st-century high school prom. "This isn't happening. This whole conversation is just an elaborate practical joke. Bruce really just has orders for widgets or something."

Bruce waved the printouts at him. "Fraid not. I don't really do practical jokes. Messing with other people's moods just seems. I don't know. Karmically unwise."

Mascot

Steve runs. People see Steve run. Steve gets adopted by the neighbourhood he runs through every week day morning. He finds this confusing. Tony finds it amusing.

Locks Not Replaced

Tony angsts back at Avengers' HQ, Ross is a bully and Steve makes sure he doesn't get away with it. In other words, there is much regret, a bit on the philosophy of locks, adventure and far too many Robin Hood metaphors.

woof

For a prompt on the avengers kinkmeme: "...something different happens when Steve gets Dr Erskine's serum plus the Vita ray treatment... Steve does get taller and stronger, but when the first full moon hits, he turns into a big friendly looking dog. Yes, he's a weredog, not a werewolf."

Mission: Baby

Pairings: James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers

The Asset finds himself in charge of the care of a small baby, but somehow he knows—he has to protect the baby from all harm, whatever the cost.

14 Tracks

Pairings: Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers, Steve Rogers & Avengers Team 14 tracks from Steve's iPod and how they got on there.

Life Will Rattle Your Bones

Pairings: Erik Lehnsherr & Steve Rogers

Captain America and the Howling Commandos find Schmidt sooner than they thought... wait, what do you mean this is a *different* Schmidt?

In war-torn Germany, the paths of Steve Rogers and Erik Lehnsherr cross, part, and cross again.

come build me up

Pairings: Sharon Carter & Steve Rogers, Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson, James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers

“Do you ever feel like -- like you joined up because you wanted to do good. You wanted to do the right thing but somewhere along the way, you just lost the whole fucking plot.”

“All of the time.”

Or: the one where Captain America and Agent 13 give long distance friendship a whirl.

Down in the Worn Out Place Again

Pairings: Wanda Maximoff & Natasha Romanov, Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov, Steve Rogers & Wanda Maximoff

“You don't look a day over 85, Captain,” Wanda says.

Natasha smiles, just barely, and nudges Steve with her elbow. “She makes jokes now.”

(Post AoU, stories about friendship.)

Satellites

Characters: Natasha Romanov, Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson (Marvel), Tony Stark, Clint Barton, Nick Fury Pairings: Natasha Romanov & Steve Rogers, Minor Steve Rogers/Sam Wilson, Minor Clint Barton/Natasha Romanov

In the immediate aftermath of SHIELD's collapse and Steve's plunge into the Potomac, Natasha considers her place in the world. Also the fact that Steve is depressing.

Timeless Classics

Pairings: Steve Rogers & Avengers Team Five An undetermined number of times (six, apparently) Steve unexpectedly got the reference (sort of), and one time everyone discovered something new together.

you just wait and see

Pairings: Rocket Raccoon & Steve Rogers

“Thor said you’re the captain.” Rogers says, his voice distant, sad smile growing into a sadder grin. “Tough job.”

The Small Hours

Pairings: Steve Rogers & T'Challa, James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers

"I'm not getting him back, am I." The words were flatly delivered – not a question so much as fatigued resignation. "We will do everything we can to help him," T'Challa quietly replied, but he wouldn't lie, not about this. Not to a fellow warrior he respected on and off the field of battle. "The possibility does exist, however, that the triggers are permanent."

The Man We All Remember From the Newsreels

Still getting used to the twenty-first century, Steve comforts himself with memories of long-gone friends. But Howard Stark, the man Steve remembers, is nothing like the man he sees in the newsreels.

we're all choir boys at best

Characters: Steve Rogers, Johnny Storm

You are totally getting laid tonight. "Please stop talking." You hijacked my brain first, this is totally not my fault.

Epistaxis

Steve doesn't worry the first time he gets a bloody nose that won't quit. But when it happens a second, third, fourth... He, and his teammates, start to get concerned.

You Close Your Eyes and the Glory Fades

His body isn’t his own, he knows that, knew before the procedure that everything would change. That was the easiest thing to wrap his head around, actually, the physical changes. He’s used to his body betraying him, so this is just another thing to learn his way around. But the colors of everything, even the sliver of blue sky he could see, craning his head at the tiny window, look different.

Looking For Answers (From The Great Beyond)

After the Battle of New York is over, and Loki and the tesseract are returned to Asgard, Steve takes a road trip across the country, and tries to figure out what he wants to do next.

Mourning the Future

Steve's ties to the past and the future are pretty tenuous, and the serum ensures he lives in an eternal present state of ever-youthful vigour. When an old war buddy gets handed his last marching orders, Steve has to wonder if everyone will eventually leave.

Riviera Life

Sam and Steve have been traversing Europe looking for Bucky. Not everyone is convinced it isn’t an open invitation road trip.

Voluntary Bros.

Characters: Steve Rogers, Johnny Storm

"Dude, you could be twins, they tested you before they defrosted you to see if you were a clone or something, or if he was a clone," Clint said.

"I want to talk to him, I think. I mean, a girl threw her latte at me last week for not calling her back and this dude felt me up at an art gallery yesterday," Steve said.

Two Brooklynites and One Big Apple

Pairings: Miles Morales & Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers

“You did good out there today,” Captain America said, brushing a layer of detritus from his unfathomably broad shoulder. “I’ll see you around.”

“Not if I see you first,” replied Miles, fingergunning with one hand as he sent a web rope fwipping off into the distance with the other, catapulting himself away at tremendous speed.

... in which two superheroes battle with bad guys, embark on community art lessons, and a friendship forms along the way.

Battle Fatigue

Steve thought he was doing okay. Things weren't going great, but they were fine, manageable even, and then suddenly they weren't.

We Become New Yorkers (or: Five Times Steve Rogers Looked For Home, and One Time Home Found Him)

New York is a million cities at the same time. This is how Steve found his.

A beautiful day in the neighborhood

In which Steve and Peter learn that the best way to get through a bad situation is together. And to avoid collapsing buildings. And that concussions are terrible, terrible things.

Leviticus 25

"You want to save Bucky Barnes? You are going to have to put your own house in order first because he is going to need a rock to cling to. You are not ready to be that rock for him. You owe it to him -- and more importantly, you owe it to yourself -- to figure things out, figure out how you can be happy in this time and place, whether or not Barnes is with you."

Strike

Sometimes the road to recovery involves bowling. Conveniently, so does the one to the Grand Canyon.

Conversation in Wakanda

“I have been told that you had the privilege to share a training session with some of our Dora Milaje,” T’Challa says. “May I ask how it went?”

“Well,” the Captain huffs. “There’s no polite way to say it: I had my ass handed to me. Repeatedly.”

He sounds and looks utterly delighted.

Contact Light

Everyone thought computers would be the thing that really blew Steve's mind about the 21st century. They were wrong. When he finds out that he missed the moon landing, it's the start of an ongoing obsession with space that maybe involves Neil deGrasse Tyson, Twitter, and Star Trek marathons.

Twenty-Two

“This is Lucky,” Clint said when a dog got between him and Natasha. Lucky’s vest was bright, like desert mornings and night explosions.

“Does he help?” Natasha asked.

Clint pressed his hands flat on the counter behind him. “He saved my life.”

Natasha looked at Steve, her expression fierce. Steve resisted the urge to yank down his sleeves. Instead, he dug his nails into the puckered skin on his forearms.

AKA An AU in which Steve is a veteran just trying to survive (or not).

Gray

Peter doesn't expect Steve to show up at his house one night when he gets home from school. He also doesn't expect to have a long conversation with him, and choose to be on his side instead.

We're Happy, Free, Confused, and Lonely at the Same Time.

"Tony isn't sure, but he *thinks* Steve Rogers is going to try and argue with him about not being a kid, while wrapped up in a fluffy blanket and plaid pyjama pants watching a Disney movie. Tony really hopes that is the case. The Captain America voice looses all affect when wrapped up in that blanket and Tony can't wait to inform him as such." - The one where Tony realises that Captain America and Steve Rogers are not the same person, and Steve is so much younger then he thought.

This Isn't A Love Song, This Isn't A Fable

Steve's not OK with people's perception of Captain America, no matter what he says or how much he pretends otherwise. It's like no one in this time period realizes that there's more to him than a spangly outfit. And yes, he's including the Avengers in that. ... or, the one where everything's all right, until it's not.

it's safe here in our new world

Post TWS. In which Natasha and Steve go shopping, have Thursday night movie nights, and learn that Natasha loves to platonically kiss Steve. Which is good, because Steve loves being platonically kissed by Natasha.

Shadowboxing

Pairings: Matt Murdock & Steve Rogers

It doesn’t matter how many times you fall – what matters most is how many times you get back up. Steve Rogers knew this lesson far too well and it was one Matt Murdock had endured all his life. With both men at their lowest, could a chance friendship bring each of them to their feet again?

Everybody Eats When They Come to My House

Pairings: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov, Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson, James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers

“You’ll ruin your dinner,” Sam says, gesturing with Steve with his spatula.

i fear for the calendar; its days are numbered

Pairings: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov, Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson

Before she goes off the grid, Natasha gives Steve her phone number. He’s honored that he’s the only one to be trusted with it, but quickly learns that she spends most of her free time texting him Dad jokes.

Status Quo Ante

Pairings: James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers

A tale in which Sam suspects he should be used to this by now, for values of 'this' that involve certain folks he hangs out with and situations he finds himself in, Team Cap becomes Team Ex-Cap becomes TBD, and nobody but Clint really wants to know what happened to Scott Lang's GI Joes. (Sam Wilson from the final scene to the mid-credits scene.)

The Glass Parade

Pairings: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov, Clint Barton/Natasha Romanov

Steve thinks that he’s seen Natasha be at least three different people in the short time he’s known her, and he isn’t sure which one is real.

In which the most confusing part of the future is how much Steve has in common with Natasha, and the fact that she seems dead-set on being his friend.

Still Life

Steve Rogers and a very modern form of art therapy. (The one where Steve draws himself out of despair and into some notoriety when his cartoons hit the internet, but he's still not allowed to look at Tumblr without an okay from Pepper.)

Selective Service

The serum's given Steve a lot, but it hasn't taken anything away from him. Not even the things he never wanted in the first place.

I'm a Hustler, Baby

Steve Rogers has a talent for pool--and for making others believe he's terrible at it.

The Healing Properties of Felt-Tip Pens

Rapid healing has worked wonders on Steve Rogers' body, but occasionally it really screws with his head. In the aftermath of torture, Bruce Banner helps Steve to reconcile mind and body.

If I Die Before I Wake

It's his job, as their leader, to endure the sadistic focus of their captor, and that is the one thought that carries Steve through.

Even Gods Do

Captain America doesn't have a good relationship with sleep anymore. Also, he's not a toy.

Under My Skin

Written for a prompt on avengerkink: I want to see something where, for whatever reason, Steve's accelerated healing turns out to be a bad thing. Something where the faster healing is making things worse. I would prefer something other than the standard, super-healing allows for more torture without death. “He's lucky – to have the serum, to have you all.” Tony wasn't sure about that first part. When one faced death and destruction every day on the job, there were many advantages to having a healing factor...and a great many disadvantages as well.

A Glossary of the 21st Century

Pairings: pre-Steve Rogers/Natasha Romanov

Steve's sick of not understanding what's going on, and the team are not all that helpful, so he starts keeping an illustrated notebook for further research. With the help of wiki, google and Logan he starts to settle in and find his place in the twenty-first century.

Blanket Gift Policy

“You didn’t,” Bucky said, with no real hope of being contradicted. Clint shrugged helplessly and passed him the large, soft bundle wrapped in shiny purple foil.

“Sorry.” Tony covered his eyes with one hand.

“I’m getting a migraine.”

“So,” Bruce said wearily, “counting Clint, me, Bucky, Tony, and Sam, that brings it up to five.”

“Excuse you, mine’s not a blanket,” Sam said. “Mine’s a slanket. Big difference.”

Bucky resisted the urge to throw the whole heap of parcels at Sam’s head. “Because it has sleeves? It’s still a blanket, Wilson. They’re all blankets. Even Thor’s direct-from-Asgard raven gift delivery was a cloak, which just means it’s a blanket with a strap. We all got Steve a goddamn blanket.”

One Tin Soldier

Written for a prompt at avengerkink: Because really, under any other circumstances, why would they follow him when he's some guy who's younger than the rest of them (time as a Capsicle aside), who goes around wearing that spangly outfit, who's not even used to the modern world? Why Steve Rogers, rather than a Norse god or the CEO of Stark Industries or anyone else?

“Love is for children,” she'd said, but respect knew no such bounds. The five times the Avengers accepted Steve as their leader, and the one time they followed without question.

and if there's life we'll see it

Steve is instantly taken with this idea of having the picture of the person calling you flash on your screen when they ring your cell.

Secure Your Own Oxygen Mask (Before Assisting Others)

Steve keeps going, because they need him. Being Captain America - having the serum - is a responsibility and a privilege he takes seriously, and he won't waste it by sitting around resting in the middle of a crisis. But then the work is over, and the original victims of the crisis aren't the only ones needing looking after.

Way of the Eagle

Clint introduces Steve to kung-fu movies. Things escalate quickly.

Walking Wounded

In the aftermath of the battle against the Chitauri, Steve's doing just fine. Until he's not. Fortunately, Thor is a perfect mother-hen, Tony makes decent back-up, JARVIS is a genius, and Soap Operas are life-changing. (Or, Post-Shawarma Feels.)

Genshin Impact Visions & Gods

This has been bugging me since i started playing in mid november, but what makes a certain Archon give a Character their Vision. Considering i couldnt find any official info, I decided to do some research on each Archon and then on the player Characters we have of each element as of beginning of December 2020.

This will contain spoilers on characters & story!

Note: The travelers will not be included due to them not having Visions and having more then one Element.

I am basing this on overlaping themes and not on anything related to the actual Archon. I did add some info on the archons tho, due to this being about Visions and archons

“It is unclear whether Visions are directly granted by its element's corresponding Archon or by the nation's Archon. There is also the possibility that granting a Vision requires approval from both Archons. Yet another possibility is that they are granted by neither, and are instead given by the gods on Celestia.”

-Genshin Wiki on reciving Visions

Starting with my Favourite Element, Electro.

Electro wise, We have five Characters as of right now: Kequin, Razor, Beidou, Fishl and Lisa. The Electro Archon, God of Eternity, Baal, is the ruling Archon of the Area, Inazuma, whitch is the area we are getting in the 1.4 update in 2021.

To start off i read into any info i could find on Baal and i gotta say, she is a interesting Fellow. As of right now we know that Baal has locked Inazuma down and has initiated a Vision Hunt Decree, due to her thinking Visions should be under the sole domain of divinity. She also hasnt handed out any Visions since this decree which means all Electro characters we know have gotten theirs before this drastic change.

Now, why did these 5 characters get their Visions? Well each character has a different reason, from Razor wanting to protect those he calls friends to Lisa simpley saying it would be of use to her and just getting it. From what I've found there isnt really a big overlap in the reciving of the characters, but what is overlaping is their fixation on something.

Razor recived his vision due to him being fixated on getting stronger to protect his friends after he failed to while being dragged away by an abyss mage

Kequin was fixated on sharing her beliefs, that the people of Lyiue shouldnt rely on Rex Lapis and have their Pride and that their views are of Equal importance

Fishl was so fixated on a book series she changed herself to be like the main character, fishl and her Vision manifested in the form of Oz, one of the characters from said book

Beidou was fixated on killing Haishan, a sea monster, from a young age and recived her vision when she did so

Lisa is pretty much fixated on understanding magecraft and the cost of reciveing a Vision.

Now onto a easier Element, Geo

The Archon of Geo and Contracts, Morax, Archon of Lyiue.

Morax or Rex Lapis, was one of the oldest gods, defended Lyiue in the Archon war, the Currency in Teyvat, Mora, is named after him and as of Chp.1 Act 3 we know that he has taken the form of Zhongli and has retired as the Geo Archon.

Morax, Along with Barbatos, are the only two Archons of the Original Seven that havent been replaced.

Now, who are our Geo Characters? Noelle and Ningguang, two dedicated powerhouses! This one is fairly simple, thanks to voicelines we have of Zhongli since he came out as a player character (Bless the pity pull for giving me this man)

In his “About Ningguang” Voiceline he says: ”Despite the multitude of affairs she deals with in a day, Ningguang always continues to press on. A rare gem indeed. I'm reminded of the time that she used to walk barefoot from Yaoguang Shoal to the south wharf, trying to sell her wares as she went. Time is cruel to humans.”

Noelle recived her vision when Jean Acknowledged her hard work when she tried to get into the knights of favonius. in her “Vision” story it states: This was a lucky day that she would always remember, for she would receive recognition from two all-important sources this day: once from Jean, and the other from the gods. Her hard work has been remembered after all.

So for short: Hard working and dedicated = Geo Vision

Next up we have Anemo

Our wonderful Tone deaf bard, Venti or otherwise known as the Archon of Anemo and freedom, Barbatos, the not really ruling Archon of Mondstadt.

Barbatos is a freedom loving guy and refuses to rule over Mondstadt, the city of freedom and is by far the weakest of the Archons, despite this the people of Modstadt still love and adore their windy God.

I went into this one thinking “Oh this is easy, itll be love for freedom or something!” Nope, it surprisingly wasnt. Jean and sucerose recived their visions through their Determination it seems. Sucerose from doing her 159th Dandilion seed Simmering experiment and Jean seemed to be determened to be a good grandmaster and to protect Mondstadt.

That aside, i couldnt find many overlaps with the two, they are both free spirited and love what they do.

Now on to Pyro

Pyro, the Element of the Archon Murata who is also the god of War, is wielded by the fan fav Diluc, as well as Klee, Xiangling, Amber, Bennett and Xinyan.

Not much is known about Murata, Venti describes her as a “ wayward, warmongering wretch” and thats about all we know. She presides over Natlan.

Now to the characters, this was acually the easiest of them all: Passion.

Every Pyro user has a huge amount of passion that a rolemodel or Loved one ignited within them.

This one definitly surprised me the least and i am really excited for when we meet Murata and Natlan.

Diluc has the same passion his father had

Klee has a passion for Explosives that her mother ignited

Xiangling has a passion for food and cooking she got from her father

Amber got her Passion for Mondstadt and the outriders from her grandfather

Bennett got the Passion for adventure from all the old adventurers he calls dads, yes Dads as in plural, that raised him

Xinyan has a passion for Rock, tho i havent found out more of her story due to her being so new.

Now heading onto Hydro

Hydro, along with Dendro, is the only element where we do not know the name of the Archon. All we do know is that they are the Archon of Hydro and Justice and rule over Fontaine.

So straight to the Hydro characters: Barbara, Mona and Xingqiu.

I dont really count Childe due to the only thing talked about is his dilusion and i am rather confused on if he even has a real vision but i still love him lots

Im going to be honest this one really had me running the brain gears for a while.

All three recived their Vision as an extension of the self.

Barbara  got hers after helping a sick boy by singing to him to help him sleep through a fever, Mona rekindeled a learning aid to her vision, to aid her with her search for the truth of the rules of the world and Xingqiu got his after he explained the principles of his clans martial arts anew, litterally saying that martial artists should see Visions as a extension of the self.

Last but definitly not least, Cryo

Cryo, the Element of the Archon know as the Tsaritsa. We acually dont know her corrisponding ideal nor her acual name and this one was just as geargrinding as Hydro.

The Tsaritsa, Ruler of the fatui and the one that gives them their Dilusions, is one interresting lady. We get a description of her from Childe: “Her Royal Highness the Tsaritsa is actually a gentle soul. Too gentle, in fact, and that's why she had to harden herself. Likewise, she declared war against the whole world only because she dreams of peace. Her gaze was cold but pure, arrogant yet sharp. She was not only the sacrosanct Cryo Archon but a true warrior also.”

Kaeya, Chongyun, Diona and Qiqi, our current four Cyro userer, all have rather interesting storys when it comes to how they got their Vision.

All dont accept something

Kaeya felt guilty about hiding who he was from the family that adopted him after his father abandoned him to be a spy in Mondstadt, and told Diluc, someone he used to be very close with, the truth, since then he sees his vision as a stern reminder that he must live his life under a heavy burden of Lies. He pretty much doesnt accept the truth of his situatin and would rather live with that heavy burden

Chonyun is surpressing a part of himself, the condition he has, and as Xiangling says in Chongyuns stories, is denying a part of him. He trys to work around his condition and wont accept it as the way to go about how he practices exocrism.

Diona wont accept the truth about her father being a Alcoholic, and places the blame on the Alcohol industy instead of accepting that he isnt as high and mighty as she thought. She wont accept that her fathers bad control over his drinking habits is the reason he acts as he does and instead blames the alcohol industry.

Qiqi didnt want to accept her death nor does she really accept her Zombie like traits and only uses them when she needs to defend herself.

My theory is the Cyro Visions are recevied when you wont accept the grim reality as it is, if this is positive or negative variates

When it comes to the last element, Dendro, we sadly know nothing nor have we seen any dendro character in action. So that might be a addition later on.

I’m really interrested if we find out the actual criteria for reciving each Vision one day

Prompt 2: Aberrant

“It is preposterous!  Unnatural, even!” the drab-clad Elezen spat, his face turning red.  “That any power of darkness should bring good in this world - hardly an idea worth considering.  The Fury damn those who would turn to evil means!”  

“Calm down, Mattheiu” another Elezen, a woman of the High Houses by her bustle.  “We’ve known that the Exorcists have worked with unusual magicks.  Is it so hard to believe that there COULDN’T have been a relationship between them?  It would have predated the Church and all...”  

The two stood in the corner of a large hall, at the moment host to a massive party, such that even this outburst wouldn’t go noticed.  Cereza stood, ostensibly admiring a painting of one of the owner’s great-great-great-ad infinitum ancestors with a flute of sparkling cider in one gloved hand, but her attention was on the debate that had unfolded.  

The opening of Ishgard had many impacts upon the city, and the histories of magic, and their connections to lost civilizations in a past age, had caused a small but notable stir amongst the academics who understood the principles.  Such things weren’t major debates in other lands - there, the debates were more focused on the use of specific branches, rather than the overall origin - but here, yet another belief was being upturned.  

“The origins of the Exorcists’ magic is simple - it is the elements that surround us, granted by the Fury and the other gods.  No ancient black wizardry had a hand in inspiring that holy art.  It is an instrument of faith, nothing more.”  

And there was the opening.  

“If that is truly the case, why then did the Heretics have the same powers?  Why was Ars Almandel and its twin, Ars Notoria, almost condemned as a heretical text, if the magic it grants was not of the faith?”  THAT got the man’s attention, but Cereza stood, back to him, still studying the vaunted elder’s painting.  

“How dare you compare our arts to that of heretics!”  She could see his face turning redder still. 

“I’m not,” she said, finally glancing over her shoulder. “I’m asking a fundamental question of faith - from whence does evil come?  Only in this case, it’s a question more of, from whence does YOUR form of evil derive its power?  Certainly they could develop it from accursed sources, but if that were the case, why are the spells so similar?”  She finally turned and faced him.  “And moreover, if it were the case, why then does the Church have to train Inquisitors, if their faith would provide the power?”  

The crowd was starting to pay attention, but the man Cereza faced had eyes only for her, and not in a good way.  The other Elezen, the woman in the bustle, did find her point worth pouncing on.  “That is a good point… Natural magic is rare here in Ishgard, and only the priests and inquisitors and their ilk do wield it regularly.  Chirugeons also can get it through study… but you never just see the truly faithful summon fire or mend grievous wounds.”  

Cereza nodded.  “Beyond which, Ishgard’s once and once again allies use similar arts, and yet no accusation of heresy or witchcraft is levied against them - at least not in general, barring occasional foreign victims of the overzealous Inquisition.  Why, did Thordan the III not even commend a young magus some centuries back, making him an honorary knight of the realm?”  

“That’s enough, both of you!” the man shouted.  “The magicks of the church are holy blessings.  Your.. thaumaturgy and arcanamia are all hollow imitations of Fury-granted grace!  And were you Ishgardian, I’d challenge you to a duel!” 

Ah, about time.  Cereza motioned over a servant, and asked the girl to hold her drink, as she strutted up to the red-faced man, tugging off her right glove. “Well, well… If you are so eager…let’s not let my nationality limit us.  Duelling is common in other parts of Eorzea after all.  Ergo… I challenge YOU.”  With that, she slapped the red faced Elezen with her glove, and the crowd was silent.  For his part, Matthieu was shocked, but then his anger returned.  “Very well, then!”  He strode off, and had servants bring a blade and shield.  When he returned, he said, “Well then!  What weapon do you choose?”  

Cereza smiled as she replaced her glove and tapped the ground with her cane before throwing it into the air in a spiral.  She caught it and held it out like a sword - and in fact, it WAS, or perhaps had become, a sword, a dueling rapier to be exact.  She held it out in front of her, her left hand held behind her.  “I think my old reliable will work here.  A weapon of another time and place.”  The blade was intricately crafted in a near-Eastern style.  “But, one far more suited to this duel than you might think.  First blood then? Or best of some arbitrary number?”  

The man scoffed.  “Such a small blade, and you dare think you’d get even one hit, let alone three of five?  Besides, for your heresy, it should be death, but I’ll take yielding.”  

Cereza nodded her head with a smile.  “Oh good… some fun for once. Well then, en guard!”  

