Hey guys! I hope I haven't made you wait too long for this next chapter, although hopefully the chapter is worth the wait. ;)
Ok, sorry for the terrible joke. On to my reviews! (Feel free to skip to my Notes, as this bit is quite long...you guys had a lot to share, lol!)
dancergymnast2003: Hey, it's good to hear from you again! Thanks for your input! I agree, I do like Jay and Evie as well, though for this story at least, that wouldn't be an option. But maybe if ever wrote for Descendants again, I'd go that route. :) Bal might be a weird ship, not to mention the name, though I can see some merits. I'm not sure what I'll do, but Evie and Ben, now that is an interesting pairing and I don't think I've seen it in the fandom yet! I will definitely be considering all of it, so thanks for the idea.
Bookgirl111: I'm sorry if I confused you! Don't feel dumb, it took me forever to understand all the lingo with this fandom as well, haha! AK means "Auradon Kid" and VK means "Villain Kid."
As for the ASL, I'm still learning the language myself, and definitely a novice at best, so I hope you'll have mercy on my writer's soul! ;) All of my ASL signs are coming from a website I referenced in one of my earlier Author's Notes called lifeprint(d o t)com, and the site was created by a deaf ASL professor in California as a resource/learning site for ASL students and teachers.
Guest1: (I'm assuming you wrote the two side by side reviews on Carlos and Aziz, but if you did not, I apologize for my error.) I definitely think Carlos and Aziz could work as a pairing, though it would definitely take some time on both sides of the relationship. I'm glad you liked them so much, though, and thank you for the vote!
Kameron the God of Fairytales: Glad you see you're still following this thing! It's good to hear from you! I'm glad you love this story so much, and I'm glad you also see the potential in Carlos and Aziz. Though I can't help but feel that Aziz would be the one showing Carlos the dark side, lol! I hope you'll continue to read and enjoy!
Tiredandlazy: Believe me, I feel your pain! In case you haven't noticed from all my other responses and notes, I ALWAYS say 'haha' a lot! ;) I'm glad you think this story is so well written, and that you especially think my dialogue is realistic because I always worry about the talking part, especially making sure I'm not word vomiting information onto everyone all at once, haha! (See?!) Yeah that fight was intense to write, especially on the aftermath of Carlos' emotional panic attack and flashbacks, whew! I'm glad you like Aziz, and I'm sorry you couldn't find him! If you can, try google searching again, because I've heard he's been confirmed for the second movie, and there are photos of his new actor all over google images. (He's not the same Aziz I'm imagining here, but it helps to have something to go on.) Anyway, I hope you continue to read and enjoy this story, and I look forward to hearing what you think of this latest chapter.
Rowan: Thank you so much for your thoughts and advice! I totally agree, relationships would be too much for the VKs, and I'm not going to jump into anything right away, I promise! I might not even include relationships at all, but I just wanted to get a feel for what everyone was thinking, and if I saw potential in a relationship, I could (very) slowly build up to that. :) And thank you for your kind words! I'm glad you enjoyed this chapter so much!
Guest2: There's definitely potential in Carlos and Jane, as they're both really similar to each other and could balance each other out. I'm not sure how much of a Jane/Carlos relationship I would pursue, romantic wise, but I like the idea of a sibling sort of bond with Jane and Jay. That's really great, and I'll definitely be thinking about it! Hope you will continue to read and enjoy!
Shots and Giggles: Hi, welcome to my story! I'm glad you're enjoying this story so far and I hope you'll continue to read and enjoy this year. :) As to your input on the pairings, I think Jay and Lonnie work pretty well together, especially more than a Jay/Audrey. I feel like Jay isn't really a 'fuss' kind of guy, and Lonnie is independent, but still feminine without being clingy. So I would definitely be willing to consider something like that. Thanks for the idea and I will be updating again soon!
Guest3: Thank you for the review! I'm glad you're enjoying my story so much. :)
Kay245: Thank you for the review and the kind words, especially your input about the ships. I try not to get too into shipping, but always end up failing miserably, especially if a really good ship comes along, lol! I'm not sure yet if I'll include ships between the VKs in this story, but I am a fan of Jay and Evie, for pretty much all the reasons you mentioned, hahaha! ;) So no worries about explaining, I got you. Hopefully you'll continue to read and enjoy!
theNiceDevil: I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter! You know, I don't think I've seen a Mal and Jay relationship yet in this fandom. I don't know yet if I'll include relationships between the VKs for this particular story, but it's definitely an interesting idea! I hope you continue to follow along and enjoy, and don't worry, they'll get things solved eventually. :)
HorsesInMySoul: It's good to hear from you again! I'm glad you're still following this thing. Thank you so much for your kind words. It means a lot to hear that someone enjoys the crazy stuff I come up with, haha! ;) Thanks for your input with the pairings. I wasn't sure if I should include relationships, but I figured I'd at least get a feel for what everyone reading was thinking.
Marie: Thank you for the review, and your thoughts about the pairings. I agree, Peeta did help balance Katniss out a lot, and I can see the comparison between Ben and Mal. I'm definitely still considering things, and Ben is almost too sweet and naïve. He'd got a lot of maturing to do, but there's going to be character development for everyone, so we'll see how it goes.
Kris68: Hey, good to hear from you again! I'm glad you're enjoying this story so much, and thank you for your kind words and your input on the relationships. I definitely feel the same; that relationships would take away from the main point of the story, but I wanted to get a feel for what everyone reading this was thinking, which is why I asked for input. Any relationship I did though wouldn't come for a while. And I do like the Jay and Evie ship, I think they complement each other well. You know you're the second person to suggest Mal and Jay? I never would have thought about it, but I could definitely see it. :) I hope you'll continue to read and enjoy!
