A Warm Place: The MST (Part 2)
Jan. 11th, 2005 01:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
grapegardenYep, LJ likes me. A lot. -_-; *sighs and types this up again*
Title: A Warm Place: The MST
Author: Jigglypuff in Blue Ribbons
Fandom: Pokémon (Original) Mario (MSTing Party)
Genre: Romance/Drama (Original), Humor/Parody.
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Sexual content, (Original) pervy jokes, and language
Pairings: R*cketshipping (Original), implied Mario/Peach.
Finished: No
Rocket Science Theater
By Puri-chan
A Warm Place
Rating: PG-13 (language, adult content)
James comforts Jessie when she has a nightmare about one of her worst fears coming true. A short story (well, short for me) written in response to all of those "Rocketshippy" death fics. (Sorry folks, but I can't stand death in fanfic -- it's not intriguing, it's not Rocketshippy, and meeting again in Heaven does NOT make it happy or acceptable! This is my protest of all death fics.)
James honestly didn't know why Jessie was so upset, and now he was more worried about her than ever. As she buried her face in the couch cushions again, he began to stroke her hair. "Please don't cry, Jess! Please! Just tell me what's wrong!"
Peach: Ah! Now I remember what’s going on! As if that hadn’t been a problem before.
Mario: Glad you feel better, Peach. ^^;
Bowser: We’re wasting time! Let’s just get this dumb fic over with so I can finally go back to my castle!
Everyone Else: *nods*
Jessie looked up at him again, and her lip quivered. "Oh, James, you were so sick...a-and you...you...I...."
James couldn't help but laugh. "That's all?! You're getting worked up over a little head-cold?! Oh, Jessie! You're so silly!"
Daisy: Now now, Jessie! ‘Cause we all know there’s no such things as monsters under the bed, right?
An angry light sparked in her sapphire-blue eyes when she heard this.
Mario: *as James* Jessiiiiiiie! You’re blowing up the 4th of July fireworks in your face again!
"What the hell are you laughing at?!" she demanded. "I just had one of the scariest dreams imaginable! I don't see what's so goddamned funny!"
Luigi: *as Jessie* Seems like just yesterday we were setting fire to Butch and Cassidy’s underwears… what? I didn’t say anything.
Geno: Homestar Runner?
Luigi: I get a lot of free-time by myself at home while Mario’s away.
Mario: Which would explain the Ebay bill for that much Peasley merchandise I never purchased…
Luigi: Ah heh heh… sorry Mario. ^^;
James backed away and put his hands up, as if to shield himself. When she saw him cowering from her, Jessie realized what she was doing -- she was screaming at the man she loved...the one she'd been crying over because she couldn't bear the thought of him dying. She couldn't live without him, but she'd just hurt him!
"I'm sorry, James...I'm so sorry...." she whispered as the crying began anew.
Geno: *chuckles* Jessie must be really messed in the head if she has trouble even yelling at James today.
Peach: Wrong side of the bed, maybe?
Geno: I’d rather not think about it...
"No. I'm sorry, Jess," he replied as he seated himself next to her. "You were really scared, and I had no right to laugh at you."
"I still am...I'm still scared...."
Luigi: *as Jessie* That’s it, James! This is the last time we visit the Haunted Mansion in Disney World!
"Tell me," he said, taking her hands in his own. "What happened in this nightmare? What made you so upset?"
Jessie slowly shook her head. "You don't want to know...and I don't want to talk about it. It's too horrible!"
James tightened his hold on her hands. "Jessica, nothing is so horrible that you can't talk to me about it! Nothing!" he said firmly.
She trembled.
Bowser: *as Jessie* Big the Cat from “Sonic” is doing the hula-hoop dance while fishing for Goldeen in our bathroom again!
Peach: *as James* AIYEE!!! I don't wanna hear anymore~! ;____;
"Even if there's nothing I can do to help," he continued, "I'd at least like to know what it is. But I can't help you at all...and you can't help yourself, either if you keep it bottled up inside. So, please, tell me what happened."
Bowser: *as Jessie* I love keeping Beedril in glass jars! They’re so pretty and oooh! This one looks pretty angry! Hey James, should I release it back to the wild?
Jessie exhaled in a ragged breath. "Okay. I'll try," she whispered. But before she could continue, her voice became stuck in her throat, and the only sound that escaped was another sob.
Geno: And so, with no other options left, Jessie confined herself to Linkin Park and Evanescence to sort out her angst.
Peach: *singing* I believe in you—I’ll give up everything just to find you! I have to be with you: to live, to breathe, you’re taking over me~!
Daisy: *singing* My only hope, my only peace, my only joy, my only strength…
Mario: And so, the fanficcing world of “Pokemon” has died, and will shortly belt out “Bring Me to Life” to anyone who’d listen.
Daisy: Ahh… now Evanescence dead by fangirl.
James gently caressed her tear-stained face for a moment and got up from the couch. Jessie watched as he went back into the kitchen and poured some hot water from the kettle into two mugs. After adding the tea-bags and letting them steep for a few minutes, James stirred in some honey. Then, bringing the tea with him, he returned to her side.
"Here. Drink this," he said, pressing one of the warm mugs into her cold hands. "Just relax, and remember, no matter how bad it was, it was only a dream. Only a dream...."
Mario: Only a dream, only a dream… someone trains a Hypno, obviously.
