STLTH 100

Turns out that a little bit… was actually a little bit over a year ago. Degenerates like me belong on a cross.

Yes, I know exactly what I just said.

8.

She felt his eyes on her as she walked up the road in silence, a fair distance ahead of him. She tried her best not to mind, imagining that he was trying to figure out how to lessen the awkwardness between them which was —point in fact — much larger than their physical gap.

"So… he's not going to hold a grudge, right?"

That's the topic he was going with? She didn't answer right away. By the time he repeated his question just in case she didn't hear, she replied with a question of her own.

"What, you afraid of a little old man?"

"I'd be upset if I were him, is what I'm saying. Was it replaceable?"

"I think so. They're sold in Quest Buy."

Marco's expression lightened in relief. "You've seen them being sold there? That's good to know."

Higgs shrugged as she kept up her pace on the rough Mewman road towards the castle, only angling her face a bit so that he could hear her better. "I'm just supposing that they're sold there. So far as I know, everything is sold at Quest Buy; it's just a question of where, and sometimes when. They've got sales all the time for all kinds of people across the multiverse, and I've heard that they can even be exclusive to certain races."

Marco sighed. There was now a possible solution to that particular problem, yet the fundamental one needed resolving, that being his irrepressible kleptomania. "I've got to do something about this stealing! Can't believe that I took the guy's pager."

The girl shrugged her shoulders again. "You don't know if you took it. We just can't find it, is all." Her small attempt at consoling did not go without appreciation, but it also didn't go without skepticism. Diaz facepalmed himself, both at her newfound underlying personality (even if it took effort or was faked) and in disbelief at what she said.

"It was just us. You had the pager. You used it, and then you put it back into your pocket."

"Facts," she replied in agreement.

"The guy opened a portal five seconds later, and we went in together. He asked for his food and his pager as soon as he saw us. He gets his payment, but you couldn't find the pager."

"Facts," she repeated.

"I can appreciate that we're trying to be friends," Marco deadpanned as he continued to lag behind her, "but I could use some brutal honesty from your mean side."

They were almost at the castle, but the squire stopped and took a deep breath before turning around to face him. "You stole the damn pager right out of my pocket. A lot of folks depend on him, and if they find out that you're responsible, you're going to end up following your reputation at the bottom of Connerie River." His look was that of acceptance, but partially questioning. Recalling that he was from another dimension which subsequently also meant he was from another culture, she bluntly told him that it was where Mewmans dumped both their garbage and their sewage.

His stay in Mewni was going to remain an unpleasant one and would get worse if he didn't do something about his reputation that had soured overnight, fixed his relationship with Star, and cured his supernatural pilfering habit. They were all linked at the source, he thought, as everything went downhill the night he had stolen everyone's underwear. Something had happened the day before, and he needed to find out what had specifically caused his life to now become that of an ostracized kleptomaniac.

He needed help. He thought of all the people who were close enough to him and willing to help him despite his newfound issues. There weren't many, and he'd need scissors or portaling help to get to some of them. Four such avenues were now closed – He'd stolen Hekapoo's panties (he still couldn't believe it), so she wouldn't want to help him. His scissors were missing, so he couldn't open portals on his own. He also stole the smuggler's pager, so that was out of the picture. Lastly and most imperative, he was now standoffish to his best friend Star, so everyone who was in separate dimensions was out of his reach. That left Buff Frog, maybe… River? Lavabo too?

Not for the first time, he realized that while his circles of associates were diverse, they were somewhat limited.

He had to rely on Star. First, however, was to present the gift of necessary underwear to make up for what he did, then she and some others could help him.

"I'm gonna need some help," he mumbled to himself. He looked up again, only to realize that Higgs had already moved off, and he had to walk faster to catch up and follow her brisk pace. He reminded himself to maintain some distance as it was her earlier request, now more strictly imposed because the dangers of his potential thefts were not to be forgotten or ignored. "I'm gonna go see Star."

"Mm-hmm." They were admitted through the main entrance by a few guards and almost immediately, Marco parted ways to bolt up the stairs to get to Star's room. He didn't even say goodbye, but she found that she didn't mind. Bath, dinner, wine, bed, she thought. It had been an unusual day, and it was time for it to end. Musing back on the events of the past impetuous and unanticipated hour as she walked back to the Squires' Wing, she had concluded that she might've been harsh on Marco because of her unfair assumption of who he was… but there was still no explanation as to Rocam's whereabouts, current state and if he was still around, or even if he was alive.

It was all too easy to imagine that he was Marco. Other people who had known of Rocam could see the resemblance too. Save for the scar, they might as well be twins and it would be the first assumption if one didn't straightaway believe that it was the same person.

He had disappeared a few mere months before Marco showed up the first time during Ludo's takeover of Mewni, and hadn't been seen since.

She had been plagued by these thoughts since earlier that morning when he had returned her arm warmer, and she thought of the scars underneath.

"Bath, dinner, wine, bed," the girl reminded herself out loud. Right now, she just really wanted to unwind. Everything could just go to hell for one night, and she'd deal with what was still important tomorrow.

"Star?" Marco called as he knocked on her door and waited. It was foreign to him – he'd just knock and enter while announcing who he was and his intents. Star valued his private space even less, as she'd just kick his door down, or just turn his wall into rubble with a spell. Now, they were like strangers, and on a level that even more than when they first met.

"Yeah? Marco?" Star's voice answered from the upper regions of her room. "I'm coming, give me a sec!" She didn't invite him in, thus affirming his newfound lamentable state of affairs and their friendship. Regardless, it didn't take her long to get to the door, only to find Marco standing against the wall on the other side of the hallway. Had he pressed on the wall even more closely, he might as well have been its coat of paint. "What'cha doing over there?"

