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theprinceandthewitch · 1 year

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I still think time magic is going to be used heavily in the final episode. Simply because cartoons with time travel mechanics always save a time travel plot it for a finale - and they usually use it for the series finale.

But I wanted to talk about Hunter meeting Caleb and how Luz and Hunter might build a time door:

See, here's the thing, the only "facts" about Caleb Hunter is aware of is from history books.

History books are unreliable as sources of truth because facts will be omitted or twisted to fit a certain narrative. We can see this in Yesterday's Lie by the way humans present Evelyn. She's presented as this evil entity [she literally has a devils tail] that lured away two helpless brothers to a world of evil, never to be seen again. In the play in TTT, she is presented as an old woman who lured away Caleb by dazzling him with magic and visions of a strange yet beautiful place. And Philip is presented as a sympathetic figure who wants to save his brother and bring the witch to justice. But again, these brothers are never seen again. They also get the ages of the brothers when they meet Evelyn wrong. Both of them met her not too long after coming to Gravesfield, so they knew her for YEARS.

Hunter is interested in knowing more about him, we can see in the ending credits in TTT that he has a photo of the statues and a book titled the Witchhunters of Gravesfiled. He has been studying Caleb's "history" and the history of Gravesfield as whole. This information will form very, very negative preconceptions of who Caleb was as a person. Hunter knows what witch-hunting was actually about, so he's going to think Caleb was exactly like Belos. Someone who was completely devoid of compassion and empathy. Hunter would have also applied this belief to himself because he is a clone of Caleb.

It's up in the air whether or not Flapjack even told Hunter about Caleb. It's unclear whether or not Flapjack remembers Caleb to this degree. He definitely remembers what Caleb looked like as a teenager. Which is why he took interest in Hunter and stayed with him despite not forming an emotional connection to him until the end of Eclipse Lake. Flapjack didn't even tell Hunter that the rebus lead to Titan blood even though he would know this because he was Caleb's palisman.

Basically, what I'm trying to say here is: Flapjack was never going to tell Hunter about Caleb, simply because it'll be unsatisfying to hear this information from Flapjack. Flapjack cannot communicate through speech UNLESS his soul was absorbed into someone like those palismen from Hollow Mind. Only Hunter can understand what he's saying but we can't. Having Flapjack chirp at Hunter while Hunter repeats what he said would have been and annoying and an unsatisfying way to learn more about Caleb.

So, the best way to solve the Caleb and Evelyn mystery is to actually meet them. Hunter meeting them would shatter his [and the majority of the audience's] preconceptions of who he AND Evelyn were as people. Hunter would know Caleb wasn't "lured away" from Philip. He left the human realm because he fell in love with a witch he was friends with since he was a teenager and wanted to start a family with her. Hunter would also know Evelyn wasn't some evil woman who tempted a man away from the only living member of his family. Their personalities are going to be completely different from what he's read about in history books. There's even a chance we'll get to see their kid. Because in the painting where Evelyn is zapping Philip with a spell after he kills Caleb she doesn't look pregnant anymore.

I really think we are going to meet Caleb and Evelyn on the day Philip murders Caleb, because not only is it really emotionally impactful to see Caleb die in the same episode where we have our preconceptions of his character are completely shattered - it also shows us how much of a irredeemable scumbag Philip is.

Because again, humans have presented Philip in a sympathetic light - he just wanted to save his brother from a witch who lured him to a world of evil. And because of the mystery surrounding Caleb's death, you could have assumed Caleb, the witch-hunter who met a witch named Evelyn, died by her hand. So you can assume he wants all witches and demons dead as vengeance for killing his brother. When you see Philip killing Golden Guards who betray him, you might actually believe it comes from a place of hurt rather than malice. Because they don't understand he's doing all this to avenge him. You could have even blamed Philip's more monstrous personality traits on his condition rather than believe these monstrous traits were a part of him before he ever came to TBI's.

So, any sympathetic light that's been shined on Philip is going to be completely destroyed when we see him kill his brother. I need to remind people that Caleb was Philip's caretaker even though he was only a teenager at the time he and his brother were orphaned. The caretaker role comes with alot of sacrifice and an unbelievable amount of stress. Caleb clearly still loved Philip despite their differences in beliefs. Once he sees Philip again [after their implied argument and Caleb's decision to stay with Evelyn on TBI's] he gives him a hug. Caleb probably thinks Philip has come to reconcile, but as we can see he has actually come to kill Evelyn. And to kill him as well, so that he can "save" Caleb's soul from being corrupted any further.

Okay so... I do think time magic is going to be used really heavily in the final episode. I think Luz and Hunter are going to be chasing Philip across time, and along the way King is going to get roped into this chase. Belos is going to have a way to make at least a few time pools/portals because all you need for them is coagulated titan blood from a specific era and magical algae. Belos still won't be able to control what specific moment in time he'll end up in, but he'll get lucky enough and end up in a time period where he can possess an adult Titan. And this Titan is going to be King's father. That mural from Echoes of the Past was foreshadowing King killing his father to free him from Belo's control. Through the death of King's father comes the creation of TBI's.

Belos is going to be able to possess King's Father because he knows a teleportation spell. He uses it to travel directly to the center of the skull in Elsewhere and Elsewhen. So he has direct access to his brain... gross.

But yeah... before we get to the time period King's Father is in we're going to take a detour to the day Philip murders Caleb.

I've been thinking about how this is going to play out... I did say that Belos might go to this time period, but I'm starting to think he won't. If he's trying to go back in time to snag an adult Titan as a last ditch effort to destroy everything, he isn't going to waste time with irrelevant time periods. This could be a situation where he'll send Luz and Hunter to a random point in time as a way to get rid of them. And this time period just so happens to be the day Philip kills Caleb.

You know... Hunter and Luz aren't going to be able to kill Philip. See the thing is, while Hunter AND Luz are the type who will give up their own lives to save the people they love they're not going to do it because Flapjack will be erased with them. While Flapjack isn't gone forever they can't actually communicate with him unless Luz goes into Hunters mindscape. They can't exactly ask him how he feels about their plan.

So while they're not going to kill Philip, they are still in a situation where they need to figure out a way to get back home.

And like... I don't think they're going to break the rules they set up for time travel. Like if King wanted to get Luz and Hunter, he isn't going to be able to rip a wormhole in space time just to get to their exact location. This is most likely going to play out in a way where King has to get lucky with the time pools. Since King isn't going to know exactly where Luz and Hunter are he's going to grow throughout his travels. That's why King is so big in the mural.

The various sizes of titan skulls in World's Edge make me inclined to believe titans DON'T grow to colossal sizes when they go through puberty. So King isn't going to become a giant after his growth spurt. Titan size seems to be an indication of age. Titans also appear to be able to shrink their size as evidenced by Kings Tower. So King isn't stuck as a giant and can actually be discreet as he searches for Luz and Hunter.

Oh and another thing - I think The Collector is going to go back into the mirror in the second episode. But instead of being banished to some hidden location, King is going to take them with him when he travels through space-time looking for Luz and Hunter. This will give King and TC plenty of time to bond and form a strong friendship. The Collector will also teach King about Titans, like what they're capable of. And he can also teach King spells. Through spending time with King, TC will change and become more empathetic, which will allow King to feel comfortable enough to free them from the mirror.

So that being said... King could show up right after Caleb's murder... or this could be a situation where Luz and Hunter, with Evelyn's help, build a tracking device for time pools. But we're going to have a "all hope is lost moment" when Luz and Hunter can't find a time pool on TBI's. Again, time pool locations are completely random and they don't have the resources to travel away from TBI's. This is where King shows up with TC.

Hunter and Luz track Philip down and steal coagulated titan blood from him while he's vulnerable from Evelyn's spell. Which he could have even at this point in time. Again, he seems to be aware of time magic by the way he's writing lies in his journal and by the way he faked a leg injury to gain Luz's sympathy in Elsewhere and Elsewhen.

Then they take the coagulated blood back to Evelyn so that she can mix it with magical algae from The Boiling Sea.

Like... maybe they'll make a magical doorway that jumps randomly between time periods? Just so you know Evelyn did figure out the right ingredients to build a doorway to the human realm. Yesterday's Lie implies the original portal door was created using specific ingredients. She figured it out way back when she was a teenager. So with certain ingredients they could build a doorway that rips random holes in space-time.

OH...

Oh Okay so that might be what Philip is trying to do in the next episode.

Like I said before I think he is aware of time pools, but he could have made a time-door to cut out the wait time for the next batch of time pools to show up. He's also knowledgeable about doorways as he rebuilt the old one. He hid this time door somewhere but didn't bother to destroy it since he thought his Draining Spell plan would have gone off without a hitch. But the door is going to need a power source of some kind, which he can get from The Collector or from King. By making them fight each other until they bleed or he could try tricking The Collector into giving him a power source.

This is how Luz and Hunter are going to get back to their time huh... Evelyn is going to build them a time door, because not only does she have the knowledge to build a door she'll have access to titans blood. She gave VIALS of it to Caleb so he could travel between worlds...

#toh rambles #prediction #this ends abruptly... sorry lol I don't feel like using my time to polish out this prediction!#I need to figure out where Luz get's stabbed in all this

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akiraidraws · 2 years

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Imperfections AU: Beginnings Chapter 3

Summary: Now faced with caring for a newborn demon, Henry faces a dilemma; what to do now? The studio is a dangerous place for such a young and defenseless toon. Surely he will have to take Bendy home with him. But how? What will Linda think? Will he even be able to sneak the frightened little demon out of the studio?)

(This story contains hurt/comfort and a bit of fluff)

Henry walked briskly down the halls of the animation department. His head still spinning as he tries to conceal the frightened newborn in his arms, shielding him from any coworkers that may cross his path. Who knows how they might react if they saw him, a strange new life in a world that wasn't made for him. Henry certainly wasn't about to risk finding out. One fight today was more than enough, thank you very much.

With a huff, his gaze drifts down to the toon, expression softening significantly.

The little demon is curled up snuggly against his chest, sniffling and keening as large inky white tears stream from closed pie cut eyes. His gloved hands grasping firmly at the fabric of Henry's shirt and refusing to let the man go. The sight makes Henry absolutely livid. He never thought Joey would ever stoop so low as to harm an innocent child. Let alone try to kill one! His whole perspective of the man he called his bestfriend has just been forever turned upside down. What else is Joey hiding? What else is he capable of?? He's not sure he wants to find out.

Sigh, this is all too much...

Henry quickly reaches the privacy of his office and locks the door behind him. A long exasperated sigh escaping his lips as he leans back against the cool wood. The adrenaline was wearing off and he was becoming increasingly exhausted, the pain in his back making itself known.

Great, like today could get any worse.

Bendy fusses and sniffles in his arms. His little tail having snaked its way around Henry's forearm, gripping it tightly. The little toon is confused and afraid. Having nearly been killed so soon after being born. For what, Henry was still uncertain.

What was so wrong about Bendy that Joey deemed it necessary to make an attempt on his life? Sure, he wasn't the same as in the cartoons, his legs animal like and what should be white a pale yellow instead, but that wasn't the little ones fault. He never asked for this.

"It's an abomination!" Rings in his ears.

Henry shakes the memory away. His lips curling into a sort of snarl as anger boils up from within. Bendy most certainly isn't an 'abomination' of all things, he'll have you know.

He's just an infant. Brought into a world that will never understand him, simply for the fact of what he is, a living cartoon.

It's really not fair. The poor little thing deserves just as much a chance as any human child.

Looking down at the fussing toon, he sighs again. Gently caressing Bendy's yellowed tear stained cheek with his finger hoping to provide at least a little comfort to the frightened devil.

What was he going to do now? It was nearing the end of his shift at the studio and he couldn't just leave a defenseless newborn. If someone where to find him... If JOEY were to find him...

His train of thought is interrupted when Bendy grabs his finger with tiny gloved hands, nuzzling into it. The gentle touch working wonders at calming the little demon.

A soft smile spreads across Henry's features. This little fella is the most adorable thing he has seen in a long time. He was sure Linda would agree.

Oh, shoot! Linda! How was he going to explain a living toon to her?!

"Great." Henry mumbles to himself.

"How am I going to explain you to her~?" He coos sweetly, caressing Bendy's cheek as the toon continues to latch into his hand. Refusing to let go.

Clearly, he was going to have to take the tiny demon home with him. There was no other logical option. He just hoped that Linda wouldn't be too spooked by the little houseguest.

Henry strolls over to his drafting desk as he coos to the newborn devil, taking a seat in the uncomfortable wooden chair with a pained grunt. He must have hit the floor harder than he thought... his back is killing him.

His attention is brought back to the little demonic bundle when he feels Bendy shift in his arms. The little demon was gazing up at him, large pie cuts giving the man his full attention. Henry gently wipes away any stray tears from Bendy's face leaving only white stains in their wake. The little toon was finally beginning to calm, his cries dying down to small hiccups. Glistening pie cuts slipping closed as he nuzzles into the animators soothing touch.

Henry frowns down at him "I'm so sorry, kiddo." His tone is soft and warm, a near whisper.

"You never asked for this and you certainly didn't deserve it..." He trails off as Bendy babbles up at him.

"Hen-Henry. Mine. My Henry. Safe. Keep Henry. Mine."

The animator lets out a laugh, somewhere between amused and shocked at the little toons words. He wasn't expecting that.

A soft smile finds its way to his lips once more.

Bendy wants to stay with him. Wants to "keep" him. Well, he certainly has no problem with that. In fact, he was already quite attached to the little demonic armband.

"Heh. Don't worry, kiddo. You're stuck with me now." Henry coos.

But that begs the question; how was he going to get Bendy out of the studio without him being seen? Joey surely would not allow it. Not that he cares right now what Joey wants. He just tried to kill the poor little thing! To hell with what Joey wants!

Henry gingerly stands from the wooden chair to scan his office for anything that he could possibly use to hide the little demon. His gaze landing on the jacket he had worn earlier this morning. That should work just fine.

He checks the clock hanging solitary on the wall. It's just before 6 o'clock in the evening, Linda's going to be expecting him home by now.

Henry sighs. "It looks like you're coming home with me tonight, kiddo. I just hope Linda doesn't get too upset when she sees you..."

Bendy looks up at him from his comfy position in the animators arms.

"Home? Linda?" He doesn't understand what those words mean and it scares him. He doesn't want to go home! Doesn't want anyone else getting mad at him for, well, he doesn't know what for...

His grip on Henry's hand tightens momentarily as if he's afraid of losing his only lifeline. His little smile wobbling with the building of fresh tears.

Henry gently shushes him, cooing soothing assurances to the little toon.

"Hey, it's alright~ Please don't cry~"

Bendy wibbles in response, his tail wrapping tighter around Henry's arm. "No wanna go home. Stay. Henry mine. Henry stay."

The tears that well up in the demons eyes break the animators heart. The pure white a stark contrast to Bendy's dark blacks.

Henry can't help it as his lips curl downward into a sad frown. It hasn't even been an hour yet and Joey already has this poor little fella afraid of everything. That just won't do, he can't stay here and he's not going to leave the newborn to fend for himself.

