The Coffin Bean

[Jewels Underne]

"Evening." Jewels smiled welcomingly to the green haired ghoul who evidently knew Tori. "What happened to your friend in the hexpresso machine?" She enquired innocently, idly curious and trying to make conversation.  

[Marceline LaGhede]

Marceline winced again, squirming uncomfortably and wishing she could avoild the subject.

"I, uh... he had to step out for a spell..." She wrung at her bar mop towel, dribbling dirty water into the carpet. "I'm sorry, have we met?"  

[Jewels Underne]

"I don't believe so. Sorry. " She extended a hand. "I'm Jewels." She smiled in a friendly manner, oblivious to Marceline's concern for her friend.  

[Marceline LaGhede]

"Marceline..." She hastily wiped her clammy bones on her apron before shaking Jewels' claw. "Charmed."

She writhed again in the moment of awkward silence, before addressing Tori. "It's weird here, what with all the usual monsters gone to join the circus... just feels like empty plot all of a sudden..." She sighed, checking her iCoffin again for any response from Rory.

"I dunno if it's just my wild imagination, but something seems... awry with that circus... don't ya think?"  

[Tori Underbridge]

"Totes! We think the same thing here! We were just talking about that!"

She finally noticed the time. Looks like it was about closing time.

" We don't want to overstay our welcome. However, you've got time to talk?"

She didn't want to get her in trouble with Char'lene.  

[Marceline LaGhede]

Marceline glanced over her shoulder at Char-lene, who was idly wiping down the counter near the register while hexting on her iCoffin with her other hand.

"Char, y'can clock out early." She nodded. "I can take it from here."

Char-lene blew out like a candle, hurling the bar mop towel into the sink as she left. Marceline sat down at the table with Jewels and Tori, and let out a sigh.

"I was confused when Nero joined, even more so with Kai. But when Dashner joined I knew something was up." She writhed again, not really wanting to go deeper into it, but felt she had to press on. "I mean, yes we had a fight and he sure was fried up over it... but I didn't think it was enough to make him wanna leave school! He loved Monster High..."

She sunk deeper into her chair, and this time she couldn't hold back the tears. "An' now Rorrim's gone after him, to check up on him...*sniff* and I haven't heard back from him in hours. Something just don't seem right, ghouls..."  

[Jewels Underne]

"How many have joined the circus do you think? A half dozen? more? Seriously suspicious." Jewels' frowned at Marceline's tears, she just wanted to give the poor ghoul a big ol' hug. But there was a table between them so she restrained the urge and reached out to pat her arm comfortingly instead. "If you're worried, have you tried to call him? Maybe he's just distracted?" She didn't sound like she much believed that but she was trying to be optimistic. "you don't... think he'd bow to peer pressure and join the circus too do you?"  

[Marceline LaGhede]

Marceline laughed through tears at the though. "Ev'n if he did, I'm sure his mama wouldn't let that slide for long! She's pretty over-protective of her son..." She felt knots tying themselves in her stomach again just as the clock in the corner chimed for closing time.

"Whelp, that's that." Marceline rose from the table"I'm gonna have to shoo you ghouls out now and close up for the night... and come back tomorrow morning after Hack's Saturday detention... ugh." She escorted the ghouls to the door, locking it behind them.

"Have a good freakend, you two!"  

[Chase Q]

"Yeah it was no big deal!" Manny Taur boasted at the counter of the ol' Coffin Bean, seated beside Chase and (not so) casually discussing his recent appearance on "Die Trying". That tight rope stint through the flaming hoops was child's play! Any idiot could have done it!"

"You three did it." Chase grumbled as he stared at his milkshake with woeful eyes, listening to Manny go on about being on the one show Chase would have given his right hoof, both of them in fact, to be on!

"Exactly!" Manny nodded, then paused and blinked. He shook his head and continued. "So we didn't finish the last stunt. Clawd, Heath and I still made it farther than anyone else ever did!"

"But you would have finished if it hadn't been for Howleen's wish..."

"But we would have finished if it hadn't been for Howleen wishing away all her wishes!" Manny snorted through his nose and then turned to Chase, the bluddy he never thought he'd have in a centaur. "And where were you, anyway? You weren't there cheering us on!"

Chase sighed. "Oh I was down on theSKRM tracks in the catacombs with Ryder. He wanted to bungee jump off the Tentacle Bridge to see what those things are really attached to."

