While Mick and Octavia were battling their own anxiety as they made their way upstairs, it was what was going on DOWNSTAIRS, behind the closed poolside bar that seemed to be causing the most stress for Johnny. Despite Buzz's insistence that his plan was perfectly underway, its execution was going a lot slower than originally intended.
"Come on, dude!" Johnny snapped in a hushed tone as he stood watch outside the bar. "The date's probably starting by now!"
"Hey, this stuff takes time, okay!?" Buzz snapped back from underneath the bar as he poured yet another bottle of absinthe into a large bucket. "Besides, shouldn't you be waiting in the lobby?"
"And leave you on your own to do fuck knows what?" Johnny retorted, sarcastically. "No chance."
Buzz, of course, only rolled his eyes at that.
"Oh, ye of little faith," he commented just as he was putting what appeared to be a bag of leaves into a blender. "Look, just get to the lobby and I'll be with you in five."
"Ugh, fine!" Johnny said with a huff. "But you'd better be there by then otherwise I'm ditching this fucking plan."
With that final word, Johnny left Buzz alone in the bar, completely unaware of the devious insanity going through the little Imp's head as he continued to mix his strange concoction.
Upon stepping into the elevator, Mick, Octavia and Linda all felt their hearts throbbing with anxiety. After confirming the details of the date with the Manager that morning, it was only a matter of getting dressed and arriving at the specific location at the specific time… Of course, it probably would have been less stressful had Gaap's Hellhounds not been guarding every exit. Guess he really wasn't planning on taking any chances if anyone decided to run.
"Well… on the plus side, at least Bruce's giant ass can't fit on this thing," Mick spoke up, making one last attempt to lighten the mood.
Thankfully, this did result in Octavia letting out a small snicker.
"Don't ever let HIM hear you say that," she joked, almost causing Mick to choke in fear.
"The fuck I will!"
DING!
Then, before they even realized it, the elevator stopped. Huddling close to each other, Mick, Linda and Octavia all gulped in terror as the doors began to open, revealing the place that might as well be their torture chamber… of course, they were all still mesmerised by how spectacular it looked. Beneath the red open sky, was an entire floor that basically resembled a classy restaurant if it came from a tropical paradise.
It may have been situated on the roof of the hotel, but that only added to its beauty. Right in the middle of the eating area, consisting of small round tables and multiple tropical plants decorated with garden lanterns, was a small pool filled with clear luminescent water that sparkled like glowing sapphires, and in its centre was a tiny housing with the band currently playing for the guests. Had this not been where they were to meet other Demons, Mick and Octavia would have said that this was the PERFECT setting for a date.
"Jeez, extravagant much?" Mick muttered, trying desperately to keep his cool.
Octavia, of course, could only roll her eyes at the comment as a small smile peaked across her beak. Stepping away from the elevator doors, she, Mick and Linda made their way to a small podium at the edge of the eating area which was otherwise blocked off by a wall of plants and a velvet rope. There they were met with the gaze of a grouchy-looking Imp in a dark green suit.
"The double-date package?" he asked, earning a reluctant nod from the two victims of the tragedy. "Table 27. Your dates are already here."
Both Mick and Octavia couldn't help but grimace at that. Somewhere in the back of their brains, they had hoped that their respective dates would at least run a bit late. But nope! Turns out they were early and waiting for them! With no other choice left to them, the two of them made their way past the podium and stepped into the eating area with Linda in tow… then they heard it!
"YOOHOO! Micky-poo! Over here, darling!"
The instant that voice rang in his ears, Mick's fur and tail once again stood on end in fright. Even Octavia's feathers ruffled up in anxiety and Linda squeaked like a mouse. Daring to turn their heads to their left, they all grimaced as Table 27 and its current occupants came into view. By the looks of things, Cray and Googoo had gone all out in regards to spiffing themselves up. While Cray appeared to be dressed up in a light blue tuxedo with a blood-red bow tie, Googoo was wearing a knee-length hot pink dress with a slit in the side, a deep cut in the front, exposing some cleavage and a matching pink bow tied around the tip of her tail. Judging from the getup and the lustful smirk on the Mouse Demon's face, it was pretty clear that Googoo had more than dinner planned for tonight.
