hitemwithboth

[hitemwithboth]

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about:

This is a sideblog, and I follow back from my main @grimmusings. Please direct IMs there, since it's easier for me to keep all my messages on one blog. It's also easier to start interactions with me there, where I regularly post open starters and meme prompts. For a full list of rules, see my main. Honesty hour questions will largely be answered IC and treated as anonymous unless signed by a muse.

Barrel is a canon character from The Nightmare Before Christmas, and his portrayal is a mix of movie lore and headcanons. All details vary based on verse, and I'm happy to write him into crossovers or AUs.

default verses:

storyverse: A largely canon verse that takes place in Halloweentown after the events of the film. Barrel and his siblings are freed from the influence of Oogie Boogie and getting into mischief as usual.

fableverse: When the storybook worlds collapse, Jack manages to get most of the Halloweentown residents safely to a contemporary town called Fableton. Trapped in a human body and with limited magic, but temporarily free from Oogie Boogie's torment, Barrel works at the local hospital to comfort the souls of the dead, although he can no longer cross over with them. (bio)

ever!after: Characters are reincarnated versions of their fairy tale counterparts, and few know who they truly are. After the death of their parents in a lab accident, Barrel and his siblings are raised by their oldest brother, Jack.

[hitemwithboth]

halloweenwitchling​:

Barrel’s question made her sigh softly, having her own cynical thoughts milling about in her head. For all that she adored Mombie and wanted her to be there, always, she knew that there were a lot of ways for Jack to go wrong with it all. There was a brief moment when she considered sparing him from it, but she shook her head in dismissal. 

“Just because she’ll want to, doesn’t mean she will,” she pointed out. “Jack has to ask her, and our brother is a damn idiot. Look at how long it took them to even get to this point.” She wished she could have more faith in him, but time and history was not on the side of that particular vein of faith. 

Originally posted by charactersofcolordaily

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Barrel chewed on that for a few moments, before a slow smile crept over his face. His sweet and simple nature sometimes made people forget that he could be just as mischievous as his siblings. They were all known for their tricks. Barrel's just tended to be a little sillier, most of the time. "Well... what if we didn't wait for him, and we just made them think he'd asked?"

Lock couldn't help the way the corner of his mouth twitched at that look on his brother's face. Barrel's sweet innocence could only fool for so long. He was just as devious as his siblings, in his way. He glanced to Shock, tucking his lollipop into his cheek, curious to see whether she thought the idea had merit. Things didn't often succeed without their sister's support, and Lock wasn't one to waste energy on failed ventures.

[hitemwithboth]

Even Barrel, who could think of something nice to say about just about anyone, came up short when it came to Victor. The guy had no redeeming qualities as far as he could see. "That's good though, right? That means she'll want to stay with us." He smiled happily at the idea of Sally living with them. It would bring some life to the house that had been sorely missing since their parents died.

Luckily for her, Lock could absolutely pull off pink, and he had before just to make a point. Dyeing it back too soon would be letting her win, and it didn't matter if the game was stupid to begin with. That rivalry was only outmatched by their loyalty if anyone else tried to mess with one of them. He nodded his agreement. For once, there was no need for betting, since all parties were in favor of Sally moving in soon. It was only a matter of time. Only a matter time until Jack screwed it up too, but he kept that bit of cynicism to himself.

hitemwithboth·:

He was happy to let Shock dye his hair, even if the results were questionable sometimes. He knew if it was dire, Lock would help him dye it back, if only so he wouldn’t have to look at anymore. He’d said it in those exact words before. “I hope it’s soon. She’s a better cook than Jack.” Jack wasn’t necessarily bad, but he couldn’t be counted on to remember mealtimes, and Sally kept their fridge and freezer stocked with leftovers.

Lock would sooner start cutting his fingers off than let Shock mess with his hair. It was both a trust issue and a vanity issue, so just nope. Their deal sealed, they settled back into the couch with their candy. He shrugged in a rare show of agreement. “Soon, probably. I wouldn’t want to live with Victor either.” They’d been too young to really be friends with him like Jack and Gomez were, but the guy was a Grade A dick.

