vanoincidence

[vanoincidence]

The Ghoul Kids || Van, Nora & Kyle

TIMING: before ireland (mid march). LOCATION: nora's crypt/cemetery. PARTIES: @honeysmokedham @xdarkhowlx & @vanoincidence SUMMARY: van and nora are hanging out when nora hears somebody. they investigate, and there's kyle just hanging out! CONTENT WARNINGS: none!

Kyle had heard enough around town to know he shouldn’t go to the cemeteries after dark. Teachers, parents, concerned citizens–everyone said that it was dangerous at night. There were things that could get you hurt or worse. He knew enough to heed those warnings to a degree. Surely that only applied to being in a cemetery at night. Kyle would just go right before dark. There was nothing that could remedy a bad day at work like blaring his moody playlists and watching the sun set below the headstones. He would leave once it was dark. 

Finding a tombstone near the small lake in the middle of Mistwood Park, Kyle sat with his back against it. The way the sunset reflected in the lake was beautiful. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes for a moment, happy to have time to himself where he didn’t have to worry about trying to pick the carrots out of coleslaw for minimum wage. For just a second, he thought he heard something. Kyle sat up and took out an earbud. He listened intently, but the sound didn’t come again. He replaced the earbud and relaxed again. After a moment, he heard something that he was sure was nearby.

Removing both his earbuds this time, he called out to nothing in particular. “Hello?”

The shared tombstones of Wallace and Mackie McGruffins made for the perfect bench. The conjoined stone was supposed to symbolize their joined love, together even in death. Which was bullshit, since Wallace was standing three feet behind Nora in ghost form, and Mackie had passed on. Wallace was too scared to move on, something he and Nora had been talking through in their spare time. Even though he claimed to miss Mackie with his whole heart, he claimed he just wasn’t ready to march into the light and take a chance when hell would probably grab him before he could march into heaven to meet Mackie. 

“I smell someone,” Nora noted, looking up from her phone scrolling, and looking over at whatever game Van was playing. It was a series of characters doing things. Video games were never something Nora could get into, despite her best friend’s love for them. “We should eat them.” Nora jumped to her feet, letting out a sharp piercing whistle to call over Babadook. He would know the drill. Nobody walked into Nora’s cemetery and made it out without becoming a meal. Not waiting to see if Van would follow, Nora slipped between the rows of tombstones, following the scent of axe body spray and restaurant fumes. 

A lone stranger, around their age, sat in his graveyard, he must have heard her whistle because he called out hello? “Hello.” An illusion whispered in his ear, before a disembodied smile popped next to him. “Hello.” It said again, its eyes opening on the other side of the kid. “Hello!” They exclaimed, rolling around in the air, bubbling with laughter. 

“Huh?” Van looked up from the ongoing fight, tapping autobattle on the screen before she twisted around to see the direction that Nora was motioning towards. “Eat them? Nora, I don’t think people would taste very good. Unless they were like, made out of gummy worms, but then I think that’d still be weird to eat people.” She didn’t think that Nora was being serious about eating people– at least, in the way she was familiar with. Maybe it was a bugbear thing, something about the fear being tasty…? Was the person near them scared? Nora left before Van could say much else and she was scrambling to her feet, phone forgotten behind her as Blade absolutely destroyed the enemy Cocolia. “Hey, wait–” 

Van stumbled forward, grabbing onto Nora’s arm. There was no attempt to draw her back, but to instead hold onto her as they ventured forward. She saw him first, and then the illusions as they popped up next to him. She tried her best to not focus on the illusions that Nora created, and instead study the face of the intruder. “Kyle?” Van looked over at Nora. “I went to school with him– he can get you ham, I bet.” She actually didn’t know if that was true, but figured she could try satiating Nora’s hunger in a different way. Though, she wasn’t the type to stifle anyone’s creativity, she knew that Kyle was the… weird type, and god forbid he equate this to something like homestuck. 

Kyle saw the illusory mouths before he saw Nora or Van. With a yelp, he swatted at them in an attempt to dispel the visions. He expected to make contact with the smiles as he pawed at them, but his hand passed through open air. Maybe this is why so many town goers said to stay out of the cemeteries at night. Maybe you got attacked by phantom smiles. Wishing he’d heeded the warnings, Kyle leapt to his feet and spun around to face whoever had said his name. His blood felt hot inside his veins; his body wanted to react, to shift, to be ready. His eyes fell upon an unexpected face, and the urge to attack was momentarily sated. 

“Vanessa?” he called, confused by his former classmate’s sudden appearance. There was a girl with her that Kyle didn’t really recognize, but she looked vaguely familiar in a way he couldn’t place. Maybe she had also gone to school with them. That didn’t seem like the right context, but he didn’t know where else he could have seen her. He addressed the two of them, still eyeing up the stranger. She smelled off. Like cobwebs and cured meats. “What’re you doing here? There’s—there’s—,” he trailed off, gesturing to the disembodied smiles that still floated around him. He didn’t know what to call them, what to say. He knew this town was weird, but this was weird. No matter how much he swatted, they didn’t dissipate. “I don’t know what’s going on,” he admitted. “I think we should go.”

