Craig

"Yeah, but where did she take him?"

"Craig, it's Bebe."

"Doesn't answer my fucking question."

"Craig."

Letting out a breath, Craig put the Stick of Truth back on its pedestal before turning to look at Token, who had his arms crossed across his chest, an unimpressed expression on his face. Furrowing his brows, Craig shrugged his shoulders a little to settle his cloak. "What?" he deadpanned, pressing himself to focus on Token.

Watching him for a moment, Token finally let out a long and slow sigh. "You're predictable," he stated bluntly, rolling his eyes. What's that supposed to mean? Craig would have bristled, but okay, maybe Token had a point. It's not even like Tweek and I have figured all our shit out, I don't get to tell Tweek where he can and can't go. Hell, I shouldn't even be worried about it.

"Maybe I am," Craig muttered, looking down at the ground and kicking at a pebble that was brushing against his shoe.

To be fair though, a lot had happened in the past hour. He'd gone from helpless and hopeless, to brimming with newfound resolve. Tweek hadn't just spoken to him, he'dlaughed with him. He'd given Craig more concessions than the Noirette had been able to give himself and he'd stood shoulder to shoulder with him against Cartman, even if it had been for no more than a few seconds. They'd made fucking progress and the feeling was a heady one, especially after the shit he'd gone through in recent weeks.

And while part of him wanted to obsess over all the horrible things that had happened, just today alone, Craig knew that if he wanted to get anywhere, he had to look forward and stop rehashing the past. I've made my promise, now I just have to keep it. Because if he was being honest, fighting with Tweek, however indirectly, had reminded him how vital getting the blond back really was.

"I think it's a good thing Bebe took Tweek with her," Token mused. Turning to look at him, Craig caught the calculating expression before it was wiped clean. "You need some time to think." The way he said it, like he knew something Craig didn't, made the Noirette feel a little left out of the loop, but he didn't have time to dwell on it because at that moment, Cartman bustled into the tent.

Pushing between them, the fat boy stared up at the Stick, a serious look on his face. "The Stick of Truth is back where it belongs," he announced, spreading his hands and looking between Token and Craig. Turning back around, he beckoned for them to follow him out of the tent and into the fading evening light. Shrugging, Token followed without a word.

Craig hung back for a moment though, and watched as Cartman continued to talk outside of the tent to the rest of the boys. "Great job, men! Butters, Token, for your heroic deeds and valiance, you've both gained a level. Congratulations." There was a smattering of clapping, but Craig started to tune it out. Two more days, he realized, as Cartman continued to deliver his speech. Kenny said the game would be done in two days.

As if able to read his thoughts, Kenny turned around gave Craig a little wiggle of his eyebrows. Hiding the mixed emotions of irritation and resignation behind a perfectly flat expression, Craig waited for Kenny to look away, but strangely enough, he didn't. Instead, as Cartman's mom came out and Cartman started to yell, he walked into the tent, his dangerous eyes glittering.

"Well done, Fucker," Kenny commented lightly, pulling off his crown and wig as he did so. Outside, Craig registered the other boys starting to leave, but he paid them no mind. There was a settling in his stomach, a feeling that told him that something was about to happen, whether he liked it or not. "For a minute there, I thought everything had gone sideways but look at you, getting your shit together like you know what you're doing~" Clicking his tongue, he shook his head, letting his real, sandy-blond hair waft over his forehead. "The real question is, do you have the guts to keep going?"

Feeling like telling Kenny to fuck off would be a bit redundant, Craig just flipped him off and said, "Two more days McCormick, I'm holding you to it." Whatever you're thinking, I already don't fucking like it. There was no universe where that laugh accompanied by that smile that was currently on Kenny's face meant anything good. "You said things that would get better."

"Haven't they?" the boy asked, his eyebrows shooting up. When Craig frowned slightly, Kenny waved a hand. "Ah, but we all know they're going to have to get worse again before they get better. You know that, which is why you're looking at me like you want to kill me." Frustrated with himself just as much as he was frustrated with Kenny, Craig forced his face to smooth out. He didn't like this, but there was a reason he'd waited behind in the tent, and that reason was the text that Kenny had sent him on their way back here.

[Ready for part two?]

Craig wished that he'd ignored the text, just pretended he didn't see it and do what the rest of the boy s had done by going home. But he'd agreed to do things Kenny's way, if this was what that entailed, then he was going to have to suck it up and deal with it.

