The Shadowpact kind of turned into the cast of House. Sorry?
Title: Bedtime
Fandom: DC (Zachary Zatara/Red Devil)
Characters: Zach, Eddie, Greta, Tracy, Anita, Tim, mentions of Dream
Prompt: 2. Blanket Fort
Word Count: 1368
Rating: PG
Summary: Earth experiences a sudden infestation of bogeymen, and the Shadowpact must stop them from killing countless human children before they fall asleep.
Author's Note: I wrote this while sick. Sorry if it sucks.
Zachary crossed his arms.
“So explain to me why you need to use our bed,” he said.
“Bogeymen can’t hurt you if you’re under a blanket,” said Tracy. “One of them killed a sleeping kid a few hundred years back and got in a world of trouble for it, or so the legend goes.”
“We just have to be under a blanket?” asked Greta. “Can’t we just make a blanket fort or something?”
“You have to look like you’re sleeping,” said Tracy. “It’s easiest to do that if you’re in bed, under the covers.”
“But why our bed?” Zachary persisted. “As opposed to, oh, say, yours?”
“You two have the only king-size bed,” said Anita, flatly. “Nobody else felt the need to make their bed bigger.”
“Two people use it!” snapped Zachary.
“We all have doubles,” said Tim mildly.
“I could make someone else’s bed bigger,” said Zachary. “Or I could conjure up a completely new one. Why must we all use mine?”
“God, Zachary, we won’t break it,” Anita rolled her eyes. “And it’s Eddie’s bed too, mon.”
“Leave me out of this!” Eddie sputtered. “This has nothing to do with me.”
“He’s your boyfriend!” snapped Anita. “Eddie, make him not be stupid.”
“He’s not stupid,” said Eddie. “He’s just finicky,”
“‘Finicky?’” laughed Zachary. “Since when do you use words like ‘finicky?’”
Eddie glared at him.
“You guys can use the bed.”
Moments later, the entire Shadowpact was crammed into a single bed, trying not to touch anyone they weren’t sleeping with.
“This is ridiculous,” Anita groused from her spot at the foot of the bed.
“It’s too hot,” whined Zachary, snuggled up next to Eddie on the left side. “Erom ria.”
The area under the blanket became marginally less stifling. Zachary repeated his spell.
“Hold on,” said Tim. He made a brief hand gesture and they felt a tiny breeze. “Better?”
“Much,” he flung an arm over Eddie. “I’m almost done forgiving you now,” he added in a whisper.
“Funny,” Eddie mumbled.
“Will you two stop whispering? Said Tracy. “You too, Greta and Tim. We have to work out how to catch these bogeymen!”
“We could put a blanket over their heads,” said Tim. “Give them an existential crisis.”
“Why would that give them an existential crisis?” asked Zachary.
“Never mind,” Tim sighed. “It was a joke.”
“I don’t get it,” said Greta, puzzled.
“No, hang on, I think you’re onto something,” said Tracy. Everybody turned to look at her. “We could put them to sleep. If they’re asleep-”
“-they belong to the king of dreams,” Tim finished. “He was the one who punished them when they killed a sleeper. Bogeymen hate him, that’s why they always go for kids right before they fall asleep-they want to stop them from dreaming. It’s the only way they can hurt him,” he frowned. “I didn’t know you knew about the dream king, Tracy.”
“Know about him?” she grinned. “I’ve been to his library.”
“Who is this dream king?” asked Zachary. “Aside, of course, from the obvious.”
“He’s in charge of the Dreaming,” said Tim. “He’s got a sister who’s Death and a brother who knows everything, and probably a few others. I’ve talked to him a few times-he’s not bad if you don’t make him angry.”
“And the bogeymen made him angry,” said Greta. “Because they killed someone who was dreaming?”
“They went into their dreams,” said Tracy. “And killed them there. It’s how they kill-they get in your mind and kill you in your thoughts. Your body can’t tell the difference.”
“Like the Matrix,” said Eddie.
“Yes, Eddie,” said Zachary dryly. “Exactly like the Matrix.”
“Shut up.”
“Do you have a spell that can put these guys to sleep?” Anita asked Tim. “Otherwise I can do it.”
“I don’t use spells,” said Tim. “But yeah, I can put them to sleep. It’s not what I normally do, but yeah.”
