Chapter 35: The Rough Reunion
Two days.
Elvis the ROCKINGTROLLTOISE had been running on the train tracks non-stop for two days, only taking breaks to pee or eat kale at train stations two to three times a day. Ozzy and Beatrice tried to keep themselves busy between taking turns driving and cooking, Ozzy fixing up Charles, Beatrice trying to talk to Audrey, or Beatrice trying to beat Ozzy's high score in the pinball machine.
To say that Audrey and Charles were in a mess was an understatement. Audrey kept herself curled up in a ball, frozen both physically and emotionally. She never stepped off her bunk bed, she silently refused to eat the food that Ozzy brought to her, and she kept her back turned on Beatrice. The latter kept coming out of the room with a broken expression. As for Charles, Ozzy had to give him anesthesia so she could fix up his injuries. For two days, he'd been asleep on a bunk bed while Ozzy had to carefully stitch up his wounds, the ones on his stomach harder than most. As Sunday came to a close end, Ozzy noticed that the anesthesia was beginning to wear off. Figuring that he'd be starved after what happened on Friday, Ozzy spent time cooking some chestnut soup.
"I called Crystal… We should be close to the train by two hours or something," Beatrice said from the steering wheel.
"Good. I'll have to refill the food supplies." With Audrey refusing to eat, Ozzy and Beatrice had to make use of the food to avoid wasting. It was a miracle that the fridge in the ROCKTINGTROLLTOISE had a mechanism that protected perishables longer than the typical fridge. The Rock Trolls really knew their way around technology. Ozzy turned off the stove and began pouring the chestnut soup into a black bowl.
"I can't believe you're feeding him." Beatrice spoke rather quietly, but Ozzy picked up on the venomous tone. For two days, despite everything that went down in Villainapolis, Beatrice still displayed her animosity towards Charles. Heck, the only way Ozzy finally managed to pick up what his name was when she heard Beatrice mutter about wanting to throw him in a sandworm pit. That gave Ozzy the reason to put Chares and his belongings in the only cabin within Elvis to have an iron door with a silver spiked mural of a hand doing the horns gestures… in case the supernatural ever attacked during tours.
"Need I remind you that he saved our hides back in that human remake of Hell?" Ozzy asked.
"Is that an insult to my nature?" Beatrice looked over the seat. "He almost killed me! In a landslide and with his toolkit! He's a slayer!"
"How are you any different?" Ozzy coldly asked. "Don't think I heard nothing of you. You might be a fun prankster, but you're a daddy's girl for a damn reason. And I'm not talking about your biological daddy."
"Just because my godfather is the Radio Demon doesn't mean I'm a mini version of him," Beatrice tried to match Ozzy in the game of cold tones.
"Yeah, but from what I heard through Willywaffle, your god daddy is ten times more honest about his dark side then you are." A clang was heard as Ozzy placed the bowl on a tray, complete with a silver-colored cup full of mug and a few slices of garlic bread. "You and I may be the kids of reformed villains, but in the end, we're still the children of villains. I've had my dark moments. Don't you dare act self-righteous about yours." She shook her head and made her way through the tiny hallway until she reached the cabin with the iron door. Before she closed it behind her, she picked up the sounds of crying coming from Beatrice despite the attempt of smothering the tears down with her sleeves. As much as Ozzy hated making other kids cry, Queen Barb did give her a harsh lesson about tough love when needed, so she just closed the door behind her.
Although there were only two large-sized bunk beds, the cabin was big enough to hold eight people for a sleepover, maybe more since it could function as a panic room and had necessities for surviving and partying: a small fridge with a mini freezer, a heating plate, a TV and music player matched with shelves full of books, DVDs, CDs, and video games, two cabinets for emergency clothes and music equipment, poofs and sleeping bags spread on the carpeted floor. The light from the red lightbulb reflected on the black walls and the numerous posters of famous Troll bands. The only two windows in the cabin were on top of one another, each for a bunk bed. The main bunk bed that interested her was the lowest one, the one where Charles was sleeping in.