"I just want this to be over," he said at last, his tone as even as he could make it. Tracking the boy's movements as Kenny slipped off his high heels and wiped some of the lipstick off his mouth, Craig continued, "You said to do what I wanted to do, how does this-"

"Shhhh~" Kenny put a finger to his own lips. "Patience, Tucker, patience. It's a virtue, after all, and goodness knows you need a few more of those." Tipping his chin up, gritting his teeth, Craig waited wordlessly, which seemed to amuse the boy. With a soft chuckle, Kenny finally assumed a more serious face. "I firmly believe that, left to your own devices, what you want and what I want aline surprisingly well, so I'm just going to give you a push. The rest is, as they say, up to you."

"Kenny-" Craig started, warningly. He still had the image of Tweek's shining face imprinted into his mind, and fuck if he was going to let something ruin it again.

"Oh I love it when you get angry," Kenny purred, his eyes mischievous. He's trying to wind me up, isn't he? Though it was a struggle, Craig didn't react, he just stood there, his hands clenched under his cloak. Like this had been the right answer, Kenny walked forward and said more clearly, "But what I like even more is the idea of this all being over. So let me help you help me."

As he walked by the Stick of Truth, Kenny reached up and plucked the thing off of the pedestal. Though perhaps he should have protested, Craig didn't say a word as the boy held out the thing to him, a sly grin on his face. "Just take it, Tucker. I don't care what you do with it, but I'm pretty sure you're going to care, shortly."

We just fought to get this back, Tweek fought to get this back, what am I doing? But maybe Craig was going crazy in more ways than one, because before he could stop himself, he grabbed the Stick from Kenny and tucked it under his cloak. "I'm not giving it to the Elves, if that's what you want," Craig said, watching as Kenny stepped back and straightened his ripped skirts.

Looking up at those words, Kenny let out a laugh. "Craig, if I wanted the Elves to get that Stick, I would have given it to them myself. As it is-" He waved a hand. "It belongs elsewhere. Where that elsewhere is remains to be seen." Apparently satisfied with his job, Kenny walked towards the tent flap, his hand lifted in farewell. "It's been good working with you Fucker, I hope you get through this in one piece. Because I know I won't~!"

Then he was gone, leaving Craig alone in the dark with the weight of one too many sins on his back.

))))-((((

Craig had known Clyde since they were young. Actually, Craig had known Clyde since before they were young. He'd known the boy since before the time when age and time were something that mattered. They had grown up together and with each other in a way that only two boys who were born on the same street, in houses next to each other can.

Which is why, when Craig walked into Clyde's backyard and found Clyde hanging precariously from a rope, fifty feet in the air, hanging paper mache skulls on a veritable castle that Craig had never seen before in his life, his response was not only appropriate, but it was in fact the only response that the situation merited.

"What the fuck?" he asked, craning his neck so he could take in the fortress that apparently had been built in Clyde's backyard.

"Do you like it?" Clyde yelled back, his weird, spiky crown he wore on his head looking a little lopsided due to his position.

"What. The. Fuck?" Craig repeated, as if by saying the words again the answer he got from Clyde would be different.

"Isn't it great!" Swinging back to the relative safety of one of the many platforms that made up the castle, Clyde vanished inside of it. There was a series of loud bangs and the sounds of clattering objects, and a moment later, the brunet appeared, running down the drawbridge with his arms outstretched. "CRAIG!"

For once, Craig allowed himself to be hugged by the enthusiastic boy. He was still too busy staring at the huge fucking castle that had suddenly appeared in Clyde's backyard!"What the fuck?" He repeated, pushing the boy away. "When did you make this? Why do you have a fucking crown on dude?"

"It's awesome, isn't it?" Straightening said crown, which had several small halloween plastic skulls affixed to it, Clyde proudly said, "I made it myself! Well, obviously, but it took a long time and it's super badass!" Momentarily forgetting about the Stick, and the game, and even Tweek, Craig allowed Clyde to drag him towards the fort without fighting him.

"It's pretty cool," he admitted flatly, looking at castle, which in his opinion looked like a happy thing that Clyde had attempted to make look sinister at short notice. Shaking himself, Craig started, "Listen, dude-"

"I mean, I know it's not the Drow Elf tree fort," Clyde interrupted, his eyes oddly bright as he ran towards a ladder and quickly scaled it. "And it doesn't have the same feel as the Human castle, but it's super duper amazing to make up for it, don't you think?"

