Shoutouts )( Whoo whoo! Thanks everyone! AND HAPPY THANKSGIVING! And Mush is going insane because I gave him some crayons earlier, so please excuse his flightiness. He means the best.
Misprint )( Let me introduce you to something. This here is called updating. It's something we authors like to do. ::ahem:: UPDATE ECLIPSE/BLOODFLAME! Your mother works at the airport???? That is so fun! We have an airport here in VW… but eh… it's a crappy little local one for just people who like flying planes and such. To actually GO anywhere, ya have to drive to Ft. Wayne. You should have jumped onto the plane leaving for Noo Yawk Siddy. YAY FOR RON IN HARRY POTTER! I heart Rupert Grint in much-mush the same way I heart RRRRRRRRICO. It's not nice to make Mush make chicken noises, Misi. This year in French class, we had to like "update" the story of Tristan and Yseut and Shannon Manson became the "Poulet Magique d'Amour", who said "Bock! Bock! Mange moi!" It was good fun. YAY! Skitts did the hustle and Ron played the fiddle. You always leave the best reviews, Mis. Luffle you! **Mush wields crayons and writes "We [picture of a red heart] Misprint" on the walls**
Alison224 )( Wow, thanks for the string of compliments! **Mondie blushes bright red and ducks behind Mushy, who waves crayons in a greeting**
SparksdaNewsie )( It's odd that you comment on pyrotechnics… erm… that's almost foreshadowing into this chappy. Weird. Thanks dearie! Luffle you!
Hotshot )( Insanity? Around Mis, Shade, and I? Whatever are you talking about? ;D LOL! Thanks for all the compliments and comments. :D :D :D Whoo whoo whoo whoo! Mushy Darling, give Hotshot a crayon for being nice. **Mushy shouts in horror and runs away, clutching his crayons** Er… sorry 'bout that. He's not so good with the sharing thing.
The Omniscient Bookseller )( Thanks Omni! I heart you muchly-mushly!!!!!!!! **Mondie takes a bow straight into Mushy Banana Boy who is clutching his crayons, and thus gets crayons poked into her rear end** OOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW. Talk about getting it up the butt. **Mondie, Omni, and Mushy break into hysterical laughter**
Slick )( Thanks dearie!!!!!!!!! :D :D :D :D Poor Mis, she spends half of this chapter hiding out in the washroom… heh… ah, you'll see soon enough!
Shade of Temair )( Whoo whoo thanks Shaderina! ((I swear, I have more fun with your name than anyone else's) We're about to meet our immediate demise in this chapter. But we will return. Bwahaha… we will return. **Mondie cackles** *Mushy's eyes grow wide in terror and he throws green crayons at Mondie until she stops cackling because he is frightened of her when she turns insane*
Hottie5Star )( You wanna talk sexy? Oh, GOD, we haven't even STARTED getting to the good parts yet. We're talking Mush ripping off his shirt and strutting around in all his Godgiven loveliness in chapters to come. Ah, I love this story. Sexy blood-sucking and blood-giving god of the vampires… OH LORD artistic license is lovely! Thanks for the review! *Mush struts around, wielding yellow crayons that portray his sunny disposition as a sex god*
rumor )( I think German is a funny language. They spit a lot. **Mondie giggles and Mush scribbles on a picture with his crayons** I enjoyed the usage of the word "balk" as well. Sometimes my mind surprises me… I swear I'm like a walking thesaurus. It drives me absolutely INSANE when I know the word I want to use but can only think of simalies for it… that's why it takes me so long to write, I believe, because I spend the whole time trying to think of exactly what word I want and I won't settle for anything BUT that word. LOL. Okay, that was a stupid story. Ignore me. *Mush does, continuing to color* Thanks rumor dearie, I luffle you!
kimimay85 )( LOLOL wonder what Regor's getting you for your 6th month??? Ooooh. Weirdness. Anyhow. We get to dance interpretively in this chapter. It's very nice. It made me happy. WHOO WHOO we're on break and we don't have to work on Sunday! Life's grand sometimes. How was closing last night after work was God-awful horrible and we ran out of spaghetti?? Luffle you! **Mush waves crayons in a farewell gesture**
No Day but Today Chapter 4
by Mondie
Misprint giggled as she shuffled through the deserted bunkroom. She noticed a shirt lying, balled-up, on the floor. Picking it up, she realized with a smirk that it was Kid Blink's white shirt with the navy vertical stripes. She thrust her arm into the sleeves. The shirt, almost too small for its rightful owner, fell almost to her knees, and she impatiently shoved the gargantuan sleeves up to her elbow as she took to looking for extra trousers in the bedside tables' drawers. With no victory prize after searching every cabinet, she twisted around in place, looking suspiciously for the boys' hiding place. Tapping her chin with her index finger, she caught sight of the washroom. Smiling wisely, she crossed to the doorway. Gulping what was likely to be her last fresh breath, she plunged in.
