Let's just say Billy didn't take it well the fact that he wasn't human- "So you're saying... I'm a monster?" He asked after listening to Zunni explanation of who, or rather, what he was: "No, you aren't a monster- we aren't monsters. The monsters are out there, like that thing that almost killed you, that is a monster! Something that never should've been, a monster is that. Something that is wrong, something that hurts others, something evil- Something inhumane and out of this world." And like that, Zunni had to explain to the non-believer Billy Hargrove (Who many times asked him to call him Hargrove, with several curses and insults to make it clear that he didn't like being called Billy) about the Upside Down and the Outsiders, how there are other dimensions out there that come to Earth to try and expand, but Nature calls them to get rid of the 'virus', essentially making Chimeras the white cells of the body. "So i can become animals...?" He whispered as he looked at his naked chest, there wasn't a hole on it anymore, not even a scar to be seen!
"Well, not yet." Zunni sighed- Talking for hours tired him, even though his stamina is pretty much endless with his immortality: "What? You fucking said I'd do it!" Billy sounded disappointed, which is fair in his case, since he always wanted to be a sea animal when he was a kid (A dolphin) and surf on the waves of the ocean alongside his mot- "Well, your case is a little bit complicated... You see, Chimeras need their connection to Nature to Shapeshift into other animals and use magic-" ["Magic!?"] "-But your soul, the thing that keep the connection between you and nature, was broken. I've seen people with broken souls before, it comes with trauma and mental illnesses sometimes, but your soul... It looks like one who had been taken by a Soul Parasite, but without the physical consequences." Okay, what the fuck is a Soul Parasite? As if seeing his confusion, Zunni smiled (For once Billy didn't feel that overwhelming anger and burning red need to punch something he always felt... He didn't feel anything at all, is this how calm feels like?) as he explained: "Well, to put it simply, a Soul Parasite is the manifestation of an animal soul that refuses to go on, Ghosts are the manifestation of Human Souls that refuse to go on, and depending on slme factors they can become more... Where was i? Ah right, Soul Parasites can take over the body of someone, resulting on their soul being in constant contact with the Soul Parasite which leeches energy from said soul, weakening it and damaging the soul!"
Zunni paused for a moment as John entered the room, the tall latino man with black hair and grey eyes wore a tuxedo suit as he bowed to him: "Master, everything's taken care of." Zunni nodded at him as a thank you and acknowledgement before he continued on with the explanation: "The physical effects a Soul Parasite has on its host's body is... Not great. It ranges from headaches snd bloody noses to internal organ failures..." Billy was for a moment mesmerized at the simply act of Zunni as he shifted his nails into black claws to tap the wood of the bed with: "But you've shown none of these symptoms, besides some... scars-" Billy froze: "-you were a perfect human being... Well, you're more now. Stronger, Faster, More resilient, and as a bonus perk you gain immortality, the ability to use magic, and shapeshifting into animals." Billy did not believe thag bullshit for a second- nothing comes for free in this world after all. "But it comes with a single cost..." There it is! "To save you from death, i had to... Make you my knight."
...
"The fuck?"
-Scene Cut-
School seemed dull now, the whole morning he spent learning more about being a Chimera and what it entailed... He was slightly overwhelmed when he learned that Zunni was the king of their entire race, and apparently he was his first knight which is the equivalent of being the second most important guy in an army, the first being the king himself. 'Remember Hargrove, you don't have to do anything if you don't want to, but your abilities as a Chimera will slowly return as you keep living, your soul is recovering quite quickly in fact... It's inevitable, but I'll be here to help, and I won't let you go through this alone.' That sounded so fucking cheesy that Billy cringed alone when remembering it, and the fact that that feeling of calm he always felt was because he was close to Zunni, so when he left his presence he once again felt that urge to kick shit, that anger within him. "Weird shit." He muttered under his breath as he was too tired to care at the moment, he heard the cawing of a raven and as he lookrd up he saw some flying above him while other looked at him, Zunni said animals love Chimeras, meaning they'll not act aggressive against him at all: 'Also, they're mine... It's a technique you'll learn once you can shapeshift, I'll make sure to teach you that, if you want to, of course.'
