What's this? Two updates in one day!? Whaaat?
Yeah, that's right, I managed to finish a little early and get this up for you guys tonight. (Please don't consider this 'normal.' I'm entirely human and even I don't know how I managed this, therefore I can not guarantee something like again.)
That being said, I'm just gonna jump into this and start with my reviews!
GenderqueerWriter: AAAAHHHH! Don't be alarmed, a new chapter is here! Hopefully your screaming will be happy screaming. :)
tigerladygamer: I'm sorry for the cruelty of my cliffhanger. Please don't be dead! I've updated, see? Lol, I hope you're still following along and I hope you enjoy this next chapter.
manticore-gurl071134: Thank you for the kind words! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter, and Aladdin, so much! Hopefully you'll continue to read and enjoy. :)
theNiceDevil: I'm glad you like it! It is pretty exciting, and I hope you'll keep following along to see what other exciting things I have planned. ;)
Call Me Random: I know, I'm sorry. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, though, and hopefully this update (free of cliffhangers) will make it up to you.
danifan3000: Welcome to the story, and thank you for the review. Well, I can't say for sure how Kropp's job opportunities will go, but I can say that the kids aren't entirely defenseless. ;) They'll make him regret his actions yet. I hope you'll continue to follow along and enjoy!
Delta Orchid: The chapter ended, yes, but it ended so a new one could begin! (crappy poetic excuse for cliffhangers and sucky procrastination oh look new chapter please read and ignore my ramblings) ;)
rowan: Thank you for the review! I'm glad you loved the chapter and I hope you'll enjoy this one just as much.
Kevin4baconhugs: Thank you so much for your review and the kind words! I'm so glad you enjoyed the chapter so much and that you think I'm doing things right. I worry about the characters and keeping things in character, so to hear you say that I'm doing a good job and everything is perfect, means a lot to me. :)
As for the foreshadowing, well, it was more just teasing, really. Probably just more cruelty on my part. I have the pairings already decided for this story, but for the sake of the fans, I decided to at least include/tease/mention some of the other ships. So that little thing was my attempt at, not just Aziz teasing, but ship teasing. Sorry if I disappointed you there. But I do intend to write other stories for this fandom, so maybe in one of them, I'll give it a shot. ;)
Anyway, thank you for the amazing review, I'm glad you enjoy my story so much. And I got you, it made sense. I look forward to hearing what you think!
hershey201214: Thank you for the review! I'm glad you liked it, even if the adults are kind of ruining things. There's a little more of that here, but that isn't to say there's no hope. But things will be a little tight with the adult side of things, at least for a little while.
But I hope you'll continue to read and enjoy! :)
Gracfully: Thank you for the review! I'm glad you like the chapter! Hopefully you'll like this one too.
BaileyAsh: Thank you so much for the kind words! Characters and development are always a concern of mine, so I'm glad you think I'm doing so well. As for your question, well, that's for the story to tell, I won't give anything away here. ;) Also, I have checked out your story, and I really liked what I read so far. I just never connected the dots to realize it was yours until you pointed it out, lol. Shameless plugging accepted. And you know, if you ever wanted to check out some of my other stories… *wink wink*
I hope you'll continue to read and enjoy this one, though, and I look forward to hearing what you think of this latest chapter.
Guest: There will definitely be more of Aladdin slaying. I'm glad you enjoyed it and I hope you'll continue to follow along. :)
starflight34: Thank you! I'm glad you like the chapter, and the apology. It was nice, you can say that. I won't take offense. ;) I hope you'll continue to read and enjoy.
Tiredandlazy: It's always good to hear from you, no matter how late! I'll consider a compliment that you were so excited and surprised by my updating that you were cursing.
Um, but the references thing, yeah we need to work on that cuz that's just not ok. ;) In my comment to you I was referencing an anime series I love called RWBY (pronounced 'ruby'). And in the chapter itself I referenced 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' on Netflix. They have fun running gag about defining words in the show, and seeing as I had just finished bingeing it, I couldn't resist referencing it. And yes, of course Harry Potter is still popular, why what have you heard? Lies, all of it!
Anyway, you won't have to wait too much longer because the revenge will be coming soon, I promise. And it's gonna be good! Just not for Kropp. *Muhahahaha!* Sorry, really gotta tone down the evil laughter.
And I'm glad you like Mal and her magic, though I can't promise any burnings…they're trying to play good, after all. But there might be a little smoke. ;) Aziz can be annoying, but he's got such a heart of gold. (He gets it from his dad.) And Jane really is adorable, she gets too much hate sometimes, but I'm glad you like her. :)
I will also take your hate as a compliment, because it means I'm doing something right. And I too, love referencing children's shows, so no shame there. I hope you'll continue to read and enjoy and I look forward to hearing what you think.
Krestal: Thank you for the review! I'm glad you enjoyed it so much. Hopefully this new chapter will make up for the cliffhanger and leaving it so suddenly.
Free Spirit140: I can neither confirm nor deny that statement. I guess you'll just have to read and find out. ;)
AllGlitchedUp: You pointed out some excellent things, and I agree, the four kind of do just roll over Carlos. Even in the movie, he was kind of just 'there' and no one really expected anything of him, which made me sad because I love Cameron Boyce and I was looking forward to seeing him play this character, and Carlos sort of just ends up in the background.
But anyway, with the story; you are correct in that Jane is good for him in that regard, and I look forward to showing the growth of these characters and Carlos getting his chance to show the rest of the group (and Auradon, really) that he really can do it. And yes, he is not going to accept Jay back lightly, there will definitely be some begging involved. In regards to your second review, once you got logged in. We are going to pretend for the sake of the story that I did not fall into a massive plot hole and that it was totally intentional, and we will see more of Fairy Godmother's development as well later on, since even Fairy Godmother's (and writer's) make mistakes. Haha, sorry.
But thank you for the review, I'm glad you're enjoying my story so much and I hope you'll continue to follow along. :)
Kameron the God of Fairytales: Hey, it's good to hear from you again! I'm glad you're all caught up. It's good to know you're still enjoying this thing, and Aladdin's commentary. I figured there had to be someone who would protest about the heroes' treatment of the villains and the Isle, and who better than someone who, in any other light, could be looked at as an antagonist himself?
I'm glad you like it, and I will definitely keep on keeping on. I hope you'll continue to follow along and enjoy too.
menolikee: I'm sorry to keep you waiting so long, and on a cliffhanger too. But I'm glad you like the story so much, and hopefully this next chapter will make up for it. :)
TheDiamondSword400: Hi, welcome to the story! It's good to hear from you. I'm glad you like Aziz so much, since I really don't have much to go on for him. I knew he was in the books, but I haven't read them yet, so he really is like an OC in this thing. But I'm glad you're enjoying and I hope you will continue to.
IWantColoredRain: Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it. Hopefully this update was soon enough for you. :)
anonymous: Thank you for the review! I'm glad you're enjoying this story. You know, I don't think I ever mentioned the ages much, did I? In this story, Ben is 18, Jay is 19, Mal is 16, Evie is 17 (but only a month or so older than Mal) and Carlos is 14. As for the rest, Audrey is 17, Lonnie is 18, Aziz is 18, Doug is 16/17, and Chad is 16. (Hence, his slight immaturity) I hope you will continue to follow along and enjoy.
Ok and now for the Author's Notes!
This chapter sees a lot of stuff happening, so yay for plot development! We get another flashback, and another POV shift for you guys, as well as more development of the revenge plot for Kropp. I know you guys have been anxious to see that, so hopefully that'll get you excited.
Warnings for this chapter include the usual, some cursing, though it's not as bad as earlier (or later) chapters will be, all things considered. Also warnings for mentions of child abuse, both implied and shown, as well as mild bullying.
But it's not all bad, and there's some more good stuff happening. And, there may or may not be a Game of Thrones reference hiding in there somewhere. I told myself I wouldn't, but I just couldn't resist, and it was set up so perfectly, I had to. ;)
Note 2: I have chosen the four prompts for the story! Congratulations to everyone who played and guessed. Aziz's dorm room number is 40 in a reference to the 40 Thieves! So, congratulations to the following:
GenderqueerWriter
Shots and Giggles
menolikee, and
MakeItShineDiamondKat31111!