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Settling down on the couch, she stayed sprawled across her brothers and plopped her head on the arm of it. Not because she was comfortable, but because it was the principle of the act. With Barrel, she tried to keep his hair from going wrong. With Lock, she’d been known to drug him to sleep and purposely dye it the most putrid shade of sweet pink possible. Luckily for him, that was only at her most angry and it didn’t happen too terribly often. 

“Living with Victor seems like the worst thing ever,” she shuddered blatantly. Every now and then, she caught a cold deadness in his eyes that wasn’t anything near comfortable and she liked both the cold and the dead. “I hope it’s soon too.” It was no secret that she detested being the only smart one in the house.

[hitemwithboth]

Jack sent for us. Specifically. By name. Lock. Shock. Barrel.

[hitemwithboth]

He was happy to let Shock dye his hair, even if the results were questionable sometimes. He knew if it was dire, Lock would help him dye it back, if only so he wouldn't have to look at anymore. He'd said it in those exact words before. "I hope it's soon. She's a better cook than Jack." Jack wasn't necessarily bad, but he couldn't be counted on to remember mealtimes, and Sally kept their fridge and freezer stocked with leftovers.

Lock would sooner start cutting his fingers off than let Shock mess with his hair. It was both a trust issue and a vanity issue, so just nope. Their deal sealed, they settled back into the couch with their candy. He shrugged in a rare show of agreement. "Soon, probably. I wouldn't want to live with Victor either." They'd been too young to really be friends with him like Jack and Gomez were, but the guy was a Grade A dick.

hitemwithboth·:

Barrel was always full of praise for Shock’s hair colors. He liked her style in general and was content to let her pick out clothes for him too, knowing he’d look cooler in her choices than he ever would in his own. They both made hurling sounds practically in unison at the comment.

Lock’s wardrobe was far less imaginative than his siblings’, and if it didn’t come in black, he didn’t usually have a use for it. If she was trying to get him to leave, talking about Jack and Sally’s sex life was a good way to achieve it. Some things were just too gruesome to contemplate.

Barrel stuck out his pinky finger from a pile of limbs and fur to seal the deal, and Lock automatically hooked his own around it and waited for Shock to do the same. It had been their solemn agreement since childhood, and it was nigh unbreakable.

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Shock was always pleased when Barrel let her overhaul his wardrobe, style him and her favorite was when she got to get her hands on his hair. She felt the urge to dye both of their hair the most sickly shade of grin possible at their twin noises. It was so satisfying to hear, knowing she was winning in that regard. She liked black as much as her brother, but she had a distinct girliness to her style, layered accessories and skirts to match her spiked boots. 

At the outreach of fingers, she slid her own pinky into the hook with a serious look. Squeezing it, she shook their hands firmly to lock the deal in place. They had never broken it before, the most sacred of pacts they could make between them. A brilliant grin spread over her face. “When is she moving in, do you think?”

[hitemwithboth]

Barrel was always full of praise for Shock's hair colors. He liked her style in general and was content to let her pick out clothes for him too, knowing he'd look cooler in her choices than he ever would in his own. They both made hurling sounds practically in unison at the comment.

Lock's wardrobe was far less imaginative than his siblings', and if it didn't come in black, he didn't usually have a use for it. If she was trying to get him to leave, talking about Jack and Sally's sex life was a good way to achieve it. Some things were just too gruesome to contemplate.

Barrel stuck out his pinky finger from a pile of limbs and fur to seal the deal, and Lock automatically hooked his own around it and waited for Shock to do the same. It had been their solemn agreement since childhood, and it was nigh unbreakable.

hitemwithboth·:

All of them were fond of purple. And black, and green, and orange, typically. Halloween colors, of course. He grinned as Shock passed him another licorice string, stuffing the last of the first one into his mouth all at once. “I think he’s paying attention now,” he snickered. It came out garbled around the candy, but they probably understood him anyway.

He growled a little as Shock’s elbow jammed deeper into his ribs, but with Barrel’s legs and Zero’s weight sprawled over all of them, he couldn’t get far. He could get up, of course, but that would mean she won. They all nodded their confirmation of their bets. “Five is good for me,” he agreed, his gaze shifting to Barrel for confirmation, and he gave a thumb’s up, his mouth full of licorice. If it didn’t happen in five, it probably wasn’t happening.