He sits cross legged on the floor and sets Bendy down on his calves so that they are facing each other. One hand hooked under the newborns arm to help support his weight while Bendy keeps a firm grasp on the other, refusing to let the appendage go. Bendy gazes up at the man with confusion. His little gloved hands keeping Henry's hand pressed firmly to his cheek like it's the only thing keeping him from melting away into an inky puddle.

"Bendy" Henry starts softly "Home is where I live. I don't live in the studio."

"..." The tiny demon all but responds.

"I have to go home, kiddo. Linda, my wife, she'll be worried about me."

"Wife?" Bendy inquires with a sniffle. He doesn't know what that means!

Henry chuckles softly. "Yes, Linda is my wife. It means that I love her very much and she loves me. And I just know she'll love you too, well, after the initial shock of course... She helped me design you ya know."

Bendy cocks his head to the side, giving the animator a questioning look. Whoever this 'Linda' lady is, she made him too?

"That's right, kiddo." Henry chimes with a smile, answering the little demons unasked question. "Linda helped me create you, to make you the darling little boy that you are today. And I'm positive that when she gets to know you, the real you, she'll be through the roof with joy."

The little demon blinks at Henry as he processes what has been said. Maybe, just maybe, home won't be so bad. If Henry says it'll be okay than he must be telling the truth, right?

"Bendy?" The man gently queries, becoming worried by the toons silence.

"Wanna go home." Bendy answers suddenly, little black pie cuts meeting the animators dark blues. "Wanna go home with Henry. No stay here. Scared."

The animators smile brightens just a little. He was expecting more of a fight from the little demon.

"Alright, little one~" Henry coos back. "Lets get you outta here."

He lifts the little demon from his legs and sets him down on the floor. Carefully removing his hand from Bendy's softening grasp before standing to his full height.

"I'll be right back." He assures. "Stay here."

He quickly retrieves the coat from it's resting place, looking it over carefully. This should be large enough to conceal the little demon. As well as keep him warm in the chilly spring air.

But now comes the tricky part, navigating the halls without Joey spotting him. Who knows how the man will react after their encounter earlier. He said he'd leave Bendy alone as long as Henry keeps him away, but something tells the animator that that simply isn't true. The toon would be in danger if the director had a chance to nab him again...

A sudden thump makes Henry jump out of his skin, turning on his heel in alarm only to find a newborn toon not quite where he had left him. Bendy was seated awkwardly on the floor just behind the animator, rubbing at the base of his tail.

"Owww... stupid floor."

Henry is baffled at how the demon had managed to move so quickly. Surely walking on those legs is going to take a little bit of practice, but it seems Bendy was already busy figuring it out as he props himself back up onto hands and knees and back up onto shaky legs. The gazelle like appendages wobble beneath him, his tail flicking around wildly in attempt to find that perfect position to maintain balance. It's a spectacle for the animator to behold. And a rather adorable one at that. Bendy clasps onto the animators pant-leg as he reaches him, looking up at Henry with a proud smile.

"Did ya see?" He questions excitedly. His spaded tail waggling from behind like that of a happy puppy. "I did it!"

"You did!" Henry exclaims proudly, scooping up the little toon into his arms and placing an affectionate kiss to Bendy's windows peak. "You're so fast! My speedy little kiddo, I'm so proud of you!"

Bendy squeals in delight at the praise, his smile stretching from eye to eye as he wriggles happily in the animators grasp. It makes Henry's heart melt. Linda is going to love this little guy, he just knows it.

"Are you ready to go, kiddo?" Henry inquires with a chuckle.

The giggly little demon in his arms responds with a nod. He wants to get out of this studio, wants to go home and meet Linda.

"Alright then." Henry continues, "Lets get you wrapped up so you don't turn into a little inky popsicle."

Bendy's tiny form swims in the oversized jacket, perfectly concealed save for the smallest bit of pale yellow. He happily nuzzles into the warm material that makes up the lining of the garment. It's so soft and it smells just like Henry. A very comforting mixture for the newborn devil, he can feel himself slipping into sleep by the second.

Henry slings his satchel over his shoulder and adjusts his hold on the swaddled toon before leaving his office. Now to just make it to his car undetected. It can't be that hard, right?

Apparently it can as Norman greets him from down the hall just as Henry's stepping out of his office. The projectionist waving him down with that usual tired smile of his. Of all days...

"Heading out, old man?" Norman chimes teasingly, his naturally loud voice earning a wince from the animator. Henry chances a glance down at the toon in his arms, concern forming a lump in his throat at how the little demon may react to a new face. To his relief, Bendy is sound asleep within his makeshift cocoon. Soft snores the only give away to his presence.

"Yep. You know how Linda gets when I'm not home for dinner." Henry banters back, trying his best to hide his relief and avoid suspicion. He just wants to get to his car without the sleeping little demon being discovered. Something that is easier said than done apparently.

"I sure do." Norman chuckles, his smile not quite reaching his eyes. "Though I can't say I blame the lady, Joey has been working you to the bone lately. All that overtime has gotta be rough on the both of you lovebirds."

Henry rubs at the back of his neck with his free hand, smiling sheepishly. "You don't know the half of it, Norman. That's why I really ought to get going. Don't want to keep Linda waiting." He gestures down the hall with his thumb. His smile wavering as the sleepy bundle in his arms shifts slightly, exposing more of his little yellowed face.

"Ya sure as heck don't, I can imagine." Norman banters back with a booming laugh. "What with all the overtime, Linda's gotta be 'bout ready to give Joey the ol' what for!"

Henry feigns a smile in response as Norman brings a naturally heavy hand down on his shoulder, making the animator wince and the bundle in his arms startle. The contact having woken the little demon quite suddenly. Bendy whimpers and shifts under the fabric of Henry's jacket, making panic rise in the mans core.

"That's exactly why I've got to go." Henry responds a little too quickly. "I have no doubt she'd storm in here and give Joey a piece of her mind. And trust me, nobody wants that."

His attempt at humor falls flat when the little toon in his arms begins fussing, half asleep and confused as to who Henry is talking to.

"Alright. Alright." Norman laughs. The man seemingly oblivious to the soft sounds emanating from Henry's jacket. "Better get goin' then, old man. Don't want ta keep the lady waitin'. Lord knows we don't need no more trouble on our hands."

Henry chuckles nervously in response. His smile far from genuine while Bendy fusses and shifts in his arms, threatening to accidentally slip out from the jacket and make himself known. Henry is quick to grab the fabric and pull it back over the toon, earning a concerned look from Norman. But before the other man has a chance to speak up, Henry waves him off.

"No, we don't. So I'd better go. See ya, Norman!" Henry turns on a dime and makes his way back down the wooden hall. All but running to the exit while holding the swaddled demon to his chest. He just needs to get to his car without any more interruptions.

Norman stands there, watching the animator retreat with a suspicious glare. There's somethin' fishy goin' on here for sure. Henry's hidin' somethin'. Somethin' otherworldly. He's sure of it.

Henry makes it out to the parking lot without so much as another hitch, slipping into his car and slamming the door shut. He heaves a heavy sigh of relief when Bendy is once again fast asleep in his arms. Little white z's floating above his head before popping against the fabric of his jacket.

Huh, that's strange.

He doesn't linger on it long though, opting to gently set the bundled demon on the passenger bench before starting the ignition. He's not out of the woods yet. As long as he's still on studio grounds Bendy isn't safe from prying eyes or the angered director.

The car sputters before rumbling to life, the vibrations gently consoling the sleeping little toon within. And without much fanfare, Henry pulls out of the parking lot and sets his sights for home.

The short drive through the city is uneventful in the evening hours. Stretches of tall brick soon giving way to modest little homes as city turns to suburb, peaceful and quiet. The sun is just starting to set in the horizon, painting the sky in an array of vibrant pinks and oranges. The trees that line the streets bare from winter frost as they dance in the gentle wind. A comforting sight to the animator. The familiarity of home.

Henry pulls into the driveway of a decently sized house clad in slightly dingy white siding. Putting his old beat up car into park right outside of his modest little home. He breathes a sigh of relief, resting his forehead against the cool leather steering wheel and fixing his gaze on the heap of fabric to his right. The little demon hadn't stirred once during their trip. Remaining sound asleep within the warm cocoon of Henry's jacket. He supposes that's a good thing, who knows how Bendy might respond to all the sounds and sights of the physical world. That's a venture best left for another day. For now, oh god, how is he going to introduce this little guy to Linda without causing a scene??

He sits there in his car for long moment as he gazes softly at the sleeping bundle of cartoon demon right beside him. There's a knot in the pit of his stomach born from uncertainty and apprehension. How's he to know how Linda may react? For all he knows she might very well turn the little toon away out of fear.

There's only one way to find out, he supposes. Press on.

Henry bites the bullet. Sitting upright in his seat and taking a deep breath, he gently collects the sleepy little toon from his spot on the passenger side bench. Scooping him up and shushing muffled protests.

Bendy fusses tiredly in the animators hold, whimpering and keening until he's placed against rough fabric that makes up Henry's dress shirt. The contact and sound of a familiar heartbeat instantly soothing the newborn toon, little gloved hands slipping free from their hiding spot within soft fabric and gently grasping at Henry’s shirt.

The animator coos lowly to Bendy until the little demon settles. Falling back asleep against his chest like a child in their fathers arms. It brings a warm smile to his face. Perhaps Bendy is the miracle he and Linda have been waiting for.

Only time can tell.

Without further ado, Henry snaps up his satchel and steps out of the car, adjusting his hold on the newborn and making his way to the front door of his home. Its nothing spectacular. Just a simple wooden door to a simple little house, but it brings a renewed sense of hope to the animator that everything will work out in the end. After all, Bendy is his responsibility now and he isn't going to let the little demon down.

Before Henry has a chance to reach into his bag for the keys, the front door unexpectedly rattles and opens up to a familiar and deeply comforting face; Linda.

"Henry! Where have you been? You where supposed to be home half an hour ago!"

The concern on Linda's face brings a soft frown to the animator's features. He... honestly should have expected this.

"I'm sorry, Lin." Henry offers earnestly. "Something important came up. Just please, bear with me."

He joins Linda just inside the front door of their home, closing it behind himself and giving the woman his full attention. Better to do this now. Get it over with.

"Linda." Henry starts. "Before I show you this, I need you to promise that you won't panic. Please. I need you to stay as calm as possible."

The woman gives her husband a look that is somewhere between confused and concerned. Troubled by the mans unusual behavior. What could have happened to have her Henry acting so very strange?

"What... what are you talking about, hon? What happened??"

Henry sighs low and long, looking into Linda's eyes with a soft smile.

"Lin~ I'd like you to meet someone~"

He lowers the newborn toon from his chest, revealing the sleeping little demon to his rightfully surprised wife.

"This is Bendy. Somehow... somehow Joey used his weird magic to bring this little guy into the physical world. It's why I was late. I'm sorry."

Linda stands there with both hands covering her mouth, eyes ripe with shock at what she was seeing. This isn't real. This can't be real. But it is, she realizes, as the little toon whimpers and slowly stirs into consciousness. His little pie cut eyes landing on her and going wide before they fill with strange white tears.

Henry is quick to bring the little demon back up to the security of his chest. Holding him close and cooing to Bendy soothing reassurances.

"Shhh~ Shhh~ It's okay~ You're okay~" He coos. Gently rocking and bouncing the little demon in an attempt to calm him. "It's okay, Bendy. That's my wife, Linda. The nice lady I told you about."

Bendy sniffles into the animators chest. His gaze shifting up to dark blues that hold nothing but warmth.

"Linda?" The little toon questions.

Henry hums softly in return as he turns the little demon to face the red haired woman.

"That's right, kiddo. This is Linda."

Bendy's gaze shifts from Henry to Linda, taking in the animators words while his sniffles lighten. He flinches a little when the woman approaches him but slowly relaxes in Henry's hold as she kneels down to be at his level.

"Oh my goodness~!" She exclaims joyously. "Hey there, little one~ Hello~"

Linda reaches out a finger to the little toon who hesitates, looking to Henry who nods in approval before returning the gesture with a tiny hand. She gently shakes the appendage reluctantly grasping at her finger. Offering a warm smile to the newborn.

"Aren't you just darling~" She coos.

"Welcome home, little one~ Oh~ You really are a pleasant surprise~!"

Her attention turns back to Henry, eyes full of wonder and curiosity.

"Henry? How... how is this real? How is he here? Oh my goodness! How is Bendy alive!?"

The animator beams at his wife before bringing the newborn back to his chest. Cradling him close as Bendy looks between the two, a small smile on his face.

"I'm not entirely sure. It all happened so fast." He responds honestly. "But he's here now and I think... I think he's the answer to our prayers, Lin. The miracle we've been waiting so long for."

Linda returns her husbands earnest smile with one of her own. Her hazel eyes glistening with tears as she nods.

"Oh, Henry~!" She sniffles. "I think so too~!"

Bendy squeaks in surprise when Linda embraces Henry in a loose hug. Tears streaming down her face and oddly enough to the little demon, a happy smile still on her face. She gently pets the little newborn between his horns while Henry holds her close. Placing a loving kiss to her fiery red hair and nuzzling into it with his cheek.

Is this what family is? The little toon thinks it might be, and... he thinks... he wants to keep it.

The rest of the evening passes by in one eventful blur. A haze of new experiences for Bendy who soon finds himself asleep in Henry's arms once again. He's carried up to the couples bedroom where he's settled cozy and safe in their bed, ready to face his new life with the love and guidance of his newfound family.

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rattyarts · 4 years

Text

Huge-ask post (I am VERY funny)

Because I have so many questions that can be answered with just text, and I have mentioned my dislike of filling my art blog up with Words Words Words... let’s get them all done in one go!

(You guys can blacklist #rattytalks if you’re just here for the draws, btw)

A shit ton of asks under the cut!

Anonymous said: So for the center of the world, what with it being forcefully PG and all Bad Thoughts TM being prevented, how does having kids happen? Do parents just black out and wake up holding a child in their arms and vague memories of the last 9 months?

Ever seen a movie where they do that “and one day... a baby was born!” thing and a kid just appears offscreen with no explanation?

(This is how it works everywhere, Edgelands included; no one does the do or gets pregnant in this setting.)

Anonymous said: Hello! Quick question, and sorry if you’ve answered this before, but can other elves see the “intangible” bits of one another? Big fan of your work btw!

Nope! And thank you!

Anonymous said: Leopold was in my dream last night but I sadly cannot remember any of it.

I am SO sorry. I will try to keep my stinky murder men out of your head in the future.

Anonymous said: are the floaty bits stuck in one spot, or could the one they are attached to learn to move them around their body as long as its still within a certain distance? like, someone with the Floaty limbs, lets call him Ray, can move his limbs all over his body, allowing him to do all sorts of neat things that others with their attached limbs probably couldn't?

Whatever you want, honestly. As a general rule of thumb I don’t like putting down TOO many hard rules that prevent people from having fun with this setting. (Please ignore and scrap anything you think is stupid, I do this all the time and enjoy keeping this setting inconsistent and contradictory)

Anonymous said: Do elf names work off of Death Note rules, or is it like, if you know one elf’s name, all elves with that name are now unable to harm you? So if all the elf brothers are named Martin, for example, does it only work with blue?

