Master of death

Chapter eight~

It wasn't long before Mandy extended an invitation for Malikai and Wednesday to join herself and Billy at her house for an afternoon, an invitation Kai had been eagerly waiting for. After all, if Grandpa Grim was extra busy being her BFF, then it only made sense he would be at her house. As such, he would need to be invited there to meet with Grim regarding Death walking lessons and Wednesday's inability to use magic like he did. After all, barging in uninvited would simply be rude! The Addams were many things that 'polite society' found unconscionable, but they were never rude! Unless it was deserved of course. As Mandy led the group to her place, Kai took in the sight of it for his first impression.

The structure itself was a plain white two-story domicile, only a single room and balcony for the second floor and a brick chimney in the back. At first glance it seemed like a pleasant little abode, almost obnoxiously so...but a closer look showed that the house itself seemed to cringe away from Mandy as she approached, as though everything about the place were afraid to be anything less than perfectly pleasant for fear of displeasing her. 

The idea of someone so young with that much spiritual control of their surroundings was fascinating to Henri, and made him all the more eager to get to know his new friend...for some reason that escaped Malikai's understanding, that excitement seemed to upset Wednesday. As they reached the front door, Mandy turned towards Kai with a smirk. "My parents aren't home just now," she said, her voice somewhere between dry and wicked. "So whatever fun we get up to will be...unsupervised." Her eyes glinted as she saw Wednesday's eyes narrow in anger. Kai, for his part, simply met that announcement with confusion. Why would one want to be unsupervised for at home fun? In his experience with such games at home, parents would join in which just made things even more fun.

Eventually, he concluded this was an aspect of 'normality' that simply did not make sense, and assumed it would eventually. As Mandy opened the door, however, there was a figure waiting there. Clad in a night black cloak with crimson trim stood a skeletal figure holding a scythe, no eyes in his bony sockets as he glowered down at Mandy, the sockets themselves shifting to show the narrowing of his eyes. "Now don't be thinkin' you'll be gettin' up to any funny business, Mandy," the figure declared in a familiar Jamaican accent. "And stop teasin' Wednesday. I don' wanna deal with the collateral if you two start goin' at it like cats in a sack over a boy who don't even know what you fightin' about!" Grandpa Grimm scolded her. Mandy's smirk turned into an irritated frown. "What gives, Grim?" she demanded coldly. "I thought being my friend meant you were on my side!" Mandy demanded. "Not when me family's involved," Grim corrected as he let everyone in. "There's honor and code involved there. Besides, I've got responsibilities here. Need ta teach Kai how-"

"Before that, I'd like to know how it's possible you two are family," Mandy interrupted as she took a seat. "I'm kinda curious too!" Billy spoke up with a dopey grin. "How can ya share flesh and blood when only one of you has that? I mean...do you take turns?" Mandy stared at the idiot boy with a flat-eyed gaze. "For once Billy...had a point." She turned back to Grim scowling. "So?" Grim shrugged as he gestured for Henri and Wednesday to sit in the chairs. "Alright. Since I won't be gettin' a moment's peace to teach till I tell the story...do you want the simple version, or the complex?"

"Simple, please!" Billy replied eagerly. "Through marriage," Grim responded immediately. "You're married?" Mandy demanded intensely. "No, but mah brother is, and he's still me brotha even if Pops is put out with him," Grim corrected easily. "Not that he actually is, mind, not with all that plan nonsense and the necessity of free will..." Seeing only confusion directed his way -except from Billy, who had gotten distracted by a light spot reflecting off the scythe- Grim sighed.

"Alright, let's start at the beginning, eh?" Taking hold of his scythe, he swept it through the air and reality around them tore away. As the group flew through darkness, Malikai felt his senses intensify. "Is this Deathwalking?" he asked eagerly. "Part of it," Grim explained readily.