"So, this 'emergency' you report, you say that Esmerelda had smelled a...human..." Martha repeated slowly.
"Oui, yes!"
"In the lobby." she continued tiredly.
"Yes!" Quasimodo agreed, caught between submission and impatience, he's practically on his knees on her carpet, the very image of a 'humble servant'. Martha's not buying too much into it. At least, for being a chef, the goblin is relatively clean. "And I am simply wondering - when we catch this human - how you would like me to prepare it."
The vampire tapped her fingers together in front of her mouth.
"Quasimodo." she asked the chef carefully, "Do I need to remind you what part of our staff consists of?"
"Aha, yes, but this one is a strange one, a wild one, an intruder!" he insisted eagerly, "Such an insult upon this place, I beg for the honor to let me dispose of it!"
Martha smiled tightly, eyeing the rat perched on his shoulder with hidden distaste. It was a mean, nosy little creature, even nastier than the goblin. "Mr. Wilson, first, let me assure you that I have no doubts in Esmerelda's credibility, but I am certain that there is no strange human within my hotel. I am sure that one of the newer cleaning staff simply didn't cover their own scent well enough, and that was what she picked up on. I will personally look into the matter."
Quasimodo's face fell a little, "B-but - Madame, if there is one—"
"Then I will take care of it." she cut in smoothly. "If there is a strange human, my position requires that I must take responsibility for any lapses in security." She bore him down with the sternness of her gaze, "We're under too many eyes as it is - from both monsters and humans - to bring any more attention. Am I understood?"
The hunchback glared sourly at the carpet, the rat mimicking his posture, before he blinked, bowing a little.
"Oui, Madame Dracula."
"Good. You may go."
The vampire waited until he had scuttled out of her office, before slumping, pinching the bridge of her nose, sighing, "Mavis, Mavis, Mavis..."
The girl still wouldn't learn, it seemed.
Her nails began drumming against the desktop.
Tap-tap-tap. Tap-tap-tap. Tap-tap-tap.
She knew this couldn't be handled easily. Doubtless the chef's 'artistic vision' would quickly get the better of him, regardless of her orders.
Though generally reliable in the kitchen, the poor wretch never seemed to get his head into modern times.
She'd have to alert her own humans, now, to not look suspicious or be alone with him for a while.
Tap-tap-tap. Tap-tap-tap. Tap-tap-tap.
So, now she had to watch out for him, as well. Wonderful.
"I have a chef to restrain, a party to plan, a daughter to watch, and a scheme to maintain..." she muttered under her breath. "I'm swamped." Just wonderful.
Tap-tap-tap. Tap-tap-tap. Tap-tap-CRACK.
She looked down in surprise at the sound, to see her nails had unconsciously lengthened into vicious talons, gouging the woodwork.
The vampire huffed to herself, dislodging her nails to view the marks, a little upset. She liked this desk. And that manicure.
Her hand flexed, claws glinting... But - no, she was not stressed.
Her fingers slowly return to normal as she stands, brushing herself down self-consciously.
She was not stressed.
Martha just needed a - a breather. Maybe...maybe see how the musician zombies were coming along with their practice, yes...
Ye-es, she would do that, and then - then she would see about her 'party planner'...
. . .
"Awesome secret passage stuff." Johnny observed, excited.
"Yeah," Mavis grabbed a torch, frowning into the darkness, "Mom thinks I don't use all of these tunnels. This is to get you out so she won't see us. Uhh..."
She hesitated when they reached a circular room, tunnels branching in all directions.
"Um, this way..." she announced randomly, trying to look as if she knew what she was doing.
. . .
Some time later...
. . .
"Are we lost?"
She scowled, "Hey, look, I'm not down here much, alright? This is for like if the humans revolt or something like that."
"Oh, so I'm like the first human here, huh?"
She blinked. ". . . Huh. Yeah."
Mavis bit her lip to herself as they went, wondering how bad it would turn out if he was like the others...
Turns out the guy is a little clumsy. She had to save him from an abrupt ending of stairs. Maybe the clumsiness was an act?
Why did those stairs just abruptly end, anyway? What was up with that?
. . .
Some more time later...
. . .
"So, can I ask a question?"
"Um, sure." she mumbled. Maybe this way...?
"Is that real? About the garlic thing?"
"The what? Oh. Yeah, family food allergy," she gestured absently to her neck, "Can't have it, or my throat swells."
"Huh. Wooden stake to the heart?"
That made her roll her eyes, "Who wouldn't that kill?" She then glared at him, now suspicious, "Why are you asking...?"
