Back with some more Symbiote action. Some time ago, I did the Venom Trials (a sketchdump of symbiote-bonded nutcrackers) and it turns out, @freckleocalypse’s Abel decided to keep Toxin after the experiments. Their interactions and bond is … interesting.
Anyway, felt like making some sketches with them. :P
First one was an idea of Abel transforming back to his original nutcracker form. Since symbiotes feed on hormones and bodily chemicals (with the occasional brain), a wooden toy host is like eating and surviving on only stale, saltine crackers for Toxin. Poor thing.
Second one was a fun idea after seeing this post. Abel somehow convinced the symbiote (made a deal with it) to be his “fancy” boa for a day. Then they come across some jackass causing trouble and a little scare tactics never hurt. Power move.
Third one’s a bit of a half-hearted, throw-away sketch, but I still wanted to include it. Toxin’s trying to take over when it’s not supposed to.
Hope you enjoy!
First appearance of Toxic Abel can be found here in the Venom Trials (when Abel is a nutcracker).
Halloween Special appearance of Toxic Abel is here (when Abel is a human).
I don’t know how, but I was able to finish this. Get ready. this is a long one.
Alright. Here we go.
Sebastian takes the first step forward, blackened twigs crumbling into dust underfoot. Despite the misty morning air, the entire battlefield seems dry and cracked, like a burnt-out pile of logs. The most eerie part is the silence. No birds chirping, no grass rustling. Nothing.
And to think that a few days ago, this same spot had been home to a bustling town.
He and Emily had stood silently upon breaking free from the forest. Taking in the sight before them was all they had needed to reaffirm their goal.
They wind their way through the burned-out homes, sword and bow at the ready. Retracing their steps isn’t an easy task. Surrounded by the wreckage, it feels as if the world had been blown apart and reassembled. Occasionally, Seb spots something that’s almost familiar: the signpost at the town’s entrance, now snapped in half; the potted shrubs that had decorated windowsills, now smashed and burned out; the decorative sign hanging outside the bakery, now loosely attached to the smashed storefront.
They follow these telltale signs until they reach the town square, the water fountain at the center now fallen in on itself. Emily places a hand on Seb’s shoulder.
“I think we can assume we’re the only ones here. How about we split up, so we can cover more ground?”
He has to admit he was thinking the same thing. Hopefully she hadn’t jinxed them by saying it aloud. He nods.
Emily points to their right, where the rubble was piled the highest.
“I’ll take the east, you’ll take the west? If we haven’t found anything by the afternoon, we can meet back here. Sound good to you?”
He almost nods again, but then sees her face. Tired, worn out. She’s trying to keep some sort of order to their search, trying to make it be more than just blindly hopeful. The least he can do is give more than an absent-minded nod.
He squeezes her hand, his smile soft yet determined.
“Sounds good to me. Be careful, alright?”
She smiles back, and he turns to the western end of town. His smile slowly melts off his face.
Geez, this area got burned out more than the rest. Good thing I can’t breathe anymore.
The stones around Seb are scorched black, and the soot is building up on his legs as it floats through the air. It is almost as if he is walking across an overturned campfire.
Seb begins to grow frustrated. Between the dust and the debris, it is hard to see what lies ahead. The quiet atmosphere in the maze of buildings isn’t helping him either.
Seb gazes at the clouds above him. What he wouldn’t give for a bird’s-eye view.
Heh, or a pigeon’s-eye view.
A memory winds its way to the surface of Seb’s mind. This time, he’s fine with letting it distract him.
Hell, he welcomes it.
He was running faster than he had run before. Rushing past bushes and branches, he spotted the doll he’s looking for, the only one who could help him.
“Abel!”
The nutcracker turns around, eyes widening as he saw his companion racing towards him. Sebastian grabs his arm and uses him as a shield.
Out from the trees burst an onslaught…pigeons. They circled around the two dolls, cooing loudly.
Abel stood still for a minute, then burst out laughing.
“Are you serious, Seb? For the last time, they aren’t going to hurt you.”
For emphasis, he held out his arms, which were soon covered by a comical amount of the grey birds. Abel smiled brightly, while Seb proceeded to shrink further behind him.
