Katrina - Unsullied Or Pure

Katrina - Unsullied or Pure

BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT EVER

harley quinn (the suicide squad, 2021) ; lockscreens 🖇 pls like/reblog if saving or using.

Everyone be like "Why would Princess Bubblegum give Lemongrab sharp carnivore teeth??"

No one be asking "WHAT IF IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY??"

So I gave her some fangs uwu

Geminitay!

[reblogs appreciated!]

i know them (they know me)

‘Oh Wizard, you can’t get rid of me that easily.’

When Gem seals Xornoth into the crystal she finds herself stuck with their voice in her head. Determined to deal with it on her own, she doesn’t tell anyone about her incredibly annoying guest.

Chapter One: benefit of the doubt is my weakness

AO3 Link

Chapter Two

“How do you see things right now?” Gem asked suddenly, setting aside the reports she was supposed to be working on. The question startled Xornoth into uncharacteristic silence, so she pressed on. “Can you only see what I see, or can you look around independently of me?”

‘Why do you want to know?’

“I’m curious,” she said, pulling fresh paper forward and inking a quill. “It’s not often something like this happens, think of how future academics will be able to study a first-hand account of someone haunted by a demon!”

In her excitement she flung her arms wide, sending ink flying across the room. She hurried to clean it up, scowling as Xornoth laughed.

‘I doubt they’d be able to study anything with ink splattered across it. Really Wizard, you’d think the ‘Defeater of Xornoth’ would be neater.’

Both scoffed at the title citizens had taken to calling her in hushed whispers. Xornoth didn’t like it for obvious reasons, but Gem disliked the implication it was anything less than a team effort.

“Fine, if you tell me I’ll… actually, what can I offer you? Because you’re incorporeal and all. And don’t say setting you free.”

There was a pause from Xornoth who had been about to say exactly that before they huffed and came up with something else. Gem couldn’t see them, but she had a strong feeling they were rolling their eyes.

‘We will go to the nether for a minimum of an hour. Afterwards I will tell you and allow you to write it down.’

She laughed slightly at the demanding way they spoke their request but began pulling on her cloak to leave anyway.

“If this starts to corrupt me the deal’s off, understand?”

‘I wouldn’t expect anything less.’

~

“Xornoth, are you here?”

‘Always, as you well know.’

Gem rolled her eyes at the snide remark, frowning down at the book on her desk.

“I meant in the room, and not off exploring and desperately trying to scare my students. I need you to look at this.”

After the first trip to the nether Xornoth had revealed they did have their own body, so to speak, but they weren’t visible and couldn’t interact with anything. They could walk through any door or wall like it wasn’t there, but if they got too far from Gem an invisible barrier would stop them from going further. Luckily for them, most of the school was in that range when she was in her office, so they would watch classes and insult her students, much to her annoyance.

(Though if some of the less rude comments made her laugh, that was neither here nor there.)

A pause, then-

‘I have returned. You know the terms of our deal.’

“Yes, I know, time in the nether for any questions you answer. I’m still not fully convinced that’s not part of some plan by the way.” They huffed, but it was more amused than anything. “I’ve been looking through some of the books from the Elven Library and I’ve mostly been able to translate them, but this section is tripping me up. I can tell it’s a spell, but not much else.”

She pointed to a passage and Xornoth sucked in a sharp breath, though they quickly tried to play it off with a chuckle.

‘Dark magic? Wizard, I’m impressed! I’ll make a follower of you yet.’

But the laugh was strained, and there was an undercurrent of fear in their voice, something Gem picked up on instantly.

“Xornoth? What does it say? It can’t be so bad even you won’t touch it.” When they remained silent, she started to think about why they wouldn’t translate it, until she realised. “This is how to banish you, isn’t it?”

‘Wizard, you need to get rid of that page.’

“I’m not going to destroy it. Scott can read it; I’ll show it to him next time we meet. We need a last resort; in case you break out again. I promise, I won’t use it otherwise.”