I have accepted your prompts and will be including them in the story! Thanks for sending them in and I will make sure to shout out to you guys again when we get to the parts where I incorporate them.
Anyway, I hope you all enjoy and I look forward to hearing what you guys think!
- Raven
Mal
There's a very particular way that dragons sleep. In all the stories and legends and fairy tales, dragons always slept in dark, creepy caves, surrounded by piles of gold. Or bones. (Mal preferred bones.) The purpose for the piles of gold, according to some particular legends, was not just as a trophy of all the villages the dragon had burned, or offerings from villages hoping not to be burned. The belief held that because dragons were reptiles, they needed to bathe in the sun to stay warm, and because the sun doesn't shine in dark, creepy caves, the gold soaked up all the sun for the dragon so that when they slept they could still bathe in the sun.
Her mother always said that was a lie, and a stupid one at that, and so Mal didn't hold stock in stories like that. And anyway, she would know, Mal always thought to herself whenever her mother would scowl at the dragon facts Mal would share. Her mother was a dragon herself.
Mal was a dragon too. She had to remind herself sometimes, or else her mother would remind her, that she had the blood of a dragon and so she was above things like fairytales and stories. Personally, though, Mal kind of liked the stories. It helped when the wind tore through the towers so hard the stone would crumble, or when it rained and soaked through the rafters, dripping loudly in her bedroom and usually making her sick in the process- to think of it as her own dragon cave, and imagine what sort of treasure she would collect to fill it with.
But she did like the idea of bones better. Bones meant that you were a fierce dragon, that the villages were too scared of you even to offer trophies of gold. Bones weren't easy victories like simply flying over and burning the town and people. It meant that they had to come to you; send their fiercest warriors to try and kill you. And then she'd get to kill them first, fight and prove that she was the fiercest dragon with the collection of bones.
Mal always liked to dream of that, herself as a dragon amidst the bones. She even slept like one, or at least, that's what she'd always pretend. She'd pretend that her room was even larger, and even darker. Less damp and without any mold in the corners. Her bed wasn't a rough pallet, so hard she might as well be on the floor. She had piles of warm gold and an even larger collection of bones, and she'd lie on her back and curl herself up in just the right position so she could look up through the hole in the cave ceiling; see the sun come up and just sort of drift….
"Mal!"
Mal groaned, opening her eyes but refusing to shift from her comfortable position. She'd only just gotten to the point where the loose board wasn't digging in her back! Why was it so hard for her to sleep, but not her mother?
"Mal Bertha!"
The vicious snarl came again, and Mal groaned even louder, stretching her body out so she was lying flat on the thing that was a bed. Middle name didn't mean 'trouble,' not necessarily. But it did mean that whatever it was must be important, since her mother hated the name almost as much as Mal did. It was part of why she'd picked it.
"I'm up!" Mal shouted back, letting a snarl of her own color her words, and grinning when her mother hollered back:
"Don't you use that tone with me, missy!"
Mal pressed her lips together to keep from firing back another retort, and instead rolled onto her feet, only wobbling a tiny bit before regaining her balance. She was proud of herself for that accomplishment. The last time she'd missed dinner, it had taken her almost half a day to get control of the dizziness. She was getting better. Stronger.
She bent down and tightened the straps of her shoes, (she always wore shoes to bed, just in case) eyeing the hole in the toe of her left shoe warily. It wasn't that big yet, but she didn't want to take any chances. The right was already wearing at the heel, and soon enough there wouldn't be anything keeping them together except sheer willpower. She crossed to the dresser shoved against the far wall, yanking hard on one of the drawer handles. It always stuck, but seeing as there were only three other functioning drawers, she wasn't about to let it go to waste.
"Mal!"
She grimaced at the bite in the woman's tone. She was definitely going to miss breakfast today, too. The drawer came free and she staggered back, flushing angrily before grabbing the first thing she saw, pulling a mud green sweater over her ragged t-shirt and scrambling for the stairs. She huffed her way down them, leaping over the loose stair at the bottom before straightening with a scowl, pushing a thin strand of light blonde hair out of her face.
"What?" She snapped, then froze, spotting the man standing beside her mother for the first time.
He was tall, much taller than her or her mother, with dark skin and even darker eyes. His hair must have been dark too, but it was wrapped up in some kind of scarf, so Mal couldn't really tell. But she could tell that she had crossed a line, as the man's face twisted into a sneer that rivaled even Mal's.
"A rather disrespectful brat," he murmured to her mother, who scowled sharply at her. "I do hope I haven't misjudged this arrangement, Maleficent."
Mal flinched at the look the man gave her, and quickly dropped her eyes to the floor, cursing herself for the stupid mistake. Stupid, and fatal, in any number of circumstances.
"Of course not, Jafar," she heard her mother respond, and the man must be someone important, if he was letting her use his name. "Believe me, I keep my daughter well in hand. Much like your own son."
The man, Jafar, spat on the ground. "A thorn in my side, that bastard," he cursed. "But useful enough."
"And the arrangement will benefit us both," her mother continued smoothly, and Mal shifted uncomfortably, dread churning her stomach. Or maybe that was hunger.
"It had better," he grumbled, but he snapped his fingers sharply, and Mal heard a muffled scrambling sound from above. She didn't dare lift her head, but the stones cracked painfully as the sliding sound continued, before ending with a dull thump just outside the door.
It opened, and a light pattering of footsteps sounded, before a pair of booted feet ran past her vision. They stopped just before the man, and a young, boyishly high voice said:
"You called?"
There was a mischief in that voice that put Mal on edge, but it was cut short by a sharp slap, and the smaller feet wavered slightly.
"Insolent boy," the man hissed furiously. "What were you doing on the roof?"
"You said I should stay look out," the boy answered, but the lightness was gone from his voice. "So I thought I'd have a better view from the roof. Sir," he added quickly, but another slap rang out regardless, and Mal winced in spite of herself as the boy was sent sprawling at her feet.
"Worthless," Jafar sneered, and Mal could see him shift his body away from them. "Do you see what I have to put up with? At least yours seems…competent."
"Thank you," Mal heard her mother murmur, but even she seemed mildly put off at the violent display. "If you would, we can discuss the details…" her voice trailed off, and Mal sighed quietly in relief as their footsteps trailed with them, lifting her head at last.
The boy was still on the ground, and she frowned, taking him in. He must have been about a few years older than her, 11 at most, and he didn't look anywhere near as fierce as his father. His skin was a shade lighter, his hair long and curling around his ears almost like a girl's. The thought amused Mal, and she smirked to herself, wondering if she could take his shoes while he appeared unconscious. He must be as weak as Jafar said, if one hit sent him flying like that. Although she supposed, to be fair, he could also be tougher, if he could at least take a hit like that.
She frowned and shifted her weight, not liking the way the thought twisted at her insides. It was a weak feeling, a pitiful one, and if she was going to have any chance at surviving she had to get rid of all weakness. And she especially couldn't be associating with weak boys.
"Hey," she snapped at him. "Are you dead?"
At her voice, his eyes shot open, and his body twisted, arching up off the floor, and with an impressive kick, he was back on his feet.
"I guess not," she muttered, only vaguely disappointed. She'd find other shoes somehow.
The boy ignored her completely for a moment, his eyes sharp and intelligent as he scanned every inch of the room. There wasn't much to see; the stairs behind her, the door over to his right. A window without a frame, and just beneath it, a couch that was missing all its pillows. He took it all in with a single glance, before his eyes fell back on her and he grinned, a smile that was all teeth and no charm as he lifted a brow.
"Hey," he said shortly. "You?"
Mal crossed her arms, feeling her lips curl, and she allowed her eyes to flash green at him. "Hey you?" she snarled. "What, are you a long lost Gaston triplet?"
His expression faltered, and he took an uncertain step back. "Uh, no? I…I said Jay. I'm…" he cleared his throat, dropping his voice and trying again. "I'm Jay. And you are?"
"Disgusted by your very presence."
He laughed at her response, his eyes glinting as he pointed in the direction of the kitchen, where the adults had gone.
"Hey, so is my dad," he said gleefully. "You two would get along great."