The floor had cleared, and the two circled it weapons poised.  Mattheiu struck towards her first, shield over his chest to limit the exposure of his thrust, and Cereza had to dodge to the side, swinging wildly and hitting only air.  He repeated the trick, and she dodged again -b ut it was closer this time.  And again, and this time he managed to knick her hand.  “Ha, a hit!”  He exclaimed.  He didn’t raise his arms to gloat, though, remembering the terms… but that wasn’t the opening she was looking for anyways.  

“Well then, I suppose I can’t afford to be sloppy anymore,” she said, as she focused on the blood on his blade.  She removed one glove and replaced with a black one, then cupped the end of her sword.  Her blade’s “pommel” separated, a gem glittering red, floating in her hand.  Mana flowed from the accelerator focus into the blade, and she kept her attention on that blood as she leapt forth, the magic guiding her.  The sudden leap pushed him back this time, and she made a stroke at him as he flailed, then another two slashes, and three more to finish it off.  Mattheiu fell back on the ground, his jacket ruined, and shouted, “I yield!  I yield!” before scrambling to get up and leave the party.  Cereza smiled and dismissed the blade, replacing it with her cane once more.  

The host, a member of House Hallienarte, came and bowed to her, as did the Elezen woman.  “My apologies for that,” the host said.  “Our guests should not have their honor questioned in this place of peace.”  

Cereza shook her head as she took her drink back from the servant who held it.  “Think nothing of it, Baron.  Your guest had too much to drink and was too forthcoming with his unsavory opinions.  I merely dealt with an insult in the way we should.  Thank you again for the invitation, however.”  She curtsied.  “I didn’t realize I had left such an impression on my last visit.” 

“The honor is mine,” the baron said with a bow.  “You’ve aided our house in many endeavors.  Recovering my cousin’s heirloom left a special impression, and she insisted I invite you.”  

“Well, I much appreciate it.”  She curtsied again, and the Baron left her alone with the woman.  “And you, mademoiselle.  I heard you debating our unfortunate acquaintance earlier.  I hope the duel hasn’t put a damper on your evening.”  

“Oh, perish the thought.  It was time he got thrashed for that.  But tell me, your sword… that wasn’t just swordplay, was it?  There was...something else at work.”  

“Indeed.  A blend of magicks, and a bit of preparation, helped to enhance the blade.  Combined with a small homing spell to track my blood and guide my leap forward, and it proved quite invaluable.  Alas, I think I spent the reserve mana in the blade’s accelerator for now.”  She shook her head.  “Ah… but my manners.  Lady Cereza Hoid, at your service.”  

The elezen offered her hand and curtsied, and Cereza took it and brought her forehead to it.  “Lady Maricelle Dzemael.  A pleasure to meet you.”  

The two spoke for a bit, before a server came and handed Maricelle a letter, offering a chamber for her to read it in.  There was something odd about the servant… but Cereza simply waited until Maricelle returned, sighing..  “Ah… It seems that Mattheiu has left for the evening and refuses to return… and he was my escort.”  She turned to Cereza.  “I hate to impose… but it is getting late.  Would you be able to walk back with me?  I trust the streets of Foundation, but…”

Cereza smiled.  “Of course.  I was actually heading that way myself.”  She finished her drink - the only one she’d had all night, and bid farewell to the host and a few others, before returning to Maricelle’s side.  “Please, unto the night.”  

The two strode out, and Maricelle said, “There is a shortcut back this way… come, follow.”  Cereza didn’t get a chance to protest before her charge fled down the darkened alleyway.  

“Well, so much for both worry and trusting the streets,” she muttered under her breath as she went in behind.  The alley was dark, only lights from the few house windows to illuminate the way, and the aether seemed to stir oddly.  

She caught a glimpse of Maricelle’s dress, and followed, only to keep a few steps behind each time.  The dress led down a maze of alleys, definitely not a shortcut.  “Maricelle?” Cereza called into the night.  

She heard the other lady call out, “This way, Cereza…”  But something in her voice was… wrong.  Cereza drew out her blade again, and approached more cautiously.  

Around the corner, she saw a terrible sight.  Maricelle floated inside a cloud, under the control of the servant who’d handed her the letter.  Damn, she thought, should have kept my eyes on him.  

“Ahahaha… easy enough to lure you in… a pity how simple it was, really.  But when I realized who you were… I couldn’t have you running around ruining my plans.”  

“A compulsion, then,” she said.  “Have the girl misunderstand the way home… probably a spell trapped in the letter.”  “Indeed,” the “servant” said.  “You were always a sucker for a pretty face and a damsel in distress.  You gave me the perfect opening… baiting her cousin into that duel.  But you can’t harm her now.”  

Cereza looked at her, trapped and unconscious in the miasma.  He looked at the girl and… smiled.  And the cloud - an extension of the Voidsent in the servant, seemed to shimmer nervously.  Didn’t know they could do that, she thought.  

“You think it was coincidence I was here, Achtrasi?” she said, calling it by one of its names - not its true name.  Not yet.  “I knew you’d made it into the city… tracking down the relic was easy enough.  The servant opened it instead of the Baron, though, so you had to make do.  I knew one way or another you’d be at that party… and you’d use the girl as bait.  You always liked hostages… ones that would inspire chivalry in your hunter.”  

The cloud rumbled.  “Well well… clever.  But it doesn’t matter.  You already used up your mana… what do you have that would help you save her without that?”  

Cereza’s smile widened.  “I DID say it was empty, didn’t I?  I could channel through it, but you wouldn’t give me that kind of time… but see, there’s a trick I’ve learned.  It IS empty… Well… except for one or two little spells I managed to catch...”

The creature’s cloud seemed to shimmer in uncertainty.  “Wha- What?  What the-”  

It didn’t finish its curse, as a pillar of white aether hit the cloud square on, not harming the girl inside but dissipating the trap she was in and letting her fall to the ground.  The servant stepped back and tried to run… until a ball of red light came immediately after, driving it into the wall.  

The servant stood up, but it was no longer truly that form.  Its true form bled through the body, broke through it, shedding the corpse and revealing a giant warrior, made of shadow and smoke, with two knives in its claws.  

Cereza regarded it, and put her sword away.  She instead reached into the aether once more and summoned out a tome, a blue-covered grimoire with gold embellishments.  

The scream intensified, and Cereza smiled.  “Ah, you recognize this grimoire, don’t you?  I’m not part of the church, admittedly… but that’s not a requirement.  The girl is right - the magic isn’t a gift of faith.  But credit where it’s due… they do have their exorcisms down pat”  She flipped it open to a page she’d bookmarked, and recited the spell within.  The words were prayers to the Fury, but though they were somewhat slanted to an Ishgardian interpretation, that wouldn’t make them any weaker - it wasn’t like summoning a Primal, where faith became aether to be channeled through prayer.  The spell was quite more the opposite in effect, really.  

“O Fury, Halone in the Heavens above, hear this call and bind this child of the Void, Achtrasi!”

The voidsent charged her, but as its blades came down to cleave her, chains of ice held them - and its body - leaving it paralyzed in place.  The words shaped her aether through the circles, and resonated with a spell of banishment.  “In the name of the Fury,” she called, careful not to shout lest she awaken anyone, “I command thee, demon.  Descend into the Seven Hells, and be banished from this land.  Hurt her children no more.  By her spear!”  

An aetherial lance drove into the head of the beast and through its torso, and it vanished into smoke, the dark energies that made up its power vanishing.  Cereza closed the book and banished it back into the aether - no sense getting caught with it BY one of the Inquisitors.  She could play the part of exorcist, but she wasn’t a part of the order, and being caught with that tome could spell trouble even now.  Instead, she drew her sword again, and went to the girl, channeling the white mana to cure her and help her recover.

Maricelle  opened her eyes.  “I… what… what was that?” she stammered as she regained consciousness.  “I remember… you… and a party… and then….

Cereza closed her eyes in relief.  “Voidsent,” she said when she opened them again.  “Demon.  Possessed that poor servant… and decided to use you as bait for me.”

Maricelle shook her head.  “The… the dark magics?  Was my defense… unjust?”  

“Hardly. Damned thing was summoned back in the Fifth era.  Your trust in the truth is valid.. This was just an evil spirit, not some divine punishment.  And.. possibly my fault.  It knew to use you as bait… I just knew it would, and planned accordingly.  But even so…”  

Maricelle stopped her before she could continue her apology, then sobbed and clung to Cereza.  Cereza held her, a bit awkwardly, but understandingly, knowing the fear from such things.  “You kept me safe… that’s all that matters.”  She eventually calmed down, and sniffled.  “Just… get me home.  Please?”  

Cereza smiled and nodded.  “Of course.  But… I think this way, this time,” she said.  

(少女的王座—The Throne of Girl—) Main Story: Chapter 1 Part 7 English Translation

*The Throne of Girl Masterlist. *Spoiler free: Translations will remain under cut! *Main Story will be tagged under #Throne of Main

Chapter 1-1 / 1-2 / 1-3 / 1-3B / 1-4 / 1-5 / 1-6 / 1-7 / 1-8 / 1-9 / 1-10 / 1-11 / 1-12 / 1-13

Phone Call from Adrian / Lancelot

I reluctantly walked into the Ballroom. The venue was brightly lit, the ladies and gentlemen within dressed exquisitely, lavishly, shining bright and beautiful.  

Still, I was really not used to places as crowded and lively as this.

MC: I can’t believe my brother made me do this even though he knew that I hated social events like this.

Inwardly complaining to myself, I saw a familiar figure at the Ball.

MC: (Adrian!)

I took two steps forward, only to realize that Adrian was surrounded by countless young noblewomen.

Allie: It's such a great honor to be able to meet you here, your Royal Highness, the Crown Prince.

Adrian smiled and nodded.

Kelly: That's right! I've not seen you in a long time, but you've only gotten even more dashing!

Adrian: You've gotten much prettier yourself too.

Maria: Your Royal Highness, may I have the honor of asking you for a dance?

Adrian: Of course, sure thing.

MC: (So he's actually really popular...)

MC: (But I suppose that's a given. He has the looks and he's also the Crown Prince to boot. It's obviously only normal for him to be so greatly welcomed by the girls.)

I was still rooted to my spot when the elegant dance music filled the room.

Everyone in the Ballroom gradually started to dance as the melody started up; it was almost as if I was the only person in the entire venue to be standing awkwardly alone by myself.

MC: (No one's going to ask me for a dance after all…)

I was just contemplating standing at a corner when I noticed a tall figure coming up from behind me, eventually coming to a stop before me.

Dressed in a swallow-tail coat, his pretty eyes twinkled in a gentle smile.

???: You’re wearing such a stunning dress, Princess; it’ll be a waste for you not to dance.

MC: And you are?

He gracefully extended a hand out towards me.

???: Someone who’s asking you for a dance.

I was stupefied, but he had already taken my hand gently into his, starting to fall in step with the music.

By the time I regained my senses, I had already been brought out onto the dance floor.

His eyes held warmth, his facial features exquisite, yet gentle, with an unspoken elegance in the way he moved and carried himself.

MC: (It feels like he's… Staring at me…)

MC: (...Just who is this guy?)

???: You have beautiful earrings.

MC: Thank you.

???: This is but a fact; so why are you thanking me for just stating the fact?

MC: This was something passed down by my mother, the Queen, and you're the first person to have ever praised it.

???: One will always have praise to spare for the beautiful.

MC: My mother was simplistic in nature, so even her jewelry is minimalistic...

MC: This pair of earrings are very unremarkable when put in contrast to this lavish Ball.

He leaned forwards as he followed the steps of the dance, coming up by my ear.

⊹ ˚✩ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ✩˚ ⊹

???: But the truly beautiful things in this world don’t tend to look very eye-catching on the outside. Now, Princess… Wouldn’t you say that you’re just the same?

The distance between us closed even further. My eyes flickered up to him in bewilderment, only to see his elegant and handsome features up close, clearer than ever.

He placed his hand on my waist, unhurriedly turning us around in tandem with the music; yet I felt my face warm as my heart skipped a beat. 

⊹ ˚✩ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ✩˚ ⊹

In a moment of panic, I accidentally stepped onto his foot.

MC: S-Sorry! I apologize, I...

???: Don't worry about it; you don't have to take it to heart.

Even though his tone was gentle, and he didn't seem to blame me for it at all, I still couldn't help but to feel sorry about it.

MC: (It's our first-time meeting, and he was so kind to ask me for a dance… And I stepped on him…)

???: Are you not good at dancing, Princess?

MC: I...

MC: My… My mother had passed away early, so I didn't have any noblewomen or girls like that around me. No one has ever really taught me how to dance, hence my clumsiness.

My voice gradually softened as I spoke.

???: Is that so… Then how about you practice with me tonight?

???: That way, you won't have to worry about stepping on the feet of others when you dance with them.

His tone was gentle, relaxed. I raised my eyes to meet his clear orbs. His lips curled into a gentle smile. I stared at him, stunned for a few seconds before reacting—

He was implying that he was afraid that I'd end up stepping on others.

Realizing that, I couldn't help but to snort in laughter.

MC: You're inviting me again? Not afraid I'm just going to step on you some more?

???: It's a great honor to be able to dance with you, Princess.

Seeing his smile that was as pleasant as a spring's breeze made me gradually relax as well.

What should I tell him?

▷Choice: Praise him for his way with words

MC: You really have a way with words and making them sound all the sweeter.

???: But lying beneath it is only, but the truth. You probably don't like dancing, am I right?

I froze at that. Now that was one hell of a truth, he gleaned from me. I really didn't like dancing.

MC: Yes, it's true that I don't like it. And I also know for a fact that none of the royals here would ever ask a Princess like me, one that came from the countryside, to ever dance with them.

▷Choice: Tell him that you didn't actually intend to dance

MC: Actually, I didn't even intend to dance. It was my brother who dragged me into this place.

???: Do you not like dancing, Princess?

MC: Not one bit at all.

MC: Besides, I'm well aware deep down that the people here are all up their high horses and will never look to dance with a Princess from the countryside like me.

My mouth had unconsciously formed a pout as I spoke, but he only gently closed his eyes, his tone slow but light.

???: The reason why you feel that way it's because you've grown to fear it ever since you came to the Capital.

That's the first time I've ever heard anyone say that. I paused. This feeling is out of fear? Not disgust?

MC: Are you saying that I'm scared of those big, important figures?

???: No. What you're afraid of are not those people, but rather, the rules of the Royal Court 

???: I don't think you know this, Princess; but what we know as society was something that originated from fear itself.

MC: Really?

???: Back during the era where things were still undeveloped, mankind found it hard to survive in the world in its natural state alone. Fearing death, they found the need to herd together. Thus, that was how society was created.

???: Society was created out of fear; but humans will always hold suspicion towards strangers. So, mankind created common rules and rites. 

???: With these set-in place, humans started to look out for each other and avoided killing each other.

He winked at me, before continuing his explanation slowly, thoroughly.

???: Running away from fear is the very essence of society itself. Speaking of which, this is the first time you've ever been to the Capital, yes? From the standpoint of someone who's not familiar with the unique rules of the Royal Court, the hesitance you feel is only natural.

I listened attentively, as if I was listening to a knowledgeable teacher as they taught the class.

MC: So, according to what you say, I do have a bit of social phobia...

???: The nobles and ministers here actually feel the same fear that you do.

MC: So you're saying that they're scared of me?

???: The nobles and aristocrats of the Capital have already gotten used to this stagnant lifestyle of theirs; therefore, they feel uneasy whenever any part of your behavior fails to conform to their norms.

???: They are afraid of breaking the very same rules that they made— For example, they're just like the fishes who live in the pond who panic from the waves caused by a pebble that gets thrown into the waters.

MC: So, you’re saying that I’m the pebble that’s being thrown into the pond?

???: You're not just a mere pebble from what I see.

MC: Oh?

I glanced at him in suspicion, only to see him incline his head with a smile that reflected in his purple eyes like how light reflected off water under the bright, dazzling lights.

???: You, Princess, are but a rare gem in this world.

I felt my face start to warm again at that sentence of his, not knowing how to react for a split second.

Just then, the dazzling lights before me flickered, plunging the entire hall into absolute darkness...

⊹ ˚✩ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ✩˚ ⊹

MC: Wha—!?

The shrill screams of the noblewomen, the confusion that wormed its way into the conversations of the gentlemen, and the anxious shouting of the attendants immediately filled the hall.

MC: What's going on?

???: Looks like there was a power trip somewhere.

It was then that the crowd around us began to push each other around.

Kelly: Ah! Who stepped on my dress!?

Duke Riarty: Get out of my way; let me out of here!

Lady Mandela: Joseph! Joseph, where are you?

MC: I don’t know where brother and Albert are either...

???: Don't worry; I will bring you outside.

MC: (Looks like the lights won’t be coming back on in such a short time. It’ll be better to go out first.)

The thought had only registered itself in my head when a pair of warm hands clasped over mine.

There was no time for my hesitation, for my body was being led away by an inexplicably reassuring force as I followed his footsteps out of the hall.

⊹ ˚✩ ━━━━━━━ ∘◦ ♔What’s past, it’s prologue♔ ◦∘ ━━━━━━━ ✩˚ ⊹

Previous Part: (Chapter 1-6) | Next Part: (Chapter 1-8)

February 2020 Angel Fish Awards

Every month all of you fantastic writers work your asses off to post some truly incredible stories. Our Angel Fish Awards are the way for all of us, as a community of writers and readers, to lift each other up and give praise to those who have captured our attention and deserve a few kind words.

The monthly Angel Fish Awards are peer-nominated, meaning ANYONE IN THE POND CAN NOMINATE ANY POND MEMBER’S FIC. While the Pond was founded to support the Guppies, everyone in this community deserves to be showered with love and feedback, and we hope that by opening this up as a Pond wide system, we’ll be able to share the love as far as it can go.

NOTE: WE’VE BEEN HAVING OCCASIONAL PROBLEMS WITH ASKS GOING MISSING. Please use the Submit button when submitting your nominations and make sure you’re signed into Tumblr or your URL won’t show. (If the form asks for your name and email address, then you’re not signed in.) If you like, you can also send a message to Michelle @mrswhozeewhatsis or Mana @manawhaat to check and make sure we got your submission.

WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, HERE ARE THIS MONTH’S ANGEL FISH AWARDS!

There are NINE (9) stories this month with more than one nomination!! Be sure to check through all ninety (yeah, that’s 90!!!) nominations!!

Nominated by @flamencodiva 

Frat Boy (series) by @luci-in-trenchcoats 

This is one of my all time favorite stories by Michelle! It was one of the first ones I read when I joined Tumblr. it is a really good read and I recommend it highly! 

A River In Egypt (series) by @crashdevlin 

Holy crap this is another amazing fic by Cassie! I mean the way she writes Sam’s inner monologue is amazing! and the rest is yet to come! 

Darken (series) by @impala-dreamer 

I love Beka’s Stories! This one is my absolute favorite! and my god was it angsty as hell and I ate it all up! 

Nominated by @becs-bunker 

The Accidental Sexter (oneshot) by @scorpiongirl1 

OK, where to start with this one?! I honestly sweated my way through reading it. It was so hot and steamy and let’s be honest, even over 40, Dean can get it anytime. This just proves it!🔥🔥 Some accidents are so worth it, that one sure was!

Nominated by @erins-culinary-service 

Call of the Ocean (series) by @flamencodiva 

This is the first mermaid! Reader fic I’ve read but I’m loving it so much! It’s a collaboration fic, but the chapters go so well together you can’t even tell. It’s also a super slow burn and I know will be 100% worth the wait.

When You Fall (series) by @flamencodiva 

This is such an amazing and dark fic. READ THE WARNINGS THOUGH!! There are a lot of things that could trigger someone, but if you do read the story it will leave you wanting more are the end of every chapter.

Fighting For A Future (series) by @flamencodiva 

*Uncontrollable screaming noises* that’s the only way I can describe how much I love this and how excited I get when I see an update about this fic!

Running With Wolves (series) by @waywardrose13 

This series rips my heart out every single chapter and I always come back for more because how could I not?  It’s an angsty A/B/O fic and I can’t wait to find out how this ends since there’s still so much left in the fic to explore.

Nominated by @fictionalabyss 

Privacy (oneshot) by @evansrogerskitten 

Can I nominate this glorious piece of work for the AFA!? It gets right to the point and has you looking forwards to that climax at the end and what gets him there.

Porch Swing (oneshot) by @myinconnelly1 

omfg. The angst was almost subtle until it wasn’t.  Ripped my god damn heart out.

Unexpected (oneshot) by @tumbler-tidbits 

When I wrote Sleeping with the wrong Winchester, there was next to nothing for small dick Winchesters. You don’t know how happy I was to find this in the pond! I LOVEEEEEE small dick Winchester fics. WE NEED MORE!

Never In Fact Homeless (oneshot) by @slowdownsugar 

Perfect. It’s just perfect, that’s all that really needs to be said here. It’s short, and sweet, and utterly perfect.

You Can’t Save Them All (oneshot) by @sorenmarie87 

It’s an older fic that I had forgotten about until I stumbled on it again. Its easy to picture the scene, her playing the piano with a broken heart, and Dean just being there so she isn’t alone. still beautiful.

Meeting Mr. Smith (oneshot) by @evansrogerskitten 

Alpha!Dean Smith is just so.. *happy sigh*

Back to Him (oneshot) by @focusonspn 

That ending really made this fic for me. It’s such a Dean ending. The determination to put his pain aside and and get someone back.

One Night Lover (oneshot) by @thing-you-do-with-that-thing 

As always, I’m sucked in, and I can’t look away. By the end, I’m heartbroken and trying desperately to pick up the pieces and while begging to make it better.

Till the End of Time (oneshot) by @girl-next-door-writes 

This made me so happy you don’t even know. I loved this. I love the idea of this.  I just- I love this.

The New Sheriff (series) by @iflostreturntosteverogers

I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS TO START POSTING! Bad ass female main with a cowboy!Dean? Fuck yes! Get hyped, and get reading. *impatiently awaiting chapter 2*

Nominated by @thegirlwhorunswithwinchesters

We Know (oneshot) by @icequeen6666

Randomly came across this fic and, well, anyone who knows me won’t be surprised I couldn’t say no to a good dose of pure angst. I loved the pace in this oneshot. It was quick, but still managed to keep the suspense. And the ending broke my heart, as always.

Too Late, Now (oneshot) by @theholyfoxface

I don’t read many RPF’s but this one sucked me right in and there was nothing I could do about it. It was a beautiful combination of heartbreaking and heartwarming in a way I’m not sure how to describe properly. Yet, the author managed to do it absolutely perfectly.

You Scared Us (oneshot) by @theholyfoxface

Always love reading fics by fellow guppies and shining a well deserved spotlight on them through these nominations. This one I enjoyed very much. I loved the way Dean was portrayed as the more reasonable one while still being his stern self, trying to get things done his way.

You, Me & The Devil Makes Three (series) by @supersassyprobablysad

This series is very intriguing. I love the OC’s wit and the overall backstory of her and her siblings. Definitely going to keep an eye out for the next chapters to find out how this mystery will unravel.

Porch Swing (oneshot) by @myinconnelly1

Well, this sure broke me into a million pieces. I’m a sucker for angst and this piece of writing certainly delivered. It’s sad but it’s gorgeous and I’m in love.

A Day at the Cabin (oneshot) by @cloverhighfivewritestoo

All the fluff. This is so sweet, after reaching the end I went back and read it a second time right away. I would also like to say that Sam being the little spoon is something I can 100% get behind. Pun intended.

Let Me Go (oneshot) by @foreverwayward

Though the ‘Always keep fighting’ part definitely got me bad, I was an absolute fool thinking that would be the hardest part. This was so beautifully written, I don’t quite know what to say. I guess the heartbreak I’m feeling after reading this is all on me, since there was a fair warning given right at the top.

Notes (oneshot) by @kittenofdoomage

I stumbled across this fic and I just…… wow. Apart from the signature amazing writing from this author, which I keep getting blown away by, I just really loved the idea for the plot. The way it was set up with the secret blog and the notes while the brothers acted like they had no idea. I’ll say it again: Wow.

Nominated by @kittenofdoomage 

Control and Release (series) by @thecleverdame 

I lost five hours of my life to this beauty. It’s so perfect. I can’t even find the right words to describe how perfect this is. If you love Sam, and you’re into BDSM, or even if you just like really amazing smut, you need to read this.

The Oath (series) by @thecleverdame 

This story is dark, so heed the warnings, but it is another brilliant masterpiece. Absolutely fantastic.

Call Of The Ocean (series) by @flamencodiva and @anathewierdo 

There aren’t many mermaid AUs out there, so this is a rare gem. The story that these two are weaving is intriguing, angsty, funny, and just plain awesome. I’m really enjoying reading it and can’t wait to see what happens.

Just A Number (oneshot) by @crispychrissy 

I adored this oneshot for all the following reasons; the reader is a badass, Dean is spot-on, and the smut was h-h-hahmazing.

Bury It (series) by @crashdevlin 

Heed the warnings on this one, folks, it is not for the faint-hearted. It deals with some brutal themes, but it’s fucking awesome. I’m really enjoying seeing the journey from Dean’s perspective, despite how completely fucked up it is. lol

What Goes Bump In The Night (series) by @saxxxology 

If you haven’t heard of Saxxy, you are missing out, especially where it comes to her Sam A/B/Os. This series is no exception to her amazing level of work; it’s dark and twisty and just beautiful.