Johnny coughed self-consciously, "Oh, uh, no reason. Sorry, just wondering." He grinned at her when they ducked into a low tunnel, flattening his hair down.
And this - they had to walk practically bent over, who the heck designed these tunnels, Mom?!
"Seriously though, this place is amazing!"
Mavis looked around, ready to doubt it; being here as long as she has, this place wasn't really all it was cracked up to be but...
She couldn't help a smile. He did seem to genuinely like this place.
"Heh, really...?"
. . .
Some more time and a wrong opening later...
. . .
The lady skeleton screamed when her shower wall opened up, "AHHH! WHAT'S HAPPENING?!"
"I'm sorry, I'm really, really sorry!" Mavis scrambled to apologize, working the lever quickly.
"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?!" the husband skeleton shouted, and Johnny got a loofah to the face before the wall finally closed.
. . .
". . . Sorry." Mavis repeated quietly to him, blushing.
"It's cool." the human laughed, wiping the suds off his face, fortunately the makeup holds, and Mavis finds out his laughter is a little contagious.
. . .
Martha was slightly surprised to see Eunice leaning against the wall, and they both watched the riot going on the stage between monsterfolk and zombie. It was very one-sided. Martha grumbled internally, but Eunice seemed to catch up on it, shrugging her shoulders under her fluffy purple sweater.
"Eunice, this - what is this?" Martha asked tiredly, indicating the struggle.
"It's an embarrassment," her friend snorted, "And really annoying, but I'm not talkin' to 'em. I get too close to that and I'll get my mani chipped or somethin'." She showed her fine claws for nails. "I can't do anything, afraid you'll have to get 'em to cut that out." the woman stated flatly, arms crossed, "Sorry, hon."
"Yes, yes, I got it." Martha sighed aloud, gathering herself once more, gaining a sympathetic nod from the other woman.
Frankenstein waved when she came up, absently choking a zombie with his other hand, "Martha!"
She nodded at him, smiling faintly as she looked around. Wayne and his brood were treating one like a chew toy, while Murray seemed to be using one as a pogostick.
"Yes, hello, Frankie."
The giant flesh golem grinned, "Hey, lady, what you doing around here?"
"I was checking on the musicians." She pointedly looked at the one he was strangling. "What are you doing?"
Wayne spat out his victim to the vicious joy of his children, "We wanted to practice our big number for Mavis's party, but then these losers wouldn't get off the bandstand."
She scowled, "Alright. Put down Zombie Mozart, Bach, and Beethoven. Right now."
She crossed her arms, waiting as the monster men roughly gave up their 'rivals'.
She looked down at the zombified trio as they got themselves back together, "Did you get to rehearse at all, Zombie Beethoven?"
Zombie Beethoven shook his head dully, "Eh eh eh ehhh..."
She glared at the men, a little put out at them. She also had slight misgivings if this was really just competition for the stage, or a way of venting stress towards the zombies' living counterparts. Regardless, she'd personally been proud of collecting these musicians, and here they were being treated like rag dolls. She was grateful that at least none of the living human staff were active at this hour, seeing this kind of casual 'abuse' might make them...uncomfortable.
Wayne chuckled apologetically, "Sorry. Listen, Mar, we just wanted to play something, like old times. We even thought maybe you'd dance along with us."
Martha blinked, a little touched, but shook her head, waving it off, "Come on, boys. You know that I haven't danced in public since Vlad..."
Frankenstein grinned, "Yeah, but we just thought how much, you know, Mavis would love it."
Martha glared, "I said no." Her roaring hiss was vicious, her eyes a violent orange, startling on her face. "Don't ask me again."
She quickly composed herself, brushing back her hair.
"Okay. Now, let's hug the zombies, hm?" she told the frozen gentlemen sweetly, "Let's all make up."
Martha's ears suddenly pricked a little, and she frowned. Something sounded strange. The wall...?
Wayne snickered at Frank after the vampire swept past them, "Wow. She really scared you, huh?"
The golem coughed as his wife came up to his side, "I-I wasn't scared. I was being polite, okay?"
Eunice patted her husband's shoulder with a knowing, self-satisfied smirk.
. . .
Mavis was actually starting to get a little nervous, as she kept desperately feeling along the wall - I'm sure there's one here somewhere...
It was bad enough that she had been alone with a guy in a closet, and then in a hotel room. Now she was alone with one in a secret tunnel, like in those stories she'd read about, though funnily enough this kind of scenario could be found in both the horror and the romance sections. And he didn't seem nervous at all! He'd stopped talking or asking questions a little while back, but now... It was just - he just kept smiling at her. Sure, it was cute enough on him when he was a kid. But now she just kept feeling like the skin on her face was heating up every time she saw that stupid, maybe still kind of cute smile. She hoped the torchlight didn't show the redness. She wondered how good a human's night vision was. Why had she thought this would be a good idea?