A loud bellow of laughter, followed by a slightly louder shriek of mirth sounded from the next room, causing both children to jump, though Mal recovered first.
"Sounds like they're getting along, at least," she mumbled, and Jay gave her a look out of the corner of his eyes, his head still turned in the direction of the kitchen.
"I'd be a little more concerned, if I were you," he muttered back. "My dad doesn't 'get along' with anyone, more like charms his way to their untimely demise."
"Please," Mal snorted, rolling her own eyes. "Do you know who my mother is?"
"Should I?"
Mal started, caught off guard by the boy's flippant tone. "Y-yes," she snapped, scowling at him fiercely. "My mother is Maleficent, the Mistress of All Evil. She controls the goblins and all the powers of Hell itself."
"Cool," Jay murmured, still watching the other room intently. "My dad was the Royal Grand Vizier to the Sultan, and manipulated his way to becoming an all-powerful Genie."
"He…he doesn't look like an all-powerful Genie," Mal probed cautiously, though she backed away from the kitchen just in case.
"That's cause he's not anymore," Jay retorted, finally turning back to face her. "And your mom's nothing special, either."
Mal flinched, her eyes widening as she shot an anxious glance to the other room. "Shut up!" she hissed, shoving Jay hard.
"It's true," he said, shoving her back just as hard. "They're not powerful anymore. But we…we could be."
"What are you talking about?" Mal snapped, not liking his tone, or the feelings it stirred up inside her.
"I'm talkin' about how someday, I'm getting off this stupid rock, and finding a magic lamp. Then, it'll be my turn to be powerful."
There was something dark in his gaze, in his grin, and Mal could suddenly see his resemblance to his father.
"That's what they're talkin' in there," Jay continued, jerking his head to the side. "About a way to get out and be powerful again."
"That's impossible," Mal retorted, but the idea had her brain flip flopping with thoughts. "There's a magic barrier. And just because she can still change form doesn't mean…."
She trailed off, because Jay was giving her a weird look. "She can do what?" he asked, and Mal pursed her lips, realizing that maybe she shouldn't have revealed that.
"Nothing," she shook her head sharply. "I don't get what we have to do with all this, but…."
"No no," Jay said, shaking his own head as a sly sort of grin crossed his face. "You said she can change shape? Even with a magic barrier?"
"She…she's a dragon," Mal confided lowly. "I am too, but she's stronger than me."
"But how?" he seemed delighted at the prospect, and Mal bit her lip nervously.
"Something about the barrier," she finally murmured. "It turns any magic items useless, like brooms can't fly and stuff. But if the magic item is powerful enough, it simply dulls the magic to where it can't be felt. If you're strong enough, though…."
"Killer!" he crowed, and he leaned forward, suddenly enthusiastic and childish. "Do you think you could, too? Is it some kind of spell, or…oh! A necklace or something? Wait till I tell E-"
"Jayden!"
Jay flinched, but disguised the movement rather cleverly as he spun playfully on his heel, coming to a sharp attention as Jafar and her mother strode into the room. Mal glanced up and caught her mother's eye, and gave a short, reassuring nod in response to her tight, worried look. Then she noticed Jafar's glance and instantly averted her eyes. She heard him give a grunt of approval, but he ignored her after that, his feet turning instead to Jay. Mal found that she was holding her breath and instantly let it go, frowning hard at the ground.
"It has been drawn to my attention," he murmured in grudging tones. "That I may not be using you to your full ability. Despite this, Maleficent has…kindly…offered an arrangement that will benefit us both."
The way he said the word kindly made Mal shiver, and she glanced at her mother out of the corner of her eyes, trying to understand what was happening. Her mother gave no indication that she felt Mal's gaze, however, and Mal scowled at Jay's too-good-for-him shoes.
"No team in 'I?'" Jay offered warily, the confusion in his voice apparent. Mal wondered what sort of catch phrase that was, but Jafar seemed to approve, letting out a low laugh that reminded her of snake's hiss.
"It would seem this is one of those delicate times where a mutual cooperation is needed," Jafar responded silkily. "You will teach Maleficent's daughter the tools of the trade, and in exchange, she will teach you her own."
"What?" Mal snapped, bringing her head up to glare at Jafar. She could see that Jay looked equally surprised, and had only just restrained himself from making the same exclamation.
Jafar turned on her, and Mal realized too late the mistake she had made. She didn't dare look to her mother for help. She knew it wouldn't be given, and not only that, but she had the blood of a dragon. She would face this herself. Mal's glare was fierce, but Jafar's even fiercer. She supposed a snake wasn't that far off from a dragon, and although a dragon had power, the snake had poison.
Something about that dark gaze petrified her, and she was trying to brace herself for death when Jay's voice rang out, low and skeptical.
"I don't see how that mutually benefits me," he mumbled, and Mal found she could breathe again as the man turned on his son.
"I mean," Jay continued, kicking a foot casually. "I get it'd have to be good for you to take it but, what's the deal?"
"The deal," Jafar hissed, so sharply that Mal winced. "Is that you and Mal will learn from each other, and in exchange, so will Maleficent and I. She will provide a sort of sanctuary, and in return, I will provide commodities of my own."
There was something in Jafar's tone that made Mal uncomfortable for some reason; some secret hidden in his words that she couldn't -and didn't want to- understand.
"Know this, Jafar," her mother cut in, and the power in her voice was undisputable. "I know when I'm being cheated."
"Believe me, my dear Maleficent," he crooned back in sly tones. "There is nothing but the best from my stock."
"For your sake, let us hope so. And your brat better be as good as you say, my daughter has yet to disappoint me and I would hate for her to start now due to your lack of training."
Jafar growled something under his breath, but the words weren't anything Mal could understand. They sounded like gibberish to her. But Jay seemed to understand well enough, judging by the way he stiffened suddenly. But whatever tension that crossed between them passed, and Mal practically sighed aloud as they both turned to leave.
"We will discuss matters further amongst ourselves later this week, Maleficent," Jafar tossed back over his shoulder. "In the mean-time, Jayden is free for your daughter's use at any time."
"I'm glad we could come to an agreement," her mother responded lowly, and Mal bit her lip at the suppressed fury in her voice.
The door shut firmly behind them, and they weren't gone more than a breath-length of time before the sparks ignited in her mother's hands.
"Slimy bastard," she growled, a deep low sound echoing in her chest. "The nerve! That he thinks he can dismiss me. Me! He's lucky I considered him even marginally worth my time the desert loving….."
Mal shifted back a step, just in case, and her mother's sharp eyes caught the movement, the blue orbs lighting with green.
"And just what," she snarled, stalking towards her. "The hell, do you think you were doing?"
"I…," Mal faltered, then grimaced, forcing her voice to remain even and lifting her eyes to meet her mother's. "I didn't think," she said. "I wasn't…."
"You're damn right you weren't thinking," her mother snapped, cutting her off. "Honestly Mal, I expect better from you than this."
"I know," Mal murmured, dropping her gaze, unable to meet the disappointment in her mother's eyes.
"When I was your age, showing such disrespect could mean the difference between the loss of your tongue, or your life."
"I know," Mal said again, a hint of a groan in her voice.
"Or your life, Mal," her mother repeated sharply, her fingers reaching out and grabbing Mal's chin, forcing her to meet the green-eyed gaze. It was more than fire, more than magic; it was raw power, an unseen vise squeezing tighter than her mother's grip.
"I have worked too hard," her mother continued in a dark undertone. "And you have yet to fail me. Don't. Start. Now."
Mal tried to nod, or even tear her eyes away, but the green wouldn't let her go. Something must have shown in her face, because her mother's gaze softened, and Mal found she could breathe again.
"I'm only hard on you because I expect things from you," her mother said, in a slightly less dangerous tone. "Jafar may not expect much from his brat, but that's because they're weak, and he doesn't see things the way I do. The way we do," she added, a wicked smile curling at her lips.
"But if he's so weak," Mal said cautiously, twisting her fingers through the gap in her sweater's hem. "Why…why are you working with him? Why do I have to teach Jay-?"
"Because," her mother sighed. "Sometimes you have to stoop in order to reach the throne room."
"What does that mean?"
