//------------------------------// // A Moment Of Peace // Story: A Great and Powerful Love Story // by DragonMaster24921 //------------------------------// Short, empty hours had passed since the party. Shuffle spent most of his time trying to comfort a distraught Trixie until she finally tired herself out and fell asleep on her family couch. Weirdly, Trixie's mother was borderline nonexistent; after discovering Granite gone in the household, she fled to what Shuffle assumed was her and her now deceased husband’s room. Shuffle checked his phone, groaning silently. They had gotten back at 11:30, now it's rolling onto 4 am. He put it away and stared down at the sleeping magician. “Worth it,” he said aloud to no one in particular, as he finally let his own mind shut down for a few hours. … Shuffle’s alarm went off at its usual time, startling him awake. He silenced the beeping demon quickly, already starting to drift off again. He rested his hands on his lap, his mind shutting back down once more, before immediately snapping back on. Something was wrong, very, very wrong. He looked down to make sure Trixie was okay, only to find her not laying there; instead, there was the familiar face of Granite, who had a look of shock on his face, his body already ice cold. Shuffle screamed and threw himself away from the corpse, only to be at the feet of Trixie's mother, Star Shine. “So, it's done?” she said, not paying attention to the teen at her feet. “Yes ma'am, and it looks like it was natural, too. Shame, he was such a nice man and a hard worker, the company will miss him,” one of the figures said. “So, where's the money? This acting isn't going to be easy to do, and I might need an incentive to make sure it's really convincing.” “Rest assured, ma’am, you will get paid, just be patient.” “Good.” Shuffle gasped. This can't be real, no one would be this cruel! He tried to decipher whom the figures were, but he could only see shadows, and what looked to be an unusual amulet… Before Shuffle had a chance to process what had happened, his head flew up from the couch armrest. “Okay, okay, it was just a dream,” Shuffle said silently, his breathing uneven. He took a few seconds to compose himself. “Morning,” a voice said behind him, startling the teen again. Shuffle sat up, turning, revealing the voice to be his mother standing behind him, her arms crossed. “Yeah, sorry, just kinda jumpy. I had a weird dream…” “How are you holding up?” “It's not me I'm worried about, it's Trixie; the last thing I remember, she was passed out on my la- hold the phone, where is she?” “Trixie went to take a shower. She got up a few minutes before you did, and used your phone to call me and apologize for not having you home. She told me what happened, too.” “Well, how long am I grounded for not informing you sooner?” “A week. It should be longer, but the situation is special.” Shuffle moved closer to his mother, giving her a hug. “Thanks. Let me talk to Trixie, then I'll come home okay?” “Yes, and make sure you take a shower too. Christ, you reek!” Tesla covered her nose playfully. “God I hate you sometimes mom.” “Well, if you loved me all the time… meh.” Shuffle chuckled as Tesla left for home. A few minutes pass and Trixie comes back out, dress in a pair of sports shorts and a lavender shirt with her logo on the hip of it. Shuffle blushed, noticing her come out. Her hair still somewhat of a mess and cascading down her face, due to the fact it was still damp. Both eyes meet the others’ simultaneously. “Hey.” “Morning, doing better?” “No,” her expression remained rather downtrodden. “Do you want something to eat? I don't think either one of us ate since last night.” Trixie nodded, Shuffle could tell she was still hurting from the night prior but was glad she was well enough to have an appetite. “Do you think your mom will get mad if I made you something?” “Probably, but do it anyways, please?” “Yes ma'am,” Shuffle gave her a salute and rushed into the kitchen. Trixie followed him, and amazingly in the few seconds, he already had an idea of what to make. The stove was already heating up and Shuffle had a few eggshells already sitting on the counter. The sounds of chopping could be heard from in front of Shuffle, so Trixie sat at the family table. A few minutes pass, and with it, the rising smell of freshly fried onions and bell peppers soon consumed the kitchen in their heavenly aromas. After a minute, Shuffle presented a plate in front of Trixie consisting of a single medium-sized omelet with fried potatoes on the side. Her face began to lighten up slightly. “Enjoy, I'm gonna clean up the mess,” Shuffle said turning away from Trixie getting started on clean up. Even from the short distance away, Shuffle could hear the telltale sounds of a fork scraping