Duke & Bones

Artfight entry #2! Two classy music lovers getting their glam on.

This was the only thought running through Monoceros's head as they sneaked towards the towering, dilapidated TV station in the middle of the night. Most outsiders would assume the TV station was abandoned due to its rundown state, but Mono knew better.

This TV station was the lair of a bad guy; one who had made no secret that they found pleasure in going after others. Mono also knew that this bad guy was not fond of them. Even though Mono had chosen a time they hoped there would be less activity, getting this close was incredibly risky. Even so, the side of Monoceros that desired to be a hero knew that this was a risk they had to take.

What awaits the little space gremlin on such a dangerous mission?

( it was rather quiet, almost odd for the people inhabiting the place. All seemingly resting in their assigned rooms. Not a sound in sight. )

( Mr. Spotlight remained in their office, on the floor - Leggy 3.0 and Toomp 2.0 next to them - screen turned off, likely resting themselves. )

As Mono began to trek through the dark, slightly dilapidated building, they turned their attention to the smartphone gifted to them by SMG4. They had double and triple-checked to make sure it was in silent mode; for this mission, as little noise as possible was needed.

Furthermore, taking pictures was too risky; at least, not until they could confirm it was safe. So for now, they was just recording their progress. Good thing this phone's camera had a night-vision mode.

As Mono went to pass one doorway, they stayed close to the wall and slowly peeked inside. There, at the other side of the room, were three objects. Floating to the opposite side of the hallway in order to get a good shot, Mono turned their attention to their phone.

It was...THEM! Or, at least...it was their projector head. Mono remembered what SMG4 and the others had told them about the two individuals that now made up this one bad guy. Apparently, the Rainbow Face guy was able to absorb the rest of his body into his TV head. Looks like they still had that ability.

And then there were the other two objects. Some kind of dessert with googly eyes and a basketball wearing a familiar hat and goggles combo, along with some brown boots.

🦄: ' Is that...Meggy? '

Mono vaguely remembered being told about how Rainbow Face had developed an obsession with the orange-haired Inkling, and how the Gun Biker had bonded with some violent, pink slime creature. But...according to Meggy, when those two had closed the rift, Rainbow Face had acknowledged that the way he had treated her was wrong. So...why was that thing here now?

Either way, even if there was crucial evidence in that room, there was no way Mono was going to risk it when the bad guy was right there. Reminding themself to keep quiet, Mono decided to move on from this particular room and float deeper into the studio.

Suddenly, Mono’s nose caught a whiff of something for a split second. They had smelled it before; it was when they went to visit Pierre in his pond the morning after a rainstorm. Why…why would they be smelling that here?

At the same time, something caught Mono’s eye. Along the left side of the hallway was a slightly ajar door. And coming from inside the room was a faint, red glow. Was something in there?

I can't see..... where are they?

GOD DAMNIT

...

All Mono had done was open the door wider, and suddenly a screen had flickered on, and an unfamiliar figure appeared. After a second that felt like forever, they zipped back behind the doorway.

There was an active security system? This just upped the danger level significantly. If they could be caught on camera, that meant Spotlight could be alerted. And Mono knew they would not appreciate a known hero poking around their lair.

Okay, new plan. First of all, Mono needed to make some distance between them and any potential threats. Was there a way to get up higher?

Mono floated down the rest of the hallway and took a right, hoping to find a room that wasn’t occupied by the security screens. It was only then that they began to notice the small red lights lining the ceiling. Those security cameras were new.

Suddenly, at the end of the next hall, Mono saw what they were looking for. A staircase! At least this way, there would at least be a floor or two between them and Spotlight if the latter was on the hunt. The best way out would probably be an open window in one of the rooms. Yes, this meant putting the search for evidence in the back seat for now, but that wasn’t as important right now.

Trying to run?

The sound of the nearby voice is enough to send shivers down someone's spine

I think now would be a good time to test out this body

Suddenly there is a loud slam as someone trips over something

You aren't supposed to be back here...