All Our Sins (oneshot) by @impala-dreamer 

It’s smutty, sinful, delicious - you just can’t go wrong.

Nominated by @impala-dreamer  

Cherry Red (oneshot) by @dontshootmespence 

I’m trying not to nominate you every month, but geezeus… HOLY HELL THIS IS MAGIC SMUT RIGHT HERE. ughhhh i’m a little … emotional about this.

Also, your writing is amazing in this. Like, it FELT like an old timey film and I dug that so much. Great, Great work.

‘He stares up with rapt attention, watching the curve of her body as she places herself over his knee; he’s pretty sure he’s died and gone to heaven, but he’s been to heaven before and it ain’t this fun.’

That line is magic. Mhm. Love it.

My Brother’s Keeper (oneshot) by @cleighwrites 

I don’t trust a lot of people to write Wincest with the respect and soul-level love that I believe it should be written with, as such, I don’t read a whole lot of it, except from certain people.

THIS IS PERFECT. It’s hurt/comfort Wincest, which is my absolute favorite, and then you somehow made Sam into the perfect needy sub, and it was so well written and respectful to the idea and the characters and just… it was really really well done. Bravo. Thank you.

Dutiful (oneshot) by @stusbunker 

Ya know that scene in Julie & Julia where Julie is trying to describe what eating an egg feels like for the first time and Amy Adams gets all like wide eyed and swoony and licking her lips and just…

Yeah, that was me reading this. God, that was good. Just… I can’t really explain it but I FELT it. Really Really good work.

Nominated by @sorenmarie87 

Roots (series) by @manawhaat 

I wish I could submit all three parts for a nomination because this mini series featuring JDM is so sweet and fluffy <3  Mana really knocked it out of the park.

More Than Anything (oneshot) by @iflostreturntosteverogers 

This fic in particular, I know that Carrie was gonna through a rough time and who doesn’t love a good comfort fic?  I know I do.  

The New Sheriff (series) by @iflostreturntosteverogers 

It’s no lie that I love AU’s and I was so excited when iflostreturntosteverogers said she was gonna write a Western AU.  The set up for the first part is perfect and Sara, the OC girl - I would do anything for.  

When You Fall (series) by @flamencodiva 

I had this particular fic on my list to read for such a long time, and I’m glad I finally read it. The plot is a little heavy but I highly recommend this one.   I can’t wait to see what she has in store for future parts.  

Nominated by @mrswhozeewhatsis 

Anything and Everything (oneshot) by @rockhoochie 

I said this in my reblog of this story, but I want to say it here, too: This is freaking BEAUTIFUL! I had to look up the song quoted, and this is just so perfect for that song, and the song is perfect for this story. *throws kudos at Sarah forever*

Nominated by @supersassyprobablysad 

Gods of Twilight (series) by @thecleverdame 

It was an excellently written and refreshing take on the ABO concept and I really enjoyed it!

Protector (oneshot) by @fictionalabyss 

It’s only 3 chapters in but I already can’t wait for the next one. I’m super excited to see where this goes and imagining Dean as a biker does all kinds of things to me lol

Lemon Drop (oneshot) by @impala-dreamer 

It’s basically PWP BUT it is amazing none the less. Who knew that a Hypno Kink could be so hot?

Nominated by @fangirlxwritesx67 

More in the Mortar Than the Pestle (oneshot) by @thoughtslikeaminefield 

This is one lush, sexy story featuring Dean and the always-gorgeous Rihanna. An absolute treat!

Seasons (series) by @thoughtslikeaminefield 

I don’t know how I missed this series but let me tell you, no one should miss it! I read the first chapter and wanted to wait, read the rest slowly, slowly. NOPE. I dropped everything, sat right down and read it ALL. It’s a beautiful Dean Winchester x OFC, told in an amazingly creative non-linear format, with chapters that follow the seasons of the year as well as the seasons of their relationship. It’s MJ, so of course I don’t have to tell you that her Dean is spot on, every detail is perfect, and the sex is mind blowing. Just - read it. But be aware that once you start, you may not be able to stop

Try (oneshot) by @there-must-be-a-lock 

Look, honestly, Winchester baby fanfics are a dime a dozen. Which makes this one stand out all the more for how good it is. Lou describes it as “flufftastic smut” and it is, it really is. The sex is smoking hot, of course, but there’s so much meaning and emotion to it. I’m a Sam girl anyway, so the whole thing is just *swoons* *cries*

Nominated by @princessmisery666 

Magnetic (oneshot) by @crashdevlin 

Only a few words yet gave me all the feels. Exactly how I imagine Sam would be *swoon*

Just A Number (oneshot) by @crispychrissy 

I am taking part in @beccaanne814 reblog challenge and it’s all about finding new authors and sharing each others works but I think this maybe the third fic of Chrissy’s I’ve recommended because she consistently writes stories I love and this was no exception. She gives me all the feels, laughing, crying, anger, sad. Basically I’m a huge fangirl and I don’t have to right words to express how much I love her work.

Nominated by @wingedcatninja 

Good Literature (series) by @peridottea91 

I don’t normally have the patience for a series, especially one that is still being updated. Thank goodness I signed up to beta this one because I would have missed out on some truly outstanding writing. The story is compelling, the characterization is on point, and the OC adds an intriguing layer. This could easily be a story arc on the actual show, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys classic SPN.

Nominated by @thoughtslikeaminefield

Shackled (series) by @itmighthavebeenintentional

Valerie has long been one of my fave fic authors and one of my dearest friends. This was such an unexpected but welcome deluge of poetry and imagery. I was on the edge of my seat and breathless every time she sent me an updated Gdoc.

Please, if you read nothing else this month, READ THIS.

Nominated by @mummybear

Rules are Rules (oneshot) by @thoughtslikeaminefield

As soon as I read this fic i was hooked!! I have reread it at least four times at this point!! I freaking love it!! MJ is incredible and so is everything she writes! Since tumblr ate the stupid ask i sent her after reading, I figured I could do this at least :) Much love honey!!

Nominated by @supernatural-jackles​

The Fun Behind Conventions (oneshot) by @focusonspn​

I came across this bad boy while searching for something else and man was I excited to read this. This fic is hot as hell! Very very NSFW, but holy! There is nothing hotter than this kind of sandwich! It was so well written and the attention to detail left me… let’s just say I’ll be going back to reread this one! Amazing!!

The Accidental Sexter (oneshot) by @scorpiongirl1

This had everything I was looking for! Humor wrapped in a hot fic! Dean accidentally sending a naughty picture shouldn’t be this much of a turn on but this is - this is freakin’ awesome! Words can’t do this one justice! Please, just read this one and you’ll see exactly what I mean! Absolutely awesome story!

High School Bullshit (oneshot) by @fictionalabyss​

 I don’t know why this one struck me as much as it did. I read this one, then I lost it until I was thinking about it. I searched high and low trying to find it again so I could reread it! I really enjoyed this one because I could relate to it in some way. Never feeling like I could get the hot guy I had a crush on because of high school bullshit. I can definitely relate to this reader and it was nice to see something like this in a fic and have an outcome like it does! Awesome job!

Nominated by @thelittleredwhocould​

What Lurks Beneath the Surface (series) by @saxxxology​ 

I. Love. Soulless. Sam. So. Fucking. Much. Also there’s a line about Sam’s nose in the first chapter and I feel. Attacked. So rude.

What Goes Bump in the Night  (series) @saxxxology​ 

I love me some dark A/B /O and this series hits all the right buttons. Angst, a dark and gritty world, Alpha!Sam (*heart eyes*). It’s just ugh. So good.

About a Boy (series) by @percywinchester27​ 

I think this series is going to be in my Hall of Fame till the end of time. Ana’s plot pulled my in from the first chapter and I’m so excited to see where this series goes!

There’s Something Strange (series) by @alleiradayne​ 

I found this on AO3 by accident and immediately fell in love. The case is super interesting, the characters are well done, and over all I really enjoyed it.

Her Saviours (series) by @bamby0304​ 

Been doing a lil reread of this series and rediscovering how much I adore it.

I Know Your Wife (She Wouldn’t Mind) (series) by @teamfreewill-imagine​ 

I will forever recommend this fic to anyone who will listen. It’s the only RPF fic I’ll read and it’s just. SO GOOD.

Nominated by @myinconnelly1​

Tighter Harder Faster (oneshot) by @impala-dreamer​

Alright look this was just straight up dirty.  Ok, what else can I saw but that I needed a cold shower after this.The Girl I Knew 

The Girl I Knew (oneshot) by @emilyshurley​

Uh, what can I say here?  I have never been so honored to have fanfic written of my fanfics before, but emilyshurley has given me the highest medal, in the absolute cutest way imaginable.

Gods of Twilight (seires) by @thecleverdame​ 

This fic was binge worthy. I could put my phone down and I simply wanted to hurry onto the next chapter.  Seriously don’t read it if you need any time to adult.

The Private Invader (oneshot) by @negans-lucille-tblr​

This was some dirty below the belt cheating.  It was amazing, and I just was like *heart eyes* the entire way through. 

The Truth (series) by @negans-lucille-tblr​ 

While this type of fic is not normally my go to, it truly grips you and puts into the minds of the characters.  I was actually scared and ashamed of myself feeling like I had done something wrong, when it was the characters.

Nominated by @tumbler-tidbits

Everything (series) by @there-must-be-a-lock

Sweet Holy Effervescent Jesus this is the hottest thing I have read in a long time! Its raw and messy and desperate, and SO fucking delicious! Lou even managed to get some fluff in too! Do yourself a favor and binge this fic! (just make sure your alone and have spare panties)

Bottle Service (series) by @thoughtslikeaminefield

This is one of my longtime faves, and it never disappoints! My girl MJ captures the true intimacy between the characters and a smut  fic has never sparked such emotion in me. It’s beautiful, and passionate and there’s a sequel! It’s called Full Service and it is equally amazing!

Worthless (oneshot) by @maddiepants

This one just ugh *sobs*. Erica captures the struggle of self-harm in this fic very well. Its heartbreaking and soul shattering, but it also reminds you that you can’t trust those voices in your head, and that there is someone who cares about you. TW: thoughts of suicide and self harm.

Hard To Love (oneshot) by @maddiepants

I’m a sucker for a good song fic and Erica does this one justice! She really captures Dean’s self-hatred and really makes you want to wrap our favorite hunter in hugs. My bestie has a gift for the angst, but she gives you fluff too.

His Property (series) by @negans-lucille-tblr

This fic is glorious! There’s angst, fluff, and smut so hot you’ll be a melted puddle of arousal. Believe it or not Bee also managed to make me hate one of my favorite Supernatural characters! There is a definite twist in this one :)

Since You’ve Been Gone (series) by @negans-lucille-tblr

This series quickly captured my heart. I don’t remember what it was that captured me but the mix of fluff, angst, and smut certainly kept me around! The best part? There’s a sequel called “Now You’re Here” and in March she’s releasing Part three of the Trilogy!

Ask Me (oneshot) by @evansrogerskitten

This one is another favorite of mine by my girl Ash! This hits so many of my kinks there are not words to describe the hotness. In fact I’m pretty sure my reblog contained gifs and keyboard smashes lol. Read it! You’ll thank me!

With Wolves (series) by @bamby0304

This one is a classic favorite! This fic was my first foray into the A/B/O world AND series works. I was still somewhat new to the fandom and tumblr when I discovered it and I was immediately hooked! I love the way Amber has incorporated our favorite characters into this alternate universe while still maintaining their cannon personalities. It’s an emotional roller coaster, so buck up and enjoy the ride!

Spanner in the Works (series) by @bamby0304

This one has a special place in my heart! It makes me smile and squee and just overall make a fool of myself. It’s incomplete right now because Amb is on hiatus, but there are seventeen AMAZING chapters that you can read right now! I just love it, plain and simple.

Cupid Can Shove His Arrow Right Up His... (oneshot) by @bamby0304

Since it’s February, I thought it appropriate to share this yummy piece! Holy Fucking shit I LOVED THIS! The attitude, the sass, the fucking innuendos… THE FUCKING! Jesus Christ on a crumbled cracker, This one killed. Go beg Amber for MORE of this! And make sure you say PLEASE! We need to see ALL those scenarios played out… Read this one in privacy ladies and have a helper handy.

Wrecked (oneshot) by @thoughtslikeaminefield

JFC if this isn’t every Jensen girls fantasy! This one just ruined me! Wall sex, hand over your mouth, soft nips and kisses *shudders* give it a read!

Our Little Secret (series) by @sis-tafics

If you’ve got a kink then Jill’s got you covered 😏 This 25 chapter serious has it all! A little angst, a dash of fluff, and whole lot of smut! Each chapter explores a different kink between Dean and the Reader from the Readers point of view while Dean tries to show her how beautiful she is. I recommend you take the time and read the series in sequence, y’all will not regret it!

Midnight Blue (oneshot) by @rockhoochie

This Fic was so fucking amazing! Precise and descriptive words paint an amazingly vivid picture that fills all your senses! You can actually see, hear, smell, and feel the things going on between the reader and Sam! I could be biased since this fic hit nearly all my kinks *fans self* but indulge in this extremely passionate sensory experience for yourself and read it!!

Bruised (oneshot) by @wayward-and-worn

This is oddly sweet and fluffy with a hen pecking Dean, and absolutely fucking hilarious at the same time 😂😂 I love it!

Not Letting Go (oneshot) by @kittenofdoomage

Whoo! I love a good A/B/O fic and this one is delicious! Just enough smut to please you and leave you begging for more!

The Maddening Empty (oneshot) by @impala-dreamer

Whew. I don’t know if it’s my praise!kink or my dom!kink but this little number right here had me wishing I waited to read until after work! This ones a panty ruiner folks!

Notes (oneshot) by @kittenofdoomage

JFC this piece is a dream come true! What would you do if Sam and Dean discovered your smutty fanfiction? Well this hot little number lets you know exactly what they would do!

The Mirror (oneshot) by @wheresthekillswitch

This sweet little drabble speaks volumes for those of us who have insecurities (read: all of us!). Short, sweet, and to the point! Hold your head high.

Only One Woman I Trust (oneshot) by @georgialouisea

This is just absolutely precious! You think you know what’s going on but there’s a surprise! This one will rot your teeth ❤️

Inked Up (oneshot) by @evansrogerskitten

Ever want to know what goes on inside Dean’s head when he sees a hot girl? This fic is super hilarious and totally fluffy! I love Dean’s internal struggle to keep himself in check 😂 this one is fun!

Hunt Hard Play Harder (two parts - link is to Pt. 1) by @rockhoochie

HOLY FUCKING SHIT! This is…. this is just. WOW! Holy Hell I can barely breathe. This one gives you Dom!Dean AND Sub!Dean and both are equally sensual and erotic! There’s even a surprise ending! Which had my pulse racing… Whew 🔥 My bitches y’all will love this one!

Mr. Quackers (oneshot) by @impala-dreamer

They say that crack is whack, well in this case quack is whack 😂😂 This little drabble with have you laughing until you cry, it’s just that ducking funny! (See what I did there?)

Holding On (oneshot) by @idreamofplaid

This is so beautiful and so painful I was teary eyed! They never really show us how the boys deal with their inner demons on the show, but Robin does a phenomenal job of painting that picture!

Clear Your Mind  (oneshot) by @impala-dreamer

Oh sweet smiling sinner this was miraculous! So soft, so gentle, so loving… this was Sam making love to the reader and the way he takes care of her makes it that much more passionate! Ladies and gents THIS is how you take care of your lover! Fucking love you Beka!

Thunder Rolls (oneshot) by @amanda-teaches

This was intensely passionate! The sex is hot but the love behind it really makes it great! The authors use of super descriptive descriptions of your pleasure will have you clenching your thighs!

Thank you all for the awesome work and great feedback!

These are not actual awards! This system is set up so everyone in the pond has a chance to share the love and promote a fic/author that has grabbed your attention. The more people that participate, and the more everyone remembers to submit their own fics after posting, the better this will be :D

THANK YOU ALL AGAIN, KEEP UP THE AMAZING WORK, AND AS ALWAYS, HAPPY WRITING!

The Sky Is Falling

(Loosely based on @starr-fall-knight-rise 's universe)

A thunderous rumbling shook the gathering area, causing frightened screams to yell out in shock. Metallic silver pillars periodically placed around the mansion sized room held the looming ceiling aloft before they started to groan dangerously as if feeling the dangerous pressure around them. Lights flickered before dimly coming back on again, the glasslike gems hung from swinging chandeliers, barely emanating a yellow glow. The smell of a pungent gas filled the air along with the faint whiff of spilt blood. Another thundering boom echoed once more, making some unseen children bawl uncontrollably.

"Please! Take the children!"

"There's no more room, lazeir, I'm sorry!"

"Then make more, caldat!"

"Yes, please! I'm begging you! Take them!"

"Lazeir! Don't leave me, lazeir!"

"Caldats!! Please save us!"

"Save us!"

"Protect the dolmiers!"

"Come back for us!"

The noise was suddenly quieted as an oval door shut soundlessly into place. The small room brightened slowly, revealing three beings sitting by the opposite wall. They breathed heavily, not because of their lengthy run to their compartment in total disarray, but of the intolerable pressure set on their heads.

One whispered, "There’s room in here... We can take some children and—"

"There is not enough supplies to support us and them on the dolmier quaster, Al. We'll barely make it past the galaxy with them if—when we escape." Another voice interrupted logically, their voice shaking.

"B-but we can try! There's still—"

"My prince." The third being said firmly, "My... friend. I am in charge of both of your safety and wellbeing. Even at the cost of others. Your existence will be a saving grace in the future so I cannot allow you to sacrifice yourself now."

The being stood up, their stance showing fatigue but with great determination, "Let's go... May Matradais guide our course to somewhere resourceful and safe."

The being got the first part right, but was most certainly wrong about the latter.

———————————

It all started on that day. That one damned day. It was all perfect before their majesties came to find their heirs...

The Three Rivers Home was a homeschool like any other. There were a few gentle yet strict lazeirs, non-binary caretakers, who watched over the usual litter of fifty children though they were a variety of different subspecies. The Home stood in between some rivers, the edge of a savanna, and few giant Hollow trees, causing the diversity. It was beautifully built home with plenty of rooms, wings made for school rooms, and multiple obstacles to play on. Laughter could be heard at all times of the day, making any passing adult smile in nostalgia. The white, marble walls stood gleaming and true as messily painted streaks of blue ran around the blank canvas like snakes. A small symbolic prank the lazeirs found endearing. A few children were rare hybrids from the locations and garnered a lot of attention from other kids, welcome or not. One of these children was a small female who had sleek body shape made for speed but her hair curiously a muted purple, a clear sign of someone different than the norm. Besides that, she could climb almost as well as any Sky Dweller though her tail was much clumsier at holding branches. She fell from that mistake that one fateful day.

"Galia you're going to fall."

"No I'm not. See these claws?" She flexed her six fingers, sharp curved claws extended from her fingertips menacingly, "Matradais gave me them for a reason. You're just mad you can't join us up here, flipper face."

The giant Farrisan below lashed his tail at the comment but did no more than just exasperatedly stare above at her. His artic blue eyes seemed to be pinprick lights from fifty feet up in a tree. She giddily hopped on her beastly hind legs, her reptilian toes clawing the tree. Another Farrisan alighted on her branch, swatting her shoulder lightly with his long tufted tail.

"Don't tease him, Gale. He can thrash both our hides if he felt like it."

She tussled his vibrant orange mane of hair, "Only if he catches me first!"

With a whoop and a shout, she launched off the branch, bark flying from her clawed toes' grip. With the grace of a clumsy monkey, she made her way down to the ground as her friends yelled at her for multiple reasons. The orange haired Sky Dweller egged her on while the Sea Dweller below yelled about some dead branch. Dead branch?

Her tail wrapped around a particularly dry branch before she realized the warning.

"FUCK."

"SHIT."

"DUMBASS."

"LANGUAGE!"

As Galia fell, their heads turned towards their lazeir coming at them at full speed. It was a terrifying sight to behold. An angry mane of frizzy red hair plus a set of pissed crimson eyes made them truly wish they hadn't sneaked out during role call and instead crawled into a deep hole to cower in. The Sky Dweller easily maneuvered through the grove of trees, clawed feet digging into bark and tail expertly balancing their form as they grabbed Galia in the nick of time before skidding to a halt on ground. They instantly searched her body, looking for any cuts or bruises before flicking her folded wing-like ear with a finger.

Her arial rang as the sharp sound bounced along her hearing, "Ow! Okay! I get it! That was dumb and I'm sorry."

"You should be! What were you thinking? You're not Sky Dweller enough to do acrobatics like that!"

Galia felt a sliver of familiar heat build up within her. The other two who arrived to check on her immediately knew what she was thinking as they plucked her small form from their lazeir's arms.

"She won't do it again!"

"We'll play something else next time!"

They both looked expectantly at her golden eyes, silently telling her to confirm.

"Yes," She looked away, "I won't."

Their lazeir scrutinized her for a second as they sighed in relief, "Good. I’m just glad you're safe, but we have to get you back in for the gathering. The Sea, Sky, and Land Royals are coming. We can't have anyone missing."

They ushered them towards the homeschool, looking quite frazzled at the past events. Unlike their regular personality, they didn't pay any attention to the trio of young adults silently seething at their past comment. It was a sore spot to mention Galia's shortcomings as a hybrid. Never being one or the other created quite a strain on her expectations and if it wasn't for her two friends, she would've been alone, sad, and angry since the beginning. Now she’s just livid with two other people to keep her in check.

A gust of wind pushed against the group, ruffling the yellow leaves above them and swaying boughs of gray branches. Opening their folded arials curiously, the trio heard the familiar sound of dolmiers, flying pearlescent vehicles, whir closer and closer. Their lazeir ushered them faster as three giant torpedo-shaped dolmiers landed gently onto the open field of trimmed cream grass of their front yard. It was a sight to behold, three uncommonly large and armored dolmiers sat gallantly under the emerald sky, shiny and mysterious.

"Dolmier quasters!" The Sea Dweller whispered, amazed.

"What?"

"Dolmiers made especially for Royals."

The orange hair teased, "Pfft, Wace is all nerd."

"Aleyo, I would've asked for your opinion if I wanted it."

Both young men were thwacked with a red-tufted tail.

"Get. Inside."

They flinched, "Yes lazeir."

Galia chuckled as they walked indoors, Wace combed back his black mane sheepishly while glaring at Aleyo. Al opened an arial, pretending to hear something else.

"Don't ignore me you overgrown monke—"

"No really! I hear something."

Or maybe not.

Low muttering could be heard over the ambient halls. Countless doorways lined the white yet homey halls stretched at their sides, dotted every now and then with pieces of artwork or holographic announcement boards. The doors to gathering space made for meetings were propped opened in the front entrance, revealing rows of whispering young Farrisans staring their way. A rainbow of eyes gazed at them, most with curiosity, some with glee, and a few with exasperation. Every one of their litter mates knew the trio were a special group of friends.

Aleyo was the most gullible of the group, quite trusting in an adorably funny way. Al once got his head stuck in a Stoll tree hollow trying to drink its special sap from the source while, somehow, Galia had convinced him to get her a cup of the bubbly water before he went for it. However, he always helped around with a kind hand no matter how many times he's been tricked. Nobody had the heart to keep screwing with him for long. Especially when they know that both his friends would find ways to unmake them.

Wace was the smartest of the bunch yet just got into a lot more of their shenanigans than he should have. He found robotics and engineering to be his forte which allowed his other two litter mates to have a swell time with his inventions, whether purposely made for shenanigans or not. The Rocket Orb Incident was a tale to tell for the ages. Despite the fact that his partners dragged him into trouble, he found himself the happiest when watching over their antics.

Lastly, Galia was the most willful of the trio and the cause of almost all their shenanigans. Whatever temptation came her way, she would do whatever she could to accomplish it. Climb that dummy high tree? Up there in no sweat with some help from Al. Want the best sun spot to lay in? Make a convoluted plan with Wace to maneuver a littermate out of the spot. Craving for the last piece of steak fruit? Sprint through litter mates and if she failed to get one, beg with wide eyes to close friends. Those glittery golden eyes always gained her delicious meals though Wace and Al were somewhat immune to the charm.

Everyone knew they were stupidly close and no doubt knew that they planned to stay close even when their territorial urges come. They couldn't imagine them in any other way.

The trio joined the lined ranks, muttering a few apologies for brushing against tails and exchanging a few knowing stares. They found their spot among the first rows facing the back of the room where a podium stood. Switching into a more polite mindset, they stood respectfully in place like nothing had happened. Especially incidents involving falling off trees. Their watchful lazeir sighed at the sight as they stood with other lazeirs to welcome their now approaching guests.

The first thing the litter noticed was the sudden pressure in the air. Some feeling made their arials twitch, their bodies tensed, and their eyes lock onto the entrance.

Tall, muscled adults stalked in, looking relaxed yet attentively alert. Each had a weapon in hand, some with pearlescent gauntlets, few with kinetic guns, and fewer with gleaming tridents. All of them wore a gray tailcoats over armor, both leather and metal plated. The intimidating atmosphere they created chilled the younger Farrisans to the core. Never have they met such adults armed to the teeth.

A giant Sea Dweller stood forward, faintly smelling of salt, "Stand at attention for his majesty of the Land"

A chorus of moving occurred as the litter and their lazeirs bowed their heads, curled their tails to their backs, and opened arials wide to tilt downwards in respect. Quiet footsteps echoed through their arials along with swishing of loose clothing.

