Boom! Another Helltaker chapter before I upload another chapter to my other story? It's more likely than you think!
Yeah, I'm still trying to figure out exactly where to go with the next chapter of my Fire Emblem story so I figured I'd write another one of these since it broached 300 hits on AO3 on the 6th. Not a big milestone, but a milestone.
Sorry if not much happens, I been dragging my feet lately on my writing cause I'm too busy looking at jobs. Tried putting a little interaction between Ollie and a character or two who he hasn't seen much of so far. Next chapter will have more of that too. If you guys hate it it's not like I can't just, y'know, nuke the chapter and start over again.
Lol. Lmao, even.
Anyways I hope you guys do enjoy this chapter. Leave a dm or review if you feel like it, just be polite and all. Love you guys.
As usual I only own Ollie. Besides that, I ain't own shit.
…...
"So, where we going?" Ollie mutters, staring absently at the urban scenery passing by. He had admittedly gotten up a bit late into the day, about 11am. It was 2:30pm now. Which means they'd been driving for an hour.
"For the fourth time, you'll know when we get there." Taker groans, running his hand down his face.
"That was only the third time I've asked." Ollie laughs
"It was as annoying as the second time." Lucifer huffs.
'God only knows why she's here...' Ollie thinks to himself. Not that he minds. It's a chance to get to know the literal ruler of Hell.
"It's not too far off, alright? Like 3 minutes." Taker assures, firmly.
Ollie was an even split of nervous and excited. On one hand, what did it have to do with Lucifer? On the other hand, he's glad his uncles taking him somewhere out of the house for a while. He trusted him.
Probably shouldn't though. He's in bed with the devil, after all.
"See? We're here." Taker says, as they pull up to an old brick building halfway down the main street.
"Hermann's Haberdashery? What kinda' place is this?" Ollie grunts, looking to Taker for answers. Lucifer however is quicker on the draw.
"We're here to get you clothes. We can't have you around the house being dressed so... poorly." Lucifer says.
"I prefer the term humble." Ollie shoots back. "Wait! I can't afford nice clothes!"
"It's on me, kid. Besides, I'll never hear the end of it with you walking around the house until we get this done." Taker says, standing at the door waving them over.
"Well, why's she gotta be here?" Ollie gestures to Lucifer. "Er, no offense."
"Some taken." She narrows her eyes, hands on her hips. "I'm here because I don't trust you to pick out your own clothes."
"Lady, I don't give a damn if you was God at the golden gates. If you think you're picking out my clothes it's not happening." He deadpans.
"Well, someone should. Yours clearly didn't teach you how to dress yourself." She says. Taker blanches behind Ollie, motioning her to stop, but it's too late.
Ollie stops in his tracks, looking her in the eyes with an indecipherable look. "No. Mine taught me a lot of things. Dressing wasn't one of them." He spits, saying nothing else. He steps into the business through the elegant wooden doors. Taker sighs.
"That could have gone worse." Taker says, following Ollie in. Lucifer trailing close behind, still seething a bit.
The interior is small, but very fantastic nonetheless. Old display cases of mahogany with intricate gold trimming. Mannequins donning the finest clothes Ollie's ever seen. Vests, ties, smoking jackets. Everything you could imagine all neatly arranged.
And all very expensive, as you can imagine.
"Ah! Miss Luci! You're finally here." The kindly old man greets from behind the counter. He nods to Taker, which is returned in kind. "Which of you am I taking measurements for today? What's the occasion?" He inquires. She crosses her arms, pointing to Ollie.
"This one." She says simply. "Make him look good."
"Ah, of course. Please, come to the back with me, young man." The old man commands, sauntering into the back room, measuring tape in hand, as he hits a button on the radio. Soft opera music rings throughout the store.
It's only a few minutes before they emerge, the old man holding a scrap of paper with some numbers scrawled on it. "Okay ma'am, I have his measurements right here. Let me find some things that will fit him." He says, before Lucifer cuts him off.
"Red dress shirt, everything else in black." She asserts.
Not having any of it, Ollie buts in. "Ignore her, she's not in charge here. Let me see what you have, please." The old man nods politely, bringing Ollie around the cases to pick out a few garments to try on.
Lucifer looks on the verge of a meltdown, but Taker puts a hand on her shoulder and leads her outside before she bursts. "The nerve of him! I'm the QUEEN of Hell. Hell! Why does nobody ever bother listening to me?!" She shrieks, incensed. Taker stays silent, giving her the chance to get it all out before he speaks.
