So been a while... I know. Been busy with life and drive to make stories. But after seeing Helsa, and read some stories, wanted to make another one-shot. Is it good? Is it bad? I think... mediocre is right term. I'm not a good author or story-teller, I just do what I can and feel like writing. That and the manager originally made me lose a lot of my work so had to try and rewrite it.
This story is possibly a one shot, but maybe longer if I wish to make it so or if enough like it? Either way... enjoy a small story!
Hell
Von Eldritch residence
It was raining again... has been for the past week down here. The oddest thing of Hell rain was... well it was a nice shade of red as it pattered against the window and ground. Problem was it was also a mix of blood, piss, and a hint of acid.
Not the fun kind of acid, the skin melting, flesh burning kind.
He remembers that first time he encountered it... that was not fun.
Hell
Pentagram City
9 Months Ago
It was near impossible to survive down here. Everyone trying to kill eachother, random war outbreaks, fucking Overlords trying to 'recruit' Sinners, avoiding Cannibal Country or whatever it was called! At least I found a nice place to stay: no maggots or bugs, no other homeless, yep... a nice, relatively, clean alley... compared to the rest of the city that is.
BOOM!
Well that was loud. Looking up, the sky looked ready to just... rip apart and drop down on everyone. The air was... odd. Definitely that 'distinct' smell of a storm coming, but with more... copper? And ammonia? Before I could question it anymore, that was when it started to drop. The rain it was... a rich crimson color, but the speed and sound it made upon impact... it was like a water balloon. A quick scramble and I was safe in the box, from impact, but the smell... dear God, the smell was like a bad stink bomb! I thought this place was going to work, but not even five seconds and the place was starting to sag from the impact and amount! This only meant one option... run!
Every step since the dead sprint their were only a few things I noticed: the stink getting stronger, the smelt of burning flesh, my shoes clapping the concrete, and the rain... the thundering rain as it just came down harder. All I could do was try to focus on anything to get dry, someplace safe, anything! I don't know how many turns I took, but soon... a metal door was slammed open as I feel onto the floor.
It was dry... but so loud. The door closed as looking around, it was a warehouse... a very old warehouse. Dust, boarded up windows, old crates... abandoned defi-
"Who the hell are you?"
Turns out this place was occupied, with a turn I encountered the voice's owner. A demonic woman with dark grey skin and long white hair with dark spots underneath, reminds me of a octopus or squid tentacle from its pattern. Her eye, the one not covered by her bangs, seemed to have a dark teal scelera, I think that is the term, with neon green irises housing slit pupils. Looking down, at that irritated... I guess frown she has, I could see the sharp neon green teeth bordered by her black lips. Her attire was of a hot pink coat with collar and cuffs wrapped in a neon green fur trim with matching colored buttons. Further down, she had on a dark grey pencil skirt with matching neon green fur trim, leading to some black and... spine tingling green leggings leading to hot pink heels. Honestly, the scary part was her being damn near six feet even, maybe five foot ten. I could say anything, but the only thing I wanted was to rest.
"Just someone looking for shelter" I responded before removing my hoodie and tossing it outside into the rain... may as well reduce chance of further burning. Acid blood rain, who knew?
"Great, stuck with a Sinner" she said in disgust... well to be fair I can't blame her: don't have a lot of public showers for homeless people. May as well wait it out.
3 Hours Later
"Did the rain get louder? And heavier?"
"Yes... didn't you know it was going to rain?" She asks looking up from her phone.
"...No?"
"Oh great... a homeless Sinner" she responded... that made my eye twitch. 3 hours of this: loud thundering booms that made me semi-deaf, her asking questions that result in her insulting me... god she's a bitch! "Where are you Seviathan" she muttered as she looked... annoyed at her phone. I... also should of seen it coming. The moment the look turned to... amusement. "You know... the rain is quite unique down here"
"I noticed from how it started to burn me. Water and acid what a mess"
"True...also the piss and blood mixed in too" she added. All I could do was blink and look at her... the copper... the ammonia. Slowly, I got off of a crate I was laying on and just... walked deeper into the warehouse, all the while I heard her laugh echo... that fucking laugh, so haughty and damn mocking, yet... melodious. I managed to reach what could be described as props and costumes for a play... probably a department store. Didn't take long to find something in my size... and not reeking of Hell rain. Just musty odors: a pair of black boots, dark dark blue jeans, some kind of T-shirt with some band logo I think called 'LOVELESS', with some gray-ish blue worker cap... at least it was better then nothing.
Making my way back... I could hear the demon wench and she sounded upset
"What do you mean your not coming?!" she yelled into the phone. Arriving back, she was on the phone, green dominating her eyes as she was pacing "I don't care if you get soaked, get your serpent ass out here and- Hello?" she asks "...He hung up on me" she said softly before chucking the phone in my direction. Was easy to catch, but damn it felt like she tossed a lead ball at my hand, judging from the throbbing sensation. Looking at her now, she looked ready to murder someone...or something. Luckily, there was some bird looking mannequin nearby as I just pushed it near her. The squeaking was annoying though as it got her attention.
From what I remember... I was the type to, well, keep my head down when around a pissed off person. But said person was now having teeth jutting from her gut, quite a few inches taller, attire getting extra spikes and eyes appearing all over their body, and hair raising around them, you tend to stay back as well. She looked to me, then to it, then back at me. I showed the phone and pocketed it before sitting on a crate. Lucky for me she decided to take it out on the mannequin as she just... fuck it was like seeing a queen sized mattress get tossed through a industrial wood chipper. Bits and parts flying here and there, whatever stuffing was quite literally ripped out by her teeth and tossed aside. The entire carnage lasted twenty minutes before she seemed to calm down... ish.