"Greetings young ones." A Plain Dweller stepped forward from the guards. His sleek form, though small, subtly demanded attention. His tailcoat was exquisitely bright cream, matching the most vibrant of savanna grasses. A wreath of golden vines adorned his tawny mane, a crown proving his identity as a king as did the rest of his extravagant clothing. The litter grew curious of another wreath held within his hands, a smaller and daintier version of his own until they remembered what happened years ago. His mate had died due to an emerging disease. As it was new and is currently still incurable, she died after laying the heir's egg. As did another king's mate.

He suddenly stood in place, knocking everyone out of their thoughts. His deep sage eyes stared ahead at one of the litter, a young Plain Dweller known as Kial in the middle of a row. Though he had shadow gray hair, his confused eyes were the same as the king's. He nervously shuffled in place under his majesty's gaze.

"You... What is your name?" The king asked, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

The young man stuttered, "Uh— K-Kial, your majesty."

"Kial!" His arials quivered with joy, "My heir! He's here!"

Disbelief filled the room as the king ran to him, ignoring all etiquette and precautions. His guards scrambled to reach his side as he happily introduced himself to the shocked man.

His litter mates broke into whispers, "Kial!"

"Him?"

"The playboy?"

"The clown?"

Some giggled as they were shushed by their lazeirs.

They silently watched as the king gently touched the man's face, turning him this way and that.

"You look so much like your mother."

"I do? She must've been hot."

The king laughed, a gravelly yet wholesome sound, "You also have her humor! You are definitely our son!"

The guards who arrived acknowledged the words by bowing their heads with open arials. Though his litter mates were still in shock, they also followed along in showing respect to a newfound prince.

Galia flicked an arial towards the entrance, hearing a few more heavy steps entering the room. Too curious to ignore the noise, she cast an eye at the doorway and did a double take. How the heck does Wace and Aleyo have grown twins? With armed guards. Wearing fancy crowns... It was like looking into grumpy and wrinkly pictures them using a cheap photo filter but one of them's a female.

Her eyes grew into golden saucers as she nudged both her friends in their bow.

Al nudged back, "Gale what the hell?"

"Uh—"

Wace whisper-yelled, "I swear to the goddess if you two are playing tailsey at this time I will—"

"What the fuck? No ther—"

"Language." Their frizzy haired lazeir hissed quietly.

"Fine. Why the fuck—"

"Gale! They're still our lazeir!"

"—do their majesties—"

"There’s only one here?"

"—loOK LIKE YOU GUYS?!"

Her angry voice slashed through the silence, causing heads to shoot up at her.

"What?" They asked.

She exasperatedly motioned to the door. Their gazes followed then stopped, stuck on the two towering adults at the door with guards at their tails. Both were ginormous for their species, making both of them duck under the doorways by a large margin. The Sea Dweller queen gathered the most attention as her imposing figure cast a long shadow onto the floor. Scars of past duels and battles dotted her tail and her body under the embroidered navy tailcoat. A silver crown of coral adorned her short black tresses as her piercing blue eyes seemed to look throughout the room yet not at the same time.

Her gaze first landed on Galia for her outburst, making her feel like an insignificant bug under her chin. She did not like the aura around her. She felt sharp, pointy, and worst of all... cold.

The other king stood forward, his arials perked up and his sky green eyes glimmering with some hidden emotion. Light danced off his bronze crown of thicket vine, illuminating his orange mane like a bonfire. A similar wreath of metal was held in his claws. A sure sign that he had also lost his mate. He held a warm yet regal atmosphere, motioning for someone to come closer. But who?

He locked eyes with Al, "You. Come closer."

Aleyo looked at his friends, both of them sending comforting gazes before he tentatively stepped out of the row. He paused at a few steps, still bowing his head in nervous respect.

"What is your name, young man?"

He gulped, "Aleyo, sir. Al for short."

"Aleyo..." The king whispered, "So you were also here, my heir."

Al looked up in surprise, both his friends even more so. The room filled with loud barely concealed gasps. The other two felt dread crawl into their hearts. Every heir found had to go with their majesties the day they're found and chances of ever meeting them again were slim to none. Would they ever see him again?

The Sea Queen rose a stiff hand, silencing the room in an instant. Her head slowly turned towards Wace as she also motioned him to come forward. Gale's heart dropped to her tail. It aches and cried as he escaped her reach. It couldn't be. It can't be.

Finally, the brawny queen asked him the dreaded question, "What is your name?"

Wace stood silent. He bowed to the authority but did not say a word.

The queens's close guard thudded his trident on the ground, "Your queen asked you a question, youngling."

Al felt growing fear as he watched him stay quite. Gale only felt sorrow but soon mustered up bravery.

She stepped forward and bowed her head lower, "His name is Wace, your majesty."

Both her friends stared in disbelief, seeing unbelievable acceptance in her cowed form.

"Hmm," She heard the queen hum, "Is that your name? Will you answer me this time instead of your halfbreed littermate?"

Galia gritted her teeth in rage, internally wrestling herself to stay bowed, to stay cowed, and stay in her place. Memories of past adults whispering behind her back crawled their way back into her mind. A poor soul. An incomplete being. A halfbreed. What good is a Farrisan who isn't the fastest? What good is she if she's not the best climber either? She loathed their comments. Hypocrites, the lot of them but she couldn’t help feeling the same. What is my worth? Why do I exist? Emptiness replaced her fury as she felt more hollow than ever.

Seconds past until she began noticing her friends openly glaring at the Sea Queen, unafraid of her power and strength. Oh boy. Those two amazing yet daft litter mates.

"Yes my name is Wace, but don't you dare call my friend that again." His stance stood wide, unyielding to the giant’s scrutiny.

Al growled, an unexpected sound coming from the kind person, "What he said."

The air felt chilled, suffocating the room. The rest of the litter and the lazeirs looked on in horror as the Sea Queen's face turned sour and her guards grow in hostility. Tension grew but nobody flicked an arial.

The Sky King quickly stood between the glaring pair, "Apologies on the behalf of my heir. I'm sure they don't mean to cause harm, Warina. They're clearly close."

"But father I—"

Al was shushed by a stern look by the king.

Narrowing her eyes, the Sea Queen eased her guards with a swift raise of a tail. The air loosened as the litter and lazeirs shuffled uneasily. Galia let go of a breath she never knew she held. She wanted nothing more than to sink to the ground in relief until she felt a sliver of fear stab through her body. Though it was quick, she felt someone staring through her soul with hatred. Behind. It was behind her. Quite unexpected since she thought the Sea Queen the culprit but she was clearly in front of her. Odd...

"Before I was rudely interrupted," Her silky voice cut through the room, "It seems that all of our heirs have been raised here."

No amount of guards or, in fact, royals could quiet the astonished din the litter and lazeirs made.

"All of them!"

"We had all princes here the whole time?"

"A first in history!"

"Poor Galia..."

Poor Galia indeed. Her world felt like crumbling apart. Not them. They have been through everything. They planned to be neighbors. They wanted to be together til the end, even if they found mates and grew withered with age. Instead, she will stay they way she is as they will grow wise, grand, and famous. Rulers of the Sky and Sea, leaving her behind. Unless...

She stepped between her royal friends, arials open in reverence and tail painfully curled further upon her back as she put her heart out. Please let her come!

"Your majesties, may I be trained under your vigilance?" She asked.

The room gawked as the Royals found themselves surprised at the rarely asked ageold question. Her friends even more so. Galia had directly asked their royal highnesses to be a Vigil, the highest caste of warrior especially trained under royal guards. They were known as mysterious yet deadly soldiers who were constantly forced to always do missions on and off world for Royals. In other words, Farrisans who volunteered to be without a territory, thoroughly destroying any chances of them ever having a home and most importantly, a mate.

"Gale no!"

"If this is for us then—"

Another voice cut through, "Can I have her?"

The Land King walked away from the rows of the litter, a confused Kial and guards in tow.

"You have plenty of Vigils from my given forces. Might I have this one serve me?" He asked again.

Galia felt the stab of fear again, staggering a step away from the king. Hate. She felt hate emanate from his very body. How nobody noticed was beyond her. Why? Why does he feel like rotten intent when he looked like he was having the best day of his life. Wait—

"Very well."

"We have no need. Train her well."

Wace and Aleyo prepared to dissuade their parents when they were gently knocked behind the knees with Galia's tail. She shook her head, sending the most determined gaze instead. The guards readied weapons at her preposterous treatment of their new princes when the Land King raised a tail.

He cheerfully said the malicious first words of many to come, "No need. We'll train our new Vigil quite well..."

Without hesitation, they left their separate ways before anyone could process what truly happened. The trio barely met eyes as they were torn apart. That fateful day was only the first before their world would truly fall apart.

(Part 2: https://yeet-imma-skeet.tumblr.com/post/613800854138552320/the-sky-has-fallen)

Humans are weird: Threatening a human does not end well

The Cosmic Federation was a governing body that composed of some 87 different species which at times ruled over a single planet to seven entire solar systems. The Federation’s purpose was to maintain peace and stability throughout the galaxy and was hailed as the shinning beacon of freedom and justice. In reality it was nothing more than a front for power hungry governments.  There was a time when the Federation still had some teeth and was actually respected. However, over the years the power of the federation was chipped away at by none other than its members themselves, granting more and more autonomy to members until the real power was held by some ten species in the Cosmic Federation. Each one with their power base and sphere of influence which often overlapped causing feuds and at the worst of times open conflict. The only thing that kept them in check was incidentally each other. Whenever one of the ten would begin rising higher than the others the rest would converge on them and chop them down to size. That was the way it had always been, until now...... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The room on board the pleasure yacht was as opulent as it was breath taking, but nestled on the top deck of the ship was the most prized room of all. A glass dome on the top bathed in the light of the surrounding nebula. The waves of vibrant greens and yellows coupled with the softest of reds made the entire room look like a living work of art. Truly majestic sight...that was entirely lost on the people currently in the room, one of whom was so caught up in rechecking the table for the twelfth time.   “Is everything ready? We only have one chance to win them over.”  Misilla straightened the silverware one more time then stepped back to examine her work once again. The table was set for five of them with their guest being given the seat of “honor” at the head of the table. She had done her background on their guest and his peoples traditions indicated that the one at the head of a table held the most power.  “You should really let the help take care of that.” Misilla was too busy to turn around and acknowledge Brumark’s statement. He was standing around a waiting table off to the side of the room pouring two drinks. He handed one to Tilith beside him and took the other for himself. “Agreed.” Tilith said as she sipped it through her mandibles. “We are people of stature, we have help for such lowly tasks.”  Misilla slightly shifted a napkin and glass to the right before stepping back one more and letting out a sigh of relief. She went over to the two of them and poured herself a drink now as well. She took it and downed it in a single go. “The help sometimes make mistakes, I do not. That is why when something important comes up, I take care of it so it is perfect.” Brumark rolled his eyes and made to pour another drink when Misilla did it for him. “Your peoples micromanaging will be the death of you one day you know.” He chuckled. “My peoples micromanaging is what gave us a 20% increase in trade profits last quarter while your people have had to apply for no less then 17 intergalactic loans from my people.” She smirked at Brumark’s blushing face.  The scene playing out between the three of them was one not many would believe. Misilla was a Parziean, a race of blue skinned humanoid beings where the females dominated society. Brumark was from a people also confusingly called “Brumark’s”. It was a weird tradition of his people that all would be named after their god, Brumark. However, his people did have the exclusive ability to change pitch when pronouncing the name so that to them they can instantly distinguish each other. He was large and grey skinned with a Mohawk running from his head down his back. Tilith was the most odd among them as she was a member of the insectoid Hive. Her appearance was that of a humanoid body fused to the top of a spider body. Her people had initially attempted to expand violently but quickly realized that an entire galaxy turning against them was a terrible idea. So they sued for peace and switched to the long game. Even going so far as to partially cover their insect face to put others at ease, the silver strands that ran down her face rustled every time her mandibles moved when she spoke.  Each of them were members of the inner ten that ran the Federation from the shadows, and each of them would never be seen together in the open. It ran the risk of exposing them and if one of them was caught they would become a huge risk to the others. This was a special occasion however, even all three of them chatting like friends and having drinks was part of the plan to win over their guest. They needed them to feel as if they could trust them, that they could be relied on, and that becoming partners with them would be to their benefit.  The doors to the room open and all three of them turned to see who was entering. The fourth member of their little group stepped in, Joba. He was a squat and piggish in appearance, but his people were some of the finest miners and bankers the galaxy had ever seen. His fingers were adorned with a wide variety of gems that sparkled like a rainbow and wore a robe of the finest silk.  As he saw the three he raised his arms to them. “Ah my friends! I am glad to see you have already started the party without me. I was worried you would become bored with my delay.” Brumark raised his glass. “Joba my friend, if I had been truly bored I would have drunk half your supply by now and be passed out the floor!” He let out a booming laugh that all of them joined in on.  “My friends, let me introduce our honored guest.” Joba stepped aside and waved in the figure behind him. A clacking sound could be heard as the figure stepped out from the shadow of the door frame and into the light. The simple walking stick is what first drew the attention of the three. A simple wooden staff with a birds head carved into the headpiece, a “eagle” they think it was called. Next were the clothes, simple but with a hint of the guests former military career showing off them as they were wrinkle free and pressed to near perfection, something that Misilla took note of instantly. Finally rising to look their guest in the face they saw the mustached face of the human representative Earl von Morgan, a former military general who had been recently elected to speak for his people. As he approached the three he extended his hand. “It is an honor to finally meet my fellow members, and such respected ones at that.” Earl spoke with a thick German accent. Brumark stepped forward and shook Earl’s hand, though given the size difference it was safer to say Brumark’s hand enveloped Earl’s and they just shook. “The honor is mine. I read over your history, you were a great warrior to your people.” Burmark saw an angry look on Joba’s face at the past tense mention but before Brumark could correct himself Morgan laughed. “You are too kind my friend. I was but a general at the end of my career. The most dangerous thing I had to do at the time was avoid getting paper cuts while signing forms!” Morgan laughed again and Brumark joined in.  Next Morgan moved to Misilla. As she extended her hand Morgan took it and bowed down to kiss it. Misilla was taken aback slightly by this and did not know how to react. Seeing the expression on her face Morgan realized he may have offended her. “Forgive me if I have disgraced you, my people’s customs are deeply ingrained in me. On my planet this is how a man greets a woman respectfully.” He followed up with a bow. “You truly are a gentleman Mr. Morgan.” Misilla chimed and bade him to rise. “It is I who should be apologizing. I find it rare among my people to find a male with such degrees of respect and was taken aback.” He rose and smiled at her.  Finally Tilith stepped forward but did not extend her hand. “I understand my species is considered horrific to many others and would not wish to force you into a situation you detested.” Morgan looked puzzled for a second before smiling again. “My dear, beauty is always in the eye of the beholder. One should not hide themselves for you hide yourself from those that wish to gaze upon your beauty.” He extended a hand towards her regardless and Tilith looked at it for a moment before taking it and watched puzzled as he repeated the same gesture of bowing and kissing her talon hand. “You know,” he said as he rose, “there are people on my planet that would find you most attractive.” Tilith tilted her head to the side. “Surely you jest.” Morgan shook his head. “I swear to you that I am not. I dare say some would be lining up to try and court you.” Tilith continued looking at him in silence to see if he was telling the truth while the others remained silent, unsure how to respond to this awkward situation.  Morgan released her hand and continued smiling at her. “Remind me to tell you after our meeting about a place called “Japan” on my world.” “That is most flattering of you to say and I must say I am intrigued.” she said as she bowed, her mind now distracted with questionable ideas the human had put in her head.  Joba stepped in. “Now that we have introductions out of the way I insist we must eat!” He motioned everyone to their seats. As he led Morgan to his seat Morgan suddenly stopped. “I couldn’t possibly sit at the head of the table.” He said while looking down at Joba. Joba looked concerned as if he had slipped up something in his research before Morgan continued. “You are the host of this party, it would be incredibly rude of me to take the head seat.” Joba let out a sigh before patting Morgan on the back. “Come now my friend, you are our guest! Please, I insist!” He waved him over once again and Morgan finally relented and accepted the seat and gazed down at the others.  “Now, for our first dish.....” ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After several meals all of the guests were content.  “Did you enjoy the meal?” Misilla asked Morgan. He patted his stomach and happily gazed back up at Misilla. “The food was so good it made me honestly consider getting surgery to enlarge my stomach so I can have more. Please pass along my compliments to your cooks.” She smiled at the remark. “ I am sure they will be most flattered to hear your words.”  Misilla reached for a bell on the table and rang it. A group of servants rushed into the room without a word and quickly removed all of the plates and cutlery from the table while laying out new drinks and glasses before leaving again.  Joba poured himself a drink. “Now that the meal is out of the way it is time to discuss the real matter for this meeting.” As the others poured themselves drinks shutters began closing around the glass dome cutting off the light until only the candle light was present.  Joba moved to pour a new drink for Morgan who politely declined. “I had a feeling there was more to this meeting than just a introduction.” “Indeed there is my friend.” Joba put down a device and with a spark of light it suddenly projected a map of the galaxy. Color coded borders soon began forming and showed the displacement of the larger governing bodies. “It is widely known that the worst kept secret in the Cosmic Federation is that there exists an inner group of members that holds all the true power. What isn’t known is who those members are specifically.”  He gestured to the other members at the table. “We, are four of those members.” They all looked towards Morgan for a response but he merely clasped his hands and looked on in silence.  “Recently,” Joba continued,”one of the other ten has become increasingly profitable and threatens the balance between the other nine.” “I assume you are referring to the Poltarks?” All of them stared at Morgan in surprise. “How did you know?” “We humans may be a young species but we are not a stupid one. We can put two and two together.” Morgan chuckled at their confused faces.  Joba coughed and continued. “Yes. Despite our warnings the Poltarks have been increasing in power over the last generation to the point that they are now easily as powerful as three of the ten put together. If this is left unchecked they could become a threat to all of us.”  “So why do you need my help?” Morgan cut in. Brumark turned to him and laughed. “What makes you think we need your help?” Morgan smiled. “Like I said, we humans can put together two and tow at times and this scene isn’t really knew to my people either.” He gestured to everyone. “A new member suddenly meeting with the top leaders out of the blue, topped with how all of you have been so polite to me. You’re trying to butter me up and win me over.”  None of them spoke. It seems that humans were more politically savvy then was initially thought. “We do not need your help in taking down the rouge member,” Tilith said,”we are more than powerful enough to do that ourselves.” “What we need from you is to merely stand aside.” Misilla said as she leaned over the table slightly. Morgan looked at her and smirked as he saw through her terrible attempt at being seductive.  “You share the largest border with the Poltarks. We were hopping you could convince your leadership to stand aside when we make our move. In return, well, we’ll have an open seat on the ruling ten that will need to be filled.”  Joba smiled as he outstretched his hand to Morgan. “What do you say?”  There was a long silence as Morgan looked down at Joba’s hand. He chuckled. “Thank you for the dinner but I am afraid I will have to decline your offer.” Joba’s hand twitched slightly. “I beg your pardon?” “I said humanity will not be taking you up on your offer, tempting as it may be. Though I do hope we can build better relationships to further understanding between our peo-” “SHUT IT!” Joba shouted, smashing his hand down on the table. “HOW DARE YOU YOU RUNT!” Morgan was unphased by Joba’s outburst and it looked like he would continue before Misilla put a calming hand on his shoulder.  “May I ask why you decline?”  Morgan shrugged. “Simply put we have a defensive alliance pact with with the Poltarks for several years now. We have no just cause to break it and are obligated to defend them if they are attacked.”  “Secondly, given how easily your inner circle seems to turn on each other at the slightest change, even being a member would hardly be a stable footing for us to build relationships on considering you all would be likely to destroy humanity at any moment.”  “And finally,” Morgan letting out a smirk, “it never seemed to dawn on any of you why the Poltarks had become so increasingly powerful out of the blue.” He glanced around the room at their confused faces. “For all your research into human culture you didn’t even spend time researching our trade agreements did you?” Still, only faces of confusion met him.  “Oh my Gott. You really are going to make me spell it out aren’t you? Humanity has been trading with the Poltarks, we’re the reason they became so powerful.”  The others looked on in shock. “Impossible!” Brumark said. “It is hard to believe given your...” Tilith began before stopping herself. “It’s alright, we know we are technologically inferior to you all.” Morgan chipped in. “But it turns out we have a cash crop that the galaxy loves and only grows on earth for some reason. Everybody loves the potato so we use the Poltarks as a go between to sell it and then get a cut of the profits while they get a booming trade industry.”  “That does not make sense.” Misilla cut in. “Why would you give them a monopoly when you could have it all for yourself?” Morgan shrugged. “Simply put we are testing the waters.We can cut the supply at any time but for now we are content getting a cut and a powerful ally in the mix.”  “This changes things then.” Joba said quietly. Morgan nodded and rose from his seat. “I’m glad I could change your minds about your move against the Poltarks.” “Allow me to show you back to your ship.” Tilith said as she also rose from her seat. “I would be delighted to share the pleasure of your company a bit longer Hive Lord Tilith.” he said while smiling. Her head cocked to the side for a moment making morgan smile even more. “I did my research on you all as well my friends.”  The two began moving towards the door to leave.  “You misunderstood me Earl von Morgan.” Joba cut in as they pair had just reached the door. “I said it changes things, but I did not say how.” He flicked the controls on the holographic map to show the Poltraks territory being carved up and divided. “We’ve tried playing nice, now we play dirty. If you do not adhere to our demands and remain out of the coming conflict, you will be next.” The map began changing showing human territory being attacked and divided up as well. “Do you understand runt?”  Morgan’s smile faded away. “I’m sorry.” He said as he began walking back to Joba, his cane clanking ever louder as he got closer. “It seems in my old age my hearing is failing me.” He stood before Joba who still sat down in his seat. “I could not hear you from way,” he motioned to the door where Tilith was waiting,” over there. But it sounded like you were threatening me Joba. Surely though I was mistaken.” It was Joba’s turn to smirk as he took his glass and sipped from it. “You heard right you stupid primate. Do what we say, or you will be the next to fall.” Morgan glanced at Misilla and Burmark. “And you two feel the same?” They said nothing, but nodded. “Right...well then.”  Calmly, Morgan detached the head of his cane which turned out to be the handle for a concealed revolver. In one swift motion he shot the glass Joba was holding in his hand sending glass fragments flying. Misilla dove under the table and Brumark made to rise before Morgan leveled the gun at him. Brumark froze in place until Morgan motioned for him to sit down.  Joba was still staring at his hand that was now bleeding from the shattered glass and mumbling incoherent words.  “Smart enough to get a gun past your fancy guards and detection fields though, aye Joba?” Morgan leaned down to say into Joba’s ear. “Do I have your undivided attention now?” Joba nodded rapidly. He turned to Brumark. “What about you, do I have your attention?” Brumark nodded. Morgan looked for Misilla who was still hiding under the table. “My dear if I had wanted to kill you I would have shot you first. Now will you please take your seat.” She slowly got up from under the table and sat down. “Was that meant to comfort me?” she asked shakily. “I’ll admit it’s not my best line, but it got you out from under the table.”  He took a step back and sat back down at the head of the table, his gun still leveled at Brumark. “I honestly want us to be friends.” he said, his pearly teeth showing. “So as a friend I will give you all this warning and hope you will take it seriously.” After confirming he had their full attention Morgan continued. “Do not interfere with Humanity or our allies. But more to the point, do not ever, ever, think you can threaten us by saying you will destroy us. You think you know the meaning of the word but I assure you my people have lived it and we are more than happy to share our understanding of its meaning should any of you be foolish enough to drag us into a war. We will not just meet you on the battlefield, oh no, that would be too easy.”  He tapped the gun against the table.  “We would meet you in your homes as well. And your places of work, and your schools, and your supermarkets, your parks, your water treatment facilities, your power plants, your space docks, your farms and fields, your hospitals, and your places of worship.” He emphasized the last point while staring down Brumark.  “We will turn your entire world into a warzone and any notion of peace and stability will be thrown out the window as every morning you will wake up in fear if your next meal has been poisoned, will your vehicle suddenly explode when you start it up, will that friendly looking neighbor of your strangle you as you walk by. A life of fear will be your new domain.”  They looked at Morgan’s face to see that he was dead serious.  “I am an old man, far out of his prime.” Morgan gestured to himself, waving the gun up and down his body. “Yet I was able to sneak a weapon into a room with some of the most powerful leaders in the galaxy on their most “secure” boat.”  “It’s a yacht actually.” Misilla stammered, unable to stop herself. Morgan nodded to her. “Pardon my error Lady Misilla. I was able to sneak a loaded weapon on to your yacht and should I have wanted murdered all of you and then stroll out of here.” “You do not want to see what our black ops division operatives can do when they are actually in their prime. They’d have your governments gutted in a week and have the weekend off for partying over your rotting corpses.”  He pointed the gun back at Joba. “Do we have an understanding?” Joba’s eyes flashed between the gun and Morgan. “Yes, yes we have an understanding.” Morgan tucked the gun away into his cane and began walking back to Tilith. “Excellent. I just bought this suit and I wasn’t really in the mood to have to explain to the dry cleaner why it was covered in blood.” He reached Tilith and extended an arm. “Shall we my Hive lord?”  She looked back at the table and then back at Moran. She gently wrapped a talon hand around his arm. “We shall.”  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- They both walked in silence back to Morgan’s ship. Tilith glanced over at him every now and only saw his gentle smile as he gazed at the passing artworks hanging from the walls.  “Tell me,” she said after finally working up the courage,”why did you not threaten me as well?”  Morgan laughed as he continued walking. “Because out of all of them I could see you were the only one with any actual interest in my people.” This puzzled Tilith. “How did you come about that conclusion?”  He raised his cane and nudged it towards his eyes. “I could see it in your eyes my dear Hive Lord.” “But you can barely see them through my shroud?”  Morgan shrugged. “True, but having eight of them does help with that.”  He turned to face her. “I’ve been meaning to ask you. With so many eyes what do your species glasses look like? Or do you wear contacts instead?” Tilith laughed honestly for the first time in a long time. Here she was with a man who had just threatened the most powerful people in the galaxy with a gun, and yet he was as calm as a river asking about glasses.  “I will tell you only if you uphold your promise from earlier and tell me of this “Japan”. It is rare for my people to be welcomed openly so this place does intrigue me.”  “Of course I will, and dare I say that I also think this is the start of a friendship that will rock the galaxy to its core.” 

