"Loona!" Mick called out as he walked over to his previous acquaintance. "It's me. Mick!"
Of all people Mick would have expected to see again here of all places, the Hellhound he met up in Imp City wasn't one of them. A feeling that was seemingly mutual when said Hellhound looked up from her Hellphone and gasped in surprise when she saw him.
"Mick!" she exclaimed, her surprise quickly turning into a delighted smirk. "Holy shit, man! What the hell are you doing here!?"
"I could ask you the same question," Mick retorted, unable to hold back a small chuckle. "But frankly I don't really care. It's just great to see a familiar face down here for once."
Meanwhile, witnessing the exchange between the two, Ember couldn't help but raise a confused eyebrow.
"You… know this Hellhound?" she asked, only to receive one of Loona's signature scowls for her trouble.
"Yeah, she's a friend of mine from Imp City," Mick quickly answered before making the introduction. "Ember, this is Loona. Loona, Ember."
"S'up," Loona uttered, her tone depicting a lack of any sort of interest.
"Uh… pleasure to meet you," Ember greeted back, not entirely sure how to respond to such a cold introduction. Thankfully Mick was there to clear the air before things got too awkward.
"Oh, don't mind her, she's like this with everybody," the Cat Demon said reassuringly, causing the Hellhound to roll her eyes. "Fuck me, Loona, I gotta say you really are a sight for sore eyes."
Loona couldn't help but snort at that.
"Same dude," she replied, giving him a small smile. "But how'd you even get here? Figured you Sinners didn't have a way down to the other rings."
As soon as Loona asked that, Mick's happy expression dropped.
"The crazy bitch that I work for," he answered bluntly. "She used some magic spell to send me down here with a delivery, but conveniently failed to give me a way back. And given I can't freely travel between the rings like you Hellborns can, I'm kinda stuck down here until her husband gets his ass to this festival and brings me back."
"Oof," Loona uttered with a small cringe. "Shit dude, that fucking sucks."
"Tell me about it," Mick replied, removing his mouthpiece and taking out one of his joints. "Luckily, Ember and her Granny were kind enough to put me up for a few days. Needless to say, I'm more grateful than you can imagine for that."
Hearing that, Ember's smile reappeared on her face. Receiving praise so casually almost gave her cause to blush.
"Oh, it was nothing, really," she said bashfully, only to be surprised when Loona shot her own small smile in her direction.
"Meh, you're a better girl than I am," the Hellhound commented. "Respect."
This was good. Seeing that the ice was now officially broken between his two friends, Mick believed things were going very well concerning first impressions. Time for some catching up.
"You know, I gotta say, Loona, of all the Hellborns I know, you have to be the LAST person I'd expect to find here, no offense," the Cat Demon said, earning himself an indifferent shrug from the Hellhound. "Don't tell me you're actually into this festival stuff."
This, of course, only caused Loona to stifle a small laugh.
"Yeah, right," she scoffed. "Blitz was invited here by Prince Stolas, and the whole company was dragged along for the ride. Luckily, Millie has some family here so we're staying with them while we're here."
While that explanation should have resulted in no surprise given what Mick already knew about his employer and his "relationship" with the company's boss, it still gave the Cat Demon a reason to gasp.
"Wait... the Prince invited you guys!?" he exclaimed, getting right into the Hellhound's face. "Do you have any idea where he is now!?"
Loona, however, only nudged the Cat Demon away with an annoyed expression on her face.
"Couldn't tell you, dude," she said firmly, nipping any more questions Mick may have had in the bud. "If I had to guess, I'd say he's portaling his way here later. Gotta be here for these Pain Games and all that shit."
After taking a moment to calm down, Mick let out an exasperated sigh at the Hellhound's words.
"Shit!" he muttered. "Guess I'm gonna have to wait till AFTER the games to talk to him then."
"Well, yeah, you still have to compete, don't ya?" Ember pointed out, Mick nodding his head in agreement.
Loona, on the other hand, was caught completely by surprise by that statement.
"Wait, you're competing in the games?" she asked, making sure she didn't mishear.
"Yep," Mick replied with a nod. "Turns out one of the prizes for the winner is something I kinda desperately need. So as usual, I got wrapped up in yet another bucket of shit."
Once again, Loona had to stifle a laugh.