I think it’s prolly just the one! Probably? Idk, might change if I think of something funnier.

Anonymous said: Can elves do magic on themselves or does thst go against the knowing name rule

Most people tend to know their own names, lol. So in my opinion, no, but don’t let me stop you if you got a fun idea.

Anonymous said: Could an Elf stitch on parts from another elf and have them work? i.e an Elf's finds the arm of another Elf. "Hey, free arm, might as well put it to good use", so they attach the arm and now they can give three high fives at once!

Same deal as previous questions, I personally would say no, but I also encourage people to do whatever the hell they want. It’s more fun that way!

Anonymous said: I bet elves are greasy to the touch.

They’re very powdery! Like if you rolled them in flour. And by flour I mean nasty glowing elf dandruff.

Anonymous said: Can elves fly or are their wings just for show?

No flying!!! (Unless you’re a mousefly)

Anonymous said: Something tells me that the elves would LOVE Obatzda.

Had to look that up, but definitely!

no1fan15: Not sure if someone asked already- Does Edgeworld have any equivalent to demons and angels? Like the old rubberhose cartoon kind?

Demons, yes! That’s what imps are: basically any demon, devil, or generic monster, but tiny! Even a couple of pop culture critters in there, there’s probably a very small gillman or robot monster running around there somewhere.

Angels, not so far.

Anonymous said: How come Margaret hasn't yeeted George's jar into the Edge yet

I’d say being locked in a closet is good enough! (and also I need him for plot reasons, don’t tell anyone)

Anonymous said: If elves have knees bulges in the front then do they have butt bulges in the back?

i do not want to think about elf bulges

Anonymous said: So if you find a baby Therewoof and you say "aw you're so cute", their true name is So Cute?

Yep!

Anonymous said: Since a Therewoof's true name can be something like "cutie pie" or "dingus", does their name have to be spoken with "intent" for it to doggo-fy them? Or do they just have to live with the reality that any casual conversation/flirting can make them lose up to a month to Doggy Mode? My mom has little terrier dog named "Sweetie" so that got me thinking 'bout Therewoof names. & Anonymous said: here's a good question: If someone says a therewoof's true name, but not reffering to them, does it still affect them?

Just saying it will do! It’s based on those old werewolf stories where calling out the person’s name will change them back into a human/cure them, and a lot of the time it was by accident.

(My favorite is the one where they slam the door on the wolf’s tail and then say his name, and the dude ends up with a wolf tail for the rest of his life.)

Anonymous said: Would Seeing eye Therewoofs be a thing?

I... guess? Probably? Since regular dogs can turn into woofs, yeah. You might have to start paying em once they turn into a person tho.

Anonymous said: Was ChalkZone ever an inspiration for you? Because I just love the silly world of ChalkZone and I noticed getting that same warm feeling when thinking about Edgeworld.

Maaaan, I wish. I’ve only seen about three episodes or so, but it seems really fun!

Anonymous said: So I saw your mimic post, and even though I don't think I've seen any other of your art before I was absolutely HAMMERED with an indescribable sense of slightly unsettling strangeness and comfortable familiarity. Your art feels like something from like, an old point and click computer game I would have had formative memories of before accidentally losing or scratching the disc therefore making me unsure if it ever REALLY existed. Sorry for being weird but I love the wacky nostalgia feel here

Aaaaaah, THANK YOU! That is SUCH a cool comparison and I appreciate!!!

Anonymous said: If the Edgeworld is based on cartoons then is there a Reverse Edge-world that’s based on anime?

Lol, I mean I DID have an anime phase for a while there, so...

caydebug: Man I’d love to see this as a cartoon some day

Honestly, same. Best you’re gonna get is the occasional animatic or gif, tho.

Anonymous said: Does anyone..."go" in Edgeworld? or is it like Pleasantville where bathrooms exist but there are no toilets in them because acknowledging it is yucky?

Oh god I keep getting asked this and have been avoiding it like the damn plague. But... Uh. No. No they do not. I am begging you all not to send any followup questions.

Anonymous said: Have you considered putting computer viruses or illnesses in with the buggymen? Since those are typically called ‘bugs’

Sure!

Anonymous said: are there any limits to what an Animimic could posess? i.e if they were in a costume of a Buggieman with multiple arms, could they control all of them? what about a small Mousefly costume? can multiple fit into one costume like a clown car? and what about in pitch black darkness, where you can only see the lights of their eyes and not their bodies? could one fit inside the pocket of a jacket you are wearing and help you steal things/wield a gun like a living turret?

Since clothing fills into the body type of the intended wearer, they would indeed be able to control all arms/legs in buggieman clothes.

Size restrictions is one of these things I wanna try to be vague about: I personally have been imagining them sticking to hiding in things no smaller than, um. Maybe imp sized, but really, whatever. It’s a cartoon eyeball critter!

You can put multiple animimics in one outfit!

They can move around just fine in darkness without being off screen, yeah!

And sure why not. lol

Anonymous said: I know you have been asked this once before, and you said nah you don't, but with a few more months of worldbuilding, do you have an idea for what could be down the edge now? 🤔

Not really! It’s not super important, honestly. I’d say any fan theory is about as valid as anything else I can come up with.

ps2polpo: I doubt you’ll ever elaborate on The Edge but I like to imagine there’s just one dude there like the Nowhere Man from the Yellow Submarine movie. Mostly cause the thought of someone accidentally winding up there being like “where am I?” And there’s just a guy casually waving at him like a friendly neighbor is funny to me & Anonymous said: The implication that the Edge is the physical manifestation of edginess so there’s probably like, Trevor Henderson monsters hanging out down there.

See above question! Valid! I also accept falling forever, getting erased from existence, ending up in another universe, getting stuck in limbo with thousands of other people, whatever you want, really!

Anonymous said: " he has very few bones and weighs basically nothing, " "Fastball special" trope, but with Leo?

YEET THE NASTY MAN

Anonymous said: did you ever watch dragon tales as a kid? because george and margaret make me think of murderous zak and wheezie from that show, and i love it to bits

I did not, but I would have loved it. Definitely up my alley!

(watched Quest for Camelot a loooot, though!)

Imma go ahead and stop here! There’s more but I’ve been writing for well over an hour and I have things to do. If your question is missing I’m either saving it for later, wasn’t entirely sure how to answer, or it’s spoilery.

Will probably do another one of these at some point!

#rattytalks #asks #edgeworld

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missperfectlyfine13 · 4 years

Text

Puppy Love

Summary: Beca and Chloe find a stray dog on the streets of New York and Chloe doesn't have the heart to leave him behind.

Bechloe Week 2020 - Day 2: “He Bit Me”

Read Below or on AO3

“Chloe we cannot bring that thing home,” Beca groans as her girlfriend snuggles the dirty, scraggly little puppy into her chest, “our apartment doesn’t even allow dogs.”

“But Beccaaa...” Chloe pleads, petting the dog’s dusty brown fur softly, “it doesn’t have a home, and it’s not like our landlord will even notice or care, the family downstairs adopted a beagle two months ago.”

“We already have Fat Amy, we can’t take care of her and a puppy,” Beca rolls her eyes.

Chloe’s sparkling blue eyes are already watering and she’s jutting her bottom lip out dramatically. She knows that it gets Beca every time, and she’s not wrong, Beca can already feel her composure breaking.

“The shelter isn’t even open this late, can we at least keep him overnight until I can take him tomorrow?” the red head barters with her.

Beca’s not heartless and Chloe has a point, “Ok, he can stay overnight.”

Chloe squeals excitedly, jumping up and down, “Thank you Bec! We have to stop and get him some dog food on the way home.”

When they finally make their way back to the apartment, Beca is carrying a bag of dog food and a few toys Chloe had insisted on getting their newest furry friend. Amy is no where to be seen, and that might be for the best. Beca’s not sure how she would have taken their new addition.

“We’re home Scrappy,” Chloe coos, setting the puppy down to explore his new surroundings.

Chloe had quickly come up with the name Scrappy Doo for the dog, and Beca has to admit he does look a little bit like the famous cartoon dog. She knows that her girlfriend is already attached to the little dog. It’s going to be like pulling teeth to get her to actually take him to the shelter, but that’s a bridge they’ll cross when they get there.

“Bec, I’m going to give Scrappy a bath,” Chloe picks the dog back up and over to the curtain hiding their bathroom, “can you pour some of that dog food into a bowl for him, and some water in another?”

“Yea, I got it Chlo,” Beca moves over to the cupboard and grabs a couple bowls.

She can hear Chloe baby talking to the puppy in the bathroom as well as little yips of unhappiness from him as he’s getting bathed. It makes Beca feel warm and happy inside that Chloe has so much love for every human, animal, or creature she comes in contact with. This isn’t the first animal they’ve “saved”. A few months ago, they found a cat that ended up living with them for quite a while, but it was winter and Beca’s not heartless. Last spring Chloe rescued a baby bird that she helped nurse back to health at the vet clinic she’s interning at.

Beca wishes they could keep this dog. She knows how much Chloe wants an animal; it just isn’t going to work.

“Beca?” Chloe calls from the bathroom, it sounds like she just shut the water in the tub off.

“Yea?” she calls back, setting down the now full bowls of water and food for the puppy.

“Can you grab me a towel?” Chloe yells back, loud little barks now resonating through their apartment.

Beca grabs a bath towel and runs to the curtain dividing their bathroom from the rest of the living space. Chloe is on her knees, holding Scrappy in place in the tub. Beca hands her the towel and the red head begins to dry off the puppy, who looks far less pathetic now that he’s had a bath. The second Chloe sets him down on the floor, he runs to Beca and promptly shakes any remaining water from his fur, showering Beca with water droplets.

“Gahhh,” Beca yelps, putting her hands up like it’s going to actually help, “I swear he ran right at me to do that on purpose.”

Chloe rolls her eyes, “He didn’t do it on purpose Beca.”

“Sure he didn’t,” Beca wipes her face off with the back of her arm.

The rest of the night with the puppy goes similarly. Beca’s convinced the dog actually hates her. When he’s eating, he happens to fling a pellet or two all the way across the room at her. He has an accident inside, conveniently all over Beca’s shoes. He only seems to bark when he’s around Beca, and she’s convinced she heard a growl at one point.

He’s been an angel around Chloe. Never once did he fling food or water, or pee on her shoes, or growl when she gets near. When did Beca become the devil reincarnate?

It’s finally time to go to bed, which means it’s that much sooner to getting rid of Scrappy Doo. Beca settles down happily on the bed, cuddling up behind Chloe, throwing an arm around her middle.

“I love you Chloe,” she mumbles into her back.

“I love you too Bec,” Chloe says sleepily, with a big yawn.

Just when Beca is almost asleep, she feels something attempting to wiggle between her front and Chloe’s back. Along with the feeling are little grunts and whimpers…Scrappy is trying to get into bed with them.

“Ok this is where I draw the line,” Beca groans, sitting up abruptly to remove the puppy from their bed.

She reaches out to grab his furry little body, but before she can make contact, he lunges at her hand. His not very sharp yet teeth land gently around her hand and Beca lets out a frustrated yelp.

“He bit me!” Beca holds her hand up to her chest like she’s been fatally wounded.

Chloe sits up, now aware of the situation, “Bec…he’s a puppy, they bite sometimes, it doesn’t mean anything.”

“Yes it does mean something, that dog hates my guts and I wasn’t about to let him sleep in my bed, that’s already too small because it’s a pull out sofa!” Beca barks back, all her frustrations pouring out.

Chloe grabs the puppy protectively, “He can sleep on my side.”

She flops back down, cuddling Scrappy into her. Beca lies back down but facing the other wall. I guess that’s how it’s going to be, Chloe choosing a dog over her.

Beca can feel something warm and wet on her face when she wakes up the next morning. She scrunches up her nose disgustedly at the foreign feeling. When she finally opens her eyes, she sees Scrappy hovering above her, his tongue jutting out to lick her forehead.

“Aw, see he likes you,” Chloe says sleepily, her voice rough.

For the first time since they brought him home, Beca thinks that maybe Scrappy is kind of cute and that maybe he doesn’t completely hate her. For some reason, the new day has made her soft, and she finds herself lifting the puppy from her pillow and into her arms.

“I guess you’re kind of ok,” Beca yawns, scratching behind the dog’s ears, “but you still have to go to the shelter.”

“Beccaaaa,” Chloe whines, “but he’s so happy here.”

“He’ll be happy somewhere else too,” she quickly replies, lifting the dog off of her and onto the floor.

Chloe pouts the whole morning and the entire way to the shelter. She cuddles Scrappy, whispering things about how he’ll find a ‘furever’ home soon and someone will love him just as much as she does. It breaks Beca’s heart how hard she’s taking it, but they just can’t keep this dog.

When they finally leave Scrappy Doo at the shelter and are leaving, Beca breathes a sigh of relief. Scrappy had been almost just as upset as Chloe was when the two left. The little barks of disappointment almost made Beca think twice.

“I miss him already,” Chloe sighs sadly.

Beca them over on the sidewalk, so they are out of the way of pedestrians and grabs Chloe’s hands into hers.

“We’ll have a dog someday,” Beca says softly, rubbing soothing circles onto the back of her girlfriend’s hands, “someday when we don’t live in a cramped studio apartment, that doesn’t even really allow dogs anyways. Someday when we have a house and a yard, and you’re a vet and I’m making better money as a producer. I want to give you everything you want and more Chlo.”

Chloe steps in closer and places a lovingly kiss on Beca’s lips, “I love you so much Beca.”

“I love you too Chloe,” Beca replies before giving Chloe another sweet but short peck on the lips.

The days go by and Chloe slowly gets over the loss of their furry friend. Surprisingly it’s Beca who’s taking it hard. She finds herself thinking about how happy Scrappy had made Chloe, and how nice it was to have a shared pet between them. It felt nice, she kind of misses his happy, bright energy. He really was the perfect dog for Chloe.

Somehow, all her thinking has her making a pit stop into the shelter on her way home from work a week later. She walks in and the same lady who was at the front desk the morning they surrendered him, is sitting there again, eyeing Beca up suspiciously.

“Hey, hi,” Beca walks up to her awkwardly, “I brought a dog here about a week ago and was wondering if I could adopt it…if he’s still here that is.”

“I remember, Scrappy Doo,” the lady says dryly, “are you sure you want him back…you just got rid of him?”

“Yes, I really do want him back,” Beca says quickly, trying to assure the worker she’s serious, “my girlfriend really loves him, and I wasn’t sure if we could have a dog…but now I think I really love him too. I just want him back.”

The somewhat bitter looking lady almost cracks a smile at Beca’s long rant. She stands and motions Beca behind the counter with a wave, “Follow me.”

She walks Beca up to a large cage with a few other puppies. The second Beca makes it to the gate, Scrappy comes running up, tail wagging, barking happily. The worker opens the gate and Beca walks in, quickly scooping Scrappy into her arms.

“I’m sorry little dude,” she coos, “you ready to come home?”

