Chapter Text
༄༅། ། A Home We Can All Rest In: Chapter 1
A cool summer afternoon, a nice crossbreeze brings some fresh air into the living room.
"I'm n-not even sure wh-what I want to do" Says Scatman John. " I j-just keep fi-fiddling with my h-hat" he laughs, setting it on the coffee table to his side.
"Well, how about I get us something to eat and you two get to know each other?" Julie says, leaving the room.
Scatman John still doesn't really know the young boy to his left, but decides to fix that. "S-so wo-would you like to sing a song?" He asks.
As the boy sheepishly nods, he feels something change. The world vibrating around him like a bus, the colors become more vibrant, more pure.
"When you choose the Scat man,
you know you can't be losing.
As long as peace is the dream that you are a choosing.
Love for your brothers and your sisters, boys and girls.
Is how we come together to make a scatland world."
Scatman begins scatting with the intensity of the death waltz, absolutely blowing the boy's mind. With a gleam in his eye, he begins the next verse, and with that they find themselves in giant bubbles flying over San Francisco, a parade of children beneath them.
"We're reaching a new time line.
love will be the prime time
so if you get in my line
I know you'll have a fine time.
Scat is the music of the children
make them free.
All you need is music, the hope and belief."
The chorus begins, the parade is in full swing, moving from downtown to the beach. Dolphins have been spotted nearby off the coast.
"Scatland is our dream.
It can be reality.
Just take my hand.
And we'll make it just believe."
With those magic words fireworks begin, the jazz band is in full swing and Scatman John begins dancing with the drill team. The boy is in shock.
As the world returns to normal, Scatman laughs "S-so did you like s-singing that song with me?" The boy nods.
"Yes, but can I ask a question?" He says a bit sheepish.
"Sure, ask away!"
"Well, can we really make a scatland for everyone, where people from all around the globe are welcome?"
"Absolutely kid, you just gotta believe!" He says beaming.
"I do. I dream just like you scatman. A free, open society for all the people of the world. I promise I'll make it happen."
The two embrace, and the young boy walks to the door.
" W-wait kid, what's your name?" Scatman John asks.
He looks back. "My name is George Soros."༎ ༎
Chapter 2: Omar and Angel
Summary:
Omar and Angel struggle for control of their band; a new evil appears.
Chapter Text
༈ Chapter 2: Omar and Angel
As George left, Julie returned. "Where did the boy go?"
"Oh h-he's on to bigger and better things I think." Scatman said.
"Ah, well we have some new visitors today. I'm not sure how long they'll be staying."
"W-well we never really know. The things we call gone haven't yet had the chance to arrive."
"True. Well I got a new game for us to try today. It's like grand theft auto, but in space? Also brownies are done."
Julie sets up the console, handing Scatman John a controller.
Omar and Angel enter the house, the two mice furries looking around. "Not a bad place to stop" Omar ⁸says, ready to sulk.
"Oh stop Omar, it's better than our dump in Ohmtown." She holds his arm and his sulk softens. "Alright alright, well let's introduce ourselves to our hostess."
Omar bows mock regally to Julie, who curtsies in response before giggling. "My name is Omar, this is Angel. We're musicians from Ohmtown, if you haven't heard."
"Oh I have. I was impressed for sure. Your teamwork in stopping Mok was inspiring."
"Yeah, our album's not too bad eithe-" Angel elbows the wind out of Omar before he can finish.
"What he means to say is that it was our duty, but thank you."
"Would either of you like some lemonade or brownies? We're about to play Republican Space Rangers."
Omar shrinks back, "No thanks, I've had enough brainwashing for a lifetime."
Scatman turns around "D-did you folks say you do music? I happen to be a sensation in Germany and Japan."
Angel looks confused "Are those pre-war places? I haven't heard those names before. "
"P-pre-war??"
"Nothing to worry about, Scatman". Julie reassures him.
Scatman John looks up at his arching eyebrows before shrugging "Well, either way, would you like to h-have a jam session? I have a small studio in my room here, on the 17th floor. I'll show you if you like.
"Sure we'd love to." Omar says
"*I* would love to" Angel corrects him
The three go up the elevator to their room.
"Oh well, guess I'll play myself." Julie says, starting up the game.