Eyes closing on her body, hair slowly falling, clothes not looking like angry cacti, not going to IMMEDIATELY kill me, I slowly got off and approached her. She was panting as she looked at me, glaring, but not breaking my stride. I did stop when the hair rose again slowly "Whoa... Just wanted to return this" I informed, hands up and handing back the phone. That seemed to calm her down a bit, at least to snatch it and not smack me. Turning and walking away... I don't know why "Why not call a cab?"
"Because they refuse to run during rain" she sighed, whether at my 'stupidity' or her anger I can't tell.
"Why? You think they be used to the smell of piss and blood in their cars by now" I joked. At least it got some calmness back.
"Well it is Hell, what's worse then forced to go out in this crap?"
"Eh, fair enough" was my response... still a actual conversation. Step up from the last 3 hours hearing her mutter insults and slurs at pictures she found of someone named Charlie, back when we thought it last only a few minutes. Reaching my crate though... "Thanks" was what I heard from her. A actual thank you.
BBBBOOOOMMMMM!
Okay now that one actually was startling. Made the whole warehouse shake... even hear a few car alarms go off. Looking over at her... she at least has a place to go to... BAH! I quickly got off and starting ripping crate tops off "What are you doing?" I heard her ask till I found it. A empty crate with no stains or whatever. Perfect... she is going to hate this "Does your phone know your home?"
"Yes why?" she asks confused.
"Forgive me" I said as I picked the crate up.
20 Minutes Later
"LEFT!" she ordered as I took a left and kept running down the street. This heavier rain sucked! Already feel like I gained forty pounds... the scarves were helping a bit with the smell. She was against the idea originally... but relented as it was the fastest way home: her brother was being a dick, folks weren't home, so she had to rely on a Sinner to get her back. She was in the crate to protect from the rain (admittedly my attempt at earning some goodwill from her), while I stacked on whatever I could find as cover. Jackets, suits, masks, hats, didn't matter, as long as it protect me. She was giving directions as I booked it to her home... she had limited battery afterall.
"RIGHT, RIGHT!" she ordered as I gave a harsh right turn "Watch it!"
"Hard too with this rain!" I yelled back as we managed to get to some kind of cover for now, a awning. We stopped for a bit so she can stretch her legs and I can shred some of my 'armor'. Apparently heavier rain meant heavier acid. I flexed my hands and back as she stretched her legs "Okay, we are close now. Another fifteen minutes and we'll get there" she informed as she cracks her back a bit. I sit down on some steps to rest for a bit. Apparently, the forecast was late on the update. It was going to last for days! "Why are you doing this?" she asked.
"Would it be hard to believe it was from the kindness of my heart?" I asked as she seemed unamused "Alright... you got a home, a roof, food... you deserve to be there rather then in a damn warehouse" I told her "Believe me, don't, I don't care" I said to shift to standing before getting the box back on my back. She got in and got the lid on as it was back to rushing to her home. I could see how the homes got better looking. Better materials, fences made of metal, gates, shit some even had some of those Voxtech security cameras. Luckily no one can see us in this weather. Soon enough, I can see it... as foreboding as I thought it could be, and not a moment too soon. Down to few rags left. Scarves gone. Box starting to break from it all... got to admit, demons make shit to last!
Before me, as far a I could tell, was a massive mansion, tall enough to seem as if they touch the clouds... with quite a few stairs. She had me stop though as apparently she had to swipe a card to get in, reaching through a hole in the crate. Didn't even wait for the gate to fully open as I ran up and to the door, setting the crate down and letting her out "...Well, home sweet home" I said to her as she looked at the door. I didn't want to stay long, in case I met this 'Seviathan', that and had a place of my own. The box was barely over my head when she spoke "Your name"
"What?"
"I want to know your name... it gets boring calling you Sinner"
"...Giovanni. Giovanni Tenebrae" I told her, extending a hand.
"Helsa von Eldritch... I'll remember you, mister Tenebrae" she said shaking my hand... even through the five gloves, I felt her 'strength' as she shook my hand. After that, I got the crate over me and bolted down the stairs, out the gate, and back to the warehouse.
Present
Von Eldritch residence
Hard to believe that was nine months ago. Following day she came back with 'rewards' as she called it. Food, drinks, spare clothes, even got me a phone. I barely asked why before she left. Every now and then she come by as... well, she seemed to find me easy to vent to and overtime her guarded self and bitchy personality seemed to chip away, showing her real self... a rather nice girl who had a lot of stress. "Honey?" asked a tired voice as I looked back. "What are you doing?" she asks seeing me at the window. I couldn't help, but smile
"Just... watching the rain"
"Well come back to bed. Your mistress demands cuddles in the cold"
"Your always cold though" I joked
"Which means more cuddles" she said as her hair extended to wrap around my hand. I obliged with a chuckle as I cuddled back into the bed with Helsa, head resting on my chest as her hair wraps around my entire upper form. She moans softly as she snuggles into me "What were you really doing?" she asks.
Lesson one... can't lie to Helsa. It's impossible!
"Just watching the rain...it reminded of when we met" I explained, rubbing her back softly... hard to believe we been going out for five months now. That got a tired smile from her "And how you tore into that mannequin" I add to get a groan.
"I was picking stuffing from my teeth for days!" she whined cutely. All I did was hold her closer, her pajamas pressed against me more firmly as the rain continued to rattle outside "You remembered to siphon Sevantis's gas?"
"Just enough to get to where he wants to go... he never checks" I respond.
Lesson two... Helsa holds grudges... had this one planned for MONTHS! I felt her leg curl around mine as I had to find a way to thank him later.
Afterall, if it weren't for him, I may not of met Helsa... or escorted her home.