Seawhimsy321: Thank you so much for the review, and for sharing all your ideas and thoughts! I had a lot of fun looking up all the personality types you mentioned, lol! Might just have to incorporate some stuff now. ;) In regards to your advice on the pairings, I do really like the thought of just some simply platonic relationships, and especially what you had mentioned about Carlos/Aziz. It tends to be forgotten in the midst of all the shipping frenzy and especially with Disney, that there can be some pretty awesome platonic relationships/friendships, too, so thanks for that! I hope you will continue to read and enjoy this story!
Maggie: Well, I certainly have plans for Chad in this story, though I have to say your suggestion did catch me off guard! It's definitely not a common ship in this fandom, though I think it's more because, for the most part he's painted in a very static, negative light in both the movie, and the fandom. (Don't get me wrong, he's a total douche, even in my story) But I plan to develop his character a good bit more than just a spoiled brat, haha. I might take some of your suggestion as inspiration for that! ;) Not sure about the ship itself just yet, but we'll see where things go. Thanks for the review, and I hope you'll continue to follow and enjoy my story. :)
Nik137nvty: Thank you for the kind words! I'm glad you're enjoying this story so much. I don't plan to stop any time soon, and I hope you won't stop following along and enjoying! (And yes, that was a MCR reference…this fic has inadvertently become a bit of a song fic, at least, with some of the titles, haha! Glad you caught it! :))
MakeItShineDiamondKat31111: Whew, finger full to type! ;) I'm glad you're still following along, it was good to hear from you! I'm leaning towards Ben/Mal as well, and though it won't follow the typical romance pattern, I think I'd be able to make it work. Thanks for the review! I'm glad you're enjoying this and don't worry, there'll be plenty more villainous moments for the gang, lol!
Brainiac1089: Oh gosh, you really went in depth for this thing, didn't you?! Haha, thank you so much for reviewing, and for your kind words! I really appreciate it and I'm glad you're enjoying this story so much! I hope I can do your expectations justice! In regards to your thoughts on the pairings, I agree, I do like Ben/Mal, but the way things went in the movie was just too Disney perfect. Got to keep things realistic, right? ;) I'm not sure where the original author was going in terms of pairings, just that they didn't plan on including Jay/Carlos, or Doug/Evie. It's really up for grabs, but I'm leaning more towards trying to keep things platonic. We'll see how it goes, though, and I hope you will continue to follow along and enjoy this story! :)
IWantColoredRain: Thank you for the review! I'm glad you're enjoying my story, and hopefully this update is soon enough for you. ;)
Alex: Thank you for the review, and your kind words. I'm glad you love this story so much! And thank you for the criticism; I didn't even realize I was emphasizing Carlos so much, and I will do my best to even things out among the group in the future. :)
Guest4: Thank you for the review! I'm glad you're enjoying the tension, lol. Thank you for the input on the pairings; I'm definitely leaning more to keeping things neutral for now, I just wanted to see what my readers thought. :) I hope you'll continue to read and enjoy.
starflight34: Thank you for the kind words! I'm glad you're enjoying this story so much. I think you're the third or fourth person to suggest Jay/Mal to me, haha. I'm not sure where I'm going with the relationships yet, but I appreciate the suggestion.
Guest5: Thank you for the review, and for your input. I'll admit, I was a bit worried to ask for input since I thought it might escalate into an argument. I'm thinking I might keep things platonic for now, and see where things go in the future.
Yoyo: Don't worry, Carlos will have his moment…quite soon, actually. *insert more maniacal chuckling here* Thank you for your input on the pairings, I like Ben/Mal too, though platonic definitely seems the way to go for the time being. I hope you'll keep reading and enjoying! :)
Ok, Author's Notes!
This chapter contains the usual, Warnings for crude language and mentions of abuse, as well as bullying and mild abuse by a teacher towards a student. (That's right, the evil biology teacher is back! *cue sinister chuckling* Oh, just you wait!)
**A huge thank you and shout out to Mersang, who reviewed earlier on with a slew of info for the biology portion of this chapter. Credits for that bit to him/her! I hope I did your idea justice. **
There's also a POV shift, as well as some Disney references, so I hope you all enjoy that.
On a different note, as well as the usual sign language, this chapter contains a brief cameo of Arabic; courtesy of Google Translate, so for any speakers of the language, native or otherwise, please forgive any grammar issues or inconsistencies! It is not my intention to offend in any way with this story, despite the subject matter.
Note part 2: This chapter contains multiple 'flashes' of flashback. I separated everything appropriately, but instead of constant Italic POV Heading, I did things a bit differently, for creativity's sake. I hope it's not too confusing, but do let me know, and I can go back and edit for you guys.
I hope you all enjoy the chapter and I can't wait to hear what you think!
(I'll have another note at the bottom so keep an eye out for that.)
- Raven
Fairy Godmother
The Fairy Godmother is an excellent judge of character. She is always able to tell when something is wrong and someone needs her help (how else would she be able to do her job?), and despite being known for her compassionate and doting nature, she 'doesn't take crap from nobody,' to quote something she'd heard the kids say.
She hadn't been nearly as hesitant to accept Ben's decree to bring the villain children over to Auradon; they were children in need, after all, and she happily took it upon herself to play the guiding mother role. That first day in class had tested her patience, true, but it had also tested all of her previously held beliefs of childhoods and how children were supposed to act. They had come to her subdued; quiet and wary, watchful of every move she made. They bickered between each other like siblings, but every one of their mannerisms held a certain fear, an anticipation of some kind of pain, and although Cinderella hadn't been nearly as bad as these children had, the Fairy Godmother couldn't help but see the similarities.
And so she studied her charges closely, analyzing their answers to her questions in an attempt to better understand just what they had been through. The bruises were glaring enough, but they painted too broad of a picture for her to see. They could just as well have been inflicted by the other children of the Isle, if they all had some of the violent tendencies that she had noticed with her four.
She already considers them hers, in a way, and she liked to think that she had picked up enough on their personalities to notice when something was amiss, and so it is with these thoughts in mind that she falters at the head of the classroom. She takes in the three children before her and instantly feels a flicker of wrong, that is made no less obvious by the fact that there are only three of them there.
