Part 3
Title: Performing Arts Academy Awesome - Part 3
Characters: *deep breath* Spoony, Linkara, Film Brain, Marzgurl, Chick, Critic, Insano, Son of Insano, Ask That Guy, Scarlett, various others mentioned
Summary: It was just a contest.
Rating: R for language, violence, sex, and Ask That Guy's very presence.
A/N: FINISHED. This is the fill for this prompt, and it ate my brain forever. I want to do a DVD-style commentary for this, because I have Things To Say about it. For now, though, know that this is the song I associate with Spoony in this fic. It may be the one he plays, as well, I never really decided.
Marzgurl watched the crowd of people leaving the classroom, waving when she found who she was looking for. "Film Brain! Over here!"
The boy jogged up to her, smiling. "I heard Spoony's on board," he said quietly. Marzgurl grinned at him.
"No thanks to you."
"Stoppit," he muttered. "I told you about him and Linkara, didn't I?"
"And now Linkara thinks you're spying on him." Marzgurl rolled her eyes. "And once he gets something in his head..."
"So now I've got your boyfriend after me?"
"Pretty much." They started down the hallway, Marzgurl looping her arm around Film Brain's.
"Fantastic. Because that's what I need right now." He gave a frustrated sigh. "And you don't need to be doing this," he added in a murmur. "Linkara will flip out if he figures out what you're up to."
"Then let him flip," she said firmly. "This is a good thing."
"What about - "
"Film Brain." She stopped walking, moving to stand in front of him. "Stop worrying." She went up on her tiptoes, kissing him on the cheek. "It'll turn out alright."
"I'm trusting you."
"That's all you have to do." With a quick grin, she shrugged her bag onto her shoulder and walked away.
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The sun was inching over the horizon by the time Insano came trudging through the door. His son was asleep on the couch, and he just watched him for a moment before nudging him awake.
"Come on," he murmured. "Get up and go to bed." He picked him up off the couch and set him on the floor. "No school today. For either of us." He received a brilliant, if sleepy, smile in return, and it brought a smile to his own face as his son made his way down the stairs.
It faded as soon as he slumped onto the couch. He had gone all the way to the state line, and hadn't even seen a blue-haired old lady, much less an "expendable", as Ask That Guy called them. He was starting to wonder what it would take to knock one out and dye her hair when he dropped his head into his hands. This wasn't what he wanted. Ask That Guy had approached him about an art project. He needed someone who could develop and manipulate traditional film, and Insano was the best for miles.
And Insano couldn't refute that. He was the best. The praise had gone to his head so quickly that he did little more than lift an eyebrow when he saw what he was developing. He'd seen much worse, of course, but those days were supposed to be behind him. Ask That Guy was right about that - he was a bad man. He had been a bad man for a very long time. But now he had his son.
That was the trap. Ask That Guy was holding his son's safety over his head. He had to go through with this, or his son would be left alone.
Spoony came down the stairs, guitar slung over his shoulder.
"Did you just get home?" Insano didn't answer. "Well, don't be here tonight. People are coming over to work on our project."
"By 'people' you mean 'girls'?" Insano asked bitterly.
"...among others."
"I'll make myself scarce," Insano assured him, standing wearily.
"I appreciate it." Spoony paused at the door, watching Insano slump against the wall. "You okay, dude?"
"That's good," Insano said quietly. "You got that inflection in there just right. For a second it seemed like you actually gave a shit."
Rolling his eyes, Spoony left the house without another word.
---------------------------------------
Marzgurl answered the phone, yanking it away from her ear immediately as Linkara's yelling came over the line.
"What the hell?!"
"Sorry. My roommate's being anal about the light being on."
"He's so creepy."
"I know. What's up?"
"How's working with Spoony?"
"It's alright. There was a minor hurdle with the difference in instruments, but we worked it out. You'll hear it tonight, I guess."
"Looking forward to it," she said cheerily. He smiled.
"You've been really upbeat lately, you know that?"
"I'm...sorry?"
"Don't apologize; it's nice."
"Get a room!" The voice came from the background, followed by a crashing noise.
"What was that?" Marzgurl asked.
"My roommate shutting up. See you tonight?"
"...sure."
---------------------------------------
Spoony settled beneath a tree, plucking a few notes out on his guitar and smiling when a woman's voice came from the other side of the tree.