"Yep, sounds like you," she commented, much to Mick's chagrin.
"What about you?" Ember spoke up, recatching Loona's attention. "I figure a tough-looking gal like you could inflict more than her fair share of pain."
"Yeah, I could," Loona replied with a casual shrug, not even attempting to be humble. "But I'm not competing. Not really my thing ya know?"
At those words, Mick let out yet another sigh.
"Shame," he said. "Would've been nice to have someone else I know compete alongside me. Might have increased my chances a bit."
"Sorry, dude," Loona replied with an unbothered shrug, showing her sympathy but not getting remotely broken up about it.
SCREEEEEEEEEEEEECH!
Before another word could be spoken between the three, all of a sudden, a loud, high-pitched screech echoed through the streets, causing everyone to slap their hands to their ears, particularly those like Mick and Loona, who had sensitive hearing.
"I say, I say, welcome, fine folks, to the Harvest Moon Festival!" a voice with a southern accent suddenly spoke up, drawing everyone to the perched loudspeakers that had been set up in numerous locations across town. "This is Wally Wackford live in the booth, shouting out to y'all rough n' tough bastards waiting to unleash your brutal side. For those who are competing, the Pain Games will start at 3 on the dot. So if y'all haven't signed up yet, get your asses to the sign-up booth and make your way to the main stage 10 minutes before showtime. Until then, y'all enjoy the festival folks!"
After that, the speaker suddenly cut off and everyone returned to what they were doing. Glad to be free of the high-pitched static that came with the announcement, both Mick and Loona sighed in relief before returning to their conversation.
"You know, if you want someone to compete with you… why not your girlfriend here?" Loona spoke up, gesturing a hand towards Ember. "I mean she's a local, right? Pretty sure she could handle the games no problem."
However, at the very mention of the word "girlfriend", both Mick and Ember's faces were immediately burning with a hard blush.
"We're just friends!" they both snapped simultaneously, causing them both to turn their heads away in embarrassment.
Loona, on the other hand, couldn't help but smirk as she looked between the two.
"You sure about that?" she commented, snickering at their expense.
"You ain't too old for a smack, you know!" Mick snapped, the red of his face growing so hot it was literally seeping into his mask.
The Hellhound, of course, only laughed even harder at that comment. While Loona continued to laugh at the two's embarrassment, however, neither of them was aware that they were currently being watched. Sitting a few yards away at an outdoor bar that was perched right across the street, was a certain big-chinned Imp who viciously scowled in the Sinner's direction. On one side of him, his moustached friend from the Saloon, Gnat, sat with a furious glare of his own, his leg now in a cast after Mick had broken it from literally throwing him out of the building. And on his other side, was a bigger, buffer Imp named Brutas, with numerous scars on his arms and a broken left horn, who wore a black leather vest over a bare chest and a pair of torn jeans. While Scorch looked intimidating on his own, when sat between the other two Imps, all three of them looked as though they were out for blood… which was rather fitting because they actually were.
"That him?" Brutas asked, his glare being the only one out of the three that was mixed with curiosity.
"Yeah, Brutas, that's the fucker," Gnat spat before taking a swig of whisky.
"He don't look so tough," the buff Imp scoffed. "I could probably snap him in two no problem."
SLAP!
Scorch, however, smacked the bigger Imp across the head for such a comment.
"Don't get so cocky, you roid-drinking lunkhead!" he snapped. "It's thanks to him that I lost an eye and Gnat's had to nail his own leg back into place!"
"And now we can't get into the Snakeskin Saloon without getting shot on sight!" Gnat added, downing another drink.
That, of course, gave Scorch even more of a reason to snarl as the memories of the previous night came flooding back. Hours after he had attempted to kill Chimp, he and Gnat thought they'd celebrate his achievement by going out for a drink. And of course, being so cocky due to being in such high spirits, the place they chose to go was the Snakeskin Saloon. But as soon as they pushed open the front doors, the pair of them had to run for the hills due to every pistol and shotgun in the bar being blasted in their direction. He may not have known for sure, but Scorch suspected that the Sinner he ran into both at the mine and in the saloon the previous night was somehow responsible.
"So you want us to do away with him now, or what?" Brutas asked impatiently, only to receive another smack for his trouble, this time from Gnat.
"No, you idiot!" he snapped. "We can't just go around killing folks out in public like that!"
