"So, did anything special happen while I was gone?"
Sally's question does not come from pure curiosity. Instead, the source is merely the desire to make conversation, to make the walk less awkward. Even if it never was her choice to talk to Wilbur for too long to begin with, she still finds it important to at least know about any events to have taken place in his life. After all, he is her ex-lover and the father of a son that isn't even hers by blood.
Now, she's still thankful for the opportunity she's had to redeem herself by raising Fundy and making him feel loved, but she wishes that Wilbur had had more involvement in his life, especially after the Great Fire. Sally understands the mourning Wilbur had to do, but the way he started treating his son afterwards made her believe that he never wanted to be a father to begin with. This was not what came to such a surprise for her, since he turned him on accident to begin with when trying to kill him, but she at least expected Wilbur to take responsibility. And Hell, at first, he genuinely seemed to enjoy it, even if Fundy was a little more hesitant and confused.
But all of that must have been a simple act, and that's not what Sally hates so much about it. She just wishes that he'd do what he has to, even if he doesn't want it all that much. Philza raised two children that he turned as well, even if he did it accidentally as well, and loved them like his own sons. But this is now what Wilbur was willing to do anymore, so now Sally has had to do the parenting, including explaining things that she has little comprehension of: vampires. Sure, she know what they look like and what they can do and what makes them different from a human based on appearance, but she can't teach him about the things necessary or possible to do like Wilbur can.
"Nothing special," Wilbur eventually shrugs, obviously distracted by the energy that Sally is unable to feel.
This is where you must've walked a bit of time ago. Or maybe it's the strange plant that's to be blamed?
"Schlatt tried to take down our family, as expected, by weak arguments again. As you can already guess, he failed miserably, just like he always does, but I don't know when that goddamn goat will actually try to start a revolution against us. We can't have that."
"Honestly, I think that that's one of the best ideas," Sally laughs, putting her hand on Wilbur's shoulder in the hopes to get some reaction out of him, but failing as well. "After all, it's obvious that the Protectors aren't willing to work together anymore now that Kristin is gone, and XD's absence has not exactly had a positive effect on their abilities either. Maybe it's time for something new?"
"You're talking about a new leader, huh? And who do you have in mind, Sally?" Sally knows that she made a mistake saying this. After all, she knows how much Wilbur wants to prove his worth to his father, so he's not open to the thought of never being able to prove himself to be as much as he is. This entire time, he's been waiting to take over Philza's role of leader, but if there was to get a revolution, he'd get nothing back for all that he's sacrificed, and the siren knows that he's not ready to lose that all.
"I don't think that matters all that much. I just think we need new blood." Wilbur simply scoffs before quickening his pace, likely not wanting to listen more to what she has to say. However, she doesn't think it's enough. "Or what? Do you think that you'll do it better? Do you think that you should be next to rule over Urvorum?"
Wilbur shrugs, being even more distracted now than he were before. Sally can only guess why, although his distraction doesn't seem to be exactly positive. "I don't know," Wilbur just ends up mumbling, growing visibly uncomfortable as he runs his hand through his hair. Sally raises her eyebrow.
"You... don't know?" she says sceptically, watching as his cheek redden slightly – which is quite unusual for a vampire – which makes her thoughts run like crazy. "Honestly, the more I think of it, the more I believe I agree with Technoblade when it comes to anarchy in this town. There's no leader necessary in my opinion, after all."
"You've lost it, haven't you?" Wilbur just asks and she laughs, ridiculing him for this pathetic question.
"I lost it years ago, Wilbur. Deciding to help you parent your child was already a sign of this." He looks at her confusedly.
"The hell is that supposed to mean?"
"I mean that you're not good at parenting, Wilbur. And deciding to help you out, only led to me taking full responsibility for your action. You'd say that a donkey doesn't hit its head against the same rock twice, but here I was, making the same mistake twice anyways."
"I'm not bad at parenting."
"I suppose. You're not even a parent to begin with. You're just the person who turned Fundy into a vampire. Right, Wilbur?" Wilbur wants to talk, but Sally refuses to let him. "I'm just another piece of evidence that history repeats itself. 'Someone who knows of history, knows not to repeat it', an old friend once told me, and yet I got with you, just like everyone else is either an ignorant fool or an arrogant person who thinks they can do better. Or maybe just naïve. I don't know. But I do know that I regret ever taking Fundy in, instead of leaving you to do some of the job as well, Wilbur."