Jessie inhaled the earthy fragrance of the echinacea tea and took a sip as James continued to speak softly to her. The warm drink and the soothing sound of her lover's beautiful voice soon calmed her.
"Well...in this dream, you got sick," she began.
Bowser: *As Jessie* And began writing squicky lemons involving you and your fantasies with rubber duckies.
James nodded and took a sip of his own tea. Reality manifesting itself in dreams was a common phenomenon. "Mmm, hmmm. Go on."
Everybody: …
Bowser: …I did not intend that. Really.
Everyone Else: *sinks to the floor laughing*
Daisy: Oh. My. GOD. Hee hee hee…
Geno: Yes… dreams certainly tell a lot about other people, do they?
Peach: Oh my… *giggle* I’ll remember this one for a while!
"But it wasn't a cold," she continued. "I don't know what it was...some kind of incurable viral infection...and the day you came down with it, well, there was no hope. You...you just weren't going to make it...."
Mario: *as Jessie* And then you passed out just when you've almost beaten "Paranoia" in DDR!
She paused and shook her head as more tears fell from her eyes. "Every day you got worse and worse! All of the testing, all of the medications, all of the lengthy stays in the hospital...they didn't do shit!
Daisy: Except for magical pills that make him shrink until he’s as tall as Jessie’s thumb.
Bowser: *as James with a high-pitched, idiot voice* Wow Jess! These pills are kewl~! XD
And there was nothing I could do but watch helplessly as the light went out of your eyes,
Peach: Bzzt! Power outage!
Mario: There must’ve been a thunderstorm the day James died. Hey, it adds to the melodrama! :D
and you wasted away to a shadow of your former self. There was nothing anybody could do...and I lost you forever because of it.
Daisy: *singing* Where once was honesty and pride, I now stand broken and alone—just a shadow of my time was meant to be…
Peach: *singing quietly* Somehow I’m always, always falling over me… *stops* This song makes me sad. :( It’s pretty, though…
"And it didn't end when you died, James! Meowth and I were left all alone, and we had to go on without you.
Geno: And so, the remaining members of Team Rocket went and sold all of James’s old “Spiderman” comics so Jessie could spend it wastefully on food and make-up, while Meowth goes around making the sequel to “Nyasu no Party”.
Daisy: *as Officer Jenny* Catnip…
Luigi: *as Meowth* But it’s Me-OWTH!
Daisy: *as Officer Jenny* Yeah, tell that to the judge.
I lived my entire life...lived to be an old woman...and you weren't there for me to share it with! But the worst part is, I never told you that I loved you while you were alive...and I never got to see you again until I was dead, too...."
Peach: *as Jessie* And about time, too! Now go make me a smoothie before I lose my temper. Ah! Too late.
Luigi: And they played “Lucky Lucky” with their accordions in Hell forever, and lived happily ever after. The end… of the dream, at least.
While Jessie was relating her story, James's expression became increasingly grim. It wasn't the part about his death that bothered him so much as the thought that he'd broken his promise...
Luigi: *as James* You sold my best dresses just so you can go shopping for Sirius/Remus doujinshi on Ebay? How could you!? ;_____;
that he'd left her.
Luigi: *as James* …Nothing! And not a yuri doujinshi to spare! *SOB* ;_______;
She was a strong woman, but even strong people have something they fear...
Geno: *chuckles* How… ironic.
and Jessie's biggest fear was abandonment -- being deserted by someone she loved.
Peach: The author would think if Mario were twenty miles apart from me, he abandoned me. *giggle*
Bowser: Then I aught to kidnap you as soon as we leave so Mario can “abandon” you! GWA HA HA HA!
Peach: I didn’t ask for that…
James had always promised her that he'd make sure she was never afraid again...
Geno: Well, so much for spelunking in the Whirl Islands to help Jessie get over her fear of the dark.
Peach: *As Jessie* Hey James? What's that wail I hear? *as James* Obviously not a humongoid psychic bird with the potential to destroy the entire world, that's what! *as Jessie* Okay! ^_^ Hey James! James? …Why are you screaming far-off behind me?
that he would never leave and that she'd never be alone.
Luigi: ...Come to think of it, that's rather scary. Doesn't she ever get privacy?
Peach: *as James* But Jessiiiiiiiie~! I need to shower!
It hadn't occurred to him that something beyond his control might happen that would prevent him from keeping his promise, and as he thought about it, he began to cry, too.
Mario: Yeah! Like a 50-ton anvil falling on his head.
When Jessie was done telling him about the nightmare, her voice trailed off and gave way to sobbing once more. She looked more like
Bowser: …A Ditto! GWA HA HA HA!
Daisy: Cassidy! I knew that voice was a dead give-away!
Luigi: Naval Piranha… oO;;
a small, frightened child than a grown woman, and as James watched her cry, he suddenly realized that he had to be strong for her right now. She needed to know that it had only been a dream. A dream and nothing more.
Peach: What if they’re at Subcon, though? Now what would they do?
Bowser: Throw veggies at Ash, probably.
He wiped his tears away and placed his hand on her shoulder again. "Shhh...it's okay now, Jessie. It's okay...."
She shook her head. "No it isn't," she whimpered. "I can still see it, James!
Daisy: *as Jessie* I can still see a drunk Giovanni break-dancing on top of his desk with a lampshade on top his head!
Mario: *as Jessie* I can still see Brock chasing after Britney Spears!
Peach: *as Jessie* I can still see Ganondorf wearing a Speedo swimsuit!