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Shock had gone through the plethora of their preferred colors on her hair before settling permanently on the purple. The shades of it shifted according to her mood, but always purple, occasionally other woven in when she wanted to mix it up. “To a lot of her,” she snickered, unapologetic about it because she was determined to make her brothers as uncomfortable as possible. 

She settled comfortably under the weight of Zero, now pinning her into pinning her brothers, which was just fine by her. She waited for Lock to push them off and thus cede the win to her, but she doubted he would. “If it’s before a year, Barrel gets it. Between two and three, I get it.” She figured that was fair enough.

[hitemwithboth]

All of them were fond of purple. And black, and green, and orange, typically. Halloween colors, of course. He grinned as Shock passed him another licorice string, stuffing the last of the first one into his mouth all at once. "I think he's paying attention now," he snickered. It came out garbled around the candy, but they probably understood him anyway.

He growled a little as Shock's elbow jammed deeper into his ribs, but with Barrel's legs and Zero's weight sprawled over all of them, he couldn't get far. He could get up, of course, but that would mean she won. They all nodded their confirmation of their bets. "Five is good for me," he agreed, his gaze shifting to Barrel for confirmation, and he gave a thumb's up, his mouth full of licorice. If it didn't happen in five, it probably wasn't happening.

hitemwithboth·:

Nobody liked each other all the time. Even Barrel, who had more patience than the other two, could eventually get irritated and need his own space. He always loved them though and knew it was returned. Even Jack, pumpkin head that he was. “True,” he chuckled, leaning over to grab another string of licorice. Lock snagged it before he could take a bite, and he heaved an exaggerated sigh as he reached for another one. “Definitely. She’ll wear him down.” He nodded, confident that Sally’s stubbornness trumped Jack’s.

“Ow. You’re nothing but bones,” he grumbled, accidentally-on-purpose leaning on her hair as he reached out to steal Barrel’s licorice. “Time for a new pool?” He was salty about losing that one, but the trick or treaters bet candy on almost everything, large or small. That one had been going on for years, and if he was lucky, this one would too. Lock didn’t put much faith in things like love or marriage, despite the good examples of the Skellingtons and the Addams.

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She hissed when Lock leaned on her hair, digging her elbow a little harder into him in retaliation, never mind that he was just getting back at her. She hoped the fresh purple dye stained him. It was a good thing quite a lot of their furniture was black, otherwise, there would be purple splotches literally everywhere. Out of spite, she handed Barrel an extra string and leaned forward to snap a bite off of Lock’s. “Yeah, when she can get him to pay attention,” Shock agreed, even knowing that Jack paid Sally more attention than most other people. 

“Definitely time for a new pool,” she agreed. “Barrel called a year, I call two, Lock says never,” she looked around for confirmation. Her eyes narrowed at Lock, “For you to win, you can’t get the pot til after five years.” It was the only way to even remotely make a never bet applicable. 

[hitemwithboth]

halloweenwitchling​:

She loved her brothers fiercely even if she didn’t like every part of them, but she thought that was just the way family was supposed to be. “Expected,” she stuck her tongue out at Barrel even as she jabbed her elbow into Lock’s side on the pretense of snuggling further down into the couch. As mean as she sounded, it was never genuinely mean when it came to the other two. 

“That’s what we said,” she snickered, triumphant in her win of the large haul. She knew that Lock loved Mombie as much as she and Barrel did, so the scowling and grumps didn’t bother her. “That’s underestimating Mombie,” she pointed out with a disappointed shake of her head, “Right, Barrel?” She got the feeling there was a spine of pure diamond in Sally that they had yet to see, harder than anything and beautiful as shit.

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Nobody liked each other all the time. Even Barrel, who had more patience than the other two, could eventually get irritated and need his own space. He always loved them though and knew it was returned. Even Jack, pumpkin head that he was. "True," he chuckled, leaning over to grab another string of licorice. Lock snagged it before he could take a bite, and he heaved an exaggerated sigh as he reached for another one. "Definitely. She'll wear him down." He nodded, confident that Sally's stubbornness trumped Jack's.

"Ow. You're nothing but bones," he grumbled, accidentally-on-purpose leaning on her hair as he reached out to steal Barrel's licorice. "Time for a new pool?" He was salty about losing that one, but the trick or treaters bet candy on almost everything, large or small. That one had been going on for years, and if he was lucky, this one would too. Lock didn't put much faith in things like love or marriage, despite the good examples of the Skellingtons and the Addams.

