An Uncommon Hell

[serrulata.livejournal.com]

How would you punish someone who enjoyed punishment? Such a conundrum, this, a problem Kurama had been putting his mind to for quite some time. It was a difficult, but fun challenge.

When he finally came up with the answer, he'd been very, very pleased with himself. And now, finally, it was time to put his idea to fruition. The long hours of work he'd put into his plan would be well worth the slight psychological damage he'd probably sustained while doing so.

Now, all he had to do was find his subject, to find Apos.

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[mnemosyneeater.livejournal.com]

Apos wasn't hiding. Not really. He'd said he wasn't going to detention and he'd meant it. He didn't abide by laws, social or cultural.

He was in the halls, speaking with an elf about procuring him larger pieces of wood. The elf seemed to like him, but only because the elves knew little. He never asked them to clean up hiss mess. There was suspicion, however. The guillotine he'd asked for could only be used for one thing.

[serrulata.livejournal.com]

Kurama could hear Apos long before he caught sight of his prey. He smiled to himself, sticking to the shadows of the hallway, quietly creeping up behind him.

"Hey," he murmured into Apos ear. "Does this smell like chloroform to you?"

Of course Apos likely wouldn't answer. The rag was already over his mouth and nose, Kurama holding it there firmly.

[mnemosyneeater.livejournal.com]

It was....surprising. And yet, amusing. Kurama's unique kind of humour amused Apos regardless of the circumstances.

It was instinct to gasp, and it was, unfortunately, his downfall. While he struggled, his effort lessening as the chemical bade him to unconsciousness, his eyes rolled up try to catch a glimpse of Kurama.

He wanted to laugh, congratulate Kurama on trying to get back at him, but all he could do was let his eyes slam closed when the weight finally became too much.

[serrulata.livejournal.com]

He caught Apos easily with one arm, then hoisted the little monster over his shoulder. It would be a short trip to get from here to the Forbidden Forest, so with a nod to the startled House Elf, he set on his way, whistling a jaunty tune.

The hut, hastily constructed in the cradle of two large trees, was solid and papered from foundation to roof, inside and out, with wards. Nothing that caused pain, just a special kind, one that kept those trapped inside incapable of committing any violence. There were others, of course, ones to keep certain people away, in case someone thought to meddle in this little experiment in psychological warfare.

The inside of the hut, however, was a unique circus of complete insanity.

There was one chair (a fluffy recliner, done in bright flower patterns), and a large television attached to a DVD player. On a table by the door was a record player, and these were the only furnishings. The walls were papered with bright posters of non-threatening soft things, like puppies and kittens, spattered here and there with unicorns, friendly-looking dragons, and more than the sane amount of smiley-faced rainbows and flowers. A few dementedly happy looking stuffed animals lined the base of each wall, the ones framing the television huge with big, horrific smiles and beady little mad eyes.

Kurama deftly set Apos down in the chair, activating a few more wards set in a specific pattern around it. A charm for wakefulness, a charm to keep the sitter seated indefinitely, and a charm to keep the eyes open, which he'd activate once he turned the television on. Wakefulness would take a moment to set in to the drugged Apos, anyway. He smiled to himself and turned to the television, listening for the signs of Apos waking. It would be interesting to hear, and see, his reaction.

[mnemosyneeater.livejournal.com]

Coming to was more difficult than waking after having been cut into tiny little pieces. It took him a moment, and he groaned, then forced his heavy eyes to open. He couldn't lift his head, but he could see enough.

...What the hell was this?

His eyebrows rose. "This is...an interesting punishment you have chosen," he slurred, slowly lifting his head to look up (and up) at Kurama. His head fell back against the push recliner. At least he was comfortable, for all he felt like he was in a child's wonderland.

[serrulata.livejournal.com]

"I thought it would be best to encourage you to be in a more harmonious state of mind," Kurama said, dropping one DVD from a box of hundreds into the player." He looked over his shoulder at Apos, the smile on his face positively demented, his voice a hiss that was, frankly, a little bit insane. Making this place had... done things to him. "Welcome to the Harmony Hut."