Bowser: *as Jessie* Egads! I can see Butch and Cassidy making out just as soon as Boss blasts us off again!
Luigi: *as Jessie* Oh no! I’ve stumbled upon Brock doing the Macarena!
Geno: *as Jessie* ...How Mewtwo could be defeated by piece of chalk...
I can still see you dying in my arms! I can still see me and Meowth putting roses on your grave!
Bowser: …And dynamite!
I can still see myself going through all of your things...trying to remember you and live my life alone!
Luigi: *as Jessie* HEY! He never told me he owned a first-edition “Blue Eyes, White Dragon” card!
Peach: *as Jessie* These dresses are just SO outdated.
Oh, god, James, I'm so afraid that it may really happen someday...and I just can't handle that! I can't...I can't...I can't...."
Peach: *as Little Engine That Could* I thought I could, I thought I could, I thought I could…
Mario: *as James* Oh noes~! Our Game Boy Colors have finally comBUSTed! Now we don't have anything to keep ourselves entertained while we chase the Twerps!
"You'll never have to," James said firmly.
Jessie looked up at him.
"Because it's never going to happen," he continued.
Geno: James made a pact the gods.
"Not like that anyway. Everything dies eventually, but I promise you, we won't die until after we've gotten married, had children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren...after we've lived our lives together. I've always promised never to leave you, Jessie...and nothing is ever going to make me break my promise!"
Luigi: Yeah, I’m sure whoever invented the anvil will have a word to say about that.
"But how can you keep such a promise?!" she cried. "That seemed to be what the dream was telling me -- that you just never know when something bad is going to happen...that tomorrow may never come!"
Daisy: *singing* Toooooooo-morrow! Tomorrow! I’ll love ya! Tomorrow! You’re only a day away…
James nodded. "I know. But I still promised you. I can't say how I'm going to keep that promise, but you'll just have to trust that I will. Do you trust me?"
Jessie sniffled.
"Do you trust me?" he asked again.
She looked into his brilliant green eyes and saw nothing but sincerity. "Yes," she whispered.
Peach: *singing* A whole new world… a new fantastic point of view: no one to tell us “no” or where to go, or say we're only dreaming…
Luigi: I wonder what movie that came from.
He cupped her chin in his hand and gently brushed her tears away with his thumb. More tears rolled down her cheeks as she closed her eyes and placed her hand over his.
"I love you," James told her. "And love is more powerful than death. Have faith in me, Jessie, and love will find a way to keep my promise...our promise."
Geno: …Necrophilia?
Everyone: Eeeewwwww…
Jessie opened her eyes again and gazed at him. "I love you, too," she replied. "James, I love you so much...."
As James returned her gaze, he could see that there was still sadness in her deep blue eyes. She was still afraid, and more than anything, she needed his closeness...his touch.
Daisy: She needed to whack him upside the head, then proceed slapping him over and over. She felt better after that. :)
"Come here, sweetheart," he said, holding his arms out to her.
Jessie leaned closer and wrapped her arms around James, holding him as close as she possibly could. James returned the embrace, and he could feel her body trembling. As the trembling gave way to more sobbing, he realized just how profoundly that nightmare had upset her.
Peach: Why of course, Mr. Obvious.
Luigi: Besides, isn’t dreaming of death a good omen? I’ve read about it somewhere…
Geno: Yes, it is. And the dream offers different messages depending on the type of death.
Luigi: Like when you die, someone else dies, or if someone dies violently…
Peach: Not only that, but when you dream of a loved one dying, it means you’re asking too much from him or her.
Daisy: Ooh… burned! XD
She'd been hurt by so much in the short time she'd been in this world -- the death of her mother, being forced into a line of work that she hated, the ex-boyfriend who'd convinced her that she was worthless...who'd beaten her up -- all she'd ever known was abuse, abandonment, and betrayal.
Peach: Oh… *blink* When did that happen to Jessie?
Bowser: It didn’t, that’s what.
Mario: Nothing like melodrama to serve the day, right guys? :D
Bowser: Go to hell, Mario.
The scars on her soul ran deep, and as James held her to him and felt the sleeve of his black t-shirt getting soaked by her tears, he knew that no matter how much he reassured her, it would be a long time before those scars healed.
Daisy: *singing at the top of her lungs* CRAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWLING in my SKIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN~! These WOUNDS, THEY WIIIILL not HEEEEEEAAAAALLLL~! FEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAR is HOW I FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL~! CONFUSING what is REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL~!
Jessie had never cried so much in her life as she had in recent months -- since she'd become James's girlfriend. She'd rarely shown emotion before, but now she cried all the time.
Geno: We could tell…
James knew that it wasn't because he'd done anything to hurt her, however. Jessie had always carried the pain inside of her, but she'd always covered it up...kept it hidden deep down where it would only hurt her more. But now that she had him, she had a confidante. She cried because she felt safe with him, and she trusted him enough to show him what was inside of her soul. And every time she cried...every time she released the pain, it healed her soul a little more.
Peach: And they say I’m not independent…
He was exactly what she needed. He was a warm place...somewhere she could go to find comfort when she was in pain, and she needed to know that this would never change.
Mario: Ah… so the title starts to kick in! *dadadada*
Bowser: I wonder what’ll come out of that! *WHAM*
So, James just held her, caressing her body and stroking her hair as he whispered words of love into her ear.
