Smile, You're Safe Here

Hello, little one. I have a story for you. Once there was a very brave boy, and he had a very curious little sister. They loved each other very much, and went on many adventures together. Then, one day, the brave boy gave his own life to save the curious girl's. The curious girl was very sad be have lost her brother, but she eventually realized that he would've wanted her to be happy. So, the curious girl started smiling again, and started helping others smile again, too. Hello, little one. My name is Emma, and I'm the curious girl. Won't you please smile for me?

[protectorofsmiles-blog]

Smile, Child [Emma/Jacomus]

[thecursedlight-archived-deactiv]

“Right, are you one of those people that think ‘different’ is cool? What’s the word… hipster?”

“And what makes you think I won’t hurt you?” He dared her, taking a step forward. He felt enraged by her words. Did she just implied he was too weak to do it?!

[protectorofsmiles-blog]

Emma laughed loudly at that, almost as if the mirth were startled out of her, and it took her a moment to stop chuckling and get her breathing under control. "Something...something like that," she finally managed in way of an answer. 

Emma, by all logic and rationality, should have very well been scared by the sudden advance forward, especially as she still sat on the ground, unarmed and almost completely vulnerable. She did feel her muscles tense for a moment, but she forced herself to relax and smiled again, more cautiously this time. 

"They won't hurt me because I am not afraid of them, nor will I ever be," She paused for a moment, taking him in, and debated her next words carefully. She didn't fear him; quite the opposite. Emma feared chasing him away or encouraging him to attack her, which would completely defeat her purpose for coming here. She looked him up and down again one last time,  before lying down flat on her back in the grass, now completely vulnerable.

"You won't hurt me because, deep down, you're curious. You want to know why I'm being so nice to you, you want to know what I actually want from you. That, or I'm completely wrong and you'll slaughter me here and now, but I try to have a little more confidence in my decisions than to think that,"

[protectorofsmiles-blog]

Bedtime Stories [Emma/Jackson]

[colonial-trickster-blog]

Jack eased over and let Emma come into his bed, immediately wrapping his arms around her. It was almost second nature now. He felt her press against his cotton shirt, her little face hiding away from the storm brewing outside. Jack snuggled deeper into his blanket and tucked them around Emma. She was often a brave little girl and, sometimes, Jackson worried she was too serious, despite their boundless adventures. He was afraid one day she would grow up too fast and never need to be cuddled up to her big brother, ready to face whatever weather the world tossed at her.

For the moment, though, Jackson breathed deeply and sunk into his mattress, an arm over Emma’s shoulder. 

“It’s alright Emmy,” Jackson said happily, but with a hint of tiredness in his voice. 

Jackson glanced at the storm as rain splattered against their window and lightening streaked the sky. 

“There’s no reason to be scared. It’s just a storm. Maybe a story will help?” 

[protectorofsmiles-blog]

Emma snuggled further into Jackson's embrace, her last terrified sniffles fading away under the protective hold of her brother. She hummed contentedly after a moment, dreadful storm all but forgotten.

She felt a childish smile tug at her lips despite her earlier guilt at the mention of a story. Her Jack told the best stories. Emma peeked up at him through her choppy bangs, nodding slowly as she positioned them to where she could use Jack's slim  chest as a pillow. She could hear she heart beating slowly and smiled again, yawning once. 

"Oh! Can it be about the Moon this time? Those are always the best,"

[protectorofsmiles-blog]

Bedtime Stories [Emma/Jackson]

[colonial-trickster-blog]

Jackson was asleep, tired from the long afternoon trekking through the hills beside their village, keeping track of his flock. It was an especially tiring day—some of the sheep had ambled away from the flock, a wolf had nearly attacked, and by the time he had everyone gathered again they were far, far away from home. He was late for dinner (in which his father curtly pointed out) and his mother was disappointed because there was already a tear in his new cloak. Needless to say, Jack was more than happy to bury himself in his blankets, snoring heavily as he drifted into a deep slumber.

“Jack! Jack!” 

Darkness. All around him. He tries to thrash against the water that floods in every direction, until he is beneath it. He floats and smacks into icy glass. He’s trapped beneath the ice! He pounds and pounds on it until his fingers bleed, feeling his lungs burning, the water seeping into his throat and making it raw from the chill—

“Jack!” 

Jackson’s eyes flew open and he gasped, his blankets twisted at his feet. He glanced over to see Emma with tears streaking her round face, fear in her eyes. And at once he dismissed the nightmare he just had and focused entirely on his sister. He rolled over, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

“Hey Emma, what’s wrong?” 

[protectorofsmiles-blog]

Emma sniffed, though she instantly felt more at ease as her brother rolled over to make more room for her on the small mattress. "The thunder, I," She hiccuped softly, at her cheeks, though they remained mositened. She took a calming breath, refusing Jack's gaze. She remembered how tired he'd been where he returned, and now she felt bad for waking him up for something so silly.