“People taste good.” Nora assured her friend as they went to find the intruder. Didn’t this person know you weren’t supposed to walk around graveyards by yourself? That’s how you got in trouble. Nora watched in disgust as a hand flitted through her illusions. Gross. Touching illusions was just wrong, but Nora didn’t say anything about it because it seemed that Kyle and Van knew each other. They were saying each other’s names. “It’s a graveyard,” Nora reported. “There is always something weird going on here.” It was her graveyard, and she tried to scare off anyone who came close, especially alone. 

“How do you know this guy? Why does he call you Vanessa?” Nora had only ever heard Van refer to herself as Van, but not like the care. Never with the extra letters trailing off the N. But because Nora didn’t know anything close to self-control, as Kyle was telling them they should leave, she had the illusionary face pieces combined. Slowly a form started to come together behind them, creating the appearance of a monster dropping camouflage and revealing itself. “Boo.” It said before laughing hysterically into Kyle’s ear. 

Van’s expression soured at being called Vanessa. There was a time in school where instead of Van, people called her Essa. That was better than Vanessa, she thought. She looked over at Nora, realizing that she hadn’t yet let the illusions drop. She felt a little bad for Kyle, but again– she wasn’t going to tell Nora to stop, especially not if it would hurt her feelings or anything like that. “Van,” she corrected him. She looked over at Nora with a shrug, “he full named me.” She remembered telling Nora not like the car, but never anything about the Essa part. 

“We went to school together, like, forever ago.” It wasn’t that long ago, really– three years ago she’d graduated, and it was weird to think about. So much had changed since then. Nora was making the illusions do other things now, and Van jumped slightly, despite not being up close and personal with the visions. 

Kyle barely heard what either of them said over the laughter that encircled his head. He caught the part about school and frowned. By no means had they been friends, but school wasn’t so long ago that they were complete strangers. It was hard to think past the illusions, though, and he made no comment save for a quick apology. “Van, sorry.” Could Van not see what was floating around his head? Could her friend not see? Did they think he was swatting mosquitoes? Flagging a taxi? Landing a plane?

“Van, can you actually–,” he said, cutting himself off at the sight of movement. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw shapes shifting; solidifying. With mounting horror, Kyle realized the smiles were melding together to become some kind of beast. The hairs on Kyle’s neck and arms stood on end, and he had to suppress a shudder. As the creature grew in size, Kyle began backing up. His breath hitched in his chest. Boo. He backpedaled faster, tripping over a pillow headstone and landing on his back. Kyle scrambled back until his back was pressed to another grave marker. “Van?” he called. “Are you seeing this?” 

It was a delightful feast. Nora had never been to a My Chemical Romance concert, but if she had she’d imagine Kyle’s fear would take like a mosh pit gone wrong in that particular venue. “Oh, classmate.” The worst kind of person someone could see. Nora watched as Kyle toppled to the ground. There was something familiar about his scent, something she’d smelled before but if only she could place it. “No, we’re not seeing this.” Nora let the illusions drop away. They dispersed into nothingness. That was enough. Stranger found. Stranger feasted upon. Stranger would probably leave now that the graveyard was proven to be a considerably scary place. Unless Van wanted to catch up with her old classmate. 

Kyle was tripping over his feet now, and Van shot a look over to Nora. She could see everything that Kyle was seeing, and though she knew if she were on the other side of this that she’d be scared, too– she was safe by Nora’s side. She didn’t think Nora would do this to her. Or maybe she would, she wasn’t sure. Then again, she was sort of always afraid, so maybe Nora didn’t actually need to make her afraid? Either way, Van watched Kyle. Before she could answer him and tell him that yes, she could see it– Nora was answering and she snapped her mouth shut. “Um– what are you talking about?” It felt bad to lie, but she lied about a lot of things. “Kyle, are you okay?” She wasn’t sure if she wanted to impress Nora, or cover up for Nora. At this point, she was sort of going along with it, anyway. “What happened?” 

Just as quickly as the monster had formed, it was gone, and Kyle was left dumbfounded. Had he really imagined all of that? Was that a werewolf thing he didn’t know about yet? Was he losing his grip? The last sentiment was surely not true as his hands twisted into the ground, gripping fistfuls of grass and clawing at the dirt as he tried to quell the panic inside him. 

“There—there was—,” he stammered. Kyle didn’t rightly know what to say. He pointed a finger to the space where something had stood. “I don’t know. I—maybe a spirit? I saw something weird—are—are you sure you didn’t see anything, Van? Or, uh, sorry, I didn’t catch your name.” He looked between Van and her friend. His eyes pleaded for some kind of help from either of them. 