Bowser: *softly, as James* I love you, you love me…
Daisy: *singing* We’re one hateful family…
Everyone: *singing* With a great big gun, we’ll shoot off Cupid’s head! *BAM!*
Oopsie doopsie, love is dead!
Before long, her sobbing trailed off, and she just laid quietly in his arms.
Jessie closed her eyes and relaxed as she concentrated on James -- the feeling of his hands as they gently massaged her back and shoulders, the sound of his smooth voice as he whispered tender words to her, the warmth of his flesh as he held her to him. The tip of her nose brushed against his neck as she rested her head on his shoulder, and she found herself inhaling the wonderful fragrance of his body, the scent that belonged to him alone.
Peach: *as Jessie* Hey James… *as James* Yes Jess? *as Jessie* …Take a shower.
For a split second, she recalled the dream again and how these simple, sensual pleasures had been taken away from her forever. But she quickly banished all of the unsettling thoughts from her mind when she felt James respond to her.
He turned his head slightly, and Jessie could feel the ends of his silky blue-violet hair tickling her face. Then, he leaned down and touched his lips to her forehead. She looked up at him, and for the first time all morning, she smiled.
Bowser: *as Jessie* I can't wait for us to go Gyarados riding! Then after that, we can go and steal the guy's Ditto!
"Feeling better now?" he ventured.
She nodded. "Yes. But don't let go of me, James...I'm not ready yet...."
"I didn't plan on it," he whispered as he ran his fingers through her sea of crimson hair.
Daisy: A sea of hair… complete with Chain Chomps! :DD
Luigi: Time to get a hair-cut.
James placed his hand under her chin and tilted her face upwards. He leaned closer to her, but just before his lips met hers, he hesitated. He wanted to kiss her, but he was still a little sick, and he didn't want to spread his cold germs.
Peach: Newsflash! Whether or not you're sick, kissing spreads germs anyway.
Mario: *as Jessie* Eeww, cold cooties!
Before he could decide whether or not to continue, however, Jessie made the decision for him and pressed her lips against his.
Bowser: Time to spread the love! Gwa ha ha har!
Daisy: *cringe* Augh…! 4KIDS pun…
Their kiss lasted for several minutes, but even when it ended, the two of them remained in their embrace. James rested his chin atop her head and sighed contentedly, happy to know that he could always make the woman he loved feel better when she was sad or frightened.
Daisy: Unfortunately, he couldn't say the same when he emptied her hair spray can.
And as Jessie laid her head on his chest, she was reassured once again that her nightmare would never come true. His throat may have been a little congested, but the breath in his lungs was strong, and so was the beating of his heart. James was brimming over with life, and Jessie knew that the shadow of death would never come between them.
Geno: Except with a very big scythe.
But even though she felt better now, she still wasn't ready to let go of him. If anything, Jessie wanted to be closer to James than ever, and as she looked up at him, the glimmer in his emerald eyes told her that he wanted the exact same thing.
He raised an eyebrow, as if to ask permission. Jessie smiled and nodded in response.
"Show me just how much stronger love is than death, James," she whispered.
Everyone: …
Daisy: ...Uh oh.
Luigi: Well then! This’ll be the part where I slump in my seat and sob now.
Bowser: “A Warm Place”… yeah right! More like a STEAMING one. XP
Slowly, James leaned into her, and as he slid the straps of her red nightgown off of her shoulders, he began to kiss her neck. Jessie sighed as she ran her fingers through his hair and felt his lips move from her neck to her bare shoulders. He paused for only a second while she pulled off his shirt.
Peach: Mario, I’m scared! *cling*
Mario: Uhh… Peach? I wouldn’t hold my shirt so much after that sentence. ^^;
Peach: oO;; Oh! Um... right. ^^; *lets go and sighs sinking into her chair, grimacing at the theater screen*
Once they had undressed each other, James laid himself on top of Jessie, and their lips met in another kiss. More tears streamed down her face when she felt James inside of her, but now they were tears of joy rather than sorrow.
Luigi: …The ending of “Pokemon: 1st Movie” scars me now.
James made love to her slowly and gently, caressing every inch of her body with his own. “I love you,” he whispered as he covered her face with his soft, velvety kisses.
It was several minutes before Jessie was able to echo his words. Every time she tried to speak, her voice became caught in her throat, and the only sound that escaped was a gasp of pleasure. When she finally did say “I love you,” back to him, both she and James found themselves overwhelmed by more joy than they ever thought possible.
Geno: Then they fell asleep in the middle of their passion and have nightmares of each other’s deaths. So much for that…
Their two bodies remained one for a long time after that.
Mario: In other words, amoeba sex! :D
Daisy: Now THAT would be an interesting thing to see under the microscope—look at all those black strips!
And it wasn’t the desperate, driving kind of love that was normally made in the wake of doubt or fear, but rather the peaceful kind made by two souls secure in their love...and each other.
Peach: How “dreamy”. *claps sarcastically*
All of Jessie’s doubts and fears vanished as she and James laid together, making love. Their souls would always be joined as their bodies were joined now, and she knew that nothing would ever separate them, in life or in death. The path set before them was one that they would walk together, now and for all eternity.
Daisy: The path… to doom and damnation.
Mario: So, shall we take a break here?
*cue voices of agreement*
Luigi: Oh yay! Let’s.
Peach: I’m so tired… well, only one part to go, right?