"So, what all have you been doing?" he asked suddenly, surprising her.
"I-I'm sorry?" she mumbled, glancing at him as they walked.
"I mean, y'know, I never really found out what you like to do." Johnny shrugged, "So-o what do you do?"
"Um," Mavis searched her brains quickly, still taken aback by his genuine interest. "Uh, nothing cool, really, um, I..."
I'm a closet equality activist - which is an accomplishment considering how restricted my Internet access is.
I like to write. I wrote letters to 'little' you that I stopped sending after I found out that Mom filtered the mail.
Doesn't mean I stopped writing them.
I want to ask you if you ever wrote to me - but that just feels awkward now, since you're not little anymore.
I want to know, if humans still write letters? Or if everything is done on computer things now?
I sketch, sometimes. Sometimes I design clothes.
I always thought I wanted to try traveling. Not too sure about that right now.
I collect human music. I like to sing, too.
I sneak human boys around the 'monsters only' hotel behind my mom's back...
In the end, all that came out was a mumbling "Flying. I, um, I like to fly."
Her face burned with embarrassment - of all the cooler things she could've talked about - but the guy still looked interested.
"Yeah, that was pretty awesome," he admitted happily, "Wish I could do that. Well, I mean, without needing a plane. What's it like?"
Mavis blinked at him, a little at a loss. How do you tell a fish what running feels like?
"It's..." her eyes darted anxiously to the wall, and she spotted a lever, "Hold that thought!"
She grinned in relief, pulling it.
"I think this is it."
Yes, yes, yes, please yes...!
Her eyes widened when she saw this was definitely not the outside, but instead the stage hall.
Frankenstein spotted her and waved, seeing her despite her desperate attempts to shut the freaking WALL!
"Mavis!"
No. No no no no no crap no...!
She quickly shoved Johnny out of sight, tossing aside the torch, grinning weakly, "H-hey, Uncle Frank..."
He smiled back, beckoning to her while 'hugging' one of the zombie musicians, "Hey, kiddo, tried catching up with you earlier."
She subtly looked aside to Jonathan, hissing "Don't move." before replying out loud, leaving him, "Yeah, heh, sorry about that. Um, what's up?"
"I just had some more ideas to run by ya 'bout that Tesla coil thing..."
. . .
Jonathan waited uncertainly at the edge of the opening, watching Mavis go out to meet this giant dude who looked like he met the wrong end of a crazy sewing machine. Johnny felt a little awkward. She was just as cool now as she was back then, even prettier if that was possible, but he remembered her talking a lot more when he was younger, her smile was a bit easier. Now it looked a little edgy on her face.
At least it didn't seem like he was the only one who was nervous. Still, he felt a bit bad that she couldn't relax as much, sure, maybe he'd grown a bit, but was it that bad? He had a lot more to talk to her about now. What was something he could do to break the ice a little...?
Something flashed out of the corner of his eye.
"Good evening..."
Johnny yelped, spinning quickly to see Dracula - Dracula who was apparently Mavis's mom.
"Good—! I mean, eve - good, er, hi - Ms. Dracula, ma'am..." he stammered out, feeling himself start to sweat under his makeup.
Dracula also had the glowy-in-the-dark eye thing going on, but what was kind of creepy-cool on Mavis was downright spooky on this lady.
She smiled flatly down at him, eyes slightly narrowed.
"Yes... Forgive me, but I don't believe I caught your name...?" she asked, circling him slightly.
He shifted uneasily, patting himself, "Um, my name, uh, right, Johnny, um," he felt his own hair, remembering, "Well, I mean, obviously I'm Frankenstein."
"No, you are not."
The young man froze for a second before the vampire gestured beyond, still smiling at him.
"That gentleman over there - the one 'hugging' the zombie? He's Frankenstein."
She looked down at him evenly, patiently waiting for him to rally.
"Well, I mean - I'm not the Frankenstein," Johnny stammered, backing off under her scrutiny, "I'm just, I mean, I'm just, I'm, uh—"
He accidentally backs into Mavis, and then he's noticed by said Frankenstein.
The flesh golem finally lets go of the zombie from his 'hug', stomping up to squint at the obvious stranger from around Mavis.
Basically, to the 'uncle', he sees this kid who looks around Mavis's age, but was someone who the Stein didn't know. A potential 'problem'.
"Hey, Mavis, who's your, uh, who's your little buddy there?" he asked, somehow managing to sound threatening even while smiling.