The anesthesia was getting closer to wearing off. After stitching and bandaging him, Ozzy had placed him back-down on the mattress, constantly checking to make sure he didn't turn. With the way he slept stiffly as if he were already dead in a coffin, only his eyelids' fidgeting began to show that he was waking. Smirking, Ozzy placed the tray next to the heating plate and immediately went on to boop his nose. The small nose wrinkled, the eyes popped open, and soon enough, the red strawberry blush appeared on the skin pale as clouds on a spring day.
"What the…" Charles then noticed his bare upper body and tried to pull up the black sheets, hoping to cover himself. It didn't work, as it still exposed his pale, partially scarred arms. Ozzy noted how despite his small height giving off a possibility of skinniness, the thickness in his muscles did tell Ozzy that he had his shares of physical exercise, possible from fighting or parkour. "What did I miss?"
"You kicked butt, a wolf nearly killed you, I fixed you, and you've been catching zees for two days." Ozzy helped him sit up, her fingertips slighting touching the skin above his bandaged back, the feeling reminding her of marshmallows melting in a campfire. "How's that?"
"Better… I think?" Charles looked confusingly at her, probably because he couldn't decipher the smile she was giving him. Ozzy managed to make it look friendly on the outside, but deep in her, the smile made her melt. Those purple eyes, she thought. It's like watching a volcano explode and the lava turned into melted, shiny amethysts that solidified. Ozzy had spent her childhood surrounded by Trolls of different clans, different cultures, different music, different colors, and similar things with non-humans that visited or stayed in the Troll Lands. Some Trolls did have purple eyes, hair, skin, or tribal attire. Heck, her childhood bestie Gladiola, the Princess of Pop, had lavender skin, but Ozzy had never met a single Rock Troll with an eye coloring other than blue, red, the occasional pitch black and dark blue, and the wild magenta eyes that only she and Queen Barb had as women in the royal Rock family. But Charles had practically shown off like an ass-kicking rocker in her magenta eyes. Sure, he was human, but… a curious one.
His growling stomach caught her attention. "Figured you'd be hungry." Ozzy grabbed the tray and placed it on Charles' lap. "Chestnut soup, garlic bread, and a cup of water. If you need to fill up some more, I got a mini fridge full of ice cream sandwiches, and backup granola bars everywhere."
"Backup granola bars?"
"Yep. Got preferences? Mine are chocolate protein and almonds…"
"No, I mean why do you have them for backup?"
"Because this is the panic cabin?" Ozzy pointed at the door with her thumb. "Only door made of silver and iron. Beatrice's been hoping of mauling you alive, so I put you in the one cabin that she can't step in."
"I can understand that, but WHY do you have a panic cabin in a living RV avatar of Bowser?" Charles insisted.
"Because Rock Trolls have to be prepared for anything when on tour," Ozzy said as if it were obvious. "I mean, if you go to some mountain range for a rock concert and if you get into some supernatural encounter like cannibal werewolves or horny vampires. Ya gotta be ready to pile up your entire band in the panic cabin until the creeps are done sacking your ride and they leave! I don't fill up Elvis with such goods because I'm a princess who likes to drive in style! Well, OK, I do like to drive in style, but at the same time, you gotta be ready to load in eight, maybe a freakin twenty-four members of your tour, because it's my freakin job as princess to be there for the rest of the band!" Ozzy paused in her rant when she saw Charles' stunned expression. She tucked a loose strand behind her ear. "What? Rants are good for the soul."
"Uh… I know I don't know you, but is there any chance that we could be friends?" Charles took a cautious sip of chestnut soup, letting out a small smile for its deliciousness before going ahead to put down the spoon on the tray, hold the bowl in his hands, and drink the whole thing down. The light from the sunrise coming in from the window reflected against the skin on his arms and neck. Ozzy cringed a bit on the inside; with his chin lifted up and exposing some signs of past strangling attempts, the human did have a beautiful neck. "Putain… Ça, c'est une bonne soupe!"
"Guess the soup was that good for you to cuss?" Ozzy smirked.
"You know French?" Charles took a bite of the garlic bread.
