Bully of an idea!

Spoiler:

That entire photoshoot had been a bust. It wasn't what she expected in the beginning and it only got worse from there on out. Erika had basically been made a fool of, received a terrible kiss that she had to show up and was required to beat up some pervert who was into nature stuff. She didn't understand those kinds of fetishes really, and she didn't wish too after all her perfect mind shouldn't be clouded with doubt, instead she would do what she knew best, beat up things she didn't wish to understand.

This is why dealing with such a task was perfect for her, and she was really glad she had signed up for this job, oh and she supposed she was glad Faeral was there too, even he did eat her cookie last night. Wait... he wasn't around her last night, she went somewhere else, then who ate the cookie in the first place? Was it... no it couldn't have been Erika, clearly Faeral snuck into her little residence and ate the cookie just so she couldn't enjoy it, and he got past all of her thread traps protecting it with his weird ghost powers. That was the 100% truth.

Waiting at the chosen meeting place to begin this little romp, Erika looked off into space, and tried to think just where a bakery was, she'd force Faeral one way or another to buy her a replacement cookie for his foul deeds, oh and she might mention what had happened earlier but whatever.

Last night went pretty well, what with a severe lack of someone to wake him up at random hours of the night to share a dream she’d had, something she watched on late night television, or whatever random thing possessed the unpredictable woman to pester him. Heck sometimes she woke him up through the mere act of snuggling, as if she had to grip his arm or ribcage that hard to get comfortable, because nothing said comfort like squeezing the air or, I don’t know, life out of someone. This morning he’d even been treated to the pleasant sight of one of his most trusted servants, the only person alive who knew the more interesting qualities of the man.

Having Morphin kidnapped – at random no less – had been a very displeasing event, but on the bright side Hargeon now had one less troublesome group to deal with as a result. ’They should be grateful, those lazy louts…’ But they’d never really know, and the problem could certainly crop up again at any time seeing as they’d only dealt with the surface issue. With the return of the transforming wyvern it offered the man more time to indulge in Erika’s whims. Which he’d be at the mercy of today, having the grace to forewarn him of another job she’d signed them up for in secret. It beat her forgetting and then blaming the man for failing to show up and pulling other “man-based” stunts.

’Not that her rants aren’t entertaining.’

He spotted the two-hair toned woman up ahead, ”All right, what interesting nonsense are we dealing with that people can’t seem to do for themselves today?”

"Ah there you are, only a few minutes late too, how perfect."

As many would know, it didn't matter if he was slightly early, he was always late and Erika was always fashionably early. It's simply how the world worked, and the facts proved that. Erika had once done a study asking all of herself about the issue, and as it turned out 100% of the people she asked agreed this is how it happens. See the percentages don't lie, Erika truly knew what she was doing. Holding her arms out, Erika jumped up onto a little cement ledge and spun around before pointing towards Faeral with a most devious smile upon her face.

"Yes the job today, the reason why I have called you out here, and why I am in a cheerful mood. Today my dear Faeral you shall pay me back for the injustice you have done to me!"

If one paid attention they might hear Erika letting out a giggle of glee, but it was subtle. Still it wasn't to be trifled with since Erika above all others knew exactly what was going to happen. She had this all planned out, by helping her with this they would become even with each other, sadly though Erika knew in her mind she would have to explain in a direct manner what he had done to offend her, after all, unlike Erika, Faeral frequently was loud, obnoxious, made horrible puns, and managed to get them into all kinds of trouble. If it was for her brilliant sense of business planning and tact they would clearly be in trouble right about now.

"Faeral, you have done the worst of crimes, theft of one of my things, it is right here too, within your gullet! You ate my cookie my dear man and today you shall help me bully a bully, in order to learn what happens to those who eat my cookies! Some kid has hired us to get rid of a bully picking on him, and we will dispose of him with extreme prejudice, just like you disposed of my cookie! Now then are you ready Faeral, the school is but around the corner..."

Making a little woooo noise at the end to try and sound mysterious, Erika kept a happy yet creepy smile upon her face. Certainly her mind was wondering about how this job would teach the man who had actually done nothing wrong, a lesson about doing wrong to her.