"You got another controller?" A deep voice suggesting a baritone lounge singer says. Julie turns around to see Larry Quinn, the fiendishly handsome man who tormented Conrad and tried to seduce away his mom's fortune, until he was thwarted by Conrad, his sister, and the Cat in the hat.
"Sure" Julie says unsure, before handing him one.
The two made characters, Julie looking like a facsimile of herself, Larry picking a character closer to Kang and Kodos Johnson, the aliens from the Simpsons (who by coincidence live in the illustrious and esoteric attic dimension of the place everyone can call home).
Julie begins her session by driving a hoverbike through the window of a well to do family, destroying their kitchen ware.
Larry follows her on his hoverbike, zigzagging around the family's remaining furniture.
"This game looks incredible!" Larry says, laughing a deep hearty laugh.
"Yeah I guess." Julie says dismissively.
Larry looks uncomfortable. "You know, I'm sorry about what I did to the Waldons. I've come to terms with that." He begins.
"Did you tell the Waldens that?" Julie asks.
"I have, I've wished them well. I left Anville for a new start, something I thought you'd know by my moving here." Larry says.
"You seemed irredeemable to me honestly. How do I know you've actually changed?"
Julie flies through the other side of the house, a cascade of glass reflecting the police lights behind her. Larry is flying alongside her now, trying to maintain the conversation.
"Well, you don't know; you can't pull back the curtain and see the wizard in my brain, afterall. Would you rather take the chance of being fooled by a monster, or denying the power of self-transformation to a changed man?"
Julie paused to think, as she barrel-rolled to avoid police fire. "Fair point. I think a rule Utilitarian would be obligated to accept your change until proven otherwise, since we can't have a society where we never forgive. That being said, being a two level utilitarian I'll examine your actions from an act utilitarian perspective when I have the time to perform the calculations."
Julie turns on her bike and fires into a police car, crashing it.
Quinn clears his throat "Well, judging by consequentialist standards I failed regardless, really I'm most heinous in terms of my deontology, and in actor targeted virtue ethics." Larry says as he swerves around police laser shots, flying over a balcony and narrowly avoiding a clothesline, blue boxers sticking to his face. He pulls them off and flies back to Julie.
"Maybe, my friend Zephyr suggested I rely on more than consequentialism, but that seems like sloppy philosophy more than a real system."
Larry laughs. "We're dealing with a lot of oughts here, take a step back and ask if that consistency is as important as condemning me. So far, I think my multi-faceted ethics is harsher on me than yours are.
"
Julie swerves to face Larry, cutting him off. "No that's actually a good point. What have you done to change your impact on the world, via felicific calculus?"
"I volunteer for a suicide hotline every night now, after I lost my beer gut I became a big brother as well."
Julie sits impressed, not noticing the police fire shooting her out of the sky. She crashes to the ground, a comet of human wanderlust exploding into shrapnel of blood and bone and a bomb of a bike. As the virtual Julie-guts smoulder into ash and smudge the game world in a ritual of rip-snorting proclivity, Larry drives away.
"I have to admit, you're a better person than me Larry. At least, as much as 'people' exist."
"I really appreciate that Julie. I think you'd make a great big sister for a child in need. Consider it. I'm going to play this for awhile more. Did you know you can be a defense lawyer for space immigrants in this game?"
The doorbell rings and Julie opens it, an alien family walks in and the mom uses her tentacle and slaps her in the face. "Thanks for wrecking my table asshole". ༎ ༎
Chapter 3: Hsu Hao
Summary:
Hsu Hao appears.
Chapter Text
༈Chapter 3: Hsu Hao
"You know I never got how some people hate the instrument set up. I mean, I've been playing piano for decades and I know it's hard, but that's just another part of the song to me." Said Scatman casually, tuning his piano while Omar turned the strings on his guitar, playing each string as they shifted into tune. "Yeah, I can find it relaxing, but it can be real annoying to re-tune my guitar for each song. I don't want to be lazy and write them all in the same key, you know?"
"Wouldn't know, I've always been a piano guy." With a quick partnering of scratching and bumping noises, Scatman moved the last bit of equipment into place "...Well, I'm done. Mind if I just play something and we go from there?" Omar nodded and Scatman went off, improvising melodies in with so many key changes it looked like his hands were shuffling the keys of the piano.
Omar joined in showily, providing rhythm and feeling out the song that was forming. Angel provided a keytar melody, everything coming together nicely. Angel and Omar harmonized as Scatman began adding percussive scat beats to ground the song.
