Forget-Me-Not (Varian x Reader)

Chapter 8- Listen Up

We all slowly turn around to the source of the laughter. Shorty was levitated off of the ground, staring at us with bright green eyes as though he was possessed. "You have disturbed my slumber!" He angrily says, his ghostly voice echoing throughout the room. "If you don't listen up and note my words by dawn, you will all be trapped in here with me forever!"

Varian nervously runs his gloved fingers through his black hair. "There's no such thing as ghosts...there's no such thing as ghosts..." He keeps muttering to himself. I had a feeling Varian was about to reach his breaking point.

I quickly take hold of his hands inside of my own and try to speak in the most reassuring voice I can muster. "Varian, look at me." My voice wavers and Varian's terrified blue eyes meet my own. "We are going to get through this. I won't let anything happen to you. But I need you to calm down so we can figure this out, okay?"

He nods. "Okay, (yn)."

Rapunzel steps in front of Varian and me and defensively eyes the ghost. "Shorty, Ruth–Whoever you are, what do you want?"

"...I want..."

"Yes?"

"...I want..."

"Yes?"

Shorty suddenly drops to the floor with a loud thud. He raises his arm in the air. "A sardine sammy and a jug of pickle brine." He says in his normal, tipsy, voice.

Everyone lets out a collective sigh of annoyance. "At least he isn't possessed anymore?" I nervously chuckle, trying to mask my fear with optimism.

"Enough of this nonsense!!" The captain shouts, walking away from the small huddle of thugs.

"Captain, didn't you hear?" Rapunzel asks, running her fingers through her golden hair. I was beginning to notice my sister did that when she was worried. "He says we have until dawn to figure out what Ruth wants or else we're gonna be trapped in here forever!"

"You're gonna listen to him?!" The captain shoots back. "You realize he eats cheese off the floor?"

We all look over to Shorty and he smiles at us with a toothless grin. "One man's floor is another man's plate. Clink!" He slurs out, clinking the cheese he had found with the cheese a rat was munching on. The bearded man happily gobbles down the cheese.

Varian shudders. "Gross."

I gag. "Tell me about it."

"The priority is to get the princesses out of this pub and back to the castle as quickly as possible." the captain declares, marching over to the door. He begins to slam his body against the wooden exit.

I clear my throat. "Uh, Captain? I don't think that's going to work."

The captain clutches his arm. "Is there anything we can use as a battering ram?" he asks, completely ignoring me.

"A battering ram isn't the answer." Rapunzel sighs with exasperation. "We need to know more about Ruth and the Listen Up Club."

Big Nose strikes a match against the wall. A small flame sparks to life as he begins to tell us the tale. "Well, they say she lived to terrify those around her. Legend has it that people's screams were music to her ears."

I nervously clutch onto Varian as Big Nose continues his tale. "And she-she would go on terrible rampages, storming through the streets of Corona."

Hookfoot grins sinisterly. "All they knew was she would disappear from the pub, and when she did, no man, beast, or building foundation was safe from the swing of her fearsome club."