The puppy simply answers by licking Beca’s cheek, tail still wagging ferociously.

Beca stops at the pet store on the way home, so she can pick out a proper dog bed and real pet food bowls for their new family member. She also picks out a collar and leash. When she finally makes it back to the apartment, her arms are full of pet supplies. Luckily Scrappy had been able to walk on a leash the whole way home, so Beca didn’t have to hold him.

Chloe isn’t home yet, so Beca decides to surprise her. She ties a big bow around Scrappy’s collar and sets him down in the tub. She hides all the pet supplies under their bed. Now she just has to wait. After about a half an hour, Beca finally hears keys jingling outside the door, and her heart starts to race with excitement.

“Hey Chloe!” Beca says almost to boisterously, as the red head walks in the door.

Chloe looks at her with a quirked eyebrow, “Hey Bec…what’s up?”

“Oh not much!” Beca chirps happily.

“Sure, ok,” Chloe laughs, setting her bag down and slipping her shoes off.

“I have a surprise for you,” Beca blurts out, barely able to hold it in anymore.

Now Chloe’s face contorts into a different look of surprise, an excited one, “What is it?”

“Go look in the tub,” Beca smiles.

Chloe doesn’t even question why Beca is having her check the tub, she just races to pull the curtain back, revealing their bathroom. When she finally looks down in, the scream that leaves her is enough to make Beca’s ears ring.

“Scrappy! Oh my god Beca, thank you!” Chloe squeals, picking up the puppy into her arms.

“I guess I kind of got a little attached to him too,” Beca admits shyly.

Chloe ignores her, too busy showering their dog with kisses. He licks at her face appreciatively, much like he had Beca’s earlier. When Chloe finally sets Scrappy down, Beca pulls out her haul of pet supplies, which Chloe is also very excited about.

When she’s finally settled down, Chloe sits down next to Beca on their bed, pulling her close. Beca let’s herself get wrapped up in her girlfriend’s embrace.

“You didn’t have to get him just for me,” Chloe whispers into her shoulder.

“I wanted to, you love him, he made you happy,” Beca replies easily, “plus I wasn’t lying about having a newfound soft stop for him.”

“You’re the best girlfriend ever,” Chloe pulls away and looks at Beca so genuinely it hurts.

“I try,” Beca smirks.

Chloe leans back into give Beca a kiss, but before she can, Scrappy jumps up into her lap. The puppy jumps up, stopping his moms dead in their tracks.

“Scrappy, if you keep me from kissing Chloe, you’re going to have to go back,” Beca jokes, giving the dog a pat on the head.

“Don’t listen to her, you’re part of the family now,” Chloe smiles, hugging Scrappy tightly against her.

“Yea she’s right,” Beca admits, “but just don’t stop me too often.”

“Shut up,” Chloe says playfully, before pulling Beca close, their lips finally meeting in a tender kiss.

#bechloe week #bechloe week 2020 #fanfic #pp fanfic #my stuff

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magic5ball · 3 years

Text

Nature Trail to Hell Arc V: Back into Hell (XI)

Chapter 11: The Super Awesome Epic Final Battle Of ULTIMATE DESTINY VS. Against Bob-Sardoth!

Take a moment to imagine an episode of Spongebob. No not one of the crappy modern episodes- an old one, the sort where you only ever saw half the episode you were so busy laughing your lungs out. Went by pretty fast, didn’t it? Now imagine a single still frame of that cartoon, flying past your screen.

It took Bob-Sardoth less than half that time to bury us five feet into a wall.

(Seriously, how well did you expect kids to do against a millennia old elder god? Well, one that isn’t an evil clown, at least.)

Anyways, Bob was laughing maniacally, surrounded by darkness as we were lodged in a wall like some crappy Egyptian hieroglyphics. Still, like my Mom always says, no matter how rough things get, there’s no reason you can’t end on a high note. So that’s exactly what I planned to do.

“Hilda, I’m sorry I ditched you at this camp with your evil Mom so I could play video games.”

And do you know what Hilda said?

She told me “Wonky Watt, I have a confession: as a space fart, I can see all things at once. Basically, I saw everything you went through, just to get back to camp. And you’re… alright, as far as boys go.”

It was the single nicest thing anyone outside of Mom had ever said to me!

Slowly, I tried to put my hand in hers. She withdrew like it was made of maggots.

“Sorry, but I can also see it’s been over a week since you last washed your hands. No way that’s happening.”

And that’s how it would have ended, with us being crushed to death by Bob Sardoth’s tendrils of darkness…

If a certain someone hadn’t chosen that particular moment to crash the archdemon’s apocalyptic party.

Light poured into the room from the massive crater that had formed in the roof. Plumes of sawdust blocked our vision. When it finally cleared, Bob lay beneath a pile of rubble. And who would be on top of this pile but

Shel. MOTHERFORKING. Silverstein!

“That’s right, Motherforkers!” Shel cried, flexing atop the rubble so hard his puffy magical girl sleeves exploded, leaving the lingering scent of smoke on his biceps.

Then he pointed a big, fat middle finger at me.

“And YOU, Watterson Tostig, are going back to Hell, and you are going to forking like it!”

I rolled my eyes. The guy was starting to sound like my Dad! (At least, what my Dad would have sounded like if he actually paid attention to me. Though little me assumed if he ever did, he would be like the ones on TV.)

And to put the moldy cherry on top of this crappy camp sundae, I couldn’t even move proper! Every time I commanded a limb, it would just shrug and go back to sleep, or whatever it is limbs do.

All I could do was wait as Shel walked over my dying body…

And pull me right out of the wall!

Next thing I knew there was only a Watt shaped hole in the wall where I’d been, my head now under Shel’s boot. It took him a bit of time to make heads or tails of why I was alive, but when he did, boy did he have a fit!

“Great! Just forking great! I track you all the way here, have you right where I want you, but now you suddenly decide to become alive again?! Now how am I supposed to get promoted back to archangel?!”

The old poet looked to his left, then to his right. He started rubbing his magical little hands together like he had an evil plan. Or was just cold.

I tried to run, only to find my malnourished, body couldn’t even do that right!

Now Shel was grinning, an ugly half-moon that could have put the devil himself to shame. “Of course, I could just kill you now, and nobody would know the difference!”

“No you can’t! In case you didn’t notice, I’ve got a friend now. And if she watches you kill me, she’ll tell all of heaven of wherever you Angelinos come from!” I bluffed.

“Nice try, Watterson Tostig, but you know adults never trust a goth girl! Especially angel adults. Which is all of them!”

“Actually, I didn’t know that.”

“Too bad, you f*cking loser. Now prepare to-“

“WAIT!”

Both of us turned to see Hilda, now dislodged from the wall, coughing up sawdust.

“Mr. Silverstein, this might surprise you, but right beneath us is none other than the notorious arch demon BOB-SARDOTH! One of the most wanted hellspawn on the planet!”

Shel spat right into my mouth. I learned a valuable lesson that moment: no matter how famous you are or how many kids books you’ve written, no matter how many planes of existence you’ve ascended or how many great battles you’ve fought, your spit will always taste like the spit of a weenie, and nothing will ever change that.

“As if that will distract me from the call of justice!” he laughed the way my Mom does after she’s pulled five all-nighters in a row.

Hilda got real stern after that. “Mr. Silverstein, I’m a big fan of yours. Read every single book you’ve written. So I know that despite your stupid pious veneer, you crave fame, just like everyone else. And imagine how famous you’ll get after everyone discovers you’ve captured the notorious BOB-SARDOTH! So don’t beat around the bush and start helping me dig!”

Shel tried to stab me, but in the end the lure of notoriety was too great for him. He flung rubble like it was Styrofoam, reaching Ms. Hoebag’s body in record time.

With one mighty fist he pushed his entire fist down the helpless counselor’s throat, yanking out what could only be described as an unholy mix of Furby and Donald Trump’s hair. Thankfully, Shel used his magical staff to exorcise the demon before its’ sheer ugliness drove me insane.

Then that same staff was lodged into my chest again.

“Now, prepare to DIE!”

“But we got BOB!” screamed Hilda, “What more do you want with him?!”

“Silence, fool! This little forking turd has been a pin up my butt all summer, and now, he’s gonna get his comeuppance! Karma’s a b!tch, a$$holes!”

Unfortunately for Shel, he was right on the money.

Because at that moment, a hideous pink mass from outer space referred to simply as ‘Salisbury Steak’ burst in, drawn by the scent of immortal poet flesh. Even if I wanted to, I didn’t have time to warn Shel as the ooze absorbed him, and in a scene that will be scarred into my retinas until the day I die, consumed his soul! The only reason I was spared I think, is because my bony was just too bony for anybody to find appetizing, not even that slimy abomination.

Hilda stood stock still right next to me, just as mind blown as I was.

But before I could do anymore internal introspection on the whole incident, there was a thunderclap of hands. A large, meaty palm gripped my shoulder.

“SALISBURY STEAK! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!”

I didn’t even need to turn around to see who it was.

“I can’t believe it! Eating without saying grace! You should be ashamed of yourself!”

First time I’d ever heard her angry. I mean, I always figured she had some pent up frustration, but thinking it in your head and seeing it in the flesh were totally different things. Somehow, the Steak took it worse. It morphed its’ gelatinous flesh into a hand, index finger pointed at yours truly!

“Why, thank you for pointing out the problem, Mr. Cuddles! I’ll have some special scented cinnamon roll stickers for you as soon as you clean up this mess.”

Before she finished, the Steak (Mr. Cuddles, apparently) was already dissolving rubble in his gelatinous body.

“As for YOU TWO, I’ll be seeing you in my office!”

#My writing #Nature Trail To Hell #salisbury steak #shel silverstein #summer camp

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mwolf0epsilon · 4 years

Note

What monster qualities would you give the other characters, if you gave the Projectionist big claw arms?

Sammy and the Projectionist are thus far the only two I've added traits to. But if I had to pick specific traits for the other Ink Beings, it'd probably be the following:

Searchers - They're amorphous creatures barely held together, so it'd make sense if they can form different "weapons" out of their own mass that they can temporarily solidify. Most common would be fangs and claws, but some go so far as to grow long-reaching tendrils to use as whips, or even spikes to bludgeon you with.

Swollen Searchers - More bulbous shapes and a varying ranges of sizes. Depending on how much thick ink is harvested from them regularly, but I like the idea that they can grow indefinitely if left unattended since they're not aggressive. Who needs fangs or claws when you can drown people in your own mass?

Swollen Jack - I've actually made him rounder and softer looking, so he's less on the monster trait scale, and more on the friend shaped scale. Doesn't mean he won't grow a massive maw of fangs when he's agitated enough tho.

Lost Ones - The emaciated look and glowing eyes are already scary enough on their own. Their withdrawn behaviour makes them unsettling as well, so there's nothing to add there. They likely would try to stay as human as possible anyway.

Buddy Boris - He's softer than most of the ink creatures because he's Boris the Wolf. Still don't expecting a nice cartoony grin, he has a wolf's mouth. It looks a little unsettling actually.

Allison Angel - She had sharp nails, but like with her horns she filed them down so they'd not get in the way. There are two weird nubs on her back where she was meant to have wings.

Tom Boris - Looks more like a wolf than a cartoon dog. Sharper angles, coarser fur. Snarls like an actual wolf too.

Twisted Alice - She has wings that she can retract. They're mangled and pretty horrifying to look at. Also very sharp nails.

Ink Demon - A long devil tail, defined spines and claws. Right foot is a hoof. Toothy grin can become a fanged maw like in its beast form. Might consider adding wings but honestly can't tell if it looks better with or without them.

#Bendy and the Ink Machine #BATIM #Headcanons

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ryik-the-writer · 4 years

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Chapter 26 - Temporary Fix

[A03]

Chapter 1: Pan meets a Wendy Chapter 2: Scars (Felix’s Story) Chapter 3: Day One Chapter 4: Revenge and Fireflies Chapter 5: Brighter than Stars Chapter 6: filler: The Tigress Chapter 7: Operation Spotless! Chapter 8: Operation Spotless: Reporters Down Chapter 9: A Dance with the Devil Chapter 10: filler: Felix and the Pancake Chapter 11: The Girl with Blue Eyes pt. 1 Chapter 12: The Girl with Blue Eyes pt. 2 Chapter 13: The Girl With Blue Eyes: Underground Chapter 14. Recovery Chapter 14.2 Recovery some more Chapter 15: Trapped Chapter 16: Filth Chapter 17: Fairydust pt. 1 Chapter 18: Fairydust pt. 2 Chapter 19: The Mystery of the Dead Nun pt. 1 Chapter 20: The Mystery of the Dead Nun pt. 2 Chapter 21: The Mystery of the Dead Nun pt. 3 Chapter 22: Reflections pt. 1 Chapter 23: Reflections pt. 2

Chapter 24: Closing

Chapter 25: Felix is helping Pan

So guess what…

THIS BITCH FINALLY GOT A JOB AND HER OWN PLACE TO LIVE!!

HELL YEAH!!

So slight negative note on that: that kind of means updating is going to be REALLY slow for a while. The place I moved to, while really nice, is kind of out of my budget and I am pulling as many hours as possible to pay for it and such.

On top of that, the place doesn’t have internet and I’m trying to see what my budget will look like after I pay bills so I can consider getting my own (which I really need as a writer and as a journalist).

So just know, I’m not giving up on any of my stories. I’ve just started a new chapter of my life and have to let the ink dry before I can pick up my old interests.

Anyway, here’s Papers and Sleuthers…

-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-

Wendy half-heartedly checked that she had her notepad full of her old notes before she locked up to head to Peter’s. If he started acting up she could use her lack of supplies as an excuse to slip out. She truly hoped it wouldn’t come to that. She wanted this week to be a sort of awakening for them, a chance to finally pull the hatchet away from each other’s throats.

She was linked to him now in the worse way. They’d been through hell together so many times but it hadn’t done anything to shift their relationship into a more stable light. Perhaps if they took the chaos out of the equation something would change. Things really needed to.

She found herself checking her hair as she exited her apartment before she chastised herself. This was an after-hours investigation, not a date!

Wendy scoffed as she locked her door. Her and Pan on a date? What a nightmarish thought!

She grimaced when she reached his door, the unpleasant memory of confronting him the day Mother Superior died still vividly fresh.

“Tosser,” Wendy muttered, wanting to call him something much crueler. However, learning to tolerate him now that they were going to be in close proximity for an unknown amount of time might be beneficial.

With that, she took a deep breath and knocked softly on the door.

There was a light thud behind the wood before it opened, a wild Pan greeting her with a sharp once-over.

“You’re wearing that road-kill?” he scoffed, pointing harshly at her feathered sweater that had been more than appropriate for the weather.

So much for patience.

“Shove it,” Wendy hissed, pushing him into his trashed living room.

“The hell happened in here?”

Pan circled her, not answering, and pulled a giant marker board from the kitchen.

“I’ve started putting some notes together,” he said, adding a picture of Cruella de Vil on the board.

“Um…” Wendy started, her heart speeding up at the site of their old nemesis. “Where are we starting?”