Bright as a Diamond. Hitoshi Shinsou x Fem Reader: Chapter Six

Warnings: Violence, Stalker, Drugged, Reader Injury, Blood

Series Summary:  When (Y/N)’s co-worker decided to send a picture of her making a diamond to the paper, her life was over. Gemstone based quirks weren’t all that rare, but being able to make a diamond put a target on her back. After years of hiding in the city, it’s time to hide in the countryside with her Uncle Shota Aizawa and his more than ‘roommate’ Hizashi Yamada. With the promise of training her to be self-sufficient, she’s ready to learn.

Chapter Summary: (Y/n) goes into town to meet up with her co-worker, but things do not go to plan.

Chapter Five: here or https://ambershaydeoffical.tumblr.com/post/612522066443436032/bright-as-a-diamond-hitoshi-shinsou-x-fem-reader

Chapter Seven: Seven. (I finally figured out the hyperlink)

Chapter Six

This Day was Going to be Perfect

   My morning bike ride had been refreshing. I had a chance to watch the sunrise, then make it to a café for breakfast. With my cat backpack from grade school, as the only purse I could find, I had my money tucked away safely. I looked ridiculous, but I wasn't trying to impress anyone. This was just two buds hanging out and mending the past. There was nothing for me to worry about, least of all my appearance.

   With my bike firmly chained to the gate, I ducked inside the quite cafe. The lobby wasn't super busy, and I found a booth to rest in while I prepared myself for the week. With my pastry and hot chocolate, I began reading over the requirements for my next project. School had been on the back burner for far too long, and it was time I try to get ahead.

        Taking a long swig of my hot cocoa, I choked it down. What shocked me wasn't the temperature, but Kira plopping down on the other side of my booth. I was supposed to see his apartment later in the day, but this wasn't planned. Damn it.

   "Good morning," he sang, holding two cups of coffee. "I say you drank yours, so I got us both one. You seem like a sweet girl, so I made sure there was extra sugar for you." He pushed one cup towards me, then pushed his long black hair back. His sullen eyes glancing at my bruised knuckles.  

   "Umm, good morning." I nursed my half-full hot chocolate and put my phone away. "My drink is still good, thanks though."

   "Oh nonsense, I paid for the premium blend." He pushed the cup to my side of the table. Leaning his elbows on the table, he propped his head on his hands and cocked it to the side. Waiting for me to drink.

   "Not a coffee girl," I admitted pushing it back, looking at my textbook. Maybe I could multi-task. "What are you doing here?"

   "Oh, this is my go-to shop." He pushed the cup across to my side. "What has you here so early, princess?" A shudder went down my spine.

   "Just studying." I pulled out my phone, trying to act unfazed. He was just trying to be nice. Stay calm, you have to work together, and he has always been odd.  

   "It's a good thing I ran into you; we can spend the morning together too." He sipped his own coffee, spitting some back out. His thin brows knitted together before he giggled. "Hot"

   "I really have to focus on this assignment, so t-" Pointing to my next book, he smacked his hands against the table.

   "Wait, there's this super cool comic book store down the street you'd love." He grabs my hands and pulls me up.  I grab my cup and he takes his, pulling us out of the café.

   He tugged me down the street like an excited child. He had lived in the city center and knew it better than me on any good day. The shop he had taken me two was filled with hero merch. Ground Zero, Deku, Allmight, Urvaity, Froppy, Chargebolt littered the walls and aisles.

   "You like that Eraser guy right, they have some vintage posters in the back." Never letting go of my hand, he caught the eye of several people. Some gushing at the cute couple, it made me want to peel back my skin and scurry home. "Here, I'll get whatever you want."  

   Tuning him out for a moment, I saw a small pin set on sale. It was the debut merch for Shinso. His little mask covering most of his face. I picked it up and turned it over to read the back. It was snatched from my hand before I could see the details.

   "He's a little too young for you to be fawning over." Kira sat it back on the shelf, taking my coffee cup, and placing a Midnight plushie in my hand. "You and Midnight have a lot in common. Beautiful, full-figured, and fierce."

   "I think you confuse curvy and full-figured. She's just blessed with a rocking body." I sat the plushie back down, now insecure of my outfit. It was just a long sleeve dorky otter tee shirt, a loose denim mini skirt with a peplum bottom, and some black legging. But I wished I had a sweater on and some jogging pants. I didn't dress like it was a date, but the way Kira's eyes wandered over my form, I felt exposed. This wasn't a date, why was he acting like this?

   "Oi, you're that girl," a shopkeeper came over and looked me up and down. "The one who can make crystals." With those words, the situation got that much worse.

   "You're got the wor-"

   "She is. Why ya want to know." Kira slung an arm around my shoulder, and I froze. He squeezed me to his side and shaking me a bit.

   "He's got it all wrong, I- I get confused for her a lot, but that's not me."I tried to smooth it over to no avail.

   "She makes the best gems in the world. The only known diamond crafter to be born." Kira grinned like a cat, sliding his hand down my back, dangerously close to my ass.    

   "I'm not her."

   "Can you make a replicate of kryptonite for me?" The boy asked, grabbing a comic like I didn't know Superman. "Like its green and glows. See, it's an organic shape or can you only do fancy shapes."

   "She can, but she doesn't make freebies." Kira kept talking for me, blood rushing through my ears. "Depending on the size, quality, and time frame, we'll need compensation." We? I stomped Kira's foot, and he lost his grip. Darting out of the store and back up the street, I paused, forgetting where I left my bike. I downed the rest of my drink but coughed, realizing it was Kira's coffee. Being a good citizen, I tossed it in the trash and went back on my way. What a fucking bastard.

   "(Y/n), please wait. Come on, I didn't mean to make you mad." He blocked my path and held up his hands. "Your quirk makes you special. You should get some perks for it. I was about to score us some free merch."

   "I don't want free stuff, I want to be safe. People knowing that I can do that sort of stuff makes my life harder." I snapped, crossing my arms, staying vague as possible for people on the street.

   "I like you," He blurts, reaching out to touch my cheek. "If we were together, I could protect you. I have a powerful quirk." His fingers turned to razor blades, and he pointed them at me. "Look at how special I am. No one would ever touch you with me around." He fisted the air, trying to show off.

   "Listen, I don't want a relationship right now." I pulled out my phone and sent my location to Shota, with a danger symbol. After I hit send, my phone was knocked to the ground.

   "Look at me." He grabbed my hand and dragged me into the alley. The urge to run coursed through me, but I couldn't do it. He was my work friend. He was frazzled and may be unstable, I had to play my cards right. "Good girl," he held my head up, the blade just under my chin.

   "I don't like you like that. Listen, let's pretend this didn't happen, and we go back to work like normal." I slurred my words, holding to the wall for support. "You need to let me go." An exhaustive fog spread over my body.

   "Make me one of your diamonds." He ran his blade down my throat, resting at the edge of my shirt. "Make it one of a kind, like our love."

   "I won't." My knees gave out, and he shoved his knee between my legs, but he wasn't strong enough to catch me. My knees busted against the concrete. "What- what's happening to me…"

   "You're sick, you need to rest darling." Kira returned his fingers to normal. Resting them against my chin, pushing my hair back. "Make me a diamond, and we can go home."

   "Fuck off," shoving his hands away, I clamored to my feet and staggered towards the street.

   "Wrong answer," his blades were on my throat again, he had his face buried in my hair. "Come on, walk with me."    

   "Stop-p it," I couldn't keep myself together, bending with his will, I followed him deeper into the alley. Small nicks against my skin. "Le-tt go."'    

   "You're almost home now." He purred. "We'll have a room of diamonds, you can display your best for me. You can cook and clean for me as thanks."

   "No," Stomping his foot again, I lurched forward when his hand went back. He cut my forehead while grasping for me. "Help." This time Kira pulled me up by my hair, a scream erupting from my throat.

        "Shh, darling," he cooed in my ear.

   "Who do you think you are?" A new voice entered the alley. Kira froze in his place and let me down, so my hair was slack again.

   "Shinso," my vision was blurry, but I could see his purple mop.  I reached out for his form, and a finger went across my arm. A searing pain throbbed over my body, but I refused to scream. I nursed my wound, trying to stop the bleeding. My eyes pleading for Shinso to save me.

   "Answer me, asshole," Shinso remained calm, walking closer. He wouldn't look at me, but I knew he was a pro that these situations. Even if this went down poorly, we'd be okay. Shinso was a pro, and I was banking on that training.

   "You're mine," the blades were resting on my throat. Kira was whispering in my ear. He jerked me up by hair again. Hot tears streaked my face as I tried to stay awake. The haze was starting to block out the sun.

   "What do you think you're doing with (Y/n)?" Shinso's voice was louder this time. He wouldn't let me die. He was a hero.

   "Let me go, Kira," I whispered, unable to keep my head up, dangerously close to falling on his sharp hand. "Shinso, please…"

   "Speak up, coward!" Shinso growled, tossing a rock at Kira.

   "She's m-"

   "Deactivate your quirk," Shinso ordered, and Kira retracted his blades. "Let her go. Then walk to the police station and turn yourself in."

   Crashing to the asphalt, I tried to stay upright but failed. Landing in my own blood. "Shinso?" I whimpered, closing my eyes. Kira hoovered over me a few moments.

   "Walk to the police station." Shinso spat, and this time he went.

   "Hitoshi?" I pulled my sticky arm from my chest and held my head up. Everything was spinning so fast.  

   "I'm right here." His boots crunched the earth; it sounded so much louder than the blood rushing in my ears. His shirt ripping echoed through the alley, and the fabric was tired around my arm. My body being pulled upright.

   "I don't feel right. I can't focus." His chest was so warm as he pulled me in his arms. He was more robust than I expected, so strong.

   "Did he offer you a drink? Could he have slipped you something?" Lips right by my ear, whispering. His fingers tied things over my injuries and worked to apply first aid.

   "Coffee," I was scooped up and carted back to the street. Was he always so strong? "I thought he was just kind of weird. I didn't t-" I shut down, ashamed it happened.

   "It's going to be okay. You did nothing wrong. " I could see his car hazard light still going, parked right in front of the café. He fumbled for his car keys and sat me in the passenger side. Buckling me in, then glancing around the street.

   "Don't leave me, Hitoshi." I clenched his shirt when he tried to go back to the driver's side.

   "I won't. I promise."

Clandestine Creation Myths

This fic feels like it’s been a long time coming in some form or another, and I guess the movie gave me that final push I needed - because I have been obsessed with the concepts of Pearl as a storyteller and ”I’ve been imagining things”, we became our faaaantasyyyy rushed right in to hit me where it hurts.

This fic features two absolutely beautiful illustrations by @loomborn​ (artblog: @nereamerayo​) and in fact took shape in a very interesting and immensely inspiring back-and-forth fic-feeds-art-feeds-fic collab with her and @jeejyboard​ to whom I seem to owe a life debt yet again.

So here’s a lot of introspection, the dawn of the Rebellion proper, and, of course, Imagining Things. Pearl tells a story as the rain falls. Pearl, Rose, guest appearance by Garnet and, well, the Earth. ~5600 words.

---

Clandestine Creation Myths

To Pearl’s dismay, the gloomy, overcast sky decided to unleash its long-held threat in a downpour right as their little trio-quartet of fugitives made it out of the woods and to a stretch of rolling grassy hills. 

In hindsight it seems inevitable, really. Their long trek between Homeworld-guarded warp pads has only been made longer by frequent pauses to appreciate the sights and sounds and altogether overwhelmingly numerous and various sensations of the planet.

...some markedly more pleasant than others.

Pearl knows Rose would love nothing more than to run breathlessly through the curtain of rain to splash around in every muddy puddle she can find - the way the fusion, newly self-declared a Garnet, rushed away from them to do not that long ago, making a very determined yet undecipherable claim about not hiding from any of it ‘this time’. Rose, too, certainly wishes to bask in the novelty of the droplets running down her face and shoulders and arms, tickling; to catch the cool water in her cloud of curls, see it stick to her form (her lovely, lovely form, the form she clings to so- so- it’s not Pearl’s place to say desperately, but-- the form that is somehow becoming more than a disguise, that Pearl would dare say she wants to - should - have always had--).

It’s writ plainly all over her face and the blatantly yearning gaze of those dark eyes, and would be obvious, certainly, even if Pearl herself had been made for something other than anticipating every whim. But instead of indulging, Rose seems to restrict herself to deeply breathing in the heady, fresh scent, and holds her summoned shield up to make a shelter for both Pearl and (most of) herself.

A small but monumental gesture of caring, a sign of Pearl's feelings on the matter of odd earthly textures and fluids -- or on any matter in general -- being taken into account and seriously considered. Even, one might say, taking precedence. Rose rushed forward, ecstatic as the first drops began to fall, and Rose turned around and saw Pearl’s disgruntled expression, and Rose stopped. It is an immensely warming, incredibly dizzying thought, another shift and tear in what should have been the fabric of their relationship, and a moment that Pearl has replayed in her mind’s eye several times by now. 

Pearl curls herself around it and into Rose - who not only allows, but encourages the small movement - and watches the rain fall. With this aglow at her core, for at least a little while it doesn’t matter at all that frightfully soon they have to make it to a warp and back to the base, and meet with Blue Diamond herself, and make up excuses for her and Garnet both, and--

Pearl keeps a tally, of course. They’ve been sneaking off down to the planet’s surface more and more often. Even before the latest escalation in Rose’s plan to prove the Earth uncolonisable, they’d been spending more time on-planet than at the base. An unpleasant call from Blue Diamond would so easily lead to some astoundingly frivolous, exploratory, and wonderful frolicking through the incredibly diverse ecosystems the planet has to offer. One particularly frustrating fight over the comms line ending with Yellow Diamond ordering her pearl to cut the feed resulted in a rousing sparring session in a flowering field (Pearl still has the bright pink blossom Rose put in her hair afterwards stored away in her gem, safely bubbled, to be taken out and looked at during… challenging, unsure moments).

Yes, the consequences if they are caught would surely be disastrous. Yes, there are patrols sent after the stubborn, defiant, ever-persistent and increasingly notorious rebels more and more often, what with Blue Diamond once again deciding to “indulge” her favourite little troublemaker and coming over to “help” her with her first colony.

So they’ve frequently needed to hide, most often in caves, cut deep into stone or formed under the roots of monumental trees. And Pearl thinks she should feel some kind of apprehension, or responsibility, or any motivation at all to at least try to discourage these Earth jaunts beyond what is absolutely necessary for their plans - or, oh, even to refrain from encouraging them, as she has certainly done on several occasions. But instead she is left with fond memories of many a breathless rush to a hiding place, ending in giggles of relief and sheer forbidden excitement, and a stretch of quiet, huddled waiting that is somehow never unpleasant. 

It didn’t take her too long to realise she’d become as carried away with it all as Rose, and that, when she allows herself to admit it in the rare quiet of her own thoughts, she never, ever wants to stop. She tries to imagine going back to how it used to be, how it’s supposed to be, what they are supposed to be, forever, with the Earth stripped bare and hollowed out as just another colony consumed for the growth of the empire. Imagines herself quietly standing at proper attention and wearing that ridiculous dress, with opening a door or activating a data-filled holo-screen being the pinnacle of her day, and something very deep in her shudders in revulsion and desperate denial. 

Then she tries to imagine some kind of expected and logical endpoint to… all this. Because of course that is their endgame, isn’t it? They would convince the other Diamonds the Earth was too troublesome to ever be a viable colony, that it should be left alone. And they would go… back. To their old lives, and their old selves - at least on the surface, as best as they could manage. Perhaps, on occasion, they could even get to visit the Earth again under some pretext or other, but certainly never for very long, not without endangering all they’d accomplished, and never like… this.

The Earth would be saved, with all its creatures, with humans, the endless forms of life growing wild on it…

...but, despite it being exactly what they originally set out to do, it somehow doesn’t feel like a victory to Pearl at all.

She imagines, last of all, what it would mean - never seeing Rose Quartz again. Her lively mind, usually all too eager to oblige no matter how unlikely or outrageous the daydream, refuses her.

Rose is very soft and thankfully very real against her shoulder and her back, and, every so often when she moves to adjust her hold on the shield, against her cheek. But there is an immense underlying strength there that Pearl has become so very certain would never be turned against her. Rose has grown so much more careful than in those early days, with all the excited grabs at Pearl, yanking her up or down or along to whatever curiosity awaited. It makes Pearl want to preen, aglow with importance - any real pull exerted now is far from physical.

And here Rose is, the centre of gravity - always making slight adjustments to her form, fascinated with replicating textures found and felt around the wonder that is the Earth. The cloud of hair, as wild and unruly as the life they are trying to protect here, forming curls as perfect as any shockingly geometric pattern found in the odd structures of the planet’s sea creatures. The waves and layered petals of her dress, the way they flutter and float around her, weighty and weightless in turns. The ease of getting caught in her eyes, dark and warm and welcoming and intense all at once, and deep, like layers of soft, loamy soil. Rose is of the Earth, in a way Pearl never will be and doesn’t wish to be, but can certainly appreciate. It is all of it so much more beautiful and pronounced, when it is with her, when it is her.

So Pearl has to admit the rain is not an altogether unappealing phenomenon either - when observed from a safe and dry distance. There is something beautiful about the grayness, and something oddly profound about the moment entire. The raindrops ring against the shield, each a softly resonant little chime. It isn’t hard at all to believe the Earth is providing the two of them with a private concert the likes of which no diamond ballroom has ever seen.  

It reminds me of the day we met.

“Oh?” Rose says, that ever-present curiosity clear in her voice, and Pearl realises far too late she has blurted this out loud. Loud enough to be heard over leaves and grass rustling in the cool, damp wind and the patter of raindrops above them. That’s what too many wild unfettered fantasies in too brief a time will do to you, oh, now you’ve done it--

But no scoff or scolding comes, beyond Pearl’s internal self-condemnations. Instead, the arm that was behind her - the one not holding up the summoned weapon-turned-shelter - now drapes around her shoulders, gently holding her close. Nothing restrictive, nothing Pearl couldn’t easily disengage from if she felt like it. Which she decidedly does not. The shield is rather small for them both, of course, so it only makes sense. Best to stay close and spare Rose the trouble of needing to adjust its size or angle.

“Could you maybe… refresh my memory?” Rose says, bending down almost conspiratively and smiling at her a bit wryly. Then, even softer and with a tugging, pleading look, “Please?”

In response, Pearl scoots even closer to the very Earthy soft warmth of Rose, Rose, Rose, as far removed from the cold, polished stone of a diamond palace and the uniquely demeaning chime of <please state preferred customisation options> as it is possible to be. And of course Rose insists on breathing, that entirely human but pleasantly rhythmic affectation. The rise and fall of her chest brushes up against Pearl, and Pearl decides to match the oddly soothing rhythm herself, for at least a little while.

Then she lets her face scrunch up in concentration as she focuses on remembering.

(Important, very important, for a wide array of reasons, to keep everything consistent.)

“Well. I had just made it out of the cargo hold of the ship I’d stowed away on, the stolen sword - oh, you know, that sabre I favour so much - firmly in hand.” 

“You do love that thing,” Rose chuckles, and she’s absolutely right - and the fact it truly was stolen from a training arena weapons rack by Pearl and Pearl alone is perhaps what makes her love it so. “Sometimes I’m afraid you’ll lovingly polish it away into nothing.”

“Unlikely,” Pearl scoffs. And really, she’ll have to teach Rose a thing or two about proper weapon maintenance. But for right now... “There I was, about to sneak right past the first two rings of guards around the landing pads, preferably unscathed, when I first encountered this strange precipitation.” 

But that isn’t how it was at all, an annoying, proper little voice pipes up in Pearl’s mind, and she stops, frozen. And of course it wasn’t, she remembers perfectly - it had actually been during their first visit, while the Moon base was still having finishing touches put on it, and potential primary kindergarten sites were nothing more than a list she kept projecting in a convenient hologram for her Diamond to peruse. The first and last time Pink Diamond was expected - or rather allowed - on Earth, escorted by a generously loaned squadron of Yellow Diamond’s elite citrine guards. A very brief inaugural visit - the rain started almost as soon as they stepped out of the ship, and both the endlessly disappointed diamond and the pearl trotting dutifully just behind her were hastily bundled back in. For safety. Supposedly.

Remember, Pearl.

So she does, and casts her mind back. To the bright orange quartzes surrounding the landing site in flawless formation, the sudden pitter-patter of raindrops hitting the hulls of the ships. 

A kernel of truth, a fact to serve as core, then layer around it like fine nacre--

“It was an odd sound at first, but it helped, then, to mask my steps - there was an entire squadron of citrines already stationed there, you see. So I was thankful for the cover it would provide my escape and didn’t much feel like examining it all further. New to the planet as I was, with no knowledge of its odd… liquid condensation cycles - or anything, really.”

“Hm,” comes Rose’s voice in a hum, soft but resonating through her form enough for Pearl to feel it brush against her and through her, pervasive and warm, “and now you’re shaping up to be quite the expert in a number of areas. And we get to properly experience rainfall together! Another Earth wonder. Sometimes it feels like the planet is showing off, just for us.”

Pearl feels her face heat up, too, bright blue from compliments and proximity, tinged pink by the muted glow of the shield. “Yes. Well.” She clears her throat. “In- in any case. It was still very dangerous, as those citrines were some of the Yellow Court’s best.”

“Oh, well,” Rose indulges in a grin that Pearl can only describe as dastardly, “I think I know someone better-!”

“Rose!” The heat in her face is becoming distracting at best and uncomfortable at worst, and Pearl feels a tiny pinprick of frustration at her focus being tried and challenged this hard. Preserving the... the flow of the narrative--

“I… I was moving slowly, and keeping as low as possible behind whatever I could see. Cargo containers, equipment racks, the odd bush - but there wasn’t a lot of cover to be found, especially further away from the ships, and the rain made the ground uncertain and slippery. And so, just before I could slip away, I, well, slipped, and was spotted by two of the guards.”

“What did they do?” A gasp and a tense whisper from an increasingly engrossed Rose somehow drawing ever closer, and Pearl feels astoundingly accomplished.

“The citrines? Well, one of them stepped forward and said--”

“Hey, pearl,” came the rough voice of a citrine guard looming over her suddenly, pointing somewhere behind her, “bring me that.”

Perfectly unthinking, Pearl immediately made to step over and grab the carelessly discarded sabre. Her Diamond had dismissed her services for the immediate moment anyway, and was talking to important Gems about the ceremony of setting down her very first colony’s very first warp for its very first kindergarten site.

The citrine’s companion reached over to slap the back of her head - those quartzes, always roughhousing! Even highly elite guards. “That’s Pink Diamond’s pearl, you chalkhead, not yours. Pick up your own garbage.”

“What, come on, she wasn’t doing anything anyway, she was just standing there!”

“Yeah, that’s what they’re for. Look all you want, but no messing with her, or you’ll get us both in trouble. Acting like you were made yesterday, I swear...”

Pearl swallows, with some difficulty. And focuses on the recollection of the perfectly ordinary but entirely unforgettable sword, the heft of it, the gleam of it, the feel of it in her hand, not balanced for her at all, but oh, so right to have her fingers close around its handle, even so very, very briefly...

“One of the citrines stepped forward. She said,” Pearl pauses to clear her throat, then gives her best gruff-voiced imitation. “‘You there, pearl, bring me that sword. Slowly now, we wouldn’t want you to cut yourself.’”

“And?” Rose again, leaning forward with excitement, distracted enough to allow her shield to tilt and splash rain down her back.

Pearl stifles a small giggle, shoulders hunching, a grin pulling at her lips as irresistibly as that sword had called to her hand. “I stood up tall - of course I was positively tiny compared to her, but it didn’t matter - and said... I said--”

‘Maybe it’s not the sharpness of the sword you should be concerned with, but how to fix your own dullness!’

Too wordy.

‘Why don’t you come over here and try to take it from me?’

Not wordy enough! But then, oh, an idea--

‘No.’

Straightforward and meaningful indeed, but- maybe mostly to her? And she has an audience. It wouldn’t do, perhaps, to be so entirely… personal. So purely self-indulgent.