’And here it comes.’ The man didn’t so much as quirk an eyebrow as he dusted off his jacket, despite it being more or less in pristine condition. Tugging at his shirt to make sure it sat perfectly in place, he let Erika have her moment because it worked to his benefit to do such. Besides her theatrics were always entertaining: the woman could put actors to shame if she was acting. In fact that was the beauty as one couldn’t quite discern how serious she might be so in the end he let the woman have her moment. ’Gullet?’

How could he have stolen her food? He didn’t even know where she spent the night! But then again such facts mattered little in the face of her overactive imagination. Regardless of supplied alibis, logical reasoning, and any form of proof he might provide he’d be guilty in her books even if proven otherwise. Torn between laughing and rolling his eyes, the mage settled for the middle ground: staring at her nonplussed.

Well, he could just buy her more cookies – she probably planned to make him do so anyways – but he’d go ahead and indulge this hallucination. Following the overly exuberant woman he couldn’t help throwing in a few questions, ”Extreme prejudice you say? And you’re sure that we’re allowed to do as we please? Normally something like this wouldn’t be approved if it allowed harm to come to a child.” Ignore the treatment of the one from the night before, that’d been a…necessary lesson so to speak. If this job demanded more or less eliminating the target, then dark mages were really scrounging for work than he previously thought.

”Well, no matter,” he decided, shrugging. He’d do as she said because that was the quickest way to forgiveness alongside a small (read: sometimes LARGE) bribe. They’d made their way to the schoolyard where some children remained despite the school day already ending. Perhaps they were stuck waiting until someone showed up to claim them and lead them back to their home – or lair – and others might be vying for those last minutes of play time with friends before heading home for supper. It wasn’t that hard to figure out the target though as only one kid seemed to be shaking another down for a bit of scratch as the others turned an all-too-easy blind eye.

"The destruction of the child is not the main motive, but if he gets in our way... I suppose he shall have to be eliminated. Handle the little brat for me, I shall go and speak with the teachers... surely they should be informed about his antic's."

Yes while Faeral would handle the child as his punishment, Erika would ensure that the mission was a complete success. That kid, that was paying for the bullying of the bully, well Erika didn't care about any of that, she knew the injustice in the school systems, after all Erika didn't properly learn how to hang tie someone by their own spine until she looked it up in a book! Seriously they never teach the important parts of life to anyone, like how to gut a fish, using a person, or how to properly invest in the stocks, using black market organ trades, you know the important stuff!

Sadly it took Erika a little while to notice a teacher, in fact, it was like trying to find the legendary treasure or dinosaur bones... oh now that sounded fun, finding dinosaur bones. She could open a theme park or something based around them, and maybe she could even find ones that were still alive. Yes, that was clearly her next adventure, finding live dinosaurs. Erika then noticed one of the teachers wandering about, he seemed like he was on his way to an after-school meeting, but little did he know this meeting would be with Erika, and not the other staff members... at least not yet.

As ironic as it sounded to say, Erika was going to leave him unsupervised? ’Either she trusts me or has a few plans of her own.’ He bet the latter as bored eyes watched the questionable woman saunter off. Shrugging the man walked over as the kid reared back a fist, ready to punch the daylights out of his little target for his lack of money.

”I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” He watched the beastly child halt and stare incredulously with his beady little eyes. ”Well you wanna make something of yourself don’t you?”

”Shut up loser! I’m busy, get lost!”

Well clearly this kid didn’t know what he was talking about as he tapped the taller, bulkier child away from the weaker one with his cane. Obediently just like a dog, the kid backed up, and confusion currently dictating his actions even as he continued to stare skeptically at the man. These things needed proper form however so Faeral proceeded to clear his throat, test his voice, and when everything seemed about right – and both children so thoroughly confused and unsure they shared a look that seemed to say “Is this guy for real?” – the man’s eyes pierced into the bully’s orbs.

”Quite simply, my dear child, every time you harass another child you are merely proving and reaffirming how worthless you truly are. The only reason things such as yourself manage to crawl out of bed and do harm unto others, is because you need a reason to keep living, to prove you’re a little better than scum upon the earth. And do you want to know why you think you’re scum deep down?” By now the child became enraptured as the man’s tone took on a darker hint, all silliness and casual attitude tossed aside as he zeroed in on the lad, ”It’s because of the abuse you suffer at the hands of your abusive parents. They remind you of how you ruined their life, of how worthless you are and what a hindrance you’ve turned out to be. All these little ‘parent-teacher’ conferences that help sweep the problems under the rug? They punish you all the time for them. And in the end the only thing that keeps you going is the thought that there are those lesser than you, and that you can have some form of power over them.”