"Not much." Ozzy shook her head as she adjusted her sitting on the bunk bed, making sure to avoid sitting on Charles' feet by accident. "I mean, a lot of Classical Trolls speak French… Who am I kidding, they speak nearly every single European dialect associated with the genre and I easily fall asleep during their opera shows? Similar thing with Folk Trolls, except I paid more attention to the dancing than the music. There are Cancan and Cabaret Trolls, but they're rather slutty. I do listen to French rock… but yeah, my words are limited. Honestly, the only French lyric I can even say correctly is from Lady Marmalade."
"Voulez vous couchez avec moi ce soir." Charles snorted in distaste as he finished the bread. "My father's goons really knew how to ask those words around on the Isle of The Lost. They managed to turn their quarters in my father's domain into a fucking brothel."
"Your dad allowed them to do that?"
"Hell no! He just didn't care! His days were filled with failing to spread his messages, being a jerk, beating me up for being the bastard he never wanted, and his fireplace problems." Just as he was about to drink from the cup, Charles started coughing, spilling the cup's content onto the bedsheet.
"You OK?" Ozzy took the tray off him.
"Give me a minute." Charles got up, using the bedsheet to cover himself, and went through his satchel until he found the lemon cough drops Dr. Hama had provided. He immediately swallowed up three drops, nearly choking himself until Ozzy rushed in to pat him down.
"Don't do that!" She exclaimed. "Do you have any idea that swallowing that many can be bad for you?"
"Jesus, it's not like I just swallowed drugs!" Charles pushed himself off her grasp, only to couch again.
"There you go! You swallowed the whole thing up and you're coughing like a volcano!" Ozzy rolled her eyes. She bent down and picked him up, placing him down on the bed. "Look, you can't just swallow up medicine like that. You could have hurt yourself," Ozzy toned down her chiding tone. "It's not alright to hurt yourself, even by accident."
"I can take care of myself." Charles snapped. "Nobody had to for my entire life and it's gonna stay that way."
"Had to or didn't want to?" Ozzy pulled out another one of her tough love questions, earning herself a sour expression on Charles' face. He tried to keep a brave face up, but all he could do was frown and bite his lower lip. When he felt the blood trickling out, he used his lip to brush it off. "I think I need to shower," he said quietly. "I must stink."
"Hold on." Ozzy went to the cabinets for emergency clothes. "Don't panic, but I put your clothes in the laundry. Gotta wait until we reach the train to clean them."
"Even the ones the Parademons packed?" Charles frowned.
"I tried cleaning everything during a rest stop but Elvis did a big mess. So, until I can clean them, you'll just have to stick with these. They'll go with your derby boots." Ozzy tossed at Charles' direction a black sleeveless cropped top, a leather blazer, ripped mini shorts, and fishnet stockings.
"I can't wear these…"
"I know, but it's all I got. I promise you I'll get your clothes clean so you won't have to wear these ever again. Heck, I can always buy something for you at the train's gift shop."
"It's not that!" Charles shook his head. "Heck, I like the blazer, but the rest… I just don't have the… built-up physique to pull it off." Charles nervously covered himself with the bedsheets.
Ozzy blinked. Self-esteem issues combined with kickass moves and average beauty? How did the other side manage to create such a guy?
Two hours later
One of the convenient things about a ROCKINGTROLLTOISE was that if not in use, it could change its size to that of a more portable pet. Ozzy had Elvis ride in her jeans' pocket when they finally arrived at the train station where Crystal and Gothy's train had stopped. The sky was now pitch black and it became evident that they were getting away from the cities. In the far distance of the east, silhouettes of valleys and mountains could be seen under the clouds.
Beatrice showed the tickets to a nearby conductor. Audrey still looked expressionless as the group followed the conductor towards the first wagons. The joys of the Troll royalties helping them have access to first class. As they walked, Charles kept tapping his shorts to make sure that his dagger sheath was still secured.
"Is there anything you might need, Your Highness?" The conductor asked when they finally stopped in front of the line of fancy clean wagons.
"That'll be all. Thanks," Ozzy said. The conductor gave her a smile, bowed his head, and made his way. Charles stuck his hand out to wave in front of Audrey's face, checking and seeing that her face was still irresponsive.