[mnemosyneeater.livejournal.com]

Had Apos been normal (sane) he probably would have been just as horrified, maybe even frightened.

Now he just tilted his head as well as he could, a curious expression on his face. "But Kurama, I am in harmony," he chastised. "I'm perfectly honest with myself, and my desires. You're a demon, are you in harmony with your nature? No."

His fingers tapped on the arm of the chair one by one as he tested his muscles.

[serrulata.livejournal.com]

"Harmony with oneself is not necessarily harmony with the rest of society," Kurama reminded him, wagging a finger. He stood, twirling the remote control on his fingers. The blandness of Apos' reaction made him smile. He'd learn soon enough.

"I was hoping you'd have more to say. Though, I suppose I'll just have to be patient." He smiled, and hit the play button on the remote, activating the remaining wards as he did.

It was a collection, a long one, of non-threateneing children's programming. The kind that spouted the virtues of sharing, caring, obeying your parents and figures of authority, and being nice to your friends. He'd chosen it out of a list from a parenting blog he'd followed for weeks, planning. It had also convinced him never, ever to have children.

"Pay attention," he said in a singsong voice, standing away from the screen. He grew a seat from himself, leaning back to watch Apos and make sure the wards and seals were complete as he did.

[mnemosyneeater.livejournal.com]

His eyes followed Kurama, never losing their amused edge, but when he turned back to the television, he was...

Annoyed and disgusted.

He had no heart for humans, especially not this which was the epitome of what humans were. "Where did you find this filth?" he asked, tone light despite his dislike for it.

He turned his head to Kurama, refusing to watch.

[serrulata.livejournal.com]

"The internet," Kurama said with a grin. There was one more charm he could activate now, one that would keep Apos' eyes on the screen until he felt it was time to let them rest (or remembered he was out here; Kurama didn't plan to stay for very long). "I've made sure to keep careful track of things. No death, no pain. No sadness beyond everyday childhood confusion, and all of that easily solved in thirty minutes or less. Sometimes ninety minutes, but that's for later. These run half an hour each, and there are six episodes on this disk. The DVD player has a six disc rotation." He grinned as bright an happy as a kindergarten teacher on five pounds of crack. "So in eighteen hours we'll see how you're holding up."

[mnemosyneeater.livejournal.com]

Apos...had never seen 'torture' of this kind.

His eyes shifted on their own, without his permission, to the screen. Gritting his teeth and the arms of the chair in slight frustration, he merely grunted acknowledgement. Then he sighed.

"We shall see," he said, chewing on his lower lip.

[serrulata.livejournal.com]

"Apos," he said, his smile growing impossibly wider, "This is just the first disc. You are going to watch..." he hefted the box of DVDs, which would probably herniate a lesser creature, and poured them out onto the floor in a rainbow cascade of round-cornered worlds. "All of these."

[mnemosyneeater.livejournal.com]

He ground his teeth, seeing the splash of colour in the corner of his vision. He wasn't amused, this time.

He refused to say anything, merely stared at the screen. The charm wouldn't even let him blink, his eyes were aching already.

[serrulata.livejournal.com]

"I think," Kurama said, looking dramatically at his wrist as if he actually wore a watch, "that it's time for me to go and for you to enjoy these lovely and educational shows. If you're very good maybe later I'll let you watch some wartime propaganda cartoons. But only if you behave. Do we have an accord?"

[mnemosyneeater.livejournal.com]

Watching the man on screen try out his brand new tapp shoes as plush toys watched with interest, Apos wanted to lash out at Kurama.

That was when he discovered he couldn't rise from his chair, he couldn't claw his fingers into the chair until he felt the delightful distraction of pain either. Something stopped him. The charms Kurama had placed.

He refused to answer once more, instead began humming along with the song as the man danced with the puppets.