As they did this, the lights of the room dimmed, and a red vortex appeared outside. Angel and Omar stopped scared, Scatman still caught up for a few extra moments to scat eyes closed, before reading the room and looking outside with horror. The vortex was pulsating as the earth around it became barren. "That's definitely not Scatland." he murmured.
A large hand appears out of the portal, grabbing the edge. A shockwave came from the ground at that moment, and up came a hulking man in a torn military uniform with a metal implant on his chest that glowed faintly red. He reared back with a war cry, before looking down at his hands. "I'm alive! Wait, didn't Jax?.." He trailed off in self thought, removing his green officer's cap to wipe sweat from his brow. He looked around and started making way to the house.
Julie heard a ring at the doorbell, and opened it to see a massive figure taking up the doorframe. "Hello. I seem to be...lost. And alive. This is a strange day for me. Can you please direct me to a portal to Outworld?"
Julie looked perplexed. "Wait, are you Hsu Hao? I don't have a room ready for you, but feel free to get acquainted with some other guests. You should be able to return home by walking towards the sunset later today."
"How? Is this Outworld?"
"Noo, of course not." Julie said laughing. " We don't have quite enough dead bodies or kung fu despots to be outworld. Plus did you see my lawn?"
Hsu Hao nodded. Her lawn did indeed have big Edenia energy.
"Alright, well can it be sooner? I have places to be."
"Afraid not, sunsets were the best narrative device I could come up with for interdimensional travel. But don't worry, a lifetime here is as long as the blink of an eye most worlds. Returning will be so fast you'll likely wonder if this was a hallucination, if that. There's a guest room behind you by the front door. You can rest before you leave."
"Hmm. I see." Hsu Hao opened up his watch, holograms appearing above his wrist but glitching. "Damn no signal" he said, stomping his foot on the floor. Julie was afraid a floorboard might come loose.
Scatman, Omar, and Angel run down from their room. Omar looks pissed "Look are you some kind of demon!? We'll send you back if we have to!"
Hsu Hao laughs and pushes him over. "Demon is too perfect a word for me boy." Omar smirks and holds his hands up in mock cowardice "OhH, i'M sCaReD. Please don't huurt me!". Angel and Scatman rush to pick Omar up as he brushes them off. "H-hey things don't have to be like this. C-calm down buddy." Scatman offers. Hsu Hao walks into his room.
"What a dick." Omar says, spitting. Angel pats his back and offers words of encouragement while Scatman grimaces.
"Be careful Omar. That could have gone a lot worse!" Angel says to Omar.
"Yeah well anything that comes out of a portal, I have trouble trusting." Omar says.
"S-So when you two sing together, you summon demons?" Scatman asks.
"Well, last time it sent a demon back, so I'm not sure."
"W-well, maybe your voices combined with Scatland and summoned that guy? It seems reasonable."
Angel pushes past Omar and runs upstairs.
Omar looks back at her baffled. "What's gotten into her now?" He wonders out loud.
"Well, I did notice when we were playing it seemed like she wanted a solo. " Scatman offers.
"... No, we've been over that. " Omar casts his hand as if to shoo the idea away.
"I don't know everything about girl problems, but I do know improv when I hear it.. I just think we all have a voice in this world, and sometimes it needs a chance to be set free. "
Omar flinches. Things felt more right to him when he was exorcising demons in Nuke York.
"I dunno.."
"We c-can talk about that later. Let's get Angel and fix this!"༎ ༎
Chapter 4: The Exorcism
Summary:
Hsu hao are exorcised.
Chapter Text
༈Chapter 4: The Exorcism
Hsu Hao set his officer's hat on the night stand and flopped into the bed made for him.
While it wasn't as good as his quarters in Outworld, it was certainly better than the last few nights he spent rough sleeping on his hunt for Jax.
"Not even a hallucination.." He muttered to himself, feeling the soft linen and silk of his bedsheets. He'd experienced stranger things in his life.
Not quite as strange as the giant rodent he had just strangled (or...feline? It's hard to tell exactly. Nonetheless weird as fuck.)
Hsu Hao didn't much believe in fate, but upon reflection he thought it was extremely coincidental that he heard that same creature from earlier outside.
"Okay let's hurry and just do what we did before." Omar says loudly.
