It's a Long Way Down

Chapter Ninety: Planning

It had been about a year and a half since Fenix was born. Ember was off taking care of him while Sodo was watching the doorway with Aeris sitting next to him. They had set up a bucket full of glitter on the top of the door, and they were waiting for Phantom to walk in. They had been engaged in a full-fledged prank war for a few weeks now. They had split up into teams. Sodo and Aeris against Phantom, Lang, and Shadow. Phantom had argued that he should get both kids since they added up to one adult. There were points Sodo regretted allowing it. The two kids were very clever when it came to pranks. And he had to admit, he hated that he didn't think about it himself. Of course, like all prank wars, some of the pranks ended up being set off on the wrong people. Sodo had flung a water balloon at Ember once on accident. It just narrowly missed his son. He felt terrible for a few days, Ember making him sleep on the couch in the common room for nearly hitting his own son.

Phantom had had some of his pranks go off on Lilith and Copia. He had some very interesting meetings after that. But he still didn't stop. He refused to lose to Sodo and Aeris. He was determined to help the kids win this prank war. It wasn't long until Phantom walked in the door, "Hey, guys-"

He was cut off by the glitter getting dumped all over him. Aeris and Sodo burst out laughing, Sodo falling off the couch, holding his stomach from laughing so hard. Phantom just stood in the doorway frozen, his eyes shut. He then said, "This shit won't come off, you know that, right?"

"That's what makes it so much better,"  Aeris said, still laughing. Phantom sighed, "I'm assuming this was the super important thing you guys had to tell me?"

"Oh, no," Sodo said, getting off the ground, "No, this was just our entertainment. We have band practice in five minutes."

"We have fucking what?!" Phantom exclaimed, rushing to his room to try and was off the glitter, making Aeris and Sodo burst out laughing again. Swiss came down the hallway asking, "Why did Phantom just run down the hallway looking like a disco ball?"

When he noticed the two ghouls laughing he just said, "I now see why."

Sodo told Aeris bye before following Swiss out to the practice room. He got there just in time to see Ember hand off their son to Aether to watch while they practiced. Sunshine had decided to pull away from the band a few months ago, being pregnant with her second child, so they had a new person in the band. Her name was Aurora. It really seemed like she and Phantom had hit it off quite well right off the bat. People had bets made that those two were mates. 

It wasn't long until Phantom walked in. His clothes were still covered in glitter, making Sodo hold back his laughter. Phantom was the last one to arrive, quickly grabbing his guitar saying, "Sorry I'm late. I had something to take care of."

"Does it have anything to do with the glitter on you?" Copia asked. Phantom huffed, "It might."

Sodo started laughing at his response, Ember just smacking his head, making him flinch, "Ow."

"Right before band practice? Really?" Ember asked. Sodo shrugged, "You have to admit it's funny."

Swiss walked past them as he went to his stage, "He looked like a disco ball first."

"Sodo!" Ember scolded him. Sodo put his hands up saying, "I refuse to lose to Phantom and the kids!"

Ember just sighed in defeat, "Don't do it before practice, please."

"Fine, but tell them that too," Sodo said. They soon started practice, Phantom staying by Aurora's stage quite a bit, even getting up onto the stage and playing next to her. Ember was enjoying herself, ready to get back on stage. She had taken a small hiatus from the band to make sure she could balance mother life and music. Sodo was smiling watching her, wishing they could do the shows without the masks. He loved how she would headbang and her hair just go everywhere.