G H O U L S

   There were rumors always swirling around the Wyrm that Penny had come back and set up shop somewhere else, but Jones refused to believe it or even do anything to get rid of her for good, still far into their peace bullshit he assumed. However he wasn’t about to let it die so easily, this gang was all he had and would do anything to make sure things stayed smooth, he just had to find the proof and find a way to get to Penny without anyone noticing, unfortunately, that didn’t seem to be in the cards. 

From what he had heard, she was set up with the ghoulies and even entering their turf would start a war that he never wanted to get into, given the rest of the serpents would know just who it was who had went after her. All loyalty he felt towards Peabody went out of him when she started making the serpents her bitch with the drug hauling she was having them do. 

He noticed her before she approached, also knew she was a ghoulie and he got ready for whatever fight would be coming, but even so maybe he could get something out of her and it seemed that was exactly what she was here to discuss. “That even possible for you and your crew?”Even now he was cocky, far too stuck in his ways to not be. “We shouldn’t be chatting in the open. But I assume the rumors are true then.”

Harm scoffed at his remark; sure, she loved her violence and chaos but even she knew there was a time to lay down arms. Why fight when there was a clear cut common enemy for both of them? Granted, if pushed too far, it was too easy to fall into old habits. “Watch your tongue there, snake boy. I’d hate to cut it out.” But fighting wasn’t in her best interest. Not now, anyways. The ghoulies were still trying to reform after the heavy blow by the cops, northsiders, and serpents alike. A mad scramble and too much chaos even for Harm’s liking considering it involved her ‘family’ or the only ones she would call such things.

But the ghoulie would take a serpent any day over one that had been cast out by them. At least she could respect the hustle even if it pissed her off to no end when it landed her family behind bars. But Penny Peabody? She had slipped into their cracks and was leeching off of them, sucking the life out of them and would no doubt have any issues throwing them to the dogs when the time came to escape the blame herself. A parasite like no other and it sickened her that in their desperation, some had accepted her, had allowed her to slowly take hold of their gang for her own vendetta. A silver tongue and Harm had to sit back and watch as others were pulled into her influence. Sure, Harm could pull a ‘Jones’ and cast her out but apparently the woman wasn’t so easy to take down so here she was, turning to an enemy.

“Anyone asks, just say I was in need of some weed. I mean, we have our own shit but seems people like to think we lost everything.” Most of their supplies had been seized, yes, but not everything. Not that easy to destroy them completely. “I get what I want and you get to keep your stupid rep by having a ghoulie of all people crawling to you for a cheap fix.” A temporary appearance of desperation for something as petty as drugs but Harm could take the hit to her own rep.

The butt of her knee moved to shut the glove box once more, a smile, neatly presented on her face despite the tremors inside. “… we’re friends. If I look back down memory lane, you weren’t so bad. But now you don’t have friends, Harm. You’d kill anybody, and you wouldn’t even need a reason anymore. You just…” disgust rolled off her tongue, features hardening. “… enjoy it.” like a monster. But then that’s what she’d had to become to climb to the top of this, her gang transformed from what had felt at the time like family bonds into an efficient machine. Wringing out the souls that went in for their very last drop. “So yes, I’d paint your pretty little car with your brains if I have to because you’d take delight in doing the same with me. I will fucking shoot you if you touch me again, or try to make a show out of this. This isn’t me trying to play games with you - I want to talk about the shit you’ve been doing.” And maybe she’d have to kill her for it, then. Being a doctor now meant that she’d become far more accustomed to watching people die… and sometimes? It was her fault. She wasn’t good enough, or perhaps she’d misdiagnosed the patients within her care. But Toni knew she could live with herself if it came down to Harm staying, or leaving this world by her hand. Ignoring as Harm intoned on about her product. Who cared. And when she spoke of killing her, frankly, all it did was confirm what she already knew about her. That she was heartless, no longer even fit to be called human. A psychopath would have held a better personal connection with the world and in a healthier balance than Harm Henley. “I don’t care who you’re selling to outside of here. But I care if you’re trying to ruin this town. As pathetically horrible as it was to us when we were children, some of us have aged out of the pretence that we can’t make this better for other people at this point. And if you’re here to fuck that up?” The safety was already off. She hoped that Sweet Pea would be fine, because any move between them was most certainly one of mutual destruction.  @ghovlie

The laugh rolled off her lips at Toni’s accusation of her ENJOYING murder. Perhaps, once upon a time, Harm had enjoyed torturing others be it mentally of physically but now? Now it was just business. There was no ‘enjoying’ that part, only a cold callousness left in its place. Murder hadn’t been her thing, even in her teens and now it was mere a necessity to keep her place atop her throne. “I don’t ‘enjoy’ killing, Antonia. I don’t even CARE about it. Call it my occupational hazard. Sort of like yours would be accidentally killing a patient. I’m sure you’ve done that before, right? Well murder is just mine. I don’t like it but got to accept it. Chaos is what we’ve ghoulies have always done, just we’re on a much larger scale than before.” It was all just business to Harm, nothing more and nothing less.

