LePouvantail

Banding Together in Halloween Town

Lock was still with Lillith, and likely wouldn't be back for another day or two. Barrel had been in the kitchen working on dinner and poked his head in from Oogie's chambers.

"Presents?" he asked with a grin.

Shock's voice echoed from the scorpion room down the hall. Between the stunt at the Witches' Shop, and tending to scorpions that were feisty against her for once due to their bad tempers from infection, she wasn't in the mood for games.

"Is someone looking to keep me from kicking his ass?"

Banding Together in Halloween Town

"My brothers and I have all sorts of fun toys that we'd love to show you," Shock said sweetly.

She gave a pointed glance to Agnes.

"Who said anything about vengeance?"

Carver was really starting to get on her nerves. It took some effort to retain her decorum.

"Of course I do," Shock said. "We don't let just anyone come to the lair."

She smirked at Agnes, then turned to be on her way.

"I'll be seeing you soon enough, Corvin."

The shop bell jingled as Shock headed out. The second she was free, she dropped the act and headed for the lair. First, she had a scorpion nest to tend to. Then she needed to figure out how to get Carver back for tripping her.

Banding Together in Halloween Town

Shock took her items and started to head for the door. She noticed "Corvin" had wandered off, but paid it no mind until he deliberately ran into her. Shock gave him a soft growl after she steadied herself, only to stumble forward and nearly drop the salve. Fortunately, Carver caught it.

Probably more for his sake than hers, because he knew she'd kill him if she had to buy more. Shock gritted her teeth in a grin as she "accepted" his help.

"Think nothing of it," she said with an icy undertone.

She dusted herself off and snatched the bottle from him.

"I haven't shown you the lair, yet, have I?" she asked, just loud enough for Agnes to hear. "There's all kinds of fun to be had there."

Where she could strangle him in private.

Banding Together in Halloween Town

Lock quickly did as Lillith said and shifted onto his feet.

"We sure will," he said with a tight smile.

He subtly flipped "Corvin" off, then walked beside Lillith, careful to keep pace with her. His tail strained in its bonds as a hint to his urge to cause trouble.

Shock just gave Carmilla her sweetest smile, then slid her items to the register to pay for them.

"Never a dull moment in this town," she told "Corvin". "But don't mind Carmilla. All she has to cling to is her title. It's why she reminds everyone she runs into."

Banding Together in Halloween Town

Shock pretended to take offense.

"How could you say such a thing, countess?" she asked, with her back strategically turned to "Corvin" so he wouldn't see her grin. "After all I've done for you."

The way she stressed the word insinuated the more accurate "done to you." She placed a hand on her hip and leaned her other elbow on the counter.

"Such as letting you onto my property after you insulted me so."

That time, she added an edge to her tone to warn Carmilla to drop it. While Shock already made Carmilla pay for destroying her most prized possession, it certainly hadn't been forgotten.

At that moment, Agnes got her attention to inform her of the new policy.

"Is that so?" Shock asked. She made sure not to look down at Lock, but cackled, having caught the loophole as well. She smirked as she turned back to Agnes and put on her sweetest tone. "I'll certainly let them know."

Eventually. When she felt like it. Lock, at least, she didn't have to worry about.

Shock let Agnes and Lillith get back to their transaction as she turned back to Carmilla and "Corvin".

"Isn't it terrible the sorts of the new monsters we get these days?" Shock asked. "Always keeps this town interesting."

She glanced at "Corvin".

"You'll fit right in," she said reassuringly.

Banding Together in Halloween Town

"You can't fix perfection, Carmelia," Shock said deviously. "It's for my scorpions. Who are more well-bred than you."

She calmly waved off Agnes.

"Yeah, whatever. You saw her start it. I was just here minding my own business."

Lock softly snickered, but quickly stopped. He noticed Agnes hadn't addressed him. No need to get her attention. Shock rolled her eyes at Carmilla.

"And if you'd have been here five seconds earlier, your highness, you would have known when Corvin arrived. But that's the price of being, as you like to put it, 'fashionably late'."

She let out a soft cackle, then turned to "Corvin".

"Don't mind her. She's a buzzkill on a good day."

Banding Together in Halloween Town

"Hello, pet," Lock said with a grin.

He intended to take advantage of getting in even a smidgen of trouble while Lillith was trying to a make a good impression on "Corvin." He gave him a soft growl.

"She's not my mother," he said, clearly displeased at his height being used against him. "We're just playing a game."

Lock rested his head against Lillith's knee to calm down. His tail twitched again, as much as it could in his bonds. Shock cackled at his misery, then set her items on the counter.

"Don't mind him, Corvin " she said. "He's been a bit short lately."

Banding Together in Halloween Town

Some of the eldest trickster's good mood deflated.

"A new what?" Shock asked.

Her mood soured even more when Agatha called for her aunt. She didn't like this sudden change in behavior. But as soon as she realized Agatha didn't recognize Carver, her mood lifted. Shock quickly took the cue to play along.

"I found him chasing crows in the pumpkin patch," she said sweetly, with a small grin just wide enough to show the tips of her teeth. "It seems Halloween Town got a new monster, so I took it upon myself to show him around town."

Her grin widened and her tone sweetened even more. Lock barely kept himself from sniggering.

"I wouldn't want him to get the wrong idea about how things work around here," Shock continued.

She patted "Corvin's" shoulder.

"I'm nice like that."

Banding Together in Halloween Town

Lock, for his part, took the yanks in stride, but corrected his behavior at each tug. He shrunk back a little when Lillith loomed over him with a harsh whisper.

"Good or bad?" he asked.

He knew the answer. Another tug of the chain confirmed it. Lock sighed and glanced over at a display of dried lizard tails and started counting them to occupy himself while he listened to Lillith speak with Agatha. He perked up at the mention of piranha teeth. Chills of excitement slid down his spine, though he glanced up at Lillith with a look that shifted between intrigue and wariness.

He liked biting. He didn't care for single pricks of pain.

Lock knew he was in for a long, thrilling night.

The shop bell rang again. Lock heard the familiar laughter and immediately smirked. Agatha was about to get a true test to that new policy.

Shock walked in with Carver, and by the state of their laughter, one of them - or both - just finished a really good trick. The oldest trickster quickly found the salve she needed. Something infected one of her scorpion tanks, and she was low on supplies to nurse them back to health. Shock composed herself long enough to find a few more items, then went up to the counter. She glanced down at Lock. Shock wouldn't have given him a second glance had she not noticed the knowing smirk on his face.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing," Lock said.

Shock rolled her eyes and patiently waited behind Lillith. Lock just waited to see how Agatha would handle Shock and Carver.

Banding Together in Halloween Town

"Yes, mistr--ma'am," Lock said.

Right. They were in public. Regardless, he happily took in her touch, before Lillith got right back to business. Barrel just shook his head.

"I've got to go so I can get dinner started," he said. "See you later, Agatha."

Barrel playfully nudged Lock with his foot as he passed. Lock barely managed to elbow him back before his little brother stepped out of his reach. His tail shifted on instinct to trip him. It strained in its bound out of frustration that such a simple trick was out of his reach.

Trouble denied, Lock stuck his tongue out at Barrel. Barrel gave him a cheerful mocking wave before he left the shop.