Ari had rolled onto his side, his arm tucked under his head to mimic a pillow. The night was still around him, not much sound besides that of crickets chirping and the fire crackling. Despite the long time spent tossing and turning, he found he couldn't sleep. The fire danced in his green eyes, shadows twitching and grasping at the light with greedy hands, to so timidly withdraw.
He had recently regained his existence, and was on his way to regroup with Rosalyn, who Stan had theorized was in the town by the sea. So, save for his shadow, he was alone.
A small chuckle found him. Was that any different than normal, really? The bitter smile fled from his face just as quickly as it appeared. His mind wandered to when he had disappeared from his friends. After his pathetic attempt to talk anyone, even Stan, he had wandered up to his hometown, hoping his family would notice him. Hell, even just hearing someone talking about him. Hearing someone acknowledge his existence; but that wasn't the case. The only one who had said anything was his grandmother, who seemed to be quickly persuaded she was imagining things.
That wasn't the case though. He wasn't upset because his family didn't see him, didn't know he existed. They were in the same situation as everyone else, he didn't know what he expected. But… It hurt everything seemed to be the same. Like his being there never really changed anything to them. Besides Annie having to do her own chores, it seemed like nothing changed. His mother still had been the same, his grandparents, sister, father… His father didn't find anything odd. Even with all the talk of 'The Hero Rosalyn fighting the Evil King Stan', he still held his fascination, hell, even CHEERED for the damn king! The damn 'Ruler of Evil'!
Ari breathed deeply, trying to calm the rage boiling up inside of him. Losing your temper won't fix anything. He chided himself quietly.
After a few moments he let his mind wander again. His father always did have an obsession with praising Stan. Didn't even hesitate to sell his son's soul to him… If Annie's curse was fatal, he'd have been more accepting of it. But… But…
THAT WASN'T THE CASE.
Annie's curse wasn't fatal. Hell, it probably wasn't even permanent. Both his father and his grandfather had said they had put that curse on people as a joke, and that it only lasted a few weeks! Yet they found it completely acceptable to sell a soul… his soul.
"To just throw me aside…" Ari whispered into the night. He wasn't even aware he had spoken the thought out loud until Stan had emerged from the darkness, his dimensionally-challenged form bending over the boy.
"Who threw you aside?" he asked more curious than concerned.
"Nothing. No one." Ari muttered, forcing his usual tone of sarcasm.
"Is it that Julia twit?" Stan inquired, prodding his side with one shadowy finger.
"No."
"Marlene?"
"No."
"Linda?"
"NO."
…
"…Kisling?"
"What the hell are you even talking about?" Ari growled, green eyes darting to glare up at the shadow.
"I am trying to get you to tell me what you keep grumbling about!" Stan snapped "It's beginning to become very uncomfortable being in your shadow with your constant tossing-n-turning!"
"Then get out of my shadow." Ari mumbled.
"Tell me!"
"No."
"Tell me!"
"No."
"TELL ME."
Ari's seemingly endless tolerance for Stan's pestering had shattered. He snapped. "THEY THREW ME ASIDE! MY SO-CALLED 'FAMILY'! They pushed me aside in order to just keep my sister from being a 'comic-relief', just so she doesn't have people laugh at her and so she could live life more comfortably while I continue being the freak of the neighborhood, only expanded to the world!" He stopped his angry rant to breath, not noticing the shocked face Stan had at his quiet slave's outburst. Ari had sat up sometime during his outrage.
The fire cast its orange light around the clearing, the shadows flickering at its edges. Ari turned his gaze towards the fire. It seems to rage, just to be so easily smothered… Until it gets out of control… And then everything burns.
Oddly, it took Stan a few moments to actually reply. And when he did, he was…quiet. Almost serious.
"When you sold your soul to me?"
Ari chuckled under his breath, that chuckle turning into a hysterical laugh. Stan looked at him in confusion. He was laughing….? Eventually, his laugh faltered back into a sulky silence. "I didn't sell my soul. I had no intention to become the slave of an annoying stick figure…" he sighed, Stan's expected retort silent. "My soul is not one to be sold. And even if it was, it's up to ME to choose the buyer. The very idea it was my FAMILY, the people who have claimed to have loved me, to have so, almost... EAGERLY sold it to a being who claims me as his slave... It hurts." He gloved hand moved to clutch his chest. "It hurts."
"Your idea of pain is weird." Was the only thing Stan had to say. With golden eyes, he studied the slouching posture of his slave. How was it he endured battle with Fake Evil Kings, various monsters, and Marlene's smacks without so much as a whimper, but this is what he confesses pains him?
Stan could use this. This odd pain the boy gets from his family rejection of him might apply to others-
That seemed terrible. Even to him. Or, at least, toward Ari. Why is that? He continued to study him. Had he grown attached to the sarcastic brat? The idea was repulsing. Him? Evil King Stan, becoming fond of a mere slave?
It seemed just as repulsing to ignore his fondness toward the boy. Was it because of the ill feeling that was festering inside him? PAIN!? Was he feeling the same sort of pain Ari claimed? He stared at the boy. It hurt to see him upset. He disapproved.
Awkwardly he laid one of his hands over the boy's shoulder. "Well it was… beneficial, right?"
"What do you mean by that?" he muttered.
"I mean, you made friends. Actual ones. Rosalyn, Kisling, Big Bull, Linda, that little Marlene twit."
Ari smiled oddly "Yeah, I guess you're right." Suddenly he yawned toothily. He swatted Stan's hand of his shoulder and collapsed down onto his side. "I'm tired, g'night."
"Night." Stan muttered. He was just about to slip back into the shadows, when Ari spoke again.
"Thanks for caring, Stan."