"Oh my," she says softly, worry clouding her usually cheerful tone. "Where's Jay?"
Fairy Godmother watches as Carlos shrinks in his chair, and while the gesture is clearly a defensive one, she can see the flicker of something like sorrow in his face before he hides it. Both Mal and Evie are silent, but while Evie's silence is worried and tense, Mal's is one of cold fury and betrayal. Fairy Godmother frowns, her own worry growing as she wonders what had happened to cause this sudden rift between the four, but she forces herself to remain calm and in control of the situation.
"Well, our lesson today will continue where we left off yesterday, and I decided that in light of recent events, it would be best to discuss with all of you some appropriate ways to deal with your anger."
She notices a flicker of amusement in Mal's expression, but it quickly turns to boredom as the girl begins writing on a piece of paper. Fairy Godmother recognizes the gesture for the defense that it is, and decides not to press further.
"This topic will also be the basis for our first detention," the woman directs at Carlos. "Wherever Jay is, I do hope you will pass this information on to him."
The small boy winces at her words, but nods his head slowly in understanding. Fairy Godmother nods as well before straightening and returning to the task at hand, turning to the blackboard and indicating the question with her staff.
"If someone hands you a crying baby, do you, A) Curse it? B) Lock it in a tower? C) Carve out its heart? Or D) Give it a bottle?"
She turns back to her students, but they're all silent, a heaviness in the air as they either stare at their desks, or in Mal's case, the piece of paper that she's drawing on. Fairy Godmother sighs as she realizes the lesson will not be proceeding as planned, and so she decides to take the opportunity given to her. She picks up an eraser and begins clearing the chalkboard, moving in slow dramatic gestures as she gives her students time to collect themselves in whatever way they choose. When she turns around again, they're all staring at her, disbelief on Evie's face, and varying degrees of suspicion and worry on Mal and Carlos.'
"I can see that something is bothering you, children," Fairy Godmother explains gently. "This class isn't just for teaching you; I like to think that it's also a safe space for us to learn about each other."
Mal rolls her eyes and focuses back on her drawing, but there's an uncomfortable look on her face that doesn't escape the older fairy's gaze. Evie and Carlos exchange a pointed look, but no one make any move to explain things to her.
"I won't force anything out of you, but I hope you know that I am here to help in any way you might need," Fairy Godmother says carefully. "Now, there's still about 45 minutes left of this class period, and while I won't dismiss you entirely from the lesson, you may use the time as a study period if you prefer."
She knows that at this point, trying to continue a lesson would be futile as no one's attention would really be on her, and so she decides to let them have a moment of peace. Maybe in the quiet atmosphere, they would let their guard down and allow themselves to hear what she had said. She retreats to her desk atop the podium's stage and lets the silence continue, drawing a stack of papers from her drawer and beginning to grade. She watches out of the corner of her eye as a tense moment of silence passes, but finally, Carlos draws a textbook from his bag, and Evie slides over to sit at the table with him, the girl silently conversing over the subject as the smaller boy takes notes. Mal continues to draw, but every now and then the girl lifts her head to glare around at the room, relaxing only when she sees that Evie and Carlos are still there with her.
The Fairy Godmother sighs quietly as she watches the children. It would take a lot more than a simply bippidi-boppidy-boo to make things right with them, but she'd be darned if she didn't try her hardest for them. It didn't matter to her that their success meant the success of the kingdom as a whole. They were hurting children in need of a Fairy Godmother, and she would do everything in her power to give them the happy endings they deserved.
Ben
Ben sighs as he glances down at his buzzing phone for what felt like the hundredth time that day, the device creating a surprising amount of noise as it rattles against his table. He turns his attention to the mirror in front of him, frowning as he adjusts his tie.
"You really should answer them, you know."
Audrey's voice is stern from where she sits on the bed behind him, an array of books and color coordinated schedules littered about her.
"I know," Ben agrees with a grimace. "I just wanted to try and pretend like things were normal before I loaded them down with everything going wrong."
"You know for the future king, you're not very organized or responsible, Benny boo," she scolds mildly.
"You know I hate that nickname," he complains, and she laughs, her reflection shaking her head at him through the mirror.
"I know," she teases. "That's why I use it."
He makes a face at her through the mirror, but his expression twists even further as his phone starts buzzing again. He groans, and Audrey purses her lips as she highlights something in her notebook.
"You might as well get it over with," she cajoles, and he groans again, a little louder. He really didn't want to face his parents right now, not with everything going so wrong. But deep down, he knew Audrey was right; putting it off would just make it worse.
He turns and holds out a hand, running his other hand through his hair as he sighs. "Hand me the phone," he grumbles.
He catches his still buzzing phone that she tosses to him, and ignoring her satisfied smirk, he turns his back and answers the phone.
"Hello?"
"You haven't been answering your messages, Benjamin."
It's his mother's voice that responds, her voice cool and stern. He grimaces at her use of his full name, but manages to keep his own voice steady as he answers.
"I'm sorry about that, really. Things have just been crazy here and…."
"Oh, we've heard."
The voice that cuts him off is a low and deep rumble, and Ben falters, drawing in a quick breath.
"You have?" he manages shakily.
"We have," his father repeats, and Ben hears his mother sigh quietly in the background.
"You're on speaker, Ben," she confirms sharply, and she can almost imagine her rolling her eyes at his dad as she takes over again. "And yes, the Charming's were over yesterday afternoon with a very interesting letter from the Fairy Godmother."
Crap, Ben thinks. He'd forgotten Fairy Godmother was going to letter Cinderella! His hopes of keeping things quiet had never even had a chance.
"Oh," he squeaks, and he sees Audrey lift a brow at him in the mirror.
"Is it true, Benjamin?" His father growls. "Did those villains of yours attack Chad?!"