"Come on, Micky-poo!" she beckoned him in a sickeningly sweet voice. "Don't keep your lady waiting!"
"Nope! Can't do this," Mick muttered under his breath so that no one bar his friends could hear. "Sorry, but I think I'd just rather just jump off the roof right now… maybe I WON'T hit the pool."
"Mick, calm down!" Octavia snapped in a hushed tone, though she honestly couldn't blame him for acting like this. "Try to keep it together, okay? I'm right here with you."
It may not have been much, but Octavia's words seemed more than enough to keep Mick from having a panic attack at least. Suddenly, a clawed hand placed itself upon Octavia's back from behind, instantly sending a shiver down her spine. As it turned out, Cray had already risen from his seat and made his way to the Goetia Princess while she didn't notice.
"My goodness, you look ravishing my dear," the Leopard Demon said, his tone as pompous as ever. "A lovely lady for a lovely evening? What more can a man ask for?"
At those words, it took every ounce of willpower for Mick to keep his claws from popping out while Octavia resisted the urge to snap Cary's wrist right there and then.
"If you don't mind, could you keep your hands to yourself," she said, pushing his hand away while giving him a hard glare. "I hate being touched."
Not quite true, obviously. After all, Octavia liked the occasional hug now and then, plus she had fantasies about Mick wrapping his arms around her and… other stuff in recent days. But any excuse to keep this stuck-up potential fur rug from coming near her was alright in her book. Cray, however, didn't appear to be deterred.
"So feisty," he said with a playful growl. "I love that in a woman."
And with that, Octavia actually threw up in her mouth a little. Thankfully, Cray never got the chance to say anything else due to Mick suddenly stepping in between him and the Owl Demon.
"You heard the lady, sir," he said with a low growl, his eyes once again burning with an intimidating light. "While you may be her date for the evening, as her bodyguard, I'd prefer that you refrain from any inappropriate behaviour… that is unless you WANT a good ass-kicking."
Cray, of course, was taken aback by such a bold statement.
"M-my good man, surely you jest?" he said, trying to keep his composure despite clearly shaking under the Cat Demon's gaze.
"I never 'jest' when it comes to protecting Miss Octavia," Mick stated firmly, standing his ground while cracking his knuckles. "Nobility or not, NO ONE is exempt from any punishment I shall deliver on my lady's behalf."
As much as he didn't want to admit it, Cray was visibly terrified by that threat, mainly because he knew that Mick was actually capable of making good on such a threat. If those videos Gaap played at the auction were anything to go by, then Mick could at least put up a good fight. Of course, that was when Octavia just had to rub salt in the wound.
"I suggest that you take the hint, Cray," she said, unable to keep herself from smirking. "Besides, even if my bodyguard doesn't hurt you, my father will vaporize any part of you that even thinks about touching me."
"You can ask Count Ipos's son for confirmation on that little detail," Mick added, practically beaming under his mask upon seeing Cray practically wet his pants.
Unfortunately, neither Mick nor Octavia could enjoy their victory for long.
"Micky-poo!" Googoo called out, the tone in her voice hinting that she was losing her patience quickly. "Get over here NOW!"
Shuddering in fear, neither of them wanting to risk pissing the Winged Mouse off, Mick and Octavia reluctantly made their way to the table. Soon enough, everyone took their seats, with Mick and Googoo on one side of the table, Cray and Octavia on the other, and Linda standing off to the side with a nervous expression on her face, her gaze solely focused on her friends as she desperately prayed for their safety.
Only five minutes into the date, and already Mick wanted nothing more than to take Octavia and Linda and run for the exit. To say that Googoo was clingy would have been an understatement. From the moment he sat down, she clung to Mick's arm like she was squeezing her favourite plushy to her chest. What's more, she seemed to be giving Octavia the smuggest of smirks, as if to say "he is mine now!" Needless to say, this resulted in Octavia wanting to dive across the table and strangle the flying rat before ripping off her wings and shoving them down her throat. Thankfully, she managed to keep her cool by digging her claws into her knee… at the very least it made for a good distraction when Googoo started running her mouth.