Death threats from the other female were growing tiresome. She didn’t even have one of her knives out and the snake bitch thought it appropriate to continue waiving her little weapon around like a man with his dick. Truly pathetic. “If you can’t put down your gun for a few fucking minutes, then we’re fucking done here. You can walk your ass on home from here, right? I don’t talk under threat and I’m not about to snitch on my own gang. But your paranoia makes it sound like you’re the coked up bitch, not me.” 

Harm wasn’t about to be continually threatened in her own car, her prized possession and also expected to talk about what was happening with the ghoulies. The smile had disappeared, replaced with a serious, an apathetic, expression. One hand resting on the wheel as the cigarette burned on between her fingers and eyes focused straight ahead out of the windshield. If she wanted to deal with Harm, leader of the ghoulies, then fine. But like hell she was going to be continually disrespected by someone who wasn’t even a leader herself, by someone who had run away for something as stupid as medical school. Toni was nothing, not even a speck on Harm’s radar until the other had so rudely interrupted her deal, potentially jeopardizing a sale for them.

              touch aroused him, it was inescapable, unavoidable. it was a natural bodily reaction to the way she kissed him. suddenly as she retracted the allure went with it. all sense of self-consciousness kicked back in, as he thought of what she had with sweet pea. those loving touches she couldn’t stand any longer. soft kisses that were molded to the shape of her skin. oh, how he wished he could have that. as she peeled back he flushed heavily, already aroused with a stiffness in his trousers he was blushing, a shameful look in his eyes. practically unable to control himself all he desired was to lay her back down, whilst having his way with her. ❛i’m not him…not your sweet pea…❜ whispering the words he sat up, climbing off of her as he shoved his hands into his hair. covering his eyes with his palms. ❛phoenix–he wanted you so badly…❜ memories flashed behind his eyes, conversations where he’d spoken to her, touches she’d denied him. so many times he was left wanting more of her–had passed on to jughead. yearning for the erection to cease he reached down groaning slightly as he rubbed himself through his trousers. damn she could do quite the number with just a few kisses.  ❛i can’t help it–how i feel.❜ he felt shame for his inability to control that part of himself. he’d tried before, but now it was even more difficult, harboring his own emotions with phoenix’s was heightening him. 

Thankfully, he listened and got off, Harm pushing herself up to sit once he had and fingers running through wavy locks to smooth them back out. Her own face was a burning crimson from embarrassment of Sweet Pea’s name. Unintentional, a mistake, but he was taking it better than Harm had expected or maybe it was the kiss that had toned down whatever might have happened otherwise, had diffused a potential argument from her fuck up. “I know, baby. I know you’re not him. I didn’t mean to say that, just my head is so fucking exhausted.” At least Harm could acknowledge that it was her mistake and not trying to shift the blame. Wasn’t that a step forwards from where they had been? “I’m sorry. I fucked that up, I know. I don’t even know what the hell I was thinking.” There hadn’t even been any thoughts of her former lover in that moment so where it had come from, Harm wasn’t sure.

           softness was written in her eyes, touch was so easily provided when they were together. even as she squirmed underneath him there was a loving expression on his features. the urge to kiss her, to break the promise of intimacy was strong, but he knew where those urges had come from, ten-fold; phoenix. merging with his counterpart had magnified his emotions towards her. when she moved underneath him he felt the electricity coursing underneath his skin. fingers dragging over her waist, up to her cheeks. then she uttered that one name. loathed, dreaded, jaw clenching he closed his eyes. heart skipping a beat in shock. but then her petals were against his, which was distracting. a low whimper escaped as she deepened the kiss, passionately drawing him in. pressed so entirely against her he released the lowest of whines, mixed with a moan as he thrust down against her. trying desperately to wrap his head around the name that had exited her petals mere moments before. distractions came easy because he didn’t want to believe that she’d just spoken sweet pea’s name. not after she was in his bed, less than a month ago. his brain was easily distracted, with these unexpressed emotions phoenix had let loose on him. suddenly it became more of a point, deepening the kiss, sliding his hands underneath her shirt, touching her, grinding against her. the urge to prove he was better than sweet pea came to the surface. she’d brought the jealousy back to the surface in him–the need to prove himself.  ❛you’re mine…❜ whimpered through the kisses, it was now him forcing them upon her.

