Chapter Text
“Kalim!” Ace and Ortho shouted.
“Gino! Hold him in place!” Ernesto shouted.
Gino pounced on Kalim, stopping the boy from moving.
“No, stop!” Kalim cried. “Let me go!”
Ernesto breathed heavily. “Talk about giving me extra work.” He reached into Kalim’s pocket, pulling out the ticket. “There’s no mistaking this shiny, sparkling Playful Land ticket! Once I tear this up, you’ll be joining the rest of your friends in puppet purgatory. Which means… I win!”
Ernesto ripped the ticket up. Kalim screamed as his body went still and wood grew across his face.
Ernesto just laughed, straining against his injuries. “You see that, Gino?! I did it! I’ve turned all the Night Raven College students into puppets!” Ernesto laughed again, laughed until he started coughing. He covered his mouth with his hand.
Gino looked up, concerned.
“I’m fine, Gino,” Ernesto said.
“Ernesto! If it's money you're after, I’ll pay as much as you want!” Kalim begged. “Just please, let everyone go! Can’t you see how sorry we are? Let us go back to school! I’m begging you!”
“It’s too late for that!” Ernesto shouted, almost giddy with it. He coughed more into his hand. He looked back at it, expecting blood or spit or something.
Why was it black?
A phone rang from the other room.
“Tch. Really? Now, of all times? This employer can’t take a hint to save his life…”
Gino looked up at Ernesto nervously.
“Nah, I’ll take it. If I don’t, I’ll get the third degree later. You keep an eye on these guys.”
Gino nodded, but his ears wilted. He was worried about his brother.
Ernesto managed to get over to the phone. He felt like his phone body was in pain.
“But at least…I won.” Ernesto picked up the phone, an old rotary device. “Hello? Yes, this is Ernesto Foulworth speaking. Your timing is impeccable. I just captured the last of the Night Raven College students!”
“I expected you to get it done sooner,” the proprietor grumbled over the phone.
“What? But…sir, I worked as quickly as I—”
“Not quickly enough! And I’m deducting damages from your payment.”
“What?” Ernesto shouted. “The park puppets? You’re invoicing us for their repairs?! That wasn’t the deal…Why should we have to foot that bill?”
“I’m sure a scumbag like you can scrounge up the cash.”
“Okay, that’s a little much…” Ernesto took a breath. “If I may, sir—Gino and I have been doing the absolute best we could under the circumstances. You can’t just—”
The proprietor hung up.
“You…” Ernesto muttered. “You glob of gutter trash…”
Gino rushed into the room.
“I’ll show you…” Ernesto muttered. “I’ll show everyone…”
Gino ran and pulled on Ernesto’s sleeve, begging his brother to tell him he was fine. But when Ernesto turned to face the little one, all Gino could see…
It was rage.
Rage, and blackness dripping from his hairline, and from his eyes.
“They will all see…” Ernesto laughed, darkness emanating from his very being. “Don’t worry Gino, I’ll take care of them.”
From behind him, a bloaty, inky, phantom of a fox in blue and green, with the head of a bottle full of ink.
Gino stumbled back. The ink dripped down Ernesto’s face, leaving a black lace-like pattern from his widow’s peak to the bridge of his nose. Ink dripped down his eyes like tears. His skin grew pale.
His clothes shifted, ink forming a deep blue cape to billow behind him. His arms were covered in ink, glove-like, climbing up his arms. His pants seemed to shred as it got closer to his feet. The ink wrapped around his feet, revealing claws.
Gino shrunk to the door, his whole body trembling as he watched his brother become a monster.
“What’s wrong, Gino?” Ernesto asked. “Come here, old chum.”
Gino was scared out of his mind. Yet, he felt a strange euphoria fill him, and he reached out for Ernesto’s hand.
The blot burned his hand. He squeaked and jumped back, clutching it. It hurt. Why did it hurt? What was happening?
“Gino?” Ernesto asked, cocking his head to one side. “What’s wrong?”
Gino rushed out the door.
“Get back here!” Ernesto shouted.
Gino ran across the stage. The captured puppets looked up at him.
“Kid?” Trey asked. “What’s wrong?”
Ernesto’s overblotted form came barreling through. The students went silent.
“What is this?” Ernesto asked. “Are you…running away?”
“Gino!” Ortho shouted. “Gino you need to let us out now! This is serious!”
Gino scuttled to the opposite end of the stage, cowering against a support beam.
“He overblotted?” Jack asked. “He said he had low magic!”
“Apparently he had enough to overblot,” Ortho said, panic in his voice module. “And if he’s right, that phantom will drain him quickly!”
“Gino!” Ace shouted. “His life is on the line! You need to free us!”
Gino looked up. Ernesto’s cane was wrapped up in his blot covered tail. Gino looked up at his brother, before rushing under him, grabbing the cane as he passed him.
“GINO!” Ernesto shouted. “Give that back! You don’t know what you’re doing!”
Gino held the cane above his head and smashed the head against the stage. The wood on their skin disappeared, and the students stood.
“YOU LITTLE BRAT!” Ernesto screamed. “Fine, you’ll join the rest of them as puppets!”
Gino took a scared step back. Lilia rushed in front of him.
“Get him!” Ace shouted. He and Kalim rushed at Ernesto. Kalim shot a blast of magic at him.
“Be careful!” Cater called. He looked back to see Leona grabbing Vil’s arm. “Where are you going?”
“The rafters,” Leona said. “Come on.”
Cater followed, with Floyd tagging along. “This looks fun.”
Trey should have followed, but he decided to stay with Jack and Lilia to protect Gino. They’d seen Riddle and Leona overblot, but in neither instance was a kid in danger.
“Aim for the phantom!” Ortho shouted.
“I’m trying!” Ace said with gritted teeth. He aimed over Ernesto’s head. The blast created a crack in the phantom’s head!
Ernesto groaned. “How dare you!”
“Ernesto!” Kalim called out. “You’re gonna get hurt! Gino could get hurt!”
“You think I care?” Ernesto laughed. “You scholars don’t have any idea what I’ve been through!”
Kalim sent another blast of light magic towards the phantom. Ortho ran behind them, launching a small beam from his palm. It cut straight through the phantom’s head, spilling blot onto Ernesto’s head.
“Why must you elites always be like this?” He screamed. “For once I have power and you dare to take it from me!”
“Because you’ll hurt people!” Ace shouted. “Or yourself.”
“Indeed!” Ortho affirmed. Ernesto was visibly growing weaker as the phantom continued to suck all the life out of him.
“Ernesto! I have brothers too!” Kalim begged. “I know Gino is terrified seeing you like this! You have to fight it!”
“SHUT UP!” Ernesto screamed. He waved his hand, pushing the three back with a blast of magic.
“Stop! You’ll make it worse!” Ortho cried. This wasn’t about his Styx duty anymore. He genuinely wanted Ernesto back.
Leona led the four up the rafters. He reached one of the stage lights, pulling it out of its placement and launching it at Ernesto like a pendulum. Still hanging from the wire, the light barely nicked the phantom, instead lodging itself in the wall.
“What are you doing?” Vil asked.
“Trying to get the phantom,” Leona said, going for another one. “The wires are too high to reach him, but they’re long enough to hit the phantom.”
Vil groaned. “Okay, but a slight problem. The wires could snap.”
“They’re not gonna snap,” Leona assured him, tossing another light at the phantom. Maybe he didn’t push hard enough, but the wire snapped while swinging. The light hurdled down to the stage. Jack was able to see with enough time to push Ace and Kalim out of the way.
“Are you trying to kill the phantom or the freshmen?!” Vil shouted. “You dragged me up for this?!”
“Shut up! We gotta kill this thing!” Leona groaned.
“Guys…calm down,” Cater tried to calm the screaming housewardens. The metal rafters rattled beneath them.
“Ooh! I wanna try!” Floyd rushed over to the stage light, pushing with all his eel strength. The light lodged itself in the center of the phantom’s bottle-head. Ernesto and the phantom stumbled backwards from the force.
“Aww man,” Floyd moaned. “I was aiming for Jade.”
Ernesto looked up at them. He sent a blast of magic up to the rafters. The metal rattled, as the suspended beam cracked. Floyd ran to the far end in time. The other three were stuck as the floor under them turned into a slide. Leona sunk his hand into the gaps between the metal. Vil grabbed his leg. Cater, not on purpose, grabbed Leona’s tail.
Leona yelped, letting go, and sending all three into free fall.
“Cater!” Trey shouted. He focused on an area of the stage below them. “Paint the Roses!”
When the trio landed, they bounced as if they’d landed on a trampoline. Leona still landed on Vil’s stomach.
Jack ran up to them. “Are you guys okay?!”
“I’m fine…” Leona managed.
“Get off me!” Vil pushed the lion off.
“Ernesto!” Ortho pleaded. “You need to stop! You could seriously die!”
“Shut your privileged little mouths!”
Gino squirmed in the fae man’s grasp. He couldn’t leave. Ernesto needed him.
He was afraid. Of course he was. His brother had become an ink spitting monster. But it was still his brother.
“Gino, calm down,” Lilia comforted him. “I know you’re scared, but they’re handling it. They’ll get your brother back.”
Gino couldn’t take it anymore. He managed to squirm free from Lilia’s grasp. With all his speed, he ran up to Ernesto.
Kalim held him back. “Gino! Be careful!”