“I’m not scared of them, idiot. Disgusted is closer to the word I’m looking foooOOOOR GET IT AWAY FROM ME.”
The prince was now face-to-face with a mottled pigeon being presented to him by Abel. The bird cocked its head to the side, staring silently. Judgingly.
He did not trust it.
“This little fellow is Leon. He’s the calmest of the bunch, so I think it’s best to introduce you to him first. Say hello, buddy!”
The bird cooed to Seb. The prince looked back and forth between the bird and Abel. Slowly, he waved his hand slightly.
“…Hello…bird.”
Seb hoped that this would be enough to satisfy his companion. But, of course, the nutcracker did the exact opposite of what he had hope, instead choosing to sit beside the prince.
The birds followed.
Surrounded by pigeons, Seb saw no way to walk around them. He looked at Abel, seeing a smug grin on his face. Leon was still in his hand, staring expectantly at the prince. Seb was miffed.
“You little…you know what, I shouldn’t even be surprised. Just hand over the bird and let’s get this over with.”
Leon was placed in Seb’s hands and he immediately settled down and closed his eyes, resting. The bird really was calm.
“Not so bad, is it Seb?”
“Shut up. You and your birds are all out to get me.”
“Well, you aren’t wrong, exactly…”
Abel took off his hat and removed a pouch of birdseed from it (Abel, what the heck), and began feeding the pigeons. His expression grew purposeful, the smile shrinking.
“It’s more like we’re trying to get you to open up more. I mean, it’s one thing to try and push away people. But if you’re taking it out on something as innocent as a pigeon…well, that sort of speaks for itself, now doesn’t it?”
Seb stared at Abel, who’s eyes were still on the birds. For once, his words didn’t feel like a jab meant to rile him up. They were more like an invitation.
Seb closed his eyes, then looked down at Leon.
“Look, it’s…it’s not the birds I’m upset with. Sure, I thought they were filthy things even before I met you, but I don’t hate them. It’s just that they’re something that bring you joy, and you want to share that joy with others, and when you do that…”
He sighed, staring at the sleeping bird. He was rambling like an idiot, and he hated it. But he still kept going, not giving himself time to think.
“…And when you do that, you wind up getting closer to them. When you share something with them, they share something with you. And sometimes, it’s something they never wanted to give anyone.”
Neither of them moved. The pigeons pecked at the birdseed, their rustling feathers the only sound the be heard. Leon perked his head up, seeming to notice that he hadn’t been given anything to eat.
Abel looked at his hands, the pensive look in his eyes never fading. Slowly, he grabbed a handful of birdseed from the pouch and handed it to Seb. The prince stared at the offering, waiting for his explanation. His response.
“Maybe it isn’t something they wanted to give. Maybe it hurts to let someone see more about them, but that doesn’t mean good can’t come from it. After all, what may seem like a terrible gift in one person’s eyes…can be worth more than anything else in another’s. Simply by sharing it, both sides end up with something meaningful.”
Seb remained quiet once Abel had finished. He slowly raised his hand out, allowing his friend to place the birdseed into his palm. He gently held it out to Leon, and the bird pecked at the gift while the two nutcrackers watched.
By the look of the sun in the sky, it was getting close to evening. He really should have been back at the square, but between the winding debris and his outspoken memories, Sebastian had gotten lost. He stopped near a broken wall, regaining his bearings.
Think Seb, think…there has to be something here you recognize…
Seb scanned the rubble, finally selecting a pathway that would quickly lead him back to the square. He began to climb down, when he slipped and hit his head on the rocks below.
After a brief round of cursing, Seb opened his eyes and started to rise when he a strange feeling hit him. He had hit his head before, during the battle…
In this exact spot.
He jumped to his feet, his head swiveling around to take in every detail. That stone over there, that was where the Mouse king had stood! And there, that was where he had heard a voice cry out his name.
Where Abel had cried out his name.
Seb runs through the rubble, checking for any sign of his friend. But, no matter where he goes there is no sign of blue among the blackened ash. He stops, eyes still searching.
What if...what if he had gotten burned in the fires? He is a Nutcracker; he would have just been another piece of kindling in the blaze...