Just as Mono was about to open the door that led to the stairs, a shambling presence began to make its way towards them from the other end of the hallway. It wasn’t Spotlight, but that didn’t mean it was anything good.

Let me think...

No

A loud hiss rings out as he grabs them by whatever he can get his hand on

...

This was the only thought running through Monoceros's head as they sneaked towards the towering, dilapidated TV station in the middle of the night. Most outsiders would assume the TV station was abandoned due to its rundown state, but Mono knew better.

This TV station was the lair of a bad guy; one who had made no secret that they found pleasure in going after others. Mono also knew that this bad guy was not fond of them. Even though Mono had chosen a time they hoped there would be less activity, getting this close was incredibly risky. Even so, the side of Monoceros that desired to be a hero knew that this was a risk they had to take.

What awaits the little space gremlin on such a dangerous mission?

( it was rather quiet, almost odd for the people inhabiting the place. All seemingly resting in their assigned rooms. Not a sound in sight. )

( Mr. Spotlight remained in their office, on the floor - Leggy 3.0 and Toomp 2.0 next to them - screen turned off, likely resting themselves. )

As Mono began to trek through the dark, slightly dilapidated building, they turned their attention to the smartphone gifted to them by SMG4. They had double and triple-checked to make sure it was in silent mode; for this mission, as little noise as possible was needed.

Furthermore, taking pictures was too risky; at least, not until they could confirm it was safe. So for now, they was just recording their progress. Good thing this phone's camera had a night-vision mode.

As Mono went to pass one doorway, they stayed close to the wall and slowly peeked inside. There, at the other side of the room, were three objects. Floating to the opposite side of the hallway in order to get a good shot, Mono turned their attention to their phone.

It was...THEM! Or, at least...it was their projector head. Mono remembered what SMG4 and the others had told them about the two individuals that now made up this one bad guy. Apparently, the Rainbow Face guy was able to absorb the rest of his body into his TV head. Looks like they still had that ability.

And then there were the other two objects. Some kind of dessert with googly eyes and a basketball wearing a familiar hat and goggles combo, along with some brown boots.

🦄: ' Is that...Meggy? '

Mono vaguely remembered being told about how Rainbow Face had developed an obsession with the orange-haired Inkling, and how the Gun Biker had bonded with some violent, pink slime creature. But...according to Meggy, when those two had closed the rift, Rainbow Face had acknowledged that the way he had treated her was wrong. So...why was that thing here now?

Either way, even if there was crucial evidence in that room, there was no way Mono was going to risk it when the bad guy was right there. Reminding themself to keep quiet, Mono decided to move on from this particular room and float deeper into the studio.

Suddenly, Mono’s nose caught a whiff of something for a split second. They had smelled it before; it was when they went to visit Pierre in his pond the morning after a rainstorm. Why…why would they be smelling that here?

At the same time, something caught Mono’s eye. Along the left side of the hallway was a slightly ajar door. And coming from inside the room was a faint, red glow. Was something in there?

I can't see..... where are they?

GOD DAMNIT

...

All Mono had done was open the door wider, and suddenly a screen had flickered on, and an unfamiliar figure appeared. After a second that felt like forever, they zipped back behind the doorway.

There was an active security system? This just upped the danger level significantly. If they could be caught on camera, that meant Spotlight could be alerted. And Mono knew they would not appreciate a known hero poking around their lair.

Okay, new plan. First of all, Mono needed to make some distance between them and any potential threats. Was there a way to get up higher?

Mono floated down the rest of the hallway and took a right, hoping to find a room that wasn’t occupied by the security screens. It was only then that they began to notice the small red lights lining the ceiling. Those security cameras were new.