"You know you're not supposed to be over here."
"Does anyone really stick to their own part of campus anymore?"
"They do when the dean of their school would dropkick them otherwise."
"He's just bitter 'cause he's bald."
She laughed and he closed his eyes, almost absorbing the sound.
"Seriously," she said, a thread of humor still winding through her words. "If he sees you he's gonna kill you."
"So I won't let him see me. I'm a ninja."
"Sure you are."
"I am! Watch."
"How can I - " She was cut off mid-question by his lips against hers, and when he pulled back she was smiling.
"Never saw it coming, did you." He pressed his forehead against hers, staring into her eyes, and she pressed up to kiss him back briefly.
"Get out of here, ninja-boy."
"That's ninja-man. And we're still on for this weekend?"
"Of course we are. Go!"
Grinning, he grabbed his guitar and cut across the grass, hopping the fence and turning around to make the "safe" signal once he'd reached the sidewalk. She just shook her head, laughing, and shooed him on.
"That boy's gonna be the death of me."
---------------------------------------
Chick was sitting up in Critic's bed with her back pressed against the wall when he came in.
"Didn't go to class?"
"Didn't feel like it," she said airily. He just shrugged, tossing her a fast-food bag.
"Figured you were hungry."
"...thanks." She retrieved the sandwich and began eating, pausing when she saw him staring. "What?"
"Nothing." He sat at the desk with his own meal, unwrapping it noisily.
Chick decided to go with it for once, and was almost finished eating when he spoke again. "How's your neck?"
She lifted a hand to her throat, tracing the raw, red line with her fingertips. "It's alright."
"That's good."
They continued in silence for a while, until Chick set aside her food and started watching Critic eat. He cut his eyes around at her suspiciously. "What?"
"You know who it was that attacked me," she said, the barest of accusations in her voice. "Why won't you call the cops?"
He sighed, setting his food down. "Because I'm the only one who knows," he said in exasperation. "And I'd like to continue breathing."
"How do you know, though?"
He turned to her, glaring over the tops of his glasses. "Why did you call me?"
"I was in the process of seeing if you were up for fucking around when he grabbed me," she said icily. He sat back, surprised - he clearly hadn't expected an answer. "So now you answer mine. At least tell me who he is." There was a pleading note in her voice, the only thing that at all suggested she was not as her deadpan exterior suggested. He sighed again, shoving back away from the desk.
"Ask That Guy. It was Ask That Guy."
"...the creepy art guy with the dead hooker mannequins?"
Critic gave a humorless laugh. "Mannequins. Sure. Why not."
"Wait, you don't mean..." Her eyes went wide and she sat back against the wall. "He said he was gonna make me his next project." Her voice was high and breathy, and Critic moved to sit next to her on the bed. "He was gonna cut me up and take pictures of me."
"He's looking for something in particular," Critic muttered in a low voice. "You're not it, or you'd be dead."
"But after that, what about after that." She wrapped her arms around her knees. "Why won't you call the cops? Why are you so scared of him?"
Critic flinched. "It's not...I can't..." Words failed him and he fell silent, wrapping an arm around Chick's shoulders instead. She leaned against him, pressing her face into his shoulder, and they just sat like that for a while.
"You realize this never happened," she muttered after a few minutes.
"Of course not."
---------------------------------------
Spoony cast an eye around his living room, a little floored at the mixture of people there. Chick was in the armchair, Y was sitting in the floor next to her, Film Brain was leaning against the far wall, and Linkara and Marzgurl were on the couch, Marzgurl's legs arranged over Linkara's in a way that most definitely wasn't the source of the tic in his cheek. The most baffling by a long shot, however, was Critic, who was leaning on the back of Chick's chair.
"Why are you here?" Spoony asked. "Aren't you majoring in being a tourist attraction?"
"Aren't you majoring in fuck you?"
"Touche."
Chick and Marzgurl headed the meeting magnificently, and everything got addressed in a little under an hour. It wouldn't have even taken that long, however, had Spoony and Linkara not derailed every conversation with an argument, joking or otherwise, until Chick snapped at them to just make out and get it over with. Spoony went very, very still, and Linkara went pink around the ears.
"I think we're good for now," Spoony said, slightly too loud.
"I concur," Linkara added, standing.
"Next week, then?" Marzgurl offered. Chick nodded in agreement.
"Sounds like a plan."
They were miling about in the front yard, Marzgurl hugging Film Brain and Linkara avoiding making eye contact with Spoony, when Insano came up the road with his son. Critic stopped with his hand on the car door handle, glaring, until his eyes flicked down to the child at his side. His frown became one of confusion, and Chick hissed at him to please just get in the car, already.
As they pulled out, Linkara called for Marzgurl to come on, and Insano stopped dead in the middle of the driveway. He stared at Marzgurl, eyes following her as she made her way across the yard, and she stopped just short of opening the door to stare back.
"What?" she asked, arching an eyebrow, and Insano shook himself like he was coming out of a trance.
"N-nothing," he stammered. "It's just...your hair. That's such a lovely color."
She smiled slightly. "Thank you."
"I thought you two were at a movie," Spoony called from the doorway, arms crossed over his chest and a glare focused on Insano.
"It let out earlier than we thought." Insano and his son made their way up the driveway, Insano turning to watch Linkara's car pull out of the driveway. "So that's your competition, eh?" he muttered to Spoony as he sent the boy downstairs.
"I've had a relatively good day, Insano. Don't ruin it by making me punch you."
"I'm just saying. I might be able to help you with that." Insano had started towards the stairs, but Spoony grabbed him by the shoulder and slammed him against the wall. "What the fuck," he hissed, shoving back. Spoony stood firm, glaring into Insano's goggles.
"They stay out of it," he all but growled.
"Out of what."
"Out of whatever the fuck Ask That Guy's got you doing." Insano stilled, narrowing his eyes. "I'm not an idiot, Insano, I know he's the reason you've been out 'till dawn. I don't know what you're doing and I don't know why you're doing it, but my friends stay out of it. Understood?"
Insano said nothing. Spoony's fingers tightened against his shoulder and he shook him, Insano's head connecting with the wall with a quiet cracking noise.
"Yes," Insano spat finally. "Understood. Get the fuck off of me."
Spoony released him, albeit reluctantly, and Insano yanked his coat straight as he stomped towards the basement. Spoony watched him go, scrubbing a hand roughly through his hair before heading upstairs.
Characters: *deep breath* Spoony, Linkara, Film Brain, Marzgurl, Chick, Critic, Insano, Son of Insano, Ask That Guy, Scarlett, various others mentioned
Summary: It was just a contest.
Rating: R for language, violence, sex, and Ask That Guy's very presence.
A/N: FINISHED. This is the fill for this prompt, and it ate my brain forever. I want to do a DVD-style commentary for this, because I have Things To Say about it. For now, though, know that this is the song I associate with Spoony in this fic. It may be the one he plays, as well, I never really decided.
Marzgurl watched the crowd of people leaving the classroom, waving when she found who she was looking for. "Film Brain! Over here!"
The boy jogged up to her, smiling. "I heard Spoony's on board," he said quietly. Marzgurl grinned at him.
"No thanks to you."
"Stoppit," he muttered. "I told you about him and Linkara, didn't I?"
"And now Linkara thinks you're spying on him." Marzgurl rolled her eyes. "And once he gets something in his head..."
"So now I've got your boyfriend after me?"
"Pretty much." They started down the hallway, Marzgurl looping her arm around Film Brain's.
"Fantastic. Because that's what I need right now." He gave a frustrated sigh. "And you don't need to be doing this," he added in a murmur. "Linkara will flip out if he figures out what you're up to."
"Then let him flip," she said firmly. "This is a good thing."
"What about - "
"Film Brain." She stopped walking, moving to stand in front of him. "Stop worrying." She went up on her tiptoes, kissing him on the cheek. "It'll turn out alright."
"I'm trusting you."
"That's all you have to do." With a quick grin, she shrugged her bag onto her shoulder and walked away.
---------------------------------------
The sun was inching over the horizon by the time Insano came trudging through the door. His son was asleep on the couch, and he just watched him for a moment before nudging him awake.
"Come on," he murmured. "Get up and go to bed." He picked him up off the couch and set him on the floor. "No school today. For either of us." He received a brilliant, if sleepy, smile in return, and it brought a smile to his own face as his son made his way down the stairs.
