Hang Session

"So you thought he was going to tell us all your embarrassing secrets? Man, Tom, are you paranoid." Janna is again lounging in a chair in Tom's room, flipping through a demon magazine.

"Well I did steal his arm... and we don't even know each other... and leave me alone." Tom is finally clothed, but still fixing his hair in the mirror.

"Why did you do that; he is so nice?" Margo is sitting beside Star. Margo is interested in the conversation with Tom, but Star looks pretty focused on Margo, like she is constantly five seconds from saying something.

"I don't know... Or I do know. I was angry and I didn't deal with it well... So I came up with this plan... to steal his arm... while he napped... which he does every afternoon. I threw it away... so I wouldn't get caught."

"You were angry, so you planned how to steal his arm covertly... and then executed it." Margo was a bit incredulous.

"I'm not proud... but I don't always blow up. I can come up with some elaborate plans while burning with rage." Tom looks a bit embarrassed, but not as 'not proud' as he should be.

Star nods her head to confirm. "He can be terrible."

"Well, what about Margo..." Tom blurts out his 'question' without a plan.

"Wow. What a distraction. What ever were we talking about." Janna is still looking at a magazine, but now sitting upside down, her legs over the head rest and her head hanging below the chair.

"What were you wondering Tom?" Margo asks, very graciously.

"Uhh..." Tom had not thought that far ahead. "Why... why did you tell Mr. Vindin..."

"Oh! Well if my parents know, and if Star knows, than magical people who are not gonna actually ever come to Echo Creek might as well know. So... I guess in the other dimensions I am out..." Margo shrugs.

"That makes... sense. I mean..." "Okay I have nothing can we just move on from me."

Janna is lying across the armrests still reading the magazine. "So is this what you guys normally do, I thought there was more fighting."

Margo answers, "There is, they aren't normally nice."

"Well some of them are, like Buff Frog wound up being cool, and Lobster Claws wasn't all that bad. I think Ludo is good now, maybe... I guess it depends on what he finds finding himself." Star finally enters the conversation.

"And now me and Tom are friends." Margo laughs a little awkwardly.

"Uhmm, we're friends?" Tom is less than convinced. Then he laughs. "I did kidnap you." Tom is really laughing now.

"You kidnapped Margo, really?" Janna is sitting up now, listening.

"Yeah, I thought she was going to get Star, when I thought she was a boy. No worries now I guess."

"HAHAHAHA," Star is laughing too hard; it is fake. She takes a big breath and wipes away non-existent laugh tears. "No worries."

Janna is leaning back reading the magazine again. "No one believed that Star. And Tom, love triangles are boring. Find better reasons to kidnap people, bruh."

Tom and Margo chuckle in good humor. Star on the other hand looks even more nervous. Margo turns to her best friend and sees her concern. "Hey it is fine Star. Being straight is fine."

Star still looks awkward. "Yeah..." A large crash and then huballoo is heard outside. "Oh what is that, lets go check it out."

Shouting from outside is heard. "We are here for Prince Tom. He will be held to account."

Tom sighs "Man, Laertes is here. Sorry, he comes all the time, wants to overthrow the Lucitor rule of the underworld." Tom levitates and flies out the door.

Janna looks out over the magazine at the very awkward friends. "Oh wow, a demon battle. I am going to go check it out." She doesn't try to sell it, but she leaves.

There is a silence as the sounds of Tom running off a mob comes from the halls. Finally Star takes a deep breath, "Have you forgiven me yet?"

"Yes Star, I am not even upset anymore. Mr. Vindin gave me some good advice."

"Oh good, so we are friends again?"

"We never stopped being friends Star... but... yeah, I've had enough time. I didn't really need time, I just needed to know everything I felt was valid."

"It was."

"Yeah... that makes it harder actually. It makes it harder to be angry with what you did when you are acting like this. I mean it is good, but it felt like I was wrong somehow. Man, Mr. Vindin is awesome, he reminded me that my experience is real, and gave me tips to help me remember that."