“And you know what?” he watched as tears pricked at the corner of the boy’s eyes, but he still had his attention riveted solely on Faeral. The man kneeled down so they could be at eye level as he leaned forward, as if to whisper a secret, ”You. Are. Worthless. For now, sure, you have power, but someday? Someday you’ll be big, older…and have nothing. The only worth you’ll have is as someone’s stooge, their henchman. You won’t even have a mention in the history books when that person rises to power or falls because you’ll still be nothing. You have no potential beyond being a grunt, a mere stepping stone, fodder even. And you best get used to it kid, because that’s all you’ll ever hope to be: the faceless nobody who works for a real person in power.”

He watched as the grungy little beast ran off, crying his pathetic, worthless little heart out. ’Don’t know what his problem is,’ he thought with a shrug, eyes meeting the other kid’s, ’I only told him the truth. Best he knows now rather than finds out down the road so he can better prepare..’ Fully regarding the kid he squatted down and held out his hand: nobody could call the man a saint.

”I believe you owe myself and my partner our promised pay? She’s off having…words with your teacher about this situation. We’re not charity cases I’m afraid.”

Leave it to Faeral to shake the kid down right after the poor sap already dealt with a bully, but after that speech he wouldn’t falter on their pay at least. It might be measly, but a deal was a deal and he wasn’t about to let some little hooligan renege on their contract.

"Excuse me sir, but I believe I must have a word with you."

"Miss, the school grounds are closed at this time, except to the parents picking their children from day care I will have to ask you to leave.

Waving her off the man tried to explain his position, little did he know that Erika didn't actually care about any kind of explanation and instead would make her point regardless, no doubt backed up by a horrible pun.

"No worries I will, but first I need to speak with you about something important like I said. Come on just listen for a bit, it's not like I'm pulling your leg or anything..."

Lifting her finger, the man was flung towards the roof by his leg, Erika had indeed pulled his leg, through the pants he was wearing. it was a simplistic way of handling the situation, but Erika was found of it, especially after the pun she made. Needless to say, the teacher was in shock and filled with rage.

"Put me down this instant, or I shall call the authorities!"

"The authority is already here, and I'm teaching him how to be less incompetent... be a good boy and let me sew what you did wrong."

"I can handle the way you are dragging me into this stupid conversation, but do you have to make these puns!"

"It simply wouldn't be a Faerika thread without me making horrible pun's, and Faeral hurting children."

"What!?"

"Yeah, didn't you read the post above this one? He totally owned that kid."

"The what? Lady, you are insane, just let me get to my meeting with the other staff."

"Oh right I forget simpletons such as yourself can't manipulate threads like I do, oh well. My lessons shall proceed to show you all the fault in your ways. Now then you said there was a teacher conference right.... which way was that?"

A devilish smile appeared upon Erika's face, not just one teacher, but many would learn the lesson she had planned and hopefully they would pass, or it would be summer school for them.

”NO!” the child shouted once he found his voice. Hands trembled as anger took hold of the once bullied child, ”I didn’t want you to make him sad like that! I just wanted him to stop hurting me!”

Both eyebrows shot right up, Faeral leaning away from the child due to his sudden explosion of gusto and more importantly: guts. Then again the child could be quite loud and he massaged the poor thing with his hand as the child continued to berate him in blubbering babble.

”You know,” he casually interrupted, the unexpected tone grabbing the boy’s attention, ”if you’d found this bravery before submitting the request, then we may not have had to waste our time here in the first place. Yet you are the one who filled out the request form and allowed someone to come and deal with the bully in the form of their choosing. You realize that yes, I would’ve forgone the money…but ultimately I could’ve physically beaten the child. Instead I used a “fun” weapon against him: the truth. I spoke not a lie to him, but to be fair…not everything’s set in stone either.”

Crouching down slowly, those intense eyes now locked onto a new target, and the raven-haired man watched as the child gulped. He smiled: Faeral had the boy’s attention.

