#Why let there be a Ghost King when they can split it between the nine of them

[puppetmaster13u]

Prompt 210

The battle had been long. Long and destructive, power rolling from both combatants as they launched at each other and tore through armor and flesh alike. 

Islands fell from the skies with every clash, swaths of utter annihilation following as they fought long after their armies had finished. Wings swept great gales of wind that shadows raced to block, fire meeting fire and claws meeting blade as two beasts brawled. 

Finess was no longer a thing needed- this was all about who could last longer now. One who fought for itself, for its legacy of tyranny, and another who fought together, as one. 

The battle was long, no one quite sure how long but enough to be called as such. It could have been hours, it could have been days, it could have even been centuries in this mauling of what was and what could be.  

And finally, the One-That-Was-Many rose victorious over the king before it, dead once more at its talons, wings spread to usher in a new era for the realms. 

Or at least, that was how the tale went, according to Marvel. Even he wasn’t sure what parts of it were true or simply legend, but it was an interesting story all the same. It kept the kids entertained at least, and caught the others attention so there was that.

[sanchoyo]

danny phantom, season 3 episodes 3-6 thoughts!

see prev episode thoughts in this tag <3

-johnny was actually pretty civil with danny and left when he asked! thats nice. also, SKULKER?? HAD A FRAMED PICTURE OF EMBER?? oooo fuck wait had they established they were a Thing Before?? I dont think so. thats weird. its like that country boy/goth girl meme lmfao. I think i am going to choose to ignore this new info and pretend I didnt hear it. 100% unrelated to the jazz/ember fanart I already drew and posted....😳

-LADIES NIGHT EPISODE THIS IS WHAT ITS ALL ABOUT. wish it didnt really center around the guys or them being pissed at them, but. willing to bet this was written by men lol

-THEY ERASED ALL THE MEN??? meanwhile, jack and danny are fishing at. silent hill or something. im glad jack is trying to read a parenting book and making an Attempt. (theyre at lake erie, but, they made it actually eerie...thats fun)

-the girls alt outfits...cute. EMBER MADE A NEW SONG TOO!!! kinda. jazz being one of the backup singers and being AWFUL. NOOOO

-'how are we going to get kitty to blow a kiss?' 'she'll have to think there are still some males in town!' ...i dont know how to break it to you, but I dont know that a 100% het girl would wish for all men to Begone. I think. I mean im not a het or a girl so I dont really know for sure. she Is probably Bi tho. esp having the other ladies in town chanting NO MEN!!! excitedly............(then again, the kiss is to get Rid of men, so, she probably would have blown it at the ladies only if they were actively trying to attack/stop them, so...I MEAN. THE DRESSING LIKE DANNY BIT WAS SO EXTRA)

-I feel like an all female cast ep couldve been way way way way cooler than that was. like. why was it still somehow all about Men. ...anyway. (where was valerie...)

-next ep opens with the observants, and, way way more of them than I expected...existed? I mean I guess them being a council/jury of some kind is what I expected from their first appearance (bc at that time they were basically TELLING clockwork to kill danny, not asking,, so I figured they had SOME kind of authority) but. there were so many. anyway, here goes vlad! letting his own hubris go brrrr. releasing a weather ghost for political gain! #justvladthings

-okay say what you will about him (he IS an asshole) but having an umbrella with his own face on it and more prepared to share is SUPER FUNNY. and him being fanned by huge wads of money by his bodyguards. SO ineffective but so Dramatic. He UNDERSTANDS that if youre rich you need to be. you know. obnoxious and kinda eccentric about it! fuckign hate when rich people are boring about it. I would trust vlad with nothing except to not be a boring rich asshole who wears...fucking khaki or some shit. man knows his Presentation Skills. and that 'V' chair in his mayoral office. is that fucking embroidered?

-maddie get your MAN PLEEEEASSSE. IM SO EMBARRASSED FOR HER. the way jack stays simping for this man. in FRONT OF HIS WIFE!!!! ...my god its like a love triangle. jack clearly loves vlad, who loves maddie, who loves jack. jack fenton is at the very least bi, right................. this is an OBSESSION . 'THE V MAN COMETH'???? i...my god. (also, on a serious note, to have a friend THIS SUPPORTIVE...and still be SUCH A DICK TO HIM (TRYING TO KILL HIM AND STEAL HIS WIFE??) NOT COOL VLAD. JACK IS YOUR 1 AND /ONLY/ HYPE MAN. if someone loved and supported me THIS HARD...LIKE. CMON DUDE.

-STOMP the fucking GAS, JACK

-this would make a great shirt design, looks like a metal band design! we love The Maelstrom

-oh, so vlad did in fact get a mansion in amity park. and its purple! good color choice! not as flashy as a CASTLE or MURDER CABIN, but still pretty eccentric, which I appreciate.

-...vlad knows the difference between picasso and da vinci? in the ep last post where we were watching him fail at conquering every historical time ever he didnt seem to know history well enough to like. be effective...was vlad taking art history at college?? (was he an art MAJOR??? we never DID KNOW WHAT HE WENT TO SCHOOL FOR. I kinda assumed business because in the masters of time ep he was still rich without ghost powers so he had to have..known something about business or something, right...but also, art and or theater FITS HIS PERSONALITY. possibly also something science-y, I guess, but I always felt like he got roped into that, esp how pessimistic he was about the ghost portal in the flashbacks to college, like, i felt like he was just there for maddie and was uninterested/un-invested at the time...)

-THIS GHOST JUST ELECTROCUTED MADDIE (THE CAT) BITCH!! THATS MY FAVORITE MADDIE!!! vlad going after vortex and being ~shocked~ .....WHEN. WHEN WILL YOU LEARN. THAT YOUR ACTIONS. HAVE CONSEQUENCES!!!

-the way this random man with a camera sees the mayor laying in an alley covered in TRASH AND DECIDES TO TAKE A PICTURE HAHAH

*snap* this ones going in my cringe compilation!

-vlad 'if we're going to defeat vortex, we're going to have to do it together!' *immediately dips after dropping danny off in front of vortex* JKASDFHKJHJKN

-DANNY CAN DUPLICATE!!! ...he couldnt even attack with it, but he DID IT!!! INTO (4) OF HIMSELF!!! SO PROUD!!!!!!!!!!

-'THE ROLLER COASTER EMOTIONS OF A TEENAGER THREATEN MY PLANS!' ...0 self awareness of his own dramatic moodiness. incredible, how dumb this man is. its very close to circling around to endearing, if he was less of an asshole. at least its very very funny to see danny shooting him with tiny lightning bolts anytime he's even slightly irritated! vlad you should be nice to danny anyway. this is what you GET

-...making sandwiches and ice cream and playing video games with your nephew is a totally normal thing. WHY is vlad acting like this is the end of the world. if you were a GOOD UNCLE YOU WOULD ALREADY BE DOING THESE THINGS!!! bitch I make my nephew food all the time and dont forget what he does and doesnt like. if u didnt know danny didnt want tomatoes, thats on u. if u, a grown adult, are gonna piss of the 14 yr old by not letting him win, u deserve to have to pay for the arcade machines he ruins because he now has uncontrollable storm powers because YOU THREW HIM INTO A FIGHT WITH THE STORM GHOST. fuck u vlad. paypal me $400,000 while ur at it tho. (also, gamer vlad confirmed)

-VLAD CAN COOK THOUGH???! I assumed he had...people working for him that did that. I mean. billionaires usually dont do that. then again, we've only seen those vultures working for him (and I guess the dairy king was AT his old mansion, but it was never really clarified if he worked there...I think he probably just Hung Out and they Enjoyed Cheeses Together. thats what I think, I dont think a KING would be working for anyone and also the dairy king was nice <3) but then again he would be a private person and we cant have anyone accidentally finding Ghostly Things, so...still, that's hilarious. pour one out for that really cute banana split that got ruined 2 seconds later

-vlad just fucking picking danny up and THROWING HIM AT VORTEX TWICE WITHIN LIKE A MINUTE. JUST ABSOLUTELY LAUNCHING HIM. BITCH THATS MY SON BE CAREFUL!!! HES GOT ORGANS AND THINGS!!!!

-danny seeing those animal commercials and feeling sad is the biggest 2000s throwback so far. i legitimately had to change the channel or walk out of the room when those came on bc id CRY AND BE SAD ABOUT THEM FOR DAYS AFTER. fuck those commercials and fuck that IN THE ARMMMS OF AN ANGELLLL song 😭

-'vlads ego almost got the town destroyed!' yes danny thats the entire episode. the entire series anytime vlad shows up honestly. this episode was just him being really embarrassing the entire time, and, me laughing about it. 10/10 would laugh at him again

-NEXT EP WE HAVE A SHAPESHIFTING GHOST?? I've said it before but shapeshifting is the power I would want when asked those 'what superpower do you want' questions...its the Best power! this guy looks like a homestuck character. ive never read homestuck but thats the vibe

-I love every time we see tuckers family, they are by far the most functional family. and dash has a lil chihuahua!!! named pookie!!! i am crying (I've had 3 chihuahuas, so I am very biased, but...) AND HE WATCHES THE ROMANCE CHANNEL WITH POOKIE. POOKIE I WILL DIE FOR YOU YOU SWEET LITTLE BABY.