Of course she never actually said anything to the citrines - they’d long lost interest in her anyway, preoccupied with their own petty arguments, and, eventually, she simply put the sword back down and stepped back to her original spot to await further instruction. But the pure glee of even imagining firing back at them, of pretending she did, in fact, do all that and more, is intoxicating, and somehow, somehow, the in fact seems to matter less and less and less. Washed away, perhaps with the rain.

“I said, ‘I’m not the one who should be worried about getting cut!’ and I rushed forward, sword firmly in hand. They didn’t even have a chance to draw their weapons, I timed my lunge just right, and, well, that was it for them! Poof, just like that!”

Pearl grins, looking up with a little huff of excited exhalation. Rose's cheeks are glowing, rosy, and not just thanks to the shield above, held steady with both hands now as she does her best not to completely succumb to her laughter and delight. 

“Pearl. You are amazing.”

The joy on her face is the most genuine thing Pearl has ever seen, and it floods her. I did that, I caused it, I, I, I…

She allows herself a moment, and leans in, all but reclining against Rose, tucked under her chin, increasingly blanketed by her wild curls. She raises a hand and almost idly lets one pink strand curl around her finger, then uncurl, curl and uncurl, curl and uncurl--

But then, the story isn’t over, is it? One of its main attractions has yet to appear at all. And oh, what an appearance to be made...

“It was easy to make it deeper into the woods after that,” Pearl continues, far more quietly, from her unthinkably, altogether criminally indulgently comfortable resting place. “I thought I’d found good cover, finally, and could pause a bit, re-examine my plans in relative safety. But just as I was about to settle under a rocky overhang, a rustling came from somewhere behind me.”

When Pearl pauses in her telling, there is nothing to be heard save for the soft sound of Rose’s breathing right next to her, and the rain with all its tones, as persistent as ever. But the feeling of it all has shifted, somehow, beyond Pearl's ability to explain.

“I turned, suddenly sca--” No, not that, never scared. “Worried that more of the citrines had followed me. And then… and then there she- you- were, right in front of me.” 

How incredibly strange, to be sharing this. Pearl has never had need nor chance to consider her delivery, the, oh, format, as it were-- it’s not polished, and it’s not practiced or prepared, and usually she’d absolutely despise this, but here she is and the spontaneity of it all somehow, quite bafflingly, adds to the experience.

“But of course I didn’t know-- well, you could have been anyone! A quartz, in a standard Pink Diamond uniform... I had been training with the sabre for a while at that point, yes, but mostly on my own and in secret, and if more soldiers found me, surrounded me, the odds would be very much against me. I reacted faster than I could even think, nothing but pure reflex, and raised my sword--”

Mine. Another little nugget of astoundingly pleasant warmth Pearl can’t resist pausing to relish in. All hers.

“I prepared my attack, but I wasn’t aiming to disrupt your form - I needed to extract information, of course. It was vital that I learn exactly what dangers lurked out there, awaiting me.”

One pearl, alone in an entire world of unprecedented opportunity and unparalleled danger, and nothing, nothing at all to steer her or guide her but she herself. What a thought! What a terrible, wonderful thought, and here Pearl sits, speaking it out loud. She shivers.

“Even if some part of me noticed your posture wasn’t threatening at all, well, I was used to that. You’d be hard-pressed to find a Gem that would take a pearl seriously, and so it was how all of my more... martial encounters started. I dashed forward for a quick feint, first to the right, then to the left, a swipe as if to aim at your legs - and down you went.”

She is caught up in the telling, sweeping out a currently swordless arm, but still with perfect hard-won technique. The rain has started to come down even harder, and the sudden feel of it on her bare forearm startles Pearl back into the present. She grimaces and tries to shake the water off as best she can and, for the first time in what feels like a while, since that strange shift in mood, risks a glance back at Rose - Rose, who has gone so quiet. An icy spike of fear rushes through Pearl briefly - has she gone too far? Holding people, holding her, at swordpoint? Really?

Looking up at Rose, she isn’t sure what she expects to see there, but she finds herself caught in an enraptured, glossy-eyed gaze, a brightly rosy-cheeked Rose so much like that moment of, oh, please don’t ever stop that still somehow makes Pearl feel like the very core of her gem is aglow. She looks utterly, yes, Pearl would dare say smitten, and the realisation comes with a burst of what can only be pride. The rain and everything it touches is suddenly somehow irrelevant, and the world might just be the two of them underneath the shield.

“I stood there,” Pearl almost whispers, “a pearl, with an impressive, perfect-cut rose quartz entirely at my mercy with my sword at her neck, bound to know every patrol route and schedule on Earth. Anything I could possibly want to ask of her.”

The image is almost startling in its crystalline clarity in her mind, but Pearl isn’t sure she can properly convey it with mere words. A hologram, perhaps? 

It only takes a brief burst of closed-eyed concentration, and the scene comes to light blue life before them. Rose, near-supine, looking up in wonder with plush lips open in the slightest of ohs, rain dripping down from the lovingly rendered curls of her hair and following the soft, indulgent curve of her cheek. Pearl herself standing over her, just barely tall enough to look down at her even in this configuration, but the very picture of determination even so. The finishing touch of her own reflection in the polished blade, sword held perfectly steady without a hint of the tremble she currently feels in her nervous fingers. A clear, steely threat pressed right above where Pearl is nestled now.

And the rain, just visible through the cyan glow, adding a startling shot of reality to the projection, peeling away another layer of separation.

“You… you just looked up at me,” Pearl tries to continue, though her voice is turning highly uncooperative. “Our eyes met and I… somehow, I knew you didn’t mean me any harm. I knew you wouldn’t try to attack me, or overpower me, or turn me in, or… or steal me for yourself. I knew you were… like me. You were running, too.”

Her words go from hesitant to a full stop, but more kernels keep offering themselves up. Perhaps it is simply in Pearl’s nature somehow, to want to take them and make them into something more appealing, handle them by encasing them in something beautiful, leaving them only barely recognisable to the most discerning eye.

There... there was a tower on Homeworld that they made you... stand guard in, sometimes. A prison tower. Your… agate, a real piece of work. You hated it, oh, your whole cut did, and all of you dreaded those shifts, doled out as punishment. The first time we talked you swore to me you would never see the inside of it again--

But Pearl quickly tucks that nascent part of the story away. It feels… wrong, for the occasion. This story is about running away, about escape. It wouldn’t do at all to drag all of that into it, to drag them both back and down. Distraction, instead. A beautiful fantasy. Escapism in its purest form. In fact, another piece slots into place instead:

Rose Quartz was made on Earth, in its first successful kindergarten, herself a product of the planet she then chose to protect and tied to the life flourishing wild on it. She has never laid eyes on Homeworld and Homeworld has never laid a hand on her. 

It feels like a very final decision, but Pearl keeps it to herself, for now. Instead, she waits, quiet, and focuses on the shared rhythm of their breathing, and the coolness of the rain on her arm contrasting with the warmth of Rose at her back.

“I remember that part very well,” Rose says, finally, breaking her silence.

“You- you do?” Pearl blinks, shifting slightly to sit up, inexplicably hopeful. For a moment it seems the hardest thing would be not to pretend, and not to believe the pretense wholeheartedly.

“Oh, yes. You were very terrifying.”

Rose’s smile as she says that holds no hint of mockery, but as she looks away from her own image in the hologram and catches Pearl’s eye there is something new and hardened in her gaze.

“It really got me to think, you know, seeing you there in the wilderness, watching you wield a sword so skillfully. Towering over me. I’d never seen a pearl do something like that before. So imagine-”

Imagine-- Pearl’s pretend breath catches and hitches in her pretend chest, and her projection flickers out of existence.

“Imagine what could happen, what else she could do, if only given the chance. What… what other pearls could do.” A shadow passes over her face suddenly, and Rose shakes her head, curls bouncing and droplets flying, doing her best to shake something else off, too. 

“Imagine what Gems could do. And be.”

She’s thinking now, Pearl knows, of the incredible, unprecedented sight that unfolded before their very eyes and the eyes of the entire Blue Court mere Earth-days earlier: a Ruby and a Sapphire coming together to form something beyond just themselves, beyond what anyone expected either of them to ever be.

But Pearl thinks, too, of their own bizarre and wondrous almost-fusion, of the way they fell apart in the end, but not quite, of the feeling of tiny strings still pulling them together, the feeling of teetering on the edge of some great and terrifying understanding. They are close, so very close, sitting huddled under the shield, which she knows Rose could make bigger if she wanted, and she thinks, oh, how much closer could we still be--

She thinks of how the Earth has become a sanctuary. For Garnet, certainly, but also for the two of them. How, flying in the face of all reason, their time on Earth still feels safer than any spent on Homeworld.

Just the other night, they met the nearby humans as honoured guests in their little aggregation of domiciles and took part in dancing with shocking abandon around a carefully constructed open fire. Rose first, of course, ever eager to join in, but successfully urging Pearl to put her innate grace to good use, too. Garnet following them both and still curiously feeling out her own way about everything, including joy. She ended the evening holding herself with a genuine tenderness that was beautiful to witness. Rose smiled wider and brighter than Pearl had ever seen her before that night, all the way until the unfamiliar stars vanished from view and the first rays of the Earth’s sun crept up over the horizon - and how could either of them worry about anything in those precious, transcendent moments?

And where else could they possibly… be… like this? Where else could have produced Garnet?

Where else could have produced Rose Quartz?

“I want…” Rose starts, then stops, with a soft exhale and a frown, and Pearl feels an incredible desire to raise her hand and gently cup her face. So she does - they’re on Earth, after all, and isn’t that just the point? - and Rose leans into the touch immediately.

“I want to change it,” she states very simply after a little while, just as another thought forms, slowly making its way to the surface of Pearl’s mind - who else could the Earth become a sanctuary to? It feels something like that moment of almost-fusion, this immense shared notion suddenly taking hold of both of them.

“Why should Garnet ever be threatened and afraid, punished or made to feel wrong? Why should anyone? Why shouldn’t we--” Rose cuts herself off again, passion clearly mounting. Her eyes are still her own, dark and warm, always wide in curiosity and eager to take in every sight the Earth can possibly offer. But there is steel in them now, and Pearl shudders - though not unpleasantly. She traces a cheek with her thumb, meets Rose’s gaze without hesitation, and feels a matching determination mounting in herself. 

“Your imagination is wonderful, Pearl. Never let anyone tell you otherwise. Where would I be without it?” Rose laughs very softly at her own bittersweet little joke, but grows serious again, even solemn, before Pearl can even think to react. “But what I want is to try to make this real.” 

She hesitates, and it is such a strange look on her. On the Rose Quartz who is always bounding forward without a second thought, flying headfirst into both revelry and danger. Then, she shifts her shield to free a hand and place it over Pearl’s. “And I think, maybe… maybe you do, too?”

What do you want? in so many tentative and hopeful little words.

“I do,” Pearl answers with a certainty she can’t quite explain. Surely it should all need so much more thought, and surely the mere act of asking a pearl what she wants is unprecedented enough to merit at least a moment of serious, careful consideration. The sheer implied scope of it is nigh unthinkable-- 

But no other answer feels possible.

And now they are on the cusp of… something. Pearl wishes she could clarify and define what it is, put words to the immense, looming shape of it, but it is beyond her, beyond both of them, beyond Garnet… and yet it revolves around them entirely. It feels like they are about to plummet, or soar, but really, with Rose, isn’t it the same in the end?

“I want to change so much,” Rose repeats, with a finality Pearl feels resonate deep within herself.

They will change it. They will change it all. Pearl feels ready to fight for this cause, if need be until the last grains of the nacreous dust of her gem settle, trampled into the ground, if she can only make all of it real. For Rose, and for Garnet, and for whoever comes after.

And maybe even, a tiny inkling of a new voice, barely there, dares to suggest, for herself.

Something to unpack another time, perhaps, Pearl thinks as she brushes it away. As blurred rays of sunlight reach them through the shield to interrupt their long stillness, she notices that the rain has for the most part stopped. The sky has cleared, the last vestiges of clouds slowly drifting off... but there is something else in it now. Streaks of colour arc across the pale blue, shockingly lively hues in perfect wavelength order.

“Pearl, look!”

The shield is gone, and Pearl suddenly feels arms around her and a cheek right next to hers, and Rose’s voice all abuzz with that familiar excitement and fascination again. 

This, this is easy. A phenomenon Pearl is entirely equipped to explain, even if she finds herself a bit… distracted by their current configuration. 

“Oh, that’s… well, there’s refraction and reflection, what with the water still in the air, and the, uh, the sun, coming from behind us.” She looks down briefly and traces, with remarkably steady fingers, a simple but pleasingly symmetrical pattern in the soft give of the arm that’s wound around her chest. “We’ve seen something similar in waterfalls, you’ll recall, only here it’s obviously on a much larger scale. But still just the sun’s rays hitting droplets of water, creating a… rather lovely illusion.”

For some reason Rose seems to find this amusing. “It’s light,” she laughs, but oh, there’s that note of wistfulness once more, “just like us.”

Just like a growing string of iridescent moments, secret and shared. Just like a sudden glow of new understanding in a hidden, flowery grove. Just like…

“It looks real to me,” Rose whispers softly, nuzzled against her cheek, and it sounds like a plea again. “Don’t you think it is?”

Pearl steps out of the embrace and turns to face her, very deliberately. She takes both of Rose’s hands in hers, and allows herself a moment to take in the contrast in size and build, and bask in the feel of them, the weight and warmth, before looking up. 

“Yes, it is.”

𝚃𝚁𝙰𝙲𝙺𝚂 2 : 𝙳𝚊𝚢𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚐

I move amongst the crowd, lost but entranced by the buzzing people and the honking of cars.

It's been a week since I last saw Jade walk away towards her school and here I am, still in the same busy city hoping for one last look from her before leaving. Every morning and late afternoons, I'd take a sit outside of a small library by the station. Maybe, just maybe, I'd get to see her get down or see her off before she leaves for home. No luck though. It's my bas anyway for not asking her time off from classes. Guess luck's just not on my side. One train ride was all I had.

One train ride was enough to wake my passion up and gear myself up for a fight.

"Here's the book you wanted to have extended." The granny who runs the library puts the book on the table with a homey smile.

I smile back and bow as I stood, ready to take my leave with the book securely hugged between my arms and chest. It was one of the many books you recommended me while we were on the train.

"Perhaps you would like that book to yourself, young man?" I look down to the granny as she pats my shoulder. "You don't have to return that here. But feel free to read here on your spot if you'd like. I barely have any customers except for that one young lady who frequents this shop. I haven't seen her for a week though. She loved that book as well. Kept borrowing it even though she's finished reading it. Gave her a copy as well as an early graduation present."

"Lady?" I ask as I remember Jade saying how she loved visiting a certain library with homey vibes and the kindest librarian too.

"Yes. She's actually from the school over there-" She looks over at Jade's school, sparking a fire in my heart. "-a double major, I believe. But you must forgive this granny. My mind is a fog and I don't remember much details. But I do know she's got green eyes that sets her apart from anyone else. Must not be from around here."

"Thank you, ma'am! I really am." Without control over my own body for some reason, I hugged the elderly as I stepped down the patio of the library.

"I'll visit again! Thank you!" I raised the book and waved it in the air as I ran backwards and waving at the elderly lady with a smile.

But I have been stuck in my dorm this whole week. With finals coming up and papers due in no time, I could not even leave for some fresh air. Let alone find a street for my dream home.

A heavy sigh leaves my lips as I stare back down at my laptop, only a page full, 19 more to go. Wanting to distract myself for a few minutes, I look around my room and spot a book by the window. I stood up and reached for it. A sad smile forms on my face as I caress the cover of the old copy of "The Little Prince" from the local library shop just down the street of this school. I miss the granny that owns the little library. The library rarely gets many customers, what with the books in her shop mostly classics and are outdated. Only a student or some tourist trying to find some gems come and go. 

'I wonder how she's doing' I look out the window having the perfect view of the little library from down the road. Maybe I should visit? Work on my paper there. I'm pretty sure granny could use some company like I do. And I missed her muffins that she personally bakes in her room upstairs the shop.

Grabbing my bag, I pack my laptop and the stack of papers full of my drafts and notes. I also bring my copy of "The Little Prince" as I run out of my dorm and down the busy streets, the little homey library just a few puffs of breath away. My legs ache from unuse, but the awaiting warmth from granny and her place is worth the ache.

"Granny!" I greet as I see you sitting on the chair at your patio.

"Ah my little miss. I was just thinking about you." A crinkled smile meets me as I run to hug her.

"Me?"

"Yes you dear one. A young man has been frequenting my shop for a week and sits here with a certain book in hand as well." She stares at my arms hugging my copy of "The Little Prince" that she personally gave me after having borrowed it a number of times.

"Young man? Is he a student at my school too?"

"I don't think he is. Seems like he's not from around here either. Like you."

A name comes to mind. 'Ace?'

"Gonna get some work done?" Granny points to my bag and I nod with sigh.

"Let me get those muffins in the oven then." A pat on my head and she's off to her little home above the library.

As I was left to sit on the patio, I look around hoping to see that brunette mop of hair under a beret of tall and lean guy. My eyes drift towards the road leading to the train station but I see no trace of who I was looking for.

It's all that ever pushes me up my bed.

But it's also all that keeps me pushing my family away.

I want this dream to include my family. They may not see the future that I want to work on as they already have everything planned and laid out for me after I comeback from this 'vacation'. They think that this could help freshen me up and see that they are right. I do love my family as they love me, but we're not always seeing the same picture and it drives me insane knowing that we never will be on the same page.

"How's the vacation going, kiddo?"

"When are you coming back? I need to set the date for the company's turn over soon and you obviously need to be there, son."

"Hyung! Don't forget to bring a present  home for me!"

Voice message after voice message greeted me back in my hotel room after I came from the library. I look at the book on my bed and open to the last page where the previous borrowers' names were, and the two most current ones were from a month ago.

'Jade Myers' A chuckle makes its way out as I read the name and remembered how Jade talked about this book. It's not a big favorite of hers, but she keeps finding herself grabbing it and reading again until the end.

 [flashback]

"I keep wondering if the prince got back home and what he's doing." The old lady who sat beside you has left and as I sat back down beside you, you open a book to the final page.

"What's that about?" I jut my chin towards the book. "-a children's book?"

"You don't know 'The Little Prince'?" You stare up at me in surprise, closing the book and faced the cover up as she points at the blonde boy on the cover.

"Never heard of him. Must be an obnoxious one?" I shrug as you gasp into your palm before hitting me lightly on the shoulder.

"What? No. See, it's about how the prince traveled." You whip your hands excitedly as you tell me the story, your eyes shining with every new adventure the boy has and with every new creature he meets.

[end flashback]

Like the Little Prince, you dreamed of the unknown.

Like the Little Prince, you've gone on your adventure.

After about an hour of working on my papers, granny came back out with a basket of her muffins. She sat in front of me with a smile and a caress to my cheek, her gentle eyes meeting mine.

"Did the man say anything?” I dropped my pen and closed my laptop, grabbing one of the steaming muffins and burning my fingers in the process.

“Just that he would be visiting again.” A knowing smile mixed with a curious look, granny offers me a napkin.

“Visit again? Soon?”

“Is this young man your lover, little miss? Your curiosity is leading me to think that you young ones are-“

I cut granny off with a wave of my hands and a shake of my head, a raisin choking me in the process as I hurriedly chewed wanting to deny the impression granny has.

“We’re not, granny. I just happened to meet him and he piqued my interest, that’s all.”

“Well, you might meet him again if you decide to comeback as well. I have a feeling he’s going to be another frequent customer while he’s here in town.”

I stared out on the streets, people to engrossed in their own lives that they don’t even have time for such trivial things like a visit at their local library shop and grab some rare finds. I can’t blame them. They have their own world to rotate about, pretty much like the Little Prince does. But at least he was able to travel and see other places that he thought never existed.  At least before going home, he had no regrets.

It’s lightly raining outside. I was planning on coming back to the library and read the book there. Maybe even enjoy the company of the elderly librarian. She had this warm aura surrounding her that makes you want her company to be a constant. Even the library oozes the same aura as her. Homey. Warm. Home.

I grab the book by the window as I sit and read a few pages while waiting for my breakfast. Umbrellas scurrying as they open and close - the only view I have from my window and only the pitter patter of the rain on the window sill for my background noise. I smile sadly down as I see a picture of a lone rose. It had no one. Or maybe it did? I don’t really know. Every time I open a page to read, my mind travels towards that one Sunday train ride with Jade and I remember her stories. But her eyes screaming defeat. As if she has accepted a fate not her own. A fate that leaves her all alone in the end. Pretty much like this lone flower now.  

But she has dreams. And I want to meet her again and tell her to go for it. Only she can create her fate. Only she can define the future she wants. She can still make a path for herself. She has so much more she can fight for. She doesn’t have to fight alone. She doesn’t have to end up like this rose. Is it perhaps the reason she keeps reading this book? She feels alone like this rose? I was right then. The prince was obnoxious enough to leave the rose all on its own. Well I’m not him. I’ve been fighting, and just when I was about to take my last fight before curling in on what people expect of me, Jade made me want to keep fighting. I want to return the favor in any way. Be her pillar. Be a different prince who’s brave enough to stand by her until she wins her fight.

Another lazy morning for me as my classes doesn’t start until the afternoon. It’s raining out just when I was about to leave campus and have breakfast at the library with granny. Hoping to maybe meet a certain gentleman who might become a frequent customer while he’s in the city. I wonder though. Ace, as far as I remember hearing his stories, he’s not one to stay in a place for too long. It’s been almost a month now since that day we met on the train. How long does he stay in one place? A week? A month? Somewhere in between? I hope I at least get to meet him before he leaves this town. A thanks, no matter how petty it might be, is still something I wish to give him. He made me realize that I should keep running for my dreams. There will be sacrifices and regrets along the way, but in the long run? It’s all for my happiness and contentment.

I just want to get out of this box already. I want to set myself free. I want to experience and realize on my own just like the Little Prince. I want to see what life can feed my dreams. I want to really live.

The rain is not stopping; instead it got stronger after a few minutes. Why rain today? Is he there? Probably keeping dry inside. Maybe he’s getting a taste of granny’s muffins as well and some tea. Should I run over there? It’s just down the street. I can always dry myself at granny’s. I can bring some dry clothes with me to change with before I leave for class. Granny’s going to be alone too. More people would be staying inside their own homes, hunched over a book, rather than a library no matter how cozy the library may be.

I decided to go for a visit. Ace or no Ace, I have granny and hopefully some of her hot chocolate and cookies. I dress lightly and put on my hoodie, my schoolbag on my shoulder and a change of dry clothes in a paper bag. I ran from building to building only stopping for a few seconds to shake myself dry. I laugh to myself as I should’ve brought my umbrella and spared myself from running like a wet chic under the rain. Well, this is what laziness does. Or just simply dumbness? I guess both? I mean, who wouldn’t bring an umbrella in this down pour? Obviously an airhead like me. Not wanting to climb the stairs back up my dorm, I continue running from building  to building, shed to shed, keeping myself as dry as this downpour could offer. I’m reaching the library, just a few more roofs away.

“A-ace?” My words stumble out as I ran towards another roof, seeing granny’s patio just a few more strides away. Not noticing that I have walked out from under the roof to get a clearer view of Ace, he pulls me over the patio of the library, his hands on my head trying to keep me dry, though we both know it’s going to be a failed attempt. He opens the door and pushes me in as he soon follows.

“Hey!” I giggle as I cover my face from how he’s shaking his head dry splattering me with water as well.

“Hey to you too, Jade. So much for keeping yourself dry, huh?” He pulls my hood down as he points at my wet hair.

“Where’s your umbrella?” We gasped as we asked at the same time. We shared a chuckle and some shy stares that led us looking down the floor instead.

A shuffle from upstairs made us look up and saw granny with towels and some old clothes in her hands.

“Look at you two! Come quickly and dry yourselves upstairs. These kids-“ Granny pushes us upstairs as she drops a towel and clothes in each of mine and Ace’s hand.

“Oh come sit while you wait for her.”

“Thank you ma’am.”

“Please. Call me granny. The neighborhood kids all do. Would you like some coffee? Tea?”

“Some tea would be perfect. Thank you granny.” I sit as she waddles her way to her kitchen. The rain has dwindled down to softer pitter patter with occasional thunder from afar. As I look out the window, I chuckle to myself. Fate did its wonders.

“Where did granny go?” Jade appears from the stairs, the towel resting on her head as she dries her hair.

We both turn our heads as the smell of something sweet wafts from the kitchen.

“That enough answer your question?” I smile towards Jade with knuckles on my chin as she sat at the other side of the table.

“Oh?” She points at the book under my towel on the table with glittering eyes. “Did you borrow it from here?”

“No. I gave him his own copy.” Granny’s soft voice made our heads turn towards the kitchen. I stood in haste as I helped her with the tray, 2 cups of steaming drinks and a bowl of cookies with muffins on a plate.

“Gave? You have a new favorite customer now?” Jade pouts up at her as she places the hot chocolate in front of her the tea beside my book.

“Little miss, I don’t have favorites. But I do have those regulars. Now away with that sadness and make yourself warm and full.”

The two of them was a sight. The way granny pats her head and the way she automatically knows that Jade prefers hot chocolate over any warm drink. Jade in return seems relaxed. She looks free. I stare at the lovely scene unfold before me with a content smile as I sip my tea.

A comfortable silence envelops the room. Jade has her nose buried in her books. Granny was on the kitchen preparing lunch. As for me? I’ve been nibbling on a muffin as I read ‘The Little Prince’.  Now I see what Jade sees. Turns out this kid, the little prince, was an adventurer of some sort. Probably Jade sees herself in him? In the rose left alone?