She tried to keep her tone and body language reassuring, but she couldn’t help the spike of fear that went through her when they sighed regretfully.

‘I truly am sorry I have to do this.’

Before she could ask what they meant the world around her blurred, her mind going foggy and her vision tinting red. Each thought was a struggle, and she felt her eyes start to slip shut.

‘Tear out the page. Then burn it.’

Gem complied without hesitation, carefully ripping it out and setting it alight with a simple spell.

‘Put the book away. On a shelf where you won’t think to look for it again.’

It got placed to the back of one of her many bookshelves, out of sight and in a completely different section to where she would normally put it.

‘Now rest. You won’t remember any of this when you wake.’

She settled back into her chair and lay her head down on her desk, finally giving in to sleep.

~

When Gem woke up, night had long since fallen. Her back ached and a pounding headache was beginning to form.

There was a strange feeling of something missing, but Xornoth began to tease her for being so bored she fell asleep, and the thought soon slipped from her mind.

On the short flight back to her tower she bantered with them the entire way and a genuine smile crossed her face.

Despite all the hurt they had caused she found herself enjoying their comments now they no longer simply insulted everyone and everything in between trying to convince her to free them.

As she settled into her bed she thought maybe, just maybe, this situation was good for them.

She couldn’t see the guilty look that sat upon Xornoth’s face the entire time.

~

Gem sat in a meeting with Scott, Fwhip, Sausage, Pearl, and Katherine. She was finding it very difficult to concentrate for several reasons, not the least of which being Xornoth’s commentary as they poked through Scott’s bedroom.

‘Who needs this many pairs of earrings?’

‘Not a single secret room. Disappointing.’

‘What’s this? A journal?’

‘Oh, this is interesting. It looks like my brother is courting the Cod.’

Gem, who had taken a sip of water in an attempt to not react, choked. Everyone turned to her in concern, but she just stared at Scott.

“You’re dating Jimmy?” she asked in between coughs.

“I’m not!” he said, but his face went a very bright shade of red.

“Courting, then,” Gem challenged, not breaking eye contact. He spluttered for a few more moments before throwing his hands in the air in defeat.

“How do you even know that?”

Gem just raised an eyebrow, giving him the look she called the ‘I’m a wizard, how do you think I know things?’ stare. It was very effective when she didn’t have a good answer for a question, like right now. He fell back down into his chair and said something, but she didn’t hear it. Her attention was fully on the necklace that had just fallen out of his shirt, eyes following the red crystal as it swayed side to side.

A hand on her arm snapped her out of it and she looked over to see Fwhip, worry clear on his face.

“Gem? Are you ok?”

She nodded and gently pulled away, taking a few deep breaths before speaking.

“Scott, can I take a closer look at that crystal? I just need to check there’s no cracks and the magic is still working.”

‘Wizard? I’m coming back to where you are, what are you doing?’

“Xornoth’s not escaping Gem, I’d know if they were. Are you sure you’re alright?”

‘Wait, are you going to-‘

“For the last time, I’m not going to break your stupid crystal!” Gem snapped, the overwhelming amount of noise shortening her temper. She drew back as soon as she said it though, dropping her gaze. “Sorry. Haven’t been sleeping well. I need to do this Scott, just for a few minutes.”

Behind her back, the others were exchanging looks. It was clear something was going on with Gem, far more than just sleep. But after another moment of hesitation Scott nodded and lifted the chain from his neck, carefully passing it to her.

She turned it over in her hands, carefully scanning for any cracks and running a finger over it to double check. She didn’t notice how her vision tinted red, how the sounds around her muffed as if underwater, how her grip on the crystal slowly grew tighter.

She didn’t notice anything until a hand was waved in front of her face, breaking the trance. Expecting to see Fwhip she looked up, only to jump backwards when across the table, staring at her with concern, was Xornoth.