Johnny shrunk uneasily behind Mavis, lady Dracula on one side, big, scary Franken-dude on the other, anxiously muttering to her, "Are these monsters gonna kill me?"
"Not as long as they think you're a monster..." Mavis whispered.
Johnny frowned a little, "That's kind of racist..." he whispered back uneasily.
She grimaced, "We'll talk later."
Jonathan took a fortifying breath, and started doing his 'best' Frankenstein impression, to Mavis's horror, Martha's bemusement, and Frank's obvious disgruntlement.
Frankenstein pointed at him in disbelief, "Is - is he making fun of me?"
Mavis raised her hands quickly, "No, no, no, of course not, because he's..." she yanked him to a standstill beside her, not noticing his blush, "He's, um..."
Martha smiled a slow, indulgent grin from behind them, "He is your cousin, Frank, ah, 'Johnny-stein'..."
Her daughter nodded desperately, "Yes, yes, yes, that!"
He frowned down at them skeptically, "I don't have no cousin."
Mavis quickly snapped up the lifeline her mother had thrown her, "No, no, you do. He's your sixth cousin; three times removed."
Jonathan played along hurriedly, "On your right arm's side." He held up his own arm to emphasize.
Frankenstein looked at his own right arm, surprised, "You have a cousin?"
Martha watched the exchange with a quiet grin.
Mavis nodded encouragingly, "Uncle Frank, if your arm could talk, it would tell you that the original owner of your arm had, uh, a brother..."
Jonathan added " - wh-who married a woman - "
" - who was - bleah!" Mavis pretended to cut her throat.
" - for strangling a pig!" Johnny finished.
Frankenstein's eyes widened, "I have pig-strangling blood in my arm?! . . . That's kinda cool." he admitted, before grinning down at Johnny, "Well, Cuz, great to meet you." He takes Johnny's hand to shake it, casually bashing the young man repeatedly against the floor.
"Don't mind him, sorry 'bout the confusion," Eunice reassured the stunned young 'Stein', "There's probably a lotta relatives we don't end up talkin' to."
"Um...thanks...?" Johnny mumbled.
Mavis couldn't help a shocked giggle, whether it was because the lie actually worked, or that Johnny was kind of funny like this, she didn't know.
"So, what brings you here, Johnny?" a voice asked out of the air.
The disguised human yelped, eyes darting, "Woah wh-who's that?!"
Griffin laughed, coming around, glasses now showing more clearly, "Oh, sorry. I should really clear my throat when I speak. Anyway, what brings you here?"
Mavis grimaced, feeling things were getting out of control, as Johnny was practically surrounded now by everyone.
"Oh, uh..." Johnny quickly glanced from Mavis to her mother, overwhelmed, before he took an uncertain breath, "Party...planner...?"
Martha blinked, remembering, and quickly intervened, "Ah, y-yes, I've recruited Mr. uh...Stein here to help me with Mavis's birthday party."
"Wait a minute, wait a minute." Murray pointed at the vampire incredulously, "You asked someone to help you?"
Wayne smirked, "Captain Control Freak?"
"It's 'Countess'." Martha deadpanned, "And...yes, I thought having a Mavis contemporary would be...useful."
Jonathan grinned, relief from something solid letting him regain confidence, "Yeah, she totally needed some fresher perspective."
Mavis winced when he promptly cowered under the older vampire's glare.
"Speaking of 'fresh'..." Martha stated in warning.
"I like this kid already." Griffin chuckled.
The werewolf cleared his throat, "Ok, look, Johnny, Ms. Tight Coffin over here was planning to have these powdered lame-oz play at the party later this week."
Martha turned her glare on him as the zombies sighed, Johnny looking at them curiously.
"Is that Beethoven...?" he mumbled, "Thought that was just a myth..."
Then Martha's eyes widened at Frankenstein when he spoke up, "So, anyways, we thought we could liven things up a bit."
Mavis was freaking out a little. She was supposed to be getting him out of here...!
Jonathan lit up, forgetting the zombies and Mavis's attempts to shush him, "Whoa, wait, you all play? Let's check you guys out!"
"I really don't think that that's necess—!" Martha was ready to intervene, but too late. They were set up in record time.
Frank and Murray on the guitars, Wayne on the piano, and Griffin on the drums.
Martha gently palms her face as Frankenstein and Murray begin singing. Eunice had completely removed her ears.
Johnny and Mavis listen with slightly stunned expressions.
It was slow and honestly kind of sleep-inducing.
What Frankenstein probably lacked in vocal talent he made up for in...enthusiasm if that's what it was called.
"Girl... I can't believe it's your big night..."