I look towards the seat in front of me and see my own rose I’d wish to keep by my side. But like the little prince, I have to leave. I’ve realized what it means to go back. It’s not entirely giving up but more of acceptance and finally growing up. My smile is serene when my eyes meet Jade’s as she lifts her head up from her book.

“What are you looking at, huh, little prince?” She snapped her fingers just inches from my eyes, a total contrast of her own that hides the adventurer within herself. A soul waiting for the door to open and to be let out and fly away. I can see that she’s held down by something which leaves her trapped in her spot.

“Just thinking how childish you are for liking children’s books at your age.” A chuckle and my tongue out, I shake my book in front of her and use it to block out her attack - throwing a broken piece of cookie at me.

“See? Mature.” I was able to catch the cookie and pop it in my mouth as I opened the book and hid my face from her, not before lolling my tongue out again to spite her further.

“Yeah and lolling your tongue out is mature?” A comfortable silence with the pitter patter of the rain and granny’s distant humming as the background noise.

‘Where will you go, little prince?’ I think to myself as Ace and I settle back down with the comfortable silence. His eyes differently shine from before. It’s not dimmer, just a different kind of shine. A shine that lost something but gained something new.

“Where to next?” I say out loud.

“Home.” He smiled as he closed The Little Prince and put his chin on his palm as he finished his cup of coffee.

“Home?” My face tilted in question as I closed my own book.

“Yes. Home.” He chuckled as he grabbed a piece of cookie.

My thoughts went haywire for a moment.

“You can’t give up!” Unknowingly, I stood up, both my palms slamming on the table.

“I mean – sorry.” I sat back down slowly as I fanned my face with my hands and hid my heating up face back on my book.

“Thank you.” Ace said gently as a hand pulls my book down, exposing myself to the unknown which is Ace.

“This isn’t me giving up. This is me fighting in a way that I don’t need to keep running. I’m fighting and ready to accept whatever may come.” He leans towards me, both his arms on the table as I stare back, mouth agape and face feeling hotter than before. “So. Thank you.”

“Thank you? For what?” I ask still breathless from my sudden burst out moments ago. I get a shrug as he leans away and continues reading ‘The Little Prince’, avoiding my question, with that serene smile of his I remember from when we parted just outside my school. I relax my tense shoulders as I smile down at my book. ‘This isn’t me giving up.’ His words play over and over my head like a mantra pushing me forward.

Jade and I left the library sometime after lunch, promising granny another visit on the weekend. I promised granny to be an early bird for her and help setting up the library for the day and in return, she promised to cook something I like. I earned a glare from Jade as she heard the exchange of promises with granny pinching her cheeks assuring her that she was still the favorite along with me. She stomped her way back to her school as granny and I watched laughing from the door of the library.

“And as for this little prince of ours.” Granny turned towards me with her warmest smile. She handed me an umbrella while I shook my head, refusing gently, as the rain was only a drizzle as compared to this morning. She huffed and grabbed my hand shoving the umbrella towards me, a finality in her look.

“Thank you, granny.” I awkwardly hugged and looked at her, my eyes meeting teary ones. She hurriedly wiped her eyes with her shawl while chuckling.

“It’s nothing. I guess this old lady will just miss you when you leave.”

A lump was stuck in my throat. In just a matter of weeks in this town, I felt like I finally found a niche, a home.

“Oh granny.” I wiped her cheek as a stray tear rolled down. “I’ll come visit once everything is settled back at home.” I cringed at the last word. Home? This was home already. A home which made me understand and see myself. “Besides we still have this weekend. I’ll be here even before your feet touches the floor when you wake up.” She hits my arm gently and shoos me off.

“Get back to your hotel now before the rain picks up again.” She wipes at her eyes and I hug her once again as I waved my hands and thanked her for letting me borrow the umbrella.

“You stay dry now, little prince.” She waved her hands, staying on her spot as she watched me with her warm smile, her eyes never leaving me while I turned the street.

As I bought a sandwich for dinner back in the hotel, I remembered what Jade had asked me as we were eating lunch with granny.

“Would you be okay going back home?” she asked as she chewed on her first bite. Granny then held my hand, her face contorts with worry. I place my other hand on top of hers and pats gently as I nod towards Jade.

“Yes, more than fine.” I think I finally found my purpose, thanks to my last stop.

“We’ll be here for you, alright?” Granny squeezes my hand in hers and I smile back at her. Not only did I find my purpose but I found a home that filled the void in my heart.

I’m complete. I’m alive.

“I’ve packed my bags.” Ace said as the three of them sat at the library’s patio, each nibbling on a muffin and their hot drinks keeping them warm.

“You’re going back home.” It wasn’t a question though Jade wanted it to be so badly and get a ‘no’ from Ace. His presence helped her after all to take brave steps ahead for her dreams.

“My family needs me and I think my I’ve traveled enough. I’ve found what I lost.” Ace sips his tea as he turns his head towards granny. “Granny, you have to tell me your secret recipe. No one would be baking these for me back home.”

Granny chuckles and nods towards Ace as she held his hand in hers firmly. The rest of the morning was spent with Jade showing Ace her favorite books and she would earn a chuckle from Ace.

“Just how many times have you actually borrowed these?” Ace finds himself endeared at the thought of Jade’s name almost occupying all the dates from the library card with her name from top to bottom of the list.

“I love reading.” She huffs as she grabs the current book, The Wizard of Oz, in Ace’s hand.

“You love reading children’s books?”

“I love reading because I feel like I’ve travelled and met all the people in these books.”

Ace smiles as Jade looks down at the books’ cover.

“You’ll travel too.”

Jade looks up at him and smiles.

“I think I’ve met one of them.”

“Met who?”

“The cowardly lion. Well a cowardly prince who’s now found his courage.”

When Ace gave Jade a questioning look, she pulled him towards one of the bean bags and sat facing each other. She proceeded to tell him the story of how Dorothy landed in Oz and met all these characters who think they lack certain things and finds themselves accompanying Dorothy to meet the wizard and hear how they don’t really lack on things. Their journey itself served its purpose with the help of Dorothy was they able to realize that they’ve always been complete.

Ace was smiling all throughout the storytelling as he reminisce the train ride they met and how passionate Jade was explaining how The Little Prince was no usual children’s book. Now he is seeing the Jade on the train, her hands busy flailing between them as she now explains how Dorothy and her new friends helped each other all throughout the quest to find the wizard.

The fire in her eyes never left. It was already there even before they met. All it needed was a rekindling to keep it aflame and alive.

Jade takes a deep breath after telling the story and snapped her fingers in front of Ace.

“Earth to Ace. Did you even listen?”

“Of course. It was the most wonderful journey I’ve heard.” Ace smiles serenely at her. “I beg to differ though. I am no lion. Cowardly, yes. But you on the other hand.” He points at a flower by the window as it absorbs the early sunrays. “You’re a hybrid of the flower from The Little Prince and Dorothy.”

She looks at him and tilting her head as she tries to understand what he just told her. He stands up and ruffles her hair fondly and walks towards a book shelf as he found the book Jade was talking about and started to read as he sat back down. The silence stretched until late afternoon with only a few people coming in to borrow or inquire about a book. Granny left them in their own bubble as she buzzed around quietly, smiling endearingly at the two.

                                                        * * *

It was early evening when the two joined granny in the lobby and helps her close the library for the night.

“Thank you for the help, you two.” She looks at Jade and Ace as she caressed both of their cheeks.

“You know I love helping you out.” Jade said as she held granny’s hand.

“Thank you.” Ace whispered as he leaned closer to granny’s warm touch, his eyes flicking from granny to Jade. “I need to get going if I want to hop on the last train tonight.”  Leaning away, he sighs.

“Come visit again when you can.” Granny smiled up at him meeting his sad eyes. Jade sniffs quietly beside him.

“I meet you crying and I’ll leave with you still crying?” Ace chuckles as he awkwardly reaches his hand out to wipe Jade’s tears. She shakes her head as she brings out a handkerchief in her pocket and wipes her own tears. Ace instead ruffles her hair with a smile.

“When I come back, I want my subject to ne happy.”

“I am happy?” Jade says. “I’m glad you’ve found what you were looking for.”

“Yeah my last stop brought me to her.”

Jade hid a blush as she looks out the window, stars already lighting up the sky.

Ace grabs for his coat as Jade and granny walked him out.

“Accompany him to the station.” Granny whispered as Jade stood with her watching Ace walk further.

“Hey, Ace!” She ran towards him and stood beside him. “Granny told me to accompany you to the station. It’s getting late. She doesn’t want you to get lost on your way.

“Of course she did.” He laughed as he looked back at granny and with a final wave, he turned and walked back to his hotel with Jade beside him. They ate a light dinner and checked out, his bag in hand.

With the moon lighting the road ahead, they walked to the station.

                                                       * * *

“Our last stop.” Jade said after Ace bought his ticket. He nods with a heavy sigh as he tries to meet her avoiding eyes.

“Just a pit stop. Our race will continue. Remember our bet?” He catches her eyes as she laughs at that.

“I remember.” She says quietly as her eyes move up to finally meet his.

It’s as if time stopped as they stood facing each other. They were once again inside their own bubble, like how they always end up when together. The announcement for Ace’s train leaving soon pops their bubble and Jade’s heart stopped for a second.

“Goodnight, Jade.” His voice was soft but he knew she heard him clearly. She squeezed on his handkerchief in her hand as he started to walk backwards towards the train doors, their eyes never leaving each other.

Tears threaten to fall on her eyes but she held back as she walked forward the train doors. The gap between the train and the platform separating them. A whistle startled them both with a guard telling Jade to move a little away as the doors would close soon. The two laughed as she took a step back.

“Goodnight, Ace. Goodnight.” The doors close slowly as the train engines roar to life. The train chugs away under the moonlight.

Pearls

Ao3 link

Blue and Yellow Diamond lay together, limbs entangled, on a large emerald green bed. Ever since forming Green Diamond, the two had decided to add more green decor to the palace grounds. This particular room was one of Blue’s old rooms, but now they affectionately referred to it as ‘their bedroom’. Everything was viridescent, a color they were growing to love more than their own. 

Their bedroom was their most frequented; the giant bed allowing them to have some much needed rest. Often they would lay, huddled against each other, simply enjoying the other’s presence. Other times, they would talk, either about important authority business, or just pleasantries. Rarely would they sleep, but Blue was growing skilled at lulling the stern general into a restful state. 

Today they were gossiping. Blue had heard a whispered conversation and was nearly bursting with the new information. She invited Yellow to come rest with her, which the golden gem had of course agreed to. 

The gentle gem allowed a few more moments of quiet as she runs her slender fingers through flaxen hair. Yellow hums happily.

Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore. “Yellow, I was talking with my Pearl today. She’s going to ask yours on a date! Isn’t that just the cutest? The two of them together, taking after us.” A grin threatened to split her face in half.

Yellow shifts in her arms, turning her head to meet Blue’s sparkling eyes. “Our Pearls? Together?”

Blue lets out musical peals of laughter. “Yes, silly. They’ve been together for eons, didn’t you know? I still remember the first time Pearl came to me about it, she was so confused. Your Pearl is very much like you.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Yellow’s voice is flat, but the slightly forced tone betrays her curiosity.

Another chuckle earns her a poke in the side. Facing her lover’s expectant face, Blue sighs. “She wasn’t the most forthcoming with her affection. I nearly had to counsel the poor thing after she opened up to your Pearl. Luckily, I’ve had some practice with gruff gems.”

A blush crept upon golden cheeks. “I don’t know what you’re talking about Blue.” 

One look to the mischievous look on the azure gem’s face was enough to tell Yellow she had made a mistake. “Oh? What about that time on Saurus 3, where you were staring at my new robes so hard you tripped? And then you told me that you were just checking the soil for organics, which you pretended to do on every planet we visited together for 3 centuries?” 

Yellow scowled, her cheeks becoming bright red at the memory. “What does that have to do with my Pearl?” she asked, her voice raised slightly to be heard above Blue’s giggles. 

A slender hand cupped her burning cheeks. “It took her a few years to break down her walls. But, Pearl tells me that she can be very romantic when she tries. Maybe you could take some advice from her!”

Cerulean eyes were taunting her. “I can be romantic!” she huffs indignantly, causing the crinkled expression on Blue’s face to soften. 

“Of course you can, my love,” Blue soothed, not wanting to provoke her flustered lover too far. “But I was thinking, what if we helped them on this date? Steven helped us the first time and I know your Pearl will take any advice you give her. She adores you.”

“She does?” Yellow’s eyes open wide. 

“Yes, very much so. Did you know, they once had a bet of sorts? Which one of us could conquer more planets in a century. In Era 1.” Blue gazes out past the bed, remembering the fervor with which they had once expanded their empire. 

Yellow raised a blonde eyebrow. “Who won?”

Blue smiled proudly. “I did,” she announced, before adding, “but your Pearl spent three cycles writing up a report about how your 4 colonies were much more efficient than my 5. Pearl showed me. It was very well written.”

“She is very proficient. The best Pearl in the galaxy.” A smile ghosted the general’s lips.

That caused a fire to burn in Blue’s icy eyes. “Second best,” she shot back. 

“Have you seen Pearl organize my reports? She can do it in less time than it even takes me to tell her to do it,” Yellow says, tone equally insistent. 

“Organizing files is just fine, but my Pearl can draw beautifully. You should see some of her art, it’s exquisite.” 

Yellow opens her mouth to argue, the look in her lover’s eyes stops her. “Fine,” she relents, “they are both very good Pearls.” 

Full lips reward her admission with a kiss. “Now, would you help me with this date?”

The stern gem nods. Not that she would admit it, but the idea of helping her Pearl after all those eons warmed her gem through its core. 

Chapter Fourteen (FMITN Book 1)

Days turned into weeks and as promised Finn had Jessica meet Bayley who as she was warned was definitely a hugger. The two became friends as was expected. However when it came time for her to meet Ricochet, she was extremely on edge and graude. She was poliety but not overly so and she seemed as though she wanted nothing to do with him. Finn tried asking her why and all he got was a whimper. One night he did what he shouldn’t and entered her mind once more. 

“Little gem, why do you fear Ricochet?” Balor asked trying to get the information so he could right the situation. A whimpering Jessica looked at Balor and sighed sadly.

“He’ll turn out like Jack, won’t he? I’m scared of what will happen if I let him close I don’t want to be hurt.” Another soft whimper left her lips and Balor sighed. He should have known it would be a fear like that.

“I promise you little gem, Ricochet is NOTHING like Jack, he has been nothing but loyal to me for far too long, his body is that of an 18 year old just like Bayley’s but their demons are much older just like myself. I swear to you he nothing like Jack.” Balor cooed and tried to relax Jessica.  Nodding she gave her word to try and trust Ricochet, and with that the connection was broken.

The next morning true to her word Jess tried hard to not think of Ricochet as dangerous, and they began to get along. Finn and Balor were both relieved and at these events as was Ricochet, and Bayley...well she was always happy. 

The month passed it was now March and the guys were home, they celebrated though late Jessica’s acception into AMU and were home for a whole month before they had to leave this time. During that time Balor returned to the underworld, and Bayley and Ricochet stayed behind to watch over and get close with Jessica. Her presents alone drew creatures and beings to her, and personality soothed most and her kind heart was something even demons were jealous of. Throughout all the bullshit life had dealt her she always showed strength,positivity and true kindness. Though Bayle and Ricochet weren’t sure why Balor wanted her protected, she was just a werewolf to them, they’d fulfill the mission given to them. April came and the guys once again had to leave, graduation was in June and though they were supposed to be gone until July they promised to try and be there for her graduation. She knew a promise was as good as she’d get and she understood they had to be gone. She once again hugged her brothers and went about normal life. Working out, going to school, dance, in ring work, homework, and every full moon shifting and going running. In fact most shifts now the demons, Balor, Bayley, and Ricochet all challenged her to races, which she almost always won.

Graduation was 3 days away, and Jessica was freaking out, no not because her brothers more than likely wouldn’t be there, hell if she thought they would be, she’d be in full blown panic mode! Stupid great grades, early college acceptions, extracurricular actives, stupid everything, if she knew she’d be Valedictorian she would have tried to suck at everything. Giving a speech in front of the whole class, their parents, and the teachers, she felt sick. She ran downstairs in hope of finding any of the demons that currently could be at the house only to find no one. She screamed and huffed. This was unfair! Any time she didn’t need them they were there now though now she needed someone and no one, what the flying fuck! Giving up she grabbed a soda from the fridge and heads back to her room locking the door, blasting her music, and sitting at her desk trying to figure out how to write this speech.

Hours pass and Finn finally gets back to the Hardys’ home, you’d the underworld could handle his absent, but no everything falls to shit without him there and then he has to play clean up crew. Grumbling as he enters the home he can hear the loud music coming from Jessica’s room, looking around he notes that Bayley nor Ricochet can be found and he’s hoping they are in her room or else there will be some other kind of hell to pay. Knowing she won’t hear him knocking  he just opens the door and looks around not seeing his demons and growls. When he notices Jessica’s defeated form. Putting finding the idiot demons aside for now he turns down her music and wraps an arm around her.

“What’s the matter little gem?”

Jessica’s head snaps up looking at Finn, her red, puffy eyes, and what seems like thousands for balled up pieces of paper all picking one up and he began to read it over. Seeing she was trying to write some kind of speech ...speech, shit she’s the Valedictorian, and has to give a speech to everyone in three days at graduation, had she not written it yet? “Mo ghem beag (my little gem) have you not written your graduation speech is that what all this is?” Nodding her head she looks up at Finn, her eyes showing fear, panic, uncertainty, and most of all hesitation. In a soft whisper Jessica answers.

“I never wanted to do this, I can’t do this. Please Balor, don’t make me?” She never referred to Finn as Balor. Yes she accepted the fact that Balor was apart of Finn but she never purposeful spoke his name, he could hear Balor in his mind telling him to let him out, let me face to face with his rare gem, and as much as Finn would normally just give in, he just could not this time. Holding Jessica tight Finn sighed. 

“Little gem this is easy, we can do it together. I’ll write what you want to say, then we can pratice together so you’ll be ready? Okay?” Jessica frowned .

“Fuck, dit is zo stom! Waarom moet ik dit doen? Ik had het niet eerlijk moeten doen! Ik mis Aleister! (Dutch: Fuck, this is so stupid! Why do I have to do this? I shouldn't have to its not fair! I miss Alesiter!)” She fidgeted with her necklace pendant, sliding it back and forth on the chain, as she had done many times when thinking about Aleister. First of all Finn had no idea Jessica could speak practically perfect Dutch, second he didn’t know who this Alesiter was that Jess missed so much, this wasn’t the first time in the year and half he’d be around that she’d mentioned him and how much she missed him. They way she spoke was heartbreaking and once again, tonight Balor would be paying a visit to her memories to figure out who he is and what happened. Jessica was like a sister to him and if Balor had his way she’d be in his life always as his sister. 

Bowing her head Jessica apologize.

“Het spijt me dat ik zo niet had moeten schreeuwen. Het is acht jaar geleden dat ik hem voor het laatst heb gezien. Het doet elke dag pijn. Ik was zo jong maar ik denk dat ik echt van hem hield. (Dutch: I'm sorry I shouldn't have yelled like that. Its been eight years since I've last seen him. It hurts everyday. I was so young but I think, I really did love him in away.) My mama mentioned that our ancestors had true soulmates, and sometimes I wonder if he was mine. We were so young though and when daddy said they could no longer visit, I was destroyed, heartbroken, we kept in touch for awhile, letters and phone calls, but then the phone calls stopped and went unanswered, and soon after the letters stopped as well. Maybe I’m wrong maybe we never meant anything to each other, but if that were true, why does it still hurt much to think of him all these years later?” With each word Jess grew quiet as tears sprang to her eyes.  Finn pulled Jessica close and placed a soft kiss to her temple. He wasn’t really sure how to handle this, after all he and Balor normally killed people, they did not comfort. That night Finn and Jessica talked about what she wanted to say in her graduation speech and finally were able to come up with one.

Joke in the Middle of the Caracal Dawn (Part 1)

A continuation of the Travelling Teamaker series  

Below the cut, enjoy!

Sometimes adventure brings wanderers into incomprehensible places and situations. The False Cliffs were not quite incomprehensible, but they did defy intuition. Mountains comprised of oozing, viscous mud should be unable to hold a solid form and yet they did. Obelisks and cliffs of mush littered the landscape as far as the eye could see. Not a tree, bush, or even a weed seemed to grow from the slick ground. Suction formed under the adventurers’ feet. Each step grew more challenging than the last.

“Cyrano,” Brandy gasped, “can we take a break? We’ve been walking through this muck for hours. My thighs are killing me.”

Cyrano glanced back at her and grinned. “I would have expected your thighs to have more endurance, Brandy.”

“Oh shut it, my work requires different muscles than this,” Brandy panted and looked around, “ Are we even close to our destination? There’s nothing here.”

Fiddling with a crumpled map, Cyrano nodded. “Yes, yes, it should be just another...um...I think…”

And so they sloshed through the soupy ground as the sun moved across the sky, nearly reaching the horizon. As Brandy was on the brink of suggesting they turn back, they came upon a path that snaked up a craggy mountain. Solid rock poked through the goop. Cyrano jumped at the sight.

“This is it!” he cheered.

“Are you sure?” Brandy couldn’t bring herself to share his enthusiasm. 

“It has to be it!

“Well, at least that path looks easier to tread.” She dragged her feet out of the cloying mud and thanked the gods for solid ground.

As the sun dropped and darkness prevailed, a bitter chill swept through the canyons. A shiver travelled up Brandy’s spine. She had dressed for the moderate climate of the day, thinking they would be back to their camp by nightfall. To make matters worse, she had worked up a sweat while trudging through the mud, resulting in cold and clammy skin. She looked at Cyrano, who was a few strides ahead of her, and forced herself to think of the reason she joined him in the first place. That unbridled optimism and unfettered determination sparked a sense of adventure that seemed like fantasy from the dull corners of the inn she worked night after night. The ugly and unwelcoming landscape, the seemingly endless trek, being led by a harebrained elf — it all had to be better than making dispassionate love to the same dozen or so drunkards week after week. Surely, some greater sense of satisfaction would come from her wanderlust. 

“We’re getting close now! Look at those caves ahead!” Cyrano pointed a small distance ahead.

Relief washed over her as she put faith back in her adventuring companion. His ear to ear grin, and his smiling eyes exuded foolishness, but Brandy couldn’t help but smile back.

“See, I told you!” Cyrano said gleefully as he inhaled deeply, “These are the caves that home the rare and delicious stalactite sugar.” 

Brandy nodded to signal her approval as she caught her breath. The final portion of their ascent had been steep, leaving them both winded. Cyrano reached for a flask and handed it to Brandy. 

“Drink, it’s been a long day.”

She unscrewed the cap and took an ample swig as droplets poured down the corners of her mouth. Rather than water or tea, the flask was filled with a potent alcohol. A hacking cough accompanied her gulp. 

“By Gods, Cyri! You really should drink something other than alcohol once in awhile.”

“I do, I drink tea. I have water in here too, if you would prefer that.” He rummaged for a second flask. 

“Yes, please. What is this heinous stuff anyway?”

“Branchwood Liquor. It’s a specialty in my hometown,” he stated with an assured nod. 

“It’s horrible,” she retorted.

Before entering the cave, Cyrano lit two torches and handed one to Brandy. Upon discovering that she had never been in a cave before, he gave her a short lecture on the dos and don’ts of spelunking. Due to exhaustion from the day and skepticism about the elf’s expertise on the topic, Brandy zoned out while he spoke. 

“Alright then, let’s go! So long as we don’t run into any cave caracals, this should be uneventful. Isn’t this exciting? Rumor has it, not a single soul has traversed these caves for decades.”

Brandy’s hands and forearms numbed. Not a single soul had traversed these caves for decades. What a fantastic and terrifying thought. She filled her lungs with air, straightened her back, and followed the dauntless elf into the guts of the mountain. The first thing she noticed about the cave was its damp coolness, it did not sting the skin like the brisk cold on the surface. Next, she listened. Aside from the muffled thuds of their footsteps, there was a deep, almost soothing quiet. She had expected booming echoes, but instead was met with silence. 

Dark paths spiraled deeper and deeper into the earth, but no sign of sugar crystals appeared. Brandy lost faith in her travelling companion yet again, and she started to lose her will to trek on. 

“Cyri, hun, I know you’re really hopeful about finding this sugar, but this cave seems endless.”

Cyrano stopped in his tracks and sighed. “Yes, sometimes adventure seems that way.” He turned to face her. “I hope you are having a nice time. I know this environment isn’t exactly idyllic, but it has its own charm. I promise when we reach those stalactites, it will be beyond magnificent!”

“I’m sure it will be.” She exhaled through her nose as she kicked dried mud off her boot. 

“You sound dubious,” he remarked. 

“I’ve been dubious for some time now.” She stiffened her lip and just as she was a hair's breadth away from asking to turn back, a glimmer in the distance caught her eye. For an instant, the light from her torch reflected a silvery shimmer from the otherwise dull cave wall.

“Did you see that?” she urged.

“Hmm?” 

“There was something shining on the wall.” She hurried her step and waved her torch to recreate the shine.

