Okay, I don't know where this came from, all I know is that I am uninspired working on 'Sky High'. I'll try to get to that soon, though, I'm about halfway through the chapter. I'm sick of writing chapter stories right now, so I figured what better than writing a one shot? Especially about my favorite movie which I have yet to write about! Okay, well, I've only seen one story about June after the fall, and it didn't address Cora or anything I was curious about. I've also seen only one June/Cora fic and COME ON, they are so shippable! So, now I'm writing a fic to satisfy some curiosity. Hope you enjoy, I plan to write more Devil's Carnival (and maybe some Repo!) fics in the future (although I didn't like Repo! all that much). This story takes place after the part of 'After The Fall' that takes place on the carnival grounds, but before Lucifer helps June scrub her face and become the Painted Doll. (In this fic, let's assume June becomes Painted Doll after a few days/weeks at the carnival.)
She was teetering on the edge of a cliff, the edge he knew so well. The edge they all fell from at some point, whether it took days or months or years.
She sat in a dingy storage trailer, hiding from someone. Many someones, he assumed. After all, the devil's carnival is full of many terrifying faces, faces she wouldn't have been exposed to in heaven, the divine prison. Clearly, she thought hiding in a trailer, surrounded by broken carnival equipment and old dolls was better than facing the characters who would, one way or another, become family.
June reached a hand up to touch her cheek, slowly running her hand over the hideous bloody cracks. She was staring into a cracked mirror attached to a chipped vanity, and whimpering softly. The cracks hurt her, that much was clear. "Of course, throwing her into Hell isn't enough to satisfy God's temper," the Ticket-Keeper muttered beside him. "God just had to give her a more…permanent punishment."
At the sound of their voices, June turned and jolted. The Ticket-Keeper made a soft 'tsk tsk' sound when he saw the fresh mascara stains running down June's cheeks. Her lip quivered, and he wondered what she was thinking. If she was thinking anything at all. Had her fear clouded her judgement? He almost chuckled. "No, you've always had poor judgement." Lucifer said, audibly, and June hung her head. "Scorned for your…ambition, was it? Curiosity?"
June didn't respond. Strange, thought Lucifer, but chalked her silence up to simple nerves.
"Well," Lucifer continued. "I believe it's time we discussed your roll in our carnival." Now June looked curious. "June, how many angels do you think have fallen?"
June's brow creased, as though she was annoyed that Lucifer was speaking to her in a demeaning tone, as though she was an unintelligent young child. "Am I not the first?"
Lucifer laughed out loud, startling June and causing her to scoot back in her seat before the vanity mirror. "The first? Ha! No, my dear, there are so many that have come before you."
June paused for a second. "G-Gertrude?"
Lucifer paused. "Ticket-Master?"
"Yes," said the Ticket-Master. "I believe there was a Gertrude who fell. Hideously deformed mouth, she had." Heaven wouldn't have her…
"C-Could you bring her here…then we can discuss my…arrangements?" whispered June.
Ticket-Keeper looked at Lucifer, as though asking for approval to find Gertrude. Lucifer shrugged. "I don't suppose why not." He leaned in close to June, causing her to shudder. "We don't ask permission in Hell, my dear."
"Sorry," she whispered.
Lucifer chuckled. "You'd be hard pressed to find someone who says 'sorry' around the carnival, too." June looked like she was about to apologize again, but quickly shut her mouth.
The Ticket-Keeper, always an organized man, was back in the time it took Lucifer and June to finish their conversation, with Gertrude at his side.
"Gertrude!" gasped June, and Gertrude, former lead songbird, ran to her.
"My god, June!" gasped Gertrude, stroking June's cheek with her hand. "You poor dear, what did they do to you?"
This singularly act of kindness was enough to break June, and June threw her arms around Gertrude, crying tears anew. "I-I'm sorry. How could they do this to you? Your beautiful singing…"
"Shh," soothed Gertrude. "I'm alright. The Translators might've stretched my mouth, but they didn't scratch my singing!"
"Do you work here?"
"I sing sometimes, yes."
"Ahem." Lucifer cleared his throat, and the two women turned toward him. "That's better. Now where were we? Ah, yes, your arrangements. Now, June. Hell can be a…terrifying place. But you know what? It's not nearly as terrifying as heaven." Gertrude nodded her head quickly, as though to emphasize how true Lucifer's words were. "Do you know why?"