"Luci, just let him have this, alright? He's had it hard enough, last thing he needs is for you to control what he's wearing." He speaks softly, trying to convince her to let up. She doesn't.
"I don't give a damn-" She starts, but Taker stops her.
"Luci, he's NOT a demon. You aren't in charge of him. He's been through enough, alright? I didn't tell any of you why he had to come live with us, but it wasn't anything good. That's all I'm saying. Just, please give him a break." He says. She looks at her feet with arms crossed, pouting.
"Fine. But he better watch his tone with me." She says.
"I'll have a word with him. And another thing? Don't mention his mom. We're lucky he didn't explode the moment you said something before."
"We're all finished! When you folks are ready to pay just come back in." The kindly old man says, poking his head through the door.
Taker gives one pat on her shoulder, before entering the business again. He steps out moments later, with Ollie in toe.
There Ollie stands, burgundy red dress shirt underneath a black vest. Below that are slim black dress pants with a black leather belt, and dark leather dress shoes, with shiny metal plating at the tip of the toes. The cherry on top being the green ties with a gold-stitched floral pattern.
"Not too bad, right? I got mostly black and red, so it'd fit what everyone else wears, but I think the green goes good with it." He asks, rotating to show off his new outfit. "I love it but man, I'm gonna have to get used to wearing a tie. Thanks, Unc." He says, wrapping the taller man in a short hug.
"No problem, kid." Taker says, returning the embrace.
"Oh, er, sorry for being a bit of a shitter, Lucifer. I just, y'know, wanted to pick clothes for myself." He apologizes.
"Just don't let it happen again." She tells him, dismissing the topic.
"So, think we can go sit somewhere and get some food? I'm starvin'." He asks, stomach giving a silent growl at the concept of food.
"I think I know a spot." Taker says, throwing open the door of the van.
…...
"Fuck, I'm so tired. What is it they put in the food to make my ass so sleepy?" Ollie yawns, running his hands across his face. When his uncle said he knew a spot, he wasn't expecting a hotel. Then again, he wasn't expecting them to make the finest cuisine he'd ever had the pleasure of gorging himself on either.
"That's the itis." Taker grumbles, groggily.
"Muh." Ollie mumbles incoherently in what was meant to be a response. "'M gonna go take a shower. Thanks for the clothes, Unc. And the meal. I'll pay ya back."
The only response he gets is the sound of two people snoring on the sofa. He turns to look back, spotting Taker and Lucifer passed out, with Lucifer leaning against his Uncle's shoulder.
'Huh, for the Devil she really can't be that bad, right?' Ollie shrugs. He supposes he could try and be a bit more... agreeable. His thoughts are interrupted when, upon reaching the top of the stairs, he spots Modeus stepping out of her room.
Wearing a set of red lingerie.
"Muhh." He groans piteously, averting his eyes.
"You're finally back. Where's Taker?" She narrows her eyes, speaking as if there were some urgent matters that needed attending to.
"Passed out with Lucifer downstairs, why? Something happen?" He replies, as polite as he can manage while offput by the demon's indecency.
"He was supposed to rail me when he got back..." She mopes, mood doing a 180.
"Oh." Is all he can manage in response.
"...Maybe you can do it? Are you up to the task big guy?" She drools, voice filled to the brim with lust.
"No."
"Why not?! Scared you won't satisfy? How big is that di-" She starts, before Ollie stops her in her tracks.
"Small leave me alone." He rushes, barreling past her and barging into his room. He leans against the door, expecting her to try and crash in. After a moment of waiting without a single pound on the door, he sighs. "Uff."
The moment he steps away from the door however, Modeus slowly opens the door, peeking in. "Gotta' get a fuckin' lock for that." He groans, face in his palms. "Look, I'm not going to bang you."
"Okay..." Modeus mopes, sagging.
"And can you please put on some clothes? Look Zdrada made a bad first impression but most of you guys seem alright. Granted I haven't had a chance to talk to most of you yet, but I'm really not looking for reasons to hate you." Ollie sighs, splayed out across his bed hugging his pillow to his chest.
"Speaking of clothes, I see Lucifer finally got her way." Modeus speaks, referring to the egregiously expensive clothing Ollie was now wearing.