"Exactly," Scorch agreed, a small snicker soon escaping his maw. "No… wait 'til you face him in the Pain Games. After all… accidents can happen during those events, can they not?"
After that, all three of them shared a small laugh as a sinister plan began brewing in Scorch's head down to the last detail. One thing they didn't take into account, however… was when Champ decided to leave the Snakeskin Saloon to join the festivities and pick up some snacks for his sisters. This, of course, ended up leading him to the food stall next to the outdoor bar, causing him to spot the three having their little chat and, in turn, decided to eavesdrop on them without them noticing by hiding behind the other side of the bar.
"Holy shit!"
Those were the last words the young boy would say before dropping the corn dogs in his hands and bolting back to the saloon post haste.
Back in the Pride Ring, Octavia sat in her room in front of a vanity mirror, applying some dark eyeshadow. Next to her, Linda stood with a small smile on her face as she admired the Owl Demon's excellence with her makeup. While she had originally come into Octavia's room to turn down her bed, the Goetia Princess had insisted that she stayed a little longer so they could have a little girl time, something which Linda was all too happy to oblige.
"You look great, M'lady," she said, giving Octavia cause to smile herself.
"Thank you," she said gratefully. "Though do you really think I need to put on any more makeup? Charlie did say to keep it casual in her text."
"I suppose it's only a matter of perspective, M'lady," Linda replied with a shrug.
Octavia couldn't help but sigh at that.
"Come on, Liddy, you know you can call me by name when we're alone, right?" she pointed out, bringing an embarrassed blush to the Imp's face.
"Sorry, force of habit," she apologized bashfully.
KNOCK KNOCK!
Hearing the sound of someone knocking at the door, both Linda and Octavia immediately froze, the former doing so out of fear of the possibility that Stella was on the other side of it.
"Who is it?" Octavia spoke up.
Thankfully, the muffled voice that came from the other side of the door did not belong to her mother.
"It's me, Octavia," Stolas announced "May I come in, My Owlette?"
Though she may have been relieved that it was Octavia's father and not her mother standing at the door, Linda remained frightfully nervous. As much as she grew to like Octavia as a friend ever since Hurricane Pruflas, her parents were a completely different story. Stolas may have had his good moments, but even he managed to give the Imp cause to grind her teeth now and then. As for Stella… well, let's just say the words "vile witch" had taken up permanent residence in Linda's mind as of late. But regardless of that, both she and Octavia knew that the Goetia Prince couldn't just stand outside the door when he wished to see his daughter.
"Y-yeah, come on in, dad!" Octavia called back, quickly gesturing a hand towards her bed, to which Linda responded by rushing over and turning it down again as Stolas entered the room all dressed in his royal garments.
"How are you, Via?" he greeted, his voice sounding quite chipper. "Just thought I'd check in on you before I headed out."
Octavia rolled her eyes at that.
"On your way to the Wrath Ring then?" she asked, receiving a gentle nod from her father.
"Indeed, I am," he replied, his smile fading a little as his tone turned soft. "Any word from Michael?"
As much as she despised her father's affair, Octavia was still glad that he cared enough to show concern for her friend. After she had finally managed to inform him of the situation, the Goetia Princess made doubly sure that her father was updated on any new developments whenever she could. After Mick told her about his decision to partake in the Pain Games yesterday, she had practically kicked in her father's office door to make sure her voice was heard loud and clear. Thankfully, Stolas was seemingly understanding about the whole thing and promised that he would do his best to help.
"He managed to text me earlier today," Octavia answered. "Said he was signing up for the games this morning."
"I see," Stolas replied with a look of deep thought. "Well, rest assured, my Owlette, I'll be sure to bring him back in one piece."
Octavia, needless to say, gave her father a soft smile at those words.
"Thanks, Dad," she said.
Smiling back, the Goetia Prince then turned to leave the room, but not before giving his daughter one final glance.
"I'll see you later then," he said, his eyes lighting up as an idea popped into his head. "Oh, would you like me to bring you a souvenir from the Ring of Wrath? I heard the Imps there have their fair share of taxidermy stores."
In response, Octavia merely shook her head.
"No, it's fine," she said. "Thanks anyway though."
"Alright, my Owlette," Stolas replied with an understanding nod. "Ta-ta!"