Apos would take this as a challange, he just needed to see it as such. Then, maybe, he would emerge as he went into this hell. Mostly sane and not a caring, sharing, person.

[serrulata.livejournal.com]

Kurama clicked his tongue. at least Apos was in the spirit of things. "See you at breakfast, then," he said, bowing out with a little smirk.

[mnemosyneeater.livejournal.com]

Apos began crying about half an hour in, cursing Kurama with all his might, struggling frantically in the chair he couldn't seem to move out of, though he could cross his legs under himself and shift all he liked. Sleeping was a no go, closing his eyes was impossible too, hence his crying.

He couldn't tell the time in the room, with his disturbingly happy colours and cheerful plush animals lining the walls. The boredom got to him the most, and his dislike for humans, especially human children.

For the first time, he actually felt angry and outwardly acted as such.

But that passed, and eventually he slumped in his chair, brought his knees up to his chest and resigned himself to watching the damned show, imagining the naive little shits being tortured instead of educated.

[serrulata.livejournal.com]

Kurama slept wonderfully that night (when he actually managed to sleep, of course. Kusuriyuri never inspired wanting to sleep much at all) and awoke the next morning renewed, and with a sense of happy purpose.

As he made his way back to the hut he stopped a passing elf, instructing it to bring him a breakfast for two, with a few special additions for Apos. He had the plates in hand by the time he was at the edge of the forest, the elves not wanting to be anywhere near him when he went in there.

He was whistling again when he opened the door. "Good morning, Sunshine! Hungry?"

[mnemosyneeater.livejournal.com]

Apos was leaning against the arm of the chair by the time Kurama came in. "Kurama," he greeted, wiping the tears from his cheeks. The smell of food was tempting, even though he didn't need to eat to survive.

He narrowed his eyes at the television. As soon as Kurama let him up, he'd make him suffer.

[serrulata.livejournal.com]

Kurama beamed at him, content and confident in the power of the anti-violence wards.

"I see you've made it though most of the series; good job." he set the plate - a bright blue one in the shape of a bluebird, with a smiley-face presentation of bacon, eggs and hashbrowns. Maybe it was taking things a little far, but he never forgave rape.

[mnemosyneeater.livejournal.com]

As interested as Apos had been in the food, as soon as it was set before him, his appetite vanished. Finally able to move his eyes from the television screen, he blinked a few times and then turned his head to glare at Kurama. He could do little more than that.

He had tried to leap off the couch and rush Kurama already. His body simply refused to act out the thought. "Don't congratulate me," he asked, rather than warned.

[serrulata.livejournal.com]

Kurama chuckled. "So modest. I suppose I'll have to bake you a cake at the end of all this." He pulled up an oversized rocking horse as a seat for himself, starting in on his own breakfast, really just a smoothie with a little extra special herb in it. "I thought I'd watch a bit with you. I kind of liked this show when I was a kid."

[mnemosyneeater.livejournal.com]

"That would explain why you are so strange," Apos mused.

We care for each other, don't we, Mr Sparkles? ran through his head. He rubbed at his forehead with his palm. It was invading his thoughts now.

[serrulata.livejournal.com]

"I know, right?" He snickered slightly, turning his attention to the television. "Isn't this the episode where Kittybear and Mr. Sparkles confess their sexless platonic love for each other?"

[mnemosyneeater.livejournal.com]

"That was last season," he corrected.

Strangely, he didn't seem to need to defend why he'd memorised that. He'd thought about that episode for a long time. It wasn't platonic love; it was metaphor.

Certainly wasn't sexless, in his head.

Nothing was.

[serrulata.livejournal.com]

Kurama couldn't see into Apos' mind, but his train of thought usually followed the same lines. If only the intranet at Hogwarts allowed access to those weird 'fanfiction' websites, they could both have a laugh.

"So we're about at the time where Magnificent the Sky Unicorn shows up?" He smiled innocently. It would obviously take a while for Apos to break, but Kurama dreamed fondly of the day he could send the little monster into convulsions just by whistling the show's theme song.