WH: ...and every night by the pale moon light, across the lake he came. He hugged and kissed his pretty little miss under the bamboo tree. And every night by the pa- *gets yanked off stage by a cane* Hey, I was singing here. *looks up to see Omnitraxus Prime.
Omnitraxus Prime: Get in there, you are needed Hippie. *Throws me to the side*
SN: And now, back to the show.
Oskar was out front of the middle school playing music and looking somewhat bored as Floyd groomed himself nearby. As they went about their activities a strange rippling sound came from the handicap parking spot with a devilish looking carriage coming out of the ground. An undead skeletal unicorn neighed in a nightmarish fashion rearing up as the carriage stopped. A strange gong sounded accompanied by a strange unearthly howl as the door opened and Tom stepped out dressed in a suit with a confident smile on his face. As he walked to the school door Floyd wilted slightly and shuffled in close to Oskar who comforted him as best he could before shouting to Tom.
"You do realize you parked in the handicap zone right? Great, people these days." Oskar got up on Floyd's back getting the bird to take off hoping to get far enough away that Floyd would calm down.
Absolute silence pervaded over the school for a few minutes until Tom was flung out of the door through the air on a beam of magic with a shocked look on his face. As he recovered from his fall Star came out with an angry look on her face gritting her teeth slightly.
"No no NO! I am not making the same mistake twice you manipulative jackass." Star picked up Tom again and threw him into the carriage. "Take yourself, your fire, your undead horse, and get back to the underworld right now." The skeletal unicorn at this seemed to blink and turn in confusion.
"Wait, I'm dead?" Star turned and stomped away with Tom reaching out a finger shooting a bit of fire at her throwing her into his lap.
"Come on Starship. It's the Blood Moon Ball; it only happens once every 667 yea-" Before he could finish though Star had flipped out of his arms and hissed at him her eyes going yellow cat-pupiled.
"I am not going anywhere with you Tom and you know it. We broke up, end of story. Now get out of here." Tom stood up brushing himself off taking a serious tone of voice.
"I get it Star and I approached you the wrong way after all that I did to you. But I am a changed man now. I've got a life coach, a happy bunny, and I've been anger free for 53 days now." Tom revealed a badge on his chest showing 53 days anger free. As he did so a figure popped out of the carriage holding a pink fluffy bunny that Star could only assume was the happy bunny. He had green eyes behind glasses, brown hair, was tall and lean, and wore a rainbow colored head bandanna accompanying a blue and silver T-shirt with a green eyed wolf on it and faded jeans.
"I can testify to his behavior, I'm the life coach." Star looked at him in confusion and asked him a question cautiously.
"Who are you and do I know you from somewhere?" He chuckled before replying.
"I go by the title of The Wandering Hippie and I get the familiar reaction a lot for some reason; not sure why though." As Star talked to the rather quite but nice fellow Marco and Jackie came up to the conversation in confusion with Marco turning towards Star.
"Um Star, who is this?" Marco asked in confusion as Tom stood up smiling at the duo.
"I'm Tom, you may have heard of me from Star." As Marco nodded his eyes going narrow in suspicion Tom continued with a serious face. "And she was right at least most of the time. I was a jerk and made her life hard but I have changed now. I was just inviting her to the Blood Moon Ball to show her I'm a changed man and she has nothing to fear of me." At those words Tom put his hand on her shoulder making Star react quickly. With a flash of claws Tom's hand was on the ground and Star was backing away hissing with everyone looking at her in shock. Tom had a blank look on his face for a minute before his eyes turned pure red and he began murmuring prompting the Wandering Hippie to step forward making him walk around in circles talking to him.
"Easy there, walk it out man, she was just defending herself." After a few seconds more of this Jackie handed the WH a conch shell which he, quickly realizing what she meant by this, put it up to Tom's ear. Tom calmed down near instantly with an almost shocked look on his face turning to Jackie speaking softly.