“I’ll go look them up on the cauldron,” said Tracy. “Check under the bed. Actually, check under everybody’s bed. Eddie, you stay here,” Eddie scowled. “Greta, send them to the sunless lands-I don’t know if it’ll hold them, but it’ll get them out of our hair, at least. God,” she added. “I hate infestations.”
Reluctantly, they all left the safety of the covers; Zachary was the last to go. He gave Eddie one last squeeze and kissed him on the temple.
“Try not to die while I’m gone,” said Zachary with a smirk on his face.
“Jerk,” mumbled Eddie.
“You’re just now realizing this?” said Anita from outside the blanket. “Come on, mon, we’ve got a job to do.”
“You’re awfully impatient today, Anita,” said Zachary as he slid out of bed. “Is that because you’re lonely?”
“It’s because you’re an asshole,” said Anita. “I don’t know why Eddie puts up with you.”
“Beneath my gruff exterior beats a heart of solid gold,” said Zachary, walking out the door. “Who enjoys kittens and puppies and long walks on the beach.”
“You’re not gruff,” said Anita. “I know gruff. Hell, I’ve slept with gruff. You’re just an asshole.”
“You caught me,” said Zachary. He opened the linen closet and glanced briefly inside. “I’m just really good in bed.”
“Here,” said Tracy, tapping the surface of the cauldron. The team, minus Eddie, was gathered around her. “This house. It’s just outside of Vancouver.”
“Got it,” said Anita. “C’mon, Greta. Let’s get this over with.”
“Hey,” said Greta, hurt. “I brought an umbrella!”
She pulled it out and opened a portal, which they both stepped through.
“Next one,” said Tracy. “Cairo. Do you need an address?”
“No,” said Zachary. “Just show me the outside.”
She tapped the cauldron again.
“Like this?” she asked.
“Yeah,” said Zachary. “Oriac.”
He vanished.
“Tim,” she said. “Shanghai.”
“Got it,” said Tim, and disappeared.
Tracy sighed and tapped the cauldron again.
“Right, then,” she said under her breath. “Four down, seven hundred and six to go.”
“You can come out now, Eddie,” Tracy called from the kitchen. “We’ve finished!”
She poured herself a cup of coffee. Tim, Greta, and Anita had all fallen asleep on top of one another on the living room couch, while Zachary had conjured up a box of pizza and was on his fifth slice. He moved over when he saw Eddie padding sleepily down the hallway.
“I was getting hungry,” he said, yawning. “How’d it go?”
“You haven’t eaten this entire time?” asked Tracy. “Want me to grab the cereal?”
“It’s fine,” said Eddie, grabbing a piece of pizza. “I’ll mooch off Zat. Besides,” he paused, chewing, “I pretty much just slept. How were the bogeymen?”
“Numerous and belligerent,” Zachary swallowed. “I feel like I haven’t slept in days. And please,” he added. “Don’t talk to me about irony.”
“There’s coffee if you want it,” said Tracy. She slid in the chair across from them.
“I want to sleep,” he stood up. “Come on, Eddie. I’m going to bed.”
“I was just in bed!” Eddie protested.
“Bring a book,” said Zachary. “Let’s go.”
“Fine, but you owe me,” said Eddie.
“I’ll make you a cake,” Zachary rolled his eyes.
“A real cake,” said Eddie. He grabbed Zachary’s arm and they started to walk.“And you have to bake it.”
“With a real, live oven?” Zachary fake-squealed. “Gosh, I just don’t know!”
“I mean it,” said Eddie. “Magic is cheating. And chocolate frosting.”
“I should’ve made you fly me back,” said Zachary. “This is turning into quite a cake.”
They arrived at the doorway, which Eddie quickly pulled Zachary through.
“C’mon,” said Eddie. “You’re getting slap-happy.”
“You’re getting slap-happy,” Zachary mumbled as he collapsed into bed.
“You going to brush your teeth?” asked Eddie, but all he got was a groan in response. “Fine, but I’m not kissing you until you do.”
“Shut up,” he moaned, and pulled Eddie tail-first into bed.
“Ow! That fucking hurt, you bastard,” said Eddie. “You don’t just pull someone’s tail.”
“Mmm,” Zachary murmured, snuggling up to Eddie. “I forgive you, you know. For selling me out.”
“Selling you out!” laughed Eddie. “All I did was let them use our bed, you drama queen!”
“Whatever,” mumbled Zachary. "Love you."