"It means," her mother said, and her voice was tight again. "That I will work with Jafar, and you will work with Jay, and we will show them what true strength is."
Mal had a sudden flash of realization, and she couldn't help but echo her mother's wicked grin. She would be just like the dragons in the stories. Even better, because she would be the fiercest, and maybe, just maybe, she could get some bones out of it.
"So," Mal offered, smiling just a little wider. "Stooping?"
Her mother's smile is all edges, but the light in her eyes is something hot and fierce. "That's my little dragon."
Jay
"Ok, so hey," Aziz mumbles in his ear. "Um, can't help but notice that you're still just staring."
Jay blinks, realizing with a pang of irritation that the other boy was right. But he still feels the need to remind him that Jay was the one in control here. He stabs down with his crutch and smirks at Aziz's muffled groan.
"Point taken," Aziz says, a hint of strain in his voice. "But uh, what are you gonna do about it?"
Jay is all set to attempt strangling the other boy as promised, but then he realizes that Aziz was not in fact, taunting him. Carlos was still sitting up in the infirmary bed, and he could tell by the set of the smaller boy's jaw that he was just aching to throw something else at him. Something sharp, maybe. Or explosive.
"Carlos," Jay tries again, keeping his voice low so it didn't carry too far in the room. "Please, just say something."
"Ssomething," the boy growls in a harsh deadpan.
"Come on," Jay retorts, frustrated. "What more do you want from me?"
Complete silence, and Jay realizes that it's not just because Carlos was refusing to talk. He stiffens, and turns sharply on his heel to see that the door had been swung open without any of them noticing, and the Fairy Godmother, along with Ben, and a man and a woman who were undoubtedly his parents, gaped from the open doorway.
"What-" Fairy Godmother tries to say, but is cut off by the man, who stalks forward into the room with a severe frown.
"What on earth is going on in here?" He demands, and his authority is made all the more apparent by the shiny badges on his suit and the (rather obvious now that Jay was thinking about it) crown on his head.
"Aziz," Fairy Godmother continues, less harsh but equally stern. "I thought I told you to make sure Jay remained in his own room."
"Oops?" Aziz tries with an innocent shrug, but even Jay know it's too late for that.
"And just what," the King breaks in, his eyes turning to Mal and Evie now. "Are doing in here? It was my impression that you intended to wait in the hall."
Jay feels a tight sneer twisting his expression, and he shifts his weight on his crutch, ready to move forward and give the bastard a piece of his mind. Royal status or no, no one messed with his crew and got away with it. But Mal shoots him a look, and he reluctantly leans back; ready to jump in, but resigned to let her deal with it.
"We were more than happy to wait in the hallway," Mal says, and her voice is a poisonous rumble. "But that was before we found out you had practically chained Carlos to his bed. Of course, it's understandable how that could make us a little...upset."
She snaps her fingers lightly by her side, and even Jay is caught off guard at the small spark of green that dances through her fingers before disappearing.
"Whaat?" Aziz whispers hoarsely. "She can do magic too?" His head snaps up to glance over at Jay before turning his amazed gaze to the adults. "I didn't know she could do that; did you know she could do that? Cuz that's pretty freakin' awesome if you ask me."
Jay grits his jaw at the barely concealed anger in the King's face, which is echoed by resigned frustration in the Queen's, and simple weariness in the Fairy Godmother's. Aziz sees it too, and falters, his wide eyes dimming slightly as his smile fades.
"Of course, you're not asking me, so…"
"Aziz," the Queen cuts in with a short sigh and a shake of her head.
He falls silent and blinks up at the Fairy Godmother, his head nodding slightly to the left. "Something I said?" he mutters slowly, and she echoes the Queen's sigh.
"Not you," she replies tensely, and Aziz blinks again before breaking into a downright sinful grin.
"Oh," he says, his eyes shining darkly as his gaze turns to the royals. "It was Dad…he did the thing, didn't he? That hero speech?"
The King makes a sound that's half growl, half groan, and Jay takes a half step closer to Mal and Evie.
"You know about that, how?" Fairy Godmother asks with a grimace.
"He's been practicing for almost a week," Aziz replies glibly. "Bear in mind that when I say practicing, I mean ranting over the phone to me and Mom or in letters. Aw, I wish I coulda seen it! Your faces…."
"Aziz," Ben says, and his voice is stern and commanding in a way that Jay did not think he was capable of. "That's enough."
Aziz blinks, then inclines his head; conceding. "Right," he murmurs quietly. "Well seeing as my commentary is clearly not needed, I'll just head on out and take Jay back…"
"Actually, Aziz," Ben continues, and his voice has dropped most of its sternness. "There's some stuff we need to talk about with Jay and the others, since they're all here."
"Yeah, I figured," he drawls easily, scratching the back of his head, but there's a nervousness to his motions that sets Jay even further on edge.
He knows it has the same effect on Mal because he hears her snap her fingers lightly, and Evie sucks air between her teeth. Carlos doesn't make any kind of sound, but Jay knows that he's not any less affected than all of them. 'We need to talks' with an adult of any kind never ended well on the Isle. If you weren't dead by the end, you wished that you were. That instinct is what drives Jay's next words, despite the other part of him that knows it's suicide.
The moment Aziz is gone and the door has shut the four of them in with the adults, Jay reaches a hand back to stop Mal's forward movement and takes a wavering step of his own.
"I should go," he says, trying not to lean so much on the damn crutch, to meet the King's steely eyes and not look as weak as he felt. "I started the fights. I attacked Chad, on the lawn and in the halls; no one else. And…I stole the dwarf kid's book." He swallows hard and ignores Mal's furious hiss of his name, continuing firmly. "I'm the one who should be sent back to the Isle."
There's an almost laughably long amount of silence at his words, and Jay doesn't know if the look on the adult's faces is confusion, relief, anger or something else entirely. But he certainly knows what the choked cursing behind him means, and he winces at the danger in Mal's tone as she growls:
"Jayden. What the absolute hell do you think you're doing?"
Her use of his full name would make him smirk in any other circumstance, but no one was amused, and no one had yet to actually counter his statement. He shifts his weight as subtly as he can, but the crutch still clicks rather obnoxiously against the tile, and it seems to at least jar Ben out of his stupor.
"What?" the other boy says, startled. "We're not kicking you out…no one is being sent back to the Isle." Then he pauses, and his brow furrows as his eyes flicker to the adults. "Right?"
Jay stifles his bitter snort, and clamps down on any further reaction as the Fairy Godmother quickly chimes in.
"Of course not," she says quickly, shaking her head. "We wouldn't exile you from the kingdom for something as trivial as bullying."
Then she seems to realize what she's said and goes pale, stammering hastily in her attempt to clarify.
"I…I mean, that is to say…."
Mal grunts softly behind him, but Jay keeps his gaze locked on Ben, waiting for the other boy to break first. He does, his hands fidgeting in front of him and his eyes looking anywhere but directly at Jay.
"Guys," he says nervously. "You're not in trouble. I mean, there will probably have to be um…consequences," he trips over the word, and Jay wonders if it's really that foreign a concept to him. "But no one is being sent away."
"Right," Jay retorts skeptically, and he notices with a hint of triumph that even the Queen was now having trouble meeting his gaze.
"Children," the Fairy Godmother cuts in, and Mal growls her displeasure. "Rest assured that we will not treat you unfairly. While we don't encourage negative behavior such as fighting or bullying, we do understand where your actions come from."
"Do you now?" Jay hears Mal mutter, and he grits his jaw to keep his own challenge from slipping out.
"Now, while I am relieved to see you relatively unharmed," Fairy Godmother continues, either not hearing or choosing not to respond to Mal's taunt. "There are a few things we need to address. For instance, Carlos…"
Jay straightens, and he hears a shuffle of movement that can only be Mal and Evie sliding closer to Carlos' bed. He sees a flicker of an exchange pass between the King and Queen, but he keeps his gaze locked on the Fairy Godmother.
"I received a surprising report from your biology teacher, Mr. Kropp, about some…behavioral issues he's been having in class. Would you like to explain that to me?"
"Ssure," Carlos says, and his voice is full of strained sarcasm. "Mu-mu-my issues or his?"