“A spirit?” Nora repeated, looking around the graveyard. She could see many spirits in the graveyard. The majority of them were her friends, that’s what happens when your neighbors can walk through walls and refuse to respect privacy. Nora was a lot like a ghost, in that regard. “That’s crazy.” The expressionless affect of her voice perhaps didn’t do anything to help convince Kyle that she felt like it was “crazy,” wild, or otherwise out of this world. “Van, did you see something weird?” But Kyle was researching for names and understanding now. “Oh me? I’m no one. Just Van’s friend.”

“A spirit?” Van echoed Nora’s question. Her stomach sank slightly as she embroiled herself in the lies, but only because she knew if she were in Kyle’s shoes, she would be panicking. The earth might even open up beneath her, too. She looked over at Nora as her friend asked if she’d seen anything, and she shook her head, refusing to hesitate. She felt like a bully; like the ones who’d corner her in the playground. She didn’t like it very much, but it wasn’t like Kyle was actually in any real trouble, right? The illusions were gone, and they’d leave, and everything would be fine. As Kyle asked Nora’s name, she shot a glance over to her to see what she’d give him, and with no surprise, she gave nothing. “She’s just my friend. She goes by Vriend. Van friend.” It was the first thing that came to mind, but she wasn’t sure if he’d buy it. “Maybe you should um… get some glasses or something?” 

“What, you don’t believe in spirits?” Kyle clicked his tongue derisively, but it was merely a front to cover the fact his heart was still pounding in his chest. If neither Van, nor her oddly familiar friend could see what Kyle had just seen, it was clearly some kind of spiritual intervention here, he supposed. “Maybe we should go,” he said, unsure. “Or, um, maybe I should go.” He stood back up, dusting grass and dirt off his pants. Maybe he wasn’t meant to be here right now. Maybe if he stayed, those things would come back and maybe he wouldn’t escape this time. The thought made Kyle’s throat feel tight and his hands clammy. He looked between Van and her friend again, ready to say his goodbyes and head out. “I’ll see you around, I guess, Van,” he said.. “Nice to meet you, Vriend,” he added with an expression that was meant to be a smile, but came out as more of a grimace. His eyes lingered on Vriend for a moment, trying to put a name to a face. “Sorry, did you go to school here? You just look so familiar, almost like–,” he stopped short, brows pulling together. The rest of his sentence was lost to the realization that Vriend could be a doppelganger for an influencer he used to follow on Instagram–one that hadn’t been seen in almost exactly three years. It couldn’t be. Could it? Skipping a beat before picking back up where he left off, Kyle squinted at Van’s friend. “–like Eleanor Pine,” he said slowly.

Cruelty had turned into a second nature for Nora, a defense mechanism against a world that had cruelty comments on her upbringing. In the back of her mind, there was a part of her that knew she shouldn’t bully a kid in a graveyard by scaring him, feasting on him, then gaslighting him. But this was who she had become and the only version of herself she knew how to be. That little voice died the moment Kyle said her real name. “You’ve got me mistaken for someone.” For the year she’d lived in Wicked’s Rest, she had seen herself as safe. Nobody noticed, and those that did were close enough to her not to care. So who was this Kyle to say her name so brazenly? The hair on her arms raised, her heart beat faster. This would die here, even if she had to scare the words out of him. “I heard she’s dead. Besides, she could never do this.” The bear tore through her. Her flesh, muscles, and clothes all ripped around her. A scream bellowed through the bear’s mouth, threatening Kyle. 

Kyle seemed like he wanted to go, and Van was grateful. She wanted to hang out with Nora, just the two of them– void of any weirdness or drama. Weirdness being not the weirdness inherently within them, obviously. Both she and Nora were pretty weird. Van looked at Nora from the corner of her eye, but kept her head straight. Her face fell slightly at the mention of Nora’s real name. Van knew that Nora didn’t like when people recognized her, or spoke about her in the way that could bring her actual name into things. It was why Van spent time remembering names that started with n so that she could call Nora anything but her actual name. Van turned towards Nora now, opening her mouth to say something, but instead clothes tore from her body– the sound of bone and flesh cascading across the mass of something bigger, and suddenly Nora was not next to her, but her bear form. Van wasn’t afraid of her bear, and she knew Nora would never hurt her, but Kyle didn’t know that. “Um– you–” Shit,shit, shit. “Kyle, you should like, definitely go… she um– hasn’t uh, had her snickers today.” 

Kyle opened his mouth to apologize for the confusion, to really just leave, but in seconds everything had changed. The fight or flight feeling had returned tenfold. What had been almost like a hunger pang before was now an all-consuming clawing in the pit of his gut. Trying to fight off the primal urge to shift his shape was like trying to hold a door shut against a flood. Sometimes Kyle managed to stay dry, but most of the time he was no match against the torrent. Today was no exception. If he’d been able to control himself, he might’ve laughed at Van’s bad joke. If he had better comedic timing, he might have even joked that he hadn’t had his Snickers either. Dogs and chocolate. But his classmate’s words were lost in the bear of it all, and Kyle squeezed his eyes shut. He let the wave of pure fear and panic break over him, folding in on himself as his body seized and snapped itself into shape. He choked out a sound between a sob and a snarl as the wolf took form. Panting from exertion, the wolf stared down the bear through its brow. It bared its teeth and growled, returning the threat.  It wouldn’t make the first move, but it would not back down either.