"No," said June, but Lucifer could tell that was a lie.
"Yes you do," said Lucifer. "Do not fear the wrath of God. He can't hurt you down here, not anymore. In any event, Hell has six hundred sixty-six rules, however, those are six hundred sixty-six well defined rules that apply to everyone. No special exceptions. As long as the carnies obey me, there is no ranking. No favorites. Everyone is equal under my rule. Do you know why I rule?" June didn't respond. "I was the only one who dared defy God. He cast me down, but I didn't writhe in the mud. I created Hell, which is now the devil's carnival. The carnies followed me out of the oppression, but now they owe me. Unlike God, however, I don't use this debt against them. I rule fairly, with my own implementers of the rule, such as the Tamer." June shuddered. She had seen the Tamer through the dingy window of the trailer, and could safely confirm that he was the only one with a more disturbing face than her own. However, the Twin would be a close second…
"As you know or can assume, I have plenty of obedient carnies willing to discipline and eager to please. Plenty of people can make your stay here more than undesirable. However, if you can make yourself useful, you may-"
"Return to heaven?" asked June, hopefully.
Lucifer leaned in close and whispered. "Now, let's not kid ourselves. Why would heaven want you?" June's face fell when she realized the magnitude of her situation – some of these carnies could be transported to heaven. June, on the other hand, had been cast out. The carnival was all she had. "I was going to say," continued Lucifer. "If you can make yourself useful, you may find that the carnival is more than you could ever dream of. That is, if you have a talent. I'm giving you a chance now to change your life, or you may find some of these sinners, the ones too crazy to be made carnies, have plenty of plans with a hapless young girl like yourself."
June shuddered. "I…I don't-"
"She sings," said Gertrude, and June looked at her with surprise. "I can help her perfect her voice, but it's a good one." June was confused – Gertrude had never heard her sing in her life (or death, June supposed). But looking into Gertrude's eyes, June realized that didn't matter – Gertrude was determined to not let June get hurt. The kindness brought tears to June's eyes – she couldn't believe how nice it felt to have someone on her side, someone who barely even knew her.
"Perfect," Lucifer nodded. "I expect to hear you soon."
"Sir, may I ask something of you?" asked June.
"Remember, permission is not necessary."
"Right," said June. "Then, I have a question."
"Shoot."
"If it is true what you said, so many others have fallen before me, then what is so special about me? Why add me to your carnival?" asked June.
Lucifer grinned. "Now you're asking the right questions – the ones that apply to your worth. Yes, many others have fallen, but few so young as you. You see, God is good at embellishing or completely faking the truth. Plenty of people fall, but none with the same case as yours. You, a young and innocent girl wishing to make a name for herself in Heavenly Productions, cast down to Hell just for wanting to learn all she can about her new home. A story like that could ruin God, and really solidify the carnival as heaven's opposing force."
"So, in other words, you want me to be Hell's mascot?" asked June.
"Precisely."
"I don't know," said June. "Shouldn't a sinner be a mascot?"
Ticket-Keeper looked confused. "Are you aware that you sinned, dear?"
"You are as much a sinner as anyone else," said Lucifer. "Minus the murderers, of course, but we don't let them near the central carnival."
"I did?" asked June, trying to ignore the mention of murderers.
Ticket-Keeper sighed. "My dear, do you know what your sin was?"
"Curiosity…Ambition…Polyamory…Loving that girl, was it?" asked Lucifer.
June suddenly snapped, jumping up. "I don't care what God says! Loving Cora was never a sin!" June slapped a hand over her mouth, looking shocked at her own outburst. June slowly sat down again, sniffling. "If it's a sin I'm paying for, than loving her wasn't the sin. My sin was never letting her know I love her. Never loving her the way she deserved to be loved…"
"You don't think about your actions," Lucifer said, slowly. "Don't care about the consequences, who gets hurt…"
"Poor Cora!" June suddenly wailed, crossing her arms over her head and laying her head on the vanity. "What could those beasts be doing to her?" Gertrude sighed and began to rub June's back.
Lucifer smirked and nodded to Ticket-Keeper. "Perhaps it is time that you learn what became of your lovely Cora."