-danny can lift a bus! I shouldn't be surprised, but i am proud of my son. hes got lil kid fans. i am going to cry about this

-JAZZ KEEPS A SCRAPBOOK WITH DANNY'S LIL HEROICS AND NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS!!! we've actually seen it on her floor before, but I didnt realize it was a scrapbook!! thats sooo cute.

-...and danny has to stand there listening to his parents saying danny phantom sucks and is a 'filthy ghost' and calling him egotistical...i am once again stealing their kids!

-THIS GHOST RIPPING JAZZ'S SCRAPBOOK!!! ILL KILL YOU. SHE WORKED HARD ON THAT!!! BITCH

-yes, maddie, the one with red eyes is For Sure Actually Your Son. ignore the, red eyes... (CLEARLY she hasnt watched the other 2 eps where danny has been evil, she doesnt know red eyes= evil!!!)

-'billy fenton'.......................

-danny being stuck as phantom in his own house, no way out is a fucking NIGHTMARE. his parents pointing giant weapons against him and SHOOTING AT HIM. THIS IS A HORROR MOVIE.

-NINE INCH NAILS POSTER.

-this is the most screenshot of all time

-amorpho turning into mr. lancer because hes 'someone no one will want to be around' BUT HES WRONG, I WOULD BEFRIEND AND HANG OUT WITH MR LANCER SO FAST.

-tucker dressing as danny, now I have the full Tucker set of him being sam and also being danny. also saying 'the ghost...uh...RIPPED MY FACE OFF.' and then running. SMOOTH. NOT AT ALL CONCERNING TO ANY PARENTS.

-sam accepts the toast from jack. and then 2 seconds later is like 'why am i eating this.' THIS SHOWS HUMOR IS SO UNEXPECTED SOMETIMES ITS REALLY GOOD. and then the scene after, mr lancer running into his ghost doppelganger and being like 'YOURE GORGOUS' THEN FAINTING. I AM CRYING. AND DASH FAINTING TOO.

-sam disguising herself as danny again to help tucker run from the fentons. but leaving him shirtless in the streets. incredible. 'plEASE DOnt NOTice MY FACELessNESS I MUST LIVE IN EXILE' this episode is destroying me the humor in this show is exactly my brand of corny and cheesy

-the impromtu story made up by danny and amorpho to explain stuff to the fentons. my god they are both such bad liars. but amorpho is a good egg. wish danny wouldnt have said he didnt wanna see him in town again!! I want him to be reoccurring. not that thats gonna matter since I'm almost done with the series, but the idea of this being the Only Time We See him is :(

-NEXT EP SAYS STARRING MARK HAMILL??????!!! hello ! mr . joker....mr. star wars.... I feel like I should be. idk. taking off a hat im not wearing in respect. I shouldnt be surprised tho bc hes in a lot of cartoons as a very good voice actor, and dp has already had a lot of talented ones so I've been looking out for ones I might know, but....mr. hamill....

-sam has her own greenhouse, names all the plants, and says thank you to them (in the languages from where the plants are from) whenever she harvests from them. thats SO cute. and her lil gothy lunch box...

-and danny's lil red fuzzy lined jacket!!! ive said it before but every time the characters get alt outfits im like :D

-danny has ice powers now!!! THATS WHAT FROSTBITE MEANT. HE KNEW SOMEHOW WAY BACK THEN

-THIS SHOW NEVER LETS YOU FORGET VLAD IS A BILLIONAIRE, HUH.

-danny's lil 'holy hibiscus!' first off the 50s batman swearing is hilarious. 2nd. my username is from the flower sanchoyo hibiscus, so, shoutout to ME this ep. hi :)

-EURGH UNDERGROWTH MAKING EVERYONE PLANT ZOMBIES. HIVEMIND PLOTS SCARE THE SHIT OUT OF ME. and this dude made the city SO overtaken so quickly like how long was danny asleep?? oh god

-evil fucked up sam! now the whole trio has gone evil at some point! the voice actress did a really, really good job with making her sound like a zombie...

-frostbite's paws are so so so big compared to danny. oh my god. i want to hug the snow dog...

-the far frozen has an advanced medical stuff!!! very cool. very smart snow dogs

-im so glad danny has a friendly ghost snow dad to explain this new power and teach him!!! this is so sweet. DANNY'S GHOST SENSE WAS A PART OF HIS ICE POWER?? OOOH. COOL. we love a training montage!!!

-danny saying if he cant defeat overgrowth, that he'd want to stay with frostbite...oh my god...do you think this is the first real supportive adult figure in his life (I am NOT counting his parents because they threaten him on the daily even if they dont realize it.) I mean mr lancer is a Teacher, but he was also nice but this is different, but this is a GHOST WHO IS WILLING TO HELP HIM with his powers and also will help him when hes injured and is so so nice and comparatively so much more mature than 90% of the adults in this show!!!! god. dad frostbite is my everything.

-the framing and lighting this episode, and all the angles...they went all OUT and it looks really really good. this is my nightmare scenario, tho. like, FUCK zombies and dead city zones and hivemind shit. and using the humans as 'nutrients for the children' i am going to THROW UP.

-MALEFICENT VIBES WITH THE HORNS AND GREEN EYES! this costume kicks so much ass. sam is now mark hamills daughter, I guess.

-danny's ice powers making his eyes blue!!! thats neat. and him going for the roots underground was SO SMART. i will not stand for danny ever thinking hes stupid, hes SO smart.

almost done with the show... :"( thats a sad thought!!!

[mythrilhusk]

Korosensei Never Dies - Chapter 6

Words - 1967 Ao3 Version Chapter 5 (last) Chapter 7 (Next)

AN: Just wanted to note (although it’s already in tags) that there are no ships in this story. The characters may be affectionate with each other, but it’s all platonic. 

====

Exams are the worst part of school, but the end of the first term approaches fast. Tommy determines he will not fail. Philza has promised to teach them how to fight, and by the ever-loving stars, Tommy wants to show off his mad skillz. 

He's so intent on getting fighting lessons that he's dragged his friends into group study sessions. Wilbur insists on leading said sessions, and somehow the schoolwork gets entwined with role-playing battles with fiercesome monsters. 

"The answer is forty-two!! I pull out a bazooka and blast everything to smithereens!" Tubbo cackles. "Nothing shall stand in the way of world domination." 

"Tubbo," Wilbur sighs for the fortieth time. "That would kill all of your teammates." 

"Do I care?" Tubbo grins innocently. "Less competition, big man!" 

"I lay down and die." Ranboo says drily, leaning against the wall with his arm around Tubbo's shoulders. 

"Not you, Ranboo, you're going to be my puppet queen. Every world-dominating super-villain needs a puppet queen." Tubbo says, quite matter-of-fact.

Tommy scrawls messily on his workbook, determined to complete the next answer first and get a turn. "Ha! Fucking x equals twenty-nine!" He crows. "I shoot my nets at Tubbo and capture him!!" 

"Stand-off." Wilbur says with a grin. "Who wrote Frankenstein?" 

"Some woman with a boring name." Tommy retorts. 

"Anne Rice!" Tubbo cries. 

"Tommy, you got the closer answer. It was Mary Shelley." 

"Alright, I win, and I say 'Hahaha, you fucking imbecile, you are no match for me!' and then I drag them to jail." 

"I completed my worksheet, Wilbur." Eret pipes up. Wilbur takes it, then nods for Eret to complete his bonus action. "I stab Tommy and release Tubbo, saying, 'The world is yours for the taking, but allow me to oversee a portion of it.' and then I kneel and plant my sword in the dust." 

"Oh! Oh!" Tubbo waves his worksheet in the air. "Ranboo, stab him for me!" 

"As you wish." Ranboo sighs with a wicked grin. Eret protests weakly in the background. 

"Ranboo, you need to answer a question correctly, first." Wilbur steeples his fingers. "Or else there will be penalties." 

"I, uh, I think I got this one correct." Ranboo shows his study sheet to Wilbur, who nods curtly. 

"Fine, go ahead." 

Ranboo turns to Eret and says in a dark tone, "You betrayed your friend. I can't trust you, Eret." Then he turns to Wilbur, "I run him through with my dagger." 

"Eret, you're now a ghost." Wilbur shuffles through his game notes. 

"Aw, man. Can I haunt anyone?" 

"Yes."

"I haunt Ranboo to remind him of his crimes." 

"Aw, dang, another voice." Ranboo groans playfully. 

"Whaddya mean, another??" Tubbo cries. "Am I being replaced, Ranboo??" 

"You- you are the voice." Ranboo laughs nervously. "Even when you're dead, I'll still hear you, shouting at me to not kill the bees." 

"You better not. I worked hard to cultivate our apiary." 

"I won't, I won't." 

Tommy finishes his worksheet, ignoring the chatter of the others. "Ha!" He turns it into a paper plane and throws it to Wilbur. "I want twelve actions now!" 

"Okay, Tommy." Wilbur replies with a sly smile. The others protest, but Tommy has Wilbur wrapped around his little finger, so they won't be winning this battle. 

"But! I want to split them up between us, because I'm a fucking nice person who loves women." 

"Go ahead." 

"My first action as King de facto of the world is to declare peace between the Moon and Mars." 