Why is he saying that? What's wrong? Because something must be fucking wrong, Clyde is acting weird. Tentatively following the boy up the ladder, sweeping his cloak out behind him, Craig tried again, "I mean, I'll admit it's way better than Cartman's shitty castle, but-"

"I mean sure," Clyde cut through again. "It doesn't have a lot of people in it, and it's a little bit empty and musty and there are boxes and stuff lying everywhere, but it's still way better than the other castles. And did you see my crown? I mean, of course you did, but it's way cooler than Kyle's crown, and Cartman's wizard hat is just stupid, right?"

"I mean I never thought about it like that," Craig admitted, feeling like something was terribly wrong but unsure what that thing was. What's going on? I don't get it. Why did he make all of this? Why is he dressed up like that? "I guess that your crown does look pretty fucking sweet but why-"

"I haven't put the whole outfit together, but it'll be way cooler than anything that the Elves or the Humans could come up with." Clyde laughed, but it sounded strained and high pitched. "Ooh, and wait till you see the throne room! And the other rooms. And the towers, we- I mean I have really cool towers too!"

Trying to keep up with Clyde, who had already moved onto the next ladder, Craig felt that knot of wrongness grow. "Dude, of course it's got cool towers," Craig reassured Clyde evenly, wishing that he could get a read on what was going on. The only reason he'd come here at all was because he couldn't go home after having broken out of detention. This was way more than what he'd signed up for. "You always make cool shit. But about the-"

"Look! There's even a tire swing in this room!" Clyde announced wildly, his eyes wide and insistant like he was trying to convince himself of something as much as he was trying to convince Craig of it. "And so many windows and, haha, we're already above the ground! We're already higher than Kyle's castle! He doesn't even have a castle, right? Just a bunch of platforms and a tree fort at the top. That's it!"

Gritting his teeth together, unsure if he should be worried yet or not, Craig attempted to grab Clyde's shoulder to slow him down but the brunet had already moved on, scaling higher still. "Look at this place Craig! It's so amazing!" Laughing, the sound coming out broken, unhinged, Clyde called, "There's so much more here than the Elves or the Humans ever had! This is what a castle looks like! This is what a base should be! This is… This is way better than anything they could ever come up with."

Following Clyde up yet another ladder, Craig finally gave up on catching up with Clyde and just said, in a loud and flat voice, "Clyde Donovan you fucking idiot, stop moving for one goddamn minute." Grinding to a halt, the brunet froze, one hand clenched around the sconce on the wall of the fort that looked like it had been made out of PVC pipe and prayers, the other fisted at his side. "Clyde, dude," Craig tried, his voice faltering as he noticed the slight tremble in Clyde's hand. When was the last time I saw him shake? When his mom died?

Shit…

"Heh, it's okay Craig, we can talk better once we're inside~" Clyde said suddenly, jerking back into motion. Hurrying up one tower, the boy yelled, "I mean, I don't know why I made this so complicated… But it doesn't matter! It's still so awesome, and I bet Cartman and Kyle and all of them wish they had a castle this cool. I mean, w-what do you wanna bet that Bebe would like it too?" Blowing past Craig, his face turned away, Clyde said, "I guess I don't know what girls like, why would I know anything about girls? But…. But that's not important!"

Bullshit. "Clyde, what the fuck," Craig said, not exactly asking a question so much as stating it. As the gate lifted in the entrance to the rest of the castle, Clyde hurried back down the path, a manic smile on his face, a wild light in his eyes that still looked way too fucking bright. "What the-"

"Fuck?" Clyde asked, laughing. "I know! It's so wild, can you believe it? I mean, my dad never really has time to do anything with me, b-but I still managed to get him to help me a little on this! And it turned out so well! I bet you wish you could make something like this. Well, that's alright, you can still hang out here if you want!"

Jesus Christ, Tweek makes more sense. "Clyde I don't want to hang out here," Craig stated, knowing that Clyde was hiding something but having no way of knowing what that thing was. "We're already playing a fantasy game, Clyde. We already have a castle." Then, just in case he hadn't gotten the message; "What the fuck."

Grabbing for the rungs of yet another ladder, Clyde laughed fragilely and said, "Oh yeah, stupid of me! I knew that! You're- You're Feldspar and you're a level twelve thief and- and you already have a faction so, haha, what am I doing asking you about this? You probably think I'm being ridiculous. I am being ridiculous!"