In an instant fire jumped from her staff and shot at them, only for the flames to pass straight through.

‘Rude.’

Both the staff and crystal were wrenched away from her, making the haze lift, though she didn’t move her gaze from the now empty spot, even as she was gently pushed back down into her chair.

“Gem, I need you to look at me, ok? There’s nothing there, just blank wall. I don’t know what you think is there, but you’re safe. I just need to check your eyes, make sure they’re still green.”

And she complied with Fwhip’s request, just not as he expected.

“Do you really think I would shoot at Xornoth if I was corrupted?” Gem spat, venom coating her voice as she turned to glare daggers at him, finally having lost the last of her patience. She looked around incredulously as everyone gasped, though Xornoth’s voice gave her pause.

‘You were the only one who could see me, just as you’re the only one who can hear me now. Though, I am annoyed your first instinct was to attack me.’

“I thought you escaped, it was justified,” she mumbled, dropping her gaze as the fight left her and moving to push past Fwhip towards the door. “I’m going to get some air.”

“Gem, wait,” he caught her arm as she walked towards the exit, smiling softly at her. “Let me fly you home. I know you’re just over the mountains, but it’ll make me feel better to know you’re back safe and resting. You need it.”

She wanted to argue, say she was fine and didn’t need to go home, but she really was tired and she didn’t want to be around the crystal any longer than she had to. After a few more moments of hesitation, she nodded and allowed herself to be lead away.

Throughout the whole flight home Fwhip kept glancing over at her, though what exactly he was looking for Gem couldn’t say. Red eyes? A sudden inclination for murder and chaos? It was starting to get on her already frayed nerves, but she didn’t say anything. She knew he just cared, even if he was slightly overbearing in how he showed it.

When they arrived at her room he pulled her into a tight hug, putting as much comfort in the embrace as he could.

“Get some rest, alright? If you need anything I’m nearby, just let me know.”

“I will, I promise.”

After one last squeeze he let go and she slipped inside, shutting the door with a weary sigh.

“How could I see you? Haven’t you haunted me enough?” she asked the empty air, exhaustion seeping into her voice.

Footsteps sounded outside and she froze before relaxing again. It was probably just a guard walking around the tower, nothing to worry about.

‘Proximity to the crystal must have increased the connection. When you held it, the bond grew strong enough for you to see me. I still can’t believe you tried to attack me instantly, I thought we were friends Wizard.’

They were being sarcastic, but Gem felt a grin spread across her face all the same, raising an eyebrow at the space in front of her and hoping that’s where they were standing.

“So you admit we’re friends now? I never would have guessed, the big bad Xornoth gone soft.”

‘I am not soft!’ they hissed, making Gem laugh. ‘I was mocking you and your hopes of redemption! I will escape and get my revenge!’

“Yeah yeah,” she said, rolling her eyes and starting to get ready to sleep. She hadn’t been lying when she told the others she was tired, when they were feeling particularly annoying Xornoth liked to mess with her dreams and change them into nightmares, though lately it had been more embarrassing ones that horrifying. She’d take forgetting everything she knew about magic while teaching over her friends dying in front of her any day. (She’d prefer none at all, but she took what small wins she could.) “Goodnight, Xornoth.”

Gem drifted off too fast to hear their quiet response.

‘Goodnight, Wizard. Sleep well.’

~

Fwhip felt guilty spying on his sister, but he knew there was more happening than what she was letting on. So, he listened at her door after saying goodbye, hoping to get even the smallest clue about what had happened.

“How could I see you? Haven’t you haunted me enough?”

She sounded close to crying, and his guilt increased tenfold. He slipped away as quietly as possible, scolding himself for even thinking about it. Maybe Katherine had something to help nightmares, though he knew he would have to trick Gem into taking it. Redstone only knew she wouldn’t accept the help otherwise.

He flew off, not realising how he had only just missed a conversation that would have answered all his questions.