Chapter 61: Panotty vs Pumpkin: Prank Kin? by huskynator/kirbymanx

Panotty had his target in sight. Scylla, that centaur with a human top as a dog neck and dog bottom below the human waist, a compulsive kleptomaniac Raffina keeps around a tight leash… so to speak.

It was a pranking kinda day, Panotty has to go solo, because he and Jaan don't share recess this time. The elf had glued a coin he polished to heck to the ground. He smirked, knowing Scylla will just waste her time trying to pick up the shiny, knowing it would just waste her time for minutes to hours.

But more importantly, wastes Raffina's time, prying Scylla away from that coin. That'll teach her for still punching down on Yoko, making a crowd agree with her!

There Raffina and her fellow pink-headed """friend""" went around the corner, as expected.

"Kekekekekeh!"

POP!

That made every involved jump. From around the corner, glitter was shot at Raffina. The rich snob looked herself over covered in the stuff, as was Scylla. "GLITTER GUN?! You're asking to become soup, Vegetable!" Raffina lost her composure, and physically threatened whoever was behind the corner. Presumably Panotty's classmate, Pumpkin, based on the description.

"DIBS ON RAFFINA!"
"EEEEE!"

Scylla's face was absolutely beaming, she picked up Raffina with her human hands and ran out of the school. The school security bird gave chase.

"Kekekeheheh!" Pumpkin's voice became more faint as Panotty assumes she hopped off in the opposite direction.

"Y-Yoko avenged?" 'I wanted to do it… She's really good though…' Panotty tried making friends with her before, but she only communicates through laughter.

That's not a language he speaks, and even though Pumpkin can understand the elf and the language in general. Attempts to make friends with the mischievous haunted vegetable did not bear fruit.

Panotty's next target was the SPaRC (Supernatural Prevention and Recognition Class) teacher, the bird-like demon. No reason, he's just fun to tease. Therefore all Panotty was planning was just a whoopie cushion on Mamono's chair. Much more he doesn't deserve.

"Grok. Grok, gr-"
(Translation: Good afternoon class. Have been practicing dispelli-) That's when the fart noise happened and a good chunk of the class laughed.

An exception was the Pumpkin, which ticked Panotty off much to his surprise.

A few days have passed and it's yet another day without much Yoko or Jaan time. He's out on his own again. Walking outside the classroom the elf noticed Pumpkin speedhopping away.

Panotty stealthily gave chase. Because if a vegetable is running off like that they're probably up to something.

He saw the pumpkin take a wireless speaker out of her locker, connected it to her phone, and hopped off looking for someone. And it seems she found them, sneaking up on them from behind.

"Watched the latest Kui yet?" Sig asked.

"I'll get to it, I'll get to it." Lagnus, at least Panotty was pretty sure that was his name, assured his friend.

Pumpkin made her move as she tapped on her phone.

"I'M BREAKING UP WITH YOU, LAGNUS!" Arle's voice came out of the speaker crystal clear, as if she's actually in the school halls!

Lagnus in a split second turned around with a distraught tear-filled face as he shrunk in age equally fast, expecting to see Arle angry at him. But instead, he saw a pumpkin laughing in his face, replaying the pre-recorded audio of Arle.

Lagnus still cried regardless as Pumpkin hopped off and away, cackling at a prank done.

Sig picked up Lagnus in his current child form as he cried. Trying to tune out the memories and the laughter drowning out the sympathies.

Panotty was taken aback. That was a good prank!

Too bad Lagnus didn't deserve that! He thought. Toying with break-up traumas… Just no…

Panotty needed to get back at her for that.

The elf started to count the physical money he had on hand.

"I need to know where Pumpkin, (that pumpkin), is gonna strike next. How much?" He asked Feli and Klug in their hideout. Feli's psychic powers would be a boon.

The short purple-headed psychic let out a groan of disgust. Her brunette boy assistant didn't seem that happy either.

"We haven't forgiven you, elf." Feli's tone of voice sounded more on the speciesism side than the observational one. Panotty didn't blame her.

'Darn…' Panotty thought to himself.

"But… That pumpkin is worse…" Feli turned to her associate. "Klug, if we don't give this elf a discount you're doing something wrong."

"No, you're doing something wrong. You gotta bargain a little." The boy blew back. He faced Panotty. "A discount AND you and your cheergenie friend gotta leave us alone!"

"...Dammit." Feli conceded. This is part of why Klug is her business partner.

Panotty thought about it. Would Jaan agree to that?… Lagnus is Sig's friend… Sig is friends with Jaan. And he's pretty sure that makes her Lagnus' friend too… Yeah, she tried helping with his curse several times, they're friends. Jaan would probably accept those conditions.