"Hey, Mush!" When Mush climbed up to the bunkroom that night, his eyes wide with the wonder of the world, he was immediately greeted by Kid Blink, who nearly killed him with the extent of his "friendly" punch on the arm. "Wheah was you taday? An' las' night?" Kid asked, his eyebrows furrowing. This always produced a comical effect; Blink's eyepatch always drooped a few centimeters when his forehead wrinkled, giving him the look of a lopsided pirate.
Mush shrugged, but couldn't keep a telltale grin from crossing his face. "Out," he said mysteriously.
Blink's face relaxed to its normal, easygoing stance. "Ah. You an' Novel, huh?" he kidded, elbowing Mush before leaping away. "Don' woirry, boys, 'e wasn' soaked by da Delanceys or nobody!"
Racetrack was sitting on the wooden floor, dealing out a game of black jack for himself, Skittery, Pie Eater, and Bumlets, while two of the littlest newsies crowded behind him. He pulled his unlit cigar out of his mouth and let out a barking laugh. "Blink, nobody t'ought dat Mush was soaked but you. What ELSE would Mush do but run aroun' wit' a goil?" Everyone laughed, and Mush could only kick his feet in false complaint. He didn't mind being known as a skirt-chaser. It was actually a pretty good excuse for a lot of things.
Such as a twenty-four hour absence in which he'd gotten used to his new vampiric senses.
He surveyed the newsies gathered this evening, aware that he was doing so with an acute vision no one else possessed. His eyes darted to those he'd decided to make his minions. Kid Blink… Jack… Racetrack. After that, he'd have one more stop of the night. And then… Well, he wasn't particularly sure what would happen after he made his minions, but he knew that whatever it was, they'd have one hell of a good time.
His eyes darted to the side of the room, where one bunk looked… wrong. This confused him. He tried to remember whose bunk it was, and finally it came to him that it was Bean's, and thus he realized what was the matter with it: Bean was never a tidy newsie, and usually his bunk was piled high with treasures he'd found during the day while scrounging around in trash cans between newspaper editions. But tonight, not even the scruffy newsie was in sight.
"'Ey," he shouted, his voice earsplittingly loud. Everyone turned in alarm. He lowered his voice, his cheeks a little red. He still had to get used to the new volume control of his voice. "Wheah's Bean?"
Everyone else's eyes now swiveled to the bunk as well, and then dirty shoulders were shrugged and questioning looks took over the faces of the newsboys. "I dunno," Jack answered. "I haven' seen 'im all day."
"I'se in heah," a small voice piped up, and, almost shuddering, the scroungy boy stepped from the washroom. In fact, he was shivering. Kid Blink immediately noticed his own shirt covering the boy's slight frame, and was about to protest, when Mush held up a warning hand.
"Bean?" he said, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. He knew right away that this wasn't Bean, although he did look startlingly similar. Both were too short and too scrawny to look their ages, and had the same disheveled hair peeking out from an immensely large bowler hat. Looking around quickly, he could see that no one else could see the difference between this intruder and the real boy. "Wha' is ya doin' in dere?"
"I… I…" His voice seemed to fail him, and he gave another shudder before falling to his knees.
"Bean!" nearly everyone yelled at once, jumping to their feet and rushing over to him. Up close, Mush could see that it most definitely wasn't Bean, but still, no one else seemed to be catching on.
"I'se… I'se jus'…" The pretender coughed. "Da bulls…"
"Did da bulls chase ya?" Kid Blink asked, a little more kindly.
Bean nodded. "Yeah. I had ta slide down in da sewahs ta escape, an' den me clothes was all wet, an' dese was da on'y ones I could find in heah dat was dry…" He gestured to his outfit, but still seemed shaken.
"Well, dat's a'right," Jack said, taking the boy's shoulder and leading him to his bunk. "Ya need ta loin not ta go in da sewahs, d'ough. 'Membeh? We alrea'y had dis convoisation las' month."