"Yeah, evidently. I don't mind dressing up every day but I'd be damned if I let her dress me like she's my ma." He huffs, satisfied over his small victory today.
"You look very handsome." Modeus compliments. "So... why do you not wanna have sex with me? Am I unattractive?" She asks. Ollie shoots up.
"Wh- nonono. No. Look, you're very attractive, okay? It's just the fact that you're part of my uncle's... harem, or whatever. It'd be like banging my own aunt, I'm not sure he'd like that very much. Also I'm dead tired." He says, hands held up in a placating manner.
"Oh, it's not like that." Modeus says, shyly. "We just have sex, there's no obligations. Although I do like the cuddling." She twiddles her fingers.
"Oh." Ollie utters, not sure what to say.
"So does that me-"
"No."
"Aw." She frowns. "Can we at least cuddle?"
This gives Ollie pause for a moment. He decides he's okay with it. "Two conditions. Put on some damn clothes, and no funny business. Platonic only." She brightens up, excited.
"Okay!" Is all he hears from her before she darts out of the room.
Ollie sighs, crashing down on his bed with a cone. 'The things I do to appease literal demons...' He thinks, exasperated before turning his eyes to the illicit substance in his hand. 'At least they set the bar so low that pyrotechnics and weed are acceptable.'
Quicker than he expected, Modeus returns, clad in her typical skirt and sweater. She eyes the drug in his hand, but doesn't make any mention. He reckons she either doesn't know what it is, or most likely doesn't care. He pats the spot next to him, and she sprawls on the bed next to him.
He looks around, but doesn't find what he's searching for. "Fuck, someone stole my lighter. Her, can you do that thing that Zdrada does where she makes sparks with her fingers or is that just her?"
"I can do it too, why?" She wonders, puzzled.
"Light the end of this for me, please?" Ollie requests, and she obliges. He takes a drag, satisfied. Placing it down on the windowsill, he exhales, releasing the pungent, musky smell. Modeus scrunches her nose, but doesn't seem to mind too much. She doesn't make any move to leave, at least. "Yeah baby, I AM the Lizard King." He chuckles, a wide grin splitting his face. "Dawh fuck I forgot to shower."
"Too bad, I'm already here." Modeus says, snuggling closer and throwing her leg over Ollie's.
"Yeah? Well I smell like sweat, new clothes, and shrimp alfredo. I need a shower." He says, struggling to his feet.
"Can we cuddle after?" She asks, looking up at him with heart-shaped puppy dog eyes.
"Whatever, I don't care." He groans, as he shuffles to the bathroom.
"I'll be waiting here." He hears Modeus say, voice fading as he stumbles down the stairs lazily with nothing on his mind but the promise of a hot shower and the dread of indulging Modeus.
The shower goes as fast as it comes, mostly embroiled in disorganized thoughts. About nothing, and everything. 'How did I end up here?', or 'Man, the hell's wrong with me?' None of which he finds easy to answer. 'Tch. I'm here because I defended myself.' He scoffs inwardly. 'I didn't do anything wrong...' He clenches his fists, head resting against the sparkling clean shower wall, scalding hot water spraying across his back.
He reminisces of a time not so far back, about a year or so. Memories cross his mind, flashing painful moments long passed. Cigarette burns and belt-shaped wounds. Angry red welts and desperation. Anger, fear, and something gives. Then, calm. A smile creeps its way across his lips.
He breathes deep of the shower steam, basking in the warmth a few minutes longer, hoping to shut his brain off for just a while longer. 'Kay, done here.' He shuts off the shower, swiftly drying off and wrapping his towel around his waist. He takes a minute to appreciate his new clothes, the details of the tie, and the fine silken material they were made from. 'I owe uncle, don't I? I mean sure, he said not to worry about it, but still...'
Giving one last look in the mirror before returning to face Modeus, he grits his teeth, running his hands through his messy hair. "Could use a haircut..." He mumbles. He leaves a note in his mind to ask Malina about getting a trim. Or perhaps Azazel.
He leans his head against the door, giving one last sigh as he musters up the confidence to face Modeus.
Sure, he's not planning on banging her, but nobody said it was easy having an attractive, sex-obsessed demon cuddling you. Far from it, truth be told.
