(General Fiction) Severance Universe One-Shot 001 - Hat

[halcyonlioness]

Decided to just blat out a few slice-of-life shorts of the characters in happier times (and maybe not so happy times) to keep myself sharp and get the ideas flowing again (or at the very least coherent.) These stories are set in the ‘Severance Universe’, the setting of “UHC: Foundation” and are optional reading as these are more character sketches, interactions and studies.

This little one-shot was inspired by an interaction I had with a littleun the other day in the park involving a hat, and I wondered how confirmed-daddy Guude’s Severance Universe incarnation would react to the situation I was in. The result of that curiosity is this, dear Salad-eaters.

I hope you enjoy. :3

== Mindcrack Protectorate, VPF Territories, Minecraftia -- approximately 5 years after the De-Synching; Severance Wars Era ==

Guude was sprawled out on a couch in his modest home situated in the mountains edging the town of Blockhaven. He was on orders from the ‘good doctor’, DocM, to rest after a particularly rough battle that nearly ended his life in the process of earning a VPF victory against the Modera Republic. Guude’s soldiers had to quite literally drag the legendary rogue back to their forward base after he took several shots trying to draw fire away from his already beleaguered and retreating platoon.

If the attempt on his life was meant to demoralize his warriors, the Moderans had another thing coming.

The diagnosis after the fact was thus: a dozen arrows and nearly twice that many copper bullets—all of them embedded into his flesh, but not one deadly projectile had made it to his vital organs … Pakratt proclaimed it was a miracle Guude had survived the onslaught; others claimed it was the body armor he had been issued (and was pretty much forced to wear, thanks to his unit’s field medic, MCgamer). Regardless of the circumstances, Guude took solace in knowing his young family had narrowly been spared the grief of him coming home in a body bag.

The grievous injuries didn’t stop his wife from giving him a serious earful at the hospital though.

Safely back in the respite of his faction’s territory, the ranked VPF General now sported bandages up and down his arms, and what other carefully dressed wounds he had were all tucked underneath his typical understated attire consisting of a simple green T-shirt and a pair of threadbare jeans. It was a slow afternoon, the Minecraftian sun filtering through the trees outside past the glass sliding doors near his den; if he had the house to himself today, it would the perfect time to drift off to sleep.

Obviously, he wasn’t alone in the house this afternoon. Guude winced a little bit as the light burbling from his toddler daughter stirred him from his slightly medicated daze and her living weight resting on his chest shifted in an uncoordinated attempt to get comfortable again.

“Ba!” the little girl blurted out as she tugged at her father’s shirt in an attempt to get closer to his face.

Guudle couldn’t keep himself from making a slightly awkward smirk. “Hey, Pebble … y’ awake already?”

He was answered by her grabby little hand latching onto his nose.

Amused, Guude played along with a high-pitched “Aaah! Ya got my nose!” which quickly elicited a prompt baby giggle that was almost reminiscent of his own trademark laughter.

Laughing literally hurt like hell right now, but for a young father like Guude, it was worth it for this precious moment with his little girl. It would only be a matter of time before Guude would be fit enough to return to the battlefront, after all, and it stung in the back of his mind that there was a very high chance that little moments like this were all he might leave little Pebble to remember him by because of this damned war. … might as well make each and every one of them count.

With a light wince that was equal parts fatherly gentleness and internally biting back the pain from his wounds, Guude sat up on the couch, peeled Pebble’s hand off his face and set the little girl onto the floor mat nearby. From there, the injured rogue watched little Pebble slowly stand up and awkwardly trundle about on her own two feet on the carpet back and forth across the room. It didn’t take long before the little she-rogue had returned to the couch, somehow having gotten a hold of her father’s combat helmet. She was wearing it proudly on her head, both her little hands barely holding the front edge away from her eyes.

“Hat!” she proclaimed.

Guude didn’t know if he should laugh at how ridiculous she looked or if he should be slightly alarmed that her wearing his helmet could be a sign of things to come for his little girl. Pebble, on the other hand, was clearly oblivious to her father’s internal consternation. With a concerted effort, she managed to lift the helmet off of her head and made an awkward attempt of putting the ‘hat’ on her dad’s head instead.

The legendary rogue, smiling awkwardly again, leaned forward from his seat to acquiesce the little girl’s unspoken request and wound up with his helmet being put on backwards and hanging at a rakish angle. Pebble giggled in pride and amusement before making an honest attempt at climbing into Guude’s lap.

Another chuckle from the young father as he lifted the toddler onto his lap. “Thanks, Pebble. I make this look good, don’t I?”

“Ya!” was the little girl’s reply as she tugged at the helmet’s still unbuckled chinstrap. Uncoordinated as she was, Pebble still managed to pull the helmet off of her father’s head and put it back onto her head … backwards. She still looked proud of herself, nonetheless. “Ba!” she cooed, smiling as only a milk-toothed toddler could smile.

Guude allowed himself another (albeit a little painful) chuckle as he used his free hand to turn the helmet around so it sat properly on his daughter’s head. “You make it look even better.”

Somewhere in the back of his mind, though, he hoped this would be the only time she’d have to wear armor of any sort.

Pebble smiled and yawned a little in response, and then—with the helmet still on her head—leaned in close to her dad and buried her face into his chest, clearly intent on resuming her nap.

That moment stung Guude more than the bullet wounds that were still healing under the hidden and not-so-hidden gauze bandages. Having a family had changed him far more than he was willing to admit to any of his men. Marrying his wife and bringing little Pebble into this chaotic world had very much transformed how Guude looked at and approached this war he was fighting.

It was then the wounded rogue registered Pebble’s quiet, rhythmic breathing of sleep. Wracked with the scars and realized wages of war inside, all Guude could bring himself to do was wrap his bandaged arms around his daughter in a protective embrace and rest his cheek on the helmet Pebble was blissfully sleeping under. If he could stop time just to keep her safe and away from all this stupid fighting, to keep her unaware of how easily he could die fighting for her future, he would. … but it wouldn’t be the right thing to do.

“Don’t ya grow up too fast, y’ hear?” he whispered futilely, knowing the plea would have to go unheeded. “Stay daddy’s little girl for as long as you can, Pebble, ‘cause you’ll never know when daddy may have to go away for good …

“… and if you still do grow up while this war’s still goin’ on, don’t forget that you’ll always be my baby, and I’m fightin’ for you.”

---

Author's Note:
… that went from adorable to bittersweet real fast. Sorry about that, guys. Still, it says a fair bit about the nature of this world, doesn't it?

PS: Don’t worry. I haven’t forgotten about ‘Foundation’. It’s still being written, on my honor!

Comments

[theropod]

Oh gosh that was sweet and wonderful and sad all at once <3

[lemonzest]

Fwah D: That had all the sads. All the cutes too, but...

Emotions, you know the deal >w<

[celestepastore]

;A; -Thunderous applause.-

Ow my feels I can't hnnnng...

[voufreail]

Oh my gosh that was amazon I... I... Oh great now I'm tearing up :')

It reminded me of the book Love you forever when the mother sang "I love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living my baby you'll be"

...
<3

[kappa77]

Oh my gosh. Tears were actually shed, which is pretty odd, since I'm not much of a crier (but I am more affected by dad/daughter relationships, so it may be that).

Fantastic and sad and cute, I love it!