With that final word, Stolas then left the room and closed the door behind him, allowing both girls to let out a breath they hadn't realized they had been holding.
"He seemed… chipper today," Linda commented, making sure the Prince was out of earshot before speaking.
Octavia, of course, rolled her eyes at that statement.
"Yeah, chances are that fucking clown has something to do with it," she said, turning back to her mirror and picking up where she had left off with her makeup.
Linda nodded understandably at that. Ever since Octavia told her about her father's affairs with an Imp, she had basically become her confidante on the subject… Plus it was a little tricky to avoid the subject anyway since it was one of the many sources of gossip amongst the staff. Soon enough, however, Linda's look of understanding was replaced by her usual timidity.
"He… he IS going to bring Mick back, isn't he?" she asked nervously, understandably unsure of the elder Goetia's reliability.
"My dad may be sleeping with an Imp behind my mother's back, but he hasn't broken any promises to me yet," Octavia said reassuringly, fully understanding Linda's concerns. "All we can do is wait and see what happens."
"Yeah… okay," Linda sighed, not feeling at all at ease despite Octavia's efforts.
Seeing the downtrodden look on the young Imp's face, Octavia felt a surge of sorrow. Having grown closer to her since she had arrived, the Goetia Princess fully shared her worries about the estate's resident Cat Demon. Watching the pair of them interact as they went about their work was almost like seeing a pair of siblings, something that Octavia herself wished she had from time to time. Suddenly, the Owl Demon's eyes snapped wide open as an idea came to mind.
"Hey, you have the rest of the day off, don't you?" she asked, causing Linda to raise an eyebrow.
"Yeah, why?" she replied, unsure as to why Octavia would ask such a question.
"Well, I was thinking, why don't you clock out early and come with me when I meet Charlie and Vaggie?" Octavia suggested. "By the looks of it, I'd say you could use a night out yourself."
As soon as she said that, however, Linda almost collapsed in shock.
"M-ME!?" she exclaimed, her entire body trembling with anxiety. "B-but I… no I couldn't possibly…"
However, Octavia wasn't going to take no for an answer.
"Please," she pleaded. "I could use a friend right now."
Looking deep into the Goetia Princess's pleading red eyes, it was damn near impossible for Linda to look away. Seeing as how no other Demon of a higher class had ever given her such a desperate look like that, the poor Imp had no resistance to it whatsoever. Eventually, all she could do was sigh in defeat.
"Well… MAYBE it could be fun," she said, fully relenting and giving Octavia her complete agreement.
As soon as she heard that, Octavia's smile returned with a vengeance.
"Great!" she stated happily, suddenly grabbing a hairbrush and an eyelash curler from in front of the mirror. "In that case, we have a little work to do."
Linda may not have known what Octavia meant by that, but she would immediately come to regret her decision as soon as the Goetia Princess started creeping closer to her like a rabid predator. As soon as Octavia was towering over with an eerie grin on her face, all she could do was gulp and squeak.
"Eep!"
It was around early afternoon by the time Jessie pulled the limousine around the fountain and up to the front steps of the Goetia estate, and so far the Hellhound had no idea what was going on even as the Princess of the house climbed into the vehicle. As far as she was concerned, this was yet another simple drop-off like the many others she had done before… what she didn't expect to see, however, was the Imp sitting in casual wear next to her as she turned her head to peer into the back seat.
"Whoa, nice duds, luvs," she commented, complimenting Octavia and Linda's choice of attire.
"Oh…" Linda squeaked, blushing hard and wrapping her arms around herself in a futile attempt to cover herself."Th-thank you."
As much as she wouldn't dare to admit it to herself, Linda DID look nice. After Octavia had insisted she come with her on this excursion to meet Charlie and her girlfriend, the small Imp was thrown into what could only be described as a hurricane of makeup and doll-dressing. As it turned out, Octavia had an assortment of clothes collecting dust in the back of her wardrobe that had been a fair few sizes too small for her. As luck would have it, they appeared to be just the right fit for Linda, albeit with a few minor alterations here and there.
Now, here she was, wearing a black leather skirt that came down slightly past her knees, a blood-red T-shirt with a white rose embroidered on the front that was cut off just above her navel and a black leather jacket with the words "Bad Girl" bedazzled on the back with pink costume gems.