Originally posted by nocteauri

[hitemwithboth]

halloweenwitchling​:

Even these days, she wouldn’t mind if Barrel felt the need to come hide in her room. No matter how snarly they were at other people, or how seemingly reluctant they came across, there was no set of siblings tighter than the younger Skellington trio. They were always going to have each others’ backs and no one else was allowed to cross them. 

“He still talks too much to have had one.” Rolling her eyes playfully, she immediately plopped her legs across both of her brothers just because she could. A snicker escaped her when he agreed with them on the Sally vs. Estelle situation in that there was no contest. “Nope, we’re discussing why Jack is going to take forever to marry Sally even after I found their trail of clothes this morning.” Her face was smug as it settled into a smirk.

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The three of them had been bonded for life at an early age, and it was one thing Barrel never had to question. The trick or treaters had each other's backs and always would. "Rude." He nudged her with his foot, but he was laughing. He had practically no ego and could take a joke better than just about anyone, even if it was malicious. Taking offense wasn't in his genetic makeup.

"Ew. She can do better." Lock scowled, mostly because he'd lost the candy pool, not because he cared who Jack or Mombie dated. He might not say it in so many words, but he did love Sally and appreciated the way she'd stepped in after their parents died. Jack wouldn't have let them go back in the system, but he wasn't the most parental of older siblings. "I bet they don't get married at all."

[hitemwithboth]

halloweenwitchling​:

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Shock would never admit to it, but she often let Zero in to sleep with her when he chose to, finding a comfort in the lovable, soft thing. She herself wasn’t soft at all, sharp edges and nasty points and she liked herself that way. “No, but she’d give you one for free. She needs the practice,” she pointed out with a grin. She absolutely adored Wednesday and was always happy to contribute to all of her darker leanings. 

“Exactly.” She really had no idea what she would do if she was even in a relationship. That was not an area she’d ever really dabbled in. There really wasn’t a reason to, since she liked her life just like it was. She hoped Barrel found someone one day, thinking that of all of them, he’d be the best at it and happiest with it. 

She hated what she remembered of their brother’s marriage, always had. He cared in his way, even if his mind was never entirely away from his work. She loved what she saw when he was with Sally, though, that look he got that was purely for her and she’d never seen anything like it on Jack’s face. “Never,” she agreed with a sigh and a shake of her head. “And it’s not like she ever tried to make him smile, or did anything to make him,” she grumbled.

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He wouldn't have been surprised to find Zero in her bed, since Barrel used to crawl under the blankets with her when he was younger and had nightmares. Nobody would call his sister soft, but she was protective of the ones she called hers. It hadn't happened in a long time, but it was a comfort to know that if it did, he always had someone--two someone's, really, because Lock would grumble but allow it--he could lean on.

"Didn't he already get one?" Lock asked, strolling in and flopping in the middle of the cuddle pile. Barrel good-naturedly flipped him off, grunting as someone's elbow dug into his stomach. Lock had almost no feelings about Jack's marriage, but he'd never particularly warmed to Estelle. From what he remembered, she was a bitch. "Are we comparing Estelle to Sally? Because no contest." He'd also noticed that Jack had been acting strange, but he hadn't been home long enough--or cared enough--to puzzle out why.

Originally posted by serpentcentral

[hitemwithboth]

It was impossible for anyone in the Skellington household to have a problem with Zero. Even the crankiest siblings adored him. He was sweet and loyal and an absolutely terrible guard dog, and Barrel loved him more than he loved some people. "I didn't ask for a lobotomy," he chuckled, which was what he'd probably get if he asked Wednesday for anything.

"Hard to imagine," he agreed, unbothered by it. The only people who really got them were already in their little circle, and the options were rather limited there. For all that he was something of a romantic, Barrel didn't spend a lot of time imagining any of them settling down with someone. Lock maybe had the best chance, since he could be very charming when he wanted to be (major emphasis on wanted), but he never seemed to stick with anyone for long.