across the plate, and a subtle, perhaps unintentional moan as well. Shuffle mentally fist pumped; those hours of working in a kitchen back in Vanhoover were finally paying off! “I didn't know you cooked,” Trixie said between enthusiastic bites. Shuffle shrugged. “Never came up, but I did work at a small mom ‘n’ pop restaurant back in Vanhoover. It’s how I got most of the stuff I own.” “What about your mom, didn't she get you anything?” “Well yeah, but with her new jobs and ever since dad passed on, she spends a lot of time at work. Besides, I think she has a crush on her coworker. “ “What happened with your dad, if you don't mind me asking?” “He…” Shuffle began, unable to find the words on how exactly to explain this. Trixie leaned forward, waiting patiently for Shuffle to start. “Back in Vanhoover, he was one of the best local card players, no matter the game: Blackjack, Texas hold ‘em, hell even Yu-Gi-Oh. It was amazing how quickly he picked up on any game, but one day we were going through some financial troubles and he went to a local high stakes poker game to earn big for his family. Next thing we know, the police are at the door, and the rest is history.” “I'm so sorry for your loss, Shuffle,” Trixie stopped eating and moved around the table, embracing the boy. The story alone was painful for Shuffle to remember, and even with the obvious poker face he had on, it didn't hide how hurt Shuffle was. The two separated, and Shuffle grabbed his phone. “I gotta go home, because of this little fiasco mom wants me home immediately. It’s almost thirty minutes later, so I'm already going to hear no end of it.” “Okay, I'll see you at school tomorrow.” “Eeyup.” Shuffle left without another word, leaving Trixie there by herself. After finishing her food and washing her plate, she turned to head to her room, but her eye caught sight of a piece of paper sticking from an almost closed drawer. Thinking nothing of it, Trixie grabbed it and was about to put it in the trash, until she noticed her name was on it. She then turned it over and began to read it. Shuffle quickly made his way back to his own home, and after entering, he quickly made his way to a shower. Considering his mother grounded, him he couldn't do anything electronically, so instead, he spent the morning cleaning up around the house. By mid-afternoon, the house looked immaculate. Shuffle retreated back to his room looking for something to do, and then as if by fate, he found a binder on his bed with a note on it. Found this in my room, you'll enjoy what's inside. Shuffle opened it, revealing dozens of pictures of himself and his dad, and behind it, all was something that amazed him was still in great condition: his dad's old deck from when Shuffle was a kid! He grabbed his own box of cards, and after carefully removing the cards in the binder, Shuffle set up both decks on his bed. If one were to enter the room in the hours that passed from that moment to almost midnight, they would find a very giddy Shuffle Suite buried in piles of scattered cards. It had been so long since he last played, and after playing just the one game between his dad’s and his own old decks, he had forgotten what it was like to actually have fun again. Y’know, aside from hanging out with Trixie. He finally passed out at about 3 am. After cleaning up the mess he made, Shuffle returned the decks to their respected areas, making sure they weren't any worse for wear. The next morning, Tesla came up to an already wide awake Shuffle, who was currently finishing up getting ready for school. Thankfully, this whole Halloween business landed on the weekend, so no ones’ schedules were messed up too badly. “Hey mom, I know I'm technically grounded, but can I please ride with Trixie today? She really needs someone now, and I don't want to feel like I'm trying to avoid her.” Tesla smiled. Even though he couldn't see it, Shuffle was acting more and more like his father every day… next time she saw that girl, she was going to have to thank her for doing something she thought impossible: bringing back Shuffle's true self. “Shuffle, hold on.” Tesla turned towards her son and rushed past him, headed down the stairs and into her room. Shuffle came down as Tesla came out of her own room, holding something behind her back. “Here,” she held out her hand, revealing a small box. Shuffle took the box and opened it, revealing it to be a necklace with a sapphire star in the center. “Your dad gave this to me a few months into dating. I think Trixie would love it right now,” Tesla said, smiling. The two embraced, and Shuffle left soon afterward. Tesla sat down on the couch, staring down at the ring on her finger. Ever since Royal Flush passed away, she never looked to date again, but seeing Shuffle as happy as he was now