As for Octavia, her choice of clothing consisted of a pair of black pre-torn jeans, a dark purple top with a ram skull on the front, a sleeveless leather vest jacket and a pair of fingerless fishnet gloves that reached all the way up to the top of her upper arm. It was a lot different to what the pair of them usually wore, but since they were going out, it only made sense to try something a little different… even if Linda wasn't too comfortable in such a get-up just yet.
"So, where to, miss?" Jessie asked, not even bothering to question why the newbie was sitting in the back seat with Octavia and looking so chummy due to lack of interest.
At those words, Octavia pulled out her Hellphone and began looking through her previous texts.
"Somewhere called… the Rustler's Retreat," she replied, reading off the location. "Do you know it?"
Jessie, of course, gave the Goetia a small smirk at that.
"Oh yeah," she answered with a grin. "I know it."
"Do you think you can get us there quickly?" Octavia asked, following up on her previous question. "We had a few delays getting ready."
Linda quickly turned her head away at that, her face riddled with embarrassment. Needless to say, the whole experience with Octavia suddenly dressing her up like a doll was a little traumatic. Obviously, she didn't harm her, but the way the Goetia grinned at her while she was doing it made Linda feel like she was a mouse being chased by a cat. As such, Linda spent half the time trying to escape to no avail, wasting a good chunk of preparation time. Jessie, however, wasn't deterred in the slightest… in fact, for some reason, she seemed to look VERY excited.
"Oh yeah… no problem,"
"WOOHOO! HA HA HA HA!"
Before they even realized it, Octavia and Linda were now suffering through an intense rush filled with screaming pedestrians, screeching tires, and a laughing Hellhound in the front seat. For a good 10 minutes, everything became a blur until finally, the vehicle came to a sudden stop just outside a rustic-looking building.
"Woo!" Jessie exclaimed, lighting up a cigarette as the rush of the drive began to wear off. "Nailed it! Alright, Princess, your public awaits... Princess?"
But of course, as soon as she looked towards the back seat, she was faced with the sight of her two passengers with pale faces and looking severely traumatized. While Octavia sat in her seat with her mouth agape and her fingers so dug into the fabric they left deep claw marks, Linda was wrapped around her left leg like a scared koala, sucking her thumb like a baby. Jessie, of course, only rolled her eyes at how much of a lightweight the two seemed to be.
"Th-thanks for the ride," Octavia managed to force out, trying desperately not to throw up on the back seat.
"No problem, your highness," Jessie said with a grin before taking one final drag of her cig and putting it out. "Now I can pick you up at around-"
"NO!"
Hearing Linda suddenly scream like that, both Jessie and Octavia practically jumped out of their seats. Thankfully it was also enough to snap Octavia out of her shock long enough to form a better explanation.
"Uh… no, that's perfectly fine, Jessie," she said. "I'll… I'll just have Charlie take us home later."
It was a poor excuse, Octavia wasn't too proud to say otherwise, but thankfully Jessie didn't seem to mind.
"Meh, no fur off of my back," she said with an indifferent shrug. "I'll need to clock off soon anyway. Do you mind if I grab a quick drink while we're here?"
So long as they didn't have to get in the limo with her again, Jessie could have asked to stop at a brothel for all Octavia and Linda cared.
"N-no," the Goetia answered. "Not at all."
"Great!" Jessie replied with a smile before stepping out of the limo and opening the door for her passengers. "In that case, allow me to escort you inside."
It took some effort, but eventually, Octavia and Linda were able to pull themselves out of the vehicle and clamber onto the street. Of course, the biggest challenge was trying to pull Linda off Octavia's leg, a task that Jessie had to offer her assistance with.
"H-how has she not been fired yet!?" Linda whispered in Octavia's ear, understandably horrified by what just happened.
In all honesty, it was a valid question. Had Jessie driven like that on a regular basis, she would have been terminated on the spot, ESPECIALLY if Stella happened to be in the back seat. But, of course, aside from this, Jessie HADN'T driven like that, at least as far as Octavia knew. She had heard Mick tell the story of how crazy the Hellhound's driving was from when he first got in the limo with her, but the Goetia Princess just thought he was exaggerating. More than likely it was only because they had both asked Jessie to hurry to their destination to begin with, otherwise, she might have driven like a normal person.