"Oh, Micky-poo, isn't this place amazing?" she said, giving Mick a lustrous flutter of her eyelashes. "You can see almost the entire circle from up here."
"Yes… it looks like a very tempting fall," Mick muttered in annoyance.
"Pardon?" Googoo asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Uh… I said that Gaap definitely made the right call," Mick quickly said, fixing his mistake before he unintentionally ticked Googoo off.
Thankfully, Googoo seemed to buy the fib and smiled in delight. Of course, that was when Cray decided to add his two cents.
"Indeed," he said, his tone once again returning to its smug normality after his initial shock. "In fact, one could say it is quite symbolic, wouldn't you say?"
"Symbolic?" Octavia repeated, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, because we Noble Demons are dining above the masses who are beneath us," Cray elaborated, only to suddenly cringe when he caught Mick and Linda glaring at him. "Uh… present company excluded, of course."
Despite the Leopard Demon's arrogance, Octavia's attendants let the comment slide for now. Soon enough, an Imp waitress with a bob cut and an eyebrow piercing came up to the table.
"Are you all ready to order?" she asked.
It was a minor distraction, but alas, it was enough to bring Cary's smile back again.
"Ah, yes," he said, bringing up his menu and tracing a finger over it. "I'll have the… stuffed pheasant, with a side of watercress."
"Excellent choice, sir," the waitress replied, writing the Demon's words on her clipboard before turning to Octavia. "And for you, M'lady?"
At first, Octavia wanted to say that she wasn't hungry, which would be true considering how Googoo's presence would be enough to spoil anyone's appetite. But she couldn't afford to make a scene right now, plus the meal was free anyway.
"I'll have the Red meat linguine… heavy on the mice," she said, subtly giving Googoo a small glare at that last part.
Of course, while Googoo seemed unable to notice Octavia's backhanded comment at her expense, she was also unaware that her date was smirking under his mask because of it.
"I'll have the same, please," the Cat Demon spoke up. "With black garlic-infused cheese and extra pork in mine, please."
"Ahem!"
At that moment, Mick once again felt a chill down his spine, the back of his neck feeling ice cold as Googoo glared directly at it.
"And uh… what would YOU like, Googoo?" the poor Sinner said with a gulp, trying desperately to act like a gentleman to quell the Goetia's irritation.
Thankfully, Googoo's glare disappeared as quickly as it arrived, making way for that sickeningly sweet smile again.
"Thank you, Micky-poo," she said, once again giving the Sinner the nickname that seemed to make Mick's testicles shoot right back into his body. "I will have the Asmodean Salad as a starter, and for my mains, I will have the Lemon-smoked Salmon."
"Very good, Miss," the waitress replied with a nod, once again taking her notes.
"And a bottle of your finest champagne too," Cray spoke up. "One for each couple, if you would."
However, Octavia was all too quick to nip THAT little scheme in the bud.
"Yeah… no," she said bluntly before turning back to the waitress. "What's the strongest alcohol you have?"
"Well…we have absinthe, your highness," the waitress replied nervously, unsure as to why Octavia was glaring at her.
"Bring me ALL of it,"
Not wanting to tick Octavia off, the waitress simply nodded her head and chose not to question the young lady's request.
"Y-yes, of course," she eventually said, making one final note before she turned and walked away.
Needless to say, it wasn't difficult for Mick to figure out what was going through Octavia's head. And frankly, he didn't blame her. If getting monumentally pissed was going to help her get through tonight, then whatever helps her cope was alright in his book. In fact, he may just end up joining her if push comes to shove. Either way, this was gonna be a LONG night.
Meanwhile, just outside the front doors of the hotel, Buzz and Johnny stood at attention. Now wearing a pair of uniforms that Buzz "borrowed" from the staff laundrette, the pair of them appeared to be waiting for something, though Johnny couldn't fathom what or who.