He hummed thoughtfully, comparing what he remembered of Jack's marriage to the other examples in their lives. It looked cold, even by Jack's rather aloof standards. Their brother wasn't known for his warmth, but he had a special smile that only Sally ever brought out of him. He couldn't remember ever seeing it with anyone else, least of all his ex-wife. "You're right. He never smiled when she was around."

hitemwithboth·:

“Ahh, traitor.” He held up an arm to stop Zero’s wagging tail from smacking him in the face again as he went for a treat and huffed quietly as the dog managed to sprawl over both of them. Neither Barrel nor Zero had ever had much sense of personal space. He couldn’t help joining in her laughter, even as he promptly wanted to scrub those ideas out of his brain. “If we pour bleach in my ear, d'you think it’ll burn out that memory?”

He reached over to snag a string of licorice. “Would you get married if you fell in love?” He didn’t have a lot of real-life examples to go by, but if he was going to pick a happy couple to idolize, then it was Tish and Gomez, no contest. They did love and marriage like nobody else.

“You don’t think he loved Estelle?” It came out sounding surprised, even though he wasn’t sure if he was surprised. They certainly hadn’t loved each other much at the end. He remembered that much. But she was kind of stuffy and stuck up, and Barrel never spent a moment missing her after she was gone. He had the sneaking suspicion Jack didn’t either.

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She let out a soft oof when the dog half laid on her, but it doesn’t stop her from sinking fingers into soft white fur. The two of them were the only ones she was okay with regularly invading her personal space. Her and Lock purposely annoyed each other when they got that close, though they could have their soft moments. Snickering at the idea, she peered at him, “We could always try. I’m sure Wednesday has a funnel just the right size.”

The question made her blink, the idea of being in love let alone married having never really occurred to her before. She thought of their adoptive parents, of Tish and Gomez, of Jack’s failed marriage. “Maybe,” she mused carefully, “But that would mean finding anyone who can keep up with us.” That felt absolutely impossible with anyone that wasn’t an Addams, a Finkelstein, or a Skellington. She thought Jack and Sally could be like Tish and Gomez in many ways, though she couldn’t imagine them being so openly affectionate as their friends, but that was fine. 

Scoffing, she immediately shook her head. “No, I don’t. I think that was convenience or duty or just… some fucked up sense of responsibility. But nothing in that ever seemed like love to me.” She remembered watching, hoping, but Estelle had never fit quite right in her eyes. She had been glad when she’d been gone and even cleared a few stashes of candy out of Jack’s space when it had happened.

[hitemwithboth]

Drew Ray Tanner photographed by Justin Wu (2019)

[hitemwithboth]

"Ahh, traitor." He held up an arm to stop Zero's wagging tail from smacking him in the face again as he went for a treat and huffed quietly as the dog managed to sprawl over both of them. Neither Barrel nor Zero had ever had much sense of personal space. He couldn't help joining in her laughter, even as he promptly wanted to scrub those ideas out of his brain. "If we pour bleach in my ear, d'you think it'll burn out that memory?"

He reached over to snag a string of licorice. "Would you get married if you fell in love?" He didn't have a lot of real-life examples to go by, but if he was going to pick a happy couple to idolize, then it was Tish and Gomez, no contest. They did love and marriage like nobody else.

"You don't think he loved Estelle?" It came out sounding surprised, even though he wasn't sure if he was surprised. They certainly hadn't loved each other much at the end. He remembered that much. But she was kind of stuffy and stuck up, and Barrel never spent a moment missing her after she was gone. He had the sneaking suspicion Jack didn't either.

hitemwithboth·:

He mimed vomiting, but it was hard not to laugh, both at Shock’s antics and at the idea of old people getting it on in the kitchen. “Thank Halloween they moved. We eat in there.” He shuddered, not wanting to know what all had gone down before they decided on privacy. Not that it would stop Shock from telling him if she knew.

Zero heard the noise and came trotting in, tail wagging, and Barrel obligingly moved over to make room for him on the couch. “Poor Zero. Were you traumatized?” he asked, scratching his ears. “Nobody’s better than Mombie,” he agreed without a trace of hesitation. He loved his brother, of course he did, but there was no way to quantify what Sally meant to them, especially after their parents died.

“What does necessary have to do with love?” He looked genuinely bewildered by the idea, although if Shock said it, it was probably true. Barrel was a bit of a romantic that way though, even if he didn’t have much personal experience in the matter.

