The occult experience, chapter two
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"I'm not doing it. Aensland isn't doing it either." Said one of five people. He had short brown hair, one light blue eye and one red floating orb in place of the other. Aside from a lack of tissue on his right arm he was otherwise unremarkable. This demons name was Hatch Ling, an infamous and powerful hybrid demon, often termed a chimera.
"And what gives you the right to decide such a thing for me!" The woman in question, called Aensland, had green hair, a leotard with leggings, and leathery wings with a matching pair on her head.
"Because he thinks you'd either molest the boy, or else train him up until he isn't a "boy" and go to town." This came from a robed skeleton, red orbs hanging in it's otherwise empty eye sockets. Its gender indistinguishable by it's appearance, only it's voice hinted at being female. Shauna was the liches name, her magic as fragile as her bones.
"The both of you are racists, you know that?" Three red orbs and one blue eye focused on the green haired woman.
"But you did not say that they were wrong... Did you?" This came from the only other being sitting at the round table in a rather spacious and bare room that was recognizably female. She had pale blue skin and black hair, and was a giant of a woman at nearly eight feet tall. A demon so common in the afterlife that no real name has ever been given to them, her name was simply Shin. Aensland was notably silent.
"I think we should call one or two of the fallen to discuss this one. Quite frankly there is no one in this group actually suited to the boys needs." The final speaker was a Frenchman. Take that as you will. He was an alchemist during the dark ages and sought the answer to life. Unlike one of his contacts he thought the answer could be found in the human body and so did many terrible things. His contact was a fool, believing in odd mysticisms and the concept of trading a life for immortality when he knew that death came for all that ate and breathed and thought and saw, and even a few things that didn't. The man, Vincent Beauregardeaux, had aided in almost three hundred deaths of the old and decrepit, the Doctor Kevorkian of the dark ages.
"Do you have a good reason why none of us would be good caretakers of the child, or are you just bending over for Helel?" Again Aensland, showing herself to be extremely acerbic to those who did not hold her respect.
"I'm bad with kids, plain and simple. As smart as the boy is we just would not get along well together. Hatch has been to a sub-branch of that reality on his own, and Johnny is a testament to his child rearing skills. As much as you love kids you're still a psychopath who vill kill for whatever reason you deem appropriate. As much as the boy needs positive affection he is neizer old enough or mentally stable enough for Morrigan's affections. Hugs and kisses would most likely confuse the boy, if Sheena's file is accurate-"
"Which they always are." Hatch interjected. He wasn't about to argue, the last little boy he'd tried to help now thought killing was a good thing. The poor boy had a massive summoning matrix painted on one wall in the blood of so many people, and was just barely kept from activating by keeping the wall wet with blood and not letting it sit for more than a few days, at most. The matrix itself confused Hatch and all others who'd investigated it, it didn't follow the normal rules of a summoning grid, and it also didn't connect to a reality that any of them, Hatch included, were familiar with.
"If I may continue." Vincent said through barred teeth. Hatch rolled his eyes and waved him off.
"If Sheena's file is accurate, the boy has had no physical affection shown to him since the passing of his mother. Shin and Shauna are both extremely noticeable, meaning that they could not easily take that half step into the physical world without massive notice." Vincent finished with a shrug, glancing between all the others in the room.
"If that's all, then my votes on Shauna. They have a little green space alien running around without notice, and his teachers a verified wraith, I doubt a skeleton will garner any attention." Morrigan said.
"Anyone against?" Shin asked the assembled group. Vincent raised his hand. "Okay, frog, screw you, Shauna, do you have any outline or plans on what you'll do with, for, and to the kid?" With a dry scrape the skeleton shook her head.
"'Kay, Shauna, you got two hours to pack some stuff, tell anyone important where your going, find a house sitter, all that good crap. Your stickin' to the kid either until he's met his goals, or he's self sufficient. Try to corrupt him whenever feasible, but make sure he stays smart, and most importantly, alive." Hatch said to the lich after they had all stood up. Just before the congregated nightmares reached the door he cleared his throat, turning all heads towards him.
"Anyone else here notice that Vincent didn't deny the sucky's claim about Helel?" Speculative gazes all turned towards the frenchman, but he was already out the door.
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Dib awoke to a very loud, very persistent banging on his front door. He shoved his head under his pillow and tried to go back to sleep. Minutes later the knocking hadn't stopped and he was forced to get up. Several more minutes and a budding headache he was dressed in a rumpled shirt and yesterdays pants as he opened the door. One look at the visitor had Dib screaming. And screaming. And screaming. And taking a breath...
"Hello Dib"
And screaming...
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Some references were subtle, some weren't. What were they?