"Huh, nice looking place," the Hellhound suddenly spoke up, taking a good look at the building she parked the limo in front of. "Hope they got good booze tonight."
Staring up at the building themselves, both Octavia and Linda shared the Hellhound's opinion in terms of its appearance. It was a large, wooden building with steps leading up to a large porch that served as a platform leading up to the front door. Just above the front window, a large neon sign flashed with an image of a cowboy resting his foot on bright blue letters saying: THE RUSTLER'S RETREAT. At first glance, it did, in fact, look pretty welcoming, and that was saying a lot for a building in Hell.
CLUNK!
Before they could head inside, however, a small noise alerted all three Demons to the limo's trunk.
"You... you girls heard that too, right?" Jessie asked, earning two nodding heads in response.
Fearing that something foul had managed to sneak its way into the trunk, the only thing Jessie could do now was to check exactly what it was.
Nervously and slowly edging towards the trunk, she quickly noticed small streams of smoke oozing out from the gaps, something that would have made more sense if it came from the engine bonnet. Cautiously unclasping the handle, the Hellhound let out a small growl and flung the trunk open, allowing a large burst of the same weird-smelling smoke to be released.
"What the!?" she exclaimed, practically coughing up a lung from all the smoke. "What the flying fuck!?"
"Hey! Do you mind!?" Someone else suddenly snapped. "I'm trying to vibe here!"
Instantly recognising that voice, both Octavia and Linda stomped over to the trunk and waved away some of the smoke. When it finally cleared, lo and behold, Buzz the Gardener was there, splayed out inside the trunk with at least two of Mick's joints in his mouth.
"BUZZ!?" Linda exclaimed.
"What the fuck are you doing in there?" Octavia added, her face twisted into an annoyed scowl.
It was only after Buzz shook his head a few times that he managed to comprehend that someone else was talking to him… and that he wasn't where he thought he was.
"Heeeeeeeeeey… this isn't my hammock," he said, much to everyone's further annoyance.
"Okay, how long have you been in there?" Jessie demanded. "You know I gotta get this cleaned now, right?"
"Hey, it's my day off, I can do whatever I fucking like," Buzz retorted, coughing up a few puffs of smoke. "And if Mick ain't here, then I shall smoke enough hash for the… for the pair of us!"
As soon as he said that, Octavia felt a small bit of sympathy for the tiny Imp… VERY small. After all, aside from Mick, there was hardly anyone in the Goetia house who could even stand Buzz's presence… Octavia included. And now that the Cat Demon wasn't around, the Gardener has basically fallen into such a slump, he's been using Mick's stash of weed to numb himself.
"What do you wanna do, Princess?" Jessie asked, cringing at the state her coworker was in.
Octavia couldn't help but groan with annoyance at that.
"Ugh… well, we can't leave him in there… especially like this," she admitted with a sigh. "Would you mind taking him home?"
Now it was Jessie's turn to groan.
"Alright, but is it okay if I grab that drink first?" she asked in a small huff. "I think I'm gonna need it, luv."
"Fine, fine," Octavia replied, unable to care either way. "Just make sure you keep an eye on him."
Nodding her head in understanding, Jessie returned her attention to the Imp in the trunk.
"Alright, you dumbass, up we go," she said, grabbing Buzz by the tail and lifting him out.
"Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, I'm flying!" Buzz giggled as he hung upside down in Jessie's grasp, letting his limbs hang loose like he was a raw chicken being held up by the leg.
While the Hellhound was dealing with that, Octavia and Linda made their way up the front steps and towards the front door of the Rustler's Retreat, with a nervous breath, they pushed it open and found themselves in what felt like a completely different world to what was outside.
"Woah…" Linda uttered, her eyes wide with wonder.
Needless to say, Octavia couldn't blame Linda for being so entranced. After all, ignoring the multiple patrons, this place was filled to the brim with wooden decor, numerous occupied tables and booths surrounding a large dance floor that rested below a decently sized stage where a country band was playing, just to name a few things. And to top it all off, while they may have also been Demons of all shapes and sizes, all of the waiting staff were women dressed in brown Stetson hats, skimpy jean hot pants and tiny t-shirts that were practically skin-tight, stopped below the bust and exposed a lot of cleavage. If anything, the best comparison Octavia could make was if that Human restaurant chain, "Hooters" decided to do a permanent cowboy theme.