This wasn’t the first time Nora had turned into a bear to scare someone. This wasn’t even the first time that Nora turned into a bear to scare someone and they turned into a werewolf as a response. At this point, Nora would normally transform back, too awed to fight. But this fucker knew who she was. He had knowledge that Nora loathed him for having. She wanted him to be scared, she wanted him to wet himself and run away, tail between his legs, crying because the big bad wolf was nothing compared to the bear. And, the small part of her mind, the part that remembered werewolves lost themselves to their wolves when they transformed, reminded her that Van was human, exposed, and in danger. The bear postured herself between the wolf and her friend, a yodel of a growl escaping her raised hackles. Illusions danced around the bear, the ghosts of other more terrifying polar bears creating a threatening line between Kyle and Van. They threatened to charge with their very postures, their long claws covered in blood, the pelts of dead wolves worn as capes around their necks. Run little wolf. 

Van hadn’t anticipated the snapping of more bones– the tearing of more flesh. Her eyes widened as she took in Kyle’s form being taken over by something completely different. That was no bear, but… a wolf? Of course werewolves existed. Of course this shitty stupid town would produce things out of a storybook, only to make them more horrific. It was animalistic in nature, but kept a manor of humanness to it that Nora’s bear form never took. A scream trapped itself behind Van’s lips as she staggered backwards. Illusions burst from the air, dancing around Kyle’s wolf form in a one-sided fight. She knew she should run, as she was severely out of her depth here, but to leave Nora with Kyle– what would happen to her? Van couldn’t use her magic, not in a way that mattered, not without it pulling Kyle to the depths of the earth, and so Van tried to remain calm; tried to have faith that Nora wouldn’t let anything bad happen to her, because she wouldn’t. Nora never would. Nora protected her, even if she’d shrug it off later. Van stood behind Nora’s bear form, lip trembling.

One bear, he could take. One bear was nothing. One bear, and a flimsy girl with her salty tears. A growl rumbled from the wolf’s chest. If Kyle was thinking logically, he wouldn’t have picked this fight. Van would certainly be on the losing side of his claws. The bear had size, though and, rationally, he would not win against those claws. Nothing about the wolf was rational. He locked eyes with and advanced on the bear slowly, a silent dare. The appearance of other bears was something the wolf had not counted on. Even in the low light of the cemetery, he could see the blood glistening on their maws. His breathing became more shallow and his ears flattened against his head. More and more bears manifested out of nothing, and the wolf’s advance turned immediately to a panicked retreat. The urge to fight lingered in his muscles; he didn’t want to back down from the challenge he had issued. But the same need for survival that had caused Kyle to shift tugged at his stomach again. He let out a howl and, at last, turned and ran off into the dark.

Nora let the illusionary bears drift off her along with her bear. Human Nora stood naked in front of Van. “Huh. That was weird.” Nora noted, leaning down to start picking her torn clothes. Well, they were technically Van’s torn clothes. “Never had a werewolf run from me before.” Van had been smothered in fear, it radiated off her in tasty snack sized waves. Nora finished picking up her pieces, looking up at Van. “First werewolf?” She asked, as if it was a simple reality. But to Nora it had been, all the werewolves she’d met had been the closest thing to her she’d ever met. “They aren’t like me.” Nora slid in, “The wolves are their own being, I think. When I’m a bear, it’s me. The bear is just a different body. When they are wolves, they aren’t them. They are wolves. The guy will be fine, maybe he’ll think this was a werewolf induced dream or something.” Nora stretched. “Let's go back to the crypt.”

Luck was on their side, because Kyle tucked tail and ran, either intelligence or cowardice on his side as he sprinted out of their view. It took her a moment to notice that Nora had shifted back, and at this point, she wasn’t even fazed by the fact that her friend was naked. It was a common situation with her. “So that was…” She had already silently confirmed it, but it felt more definitive when Nora said it. “Right. Werewolf.” Her throat was sore despite the scream that did not bleed out of her. Maybe it was the dairy she had eaten earlier. “Um, yeah. First… werewolf.” As Nora went on to explain that werewolves weren’t like bugbears, Van nodded. That made sense. It seemed as such with the look in Kyle’s eye. She couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was, but it never made itself present in Nora’s, bear form or not. Her gaze swiveled over the clothes that Nora began to pick up, finger jutting out to point at the purple tank top. “That was one of my faves.” She would be totally normal about this, because this was her life now. She could sprout magic from her fingertips and summon things from the earth, and her best friend was a bugbear. Werewolves were just another thing added to the mix. She could totally handle this. “The pants sucked, though. Ugh. Alright, yeah, let’s go.” She was still a little shaken up by what she had witnessed, but as she had guessed it, Nora hadn’t let anything bad happen to her. 