He enters his room as quietly as he can, hoping that if he's quiet enough she won't notice. Of course, it's a fruitless endeavor. The moment the door moves it lets loose a shriek that pierces the silence, making all the more deafening. Modeus shoots up, and takes hold of Ollie's hand, throwing him to the bed. She swiftly jumps on top of him, leaning herself against him and effectively trapping him in place.
"Y'coulda jus-" He starts, put she places her finger to his lips.
"Shhhhh. Sleepy..." She mumbles, and before the surprise wears off he can make out the sound of Modeus' soft snoring filling the empty space of the room.
'...at least I can go to bed now.' He thinks to himself, almost a bit relieved. Settling in to the mattress and throwing the blanket over them, he closes his eyes, nestling into Modeus' warmth. 'Might as well enjoy it, after all.'
…...
That night, he dreams of horrors. A house atop the hill with a single basement but a dozen attics. A matriarch of sinew and gnashing teeth, creating a family from blood, hair, ghosts. A red sky and a blaring siren, as the dream breaks down. Much as the matriarch breaks down her family bit by bit, discontent with what they've become. Then the drones chew away his skin.
What comes as a surprise is how calmly he wakes, despite the terrors of his slumber. When he pries his eyes open, he's greeted with Modeus' heart-shaped pupils, making contact with his. "Are you okay? You were having a bad dream." She asks, voice surprisingly as soft as her gaze.
"Ah, yyyeah. Happens a lot." He shrugs it off, unfazed by the horrible dream he was experiencing only moments ago. "What time is it?" He asks, rubbing his eyes as he takes a swig from his old surplus canteen he'd unpacked yesterday. He offers it to Modeus, but he just shakes her head.
"7am, let's go back to sleep..." She yawns, nuzzling further into the pillow. He sits for a second, peering out the window at the still-dark sky.
"Eh, I'm already up. No sense in goin' back to bed, I won't fall back asleep." He shrugs, sitting up on the edge of the bed and rustling through his duffel for his new clothes.
"Maybe I can help you settle down..." Modeus says, breathily before letting a hand settle on his thigh. He flinches, tugging his leg free from her grasp.
"No, no. No. I'm okay, thanks." He refuses, jumping to his feet quickly as he pulls his neatly-folded threads from his bag and making for the door.
"What's the problem?" Modeus moans piteously.
"Look, we discussed this last night, right? I'm just not interested. I'm flattered, okay? I really am. But I'm just not interested. I've known you for like, a few days. I'm just... not interested in that kinda thing right now." He explains, defensively. This appeases Modeus, surpisingly. She backs off.
"Oh, okay..." She mopes, in (from what he's seen thus far.) classic Modeus fashion.
"I'm gonna' go wash up before everyone else, maybe make myself brekkie, want any?" He offers.
"No thank you, I'm going to go back to sleep. Taker makes the best pancakes..." She trails off, burying her face into Ollie's pillow. He just shrugs once again.
"Eh, won't argue with you there. You can sleep in here if you want, just don't touch my stuff, 'kay?" He says, leaving before he gets caught up with Modeus trying to make more unwanted advances.
Ten minutes come and go, and Ollie stands rifling through the fridge, dressed sharp and feeling sharper. "Eggs, bacon... hmm." He hums, placing the ingredients on the counter. He arranges each item, perfectly organized in a line as he fires up the stove. With all the deftness of a practiced chef, he makes a simple meal, scrambled eggs and bacon. A tried-and-true breakfast of champions. He hears the sound of someone stepping down the stairs.
Turning to face them as he places his food on the table, he sees her.
His archnemesis.
His greatest adversary.
Zdrada.
"Zdrada," He greets stiffly. "To what do I owe this dubious pleasure?"
"Shove it boy scout." She seethes. "Not in the mood."
He scoffs. "Yeah, story of my life." He drops his ass in his chair, trying to discreetly cram his food in his mouth, as if trying to hide the fact he'd rather be anywhere but alone with her.
"What's got your panties in a knot, kid?" She huffs, blowing her smoke in his direction. Luckily, it doesn't reach him.
"Thought you weren't in the mood." He dismisses, gulping down water nervously.
"Don't try me."
He deliberates in his mind whether to be standoffish, or to just try his best to be agreeable. He decides on the latter, if only to avoid any more injury. He runs his finger along the rim of his glass. "Is there some kind of problem you have with me? Aside from breaking the stool over your head, I mean. I'll take blame for that. But the hand thing was totally unprovoked."