Ben hears his mother gasp out his father's name in the background, but he's too busy trying to reign in his spinning thoughts to concentrate. He manages to get himself together enough to try for a response.
"They're not my…" he begins, then stops, starting again with a bit more firmness. "They're not villains, Dad."
He hears his father starts spluttering protests, but he continues before he loses his resolve.
"There was a fight, and Emil wound up with a dislocated shoulder, but it really wasn't…."
"A knife Benjamin!" His father's shout is loud enough that Ben cringes, jerking the phone away from his ear. "They snuck a knife into my kingdom and attacked innocent Auradon students with it! If that's not something a villain would do, then…."
"Dad!" Ben starts, just as his mother cries "Adam!" in the background. "That's not how it happened at all!"
"Do explain, then," his father says with forced calm, and Ben knows his mother must be glaring at him to keep him subdued.
Ben draws a slow breath, and waits until he's sure he won't falter or be interrupted to speak. "Things with the children of the Isle are a lot more complicated than we thought."
"We?"
"Adam," his mother says sharply, and there's quiet again.
"Than I thought," Ben amends. "There's…something, I don't know what, but they're not...villainous."
There's a cough on the other end of the phone that Ben recognizes as his Dad's 'I want to say something here,' cough, but he's not interrupted.
"They're all really quiet; like, 'not normal' quiet, and they've only just now started to meet my eyes when I talk with them. And then there's Carlos…."
Behind him, Audrey has stopped pretending to organize her schedule and is sitting up, her own eyes worried as she watches his face through the mirror.
"Cruella's son?" His mother questions softly, her previous sternness forgotten.
"What about him?" His father asks, and though his tone is still gruff, it's slightly less harsh than before.
"What happened with the fight," Ben explains slowly. "Is because Carlos has a stutter, which we didn't know about."
"A villain with a stutter? That's preposterous!"
His mother clears her throat, and his father pauses his incredulous tirade. "We would have heard about something like that, Ben," his mother says, much more tactfully.
"I would have thought," Ben agrees. "But we didn't really get a lot of information to begin with, and all we heard about Carlos was that he didn't talk. I thought that meant he was mute, but now I know that wasn't it."
"No, I suppose not," his mother agrees quietly, and he can tell she's still a bit stunned.
"But what does this have to do with the fight?" his father interrupts, and Ben nods even though it can't be seen through the phone.
"Chad and some of the other guys found out that Carlos has a stutter when he talked in class. They were teasing him about it, but something was said that turned it physical, and by the time I got there, Emil had a dislocated shoulder and Carlos had a knife."
He knows it must sound as bad as he thinks it does, because neither of his parents say anything for a while. Ben tries pacing, but then he decides to sit, and settles anxiously on the edge of the bed where Audrey is.
"It wasn't Carlos' fault," Ben says firmly, cutting through the awkward silence. "Or Jay's, either."
"Jay?" his mother questions softly.
"Jafar's son," Ben clarifies reluctantly. "He was...also…involved."
His father hums lowly, and when he speaks, his voice is a deliberate drawl. "I think this whole situation shows that perhaps things are not as in your control as you have us believe. I think these...children are dangerous, and the knife is just further proof of that."
"While I agree that things are definitely not perfect, I think the knife is further proof of just how wrong things are," Ben counters.
"In what way?" his father retorts.
"If the first reaction to a threat, even a relatively mild one, is to pull out a knife and attack without question, then I'd say something wasn't right," Ben says.
"Of course it's not right, they're villains, Ben!"
"No they're not!" Ben snaps, abandoning his diplomatic approach completely. "They're kids, just like the rest of us here, and they deserve this chance!"
"Ben," his mother breaks in, scolding but gentle. "No one is denying that. We just think you need to go about this in the right way."
"I'm trying," Ben sighs, trying not to sound like he was whining. "But there's just so much we don't know."
"Well the stuttering was certainly an unexpected development," his father chimes in slowly. "I must say I am surprised we didn't know of that sooner."
"Not just the stuttering," Ben says. "Remember the folders? The file didn't even know all of their ages. Fairy Godmother thinks Carlos is 14 like Jane, but she says that they're all so undernourished, it's hard to tell much of anything. And there's just…I can't help but think…."
"What is it?" his mother presses, and he could hear her concern. "What else is bothering you?"
"Do you guys think...I mean…Villains love their kids too, right?"
His parents' responses are subdued, and not nearly as certain as he had been hoping for. There's a jerky "Of course," from his father, and a murmured "I'm sure they do, in their own ways," from his mother.
"But if we don't even care enough," Ben begins, before cutting himself off. It sounded too much like an accusation, and he also can't help but feel an irrational sort of guilt; like his not know was responsible for that, somehow. His ignorance was their suffering.
"What do you mean, we don't care?" His father asks roughly.
"Of course we do, Ben," his mother adds firmly.
"I meant about them," Ben says softly. "Is...is it true that the Isle only gets our garbage?"
Jay
Jay storms across the campus, muttering curses under his breath as he glares at everyone who steps into his path, just daring them to cross him. They all skitter out of his way, some even whimpering in fear, but even that does nothing to clear his foul mood.
"Stupid Mal," he grumbles traitorously, storming across the gardens. "Fucking bitch."
He'd been kicked out of a lot of places before, even his own house by his own father, but to be thrown out of his dorm room; a place that was given to him, and for him alone...and to be kicked out by Mal of all people; to be accused of not caring…he'd be damned if he let something like that slide. He might be many things, but Jayden Jafar'son was not heartless, despite what everyone believed. He had been around almost three whole years before Mal had even existed, and he'd been the one to help Evie take care of Carlos back when they'd first met.
Jay had been the one to help with Carlos' stutter, and he and Evie had worked together to learn and teach the youngest of their group how to sign. Jay had stolen the books and Evie had done the teaching. Jay had been the first one Carlos had run to when Cruella started slipping even further, back when they were still kids; the one who taught the smaller boy how to make and wield his own knives; the one who had convinced Mal to bring Carlos into the core group in the first place.