#para: the ghoul kids #para: nora #para: kyle #wickedswriting

[vanoincidence]

[pm] You hid in her luggage? That's what the banshees here wanted to do to us, but I think like, kill us first or something. You're going to be home soon and it will be fine and everything will be fine.

[pm] Van, you're my best friend. I'm coming back. I'm no leaving for a long time. Wicked's rest is home. I don't have a passport either. I hid in Regan's luggage. But I'll be home soon. We can play game, or something. Like that rope game, you're always asking me to play? I'll play it. I mean it. We're all going to be okay.

#pm: nora

[vanoincidence]

[pm] Yeah, I figured. He's a cook and he's a dad and stuff, and he gets like, annoyed by things and you also get annoyed by things. But he's a super good dad or whatever. I think you might like it, the humor is funny. Do you like puns? Burger puns specifically? I bet Teddy would love Bob's Burgers if they haven't already seen it. I bet they have because they're cool. [....] She's giving you worms? I got worms, and then there were a lot of mice, and she left me behind with some bones but now I have bones for her. Banshees are like, really weird.

D :

Yeah, true. I [....] yeah. Yeah, I know. I'm working on it, okay? Like, I'm not as stupid as I was with the cheese stuff. I know that wasn't actually cheese now. I just wanted to believe it was, because if it was cheese then nothing else that was happening to me was actually happening, you know?

Have you [...] you're talking to them, right? They both mention you a lot.

[pm] I haven't seen Bob's Burgers. I haven't seen most things. I don't know who Bob is. Is he a good guy? I don't think it works that way. Most things that have therapy in them probably don't work, actually. I don't think it's stupid to be afraid of banshees, though. [user hesitates a moment.] I'm afraid of them. Except Kavanagh. I'm only afraid she'll keep giving me worms. [...] Yeah, yeah. Don't tell them I said so. They'll get a big head about it, I'd never hear the end of it. [...] Whatever.

Stop it.

He's more fun to make fun of than I am, probably. He's French. [...] I do care about Nora and Wynne. They deserve to have someone care about them, and to have someone save them. So do you. Don't know how much any of you need saving, though. You're all pretty good at getting out of trouble. You're just a little bit better at getting into it.

#pm: emilio #ment: teddy #ment: nora #ment: wynne #ment: regan

[vanoincidence]

[pm] I don't want you to build me a new house. Like, a burger would be better than just a shake. If you're a line cook, you don't even do the shakes, do you? Do you do the shakes?

I carry my own lactaid. It's in a cute coin purse thing shaped like a dog head. Can I mix them???? Can I bring friends? I have some friends who could also totally use milkshakes, but like, I can pay for theirs. Nora is one of them and I'm not sure if you want to

Also, are we going to like, talk about the um [...] you know, woof woof?

@vanoincidence:

[pm] My house blew up and you're giving me a free milkshake? [user is idle for awhile]

Do you have strawberry or salted caramel?

[pm] Fam. I’m a line cook, not an architect. This is what I can do for you.

Oh, you know I got you there. uwu We have vanilla, chocolate, chocolate malt, strawberry, salted caramel, peanut butter, and mint. And Lactaid. Well, that’s not on the menu, but you probably could’ve guessed that. XD

#pm: kyle

[vanoincidence]

[pm] What's happening? Are you okay? Can you leave for now and just wait somewhere else? Wynne, I don't know what's going on, but even Emilio is like, kinda of freaked out which says a lot I think???

I [...] yeah. We'll talk about it when you come home, because you are going to come home! I'll see you when you're here, and we can talk about the things we might have been afraid to talk about before because things like this happen and there's no use ignoring it anymore, right?

[pm] [User opens message the next day.] Sorry, Van. Something came up. We're delayed.

I want to talk to you about these things if I get back when I'm back. The demons. I trust you about it. And about your magic. I appreciate the demon taking the vampire thing with it. I hope you can find answers soon. I will help you. It is hard to find answers but also good, I think. And you will find them. I know you won't make me die. It don't think it will be good. I think Elias is going to die if Regan doesn't show up soon. I think maybe they'll come for me and kill him and then me. It's going to be bad. It's already bad.

Regan is good. I don't know where she is. I don't know what's happening. I'm hiding and waiting for Nora. I'm not sure I'm sorry.

#pm: wynne #ment: emilio

[vanoincidence]

[pm] Hi. [deleted: I know we don't] I saw on the news that there was like a gas leak at your house, and it blew up? Are you okay? Your next shake at Driftwood is on me.

[pm] My house blew up and you're giving me a free milkshake? [user is idle for awhile]

Do you have strawberry or salted caramel?

#pm: kyle

[vanoincidence]

[pm] I'm glad you're coming back. I'm like, really excited to see you, Nora. I am happy for you. I think I just [...] thought I was losing you and would never see you again, you know? I got scared you were leaving somewhere I couldn't follow. I don't have a passport :( I don't want either of you to die. I don't want [...] Declan to die either, and I'm glad that he's not going to.

