Welcome to Gaia! ::

A disheveled young demon stomped past another gnome-cam, this one several rooms over. His voice-over was muttery and irritated.





Hey, uh, I'm West. Westus. No, West. None a'you better call me Westus if y'see me on th'street'r nothin'. Ferget I even said that. I'mma only... wrath demon? Scareling. An'only scareling. An' I started goin' t'Amity after some sh... stuff happened that I'd rather not talk 'bout.

I met Levi a while after I was settled in. Hated 'er. [West laughs.] But... hate's a lot like, um, well... love, I guess. Y'know?

Ferget I said that too. Ferget I said anythin'! I'm not doin' these [beep]damned voice [beep]s anymore! Get outta my face!







West looked up as Levi called, quickly shifting his efforts from the closet to a drawer. He spent about a half a minute rummaging through what looked like a large pile of pants, then went back to the closet.

"NO, I CAN'T FIND TH'DAMN... wait... WAIT! I GOT IT!"

The boil grabbed the blanket and joined Levi a moment later, crossing the room she was in and disappearing offscreen in the same direction she had gone.

On screen, the tatzel ghoul accepted the blanket as both figures became visible again in the living room just beside the entry way. Levi's tail came between her and West, picking up the soft rectangle of fur was she visibly nodded in approval.

We ain't been livin'ere too long. Was 'bout tha' time we went ta' them isles when we did what made us hafta'... move 'ere? The narration came to a higher note at the end, perhaps due to a crew member waving at her to skip over certain details and move on.

Levi was on screen now as she spoke the narrative, alone in a small room where she sat on a stool, looking into the camera.







Eh- ANYWHO! Just been long time since we went ta'meet them horsemen. Few Octobers 'go? It's just been growin'n grown'.

When folks told me 'bout tha'patch, sounded mighty serious but ain't never seen it before so sure wasn't expectin' ta see was waitin' under our hammock on'our way ta'Halloween just b'fore tha'door closed n' all that rufflan'a feathers went'on. Ma'd called me back fer takin' care a'ma Gran. Wasn't feelin' so good, ya see.

When West n' me saw what was under thar... weeeeeell~





The screen was back on the two of them again, an obvious edit back into the original video with Levi holding the blanket in her tail.

Ya ready ta'go too? Professor Cricket ain't gonna like us bein' tardy.

Standing over the stroller, Levi bent over with the blanket in hand, gently patting it around something.

Nah, never had no siblin's like that. But in ma'town scarlin's 're watched by just 'bout anybody old 'nuff. Been watchin' them youngins but never no pumpkins. Them things always were 'ttached ta their parents. When I found out had one'a m'own, I called Ma. Didn't know what else ta'do.

On screen Levi walked through the doorway, offering an absurdly large grin back to West; over dramatizing for the camera? Nope! I'm good. C'mon, lets git goin'. The ghoul pushed the stroller in front of her, tugging at the frilled black hood a tad to make sure it was secured in place. Would'ja get th'door? Never had Levi locked a door behind her, but if West happened to do so it was fine by her. So long as he had a key to open it up again.








Ma was kinda'disappointed I think at first. But didn't last long. She said was 'bout as excitin' as a dozen harvests n' 'ventrally dropped tha'phone ta go tell ma Gran n' Pa. Kekeke~. Gran was happy.

Ma said might not be best ta'go'on home with West n' tha Pumpkin tho. Pa was gettin' some'a ma'uncles tagether fer a huntin' down a'some sort.

Dunno. Sounded like big game a' some sort.

So we moved in'ta our own place!






Screen moved back to a side view of the couple and the stroller walking by a strip of shops along the sidewalk at a steady pace. Levi peered down into the bassinet, but again the content was not visible from this angle. Ya know, we're gonna have'ta name it sooner 're later. Been thinkin' ... what 'bout Billy if'it'sa boil? Good ol' name, Billy. Was tha'name a' m'Granpappy.

So'I can call ya Elbaleen once'n'while? Kekeke~ The ghoul snorted and then gave a hillbilly cackle in amusement of her own joke before responding more seriously. Guess we'll need'a fancy sorta name fer yer kin same'as mine. Billy n' Elbalean. Each time she tried the name, it had a sightly more pronounced end to it like she was trying to get it right.