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Shock squealed in her laughter, her eyes starting to water as she reached over and prodded at his shoulder. She bit down her instinctive response, because she wanted to preserve some of that sweetness. She’d save the ‘they probably did’ for Lock to torture him with. 

Digging for the stashed bag of dog treats in the couch, she reached over to scritch gently under his chin before feeding him a treat. “Of course he was. He had to listen to that howling all night,” she managed it with a straight face before she burst into more snickers. A part of her softened, knowing just what Sally meant to all of them, how she’d settled so comfortably into their lives and become a cornerstone for them. 

Smacking her teeth, she sighed and shook her head. “Love and marriage aren’t the same thing.” She pulled out a new stash of candy, tugging out red licorice twists and taking a vicious bite out of one. “Just because he loves her doesn’t mean it’s necessary to marry her. But apparently love isn’t necessary for our idiot brother to get married either, so…”

[hitemwithboth]

He mimed vomiting, but it was hard not to laugh, both at Shock's antics and at the idea of old people getting it on in the kitchen. "Thank Halloween they moved. We eat in there." He shuddered, not wanting to know what all had gone down before they decided on privacy. Not that it would stop Shock from telling him if she knew.

Zero heard the noise and came trotting in, tail wagging, and Barrel obligingly moved over to make room for him on the couch. "Poor Zero. Were you traumatized?" he asked, scratching his ears. "Nobody's better than Mombie," he agreed without a trace of hesitation. He loved his brother, of course he did, but there was no way to quantify what Sally meant to them, especially after their parents died.

"What does necessary have to do with love?" He looked genuinely bewildered by the idea, although if Shock said it, it was probably true. Barrel was a bit of a romantic that way though, even if he didn't have much personal experience in the matter.

hitemwithboth​:

Barrel rarely paid attention to more than the surface level of what was going on, if he paid attention to that. They all loved Sally, even Lock who would rarely admit to such things. He was happy enough about the news that he didn’t even care when she stole his candy. Not like there wasn’t more in his pockets, or probably the couch cushions if you were really desperate.

He made a gagging sound, waving a hand. “Enough. I don’t need to hear anymore.” He laughed though because details that he didn’t want to know aside, this was good. Sally deserved to be happy, and for some reason he’d never understand, she seemed to have decided that Jack made her happy, so Barrel was happy.

“She can do better.” He scrunched his nose, grinning. They all agreed on that point. Jack was a nice enough older brother, most of the time, but Sally hung the moon. “We’ll need a new pool for the wedding,” he mused. “I bet it’s within a year.” Of course, he wasn’t considering the way marriage had already left its mark on Jack. Barrel’s memories of his first sister-in-law were vague with time.

Originally posted by bvyfriend

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She loved her youngest brother, and he made her softer than anything, but it didn’t save him from her torment. “It started in the kitchen,” she couldn’t help but add on to it, for pure torment purposes. For a long time, she’d been concerned about Sally not finding that happiness they were all rooting for for her. It was hard for her to see Jack being a cause for that, as much as she loved her older brother. 

“Oh, definitely. She can, but Jack? Never in a million years,” that part she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt. “Mombie is literally the best.” She took a special care with the three of them, didn’t even look askance at some of their stranger habits. She hummed quietly in consideration and shook her head slowly. “Two. Jack’s gonna fight getting married, saying ‘it’s not necessary’.” She rolled her eyes. 

Originally posted by cwladiesdaily

[hitemwithboth]

Barrel rarely paid attention to more than the surface level of what was going on, if he paid attention to that. They all loved Sally, even Lock who would rarely admit to such things. He was happy enough about the news that he didn't even care when she stole his candy. Not like there wasn't more in his pockets, or probably the couch cushions if you were really desperate.

He made a gagging sound, waving a hand. "Enough. I don't need to hear anymore." He laughed though because details that he didn't want to know aside, this was good. Sally deserved to be happy, and for some reason he'd never understand, she seemed to have decided that Jack made her happy, so Barrel was happy.

"She can do better." He scrunched his nose, grinning. They all agreed on that point. Jack was a nice enough older brother, most of the time, but Sally hung the moon. "We'll need a new pool for the wedding," he mused. "I bet it's within a year." Of course, he wasn't considering the way marriage had already left its mark on Jack. Barrel's memories of his first sister-in-law were vague with time.

hitemwithboth​:

Much to Barrel’s peace of mind and Lock’s annoyance, Shock usually had the answers. He didn’t have to worry too much, since he knew his older sister would fill him in on anything he really needed to know. The rest just couldn’t be that important. It was like her to wait until the opportune moment to reveal her hand though, and he choked on a jellybean when she set down those cards.