compared to Vanhoover… she sighed, removing the ring from her third finger and placing it on her middle. She grabbed her phone and dialed a special number. “Lightning, it's Tess. Is that offer for lunch today still open?” Trixie had just closed and locked the door to her home. While walking towards her car, a figure appeared behind her, covering her eyes. “Guess who?” the voice said. “Shuffle, not today, please.” Shuffle smirked lowering his hands to her stomach, pulling her into a warm hug from behind. “Fine, no jokes today. How about a ‘good morning’ at least?” Trixie sighed in resignation. “Good morning,” She said dully before having a kiss planted on her cheek. “See? That wasn't so hard, was it? Now, lets'a' go, I'm getting us breakfast.” Shuffle removed himself from Trixie, swiping the keys from her before unlocking the door and opening it for her. “I thought you didn't have a license?” “I don't, I was just making sure my Sapphire Star was given the gentlemanly treatment.” Trixie approached the car and got in. Shuffle slid across the car, trying to imitate the dukes of hazard, but it didn't work; when he got across, his footing was terrible, which caused him to slip. He fell face first on the pavement, which in turn made Trixie laugh hysterically. It was music to Shuffle since it was the first time he heard her laugh after the recent development. Shuffle quickly got into the car, dirt on his face, which made Trixie laugh even harder. Shuffle used the mirror to clean off his face and booped the magician girl’s nose. “I thought you were a ‘Parkour Master’? Last time Trixie checked, that requires having the ability to stand.” Shuffle crossed his arms in slow contemplation, before coming up with the best response he could think of. Trixie, already trying to hold back another fit of laughter waited for a response. “No u.” That was what broke Trixie’s resolve. Another fit of laughter was shared between the two, which somehow elicited a snort from the magician. After a few minutes of laughing, Trixie started the car, and the two were off to get food. The entire day was a whirlwind of chaos. Winter exams were coming up, so each teacher going over packets for each of their respective tests. By the time lunch rolled around, most students’ hands were already cramped from all the writing, and their brains fried from absorbing knowledge. Groups were already assembled together in the lunchroom, relaxing or talking with their friends. Trixie and Shuffle were sitting with Lavender and Fuchsia, along with Snips and Snails, who somehow ended up dating Trixie's friends; apparently, during Halloween, neither group had a partner for the party, so they went together. And, because of the prank Trixie and Shuffle pulled, the two couples tried dating. Currently, Trixie was talking about her RP group she has after school, which consisted of her, along with Big Macintosh, Zero Gravity, and Snips and Snails, hilariously. They were getting together this afternoon, and Trixie was talking about having the “Ultimate Quest” she had set up. Shuffle smiled, listening to his girlfriend geek out was both strange and amazing. No one would think a girl like Trixie would be into stuff like DnD. It was a pleasant change of pace towards the couple. “And that's what Trixie has planned, there is no way all of you will leave alive from this dungeon!” Trixie let out a maniacal laugh. The lights flash, but only for a moment. The entire group chuckled at the magician’s antics. After they calmed down, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch and the beginning of afternoon classes. Towards the beginning of gym, Shuffle met up with Trixie again, who had a handful of books, her hair pulled back into a ponytail, and a pencil behind her ear. “Hey, love, ready for Gym?” Trixie ignored Shuffle, her mind obviously elsewhere, but from the books, she was carrying it was made apparent her mind was still processing everything from her last few classes. Shuffle tapped her side, which startled Trixie into dropping her books. “You oaf, Trixie had these in a particular order and you're ruined it!” Trixie shouted, quickly grabbing her books. Shuffle bent down to help her pick them up. “Sorry, I was just trying to get your attention, didn't mean to make you drop your notes.” Shuffle held half of the contents she had dropped in his own hand as Trixie sighed. “It's fine Shuffle. Trixie was just stressed out because of her exams, the biology test is supposed to be a hundred questions and Trixie doesn't want to fail her exams again.” Shuffle put his hands on Trixie’s shoulders having her look at him. “Listen, if you need help, just ask. Stressing yourself out isn't helpful for your mind. Besides, you’re lucky, I know someone who happens to be a major in biology.” Trixie perks