Levi's head turned quickly, giving West a good "whatchu' talkin'bout, Westus?" lowering of her brow when he mentioned a certain peppermint ninja. Really? Now what'sorta reason ya'll got fer namin' our first born to'a Christmastown fellar?! Never did git'ta see tha'critter. They'd went in search once during the raid of Amityville by the disturbingly joyful visitors from Sandy Claws' town. West made it seem important; Levi wondered if West had a soft spot for the invader. Can'I name 'em Rex? It was a joke again as was evident by her tone; that was Demi's nickname. West would surely enjoy that. Rex Jingleberry, yeeeep!

The store they walked by now had a whole bunch of skeeVs at the window, a few passerbys along the strip slowing to watch the screens. Levi paused for a moment too, the stroller blocking sidewalk traffic for some that had to walk around her. Speakers even sounded to the outside of the store loudly enough so that the microphone held above Levi and West picked up on what was being played on the skeeVs. It was another fight between the horsemen and the hunters. Wonder what would'a happened if we would'a been thar when tha'fightin' wen'on ... 'er tha'isles didn't make'it. There was a brief silence as she thought about this. Previous rumors throughout the school included something being under the isles. The lands and hunters and everything once kept secret were now live and on skeeV for all of Halloween to see. The boogeymen were under extreme pressure from the general public to close off portals to the human world to avoid further interference from hunters. Times were a bit hectic politically, but the couple was focusing on what was more important right now: pumpkin-having. Kekeke! Not like'd be'possible with'alla them heirs'n their kin. The heirs needed to return to Amityville after their victory in war at the Isles of the Four Clans only to continue a search for a cure of the new infectious FEAR disease that had been brought to light.

"Mad scientists along with alchemists and mages of the Four Clans are hard at work experimenting on the currently ill, but no such ground had been achieved as of yet..."

Levi pushed the stroller onward. Them poor fellars. She didn't know any of the infected personally, but she'd sympathize at least with their situation.

Long as we ain't- Levi wasn't sure how to say it and her expression on screen read just so. No tricky gnomes n' we're checkin' tha' hammock b'fore n' after we git inta' it every night this time. That was how this happened. Levi could be seen looking back at the skeeVs. That was when the voice over came through again.

Ya'weren't a mistake so'much as'a surprise! Yer Pa n' me... we'didn't know ya'll were under thar 're how ya'got onta'them isles. Eh, we'll explain more when yer older.

There was music in the background now with the young couple still being taped on screen, but the camera began to shift towards a shuffle coming from within the bassinet.

Aye?

The tatzel's head cranked downward to peer at the twitching.OH JACK. Slowly, Levi's face came back up to stare at West like she had a few chosen profanities to use but couldn't get them out. They were on skeeV, after all. This didn't stop her from physically showing her anxiety, however.

Preparing for freakout in 3...





2...







1...





YA HEARD'IM, OUT! The camera clearly backed out of focus at this point, quickly readjusting the view in time to see a stream of individuals file together like dominos. Levi bypassed them, turning the stroller around the traffic jam and out of her way.

She was clearly not at all frantic. It occurred belatedly to the tatzel ghoul that that may not have been the best way to go about it. Still racing down the block, Levi waved one hand back towards the crowd. SORRY 'BOUT THAT!!! The camera caught her in the lens as she did this once again and tried to keep up with them both, visibility shaking with the gnome's quick shuffling behind.

When they were running, Levi began to think, turning to West and halting, feet digging into the ground. West w-wait... where... I MEAN- what... where do WE GO?! Professor Cricket n' tha' school 'llow checkups given tha'irregular circumstances- Levi paused, huffing in exhaustion of her brain wheels creaking to produce thought right now. But this'ere ain't'a checkup!!!

WHAT DO'WE DOOO??? If her eyes got any larger, they'd stay that way.

I mean- I seen scarlin's n' all. But ain't never seen 'em comin' outta 'a pumpkin 're nothin'.

The ghoul visibly calmed enough to nod her head in agreement. Yer right. The gnome had just found it's way to the side of the bassinet again, nearly ready to peak inside when Levi clutched onto the handle. Let's just git'it over thar b'fore it pops!

I thought'bout poppin' cuz'a this one class, ya see. There were pumpkin'innards everywhere.

On screen, a white object came swinging into the lens, causing the view to tilt sideways and fall to the sidewalk. The tatzelworm and wrath demon could be seen bolting toward the gates of Amityville before another cut occurred back to Levi inside the small room.










But- wasn't how'it happens. I know that now.












The sound of beautifully creepy screeching violins sounded against the fade of the camera via tape editing. All that could be heard was the growl of something small... but threatening somehow.

kekekeke~... 'looks like yew...