[pm] I know. I got swept away. I thought it was a fun vacation and then realized I liked it and thought it could stay like that forever. But I know something better than that now. I know that I was wrong, and looking for something that doesn't exist, and ignoring what I already had. and that was dumb of me. I was dumb. I'm coming back tomorrow, and I'll break the kneecaps of the banshees that ruined your house. Thea is happy for me. I want you to be happy for me too. I'm happy. Wynne isn't going to die. I'm not going to die. No one is going to die. Everything is going to be okay. Everything is already okay. We'll be there soon.

#pm: nora #ment: wynne

[vanoincidence]

[pm] Yeah, that's probably a good idea. Maybe um, have you watched Bob's Burger's? I think you're like Bob. I think I'm like oooh, it's exposure therapy, you know? And then it's like, okay! Sure, I don't need to be afraid, but then it scares me anyway. It's stupid. Banshees are stupid. Except for Regan, even if she's stupid for going to Ireland. That's so gay Emilio. Like, I never knew you could get that uwu about something. It's nice to see people care about people. I want to love that Nora is in love, but I'm till scared for her because Wynne is scared. Whatever. -_-

: (

Yeah, maybe it will. I used to make fun of you a lot, but maybe I should make fun of him instead. Because you like, care about Nora and stuff. And that's important. You care about Wynne, too. They're my best friends, and you're [...] you saved me like, twice now, and I think that sometimes they need saving and it's a good thing that [...] they have someone like you. I thought I had that, but I don't know what to believe now and I know you're kind of the same as that, but why is it easier to digest from you?

[pm] Yeah. Maybe something without any banshees. Maybe something with no supernatural things at all, actually. Bound to set someone off, right? [...] They're not small. They're [...] everything. But I worry sometimes, yeah. I worry they think they're too much. They're not. But they [...] pretend to like themself more than they do. I think everyone should like them, too. [user is a little amused by van's reaction here.] You asked, I answered. Maybe you shouldn't ask things if you don't want information, Van.

[...] I don't know what you want from me here.

Yeah, in public. Maybe it would make you feel better. I think it's good to make fun of him. I think it helps. [...] He wouldn't kill you. The most he will do is curse in French.

#pm: emilio #ment: regan #ment: wynne #ment: nora #ment: jade

[vanoincidence]

[pm] I told you that you weren't We like you here for what you are. You're Nora, and you're a bugbear, and you're really cool and you do super cool art and you are like, super loved here. What? Seriously? Wynne said that [...] they thought you were going to die, too. I've been freaking out to Thea. She wants you to be happy, too. I don't [...] want him to die for you either. If you care about him like that. It's important. Yeah. Right. [...] please come home safe, okay??? I'll be here waiting for you, and I'll give Declan free pizza or something. You, too. I'll put all of the ham on it for you.

[pm] For real life. I got lost for a bit Van. They really like me here, but they think I'm a banshee. And I'm not, no matter how much I think i'd fit as one. They wanted to kill Declan. I can't say why, but he would have died for me. I don't want him to die for me. I love him Van. He makes the world have color. I won't let them kill me. We're leaving tomorrow, sun up, we'll find everyone and go.

[vanoincidence]

[pm] Something isn't right. I don't know. It's weird, you know? Like, I know Nora. I don't know. I'm just worried about her and about Wynne.

Okay.

I don't know how you become a banshee. Maybe you have to die or something. Maybe that's why Wynne said they were going to kill Nora, I don't know! But like, they were banshees. They do exist, I've confirmed it with actual real adults, you know? Like, they exist. I [....] don't guess so? Not all Irish ladies scream, just some of them. Regan is only like, kind of Irish I think. She didn't like it there, she left. Then she went back, so I don't know. Maybe she didn't die if that's how you become one! [user is lying bc she can't out regan as a banshee obvs]

Big dogs do a lot of things. Big dogs exist, and so do banshees.

It's about a teen who turns into a wolf. I think it's [...] I mean I know that's a thing that happens and

I need you to believe me, because they wanted to hurt you, too. I'm not okay. None of this is okay. Two of my best friends are in Ireland and the doctor who gave me her apartment because my (now exploded) house was covered in goo. They might not come back, or they might come back, because Nora is saying one thing and Wynne is saying another, and then Jade is killing PEOPLE and Nothing is alright, Thea!!!! The only time I've felt like, normal is when I saw you and it felt like things would maybe be okay and it's easier to just turn it off and pretend it doesn't bother me because losing my house did relieve me of a lot, but it also took a lot from me and I don't know how to think about it without melting things right now and I can't do that. in Nora's crypt and I'm just so tired of being skirted around even though I know it's my fault and I'm sorry that I can't tell you about the magic stuff, but you don't even believe me about the banshees so how am I supposed to

Sorry. I'm just sad about the house, you know? It's gone, and now I don't have anything. Everything is gone. Everything.