"Well… it doesn't look TOO bad," she commented, her mind wondering why Charlie would choose such a place to meet.
Linda, on the other hand, didn't utter a word, for she was too captivated by some of the waitresses. It was only when the Goetia Princess gave her a light tap on the shoulder that she managed to snap out of her stupor.
"Oh! Y-yeah!" she blurted out, shaking her head and wiping the drool from the corner of her mouth. "Uh… what time did you say that-
"Octavia!" a familiar voice suddenly called out. "Over here!"
Snapping her head towards the source of the voice, Octavia spotted a familiar head of long blonde hair standing up from a nearby booth as she and her girlfriend waved her over. Even though they hadn't seen each other since the banquet, there was no mistaking that smiling face.
"Charlie, hey," the Goetia greeted after she and Linda made their way across the room and walked up to the booth. "Good to see you."
"Likewise," Charlie greeted back. "We're so glad you can make it. You remember Vaggie, right?"
Taking her girlfriend's gesturing hand as her cue, the white-haired Sinner nodded her head in respect.
"Your highness," she greeted, taking care to be as courteous as possible.
Octavia, however, couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed at the gesture.
"Yeah, I remember," she said. "It's good to see you again. And please, call me Octavia… or Via, if you prefer. I don't mind which."
"If that's what you prefer, sure," Vaggie replied with an indifferent shrug before her eye took notice of the small Imp at the Goetia's side. "Who's your friend?"
At those words, Linda had to desperately fight the urge to dive behind Octavia's leg. As much as she wanted to make the effort to socialize for the Owl Demon's sake, her nerves were quickly beginning to get the better of her as her gaze fixated on Charlie in particular. Thankfully, Octavia was there to save her the trouble.
"Oh, this is Linda," she said, introducing the Imp to the two girls at the table. "She's… a new friend of mine. My family's hired her recently and I thought she'd enjoy a night on the town with us."
Hearing Octavia call her a friend so casually and shamelessly, and in front of Lucifer's daughter no less, Linda's heart almost stopped in her chest. Giving her a meek little smile, the Imp at least attempted to put on a brave face, if only to show her gratitude.
"Uh… h-hi?" she squeaked, her voice trembling with every word.
About two seconds later, Linda received the biggest shock of her life when the blonde Princess suddenly squealed like a giddy school girl, dived under the table and tackled the poor Imp into a tight embrace like she was a cuddly plush doll.
"Awwwww, she's just so ADORABLE!" she exclaimed, her eyes practically filling with glittery hearts as she nuzzled her cheek against Linda's, much to the Imp's discomfort.
"Ah… bah! Wah! Baha! Huuuuh!" Linda blurted out, her mind turning into mush as it tried to comprehend what was happening at that moment.
Suddenly, the moment of cuddles was cut off when Vaggie suddenly pulled a spray bottle from a holster on her hip and gave the trigger a few hard pulls.
"Hey!" she snapped, letting a few squirts of water hit her girlfriend in the face. "Down, honey!"
Quickly snapping back to reality, Charlie gave the Imp in her arms a sheepish laugh before putting her down and straightening her clothes out. Seeing the blank-minded look on Linda's face, Octavia had to fight desperately to resist the urge to laugh.
"Sorry about that," Vaggie apologized with a heavy sigh as her girlfriend sat back down. "Charlie gets a little… giddy when it comes to cute things."
"Y-yeah," Charlie added, her own pale face flushed with embarrassment. "Sorry about that."
Once again Linda was left floored. Not only did the Princess of all Hell NOT look down on her, but she was actually apologizing to her… like an equal? Perhaps there was more to what Octavia said earlier than what Linda gave her credit for.
"See? I told you that you had nothing to worry about," Octavia whispered smugly into Linda's ear, giving her cause to smile again.
"Y-yeah, I guess not," she quietly admitted.
With the ice officially broken, all four Demon girls gave each other a small smile as the later arrivals sat themselves down in the booth. It was just too good for Linda to believe… an Imp, a Sinner, a Goetia and the Princess of Hell itself… all sat around the same table as friends. If she didn't see it, she never would have believed it.
"Why don't I get the drinks in?" Vaggie volunteered. "Seems like we got a lot to talk about."