And what the light revealed was not one bright point, but an entire wall of twinkling crystals that shone like countless stars in the blackest of nights. The adventurers gasped simultaneously and silently agreed to run towards the spectacle.The path turned and they found themselves in a large cavern dripping with points of crystallized light. Brandy slowed and gawked before the hundreds or more stalactites. Cyrano, less proficient at containing his excitement, skidded to stop himself from crashing into some of the lower-hanging formations.

Chuckling with arms crossed, Brandy confessed, “I was wrong to doubt you, this is truly magnificent.” 

“Isn’t it? It’s more spectacular than I imagined! I don’t think I’ve ever seen such illuminations before!” He paused to sniff the air. “And can you smell it? It’s sweet and almost...minty?”

“Yes, yes I can smell it. Perhaps there’s a hint of cherry too?” Brandy asked with a smirk.

Cyrano wafted air towards his nose and closed his eyes. “No, no ...hmmm maybe? Yes, yes I do catch some subtle cherry undertones.” 

Nearly vibrating with laughter, Brandy let out an abrupt snort, “I’m just kidding. I don’t smell any cherry.”

He brushed off her guffawing as he reached for a small chisel in his satchel. “I see you’re testing my gullibility. Well I’ll have you know, I’m extremely gullible!” 

She buried her face in her hands and muttered, “You’re not supposed to admit that to people.” 

“I have a difficult time keeping my gullibility clandestine; I’ve chosen to embrace it.” He chipped away at the stalactite sugar as he captured its shavings in a cup. “Make yourself comfortable. Let’s try this new brew before we head back to the surface.”

The floor was smooth albeit damp, not the ideal place for tea time, but Brandy’s aching legs yearned for a rest. She placed her knapsack on the ground and flopped on top of it with an unseemly moan. Her sore muscles thanked her for the relief. She smiled at Cyrano as she watched his joy at collecting the sugar and preparing the tea. 

Unbeknownst to the adventurers, their peaceful respite was soon to be unpleasantly interrupted. The map and knowledge that led them to the stalactite sugar was quite a bit outdated - the False Cliffs and their sugary caves were far from uninhabited. Had Cyrano and Brandy traversed the leeward side of the mountain, they would have encountered an entrance to the sugar mines with a steep fee for a guided tour. 

“Euwā umȉnna,” Cyrano cupped his hands and whispered into his palms before pouring the piping hot brew.

“Is that Elvish?” Brandy asked.

“What’s this about Elvish in my mines?” a voice boomed from across the stalactite room. 

"It would seem, we're not alone," Cyrano stood from his spot and called to the stranger, “Yes, hello! We are adventurers who've come seeking stalactite sugar. My name is Cyrano Alfvenias, I’m a wood elf and a teamaker. I travel the world —”

“That’s enough! I’m not interested in your story, Elf. All I want to know is what gives you permission to trespass here.” Out from the shadows, the owner of the booming voice emerged. 

A stout figure with a robust beard, torch in one hand and a large pickaxe in the other, frowned and tapped his foot. He wore fine leather, and was adorned with gems and gold. Brandy quickly started collecting her belongings, readying herself to leave, at the very sight of him. 

“Oh, you’re a dwarf!” Cyrano remarked, “Nice to meet you, sir. But It seems you are misinformed. These caves have been abandoned for years. If anything, they belong to the caracal, but certainly not to any dwarves.”

Brandy hid her face in her hands. She had never met a dwarf before, but she knew enough about the basics of communication to know that Cyrano was off to a very bad start.

The dwarf turned a deep, indignant red and galumphed over to the adventurers. 

“Elves have dictated our territory for long enough! We claimed these mines two years ago. Both of you are trespassing in my territory and that’s final! It also looks like you took some of my sugar! If you don’t—”

“I’m very sorry, sir! We’ll be on our way now.” Brandy pleaded and tugged at Cyrano’s sleeve. “Return the sugar, Cyri. We don’t want to cause any more trouble.”

“No, hold on. We came all this way! Can't I just take a tiny, nearly imperceptible amount? It won’t hurt anyone.” The elf was committed as ever to obtain that which he had sought. He erroneously had the expectation that the miner would be sympathetic to his request. 

"Taking any amount is considered a criminal offense. So tell me, Elf, do you know the Dwarven punishment for theft?" the miner snarled. 

Undaunted by the threat, Cyrano’s levity persisted."If I had to wager a guess, I'd bet it's a relatively short senten—" 

"No!" Brandy swiftly interjected as she elbowed Cyrano in the ribs. "No he doesn't know! We both don't know and we sincerely apologize for any offense we may have caused." 

The dwarf eyed the teapot and cups on the ground. “The sugar that’s been boiled into that tea can’t be returned to me, now can it?”

“No, but you’re welcome to have some tea.” Cyrano smiled widely while he reached for the pot. 

Just before Cyrano rested his hand on the teapot, the miner stomped the elf’s fingers down to the ground. Cyrano winced and bit his lip to stop himself from yelling out. Brandy cried out his name and kneeled by his side.

“Do you think this is a joke, Elf?” the dwarf snapped.

“No, I-I can see that you are very serious.” His characteristic optimism had vanished from his voice as he squirmed to release his hand.

“The punishment for theft is that I get to smash all of your fingers with a hammer of my choice. I lied when I said it was a Dwarven punishment. It’s really just my punishment.” He grinned.

“That’s fine, just let her go.This isn’t her fault. She’s new to adventuring, but I’m experienced. She trusted me as her guide, and I failed her. I should have done more thorough research on this location." Despite his fear, Cyrano forced his voice to be steady.

“It would be a shame to ruin those pretty hands. Fine, the human is free to go.” The dwarf nodded and motioned for her to shoo.

With trembling lips and tears in her eyes, Brandy called out to her adventuring partner. “Cyrano, don’t do this. I’m just as guilty as you are.” 

~~~

Thank you for reading. 

To be continued in Part II

Episode 114: Steven’s Dream

“But you don’t deserve that, do you?”

The dream is simple. We fade in to three flowers blowing in the wind. When Steven falls asleep again, we add a broken pink palanquin, and a trill of the signature Diamond music, but that’s it. None of the disorienting mix of the sleeping and waking worlds of Lion 3, none of the nightmares of Chille Tid, none of the lucid mastery of Kiki’s Pizza Delivery Service, just a few calm moments before waking up in tears. But of all the episodes about our slumbering hero, this is the one that’s called Steven’s Dream.

To me, the initial sensation was similar to nearing the end of Order of the Phoenix and, after hearing Voldemort’s view of Dumbledore many times over the course of the series, seeing that the next chapter was called The Only One He Ever Feared. This episode uses our knowledge of the past to set the bar high from the title alone, but unlike the Harry Potter chapter, it pulls the rug out from under us by making the dream the catalyst instead of the subject.

In the same way Mirror Gem spends its entire ominous runtime preparing us to meet Lapis Lazuli, Steven’s Dream is an eleven minute introduction to Blue Diamond. Both episodes develop a sense of foreboding with little hint of what’s to come, both give us a little bit of fun to lull us into a sense of ease before jolting us back into the mystery, both pit the Crystal Gems as opponents of sorts to Steven, and both have that wonderful pacing where the third act takes up half the episode so we have room to breathe. Mirror Gem has the advantage of blindsiding us with our first new Gem (and has a slower, eerier burn), but Steven’s Dream uses characters with eighty-six extra episodes of development to sell a mystery that our hero is actively trying to solve.

The most obvious way Steven’s Dream builds dread are the tears. It’s a device that works again and again and again on this show, especially when Steven is the one affected: his face is rarely sad when they come, and they’re huge without devolving into silly water spurts, so despite the empathy tears might otherwise bring, it’s instead an unsettling omen of danger, like the crocodile’s clock. Combined with the brevity of the first dream, the stark opening of the episode thrusts us into the emotional space that fills the next arc.

But we also get Pearl and Garnet providing more explicit concern. Pearl tries changing the subject, but when push comes to shove she covers her mouth for the second time since we were first told that Rose shattered Pink. While this and other acts of self-censorship become clearer after A Single Pale Rose, at this point we still know it’s in character for her to be uncomfortable about certain elements of the war; even going back to Ocean Gem, she’s hesitant to reveal that not all Gems were “good.”

More surprising is Garnet, to the point where Steven mentions how unusual it is for her to so openly obfuscate. She has her mysterious streak, sure, but she’s been blunt and honest for a while now, and was the Crystal Gem who confirmed the story of Pink Diamond. Estelle gets a terrific showcase here, giving full weight to Garnet’s fear while providing levity as she gets frustrated for making the secret sound more enticing.

This is my favorite kind of hint: the one you could feasibly suss the truth out of if you pause the episode and think about it, but is clear as day in retrospect. We’ve seen Garnet freeze in Keeping It Together, and we’ve seen her afraid in the lead-up to The Return, and both incidents involve Homeworld. The “her” in question could be Yellow Diamond, but The Answer showed us Garnet’s relationship with Blue Diamond. It just doesn’t click until we see the blue palanquin, and Garnet’s explanation after Greg’s abduction makes her resignation to fate all the sadder on rewatch.

(The movie where cows are abducted is a clearer hint in a show that’s all about foreshadowing through television screens, but I still didn’t see Blue Diamond coming.)

Amethyst, who was born long after the war and has little to contribute besides a joke and a great reaction shot, sorta sides with Steven at first, but soon falls into the background to enjoy the show. That’s three for three in terms of Gems not helping Steven find the truth, and for the first time since the revelation, he finally gets mad at them. I appreciate so much that it’s not played as a childish temper tantrum but an airing of legitimate grievances: he was already lied to by omission for ages, which he managed to forgive the Gems for, but past deception makes this new secret too much to handle. As Amethyst says, he deserves to know the truth he’s asking for, but he doesn’t get it. The irony is that another character deserves something he doesn’t ask for, but he gets it anyway.

In the words of Blue Diamond herself, Greg Universe should not be doomed on a dying world. True, the world isn’t actually dying, but given the information available, her judgment was sound. And part of the reason why is that, in stark contrast to the three Gems, the three named human characters we see in the episodes are helpers. Connie brings Buddy’s journal and is nothing but encouraging, and while the Universes could’ve afforded a plane ticket, Uncle Andy is the one who flies them to Korea. When the truth hits too close to home for the Gems, humans step up to the plate, and it’s such a powerful way to showcase the value of Steven’s mixed heritage.

But the more general reason Greg deserves to live is that he’s the best of us. Steven talks to him about Pink Diamond before we even get to the Gems, and to me it evokes that pivotal moment where it’s Greg, the human side of Steven’s family, who reveals that the Gems were invaders in The Return. In both conversations, Greg drives home that the past was a long time ago, and that he didn’t judge Rose or push her to talk about things she was uncomfortable with. It might not be helpful for Steven’s fact-finding hunt, but it shows that Greg’s priorities were straight and he values caring about others more than anything.

(I do wonder, though. Greg says here that Rose seemed to want to confess everything, but he said it didn’t matter. I guess we’ll never know just how much of the truth she was willing to confess.)

And of course, Greg is the one who accompanies Steven to Korea. This is a story that wouldn’t work without his wealth explaining their ability to take a tour, but goofy asides about watches aside, what’s more important is that Greg sticks up for his son and encourages his curiosity, even when it’s scary (and yeah, seeing an animator drawing you is probably pretty scary). He’s nervous about closing in on the secret, but trusts Steven enough to follow through. And it all leads to Greg meeting his sister-in-law.

The hints of our interloper’s identity grow more obvious as we close in; the “Please” sign in Pearl’s script shows us we’re close to something, but the blue palanquin raises more specific warning bells before we finally hear a new voice.

Lisa Hannigan is not like Susan Egan, Patti LuPone, or Christine Ebersole. For starters, she’s the only Diamond voice without an American accent. But something less noticeable from the episode alone is that she’s the only Diamond voice who hasn’t been on Broadway; Hannigan isn’t an actress of stage or screen, but a singer through and through, with just one voice acting role prior to Steven Universe (in the excellent Song of the Sea). This is is a different type of performer, but Blue is a different kind of Diamond: where her sisters each adapted in their own way in the aftermath of Rose’s rebellion, Blue never found a defense mechanism to distract herself, so she’s consumed at all times by grief.

Comparing Hannigan to LuPone in particular is inevitable, as they’re the first two Diamonds we meet (at least the first two that we know are Diamonds) and they’re such a stark contrast. Hannigan’s otherworldly voice, capable of soothing sorrow and icy rage, is a radical departure from LuPone’s sheer power. It’s something that becomes even clearer when they share the same screen, but for now, Blue’s melancholy sets her apart not only from Yellow but from Garnet’s depiction of the cruel overlord we saw in The Answer. We know at this point that the Diamonds have done horrible things, but Blue Diamond humanizes them in a way Yellow Diamond has only hinted at.

Greg and Blue’s exchange is a somber, touching, chilling affair. While there’s a certain level of comfort humans in this universe have with weird alien stuff compared to how we might act, Greg is especially tuned to be casual in this scenario; he may address this giant woman as “your highness,” but he’s otherwise speaking as a peer. As in Mr. Greg, we get a rare moment of him mourning Rose aloud, in a way that shows how often he really is thinking of her. But as we saw in Three Gems and a Baby, he’s able to work through it by pouring that love into Steven, and the person Blue Diamond was most likely to pour love into is the one she lost.

As the eerie Diamond harmonette drones, we see more and more of Blue beyond her hunched form. First her arm raises, then she straightens her back, then we see the bottom of her face, before she finally turns to face Greg (and us); each stage is brought about by conversation with Greg, and her wonder at his ability to relate with her. While the talk seems to be going well, the music erupts as Blue snatches Greg, rises to her full, terrifying height, and reveals her ship: not a hand, but an entire arm. 

Even as she’s humanized, we see glimpses of the tyrant Garnet told us of, and that we’ll see more of in the future. Her soft bewilderment comes from a place of superiority, and she treats Greg as an animal to be saved even as he protests. She does care, but through the lens of absolute authority over her pearl and lesser races. It comes across as tolerance rather than true empathy, and that exact sort of cold half-affection was a major factor in Pink’s resentment of her older sisters.

And poor Steven, who tried to stop Greg from even approaching the situation, can’t do a thing to stop his only remaining parent from being taken. His floating is powered by happy feelings, and there just aren’t enough of those to reach a rocketing spaceship. Garnet’s rescue may seem convenient, but her frantic apology and explanation absolves her in my mind: on top of being scared out of her wits, she was trying to prevent a future where everyone got taken.

The cliffhanger is more of a call to action than a cut to black, and the episode does “resolve” in its own way: we wanted to know what Steven was dreaming about, and we certainly found out. The tragedy is that Steven was right to be curious, and Greg was right to be kind, and both are punished for it. Greg is mature enough to not assign blame for his abduction, but this is rocket fuel for Steven’s ever-growing martyr complex. One day Steven will be happy again, but he’s never quite the same after this nightmare of an encounter. 

We’re the one, we’re the ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR!

I compared this episode to Mirror Gem, which is my favorite lore episode of the series. While Steven’s Dream doesn’t rank quite as high due to the glut of other terrific episodes, it still squeezes into my top twenty for now.

Top Twenty

Steven and the Stevens

Hit the Diamond

Mirror Gem

Lion 3: Straight to Video

Alone Together

Last One Out of Beach City

The Return

Jailbreak

The Answer

Mindful Education

Sworn to the Sword

Rose’s Scabbard

Earthlings

Mr. Greg

Coach Steven

Giant Woman

Beach City Drift

Winter Forecast

Bismuth

Steven’s Dream

Love ‘em

Laser Light Cannon

Bubble Buddies

Tiger Millionaire

Lion 2: The Movie

Rose’s Room

An Indirect Kiss

Ocean Gem

Space Race

Garnet’s Universe

Warp Tour

The Test

Future Vision

On the Run

Maximum Capacity

Marble Madness

Political Power

Full Disclosure

Joy Ride

Keeping It Together

We Need to Talk

Chille Tid

Cry for Help

Keystone Motel

Catch and Release

When It Rains

Back to the Barn

Steven’s Birthday

It Could’ve Been Great

Message Received

Log Date 7 15 2

Same Old World

The New Lars

Monster Reunion

Alone at Sea

Crack the Whip

Beta

Back to the Moon

Kindergarten Kid

Buddy’s Book

Gem Harvest

Three Gems and a Baby

Like ‘em

Gem Glow

Frybo

Arcade Mania

So Many Birthdays

Lars and the Cool Kids

Onion Trade

Steven the Sword Fighter

Beach Party

Monster Buddies

Keep Beach City Weird

Watermelon Steven

The Message

Open Book

Story for Steven

Shirt Club

Love Letters

Reformed

Rising Tides, Crashing Tides

Onion Friend

Historical Friction

Friend Ship

Nightmare Hospital

Too Far

Barn Mates

Steven Floats

Drop Beat Dad

Too Short to Ride

Restaurant Wars

Kiki’s Pizza Delivery Service

Greg the Babysitter

Gem Hunt

Steven vs. Amethyst

Bubbled

Enh

Cheeseburger Backpack

Together Breakfast

Cat Fingers

Serious Steven

Steven’s Lion

Joking Victim

Secret Team

Say Uncle

Super Watermelon Island

Gem Drill

Know Your Fusion

Future Boy Zoltron

No Thanks!

     6. Horror Club      5. Fusion Cuisine      4. House Guest      3. Onion Gang      2. Sadie’s Song      1. Island Adventure

Being a Fanfic Writer is Okay

AKA I love Fanfiction

Fan Fiction, a bit controversial and a bit time worn topic in writing and fandom circles. But let’s face it, fan fiction is older than dirt (Shakespeare anyone?) and isn’t about to go away any time soon. So, we might as well face the pink elephant in the room and address the issue. Besides, fan fiction is really personal to me. Of course, before I get all maudlin about my experiences with fan fiction, maybe we better discuss what fan fiction is, a bit of history and where to find it.

Fan fiction is at its core, a story written by someone who isn’t the original owner of a story. They are simply a fan writing in someone else’s world using someone else’s characters. After that, the possibilities are pretty much limitless and maybe we can discuss some of the more interesting aspects of fan fiction later. Some of our favorite classic stories might be considered fan fiction, Homer’s take on the Trojan War for example. Shakespeare wrote wild interpretations of the lives of British Kings. And modern day published fan fiction would be the books based on favorite television shows or popular games, video, role playing or even board games. A type of visual fan fiction would be the movie Clue! Based on the popular Clue board game. (Sadly not really an action movie, drat.) Star Wars Expanded Universe is a type of authorized published fan fiction. And who can forget the hundreds and hundreds of Star Trek novels based upon the episodes and later expounding upon the universe.

Speaking of Star Trek, the modern take on fan fiction really took off with the introduction of Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek. Before the internet (what a phrase,) ambitious Trekkies created magazines that writers could submit their own stories about the Starship Enterprise and her crew and receive subscriptions of them in the mail. Many of these stories revolved around Kirk and Spock in a romantic relationship, which is still a huge pairing today. Other fandom groups copied this magazine model and later as the internet took off, they created online email groups, forums, journaling sites, chat rooms and individual sites, until someone got ambitious enough to create the first fan fiction archive. And suddenly, there was a place where any writer of any talent could post their work to one place and read everyone else’s work no matter the quality or fandom. And with the introduction of Japanese anime to America, the concept of fan fiction exploded.

And Sturgeon’s Law reared its ugly head. 90% of it is crap.

But that’s okay.

A lot of archives came and went. There are only a few that stayed the course; fanfiction.net, mediaminer.org, adult-fanfiction.org and the baby of the family, archiveofourown.org (AO3). Each of these rather interesting archives have a tumultuous history and interesting backstories, which I really don’t want to get into right now. Just saying, if you have a bunch of free time, want to read some free stories and have some fandoms you really love, then these are the places to go. It might take some time to wade through the truly awful stories to find the gems, but the side effect of fan fiction archives, are fan fiction recommendation lists! These handy lists have the best fan fiction from certain fandoms in the compliers subjective viewpoint! Always a good starting place.

As I said, fan fiction is really personal to me. As it says in my bio, I have no formal education about writing outside some interesting English classes in college. I got a C in research papers and grammar; a B in creating a pitch and an A in narrative storytelling. This probably should have told me something. What I do have, is a very long history and experience in fan fiction. I’m not comfortable with putting my pen name out there, let’s just say I’ve been writing fan fiction for over fifteen years in a variety of fandoms under a couple of different names. And in the beginning, I was one of those probably writing crap. And I didn’t care. I was writing and I was having fun. Writing fan fiction helped me through my bad high school experience (a lot of people have them) and it helped others too. And that was important to me. Is still important to me. I grew. I improved. I got to focus on things in fan fiction that I would never have focused on if I had been trying to write original works. And it helped me churn out idea after idea and see how I could string these ideas together to create good concepts and make better stories.

The greatest thing about fan fiction in my opinion, is that it gets people of every age (I have met as many forty year olds as I have twelve year olds) writing. And when people write, they also tend to read. Okay, so maybe they are reading in this vacuum bubble of fan fiction where 90% of it is crap and they may or may not improve, yet, they are reading and you know, that is okay. Because, let’s face it, 90% of the published world of books is crap too. And let us not get started on this idea of self-publishing. Seriously, anything that introduces a little bit of literacy to the world I’m all for. I’m not going to discourage anyone from taking up a pen or sitting down at a computer or type writer and taking these ideas they have in their head and getting them out there. Because, there is a certain magic to it. Let’s not stifle any form of creativity of the arts here.

Now writing and posting fan fiction are two completely different things. And if someone wants to write a story based on 10 Things I Hate About You (which in itself was an authorized fan fiction of the Taming of the Shrew, which is based on classic literature tropes) and keep on their computer for only themselves to read. That is fine! However, if they want to take that fantastical leap of courage and post it the internet in one fashion or another for the public to see, then that, is inspirational. Posting, which in this case is essentially publishing, something you have created from your heart for others to see and consume is perhaps one of the scariest things you can do. And I applaud them for their courage because the public is not a safe place and you never know what will happen. Now, I will say that a lot of fandom communities can be nice and welcoming. And then there are the communities that are insular and full of drama. And sometimes, publishing in the fan fiction world is like shouting into a canyon and hearing the echo and you might have to shout several times (meaning publish more than one story or more than one chapter of a story) to get any sort of response. Hey, being popular in one fandom, doesn’t automatically guarantee being popular in another fandom!

And that is where the sense of community steps in. Sure, you will probably get a lot of ‘squee, I love it, write more!’ responses, which are good for the ego and the soul. But there will be rare times, where you will meet people who love the same things you do and want to squee and discuss writing. About characterization, and plot bunnies hopping out of control and multiplying and isn’t so and so just hot as this character. And suddenly, one isn’t so alone anymore. You don’t feel exactly strange or like a hermit who sits alone in their bedroom typing for hours at a time. Out there, in the world, there are people just like you, doing the same things. And it is okay. People, as a community who like a certain thing, are being creative and sharing ideas. And that is wonderful. So, the execution of said ideas might not be wonderful, but now, the idea is out there in the universal consciousness waiting to be picked up by someone else, tinkered with and fine-tuned and maybe a better version of it, or maybe one just as bad, will be published to be seen and shared by more people so more interesting and diverse stories can be born. (Or, as it is so easy to see in fan fiction if you pay attention, a new fad of fiction tropes and mish mash of nonsensical ideas put together to create something absolutely crazy but mind numbingly fun that you have to go ‘what the fuck, who came up with this bullshit and how did it become so popular and why wasn’t it me? [Superwholock, Omegaverse, Soulbonding])

Now we could discuss the legality of fan fiction, or some of the crazy views that published authors have about fan fiction (Anne McCaffery, George RR Martin), or some of the awesome things that have happened to people because of their fan fiction and the original creators being okay with it (Avatar: The Last Air Bender, Joss Whedon). Or the crazy things that some fan fiction writers do to take their fan fiction and make it into original fiction (Cassandra Claire, 50 Shades of Grey.) But those could take a couple thousand more words and some of it sincerely bewilders me.

Fan fiction is great. I enjoy writing it. And I also enjoy reading it when I have time. There is nothing wrong with people, in their spare time, writing fluffy and sometimes not so fluffy stories about their favorite characters in their favorite universes. There are a lot more horrible things they could be doing than writing stories about fictional people and posting it on the internet.

Now, when I get published (and I say when, not if because I must believe in the when), as a matter of course and a, for your information, I won’t be reading any fan fiction of my own works. (Though, I’d love to keep track of statistics for it, that would be amusing.) It comes down to the universal consciousness once again. If one of those stories someone writes about my work has an amazing idea and I read it, later forget about it, and then think I come up with it on my own and use that idea, then, well, I could be sued. (It has happened.) It is unlikely that the fan fiction writer will win (there is precedent about this), but I would still feel awful. So it is just better all around if I don’t read fan fiction of my own work. Which for me is kind of sadness, but hey, it is a fact of life.

That being said. I hope that I do inspire people to write their own crazy times using my characters or creating their own characters and putting them in my world, or crossing my world into their other favorite worlds. Because, if I wasn’t so busy writing the original world, I’d probably be doing the same thing. There is nothing wrong with people having a good time and enjoying themselves. In fact, if it helps get them through a bad place in their life, then good for them.

Not that the die hard fan fiction writers need permission from me. But those who aren’t so certain, and maybe worry a bit too much or have been told that writing original is superior to writing fan fiction and believed it. Writing fan fiction is okay. Don’t beat yourself up over it and go out there and have fun. Go on, get your fanfic on!