up from this new information. “Who?” “My mom, Trix. I mean, Biology is her job.” Trixie punched his shoulder and the two entered Gym class. Iron Will was standing in the center of the basketball court, multiple bags beside him. As everyone gathered around Iron Will, he spoke out. “Welcome back to Gym maggots. Today, since all of the teachers are pushing your minds, Iron Will shall be pushing your strengths! Inside these bags are changes of clothes for everyone. Ladies, this is your bag, and men, this one is yours. Everyone get to the changing room and meet me in the weight room immediately!” The entire class groaned. Weight training was one of the more hated things Iron Will made them do, beyond running laps, which Shuffle actually loved. After the class was ready, Iron Will escorted them to the weight room. “Iron Will has put everybody in pairs. When I call your name, each of you meets with your partner and pick a station. First up, Soul Writer and Shuffle Suite!” Shuffle approached the other teen, who didn't look happy to be paired with him. Shuffle shrugged and waited beside his new partner while watching Iron Will continue his pairings. After everyone was sorted out and everyone had a station, Iron Will went around explaining each machine to each pair. Once that was done, everyone got started. Shuffle went first. From the look on his face, he could already tell that Soul wasn't going to even try, which saddened the teen, considering these machines can kill you, but given their history, he bet Soul would have no problem letting that happen. Shuffle set up the bar with a starting amount of weight that suited his strength and began his reps. After his twenty, he got off, wiped off his sweat and let Soul go. As he sat down, Soul made a comment. “Just because we’re partners today doesn't mean I like you.” “And I could give a shit about you Writer, now hurry up, unless your weak arms can't even handle the bar,” Shuffle spat back. Soul stayed quiet and got started with his exercise. Shuffle noticed no weights were changed and carefully watched Soul perform. To say it was sloppy was an understatement of the century; his arms were too wide and his breathing was shallow and rushed. It was obvious that Soul couldn't handle what Shuffle could. Once Soul got done, Shuffle pulled off the weights and turned to his partner. “I get you don't care for this class, but are you trying to get yourself killed?” “I matched your weights, didn't I? What makes you such an expert in weightlifting?” Soul couldn't tell but he was already panting. “Considering your positioning was terrible, your face was purple, and you’re still out of breath now says a lot about you.” “Whatever.” Shuffle pushed past Soul, sitting back down on the bench. “Chaalva,” Soul said under his breath, low enough for no one far away to hear, except for the sitting teen. Shuffle looked up at Soul and smirked before responded. “Copaani mirsmure’cye vod?” Shuffle replied coolly. Soul looked awestruck as Shuffle continued his reps. “Gar jorhaa'ir mado’a? Shuffle took a second before responding. “Elek Ni vaabir di'kut.” Soul took a second to register what was said, his focus lost on the bar that quickly came down on his chest. Shuffle helped him lift the bar as Soul coughed from having the wind knocked out of him. “I didn't know you spoke mado'a!” he said after recovering. “I can do more than that, you just gotta know me.” Soul smiled nodding his head. “Well then, maybe after school we could hang out?” Shuffle stood there in silence for a minute. “Maybe some other time. I've got someone I'm looking out for right now,” His gaze landed on his girlfriend, who was completely engrossed in her own exercise. Even from this distance away, Shuffle could see that Trixie was working up a sweat, and the shirt she was given was already clinging to her body. This was the first time Shuffle truly saw Trixie, and with the clothes sticking to her, along with how she bent wasn't helping the blood move to his brain. Wow, she really is hot. Shuffle’s mind shut out anything else as he focused on her. He noticed, one moment, that she had noticed him staring. In an invisible display only for him, she leaned back, stretching her arms, presenting her slim stomach, then bent forward to stretch, showing off just for him. ThinkunsexythoughtsThinkunsexythoughtsThinkunsexythoughtsThinkunsexythoughtsThinkunsexythoughtsThinkunsexythoughtsThinkunsexythoughtsThinkunsexythoughts! Shuffle had been dumbfounded in the span of a few seconds, before being smacked back to reality by his partner, who didn't seem to notice what happened. “Hey, dude, Iron Will told everyone to hit the showers.” “Oh… um, okay. I'm coming,” he said hesitantly. God damn it, Trixie… He thought as he made his way back to the changing room.