"How did you…" Jackie shrugged to which Tom actually took a few steps back from her before composing himself. "Ahem, thank you and I'm sorry about the threatening move Star." He waved his handless arm and the hand reattached itself with no issues. "Look I get I'm putting a bit of pressure on you so how about we just go as friends for now and I just leave the calling bell for you to decide for yourself if you want to come." He pulled out a little bell and hammer and placed them on the ground in front of Star. "See, no pressure at all and it's nothing official. Now I have to get going and…"
"Why didn't you tell me I was dead?" Everyone turned back to the skeletal unicorn with Tom sighing before continuing.
"… give some therapy to this guy. See you later Star." Tom and the WH got back into the carriage with it sinking into the ground. After a few seconds the only thing left was a few scorch marks and the trio looking at it with varied reactions. Star looked at the bell and hammer in distrust thinking out loud.
"I know what I'm gonna do with these things, get rid…"
"I think you should go." Star looked up in shock to see Jackie smiling at her with Marco looking supportive.
"Wha… do you know who this guy is?!" Star seemed mad in a defensive way but Jackie continued pushing.
"Well you just cut off his hand and he wound up apologizing to you, I'd say whatever state he was in before has mostly passed." Marco smiled and nodded before adding onto the conversation.
"Also how about we accompany you, it'll be the first "formal" date between me and Jackie. I was planning on taking us to Champagne du le Stomp to have a nice evening but this sounds more interesting and cheaper." Jackie looked at Marco in shock for a second and giggled grabbing onto his hand.
"You were gonna do the most expensive restaurant and entertainment hall in Echo Creek for me?" Marco nodded as Jackie continued. "Wow how deep is your pocket man?" Marco shrugged before replying.
"Parents trust me to babysit their kids and paid me outrageous wages. I have a bit saved up." Jackie chuckled as Star butted back into the conversation.
"So you two are coming with me?" They both nodded with both seeming eager to see what the Blood Moon Ball was. "*Sigh* Ok then, but I have a bad feeling this is going to back fire pretty badly."
"Say Jackie, why did you agree to going with me down to the underworld? I thought that kind of stuff wasn't your style." Marco spoke as Jackie got changed behind a changing stand in Star's room.
"Well I think you are gonna get involved more and more with Star's life considering what little I know so I should get involved to. And what's more I want to actually go out on a formal date with you for a change. Movies and mermaid swims are nice but this is a new category entirely." Marco blinked in confusion as Jackie shuffled around behind the stand. As he was about to speak Star came into the room dressed in her ball gown for the evening speaking to Marco.
"So, how do I look?" Marco looked at the formal black and purple dress Star was wearing with a formal ponytail up on her head. He blushed slightly as Jackie poked her head out from behind the changing area and spoke up.
"Amazing, I wish I could pull that kind of clothing off like you can." Star chuckled and motioned for Jackie retorting back.
"Well come on out and let's see if you actually can." Jackie stepped out wearing an aquamarine dress similar to Star's the Marco began blushing even deeper at.
"You look amazing as well." Marco spoke without thinking making Jackie chuckle.
"Awww, aren't you so sweet." Jackie came over and kissed Marco lightly on the cheek making the blush deepen. "So, aren't you gonna a get changed?" Marco blinked in confusion quickly realizing what she meant.
"Oh right. Give me a second." He leapt up behind the changing area with Star and Jackie chuckling quietly. Jackie turned to Star and spoke softly in a near whisper.
"So, have you gotten a good look at his bod?" Star giggled as she replied.
"Of course I have, we share a bathroom. And I can see why would bring it up he looks nice." Jackie giggled with Marco responding from behind the stand.
"You know I can still hear you right?" They both giggled at him with Marco sighing in annoyance stepping out from behind it. "Ok, what do you think?" They looked at him seeing that he was wearing a black suit with a small sombrero and a Día de Muertos skull mask. "I thought this might work well considering we're going to the underworld." Both the girls nodded with Star lifting up the bell and hitting it with the hammer.