"Audrey? We're at the train. We're going to see your friends Crystal and Gothy," he said.
Audrey didn't even blink.
"This is bad." He shook his head at Beatrice and Ozzy. "Her first real murder is badly impacting her."
They stepped into the wagon. It was no different than the one Beatrice and Audrey had taken to go to the Troll Lands, as it had the bizarre architecture that made one small wagon on the outside look like a two-floor hotel. The first floor was silver-walled and black carpeted, one half being a dining room with a drinking bar and the second half a whole arcade. The second floor had six doors, each kept at a massive distance from one another.
A large sapphire chandelier was hanging from the ceiling. Crystal and Gothy were at one of the dining tables until they saw the group come in. They immediately got up to hug them, but while Crystal managed to hug Beatrice, Gothy stopped in her tracks from doing the same thing to Audrey when she spotted Charles behind her.
"You!" Gothy hissed venomously as she pulled out her dagger from her purse. "Shouldn't you be digested by a gargoyle by now?"
"Surprise," Charles said drily.
"Oh, I'm going to fucking dice you like I should have done when you…" Gothy didn't get the chance to finish as Ozzy reacted first by using her hair to throw Gothy across the floor.
"OZZY!" Crystal exclaimed before then turning to Audrey. "Audrey? What happened? Your hair… it's brown!"
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Gothy shouted at Ozzy. "That freak tried to kill us to drag Audrey back to Auradon!"
"That 'freak' risked his life to save her from a psychotic demigoddess and her legion of hounds!" Ozzy put a protective hand on Charles. "I had to stitch him up after a wolf nearly killed him!"
"He's better off, dead!"
"I could say the same thing!" Charles snapped. "Nice face, Scarface!"
"Where's the Bloody Bambi?" Crystal asked Beatrice.
"Alastor destroyed it. He thought Audrey wouldn't need it anymore."
"Audrey?"
"Audrey."
"Audrey!"
"AUDREY, WHY AREN'T YOU SAYNG ANYTHING? WHY ARE YOU LETTING THIS HAPPEN?"
It's important to understand that handling trauma in a matter of few days is VERY difficult. It's definitely difficult when the traumatic events were inflicted by the supernatural on a teenager who was never taught how to handle these things. So, after three days of not responding, hearing her friends saying 'why did you let this happen', the phrase echoing in her head like a jeer, she finally snapped.
"Why am I letting this happen?" Audrey chuckled quietly before finally breaking into a hysterical laugh, causing everyone to pause in worry. "Why am I letting this happen? Seriously, that's the most pathetic thing I've ever heard since I went on this joyride, it's FUCKING HYSTERICAL!" Audrey finally dropped the chuckle to let out her anger. "How can I let things happen? That's been my newest obsession! Ensuring that for once in my life, nobody would decide on my life but me! I wanted to finally have a say, but all I ever got was how everyone should dictate my life! I thought things would change when I left Auradon, but all I got was that Auradon was created out of stolen lands and prejudice, that I had to hide who I am because where I'm from is a source of disgust, that I don't even know who I am because everyone in this freakin side of the world prefer the Queen of Mean over Audrey, that the universe tried to pair me up with some demon I unknowingly summoned because of the shit my family pulled, and that a demigoddess tried to fuck and kill me! I had to find out that people blamed me for Carlos' death because she actually did it! BECAUSE SHE THOUGHT IT WAS FUNNY! So yeah, I fucking shot her best friend, I probably was guilty for three days, but now? I don't fucking care because everyone's made it clear that I'll never get a say in the matter! I DON'T want to hear how people ask me why I let things happen, especially when my 'friends' have had it easy since the beginning of this second-rate joyride!"
"Audrey…" Gothy tried to approach her.
"DON'T!" Audrey slapped her hand away. "How did I let anything happen? All my life, I've been surrounded by self-entitled idiots! I originally left because of you! I wanted to help you find your sister! This whole trip has always been for you! I dealt with shit while you had it easy, everyone's ready to help Gothy, and look at that, Gothy found the love of her life! Congratulations! Oh wait, you lied to me about your brother! You go on a joyride to find a sibling you never knew while purposely ditching the one you already knew!"