"That is cool." Star is unsure how to play this, she agrees but she also realizes Mr. Vindin helped Margo be mad with her. "Uhmm, I don't know how to feel about this."

"I love you Star, but I hated what happened. I needed to figure stuff out, but..."

"Star, help!" It is Tom from outside, he sounds a little reluctant asking for help.

"TOM IS TOTALLY USELESS!" It is Janna calling without reserve.

"Oh boy, they must have Sethian wool, it binds his powers." Star looks as annoyed as Tom was earlier.

Margo on the other hand looks enthused. "TOM HAS KRYPTONITE! This is so awesome."

"I don't know what that means, but lets save our friends... or friend and Tom." Star hops up and strolls to the door.

Margo follows her out. "Hmmm... I think Tom is my friend. I guess Janna is one of my oldest friends, but it is hard to know if I should count most of it." They are walking down some stairs towards what is certainly a large crowd of demons. "Oh, anything to know?"

"Uhmm, I think it should be like fighting monsters. I don't really know, never fought with demons, except Tom. Should I go straight to Spider with a Top Hat."

"I doubt he will be necessary. But maybe Syrup Tsunami."

When they get outside they see a large mob of demon folk, mostly small fries with obviously improvised weapons and armors. Tom is captured, hanging in a net made with glowing white rope, and Janna standing with her hands held up checking her phone. "Yeah Sethian wool. So, Margo, you free Tom, I will beat up demons till Tom scares them off."

"Okay, but will he be scary after this?"

"Oh yeah, he is gonna be angggrrrryyyyyy. This will be pretty cool, actually."

The two go into fight mode. Margo is kicking and punching the demons all around, without any real resistance. Star's Narwhal blast is blowing giant holes through the ranks. These guys are not made for fighting. It takes Margo seconds to get to Tom.

She pulls out a Swiss Army Knife and starts sawing strings. "Haha Tom, you have a kryptonite."

"I don't know what that means. But, you... you just punch people."

Margo is now onto her second string. "Ha, you have a kryptonite and I am Batman!"

"You aren't a 'man.'"

"I am Batwoman! Or Batgirl! Or Huntress. Or Spoiler. OHH, no, I know, I am Cassandra Cain!" Margo kicks two demons, and punches a third, as she continues her slow sawing.

Tom calls out from his net. "Star, is this how humans talk?"

"Makeup Blast!" a disoriented and now beautifully made up demon wanders off knocking over other demons disrupting the horde. "I don't know this language. And it is weird..."

Janna, still holding her arms up even though all of her guards are gone, "She speaks in comic books," she turns from a loud declaration to a loud mock whisper. "and I either knew every reference or looked them up based on your own prejudices." She pulls out her phone to check a message, "Hey, when should I say I will be home."

Star answers "Whenever, we are pretty much done here. Rainbow Aggressive Push."

Margo has finally freed Tom and he is pissed. Hellfire grows up from the ground and chases away the demons. Janna texts: sorry studying late tonight. The demons run off but, a sleek and tall man whose head is obscured by a burning flame remains. "I will avenge my father, you monster." With that, his flame engulfes the body and he disappears.

"I hate Laertes" Tom has settled down into his normal self.

Star looks visibly disappointed. "That wasn't even cool. You suck Tom." Janna whoot whoots Star.

"I have my anger under control now, Star." Tom looks a little annoyed with Star.

"Still lame!" Janna is still on her phone. "I told my folks I might be a while."

Margo kicks a running demon in the seat. "I think you did good, Tom."

Tom takes a deep breath. "Well, thank you Margo."

"Being friends is still weird."

"Yeah, I don't love it."

Janna puts her phone away, "You two are going to get married aren't you?" Both Tom and Margo are horrified by the suggestion, but a slow grin breaks across Star's face as she imagines: Tom and Margo, bride and groom.