Chapter Text
"WHY DO YOU ALL HATE ME?"
"WHAT DID I DO WRONG?"
"STOP IGNORING ME PLEASE!"
First Name cried into the crowd of people, though his pleas fell on deaf ears. He had spent his entire life not knowing why his family pretended he didn't exist. When he wasn't being ignored, he was being used as a puppet for his stepfather, Jim Pickens. First Name had the misfortune of living long enough to become Jim's puppet, his twin brother had drowned when they were kids and Jim decided not to save him. His other father, Ryland, was also killed indirectly by Jim who made him fight the other Father Winter to the death. Ryland lost the fight. He was the only one who did care about him, even if he wasn't very good at being a father, he tried his best.
First Name was half-human half-alien, wasn't very tall, had big rounded ears, bigger eyes than most, and had hips that were wider than his shoulders. He wore a faded orange-ish red jacket with a matching skirt, a white shirt underneath, pearl necklaces, and a Santa hat. His hair was dark brown with yellow frosted tips and had tanned skin.
"WHAT AM I DOING WRONG? PLEASE TELL ME!" First Name continued to cry to the crowd of people who had gathered on the lot. They were all likely the next victims in Jim's current twisted experiment, possibly to see how many people can live in a tiny house. There was at least 24 people there all gathered either outside or inside, including First Name who was outside as he felt safer outside. As he continued more people began to gather outside and watched him, which was beginning to scare First Name.
"Ignore him, he'll tire himself out eventually. If you give him attention he will just continue." First Name heard his voice amongst the crowd, the voice that filled him with both dread and fear, Jim Pickens. He hated Jim and wished he would've stayed dead after the fight with the Mother Plant all those months ago. First Name watched as he stepped outside and approached him. He was wearing a light pink and white suit, jeans, white rim sunglasses, and was holding a wine glass that was half full. Still had the same grey hair and beard from when First Name was younger, it made him wonder if Grim's influence kept him from aging further.
"What has gotten into you this time?" Jim asked First Name, sounding very disappointed in him as always. First Name glared at Jim before crossing his arms, turning around and responding with "It's all of you, but especially you. None of you care about me and the only one who did was killed."
"Ryland's death wasn't anyone's fault but Clement's, but you still ha-" Jim began but was cut off by First Name quickly turning around to cut him off with "YOU LET RYLAND DIE! IT WAS ALL YOUR IDEA! IT'S YOUR FAULT HE'S DEAD!"
Jim stepped back a little out of shock, he didn't expect First Name to talk back to him. First Name then continued ranting "You are a terrible father. What good parent ignores their kid only to then get them addicted to drugs as a teen just to make money off of them? You ruined my fecking life!"
"Consider yourself lucky, not many of my kids live to be teenagers. Shame about your brother though." Jim told First Name in response as First Name began pacing around in frustration.
"And why is that, huh? You don't ever feed your kids, you give them the worst names like seriously, why did you have to name me First Name?" First Name continued ranting as he started feeling small but noticeable pain in his stomach. Jim smiled before saying "Well, it's what your birth certificate says."
First Name then paused and tried to think of more to say but all he wanted to do was hurt Jim, even though it would mean his certain death. Instead, he knocked the wine glass out of Jim's hand. It did not break when it hit the ground. Jim stared at his now empty hand and said "That wine was expensive."
First Name wanted to respond but he couldn't think of anything. Jim then picked up the now empty wine glass from the ground and told First Name "Whatever, can you just quiet down? You're disturbing everyone."
As Jim tried to leave First Name grabbed his arm and said "No, we are not done hereaaAAUGH!"
First Name then let go and slowly collapsed to the ground with one arm lifting him slightly above the ground and the other wrapped around his stomach. The pain had worsened and it was spreading. Jim then sighed and said "I told you not to eat that. Oh well, you're no longer useful to me anyways."
"No! Not like this!" First Name cried as people began to close in around him. Some began voicing their concern for First Name, to which Jim dismissed as nothing. As he tried to walk away from the situation First Name muttered "You're exactly like your father."
Jim then stopped, but he did not turn around. After a few seconds of silence he turned halfway and told him "Do not compare me to that man, ever."
As the pain continued to get worse and his vision became more blurry, First Name used what remained of his strength to shout "YOU ARE WORSE THAN YOUR FATHER!"
First Name started struggling to breathe as the poison worsened, he knew he shouldn't have eaten the mysterious seafood but it was left unattended and nobody else was going to feed him. With one final breath his last words were "You will regret this."
First Name tried to reach for Jim but his vision went dark and his arm fell back down to the ground. First Name was dead.
----
"First Name!"
"First Name!"
"First Name!"
First Name heard the chanting as an unknown force brought him back to the living world in his new form. As he returned, a flock of ravens surrounded him as the cloud of black dust dissipated to reveal what he had become.