"That's not what she meant, Audrey." Charles pulled her aside.
"Just because you saved me for saving you back in Villainapolis doesn't make you my hero! So, shut up!" Audrey pushed Charles away, causing him to land on a table. He kept his back turned to hide his hurt face. Ozzy went to tend to him.
"Audrey, please calm down," Crystal said patiently. "I know you went through a lot, but you can't just lash out…"
"Make me, princess!" Audrey snapped. "You and Ozzy are only here because you see this as a tourist vacation from your homes! If I hadn't done that wish, you'd still be doing musicals with your dad about his domestic abuse and preference for the girl he never had, and Ozzy's only sticking around much longer because she likes Charles!"
"Wait, what?" Charles looked confusingly at Charles.
"Not now, Goth Rocker!" Ozzy dismissed.
"You can't just dismiss this!" Charles retorted. "I barely even know you! Trust me, from personal experience, it's toxic!"
"Audrey, please…" Beatrice begged. "Please calm down!"
"And you! You're nothing but a fake, manipulative sandworm! You talk about being friends, but all you did was being clingy and lying to my face! You KNEW that Alastor sent the Bloody Bambi, you knew who he was, and you never told me! I guess in the end, your loyalties are to him and not your non-existent friends! I never should have stuck up for you when Vincent's gang picked on you, you never deserved it! In the end, I let things happen because I. Am. OVERSHADOWED. BY VILLAIN KIDS!" To that, her hair turned into fiery pink flames as she brutally shoved Beatrice, her strength sending the hybrid crashing towards the bar, destroying the counter and the shelves full of glass bottles. Broken glass and liquids of all colors poured down on Beatrice. When the mess stopped, Beatrice struggled to stand up. Her usual black-and-white clothing was drenched in booze and the cut fabric revealed the bloody number on her arms. The worst part had to be the frightened expression plastered on Beatrice's face, snapping Audrey out of her wrath.
"Beatrice…" Audrey choked. "I didn't mean…" Audrey was interrupted by the sudden movement of the broken shards and spilt liquid. Like a strange cloud, the shards and liquids floated into the air, materializing into a tall dark silhouette rip-off of the skin less anatomy pictured in science books. In all the dark shards and flowing liquids, only three things stood out from this manifestation: twisted antlers, pointed ears, and large red eyes.
"Oh god…" Crystal said.
"Godfather! She didn't mean to!" Beatrice stammered. "It was an accident…"
"Beatrice." Out of nowhere, a large toothy red smile appeared on the silhouette, severely contrasting it with the venomous tone in its voice. "Be a dear and go to your room, please."
"But Godfather!"
"Believe me, it is for the best. Audrey Rose and I need to have a little word and I do not think you would like what I have to say to her."
"Yes."
"Go with her," Crystal nudged Ozzy and Charles. Ozzy and Charles got up, cautiously circled around the manifestation, and got to Beatrice. She didn't even fight it off as Charles put her arm over his shoulders and helped her walk. The manifestation waited until Beatrice indicated them to her room and for the door to close to finally focus its attention on Audrey. Gothy was ready to step in but Crystal held her back.
"Oh, sure!" Audrey snapped at the manifestation. "Now you want to talk to me through a manifestation! As if…" Audrey was interrupted by the sudden, singular stomp of the manifestation, who managed to teleport from the destroyed to literally 2 feet and a half away from her. Its stomp caused a crater underneath its feet of shards and liquids, almost causing Crystal and Gothy to stumble. Despite her body shaking, Audrey still looked angrily at the manifestation as its smile never broke.
"I would like to make myself clear just once, Audrey Rose." The second time he used her first and middle name, a part in Audrey realized things were worsening. In any mental conversation they had, Alastor had always politely addressed her as 'my Queen', but now the polite way he said 'Audrey Rose' almost made it sound like he was ready to kill something. "I do hope that you understand that I tend to be a very straightforward dealmaker and that I see great amount of potential in our progressing contract. I have given you my generous guidance for nearly 3 human months, the near equivalent of two and a half to three demon years. I have given you access to my demonic forces and my staff, I attempted to convince De Mort in breaking her curse, I hired the Immediate Murder Professionals to murder the children of Macbeth so you could leave Villainapolis safely, and I have done anything I could to provide you with assistance from the other side. I have done anything for you that no demonic overlord would bother providing to a mortal client and this is how you repay me? By harming my goddaughter?"