June's eyes widened, and she nodded quickly. Lucifer placed his right hand on June's back, and gestured to the mirror with his left. Suddenly, an image began to form in the mirror, an image of a gorgeous young woman with perfectly curled brown hair. "Cora!" gasped June.
"Pluck the seeds of evil by rake and by fist lest bells of the black Sunday toll…" sang Cora.
"Her voice…it's so beautiful," whispered June.
"Hey Cora, we have a new question for today," chirped the Publicist.
"Well, lay it on me!" sang Cora in a voice much too chipper to be her own.
"What is His Ladies of Virtue's favorite song?"
"Well, as you all know only God's hymns are acceptable in heaven," she sang. "I can't speak for all of us, but I know my favorite is 'Cloud Serenade'!"
"Great choice, Cora!" said the Publicist, as though Cora was given a handful of options and chose correctly. Now that June thought about it, that's probably exactly what happened. It sounds like heaven, after all…
All at once, June was filled with a strange rage. She wasn't sure where it came from, but it engulfed her, burning her soul with the flames of Hell. "She moved on…without me…" Why am I not happy? June knew she should've been happy for Cora, satisfied with the knowledge that Cora was safe and not living her life in the monotonous world of scrubbing and sweeping that came with being a Seven. And yet…If Cora had been sent to Hell, I would've followed her…I would've followed her anywhere.
June clenched her fists so hard she could feel blood dripping from the places her fingernails cut. Doesn't matter, those wounds will heal. My face, on the other hand…And that one thought stoked the flames of her anger into a raging bonfire.
Slowly, June stood up, shaking with anger. The sadness…the pain…it was too much. She had to let go. She had to forget her love for Cora, for the Agent…no. All that could remain was her anger over Cora's betrayal. Anger for the Agent's lies and deception. Anger for God's divine masquerade.
Gertrude placed her hands on June's shoulders, but June didn't respond to her touch. It was as if the cracked, dead skin on her face had overtaken her body, she couldn't feel anything.
"June?" asked Lucifer quietly, as though prompting her to speak. He didn't ask her to speak, though, because of course there was no prompting or requesting in Hell.
June bit her lip, shaking her head slowly. Lucifer could detect a burning rage in her soul, and saw the fire in her eye, her one good eye that still functioned. Lucifer slowly grinned. "Oh, so you aren't going by 'June'?" The question was more teasing than sincere, but teasing like an old friend, not in a mean way. "Then what shall you go by?" When June made no move to speak, Lucifer continued. "What was it I heard your Agent friend call you? Dollface?" June didn't even seem confused by the notion that Lucifer could eavesdrop on conversations in heaven. All that registered was anger, an anger hotter than any hellfire, at the name of the Agent. "Hmm…maybe something a bit different is called for." A devilish grin tugged at Lucifer's lip. "Why not name you after God's favorite past time? How about…Painted Doll?"
For the first time since being cast down, June – no, Painted Doll – smiled. Slowly, she nodded. "And am I correct to assume," continued Lucifer. "That you do not intend to speak?"
Painted Doll nodded, still wearing the grin that began to look more demonic by the second. Lucifer noted that Gertrude looked a bit sad by Painted Doll's transformation, but Lucifer was certain Gertrude would learn to accept the change. "Well, that is just fine, my dear. After all, when one is not required to ask permission, one rarely feels inclined to speak at all." Painted Doll dipped her head graciously, then turned to leave the trailer, surely ready to raise Hell for the first time since arriving at the carnival. "However, I will ask you one question now. If you aren't planning on speaking again, any last words?"
Painted Doll tilted her head, thoughtful. Then, in a low hiss completely unlike June, Painted Doll whispered. "Heaven can drink a cup of my scorn."
She was teetering on the edge of a cliff, the edge he knew so well. The edge they all fell from at some point, whether it took days or months or years. Hers took minutes.
And there you have it, folks! My first Devil's Carnival fic! I'm working on another about June/Scorpion, but you'll have to wait on that. I'm hoping to do another as well, a Repo/Devil's Carnival fic possible Amber Sweet/June (weird ship, I know). I hope you noticed the references to The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls! Hint: They're in the conversation between Gertrude and June. Yeah, I like to think Gertrude became a motherly figure to June until June became Painted Doll, similar to how Anne was to Emily. Please review if you enjoyed, it encourages me to write more! See ya'll soon!