The horror of the idea begins to take hold of Seb’s mind, when a glint of light catches his eye. Looking to his side, he sees something reflective hidden under a collapsed archway. He steps forward, kneeling to rub away the grime on it. It was a golden button of sorts, with a feathery decoration attached to it.
Just like Abel’s hat.
Before he knows it, Seb is manically throwing aside the stones, not caring about the tears and chips they leave on his hands. After what feels like an eternity, the buried doll’s face is visible. Filthy, eyes almost closed, seeming to be asleep.
A new strength rises in Seb’s chest as he begins to feel something like hope. He reaches within the stones, grabs hold of his friend’s shoulders, and gives a sharp tug. He can do this, soon he can help him, take him away from-
Abel’s body is pulled free, and Seb doesn’t move.
No.
Abel’s body, now fully visible, lays still on the dusty street. His right arm is missing, broken off past the elbow and leaving a mess of splinters behind. His legs are intact, but blackened up to the knees, the paint curled and flaking from the heat of flames.
And...and a large, gaping crack runs along his chest, erratically moving its way up his neck and stopping on the side of his head. The mechanics within his chest are visible, and broken.
“No...no, no, come on Abel, come on.”
Seb drops to his knees, hands shaking as he lifts the doll, shaking him.
There’s no response.
Seb’s whole body is shaking now. He holds his friend closer, eyes glued to his face. Any second now his eyes would open. He’s fine now, he’s fine, of course he’s going to wake up-
“Seb? Where are you?”
Suddenly, Emily walks out from behind one of the rubble piles. She sees Seb, relief immediately flooding her face.
“Thank goodness, I was worried there for a-”
She sees what Seb is hugging close to his chest.
She sees Abel.
Emily doesn’t know how long it has been, only that it is nearly night now. The only remaining color in the sky is a dark purple, soon to give way to black.
Emily is the first to rise, rubbing her eyes and shakily dusting herself off. She takes a breath, looking up into the faint outlines of stars.
It is time to go.
She bends down, touching Seb’s shoulder. He remains motionless, still hugging Abel close to his body. His face isn’t visible to her.
“Seb...”
She pauses, attempting to collect herself.
“Seb, we need to go. It’ll be night soon.”
No response.
“We’ll take him back with us, give him a proper burial. Then we can say our last goodbyes.”
Still no movement from her friend.
Then-
“No, we aren’t leaving him like this.”
“But, Seb, we aren’t going to abandon him-”
“Not like that, Emily.”
The Nutcracker Prince stands, Abel in his arms. He finally turns and meets Emily’s gaze.
I’m sorry for the delay. This chapter is a bit shorter, but don’t worry; I’m not quitting on this story until it’s finished. I hope you enjoy it :D
Thanks to both @freckleocalypse and @darknesslioness , for the story, characters and the amount of fun I have writing these oh geez)
They were nearly there now, with only an hour to go on their march through the woods. Sebastian, though not tired, was beginning to notice Emily’s slowing pace. She was trying to keep up, but a day’s journey without rest was starting to catch up with her. Seb is about to offer that they stop for a moment, but then reconsiders. Once Emily has a goal in mind, she isn’t one to stop until she reaches it. He opts instead to slow his pace, letting her catch up with him.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a night sky quite like this.” Emily says, breaking the silence. Seb looks up, seeing the darkened sky through the trees. They hadn’t been able to see the stars for the past few days; clouds had moved themselves over the kingdom and blocked out their view. Tonight, however, was a completely different story. Thousands of small, twinkling lights were strewn across the dark blue heavens. It was as if someone had crushed a diamond and thrown the broken pieces onto the sky above. The moon itself is absent, being completely covered by shadow. The light of the stars, however, more than made up for the missing moonlight. “You’re right.” Seb replies softly, staring upward as they walk.
“Back in London, the fog’s so thick at times you can barely see the moon.” She gives a chuckle, sounding tired. “It’s funny, you know? Moments like this are what I seem to enjoy the most here.” She looks ahead, holding her gaze at their unseen destination. “When we first arrived here…meeting you and Abel…” She snorts, a though coming to her. “You being attacked by his flock of pigeons.”