The manifestation screamed that last sentence through its fanged smile with such fury, it caused the sapphires on the chandelier to break into pieces, fall and get absorbed by the manifestation, causing it to grow in height.
"It was an accident!" Gothy pulled Audrey aside. "You can't possible think that she'd hurt Beatrice on purpose!"
"It is very rude for a young lady to interrupt a conversation when uninvited," the manifestation hissed through its smile, "especially when my client can speak for herself and does not need others to do the talking for her."
"You're right… I can," Audrey venomously spoke up as she shoved Gothy away. "Where were you when I needed you in the Nine Realms Club?"
"I would not encourage crossing that dangerous line, Audrey Rose. The last thing we would need is to realize that even after all those obstacles, those adventures, those experiences, and those lessons, the Queen of Mean is still nothing more than the Auradonian princess whining about how her happy ending never came because she was ever the entitled, spoiled elite. My patience has limits but I am not much of a blackheart. Just this once, I will condone your sensitivity, but step out of line or injure Beatrice again, even by accident, not even our contract will spare you from being erased by me!" The manifestation slithered away from Audrey, who remained stoic and took several deep breaths. The shards of its body broke apart and moved towards the broken bar, pieces floating and sticking themselves together until it looked like the bar had never been damaged in the first place. Crystal and Gothy waited for five minutes just to see if there was any chance that the demon would send another manifestation. Before they could do anything, as if knowing things ahead, Audrey stiffly walked up the stairs and opened a door leading to an unused room. Ozzy, Charles, and Beatrice stepped out just in time for Audrey to slam the door and for her sobbing to be heard from across the walls.
"Alastor got pretty angry," Beatrice said quietly as Crystal and Gothy went up to join them. "I did try to tell him it wasn't Audrey's fault, but he got angry…"
"It's OK, Bea." Crystal ruffled her hair. "Honestly, with the way your parents get so defensive about you, I'm not surprised that the Radio Demon would be like that…"
"No." Beatrice shook her head. "He always talks to and about Audrey nicely. I've seen him get angry with people who throw him off. I've seen him get angry with his foes. I've seen him get angry at clients, dogs, or me getting hurt, but I never saw him get angry at Audrey directly!"
"Look, people." Crystal raised her hands up. "The past week have been shit. We went through a lot, we're all injured and tired, and most importantly, Audrey went through things that no one should go through. She lashed out, it happens, so let's just give her some space. We can talk about it later like a supportive group of friends, but not now. She needs to catch a break." Everyone nodded in agreement. "And as much as Gothy and Beatrice don't like it, Charles is sticking around."
"I got over it," Beatrice shrugged and held out her arms, revealing her rolled up sleeves and arms covered in bandages. "Charles tried to use the Healing Incantation to fix me up…"
"I didn't work." Charles grimaced. "So, Ozzy went for the usual disinfectant ointment and bandages."
"How could it not work?" Gothy frowned. "It's literally the healing powers that fell from the heavens…" Gothy paused. "OOOOOH! The healing power doesn't work on ghost and demons because it's literally heaven's light?"
"Heaven's light. I might laugh." Charles shook off his chuckle. "But yeah. I stopped when I realized that trying to heal a human-ghost hybrid was giving the same amount of a pain than a snake getting a tattoo. Which doesn't make sense. I used it on Audrey back when Kory Lokisdottir held her captive and she cured just fine. Heck, she turned into a freakin phoenix!" All the girls gave him wide looks. "I'm going to need so much therapy…" He sighed.
"Maybe it's because the demonic forces are clashing with her Fae magic and human blood," Crystal said. "With Beatrice, it makes sense. Her dad's a Hellborn ghost. Anything heavenly purifies anything demonic to death, but for half-human mortals like Beatrice…"
"I felt like the snake getting a tattoo in the spleen." Beatrice shuddered. "Oh yeah, that reminds me. Why did the room I step in turn out to be a love suite?"