"Stay back, Star. It's just a precaution."

"I think I'll stay where I am."

He could acquiesce because he didn't come to make demands — after all, she could be stubborn, and he had to hope that ten feet was far enough to avoid possibly finding out what kind of bra she was wearing, or doing something completely unpredictable and unwanted that could set their relationship back further.

"Okay, fine. I just wanted to say I'm sorry."

She put her hands on her hips. "Uh-huh. For what?" He could feel something building up in him, and it felt entirely foreign to him. Why did he suddenly find the princess so unattractive and deserving of rebuke and hatred? It was manageable and he suspected that he needed to keep this brief. "Why're you looking at me like that?"

Marco only then just became aware of his facial muscles, tightened so that he was scowling at her. Whatever was wrong with him was assaulting Star on all fronts. "Something's wrong with me, and it's making me do things I don't want. I keep stealing, and every time I'm around you, I want to say that your entire family should stop f*cking inbreeding because you look like a clapped c*nt."

Star blinked. To her credit, she tried to remain calm, although it took a few deep breaths through flaring nostrils to stay that way. "I'm guessing that something's wrong with you and it's making you do things that you don't mean… and it's only towards me?"

"I'm honestly surprised you figured it out so quickly, cause in general, you're an absolute f*cking walnut who couldn't pour piss out of your boot if the instructions were on the heel."

"And say things you don't mean?"

By now, he was utterly terrified of what was coming out of his mouth and struggled to keep it closed. He tried for a nod, and it nearly came out as a head shake.

Star gazed at him silently, wondering what to make of this. She looked like she was at a genuine loss, and Marco tried to consider her standpoint – she was a lot more understanding than he'd given her credit for, and it was a welcome marvel that she could piece together what he was trying to say. It wasn't necessarily a conversation with reversed speech, but simply that she knew that he wasn't one to act like this. He took out his underwear package from his hoodie pocket and hurled it at her face, which she handily caught. "Put one on, I can smell your fish from here."

"Oh, great. Thanks." She didn't tell him that she'd already gotten some from Tom who'd already heard what taken place in the castle, but more was welcome anyhow. 'What the heck does he mean by 'fish'?' She doubted that he had any idea either, which meant that whatever was affecting him came from an external source. Whether it was still external or if it now rested purely in Marco was one question. If it could be fixed, was temporary or even already permanent was another matter altogether.

She didn't need this right now.

"Do you know what caused this, Marco?" Star queried. "Or who?"

It took all that Marco had to not leap at her and start beating her up. "N-no," he said through gritted teeth. "I want… help. You can start by groveling and kissing everyone's shoes for all the bullshit your family put them through."

"This might end up counterproductive, Marco," Star said quietly, "because I wanted your help too. I'm going out to find my mom tomorrow morning."

"I can help find Moon!" he exploded excitedly. "Maybe she could help me figure out why my friggin' eyes finally opened! You're an entitled little bitch!" He at least hoped that his intents remained clear even when his actions and speech was horribly out of tune with his personality.

"That's… good to know?" she said, not sure how to react to him. He sounded more than willing to help, but it would appear that whatever was causing him to be like this was only abrasive towards her. Was this some sort of plot against her, through her best friend? "You sound eager to help find my mom, Marco, but I don't think we can work together. We might have to split up—"

"Great call, great call!" he interrupted with a smirk. "Can't stand you."

"—I think I could live with the insults, or keep trying to guess what you mean when you're not saying it, but you act differently, too. What if I need physical help? I could end up fighting, and I need someone watching my back." She ducked a sneaker that he'd taken off and hurled at her face. "We might need more than just a couple of feet between us until this gets sorted out."

That much was fairly obvious.

"So we'll both go find your mom. We're traveling separate ways?" In any other scenario, he would have wanted to go along with her, especially in dynamic times like these. If anything, someone should be close to Star at all times who could help her keep a level head, and offer advice on how to navigate certain situations. She wasn't a child that needed constant minding, but she was quick to act and slow to assess.

Regardless, she was right. The bright side in mind, their efforts could scour twice as many locations and cover more ground — it was a massive multiverse, after all. They just needed a way to communicate over long distances… and portaling was still out of the question for him… crap.

"Wait, hold on, so who's the poor bastard who has to follow you around?"

"I have Tom, and Dad's coming along to help me soon."

"Maybe your dad could help me instead?"

"It was his choice."

Given how stubborn he was, that basically meant that it was non-negotiable.

"So I'll have to go alone? And where can I search? I can't find my scissors; they've been missing ever since I stole everyone's… um… frillies?" he said at last, using Higgs' word for them. "Everybody still has it in for me, and I don't have anyone who'll just drop everything and help me search for your Mom, even if it's just searching around Mewni. You and your dad don't have much authority left, and it won't be long until Eclipsa runs Mewni. Wait… Eclipsa!" Marco's face lit up as he believed that he'd had a brilliant idea. "I can go to Eclipsa! She should know a thing or two about curses, right? I can ask her for help first, right? If she fixes my problem, I could follow you to help find your Mom, right? Right?!"

Star smiled for the first time since first seeing him. "Worth a try. But I'm leaving tomorrow morning. We'll have to go see her now. I can at least do this much and follow you, right?" Seeing it, Marco tried to smile back, only for it to come out lopsided and rather sadistic-looking.

"I hope I get to watch you die in a fire, you dumb twat."