Seb shudders, remembering that day. “I wouldn’t call that memory pleasant.” She gives a laugh now, looking at him with teary eyes. “Please. Your reaction was priceless. ‘Nutcracker, I swear if your filthy feathered animals even touch me I’ll-Wuaagh!’ ” She mimics his actions, pretending to be overtaken by the pigeon swarm. Seb is laughing now. “I have plenty of stories I could tell about you, Miss I-Dropped-The-Torch-On-The-Oil-Caskets.” She abruptly stops laughing, looking him in the eye.
“Don’t you dare.”
“What? Recall how you forced us out of hiding with that explosion? Or how you almost managed to light me on fire?”
They stare for a moment longer, before breaking into laughter again. It feels good, after the earlier awkward atmosphere.
After the laughter fades, they trek in silence. Seb is adjusting his sword when Emily asks a question.
“Hey, Sebastian?”
His full name. He looks over at her. “Is something wrong?”
“It’s just…I’m afraid of what we’re walking into.” Her face has lost its humor, and she isn’t facing him. “I mean, I don’t regret making this journey, this is something I need to do. But…” She’s choking up, her words fumbling. “The closer we get, the farther I want to be from here.” She’s stopped walking.
She’s sobbing.
Seb is in front of her, partly surprised, partly empathetic. At the camp she hadn’t reacted like this, not even after telling him the news. But at the same time, he can tell she’s been holding it in. Distracting herself.
Just like him.
He walks up to her, slowly, and crouches on one knee, allowing them to be at eye-level. He gently places his hand on her shoulder, leading her to lift her head to face him.
“Emily…it’s alright. Just let it out.”
She holds his gaze, mouth open as if she is about to speak, before her eyes well up again. She wraps her arms around him, sobbing loudly into his shoulder. He holds her, remaining quiet as she continues to cry.
He doesn’t know how long they remain there. But, eventually, she slowly gets up, kneeling in front of him. “Seb, I’m so sorry-”
“Don’t you even think it.”
“But-”
“Emily.” His tone is serious now, calling for her attention. “I…well, I can’t claim to know how you feel. But I think we can agree that we’ve both been thinking the same thing.” He offers her his hand. She glances at him, before taking it. He helps pull her up, both of them standing in the woods.
“I have no idea if Abel is alright. The odds are…” He turns his head sideways, his expression darkening, not wanting to say what he thinks. “…The odds are, he’s not. But I need to know for sure. Not looking for the answer…it would be as if he meant nothing to me.” He faces her again, his expression not exactly a smile, but something reassuring. “And neither of us would ever feel that way about him.”
Emily stares at him, before showing she agrees with his words. She wipes her eyes, and makes it so she is standing tall. “It would be impossible, wouldn’t it?” She copies his look, before offering her own hand to him.
They don’t need to speak again. Together, holding hands, they continue going forward.
They walk for half an hour, the night fading ever-so-slightly into dawn. The small bits of light filtering through the trees reflects off of dewdrops. Unseen forest birds are beginning to wake up as well, chirping through the trees. It’s a refreshing feeling, one that helps reaffirm the commitment the two travelers feel. Seb, looking up, seeing the trees thinning out. He and Emily look at each other; in a silent agreement they begin to quicken their pace.
Then they sprint.
Then they burst through the trees.
And in the new morning light, they are greeted by the blackened earth of a battlefield.
Yeah...I may have overlooked another detail in the story. Looking back, I find it kind of funny to be honest. I’ll be sure to double check the facts in the future (an not to write at 1:30 am, heh heh )
Also, thank you for the advice in the tags, @freckleocalypse ! I’ll be sure to remember it for the next chapter :D
I apologize for the delay in writing this. Exams and all came up, but here is part two...
So strap on your seatbelts, hang on the the safety bars and prepare for a complete 180 because this chapter had a completely different tone than the first one.
Thanks to @freckleocalypse and @darknesslioness for the inspiration for this story: I couldn’t have done this without you both, and I can’t wait to release the next chapter.
Enjoy!