Pan pondered at the start of his chaos. “From the beginning. The devil woman is our best bet. Somehow she set all of this off.”

“How do you figure that?” Wendy inquired.

Pan passed a folder over his shoulder to her, eyes still trained on the board.

Wendy shifted through its components, her gut dropping at the various photos of the dog murderer.

Her brow wrinkled in thought as she went through de Vil’s information. Exact date and location of birth unknown, though her last address was in Manchester…with her now-deceased husband. Wendy whistled at the rap sheet of her marriages. Four times, all but her last ending in death (the last abruptly ended in divorce following a major arrest of the husband.)

There was a scan of her passport as well, signifying that she had been in the country at least six months before she kidnapped Storybrooke’s dogs.

“Why here?” Wendy wondered aloud. “Why Storybrooke, and why dognapping? It’s such a cartoonish villain move.”

“Except in cartoons the villains wouldn’t bleed the dogs out and turn their skins into coats,” Pan muttered, back still to her.

“Coats?” Wendy gasped, the mental image making her stomach twist.

“Last page in the file,”

Wendy balanced the folder to find the page and blinked at the printed out copy of a news article before her.

MANCHESTER WOMAN CHARGED WITH 13 COUNTS OF ANIMAL CRUELTY

Wendy gulped at the picture of the drunk-looking mugshot of de Vil, her intense eyes seeming to stare right at Wendy, as if blaming her for her past crime.

A local woman is being charged with the kidnapping and death of several dogs.

The dogs, all of Dalmatian and mixed Dalmatian breeds, were taken out of the Manchester and Liverpool areas within a three week period, according to authorities.

The woman, identified as 39-year-old Cruella de Vil, was apprehended at an abandoned windmill outside of the Liverpool area where over 20 dogs were being kept. Upon her arrest animal control discovered the mutilated remains of eight dogs. The remaining five dogs very rushed to the Wrightsville Veterinarian clinic for emergency treatment, and are expected to survive.

De Vil is being held at the Wrightsville Police Station without bail.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

Wendy checked the date of the incident to find that Cruella committed her first act three years ago. She shifted to Pan’s slightly cleared off the counter to spread out the devil woman’s file and located an additional article.

MANCHESTER DOGNAPPER TRIAL UNDERWAY

The trial Manchester dognapper Cruella de Vil will begin Monday morning.

De Vil was charged with 13 counts of animal cruelty following the torture and murder of several dogs in January.

De Vil’s lawyer originally declined to comment of her client’s state for her case, but De Vil stated to the press before being led to the jail: “I’m not worried, Darlings. Who would sentence a woman in diamonds?”

Wendy snorted. Now that was quality journalism! She flipped to the next article.

‘DEVIL WOMAN’ CRUELLA DE VIL EXPOSES PLOT FOR DOGS DURING TRAIL

Manchester dognapper Cruella de Vil stated during her trial that she abducted the Dalmatians with the purpose of using their pelts for ‘the perfect coat’.

De Vil continued to go into great detail about how she mutilated the dogs ‘when it was their time’, much to the disturbance to the court.

“I took one pup by his stringy little tail and hoisted him up,” de Vil, who was clothed in an elaborate gown and furs, detailed, “The little bugger wouldn’t stop squealing, even after I slashed his throat open.”

Evidence shows that De Vil had dozens of sketches for coats not just for the Dalmatians she abducted, but also for poodle and Shi Tzu breeds. The sketches also showed plans for various muffs, boots, and glove items.

When asked what she was going to do with all the coats, De Vil said, “Why, wear them of course! I’ll be the envy of every bitch at the social club.”

De Vil's criminal record includes dozens of speeding tickets and two cases of vehicle homicide attempts. Records show that De Vil was acquitted for both cases and never paid off the tickets.

De Vil’s sentence trial will be held in October. Until then De Vil will be held in Manchester Sanitarium for the Mentally Unwell for further observation.

Wendy sighed in exhaustion. What a story! How could someone so heinous be so close to her neck of the woods?

The other articles were faded from an obvious lack of printer ink, but Wendy was able to make out enough from the headlines to guess what happened next.

De Vil was sentenced to two years in a different sanitarium that specialized in disorders like her. She was deemed “cured” after a year and released due to a special project. She left for America right afterward for a “fresh start”.

“Oh she stared fresh alright,” Wendy commented.

“Great,” Pan said from the board. “You’re where I was thirty minutes ago. Let me know when you get where I’m at now.”

Wendy resisted throwing De Vil’s folder at his head.

“I don’t think there’s anywhere else to go with this one,” Wendy pointed out. “She went crazy, killed a bunch of animals, ran here and started all over again. That’s really it.”

“But the motive!” Pan growled, looking her dead in the eye. Desperate. “There had to be something else. Maybe she was working for someone or trying to start a multi-dognapping franchise here or…”

Wendy edged back at the desperation in his voice. He was grasping at straws, but there were none left for him in this case.

“Pan,” Wendy tried carefully, “There’s nothing left,”

“How the hell would you know!” He shouted.

“Because sometimes people are just bad,” she shouted back. “Sometimes they do a few terrible things just to do them! There doesn’t have to be a reason or a great scheme behind their actions! They just cause chaos and kill over!” with a spike of adrenaline, she stepped up to him, feeling his hearted pounding in the buzzing air.

“Don’t they?”

Pan twitched, glaring at her with a raw sense of hatred.

Wendy thought for a moment he might throw her out, and she really didn’t want him to. Pan had to see logic, had to stop filling his mind with information that just wasn’t there, and she couldn’t just run off and leave him to fill in such non-existent gaps.

He’s scared. He’s frustrated. He needs to be kept busy.

With a deep breath, she stepped back to locate one of the other boxes on the couch, tensing a bit when she saw Jekyll’s name on the cardboard.

“We can start with him now,” she said, pulling out a folder.

In a flash, Pan slapped it out of her hand.

Wendy gasped and brought her stinging hand to her chest where a shallow papercut was surfacing, staring at Pan.

“I didn’t mean to do that,” he said, looking just as surprised as she did.

It was the closest thing to an apology she would get from him, she knew, and she expected it, but it still did not stop her from hating him.

“What is your problem!” she yelled as she sucked the blood from her stinging cut.

“Nothing,” Pan defended, though he was tenser than a tightly wound spring.

Wendy looked him over, trying to pinpoint the root of his harsh mood. Of course, going through their old cases was certainly stressful, with the memories that surfaced as they saw photos of their former nemesis faces…

Ah.

She stared at Jekyll’s case box where the corner of his photo was just peeking out, turning Wendy’s stomach.

Gods know what the site of him was doing to Pan.

The journalist stepped away, twisting to pick up de Vil’s box.

“What about her lackey’s?” Wendy inquired, picking through her file. She didn’t meet his eyes as she dug through the very scarce information. “We don’t know how they play into all of this outside their association with de Vil.”

Pan looked at her, his expression solid and unreadable, but Wendy swore she saw a glint of something in his eyes.

Gratitude?

No, Peter Pan didn’t thank anyone for what they did, for him or otherwise.

Good thing Wendy didn’t expect it from him, or anything else for that matter.

They began adding Horace and Jasper’s notes to de Vil’s board, though a now were quick glance told Wendy it wouldn’t add much. They were jailbirds on and off as far back as the records could show, became acquainted with de Vil sometime after their most recent parole hearing, and thanks to her and Pan were tucked safely in a Boston prison until they could be moved to one in London. Nothing more, nothing less.

But Pan wasn’t ready to accept that, so Wendy pretended to stay busy until she commented on ordering from the Chinese menu on Pan’s fridge.

Half an hour later they were sitting silently in his living room, munching on greasy eggrolls as they stared absently at the evidence before them.

Fuzz the cat made a lazy trail from Pan’s bedroom to where they were eating, plopping himself next to Wendy.

The blonde smiled, charmed by the odd-looking cat, and reached out to pet him.

Pan readied a warning. Fuzz was known to scratch first-time visitors to bleeding shreds, but with a flash of naughtiness, decided to let the little bird find that out for herself.

However, Fuzz the cat purred in delight at the attention and collapsed next to Wendy, hungry for more.

“You…slut!” Pan hissed at his sorry excuse of a cat.

Wendy’s eyes widened. “Excuse me?”

“The damn cat,” Pan barked, turning back to his food to begin another round of silence.

Wendy shrugged and quietly offered him another eggroll, which he took with no additional fuss.

It was strange, this quiet domesticity. No violence, no fighting, no apprehension of what was to come.

It would have been peaceful if it weren’t for the wave of uneasiness Pan was letting off.

His leg was shaking with antsiness, and he kept making small sounds to break the silence.

I suppose it’s better than him yelling, Wendy thought. Might as well attempt conversation.

“So…” she begun, earning a questioned glare mid-chew. “I…ran into someone today,”

Pan looked up at her, looking slightly bored.

“And?” he shrugged, mouth full.

Wendy shrugged. Of course it was a stupid thing to bring up. Pan probably knew everyone in Storybrooke, and he had little interest for all of them.

“It’s nothing,” Wendy responded. “Just thought he was…” She searched her vocabulary for the word to describe the man with unsettling charming manners.

“Different,”

Pan’s eyes flickered at that.

Wendy Darling was smitten.

“Sounds like a scoop,” Pan smirked. “Let’s go find him.”

Wendy coughed on her fried rice as he stood. “What?” she laughed, truly mystified.

“Let’s go meet this mystery man,”

Wendy blinked trying to comprehend his shift in emotion as he put on his coat.

“Pan, it was dark out, I didn’t get a good look at him,” she explained. “I don’t even know his name!”

“It’s Storybrooke,” Pan waved her off. “We’ll find out who he is in an hour.”

“This is insane,” she barked with a laugh.

Pan wadded up her jacket and threw it at her, earning a yelp.

“Well, I’m bored. Are you coming or not?”

She stared at him, wondering just how high up the cliff of insanity he had already climbed. Boredom was making him scattered-brained and seeking action in the tiniest occurrence.

It was sad, like watching an animal trying to chew its way out of a trap, but also fascinating. Pan needed her, whether he would say it in words or in action. He needed her to keep him from jumping off that cliff, especially when they had no way of knowing what was waiting for him at the bottom.

With an exhausted sigh, she unraveled her jacket and followed him into the icy night, missing his satisfied smirk as he closed the door.

.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.

Wendy was having trouble keeping on his heels. It was dark and cold and he was the only one who really knew where they were going.

If he even knew himself.

Pan was all over the place tonight, and Wendy was starting to get dizzy from his back-and-forth.

She was practically having to skip to keep up with him. It was like he was forgetting that she was with him. Already he was trying to focus on something else.

Her loud cobbling seemed to echo through the street of Storybrooke, and in the dim night she felt a wave of paranoia run up her spine. It sounded like there was someone behind them, following them.

“Do you hear that?” she asked Pan.

“No, here we are,”

He stopped so suddenly Wendy ran into him, her face hitting him square in the spine. She gained her balance and glared at him before she stepped to his side, staring into the bright building ahead as it spilled vibration into the night.

“What is that?”

“The Rabbit Hole,” Pan smirked. “Sleaziest place in town.”

Wendy snorted through a shiver. “And you thing the well-polished man I ran into tonight is in there?”

Pan shrugged. “Maybe. Either way I want a drink. Come on,”

Wendy followed him with a sigh. At least she would get out of the cold.

Her ears began ringing as soon as she entered the nightclub, her eyes cloudy from the flashing lights.

“I don’t know about this,” she shouted, her voice lost in the sound.

This time, Pan took hold of her sleeve and pulled her through the cluster of tipsy people.

“Good thing it’s not a workday,” Wendy muttered to herself as Pan pulled her to a cluttered table.

She swept bits of food off the sticky surface, wincing at the music and hard chairs. Across her Pan was staring out into the crowd, his eyes glistening bright as he watched the gyrating bodies.

“You…come here often,” Wendy joked, feeling claustrophobic and savagely out of place.

“Once or twice with Tiger Lily,” Pan shrugged, somehow able to hear her over the music.

“And you’re not deaf?” she shouted.

“It’s not loud enough. It never is.”

“Huh?”

Pan looked up from the dancing sin to stare at her. Really stare at her. Truly look at her for the first time in days.

Her hair was growing out more evenly, her curls had even started to come back.

But the bags under her eyes were darker, hollower. She was tired, and he knew it was his fault.

“You want to dance?”

Pan looked as shocked as Wendy was when he looked back up at her.

“Did I…did I hear you right?”

Pan’s bright red face was hidden by the flashing strobe lights. The fuck did he say that?

“You’re not deaf yet are you?” he smirked, standing. “Let’s go.”

Wendy glanced out onto the dance floor. “I…think I’m overdressed.”

Pan glanced out at the half-clothed bodies and chuckled. He slipped off his jacket and undid the first two buttons of his shirt.

Wendy’s heart leapt and her throat tightened.

“You’re turn.”

Wendy shot from her chair, her clothes suddenly feeling stuck to her skin.

“Oh don’t be so damn modest,” Pan cackled, easing out into the dance floor. These little outbursts were giving him some energy.

Wendy shivered, feeling naked under her multiple layers.

Damn it! Why the hell did he have to get under her skin so easily!

She clutched her sleeves, watching as he began to get swarmed by dancers.

Yet…strangely enough…he was still waiting for her. As if he actually wanted her to come out there with him.

Keep him distracted. Keep him busy.

And he was actually smiling!

Well…leering, but he wasn’t as threatening as usual.

With a groan, she shed her feathered coat and eased out into the crowd, instantly getting sucked into the vortex of sweat.

She reached out for stability, hoping she wouldn’t accidentally grope anyone. Out of the sea of grinders a hand grabbed her wrist and—thankfully or unthankfully, she wasn’t sure yet—she fell into Pan’s chest.

“Bet you didn’t do this kind of dancing in your London prep school,” Pan snarked against her hair.

Wendy detached herself from his chest, getting some much-needed space between them.

“I went to a public school, thank you,” she barked, a smile tugging at her lips. It was hard to find a balance with so many people crushing them together.

“What do we…how…” she yelled, desperate for just an inch for space.

She felt Pan’s laugh rumble against her chest, the feeling much more put-together than the vibrations in the air. His hands snaked up her shoulder and gave them just enough space so that they could look into each other’s eyes.

“Just do what I do.” He said.

I already do.

He took her hands and helped her sway in their tiny space. Wendy could have fainted from the heat and the shock of the situation. Here she was dancing with the biggest arse in the entire world! She must be as mad as he was bored!

Her heart pounded as she copied his movements, almost afraid to let him go. So many people were brushing and bumping into them. She could easily be trampled, and something told her she wasn’t leaving the bar tonight without at least a cracked rib.

She looked up to find Pan watching her. He looked strangely human. Less territorial and ready to fight.

Like he was actually…enjoying himself.

“Okay,” he instructed, pulling her arm over her head. He began twisting her wrist and Wendy caught on quickly, letting her twirl her until spots flashed before her eyes.

But he didn’t stop, and she kept going, catching the light in Pan’s eyes each time she spun back to him.

And before Wendy knew it, she was laughing, the sound much more soothing than the trash flowing through the intercoms.