"What the fuck are we doing out here, Buzz!?" the Greaser snapped, his patience finally reaching its breaking point. "You do realize that date's already underway, right!? And why the hell are we even wearing this shit?"
"Oh, keep your pants on, will ya!?" Buzz retorted, "It's not my fault that everyone's running a little late."
"And that's another thing," Johnny continued. "You keep going on about this big plan of yours, and yet so far we've hardly seemed to have done jack except break into the office of a masochist and steal booze and uniforms from the bar! To be honest, I'm starting to think you don't actually HAVE a plan!"
BEEP! BEEP!
Suddenly the universe seemed to sound the call that proved Johnny wrong. Smirking in triumph, Buzz beamed as two large black limos pulled up in front of the hotel, each one built like an armoured truck and stamped with a demonic emblem on the hood.
"They're heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere," the diminutive Imp snickered, much to Johnny's unease.
"Buzz… what the fuck did you do?"
As soon as that question left Johnny's fanged mouth, the doors of both limos swung open, allowing a burst of smoke to be released and give the new arrivals their grand entrance.
"Oh, I simply sent an invitation to one of the most destructive forces in the entire Pride ring…" Buzz answered with pride. "The daughters of Duke Valefar!"
At that moment, about a dozen figures emerged from the smoke… and they were gorgeous. Ranging between the ages of 17 and their late twenties, the women stepping out of the limos were among the most beautiful Johnny had ever seen. At first, he believed them to be Succubi, however, despite their hourglass figures and their luscious legs, they lacked the wings and horns of normal Succubi and seemed to have some features replaced with cat-like body parts, such as ears, tails, and even eyes. In all honesty, it looked as though these women were all dressed up in kitty cosplay… and somehow that made them look even sexier!
And yet… something felt… off. Johnny couldn't put his finger on it, but despite how stunning they looked, there was just something about these women that sent a chill down the Snake Demon's spine. Almost as though he were watching a pack of predators waiting to gang up and devour whatever prey came their way. Of course, needless to say, it didn't help that they all seemed to be dressed up like they were ready to go to a rave. Some of them even seemed to already be drinking and smoking joints. And then… the eldest one sounded the charge.
"WOOOO!" she screamed. "Party Time!"
"Oh… Satan help us," Johnny uttered, now finally starting to get a small understanding of what Buzz was intending to do.
However, Johnny had yet to see the full picture. Following the twelve women, four more stepped out of one of the limos. This time, they were clearly full-blooded Succubi if looks were anything to go by, all of whom were just as lovely as the cat girls albeit a few years older. While one Succubi, a short lady wearing glasses and dressed in formal attire, grouped all the cat-girls to one side, another tall Succubi with long white hair carried out what appeared to be a baby in her arms, one who seemed to share the same feline features as the other arrivals.
However, it was the final two Succubi, a pair of identical black-haired twins, who brought out the biggest surprise as they helped out the final arrival amongst their group… A stout-looking Lion Demon wearing a red fur coat over a bare chest, with a lower half consisting of a pair of stumpy donkey hooves, a huge golden mane that practically flowed down his back like water and thick jaws that looked like they were 5 inches of solid bone per tooth. Had any member of Demon Royalty been there to witness this beast's arrival, they would have instantly turned to flee, for his reputation far exceeded him… for he was the master of all thieves and one of the most despised members of the Goetia family… Duke Valefar himself.
"Ah… the Triton," the robust Lion Demon chuckled, taking in a deep breath through his nose. "It looks as good as they say."
"I just don't understand how I could have made such an error," the Succubus in the glasses uttered. "I could have sworn that we never received any confirmation letter."
"Hey, hey, don't sweat it, babe," Valefar chuckled, giving the Succubus a gentle pat on the back. "We all make mistakes. Besides, it doesn't matter now. This is the perfect place for ALL my girls to unwind… and I do mean ALL my girls."
The moment the Succubus heard Valefar purr in her ear, she couldn't help but shudder in pleasure.