“Mombie and Jack?” he managed when he was done coughing, shooting her a look that was equal parts incredulity and joy. “I mean, gross. But, y'know, finally.” He’d long thought of Sally like a stand-in mother and thought Jack was stupid for not pursuing her, but Jack could be pretty stupid.

“Oh shit, did you tell Lock? He’s going to be so pissed.” He laughed, delighted by the prospect. The candy pool for when Jack and Sally got together was one of their biggest, and naturally, Shock had called it. Barrel had lost years ago, optimistically believing they would have figured it out sooner. But that was Barrel. He never hesitated to say how he was feeling, good or bad, and didn’t understand why everyone else wouldn’t do the same.

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The trick to knowing the answers was knowing how to be quiet and patient enough to get them. It was something she was better at than both of them, but they all had their strengths that they could play to. His reaction was so satisfying that she plucked over to steal the bag and snag a handful of beans to munch on. 

“Yes!” There was a cackle of glee, her feet kicking for a moment. “Well, yeah, gross,” she pulled a face but the grin quickly came back. It was no secret that she loved Sally, had always been pulling for their brother to finally get smart when it came to her. “They left a trail up the stairs, Barrel,” she snickered, shaking her head and eating more of the jelly beans. 

Her grin went dark with delight at the reminder that she had won their pool on this particular one. “Not yet, I haven’t seen him since I found out,” she admitted. “Our brother is really stupid when it comes to her. Lucky for us, Sally’s stubborn.” 

Originally posted by julietophelia

[hitemwithboth]

halloweenwitchling​:

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Shock kept a permanent collection bag for all the disgusting things. It was a joy to fill it and then offer it to the unsuspecting. It was like playing that party game with them, if she could stand to be around too many other people that long. Her smile was slow and wicked because like in most things, she saw more than either of her brothers had a habit of. She also slept incredibly weird hours when she slept, or crept in at even odder. 

Coming in after a night in the cemetery, she’d eyed the trail of clothes up the stairs with almost manic glee. The urge to mess with them had been strong, but also, she’d been rooting for that particular matchup for what felt like all her life. “That’s because Sally spent the night,” she snickered.

Originally posted by ttsource

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Much to Barrel's peace of mind and Lock's annoyance, Shock usually had the answers. He didn't have to worry too much, since he knew his older sister would fill him in on anything he really needed to know. The rest just couldn't be that important. It was like her to wait until the opportune moment to reveal her hand though, and he choked on a jellybean when she set down those cards.

"Mombie and Jack?" he managed when he was done coughing, shooting her a look that was equal parts incredulity and joy. "I mean, gross. But, y'know, finally." He'd long thought of Sally like a stand-in mother and thought Jack was stupid for not pursuing her, but Jack could be pretty stupid.

"Oh shit, did you tell Lock? He's going to be so pissed." He laughed, delighted by the prospect. The candy pool for when Jack and Sally got together was one of their biggest, and naturally, Shock had called it. Barrel had lost years ago, optimistically believing they would have figured it out sooner. But that was Barrel. He never hesitated to say how he was feeling, good or bad, and didn’t understand why everyone else wouldn’t do the same.

[hitemwithboth]

"Something's up with Jack." Barrel was sprawled over the couch in the Skellington living room, picking through jellybeans and occasionally throwing one of the gross flavors at Shock. "Did you see him this morning? He looked kinda... happy," he decided, with an expression that said he was distinctly weirded out by it. Their older brother was many things, but happy wasn't one of them.

Barrel wasn't even the second cleverest of the trick or treaters, so the fact that he'd noticed at all meant something significant had happened, although he hadn't yet figured out what that was. In his defense, he hadn't seen Sally yet to compare, and he'd been working a night shift when she stayed over. By the time he'd gotten up, roughly around noon that day, they'd both been long gone, along with all the clothes in the kitchen (and the hall, and the stairs). Even Barrel probably couldn't fail to miss something that obvious.

shock & barrel

@halloweenwitchling