[pm] Yeah but, Nora would laugh about arson, wouldn't she? She's like, in love or something! I think that's sweet.

Okay. I just want to be able to I just wish that Fuck

I just don't get how banshees would be real if something didn't bite them. How do you become a banshee then? How do you become anything? I think something bites you. Are people like, just born different? That's not science! I think, maybe there's a more logical explanation than "screaming Irish ladies". Like, not all Irish ladies scream? I don't think I've ever heard Dr. Kavanagh scream and she's like so Irish.

It could be a big dog. Big dogs do a lot of things. Like on full moons? And sometimes not on full moons.

I haven't seen Teen Wolf. It seems like it would be offensive. To, uh, teens. I just have a strong sense of smell; people can have that!

[user is idle]

Okay. Okay, I believe you, Van. I mean, I don't know if I do, I don't know what a banshee is. That doesn't sound real to me. But okay...there were Irish girls and they tried to kill you. And they don't take their shoes off, which is so cringe. And you're... sure you're okay? You sound a little not okay.

Is there anything I can do?

#pm: thea #ment: nora #ment: regan #ment: wynne #parental death tw

[vanoincidence]

[pm] [user reads and re-reads the message] I'm excited to uh, meet him. He wasn't [...] Wynne told me that they were going to hurt you there. Is that true? I thought he was a part of it.

[pm] Promise. I'm excited to go home. Declan is coming with me. This will be my last vacation for a long time, I think.

#pm: nora #ment: wynne

[vanoincidence]

[pm] Really? You promise?

[pm] We're coming home tomorrow.

#pm: nora

[vanoincidence]

[pm] I'm happy that she's happy, but I don't think that like, it's [...] I don't know, Thea! Things feel weird, you know? My house exploded and she didn't even really seem to care. Just laughed about arson, you know? That sucked! I know that's Nora, but it didn't seem like she was taking what happened seriously and I worry it's because something is happening to her there, does that make sense?

I'm fine. I think that I'm getting like, the insurance stuff. Because of the house thing, I don't know. I don't [...] need your money. Keep the money. I'm fine. I don't pay rent right now. It's fine. No more taxes on the house, either. Or mortgage.

No, i'm not joking, Thea. I don't know if all Irish people are banshees, because I don't know any banshees personally [user is lying obviously] but the people who attacked me were from Ireland and they WERE banshees. They screamed my house done. They scrumpt it into nothing. Screams don't normally like, do that. I know it's illegal, but they don't seem to care! And now Wynne isn't answering my messages even though they said they'd be coming home today. A big dog??? No?

Why do you have such a bold nose? Like, how can you always tell? Do you have that sight seeing smell thing? I'm not inventing banshees. Haven't you ever seen Teen Wolf? They're based off a real thing! I've done a lot of reading since learning the word is real, and they're like, super real! So real, Thea. I'm being super honest with now. There's been a lot of lies, right? I'm being honest right now! This is a thing that happened. It's why you couldn't go back to the apartment and why I ghosted you. I was in the woods because it was the safe spot away from the banshees because they knew where my house was and they knew where Regan's apartment was and they knew who YOU were so I thought it was like, some girl you wanted to bring home or something and it wasn't, it was just a girl who wanted to kill me AND you, but you weren't even there and I'm GLAD you weren't.

A what??? Thea, no. Banshee, it's one word. I don't think they bite people. I don't know. But it's [...] it's real, Thea. My house is gone, the banshees screamed and threatened to hurt me and Jade and they DID hurt Jade and my house is GONE and Nora and Wynne are stuck in Ireland and I don't know what's happening to them or Regan, but the banshees are real. I don't know them personally, but they exist. They happen to be really mean and don't take their shoes off.

[pm] She seems happy, Van. Like actually. And I'm happy for her. And I know it sucks because you miss her and you're close to her and she's your friend but....she's happy. She seems happy. I want that for her! I don't think it's weird to be happy.

That's why you didn't smell like a pizza! [...] Are you okay? Money-wise? I can give you some if you need it. It's all in cash and some of it has blood on it but people don't seem to mind!

[user is idle]

You're like, joking right? I don't actually know what a banshee is but I'm pretty sure they don't exist. And why would they sacrifice people in Ireland? That's illegal. Are you sure a big dog thing didn't rip your house down? Or a ghost?

Well, yeah, but that's what Nora smells like. I mean, there are other smells but she also smells like the crypt just like you also smell like pizza. You smell like where you are and where you go. Once you figure out someone's base smell, all the other smells on top of the smell are super obvious. Like, I could tell you were in the woods because you smelled like bark. I don't know why you would be in the woods but like, if you have to invent banshees to explain why your house exploded I guess you wouldn't tell me why you were in the woods anyway. And that's okay! Secrets are okay. I'm not mad about it. You don't need to make up whole mythological creatures though.

Unless

[user is idle again]

Is a banshee someone who got bit by a Ban and turns into a Shee every full moon?