"You won't be on my radar for a week."

"A month."
"6 weeks."
Feli and Klug bargained back.

"5 weeks."

A deal was eventually made. And Feli's clairvoyance gave her a good look at three of Pumpkin's victims in her crystal ball. Rafisol later today, who Panotty barely knows as Ally's sister.

The second and third victims were Yoko and Peruvis at their lunch later today. Their "bonding" time. The vision didn't show how though, but the thing Pumpkin was holding... That would be devastating to Yoko, considering Peruvis' temper… And it's during when Panotty is in class… Satan's math class…

"I wouldn't try to escape Satan's sight either." Feli commented, remembering her freshmen.

Panotty had a plan!

"Don't." Klug said straight-faced. "If he catches wind of what you're doing he will provide swift retribution." He explained, Panotty is straight-faced.

"Then how am I supposed to keep Yoko and Peruvis on good terms?" Panotty tried not to show it, but he is under a lot of pressure.

…

"I got a solution to this…" Klug got Panotty's attention and Feli's curiosity. "But you and the genie need to leave us alone for far longer."

The elf needs to save Rafisol. Ally talks a lot about her, and Panotty knows because of that despite that judging stink face she has, Rafisol is quite fragile. Ally's probably gonna be overly thankful the next time she sees him… Panotty is not gonna complain.

The pumpkin is gonna throw a balloon filled with sticky lemonade at Rafisol's head. Not only making her hair and clothes a mess. It'll also shortcircuit her headphones. And based on Ally's stories about her sister, Rafisol needs those.

Panotty stood in the hall Pumpkin was gonna strike, playing with his phone, trying to not seem suspicious, as Rafisol and her girlfriend Silvana got to the moment.

And there comes Pumpkin with the balloon. She's gonna throw it at a fair distance…

And she threw it!

Panotty made his counter move. "Watch out!" Panotty tackled Silvana all his might, and Silvana losing her balance fell onto Rafisol and both fell onto the ground.

"What was that for!" Silvana yelled. But she caught onto the context clues. The broken balloon pieces, the wet wall, the smell of pear, and the angry pumpkin. She figured the elf saved them from that icky mess they'd have to wait until school's over to get rid of.

She would have given chase, but Rafisol is holding on tight. Seemingly a little scared.

"I'll get back at her! Just you wait." Panotty assured them as he hopped off.

It's time. Panotty was stuck in class, meanwhile, Peruvis and Yoko had lunch together while going over musical theory.

Someone carried Pumpkin into class. But she's weirdly inanimate… This wouldn't be the first time, usually explained away by her spiritual ties temporarily weakening, but this time, Panotty suspects that's an inanimate decoy.

This is Satan's math class. Satan would punish Panotty if he left class without a good reason. Panotty hoped Feli's vision stayed true after possibly altering the future with Rafisol, and that Klug's plan worked.

Meanwhile, in the otherwise empty music classroom, Peruvis' lesson was derailed as the devil and the angel chatted about how few of the most well-known songs Yoko has listened to.

Pumpkin was approaching the room, equipped with a realistic-looking fake rat to throw at Yoko's face and a megaphone.

The pumpkin silently and gently opened the door. Not making a sound… The feather wings and leather wings haven't noticed her yet. Time to strik- "KYEK!" A hand from around the corner of the door grabbed the living vegetable by her vine. It was Satan!

Yoko and Peruvis were caught by surprise that Satan (and by extension, Panotty) was right. Pumpkin was gonna prank them.

Satan picked up the megaphone with his free hand. "You think this is funny?!" He yelled, Peruvis and Pumpkin picked up the smallest tinge of fear in Satan.

Satan pointed to Yoko with the megaphone, Yoko let out a shriek she almost didn't repress for the sake of the people around. She tried to hide behind Peruvis' back, but bumped against her wings, fell to the ground, got up again, and properly hid behind her back and between her wings.

Peruvis was embarrassed, and her first instinct was to tell her to stop touching her, but that megaphone needs to stay away from the angel at all costs.

"If you target Harpy again, I'll convince your parents to transfer your soul to a less mobile, less stylish vegetable." Satan threatened.

They saw the fear in Pumpkin's animated face.

"Come with me to detention, little missy, you're getting an extra day of it since you're also skipping my class." Satan walked off still holding. "Take care. Enjoy your lunch." He saluted his winged students.

"Th-thanks, Satan." Yoko replied from Peruvis' back, feeling her devil friend(s?) tensing lowering.

"An unforeseen crisis averted." She said while simultaneously letting out a big breath.

"See, Panotty is looking out for you."

"I'm more willing to give Feli credit. She is the one who can see the future."