Wilbur simply stares at his feet, while the two of them are passing the street in which Sam is talking to Sapnap, although it's more like he's scolding him.
"Did you ever regret your time with me?"
"I regret trusting you as much as I did, but trust me, Wilbur, you're far from the worst man I've known." Both Sally and Wilbur look up when Sam calls out his name, seeming to stand closer to the growing plant like both he and Sapnap should. Wilbur's face shifts to discomfort as he approaches them. Sally follows, although she can't feel anything out of the ordinary, which isn't unexpected.
"What is it, Sam?" Wilbur groans, his body looking weak and his eyes looking more dead than usual, but the siren can't explain why.
Sam, however, seems to be more than relaxed. Feeling oddly comfortable around the possibly dangerous anomaly, he is standing next to the pissed Sapnap, who has been bothering him ever since the flowers started growing there. "What do you want me to do with the poltergeist? He's been refusing to follow your father's orders."
"Philza can't make me do shit," Sapnap just snarls at Sam, crossing his arms as he glances over at the plant. "Besides, why in the hell are you allowed to stay close to it, but I'm not? Doesn't seem very fair."
"I have a duty to fulfil. You're just a citizen meant to follow instructions."
"I'm not just a citizen, asshole, I'm one of the most feared poltergeists to ever roam this world."
Sally glances over at Wilbur, waiting to hear what he has to say. The flower plant has been here ever since your first outburst of energy, caused by the pure fear that any prey would have in a life-threatening situation. However, at first, she didn't believe it would have that much effect on anything, but judging by the way it's grown and by the way it affects these three singular people, she's wondering if it maybe does have an influence after all.
But if it does, then it has a certainly weird one. While Sally is pretty sure that Wilbur tends to react in manic ways when he's in your company, following purely the beating of his heart and allowing this sensation to make the decisions for him, he seems to have the exact opposite reaction whilst close to the flower, instead seeming to feel deader than ever and more tired than he thought was possible.
She can't tell what's up with Sapnap and Sam though, but unlike Wilbur, they seemingly prefer to stay in its presence, and she wonders what can cause this. Does it have something to do with the fact that Wilbur was the first to be hit? Or at least, 'met' your energy before he met those of the plants? What do the two think of you?
Do you work like a drug? What's the difference between your energy and the plant's? So many questions, yet so few answers.
"I don't care what you do with him, just keep him away from this thing," Wilbur distastefully orders, only to be met with Sam's eyes which scream discontent.
"But, Wil-" he starts, but Wilbur doesn't let him finish.
"And stay away from it as well, Sam. You're not asked to become victim to whatever the fuck this is, only to prevent this from happening in other cases. If I discover that you've been influenced, you'll be replaced, as easy as that." Sam's eyes widen as one of his paws stomps on the ground – possibly just a reaction to a fly – only to receive a victorious glare from Sapnap. "Don't look so content yet, Sapnap. If you don't watch out, we will throw you in the dungeons." Sapnap scoffs, avoiding to look anyone in the eyes as he angrily walks off. Sam sighs as Wilbur grabs Sally's arm loosely, gesturing to her with his head.
When the two of them have left Sam behind, Sally can see the way that Wilbur gets more and more energetic again, before letting out a deep sigh when they've gone far enough, being close to Foolish's church as he shivers. After this, he turns to Sally and grins, being more confident now. "You know, Sally, after this exhausting short exchange, I really feel like seeing Y/N again. Something in me says that they're right here."
Although Sally always loves your company, the way that Wilbur says it makes her feel uneasy. Can he feel your presence?
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I've started working on the special! I don't know when it'll be done, though, but we'll see, haha!
(It's a reversed AU basically, by the way. However, if you want, I can also make a short book of the best fanfic quotes for those who want it and then post that after I reach another number that I feel like deserves a celebration, in a way. So, for that, please leave some of the quotes you've read in any of my fanfics that you'd like to be featured in it! (That way I don't have to do it later, lol))