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Phoney Bone sits in his room, pondering over what had gone down. He lays there, staring at the ceiling blankly. His mind always seems to be elsewhere these last few weeks. Not even treasure or money can calm him.
It seems like everyone just…moved on. Like they hadn’t faced death multiple times. Those flashbacks of snapping jaws and cutting words…they keep him up at night, even if he’s ashamed to admit so.
He tries to distract himself, playing scratch cards and tending to the cows. If anything, he starts working more. Of course, this confuses the others. But he’d give no straight answer if they ask. Keep them on their toes; always surprise them with what comes next.
Sometimes…he forgets his family was…well, family. Many times, he would abandon them to run off somewhere in search of money or treasure. Obviously, he would always get a talking to when Fone Bone found him.
“You can’t keep doing that!” Fone Bone stated, clearly exasperated. He was always the worrier of the three of them. Smiley…well, he was Smiley. He waved his hand, dismissing his concerns.
“Relax, cuz!” He soothed. (At least as best as he could). “I’m fine! And besides, I got some nice moola out of it!” He bragged, proud of himself. Fone Bone gritted his teeth while Smiley Bone watched.
“We didn’t NEED that money!” he snapped. “We’re doing fine! Someone else could have needed that!” Phoney frowned deeply, rolling his eyes. That was always Fone’s problem. He thought about others far too much.
He knew, for a fact, that no one’s going to bend over backwards for you. Hurt people hurt people. It’s how life is. Everyone struggles. And when someone struggles, sometimes they do desperate things, things they wouldn’t do normally.
He should know. They were orphans, after all. They all knew to some extent how bad others could be. But Phoney often faced it head-on, not wanting his cousins to have to bear that. At the age of 21, he took them in. At the time, Smiley had been 18, while Fone had been 14.
He made a lot of difficult decisions. After all, he had never planned on taking care of his cousins full time. But he didn’t have a choice. No one wanted orphans, and so he had to get big if he ever were to DREAM about supporting them.
Fone Bone was the calm one, the one who stayed out of fights. But he had a habit of freezing up in tense situations. Smiley Bone was the one who kept them glued together. If it weren’t for him, Phoney and Fone would have killed each other long ago.
“You’re overreacting,” he said bluntly, and Fone sputtered. “Don’t look at me like that. You need to stop worrying so much,” he scolded. Although to be honest, it was usually Fone Bone who took on the parental figure role.
“How can I NOT worry?” Fone Bone cried. “Can’t you ever just think of others, for ONCE in your life?!” Phoney scowled, biting back a retort. Of course he thought about others. He thought of the two of them all the time.
“I got us money to last till Christmas!” he scorned, arms crossed over his chest. “I don’t know why I expected you to be grateful.” Fone Bone’s expression softened ever so slightly, but he still looked irked.
“Of course I’m grateful, Phoney,” he said slowly. “But you can’t keep…doing this. They’ll see through your lies one day. What THEN?” He pressed, and Smiley awkwardly tapped the couch, uncomfortable with the fighting.
Phoney Bone opened his mouth to say something, but Smiley stepped between them, smiling wide as he placed his hands on their shoulders. This sure wasn’t the first time something like this had gone down.
“Now, guys,” he began. “Nothing good ever comes outta fight’n, you know.” Phoney shrugged Smiley’s hand off, grumbling under his breath. He wanted to sleep.
“If ya keep making that face, it’ll stick that way!” Smiley warned humorously.
Phoney sighs, kicking his leg, because his entire body feels weird. Like someone was poking it, but at the same time…not? He’s never sure how to describe it. But it’s something he’s had to deal with for as long as he can remember.
He’s always had a hard time focusing, especially on things he had no interest in. Over time, he simply learned to hide it. But then Smiley started showing the same things. But with…added side effects. He couldn’t read well.
He remembers having to thoroughly help Smiley with his reading, as he mixed up words all the time. He would get upset when he was only 10 because he couldn’t read the cards family members gave him. But over time, he’s improved. His skill in reading still isn’t the best, but it’s not terribly noticeable.
Then there was Fone Bone. He took a bit longer to walk and talk than other baby Bones, but nobody really questioned it. After all, it wasn’t necessarily uncommon for a Bone to be a late talker or walker.
One thing he realized as young as he can remember is that Fone Bone always spoke in the same tone of voice. But his vast array of facial expressions makes up for it.
He also dislikes certain textures and foods, as well as loud or repetitive noises. This means he was forced to make certain accommodations for Fone Bone, something he hardly ever lets him forget.
He just…doesn’t know what to do now. The war is over, and the Locust is gone. Thorn is queen, and everything is…happy. But he doesn’t FEEL happy. He’s anxious, looking around corners. He should feel fine now, right? So why doesn’t he?
“Hey, cuz!” Smiley greets, holding his banjo. “You’ve been in here for a while now. Want to come and help me feed Bartleby?” No. Phoney does NOT want to feed the Rat Creature. But it’s not like he has anything else to do. At the very least, this can distract him from his thoughts.