Ernesto looked at Gino with burning hatred. But his eyes softened. Gino looked afraid.
Was he…scaring Gino?
Gino…the only thing that mattered to him.
The only good thing he’s ever done in his life…
“Beam charged.”
Ernesto looked up to see Ortho blasting his beam at the phantom.. Its head shattered.
“NO!” Ernesto screamed. “NO!!!!”
Kalim pulled Gino back as the phantom shattered around them.
“Ernesto?” the matron called. “A family’s here to see you!”
Ernesto looked up from his blocks. He was small, dressed in the same sweater and shorts all the boys wore at the orphanage.
Ernesto stood and followed her to the meeting room.
“This is Ernesto,” the matron said. “He’s incredibly well behaved.”
The mother smiled at the little fox beastman. She was a well dressed woman with fae ears and fangs. The man behind her was a fox beastman like Ernesto, but his ears were white. Arctic fox perhaps?
“He has magic!” the matron offered. “He’s the only child here who has magic. Come on, buddy, show them!”
Ernesto held out his hands and tried with everything he could to cast a spell.
He couldn’t. He just couldn’t. And he could see the disappointed look in the mother’s eyes.
They didn’t take me home.
No one ever took me home.
I aged out of the system…without ever getting a chance.
“Ernesto?” The matron called sing-songily. “I got a letter from that school you applied to.”
“Oh?” Ernesto took the paper. At this point he was sixteen, had discovered his unique magic and was desperate to get into any school. He’d take Noble Bell if he had to. “What does it say?”
She handed him the letter. “Open it!”
Ernesto did with glee, ripping into the paper, and unsheathing his prize from the envelope.
His face of excitement turned to disappointment.
The matron looked at him with pity. “I’m sorry Ernesto.”
Ernesto sighed, and added it to the pile of rejection letters under his bed.
All my life I wanted someone, anyone, to give me a chance.
All I wanted was to be given the same chances as everyone else.
But no…I just get rejections…
I wasn’t good enough for my parents…
I wasn’t good enough for anything…
At this point, Ernesto was working any job that would take him. Still it wasn’t enough.
That’s how the crime started.
It was just simple shoplifting at first, just to grab some extra food to get him through the week. Then it was pickpocketing. Then it was selling stolen items as if they were incredibly valuable relics.
He’d gotten caught once. He’d managed to outrun the police, but it did catch up to him. At least, karma did.
Another job lost. It was just another job.
He grumbled as he walked back to his run down little apartment, counting the few thaumarks he had left. Maybe he could afford something for dinner—
CLANG!
Ernesto looked at the alley. An open can rolled down the path up to him. He looked deeper into it.
“Hello?” Ernesto called. “Who’s in there?”
There was rustling behind a dumpster.
“I have magic!” he warned. “Why did I even come down here?”
From behind the dumpster a tiny cat beastman, small and frightened, peaked out. His brown hair was overgrown and messy, his clothes tattered.
“Hey little guy,” Ernesto said, tucking his money in his pocket. “I’m not gonna hurt you.”
The cat crawled out, slowly walking towards him. He was so thin, so small.
“Where’s your mama?” Ernesto asked.
The boy said nothing.
“Do you know how to talk?” Ernesto asked. “You understand me?”
The boy nodded.
“But…you can’t talk, can you?”
The boy nodded again.
Ernesto sighed. “I can’t leave you here…come on. You’ll spend the night with me and I’ll get you somewhere safe tomorrow.”
That’s when I first saw him…
Gino…my sweet little Gino…
I don’t know where you came from, but in that way we were already brothers…
Neither of us had a home…
Neither of us had a family…
“Hey! Quit it!”
The boy had sunk his claws into the ground as Ernesto tried to pull him out the door.
“I’m trying to take you somewhere safe!” Ernesto explained. “These people will take care of you. They’ll give you food and water and clothes! And if you’re luckier than me, someone will take you home!”
He managed to pull the boy off the floor, only for him to latch onto Ernesto’s leg.
“Hey!” Ernesto shouted. “Get off! I’m telling you! This is what’s best for you!”
The boy wailed at the thought of leaving.
“Listen, I know it doesn’t sound like the best option but it is!”
The boy looked up at him with big, baby eyes.
“N-no,” Ernesto tried to look away. “Who taught you to be so manipulative? I…” he sighed. “I can’t put you there. They did nothing to help me. They’ll do nothing to help you.”
The boy excitedly jumped and hugged Ernesto. Ernesto hugged him back.
“If you’re staying here, you need a name…how about…Gino?”
The boy liked that. He nodded, jumping up and down with excitement.
“Okay! Okay!” Ernesto tried to calm him. “Gino, I promise, I’ll do everything I can to keep you happy and healthy.”
Gino smiled, wrapping his arms around Ernesto in a big hug.