"First Name is that you?" Jim asked as the ravens flew away to watch from a distance. First Name was now as short as a child, wore black robes, had spikes on his head that resembled his hairstyle, colour and all, and was entirely skin and bone. Black mist floated around his feet like Grim and his eyes were very bright. He looked around to see that everyone was gathered around a bunch of gravestones, including his. He also noticed that Jim was now wearing a white dress with a black top hat.
"So, you regret letting me die now? So much so you preform a ritual to bring me back?" First Name asked Jim rather boldly, his voice was higher pitch than usual. Jim answered with "This wasn't my idea, I was convinced by all these people to bring you back, though I am starting to regret it."
"Y'know, your spouse could've brought me back, but I am glad they didn't, now I have powers and new friends." First Name said with a smile as he raised his arms up.
"Friends?" Jim asked with genuine confusion.
"Some are more like half-siblings. I hope you're ready for a reunion, it's been a long time coming." First Name told Jim as more cursed children began forming from black dust clouds. Each one was either related to Jim or were his victims. Everyone began to panic while Jim was only worried for once. Grim however was still bored as always.
"Burn this place to the ground and leave no survivors, just like we discussed." First Name ordered the cursed children as they spread out and began causing chaos. First Name immediately set his target on Jim, who was prepared to fight with a spell ready to cast. Grim did not seem interested in defending anyone, they just floated in one spot and watched. Jim casted his flame spell at First Name, but it did not hurt him. First Name then vanished only to reappear behind Jim. He turned around and laughed nervously before saying "You're somehow less intimidating up close, I thought you would be taller and not half my height."
Jim then kicked First Name to the ground and laughed at him while Grim continued to watch. Then suddenly the swarm of ravens began swarming Jim and attacking him. He ran off shouting "FECK OFF FECK OFF FECK OFF!"
First Name then got back up and watched the ensuing chaos for a few moments. There was fire, people dying, and people trying to escape but are held back by something. First Name then looked over to Grim and angrily asked them "Why do you still love him?"
Grim did not respond, instead they reached out their hand to summon their scythe so they could get started on their work. As they floated off, First Name heard gunshots go off from inside the smaller house that Jim had built for himself followed by the sounds of ravens shrieking and then flying out. First Name teleported himself inside the house to see that Jim had changed clothes back into what he usually wore, though without the grey collared shirt underneath, while holding a pistol which was now aimed at him. The floor was covered in ash and three bodies of ravens that he had shot. First Name noticed that he had a few visible minor scratches on him from the ravens.
"Give me one good reason why I should not shoot you with whatever amount of bullets I have left in this." Jim told First Name as he slowly backed away from him. He was scared of First Name.
"You can try, I don't think bullets can hurt me anymore." First Name responded with a smile. Jim then shot him twice before the pistol ran out of ammo, both bullets phased right through him. Jim then threw the pistol at him and shouted "JUST STAY BACK AND DON'T COME CLOSER!"
The pistol hit First Name in the face and broke off one of his smaller spikes, though it didn't hurt him that much.
"I'll give you whatever you want as long as you don't kill me." Jim tried to negotiate with First Name, who was now grinning because he knew exactly what he wanted.
"But what I want from you is your life." First Name said with a big grin on his face. Jim's eyes widened as the realization dawned on him.
"N-no, anything but that!" Jim responded as he put his hands out in self defence, despite First Name not having done anything yet. Jim continued with "Listen, I am sorry, I didn't mean to do what I did. Please don't do whatever you're going to do."
First Name began forming a small bright blue orb with his hands while looking directly into Jim's eyes and told him "No you're not really sorry, you only are because for once your life is the one on the line."
First Name then began casting his spell while Jim blocked it with his fire. The two kept pushing their magic until Jim collapsed onto the floor, only able to lift himself up a little bit. First Name's spell did not fully work, but it gave him another idea.
"It seems my magic doesn't always work, lucky for you." First Name said as Jim looked up at him and asked with a rather weak voice "What the hell did you do to me?"
First Name formed a tiny flame from his hand and answered with "It appears I took some of your life force or whatever and added it to mine, thus also giving me your ability to use fire."
Jim tried to stand back up, but he couldn't, he was no longer strong enough.
"Which gives me a new idea, I keep you alive just so I can absorb more of your power instead of taking it all at once." First Name continued. He then kneeled down to be more on Jim's level, who was refusing to make eye contact with him.
"I think you've had enough for one day, but I just want to do this to be cruel, like you." First Name then said as he swiped his claws across Jim's face. Jim immediately put his hands over it but didn't say anything, though there was some blood seeping through. First Name stood back up and took one last look at him before returning to the underworld. First Name knew he would return soon but not for Jim, rather to further ruin everything for everyone.