"Wait, we were supposed to try this one solo!" Angel says, her voice sharpened.
Ignoring her, Omar bursts into song, strumming an acoustic guitar. Angel sighs and joins in. The two launch off on an acoustic, but nonetheless powerful rock opera.
Immediately Hsu Hao opens his door open, knocking it off it's hinges, and looks down with his eyes barely open.
Omar gives a thumbs up, more cocky than usual, but as he turns Hsu Hao uppercuts him into the ceiling, his head taking residence among the light fixtures.
Angel shrieks, and Hsu Hao cracks his knuckles before approaching her. "You really should have let me sleep." He says.
Angel takes a step back, and begins singing. Hsu Hao's hand immediately disappears in a red glow, as his foot follows.As he's reduced to a head, Angel finishes her first verse, and he dissipates into the background radiation of reality.
Scatman pulls Omar's foot, and he falls from the ceiling, crashing to the floor, cursing as dust gets into his eyes.
"Wow, all this time and Angel alone was the trick!" Scatman said.
"I love it when someone uses their own voice, and who knew we could even stop something like that!"
Angel, with her arms crossed, walks to Omar. "Looks like you owe someone an apology."
"Yeah, I guess I paid for that one. Nothing to say we can't split our songs 50/50." Omar says, getting up and holding his jaw.
"Maybe 60/40 for now…it hurts to talk."
Angel giggles "Well, I for one am just glad you're okay. Let's get that jaw iced before it bruises." The two walk Omar to the kitchen, tending to his bruises. ༎ ༎
Chapter 5: Her own song. Un Angelus Canticum.
Summary:
Angel finally gets her voice back.
Chapter Text
༈ Chapter 5: Her own song. Un Angelus Canticum.
"D-did we do it?" Omar asked, shocked.
"I don't know, but I have a feeling we haven't seen the last of him" Angel said.
"W-well, it seems to me we got everything fixed, no harm no foul." Scatman says with a smile built of satisfaction.
"..I take it we can't play together then. That blows." Omar says, putting his hands behind his head and leaning against a wall. This leaves Scatman feeling a bit warm. "I'm sure we can try again outside or something. Maybe even bring someone to help in case it happens again." Scatman offers, cocking his head and raising an eyebrow in anticipation.
"...not this time Paul, not singing anyway. I still owe Angel her song, I think."
Angel flutters her fingers with flighty finesse, her keytar responding, reveling in rapturous rhapsodies even Anita could not have Warded off her ringing bells.
She was lost in the music, eyes closed as wu-waves of flow state poured through the pont du gards of her mind that connected neurons to muscles to keytar keys.
Omar stood under the doorframe, the loose gravel and floorboards beneath his feet like the ashes of Mount Etna in volcanic winter. He leaned against the doorway as her music carried a contented smile to his face.
Slowly, Angel opened her eyes, looking back at him with a knowing smirk and a glint of mischief burning in them. “It's a new piece I've been working on.” Angel says.
Omar slowly nods, his smile persistent. “Yeah that was…really good Angel. You should play that one.”
Angel tosses her head back, golden hair dancing in the sunlight rays bisecting her room. The light bounces off her glossy lips like Apollo himself wasn't worthy of her smile.
“Well, it's a work in progress. I'm experimenting with Locrian and Phrygian parallels, but sticking to minor key synth-pop conventions. You know, a bit of ~I-IV-V” she says, singing the chord progression.
Omar nods “I caught that. It does have a bit of Björk sound to it…and Debbie Harry.”
Angel nods “Oh yeah, *lots* of Debbie Harry.”
Omar winces, his voice grating slowly. “Angel…your music is really good.” He says sighing, running a hand through his hair. “And people deserve to hear it..I shouldn't have hogged your spotlight or stolen your shine like that. Your work is brilliant: you're brilliant…I hope you can forgive me for everything.” Omar says.
Angel nods, responding with a smile. “Omar, it's alright. I'm glad you're willing to make room for me.” She says “Of course, it would have been nice to have this development back in Ohmtown, but I really appreciate your apology. It's not easy to do.”
Omar nods, “Hey yeah, well, you're welcome.” He turns bashfully. “Um, I'll be playing with Paul. If you want to join we both want you to know there's always a seat for you there.”
Angel nods “I'll think about it.” ༎ ༎