Gino…
The only family I’ve ever had…
I would do anything to guarantee you a happy life…
Life screwed me over…
I refuse to let it screw with you…
“Gino!” Ernesto returned to their little hostel home. “I have something to show you!”
Gino jumped out of his seat and looked up at Ernesto. Ernesto showed him a yellow jacket, cropped over his stomach. It was very fancy looking.
Gino was in awe.
Ernesto put it on him, smiling as the jacket was put on him. He looked so fancy.
“The sleeves are a bit long,” Ernesto noted. “What do you think, Gino?”
Gino smiled, hugging his brother with all his tiny strength.
Ernesto smiled. “Oh, I also stole some lunch for us. Hungry?”
Gino nodded.
Gino…
I wish I could have been a real, honest man…
I wish I could have magicked away all your pain and sadness…
I wish I could be the family you deserve…
The dust began to settle. Kalim held Gino close.
Ernesto’s figure appeared from the dust. He coughed the blood out of his throat.
“G-Gino?” he managed.
Gino ran up to him. Ernesto held out a hand to stop him.
“G-Gino, I didn’t hurt you, did I?” Ernesto asked. “I’d never forgive myself if I hurt you.”
Gino shook his head adamantly. Ernesto breathed a sigh of relief, giving Gino the chance to give his brother a big hug.
“Gino…” Ernesto said. “Gino, I’m so sorry.” He looked up, managing to stand, still holding Gino in a hug. “I’m sorry to all of you.”
“What exactly happened?” Kalim asked.
Ernesto explained everything. Kalim looked at him with sympathy.
“All that work, and you aren’t even getting paid?”
“Kalim, don’t sympathize with him!” Vil chastised. “He tried to kill us.”
“He’s just desperate for cash,” Lilia said. “I can understand the feeling. It’s hard enough to feed yourself, let alone someone so tiny and adorable.”
Kalim smiled. “Yeah. I can’t relate at all.”
Ernesto groaned. He looked back down at his little brother. “Thank you for keeping Gino safe.”
“It was nothing,” Lilia smiled. “He’s just adorable!”
“So this proprietor isn’t paying you at all?” Ace asked. “What a piece of shit.”
“Exactly!” Ernesto said.
“Even Azul would have made such an aspect of the deal clear,” Jade shook his head. “What a despicable man.”
Vil glared at Jade. “Hey, where’s your brother?”
“Don’t know.”
Ernesto sighed. “I’m so sorry Gino. I thought this was it. I thought—”
Gino pulled Ernesto down and bonked him on the head with his fist. Ernesto just laughed.
“You little doofus,” he cheered. “You’re right. That man was atrocious anyway. I’d like to show some appreciation to our former employer.”
The brothers shared a cheeky smile.
“We’re gonna destroy the park!”
“You’re gonna WHAT now?!” Ace shouted.
“Are you sure that’s advisable?” Ortho asked. “Your blot levels may be lowering, but I would advise against doing any more magic for a while.”
“Well then why don’t you boys help me?” Ernesto smiled. “The magic was dispelled when Gino broke my cane, so you should be safe to be as destructive as you want.”
Ace shrugged. “Why not?”
“Why not?” Leona asked. “He just overblotted and now you trust him?”
“Housewarden…” Jack managed. “You really shouldn’t be talking…”
“I mean, after all that, we might as well trust him,”
“Indeed,” Jade said. “He knows we can dispose of him if he’s luring us into another trap.”
Kalim smiled. “Great! I’ve wanted to be friends with you the whole time!”
“Wonderful,” Ernesto managed a weak smile. “Gino, get your hammer.”
Gino excitedly ran to grab his hammer.
Vil approached Ernesto with the pieces of his cane. With a simple spell he put it back together. “It’s a bit worse for wear, but it should work.”
“Thank you,” Ernesto said. “I will follow the robot child’s advice and avoid using magic.”
Jade sighed. “Well, I hope I never have to do that again.”
“Yeah,” Kalim agreed. “I hope no one else overblots this year.”
“Agreed,” Vil nodded.
Jade looked around. He smiled to himself. “Now, where is my dear brother?” He looked up to the rafters. Floyd was clutching the metal so hard his hands had gone ghost white. His face too was frozen in fear, not at the fact someone had just overblotted, but at the fact he was like twenty feet above the ground, on very rickety metal.
“Oh, is someone scared?” Jade smiled teasily.
Floyd said nothing.
Jade smiled. “Trey, could you go get him?”
Trey looked up, panic filling his face. “Um, sure! I’ll get him down!”
After some coaxing by Trey (and teasing from Jade) Floyd jumped onto the trampoline. The excitement wiped away his fear. He smacked his brother for being so mean and followed everyone else to do a little property destruction.