“Fine,” he grumbles, and Smiley grins, patting him on the back. He follows him outside, collecting some berries along the way, as he hadn’t eaten breakfast. They have an odd, tangy flavour, but he doesn’t mind them. Bartleby is there, sniffing through the lawn, most likely looking for food. His ears perk up when he sees them.
“Hi, Smiley!” Or maybe it was because he sees Smiley. Rude much? Smiley gives him some food, while Phoney spaces out. He’s been doing that a lot lately.
He stares at the inside of the barn, his mind going elsewhere. The floor…it reminds him of the room they were in when the hooded one tried to…steal Fone Bone.
He can feel his body tense at the mere thought of it. He had been worried, “She doesn’t even want Thorn anymore!” about what would happen if the hooded one found them again.
“She just wants YOU!” Of course, she did. He had always feared her, but that fear was only increased when he found out that Fone Bone had a piece of the Locust inside him. To have that…grotesque woman after his cousin…
As their journey had continued, Fone Bone started feeling sick. Like Thorn had before. It was the only real warning sign they got. He remembers clearly how Fone’s eyes had gone glossy and how he started walking forward, as though in a trance. He was a lot stronger than usual. Despite their efforts, he reached the cold, shadowed spot on the floor.
He recalls Fone going eerily still and the slow turn around to face them, only to see eyes with no life in them. He doesn’t think he’s ever felt such utter terror. It was clear that the hooded one knew they wouldn’t attack. After all, it was still Fone Bone!
The creepy, off-balanced posture he adopted was so unlike him. The creepy head tilt, accompanied by a chilling smile when addressing both him and Smiley, was so unlike him.
Luckily, they managed to break Fone Bone free shortly after. But the look on Fone’s face after being brought back was…haunting. He had gasped loudly, as though he had been holding his breath. His eyes had darted around, nearly shaking with fear. Phoney was close to doing so himself.
And then…the journey just carried on. In a way, Phoney could understand why. They were about to go to war! There wasn’t really much time to ask one another if they were ok.
“Phoney?” He blinks, shaking his head as he’s brought back to the present. Smiley is staring at him oddly. Does he have something on his face? Did he accidentally get berry juice on his shirt?
“Yes, Smiley?” he asks, finding it rather difficult to maintain eye contact. “What is it?” Smiley smiles weakly, petting Bartleby, a clear sign he’s stressed.
“Well…I was wonder’n if you could talk to Fone Bone?” Phoney tilts his head, raising an eyebrow.
“You want ME to talk to him?” Smiley nods firmly. “What makes you think I’M the right one to talk to him?” He mutters, scratching at the back of his neck.
“He hasn’t been talk’n to me,” he says sadly. “I’ve tried to get him to talk, but he just won’t budge. He’s as stubborn as you!” Phoney huffs, ignoring the insult.
He thinks it over, and although he has a feeling nothing will change, he agrees. Smiley wraps him in a tight hug, nearly suffocating him in the process.
“I better be getting paid for this,” he grumbles as he storms off. Although he’s not really angry. Heks more…anxious. In some extreme cases, Fone Bone can have just as bad a temper as Phoney.
He brushes his shirt off and knocks on his door. There’s the sound of shuffling, and then the door opens to reveal Fone. But he looks tired and a bit paranoid. Join the club, buster.
“Phoney?” he asks, sounding a bit surprised. Phoney grunts, already regretting this. “Um…is there something you need?” Phoney runs a hand down his face.
“Look, Fone…we need to talk, or whatever,” he mumbles, and Fone Bone’s lips purse. “Smiley’s worried about ya. You know that, right?” Slowly, Fone nods. He seems to be trying to make himself smaller.
Was he…no. That couldn’t be it…could it? He’s trying desperately to mask his own panic. Could Fone be scared of…him? Of course not! He’s just anxious, that’s all! It’s nothing against him.
“I know,” Fone says softly. He opens the door wider, inviting him in. “W-what do you want to talk about?” That was…easier than expected. Phoney frowns, tapping his foot.
“That was far too easy,” he points out. “Why wouldn’t you talk to Smiley?” Fone averts his gaze, clearly embarrassed. Good. He caught him slipping.
“He doesn’t need to know. You know as well as I that Smiley…well, he doesn’t grasp how the world can be.” Phoney scoffs.
“Neither of you do.” Fone Bone pauses before frowning deeply, looking a bit peeved. Oh, here we go.
“Of course I know!” he snaps. “I’ve nearly died so many times in such a short period of time. I’d say I’d know pretty well the horrors of this world.” Phoney huffs, shaking his head.
“I wasn’t talking about the Locust—“ Fone flinches. “-or the Rat Creatures, I’m talking about society.” Fone groans, standing up abruptly.
“AGAIN?! Phoney, you always talk about how much you HATE society, but then you go and do what everyone else does!” Phoney clenches his fists. “You’re being a hypocrite.” Phoney rolls his eyes.