It faded as soon as he slumped onto the couch. He had gone all the way to the state line, and hadn't even seen a blue-haired old lady, much less an "expendable", as Ask That Guy called them. He was starting to wonder what it would take to knock one out and dye her hair when he dropped his head into his hands. This wasn't what he wanted. Ask That Guy had approached him about an art project. He needed someone who could develop and manipulate traditional film, and Insano was the best for miles.
And Insano couldn't refute that. He was the best. The praise had gone to his head so quickly that he did little more than lift an eyebrow when he saw what he was developing. He'd seen much worse, of course, but those days were supposed to be behind him. Ask That Guy was right about that - he was a bad man. He had been a bad man for a very long time. But now he had his son.
That was the trap. Ask That Guy was holding his son's safety over his head. He had to go through with this, or his son would be left alone.
Spoony came down the stairs, guitar slung over his shoulder.
"Did you just get home?" Insano didn't answer. "Well, don't be here tonight. People are coming over to work on our project."
"By 'people' you mean 'girls'?" Insano asked bitterly.
"...among others."
"I'll make myself scarce," Insano assured him, standing wearily.
"I appreciate it." Spoony paused at the door, watching Insano slump against the wall. "You okay, dude?"
"That's good," Insano said quietly. "You got that inflection in there just right. For a second it seemed like you actually gave a shit."
Rolling his eyes, Spoony left the house without another word.
---------------------------------------
Marzgurl answered the phone, yanking it away from her ear immediately as Linkara's yelling came over the line.
"What the hell?!"
"Sorry. My roommate's being anal about the light being on."
"He's so creepy."
"I know. What's up?"
"How's working with Spoony?"
"It's alright. There was a minor hurdle with the difference in instruments, but we worked it out. You'll hear it tonight, I guess."
"Looking forward to it," she said cheerily. He smiled.
"You've been really upbeat lately, you know that?"
"I'm...sorry?"
"Don't apologize; it's nice."
"Get a room!" The voice came from the background, followed by a crashing noise.
"What was that?" Marzgurl asked.
"My roommate shutting up. See you tonight?"
"...sure."
---------------------------------------
Spoony settled beneath a tree, plucking a few notes out on his guitar and smiling when a woman's voice came from the other side of the tree.
"You know you're not supposed to be over here."
"Does anyone really stick to their own part of campus anymore?"
"They do when the dean of their school would dropkick them otherwise."
"He's just bitter 'cause he's bald."
She laughed and he closed his eyes, almost absorbing the sound.
"Seriously," she said, a thread of humor still winding through her words. "If he sees you he's gonna kill you."
"So I won't let him see me. I'm a ninja."
"Sure you are."
"I am! Watch."
"How can I - " She was cut off mid-question by his lips against hers, and when he pulled back she was smiling.
"Never saw it coming, did you." He pressed his forehead against hers, staring into her eyes, and she pressed up to kiss him back briefly.
"Get out of here, ninja-boy."
"That's ninja-man. And we're still on for this weekend?"
"Of course we are. Go!"
Grinning, he grabbed his guitar and cut across the grass, hopping the fence and turning around to make the "safe" signal once he'd reached the sidewalk. She just shook her head, laughing, and shooed him on.
"That boy's gonna be the death of me."
---------------------------------------
Chick was sitting up in Critic's bed with her back pressed against the wall when he came in.
"Didn't go to class?"
"Didn't feel like it," she said airily. He just shrugged, tossing her a fast-food bag.
"Figured you were hungry."
"...thanks." She retrieved the sandwich and began eating, pausing when she saw him staring. "What?"
"Nothing." He sat at the desk with his own meal, unwrapping it noisily.
Chick decided to go with it for once, and was almost finished eating when he spoke again. "How's your neck?"
She lifted a hand to her throat, tracing the raw, red line with her fingertips. "It's alright."
"That's good."
They continued in silence for a while, until Chick set aside her food and started watching Critic eat. He cut his eyes around at her suspiciously. "What?"
"You know who it was that attacked me," she said, the barest of accusations in her voice. "Why won't you call the cops?"
He sighed, setting his food down. "Because I'm the only one who knows," he said in exasperation. "And I'd like to continue breathing."
"How do you know, though?"
He turned to her, glaring over the tops of his glasses. "Why did you call me?"