She expected anger, jealousy, but had apparently succeeded in distracting Jughead with her kiss when nothing came of it. Or, at least, nothing had happened yet. There was always a chance it would be brought up later, that he’d catch her off guard when he confronted her on her slip of tongue and that she’d be left apologizing for ages even though she was merely exhausted and her mind scattered. After all, she had just been hallucinating mere minutes ago so it was obvious her brain wasn’t working quite right with its severe lack of sleep. The last thing she wanted was to cause him to think once more that Sweet Pea was a threat to their relationship, that her little drunken night with him had been anything more than just that: a stupid drunken night that Harm still regretted. Harm was well aware of that jealousy, of how insecure he could be about her feelings towards the other serpent.

            still, even with thoughts of what would occur were he to give into the darkness that phoenix had unleashed inside of him, he worried about how much she would tolerate, how many factors were against who he was. if phoenix had been created once, then could he not be created a second time? fear was prominent inside of him, thoughts of abandonment were never far from view. imagining what life would be like without her was almost inconceivable now. he no longer remembered what life was like before he had her–it was just her. his anchor, his soulmate–his everything. hoisting her up just slightly he pushed her back onto the bed, teasingly, kissing her petals, before tickling her sides.  ❛then i will make certain you do.❜ it was the most playful he had been in a long time, everything felt different as though he was peering at it through a petri dish of horrors. ❛even if i have to tickle you until you agree.❜ ceasing his fingers from digging into her sides he instead moved to steal another kiss from her lips.  ❛maybe ravage you until you can’t keep your eyes open.❜ more teasing words before he sat back up, offering her his hand lovingly as he used his cane to hoist himself up. it would be a night of just the two of them. something that was long overdue, in the sense that they rarely ever got to relax, to simply just be–together.

Briefly, as she was pushed back onto the bed, Harm thought perhaps he was either seeking something they had both agreed to hold off on or he was going to try to get her to sleep right then and there. Of course, that was thrown right out the window before she even had a chance to protest. The moment fingers were digging into tender flesh, Harm was squirming, laughter forced from her lips by Jughead. Oh, this was cruel and he knew it and yet, there was a sense of peace from the tragedy that had struck. No one was fighting or yelling and it had rendered him playful rather than a constant state of worry. Squeals as she tried to escape the onslaught of his hands tickling her without mercy, using up what little energy she already had until, finally, Jughead stopped and left Harm gasping for air. Harm didn’t even have time to recover until lips were on hers once more. When he pulled away, Harm let out a small hum, a purr of content at the situation at hand. Taking his hand as she sat up, that smile was evident on her face. “You really know how to wear a girl out, don’t you Sweet Pea?”

          it was difficult to disagree with her, when those beautiful orbs were paired with his, reminding him of what he’d been missing for the days he’d been unconscious. touching the surface of her skin there was a soft breath that escaped from his petals as he watched her settling along the side of his mattress. limping to her side he planted his cane against the nightstand before settling alongside of her. arm curved around her waist, pulling her into his arms, before planting a kiss to her forehead. ❛i have all of phoenix’s memories–as well as the ones he took from me from my childhood. i’m not fine.❜ decidedly veering the conversation off of her for the moment he figured it would be easier if she wasn’t lingering in the belief that she was crazy. that would only overly complicate their situation making her believe something that he knew wasn’t possible true. after all how could it be, when he was far crazier than she could ever be? ❛what if i become like him, harm? will you still love me then?❜ it was a fear that he couldn’t shake, from the moment he’d agreed to shatter the side of himself that she feared–that she’d hated–all of those fears became potential realities. as she spoke of normal couple-like things he knew there was no point in fighting his desire to spend time with her. to be with her. ❛fine–we can watch a few shows, & then you need to go to bed.❜ sliding his hand up her waist he kept her close to his side. 

            with soft grazes of her blonde strands of hair he watched as she proceeded to protest his attempts at forcing her to go to bed. but it was her own words that raged against her, from when she’d insisted he take the reins when it came to their relationship. everything he could recall was jumbled into a mess, even memories that revolved around her. dragging his hand over the back of her cheek he used his cane to struggle back into an upright position. clenching his jaw he shook his head as she mentioned how early it was.  ❛i meant it, baby–you’re going to bed. you wanted me in charge, well this is what it looks like. no whining, you need to sleep. you’ll probably sleep through the entire day, and night.❜ guiding an arm around her waist to draw her in towards the warmth of the trailer he closed the door behind them. emerald orbs peering over towards his bedroom as he began to guide her towards it.  ❛come on, sweetheart. this is what you need.❜ whispering sweetly into her ear he was trying not to feel the headache that was already accompanying his exhaustion. even all of the sleep he’d gotten wasn’t enough to right what was destroyed in his mind. traces of phoenix’s memories remained, confusing the reality of his own heart, as he came to realize that his counterpart was now a piece of him as well.