He didn't take his Camaro because he had this sudden urge to walk around, which Zunni explained to be his new connection to nature, that would make him want to do certain things- Like going for a walk, or eat something green once in a while, or maybe act like an animal sometimes. "Weird shit!" He said once again as he approached the Hawkins High, he already lost the first period, he can just lie and pretend to be sick- which won't be hard since he feels sick as fuck right now. 'C'mon...' He turned around and the first thing he saw was a flock of ravens land before him, and from the flock, there stood Vermont: "Hi Hargrove, you forgot some things... Here-" Hargrove was too stunned to speak and could only take the things Zunni was giving him, it was mostly a weird liquid that he told him to drink if he wanted to pretend that he was kinda sick and be sent back home or take the day off, and he did since there was this urge to just walk to the forest and dance around and shit- The urge to do Weird Shit on the forest.
Once he took the weird liquid given to him by his king- because technically he was, he felt his body shiver as a disgusting sensation settled on his body: "There, just go in, go to talk to the nurse and say you feel terrible! She'll take your temperature, you'll feel the urge to throw up in... 14 minutes, so i think you should go. Once they tell you to go home, you leave, I'll be following you." Billy could do this, he felt calm around Zunni and he kinda liked it, it reminded him of the time his mom was alive... She was amazing. "I can do that shit." Billy shivered, teeth clicking together at the sudden feeling of ice surrounding him: "Go."
And it pretty much worked as he wanted to- Nurse got his temperature and told him to go home after he threw up on her, he cursed a lot too, just to put some emphasis on his situation. Once he threw up he felt so much better, unnaturally better...? A few minutes after he left, he saw the black owl land before him as they were alone and transform back into Vermont, who answered his question once he asked 'What the fuck was up with that shit?': "Well, that was a potion, a health potion... It makes you healthy, you only felt the potion working, the shit you threw up is any disease you felt or would have... i technically made you immune to any non-magical disease." Billy paused at that- did he just say he was immune at getting sick now? "What?" Zunni only chuckled as they walked into the forest, Billy felt more and more... at peace? Yeah, kinda, it felt like he was driving his camaro at the fastest speed he could, it felt- "Releasing, right?" His illusion of being alone was shattered at that single moment as he heard Zunni's voice, Billy turned to look at him a pissed for having his moment shattered when-
There he was, sitting on the ground as a soft patch of grass grew around where his body touched, he was in a moment surrounded by many animals- Little brown birds, butterflies, moths, some grasshoppers, a bunny by his side as well as a fox lying beside said bunny, not to mention the ravens above him in the trees and the browl owl that perched on his shoulder: "Nature loves you as much as you love it, so if you love it a lot... It'll love you back a lot." Fungi grew on the bark of the trees where his back touched as well as the leaves turnes slightly yellow and orange, falling down from it: "I guess we'll start our first lesson?" When he turned back to look at him, he looked like a disney princess, surrounded by small animals such as squirrels and birds, but slso insects like butterflies and moths- Billy though, might've noticed a few more things:
The way his black hair swayed with the wind and his green eyes glowed with the reflection of the sunlight, how his lips were ever so slightly pulled upwards and- Oh god, he had dimples, he had fucking dimples, this fucking gay shit can't give him a break can it!? 'Remember Billy, if i ever catch you with a boy again, you'll be both dead!' A voice suspiciously close to his father's voice whispered in his mind, making any and all thoughts go away from his mind: "Ye-eah." He ignored the way his voice cracked, and if Vermont noticed he didn't mention it as he nodded and continued to say as Billy hesitantly go close and sat down in front of him: "First of all-" He took the bunny, who did not care at all as he- oh, as SHE was grabbed by the large human and place right on Billy's lap: "Communication. The first thing you'll need to learn is the Old Tongue, which is essential! isn't hard for a Chimera to learn it, sometimes they are both knowing how to read, write, and speak, but other times it takes them a few minutes to a few hours to learn it..." He put his hand forward and Billy though he wanted something, but moments later a branch fell from the canopy above their head, a raven had dropped a small branch to him.
"Here, tell me if you recognize this." Faster than he thought was posible, the hand moved and the dirt before him now had a strange row of symbols, letters, forming a word... The more he stared at it, the longer it felt more and more familiar to him, but something just wasn't clicking for him yet: "Oh, i know, take my hand! I guess I'll show you some real good shit." Hesitant but also kicking himself mentally, Hargrove took the offered hand from the boy and then everything was glowing green around them: "Look now." He had to snap his eyes off of the glowing brightness around them to look at the word written down and he froze, a few moments ago was now fully legible to him... He blinked, thinking to himself he might've read it wrong, but the smug look fucking Vermont was giving him made it all clear to him- he wrote it like that because he wanted to, it wasn't a mistake at all.
It read: [Well, aren't you adorable, cutiepie.]
Never, had the one and only Billy Hargrove felt so gay in his entire life...