"What he means," Jay cuts in quickly, before anyone could get too angry. "Is that Kropp hasn't exactly made things easy for either of us, but especially Carlos."
"I knew w-what I meant," Carlos mutters darkly from behind him, but Jay continues with Fairy Godmother.
"You said Carlos could sign in his classes, so he didn't have to worry about talking," Jay accuses. "But then Kropp said he wouldn't give out any 'special treatment' to villains, and that was that. He basically treated Carlos like crap, so it's no wonder he snapped."
"Jay," he hears Carlos growl softly, but the Fairy Godmother blinks, her voice one of surprise.
"I was not aware of any of this," she murmurs quietly. "If you were having trouble you could have come to me."
Jay snorts, and he can almost hear Mal roll her eyes.
"Especially you, Carlos," Fairy Godmother continues. "If Kropp wasn't understanding you or your needs, you could have told me, and I would have handled it, instead of undermining his authority in front of the class."
"Wait, you did what?" Mal hisses, and Jay angles his body so he can glance at Carlos too.
"I didn't u-u-undermine anything," Carlos says tersely. "He asked, and I an-answered."
"But the way it came across..." Fairy Godmother insists gently, but Evie shakes her head, cutting across her.
"Carlos, did you really?" She asks, stunned. "When I gave you those notes I thought you'd write them in a report or something, not..."
"Ssay it in front of pe-people?" Carlos finishes, and Jay grimaces at the sharp bite in his voice.
"Yes," Evie admits, but there's a hint of reluctance in her tone.
"Yes, well," Fairy Godmother says, taking back the conversation. "Regardless, the situation in general is not a good one, which is why we've come up with a solution that will hopefully be beneficial to everyone."
Jay had heard that before, and the only 'benefits' he'd received was being sent here to Auradon.
"Starting at the beginning of next week, Carlos will be taking Chemistry with Evie, and Mal will learn Biology with Jay. And you will all begin Auradon History I with Professor Thatch."
She says it like it's the greatest news in the world, but Jay couldn't care less about history or science. What concerned him was the fact that he was being separated from Carlos, and while it wasn't a big deal on its own- they'd all been apart from each other before- the situation itself made it feel like a punishment.
"This is not something that is being done to hurt you," Fairy Godmother says gently, like she had read his mind. "It is not a punishment. Rather it's something we've come up with in the hope that it will make things easier for you."
"And there's more," Ben cuts in, and he looks actually excited about this 'more.' "We figured since you all clearly have a lot of energy and different talents and skills, that it would be a good idea for you guys to take some extracurricular classes."
"Extra classes," Mal deadpans. "That's a good idea how?"
"Extracurricular," Ben corrects, still with an eager smile. "They're classes that don't necessarily count for a final grade, but are things that students can do for fun, and to enhance a skill or learn something new."
"Thanks," Jay says. "But I think we've got our skill sets covered."
"Think about it, at least," Ben suggests, not put out in the slightest by his tone. "Auradon has a lot to offer, and I think you guys do too."
"Aside from what we have already seen, I hope," the King rumbles, and Jay feels a smirk pulling at his lips. They had no idea what they were capable of. But he was looking forward to showing off.
"Well, that's the good news at least," Fairy Godmother continues. "As Ben mentioned, there will be consequences. Chad is currently receiving stitches for his wounds, and there has been much debate as to what should be done."
Jay tenses, gripping the crutch tighter. He bet he could take out at least Ben and the Fairy Godmother, and if it came down to it they could all gang up on the King...of course that would leave the Queen, but hopefully she'd be smart and either run or just let them go...
"An extra week of detention," the Fairy Godmother's voice cuts through his morbid thoughts. "And an official apology issued to Chad and his family from both Jay and Carlos."
Jay feels some of the tension leave his body at her words. Because this was Auradon, not the Isle. Of course they wouldn't actually do anything...
"And Mr. Kropp has requested that Carlos serve a separate detention with him, as well as apologize for the disruption he caused to the class."
"Hang on," Jay snaps, his hands clenching around the crutch once more. "Don't you mean that the other way around?"
"Jay, that's enough."
It's Mal's voice this time, hard but low, so Jay only just catches her words. He turns on her furiously, but she straightens and meets his gaze with eyes a shade of green he'd only ever seen on Maleficent. There's no sparks this time, but the intensity of her stare alone was enough to give Jay second thoughts. Evie was shaking her head beside Mal, silently pleading with him not to give in to his instincts and meet the challenge. Carlos was still refusing to acknowledge him at all, and Jay turns back to Mal when she growls softly at him for his attention.
"Stand down," she hisses quietly. "We'll deal with it. Don't. Start. Shit."
He grits his jaw in a fierce snarl, and Mal's own lips twist, her expression hardening as her eyes flash just a bit brighter.
"Stand. Down," she repeats, and Jay finds his control slipping, his anger and resolve melting just enough that he can't hold her gaze. He jerks out of her control with a curse, snapping his head to the side and breaking the staring match.
"Cheater," he hisses, but he backs away and lets her step forward and take control.
Jay turns back around in time to see Ben's uncertain gaze, which is reflected in the eyes of all the adults present, the prince shifting his weight nervously before asking:
"Is everything…?"
"It's fine," Mal replies shortly, but then she recovers, or rather, falters. Her balance seems to, at least, and she has to take an extra step before she gets her feet under her again. "Carlos will say he's sorry and we'll all move on with our lives."
"Um," Ben starts to say, but Mal turns her attention back to the Fairy Godmother.
"Is that it?"
"It is, for the present." The answer comes, not from the Fairy Godmother, but from the King, and Jay sucks in a breath while Mal goes rigid and drops her eyes.
"Time will only tell just what will come of this," the man continues sternly. "I will say, that while the past day's events have been resolved - however un-ideally- any future incidents will be looked at quite differently, and will not be taken nearly so lightly. Is that understood?"
Jay grits his jaw against the anger that wants to spill out and nods, and he can only assumed the slight shuffle of sound behind him means that Carlos and Evie are doing the same. Mal inclines her head even further, the fire completely gone from her voice as she answers.
"Very understood, Sir."
The King nods, satisfied. "Good. Now, if that is quite all…" he glances to Ben significantly, and the other boy seems to deflate slightly as he turns back to face them.
"I'll see you guys later, ok? Try not to set anything on fire." He offers a half-hearted grin before he turns and follows after the King and Queen.
"Not funny, Benjamin," Jay hears the King mutter, and then they're gone, and it's just the four of them and the Fairy Godmother.
"Well," she sighs. "That all could have gone much better."
Jay scoffs, and Mal echoes his unamused laugh with one of her own.
"You're telling us," she replies, and the Fairy Godmother shakes her head before offering up a smile of her own.
"While things might not be great right now, I do want you all to know how proud I am of the progress you've made so far."
She seems to be looking at Carlos in particular, and Jay frowns, wondering just what it was she was hinting at that he didn't know about.
"It will get even better," Fairy Godmother promises. "But you are going to have to try."
"Try?" Jay repeats incredulously. "You mean we haven't been trying already?"
"Told you I think we should be singing more," Mal mutters.
"I didn't mean to diminish your achievements, Jay," Fairy Godmother says, and Jay makes a face at her overt and condescending tone. "I just think…you all can come across very intense, and so perhaps you could try and take in some more Auradon influences."
"Yeah, you say 'influence' and I hear 'manipulate,'" Jay replies warily, shifting his weight and trying to hide his wince as his ribs twang painfully.
"We'll try, though," Mal cuts in, shooting him a sharp look. "The Auradon way." She smiles at Fairy Godmother, who returns it with obvious relief.
"I'm glad to hear you say that, Mal," she says with a sigh, before straightening with obvious intent. "Now children, it is getting late, and the three of you still have classes in the morning…."
"Wait, three of you?" Jay repeats, and Fairy Godmother blinks at him slowly.
"Yes, Jay," she says. "Carlos, Mal and Evie will still continue their classes while you remain here to heal."
"Excuse me?" he mutters, glaring at her, and she looks startled at his dark tone.
"You do still have severe injuries, Jay," she says softly. "Despite our magic, we can only do so much. You will be staying here for at least the remainder of the week."