The smile existed for only a moment, replaced with that serious visage he’d used on the bully mere minutes ago, ”However the fact remains: you didn’t muster up this sudden bravado days ago. Instead you decided to remain amongst the meek and seek outside aid – and seeing as you apparently weren’t aware of it before I shall stress it now: people possess free will. If you want things handled in a “goody-goody” fashion, then next time keep the job to your local legalized guild or what have you. You left this open for anybody, so be grateful I’m not some murderous person from the darkest of the evilest of guilds. The fact remains however I came under the specifications of your little “requirements” to award some form of reward. Ergo, according to the contract you posted: you owe us.”

“And trust me child, if you build up a reputation for reneging on your promises you won’t get very far unless you’re prepared to do everything by yourself. I’m not sure if you’ve got it in you though, so you best be careful.” Those wide eyes of the boy said it all: he had the boy. Faeral’s grin finally slipped out as he propped his head in a hand, the other held out towards the boy, ”Well? Which road do you wish to tread?”

The staff room was filled with all sorts of types, the nerdy teacher, the jock, the principal, and most importantly the perfect teacher. The perfect teacher being Erika, who crashed through with the teacher she had dragged hamstrung and helpless behind her. This entire group of people, they were interesting to say the least but that's not what Erika smile, what made her smile was the fact that she could help out so many children... by lecturing the teachers on the proper way to handle children, Erika style of course.

"Greeting's class, my name is Erika and I'll be your instructor for today!"

The man, who was clearly the jock of the group, stood from his seat and with a gruff voice called out to her.

"Excuse me, but who exactly are you?"

"I am the one who stalks the night, I am the one who makes evil go right, I am the defender of truth and justice..."

"She's just a bitch."

"Quiet you!"

The teacher she had already taken hostage was the one to talk the smack, but just after he finished his little come back, and interrupted Erika's brilliant description of herself he felt the shameful wrath of wearing pants, specifically a reason why he might need an ice pack soon.

"Look, let him go before I call in the authorities, you can't possibly think that..."

Lifting all of them into the air and sew them into the ceiling Erika simply smirked, the light catching the faintest hint of threads through it's shimmering bliss.

"Oh no, my dear teachers, I am the authority, I am the night, I am the one who frightens little baby teachers, I am the bookyman! You guy's do use books to teach right, I really don't know I never went to school... cause clearly it's....

For losers."

The zinger stung, but this time they were quiet, possibly because Erika had taken parts of their shirts and sew them over their mouths to stop that annoying interruptions, from her clearly perfect dialogue.

"Now then, all of you are failures in the eyes of... frankly everyone. You haven't managed to stop any kids from being bullied. I am ashamed of you, allowing such little kids to insult each other and not a professional like me is just insulting! I'm afraid that I'll have to show you the proper way to teach children respect..."

Cracking her knuckles, Erika let out a little chuckle, and started her little teaching lesson...

A good half an hour would pass before she finally left, the teachers still on the ceiling of the room, they had heard the full lecture but some would need all night to fully understand the error of their ways. Going and finding Faeral, Erika would just a have little smile on her face, and a feeling of relaxation about her, it was such a good stress relief.

"Hello there Faeral, completed our mission I hope, for the sake of the cookie that never gotten eaten by me I hope you have."

Two meager bills sat in the man’s hand, betwixt two fingers really. None of the kids came up to the tall, dark-haired and handsome man leaning against the tree waiting for his partner – not after he’d already sent two crying. Most of them hadn’t been privy to the exchange of words so there’d be plenty of rumors tomorrow about the two boys and what kinds of trouble they might be facing. ’Who knows? Maybe I sparked a new friendship? Gods knows the other kids might become leery of them, so they best become each other’s support lest life start to crush them.’

The man scoffed, ”Of course, surely you can trust me with such petty manners? The little brat tried to wriggle out of the deal though, but…well, a few words were exchanged and he came around in the end. I’m not sure the pay was worth it…but it wasn’t necessarily a bad job either.” Slipping the questionable woman one of the bills, the man pocketed the other before pushing off the tree and stuffing his hands into jacket pockets.

Why this woman insisted on holding the strangest (and most absurd) of grudges against him…quite honestly he wouldn’t question it because there lacked a point. Erika did as Erika pleased, and that included anything and everything in the woman’s imagination so like the motion of the ocean Faeral went along with it. Walking away from the place crawling with annoying little brats they quickly fled from the duet’s path.

”Now what cookies are we buying? My father’s treat,” he said with a wicked grin, no doubt ready to buy out a shop’s entire inventory.