~Chapter 1~
Disclaimer: Any Nightmare Before Christmas characters belong to Tim Burton. If any Johnny the Homicidal Maniac characters show up later (which they most likely will) they belong to Jhonen Vasquez. No money involved. You no sue.
AN: Alrighty. The idea for a NMBC/JtHM crossover was inspired by the song "Souljacker pt. 1" by the Eels. The two people it mentions in the song are named Johnny and Sally, and since Nny and Sally are two favorite characters of mine, I thought I would do this fic. To get myself started, I sorta based this first part on Siouxsie & the Banshees' song "Night Shift". It'll get more interesting and hopefully less angsty once I get it going. Anyway, read on, if you dare :^)
Sally layed face down on her bed, contemplating her current situation.
*What the heck is wrong with you?*
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing."
*Oh, come on, I'm your inner voice! You can tell me!*
"If I tell you, will you leave me alone?"
*Yes.*
She sighed. "OK. As usual, Jack Skellington has been on my mind lately."
*Ah.*
"Yes, but it's different than before. It's so much more intense. Everything is. Why am I so intense right now?"
*Perhaps the fact that Halloween is approaching? This will be your first Halloween out, Sally. You're gonna be a little anxious. And I'm sure the fact that the man you admire is the Pumpkin King... Well, that probably contributed a bit.*
Sally paused, then sighed sadly again. "But... What if it's more than admiration?"
*Elaborate.*
"I've been questioning my emotions lately. Sure, I've always felt that Jack is my other half, but... Now it's so much more. That without my other half beside me, I'm not a full person. I think I may be..." She cringed. "I think I may be in love with him."
*Oh. Yeah, that's tough.*
"Yes. Yes it is. I've never had a proper conversation with him, aside from the occasional "Hello" when passing him by on the street. But still without him I feel so sad. Like I need him in order to feel happy now."
*No! You do NOT need someone in your life to make you happy! ESPECIALLY not a significant other. That's YOUR job, the happiness.*
"I know that. Before now I've felt like such an independent, intelligent, strong woman."
*And that you are.*
"Thank you. But now I'm so vulnerable. I don't know what happened."
*Well, vulnerability can be a good thing, if acted upon wisely. But still, you are perfectly happy the way you are, yes? I mean, except for the fact that you're Dr. Finkelstein's slave, of course.*
"But that's just the thing! Jack, or at least my thinking of him, has made the slave thing so much worse for me! He's so free. He makes me yearn even more for that freedom I know I can't have!" She turned over and stared at the ceiling, choked down a slight sob and went on in a quieter tone. "Do you think, if I were with Jack, or even if I just knew him well, that he would be able to take me away from my slavery? Or would he make it even worse?"
*No telling. We inner voices aren't psychic, you know. But I can tell you that Jack may not be all you think he is.*
"Wait... Are you saying I'm too much of an idealist?"
*Precisely. 'Oh brighter to have never loved, than gather ghosts of the blinding relentless sun idealized in you.'*
"That's very nice."
*Yes. Yes it is. Now please, do go on.*
"I'm not sure what else to say. I don't know if I can bear to stay with the Doctor for one more day. I mean, I live with him, so in a way he's keeping me safe. But what's that compared to real life? I'm his 'precious jewel' as he loves to call me, that's locked away in a safe so as not to get damaged or stolen. But what's the point of having a jewel if it never sees the light of day?"
*You and your metaphors. Nonetheless, you have a point there. But how does it link to Jack?*
"I don't know. Maybe just that he could show me so much."
*Well, why don't you do it yourself?*
"What do you mean?"
*Run away.*
Disclaimer: Any Nightmare Before Christmas characters belong to Tim Burton. If any Johnny the Homicidal Maniac characters show up later (which they most likely will) they belong to Jhonen Vasquez. No money involved. You no sue.
AN: Alrighty. The idea for a NMBC/JtHM crossover was inspired by the song "Souljacker pt. 1" by the Eels. The two people it mentions in the song are named Johnny and Sally, and since Nny and Sally are two favorite characters of mine, I thought I would do this fic. To get myself started, I sorta based this first part on Siouxsie & the Banshees' song "Night Shift". It'll get more interesting and hopefully less angsty once I get it going. Anyway, read on, if you dare :^)
Sally layed face down on her bed, contemplating her current situation.
*What the heck is wrong with you?*
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing."
*Oh, come on, I'm your inner voice! You can tell me!*
"If I tell you, will you leave me alone?"
*Yes.*
She sighed. "OK. As usual, Jack Skellington has been on my mind lately."
*Ah.*
"Yes, but it's different than before. It's so much more intense. Everything is. Why am I so intense right now?"
*Perhaps the fact that Halloween is approaching? This will be your first Halloween out, Sally. You're gonna be a little anxious. And I'm sure the fact that the man you admire is the Pumpkin King... Well, that probably contributed a bit.*
Sally paused, then sighed sadly again. "But... What if it's more than admiration?"
*Elaborate.*
"I've been questioning my emotions lately. Sure, I've always felt that Jack is my other half, but... Now it's so much more. That without my other half beside me, I'm not a full person. I think I may be..." She cringed. "I think I may be in love with him."
*Oh. Yeah, that's tough.*
"Yes. Yes it is. I've never had a proper conversation with him, aside from the occasional "Hello" when passing him by on the street. But still without him I feel so sad. Like I need him in order to feel happy now."
*No! You do NOT need someone in your life to make you happy! ESPECIALLY not a significant other. That's YOUR job, the happiness.*
"I know that. Before now I've felt like such an independent, intelligent, strong woman."
*And that you are.*
"Thank you. But now I'm so vulnerable. I don't know what happened."
*Well, vulnerability can be a good thing, if acted upon wisely. But still, you are perfectly happy the way you are, yes? I mean, except for the fact that you're Dr. Finkelstein's slave, of course.*
"But that's just the thing! Jack, or at least my thinking of him, has made the slave thing so much worse for me! He's so free. He makes me yearn even more for that freedom I know I can't have!" She turned over and stared at the ceiling, choked down a slight sob and went on in a quieter tone. "Do you think, if I were with Jack, or even if I just knew him well, that he would be able to take me away from my slavery? Or would he make it even worse?"
*No telling. We inner voices aren't psychic, you know. But I can tell you that Jack may not be all you think he is.*
"Wait... Are you saying I'm too much of an idealist?"
*Precisely. 'Oh brighter to have never loved, than gather ghosts of the blinding relentless sun idealized in you.'*
"That's very nice."
*Yes. Yes it is. Now please, do go on.*
"I'm not sure what else to say. I don't know if I can bear to stay with the Doctor for one more day. I mean, I live with him, so in a way he's keeping me safe. But what's that compared to real life? I'm his 'precious jewel' as he loves to call me, that's locked away in a safe so as not to get damaged or stolen. But what's the point of having a jewel if it never sees the light of day?"
*You and your metaphors. Nonetheless, you have a point there. But how does it link to Jack?*
"I don't know. Maybe just that he could show me so much."
*Well, why don't you do it yourself?*
"What do you mean?"
*Run away.*