"Wait, wait, you're king?? Eret, you didn't even kill him properly!!" Tubbo throws up his hands. "Ranboo, kill Tommy for me." 

"Hypothetically, what if I didn't?" 

"Ranboo. Are you betraying me??" 

"No, no, I said hypothetically." 

"Then, hypothetically, I would nuke your entire homeland and make you watch as I killed your family before your very eyes." 

"Oh! Oh, no." 

"And then I would torture you to death." 

"Oh, man. That would not be good." 

"So are you going to betray me?" 

"Apparently not." 

"Aw, man. I wanted to torture somebody." Tubbo sighs. 

Ranboo gives Tommy a look that says 'help me'. 

"You both lost your turns for talking too long." Wilbur decides. "Tommy and Eret, you both have an extra turn." 

"I turn corporeal using necromancy, and I use Tubbo's soul as the energy source, draining him of life." Eret says, his cheerful eyes belying his dark tone. 

"No! Ranboo, avenge meeeee!!" Tubbo cries melodramatically to the heavens. 

"Oh no! I'll avenge you!!" 

"I kill Ranboo." Tommy cackles at the horrified look on Ranboo's face. 

"Oh, that's not good." 

"How do you kill him, Tommy?" Wilbur asks. 

"I stab the bastard through the fucking eyes." 

"Oh. Man. That sounds painful." Ranboo winces.

"It is. You're screaming like a fucking bitch." 

"Am I? Oh dang, that's not fun. Am I a ghost now?" 

"Ghostboo." Tubbo laughs. "You're now Ghostboo." 

"You're Toast, you don't get to mock my name." 

Tommy frowns. "What's my ghost name?"

"Ghommy." Ranboo laughs. "Eret is Gheret." 

"Tommy, you think we're ready for the exams?" Wilbur gathers the papers scattered across the floor.  

"Fuck yeah, we are. We'll crush those bastards to dust. We'll get the highest grades of anybody in the entire school!"

++++

"What do you mean, you can't transfer me?? My grades are the worst they've ever been in years!!" Jack cries, stomping his foot on the polished wood floor of the principal's office. 

"I'm sorry, duckie, but I can't let anyone transfer between classes this year." Puffy-- rumored to be a pirate in a past life and therefore always called Captain-- frowns as she flicks through Jack's portfolio. "Why did you want to be transferred, anyway?" 

"No reason." Jack grumbles, then stomps out of the office, slamming the door behind himself. 

"How'd it go?" Niki hops down from one of the pillars. 

"Terribly. Those bastards in 3-E must've told Captain Puffy to not let anyone in. They're probably planning to take over the world now, using Techno as bait!" Jack cries, his eyes burning with furious tears. 

"That's awful!" Niki wails. "What will we do?" 

"What do heroes do to villains? We bomb them." 

"Bomb them?" 

"I don't know how yet." Jack grins, filled with burning rage. "But we'll think of something." 

"I know a man." Niki says decisively. "He'll get us supplies. If they really are planning to end the world, we need to stop them." 

++++

Exams roll around, and 3-E joins the the main school buildings for the tests. Quackity and Sapnap both leap on and hug Karl Jacobs. Tommy strides through the testing auditorium like he owns the place, with Wilbur glaring at everyone and Tubbo whetting his dagger with a placid smile. 

Fundy watches the chaos from the sidelines, chewing on caramel taffy and bubblegum at the same time. He doesn't recognize the quiet boy huddled in a corner and writing. Before he can creep over and look at the boy's words, Eret accosts him. "Hey, man." 

"Oh, hey!" Fundy grins and hugs his friend. "What've you been up to?" 

"Oh, just trying to stop the world from ending and make a profit in the process, you know, the usual." 

"Right, right. What's up with that, anyway? This guy, Technoblade? He must be really hard to kill if nobody's done it yet." 

"We have till the year ends." Eret says gravely. 

"Right. But why hasn't anybody, I don't know, tried to get in on the action?" 

"The government is supposed to be keeping his location a secret." Eret adjusts his sunglasses. 

"Weird." Fundy pops a bubble between his lips. 

"Indeed. I know there must be a weakness. But I'm not sure what it is."

"Maybe it's something like technical immortality! Maybe he can only be killed if he lets it happen!" Fundy theorizes, chewing more intensely. 

Eret grimaces. "Perhaps. Threatening his friend, Philza, directly is out of the question. But perhaps we can get the kill switch from the president." 

"Woah, woah, back up!" Fundy laughs. "There's already a kill switch in his friend and the prezz hasn't thought to use that??" 

"Well, he's a hostage, but- oh." 

"Exactly!! If the prezz actually wanted him dead, all they'd have to do is threaten to kill this Philza dude if Techno doesn't let himself be killed!" Fundy blows another bubble and pops it with his teeth. "Damn, I'm good." 

"That's assuming Technoblade would die if he allowed it. What if he can't?" Eret muses. 

"He has to have some weakness. How was he even created??" 

"I- I don't know." 

"The only way a mutant like that could be created is through Human intervention, aka a laboratory and scientists!!" Fundy claps his hands together excitedly. "But why would scientists create a creature who can destroy the world?? Unless he can't, and this is all just a damn test." 

"Hmm." Eret doesn't sound convinced. 

"So, they're trying to develop immortality, and they're testing it on Technoblade-"

"Why him?" Eret asks. "And if it is a test, why here, with a bunch of students?"

"He got loose before the tests could be finalized, and they're trying to contain him again!" Fundy starts pacing. "He was a terrorist, yeah? I remember him in the news. The Acolyte." 

"Blood for the blood god." Eret reminisces, paling. "That's right." 

"He only ever went after important government figures! But, five years ago, he disappeared, and nobody ever heard from him again. Until now..." Fundy grins wildly. "This is amazing, I can't believe I get front row seats to a conspiracy!" 

"Wait." Eret groans. "He had a partner." 

"Oh! He did?" 

"Technoblade was the Acolyte. But his partner was the Angel. What if that was-" 

"Philza!!" Fundy cries. "Oh god, we have both of the most deadly international terrorists in my school!! Why couldn't I have worn better clothes??" 

"I don't think that should be our main concern." Eret steeples his fingers. "I think we should worry more about what they're planning to do." 

"I'm going to talk to Captain Puffy." Fundy decides. "Come with me?" 

"I'll pass. Good luck." 

"I've got the best luck in the world." Fundy crows and skips off. He glances back once, briefly, only to see Eret watching him with an unreadable expression. 

++++

Tipsy, Schlatt lounges on one of the pristine metal tables. In the background, HBomb sweeps up the shards of a broken whiskey bottle, the remnants of a drunken tantrum. 

"Heyyy." Schlatt greets the mercenary waiting in the doorway. "Come on in." 

"How much do I get paid for my trouble?" The mercenary asks, slouching in a too-large purple hoodie and baggy pants. 

"Fifteen billion, take it or leave it." Schlatt grins. 

"I'll take it. But this is the last time." 

"Sure, honey." 

"How'd you lose him again?" 

"Bitch killed half my fucking scientists." Schlatt shrugs genially, hiding his irritation. "But we've got a neutralizing agent, now." He tosses a capsule to the mercenary, who catches it and inspects it. "Inject that and he'll be as harmless as a two-ton hippo." 

"That's hardly what I'd call harmless." 

"Eh, semantics. He won't be immortal." 

"Hmm." The mercenary pockets the neutralizer. "I'll do it. But you'd better pay me exactly what you promised, or he dies." 

"C'mon, darling, what do you take me for? A scam artist?? Nah, that's not my fucking style. Return him safe and sound, and everything will be just fine." Schlatt lights a cigar, takes a deep drag, then lets it all out in a slow plume. "Do as I say and nobody gets hurt." 

++++

Eret opens his buzzing phone and answers, "Hey." 

"Crocodiles don't cry often." The familiar voice says coldly into their ear. 

"Crocodile tears are worthless." Eret replies. 

Purpled laughs on the other end. "What do you say, partner? Ready to make some dough?" 

Eret grins, baring her teeth. "Always." 

Chapter 7 (Next)

[allicekitty13]

Trick Or Treat

Read On Ao3

Read On FFN

Alice has to take her little sister trick or treating, Jasper has a surprise in store.

Friday, October thirtieth

It was Friday afternoon, and Alice Brandon was impatiently waiting for her final period math class to end. She chewed absentmindedly on her bottom lip in anticipation while tapping the eraser end of a pencil against her desk, eyeing the clock hanging above the classroom door with frequent glances. She wordlessly willed the arms to move faster when she was finally granted reprieve as the bell rang, indicating the end of the school day.

Alice swiftly gathered up her books, shoving them messily into her messenger bag before she fled from the classroom, making a break for her locker. Today wasn't just any Friday; it was October thirtieth. The day before her favorite holiday, Halloween. She'd felt a surge of energy from the excitement all day, causing her to be distracted and restless. All she wanted was to go home, put the finishing touches on her costume, and sit back for her yearly marathon of vintage monster movies after Cynthia went to bed. 

She fumbled through her locker, taking little consideration into what items she placed into her backpack, totally enraptured within her own world. She was so preoccupied with her own excitement that she didn't notice when Jasper leaned against the locker next to her own.

"Hey, Alice." He greeted, causing her to jump in shock.