As she did so a deep ring went out with no response for several seconds until a rumbling came from outside. A demonic bat came up carrying what appeared to be mix between an elevator and a carriage up to their position with doors opening in front of Star's balcony.
"Now guys, if anything appears like it's going south let me know and we will get out of there fast, got it?" Star turned to the duo who nodded at Star as they stepped in. "*Sigh* Well, here goes nothing." Star stepped in with them with the doors closing and the bat descending.
A skeleton was chained up to what appeared to be a dungeon wall seemingly smiling in glee as a hooded executioner raised up a spiked mace ready to strike him. As he was about to do so Tom come up waving his hands speaking quickly.
"Nonononono, he can be on the wall but no torture; we have to keep it a little low key tonight remember." The skeleton shrugged in indifference while the executioner groaned in sadness walking away. "Don't worry; you will get your part in later." Tom turned back facing the WH and reached out to rub the happy rabbit in his hands. "So am I doing well?" Tom looked at him eagerly with WH giving him a shaky hand sign.
"You are doing well in containing your anger but you need to find a way to actually calm it down as it could backfire later on. Just try not to be to forceful with Star tonight and just let things unravel naturally. I don't want you getting disappointed after all." Tom sighed and nodded rubbing the back of his head. As the two were talking there was a ding signaling a carriage arriving with Tom looking up in eager anticipation to be rewarded by the carriage that was bringing Star down to the underworld. "Go and greet your date Tom, I'll be behind you every step of the way." The WH winked at Tom as he went up to the carriage and bowed as the door opened.
"Welcome to the Blood Moon Ba… wait what?" Tom looked up in shock to see Marco and Jackie step out of the carriage. Jackie was wearing a formal aquamarine dress while Marco was wearing a black suit with a small sombrero with a Día de Muertos skull mask making an interesting looking couple. "What are you guys doing here?" Star stepped out from behind them looking beautiful in a black and purple formal dress that seemed to almost match Jackie's before speaking.
"My friends wanted to accompany me to the underworld and take part in the Blood Moon Ball as Jackie and Marco here wanted a formal date to go on. Is that any trouble?" Star raised her eyebrow at Tom as if waiting for him to get mad but the opposite happened. He actually chuckled a little and held out his hand to Jackie and Marco in a friendly fashion as he spoke to them.
"So you two are her friends eh? Well it's nice to see she has company up there. I hope you enjoy the festivities." Jackie and Marco shook his hand pleasantly before moving on with Tom going up to Star. "Now I know this may seem a bit pushy but would you like a spider on your head, it's all the fashion down here?" Tom held up a living head sized black and red spider with a skull on its abdomen. Star twirled around him backing away a little pointing to her hair which was done up in a formal ponytail.
"Sorry but I kind of got my own thing going on Tom, mind if we get going." Star began taking off after her friends with Tom looking on with half hurt half annoyed expression. He reached out and pet the happy bunny relaxing a little but stopped when he realized it wasn't the happy bunny he was petting. Looking down he saw that he was in fact petting the WH's head who was giving him a look of deadpan disbelief before he spoke up.
"Not that I am against this but wouldn't you prefer the bunny over me?" Tom looked at him in a deadpan expression before moving on.
In front of the main ball room there was a photo area where it appeared like people were getting blood dunked on them as a photo was snapped of them. A skeleton was snapping the photo of a couple that looked like the wolfman and a female creature of the black lagoon with blood being poured on them as Jackie and Marco came up.
As they stepped up the skeleton asked them, "Blood or no blood?" Marco gave a murmured "gross" as Jackie asked the skeleton a question.
"What kind of blood is it?"
"Unicorn blood." Jackie shivered at that and shook her head no. "Hpmf, wimps." The skeleton took their picture allowing them to pass. "Next." Tom and Star stood up to have their picture taken. "Blood or no blood?"
"Yes." Tom answered.
"No." Star answered. They looked at each other for a second before Tom spoke up.
"Um Star, this is just unicorn blood; I know you have been coated with worse, mine included." Star shook her head annoyed.