“Love you too, Zat,” said Eddie. “Sweet dreams.”
Fandom: DC (Zachary Zatara/Red Devil)
Characters: Zach, Eddie, Greta, Tracy, Anita, Tim, mentions of Dream
Prompt: 2. Blanket Fort
Word Count: 1368
Rating: PG
Summary: Earth experiences a sudden infestation of bogeymen, and the Shadowpact must stop them from killing countless human children before they fall asleep.
Author's Note: I wrote this while sick. Sorry if it sucks.
Zachary crossed his arms.
“So explain to me why you need to use our bed,” he said.
“Bogeymen can’t hurt you if you’re under a blanket,” said Tracy. “One of them killed a sleeping kid a few hundred years back and got in a world of trouble for it, or so the legend goes.”
“We just have to be under a blanket?” asked Greta. “Can’t we just make a blanket fort or something?”
“You have to look like you’re sleeping,” said Tracy. “It’s easiest to do that if you’re in bed, under the covers.”
“But why our bed?” Zachary persisted. “As opposed to, oh, say, yours?”
“You two have the only king-size bed,” said Anita, flatly. “Nobody else felt the need to make their bed bigger.”
“Two people use it!” snapped Zachary.
“We all have doubles,” said Tim mildly.
“I could make someone else’s bed bigger,” said Zachary. “Or I could conjure up a completely new one. Why must we all use mine?”
“God, Zachary, we won’t break it,” Anita rolled her eyes. “And it’s Eddie’s bed too, mon.”
“Leave me out of this!” Eddie sputtered. “This has nothing to do with me.”
“He’s your boyfriend!” snapped Anita. “Eddie, make him not be stupid.”
“He’s not stupid,” said Eddie. “He’s just finicky,”
“‘Finicky?’” laughed Zachary. “Since when do you use words like ‘finicky?’”
Eddie glared at him.
“You guys can use the bed.”
Moments later, the entire Shadowpact was crammed into a single bed, trying not to touch anyone they weren’t sleeping with.
“This is ridiculous,” Anita groused from her spot at the foot of the bed.
“It’s too hot,” whined Zachary, snuggled up next to Eddie on the left side. “Erom ria.”
The area under the blanket became marginally less stifling. Zachary repeated his spell.
“Hold on,” said Tim. He made a brief hand gesture and they felt a tiny breeze. “Better?”
“Much,” he flung an arm over Eddie. “I’m almost done forgiving you now,” he added in a whisper.
“Funny,” Eddie mumbled.
“Will you two stop whispering? Said Tracy. “You too, Greta and Tim. We have to work out how to catch these bogeymen!”
“We could put a blanket over their heads,” said Tim. “Give them an existential crisis.”
“Why would that give them an existential crisis?” asked Zachary.
“Never mind,” Tim sighed. “It was a joke.”
“I don’t get it,” said Greta, puzzled.
“No, hang on, I think you’re onto something,” said Tracy. Everybody turned to look at her. “We could put them to sleep. If they’re asleep-”
“-they belong to the king of dreams,” Tim finished. “He was the one who punished them when they killed a sleeper. Bogeymen hate him, that’s why they always go for kids right before they fall asleep-they want to stop them from dreaming. It’s the only way they can hurt him,” he frowned. “I didn’t know you knew about the dream king, Tracy.”
“Know about him?” she grinned. “I’ve been to his library.”
“Who is this dream king?” asked Zachary. “Aside, of course, from the obvious.”
“He’s in charge of the Dreaming,” said Tim. “He’s got a sister who’s Death and a brother who knows everything, and probably a few others. I’ve talked to him a few times-he’s not bad if you don’t make him angry.”
“And the bogeymen made him angry,” said Greta. “Because they killed someone who was dreaming?”
“They went into their dreams,” said Tracy. “And killed them there. It’s how they kill-they get in your mind and kill you in your thoughts. Your body can’t tell the difference.”
“Like the Matrix,” said Eddie.
“Yes, Eddie,” said Zachary dryly. “Exactly like the Matrix.”
“Shut up.”
“Do you have a spell that can put these guys to sleep?” Anita asked Tim. “Otherwise I can do it.”
“I don’t use spells,” said Tim. “But yeah, I can put them to sleep. It’s not what I normally do, but yeah.”