“Unlike most of the Bones back in Boneville,” he says silkily. “I have a reason.” Fone raises an eyebrow.
“Is that so?” he challenges. Why does this feel like an attack? “All you care about is money! It’s all you ever think about. You don’t care about anything else!” Phoney fights back a jolt.
“Really? You’re going to pull THAT one?” He forces a laugh as he shakes his head. “You need to learn some originality, cuz.” Phoney’s expression darkens.
“If I didn’t care for you or Smiley, I would have let you be taken away elsewhere when no one else would take you two in,” he growls. “I wouldn’t have scammed people looking for money SPECIFICALLY so you two wouldn’t starve.” He feels weak. Why does he feel weak?
“I know…that I can come off as…selfish. And I scammed people all the time.” He clears his throat. “But everything I did, everything I DO, is for you and Smiley. I needed that money, Fone. I needed that treasure. When the mob at Boneville attacked, they stole the remaining money. If I wanted to pay for your school when you were younger, I had to get money. And if it meant getting it in unconventional ways, then so be it.”
He stops, feeling light. Well, at least he said it. There’s silence for a long time. Had he gone too far? No, Fone had been pushing. He needed to hear that.
“I do appreciate what you do for us,” Fone says softly, staring at his hands. “It must have been hard…to take us in.” …curse his youngest cousin and his ability to make him feel remorse.
“I guess I never stopped to think about WHY you did what you did. I mean…you had ALWAYS been a bit moody and scammed people, even before…” he swallows. “You took us in. But you only got worse afterwards. In terms of anger and money. Looking back on it, you were just stressed, huh?”
Phoney purses his lips, unsure of what to say to that. He hadn’t expected Fone to AGREE with him. Get angry, sure, that was nothing new. But for him to understand, or at least TRY to understand, was surprising.
“I learned at a young age that if I wanted something, I had to buy it myself.” His fingers twitch. He wants a cigar. How long has he been clean now? “I guess you could say that’s where my obsession started. Had to negotiate food a lot with the people at the orphanage,” he mutters.
Fone is silent before gulping nervously. “I…guess I never thought about that either, huh?” His voice shakes ever so slightly. He’s feeling guilty. He’s blaming himself. He places a hesitant hand on Fone Bone’s shoulder.
“Look, what happened wasn’t your fault. You were just a kid. It wasn’t your responsibility to deal with the adult at the orphanage,” he mumbles, looking at the floor. “They were just bad. Wasn’t cause of you.” Fone nods, still looking troubled.
“I’ve been feeling sick lately.” That catches Phoney’s attention. He worries his bottom lip.
“Like when…?” He asks, unsure of how to bring up the hooded one in front of him. Fone shakes his head, looking nauseous. Has he looked like that the entire time he’s been here? Had he just been too annoyed to see it?
“No, that felt much different. I think it’s just a normal sickness. Still…it kind of freaked me out.” He chuckles. “How dumb is that?” Phoney frowned for a moment.
“I don’t think that’s dumb,” he says honestly, a rare thing for him, yes, he knows. “That hooded…” he has to take a deep breath to keep from swearing. “The hooded one literally possessed you. I’d say that’s a justified reason to be a bit spooked.”
Fone’s eyes remain downcast. “It…I haven’t been sleeping well either. Like…hardly ever.” Phoney blinks before rolling his eyes.
“Well, then of course you got sick!” he snaps, and Fone Bone blushes in embarrassment. “After we’re done with this rather embarrassing therapeutic talk, you’re going to bed,” he states.
“I can remember it really well,“ Fone says sadly. “I could see what she was thinking. I knew she was planning on hurting you all.” Phoney swallows, taken aback. He…can’t imagine what that would be like. To be able to vividly see the possible deaths of your own family and friends…it’s a form of torture nearly unmatched.
“In some of them, I was the one…” he inhales sharply, his form shaking. Phoney gently (or as gently as someone with his personality could) grabs Fone Bone’s chin, forcing him to look at him.
“Listen…do you think you would ever intentionally hurt me or Smiley, or any of the others?” he asks, and Fone shakes his head slowly. Phoney can see tears gathering in his cousin’s eyes. “Exactly. I don’t ever want to hear you talk about that like you were the one who would have done it. It would have been the hooded one, not you.”
He loosens his grip slightly. “Do I look like I’m scared of you? Do I look like I fear you’re going to hurt me?” Fone Bone shakes his head once more. “Right. Now…I’m uncomfortable,” he says abruptly, letting go of him. Fone Bone chuckles lightly.
“I was waiting for that,” he teases, wiping his eyes. Phoney huffs. He can never get a break, huh? Fone yawns, blinking tiredly. Phoney stands, brushing himself off.
“Alright. That’s enough affection for me today.” He turns to point a finger. “I’m going to get you some medicine. After that, you’d better be asleep when I check on you in a half an hour,” he warns. Fone Bone smiles softly, nodding as Phoney left.
Of course, it’s still going to take a lot to make life feel even a bit normal for them all again. But this is a start, at the very least.
THE END: