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Unstabul was adamant about making sure that Mei-Xiu returned to her dorm safely and in one piece. For a while the half beast sat with her and talked idly about things doing what he could not to let the incident that occurred on the island consume all conversation. Frankly, he was a flurry of emotions and the memories he had of that dreadful place only set him in a fit of rage. Leaving her room would lead to a long pace down the monster dormitories and deep, conflicting inner dialogue within the boil.

It was supposed to be a field trip... something fun... something worthwhile.

Bul's tail began to drag along the floor the closer and closer he got to his own hall. His hand was wrapped at the back of his neck and squeezing lightly to remove any tension but it would take a lot of time and a lot of rest to heal all these wounds. His legs and arms still retained some fairly awful scars from the event- his legs were battered and bruised from traversing the island with virtually nothing to eat and no sleep. Of course, the boat ride had been fairly relaxing.. when he wasn't fretting about the deep ocean below. Something about it was hardly as frightening as weapon-welding reapers and dark chasms split unto the earth. No monster should be afraid of the dark but Bul wasn't going to settle well with pitch darkness for now.

Shipwrecked. Sentenced to an inevitable death...

A large chunk of the student body "died" on that trip. Whether or not Bul knew this was irrelevant... he had seen plenty of death to be afflicted. Death was almost a cherished thing in the world of Halloween but seeing death being erased by itself... seeing boils and ghouls Bul knew to be strong and fearless being sliced into chunks of slick, bloody mess and bodies falling helpless down the ravines of darkness was disturbing. At least temporarily. But how long would these images stay in the half-beast's mind?

Mei... Seiji... Icky...

For someone who didn't truly value friendship before Bul was really turning a leaf. He knew he needed these people he was learning with at Amityville. What good was it to NOT try and meet new creatures? If Bul had only learned more of his comrade's names... he felt that he owed every single soul in the school a favor out of guilt. Survivor's guilt. Instead of saving their lives he pressed on only able to avenge them in theory.

I was... so close...

And perhaps it was remembering that he too was standing in the gaping maw of death that made the monster halt in the hallway and lean against the wall. Swallowing a lump in his throat, Bul mustered up the strength to break into a clumsy run to his room.

I'm here... I'm here... I'm

"...here." Bul panted as he threw his door open. Slowly, he closed it behind him and slid down the frame until he could curl his tail around his body. Through grit teeth, Bul began to hiss and wince... a mist swelling up in his eyes. The world around him peeled away. Feeling naked and weak, the monster coughed and choked back a cry. His feelings had caught up to him. Feelings he was having back in that cave about to be obliterated by the cloaked reaper.

Too weak...

Never before had Unstabul come so close to eating s**t. Having been in a lot of fights he usually came out battered and dizzy but never so helplessly fragile like he had become in the abandoned school. Things were so dark and blurry and he could feel pain on the entire surface of his body. He inhaled bugs and noxious gas and everything inbetween. Mei and Seiji were kind enough to patch him up the best they could and a monster ghoul was willing to put it all to an end for him. Of course, Bul was glad he hadn't have taken her up on the offer but felt sincerely awful when she didn't survive through the night.

Clenching his knees, the monster was able to lift his head and stare up at his ceiling with wet streaks down the sides of his face. "Wasn't... even close to stopping any of them... they are still out there, still thriving on our loss.." he murmured aloud. "Jack.. damnit.." he sniffled and rubbed his face on his spiny arm. "Acting.. like a god damn p***y..." he shuddered inwardly. If any of the others had seen him now he'd lose all credibility as a tough boil.

Avoiding any further apathetic thought the monster kicked up a couple of pieces of trash on his way over to his bed and turned on his heat lamp but not the other lights as he crawled under some of the covers and curled up. He was still so gnarly and gross but.. all he wanted in this world- besides seeing his friends safe that is- was a very very VERY long and peaceful nap.

Bul shut his eyes and wriggled around until he was comfortable and let out a final sigh.

It's... good to be back in reality..

It'd been quite some time since Unstabul last spoke with his parental figures. Convinced they were much too busy with their financing and boring law work, he'd neglected to give them any sign or sight of what he'd been up to since he'd left home. Of all things he neglected to mention to them including the island and Mei, they'd somehow managed through the powers of the internet and groanspring find out about his destruction of his bass. The two knew how much it had meant to him considering it was the first thing he really kept for a long time without getting bored of. Despite the image he had painted of them being out of touch with the 'real' scaring world, they loved their son very much- enough to condone his bully-like and rambunctious behavior as a scareling.

Sitting on the shelf above Bul's bed was his yellphone. He'd formed the habit of leaving it up there at night so that it'd either fall or he'd have to sit up in order to shut off the alarm. By then it was safe to leave it there since very rarely did he expect any actual calls from people.

Bzzzzzzzzzt


Bzzzzzzzzzzzt




BZZZZZZZZZT RAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWGH WOOOOAH AHHH OOOOAHHHHHAAOOOOAHHAOOOOO

A lazy weekend nap was halted abruptly by the sound of a low quality recording of a heavy skull rock band and vibrating yellphone on cheap wood. Unstabul had himself tightly locked in his bundle of blankets with his heating lamp set on low all afternoon. When he shot back to consciousness, the half beast panicked and threw his head into his shelf, the impact loud and painful. He could feel the gooseegg forming but had to grab his phone with a freehand. Not even bothering to look at the number he answered the call.

"...ghuuh.... hello?"

"Bul sweetie? Bul is that you?"
"Hey kiddo you there?"

Two very familiar voices spoke simultaneously over the phone loudly into his ear. Quickly he smashed the volume buttons some while reaching his hand through his hair before realizing who it was.

"Mom, Pops?" he asked quirking his brow and shutting his eyes again.

"Yes it's us! How have you been? It's been a couple months now, you've been gone for so long.." a whimper was muffled out. "We haven't gotten to talk to you we were just wondering if you were doing all right and stuff, have you been eating well? Sleeping often? Talking to ghouls anything?"

"Yea mom I've-"

"OH WONDERFUL THAT'S SPECTACULAR! Listen hunny, we were just wanting to talk to you and see how things were."
"Yeah. Your mom and I were looking around on that internet site doohinky, the Groanspringy?"

"Just.. Groanspring dad-"

"Yea that. Anyways son, we saw that you had broken your bass in the move over. Why didn't you tell us?"

"Uh I dunno...

"Well now that just won't do~"
"Yeah. Listen we know how much you loved that thing so your mom and I are putting a couple of pumpkin seeds in your bank. Instead of a care package, and we don't wanna get it smooshed again now do we??"
"Sweetie we're going to give you money to go pick out your own guitar and we're gonna put some more in there so you can get some new clothes I always hate how you let them get so ruined!!"

A new bass? AND surplus money? How could Unstabul say no? "Wow thanks you guys.."

"So sport what else has been happening in your neck of the woods?"
"Yes we'd love to hear about it, we've been so quiet today at work isn't it splendid?"

"Yea mom, that's great. I uh.. well I've taken a few classes now and we went on a field trip and I'm going ou-"

Suddenly on the other end a couple dozen phones began to go off- a cornucopia of irritating noises that distracted his parents from their call.
"OH DEAR, one second sweetie PLEASE HOLD!"
A lyricless version of This is Halloween played 'soothingly' while the noises and their voices vanished.

Bul let out a heavy sigh and layed back into the pillows letting the phone rest beside his head. They were always too busy. They were busy with work that wasn't scary at all to him. To think they had almost roped him in to joining their family business but a couple of nasty bites and a huge hissy fit involving the destruction of their entire dining room had proven his point loud and clear. He wanted them to know about Mei and bruteball coming up. He could easily spare them the details about the island plot but he did survive a long trip over water.

Sooner or later Bul began to doze off again while This is Halloween circled its third or fourth replay. Finally, it ended and two over zealous voices echoed into his ear.

"So sorry about that Bul, we had a moment there.."
"But do go on something about a uhm... what were you telling us again?"

Rolling your eyes was never polite to do in front of your parents. Good thing Bul was miles and miles away. "I said I've taken a few classes and I'm dating this ghoul her name's Mei." he said making sure that they heard that part.

"Reeeealllllly?" Now that they had actually heard them he nearly regretted mentioning it. "Is she pretty?"
"Is she smart?"
"Is she your age?"
"What's she look like?"
"Will we get to meet her?"

Bul shook his head while chuckling uneasily. "Eventually I hope you will but for now you're asking too many questions. I Uh... I really do appreciate the money though you guys know it'll help a ton. Heh I mean prom is coming up and-"

"PROM?????!??"

"Jack Skellington, Mom... jeez..."

"I'm sorry Bul, I am just so excited and so proud of you! You're growing up to be a real gentleman!" Those words made the half beast cringe. "Maybe some day you will turn out to be a business man like your father!

Bul could picture his dad in his suspenders and wide rimmed glasses blushing on the other end like he was the greatest thing and sighed. That was the last thing he hoped to do with his life was work in their office. "Uuuh... sure... right... right after I win the Joe Frightman trophy in bruteball."

"Well hey listen, we gotta get back to work now our calendars are booked up from here to October!! Talk to you later sweetie and don't forget to check your bank account before spending. Overdrafting is bad for your credit!!"
"Bye son!"

"Bye..." Bul replied. "Uh.. love yah." Whether or not they caught that was a mystery now. Hanging up with his parents was never hard they just had to realize that they were spending too much time talking and not working... then it was off to the races. Now that he had some money he could call up Seiji and go to the maul to pick out a new ax. But for now, that nap was calling back to him and the sinking feeling of one day wearing suspenders and wide rimmed glasses was a little more than he could bear while awake.

Healing, recovering, the usual after a field trip was all that rang on Bul's mind when he'd come home from the haunted house. The first few nights were tough, much like after the island but Bul had little angsting to do and more sweet talking his ghoulfriend over yellphone. When it was time to sit and let the ointment kill the burns he would turn on bruteball and get a little too excited and regret it when he'd break open a scab again. But over time it was nothing more than clearing up damaged skin from a sunburn. He'd gotten out a lot too contrary to what he'd believed in the infirmary tents they had been nested in for Cricket's care. Limping around the school was all he could do when there was still so much happening. Unfortunately the one class and couple of ceremonies for Red were not enough to ease the horror and shock when one of the leaders of the hunters decided to strike on school grounds.

Deciding how to approach the community after that and JUST as he'd done most of his recovery was hard to handle. All he wanted to do was see Mei; which he did, however, nobody else would have heard from him again until he was almost entirely healthy and able to defend himself again. It was then that he'd started trying out the gymnasium and lost in a landslide to Tahki who had managed to make his body completely dissipate. His fight with Levi was equally disappointing when he started showing signs of getting a wretched cold that was keeping him now in his room once more.

Was it something contagious or was he just making it up? The coughs and sneezes felt real but none of it seemed like anything that would warrant any attention from Cricket. (Which he preferred to avoid anyway.) What nurse needed to deal with runny noses when there were much bigger things at work here anyway? Perhaps now was a good time to see his family again whom which, unless the Boogeymen directly contacted them, had absolutely no idea how his life was going right now.

Yea... it seemed like a good time to visit them. Unstabul looked to his yellphone and shrugged. He'd spare them a call and just send them a text.

Hey ma, pop, taking bus home to visit see you soon!

----

CLICK! Bul shut the yellphone and took in a deep breath. He'd already packed his overnight bag as it was only for the weekend then gently placed the HP Doll mini in with his clothes and leaving a small crack in the zipper for it to breathe. Sniffling up a trail of snot the half beast made a small detour to his bathroom to clean up his face before he'd head out into the cold. He was wearing a cap and puffy coat with a long ragged scarf wrapped tightly around his neck and dangling uneven behind him. Unfortunately his feet still remained un-socked and un-shoed but if anything they'd grown tough enough to handle any sort of surface anyway. It was the air blowing on his ankles that would really get the boy chilled.

Rubbing his face down with tissue he groaned and stared at his for-once cleaned room before heading to the door and locking it tight. After the talk with Nox and even Riley's speech the boil went through the trouble of getting extra locks installed. The last thing he needed was to come back to a trap set up like he was some animal.

Off to the bus he walked shivering from the crisp air. Cold.. he loathed the cold. It made him sleepy and weak and if there was one sad way to die it was from hypothermia. Surely the rents at home had the fireplace roaring already. Luckily he had made it just as the hearse-shaped vehicle turned the corner and reached the stop. Climbing aboard he flashed his student pass and found himself a seat closest to the heater and melted down into his puffy coat, smiling contently while holding his overnight bag gently with his gift from Mei inside. Perhaps it was best for now that he didn't make any eye contact. If he really did have a cold he didn't want to ruin it for anyone else. Any other time he'd be pleased to collect his snot for the snotball but it wasn't a good idea until he'd at least had some medicine and some babying comfort from his mom. The latter he'd keep to himself of course.

The candlelight of shops and businesses were soon replaced by the roaring light of fire-pits of red, blue, and even some noxious green in suburban homes; a sign that he was nearing the stop for his own neighborhood. Reaching up to request the hearse to stop he gathered up his bag once more and stood starting to step out into the aisle with his head ducked. One too many times he'd hit the tops of those jack damned things. Tipping the driver with whatever lint covered pocket change he had, Bul stepped out and once more shivered unpleasantly before scanning the street signs. Hey, it was a long time since he'd been home!

"Spiderbite... and... ah, there, Myra Manes Lane," he uttered to himself before speeding up his step and slowly approaching his old home.

The front porch torch was not lit... did they get his text? He could see some lights on inside but for the most part it wasn't a very welcoming display. With a frown Bul approached the front steps and knocked on the large wooden doors to their modest house when he heard a vicious snarl and... barking? on the other side he rolled his eyes. If they had gotten his text then they would have put Moneybags the Koobo in his kennel.

"OKAY SHUT UP MONEYBAGS, CANDLEJACK!" Bul growled back at the creature which prompted a shocked remark from his mother inside.


"Unstabul? Unstabul Itches is that really-" The door opened as a rather plumply monster with a bluefang attached to her ear. "Get in here, it's absolutely freezing outside!! Why didn't you call us? Oh nevermind I'm so happy you are home!"

"I'm so glad I am t-" Bul was pulled in before he could say anything else and the door was shut quickly behind him. Moneybags circled him angrily and bumped him with his two horns until the half beast gave him a good kick. "Back off you old fart, jeez." he snapped as he started to shed his heavy coat and accessories.

Acnecus peeked his head out from upstairs and excitedly started to tell all of his clients on the phone to 'please hold'. Eventually the stick-like man came thundering down the stairs and adjusted his belt. "Son, it's so good to see you home. We weren't expecting you! How are you fairing in this nasty weather? Let me go fix you a hot snotlatte, just sit tight make yourself comfortable."

Bul chuckled and nodded graciously. "Thanks dad," he said then turned to Cystney who had already begun poking at the bluefang, though she was in the middle of turning it off. Luckily she had the 'night off' or something like that. "Sorry I sent you guys a text but I.. uh.. guess you didn't see it yet. I wanted to stay the weekend I think I'm coming down with something."

"Sweetie, you don't have to worry about it this is your house afterall," his mom replied as she started to hang his things up and relocated his bag to the couch where Moneybags promptly jumped to examine it. The Koobo had smelt the other mini sitting inside the bag and started to growl at it. Bul whipped around and smacked the creature on the head.

"Leave that alone, its from Mei!" he snorted and carefully took the HP Doll into his arms as Cystney approached curiously.

"Oh from your ghoulfriend? It's cute~ When are you gonna let us meet her? I haven't even seen a picture of her yet." his mother teased.

"I know I know. We're so busy its hard to find a time that's good for everyone. I haven't met her dad yet anyways so.." Bul shrugged. "But I have some pictures of her on my yellphone I can show you?"