"Whitlock." She responded, hand over her heart as she steadied her breathing after the slight scare.

"You know... you sure scare easy." 

"Don't sneak up on me, then jerk." Alice playfully shoved him in the chest with a giggle. "What's up anyway?" 

"Perhaps I just wanted to talk to my favorite accomplice?" 

She smiled slightly at the moniker, excited about the idea of pulling off an elaborate prank with Jasper and Emmett. "You've got a hells night prank planned then?" 

"Maybe," He tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "Maybe I just wanted to hang out with you."

Alice was mildly disappointed by the revelation that there would be no pranking tonight as well as annoyed by the continuing game of flirting they played.

It had started out as a fun joke between the pair back in middle school, but Alice had begun to develop actual feelings for Jasper over time. The flirting, always just a game, never anything more, was starting to make her heart ache.

She slammed her locker shut in annoyance before leaning her head against the cool metal as she looked up at Jasper. "What do you actually want, Jazz." 

Jasper looked away from her and took a deep breath before answering, "Are you going to Rosalie's party tomorrow night?" He seemed nervous, but Alice assumed it was her imagination. There was no reason for the popular Jasper Whitlock to be anxious about a party. 

"Oh, I'm actually taking my little sister trick or treating tomorrow. We're going to watch some movies after; it should be a good time... Have fun, though; maybe I'll see you at the next one."

"But you love parties?"

"If I don't take Cynthia, no one else will." 

"Oh..." 

"It's okay," She cut him off. "I'll make the next party." With that, she walked away. Yes, she loved parties, but she loved her sister more. She wondered why Jasper was making a big deal out of the whole thing.

"Do you want a ride home?" Jasper asked, having followed her outside into the school parking lot.

"Isn't my place a bit out of the way?"

"Normally, yeah, but I need Emmett's help with something, and since your place is along the way." He gestured west in the general direction of both the Brandon and McCarty households as they approached the spot where he'd parked his truck. "It's not a big deal. Do you want the ride or not?"

Alice shrugged as she opened the vehicle's passenger's side door; she threw in her bag and attempted to climb in. After a few short seconds of struggling, Jasper came around, picked her up, helping her inside. 

"You know, I could have done it myself." She glowered at him in a huff when he got in the car himself.

"Of course, but I don't have all night if I'm gonna make this work." His words were distant, as though he had something urgent he needed to get done. 

"Make what work?"

"That my darling is proprietary information that cannot be released to the general public at this time." He flashed her that charming smile of his that made her melt.

"You can tell me I won't spill. Pinky promise."

"Nope, this one is between me and Emmett." 

"Fine, I'll just ask him what trouble you're getting yourself into this time."

"Not a prank." He smirked in her direction with a side-eye. 

"What could the two of you possibly be up to that doesn't involve chaos and ending up grounded for at least a week?"

"I can't tell you." He grinned at her as he pulled up in front of her house.

"I hate you."

"You know you love me."

Her heart skipped a beat at the comment as they locked eyes, the air feeling suddenly thick with tension. "Maybe I do, maybe I don't. That is proprietary information." She finally joked with a mischievous smile as she threw his own words back at him before grabbing her bag and jumping out of the vehicle, gently closing the door behind her. 

Jasper rolled down the passenger's side window shouting out in amusement. "That hurts, Brandon." 

Alice rolled her eyes with a smile before blowing him a kiss as she ran inside.

"ALICE!" Cynthia shouted upon her entrance, tackling her in excitement. 

"Hey, kiddo." 

"Come, look what I made!" The ever excited eight-year-old tugged on her older sister's hands, pulling her over to the kitchen table where construction paper and crayons were strewn about the surface. "Esme helped me make a map of town so we can move faster and get ALL the candy." 

"Yes, she did," The woman in question entered the dining room with a bowl of steaming macaroni and cheese. "But, it's time to put your art supplies away and eat your dinner."

"Hey, Esme." Alice greeted her sister's nanny as she helped Cynthia gather up her crayons. "Did mom get called into the hospital?"

The older woman nodded in affirmation as she gathered her belongings. "Yes, and don't you dare say you'd have come home sooner if you knew. Cynthia is your sister, not your daughter; I don't mind watching after her while you spend time with your friends." 

"Thanks, Esme, tell Eddy I said hi, and I can't wait to see his Romeo costume in action." 

"Of course, sweetie." Esme paused at the door. "Are you sure you don't want me to take Cynthia tomorrow so you can go to Rosalie's party?"

"Yeah, there's plenty of parties. Cynthia only gets so many Halloweens to trick or treat. We'll have fun."

"Okay, goodnight Alice. You've got my number if you change your mind." With that, Esme took her leave.

Alice remained in the hall momentarily to reflect on life; her parents had split up four years ago. While it had been the best thing for the family, Esme had a point. Alice stepped up immediately without being asked to help care for her sibling, with her mother spending much of her time at the hospital working as a nurse. She loved her sister more than anyone, but maybe she should put herself first more. Deciding those were thoughts for another time, Alice ventured back into the dining room, where Cynthia was finishing her dinner. After cleaning up, she helped the younger girl finish up her homework as she finalized the last details on their costumes. 

Around nine, Alice noticed Cynthia, who had long since finished her word search on the solar system, was starting to drift off to 'The Wolf Man' DVD Alice had put on the TV. "I think it's time for bed, little miss."

"I'm not sleepy." Cynthia yawned.

"I beg to differ, come one." She scooped up the tired girl carrying her to her room and setting her on the bed.

"Are we gonna watch movies tomorrow?"

"Of course, silly." Alice reached out to ruffle the younger girls' hair. "It wouldn't be Halloween without 'The Great Pumpkin' now would it."

"And will you make those sugar cookies with the ghosts on them?"

"We're going to have cookies with ghosts and pumpkins. But," Alice reached over to switch off the lamp sitting on the table next to Cynthia's bed. "You have to go to sleep so it can be tomorrow." she grabbed her sister's favorite cat plush off the floor. Cynthia took the stuffed toy squeezing it tightly to her chest with a sleepy smile.

"Night Alice."

"Goodnight, little sister." Alice pecked the top of the girl's head before pulling the blankets over her sister. 

Saturday, October thirty-first

"Alice, hurry up! We're going to miss all the candy if you keep taking forever!" Cynthia stood in the doorway of Alice's room, hands on her hips. She donned the Ariel costume she'd impatiently put on three hours ago to her sister's protest. Rather than purchasing off looking costumes from Target, Alice had opted to make both of their costumes herself that year and consequently was protective of her work.

"I'm finished, you hyper little mermaid," Alice responded, capping her lipstick and giving her hair one final check in the mirror; satisfied with her work, she donned the tiara, completing her look as Rapunzel at the end of Tangled. 

"What do you think?" She asked, doing a little twirl for Cynthia.

"You look JUST like Rapunzel! Now let's GOOOOO." 

"Okay, okay." Alice straightened out her sister's red wig that had been knocked off-kilter during a round of hide and seek with Bella, who'd been kind enough to look after the girl before heading to Rosalie's party while Alice got dressed. 

"But first." She pulled out her phone from one of the hidden pockets she'd sewn into the skirt of her dress and crouched down to Cynthia's level. "Pictures for mom." They snapped a few poses before an impatient Cynthia had enough, grabbed her bag, then dragged her sister out the door. 

They went to a few houses before ending up three doors down at The Cullen's, where Carlisle and Esme had a king-size Kit-Kat waiting for Cynthia, who took the candy excitedly; happy to pose for yet another photo in exchange. They made their goodbyes, making their way back to the streets.

The siblings had been out for an hour, hitting up every house with a light on collecting candy when they reached the impeccably decorated Hale residence. Alice beamed with pride, noting a few projects she'd worked on for Rosalie in art class as they made the trek up the path to the door. 

Cynthia had hardly just rung the bell when the door opened to reveal Emmett dressed as Gomez Addams. "Alice! Cynthia! My favorite Disney princesses." He pulled a candy bowl from a table sitting by the door. "Rosalie said only two pieces, but I think you deserve a handful." 

Cynthia excitedly reached out to grab as much candy as her small hand could hold but was shushed by Emmett. "No, not a Cynthia handful." He reached into the bowl filling up his own much larger hand to overflowing proportions, and dropped the exuberant amount of candy into her bag. 

"Did I hear you say, Alice and Cynthia?" Rosalie exclaimed, appearing seemingly out of thin air beside Emmett. Alice had no idea how she'd done it but appreciated Rosalie's commitment to her part as Morticia. "You guys should come in for a second." Rosalie beckoned the pair inside by dramatically reaching out a hand palm up and curling her fingers inward. 

"I don't know..." Alice looked down at her eight-year-old sibling. "Cynthia probably wants to hit up some more houses and increase her candy stash." 

"Nope," Cynthia gaze up at her sister with a devilish grin. "I wanna go inside. Emmett will give me lots of candy. Please, Alice, let me show your friends my costume." 

"Yeah, Alice, please?" Emmett chuckled as he leaned against the doorframe holding a full unopened bag of candy. 

"Fine, but just for a second." She relented, pulling Cynthia behind her as she walked past Rosalie into the crowded entry hall as Emmett slipped the full bag of candy into Cynthia's bag.

