Good news! I finally wrote again after three weeks! If I can keep this up, we may have another upload fest!
Selena ran through the city. She felt the breeze of Pentagram City's air run through her fur. It was all so freeing. She had, at last, forgotten her anger. During her run, she smelt the scent of a familiar cat demon. She had never seen him out and about and wanted to see what Husker was up to. When she finally saw him, he was standing by Alastor. The demon trio watched a demon get kicked out of the bar. She watched Alastor attempt to make a deal.
She had to admit, not only could he sing, but boy, did he know how to make a deal. She would fall for it with that catchy tune and upbeat rhythm. But she heard the lyrics, they were as sinister as the smile on his face. His grin spread unusually large. Almost literally, ear to ear. He seemed true to himself now. More so than he had ever been at the hotel.
Husk seemed as annoyed as he ever is. It was good to see that he was always himself. She wanted to dance with the song Alastor and Husk shared, but her form made that extremely hard to do. So she tapped her paw and swished her tail until he had finished.
What ultimately surprised her was that the demon actually made the deal! Poor sod! Alastor then motioned for the boy to go to the hotel! Just what was he thinking?! Wouldn't that complicate things?
She froze, though, when all three turned and made eye contact with her. They began to walk towards her. Instinctively, her fur rose to stand on all ends. The younger demon bent down in front of her and tried to pet her. "I didn't know Hell had foxes." She bit him as soon as his hand got in mouth range. "Dammit! That fucking hurt, you dumb fox!" He moved to kick her, but she dodged and jumped onto Husker's shoulder. She growled at him. Husker tried to shrug her off, but she dug into him with her claws.
"Fuck!" Husker screamed. But he gave up caring and kept walking.
"You'll learn Hell as all kinds of animals. I have some Hellborn alligators near my home. But I suspect that fox is actually a demon." Alastor explained to the new blood. In the meantime, Selena tried to clean Husker's wound by licking it. She began to purr as she curled around his neck. "Well, Husker, it seems you've made a new friend!" He gave his typical laugh. She merely glared at the deer demon and barked at him. "Ha Ha Ha! I didn't know foxes could bark!" He moved to pet her, but she made to bite him. He quickly withdrew his hand before she succeeded.
Soon, they made their way to the Happy Hotel. Once Husker was sitting at his bar, Selena jumped off his shoulder and transformed. There she stood. Naked. Her red hair covered her bosom and her bottom, but her scars were there for all to see. She stretched as far as she could. Changing forms had always made her demon form tense. "Auntie, put some clothes on!" All of the hotel staff were in the lobby where she changed.
"And if I say 'no'?" She winked at her niece. She noted that everyone was staring at her. Alastor's, Husker's, Vaggie's, and the new demon's faces were all as red as the Hellish sky. She snapped, and her comfortable clothes hugged her form. Her hair was put up. "Better now, my dearies?" She gave a wink.
"That was you?" Husker seemed so surprised.
"Yeah, sorry about the claws. Sometimes, I forget they're sharp. I'm so used to them. I thought about talking, but I was having too much fun." She leaned over the bar towards Husk. "Lemme heal you." Before Husker could refuse, her claw wounds were gone. "Fun fact: I hate being pet. I bite. Hard." Her eyes narrowed at the new demon.
"Why ya hair red, toots? Ain't it usual' silva'?" Angel seemed the most recovered from her reveal.
"Ah. Yes. My hair is naturally silver, Fluffy, but today, I had to blow off some steam. So I bathed in the blood of my enemies. Hence, the red color. It'll wash out in my next bath."
"Why the fuck are you bathing in people's blood?" Husker was rather loud with his question. So much so, she winced before she could respond.
"Instinct. I mean, most demons here take on the instincts of the animal they resemble. Mine is to roll around in smelly stuff. My favorite being blood. Also, my favorite explanation is a story from Korea. The Kumiho would slaughter their human husbands and bathe in their blood." She gave a dark chuckle. Today, she was feeling mischievous. "That or would be divine beings. Now, Alastor, I have to ask you to hex the newbie to not talk about me or what he's seen. I can't have a demon telling people that I can heal or whatever else he may discover in his tenure here. If you don't, I'll have his tongue permanently removed." She began walking to him, extending her claws and baring her fangs.
"Auntie! Why are you being so dark all of a sudden?" Charlie jumped between Selena and the new arrival.
She stopped and looked at Charlie. She then gave a large sigh, "Charlie, honey, the longer I've spent in Hell, the darker my soul has gotten. Killing used to bother me; sometimes, it still does, but days like today, when I'm in a foul mood, I get hungry. I wanna kill and rip everything to shreds. Devour hearts and livers. Besides, I have the hotel and you to think of. Alastor made a deal with this kid so those are the only two options. If I had another way, I would do it."
"Give Al a chance then! Your relationship has been on ice since the anniversary! No more! " Charlie turned to both of them. She grabbed Al and moved him closer to Selena. She moved into a defensive position. She doubts he forgot their fight earlier or that he would be forgiving. She did call him out, and she wasn't sure how he'd respond to it.
"Uh uh! Not happening! He fucking stalked me last night! And is rude as fuck! NO NO NO NO NO! I am not apologizing for him acting out of bounds!" She jumped back and hit a barstool. It hurt her back, but she would not show weakness in front of the Radio Demon."He wants me to be his fucking canary, insults Angel, and can't keep his trap shut about his opinion of the hotel!" She began shaking her head so hard that her body swayed with it; all while repeating 'NO' childishly.
Behind her, Selena heard a sigh. She felt her hair stand on end, and when she glanced at Husk behind her, his glare was aimed at… Alastor? When she looked at Al, he gave a massive sigh and pinched his nose. Now she was confused. Why was Husk influencing Alastor? And why was Alastor going along with it?
Alastor gave a deep bow, "It seems, I owe you an apology, my dear. I was unaware that insulting people was an insult to you. And as my friend, that is not the intention I meant to give."
"What?" Selena stood there. She was flabbergasted. She looked at Husk who seemed to have just finished a face palm. With what seemed to be a tiny and hidden, thumbs up. What? "What the fuck is happening?"
"I'm apologizing for my behavior. It has been pointed out to me that it's abhorrent for a friendship. I was unawares. Forgive me, my dear." Alastor had walked closer and grabbed her hand. As she was trying to remove her hand from his stone grip, he managed to still it long enough to put a quick kiss on it. He let go. And moved a few steps back. He feared what her counter move might be. A successful punch to the face? A kick to the guts? The silent treatment?
"O–okay," She whispered. Her face felt hot. It was the color of her blood soaked hair. What just happened? No one has treated her like that since she was human. What the fuck was going on? All the thoughts made her head spin. "You still have to prove it, but for now, I forgive you." She looked away and rubbed her arms. "Al."
He felt his cold, dead heart soar.