"Sorry for waking you up," Emma sniffled again and curled up against Jack's front. "I got scared," she whispered. 

[protectorofsmiles-blog]

Bedtime Stories [Emma/Jackson]

Emma nibbled her lip worriedly and whimpered softly as the sound of thunder echoed throughout the small cabin once again. It settled out and she could hear the sound of rain and Jack's snoring heavy, even breaths above her. She clenched her eyes closed and fisted her hands into the thin blanket, but then the thunder struck again and she was up, scrabbling to get away from the floor and the shadows and the Boogeyman. 

For a moment she sat there, back against the wall, eyes darting nervously about the darkened space; then the thunder sounded somewhere in the distance, louder than ever this time, and Emma's reserve crumbled as she scrambled into Jack's bed, terrified tears streaking down her face.

"Jack...Jack..." she nudged him, feeling as though she'd be safe as soon as he opened his eyes and chased away the monsters.

[protectorofsmiles-blog]

Smile, Child [Emma/Jacomus]

[thecursedlight-archived-deactiv]

He stubbornly stood upright, even though his legs were feeling the exhaustion that came after the previous adrenaline left.

“You…” Jacomus frowned. “You do noticed the shadows, right?” He gestured around him. The darkness had calmed down, they moved sluggishly around him. “Most spirits would already attacked me for being ‘impure’ or whatever.” He snorted. “You are weird.”

[protectorofsmiles-blog]

Her smile grew impossibly wide at that and she chuckled softly. "I take that as a compliment, you know,"

Emma glanced over his shoulder and around his feet and they were, indeed, shadows. She contemplated them for a moment, eyes flicking side to side almost nervously before she seemed to reach a conclusion of some sort. The smile returned, this time confident and self-assured. "They won't hurt me," She stated simply, not an ounce of doubt or uncertainty in her voice or face.

[protectorofsmiles-blog]

Smile, Child [Emma/Jacomus]

[thecursedlight-archived-deactiv]

The boy blinked in surprise when she agreed with him. Well… that was… new. Not many people actually listened to him. Granted he didn’t know that many people. The shade stared at her suspiciously when her smile blossomed again. What’s up with this kid. “Jacomus. What do you want?” He asked rudely.

[protectorofsmiles-blog]

Emma crossed her legs Indian style, knowing she was wearing leggings beneath her skirts, and folded her hands neatly in her lap. Her smile was close-lipped now and, though she toned down the absolute glowing optimism she emitted, she didn't lose her comforting aura. The innate ability to set others at ease just by being there was a part of her.

"Nice to meet you, Jacomus. Now we're not strangers anymore, are we? Well, I suppose I want to know what's upset you so badly, but you don't seem particularly inclined to tell me that," She observed mildly, head tilted. 

[protectorofsmiles-blog]

Muse: I wanna do the thing

Mun: Don't do the thing

Muse: GONNA DO THE THING

[protectorofsmiles-blog]

02.

 Though they had a trundle bed, Jack and Emma often ended up sharing a mattress together anyways, just to be close.

[protectorofsmiles-blog]

Smile, Child [Emma/Jacomus]

[thecursedlight-archived-deactiv]

Jacomus jerked in surprise at the appearance of this girl. He quickly wiped his tears and glared at her. Distrust filled his eyes as she smiled. “None of your business.” He hissed. He wanted to threaten her with his spear, but he was too tired after throwing a tantrum. So instead of being a weapon, his spear was now a crutch. Jacomus stood there, waiting for the girl to leave with a sour expression on his face.

[protectorofsmiles-blog]

Emma tilted her head to the side, her smile a little muted now but still there. She seemed to contemplate his words for a moment, before nodding thoughtfully and swiping her dress's skirts underneath herself, sitting down. 

"I suppose you're right," She started, stretching her legs out, crossed, in front of her and leaning back, braced on her palms. "You don't know me, after all. My name's Emma. What's yours?"

She smiled wider again, not unkind or malicious or even biased. Just warm and honest.  "Surely you can tell me that much."

[protectorofsmiles-blog]

Smile, Child [Emma/Jacomus]

[thecursedlight-archived-deactiv]

Jacomus walked aimlessly as he swung his spear, mindlessly destroying the bushes and flowers. Why did he even had a spear? Master Pitch had given him that as a tool to protect himself. But he couldn’t even hold it properly. In frustration, he jabbed the pointy end of his weapon to the ground. He stabbed the soil several times with force. He hate, hate, hate himself for being weak.

The darkness danced around him, reacting to his emotion, as if they were mocking him. “Go away!” He screamed. Although he knew it was impossible, after all, he was part of the darkness.

[protectorofsmiles-blog]

A few feet into the forest, an angered shout echoed throughout the trees, startling the nearby birds into flying away. With eyebrows slightly furrowed in concern now, Emma hastened her step, following the last echoes of the noise to its source. Is that why she'd been summoned? Was someone attacking a child? Emma swallowed thickly, trying to hastily throw together a battle plan, even as her rushed footsteps carried her closer and closer to her target. 