Bella, now fully decked out in a Juliet costume, spotted the pair as they entered into the crowded home, immediately ending her conversation with Leah, who was dressed as Pikachu to come over and greet the pair. "Hey guys, you made it! Have you gotten lots of candy?" 

"Emmett gave me a big bag of candy, and Esme gave me a whole entire big Kit-Kat bar." 

"How nice of Emmett." Rosalie glared at her boyfriend, who wore a sheepish expression.

"Rosalie, mon amour. Please forgive me." He dramatically threw an arm over his eyes. 

"I suppose I can let this one slide. For dear Cynthia's sake."

"Cara Mia!" Emmett exclaimed, grabbing Rosalie's arm pecking kisses from wrist to shoulder. Alice had to admit, The Addams Family costume idea suited the couple perfectly. 

"Alice darling, you should go mingle while you can. Let me take care of our lovely little mermaid for a moment."

"You don't have to, Rose."

"I insist, my dear." She waved her hand dismissively in Alice's direction. "Now go."

Confident that her sister was safe being doted on by her friends, Alice relaxed, allowing herself to enjoy the party as much as possible in the short amount of time she would be there. She made her way through the large house. Stopping to chat occasionally with friends, receiving compliments on her outfit. She laughed at some dad jokes from a zombie Eric as witch Angela rolled her eyes from his side. Complimented Jake, who donned an extremely impressive hulk costume.

Eventually, she found herself at the back of the room where a snacks and drinks table was set up. Mike and Jessica, dressed as Woody and Bo-Peep respectively, stood talking to Jasper, who, to Alice's shock, was not dressed as a cowboy despite wearing the same costume every year since childhood. In fact, he seemed to be dressed as... Flynn Rider.

Unable to believe her eyes, she tapped him on the shoulder with a raised eyebrow. "No cowboy costume?" 

Jasper stiffened at the comment, slowly turning around with blushing cheeks. "Yeah... I wanted to do something different this year."

"Okay, but Flynn Rider? You definitely fit the part, but I didn't take you as a Tangled fan." 

"ohmygosh." Jessica piped in before Jasper could defend his costume choice. "Flynn and Rapunzel, you guys like... match. It's too cute." 

"Isn't it crazy!" Jasper responded a bit too excitedly. "How Alice and I randomly got matching costumes. What a coincidence!"

"Yeah, definitely a coincidence." Alice crossed her arms. "What's going on here, Jasper?" 

Unfortunately, once again, the pair were interrupted, this time by Bella and Cynthia. "I'm ready to leave, Alice." The youngest of the pair bounced up to her sister. 

"Wait a second! Is Japer dressed like Flynn!" Cynthia's eyes widened in joy at the realization turning her attention to the tall man who appeared extremely uncomfortable with all the attention. "Jasper! You've gotta come trick or treating with me and Alice."

"I don't think Jasper wants to go trick or treating Cynthia." Bella giggled at the child's outburst.

"But he has too!" Cynthia crossed her arms and stamped a foot on the ground. "He matches Alice!" 

"I'll go." The man in question cast a nervous side grin at the sisters. "Who am I to deny the request of princess Ariel. Besides, I haven't been trick or treating in years. It'll be fun."

"You really don't have to." Alice turned to look at him with apologetic eyes. "She'll get over it as seen as she gets more candy."

"Nope, I'm going. Come on, Alice." 

The now trio made their goodbyes to the party guests and made their way back to the streets. 

To his credit, Jasper did a great job keeping up with Cynthia's high energy as she dashed from house to house. Alice smiled happily, watching her crush happily interact with the most important person to her. The scene caused her heart to flutter as he fell for him just a bit more. 

"So," She'd asked as Cynthia made her way through the first floor of an apartment complex. "Are you going to explain yourself?"

"Explain what?"

"Why you're dressed like Flynn Rider?"

"Do I have to?"

"I would like to know the answer, yeah."

"Okay, um." He abashedly placed a hand behind his head. "So, I know this is your favorite holiday and all. Because of the pranks and scares and wanted to..."

"Alice! Jasper! I got all the apartments we can go now!" Cynthia appeared, cutting him off. The small mermaid grabbed both of their hands and pulled them out the door back to the streets to continue the candy hunt. 

Alice tried at every opening to find out what Jasper was going to say. Unfortunately, Cynthia cut the moment short every time. Turns out, it's tough to figure out why your best friend is acting weird when you're trick or treating with an eight-year-old.

After another two hours of candy collecting, they were nearing the end of their journey. They'd run out of houses, consequently resulting in Cynthia's excited energy wavering as they made the way back to the Brandon residence. When the group was a few blocks from their destination, the two teenagers noticed Cynthia started getting tired. Alice was getting ready to assure her they were almost home when Jasper surprised her by asking the younger girl if she wanted a piggyback ride. The smaller girl was elated by the idea and readily agreed. 

The action made Alice happy; she loved that he was willing to be so kind and placate her little sister. He really was a great guy, even if he rarely let others see; she felt lucky to witness the sweet moment. After everything she'd witnessed that night, her heart fluttered at the idea that maybe... just maybe it was all for her.

Once they'd reached the girl's home, Jasper swung Cynthia off his back and set her back down gently. "That was fun!" She'd exclaimed.

"Okay, little one. Run along inside so I can talk to Jasper for a second." Alice nervously instructed her sibling. 

"Alice and Jasper sitting in a tree." The girl had begun to sing the popular children's rhyme between giggles.

Alice swiftly but gently clapped a hand over Cynthia's mouth in a panic, finishing the classic rhyme with her own edit. "B E D T I M E." She chuckled awkwardly as she picked up her offended sibling. "I'll be right back, just gotta take Ariel inside." 

"But The Great Pumpkin and cookies!" Cynthia protested as Alice sat her back down inside the house. "It can't be bedtime yet!" 

"We'll do those things, Cynth, I promise. I've just gotta tell Jasper goodbye first. Go put on pajamas." Shooting her sister a warning look, she jogged back outside where Jasper was still waiting under the tree. 

"Okay, Mr., there's no more little kid to interrupt you. Please tell me what this is all about." She crossed her arms over her chest, determined to get answers this time. 

He took a deep breath and stared at his feet. "I was going to ask if you'd go with me to Rose's party... like as my date. But you had to take your sister trick or treating, and I know how important she is to you. So... god, I feel so stupid."

"So what, Jas?"

"Emmett said I should do a couples costume with you as a surprise and when you guys stopped by to trick or treat at Rosalie's comment on what a funny coincidence it was and leave with you. But then everyone was watching us, and I got nervous because I really like you. I know we play that stupid flirting game all the time but I kind of really want to go out with you..."

"Why didn't you just... ask if you could come with?" 

"Emmett said I needed a big romantic gesture."

"Why would you listen to Emmett?"

"I'm an idiot?" She shot her an embarrassed smile. 

"You're lucky; I like idiots."

"You do?" He looked hopeful.

"Yepp, at least I like the kind of idiot who does something as sweet as dressing up as a character from one of my favorite movies and goes trick or treating with my sister just because he wants to spend my favorite holiday with me." As ridiculous as his actions were, she really did find the gesture sweet. 

"That's the kind of idiot I am!"

 "So here's what you're going to do. You're going to call me tomorrow, and you're going to ask me if I want to go get a coffee with you. I'm going to say yes, and you're going to take me to that shop on main street that I like."

"Did you just plan a date I haven't asked you on yet? How do you know I'll even call you?" He was teasing her now. 

Alice stood on her tippy toes to peck jasper on the cheek... or rather the lower jaw as even at the highest she could stretch, she still couldn't actually reach his cheek. "Goodnight, Jasper; I'll see you tomorrow." With that, she skipped back into the house.

[thebandcampdiaries]

You Died - Lividity Vol.1

February 2020 - Hailing from Forest Lake, Minnesota, You Died is a recording artist with a direct and forward-thinking creative approach, blurring the lines between different vibes and influences and incorporating so many different ideas into their sound. Recently, they released a brand new project titled “Lividity Vol.1,” which feels like a distinctive taste of what this artist is all about. The artist set the bar higher with 10 songs. Each track has something special about it, and it explores a different creative direction. The album begins with a 2-parts track, “King of Nothing,” which is split into two separate songs, each clocking in at around 3 minutes. This is a perfect introduction to the album, and it sets the mood for the rest of this release. The third song, “It Wails” actually also serves as a third part of “King of Nothing,” so it really brings this mini-suite to fruition, making for a stunning introduction to the whole project. These tunes boast some exciting production ideas, making them particularly unique and one-of-a-kind. The tone is absolutely stellar, a pattern that will follow along for the rest of the album. The huge bass especially is really striking because it feels absolutely massive, but it does not overpower the amazing balance of every element in the mix.