"Yeah, funny story." Crystal chuckled nervously. "We had to take a small detour because the train needed repairs. For some reason, they changed the first class five-star hotel wagons to first class love hotel wagons."
"Is that why my room is Hello Kitty-themed?" Beatrice gagged. "I NEED TO REDECORATE! BIG TIME!" The moment she shut the door behind her, the four teens remaining cringed when they heard the vomiting sounds coming from the room. It was a weird orchestra, combining Beatrice's vomiting and Audrey's sobbing.
"Let me guess." Charles stared at Crystal and Gothy. "You picked out one of the rooms and did some tribadism?"
"NO!" Gothy blushed in embarrassment.
"Well, I did think of it," Crystal teased Gothy a bit. "Conveniently enough, there was a room themed just after my home."
"A love suite designed like the Underground?" Ozzy whistled. "Did things get twisted?"
"NO!" Gothy and Charles both exclaimed, with Gothy blushing and Charles covering his ears.
"Nah, we sticked with third base." Crystal shook her head.
"So… what other themes are there?" Ozzy smirked.
"Well, we took Underground. Beatrice is currently barfing all over Hello Kitty, Audrey's sobbing over Art Nouveau, and the other three rooms are Chocolate Factory, Rose Fields, and Moulin Rouge."
"Huh. Two questions: which door is for Moulin Rouge and is it mandatory for us to have a room each?"
Crystal frowned in confusion. "Uh, last door on the left and why?" She got her answer when Ozzy suddenly lifted Charles over her shoulders and carried him towards the door.
"Put me down! That's against my preferences!" Charles tried to kick himself off Ozzy. "Besides, I barely know you and I suffer from a nasty lung problem! Kiss or screw me, and I guarantee that you'll meet a nastier end than the glossed over one from the movie!"
"Thank you for worrying about my health, it's so sweet of you!" Ozzy paused to open the door, revealing some of the reds and golds coming out of the room. "As long as I don't touch your lips or your dick, we're good! Besides, there's more than one way of hooking up without doing the THING."
"THING or no THING, I will hurt you if you get any fancy ideas!" Charles warned. "And I'm not afraid of burning you alive!"
"Kinky." Ozzy smirked.
"That's NOT what I meant!"
"Wow! They got an indoor pool with melted chocolate! AND MARSHMALLOW FOAM!"
"OSBOURNE, DON'T YOU DARE! GOTHY, DO SOMETHING!"
Gothy and Crystal were speechless and just stood there as Ozzy carried Charles inside. Even after regaining their senses once the door closed, Gothy and Crystal were still too shocked. All they could was get close enough to eavesdrop.
"Osbourne! I mean it! Give me my shirt back!"
"One of these days, you'll have to tell me where you got those scars. Really brings out those muscles of yours. Not too big, not too small. Just to my liking."
"Aw, thanks… Wait, no! No hook ups when we barely know each other!"
"Easy then. We'll get to know each other in the pool!"
"Wow…" Gothy blinked in shock as the noises in the other rooms continued.
"You're telling me. For your half-bro who's the son of a megalomaniac who couldn't handle a 'no' from a gypsy, he sure knows how to attract a Troll princess much taller than him and I'm no longer worried about the possibility of him killing anyone!" Crystal chuckled before eventually changing to a groan. "I need a freaking drink."
"Same," Gothy groaned as the two went downstairs. "Good thing the bar has non-alcoholic root beer. I'll need the sugar to pass out."
"Same." Crystal placed a quick kiss on Gothy's cheek, earning a smile from the other. "But seriously, let's be real. With Beatrice and Audrey pouring their stomach and tears out, what are the chances that Ozzy either accidentally eats Charles in the chocolate pool or they hookup and become the next Christian and Satine, only without the death, the heartbreak, the crazy dukes, and the two riding off on Elvis with cans and a JUST MARRIED sign?"
"Yeah, let's first worry about finding my biological sister before I have to worry about Ozzy becoming my sister-in-law," Gothy grimaced.