(The chapter closes with “(I Hate) Everything About You” by Three Days Grace playing in the background)
End of Part 2
To be continued…
Title: A Warm Place: The MST
Author: Jigglypuff in Blue Ribbons
Fandom: Pokémon (Original) Mario (MSTing Party)
Genre: Romance/Drama (Original), Humor/Parody.
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Sexual content, (Original) pervy jokes, and language
Pairings: R*cketshipping (Original), implied Mario/Peach.
Finished: No
Rocket Science Theater
By Puri-chan
A Warm Place
Rating: PG-13 (language, adult content)
James comforts Jessie when she has a nightmare about one of her worst fears coming true. A short story (well, short for me) written in response to all of those "Rocketshippy" death fics. (Sorry folks, but I can't stand death in fanfic -- it's not intriguing, it's not Rocketshippy, and meeting again in Heaven does NOT make it happy or acceptable! This is my protest of all death fics.)
James honestly didn't know why Jessie was so upset, and now he was more worried about her than ever. As she buried her face in the couch cushions again, he began to stroke her hair. "Please don't cry, Jess! Please! Just tell me what's wrong!"
Peach: Ah! Now I remember what’s going on! As if that hadn’t been a problem before.
Mario: Glad you feel better, Peach. ^^;
Bowser: We’re wasting time! Let’s just get this dumb fic over with so I can finally go back to my castle!
Everyone Else: *nods*
Jessie looked up at him again, and her lip quivered. "Oh, James, you were so sick...a-and you...you...I...."
James couldn't help but laugh. "That's all?! You're getting worked up over a little head-cold?! Oh, Jessie! You're so silly!"
Daisy: Now now, Jessie! ‘Cause we all know there’s no such things as monsters under the bed, right?
An angry light sparked in her sapphire-blue eyes when she heard this.
Mario: *as James* Jessiiiiiiie! You’re blowing up the 4th of July fireworks in your face again!
"What the hell are you laughing at?!" she demanded. "I just had one of the scariest dreams imaginable! I don't see what's so goddamned funny!"
Luigi: *as Jessie* Seems like just yesterday we were setting fire to Butch and Cassidy’s underwears… what? I didn’t say anything.
Geno: Homestar Runner?
Luigi: I get a lot of free-time by myself at home while Mario’s away.
Mario: Which would explain the Ebay bill for that much Peasley merchandise I never purchased…
Luigi: Ah heh heh… sorry Mario. ^^;
James backed away and put his hands up, as if to shield himself. When she saw him cowering from her, Jessie realized what she was doing -- she was screaming at the man she loved...the one she'd been crying over because she couldn't bear the thought of him dying. She couldn't live without him, but she'd just hurt him!
"I'm sorry, James...I'm so sorry...." she whispered as the crying began anew.
Geno: *chuckles* Jessie must be really messed in the head if she has trouble even yelling at James today.
Peach: Wrong side of the bed, maybe?
Geno: I’d rather not think about it...
"No. I'm sorry, Jess," he replied as he seated himself next to her. "You were really scared, and I had no right to laugh at you."
"I still am...I'm still scared...."
Luigi: *as Jessie* That’s it, James! This is the last time we visit the Haunted Mansion in Disney World!
"Tell me," he said, taking her hands in his own. "What happened in this nightmare? What made you so upset?"
Jessie slowly shook her head. "You don't want to know...and I don't want to talk about it. It's too horrible!"
James tightened his hold on her hands. "Jessica, nothing is so horrible that you can't talk to me about it! Nothing!" he said firmly.
She trembled.
Bowser: *as Jessie* Big the Cat from “Sonic” is doing the hula-hoop dance while fishing for Goldeen in our bathroom again!
Peach: *as James* AIYEE!!! I don't wanna hear anymore~! ;____;
"Even if there's nothing I can do to help," he continued, "I'd at least like to know what it is. But I can't help you at all...and you can't help yourself, either if you keep it bottled up inside. So, please, tell me what happened."
Bowser: *as Jessie* I love keeping Beedril in glass jars! They’re so pretty and oooh! This one looks pretty angry! Hey James, should I release it back to the wild?
Jessie exhaled in a ragged breath. "Okay. I'll try," she whispered. But before she could continue, her voice became stuck in her throat, and the only sound that escaped was another sob.
Geno: And so, with no other options left, Jessie confined herself to Linkin Park and Evanescence to sort out her angst.
Peach: *singing* I believe in you—I’ll give up everything just to find you! I have to be with you: to live, to breathe, you’re taking over me~!
Daisy: *singing* My only hope, my only peace, my only joy, my only strength…
Mario: And so, the fanficcing world of “Pokemon” has died, and will shortly belt out “Bring Me to Life” to anyone who’d listen.
Daisy: Ahh… now Evanescence dead by fangirl.
James gently caressed her tear-stained face for a moment and got up from the couch. Jessie watched as he went back into the kitchen and poured some hot water from the kettle into two mugs. After adding the tea-bags and letting them steep for a few minutes, James stirred in some honey. Then, bringing the tea with him, he returned to her side.
"Here. Drink this," he said, pressing one of the warm mugs into her cold hands. "Just relax, and remember, no matter how bad it was, it was only a dream. Only a dream...."
Mario: Only a dream, only a dream… someone trains a Hypno, obviously.
Jessie inhaled the earthy fragrance of the echinacea tea and took a sip as James continued to speak softly to her. The warm drink and the soothing sound of her lover's beautiful voice soon calmed her.