Suddenly, at the end of the next hall, Mono saw what they were looking for. A staircase! At least this way, there would at least be a floor or two between them and Spotlight if the latter was on the hunt. The best way out would probably be an open window in one of the rooms. Yes, this meant putting the search for evidence in the back seat for now, but that wasn’t as important right now.

Trying to run?

The sound of the nearby voice is enough to send shivers down someone's spine

I think now would be a good time to test out this body

Suddenly there is a loud slam as someone trips over something

You aren't supposed to be back here...

Unbeknownst to anyone else in the studio, there is another pair of eyes watching the whole spectacle.

📯: ' Hmm...not quite how I expected this would play out. Oh well...

-Duke Amduscias, @dukenbones

Hm...

she sighed annoyed

Well, that wasn't any of the answers I was thinking of, I'll give you that.

But clearly, nothing you two can say will properly satiate my boredom. I'll be on my way now. Please try to make more of an effort next time. Ta. ⋆˚࿔♫⋆˚࿔ "

Got any bottles to spare, darling? ♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ. "

-Duke Amduscias, @dukenbones

"ya got money to pay fer it? If not then scram!!"

@the-show-must-go-0n

💀: " Does dat stand fer 'Very Inebriated Pegacorn'? "

📯: " (¬`‸´¬) Largooooo~! None of these mortals are following my request to satiate me of my boredom! ♪𝄞♫ᝰ.ᐟ "

💀: " Well Boss, dat's because, to put it simply, they've already seen too much shit. "

(Largo slaps a couple bills onto the counter.)

💀: " Give His Royal Whiny-ness here strongest ya got. Jus' make sure he doesn't start tryin' to eat da shot glasses. "

📯: " 😒I have never tried to eat a shot glass. ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞𝄢₊˚⊹ "

She sighed in annoyance

She began to pour the drink. When she finished she slid it over to the unknown person.

She then took out a deck of cards.

"if it's entertainment ya want it's entertainment you'll get"

(Amduscias tilts his head back and downs the drink in one gulp. He then slides a long tongue out between his fangs to lick the glass clean.)

📯: " Not yet, Largo. I'll play by the rules this time. 𝄞⨾𓍢ִ໋ "

(Amduscias carefully takes the deck of cards and holds them so they're face-to-face. His horn begins to glow red, followed by a lone card (also glowing red) emerging from the deck's middle. Amduscias looks at the lone card, and allows it to sink back into the deck. Suddenly, the whole deck of cards glows red, and the cards shuffle themselves in mid-air before landing in a neat stack on the counter. Amduscias pushes the deck back with a grin.)

"and yer card is a symbol of death how convenient"

She paused registering the question

(Amduscias stands up and starts to head toward the door.)

📯: " Largo, we're done here. I need something stronger. ♪ "

(Largo also stands up.)

💀: " Keep da change, kid. And be sure to bring yer A-game at da big event. Wouldn't wanna disappoint yer audience after buildin' up all dat hype. "

Got any bottles to spare, darling? ♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ. "

-Duke Amduscias, @dukenbones

"ya got money to pay fer it? If not then scram!!"

@the-show-must-go-0n

💀: " Does dat stand fer 'Very Inebriated Pegacorn'? "

📯: " (¬`‸´¬) Largooooo~! None of these mortals are following my request to satiate me of my boredom! ♪𝄞♫ᝰ.ᐟ "

💀: " Well Boss, dat's because, to put it simply, they've already seen too much shit. "

(Largo slaps a couple bills onto the counter.)

💀: " Give His Royal Whiny-ness here strongest ya got. Jus' make sure he doesn't start tryin' to eat da shot glasses. "

📯: " 😒I have never tried to eat a shot glass. ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞𝄢₊˚⊹ "

She sighed in annoyance

She began to pour the drink. When she finished she slid it over to the unknown person.

She then took out a deck of cards.

"if it's entertainment ya want it's entertainment you'll get"

(Amduscias tilts his head back and downs the drink in one gulp. He then slides a long tongue out between his fangs to lick the glass clean.)