"I know," Bean said ruefully, halting at the foot of his bunk. Mush noticed how exaggerated his swagger was, and this further led to his confusion. He also could tell by now that whoever this actor was, he was well-known in the parts. He just couldn't figure out who it was… but something about the eyes…
"C'mon, it's time fer bed," Jack said disapprovingly, as though just realizing what hour it was. He hustled the younger newsies into bed, admonishing Racetrack, who tried to sneak in another quick round of black jack. The candles were blown out, and everyone raced to get in their bunks.
Only two moved lethargically: Mush and Bean. Dark settled upon the bunkroom, yet Mush's eyes instantly readjusted to produce the same quality of light as in daytime. He watched Bean, still trying to find the identity of this intruder. He watched the way Bean tugged at the trousers as if not used to them, as if they were inhabiting his movements. Then came a moment of revelation, as Bean tugged off the large bowler cap covering his head… and a cascade of black hair fell down his back.
Mush smiled to himself. Misprint.
"Golly, dat goil is insane," Mondie sang lightly, twirling in a circle in a way she'd seen some street dancers carrying on that afternoon. She threw back her head so that her long brown hair swished back and forth, and clapped her hands together.
Broadway, dancing along, copied the move, then the two moved away from each other simultaneously, with fluid movements. "I know. I wondeh how she's doin'?" she wondered, twirling back toward Mondie, and the two clapped their hands to each other's.
"Who knows," Gemini shrugged. "She's prob'ly seducin' all a' dem an' rippin' off deir clothes an' becomin' a common street whore." She burst into giggles, which Mondie, Broadway, and Shade all copied. The idea of Misprint as a street whore was undeniably hilarious.
"But she hates da colah red," Shade said, tilting her head to the side. "How could she eveh get along wit' smeahin' it all oveh her cheeks?" This only made the girls laugh harder.
"Hey, wheah's Mayhem?" Clementine asked, eager to change the subject to something much more becoming.
"I dunno," Mondie answered, as she and Broadway fell onto a bunk, exhausted. "I hasn' seen 'er."
"She wen' downstaihs ta get some moah candles," answered Shade, making a face at the needlepoint she was attempting to stitch. "Abou' a half houh ago. Mondie didn' see 'cause she was outside lookin' for a sight a' Mush."
Mondie smiled and nodded, even though the statement had been intended to embarrass her. "Well, I'se didn' see 'im all day," she said unconvincingly. "I jus' wan'ed ta make shoah he was okay."
Gemini snorted. "Yeah right, Mondie."
Broadway chimed in, "You's jus' wan' 'im ta make a move on ya, Mondie, ya doity goil!"
"Well, it ain't faih dat I's da on'y goil 'e neveh chases!" Mondie said, pouting. She threw her arms in the air. "I give 'im plenty a' opportunities, too! But 'e neveh notices me."
At that moment, the unmistakenable sound of Mayhem's boots clomped up the stairs. She had tacks going through the thin soles of her shoes, to mimic the girls on the Vaudeville stages, and so it was obvious whenever she walked anywhere. She appeared in the doorway, smiling widely, her face lit up with the multitude of candles she held. "Heah we go!" she cheered.
The girls stayed up for quite a bit longer, until Clementine screeched that it was undoubtedly time for bed. Then the girls obeyed, and blew out their new candles.
Mayhem wasn't ready to sleep, and she lay on her bed with her candle alone lit. She held a newspaper, one she hadn't been able to sell that afternoon. She squinted at the fine print for a while, and then, with a sigh, decided to sleep as well. She wasn't a very quick reader, and though she didn't feel tired, she knew she needed her sleep. She blew out her candle quickly, then lay the newspaper on her bedside table and flopped over on her side to sleep. Despite her worries, she immediately succumbed to dreamland.
The newspaper, draped over the not-quite extinguished candle, began to smoke. While twenty girls slept soundly, a fire methodically began to awaken, and it licked hungrily at the wood of the room. While twenty girls slept soundly, flames began to burst out in different places. While twenty girls slept soundly, their cotton bedsheets began to get smudged with soot, before going up in flames as well.
Mush first aroused Kid Blink from his deep sleep. "Huh? Wha?" Kid asked drowsily, staring at Mush. He spoke as though his tongue were too thick to reside in his mouth. "Whadd'ya doin', Mush? Isstime fer bed, go ta bed, we's gotta sleep… c'mon…" He was about to drop off again.