"Ooh, I love it when you do that," she sighed before straightening herself out and addressing the cat-girls. "Alright girls, why don't you all go on ahead while your mommies and daddy check us all in."
As soon as the Succubus said that, all the cat girls smiled in delight.
"Thanks, Mom!" they all said simultaneously before making their way towards the doors.
At that moment, Buzz put the next phase of his plan into action.
"Showtime!" he giggled, suddenly disappearing behind one of the pillars before reappearing with a small cart covered in filled shot glasses. "Complimentary drinks, ladies?"
As soon as they heard the tiny Imp address them, all of Valefar's daughters beamed at the luminescent cocktail laid out before them. Since Buzz and Johnny were wearing a pair of staff uniforms, none of them even bothered to ask questions when they all took a shot glass each and clicked them together.
"Cheers!" they cried, all of them downing the green liquid in one gulp.
As soon as they were finished, Buzz once again grinned before elbowing Johnny in his leg
"Right!" he whispered. "Onto Phase 3!"
About half an hour into the double date and it was far more than enough for Octavia to reconsider Mick's suggestion to jump off the roof. While all four of them were halfway through eating their dinner, the Goetia Princess had already gone through half a bottle of absinthe and somehow she still wasn't tipsy enough to tolerate everything that was happening around her. While Googoo continued to latch onto Mick's arm like a koala, Cray just couldn't seem to stop talking about HIMSELF! If she had to hear one more golf course story, she was going to break off one of the table legs and beat him to death with it!
"…so then I fired his scrawny ass and sent him flying with my five-iron!" the Leopard Demon chuckled, though no one else seemed to be laughing along with him.
"Hilarious," Octavia replied with a deadpan expression, her mind starting to wish she was drinking bourbon instead.
"Yes, your stories do have a certain… theme about them, don't they?" Mick added, feeling just as annoyed, perhaps even more so considering that half of them involved the degradation of Sinners and lower Hellborns.
Even Linda was getting fed up with this date, and she wasn't even ON it! If it wasn't for the fact that she couldn't bear to leave her friends alone with these monsters, she would have tried to find an excuse to leave ages ago. Alas, all she could do was stand where she was and keep her mouth shut.
"Yes, yes, they were some fascinating stories," Googoo spoke up, the sarcasm in her voice being just as clear as water. "But come on, there are FAR more important things you can be talking about… like me!"
Hearing the Mouse Demon giggle at her own joke, Octavia couldn't help but groan as she downed yet another glass of absinthe. All things considered, neither she nor Mick could tell which one of them had the worst end of the stick regarding their respective dates. Between Cray's pompous narcissism and Googoo's overall bitchiness, it was like the pair of them were having a contest to see who was the most horrible.
TAP! TAP!
Suddenly a tapping of a microphone drew everyone's attention to the island stage. There, a new band appeared to have set up… however, the Demon holding the guitar didn't look very enthusiastic… If anything he and his band looked terrified.
"Uh… good evening and hello," he said into the microphone with a nervous chuckle. "Okay, I realize that many of you tonight are expecting to hear a great show and all… however, due to the absence of our lead singer, I'm sorry to say that tonight's scheduled performance… can NOT take place tonight."
This announcement, of course, was instantly met with the sounds of booing and jeering from almost everyone else on the roof… however, the worst reaction of all had to have been from Googoo.
"What did he just SAY?" she growled, her left eye twitching in anger as she began to bend her fork with her thumb.
Now Mick understood why the band looked so scared. Unfortunately, they must have spotted Googoo in the audience due to all of the ghastly pink she wore. And given what the Mouse Demon was known to do when she was upset, it was surprising that the band didn't already take off running… Then again, if Mick didn't take care of the situation right now, they just might end up needing to do so anyway.
"N-now, Googoo, let's just calm down," the Cat Demon said, blocking her view so that the Goetia's attention was solely on him. "I know it's disappointing but-"
"I was promised dinner and a show!" Googoo snapped, clearly not listening to whatever Mick had to say. "I. want. my. SHOW!"