How dare she say that he didn't care! He sure as fuck cared more than Mal did, the scheming bitch. She only 'cared' when it was convenient for her, when she wanted something from you. Mal was just as manipulative as Maleficent, only focused on accomplishing her goals; and now with the plan to get the wand in place, that was all she really cared about. Not the group, and their chances to do something for themselves for a change. Not Carlos. Not…
"Smoke?"
What!?
Jay whirls on his heel, fists up and ready for a fight, but when he looks around he realizes that he's back by the dorms, in the section of garden that crosses just behind the building. And there's a kid about his age, leaning against the side of the building with a cigarette, watching Jay out of dark eyes that were almost like his own.
"The fuck?" Jay snaps, and the other boy laughs, tossing his head as he does so.
"I said, 'do you want a smoke?'" The boy says, an amused smirk playing about his lips. "You look like you could use one."
"They let you smoke in Auradon?" Jay challenges, crossing his arms in defiance despite the fact that he actually could use a smoke.
"Nope," the boy says with a grin, and there's a certain glint in his eyes that reminds Jay of the Isle, somehow.
"Well look at that," he drawls, slowly striding over and moving to stand against the wall a few feet down from the other boy.
He catches the box of cigarettes and the lighter that is tossed to him, and plucks the remaining four cigarettes from the cardboard container, shoving three into his pocket and lighting the last, all while watching the other warily out of the corner of his eye. The kid just chuckles again, and shakes his head as he catches his lighter once Jay tosses it back to him.
"Fair enough," the kid says, shrugging a shoulder and taking a slow pull from his cigarette. "Name's Aziz, by the way."
Jay blinks at the name, but doesn't let his surprise show beyond that. He leans his weight against the wall and sizes the other boy up in a new light. He can see it now that he's really looking; the slightly olive cast to the tanned skin, the dark curls; but especially in his eyes, and the oh-so-subtle lilt in his words. The accent wasn't strong by any means, but it was distinct as anything if you knew what to listen for. And Jay did know.
"Min ay balad 'ant?" he asks, and though he tries not to sound too suspicious, he's certain it's there in his tone anyway.
[Where are you from?]
Aziz straightens, a look of pleasant surprise on his face as he answers. "Laqad wulidat huna, fi Auradon. Walakun waliday kan alfiran fi alshshawarie almaerufat fi Agrabah."
Jay regrets his little test instantly, because he hadn't even understood half of what the other boy had said. His Arabic must be worse than he thought, because all he could really pick out was something about being born in Auradon, something about a father, and…Jay was certain he had misheard that part…mice on the streets.
"A little rusty, are you?" Aziz says with a laugh, a mischievous glint in his dark eyes. "That's ok, I don't know much either; just enough to make it through dinners with the family."
"A family of mice, apparently." Jay scoffs, flicking ash from the end of his cigarette and feigning disinterest to mask his embarrassment.
"Makes things a little awkward with the family pet, but who ever said being a street rat was easy?"
Jay stiffens, sucking in a sharp breath that sends a knife through his chest as the smoke from the cigarette went with it. Something hazy comes across his vision and before he's even aware of it, he's slammed Aziz against the dorm building's wall; pinning the boy with the weight of his own body and digging his arm into the other boy's throat. Jay's reaches by instinct for his belt, but it closes around empty air with his knife would have been.
"Something I said?" Aziz asks innocently, but there's a calculating look in those dark eyes that Jay knows all too well, and he bares his teeth in a fierce grimace at the other boy.
"Street. Rat?" Jay repeats icily, and clarification flickers across Aziz's face.
"Ha, I didn't mean it personally, man," he says smoothly, and that easy smile is back on his face, despite the vulnerable position Jay held him in. "It's a bit of a running joke in my family, see?"
"I'll bet," Jay growls, not the least bit amused, but he backs off enough to let Aziz breathe normally again. The other boy doesn't even flinch, doesn't even retaliate with an attack of his own. He simply straightens his jacket and extends a hand, grinning as he meets Jay's eyes.
"Mind if I steal back one of my cigarettes?" he asks. "I kind of dropped mine when you accidentally knocked me into the wall there."
Jay narrows his eyes at the crazy kid in front of him, shaking his head slowly as he offers the requested item. "You're the strangest son of a bitch I've ever met," he mutters. "And that's really saying a lot."
"I'll take that as a compliment," Aziz replies, lighting the fresh cigarette and sticking it in the corner of his mouth. "But I'm pretty sure my mom would kick your ass."
"Please," Jay snorts, a vulgar sort of smirk playing about his lips. "I'd f…" But then he catches himself, realizing that maybe his joke wouldn't be well received from what was technically his enemy.
Instead of looking offended, however, Aziz just looks amused at Jay's blunder, rolling his eyes and taking a quick drag from his cigarette. "I'd love to see you try," he says with a soft chuckle.
Jay watches as Aziz settles back against the dorm wall and starts smoking again, not even a bit worried over Jay's presence despite the fact that he'd slammed the other boy into the wall a second ago. Jay bares his teeth into a grimace and growls, his hands clenching at his sides.
"Ok, no," Jay snaps through his teeth. "This isn't how this is supposed to work! This doesn't work!"
"And, what is 'this?'" Aziz questions calmly, peering at Jay out of the corner of his eyes.
"This!" Jay cries, motioning between himself and the other boy. "We're supposed to hate each other…I hate you."
"No you don't," Aziz says, shaking his head.
"I do," Jay insists, but even he doesn't sound as sure of himself as he should be.
"Ok, well, hate me then," Aziz responds with a shrug. "But I don't hate you."
"You should," Jay finds himself saying, his voice dropping into what Evie called his 'dark and brooding' tone. "You should hate me."
"Why? Because your Dad's Jafar?"