"This is bullshit!" Jay snarls, ignoring Mal's fierce glare. "You think I haven't had broken bones before? I've had worse than this when I was 12, but I still went out and stole for Jafar's shop."
The look on the Fairy Godmother's face made him pause, and he cast his eyes to the ceiling as he tried to figure out what he had said wrong. Then it hits him, and he shifts his weight again, gripping the crutch tightly.
"I meant…my Dad's…shop," he tries to correct lamely, but she still was staring at him strangely, and it was starting to get really annoying.
"What could possibly…" Fairy Godmother starts to say, then she seems to catch herself, as well, and shakes her head. "Regardless of what may have happened in the past, it is against school policy to release a student from the infirmary less than 48 hours after a major injury. 24 for a minor one," she adds, almost to herself. "But of course, given the circumstances and the extent of your injuries, the rest of the week is perfectly acceptable."
"Fucking bull," Jay growls again, resentment coloring his tone.
"Hey if you're so eager for homework, I'll make sure to bring it to you after class," Mal mutters, and though her words are a joke, he can tell from her tone that she's just as upet about the arrangement as he is.
"That's a wonderful idea, Mal," Fairy Godmother praises. "Of course you'll be allowed to visit after class."
"And it's only a few more days," Evie tries to encourage. "Don't worry, we won't get into trouble without you." She winks at him, and Jay can't help but grin back, feeling some of his nerves lessening.
"W-w-who knows?" He hears Carlos say, and Jay turns to see that the other boy had shoved himself away from his bed and was already heading for the door. "Maybe we'll even enjoy ourselves."
Jay flinches at the dark look in Carlos's eyes as he stares at him, and he doesn't miss the meaning in the boy's words. The Fairy Godmother seems to miss it entirely, however, as she smiles and says:
"That's the spirit, Carlos!"
Evie gives Jay a knowing look, and nods her head in Carlos' direction, the younger boy having made it to the door, and was shifting his weight anxiously back and forth. "We'll talk to him," she says softly. "He'll come around."
"Yeah, maybe by the time we've graduated," Jay mutters back, and Evie purses her lips.
"I'll talk to him," she repeats, before making her way over to the door as well.
"Alright then," Fairy Godmother says cheerfully. "The Dining Hall is just finishing clearing up now, so let's get you three down and get you something to eat before curfew. And don't worry, Jay," she adds quickly. "The fairies will get you back to your room and bring you something to eat too."
"I can find my own way back," Jay grumbles, but he's relieved at least to hear that food would actually be brought to him.
"Please," Mal scoffs at him, rolling her eyes. "Like you're not thrilled about skipping classes and basically being waited on."
"Well when you put it that way," Jay muses, smirking at her. "I could get used to it."
"And like Evie said, we won't get into any trouble without you," her eyes sparkle a lighter shade of green, and Jay almost wants to laugh, but controls himself with Fairy Godmother present.
"If you do," he advises. "Make sure you do it with some of my special flair; at least my presence will still be felt."
Mal snorts and shakes her head. "Yeah, I'll leave the 'flair' for Carlos."
"Um, exc-use me?" Carlos protests; and although he laughs as they all file out the door, Jay can't help but feel a slight twinge in his chest. And he's pretty sure it has nothing to do with the broken ribs.
Audrey
"What are you thinking, babe?" Audrey asks as she watches Ben carefully. They were back in his room, but this time he wasn't pacing a frantic hole in the carpet. She sat on the foot of his bed, poking at his feet, while he lay flat on his back on top of the sheets, staring blankly up at the ceiling. The light from the bedside lamp illuminated their half of the room, throwing shadows across his face and darkening his expression.
"You know what I'm thinking," Ben mumbles, barely even blinking as he adjusts his feet away from her reach.
"I can't read your mind," Audrey teases lightly. "Last I checked, I didn't have any magical abilities."
"I get it," Ben huffs, his eyes narrowing slightly. "I screwed up. You don't have to keep reminding me. Dad does that enough already."
Audrey sighs, and shifts her body a little closer. Not too close, of course. But close enough that Ben actually lifted his head an inch to look at her.
"I don't think you screwed up, Ben," she says quietly, and he makes a scoff that sounds almost like a growl before flopping back down dramatically.
"You do," he insists. "You're just too perfect to admit it."
"Hm," Audrey hums, frowning exaggeratedly. "Perfect and can read minds. Two out of three, then."
"Stop," Ben groans. "You're not helping."
"Well what would you like me to do then, Ben?" she snaps, a little harsher than intended. "And yes, I am aware of what I just said. What do you want me to say? That I think you were wrong and should send them all back to the Isle? That you never should have tried this in the first place? That absolutely no good could come from…"
"Ok, ok," Ben protests, sitting up sharply and glaring at her. "I get it."
"But you don't, clearly," Audrey continues, not backing down. "If you want to know what I think, then here it is: I think you need to stop being a whiny prince and actually do something for once."
"Um, ow," Ben says, his blue eyes wide as he blinks at her.
"I love you, Ben, you know that," Audrey says gently, reaching out and squeezing his hand. "But I think you need to learn to take charge of things. You're going to be King in a few months, and you can't keep going through it the way you are now."
"Still kind of ow," Ben murmurs, his brow furrowing slightly. "If you're trying to make me feel better, you're kind of failing."
"I'm trying to make you understand," Audrey sighs, leaning forward to try and make him see her better. Hear her. "You made your decree thinking that you could bring some children over from the Isle; that an experience in Auradon would somehow magically make things ok. We'd bring them over, give them food and maybe sing a few songs and we'd all learn from each other and it'd be some great coming-of-age thing."
"I knew something was missing," Ben replies meekly. "I told Doug we should be singing…."
"Ben," Audrey deadpans, and he sighs, bringing his gaze up to meet hers.
"I'm sorry," he says, twisting his hand out of her grip and clenching it against the sheets. "You're right, as always. About all of it. About…about me."
"I'm not saying you're wrong," she repeats steadily, refusing to let him wallow again. "But you have to think of it from their perspective. From the VK's perspective, Auradon abandoned them…worse, threw them away…and the only reason they're being treated well now is as part of some political move by the prince."
"What? I don't…politics?"
Audrey has to stifle a laugh as Ben's face screws up, and it's adorable because it's like he can't tell whether to be confused or offended, but his face tries to convey both at once.
"And what's V K?" he adds with a frown.
This time, Audrey does laugh, shifting a little closer to him in her excitement. "You like that?" she asks with a grin. "Lonnie and I came up with it…well, mostly Lonnie. It's short for 'villain kid.'"
"That's…actually pretty clever," Ben admits, and Audrey smiles a little wider.
"I'll be sure to let her know you approve."
"Ok, but catchy acronyms aside, what did you mean by politics? Cuz anyone who knows me knows I don't really do politics."
Audrey sighs, suddenly regretting having to be the voice of reason. She wouldn't have minded some more lighthearted teasing.
"Yes, well they don't know that. Best case scenario is that you're doing it as some scheme to make yourself look good to the rest of Auradon."
"That sounds pretty bad to me," Ben says slowly, and Audrey purses her lips, thinking back to the few interactions she had seen with the VKs; how they seemed to reject the very idea of any softness or kind gestures. It was something she definitely needed to talk with them about, that is, if they ever gave her the chance.
"I think," she begins softly. "I think for them, worst would be because you actually care."
"But…but I do care," he murmurs, and Audrey sighs sympathetically, offering a grim sort of smile.
"Then you're going to have to prove it," she says. "This was your idea, for better or worse. So now you need to start making things better."
"And what if I can't?" he asks, his brow furrowing worriedly. "What if I really am just as naïve and clueless as they all think I am?"
"You? Clueless?" Audrey scoffs, feigning offense. "Never!"
He manages a laugh this time, and when she leans over to kiss him, their shadows blend together on the wall so it's impossible to tell where one begins and the other ends.
Carlos
"Sso you're not gonna turn into a dr-dr-dragon or anything, right?"
"Shut up Carlos."
"Ju-just checking."