The forests of the Land of Dolls were truly a beautiful, almost haunting sight. Tall, dark pines appeared to scrape against the sky, looming over the earth below them, while vines slowly crept their way up their bark. In contrast to the trees’ deep color, bright orange flowers bloomed between the trunks, popping out of the bed of pine needles covering the ground. To Sebastian, they gave the chilly atmosphere some much-needed warmth. Fire lilies, that’s what they are called. “The name suits them,” Seb thinks to himself after spotting a patch of them. He continues to survey the path they are traveling on, keeping an eye out for any remaining mice soldiers. And for another distraction; anything to take his mind off of the previous night’s events.
After making the decision to head back to the battlefield, he and Emily had quickly packed some supplies and left the rebel campground. They had been warned beforehand by the camp’s leader, a rough tin soldier named Abran, that they had a time limit to their personal quest; if they weren’t back before nightfall tomorrow, they would come back to an empty campground. Seb had cast one last look over his shoulder as they were leaving. A ragtag collection of dolls and humans had been mulling about; the atmosphere of the camp had felt far more subdued than the day before. Before the battle...
“Oh, knock it off,” Seb thinks to himself. “You need to pay attention. You’re out here for a reason, remember?” He keeps walking, turning back occasionally to check on Emily. She’s holding her bow in her hands, fiddling with the bowstring as she follows a couple strides behind him. Each time he looks, her gaze is focused on her work. How many times does someone need to tighten a bowstring, anyway?
“Well, I don’t know, how many different flowers can someone name?” he thinks as he spots a clump of wood sorrel...
“...oh, don’t you start with me, me.”
Alright, time to focus on something else. Trying to name every shrub was stupid anyway. Why did he even know all of these flower names, anyway? It was a strange bit of knowledge for him to have...
“Wait, no. This isn’t the time to start becoming sentimental-”
To late. His mind has already pulled the memory to the surface.
“What are you both doing?” Sebastian asked as he walked toward his companions. He set down the water he had collected, and looked down at the two of them. Emily was wearing a crown of woven flowers on her head, composed of some type of delicate purple flowers. Abel, opposite of her, had a pile of gathered blooms by his feet, and and a loosely woven strand dangled in his hands. Really now, they had sent him to gather water on his break so they could pick flowers?
“Oh, Seb, your back. That was quick!” Emily looked up at him and offered a cheerful smile, which calmed him a bit. Her, he could forgive. Abel, on the other hand...not so much. As the other member of their party who never needed to rest, he could have at least gathered some extra supplies.
“Come on, sit down for a bit!” Abel said, also flashing a grin. He patted the ground next to him, inviting Seb to join their small circle. Rolling his eyes slightly, Seb knelt down beside the two and crossed his legs. Almost instantly, a small pile of flowers was placed by his feet. Startled, he looked up at the others, his expression asking for an explanation.
“Why don’t you try and make a flower crown too? It’s a relaxing way to pass the time,” Abel said, displaying the chain of yellow flowers he was working on. He was greeted by a unconvinced look from Seb, which caused Abel to sigh slightly before turning back to his work. “At least attempt to enjoy it before you decide to hate it,” he added, smirking to himself as the prince held back a retort. He had forgotten that the young Nutcracker wasn’t immune to being sarcastic.
“Here, try starting off with a few vines as the base. It will be easier to add the flowers to it afterwards.” Emily placed a few leafy strands into his hand, diffusing the situation before it became a battle of insults. Seb glanced at the vines, and then at Emily’s crown. “Do you think you could show me?” He asked, trying to sound casual. She nodded, and grabbed another set of vines from her own pile of blossoms. “Now what you want to do is lay three vines next to each other, side by side, before you begin braiding them together...”
The two sat there for awhile, laughing every now and then as they shared jokes. Soon, Seb had finished a sturdy (though slightly sloppy) braid of vines, wrapped into a wreath large enough to sit on one’s head.
“Now all you need are some flowers,” Emily stated. Abel, who had finished his crown and had been watching his friends chat, leaned forward and offered some advice.”For you, I would say that purple would be a nice color. It matches well with your red uniform.” Seb had to admit that it did, though grudgingly. “Alright then, if you’re so sure, then which flowers would you suggest?” he asked Abel.
“For starters, some violets would be a good choice. We picked a lot of them, anyway, so it would be a shame to waste them.” He handed Seb one of the aforementioned flowers, a deep purple blossom with a yellow center. Slowly, he began picking the flowers out of his stack and placed them into his crown. Not bad.