"Well...in this dream, you got sick," she began.
Bowser: *As Jessie* And began writing squicky lemons involving you and your fantasies with rubber duckies.
James nodded and took a sip of his own tea. Reality manifesting itself in dreams was a common phenomenon. "Mmm, hmmm. Go on."
Everybody: …
Bowser: …I did not intend that. Really.
Everyone Else: *sinks to the floor laughing*
Daisy: Oh. My. GOD. Hee hee hee…
Geno: Yes… dreams certainly tell a lot about other people, do they?
Peach: Oh my… *giggle* I’ll remember this one for a while!
"But it wasn't a cold," she continued. "I don't know what it was...some kind of incurable viral infection...and the day you came down with it, well, there was no hope. You...you just weren't going to make it...."
Mario: *as Jessie* And then you passed out just when you've almost beaten "Paranoia" in DDR!
She paused and shook her head as more tears fell from her eyes. "Every day you got worse and worse! All of the testing, all of the medications, all of the lengthy stays in the hospital...they didn't do shit!
Daisy: Except for magical pills that make him shrink until he’s as tall as Jessie’s thumb.
Bowser: *as James with a high-pitched, idiot voice* Wow Jess! These pills are kewl~! XD
And there was nothing I could do but watch helplessly as the light went out of your eyes,
Peach: Bzzt! Power outage!
Mario: There must’ve been a thunderstorm the day James died. Hey, it adds to the melodrama! :D
and you wasted away to a shadow of your former self. There was nothing anybody could do...and I lost you forever because of it.
Daisy: *singing* Where once was honesty and pride, I now stand broken and alone—just a shadow of my time was meant to be…
Peach: *singing quietly* Somehow I’m always, always falling over me… *stops* This song makes me sad. :( It’s pretty, though…
"And it didn't end when you died, James! Meowth and I were left all alone, and we had to go on without you.
Geno: And so, the remaining members of Team Rocket went and sold all of James’s old “Spiderman” comics so Jessie could spend it wastefully on food and make-up, while Meowth goes around making the sequel to “Nyasu no Party”.
Daisy: *as Officer Jenny* Catnip…
Luigi: *as Meowth* But it’s Me-OWTH!
Daisy: *as Officer Jenny* Yeah, tell that to the judge.
I lived my entire life...lived to be an old woman...and you weren't there for me to share it with! But the worst part is, I never told you that I loved you while you were alive...and I never got to see you again until I was dead, too...."
Peach: *as Jessie* And about time, too! Now go make me a smoothie before I lose my temper. Ah! Too late.
Luigi: And they played “Lucky Lucky” with their accordions in Hell forever, and lived happily ever after. The end… of the dream, at least.
While Jessie was relating her story, James's expression became increasingly grim. It wasn't the part about his death that bothered him so much as the thought that he'd broken his promise...
Luigi: *as James* You sold my best dresses just so you can go shopping for Sirius/Remus doujinshi on Ebay? How could you!? ;_____;
that he'd left her.
Luigi: *as James* …Nothing! And not a yuri doujinshi to spare! *SOB* ;_______;
She was a strong woman, but even strong people have something they fear...
Geno: *chuckles* How… ironic.
and Jessie's biggest fear was abandonment -- being deserted by someone she loved.
Peach: The author would think if Mario were twenty miles apart from me, he abandoned me. *giggle*
Bowser: Then I aught to kidnap you as soon as we leave so Mario can “abandon” you! GWA HA HA HA!
Peach: I didn’t ask for that…
James had always promised her that he'd make sure she was never afraid again...
Geno: Well, so much for spelunking in the Whirl Islands to help Jessie get over her fear of the dark.
Peach: *As Jessie* Hey James? What's that wail I hear? *as James* Obviously not a humongoid psychic bird with the potential to destroy the entire world, that's what! *as Jessie* Okay! ^_^ Hey James! James? …Why are you screaming far-off behind me?
that he would never leave and that she'd never be alone.
Luigi: ...Come to think of it, that's rather scary. Doesn't she ever get privacy?
Peach: *as James* But Jessiiiiiiiie~! I need to shower!
It hadn't occurred to him that something beyond his control might happen that would prevent him from keeping his promise, and as he thought about it, he began to cry, too.
Mario: Yeah! Like a 50-ton anvil falling on his head.
When Jessie was done telling him about the nightmare, her voice trailed off and gave way to sobbing once more. She looked more like
Bowser: …A Ditto! GWA HA HA HA!
Daisy: Cassidy! I knew that voice was a dead give-away!
Luigi: Naval Piranha… oO;;
a small, frightened child than a grown woman, and as James watched her cry, he suddenly realized that he had to be strong for her right now. She needed to know that it had only been a dream. A dream and nothing more.
Peach: What if they’re at Subcon, though? Now what would they do?
Bowser: Throw veggies at Ash, probably.
He wiped his tears away and placed his hand on her shoulder again. "Shhh...it's okay now, Jessie. It's okay...."
She shook her head. "No it isn't," she whimpered. "I can still see it, James!
Daisy: *as Jessie* I can still see a drunk Giovanni break-dancing on top of his desk with a lampshade on top his head!
Mario: *as Jessie* I can still see Brock chasing after Britney Spears!
Peach: *as Jessie* I can still see Ganondorf wearing a Speedo swimsuit!