📯: " Not yet, Largo. I'll play by the rules this time. 𝄞⨾𓍢ִ໋ "

(Amduscias carefully takes the deck of cards and holds them so they're face-to-face. His horn begins to glow red, followed by a lone card (also glowing red) emerging from the deck's middle. Amduscias looks at the lone card, and allows it to sink back into the deck. Suddenly, the whole deck of cards glows red, and the cards shuffle themselves in mid-air before landing in a neat stack on the counter. Amduscias pushes the deck back with a grin.)

-Duke Amduscias, @dukenbones

Hm...

she sighed annoyed

-Duke Amduscias, @dukenbones

Hm...

she sighed annoyed

Got any bottles to spare, darling? ♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ. "

-Duke Amduscias, @dukenbones

"ya got money to pay fer it? If not then scram!!"

@the-show-must-go-0n

💀: " Does dat stand fer 'Very Inebriated Pegacorn'? "

📯: " (¬`‸´¬) Largooooo~! None of these mortals are following my request to satiate me of my boredom! ♪𝄞♫ᝰ.ᐟ "

💀: " Well Boss, dat's because, to put it simply, they've already seen too much shit. "

(Largo slaps a couple bills onto the counter.)

💀: " Give His Royal Whiny-ness here strongest ya got. Jus' make sure he doesn't start tryin' to eat da shot glasses. "

📯: " 😒I have never tried to eat a shot glass. ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞𝄢₊˚⊹ "

-Duke Amduscias, @dukenbones

-Largo, @dukenbones

"Oh me, oh my! I am so scared-! Big Bad Bossy is gonna weave me by da side of da woad once they's is done widd me! I am perfectly aware of what they're capable of. They Dont what I'm Capable Of. Think this was just a choice?. Its just business." - ⚠️⚙️

He'd turn his gaze away.

"..." - ⚠️⚙️

Before looking back and muttering a sing-songy tease.

I ain't stupid, kid. I'm well aware dat my Boss is the one holdin' the leash. He's already got twenty-nine legions o' demons an' spirits under his command, an' he's plenty powerful on his own.

Boss designed me ta be super-adaptable and able to replicate others' moves flawlessly. But I ain't a mind-reader. I couldn't tell ya why exactly he made me, an' he ain't talkin'. Maybe he jus' got tired of passin' out in his study 'cause he'd get so caught up in his work he'd forget to do things like eat an' bathe.

But one thing I do know about Boss is at the end o' da day, he's straight with everybody. If he really wanted me gone, he woulda done it a long time ago. Believe it or not, even demons can have virtues.

-Largo, @dukenbones

Mr.Radiohead began to laugh loudly

"HAH! IF YOUR BOSS WAS CONFIDENT ENOUGH MAYBE HE WOULD OF CAME HIMSELF INSTEAD OF SENDING YOU! YOUR BOSS IS A GODDAMNED COWARD!"

He fixed himself up before he said anything else

(Suddenly, Largo stiffens and falls to his knees, his skull looking straight up. A thick, black smoke begins to emerge from his eye and nose sockets, and the smell of earth after a rainstorm—petrichor—fills the air. As the cloud of smoke grows bigger, a pair of angry-looking eyes, glowing bright red, appears within it. A deep voice, somehow melodic and chaotic-sounding at the same time, begins to reverberate throughout the area, the faint sound of thunder rumbling behind it.)

"I'm no peasant, that name is beneath me. And what's even more beneath me is repeating myself! I won't repeat myself to some poor excuse of a boss who can't even give himself a physical form to speak to me himself. I'm offended by your audacity."

(Without warning, a red glow matching the eyes surrounds MrRadiohead’s body. He is jerked up into the air, and pulled forward until he is floating right in front of the eyes. Throughout it all, Largo remains motionless.)

