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100th Anniversary
We return to Luis and Jade to take a peek at an important milestone in their relationship.
Story Warning: Mentions of forced mutation, violence, and a bit of self-deprication.
When the Blood Crystal was first embedded in his heart, Luis had been filled with so many emotions that it had paralyzed him. At some point during his transformation, many of those feelings had withered into husks. The only one that he was able to maintain past the pain was an all-consuming anger. Without anything to hold him back, like all of the first Bloodmages around him, Luis channeled that anger into power, destroying anything that stood in his way.
His anger burned the brightest of them all. It burned through his entire being, leaving nothing but a monster driven by destruction.
Humming absently, Luis ran his hands through Jade's hair in a calming motion while glancing down at the strange little clock she had offered to him earlier. She had gotten the idea because of some silly little comment he had made after she pulled him back from an attack, and as embarrassing as that had been, he enjoyed the gifts.
As he was considering when to give her his gift, Jade suddenly pulled away from him, and Luis quickly untangled his fingers from her hair.
“I have something extra special for you dear.”
"Love, you already gave me a gift."
Taking a moment to reach out and gently grip Jade's hand, Luis smiled reassuringly at her. It was a big day for both of them, but her sudden outburst took him a bit by surprise.
"No, this gift is a special gift. You get too lonely while I am away, and I wish to hunt without worry."
As straightforward as ever, she would worry about a monster like him getting lonely. Jade produced a small box from somewhere in her hair and presented it to Luis with a beam of pride.
He could feel her energy pulsing from the object even through the box. Gently prying the box open revealed a set of green earrings that filled his mind with the forest as he touched them. A small chuckle escaped him as he felt the box in his own pocket grow heavy, to think she would have the same idea on their 100th anniversary.
“What am I to do with you Love?”
Nuzzling his chin affectionately, she picked up the stones and carefully put them into his ears with too much care for a creature of her power. Once she was sure they were in place, Jade pulled back beaming with excitement. Luis froze as he took in the energy. This was a part of her. They were connected in so many ways, but this one was different. He could feel her heart beating softly if he focused on the earrings.
A burst of emotion boiled over in his chest, and he leaned over, kissing her on the cheek. Now was as good a time as any to give his gift, so Luis stood to his feet and carefully presented his own gift with a sheepish grin. Despite being late to present his gift, Jade’s ears twitched with interest as he opened the box revealing a pair of blood red crystals he had spent months crafting so that they would be just right for her.
“Dear, you could have hurt yourself again!”
She held him close for a moment before pulling away to inspect him carefully. After inspecting him for any signs of injury, Jade seemed satisfied that he was okay and leaned down, letting him put the earrings in. Standing still for a moment, Jade suddenly began to purr with excitement as she felt his heartbeat.
“I will delay my hunt for the time being.”
Cooing affectionately, Jade settled back onto the couch, pulling Luis into her embrace.
She had given him hope, and Luis was finally looking forward to living out his extended life. The pain of his past was long gone now, just a fluttering memory that held little significance. Even if he had bad days, Luis had what none of his kind should have been granted, hope. Today was another gift that he didn’t deserve, but he couldn’t help but be greedy when it came to his Love.