"I was in the process of seeing if you were up for fucking around when he grabbed me," she said icily. He sat back, surprised - he clearly hadn't expected an answer. "So now you answer mine. At least tell me who he is." There was a pleading note in her voice, the only thing that at all suggested she was not as her deadpan exterior suggested. He sighed again, shoving back away from the desk.
"Ask That Guy. It was Ask That Guy."
"...the creepy art guy with the dead hooker mannequins?"
Critic gave a humorless laugh. "Mannequins. Sure. Why not."
"Wait, you don't mean..." Her eyes went wide and she sat back against the wall. "He said he was gonna make me his next project." Her voice was high and breathy, and Critic moved to sit next to her on the bed. "He was gonna cut me up and take pictures of me."
"He's looking for something in particular," Critic muttered in a low voice. "You're not it, or you'd be dead."
"But after that, what about after that." She wrapped her arms around her knees. "Why won't you call the cops? Why are you so scared of him?"
Critic flinched. "It's not...I can't..." Words failed him and he fell silent, wrapping an arm around Chick's shoulders instead. She leaned against him, pressing her face into his shoulder, and they just sat like that for a while.
"You realize this never happened," she muttered after a few minutes.
"Of course not."
---------------------------------------
Spoony cast an eye around his living room, a little floored at the mixture of people there. Chick was in the armchair, Y was sitting in the floor next to her, Film Brain was leaning against the far wall, and Linkara and Marzgurl were on the couch, Marzgurl's legs arranged over Linkara's in a way that most definitely wasn't the source of the tic in his cheek. The most baffling by a long shot, however, was Critic, who was leaning on the back of Chick's chair.
"Why are you here?" Spoony asked. "Aren't you majoring in being a tourist attraction?"
"Aren't you majoring in fuck you?"
"Touche."
Chick and Marzgurl headed the meeting magnificently, and everything got addressed in a little under an hour. It wouldn't have even taken that long, however, had Spoony and Linkara not derailed every conversation with an argument, joking or otherwise, until Chick snapped at them to just make out and get it over with. Spoony went very, very still, and Linkara went pink around the ears.
"I think we're good for now," Spoony said, slightly too loud.
"I concur," Linkara added, standing.
"Next week, then?" Marzgurl offered. Chick nodded in agreement.
"Sounds like a plan."
They were miling about in the front yard, Marzgurl hugging Film Brain and Linkara avoiding making eye contact with Spoony, when Insano came up the road with his son. Critic stopped with his hand on the car door handle, glaring, until his eyes flicked down to the child at his side. His frown became one of confusion, and Chick hissed at him to please just get in the car, already.
As they pulled out, Linkara called for Marzgurl to come on, and Insano stopped dead in the middle of the driveway. He stared at Marzgurl, eyes following her as she made her way across the yard, and she stopped just short of opening the door to stare back.
"What?" she asked, arching an eyebrow, and Insano shook himself like he was coming out of a trance.
"N-nothing," he stammered. "It's just...your hair. That's such a lovely color."
She smiled slightly. "Thank you."
"I thought you two were at a movie," Spoony called from the doorway, arms crossed over his chest and a glare focused on Insano.
"It let out earlier than we thought." Insano and his son made their way up the driveway, Insano turning to watch Linkara's car pull out of the driveway. "So that's your competition, eh?" he muttered to Spoony as he sent the boy downstairs.
"I've had a relatively good day, Insano. Don't ruin it by making me punch you."
"I'm just saying. I might be able to help you with that." Insano had started towards the stairs, but Spoony grabbed him by the shoulder and slammed him against the wall. "What the fuck," he hissed, shoving back. Spoony stood firm, glaring into Insano's goggles.
"They stay out of it," he all but growled.
"Out of what."
"Out of whatever the fuck Ask That Guy's got you doing." Insano stilled, narrowing his eyes. "I'm not an idiot, Insano, I know he's the reason you've been out 'till dawn. I don't know what you're doing and I don't know why you're doing it, but my friends stay out of it. Understood?"
Insano said nothing. Spoony's fingers tightened against his shoulder and he shook him, Insano's head connecting with the wall with a quiet cracking noise.
"Yes," Insano spat finally. "Understood. Get the fuck off of me."
Spoony released him, albeit reluctantly, and Insano yanked his coat straight as he stomped towards the basement. Spoony watched him go, scrubbing a hand roughly through his hair before heading upstairs.