📯: “ You say you’re offended? Don’t think I don’t know your type. If I were to guess, nobody in your world has told you “no.” And now you’re convinced that you’re K̴̢̰͕̼͈̯̜̓̿̄̍̅̒͌͝ī̷̦͖̪̪̖͔͔̲̻̝̙͈̬̒́͗͂̓̇͒̚͜͠n̶̨̡͖̦͎̜͔͔̯͚͙̲̦̠͐̈́̂̕̕ģ̴̨̘̲͙͓̭̪̋̿̃̒͂͘͘ ̷̱͕̖̲̦̄͂̌̾S̸̮͍͎̘͍̒̒͗͝h̶͕͍̜̬̞̣̲͙͙͇͊̽̽͆̈́́̍͊͂̾͐͠͝ì̸͎͚̝͌t̸̻͇͍̲͎̻͇̭͉̭̂̄̇͊̓͆̎̍ͅ. Not like I care whether I’m right or wrong. I can only imagine your lack of tact is due to inexperience, and that is the only reason I will not turn you wrong-side out right here and now for your attitude. But I promise you… ♯🎵 “

(The voice suddenly drops to an icy whisper.)

📯: “ That will not happen a second time. 🎶 “

(The red glow fades from MrRadiohead’s body, and he falls unceremoniously into the ground. But the voice isn’t done yet.)

📯: “ Now, if you won’t actually showcase any of those so-called “abilities” of yours…then I’ll just have to show you one of mine. 🎵 “

(After a second, MrRadiohead’s eyes widen and he begins to shudder uncontrollably. Meanwhile, the smoke and eyes slowly dissipate until it’s like they were never there. Largo is finally moving again, giving his skull a slight shake. By the time Largo is standing up again, MrRadiohead’s is lying on the ground on his back, his body occasionally twitching. Largo glances down at the scene, and gives a shrug.)

💀: “ I warned ya. “

"You don't know sh■■ about me..! I'm probably more experienced then you will ever wish to be!"

(CW: Drinking alcohol)

-Largo, @dukenbones

Mr.Radiohead began to laugh loudly

"HAH! IF YOUR BOSS WAS CONFIDENT ENOUGH MAYBE HE WOULD OF CAME HIMSELF INSTEAD OF SENDING YOU! YOUR BOSS IS A GODDAMNED COWARD!"

He fixed himself up before he said anything else

(Suddenly, Largo stiffens and falls to his knees, his skull looking straight up. A thick, black smoke begins to emerge from his eye and nose sockets, and the smell of earth after a rainstorm—petrichor—fills the air. As the cloud of smoke grows bigger, a pair of angry-looking eyes, glowing bright red, appears within it. A deep voice, somehow melodic and chaotic-sounding at the same time, begins to reverberate throughout the area, the faint sound of thunder rumbling behind it.)

"I'm no peasant, that name is beneath me. And what's even more beneath me is repeating myself! I won't repeat myself to some poor excuse of a boss who can't even give himself a physical form to speak to me himself. I'm offended by your audacity."

(Without warning, a red glow matching the eyes surrounds MrRadiohead’s body. He is jerked up into the air, and pulled forward until he is floating right in front of the eyes. Throughout it all, Largo remains motionless.)

📯: “ You say you’re offended? Don’t think I don’t know your type. If I were to guess, nobody in your world has told you “no.” And now you’re convinced that you’re K̴̢̰͕̼͈̯̜̓̿̄̍̅̒͌͝ī̷̦͖̪̪̖͔͔̲̻̝̙͈̬̒́͗͂̓̇͒̚͜͠n̶̨̡͖̦͎̜͔͔̯͚͙̲̦̠͐̈́̂̕̕ģ̴̨̘̲͙͓̭̪̋̿̃̒͂͘͘ ̷̱͕̖̲̦̄͂̌̾S̸̮͍͎̘͍̒̒͗͝h̶͕͍̜̬̞̣̲͙͙͇͊̽̽͆̈́́̍͊͂̾͐͠͝ì̸͎͚̝͌t̸̻͇͍̲͎̻͇̭͉̭̂̄̇͊̓͆̎̍ͅ. Not like I care whether I’m right or wrong. I can only imagine your lack of tact is due to inexperience, and that is the only reason I will not turn you wrong-side out right here and now for your attitude. But I promise you… ♯🎵 “

(The voice suddenly drops to an icy whisper.)