"Whoa!" Manny breathed heavily. "And what are they attached to?"

"Search me." Chase shrugged. "He hasn't come out yet to tell me."

Manny blinked.

"Uh, Chase?"

"Yah?"

"How's he supposed to get back up?"

Chase turned to look at Manny. A brief pause, then Chase turned away and tapped his chin with his fingers.

"Whoa. I totally think we needed to plan that one better!"  

[Draconia St George]

Draconia fluttered into the Coffin Bean five minutes past the agreed meeting time for the big double date - fashionably late, but not enough so that everyone else was inconvenienced. She scanned the sparse clusters of chatting groups until her eyes landed on Manny Taur and Chase Q chatting in their gang's favourite corner boo-th. In spite of her dark mood, Draconia smiled at herself.

Last year, those two being in the same room together was a recipe for disaster! It was uhh-mazing to see the change now that the two were starting to see beyond the old deep-seated prejudices between minotaurs and centaurs. They had evolved from after-school fights between each other to forming a backyard monster wrestling tag team called Los Extremos.

Draconia found that just too-too adorable.

"Draconia! Most frighteous of dragon dudettes!" Chase was the first to spy her and give her a wave. Manny followed suit, though for some reason his wave looked intensely sore. Draconia waved back and had a seat next to Manny.

"'Ello, boos! Oh, it's so good to see you! This whole week has been such a madhouse I feel like I've barely had the chance to talk to anymonster. Manny! What HAVE you been up to?!" Draconia turned to her 'more-than-a-friend-but-not-quite-boofriend' just in time to see him hide a pained expression.

"Oh, uh, you know. The uuuu-sual." Manny mooed. "Chillin' and relaxin' after our stunts on 'Or Die Trying.' No big."

Draconia raised an eyebrow.

"Really? No big?"

"Yup, feeling goooood." Manny tried to strike a pose to show off, and grabbed his back in pain. "OW! Okay...maybe I'm a little sore..."

"Oh, you poor thing!" Draconia patted him on the shoulder as he winced. "You two just sit right here and I"ll get us all drinks. Er...where is Glen? Is he complaining to the furrista again about it not tasting the same as Scarbucks?"

Chase shrugged. "Haven't seen my little dude all day yet, and he's not answering his hexts. I keep telling him he's gotta pay more attention to the iCoffin."

Draconia's ruby heart fluttered. "Oh no. You don't...you don't think he's joined the circus, do you?!"

"Hey, yeah, what is up with that?" Manny asked as he tried to straighten out his back. "Aren't giant evil genies enough? Isn't there some kind of rule that there can only be one giant cataclysm threatening the school per scaremester?"  

[Glen da West]

And of course the topic of the giant evil genie Wisp brought up the topic of Catty Noir's concert which was just held on the grounds of Monster High. This then led back too tales of Manny leading Clawd and Heath through the trials and tribulations of their appearance on "Die Trying".

Draconia listened attentively as she was always prone to do. (She got lots of practice as Glen's beastie, after all) Yet before Chase could try to change the topic of conversation so as to keep his bright mood elevated, they all jumped when something slammed heavily into the large window beside the booth they were all sharing!

Their three heads spun around to spot Glen smacked flat against the window, and slowly sliiiiiding down and flopping onto the pavement outside. Chase turned to Manny and Draconia with a bright smile.

"Ha! Found him!"

Glen then hopped up as if nothing had happened, and with his skateboard tucked under his arm, he hurried through the front door of the ol' Bean, where he loudly proclaimed, "I'm alright for everyone who's concerned!" And rubbing his nose, hurried over toward their booth.

"Boo! Now I know how a bird must feel!"

Chase, of course, laughed and Manny just shook his head. Draconia, all too used to Glen's antics, yet somehow he would always manage to surprise her somehow, could only smile and be thankful witches were apparently made of sturdy stuff.

"Where've youuu been?" Manny asked. "Chase here says you haven't been answering your hexts!"

"Sorry!" Glen looked at Chase, apologizing sincerly. He added another 'sorry' for Manny and 'his' Drakie each, then stood up from where he was seated beside his boofriend and waved to everyone.

"Sorry!"

he then sat back down and looked quite anxiously at the three sharing the booth with him.

"I didn't mean to be late, but you'll never guess what happened! My Aunty Mary showed up right out of the boo!"

"Rory's mom?" Draconia asked. "I thought you told us she never associates with your side of the family."