"Only when I'm fighting and not at a formal event; and what's more one of my best friends is floating unicorn." Tom scoffed before replying.
"Not the same unicorn, this was just a mindless beast." Star got annoyed staring at him through narrowed eyes with Tom beginning to fidget slightly as Star spoke.
"I am not bathing in unicorn bloo… what you touching behind your back." Tom came to attention.
"Nothing." He replied quickly with Star looking behind him to see the WH holding a happy rabbit looking up smiling.
He talked fast, "I really like the look of this guy's pants, I don't know why but they were just made for him." The WH got up walking away with both of them looking on in concern.
Tom finally nodded consenting to there being no blood in their photo which the photo taker sighed in annoyance at all the "wimps" that were coming into the ball. Star and Tom came through the entrance to be greeted with Marco and Jackie who were hand in hand looking around at the ball room. It appeared to be finely made if aged quite a bit with white granite and marble having pillars running up to a ceiling nearly 40 feet up. Around the ball room were various decorations that looked like were Halloween occult stuff but seemed grimmer, grittier, and more realistic compared to earth decorations. Various creatures, mostly demons, were socializing at various parts but seemed somewhat subdued compared to what it should have been. It was at this point Star also noticed some people casting Tom nervous glances like he was about to torch them alive at a moment's notice. Star looked at Tom who had on a happy face that seemed to lightly conceal worry even though hawk eyes scoured the room intensely.
"Tom," Star spoke up, "What did you do to this event?" Tom looked at Star hurt and confused as Jackie came to his defense again.
"Chill girl, we haven't been here 10 minutes and you're already throwing accusations at Tom? Perhaps you should have a look around and see what exactly is going on before judging him; and for that matter let's have a look around." Jackie scooted in closer to Marco who smiled, blushing slightly, and moved away with Jackie. Tom smiled after them and turned to Star who was moving away already and spoke up trying to get her attention.
"Hey Star wait up… oh come on are you just ignoring me now?" Tom reached over and pet the happy bunny with the WH looking on in worry at this development.
Star looked over what seemed to be a fountain of some type of lava looking punch waiting with an eager expression.
"Come on come on, I know you're in there." As she said this a skeletal fish leaped out of the punch and back in with Star giggling slightly. "Nice to see you again Phil." She looked up seeing some sort of skeletal goblin looking at her in confusion. She pointed into the bowl. "That there is Phil, I named him." She smiled with the figure nodding in consent smiling slightly until someone interrupted them.
"Hey, are you Tom's date?" Star looked over to see what appeared to be a short guy with grey hair, a very large bulbous nose, a olive colored suit with a turquoise bowtie, and wearing a green hat that about half of his height with a sign saying "10/S" on it.
"Ummm, I guess so…" The figure cut her off.
"Well I hope your happy because thanks to you everything is boring. Pretty boring people, bubbling punch that doesn't melt your face, background esque decorations, and a silent atmosphere. What is this, a formal underworld royalty get together or a party event?" He turned on the figure with Star pointing at him accusingly. "And I know you feel the same but wouldn't dare speak up because of Tom." Star blinked in concern with suspicion in her voice.
"Wait, what do you mean by…" Tom immediately came in with the two other figures shivering slightly at his approach.
"Oh he's just a little upset because the plans for the party are a little different from normal." He fixed the hat wearing figure with a glare making him hop off. "Everyone can't be happy you know." He turned to Star who had suspicion written all over her face staring at him accusingly. "So um… are you enjoying it at all?" He smiled at Star as best he could with Star's gaze not letting up.
"So far it's been pleasant but I think I need some food and drink right now. Can you point me to…" Tom cut her off laughing slightly.
"Oh I can get you some stuff Star, I know what you like after all." Tom smiled nervously going to a refreshments table with Star's gaze not lightening up one bit.
"Well then why are you constantly coming after me Tom?" Star whispered to herself and made a getaway while his back was turned. She shivered slightly at the cold air wishing that they had used heaters for the room instead of leaving it chill.