It was a valiant effort, neither Linda nor Octavia could fault Mick at all for it, but alas, there was no stopping Googoo now. Much to everyone's horror, the Mouse Demon opened up her purse and brought out a familiar-looking bell.
DINGALING!
"Bruuuuuuuuuuce!" she screamed.
And just like that, the calm atmosphere was instantly replaced by a state of absolute panic when the entire roof began to shake. In fact, everyone was so scared that a small chunk of the diners quickly finished eating and hurried over to the elevator before it was too late. After all, while no one knew how Bruce was going to make his appearance, that giant Hellhound ALWAYS finds a way to do so.
His eyes shrinking in fear, Mick desperately tried to rack his brain for a solution. Even if whatever happens now has nothing to do with him, he knew Stella wasn't going to hesitate to blame him after she hears about it. Besides… his conscience wouldn't allow him to leave those poor Demons to their undeserved fate even if he wanted to.
"N-now G-Googoo," he said, trying to keep his cool despite trembling along with the building. "Th-there's no need for that! How about, uh… how about I go up and play a song, huh?!"
…
"Huh!?"
Suddenly the moment of instant confusion among those at the table was interrupted when Bruce's giant hand suddenly popped out from over the edge of the roof and clawed into the concrete. Mere moments later, the rest of his humongous body climbed up and the giant Hellhound was present for all to see.
"Yeeeeeees Miss Goo-" he began, only to suddenly be cut off when Googoo snapped up her hand to silence him.
"Just a second, Bruce," she said, earning herself a small grunt in response before she turned back to the Cat Demon in front of her. "Micky-poo, you can sing?"
"I… have done so from time to time," he replied honestly. "I'm surprised you didn't know that from one of my videos."
Octavia couldn't help but smile at that. Of all the Crazy Cat videos there were on Voxtube, the one where he was singing at the piano would always be a favourite of hers. Googoo, however, wasn't quite as impressed.
"To be honest, I always thought that one was dubbed over," she casually said, giving Mick cause to huff. "But you can really sing, huh? Interesting… what do you think, Bruce?"
At first, Mick feared that he had made a terrible mistake in saying anything at all. However, after a moment of uncomfortable silence… Bruce nodded in acknowledgement.
"Excellent!" Googoo giggled. "My Micky-poo is gonna sing for us!"
Once again it took all of her willpower for Octavia to refrain from mauling the little Rat right where she sat. HER Micky!? That Cat isn't yours, bitch! Linda on the other hand, was a little too in shock at the moment to even care about the current conversation. Peering up at Bruce, she couldn't stop herself from shaking.
"D-did he seriously just climb the fucking building!?" she squeaked out, her mind still reeling over how such a large beast could make it up onto the roof.
However, little did she realize, her nerves were about to take an even bigger shock.
"Ooh, this is so exciting!" Googoo continued, before turning her head up towards her giant Hellhound. "Bruce, be a dear and stand behind Octavia's servant, will you? I want to get a good view of this."
It was only then that Linda finally got caught up in the Mouse Demon's words, causing her eyes to shrink in terror.
"W-What!?" she squeaked.
Before she even realized what was going on, the gigantic Hellhound did as he was told and stepped behind Linda, causing her to look up in terror as his large shadow literally shrouded her in darkness.
"Uh… h-hi?" she forced out, trying desperately not to cry as she gave the Hellhound a little wave.
…
"EEP!"
Suddenly, faster than she could blink Bruce picked Linda up by the back of her dress with only two fingers and lifted her to his face. Looking into the giant beast's dead red eyes, Linda immediately began shaking like a leaf, believing she would actually wet herself at any given moment.
"Hey, put her down!" Octavia snapped, angrily rising from her seat and staring in horror at the sight of her friend being handled in such a way.
However, Bruce only seemed to be obedient to Googoo alone and simply ignored the Owl Demon's demand. Instead, the giant Hellhound let out a puff of air and, much to everyone's confusion, placed Linda upon his shoulder, giving her a good view of the band before patting her head with a single finger like she was his pet mouse. Seeing that nothing else seemed to be happening, Linda's fear dimmed just a little, adding a hint of bafflement to her current pot of emotions.