📯: “ That will not happen a second time. 🎶 “

(The red glow fades from MrRadiohead’s body, and he falls unceremoniously into the ground. But the voice isn’t done yet.)

📯: “ Now, if you won’t actually showcase any of those so-called “abilities” of yours…then I’ll just have to show you one of mine. 🎵 “

(After a second, MrRadiohead’s eyes widen and he begins to shudder uncontrollably. Meanwhile, the smoke and eyes slowly dissipate until it’s like they were never there. Largo is finally moving again, giving his skull a slight shake. By the time Largo is standing up again, MrRadiohead’s is lying on the ground on his back, his body occasionally twitching. Largo glances down at the scene, and gives a shrug.)

💀: “ I warned ya. “

-Largo, @dukenbones

Mr.Radiohead began to laugh loudly

"HAH! IF YOUR BOSS WAS CONFIDENT ENOUGH MAYBE HE WOULD OF CAME HIMSELF INSTEAD OF SENDING YOU! YOUR BOSS IS A GODDAMNED COWARD!"

He fixed himself up before he said anything else

(Suddenly, Largo stiffens and falls to his knees, his skull looking straight up. A thick, black smoke begins to emerge from his eye and nose sockets, and the smell of earth after a rainstorm—petrichor—fills the air. As the cloud of smoke grows bigger, a pair of angry-looking eyes, glowing bright red, appears within it. A deep voice, somehow melodic and chaotic-sounding at the same time, begins to reverberate throughout the area, the faint sound of thunder rumbling behind it.)

💀: " Boss is a sucka for you lovey-dovey types. "

-Duke Amdusicas and Largo, @dukenbones

"Oh~? Why hello there!!! Thank you so much, I am flattered beyond belief! And gosh- pardon me for gawking. I can't help but admire your sense of fashion as well. Such lovely wings you've got, dear!"

Already, Jigsaw seems infatuated with this newcomer! What an esteemed gentleperson! And their lackey- a living skeleton? To think she had the honor to meet a potential NECROMANCER! And a MUSICAL one at that?! Finding like minded fellows was just the reason why she made this humble blog in the first place! And of course, by her side...

"Y'know- a lotta whackjobs come 'ere and usually try ta start weird shit with Jigs. Finally, some fuckin' respect!"

💀: " All right, put 'em away, ya peacock. As for what our "deal" is, Boss here is an expert on all things musical. An' since mortals are prime noisemakuhs, we like to keep an eye on 'em. Not exactly original among demons, but it nevuh stops bein' entertainin'. "

The mention of a multiversal event got the both of them perking up.

"OH, THAT!!!"

KTNA cackles loudly, already having a high opinion of this duo.

"IMAGINE THE ABSOLUTE CARNAGE! Jigs told me all about it already- and I'm fuckin' PUMPED!"

"It's interesting to me that your inspiration comes from ah- mortals!"

A species that resembles him...Jigsaw takes a moment to think. Where has she met someone like that before...?

The dots connect- and she remembers that little, sparkly eyed unicorn! The one who's so curious about her dear friend Spotlight.

💀: " While a lotta demons are still in the game of temptin' mortals, we've noticed that in da extreme cases, mortals havin' free will does most o' da job for us. Nowadays, Boss an' I only step in if someone's actions directly interfere wit' our interests. "

"My...they phase even you? I'm sure it wouldn't be that much of a threat in the grand scheme of things! Such is the chaotic nature of the universe- good or evil, no side will dominate the hearts of mortals."