The fourth song on the release, “Ground,” was quite special and cinematic. The track kicks off with a lush soundscape and some glitchy textures, giving the song a eerie soundscape. The track explodes with an industrial-type beat and a massive bass sections with a buzz-saw distortion that feels aggressive and punchy as hell. The following track, “Guai,” follows along the same line, with some killer bass elements and textural distortion, bringing an edge to the composition. However, the song takes on a different twist almost right away, with some eastern string instrument samples, and volume swells merging into a minimalistic beat. The kick hits with so much powerful, and it really takes the cake for the roominess on the song! “Dissolute” has a cinematic feel to it and a very soundtrack-like introduction, which later evolves into a flavorful beat that makes me think of artists as diverse as Boards of Canada and Massive Attack, only to mention a couple. On this song, the mix is warm and balanced, allowing each element to sit in its right space, and in particular, letting the vocals stand out in a very pleasing way. “Doses With Ghosts” is one of the most melodic songs on the album, and its bouncy keyboard riffs almost make me think of trance music going berserk! “The Witch” is all about the soundscapes, with beautiful synth pads adding more to the melodic background of this release. The following track is titled “A Quicker Death Is The Struggle” and it has a nocturnal vibe that adds more to the sonic layers of this composition. In addition to that, it has a killer aggression on the beat, with the drum machine locking in perfectly with the fat bass tones. Last, but definitely not least, “Red” is one of the most diverse and ambitious compositions on this release. It starts with a blanket of sounds, and it develops into an industrial beat with so many nuances and production appointments. This track is an excellent example of what happens when genuine talent and vision get together with a strong production aesthetics and with spontaneous great vibes!  In terms of production, I am really impressed by the weight and presence of the low-end especially, as I mentioned earlier. The bass is thick and present, really allowing the songs to be filled with movement and purpose. Moreover, the top end is crisp and warm, adding a lot of definition to the mix.

All in all, this release is truly special because it features such a natural and spontaneous approach to production. On one hand, the artist has a highly defined style, but on the other, he is always keen on experimenting and taking his music to different places. This is totally not a black and white release. It’s in full color, and if sound could be described with images, this would be close to a Jackson Pollock painting! I really love the sense of artistic freedom I get when listening to this song, and you can really tell that the artist took many creative chances when coming up with this one!

Find out more and don’t miss out on You Died’s music, as well as “Lividity Vo.1” and other releases from the artist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2_A3pleW3c&list=OLAK5uy_nwMLGkeeFKynLpRFiD3pt6RnevVsQAsO0

https://www.facebook.com/youudied

https://www.instagram.com/youu_died/

Recommended if you like: Massive Attack, Korn, Dead Rituals, Nine Inch Nails, Aphex Twin, Nosaj Thing, Tool, Staind, Hanz Zimmer.

We also had the chance to catch up with the artist for an interview. Keep reading to learn more!

I love how you manage to render your tracks so personal and organic. Does the melody come first, or do you focus on the beat the most?

Answer: It all really depends on the day. I usually start with a beat, it's the heartbeat of the song. I like to build the 'body' of a song around that heartbeat. That said, if I really neat melody pops into my head, I'll always put it down. It all really depends on what inspired me at that moment.

Do you perform live? If so, do you feel more comfortable on a stage or within the walls of the recording studio?

Answer: I do play live. I love being on stage, but the music I make has a pretty niche audience so I'm picky about where I take bookings. I have a ton of energy, and the stage feels like home, but my studio will always be my sanctuary.

If you could only pick one song to make a “first impression” on a new listener, which song would you pick and why?

Answer: That's a really hard question. I guess it depends on the person. I try really hard to make every song unique in its own way, and I don't really follow a formula for writing my music. "Red" really shows the deep, moody, angst-driven vibe I like to go for, so I would probably lean towards that.

What does it take to be “innovative” in music?

Answer: Draw outside the lines. There is no right or wrong. Just make music and see where it goes. Some of it will be shit, and some of it will be gold. Either way, never be afraid to push the envelope.

Any upcoming release or tour your way?

Answer: I can't say too much at the moment, but there are some local events coming up that will be announced soon. And you can expect new music peppered throughout the next couple months, with another major release this summer.

Anywhere online where curious fans can listen to your music and find out more about you?

Answer: Definitely! You can find my music on all major platforms, and I release all sorts of stuff on my SoundCloud. You can follow me on Instagram and Twitter, and like me on Facebook to get updates and teasers for upcoming material.

Twiiter - @YouuDied

[imakeficrequestsandthendisappear]

When You Say My Name CH6

Author: YoungDumbandFullofHeadcanons /https://imakeficrequestsandthendisappear.tumblr.com/

Summary: Being an Army brat means that every new town is a chance to start over. When the Criss family moves to Derry, Vicky Criss dies so Vic can start living.

Pre-IT (2017), AU: Trans!Vic Centric, Henry/Vic Slow burn

Angst  Fluff  More Angst  Smut  Even More Angst Playing fast and loose with the canon

Rating: Explicit

Archive Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Major Character Death Rape/Non-Con Underage

Category: M/M

Fandoms: IT (2017) IT - Stephen King

Relationship: Henry Bowers/Victor Criss

Characters: Henry Bowers Victor Criss Patrick Hockstetter Reginald “Belch” Huggins Henry Bowers’s Gang (IT) Oscar “Butch” BowersThe Losers Club (IT) Pennywise (IT)

Language:English

Chapter 6: Henry Part 1

Summary:  Just as Vic passes Henry’s desk, where he is in his usual half-asleep position, Henry lifts his head to the sound of the bell and they look right at each other. Henry has two dark, sunken black eyes, and the whites of his eyes are bloodshot beyond what is normal for sleep deprivation. For a moment Vic just stands in front of Henry, who just stares up at him, taking in the gash in his lip and swollen bruises. And then they look at each other, really look in each other’s eyes, and they see a mutual don’t-talk-about-it because no-one’s-gonna-do-anything-about-it look in each other’s gazes.

February, 1986

Weeks go by and Vic falls into a rhythm. Wake up, go to school, say nothing, and be ignored. Then go home, say nothing, be ignored again, and go to bed.

Mom has a headache every day when school gets out, so she goes to lie down for most of the evening until she has to make dinner. Daddy’s rarely home before nine p.m., weekdays and weekends, so they all don’t bother to sit down to dinner at night. Instead, Mom leaves dinner warming in the oven and tells the kids to help themselves.

Vic’s appetite has always been up and down, usually depending on how recently they have moved, if Daddy is home, if Mom is ignoring him for days on end, and a number of other factors that make food taste like ash. So now that he’s not forced to sit at a dining table and expected to clean his plate, his eating habits suffer more than ever. In the mornings he gets himself a bowl of cereal and eats too fast just to get it down. He tries to eat the lunches his mother packs him, but more often than not he just takes a couple bites of the sandwich and then throws it away. If he’s hungry enough for dinner he’ll wait for the girls to be done eating and then get himself half a portion of whatever casserole Mom made. He eats in the extra room downstairs, which is empty besides a few extra boxes, because being alone makes him feel a little safer and helps him finish a meal.

School stays the same. He tries to do well in his work, but motivation is hard to find and when he doesn’t understand something he can’t bring himself to ask a question. He doesn’t make friends, and might have become a victim for older bullies if he wasn’t so unnoticeable.

There are a few things that keep getting him out of bed every morning though. Like getting to wear the clothes he likes. And teachers calling him by his name during attendance. And being away from his mom and sisters for a few hours. And a morbid curiosity to see what new injury Henry will have in homeroom.

Henry is always already in his seat before Vic even gets to class, head collapsed on the desktop to catch up on a decade’s worth of sleep. Sitting down beside him, Vic assess him for any immediately obvious damage. He has a running mental catalogue of injuries. A sprained wrist, hand-shaped bruises on the arms, neck, and shoulders, swollen bruises on his cheeks, a small gash on his temple that looks barely scabbed over, a subtle limp that makes his left ankle look ready to give out. The list goes on.

No teachers ever say anything about the injuries, but other student’s gossip about them. Vic hears the rumors. That once and eighth grader was picking on him so Henry broke his nose. That he starts fights with people and takes their lunch money. That he walks home past the grade school so he can shove the younger kids around for fun. That Henry always has a switch blade in his pocket. But whether or not those rumors are true, or if people just use them to justify doing nothing about Henry’s injuries, its’s undeniable to anyone with eyes that those are adult sized bruises on a child’s skin.

Vic doesn’t say anything to Henry either, or to anyone else, and now that his own visible bruising is gone, Henry doesn’t even acknowledge his presence.

Life goes on in this routine.

But one day Daddy takes the evening off work and Vic doesn’t find out until it’s too late.

“Did you fucking go to school like that?”

Vic’s the last one through the front door as they come home, and ends up getting shoved back against that door as soon as it closes. He hasn’t let his hair grow more than an inch in the last month, and he has been wearing an army green coat over his sweatshirt to stay warm. Basically he looks the exact same as he did the last time his father saw him, but Daddy seems to think he would have gone back to long hair and skirts within a month.

What do you care?

Vic doesn’t say that, to his father or mother or sisters, but the thought is ever present in his mind. Because he knows what they think of what he’s doing, but at the same time they are all content to pretend he doesn’t exist. When he walks down the hall or sits at the table, he feels like a ghost. Like he really did die when he swallowed those pills and now he's haunting his family, and they all are just trying to live around him. So what does it matter if he wears boy shirts and cuts his hair? Why does it matter what a dead kid does at all?

He nods quickly, because his father’s hand provides a constant force pushing him against the door. The front door opens inwards, so there is no escape from Daddy’s hold, but Vic does reach out and grab the knob for stability. He keeps his head tilted to the floor, but does bravely cast his eyes up and peek through his bangs.

“I thought I told you to knock this shit off.” That voice will never, ever, not strike cold blooded fear into Vic.

Shame burns his face, and in desperation he looks over to the side of the room where his mother stands. His sisters have already gone upstairs all in a hoard because they don’t want to witness a repeat of last month’s confrontation. But Mom is just standing there in the living room, halfway between taking off her coat and setting down her purse, and she’s just watching. Just eyes fixed forward, holding her breath, and doing nothing.

And Vic knows she will continue to do nothing but that doesn’t stop him for pleading a silent help with his eyes. For a second they make eye contact and it’s like she can really see him, so Vic thinks she might just intervene this time.

But then Daddy shoves his head back and it smacks loudly against the door.

“Fucking answer me.”

Big, black, fuzzy spots cloud Vic’s vision as the pain ricochets around his skull. Mind swimming and tongue heavy, unconscious primal instincts kick in just to survive.

He can’t run away, so he has to fight back.

“NO!” Vic screams.

He’s not responding to the question. He is saying no to the pain. To the rejection. To the neglect. To the idea that he could just change back because there is no going back because this is who he is.

The pain and the anger make him feel vindicated in some twisted way. Like what he’s doing is real and it matters. Like the hits are a reminder that he’s doing this because he wants to be himself so bad that he’s willing to take any abuse over giving in. And no, the pain doesn’t feel good, but maybe it’s better than feeling empty.

A hard, swift fist to his mouth drives his head back against the door again, and this time the black spots overtake and he feels the sensation of falling, but doesn’t feel hitting the floor.

Vic comes to with the hot, metallic taste of blood in his mouth. His bottom lip is split by a wide gash, his inner upper lip got cut on impact with his front teeth, and his snaggletooth feels like it got shoved back a fraction of an inch and it sends pulses of deep nerve pain across his jaw. Eyes opening slowly, he finds himself sprawled out on the floor a few feet from the door. His hips hurt too, the one he fell on from the impact of hitting the wooden floor, and the opposite from when his father kicked his limp body out of the doorway and then left the house in a fury.

The pain in his jaw makes him hyperaware of the vein in his temple pulsing blood down to his neck. He thinks he can hear that blood rushing with terrifying clarity, until the sound stops and he realizes that was water running through the kitchen faucet. And then Mom is coming back into the living room with a wet washcloth and an icepack.

Vic tries to sit up and immediately drops unconscious again from the headrush. When he fades back in, Mom is crouched over him, pressing the icepack to the back of his skull and dabbing his bloody lip with the washcloth. And she’s saying something but he can’t really focus enough to hear her.

“-Honey, it’s time to stop this. You’re bleeding baby, hasn’t this gone on long enough? You can’t keep this up anymore-” She’s cooing softly.

The sound is so nice, and the feel of loving hands on his skin satisfies a deep neglected need in his heart. It feels so good to have his mother back that he almost gives in. Almost.

“N-no-o,” He whimpers, finding it hard to breath with someone hovering this close to him, but he is strong in his conviction.

If he ever went back, then he’d be better off dead.

She sighs in frustration, and the hand on his face stiffens and begins to pull away.

“What am I supposed to do? Let this happen to you? For what?” She whisper scolds, like mothers speak to their bratty toddlers in the supermarket aisles so to not cause a scene.

Because of course he’s the one bleeding but this is really about her.

“What should I say to people? To your grandparents? ‘No Victoria thinks she’s a boy now and if I don’t play along-’”

“Tell them she’s dead!” He says through bloody gritted teeth, the same powerful anger rising up into his chest. “Tell everyone she got hit by a bus. Or-or she drowned in a pool. Or blew her fucking brains out!”

Fresh blood starts dripping down his chin from the open cuts in his mouth. Something hot and wet is also running down his cheeks, and it confuses him because he didn’t know his face was bleeding and he hasn’t the presence of mind to realize that those are tears.

Mom is frozen by his outburst, looking afraid of the feral, bloody animal her youngest child has become.

“Victoria’s gone. She’s dead.” And a strangled sob creeps up his throat but he’s not going to let it stop him. “She’s never coming back.”

It takes a lot of effort to finally stand up from the floor, and Mom offers no help. She just watches him struggle and then stumble away.

He takes slow steps up the stairs until he gets himself to the bathroom. Locking the door, taking off his clothes, and getting into the shower with stiff, methodical movements, Vic turns it on and cries against the tile until the hot water runs out. And then he cries for a little longer until the icy spray makes his bones hurt. Then he tries to dry off but can’t seem to get his body aligned with his mind, so he just puts his school clothes back on while he’s still wet and takes the towel with him. Instead of going to his room he goes back downstairs, which seems thankfully devoid of any family members, and he goes to hide in the spare room.

Vic falls asleep in there, curled up on the carpeted floor with the damp towel under his head, and as he drifts off he hopes he doesn’t wake up.

The next morning Vic wakes to the sound of Daddy leaving for work, and then he sleepily sits up and starts getting ready for school. In the bathroom mirror he sees how bruised and swollen his lips and jaw are and feel’s his stomach roll like he’s going to vomit. The split in his lip is patched by a bloody scab and is too tender to clean effectively.

If he asks Mom to let him stay home, she probably would agree. But Vic’s done asking her for anything.

The eggshells they walk on are so fresh and sharp that when he’s even in the same vicinity as his mom or sisters, they all are silent. And in a vindictive way, the silence makes him happy, because it’s how he knows they are forced to pay attention to him.

He walks through the school halls with his head down and the bruises go unnoticed. Until he gets to Homeroom.

Just as Vic passes Henry’s desk, where he is in his usual half-asleep position, Henry lifts his head to the sound of the bell and they look right at each other. Henry has two dark, sunken black eyes, and the whites of his eyes are bloodshot beyond what is normal for sleep deprivation. For a moment Vic just stands in front of Henry, who just stares up at him, taking in the gash in his lip and swollen bruises. And then they look at each other, really look in each other’s eyes, and they see a mutual don't-talk-about-it because no-one’s-gonna-do-anything-about-it look in each other’s gazes.

And then the spell is broken when class starts and Vic has to quickly sit down. Ms. Donavan seems particularly over it today (or maybe hungover it, if the rumors about her being an absolute lush are true), so she just hands out a work sheet and tells them all to work silently while she grades papers.

Vic starts at a lazy pace, still tired despite the extra hours of sleep he had yesterday, and his neck hurts from laying on the floor all night. With a slow and shaky hand Vic puts his name at the top of the paper, and doing so brings some semblance of peace to his soul. This is what he’s fighting for, little things like putting his own name on schoolwork and not having to pretend to be anyone else. He writes it again, steadier this time, right below the first. After he does the first math problem (ugh, decimals) his hand jumps up to the top of the page and writes his name again. He does another problem, probably incorrectly, and goes up to write his name again. He works his way through the sheet in this fashion, and by the fifth problem the top of the page is full of Vic Criss.

At once he feels a deep level of satisfaction, but also hears a nagging voice in the back of his head saying why did you do that it looks stupid and the teacher’s gonna think you’re going crazy- But then Vic sees something out of the corner of his eye.

Henry usually doesn’t even bother with busy work like this, or any work at all for that matter, and will typically put his head back down or lay on one arm while he scribbles in the margins. But today he’s sat up, hunched over the paper and tapping his pencil against the first problem while roughly biting at his bottom lip. There are a few guns and bleeding hearts doodled into the margins, but for once Henry looks like he’s trying and doesn’t know how to start.

Then his eyes flick over to Vic with the speed and precision of a predator catching sight of prey, and his gaze drifts down to Vic’s paper. Vic sees Henry’s brow furrow at the sight of the rolling scrawl of names at the top of his paper, and Vic feels a sharp stab of panic in his side.

Because Henry’s gonna see how many times he wrote that name and know. Because no normal kid has to write their name seven times . Because no normal kid has to think about how important a name is or what it's like to have one that doesn’t fit you. Because-

But Henry overall seems unconcerned with the odd heading and just seems interested in cheating off him. That relief soothes the tornado in Vic’s head, so much so that he moves his arm out of the way and pushes his paper a little more out for Henry to see. Henry looks up and their gazes meet, and Vic has to confront those blackened eyes again for only a short second, but that’s long enough to wind up the knot in his gut. Then Henry goes back to copying and Vic can’t see the harm, because his answers are probably wrong anyway and it’s just a stupid worksheet. It almost feels like an act of solidarity.

Until Gretta Keene goes and ruins it.

“Teacher! Henry Bowers is cheating!” she stands up from her desk and squawks out in that annoying voice of hers.

Gretta sits at one of the desks in the pair right in front of them, and Vic only knows her name because she never shuts up, and tattles on everyone, and doesn’t he get enough mean, loudmouth girls at home?

Henry growls through his teeth at her a raspy “Shut up,” with a tone so callous it sends a chill up Vic’s spine.

Ms. Donovan rolls her eyes, but she does begrudgingly walk to the back of the class. Henry folds his arms defensively over his sheet to cover the stolen answers. Everybody in class is looking at them now, and Vic just wants to disappear on the spot.

“Henry,” the teachers says, like she couldn’t be bothered to actually finish a sentence.

