sweet talk

i'm not looking for sweet talk

Go. Leave. This plan will never work while I am around. Give them fear.

The familiar voice in the back of his head was clearer, and louder, the Russian lilt more prominent in the haze of his mind. Turning his head, Rigby shared glances with Mordecai. "I know I said I want things to go back to normal, but this isn't going to work. The voice is still there! And it told me itself," he snapped, lightly.

Mordecai sighed, and turned so he was fully facing the other. "Do you have a better idea, dude?" He asked genuinely. He drew his gaze to the treeline.

"I say we plan our supposed fight with the demon. Because this is freaky, man. And I'd feel better if we were at least prepared." Rigby answered this, honestly, and dropped the hose on the ground to add effect. Water continued to spray as he did so, gushing onto the grass around his feet.

"I guess you're right," Mordecai sighed, "Roof?"

"Yeah. Roof."

The two dropped their work and headed back towards the house. This time they didn't bother to race each other, much less say anything as they climbed the stairs. Memories flitted through Rigby's mind like the sunlight flitted through the blinds. Memories of only days ago when he was shuddering and sick, and cussing everything out.

Memories he couldn't seem to hold onto without being reminded of their situation.

Mordecai came to the window first, throwing it open and stepping out onto the roof carefully. Rigby followed suit, and soon the two were sitting with their backs facing the sun, and the pond in their field of vision. In the daylight, the body of water didn't look as intimidating as the night.

"So... tell me what Skips said again? I need to get my very little amount of braincells working," Rigby said, breaking the silence. His voice was strangely hoarse and he hummed.

Mordecai laughed softly at this, and then began to explain. "Well... he said the demon is a son of Greed and Envy. He said that he takes away your happiness so that your most prominent emotion is anger. I think he's targeting you specifically because your anger was so strong in the area he was in. His presence just makes it stronger." His words were awkward as he spoke.

Rigby scowled. "That makes sense."

"Yeah... it's dark magic, or whatever. But, anyways, Skips said that we have to fight the demon. Together. He says that our love might be strong enough to defeat him."

"Pssshhh! That sounds so lame. We're fighting him with love?"

"Face it, dude," Mordecai groaned, "I feel like that's the only weapon we really have in this mess. Look--"

Rigby looked up at Mordecai, and the two locked eyes, sharing warm, hard glances. The blue jay looked tired, and the realization seemed to hit Rigby, then. Mordecai was doing so much for him right now. Figuring things out, piecing together the puzzle. And all Rigby was doing was holding them both back with his anger and fear, making the situation supposedly worse. Besides, the demon summoned under his doing.

Maybe he should be trying harder.

"--the demon is stronger under anger," Mordecai continued, "Your anger and negativity is what encourages it to keep pulling. When we do things that make you forget about the demon and your anger, only for a moment, it will make it grow weaker. From what I understand."

Rigby pressed his lips together, quietly. "So what's your plan?" He asked.

"I'm not sure yet. Here, okay. What was the first thing that made you angry? Like, what do you think the reasoning behind the demon's appearance is?"

Rigby closed his eyes, and was pulled back into the memories. Locking himself out of the house, his head corrupted with nightmares, peeking downstairs to see Margaret... Margaret. But it wasn't her that made him angry. He remembered Skips' question. Who are you mad at? Mordecai or yourself?

"Myself..."

The word was a whisper in the summer air, and Rigby looked at Mordecai again.

"I was jealous that you were hanging out with Margaret. I was angry at you two, first. And I was too stubborn to admit it. But dude... I'm not angry at you. Or Margaret. I've been angry at myself this whole time."

His hands curled into fists, and suddenly, he seemed to realize everything. Mordecai seemed to figure it out, too, because their mouths both curled up into a grin. But Rigby was the first to speak, to gently grab the other's hand.

"Dude? I think I know how to fight this demon."