Murray went on, "Seems like only yesterday you were eating mosquitos,"
Griffin and Wayne added with him, "But now you're eating frogs and mice,"
Mavis loved the guys, and appreciated this, really.
But a small part of her bitterly thought that everyone was ancient enough around here that they might actually die of boredom.
It lead to Frankenstein again, "Scarfing them down like Doritos,"
As they all continued, "Tell me where did the time go, girl..."
Johnny spoke up, waving his arms for them to cut, surprising everyone, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on, guys, stop. That's cute, but, well, kind of old school..."
The lady Dracula sighed in relief, both for her ears and for her sanity, "Yes, thank you."
He continued with a grin, hopping up onto the stage, he had an idea, "You got to totally tempo things up. Here, let me show you."
Take a raincheck on that sanity.
Martha and Mavis looked at each other with equal expressions of confusion and slight distress, before the young man continued.
"Werewolf man, give me a jam!"
Wayne uncertainly pressed out a chord on the piano.
Johnny grinned, raising a fist, counting it off.
"Two, three, four!
And then Johnny played, kickstarting the band immediately.
"Vampire girl with the fangy fangs!
Hair real cute with the bangy bangs!"
Mavis blinked, surprised, brushing back her hair when he grinned at her.
She was going to blame this heat in her face on the rapidly growing crowd.
Johnny's smile widened at her dazed look.
Ice broken, maybe?
"Little princess gonna be a queen!
Legal bat lady turnin' 118! 118! Say '118'!"
"118!" the audience cheered.
Johnny whooped, caught up in the moment, "Yeah! Stage dive!"
Unfortunately for him, apparently monsterkind weren't aware of the tradition.
WHAM!
In the intrigued silence he lifted himself up with a dazed smile, "Awesome..." he rolls over to look up at Mavis from the floor, "So, did ya like it..?"
Mavis stared down at him, sort of blown away at the moment.
Before she could answer, he was caught up by a cheerful Frankenstein, "I think my Cuz is gonna make this the best. Party. Ever!"
The audience immediately crowded in, shouting suggestions and applause, overwhelming the two vampires and human.
"ENOUGH."
Dracula commanded their attention as she hovered over them, almost looking out of breath.
"That was...interesting, yes, well done to Johnny. But we all have our matters to attend to." she glared at Johnny, "Right, Mr. Party Planner?"
Mavis was frozen, and tried to intervene, "Um, a-are you sure he has to—?" a warning glance cut her off to a quiet "Yes, Mom."
Martha then smiled, which was more disturbing.
"Johnny-stein, I believe there is work for you to do..."
Jonathan swallowed, exchanging a panicked glance with the daughter of Dracula, "I-I don't know. Is it cool with Mavis?"
Again, before Mavis could answer, the crowd had already moved everyone along and out of any chance of immediate escape, Martha overseeing them all.
'One freaking week until my birthday,' Mavis groaned to herself, trying to find him again, 'If Mom doesn't kill me, the pressure sure will...'
. . .
"I am thankful you volunteered for this. We have a lot to do." Dracula told Johnny cheerfully, as he trailed uneasily behind. "You're a surprise, really." she went on, "I wasn't aware she had a friend like you." She smiled at him from over her shoulder, "Have you been to the hotel often?"
Johnny froze up a little, his brains working overtime, "Um, I was here a couple times, maybe," he mumbled, "Just passing through."
"Oh, I understand," Martha nodded, suddenly stopping to make them both move aside for people moving the opposite way down the hall, "Sometimes life just goes by too quickly to be able to stay for long." she continued idly, "What have you thought of this place so far?"
"Oh, it's pretty amazing," Johnny admitted readily, still really uneasy of her hand on his shoulder, "It's..." he trailed off when he noticed what was passing by, "Um..."
A small group of zombified serving staff shuffled past, some looking fresher than others, and one or two living humans went with them.
Johnny pointed, at a loss, "Muh...?"
Martha swiftly guided him along, "Don't worry, new staff, and sometimes the living ones tag along for work experience outside of direct employment. The dead are patient to teach the living, and it's nice to see some familial bonding, even past the grave, if you'll pardon my phrasing." She smiled down at him. The makeup hides his paleness. "I know it's an unusual policy, but don't worry. The humans here are completely safe, and won't hurt you. And you can disregard any rumors about any 'wild' humans."
"Tha's cool..." Johnny mumbled weakly. Then he blinked, "Uh, w-what rumors?"
Martha's smile was genuine, a smirk as she looked down at him, "That their human laws would actually protect them."
Jonathan didn't need the makeup to look blue at this point.
Mavis's mom is totally going to kill me...