#pm: thea #ment: regan #ment: nora #ment: wynne

[vanoincidence]

[pm] She just told me she isn't leaving and it's for some guy? I don't know if she's actually happy or she's being like, I don't know, in some weird situation, you know? Like, who even IS Declan? Did he steal her phone or something?

I haven't been at work lately so [...] yeah, I guess.

Okay, I like, lied about the tax collector stuff. I lied about um [...] that, and like, I guess what happened to my house and stuff. It got like, torn down? You know, by um. Banshee screams. Ireland is banshee stuff, I guess? And people might be sacrificed or whatever. Wynne is worried about that, and now they aren't answering my messages. I think Nora might die in Ireland and that's why I don't think she should stay there.

Does she [...] smell bad? She doesn't smell like a dog? I don't think? I mean, I don't [...] remember, I don't think. What she does or doesn't smell like. Her crypt doesn't really smell like her anymore, either. It smells like stale cold weather or whatever, you know? Does that make sense?

Thea, I think they might die there, and I almost died here because the banshees attacked. Do you know what banshees are? I can tell you, but like, it's a whole lot.

@vanoincidence replied to your post “[pm] Do you want to come hang out with me at...”:

[pm] That's what Wynne said [...] did she say something else to you??? I thought they were all coming back? Um [...] the [...] where I was staying smelled bad, so I wanted to [...] Nora's place is nice, you know! But um, there were [...] tax collectors? At Regan's apartment, so that's why I'm not there! And obviously my house went kaboom and stuff so [...] I do miss Nora but I don't think I smell her?

​[pm] No, it just seemed like she didn't want to go when I spoke to her. But maybe things have changed? I don't know. She seemed really happy.

You didn't smell bad when I saw you, Van. Nora's place is nice only if you're Nora, I think

Tax collectors? I knew it! I knew Dr. Kavanagh was a criminal! Tax evasion and serial murder (this last one is unconfirmed but I know it on my heart which is basically the same).

It's hard not to smell Nora, she's kinda stinky. [...] In a good way! Like when your dog is kinda stinky and you're like "that's my dog!". Not that Nora is a dog! It's just like, when you like a dog and the dog is kinda stinky but it's okay because that dog is your friend?

#pm: thea #ment: wynne #ment: nora

[vanoincidence]

[pm] But I miss you. Emilio misses you. We miss you here. Why won't you come back? Because of some guy? That's stupid.

@vanoincidence replied to your post “[pm] [user sends selfie of her with a banner in...”:

[pm] [user is shocked she gets a message back] Just come home???? You can like, text her and she'll send you emojis back or something

​[pm] Van, I'm not leaving. I've got things I need to do here.

#pm: nora #ment: emilio

[vanoincidence]

[pm] That's what [...] somebody said. Somebody called me a summoner, and so I looked into it, and I guess it has to deal with being able to summon things, but demons are a big thing and it only ever happens when I guess I think I'm about to die or something. I mean, I don't [...] I guess the demon was nice to ME when it dragged that dirt thing down, right? But I don't think there are nice demons, are there? You were supposed to [...] what???? Wynne, I don't [...] know. A lot about my powers, or where they come from. I've been like this since I was a kid, apparently, and I don't know what to do with it, but I won't ever let a demon try to sacrifice you, okay? Not now, not ever. If I could figure out how to summon you guys back, I would, but I don't know how and I just keep complaining about my abilities instead of learning how to use them and I'm so fucking useless and now you might die there and obviously the banshee stuff WAS connected because they knew Regan and they want us all dead and what are we supposed to It'll be good again. It has to be. You won't be sacrificed. You can't be. Regan [...] she wouldn't let that happen. She's good, right? She's good. She's the good, and she won't let it happen, even if she is weird. Is there anything I can do? From here? I don't want to just sit here.

Regan wouldn't leave without you guys, right? Was she supposed to leave with you? I'm not sure what's happening. Wynne, just [...] get Nora and get home. Lie to Nora, tell her we have Declan at home or something. I'll dress as Declan, idk.

[pm] [User stops in their tracks. User starts walking again because they can't stop in their tracks.] A demon? It was a demon? You know [..] about demons? You can summon demons? [User wants to scream. User cannot handle this right now.] Nice demon or not nice? I was supposed to be sacrificied to a demon, thst's what I didn't tell you. And now they want to sacrifice me again. For no good rason. That;s what. I'm sorry I am walking I can't find Elias anywhere. I'm sorry I didn't tell you that we didn'tt alk about this ebfore. I want the good again. I just want the good again.

Nora is looking for Regan but not to leave but for something else and she wont tell em what and I'm mad at her. I dont even know this Declan. We are supposed to leave tonight but its getting dark and no one is here

#pm: wynne #ment: nora #ment: regan

[vanoincidence]

You love capitalism, what is wrong with you????

You are totally wrong. I just don't hate my job like you seem to do.

#dash: kieran