Post by Jace O'Brien on Sept 15, 2016 21:47:09 GMT
"ROYALTY OF RUIN"
It’s that time in the school year. Homecoming. Welcoming students to the new year with various events, all culminating in a dance and coronation of a King and Queen, of course. High school students fill the inside of the banquet hall that has been rented for tonight's festivities. Some of them sit at tables, some of them share a dance with their significant others and others just hang around. All of them dressed appropriately for the event; Glamorous dresses and sharp suits. A band is on the makeshift stage, finishing up a cover of one of the stupid top-forty songs of the moment. We could tell by the look of urgency the head of ceremonies gives to the band members as he takes the stage, stopping behind a podium.
The music stops finally, and everyone’s attention turns to the older gentleman who holds an envelope in his hands. Next to the podium where he stands is a ballot box for people to make their selection for king and queen of the prom. We’re assuming that he stands here now to announce the winners. A spotlight shines down onto him, and with a subtle cough clearing his throat, he spoke into the microphone. “Ladies and gentlemen, it’s now time for us to announce the winners of the annual Homecoming King and Queen. So without further adue…”
He allowed his voice to trail as he opened the envelope. He took a moment as he pulled out an official card with the names of the winners scripted. He reads them to himself, and then into the microphone. “Ladies and gentlemen, your Twenty-Sixteen - Twenty-Seventeen Homecoming King and Queen are … Jace O’Brien and Mondae Chaos!”
A lot of blank faces and turning to others, asking “who?”. Sitting at a table in the back, Jace O’Brien and Mondae Chaos sit. Upon the announcement of their names, Mondae shrieks in excitement and jumps up quickly. Jace’s eyes follow her as she gets to her feet and quickly moves around the table. She reaches out, grabbing his arm and pulling him to his feet. Before he follows, he looks back to the table where he uses his foot to push ballot cards underneath the table skirt.
The original ballot cards.
With his hand laced in hers, they march to the stage where they both step up and are coronated officially. The older gentleman handed a microphone to Jace for a victory speech, while the official students gathered around to hear exactly what these two strangers were going to say.
“King and queen, aye? I’m speechless. Thank you all.” He feigned a smile, Mondae did as well - nodding and mouthing “thank you, really. Thank you.”. But that smile on Jace’s face would fade. “But really? Was there another fuckin’ choice? Look around. Look at the other couples that we stand against. We will always be the most obvious choice. A jock and his cheerleader girlfriend? We’ll slaughter them. A deranged emo bloke and his equally fucked up companion? Buried. … Don’t you see what's right in front of you? The aforementioned couples will make their promises of victory and dominance, but at the end of it all, we always stand tall in victory.” He turned his head to Mondae, his free hand moving down to grab hers.
“Revolutions have burned and will continue to burn to the ground around us and believe me when I say that recent mistakes made by others will come back to haunt them. They will come back to be their eventual downfall. And try as they might, the four will fight until their last breath is drawn from their lungs. They will all perish at our feet, and with a smile - Mondae and I will look to each other. Seeing each other as you see us now. King and Queen. The royalty of ruin.” Mondae returned Jace’s smile, the smiles turning more devious and sinister.
“By ourselves we have been nothing short of dominant, each of us only having one flaw against us. Together? We're going to be unstoppable. We will not stop until the blood of the others covers our hands, bodies and the ground beneath us. It doesn't matter your name or what you've accomplished We will fucking kill you.”
The older gentleman moves forward to pull the microphone from Jace, only to be shoved away viciously. “And now, everyone, I give to you ... your fuckin' queen.”