Carlos sat on his bed, fiddling with the main part of his project. He'd managed to find a small torch from the Auradon workshop, and had successfully seared a minuscule hole into the top of the metal box. With any luck, he'd be able to get a wire through and redirect currents through it. His other project wasn't going nearly as well, being comprised mostly of junk and spare foil wrappers from the Isle. He was thinking he might just end up scrapping it and starting over, maybe smuggle some working parts from the workshop.
"I can't believe you actually bit Chad!" Mal snarls, and Carlos rummages through his kit, trying not to meet the fire in her eyes.
"I can," Evie says from J- from the other bed. "Remember that time in detention? And Leroux had…."
"Don't," Carlos warns, a shudder going through his body before he could stop it. Evie might have thought it funny, but that was only because she hadn't been there for what had come before. She hadn't heard Leroux's comments, or seen the looks. But Carlos had. So had Mal, but that was a different matter entirely.
"What happened to sticking together and just trying to survive?" Mal continues, and Carlos bites his lip, averting his eyes and twisting another gear into place.
"I think you're being a bit overdramatic, M," Evie murmurs, and Mal whirls furiously on her heel.
"I'm sorry if my being worried offends you, princess."
Woah. Carlos snaps his head up, eyes wide, his project falling to his lap. He darts an anxious glance over to Evie, to see that the other girl looks equally stunned, but it's already threatening to dissolve into something more emotional. He'd heard the nasty comments some of the girls had made when they'd first arrived; how Evie was nothing to them, and any titles she may have had were stripped because of the Isle.
Mal obviously realizes her mistake, her anger melting away as her body goes rigid, her eyes closing in a grimace.
"Fuck," she hisses through her teeth, her eyes opening and focusing on Evie. "E, I didn't mean to snap."
"Yes you did," Evie counters with a tight smile, her voice wavering slightly. "But it's ok."
"It's not, though," Mal persists, taking a step like she were going to start pacing again, then pausing. "Everything is not ok. We still don't have any plan for the wand, Jay is gone, and pretty much every adult is screwing us over in some way or another…"
She stops suddenly, clenching her jaw tightly. Carlos swallows hard against his own emotions, hating that her found himself agreeing with her. Especially…damn.
"Mal," Evie whispers, and Carlos blinks, looking up again while his fingers probe mindlessly at his project. "It's going to be ok. Jay is fine; for once he's actually in good hands. We'll figure things out for the wand, and as for the rest-"
Something wicked flashes through the other girl's eyes, her head turning to catch Carlos' gaze. He straightens, a small smirk of his own flickering across his face.
"How does another trip to the lab sound?" Evie asks, and Carlos grins a little wider.
"T-tell me wwhen."
"Ok…now stir until it turns blue," Evie instructs, her attention fixed on the page in Mal's spell book.
Carlos frowns at the 'cauldron,' stirring the definitely-not-blue potion. "Is it ssuposed to be sm-smoking like that?"
"Yes," Evie says, her eyes barely glancing in his direction. "Wait…yeah, it's fine. Good, actually."
"It's not blue," Mal chimes in a helpful deadpan from her place at the door.
Carlos scowls at her, but he can't help but echo her lackluster thoughts. The thrill of the successful potion was starting to wear off, and he had a suspicion he knew exactly why. He grips the glass a bit tighter in his hands, stirring with vigor as he imagines that the cauldron is Jay's face, and the potion bubbles energetically, the liquid shimmering a very faint color.
"E-evie!" he chokes out, stunned. "It's blue!"
Evie squeals silently, almost scattering the remaining ingredients in her haste to rush over. Even Mal curses appreciatively, and Carlos finds himself tensing in anticipation of Jay's response. Only to realize once again, that the other boy was not with them and so he had no need to fear a 'friendly' punch or a rough ruffling of his hair. He doesn't like it. He likes it even less that he actually cares, and focuses back on the potion as Evie starts gushing enthusiastically.
"…we need now is the final steps from you Carlos," she says, and Carlos groans slightly, dropping the stirring stick.
"D-don't tell me I have to ssing," he mumbles, and Evie laughs quietly.
"No you don't have to sing," she says.
'As if you could,' says a voice that sounds too much like someone else's. 'It would probably come out like you're rapping or something.'
Carlos frowns, and almost fires back a retort, but then he notices Evie is staring at him expectantly, and realizes he's completely missed her instructions.
"Ssorry," he mumbles, and she rolls her eyes with a sigh.
"I said," she repeats. "You just have to talk for a bit."
"W-w-what do I ssay?" Carlos asks, ducking his head. Suddenly he's aware of just how much he trips over his words, just how bad his stupid stutter really was.
"Anything," Evie replies, seeming not to notice his discomfort. "I'll stir, to keep it bubbling, but you just talk."
"W-w-will it ssteal my voice?" he squeaks, and the voice snorts out a laugh in the back of his mind.
'Probably end up doing yourself a favor,' it chuckles. 'Can't trip if you can't talk, right?'
"Not this one," Evie assures proudly. "I modified it, so it won't steal your voice, only copy it."
"And Kropp?" Mal asks, her eyes still on the door though her body is fixed on them. "What'll it do to him?"
"Carlos will talk into the potion now, and it'll copy his voice," Evie explains, reading from the book as she goes. "The potion itself will act as a vessel, so when Kropp drinks it, his own voice will mute, and Carlos' will take its place."
"Won't that instantly tip him off as to who did it?" Mal scowls, her head turning to glare at Evie, who shakes her head.
"Nope," she says, still with that proud tone. "It'll still be Kropp's own voice talking, but just with Carlos' borrowed stutter."
"Ooh!" Carlos gasps, straightening in realization.
"That's pretty awesome, E," Mal praises, and Evie beams a little more.
"But that's not even the best part," she says, leaning across the table to stare intently at him. "While the potion is in effect, your stutter will be transferred to Kropp, so…"
"Sso I'll be a-able to talk?" Carlos finishes, completely stunned. "R-really?"
"Really," Evie confirms with a nod.
"Damn, Evie," Mal mutters. "That's…that's just wow."
"I know, right?" Evie replies, before composing herself quickly, grabbing the stirring stick from where it had fallen on the table. "Now, Carlos, start talking."
It was a few hours later, and after several recitations of 'She sells sea-shells by the sea shore,' and, 'Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,' and, 'How now brown cow?' and 'Why is a raven like a writing desk?' plus any other number of words and rhymes and stories for Carlos to recite; he was exhausted.
Evie had declared the potion a success, and so now the only thing to do was find a way to slip it into Kropp's drink of choice. That would be Carlos' job, and he figured breakfast might be a good time to scope things out and see if he could find where Kropp sat with the other teachers. Carlos couldn't deny that he was thrilled, and the thought of getting revenge- of actually being able to talk!- was the only thing filling his mind.
He was so caught up in it, that he almost didn't notice they were back at the dorms until the girls stopped at the door. Carlos blinks, bringing his eyes up and frowning when he doesn't recognize the number at the top. Then his eyes adjust, and his frown deepens as he glances questioningly to Mal and Evie. He starts to sign, remembering the lateness of the hour and just where they were, but Evie cuts across him, her voice a sympathetic whisper as she opens the door.
"We thought…with Jay still in the infirmary, you might feel more comfortable sleeping with us."
He starts to scoff, then a retort slips into his mouth before the sound could come out and he ends up choking. By the time he's finished silently drowning and the words actually start to form, Mal had already shut the door behind him and turned on the light.
"F-f-f-fine," Carlos all but spits, and Mal snorts at his attempt.
"Pick a bed," she tells him, tugging her jacket off. "Just not mine."
"Nno," Carlos hisses, backing towards the door. "I meant I'm f-fine. I can ssleep in my own ro-room."
"You sure?" Evie asks, her brow furrowing. "Because we have plenty of room, and you can't possible snore worse than Mal."
"Um, excuse me?" Mal retorts, her eyes lighting green, seeming without her noticing.
"You do snore," Evie replies easily, tugging off her shoes and placing them neatly beside her bed. "Just because you have the blood of a dragon doesn't mean you have to sleep like one."
"I do not…"
"Guys!" Carlos snaps impatiently. "I'm not a little k…id. I can ssleep in my own room," he repeats.
"By yourself," Mal seems all too happy twisting the knife. "Completely alone. Without Jay or any of us there."