For a moment Peter Pan and Wendy Darling weren’t small-town reporters who got into too much trouble far too often.

They were just two normal adults who were having a fun, random night.

Wendy couldn’t remember the last time she did something like this. Perhaps back in college…when she wasn’t as dark, before the bloodshed and the grittiness of the world became part of her daily routine.

And it was nice to be having this fresh taste of life with the person who had drug her into it.

“Not bad, Wendy Bird,” Pan teased as she grabbed on to his shoulder to stop the dizziness.

“Same to you, Peter Pan,

He scoffed, covering the hand on his shoulder and grasping this one.

“Let’s make you fly.”

With that, he pushed into the crowd, anchoring her with the hold on her arm. She spun back into him naturally, howling like a fool.

“Don’t let go if you’re going to do that,” she laughed.

“I promise, I won’t.”

Wendy had to admit, she rather liked this fun side of him. Sure, he was really just distracting himself from his current issues, but he was doing it in a constructive way that was keeping them both out of harm's way…mostly.

She nearly slammed into a dancer during her second twirl. When she spun back to Pan she was ready to tell him to try something else, but he looked so…happy.

She couldn’t do it…and had he had said he wouldn’t let her get hurt.

And she was safe…

Thank you.

Until he spun her out again…

Time to fly.

And let go.

He was gone in the blink of an eye and she stumbled out into the crowd.

The more drunkard dancers shoved her away and she stumbled to find stable ground.

“Pan!” She called out, drowning.

She was wedged between so many people, blind and hot.

“Pan!” She yelled again, feeling for him. “Where are—“

Someone’s elbow pounded into her lip and she flew to the sticky ground. Blood filled her mouth in seconds, and she stopped caring if she found Pan or not and started searching for a way off the dance floor.

Pan had taken them too far out. She had no idea where she was. People were stepping on her like she was nothing. On her hands, her hair.

She was going to die here. Had Pan done this on purpose? Had he really hoped her death would somehow entertain him?

She was going to die and no one would know until the club closed, or morning at least.

She was going to die…

“I got you lass!”

She was picked up effortlessly and drug from the crowd, the person clutching her moving through them like Moses through the parted sea.

A savior, it would seem.

Before her brain truly recognized what was going on, her savior had her outside, away from the noise and her unintentional murderers. Her lungs painfully filled with fresh, icy air and she started coughing up blood from her wound, very uncaring how disgusting she looked to her companion.

“There you go, love,” the savior—a man?—instructed, patting her back. “Get the sin out of your lungs.”

Love…

Wendy brushed her bangs from her eyes and met the haunting blue eyes of her earlier savior, the very man she and Pan had set off to find.

“You!” she gasped, nearly laughing with the insanity of it. “I…we…hi!”

He chuckled. “Hello again.”

She tried to catch her breath as she went back and forth with the odd coincidence and Pan’s disappearance.

Disappearance…or abonnement?

Wendy’s stomach flipped when the idea passed through her mind. It seemed almost too cruel for him to do, yet it seemed like something that he would do.

He was all over the place tonight, jumping back and forth like a frog on a scorching lily pad.

But really, he was always like that, she just hadn’t accepted it yet.

And now he had left her to be trampled to death in a night club, wandering off to gods’ knows where.

And he didn’t care. He just didn’t care.

“Are you alright?”

Wendy blinked, not realizing that her eyes had been misting.

“Yes, of course,” she breathed deeply and stood. “I just…I need to get home.” And get a club, she added to herself.

“I’ll walk you,” he offered immediately.

“Thank you, but I’m fine.”

The man chuckled. “Each time you say that I find you in peril,”

Wendy made a sound, not wanting to be rude but really not wanting to stick around much longer. “Really I’m fine. But thank you.” She nodded at him and began walking away, the raging fire in her heart, melting the ice in her bones.

“Killian Jones.”

Wendy paused and glanced back at him. “What?”

He smiled, at pearly whites and charm. “My name. I think it’s about time, you learned it.”

Wendy worried at her lip, letting the name rest on her mind. It suited him somehow. An old-world name for an old world charmed man. It was an interesting combination.

“I see. Well then, thank you, Killian Jones.” She said with a nod, picking back up her step.

“Wait.”

Wendy halted, slightly aggravated. If he turned out to be a maniac like Jekyll she’d bash his lights out with a chunk of ice.

He stepped forward, his hands resting in his pockets, showing he meant no harm, posed no threat.

“Would you like to get a drink sometime?”

Wendy laughed, her face burning. “That’s…forward.”

Jones chuckled with a shrug. “With your track record, the next time I may see you is in a hospital.”

Wendy shrugged that was true. She gave him another look over. Mysterious creature of the night.

She had learned already that trusting people was too dangerous, especially the kind who lurked in the dark.

She didn’t know him, and he, despite his multiple rescues, didn’t know her.

“Why on earth would you want to have a drink with a perfect stranger?” she inquired aloud.

Jones cocked his head, his eyes gleaming with intentions Wendy couldn’t trace.

“To get to know you, of course.”

Wendy stiffened, her anxiety rising.

“That’s not a good idea,” Wendy gasped, desperate for space. “I have to go find…” she shook her head, her mind too cluttered to find a definition for her current view of Pan.

“If you change your mind,” Jones called after her. “I’ll be waiting. Tomorrow at the diner.”

Wendy increased her speed, making a direct line to Pan’s apartment.

She was going to kill him. She’d made the threat many times before but this time she meant it.

He left her.

He pulled her into all of this madness, and then just released her to break her neck without him.

Where had he gone? What temporary rush was he following now?

Why hadn’t he taken her with him?

She found his apartment the same way they had left it: locked up and dark. She searched for a spare key in the places anyone else would, but Pan wasn’t like everyone else and thus wouldn’t think to leave a spare key.

Out of aggravation, she picked up a loose brick, check over her shoulder, and hurled it into the glass.

It was exactly something Pan would do, and Wendy couldn’t help the small flame of satisfaction that came with damaging his property—which she had to plan to fix thank you very much.

She stormed in, flicking on lights and opening doors to find him. Fuzz the cat ran out of the bedroom as she checked behind checked in his closet.

“Pan!” she howled, her hands shaking.

Why?

“Where are you?”

Pan wasn’t there. He hadn’t returned to hide from her or even to continue their work. He had vanished completely with no warning for her.

With a stiff sob, she collapsed on the couch, feeling right at him with the shattered remains of his home.

“Peter…”

He left you.

“He left me.”

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

He wasn’t sure when or where he was.

But it was bright there, and surprisingly warm. It couldn’t be a memory of his childhood. Those were always dark and cold.

But he was somewhere…at least he thought it was him. There was glass in front of him, well-made and clean, and big enough to cover an entire wall.

But he couldn’t see his reflection…

Nor anything outside the window.

That’s why when the little bird flew closer, it terrified him.

“Stop…” he tried to scream just as the bird hit the window.

A loud bang…

It landed at his feet—

Its neck was broken.

He startled into consciousness, his fuzzy mind going into an automatic death mode.

Someone had grabbed him…he thought.

One second he was throwing Wendy out—letting her fly just enough from him—and then she was flying out of his grip while he was being pulled further from her.

He wasn’t sure what happened after that, but now he was tied up in some sort of darkroom, his hands above his head on some kind of meat hook, by the fill of it.

Something equivalent to a lantern was in the corner, giving him just enough light to keep him from going into a state of complete panic.

Jekyll’s prisons were always too bright.

A noise indicated he was no longer alone. A second later a door in the corner opened, and a man stepped in, the light behind him silhouetting him just long enough for Pan to get a good idea of him.

“Good to see you again,” the man said as he pulled a chair up and straddled it.

“Again?” Pan scoffed. “Go to hell, you wanker.”

“That’s captain to you, boy,” he returned firmly. “Captain Killian Jones, if you don’t mind.”

“I don’t care, and know, who the fuck you are.”

“I don’t expect you to,” Killian said casually.

“I tend to forget people who aren’t worth remembering,” Pan smirked, his face warmer from the trail of blood leaking from his temple.

Killian chuckled, charmed. This was going to be the most fun he’d had in a while.

“I suppose it won’t matter anyway,” he sighed. “Not with you knocking on death’s door.”

Pan licked his lips. A challenge at last!

“Oh really?”

“Yes,” Killian said. “You see m’boy, I’ve been sent by someone who really wants you dead.”

“You’ll have to be a bit more specific,” Pan winked.

“No one you’ll need to worry about,” Killian alluded. “Just know that you’ve caused enough trouble that it warrants a very clean—and if you behave yourself—a very quick one.”

Pan scoffed. “If I’m scheduled to die, know that I’ll make my last days your worst,”

Killian seemed unphased by Pan’s threat, and while Pan wasn’t yet worried about it, it did make his gut turn just enough to be noticed.

Then, Killian laughed, and tapped his fingers on the back of the chair.

“You know, you actually gained our attention after that boy with the scar inquired Henry Jekyll’s files,”

Ice…the blood can’t move.

“Oh…I can’t quite remember his name…”

You have to keep count of the spasms…you have to know where the blood is going…

“That’s his benefit I suppose,” Killian smirked, watching as the blood drained from his face.

Felix…oh Felix I’m sorry…

“After all, it’d be a shame if that poor boy succumbed to one of his little fits in the privacy of his own home one afternoon…”

Pan bolted against the restraints, blood raging and teeth desperate to break skin.

“You fucking go near him I’ll kill you!”

Killian grabbed Pan by the jaw and forced him into the wall, pressing his knee into his stomach.

“I’d love to see you try,” Killian husked, his ice blues evenly hitting Pan’s forest greens. “I’d love to see you help any of them. Him, that pixie of a girl who hates you more than life itself…” his grin widened. “And that pretty blonde distraction you brought into this whole bloody mess.”

“Wendy…” the word left his lips before could stop it.

He didn’t know how to protect her the way he did the others.

“Such a pretty name,” Killian gloated. “Such a pretty girl at that. And she’s so desperate to find you, even after to abandoned her on a dangerous dance floor,”

Pan glared at him. “You bitch,”

Killian released him and made his way to the door.

“I’ll take no pleasure from killing her, m’boy,” Killian said, surprisingly quite truthfully. “However, this is as much to do with her as it does with you.”

Pan dug his nails into the cloth binding his wrists, trying desperately to stare a whole through Killian’s heart.

“How quick or how slowly she goes depends on what you can do for me within the next few days,”

Pan winced.

“Goodnight,” Killian winked, turning off the light and enclosing Pan in a blanket of darkness.

#darling pan #darling pan fic #wendy darling #peter pan #killian jones #captain hook #papers and sleuthers #ryik's fics

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rubykgrant · 4 years

Photo

I’ll eventually make a post about just the characters, but I wanted to actually talk about these two pictures, and my thought process that took me from the first (from about 5 years ago -ish) to the current one-

To begin with, this character is part of the super hero story my friend and I have been playing around with since I was in 8th grade. Because I have no self control, I went from 5 characters, to 7, to two teams of 5 (good guys and bad guys), and then finally settled on two teams of 7. All the characters are kids with super powers, some become heroes while others are villains, but they aren’t really “evil” just kids who are jerks and punks (they grow out of it eventually and become heroes as well). Originally, I had a monster kid who’s villain name was “Fang”, and he was just a werewolf. Later, I decided to spice it up and make him “Cerberus”, so he became a 3-headed dog monster guy. While this was cool in theory, I never really managed to figure out a decent deisgn for him. Finally, I had what I thought would be the final version of Cerberus, in the above picture (left). Just kind of a bipedal wolfman-inspired design, with two dog heads at the shoulders, and the ceenter head still being sort of humanoid.

I eventually wanted to re-do it because I wanted a more stream-lined way to draw the character (more solid shapes in the form), but the actual important changes came as I slowly changed things in the entire story. In the beginning, most of the characters were white kids. After a while, I realized that just isn’t practical or realistic, so I would ask myself “Who can this character be?”. I didn’t want to just randomly add token backgrounds to the characters, I wanted it to feel right. As the characters changed, I noticed an issue; the “villain team” had become more diverse, while the “hero team’ was still kinda the same. That wasn’t fair (again, remember, the villain kids aren’t evil, and they become heroes later), but it also didn’t feel fair to switch them back... so I made sure it was more even by updating the hero kids. Now both teams had actual doversity, and the characters felt much more authentic to me. These changes also made me look at the super powers and abilities I gave these kids, and I realized I needed to fix that as well. Too many nonsense tropes that I wanted to avoid (the Native American kid had “nature powers”, which was just predictable and lazy). I shuffled the powers around, gave so-and-so such-and-such, and it worked out much better. Thinking about all this made me realize how many of my art ideas as a kid were influenced by the various cartoons/movies/ect that I had taken in, and how many negative tropes had become so common and subtle. This super hero story isn’t meant to be a something that tackles social justice issues (and if it ever gets to be a real thing, I’ll definitely have lots of input from people who actually know what they are talking about), but I can at least take the time to avoid as much potentially harmful stuff as possible.

For Cerberus in particular, he wasn’t a pale and dirty little red-neck kid anymore. Oh, he’s still a little punk, the kid who gets in trouble on purpose at achool, always has some smart-mouth comment to say, and likes to pull dare-devil stunts, but I didn’t want this to have a vibe to it that somehow “dehumanizes” him. I dropped all the “animal” jokes when he’s in his regular kid-form, he might be a little brat but he has STANDARDS thank you very much. He doesn’t live with a family that hates him anymore; he’s got a foster family that might be kinda poor, but they actually give a heck about this kid, and the fact that he acts like a jerk is weirdly proof that he’s comfortable at home (he doesn’t have to worry about “behaving” constantly with the threat he could get kicked-out. this family loves him, and all his shenanigans are really no worse that what any other teenager gets up to). As for his super powers, I still really liked the idea of a Cerberus character, but I decided maybe he shouldn’t just be a naked 3-headed dog. I gave him a dark red suit, designed with rips at the knees so it has that “wild” look, but it actually covers his legs and chest. I got rid of the collar and arm bands, it looked too much like he was a “pet”, and that wasn’t good. Changing the face so it looks more noble and less scary helped too, and now even when he’s fully transformed you can still see and actual teenager in there. The other changes in the Cerberus design give him more of a “chimera” look, he can have two addition cerberus heads on his shoulders (which are really just there for the aesthetic because he likes to look intimidating), but he can also transform those areas into additional limbs (either another set of arms, or two snake heads). The tail and arms also have a scale pattern to them now, adding to the multiple monster theme.

#my art #character design #my characters #super heroes #cerberus

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queenofcats17 · 5 years

Text

The Ink Demonth 5

Today is Dark

This might be a little rough. ^^” I had an idea and ran with it, but I’m not sure it turned out great.

--------------------------------------

Where was Wally?

He needed to find Wally.

Wally was afraid of the dark!

He couldn’t let him be on his own like this!

When Shawn had woken up, it had been in darkness. He didn’t know where he was or what had happened. He wracked his mind, trying to remember what he’d been doing before. He’d been painting the Bendy toys and then...Someone...Someone had called for him. Someone had asked to see him. Ugh! Why couldn’t he remember?! He stumbled to his feet, looking frantically around. All he could see was darkness. He seemed to be alone.