“What about these?” The prince pointed to a cluster of small, light blue flowers. Abel leaned over and nodded. “Forget-me-nots. Placing small bunches of them around your wreath could help fill up some space.” Seb smiled slightly, feeling proud of himself. This actually did relax him. Emily saw his face, and glanced up at Abel. They both grinned widely. They had gotten him to enjoy their pass time.
“Any other suggestions?” Seb lifted his head, and his companions broke their gaze so their friend couldn’t catch their suspicious smiles. “Oh, maybe these?” Emily held up a stem covered in small bulbs. Some of the bulbs were open, revealing blue-and-purple flowers with white centers. “Bugloss,” Abel stated. “The stems aren’t easy to bend, but you could weave it deeper into your crown so it isn’t as noticeable.” Seb nodded and added some of the buds.
“Looks good, Seb!” Abel exclaimed after the last of the blooms had been inserted into the crown. “Now you have to try on your crown!” Seb took a moment to admire his handiwork. It had turned out rather nicely, with the vines underneath hidden by the array of deep purples and soft blues.
“Alright then, here we go.” Seb placed his wreath upon his head, adjusting it after it had fallen into his eyes (he probably should have checked it before tying it into a loop). “It looks wonderful!” Emily said, causing Seb to blush slightly. “It does look rather regal on you, your highness,” Abel added with a grin.
“Alright, don’t push it.”
“Aw, come on Seb, I though we were finally beginning to bond a bit.” Abel laughed softly, before letting it fade out and offering an apologetic smile. “Sorry about that, Seb.”
A sigh, but it sounded more humorous than upset. “It’s alright. But don’t call me Seb.”
A shrug from Abel, accompanied by a wide grin.
Seb paused for a moment, before speaking to Abel again. “Say, how do you know all of these flowers’ names, anyway? I’ve seen most of these back in my kingdom, but I never knew their names.”
“Ah, well, you see...” The young Nutcracker blushed, seeing that his friends were both staring at him intently. “Back in my village, I used to let the children play with me all the time. One of them, a little girl named Clarise, helped her mother run a flower stand in the market.” He looked up and shrugged. “She tended to name the different wildflowers she saw growing on the streets and in the woods, and I suppose I began to remember them after listening to her.”
A soft “aww” escaped Emily’s mouth, and Seb chuckled as well. He asked the still-blushing Nutcracker another question. “You also have a tendency for matching colors together. Why is that?”
“That was more like common sense-,” Abel began to say, but quickly adjusted his sentence. Let’s not ruin the moment, he though to himself. “My father was a toymaker, as you know. He always made choices on what color to use for which doll, or how different tones worked with each other to best express the toy’s personality. I guess that’s where I picked it up from.” Abel’s smile was melancholic now, with a certain fondness to it. Seb and Emily were quiet for a moment, before someone broke the silence.
“Well, I think that’s an amazing skill to be taught, Abel.” Seb offered a small smile to his friend, who reacted with a soft expression of surprise. It eventually turned into one of gratitude.
“Thanks, Seb.”
“No problem. And don’t call me Seb.”
Another smile. “I can’t make any promises.” He stood up, brushing off some loose petals. “It’s getting late. I’ll go and prepare a campfire.” He headed off, and Seb and Emily began to rise as well. As Seb picked up the water bucket, he heard Abel whisper something as he was walking away.
“I also can’t promise that I didn’t purposely let you and Emily have matching crowns.”
“...what.”
The memory over, Seb, somehow, feels tired from it. They had all been sitting together, weaving flowers in a field, close to two weeks ago; they had sat together by the campfire afterwards, with Abel continuing to name different flowers and with the leftover blossoms being made into new crowns. Had it really been two weeks?
This wasn’t the time for distractions, for these memories, for...
Yet, for some reason, Seb also feels... warm, after remembering that day. He feels happy. He thinks back to Abel’s expression after talking about the colors, about his father.
Was this how he had felt? Seb doesn’t believe that distractions are needed at the moment, but just this once, just for that memory, he will allow himself to feel that warmth.
He lifts his heads, and begins to search the road for hidden threats. But now, rather than feeling troubled, he feels slightly hopeful. Or, at the very least, determined.