"Just tell me what the hell is going on!" Craig finally yelled, his patience finally running out.

"It doesn't matter, okay Craig!" Clyde shot back, running up a set of stairs, getting away from Craig once more. "It doesn't matter! Besides, you have way bigger problems and I'm fine. I've never been better! How are you and Tweek? Is everything okay? I mean, it's been pretty bad recently, everything's been really bad recently. Isn't it funny how everything falls apart at once?!"

Finally catching up with Clyde, Craig gave up on talking and simply struck. Using some of his pent up frustration, Craig spun Clyde around and pinned him against the post that stood at the center of that particular room. Holding him there, just in case he tried to get away, Craig flatly ground out, "What the fuck, Clyde. What. The. Fuck."

Without warning, Clyde suddenly yelled, "DON'T YOU GET IT CRAIG, EVERYTHING IS SHIT!" As Clyde stared up at the Noirette, his breath coming in great heaving gasps, Craig realized that the boy was crying. While big, ugly tears dropped from his eyes, Clyde continued, "THIS WHOLE THING HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT SHIT!"

"What the hell happened to you?" Craig demanded.

Shoving him away, Clyde snapped, "Everything, Craig! Everything has happened to me!"

"Then fucking explain." Narrowing his eyes, the Noirette said, "I can't read fucking minds Clyde, tell me what the fuck-"

"I got kicked out of the humans, okay!" Clyde threw the words at him like they were a weapon. Wiping at his eyes, Clyde wetly spat, "I lost the Stick of Truth and they kicked me out of the game! There! I said it!" Glaring at him, the brunet said, "Are you happy now, Craig?"

Oh hell… "No, I'm not happy," Craig said, trying to bring himself down to his usual calm level. The way Clyde was acting, it had shaken him, and he was having trouble recovering. What happened to him to make things this bad? "Clyde, listen, dude, I'm sorry that you got kicked out but-"

Wrong choice of words, apparently. "NO!" Clyde yelled, clenching his fist. "No you're not! You're not sorry! You're part of the reason that everything is so shit! And all you do is stand there stupidly all the time Craig and I'm so sick of it! I'm done with your shit! They kicked me out and you know what, I don't give a fuck."

Feeling his own frustration rising up once more, Craig snapped, "Do you think I want this either?" How long has this been building up? he couldn't help but think as he stared at the tears dripping down Clyde's face. Fuck, he's my friend, I should have noticed this. "Do you think I like this shit?"

"YOU'RE STILL PART OF IT!" Clyde threw back, advancing on him. "YOU STILL- You still let them do whatever they want with you and it pisses me off Craig, I hate it! Do you haveany idea what it's done to me? To Tweek?" Craig felt his blood run cold. He knew that he'd screwed things up, but it was getting better damnit! He didn't want to hear about this again.

But Clyde didn't seem to care. "I have had to watch him fall apart Craig, and grin and bear it because I was trying to be a good friend. Do you know how upset he's been? And I know that you know now because he finally reached his breaking point well guess what?" He brandished a finger in Craig's face. "I've reached mine! So fuck you and fuck being nice, I'm done!"

"If this is about Bebe-" Craig started, huffing out a breath.

"YES THIS IS ABOUT BEBE!" Clyde yelled, his face crumpling as he said the words. "It's about everything. Do you have any idea how upset you dating her has made Tweek?"

"Dude," Craig tried again. "I know-"

"No, you really don't." Turning away from him, Clyde stormed away, leaving Craig to stride after him. "You think you do and you want to act like that means you get to keep being a complete dick about it. Teacup did his best to pretend like he was fine with it but Craig, he wasn't fine. He was jealous of you and Bebe. He was jealous because you'd chosen Bebe over him. Who does that Craig? Who does that?"

"But that- They're totally-" Craig tried to form a sentence, but Clyde's words were overwhelming him. Jealous. Bebe had used that word, Craig had sort of accepted that word, but it felt different when it was being tearfully yelled at him by Clyde of all people. "It wasn't like I was going to forget him!" Craig finally pushed out, watching as Clyde walked along a precarious wooden walkway up to a pavilion. "I didn't even like Bebe."

"THEN BREAK UP WITH HER!" Clyde yelled over his shoulder. "Tweek needs you Craig, he doesn't need this. All I've been seeing is him opening up to you, giving you everything, and you just keep tossing it away because you're too much of a coward to admit that you don't even like her!" Standing in the middle of the pavilion, the boy breathed heavily and added, "I don't want to see Teacup sad anymore, got that? Because you know what, I can handle things being really crappy for me all the time. I'm used to it. But Teacup?"