She didn't really have much in the way of fighting. And, even then, the shout had sounded deeper, more mature. An adult, then, a male. They wouldn't see her, or be tangible to her, so already hitting the offender was out. Maybe she could get a nearby branch or something, and, and--

Emma pushed aside a tree branch and stopped dead. There was a man, obviously the source of the noise she'd heard, with some sort of weapon, which he repeatedly stabbed into the ground in apparent frustration. A spear? A sword? 

There was no child. No child, only this adult man with a weapon and a liable reason to use it. 

And the psychic pull was stronger than ever.

Emma slowly let the tension out of her shoulders, finally realizing what had been so strange about this summons in particular. It seemed, if the dark clothing and tainted skin was anything to go by, that Pitch Black had corrupted a teenager or young adult. Made a Fearling out of them.

Didn't he lose the ability to do that? 

Emma stepped from behind the tree completely and put on her most charming smile.

"Hey there! What's got you so upset?"

[protectorofsmiles-blog]

01.

When Emma was small, she called Jack "Ack" because she couldn't pronounce the "J".

[guardianofbelief]

Come one, come all! To The Guardian’s Ball It’s an Party, It’s a show. Say you’ll all go~ It’s on June 21 The Solstice, of course. Bring a date, go alone. Come and crash.  Don’t stay home! To our Dance all are welcome. Here’s your own invitation!

[guardianofbelief]

So yes. This is the official invite to The Guardian’s Ball. Based on the ever popular Tumblr Prom, this an event to rally our fandom and spread peace and love to our fellows! So go out and ask someone to the Ball, or Go stag and join the festivities!

All are encouraged, (but not limited) to      *Draw/shop/and or share their muses’ party attire.      *Post their party night preparations.      *Send gifts and fun messages to anyone and everyone.      *Make up and enjoy party Games.       *Spike the punch, smoke in the bathroom and dance the     night away. In short do whatever you feel like! This is a celebration, It’s supposed to be fun! Do remember to use the tag Guardian’s Ball for anything you want to share!

Feel free to message me, Guardianofbelief with any questions or ideas. Let’s make this epic!!

[protectorofsmiles-blog]

//I'm kind of debating changing my face claim and having Emma appear as maybe a little bit older than in the the movie, but still a kid, for the most part. Hm.

[protectorofsmiles-blog]

Smile, Child [Open]

[thecursedlight-archived-deactiv]

Another day, another disappointment and more wounds. He had just finished a practice session with Pitch, and needless to say there wasn’t much improvement in his combat ability, if any. His Master had looked at him with dissatisfaction toward his skill. It hurt more than the bruises and cuts.

After cleaning himself up he excused himself from the Lair, and Pitch dismissed him without a second thought. Now he was walking along the forest border near Burgess, the chilly night air didn’t help getting rid of his self-pity. He bit his nails nervously. Would Master Pitch abandon him at this rate?

[protectorofsmiles-blog]

There was just enough discomfort present to alert Emma that whatever she was seeking was far out of the country; likely over an ocean. Which, of course, in Japan, pretty much everything outside of the country was over some large body of water, but, even so.

Oceans were harder to travel over because of the sheer distance, not to mention the distinct lack of sakura trees, but she usually managed alright by getting as far out as possible and arriving as closely to her starting point as possible.

As long as a live sakura tree existed there, Emma could transport herself virtually anywhere with a wave of her hand; a ability most useful once one had taken on the responsibility of an entire world's children.

She stood underneath the slender limbs of her current tree and extended one arm upwards. Petals of all shades of light and darkening pink swirled around her in a lazy tornado before becoming so thick they could scarcely be seen through. When they dispersed, carried gently back to the ground by an untraceable breeze, Emma was gone.

~

So, maybe she couldn't have the child smiling again by sunset, but, well. Crossing an ocean and a country through beautiful but somewhat uncommon trees (to this county at least) took time. She was here now, though, and, like it always did when she neared her summoner, the invisible path she followed had made itself much clearer to her.

...Though, something was off. Emma stood on the outskirts of a sparse wood surrounding Burgess, Pennsylvania, breathing in the crisp scent of fresh snow and...something else. Something was off about this summons, for sure. Something...not quite right. 

Interest piqued beyond that of duty and more of curiosity, Emma started into the town, more than content to walk her way there at this point.

[protectorofsmiles-blog]

Smile, Child [Open]

 Emma's eyes blinked open at the faint tugging sensation at the corners of her eyelids and the sudden, uncomfortable tightness of her skin. She moaned, half irritation half discomfort, and took a moment to orient herself, tugging at the collar of her dress as she tried to determine where the latest summons was coming from.

Obviously, there was a child in need of a smile, a hopeful gesture to keep the innocence, the childlike optimism inside of them alive and strong, but decided just where that child resided was always her main hurdle. 

Nevertheless, there was a child, somewhere, who needed her, and Emma was determined to have them smiling again before sunset.