"Um… thank you?" she said awkwardly, having no clue how else to respond to such an act, especially when the Hellhound only gave a small grunt in response.
Needless to say, Linda's friends shared her current feelings on the situation. As confusing as it was to see Bruce acting so… gentle, neither of them wanted to say or do anything that could set Bruce off and cause him to see Linda as a chew toy.
"Are you okay up there, Liddy?" Mick suddenly asked, voicing what both he and Octavia were thinking.
"Y-yeah, I'm okay," the Imp replied, her soft little voice barely reaching the Cat Demon's ears from so high up. "Don't worry about me."
Given how much Linda's voice seemed to be shaking, Mick and Octavia could both tell that she was just trying to sound brave despite how terrified she was. Regardless, it was clear that nothing else can be done now without causing a scene. Left with no other option, Mick could only turn around and make his way over to the band. Just before, he left the table, however, Octavia suddenly grabbed his wrist and whispered into his ear.
"Mick, what are you doing!?" she all but demanded, clearly not liking the situation one bit.
"Stopping a massacre before it starts," Mick replied in the same hushed tone. "Don't worry, I'll be right back."
With that final word, Mick then proceeded to make his way over to the island where the band was set up. Crossing the small bridge over the water, he was quickly met with confused glares.
"What do you want?" the guitar player inquired, his frightened tone indicating that he was NOT in the mood for any more surprises tonight.
"No need for hostilities, I'm the one bailing you out of this mess," Mick said bluntly, confusing the band even more before turning to the pretty Imp sitting at the piano. "Trust me when I say this. If you want to survive, I suggest you take the rest of the night off."
Hearing the Cat Demon whisper those words into her ear and taking a good look at Bruce, the piano player swallowed a fearful gulp.
"You don't gotta tell me twice, hun," she uttered, instantly running off towards the elevator, leaving her seat at the piano vacant.
The rest of the band, however, remained both confused and agitated.
"What the fuck, dude!?" the guitar player snapped, making sure he didn't accidentally shout into the mic.
"Just tell everyone the show's back on and follow my lead," Mick retorted firmly, taking his seat at the piano. "Trust me, okay?"
Seeing that the only other option was to suffer at the paws of the humongous Hellhound watching them, the rest of the band had no choice but to comply. At that moment, the guitar player once again addressed the guests.
"Uh… good news, ladies and gentlemen," he said awkwardly. "Tonight's performance is back on, with… alternative arrangements!"
Feeling just as unsure of the whole situation as the band was, all the crowd could do was awkwardly clap in a pathetic round of applause. Witnessing everything from where they were sitting, Octavia's breath halted in her throat while Linda fearfully buried her face in her hands. Meanwhile, Googoo couldn't help but giggle in anticipation. This was it. No turning back now.
"Right…" Mick sighed to himself, hovering his fingers over the keys as soon as he saw the guitar player nod his head. "Fingers, don't fail me now…"
As soon as he hit the first key, Mick's voice carried over the crowd like a wave of water.
Mick:
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII remember when I was young,
Me and Mom had so much fun,
Laughing hard while watching stars,
Giving douchebags trouble whenever they are,
Though the audience was silent when Mick started playing, it wasn't long before many of them began getting into the energy when the music picked up. In fact, many of them, Octavia included, couldn't help but clap along to the tune.
Mick:
But the biggest thrill I ever got,
Was doing a thing called the Crocodile Rock,
While the other kids were playing around the dock,
We were jumping in the river after big ol' Crocs,
Well, Crocodile Rocking is something shocking,
When Agares just can't keep still,
I'm always catching them every time,
And I guess I always will,
At this point, even the band was starting to enjoy themselves, so much so that the smiles on their faces continued to grow as they played along with Mick's piano symphony.
Mick:
Oh, lawdy Mama! It's Friday night!
Just grab a Croc and hold on tight,
Hope them ol boys can give us a good fiiiiiiiiiiiiight,
By the time the chorus rang over the crowd, EVERYONE couldn't help but sing along.