"I've been planning on breaking up with her, okay?" Craig said, his voice breaking slightly. He'd never seen Clyde like this, and it made him feel sick to his stomach. Fuck Kenny, fuck plans, fuck everything. It's not just Tweek is it? It's Clyde. Because even though the boy wasn't saying it, Craig knew full well that Clyde had a crush on Bebe and he'd walked all over that. The only reason Clyde was probably bringing up Tweek at all was because his heart was too fucking big to admit that something had hurt him.

"It doesn't matter," Clyde spat bitterly, dragging his hands over his face once more. Suddenly straightening and throwing back his shoulders, he said, "I'm starting my own faction Craig. Fuck all of you guys. I'm going to take the stick, and I'm going to get people on my side, and- And I'm going to take down the Elves and the Humans because I'm sick and tired of this game!"

Craig's eyes widened. Oh… "Dude," the Noirette muttered, struggling to process all of the things that had just started to become unbelievably clear. Kenny knew didn't he? He fucking knew that Clyde was going to do this. "Let me help you."

"NO CRAIG!" Clyde snapped, almost like he hadn't heard Craig at all. "I'm not letting you stop me! I'm going to be cooler than Cartman or Kyle ever was! And I'm going to be a better ruler! Cause they both suck so much, you don't even know. So you can leave me alone, Craig, because I'm going to do it, and you can't change my mind!"

"Clyde-" Craig attempted, stepping forward. "I want to-"

"I CAN DO IT! EVEN WITH YOU AND TOKEN AND TWEEK AND EVERYONE AGAINST ME!" Clyde shouted, oblivious to what Craig was trying to say.

Giving up, Craig rolled his eyes and thought oh fuck it- Yanking the Stick of Truth from his belt, Craig reeled his hand back and threw it. The thing struck Clyde in the back of the head, knocking his crown askew and making him yelp in pain. Indignantly, Clyde spun around and yelled, "Hey, what was that for?!" before looking down and staring at the Stick in surprise.

"I'm trying to say I want to help you," Craig told Clyde flatly, crossing his arms. "Fuck the Humans. Fuck the Elves too while we're at it. I've been ready to quit this game for a long ass time, so let me do it." Just a little longer, did Kenny say? Motherfucker was right, just like always. "I'll help you take them all down, just the two of us." Grudgingly, Craig's lips twitched upwards, almost into a smile. "Just like old times."

For a moment, Clyde just stared at Craig, slack-jawed. Then, almost predictably, fresh tears started to well up in his eyes. "You mean it?" he asked, breathlessly.

"Yeah dude," answered Craig, gruffly.

Attempting to put on a tough face, Clyde tilted his chin up belligerent and said, "If you do… You have to break up with Bebe!" By his face, Craig could tell the boy was expecting him to say no, and it made his gut clench, because times really must have changed if Clyde thought that his first response would be to tell him to fuck off. Or maybe, things haven't changed, but my perspective has.

Carefully walking towards Clyde, over the walkway, Craig drew up in front of the slightly shorter boy and looked down his hooked nose at him. "Yeah, I'll break up with her," Craig told Clyde evenly, his eyebrow twitching upwards. "But on one condition."

"What?" Clyde asked, still trying to sound tough but in reality only sounding confused.

"When we're done with this-" Craig jabbed the boy in the chest. "You have to ask her out. Because I am not putting up with anymore of your bullshit."

Letting out a wet, relieved laugh, Clyde took a step back and said, "Yeah, deal dude." And even though Craig knew he was signing up for a lot of shit, he nodded, because at the end of the day, this was where he belonged. Not under Cartman, not bowing to stupid rules he didn't care about, but here, with Clyde, being an idiot and actually having fun while doing it.

"So…" Clyde ventured. "Why are you actually here dude?"

"I needed a place to stay tonight," Craig admitted, snorting.

And as Clyde laughed, Craig felt yet another weight lift off of his shoulders. Yeah, maybe things were going to get worse, but they were also getting better, and in Craig's mind, it was about fucking time.

Craig Tucker had never really realized that he cared about his friends, outside of Tweek, but as Clyde's laughter turned to wheezing, Craig realized he did care. And that was probably a good thing.