Bowser: *as Jessie* Egads! I can see Butch and Cassidy making out just as soon as Boss blasts us off again!
Luigi: *as Jessie* Oh no! I’ve stumbled upon Brock doing the Macarena!
Geno: *as Jessie* ...How Mewtwo could be defeated by piece of chalk...
I can still see you dying in my arms! I can still see me and Meowth putting roses on your grave!
Bowser: …And dynamite!
I can still see myself going through all of your things...trying to remember you and live my life alone!
Luigi: *as Jessie* HEY! He never told me he owned a first-edition “Blue Eyes, White Dragon” card!
Peach: *as Jessie* These dresses are just SO outdated.
Oh, god, James, I'm so afraid that it may really happen someday...and I just can't handle that! I can't...I can't...I can't...."
Peach: *as Little Engine That Could* I thought I could, I thought I could, I thought I could…
Mario: *as James* Oh noes~! Our Game Boy Colors have finally comBUSTed! Now we don't have anything to keep ourselves entertained while we chase the Twerps!
"You'll never have to," James said firmly.
Jessie looked up at him.
"Because it's never going to happen," he continued.
Geno: James made a pact the gods.
"Not like that anyway. Everything dies eventually, but I promise you, we won't die until after we've gotten married, had children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren...after we've lived our lives together. I've always promised never to leave you, Jessie...and nothing is ever going to make me break my promise!"
Luigi: Yeah, I’m sure whoever invented the anvil will have a word to say about that.
"But how can you keep such a promise?!" she cried. "That seemed to be what the dream was telling me -- that you just never know when something bad is going to happen...that tomorrow may never come!"
Daisy: *singing* Toooooooo-morrow! Tomorrow! I’ll love ya! Tomorrow! You’re only a day away…
James nodded. "I know. But I still promised you. I can't say how I'm going to keep that promise, but you'll just have to trust that I will. Do you trust me?"
Jessie sniffled.
"Do you trust me?" he asked again.
She looked into his brilliant green eyes and saw nothing but sincerity. "Yes," she whispered.
Peach: *singing* A whole new world… a new fantastic point of view: no one to tell us “no” or where to go, or say we're only dreaming…
Luigi: I wonder what movie that came from.
He cupped her chin in his hand and gently brushed her tears away with his thumb. More tears rolled down her cheeks as she closed her eyes and placed her hand over his.
"I love you," James told her. "And love is more powerful than death. Have faith in me, Jessie, and love will find a way to keep my promise...our promise."
Geno: …Necrophilia?
Everyone: Eeeewwwww…
Jessie opened her eyes again and gazed at him. "I love you, too," she replied. "James, I love you so much...."
As James returned her gaze, he could see that there was still sadness in her deep blue eyes. She was still afraid, and more than anything, she needed his closeness...his touch.
Daisy: She needed to whack him upside the head, then proceed slapping him over and over. She felt better after that. :)
"Come here, sweetheart," he said, holding his arms out to her.
Jessie leaned closer and wrapped her arms around James, holding him as close as she possibly could. James returned the embrace, and he could feel her body trembling. As the trembling gave way to more sobbing, he realized just how profoundly that nightmare had upset her.
Peach: Why of course, Mr. Obvious.
Luigi: Besides, isn’t dreaming of death a good omen? I’ve read about it somewhere…
Geno: Yes, it is. And the dream offers different messages depending on the type of death.
Luigi: Like when you die, someone else dies, or if someone dies violently…
Peach: Not only that, but when you dream of a loved one dying, it means you’re asking too much from him or her.
Daisy: Ooh… burned! XD
She'd been hurt by so much in the short time she'd been in this world -- the death of her mother, being forced into a line of work that she hated, the ex-boyfriend who'd convinced her that she was worthless...who'd beaten her up -- all she'd ever known was abuse, abandonment, and betrayal.
Peach: Oh… *blink* When did that happen to Jessie?
Bowser: It didn’t, that’s what.
Mario: Nothing like melodrama to serve the day, right guys? :D
Bowser: Go to hell, Mario.
The scars on her soul ran deep, and as James held her to him and felt the sleeve of his black t-shirt getting soaked by her tears, he knew that no matter how much he reassured her, it would be a long time before those scars healed.
Daisy: *singing at the top of her lungs* CRAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWLING in my SKIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN~! These WOUNDS, THEY WIIIILL not HEEEEEEAAAAALLLL~! FEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAR is HOW I FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL~! CONFUSING what is REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL~!
Jessie had never cried so much in her life as she had in recent months -- since she'd become James's girlfriend. She'd rarely shown emotion before, but now she cried all the time.
Geno: We could tell…
James knew that it wasn't because he'd done anything to hurt her, however. Jessie had always carried the pain inside of her, but she'd always covered it up...kept it hidden deep down where it would only hurt her more. But now that she had him, she had a confidante. She cried because she felt safe with him, and she trusted him enough to show him what was inside of her soul. And every time she cried...every time she released the pain, it healed her soul a little more.
Peach: And they say I’m not independent…
He was exactly what she needed. He was a warm place...somewhere she could go to find comfort when she was in pain, and she needed to know that this would never change.
Mario: Ah… so the title starts to kick in! *dadadada*
Bowser: I wonder what’ll come out of that! *WHAM*
So, James just held her, caressing her body and stroking her hair as he whispered words of love into her ear.