Without giving it a second thought, Mush pulled his best friend, his comrade, his brother, toward him. Blink immediately became awake when he felt the punctures in his neck, and began hitting and pounding, trying to scream, trying to throw off his attacker. But Mush held fast to him, watching the color recede from his face as he became more and more dry. Blink's throat seemed to seize up so that he couldn't shout for help, and finally he lay still. Mush, remembering Chalereux's wisdom about having his minions drink from the right side of his throat, felt his right index finger's nail curve into a sharp tool, and he scratched ruggedly at his neck, then lifted Kid Blink's head up.
It was painful; Mush couldn't deny it. And yet, as Kid Blink's drinking became more and more insistent, it was as though he was being pulled away to a dreamland… and suddenly, he was in a whole different time and place, and blissfully unaware of himself…
Mush beckoned to Her with a bit of a smile. Not even breaking the flow of Her elastic dance moves, She slid into place beside him. The music was far too loud to be excused by human ears, and yet every inhalation that passed through Her lips was even more painstakingly loud and echoed through the chamber of Mush's mind. With precision, he lightly kissed up Her arm amongst a trail of glitter and sweat. He ended at the start of Her neck, and She smiled at him. It was as if a celestial being had been plucked out from among the flowers for his enjoyment, and his enjoyment alone. He licked at his lips, salty and coarse, and then pulled Her body towards his. He could practically taste the purity in Her breath.
With a cry, he pulled himself free of Kid Blink's grip, and looked about himself in shock. He wondered what had just happened. The images came back to him, of a wonderland filled with flashes of colors and swirling people, and of… Her. He was shocked when he thought of Her now, and only wondered that he hadn't been so concerned when with Her—for she had only been wearing a shirt held up with two thin straps, showing far too much of her arm and even her collarbones, and she had also been wearing trousers, and her hair had been too short… if Mush hadn't witnessed the sexuality in her curvy shape, he would've worried that he was fantasizing about being with a man. He shook his head, and then a smile crossed his lips. He wanted to feel it again—he bounded across the room, leaving a shocked Kid Blink alone on his bunk as he crossed to Jack. He didn't even bother to wake up Jack, just drained his blood quickly, and then reopened the wound on his neck, offering it to the half-awake, half-dead Jack as a sort of frenzied peace treaty. He wanted to see her again—to feel the heat of the room. He didn't understand, but he needed it. He needed Her.
Within a few moments, the spaced-out feeling occurred again, and Mush grinned to himself this time as he hurtled forward…
She turned around, so that Her back was to him, yet stayed just as firmly connected to his skin. With a rhythm that awoke every sense he possessed, their bodies fell to one single unit, a mass of passion and frigid sexual awakening. He closed his eyes, letting the driving pulse of the music control his move. He longed to read Her mind, to learn Her thoughts, but didn't let himself. She was far too sacred to be jostled in such a manner. His left hand sought a resting place upon Her left hip, while his right arm wound its way under Her arm and across her chest to Her left shoulder, binding Her forever to him. She placed Her small, heated hand over his on Her hip, and Her right arm wound through the air with the fluid elegance of a hypnotizing snake before tangling itself behind his head, in his masses of curls. He felt a convulsive shudder run through his body, and felt the terror that he had known only through his victims before. God, She was beautiful.
When Jack had finished drinking and was staring about himself in amazement, Mush was reeling with the inward revelations. He didn't know what Her name was, but he did know that she was his queen. This time, he had noticed his own outfit… an odd sort of trousers-and-shirt set, where his trousers were roughly the size of Manhattan. It was an odd sensation, to have so much air and fabric around his legs. Thinking of it now, he could only concede that girls and boys had switched places, so that girls were wearing the tight clothing, and boys were wearing trousers that resembled skirts. He led Jack roughly over to Kid Blink's bunk, where Kid Blink was looking quite jostled indeed, and started over to Racetrack's bunk.
Five minutes later, he was again surging through time and space, again emerging into the same land with the bright colors and loud music.