"Sure honey. You should show your father too when he's done with work. We'll all sit down and just talk for a while. You do sound and look kinda stuffed," Bul's mom reached for her son's face and lifted his eyelids a little and rubbed his temples to check his sinuses. "Yea you're a little backed up. Honey when was the last time you shaved huh?" she gave him a disapproving head shake before he pulled away.

"Fft.. mom whatever.." was the only thing the half beast could come up with and thankfully Acnecus came back out with a freshly steaming mug of snotlatte.

"Here, I'll go tell everyone to hang up and clock out for the night. We've actually been much less busy than we usually have it's a miracle. He said after he let Bul take the mug while his mother set him up a comfy spot on the couch.

"Thanks dad," Bul smiled and watched his father run back up the stairs and sunk into the couch pleasantly putting his feet up on the ottoman where Moneybags crawled and relaxed upon. Cystney went to the kitchen to pick up a couple of things after dinner; which Bul would likely be getting microwaved leftovers of. Eventually they would all three find themselves sitting at the couch with the fireplace crackling away as they talked.



---



Bul explained to them what he'd been through in vague detail. He left out a lot of names, even the part about Red. It was too soon for him to think about that and right now all he wanted was to sit happily on the couch with them while he sipped the snotlatte and bragged about his triumphs and failures. He made sure to mention more of the former of course and toned down those embarrassing moments where he got his a** handed to him on a platter. There were so many things to talk about even that a lot simply remained unspoken of and probably for good measure. The last thing he needed was his parents demanding he switch schools or take on the family business. He'd worked hard to get them to cease with such annoying requests best not to ruin it now.

"It sounds like you've been through a lot sweetie. I'm sorry that everything's so crazy, your father and I know how that is. When we went to Amityville it was all about the preparing for financial crisis future, which you know... explains a lot about us now. Hopefully everything will calm down soon and you will all be able to study hard and focus on what you're all best at, right?" Bul's mom turned to Acnecus who nodded approvingly.

"Your mother is right. And we are always going to be proud of you so don't you worry and don't let anything stop you from what you want to do."

Bul was just happy his parents were understanding and not prying. Sometimes over the phone they were exhausting but this trip home reminded him that they were just wonderful monsters and it made him proud to be a part of the Itches family.

"Now. Let's see Mei, I would love to meet this ghoul~" Cystney leaned closer to her son when he flipped his yellphone open and started to flip through the gallery of shareable pictures (a couple folders had injury pics and things that just weren't good for showing your parents) and pulled up a picture of the two of them walking to class.

"Wow she is a lovely young lady!" The two exclaimed, honestly a bit impressed their boil made such a catch. Not that they didn't think he came off as attractive but he was never known for his charm.

"Jeez Unstabul, when are we going to meet her?" Inquired his mom frustratedly while his dad messed up the ginger's hair.

"When I get a chance to bring her home I mean the school is kinda far and all. Plus she has her dad so... but you'll meet her sometime soon I promise?" Bul sighed and flipped through a few more pictures before setting the phone down and yawning. It was getting late and the cold herbal medicine was taking effect making him drowsy. "There's not a bunch of laundry piled on my bed is there?" Bul asked. Ever since he'd left they'd turned his old room into the laundry room and partially Moneybag's domain.

"Yes, but we can clear it off for you if you'd like?" Cystney replied.

"Uh... no thanks I'm too tired to get upstairs anyway.." Bul moaned groggily and curled up some on the couch. "Just get me a blanket and I'll be good to sleep right here."

His mother nodded and smiled after she pecked him on the forehead. Acnecus did the same and patted his son's shoulder and whispered another fatherly 'I'm so proud of you' before his mom draped a warm throw across him and brought him a more comfortable pillow.

"Don't be afraid to wake us if you need anything, Unstabul," she said while her husband wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Sleep tight okay?" They both turned and walked up the stairs after flicking off some lights and called Moneybags up to leave Bul more foot-room at the end of the couch.

The monster boil smiled to himself contently as he started to drift to sleep but checked his phone one last time and left the picture of him and Mei up as he finally let himself take a long needed rest away from the chaos of school and in the never-failing comfort of his family's home.