Bowser: *softly, as James* I love you, you love me…
Daisy: *singing* We’re one hateful family…
Everyone: *singing* With a great big gun, we’ll shoot off Cupid’s head! *BAM!*
Oopsie doopsie, love is dead!
Before long, her sobbing trailed off, and she just laid quietly in his arms.
Jessie closed her eyes and relaxed as she concentrated on James -- the feeling of his hands as they gently massaged her back and shoulders, the sound of his smooth voice as he whispered tender words to her, the warmth of his flesh as he held her to him. The tip of her nose brushed against his neck as she rested her head on his shoulder, and she found herself inhaling the wonderful fragrance of his body, the scent that belonged to him alone.
Peach: *as Jessie* Hey James… *as James* Yes Jess? *as Jessie* …Take a shower.
For a split second, she recalled the dream again and how these simple, sensual pleasures had been taken away from her forever. But she quickly banished all of the unsettling thoughts from her mind when she felt James respond to her.
He turned his head slightly, and Jessie could feel the ends of his silky blue-violet hair tickling her face. Then, he leaned down and touched his lips to her forehead. She looked up at him, and for the first time all morning, she smiled.
Bowser: *as Jessie* I can't wait for us to go Gyarados riding! Then after that, we can go and steal the guy's Ditto!
"Feeling better now?" he ventured.
She nodded. "Yes. But don't let go of me, James...I'm not ready yet...."
"I didn't plan on it," he whispered as he ran his fingers through her sea of crimson hair.
Daisy: A sea of hair… complete with Chain Chomps! :DD
Luigi: Time to get a hair-cut.
James placed his hand under her chin and tilted her face upwards. He leaned closer to her, but just before his lips met hers, he hesitated. He wanted to kiss her, but he was still a little sick, and he didn't want to spread his cold germs.
Peach: Newsflash! Whether or not you're sick, kissing spreads germs anyway.
Mario: *as Jessie* Eeww, cold cooties!
Before he could decide whether or not to continue, however, Jessie made the decision for him and pressed her lips against his.
Bowser: Time to spread the love! Gwa ha ha har!
Daisy: *cringe* Augh…! 4KIDS pun…
Their kiss lasted for several minutes, but even when it ended, the two of them remained in their embrace. James rested his chin atop her head and sighed contentedly, happy to know that he could always make the woman he loved feel better when she was sad or frightened.
Daisy: Unfortunately, he couldn't say the same when he emptied her hair spray can.
And as Jessie laid her head on his chest, she was reassured once again that her nightmare would never come true. His throat may have been a little congested, but the breath in his lungs was strong, and so was the beating of his heart. James was brimming over with life, and Jessie knew that the shadow of death would never come between them.
Geno: Except with a very big scythe.
But even though she felt better now, she still wasn't ready to let go of him. If anything, Jessie wanted to be closer to James than ever, and as she looked up at him, the glimmer in his emerald eyes told her that he wanted the exact same thing.
He raised an eyebrow, as if to ask permission. Jessie smiled and nodded in response.
"Show me just how much stronger love is than death, James," she whispered.
Everyone: …
Daisy: ...Uh oh.
Luigi: Well then! This’ll be the part where I slump in my seat and sob now.
Bowser: “A Warm Place”… yeah right! More like a STEAMING one. XP
Slowly, James leaned into her, and as he slid the straps of her red nightgown off of her shoulders, he began to kiss her neck. Jessie sighed as she ran her fingers through his hair and felt his lips move from her neck to her bare shoulders. He paused for only a second while she pulled off his shirt.
Peach: Mario, I’m scared! *cling*
Mario: Uhh… Peach? I wouldn’t hold my shirt so much after that sentence. ^^;
Peach: oO;; Oh! Um... right. ^^; *lets go and sighs sinking into her chair, grimacing at the theater screen*
Once they had undressed each other, James laid himself on top of Jessie, and their lips met in another kiss. More tears streamed down her face when she felt James inside of her, but now they were tears of joy rather than sorrow.
Luigi: …The ending of “Pokemon: 1st Movie” scars me now.
James made love to her slowly and gently, caressing every inch of her body with his own. “I love you,” he whispered as he covered her face with his soft, velvety kisses.
It was several minutes before Jessie was able to echo his words. Every time she tried to speak, her voice became caught in her throat, and the only sound that escaped was a gasp of pleasure. When she finally did say “I love you,” back to him, both she and James found themselves overwhelmed by more joy than they ever thought possible.
Geno: Then they fell asleep in the middle of their passion and have nightmares of each other’s deaths. So much for that…
Their two bodies remained one for a long time after that.
Mario: In other words, amoeba sex! :D
Daisy: Now THAT would be an interesting thing to see under the microscope—look at all those black strips!
And it wasn’t the desperate, driving kind of love that was normally made in the wake of doubt or fear, but rather the peaceful kind made by two souls secure in their love...and each other.
Peach: How “dreamy”. *claps sarcastically*
All of Jessie’s doubts and fears vanished as she and James laid together, making love. Their souls would always be joined as their bodies were joined now, and she knew that nothing would ever separate them, in life or in death. The path set before them was one that they would walk together, now and for all eternity.
Daisy: The path… to doom and damnation.
Mario: So, shall we take a break here?
*cue voices of agreement*
Luigi: Oh yay! Let’s.
Peach: I’m so tired… well, only one part to go, right?
(The chapter closes with “(I Hate) Everything About You” by Three Days Grace playing in the background)
End of Part 2
To be continued…
@->->-