The music changed. The beat that had seemed to drive the club the entire night thus far switched to a soft tango. Mush was almost unaware that he had done it. Everywhere, to either side of them, couples were bending and twisting through romantic positions that they had never known before tonight. Mush realized he was doing this, too. She had changed, too. Her dark blue vampire eyes locked on his, and She spun in a circle before slapping Her hands to Her hips and stomping one foot. The other females copied the motion, though they didn't share Her passion, and Mush took her in his arms willingly. To the quiet beat, the duo twisted and spun the web of the great dance of romance and passion, and as Mush's hands clutched Her torso and he felt Her heart beating three times its normal speed, he leaned in to kiss Her. He wondered that if they were to kiss, would Her magic be broken? Or would it only increase…
Now, having created three of his minions, Mush was in agony. He wished to finish the time traveling. He wanted to see the girl again. He needed to see the girl again. He searched desperately around the bunkroom, feeling there was some purpose for his standing there. There was something he had to do… His eyes caught sight of Misprint's huddled body. Of course. There had been a reason for her being in the bunkroom that night.
He only now realized that he had been calling her subconsciously.
He knew, however, that she wasn't to be a minion. Feeling a bit clumsy, for there is nothing gentlemanly about sucking on a girl's neck, he woke her hesitantly. "Misprint… Mis," he said, shaking her. She looked over, panicked for a moment (obviously unaware of where she was), then relaxed.
"Ya figgered it out, Mush," she said softly.
"Yeah, now listen to me," he said. "Is it a'right if I…" He paused, unsure of how to ask her permission. "Uh… if I kiss yer neck?"
She looked quite puzzled. "Mush, that isn't really why I'se snuck in heah tanight…"
Mush rolled his eyes. "Jus' fer a second, Mis."
"Well… I guess… I'se kin hold it oveh Mondie fer foreveh," Misprint mused to herself. "Okay, if ya really wanna," she allowed.
Mush pushed back Kid Blink's shirt, then shivered with the delicious feeling he got from staring at her delicate collarbone, so like the girl's in the dream world… he lightly kissed her skin, then pushed his fangs in.
Misprint gasped, then fell limp. Mush realized she'd fainted, but decided maybe it was better this way. After draining her, he lightly slapped her face until she awoke and stared feebly at him. He made a new slit, this time on the left side of his neck, and forced her mouth to the wound.
The dizzying effect of when Kid Blink had first drank accompanied Misprint's gentle sucking at his neck, but this time Mush wasn't transported anywhere, he was merely stuck here, waiting in agony until Misprint had finished drinking her fill. She bared her teeth, and looked around herself much as the others had, admiring everything. He climbed down from her bunk and lifted her with him, carrying her to Kid Blink's bunk. He called over Racetrack as well, and in a hushed tone, began to tell them all the story of Chalereux and what had become of them. They all seemed to be taking it very well, he realized.
Either that, or they believed they were in a dream.
Finally, some time later, Mush's urge to create his final minion was buzzing around in his brain. "I want you all to come with me," he said softly, inside their heads. "We're going to Brooklyn."
The five teens took off at a run through the streets of New York City, dodging people and houses, galloping at such a rate no ordinary human could manage. They were at Spot's side in less than half an hour, and much of that time had been spent trying to sneak past his thugs guarding him while he slumbered.
Mush didn't bother to wake him, knowing that Spot would adore the idea of himself being in such power. However, Mush was also aware that Spot would be most unmanageable as a regular vampire, as he would have dreams of overtaking the world or something of the sort. So, in hopes of containing him, Mush had decided that with Spot as a minion, he would have to obey everything Mush told him to do.
The draining of Spot, by now relatively old hat to Mush, was something of a teaching for the new vampires; he reopened the slit in the right side of his neck and grinned as Spot began to lick at the blood, sending Mush hurtling through space one final time.
The pounding of the beat was back, and Mush realized with a bit of a start that he was exhausted. No one else in the club could remember the tango frenzy they'd all just embarked on, and resumed their grinding without hesitation. Only he and She remained immobile, staring at each other as if unsure of anything but the fact that they were there, this time, this moment, this now. He stared at Her as She moved closer to him, closer and closer still, until the beat of Her delicate heart nearly drove him insane. Then She bent forward, and kissed him, releasing Her passion in the only way She knew. He smiled to himself, only too happy to bestow his own way of exhausting pleasure, and leaned down to Her neck. He could feel the fangs sliding out… it was only moments before they pierced that crystalline, intense skin…
Spot drew away from Mush, and looked pleasantly surprised at the Manhattan brethren assembled before him. "So," he said lightly, as though this was nothing out of the norm. "Vampiahs do exist, eh?"
**Mondie huggles story and Mush so hard that he drops all of his crayons** LORDY, I love this story! Gah! Please review! Luffle you all! **Mushy scowls and goes to pick up crayons**