“I’ll go look them up on the cauldron,” said Tracy. “Check under the bed. Actually, check under everybody’s bed. Eddie, you stay here,” Eddie scowled. “Greta, send them to the sunless lands-I don’t know if it’ll hold them, but it’ll get them out of our hair, at least. God,” she added. “I hate infestations.”
Reluctantly, they all left the safety of the covers; Zachary was the last to go. He gave Eddie one last squeeze and kissed him on the temple.
“Try not to die while I’m gone,” said Zachary with a smirk on his face.
“Jerk,” mumbled Eddie.
“You’re just now realizing this?” said Anita from outside the blanket. “Come on, mon, we’ve got a job to do.”
“You’re awfully impatient today, Anita,” said Zachary as he slid out of bed. “Is that because you’re lonely?”
“It’s because you’re an asshole,” said Anita. “I don’t know why Eddie puts up with you.”
“Beneath my gruff exterior beats a heart of solid gold,” said Zachary, walking out the door. “Who enjoys kittens and puppies and long walks on the beach.”
“You’re not gruff,” said Anita. “I know gruff. Hell, I’ve slept with gruff. You’re just an asshole.”
“You caught me,” said Zachary. He opened the linen closet and glanced briefly inside. “I’m just really good in bed.”
“Here,” said Tracy, tapping the surface of the cauldron. The team, minus Eddie, was gathered around her. “This house. It’s just outside of Vancouver.”
“Got it,” said Anita. “C’mon, Greta. Let’s get this over with.”
“Hey,” said Greta, hurt. “I brought an umbrella!”
She pulled it out and opened a portal, which they both stepped through.
“Next one,” said Tracy. “Cairo. Do you need an address?”
“No,” said Zachary. “Just show me the outside.”
She tapped the cauldron again.
“Like this?” she asked.
“Yeah,” said Zachary. “Oriac.”
He vanished.
“Tim,” she said. “Shanghai.”
“Got it,” said Tim, and disappeared.
Tracy sighed and tapped the cauldron again.
“Right, then,” she said under her breath. “Four down, seven hundred and six to go.”
“You can come out now, Eddie,” Tracy called from the kitchen. “We’ve finished!”
She poured herself a cup of coffee. Tim, Greta, and Anita had all fallen asleep on top of one another on the living room couch, while Zachary had conjured up a box of pizza and was on his fifth slice. He moved over when he saw Eddie padding sleepily down the hallway.
“I was getting hungry,” he said, yawning. “How’d it go?”
“You haven’t eaten this entire time?” asked Tracy. “Want me to grab the cereal?”
“It’s fine,” said Eddie, grabbing a piece of pizza. “I’ll mooch off Zat. Besides,” he paused, chewing, “I pretty much just slept. How were the bogeymen?”
“Numerous and belligerent,” Zachary swallowed. “I feel like I haven’t slept in days. And please,” he added. “Don’t talk to me about irony.”
“There’s coffee if you want it,” said Tracy. She slid in the chair across from them.
“I want to sleep,” he stood up. “Come on, Eddie. I’m going to bed.”
“I was just in bed!” Eddie protested.
“Bring a book,” said Zachary. “Let’s go.”
“Fine, but you owe me,” said Eddie.
“I’ll make you a cake,” Zachary rolled his eyes.
“A real cake,” said Eddie. He grabbed Zachary’s arm and they started to walk.“And you have to bake it.”
“With a real, live oven?” Zachary fake-squealed. “Gosh, I just don’t know!”
“I mean it,” said Eddie. “Magic is cheating. And chocolate frosting.”
“I should’ve made you fly me back,” said Zachary. “This is turning into quite a cake.”
They arrived at the doorway, which Eddie quickly pulled Zachary through.
“C’mon,” said Eddie. “You’re getting slap-happy.”
“You’re getting slap-happy,” Zachary mumbled as he collapsed into bed.
“You going to brush your teeth?” asked Eddie, but all he got was a groan in response. “Fine, but I’m not kissing you until you do.”
“Shut up,” he moaned, and pulled Eddie tail-first into bed.
“Ow! That fucking hurt, you bastard,” said Eddie. “You don’t just pull someone’s tail.”
“Mmm,” Zachary murmured, snuggling up to Eddie. “I forgive you, you know. For selling me out.”
“Selling you out!” laughed Eddie. “All I did was let them use our bed, you drama queen!”
“Whatever,” mumbled Zachary. "Love you."
“Love you too, Zat,” said Eddie. “Sweet dreams.”