Where were Barley and Edgar? He never went anywhere without them.

“Wally. I gotta find Wally!” He muttered to himself. Wally had been with him, he remembered that now. Wally had been sitting with him while he’d been painting the toys. It had been late. Shawn had been working overtime and Wally had stayed behind to keep him company until he was done.

“I swear, if you did something to him, Drew!” Shawn growled, setting off into the darkness. Joey had to be behind this somehow. He was always the culprit when something weird happened at the studio. He had to be responsible.

Little troublemaker was always behind shenanigans like this. It was a wonder anyone was still friends with that devil.

Shawn’s heart pounded in his ears as he walked. Something was wrong here, he just knew it. The sound of his footfalls was strange, like he was stepping in puddles. But his feet didn’t feel wet. All his thoughts felt jumbled. He had to focus in order to be able to string a coherent thought together. The only thing that seemed to stick was Wally. He had to find Wally. Wally was afraid of the dark.

He’d found that out the first night Wally had ever spent at his house. There had been a terrible storm raging so the power had gone out. Wally had shrieked and immediately latched himself onto Shawn’s arm. He’d be lying if he said it hadn’t been really cute. Wally had sounded like a small animal when he’d screamed. Wally was just so cute in general. He was so small and squishy and like a little teddy bear. His curly hair, his big eyes, his little freckles.

His goofy smile and floppy ears. The way his tail wagged when you scratched just the right spot behind his ears. He was adorable. That dope would do anything for a sandwich too.

No! He was getting distracted! He had to find Wally. He shook his head, trying to clear the fog from his mind. He didn’t understand why he was finding it so hard to think. His head was starting to hurt from the effort of trying to keep himself together.

“You lost, kid?” He stumbled at the sudden voice.

“Wha-? Who said that?!” He demanded, spinning around. To his surprise, he found a cartoon character leaning against thin air and smoking a pipe. Not just any cartoon character either, but Charley from the Butcher Gang.

“The fuck?”

That’s not right. Isn’t that me?

“Hey, language.” Charley blew some smoke out at him. “This is a kid’s cartoon.”

“I’m a grown man! I’m allowed to swear!” Shawn yelled. “The fuck are you doing here?! You’re a cartoon!”

“Way to state the obvious, kid.” Charley snorted.

“I’m not a kid! Answer my question!”

Charley watched him, his expression one of bored indifference. He blew out a few smoke rings.

“Do you know where we are, kid?” He asked, completely glossing over Shawn’s displeasure about the nickname. There was a seriousness to his expression that Shawn hadn’t really expected a cartoon character to be able to convey.

“Of course I don’t!” Shawn snapped, although his voice faltered a bit. Why did he have such a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach? What had Joey done this time?

It was so dark. Why was he alone in the dark like this? He needed his gang. They had to be going crazy without him.

“Do you want to know?” Charley watched him, chewing on his pipe. Shawn opened his mouth to answer but found the words catching in his throat. He wanted to know what was going on...didn’t he? It couldn’t be that bad, right? ...Right?

“What’s....What’s going on?” Shawn whispered. From the moment he’d woken up here, he’d felt like something was wrong. There had to be a reason for that.

A voice was calling his name. He needed to go toward it. His gang needed him. He couldn’t stay in this darkness forever. A light appeared above him in the blackness.

“Nothing good,” Charley replied as everything around Shawn began to turn white. “Not that it matters what I’m gonna say.”

“No! Tell me!” Shawn pleaded. “I have to know where Wally is! I have to know what’s going on!”

“You’ll see soon enough,” Charley said before everything disappeared.

He surfaced gasping for breath. He gulped down air like a dying man. His mouth was so dry. Why was it so dry? He tried to close it but found he couldn’t. It gaped open as he continued to suck down air.

“Oh, for the love of- Another dud?” A man’s voice came from his left. He swung his head in that direction. He recognized that voice. Why did he recognize that voice? A man stood beside him. It was hard to properly make out the man’s features, as the room was poorly lit and his eyesight was strangely blurry.

"Looks like you’re going in with the others.” The man picked him up by the scruff of his neck, dragging him out and into a dark hallway. He tried to get away, kicking and scratching as best he could. One of his legs was missing.

“In you go.” The man said before throwing him into what felt like a cage. There were others in the cage. But he didn’t care.

“Come along, Boris.” The man said to a figure at his side. “They’re not worth our time.” For the briefest moment, before the wolf turned and left, he thought he saw a small man with curly hair.

“Wally!” He croaked out the name, slamming into the bars and flailing wildly. But it was too late. They were both gone. The door shut and it was dark again. It was always dark.

#bendy and the ink machine #the ink demonth #fanfiction #shawn flynn #wally franks #shawn x wally #charley #piper #joey drew #boris the wolf

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marper-didnt-die-for-blecho · 5 years

Text

Diablesse Pt. 2

Read it all on AO3

I’m so glad y’all liked Part 1 so much! Thank you so much for all of the nice comments! I hope you all enjoy

The ugly little bug rounded the corner, Chloè hot on its heels, prepared to smash it with the first book she found.

What she was not prepared for was to almost trample over Adrien and Kagami of all people. She made a mental note to pitch a fit about that later. There were more pressing issues than Adrien’s love life. Wait, did she really just place Marinette’s safety above Adrikins? Ugh! The things she does for heroism! After all of this was over, she was so going to the spa. Maybe a gym. She needed to hit something.

“Woah there, in a rush?” Kagami’s smirk and eyebrow raise infuriated Chloè for some unknown reason, but she told herself that they could have formal introductions later. Ladybug was counting on her!

“I don’t have time for... whatever you two call yourself doing.”

“Having lunch? Spending time together? That is a thing that friends do, right?” Kagami looked at Adrien, who wanted to disappear. He’d rather fight an akuma by himself than to be the one to officially introduce the two of them. He loved them both, and he was grateful that all of his female friends had bite to them, but... Yikes, you know? Fortunately for him, or unfortunately unbeknownst to him, Chloè apparently didn’t have time for her usual order of drama.

She pointed at the akuma that had somehow not been noticed by either of them. “You’re in my way. Now move.” She shoved past them as they turned around to see where she was pointing.

“An akuma!? But why?” Kagami started to follow Chloè, but stopped when she noticed Adrien wasn’t following her. “Are you not going to come with us?”

Adrien panicked and started trying to find a way out so he could transform. “It’s not that.. It’s... I’m... other civilians... girl’s bathroom... you know? Yeah..”

Chloè rolled her eyes “Adrikins, don’t tell me you’ve let them dumb you down to the point that you can no longer speak. If your fear of entering the girls bathroom is more important the Marinette, then just go evacuate people.” With that, her and Kagami pushed into the bathroom, missing Adrien freeze in his place face full of concern before he ran back around the corner to warn the school.

“Wait... Marinette?” Kagami was confused. Since when did Chloè care about Marinette? Since when did she care about Marinette, she asked herself as she followed the blonde anyways.

Chloè cleared her throat, “Dupain-Cheng, where are you? I know you’re in here.” There was a gasp from one of the stalls.

“Chloè just... just get out of here, okay? I really don’t need your crap right now.”

“Oh? Getting a little pissy in your time of sadness, aren’t you?” Chloè raised one of her eyebrows, a little impressed. “Anyways, I’m not going anywhere. There’s a shitty butterfly in here and it’s my duty as a hero to try my best to protect all civilians... even ungrateful ones like you. Now open that door right now. Kagami and I are here to help.”

“Kagami’s here too?” Marinette groaned. “Just what I need, another person who doesn’t like me seeing me at my worst.” Her voice was thick with silent tears, ones that were no doubt still falling down her face.

“To be fair, I didn’t know it was you until about 10 seconds ago, if that makes you feel better.” Kagami shrugged, more focused on locating the akuma than anything.

“Ugh! That’s not going to help her at all. Marinette, stop being so utterly ridiculous and open the stall before we break it. You’re not fighting this off alone! I won’t allow it!”

There was a beat of silence. Maybe two, and possibly three, but eventually, Marinette opened the door with a small, sad smile on her face.

“Great!” Chloè strode into the too small stall. “Now you listen here. You are not going to let the Akuma get to you, you understand me? I will not give that deceitful harpy the satisfaction!” She turned around. “You hear me, Hawkmoth? You can’t have her! So get your repulsive little minion and go away!”

“Chloè, what are you trying to do, protect Marinette by getting angry enough and sacrificing yourself?”

“We don’t know each other very well, but I heard you were supposed to be extremely observant. Marinette is probably one of the only two people in all of Paris that hasn’t been akumatized. Well... People of quasi...” she sighed, accepting that she might have to actually... compliment her. “Importance.” Chloè scrunched up her face, hoping that she never had to do that again.

Marinette, who was still standing on top of the toilet, let out a tiny giggle. “Chloè did you just compliment me?”

Chloè was too busy trying to deny the claim to notice the akuma flutter away through the door, but Kagami wasn’t. “There it is!”

“We can’t let it get away!” Chloè started to follow it again.

“I wonder what happened for you to almost get akumatized in the first place.” It was mostly under her breath, and she figured it was okay to ask due to the fact that the akuma was gone, but Kagami spoke loud enough for the girls to hear her. And apparently Marinette experienced her emotions as if they were a roller-coaster because the akuma immediately turned around back towards Marinette, who wasn’t giggling anymore. Kagami felt a little remorseful, if only because of the fact that she had probably just pissed Chloè off for the second? Third? Third time since meeting her. She was really bad with first impressions.

Chloè wondered why she even tried. What even was the point of doing anything heroic, if people just kept... interfering by opening their mouths. She briefly wondered if Ladybug had to deal with stupidity outside of her costume. She was going to call her father and have him make it illegal for idiots to talk, she swore.

Well... If she made it through this that was.

She threw her phone at the akuma, but it easily avoided it, flying straight into a charm hanging out of Marinette’s pocket. Scrambling to pick her phone back up, she turned back to look at the girl, just as Marinette chucked what seemed to be her purse at Chloè. “Take it and run.”

“What’s so important inside of this bag that you’d rather protect it than fight off the akuma?” Was everyone ridiculous? What even?

“Marinette you can fight him off.” Kagami said as Chloè opened the bag. “You’re stronger than him.

Oh.

OH.

She didn’t have time to be angry, or react at all even. They needed to go, now.

Chloè grabbed Kagami’s arm. “We need to leave. We have to go find Chat Noir.”

Before Kagami could respond, the familiar purple coated Marinette. They stood there and watched her transform, The transformation started in the akumatized object, as it always did of course, turning the charm into a tail. That was new. Then she was swallowed by purple, the other two girls too entranced to look away.

When she was visible again, Chloè swore she did not almost throw up. She swears on her.. Well, not her miraculous, but she swears.

Chloè saw red, literally. Marinette, or whatever she called herself, had red skin and black hair. Her signature pigtails were sharper, and seemed to now also be horns on top of her head. Her outfit, not tacky for once thank heavens, was a black romper with little black wings, a red chest area, and red hearts accenting her torso. She wore black thigh high boots with wings to match the ones on her back and red gloves that reached halfway up her upper arm. Behind her, her wings didn’t move, but her tail sure did. A skinny black tail that ended in a heart. Hearts also adorned her face, her neck piece, and there was also one right below her bust. Chloè had no doubt that there were probably even more hearts on her back. The whites of her eyes had also turned yellow. In hindsight, this was probably one of the only attractive akumas she’d ever seen, but she couldn’t let herself think of the implications of that right then. Or ever... If she preferred.

“You want me to be the bad guy? Fine,” She smirked and kissed her hand. As she pulled her hand away from her mouth, a swarm of tiny demon Marinettes, or Demonettes if you would, manifested. They were all red, reminding Chloè and Kagami of cartoon evil consciences pitchfork and all. “ Now I’m the bad guy. I’m Little Devil and I’m going to sit on your shoulders until you sink from the weight of all of your guilt.”

Little Devil looked at Chloè for a minute. “Hmm. Not you. I don’t think you feel guilt, and even if you did, I don’t think you’d care about what others thought of you.” She turned to Kagami, who had reached for Chloè to drag her out of the bathroom. “You either. Neither of you seem to be much fun.” She stalked out of the bathroom, her Demonettes chattering as they followed her.

“Ladybug and Chat Noir should be here soon.”

Chloè thought through her next words carefully, not wanting to let Kagami know that Ladybug was 100% not showing up. “We need to get to one of them before Little Devil does.” She pushed out of the bathroom.

“Right, we need to let them know where her akumatized object is.”

Chloè nodded, and the two girls silently rushed outside to look for any hero.

Kagami, too focused on searching, didn’t notice Chloè pull out Marinette’s bag again.

The blonde needed to find Chat Noir like yesterday. She didn’t know what was worse, having to willingly work with Chat Noir only, or that Marinette Dupain-Cheng, of all people, was Ladybug.

The sunlight reflected off of Marinette’s earrings in the bag, right into Chloè’s face. Definitely Dupain-Cheng being Ladybug.

Maybe the worst part about all of this was less about Ladybug being Marinette, and more about Ladybug being akumatized.

#ml spoilers #ml salt #miraculous ladybug #does this still count as spoilers?#oh well #my writing #it's pretty fun to write chloè as on mari's side #while still not being the best of friends with her #or any kind of friend to her at all outside of necessity #honestly it's enjoyable to have her still be insulting and rude #yet have her be the voice of reason #this was one of my first times writing kagami #and i'm a little worried that i did her an injustice #i'm not that good with 'cold' characters #i do love the idea of her and chloè interacting and working together though #the three of them should start a club #diablesse

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bendy-dreamland · 5 years

Text

(Warning: chapter contains mild gore, death, and blood, mentions of medical procedures)

“Boris! No, no! What have they done to ya?!”

Henry pulled Bendy away, keeping him from looking at the dead Toon. “Bendy, we need you to get out of here. Mugman, think you can take him back to Candy Corners?”

“NO!” Bendy screamed. “No, no, no! I’m not leavin’ dis spot! Dat’s mah buddy up in dat dang tree! I wanna know why he’s up there!”

“Hey, calm down, calm down!” Cuphead grabbed at the demon, turning him around to face him. “Look at me, brat! If yer gonna freak out, you’re gonna call da wrong sorta attention here! We need to block off da area and get da police in on dis. We’ve got a straight up murder on our hands, and it might be part of our investigation.”

Bendy looked at Cuphead before his face scrunched up as big, black tears came to his eyes. “B-But… Boris is…” He was cut off when the red-themed cup pulled him into a tight hug, rubbing his back. The demon started to cry, wrapping his arm around Cuphead.

Mugman gulped, looking up at Boris before looking at Henry as he approached him. “S-Should we get someone to call the police? I can go back to the shop…”

“Give me the camera I gave you earlier, I’m gonna take a few pictures. Go call for the police, please.” Henry replied, holding out his hand. Mugman didn’t say anything as he took the camera from his person, giving it to the detective before running back to the shop.