All:
Laaaaaaaaaaaaa, la-la-la-la-laa!
La-la-la-la-laa!
La-la-la-la-laa!
Laaaaaaaaaaaaa, la-la-la-la-laa!
La-la-la-la-laa!
La-la-la-la-laa!
From their table, Googoo was soon clapping while giggling in delight. Whatever hostility she had against the band was now LONG gone. Even Cray was tapping his clawed finger against the table in sync with the music. Meanwhile, up on Bruce's shoulder, Linda was so enchanted by the tune that had almost forgotten where she was when she started waving her arms in the air and singing along with everyone else.
"La-la-la-laaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
Then Linda spotted something that made her jaw drop in shock. While Bruce's face normally was completely stoic, almost devoid of life even, if the little Imp didn't know any better, she could have sworn she saw a smile creep across the Hellhound's muzzle, albeit just a tiny one. Not only that but when Linda tilted her head down, she was further surprised to see Bruce's giant foot subtly tapping to the beat. Did Bruce… like music? Huh… guess when they say that music soothes the savage beast, they aren't joking around.
As for Octavia, while she too was entranced by Mick's song, to her it was far more inspiring than it had been for the others. She couldn't really explain it, but there was just something about the energy flowing through every word that came out of Mick's mouth that made her feel… exhilarated, almost as if his song was giving her joy where there was once nothing but misery. At that moment, everyone and everything else seemed to disappear around her, the only thing she could see… the only thing that mattered… was Mick.
Back downstairs, a powder keg was about to go off and Buzz was the one holding the match.
"Complimentary drink?"
For the last 10 minutes, those two words had been escaping the tiny Imp's mouth on a continuous loop as he passed by random Demons with a tray of the same concoction he served to Valefar's daughters. And unfortunately, Johnny was dragged along for the ride. They gave the drink to the guests in the lobby, and bystanders in the halls, Buzz even poured a little into the fountains so the Elementals could have a taste. Soon enough the whole stockpile was emptied, and all they had to do now was sit down by the pool and wait for the magic to happen.
"Hey, um, what's in that stuff anyway?" Johnny eventually asked, finally voicing the fear he had been having ever since Valefar arrived.
At those words, Buzz couldn't help but snicker as he lounged back into one of the sunbeds.
"Oh, it's a cocktail of my own design," he stated proudly. "A mixture of roughly a gallon of absinthe, some Redbull, a pinch of catnip, and the most important ingredient… Valentino throat lozenges."
"Huh?" Johnny uttered, raising a confused eyebrow at that last one.
"Methamphetamines," Buzz clarified.
…
"WHAT!?"
THAT was Buzz's plan!? Get one of the most destructive families in Hell and put them on METH!? Not only that, but they basically drugged about half the guests on the first floor!
"You fucking lunatic!" Johnny snapped, grabbing Buzz by the front of the shirt and lifting him off the ground. "Do you realize what you have done!? You just threw a truck full of gasoline over a forest fire!"
"Oh relax, will you!" Buzz retorted. "I made sure the stuff was tested first."
Flashback - 3 weeks ago:
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"
Watching Prince Stolas swing from the chandelier in a loin cloth like he was lord of the apes, Buzz scratched his chin as he swished around the Prince's empty wine glass
"Hmm, needs more catnip, I think," he commented.
"And the guy never suffered any side effects… I think,"
Seeing Buzz's lack of remorse for his actions, Johnny truly felt like he was about to have a stroke from all the stress. However, the Imp's state of mind was the least of his concerns right now.
SMASH!
"Come on!" they both heard from inside. "Where are all the men!?"
Hearing the mating call from Valefar's eldest, Buzz's grin returned as he leapt from Johnny's grip, and dusted his hands off.
"Ah… now it REALLY begins," he declared, smiling triumphantly even as Johnny looked down at him in horror.
…
"He's going to kill us all."
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
The Featured Song: A Parody of "Crocodile Rock" - Sung by Elton John