Teeth lightly scraped against the inside of her cheek before a soft and childlike whine left her at his demands for sleep, reminding her of their little deal all too easily. Still, she allowed him to guide her to his room, pulling away only to sit on the edge of the bed but not quite ready to lay down yet. “Baby, I’m fine now.” Bullshit considering Harm had essentially just had a full mental breakdown albeit a brief one compared to Jughead’s the previous night but hers had been complete with hallucinations and shrieking, enough to grab the attention of those around them and fuel probably countless rumours about what went on in the trailer. “I’m not seeing anything anymore. My arm is fine and I’m fine.” Still, she made no move to get off of the bed he had guided her to, legs dangling off the end of it. Harm simply didn’t want to admit how thin her mind had been stretched over the past couple of days, nearly to the point of breaking completely under some fucked up hallucination.

             with loving strokes he was providing her with consistent warmth, as well as comfort. in his own diffused state there wasn’t much wisdom that he could provide to her. instead he was letting her ramble, touching her hair, brushing her cheek, whilst keeping her balanced steadily in his lap. sounds however were coming from various other trailers, as curious neighbors clearly wondering what the ruckus was, were peaking their heads out to make certain no one was being murdered. at this point, heaven help someone if they were, because they would surely already be dead. complete nosiness was all that was transpiring by this point, which irritated him more than words could express. as those arms of hers clung tighter to his middle, whilst she pleaded with him to make the staring cease he stroked his fingers through the strands of her hair before nodding. ❛alright, baby…i’ll make them stop.❜ it was all he could think to say as he allowed his eyes to peer over towards the various neighbors whom were now gawking at them.  ❛do you assholes mind?! this isn’t a fucking reality tv show, okay? go back in your fucking trailers!❜ once he called them out they crept back into their homes, whilst he was quick to flip them all off as they did.  ❛c’mon sweetheart. you need to sleep–i’m not going to take no for an answer–you’re very tired.❜ coaxing her he didn’t know if himself had the strength to stand just yet, but he was going to damned well try his hardest.

Harm didn’t need to look around to see the faces of their neighours retreating back into their trailers; the sound of doors closing around them told the blonde exactly what she needed to know and that was that they had just fucked off finally and slithered away like worms. To know she was no longer being gawked at brought a relief to Harm but she’d no doubt be the subject of gossip for next week or two over what had happened yet again at the Jones home. Speculation at its finest though none of them would have any idea what ever went down inside the trailer, even with all the screaming and shouting they probably heard regularly. And clearly none of them cared if none of them had ever tried to help Jughead when he was just a boy and at the hand of his father’s wrath. No one in the trailer park cared to intervene, only whisper behind the backs of those less fortunate and never a helping hand was lent to those suffery. 

“As if you could even handle this brand of maple chaos,” her eyes rolled, arms falling before her tightly as the folder left her fingertips. Her desire to fit in was rooted in the way every eye fell on her as she waltzed within the Wyrm. And while she usually lived for that sort of attention, she didn’t need it when running errands, especially ones she couldn’t see the rest of the Serpents being too crazy about. She took a deep breath, arms running against her skin quickly as she begun to catch a chill. The entire endeavor seemed to be taking longer than she expected. 

“Ah, yes. Move into the streets and pray for the best,” her vision gazed up as though the stars in the sky would tell her how long this would last. As much as she wanted to be part of something, to be able to tame some chaos in her own realm, sometimes it wasn’t worth the trip her ego took. She could already feel her skin crawl, the inconsistent wavering of who she was compared to who she wanted to be. “My family was only ever a business, and that ended very poorly for the businessmen in my family. I try to keep my recreation out of the house now.”

“Princess, your brand of ‘chaos’ is high school drama and a brief SMUDGE on someone’s reputation. Nothing permanent. I like to completely DESTROY someone. Sometimes with just words and sometimes with my knife. You need to get your hands a little bloody first and I do mean that literally.” They came from opposite worlds and, from where Harm stood, their definition of chaos were very different. Harm wasn’t seeking revenge because of petty shit but for survival. When she was bored, the ghoulie might stir the pot because of something ridiculously childish but that was just an occupational hazard of being a ghoulie. Sometimes people just got caught in the crossfire or Harm needed a little entertainment.