In spite of himself, the mention of his father's name makes Jay tense, and something hard coils in his gut. "What do you know of it?" he snaps sharply, crossing his arms defensively.
"Just the stories," Aziz answers with another shrug, but his voice is low and cautious like Jay's. "But you've got the life experience, so really, I know nothing."
"There's nothing to know," Jay retorts bitterly. "Nothing glamorous about living on the streets."
"You guys didn't get a house on the Isle or anything?" Aziz asks, and a part of Jay registers the deliberate casualty, but he's too lost in thought to really care.
"Please," he snorts. "This is Jafar we're talking about; of course he has a house."
"True," Aziz chuckles a bit, but it's not quite as cheerful as his usual laugh. "But not you?"
"I'd get to live in the house as long as I could keep his shelves stocked," Jay explains. "If I didn't get a good enough score, or if he just didn't want to see me that day, I was out with the rest of the group. Which is fine by me," Jay adds with a scoff. "I do it better out there anyway."
"Yeah, but…it was your house too," Aziz responds slowly. "I mean, you had every right to be there."
Jay snorts, rolling his eyes at the other boy. "Maybe that's how things work here in Auradon," he retorts.
"No," Aziz murmurs quietly. "That's how things work everywhere."
"Huh," Jay laughs shortly. "Back home, you have to earn your keep. If you don't work, you don't survive."
"Harsh," Aziz comments, but Jay shrugs, and it's his turn to offer the easy smile.
"That's just the way of the streets," he says.
"The way of the streets," Aziz repeats, bringing his hand up slowly and taking another pull from his cigarette.
His actions are casual, but Jay can sense the slowness there; the hesitation. He doesn't like the weird look Aziz is giving him, that look he'd seen Fairy Godmother giving them that first day in class. It was that strange look kind of like 'caring,' but there was an edge to Aziz's look that turned it angry. But what had he said? What did Aziz care about Jay's life? Care enough to be angry about it?
Jay frowns, not liking the way this conversation had turned, and especially not liking the way it made him feel. Who was Aziz, anyway, to suggest that something about Jay's life was wrong? Why didn't Aziz just focus on his own life instead of poking at Jay's?
"Well," Aziz says suddenly, his much brighter tone jerking Jay out of his dark thoughts. "One street rat to another, how are you liking Auradon so far?"
"Ok first, your dad's the rat; you're more like, I don't know…a mouse at best," Jay counters with a smirk. "And second, it's been like, one day."
"A lot can happen in a day," Aziz replies easily. "After all, you did get into it with Chad, so…I guess that should indicate your general feeling for the place."
"Just my general feeling for him," Jay retorts with a sly grin. "This place isn't too bad, though. Which kind of sucks, because Mal…."
He falters, trailing off as he realizes that he'd almost revealed their entire reason for coming here.
Fuck it all, if Jafar had taught him anything about evil, it was the most crucial rule of villainy; never start monologuing and reveal your entire plan to the enemy! It was the one thing he'd emphasized above all else, and here Jay was spilling his guts. All because his enemy's son had acted like he cared.
Might just be a rat after all, Jay thinks, his eyes narrowing as Aziz lifts a brow at him in confusion and asks:
"What about Mal?"
"Nothing," Jay says, and he prides himself on his ability to keep his features neutral, and his tone merely disgruntled instead of sharp or panicked. "We couldn't agree on something, that's all."
He makes sure to keep it casual, because despite however angry he was with Mal, he knew better than to give away something that could be turned against them. If the enemy found out they were divided, well…he wasn't about to let something like that happen.
"I didn't want to mention it," Aziz comments. "But you looked pretty pissed stalking across the lawns like that. I was just picturing the cape whipping behind you, and maybe a little bird on your shoulder, or something."
He laughs, and Jay scowls, which only makes Aziz laugh harder.
"Is that why you called me over?" Jay snaps, clenching his fists. "You just wanted to try and get stuff out of me, poke fun because my Dad's Jafar?"
"No, I didn't mean it like that. I just…"
"Forget it," Jay snarls, shaking his head in disgust. "Should have known better than to trust a street rat."
He turns away, disregarding the voice that pointed out the similarities between this fight, and Mal's; that said that Jay was really no better; and that if Aziz was a street rat, then what did that make him?
"Jay!"
The use of his name catches Jay off guard, but he refuses to show it. He continues in his stride, his lip curling in disgust as he realizes that the cigarette he'd been given was still wedged between two fingers. He grits his jaw, clenching his hand into a fist as he bites out:
"Thanks for the smoke, Aziz. We should really do it again sometime."
His palm burns as the cigarette is crushed in his grip, but he opens his hand and lets it fall without flinching. If he'd learned anything from the Isle, it was how to ignore pain.
Carlos
The hallways of Auradon were swarming with students desperate to get to class, and Carlos despises his locker's position on the inside of the hall; envious that Mal and Evie got lockers on the outside balcony. It's by the grace of his reputation alone (well, that and his 'callous' mask) that everyone avoids getting in his path as he hovers anxiously by the wall. He fidgets with his dog tail as he scans the crowds, his hands the only part of him that he allows to move, and even those motions are subdued. Too much movement made him more of a target; standing still, he was glanced right over as everyone rushed along their own paths.
"There you are," a breathless voice murmurs from his left. He blinks his acknowledgement, but he's not caught off guard by Evie's sudden presence.
Life on the Isle meant always adapting, and Carlos had learned awareness of his surroundings very quickly. Even in a chaotic situation like this, and despite his nervousness, it would be very hard (and ill-advised) to sneak up on him.
"So what do you have next, Biology?" Evie asks, leaning against the wall beside him and surveying the crowd. "I wonder if Mr. Kropp likes honey in his tea, or if he drinks it black?"
It's a casual question, and a casual gesture to any outside viewer, but Carlos recognizes the tactic for what it was. Evie knew what classes he had, but her mentioning it was just her way of asking Carlos if he was ok with it, and reminding him of what parts he should play. 'Honey' to play things straight and sweet, trying to keep his head down; but with 'drinking it black,' Evie was giving him permission to bite back if he had to. Carlos nods, his eyes narrowing slightly as he sizes up the space beside Evie.
He signs; bringing his left hand up in a fist shape with his first three fingers folded over his thumb: the sign for the letter 'M'; he touches the back of his hand to his chin before bringing it forward again, opening his hand and wiggling his fingers slightly as he does so.
[Mal]
It was his 'fun' version of signing her name; a combination of the sign for the letter 'M,' and the sign for 'dragon.'
"I don't know where she went," Evie says, picking up on his question. "She disappeared right after Goodness; just said that she had to do something real quick, but she'd be back."
Carlos feels a pang of anxiety and guilt at that; just another example of his ability to screw things up. Now even Mal was leaving because of him. Carlos scowls to cover his feelings, his jaw clenching and hardening his mask.
"Stop that," Evie hisses, poking him between the ribs and causing his mask to falter despite himself. "No one is ditching you; Mal is coming back. Jay's just being an asshole about it, it's not your fault he's not here."
Carlos makes a face at her and sticks out his tongue, but inside he's embarrassed, hating the way she could read him so well. Evie just smiles, flipping him off and laughing when he growls at her.
"Come on," she says, poking him again as the second bell rings. "I'll walk you to class. Even though, as the gentleman, you should be walking me."
Carlos rolls his eyes, but suddenly he's nervous again. Evie loops her arm through his and they start off down the hall, ignoring and being ignored by the remaining Auradon students still in the hallways. He wishes it were Jay with him instead, but then he remembers that he's still mad about the older boy abandoning him, and so he tolerates Evie's presence until they reach the classroom.
"You'll be fine," Evie promises, sensing his discomfort. "Just remember my notes and you won't have any trouble."
Carlos purses his lips and nods again, still hesitating as the final bell rings above them. Evie gives his hand a quick squeeze before leaning in and whispering in his ear.
"Make sure to take some notes as well," she murmurs. "Just in case."
He grins at the dark mischief in her voice, easily reading between the lines and understanding the hidden reference to their plot. Evie winks at him, then turns and jogs off to her Chemistry classroom down the hall. He spots Mal at the end of the hall waiting for her, and when he catches her eye, she offers him an encouraging nod before they both disappear into the room. Carlos draws a steadying breath and turns to face his own classroom, bracing himself for what was to come.
'You'll be fine,' Evie had told him, and he can't help but remember the first time she'd made that promise to him. He feels like a little kid again, being led into the dragon's den only to be abandoned and left to face the beast alone.
Carlos
"Are you afraid of me, Carlos?"
Don't move don't move don't breathe not a sound.
"Good," the girl said. "You should be."
"Ah, our resident deVil has arrived. I trust you know where to find your seat?"
Carlos doesn't miss the way the teacher had pronounced his name; turning the two words into one, but he forces himself to keep a straight face, nodding his head as respectfully as he can as he answers.
"Yes Ssir."
There'd only been the tiniest slip on that one, and Carlos almost feels proud of himself until he makes his way to his seat and realizes that he's the only one at the desk. Then all of his fears come rushing back and it takes every ounce of control to keep his mask in place, to keep his movements smooth and casual as he pulls out his textbook and notes.
"I don't suppose you know where the son of Jafar is hiding himself away, do you?"
"N-no Ssir," Carlos answers lowly, keeping his eyes on his desk to hide his surge of anger. His name is Jay.
"Really?"
Breathe don't breathe don't think don't move not a sound don't make a sound.
The girl surveyed him coolly, taking in his ripped jeans, the white leather of his jacket, too big for his small frame, which split to black halfway across. The scrapes on his hands and face from crashing into the market stall.
"Where did you say you found him, Evie?"
"Continuing where we left off yesterday, who can explain the two laws of inheritance?"
Carlos blinks, scanning the pages before him. Evie's writing is neat and precise, summarizing everything perfectly while adding her own (admittedly biased) contributions in the margins. Hands go up around the classroom, and Carlos surveys them out of the corner of his eyes, turning a page in his notebook and adding to Evie's comments with one of his own.
"Mr. de Vil."
Deep breaths deep breaths in out in out don't move.
The other girl started, but strode forward at the mention of her name. "Just off the market square. Leroux and his goons had cornered him. That was kind of…my fault."
"Why did you bring him here?"
"Why are you here, Mr. de Vil?"
"Ssir?" Carlos curses his trembling voice, but keeps his mask in place as he straightens at his desk, aware of the entire class turning to stare at him.
"In my class," Mr. Kropp clarifies coldly, his eyes narrowing at Carlos' slip. "Clearly, the subject is something you have already mastered, as it appears I'm simply boring you with review."
"N-n-n-no!" Carlos bursts out, wincing slightly as the 'N' sticks on his tongue. He clears his throat a bit and tries again, keeping his voice level despite his anger. "Tha-that's not it, Ssir."
"Isn't it?" Mr. Kropp questions, lifting a brow even as his lips frown. "Then perhaps you could come to the board and complete this diagram?"
He indicates the whiteboard in question, and Carlos sees a blank Punnett Square diagram written on the board; a miniature essay of words written next to it detailing each aspect, with blank spaces to fill in as well. Carlos turns his gaze back to the teacher and feels a sick clenching in his stomach at the hard look on the man's face; equal parts disgust and smug satisfaction.
She's not moving. She's not hurting you…Could be a trap. Not a trap not a trick can't be a trick.
"Leroux," the purple girl said with a growl, disgust twisting her features. "Wait, Carlos? As in, Cruella's son?"
The boy nodded slowly, unsure what she was getting at. She laughed a little, and her threatening demeanor vanished rapidly with her amusement.
"You're the runt!"
"Explain as you go," Mr. Kropp continues, extending a marker. "Unless that will be too difficult for you, what with your…stutter."