“I didn’t do anything.” And for the reputation Henry has, Vic didn’t expect his voice to be so quiet and raspy. It’s less like the roar of a tiger and more like the hiss of a snake before it strikes.

“Yeah you did.” Gretta counters back, still standing like she thinks she’s somebody that can talk down to others.

“Mind your own fucking busine-” Henry starts in with fury, but the teacher cuts him off.

“Bowers. Language.” She scolds, “And no cheating in my class.”

“He wasn’t.”

Suddenly everybody looks confused, and so is Vic because who said that? and everyone is looking at him and Oh no, was that me?

No one in this school has heard him speak sense day one, so they all stay quiet in surprise for a moment. In that tense second of silence Vic feels like his insides are vibrating with fear.

“He wasn’t cheating.” Vic affirms again, giving a half shrug to look casual because this is how normal people talk, right? Like it’s easy and not the absolute worst thing in the world.

“Yeah he was, I saw.” Gretta says in a biting tone.

“Why were you looking back here?” Vic responds. Just because he’s quiet doesn’t mean he doesn’t know how to bite back. He has three sisters.

Gretta takes a breath and her nostrils flare like she’s a bull about to charge, but the teacher settles it before it can escalate further.

“Alright, we’re done here. Everybody, eyes on your own paper. No more talking. Gretta, sit down.” And then she turns and walks back to her desk rubbing her temples.

Everyone slowly turns back to their work, except for Vic, who is trying to quell a silent panic attack, Henry, who is giving him the most unreadable look, and Gretta, who is still standing and boiling with rage.

“Gretta. Sit. Down.” The teacher commands again from her desk.

Finally, Gretta turns away with a huff and goes to sit back in her chair.

And maybe there’s some residual anger left from last night that makes Vic act. Maybe it’s because he wants some kind of twisted justice, and the haze of his anxiety is clouding his judgement. Because it’s not fair that he has to come to school with a busted lip and Henry has not one, but two black eyes. And something in him burns to make someone else hurt like he does. Hurt like they do.

So he extends his leg out and hooks his foot on Gretta’s chair and yanks it out from under her just as she goes to sit. With a shriek she falls through the air and hits her nose on the edge of the desk before landing hard on her tailbone. Her nose begins to spout a river of blood from the impact, and when she feels its drip down her face and onto her shirt she screams like she’s in the worst pain of her life.

Vic flinches back, hands coming up to cover his mouth to muffle a gasp. Because he didn’t intend to actually hurt her, he just wanted to get her back for being a bitch. But Henry snorts a laugh, flashing an unashamed and malicious grin at Vic, and maybe there is something funny about it. Gretta’s fucking crying over a measly bloody nose, and the friend beside her is freaking out like she’s dying, and everybody else is looking on in horror. Henry’s laugh is contagious and Vic can’t help snickering in dark humor at the drama and production of it all.

And then the two boys look back at each other, mirth in their eyes despite the bruises that litter their faces. Perhaps this is another act of solidarity. They can look at each other while a bratty girl acts like a bleeding nose is the worst thing in the world, and they both think the same thing.

I’ve had worse, and so have you.

The bell rings before any blame gets thrown, so both boys grab their stuff and rush out before either get in trouble. Vic is just about to turn down the hall to go to his next class, still slightly high off the experience in homeroom, but Henry’s hand clasps on to his wrist and yanks him backwards. Henry pulls him a few yards down the hall to an alcove by a water fountain, grip strong and unrelenting. The hold doesn’t let up even when Henry turns to face him, and both boys seem uncomfortable with the close proximity and the physical contact, but neither make a move to pull away.

They stand in silence for a tense beet, and Vic wonders if those rumors really are true and Henry’s going to beat him up.

“What’d you do that for?” Henry asks, eyes hard but voice quiet in the crowded hall.

Henry is the only one who could have seen him pull Gretta’s chair out, and is probably the only one who would understand why he did it.

For a second Vic is sure, very sure, he can’t speak right now, but then he forces down the lump in his throat and tries to say something.

“I-…don’t know?” He says like a question, but it’s the honest truth.

He hasn’t felt quite like himself since last night, so nothing he does really makes any sense right now.

Henry seems mostly unimpressed, or even disappointed, by the answer and doesn’t say anything to respond. But the hand on his wrist does soften its hold slowly, and it lingers there for another second before Henry lets go and turns away. Vic watches him walk down the hall with his head down, until he disappears into the crowd and Vic has to go the other direction to get to second period.

Second period is uneventful, but his the skin on his wrist is still warm and the rest of his body is buzzing.

Vic has third period, English, with Henry, but in this class Henry is in the back while Vic took one of the desks on the side near the door. He tries to focus on reading the chapter that he should have read last night, but he feels a searing glare on his back. Though every time Vic braves a look behind him, Henry always seems in the process of turning his head away.

When third period gets out it’s lunch time, and Vic usually spends that half hour sitting in an empty hallway and trying to force down some food. But today, before he can even get out of his seat, Henry is grabbing his wrist again and pulling him up and out of the classroom.

All but dragging Vic down the hall by the arm, Henry leads them outside, where some the younger students hang out and the older students go to have lunch and/or smoke behind the school. But instead of going that way, Henry takes him down the side of the building to where there is a gap in the chain-link fence that lines the perimeter of the school.

Henry slips through the gap with ease, and Vic has had no choice to follow because the grip on his arm isn’t loosening. The whole trip from class to here has left Vic breathless, not due to speed or strain but because Henry is holding him so tight and his heart won’t stop beating and now they’re alone and Henry’s gonna beat the shit out of him for no reason ‘cause maybe he is the psycho that everyone says he is and-

Then Henry pulls him down and the both sit on the dead grass under them. The ground is cold and wet from rain last night, but Vic’s pretty sure that his legs won’t work if he tries to stand up, so he’s stuck down here. Henry crosses his legs under himself and fixes one of his glares on Vic.

And then… nothing. No hits. No kicks. No threats. No words at all.

Say something.

Henry’s the one who drug him out here, he should be the one to say something.

And eventually he does, but not before he huffs in frustration and shoves Vic’s arm back at him as he let go of it.

“What happened to your face?” Henry asks in an indignant tone.

The question catches Vic off guard, because despite the dull throb of his bottom lip, he’s been doing the best he can to forget about his bruises. And he thought he and Henry had a silent agreement to not talk about the marks they saw on each other.

“Um, nothing?” Vic tries, because he’s never been called to answer for the bruises he has to wear.

Because no one sees them.

Because no one cares.

Henry doesn’t let it drop.

“Did you get in a fight?”

Vic shakes his head. They both know he wouldn’t last a minute in a fight, with anyone. Hell, Gretta could probably fight him if she wanted to, because she’s taller and broader than him by a good amount.

“Did’ya fall?”

That would’ve been the easiest excuse, but Vic doesn't take the out.

“No.”

The interrogation continues.

“Somebody beat you up?” Henry asks, but it’s really not a question.

Vic drops his gaze to his lap, shoulders sinking in defensively.

If Henry knows what happened, why is he asking?

“No.” Vic tries to deny.

“Was it someone at school?” Henry presses, and distractedly he starts biting on his thumbnail.

Vic shakes his head, shame beginning to rise up through his chest and color his face red.

“Was it your brother?” Henry says as he tears at a hangnail until it prickles with blood.

“I don’t have any brothers.”

Vic says fixed with his head down and red splotches on his face, because he had the chance to make up an excuse and brush this all off, but he didn’t take it.

And then the questions stop. Henry drops his bleeding thumb out of his mouth and into his lap, and then leans against the fence behind them.

Years from this moment, Vic will realize that yes, Henry knew exactly where those bruises came from and had probably known since day one. But this was a test. A test to see if Vic would use one of the dozens of excuses Henry had been using for years to explain away his own injuries. Excuses he used until everyone stopped asking. Or, if all alone, they could both finally tell the truth.

The result of this test isn’t as clear cut as truth or lie, but the outcome does cement something between them.

After long minutes of silence, Vic finally looks up at Henry again, a little more calm now that the questions are done. He hones in on Henry’s eyes, downcast and tried, and everything else around falls away. His vision oscillates from focusing on the dark bruise rings and purple lids, to the steely blue irises behind them.

“What about you?” Vic asks before he can stop himself.

Henry looks up, and for a moment he seems more vulnerable and confused than angry and defensive.

“What happened to you?” He persists.

God, why is he still talking?

But Henry just sags more against the fence.

“Nothing.”

Notes: Link to AO3    http://archiveofourown.org/works/12399036/chapters/28425772

O Lordy, that was so fucking long. I probably could have broken it up into a couple different chapters, but i wanted to get to Vic and Henry talking asap. also editing in html makes my brain hurt.

I hope everybody like this ch, its one of my faves. the alternative title was Nothing, because i swear i wrote it a thousand times

Also i did add some new tags at the top, specifically anorexia. I hope if ED's bother you you noticed beforehand and I'm sorry if you didn't. I'm probably only going to reference it every once and a while as a symptom of anxiety/depression, but I won't go into specific detail of it.

Btw, my existence is sustained entirely on comments and pita chips, so keep an author alive and tell me what you think. and thankQ to everyone who has commented, I love you. Passionately. Literally just saying hi would make me so happy and really excited to start the next chapter.

XOXO YDFH