"Eh." Zdrada shrugs, taking a draw from her cigarette. "You just seem like some huge nerd like Malinka. Easy to fuck with." Is all she offers, voice surprisingly non-hostile despite her ever-present hostile expression.
"Just how you are, huh..." He sighs, standing to wash off his dishes. "Look I don't care if you fuck around with me, I'm used to it. Just please don't maim me anymore, please? I'm sure uncle is used to it, but I'm not some fucking tank like him." He asks, expecting a response to the effect of 'I'll maim you if I feel like it.'
Oddly, her response is a bit more agreeable. "Eh whatever, fine. I like when Taker punishes me but not when it's the sex-deprivation kind of punishment." She shrugs.
"Ugh." Ollie mock gags. "Why are you all so intent on talking about my uncle's sex life. I could have gone my whole life without knowing." He whines. She just cackles, turning to step out into the back yard.
He gives a passing glance to the cat clock on the wall, finding it to be somewhat later than he'd figured. The clock reads 7:30am. He decides it might be an alright time to go and ask Malina about getting a trim, or at least asking who can take care of it for him. Knowing her, she never went to sleep anyways. He cracks his neck, wincing at the sharp pain that runs through it. Sleeping with a rabid Modeus clutching you wasn't all that comfortable, as it turned out.
He knocks twice, stupidly deciding not to wait for a response as he pushes through the door. His gaze meets that of a hungover, sleep deprived Malina.
In her panties.
"Dah! Shit, fuck! I'm sorry please don't kill me!" He begs frantically, cowering. She raises an eyebrow.
"The hell's your deal?" She questions.
"I- er- you're uhh, half naked. And stuff." He stutters, red as a freshly-boiled lobster.
"So what?"
"I eh, just figured you'd kick my ass or something." He admits, easing up and yet refusing to look in her direction.
"Dude you can look at me, calm your tits." She gives a small laugh, amused at his bashfulness.
He mumbles some kind of response, shuffling over to a half-bottle of vodka and taking a pull. He splutters a bit, before shaking off the burn. "Yeah, okay. Okay I'm good now." He settles, finally able to look at her now that he's just a little bit dulled. So, what've you been playing all night this time?"
"Starcraft II. Been bullying Koreans all night." She says as if it's a small feat.
"Aren't the best Starcraft players mostly Korean?" He asks, skeptical.
"Yeah. I'm better though." She mutters nonchalantly as she runs her gaze over Ollie. "Damn, sharp. Could do with a tie though." She says. Ollie blushes, embarrassed.
"Yeah, well... I dunno how to tie one." He admits. "Plus, I don't feel like having a piece of cloth tied around my neck choking me all day. Hey- you think someone in the house could cut my hair? Think you can?" He asks.
"Justice can." She answers. It doesn't fool him, this time.
"Har-har. I'm not falling for it this time. Am I gonna have to go out and pay for a haircut?"
"Nah, I'm sure Judgement can take care of it." She shrugs, stealing the bottle from his grasp and chugging down a fair bit of what's left. He winces.
"Far be it from me to tell the professional drinker what's healthy and what isn't, but maybe you should lay off the liquor for now..." He hesitates. It must hit a nerve of some kind, because Malina doesn't seem happy.
"What are you, my boss? Don't fucking tell me when I can and can't drink." She hisses. He put his hands up in defense.
"Heyheyheyyy, look, I'm just trying to look out for you, you can't live off liquor alone. Well, I dunno about demons but- y'know what I'm getting at." All that gets in response is grumbling and another sip out of spite. "Look, after that bottle if you promise not to drink until after dinner, I'll uhhh..." He trails off, not sure what he could possibly offer. "I'll make you breakfast and co-op whatever games you wanna play?"
"Ugh, fine. If it'll get you off my ass." She groans. She won't admit it, but she's happy to have someone to co-op with. The breakfast is just a bonus.
"Fuckin' preem. Whatcha want for brekkie, bitch?" He jokes. Her answer is immediate.
"Pancakes. Chocolate and Strawberry." She demands, leaving no room for questions.
"Right, think I saw strawberries in the fridge. I'll bring em up to you when they're done. I'm gonna go ask Judgement about a haircut, we can play some games after."
"Whatever." Is all she cares to respond with as she hears him rush out of her room, and down the stairs.
She hates to admit it to herself, but she's looking forward to the rest of her day.
