LOTAE
ACT 3

Lomax, the chirp and hum of life and lights inhabiting the planet breach the windows of Jade's room. A stray beam of light brings itself to her face as she lay in bed. Her face was still carrying the dried tears of her sorrows from the evening past. She rubbed her fists into her eyes, trying to wipe more than just the tears from them. Instinctively she reached to the other side of the bed, as if she was looking for something or someone. It was for naught, John wasn't there to meet her with a soft and comforting hug to start her day. She pulled her hand back and could feel the tears rising in her eyes, the sadness gripping at her throat once more. There would be no more "5 more minutes, John." No more fetch, no more anything… Her voice broke through the silence of her room, cracking at first "what am I doing?" She stood to her feet, shaking at first, "I won't give up that easily!" she held a determined and shaking fist before her, declaring her plan. She would not succumb to defeat of the heart that easily, nor would she ever give up John. She would go and tell him how she feels immediately. Jade pushed open her door and placed one confident foot forward and her eyes took in the display before her. John and Jane were smiling, laughing, and enjoying each other's company. Who was she to break this pair up, oh how it would hurt John to be torn from this kind of happiness. She hung her head in admitted defeat and wallowed back into her room, smothered in depression. As she crossed the threshold of the room she slammed the door behind her, a small victory to be rid of the sight she hoped never to see. The walk to the desk across the room and the chair before it was almost like a swamp of agony she would have to wade through. Each shaky step she took was nearly caused her to drop to her knees and break down in tears. She crossed the room trying her best to hold back her tears, it was slow but she had eventually made it to her chair. She grasped onto the back of the chair and turned it towards her. Seemingly at once she fell into her chair and the tears and self loathing came fast. Pounding her fist onto the desk and then onto her lap she cried, tears, running down her cheeks, covered her hand as her mind raced. "Why can't I tell him I love him?" she said to herself internally. Her throat was raw from the sobbing but she spoke aloud, "See, you said it yourself, "I love him" … But you know how things are." She rubbed her eyes, now red from irritation. She looked into the computer screen, still black from inactivity, her reflection shown back to her. The tears ran down the reflection's cheeks as it did on Jade's. Her voice broke through half silence of her room, still filled with the occasional sob from it's only inhabitant, "The world John's from, his culture view this love as "taboo" …" the words grated against her conscious, bringing pain to her heart, she winced. Looking down at her hands, wet from her tears she let them fall to her sides. Her gaze then turned to the ceiling above. "John won't accept my love beyond that of a "sister" … but I want more than that… is that too much to ask?" the last word was followed by more sobs and tears that burned as they flowed from her irritated eyes. Her reflection in the monitor was broken by the light of it starting up. The low hum of the computer was accompanying her sobs. Her Pesterchum client started up and was blinking, she had received a message from another who was sharing her distress, Jake English.

-golgothasTerror began Pestering gardenGnostic-

[GT] Confound it Jade, i can't take it any longer.
[GG] John and Jane?
[GT] Of course, John is a dapper gentleman and jane deserves no less than a godly god tier gentleman but…

His bedroom, dark and dimly lit by the computer monitor and the door slightly cracked open. Jake English turned his head away from the door and went back to pestering Jade. At first he couldn't find the will to type anything. Not a drop of energy to fight the confusion wrestling his courage to it's knees. "What should I do?" the thought filled his mind like a virus, wrapping itself around his limbs and chest weakening him body and soul. "Nothing? That doesn't sound like the words of a man in love now does it?" this small light of hope and valor beaming from the very core of his heart. He then had the courage to steel his nerves for the choice that lie ahead.

[GG] Jake?
[GT] Sorry dear, janes visiting john AGAIN.
[GG] …Yeah…
[GT] So what should we do?
[GT] Jade?

Again, those blue tears falling from those jade eyes, they aren't foreign to her cheeks as they slowly make it down the path gravity had planned for them. She tapped her fingers on her keyboard to pass the time, unable to reply, unable to think.

[GT] Jade, dear are you alright?

That noise, the small electronic beep indicating she was receiving a message. She wouldn't respond, she couldn't, the feeling of rejection was too great. She tried to raise her hand but it fell to her lap. "Were those three years for nothing?" she looked down at her hands and brought them to her face to wipe away the tears. "Did all that time on Prospit mean nothing to him?"

[GT] JADE, dear are you alright? do I need to come check up on you?
[GG] I'm fine

Think about it Jade, he never said he loved you. These thoughts rang out in her head, echoing and crushing her heart. She was shaking now. He only loved you as a sister, but was that so bad? You should be happy, shouldn't you? "I want more though… but he's so happy with her…" she growled at the thought of her giving up again, and still not being content with her choice.

[GT] I'm going to tell her how I feel alright? Sounds like a capital idea to me.

Jade brought her face into the desktop, her forehead came crashing down onto the wood making the keyboard jump. "Grandpa and Beq never prepared me for this, what am I supposed to do…" she slammed her fist into the desk and looked back at her computer, reading Jake's message. As she went to reply she stopped and held her face in her hands, howling in dismay. "What should I dooo?"

[GT] Jade, I can hear you from down the hall, dear.
[GG] I'm sorry :(
[GT] Its quite alright, I should probably tell Jane how I feel about her, maybe that will fix everything.
[GG] Wait… they look happy together!

She drove her clenched fist into her desk leaving indents in the wooden desk top. "Why would you say that?" She tried her best to resist yelling to release the built up sorrow and anger.