"She doesn't!" Glen exclaimed. "But there she was, stepping out of my mom's mirror! That's why I had to stay and listen in, er, visit! I mean visit! I thought mom was going to go through the roof but Aunty Mary looked so bad that mom sat her down and that's when she told us, I mean, her!"

"Told her what?" Chase asked.

Glen looked between Chase, Manny and Draconia and said aloud, "She was looking for Rory! He never came home last night! Drakie..." He looked at his beastie. "Rory ran away!"  

[Marceline LaGhede]

Marceline could have been mistaken for a zombie as she shambled into The Coffin Bean. Mr. Hack's class drained her even more than she already was, and the thought of working a closing shift made it even worse.

"Clawdeen, do me a favor and make me a quad shot latte with extra scaramel before you clock out..." She groaned as she made her way into the back to change.

"You got it, ghoul." Clawdeen replied, with a hint of concern.

She was counting Clawdeen's cash drawer when she overheard something from a nearby table...

Glen da West

"She was looking for Rory! He never came home last night! Drakie... Rory ran away!"

A clattering of a drawer full of coins silenced the cafe. Marceline couldn't believe what she had just heard... Rory never came home last night. How could that be?

Clawdeen's shocked stare alternated from Marceline to the sea of money she was standing in. Marceline sighed and waved her off

"I've got you covered. You're fine. Just go home..." She murmured as she began pawing up all the money. Once the mess was cleaned up and all the cash was accounted for, Marceline scurried over to Glen's table

"'scuse me, um... But I thought I just heard y'say that... Well, Rory never came home last night?"  

[Draconia St George]

"Nope!" Glen turned to Marceline with verve. Draconia could tell that, serious subject matter aside, Glen WAS enjoying being the centre of attention. "Auntie Mary was beside herself, because even the curse wasn't bringing him home."

Glen turned to Chase, put a hand aside his mouth and explained. "My cousin totally has a curse on him that makes him POP to your side if you say his name into a mirror 13 times."

Draconia fretted, unable to figure out what to do with her hands. She wanted to bite them, or twist her hair, or SOMEthing, but instead she just kept tapping them on the table with fangxiety.

"He didn't run away and join the circus, did he?" It was first and foremost on her mind, after last night, but Glen shook his head vehemently.

"Not possible! Where in a circus can you escape a summoning curse? Nowhere, that's where!" Glen picked up a coffee stirrer and pointed at nowhere in particular to drive the point home. "Mom and Auntie Mary think he might be, get this, fanging out at the same school CUPID goes to now!"

"Whaaaaa?!" Manny exclaimed, if for no other reason than to remind everyone that he was still a part of this conversation.

"Right?!" Glen replied. "But Auntie Mary seemed convinced it was a possibility. So my mom and her are going there to talk to auntie Baba and see what she has to say."

"How utterly random." Draconia replied, bewildered by the strange turn of events. "I just thought....well, I rather thought everything was tied to the circus right now."  

[Glen da West]

"I guess not, Drakie."

Glen shrugged his shoulders innocently and he sighed.

"You know how my family is. It's become something of a world-wide witch hunt, now."

Glen shuddered as if overcome with a sudden chill. Something about the use of the phrase 'witch hunt' that wuld send an involuntary chill down any witch's spine.

"While mom and Aunty Mary went off to Ever After, Aunty Glinda contacted just about all my other aunts and uncles to try and help find Rory. Well, all save for Aunty Clara. She was elected to stay at the castle to keep me company until it's over."

He rested his chin in the palm of one hand, and idly waved the coffee stirrer playfully as though it were a wand with the other.

"She has trouble flying high altitudes at her age, y'know."  

[Draconia St George]

"Blimey!" Draconia replied. "Is there any way I can help? I'm sure Manny would gladly volunfear his time to help search too."

"Uh...Who are we talking about again?" Manny asked.

"Hmm....." Glen seemed thoughtful. "I think, if Rory really wanted us to know where he was, he'd tell us. I mean, we're beasties, aren't we? And he an I are family!"

The coffee stirrer finally gave up the ghost and snapped in half.

"I think we're better off going about our regular business and seeing if he reaches out to us. I know his mom is pretty strict, so maybe he's just enjoying some 'Rory time!'"

"Maybe..." Draconia felt unconvinced. Suddenly, she realized Marceline was still standing there. "Marceline, you're good friends with Rory. Would you let us know if you hear from him?"