Not a runt not a runt not a runt! Show her show her show her!
"I'm not a rrrunt," he snapped, straightening and shooting her the most severe glare he could muster. She stopped laughing, her gaze solemn and thoughtful as she peered at him through a curtain of purple.
"So, the puppy's bark isn't worse," she drawled. "You know, you should do that more often."
"Do wha-what?" He growled suspiciously.
"Bite."
"Do your best," the man says, as Carlos accepts the marker from him. Carlos recognizes the dig for what it is, but he feels his lips twitching as he approaches the board and begins the diagram, Evie's voice in his head as though she were explaining it to him all over again.
"Well, Ssir," Carlos says, labeling the boxes carefully as he goes. "If y-your theory is cor-cor-correct, then it would depend on wheth-wheth… it depends if Evil and G-good are dominant, or rece-recessive genes."
He indicates the first diagram, silently reveling in the way Mr. Kropp begins to work his jaw, his eyes flickering beneath his glasses.
"If Evil is recessive, then b-both parents would have to be 'ee' to have an E-evil child. But if one p-p-parent is Ge; say, Good, but a carr-rier of Evil, there's a one in t-t-two chance their child wwill be 'Evil recessive,' and also a one in t-two chance their child will be G-g-good, but with an Evil car-rier."
Carlos can see that some of the students in the class have started taking notes, copying down his chart and the points as he speaks. Even Chad is glaring at the board with grudging concentration, and it gives him an added push of confidence despite the teacher's beginning protests. Carlos takes a breath and smiles just a bit, relaxing as he turns to the board and begins a new diagram.
"Now say that Evil is dominant, and b-both parents are 'EE;' 'Evil dominant,' then yeah, the kids w-will be 'EE' but if one parent is 'Eg,' 'Evil dominant,' but a carrier for the Good gene, then there's a one-in-two chance their kid will also carry the Good gene."
Carlos pauses to add that into the paragraph on the side before continuing. "And if b-b-both parents are 'Eg,' then there's only a one-in-four ch-chance the child will be entirely evil, a one-in-four chance the child will be entirely g-good, and a one-in-two chance the child will also be an E-vil carrier of the G-good gene."
"What happens if one parent is Evil dominant and the other is Good recessive?"
Carlos starts at the question, blinking at the raised hand from the classroom. It's from the pretty Chinese girl who'd explained to Ben what had really happened with the fight…Lonnie, he recalls vaguely. Carlos glances around to notice that he has the entire classroom's attention, everyone eager to see where he was going with this, and he smiles, nodding at the girl like he was the teacher.
"E-e-excellent question, L-lonnie," Carlos replies with another solemn nod. "If there's one 'EE' p-p-parent and one 'gg' p-parent, their child will be 'Eg'."
"And that's all around?" Someone else asks, a girl with auburn hair styled in a pixie cut.
"Y-yes," Carlos confirms, indicating his diagram. "All arrround."
"Ok, but what if both parents are dominant?" The challenge comes from Chad, a slight smirk on the boy's face as he raises his hand. "What if one is Evil dominant, and the other is Good? What then?"
There's a murmur of agreement from the class, but Carlos doesn't let it faze him, instead offering a small smile to Chad in return.
"It's a bit mmore diff-diff…it's tricky when both are d-dominant," Carlos explains, drawing out another new diagram. "But let's just say…if one p-arent is 'EE,' the other wwwould be either 'Good dominant: GG,' or could e-even be 'EG.'"
"Evil and Good dominant carriers?" Chad counters. "How is that thing?"
"L-l-let's call it… 'Mmmorally Am-Ambig-guous," Carlos replies with a slight shrug, earning a laugh from the rest of the class and an embarrassed blush from Chad.
"So that would mean either an all-around ambiguous child with 'EE' and 'GG,'" Lonnie concludes slowly. "Or else a one in two chance for ambiguity with 'EE' and 'EG.'"
"R-right," Carlos confirms happily, grinning as he takes in the class around him, every single one scribbling notes and nodding along.
"So what does that mean for you?" Chad tries again, but there's more confusion in his tone than hostility. "I mean, the chart is great and all, but what about your chances of being Good or Evil?"
"Hon-honestly?" Carlos says, frowning. "I d-don't know. I d-d-don't know what mmy family tr-tree is like to be able to judge."
"But regardless," the auburn haired girl chimes in again with a smile. "I'd say this shows that there's really potential all around for Good or Evil in whichever scenario. It really does come down to the individual."
A shrill ringing cuts off any further response, and Carlos smiles again, a bit more confident as he straightens at the head of the classroom.
"And tha-tha-that's the b-bell!" he calls over the ringing. "I h-hope you all took n-notes!"
He turns to Mr. Kropp, who's almost as red as Carlos' dog tail, and places the marker back down on the teacher's desk. He straightens with a sly grin, and darts back to his own desk, collecting his things quickly and laughing as he notices Lonnie is taking a picture of the whiteboard with her phone.
Your move, Sir, he thinks, flashing Kropp a challenging grin before sprinting out of the classroom and disappearing into the crowd.
Ok, here's my added note.
I've gotten a lot of suggestions from you guys so far, and I'm loving it! I will definitely keep taking suggestions, but here's what I'm thinking for this story:
Canon Ben/Mal, but with a slight twist/different take than the movie for realism's sake, as well as for the sake of what I've got going with this story.
Platonic/Friendship Carlos/Aziz. Thank you to Seawhimsy321 for the suggestion!
There's potential for these pairings as well, and thank you to Maggie for your suggestion.
Jay/Evie
Evie/Doug
Chad/Carlos
Whether these pairings are platonic or romantic or something else remain to be seen, but I wanted to give you all a heads up. Pairings for this story (at least any involving the VKs) will most likely be more friendship than anything romantic, but I will still be taking suggestions, so be creative!
I look forward to hearing from you!
- Raven