[GT] What should we do then? We can't just wait around here fiddling with our fingers can we? Gosh darn it I am in love and we need to take action!
[GG] I'm sorry
[GG] I need a
[GG] moment please.

-gardenGnostic ceased Pestering golgothasTerror -

She stood up from her computer; the ordeal was becoming too much for her to handle. Why should she have to suffer over this? Maybe some fresh air will help calm her thoughts? She nodded her head in agreement with the positive notion taking residence in her mind, weeding out the pessimism, the sadness, the resentment and replacing it with optimism. She swung the door to her room open and set out down the hall to brighter and better surroundings. On her path to the stairs down to the ground floor she passed John's room. The sounds of whispers and giggles escaped it and penetrated her mind as it entered her sensitive ears. Rather than digest the information making it's way into her head, she covered her ears with her hands and ran down stairs to the front door. The sound of a door slamming broke the overall silence of the tower, almost as if it shook the very foundation of it.

It was a particularly windy day on LOMAX as Jade set out to walk around Jake's tower. Her mind was instantly cleared of the stresses of her prior agenda, as if the weight of it all blew away. The wind brushed past her face, it was cool and refreshing but not without stirring her memories of her time with the Heir that had passed. She sat in the grass, her eyes closed, and she was then within the confines of her golden battleship still traversing the distance to the new session. She was warm, calm, and her heart was intact. "John" her voice was steady and demanding. "Yeeess?" John replied with a smile and a wink. "Ball. Throw it. Now" She commanded. John walked over to Jade cradling the ball in his palm and scratched behind her ear, "We're gonna need some room if we're gonna do this right!" as soon as the words left his lips Jade had already placed them on the surface of LOFAF, Land of Frost and Frogs.

The snow was comforting to Jade but John crossed his arms and shivered. "John, are you alright?" She was worried that he might be a little underdressed for playing in the snow. "I'm fiiine, Jade, lets play some fetch!" he said blowing on his hands. His breath, the air flowing from his lips seemingly wrapped around his fingers and warmed them. "What are you doing?" Jade was curious, she tilted her head and flexed her ears. "Oh this?" with that John moved closer to Jade and lightly blew warm and sweet smelling air against her face. She was warmed and comforted by his breath as he blew, the air tickled her nose and rubbed her ears. She could feel the warm air wrap it's self around her and grasp her hand, almost as if he was holding it himself. She closed her eyes and embraced the fantasy of it all. As she opened them John was not in front of her, but beside her and holding her hand within his own. Her cheeks blushed a tinge of red, matching her ruby red shoes. "I didn't think gods 'blushed', Jade." He said sarcastically as his thumb rubbed the top of her hand. "I'm not blushing!... I'm going to sneeze…"she lied, but she couldn't tell him her feelings, not when the concept of "incest" was so forbidden among his people. But what was she supposed to feel for her brother besides love, it only felt natural. "J…just throw the damn ball John…" she couldn't look him in the eyes, but she knew he was staring straight at her, past the cloth, past the flesh and into her heart. She was getting hotter, even though it was snowing, she might as well have been on the surface of the sun. "Alrighty then!" he released her hand and stepped back. He started tossing the ball into the air, catching it with his other hand and then tossing It again. Jade's eyes followed the ball but every time it came into his hand, she stopped to admire his eyes, his friendly smile and the buck teeth that they both share. How could she not love him, it was almost genetic this affection, this desire. First he threw it and caught it with his left hand, then threw it and caught it with his eyes closed. Next he threw it so high it was almost out of sight, and he caught it behind his back. It was almost unbearable, "Just throw the ball John!" she said internally, her lips wouldn't move. She licked them as she stared at him. He held the ball tight and wrapped the wind around it, throwing it as high as he could. The sound of the ball's speed breaking records, the likes of which no human could ever achieve, acted as a gunshot starting at a race to her.

She leapt forward and wrapped her arms around his neck hugging him as hard as she could without causing him irreparable damage. They fell and tumbled into the snow, both of them covered in the white and fluffy frost. She had him, he was pinned beneath her. Jade's palms were on his chest, her knees on either side of him. "I didn't know gods blushed." Jade whispered to him as she realized how close she was to his face. John didn't respond, and his smile was gone, his face slightly agape and his eyes wide open. She could feel, even hear his heart beating beneath her hands, almost pounding against the cage that held it within. "Kiss him, he wants it as badly as you do!" her mind was roaring at her now, the heat from them both was intoxicating. Both John and Jade were panting now, unable to decide where to go from here, prohibited by social stigmas and fueled by emotions beyond their comprehension. She breathed into his face as she got closer, as he breathed into hers. His breath seemed to dance on her lips and enter her mouth. His hands still by his side, but the air he commanded ran down her back and traveled down her thighs. She shivered from the touch and her cheeks blushed a vibrant red that she was sure John could see but he made no comment as he was blushing as well. She moved closer, her hair draped onto his shoulders. She felt as though she was being pulled softly by the wind around them, as he felt as though he was being pulled by an unseen force towards her. As they got closer she had felt no remorse for what she was about to do, it felt… natural. She moved to press her no longer tortured lips, deprived of their trophy no more. But a whistle sounded through the sky as John moved to the side and caught the falling ball with the air around them before it came in contact with Jade's head. She kissed his cheek, missing his lips entirely and mentally cursed herself for doing so. "Jade…Jade?" she closed her eyes, trying to contemplate his reaction without looking him in the eyes. "Jade!" She opened them and Jake was standing in front of her. The lights of LOMAX greeted her day dreaming eyes and she sighed "Hey Grandpa."