"I've sslept by myself before," he grumbles, just short of an actual growl. "And I didn't al-al-always have you."
"I mean, true but, ever since you have had us…"
"I'll be f-fine," he retorts, cutting Mal off. "Ssee you in the mmorning."
"Goodnight," Evie offers, but he's already twisting the doorknob, yanking open the door and doing his best not to slam it in his haste to get out of the room.
It was too stifling, the room, Mal, Evie. He just needed to get back to his room…get back his room and….
Carlos blinks, shaking his head hard to clear it. It was stupid just how much he was letting this affect him. But it was affecting him, and he swallows against the tightness that threatens to choke off his air. He was fine, he wasn't going to freak out again. He just needed to get back to his room and he would be fine.
He takes a step, and wonders if Jane was right, if he really should do theatre. After all, he was so good at making faces he could actually make himself believe in them too.
Beast
It's not often that the King of Auadon lets his anger get the better of him, his days as a beast serving as a painful reminder of what would happen if he lost control of himself in such a way. But given the recent circumstances (and the other, actual reminder of the aforementioned beastliness) it was no small wonder that one could find the King pacing a rather furious circle before the fireplace in one of his castle's smaller entertaining rooms.
"The nerve of that boy!" he snarls, turning a sharp corner and tramping back over the carpet. "I knew there was a reason I hadn't wanted him included in meetings."
Never mind the fact that he also refused to acknowledge the Arabian lad as anything even resembling royalty.
"To accuse us in such a way," the King continues vehemently. "Not to mention the villains themselves! If it were up to me, I'd have them all sent back to the Isle immediately, good will aside…."
It occurs to him somewhere between when he stops for breath and when he turns another furious corner, that his usual voice of reason and calm had been suspiciously silent. He turns, slower this time, to the chair set at an angle just off of the fireplace, and frowns at the pensive look on his wife's face.
"Belle?" he asks, his voice gruff and low with concern.
She blinks, but doesn't meet his eyes, instead staring into the fireplace as she speaks. "Do you remember the deer?"
Her voice is soft, and barely carries farther than her lips, but he's able to hear her anyway. Some things yet remained from his curse; blessings on some days and…curses on the others. But he's able to hear, not just her words, but the way her voice breaks ever so slightly on the word 'deer.'
It brings him up short, and he finds himself taking a half step closer to her, his fury fading ever so slightly as he tries to understand.
"I don't…" he begins, but she speaks again, her eyes still on the dancing flames.
"The deer," she repeats quietly, and there's that small break again. "That day, in the beginning. When we first…met."
She's being delicate, dancing around him with her words, and he hates it when she does that. It means he's lost himself again, that he'd returned enough to his beastly ways that she felt she had to tiptoe around him, that fear that lingered softly in the back of her mind, and in the pit of his stomach. That dreadful 'what if?' that seemed to hinge on every move.
But her words are what hit him, their meaning not lost on him even if he were closer to beast than man. 'When we first met.' When she'd been nothing more to him than a prisoner, something for him to use and break. When he was still a beast.
He hadn't been lying, back in the conference room. He couldn't remember, or at least, he refused to remember- what it had been like before. Before Belle; or rather, before he had opened himself up to her. Anything before that was just a dark spot in his memory, a forbidden East Wing that yielded nothing but horror.
So when Belle said, 'do you remember the deer?' he had to keep himself from cringing back as his memories thrust dark and grisly images at him, rattling doors that shouldn't be opened.
"No," he finally manages thickly. "I don't remember a deer."
She hums softly, but it's not a cheerful sound, and to hear something so unpleasant come from her is far more startling than his own warped mind.
"It was before," she says. "Mrs. Potts and the others had just finished making me a rather illicit meal and were taking me to my room."
She pauses in thought, and he can't help but wince. He remembered some of it, at least. How he'd threatened to keep her from eating…how he had kept her from eating. He'd always assumed, when she clearly hadn't wasted away to nothing, that his servants must have been giving her something, but to hear her bring it up now; it made him want to hide away from himself; to forget that he'd ever been that way.
"Anyway," she says, and he forces himself to look at her again, to not remember even though she was forcing him to. "We were just coming down the stairs, and suddenly a door bangs open and there you were…with a deer."
It hits him then, almost like a physical slap across the face, and he's suddenly in the moment again. His fur is thick and matted, itchy around his neck where his cloak had been twisted around his shoulder. He has something, in his claws, across his back. There's a savory, metallic taste on his tongue. And a girl…eyes as wide as the creature he'd just dragged in…staring at him in something like realization, but which a part of him knows must be horror….
"Why," he rasps, then he clears his throat and tries again. "Why are you bringing this up now?"
"Because I think...," and then she stops again, her lips pressing tightly together and her eyes flickering to his for just a second. And then she continues, and she's dancing again, spinning circles and just out of reach. "It never really occurred to me until then to see you as a beast. You were the beast, and you were a beast, but it never struck me until then that you were…what you were."
"Belle?" he asks again, almost pleading with her to make sense. To really speak to him.
"Aladdin was right," she says, meeting his eyes fully, a firm expression on her face that is heightened by the fire that splashes across her cheeks and jaw. "We've forgotten who we are, and who were are involves people who…who threw others away like trash and left them to rot."
He wants to retort, but he can't. The memory is still too raw, too fresh and new in his mind. He almost regrets asking her to stop dancing with her words; he almost wants to ask her to dance. To just forget it all and just be, for a little while. But he can't, because she's right. Because he is still a beast, despite his human form. Because he remembered the deer.
"They're villains, Belle," he tries, weakly. It only makes the fire flash brighter, and he realizes that it's not just the physical fire; it's the one in her eyes.
"And you were a beast," she replies. Not arguing, stating. "You were a beast and how could I not have seen? Not have realized that of course, given the environment and just how ingrained it was in your nature; of course there would have been…deer."
He winces again, because he realizes now what this is. What he is, and what the deer really means to her in this moment.
"What sort of environment have we sacrificed those children to?" she whispers hoarsely, and he can almost smell the salt of her tears, even from here. "What have we done? What have we left them to experience…what have they experienced that even here in Auradon they can't escape?"
He knows that she's crying now, even before her body starts to shake. He knows it because of the burning in his eyes, the way his throat seems to swell with the painful weight of a stone.
"They're more than just villains, Adam," Belle manages to get out, and despite her tears her voice is still resolute. "And we need to make sure they know that, too."
He doesn't trust his voice, doesn't trust his own feelings to properly convey everything he wants to say. Instead he just nods mutely, and when he turns to pace again, it's with a heavier step than before. His thoughts chase each other around restlessly; the knowledge that she was right, but also the deep, instinctive fear of all that could happen if she were wrong.
Ok, final note! Just wanted to send a quick shout out to those who reviewed so far on my April Fools update!
butterfly 3 girl: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it so much. :) I'm not sure yet if I'll continue any of these. Maybe once I've finished some of my other stuff.
GenderqueerWriter: I liked the Harry Potter one too. Personally, it was definitely my favorite. I was going to include an appearance by Peeves, but figured that that encounter probably wouldn't have ended well for anyone involved. ;)
hershey201214: I'm glad you enjoyed it! Hopefully this update was soon enough for you! ;)
Tiredandlazy: I had fun writing them. I'm glad it was nice, I wasn't sure how it would go over. Either you guys would like it, or you'd hate it because it wasn't an actual chapter, lol. But I'm happy to hear you liked it, and I had to do some Jaylos wish fulfilling since IOTIS is sadly lacking.
bookgirl111: Aw, I'm glad you liked it so much you want me to continue. I'm not sure if I will, but I was thinking about it, if enough people actually wanted to read it. But for the time being I'll work on finishing the fics I have going now and we'll see what happens after. :)
danifan3000: Thanks again for reviewing! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I don't know if I'll continue any of my Fools shorts, but if I do, it probably wouldn't be until after I finished my current projects.
Kevin4baconhugs: The Hogwarts one was my favorite too! That last one was Once Upon a Time, but it's ok if you haven't seen it. I enjoyed the earlier seasons better, but it's still a really good show. Hopefully this update was just as good for you. :)