He got inside and went up to the counter. “Mike, I need to use the phone, gotta call the cops. We’ve got a possible murder on our hands.” He whispered, not wanting to cause a panic in the soda shop. Mike didn’t say anything as he let Mugman go behind the counter to use the phone.

As the mug was doing this, Henry was taking pictures of Boris’ body. It wasn’t easy, the sight was making his stomach curl, and Bendy’s crying wasn’t helping that unsettling feeling.

In his short time as a P.I., Henry has learned that death was a rare, but possible, event for cartoon characters. He’s learned that death comes in a variety of ways, some worse than others. Cartoon characters can be killed with acetone or Dip, something like acetone except ten times worse, and it’s not a pretty or pleasant death for anyone. Even humans have trouble when it comes to Dip, it burns something terrible.

Another way to die is from a weapon infused or soaked in either of these liquids, but it can’t be a Toon weapon, it has to be a human one.

Then there’s the simple death of a character due to script writing, and sometimes it’s for the best.

The saddest death is when a Creator gives up on a character and just kills them by ignoring them and cutting them off, leaving them to suffer. They cannot survive this way, they can’t continue to be a character, they’re not even allowed to stay alive in Toon World.

One of the worst cases is when Walt Disney and Universal Studios gave up on Julius the Cat, from the Alice shorts. The poor character suffered so much hate from people accusing him of being a rip-off of Felix the Cat that Disney let him be forgotten.

But that wasn’t his fault, he was an Original Idea that happened to be a black cat who was an imp, personality wise.

Original Ideas are the very essence of a Toon, they exist but they have no true form, no way to come to life, until they can make contact with the mind of a Creator. This is how cartoons come into being, this is how they can access the Over World.

When a Creator gets an Original Idea in their head, they draw the character on paper, then animate them. This gives them the kick in the pants they need for something called Life Ink to get them to come to life, to come over to the real world to live as a living drawing, a Toon.

Toons live in Toon World, that’s their home, but they can’t come into being until a Creator gives them life. It’s always been this way, even with comic characters. They exist in Toon World once they are brought to life through the medium they exist in.

Henry has had many Original Ideas he’s brought to life, just like Boris up here. It hurts to see his creation mangled like this, and maybe it’s the shock of it all, but Henry was keeping himself level headed about all this. He had to, he found his friend murdered and he knew that he had to be the one to find out why. Boris was an Original Idea he gave life to, and it hurts to see that someone snuffed that life out.

That made him worry, was something going to happen to Alice, the Butcher Gang? Did something already happen to them… and Bendy? Oh no, what about Bendy?

Bendy was, for the most part, a difficult Toon to bring to life. He was an Original Idea, but nothing Henry did could give him Life Ink. Until Joey took things into his own hands and told Henry that he’d help bring Bendy into this world. The next morning, he found Bendy sleeping at his desk, completely alive. Henry had asked how Joey did it, and all his friend had said was,

‘You just had to believe hard enough, Henry. Belief can make dreams come true, it can make magic happen.’

Lowering the camera, Henry looked over at Bendy, seeing him sitting a distance away, his back turned to face the body. Cuphead was quietly talking to him, patting his back. Henry could still hear crying from his demonic creation. He didn’t blame Bendy, he was reacting how anyone else would after finding the corpse of their best buddy in a tree.

There were loud siren sounds and Henry looked over to see police cars and the police force making their way over. He wasn’t too keen on the cops themselves, especially the ones here in Palomino City, but he was going to need their help.

He watched as a poodle in a chief’s uniform approach. He looked at Henry and cleared his throat, his voice heavy with a French accent as he spoke. “I am Chief Louis Baton, we were called here because of, eh, murder? Yes?”

Henry nodded. “I’m private detective Henry Ross, and the murder victim is my creation, Boris the Wolf.”

Chief Baton looked at him confusion. “You are a Creator?” He asked, sounding suspicious.

Reaching into his pocket, Henry pulled out his wallet and pulled out an ID card. It showed an image of himself from years ago, and had information about himself and his position at Joey Drew Studios. Chief Baton looked it over before giving a nod. “I have heard of you, Mr. Ross, just needed to make sure. Have had humans pretending to be… well… Creators, yes? Trying to sneak into places. Where is the body?”

Pointing up, Henry gestured to the tree and Chief Baton’s face paled, which was funny to see since he was a white poodle. “Mon dieu…!” He squeaked out as a bit of Boris’ entrails slipped out and dropped down, hanging about three feet down.

Henry felt like throwing up as he looked away. “I-I… let me get the clean up crew…” the police officer stammered out as he turned away. The animator looked down at the ground before walking over to Bendy and Cuphead.

“How’s he doin’?” Henry asked as he sat down next to Bendy, only to have the devil latch tightly to him, crying once more.

“Bad.” Cuphead sighed loudly. “What do ya think’s gonna happen, Ross?”

“He’ll be taken to the morgue where the coroner will look him over.” Henry frowned softly. “I know the coroner, he’s a friend, I’ll be able to get information about what happened from him easily.”

Bendy sniffed loudly before pulling away, his face was stained with inky tears. “Please… please figure out what happened… my best buddy’s dead, I can’t…”

Henry pulled him close and hugged him, sighing softly. “I know, I know, it hurts a lot. I wish I hadn’t seen it either. But I promise that I’ll figure out what happened, and I’ll take down whoever dared to kill Boris.”

Golden eyes looked up at him and Henry watched as a small smile came to Bendy’s lips. “I-I’ll hold ya do dat, ol’ man.”

Henry had spoken to several police officers about what he knew of Boris’ body, and he was able to interview both the ram and his wife about what happened. Apparently, they had taken a stroll through the park and the sheep had wanted to sit under the tree for a little break, only for her to find the blood and ink.

Now, that had Henry curious.

Blood and ink do flow in Toon veins, but the problem with the situation is that the blood was too dark, too deep a shade of red to be cartoon blood. Most characters bled a very bright, very loud shade of red, though some bled different colors, and some bled straight up black if they were a monochrome character.

In this case, that was where Boris fell. He was black and white in color, so his blood should be black. But this? Boris had blood that was the same color as that of a human’s, that’s… that’s not right. Did Joey make changes to Boris that were internal rather than external in design? Toons do get upgrades and design changes to match with the times, explains why Bendy wore a colored outfit, but Boris?

Boris was different, he looked just as he had years ago, and was even in his signature overalls. Last Henry had heard, Boris wore a shirt now and had a change in pants as well. He was even sporting a tail, a design choice that Henry fully approved of.

Did Boris change back to his old look before his death?

Henry sighed and rubbed at his eyes before getting up, grabbing a cup of coffee from the offered pot and cups across the room. He, Cuphead, Mugman, and Bendy were sitting in the waiting room at the coroner’s office, waiting to hear anything from the doctor in the other room.

Sitting at a desk in the room was a white cat with a long, fluffy tail and big, gold eyes. She had a cute smile on her face as she typed away at her type writer to the beat of the song that played on the radio. She was the secretary and wife of the doctor, Tabby. She was a sweetheart and liked to call Henry cutie whenever he came in. He let her do it because she was too nice to be angry with.

He poured himself a cup of coffee before looking over at the boys. Bendy had finally passed out from the emotional stress and was currently sleeping against Mugman, who was also napping quietly. Cuphead was the only one awake, flipping through a comic book he had pulled from his hammerspace.

“Want some coffee?” He asked the cup, who looked up and nodded. Walking back over, he handed Cuphead his drink, who happily poured it into his head, enjoying the boost of caffeine.

“Thanks, Henry.” Cuphead said as he closed the comic. “Maybe I should take ‘em home, Bendy’s had a rough time.”

“Yeah, maybe y-” The door behind the secretary desk opened and a black cat dressed in scrubs came out. He had a bored expression on his face as he looked over at the group. “Oh, hello, Dr. Fish.” Henry greeted, before hearing a loud snort from Cuphead. The cat was named Doctor Claudius Fish, and yes, his name was a set of puns. Happens a lot to cartoon characters.

Dr. Fish rolled his eyes, sighing loudly through his nose. “I didn’t choose my name, boy, don’t make fun. Henry, can you come with me, I need to show you something.”

“Right.” Henry set his cup down and looked over at Cuphead. “You gonna come with?”

“I… suppose, yeah. Miss, do ya mind watchin’ my baby bro and friend?” He asked, looking at Tabby, who happily nodded. He followed the doctor and detective through the door and into another part of the building. They entered an examination room and Cuphead made a face as he looked at the body on the table.

Boris was cut open and some of his organs rested on trays, even his head seemed to be cut open. But Cuphead was shocked to notice something with the body and the organs. “Oh, sugar honey iced tea… those aren’t right.”

“I take it that you figured out the problem here, yes?” Dr. Fish asked, looking at the cup headed Toon.

“Yeah, uh, I ain’t da smartest guy here in town, but I know what cartoon organs are suppose to look like, and these ain’t right.”

“What do you mean?” Henry asked as he approached, before realizing what they were getting at. “These are human…”

“Yes, and they seem to belong to Boris, as they were physically attached to him naturally.” The mortician replied, adjusting his glasses on his nose. Henry and Cuphead looked at him with equal surprise and he continued. “I have never seen anything like this before in all my years of working with Toons and humans. Toon organs may look like human ones, but there are obvious differences. For one, the heart is meant to look like one you see when a character is in love.”

“I’m guessin’ Boris’ doesn’t look anythin’ like that?” Henry asked as Dr. Fish held up a tray. He cringed, staring at the heart that was clearly human, except it was yellow in colored, stained in ink. What made it worse was that there was a giant bite mark in it. “What the hell…?”

Setting down the dish, Dr. Fish reached for his notes. “From what I was able to gather, it seems that this wolf has a human chest cavity, and bleeds human blood but toon blood as well, that’s not ink. Though he does have ink in his chest, but I doubt it’s his.”

“What’s… the cause of death?”

“Looks like he was attacked by a beast of sorts. He was clearly torn open by teeth, and most of his organs have bites and tears. It seems a monster had gotten to him, if you want to believe that. I think it was a wild animal Toon, one that has simple intelligence, like a wolf or lion from the Over World.”

He pointed towards the chest, at what looked like long marks in the black fur. “Seems that claws were used, or at least one set. I can’t find much in terms of evidence that two sets were used, just one that appears to be from the right front paw. That, or a hand from a Toon with very, very dark tendencies.”

“Gross.” Cuphead grimaced. “Hopefully it ain’t dat, don’t wanna be dealin’ with a crazed murderer. But if dat’s da option dat’s right… why would a Creator make such a character?”

“Because some people have dark minds that attract such Original Ideas.” Dr. Fish scoffed. “It’s why we have bad guys in Toon World, adds drama to a world full of sugar and smiles. I don’t mind the drama, gives me work.”

“Dat’s a dark outlook on da situation, Dr. Fish.”

“I deal with death and gore, boy, I am desensitized to much of what I see in this office, and I don’t mind it compared to the blinding world of cartoons outside of my office. If I want sunshine and rainbows, I’ll spend time with Tabby, at least I enjoy it from her.”

“Boy, you must be fun at parties.”

Henry sighed and slapped his forehead. “Anythin’ else you can tell us about this, doctor?”

Dr. Fish nodded and moved to another part of the room, grabbing a tray before returning to the table. On the tray was a large wrench, but there was something so wrong about it. It was solid, physical, but it appeared to be stuck as a sketch in appearance. It had all the tell-tale signs of a sketched-out design, like the marks of trying to make straight lines, the areas where things didn’t look even. And it was covered in dry ink and blood.

“This was found in his chest, behind his lungs.” The cat stated. “I’m not sure why it was there, but I suspect that it has a big thing to do with what happened to him. I am still going for his death being caused by an animal, but it is possible that this was used in the process. I’ll keep looking over anything else that seems suspicious.”

Henry nodded, looking from the wrench to Boris, seeing the familiar face, but the unsettling unfamiliarity of the X’d out eyes. There was a soft cough, catching the detective’s attention as he looked back to the doctor, who was giving him a look that meant that he understood how he was feeling.

“I’ll let you know more soon, Henry. I’m still needing to examine things and run tests, give me a day or two. Go home and rest, you look exhausted.”

He did feel exhausted, this is a lot to take in. “I know, I mean… this is my friend, my creation, layin’ on this table, right in front of me.”

Green eyes stared at him before Dr. Fish removed his glasses, cleaning them off a bit. “I understand, it is a hard thing to take in, people sometimes forget that Toons can die as well. We’re not meant to last forever, we all have to go at some point, even if it seems to happen before our time. Go home, you two, get some rest, continue work in the morning.”

Stepping out back into the office, Henry was surprised to find Linda waiting there with a now-awake Mugman and Bendy. She smiled sadly and got up, approaching him. “How are you doing, Henry?”

“Terrible, but I’m tryin’.” He tried to smile back at her and she gently patted his arm.

“Come on, let’s go to my place. I’ll make you boys a nice, hot meal and you can relax a bit. I’m sure you all need it after what happened tonight. If you want, you can spend the night!”

“Oh, I don’t wanna be a bother…”

She shook her head. “No, no! It’s alright, I’m offering! Besides, it’s getting late and traveling through the portals at night isn’t always the best. Also, when’s the last time I made you a good dinner, Henry?”

He wanted to say no, he wanted to reject the offer, but how could Henry say no to Linda? He chuckled as he shrugged. “Alright, alright, we’ll come over, is that alright with you boys?”

“Hell yeah!” Cuphead grinned, giving a thumbs up. “I’m up for a free meal!” He ignored his brother, who told him to stop being rude. Bendy looked over and smiled, he looked so tired and worried as he got up, walking over to Henry.

“Thanks fer da offer, Ms. Linda, real nice of ya to do fer us.” He told her, and she nodded, frowning softly.

“It’s the least I can do, it’s a terrible thing to have happen, losing a dear friend like that. Come, let’s head to my place.”

After saying good bye to Tabby, the small group walked out into the dark streets. People were out and about, many coming home from work, others going out for a good time. They could quietly hear people gossiping about a murder in the park, that’s the problem with cities like this, word travels fast.

Bendy bit his lip, trying to ignore the talking of strangers, instead trying to focus on the quiet chatter of his friends. He glanced around as he quietly walked before something caught his eye, a flash of black and blue. He stopped, looking about, what was that? Had he seen who he thought he had seen?

“Ben?”

Blinking, Bendy turned to see Cuphead looking at him with concern. “You okay there, short stuff?”

“Yeah, I thought I saw… hey! Don’t call me short!” He huffed and quickly moved to catch up to the laughing cup, his mind no longer on what he had thought he had seen.

As they walked on down the street, someone peeked around the corner of a building, watching from under a hood. Black, pie-cut eyes looked on in worry before looking about, making sure that there was no one watching from above.

With a loud gulp, the figure ran off. This was bad, he just knew it, he could feel it in his feet that something terrible was starting.

First Joey disappears, now there’s a mutilated body, and he knew there would be more very soon…

END OF ACT ONE SCENE FIVE

#batim #bendy the dancing demon #henry stein #linda batim #Cuphead #mugman #boris the wolf #batim oc #claudius fish #tabby fish #dreamland art #dreamland story #blood //#mild gore //

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