"So boring!"
That was about the only words Mick could use to describe the last three days. Ever since his suspension, he had little much to do other than just sitting around and trying to find something to occupy his time. He tried watching videos on his Hellphone, playing solitaire by himself, and even sketched a few new pictures just to kill the boredom… of course, that last one did result in Jewel trying to get him to draw her nude. Still, trauma-inducing antics aside, Mick felt he was going to go mad down here in the Servant's Quarters. Granted, he could have taken a risk and just gone out, but given how pissed Stella looked lately, the Cat Demon chose to remain hidden if only for the sake of his own survival.
Now here he was, sitting alone in the kitchen before the very crack of dawn, trying to drown his boredom with a large stack of sausages and fried eggs that he cooked for himself, wondering just how he was going to make it through the rest of the week without going completely insane. In all honesty, the only time he felt remotely happy being cooped up like this was when Octavia had the opportunity to video-chat with him or when Snowflake managed to sneak down there to see him. But even then, that could only happen during certain points of the day due to Stella and Reginald keeping a close eye on the pair of them since the event with Seth took place. So, of course, Mick remained completely bored out of his mind. Luckily, a little bit of excitement managed to occur when all of a sudden, a familiar gruff sounding voice entered the room.
"By Davy Jones locker, lad!" the Chef exclaimed, practically jumping out of his shell when he spotted Mick sitting alone in the dimly-lit kitchen. "You're up early."
"Oh, hey Chef," Mick greeted back, taking a small swig of blood-orange juice. "Sorry about that. But despite being suspended, Buzz, on the other hand, is NOT. Therefore our room's alarm hasn't been disconnected for convenience."
The Chef's facial expression may not have changed after hearing that, but nonetheless, he seemed to nod with understanding.
"I see," he muttered, eventually walking over to the large fridge to grab the ingredients he needed for the morning. "Sorry to hear that, lad."
"Cheers," Mick replied sarcastically. "Thankfully, today just happens to be one of the rare occasions where I end up waking up BEFORE said alarm goes off. So at least I can spare myself the headache for the next hour or so anyway."
"Aye, I hear ye," the Chef muttered, clearly paying more attention to taking inventory than the conversation given his indifference to it. "Well, don't loiter around too long, I do have my morning duties, even if you don't."
Needless to say, Mick didn't appreciate the Turtle Demon's choice of humour.
"No need to rub it in," he grumbled, finishing off his plate before replacing his mouthpiece and carrying everything over to the nearest sink.
On most days, everyone on staff who lived in the Servant's Quarters had to follow a strict housekeeping routine to keep things fair. While the Chef was primarily the one who did all the cooking for the staff meals, the other members of staff had to take turns in assisting him or cleaning up all the dishes after everyone was finished eating, the order of which always predetermined the previous week. For those who had the day off, or in Mick's case, suspended, it was every Demon to fend for themselves. Meaning that for the past few days Mick had to do all his own cooking and cleaning while all the other staff members followed their usual schedule. Not that the Cat Demon had anything to complain about, of course. After all, it was only fair, plus this way he got to eat anything he wanted… within reason.
Just as he was finishing up the last of his cleaning up. All of a sudden, Mick's ears perked up at the faint sound coming from the nearby door.
KNOCK! KNOCK!
As soon as he heard that, Mick immediately jumped in shock! Did Stella finally grow bored with waiting and was now trying to lure him out so she can… wait, NO! Don't be so ridiculous! Stella may have hated Mick's guts but she still wouldn't stoop herself to actually coming down to the Servant's level of the house… she was WAY too snobby for that.
Feeling pretty stupid after getting such paranoia get to him so easily, Mick shook his head in frustration and tried to regain his composure as he made his way over to the door. Placing his hand on the handle and cracking the door open, the Cat Demon tried putting on his most polite voice as he addressed who was on the other side.
"Yes?" he said softly… only to raise an eyebrow when he saw that there was literally no one to greet.
Opening the door fully, Mick cautiously stepped outside and took a look around. Sure enough, there was nothing else to be seen other than the steps leading up to the parking area just above. Believing whoever knocked must have decided to wait at the top of the stairs, the Cat Demon slowly began his ascent… however that also proved to be for nought since no one was waiting for him up here either.
"What the fuck?" he muttered, scratching his head in confusion, wondering whether he had simply imagined hearing the knock due to being so bored.
However, just as he was turning around to head back inside, a surprisingly interesting sight suddenly caught his eye. There, sitting at the very top corner of the stairs, was a large, square cardboard box around the size of a suitcase, one which seemingly had the Goetias' home address stamped on the side of it in bright red ink. Needless to say, Mick was both surprised and confused after seeing it.
"Hey Chef!" he called out, not even bothering to go back down the stairs.
"What do you want!?" the Chef called back up, the agitation in his voice making it perfectly clear how little he appreciated being interrupted while he was in the middle of prepping.
"Were you expecting a delivery today?"
There was a slight pause before the Chef gave his answer to that one.
"No," he eventually replied, his voice riddled with confusion. "Why do you ask?"
"Well, someone left a box up here… a large one," Mick answered, eyeing said box with a deep amount of suspicion.
This answer, thankfully, was enough to have the Chef stop what he was doing for the moment and scurry up the stairs to see what the Cat Demon was talking about. As soon as he saw the box, he too scratched his head.
"What in blazes?" he muttered, leaning in close to take a closer look at the address stamped on the side. "It's this address alright… problem is I never made a food order this week."
"Could it have been someone else?" Mick asked curiously, receiving a shake of the Chef's head in response.
"Impossible, I'm the only one who knows what to get," he explained. "And I know this isn't for one of the Goetias because it would have been delivered to the front of the house."
Mick couldn't help but groan at that.
"Well, what are we going to do with it then?" he asked anxiously, not liking the situation more and more by the minute.
"Well, the first thing is to find out what's inside it," the Chef answered, rolling his eyes as he picked up the box and gave it a small shake. "It's obviously something very light, can't seem to pick up much weight in-"
"EEP!"
The instant they heard that muffled sound coming from inside the box, both Mick and the Chef's faces instantly froze in absolute shock.
"Uh… you heard that too, right?" Mick asked nervously, earning himself a small nod from the Chef. "Is there something… alive in there?"
At first, the Chef didn't give a verbal answer, instead, he chose to slowly lower the box back to the ground and take a small step back. Then, cautiously reached out and gave the box a small tap with one of his large fingers.
TAP! TAP!
THUMP! THUMP!
As the two Sinners had feared, something alive WAS inside it, and it was smart enough to make clear responses to the Chef's investigation. However, Mick remained uncertain.
"Hang on a sec," he muttered, cautiously reaching out towards the box with the end of his tail and following the Chef's example.
TAP! TA-TA! TAP! TAP!
THUMP! THUMP!
Oh, whatever was in there was smart alright, they'd have to be in order to know how to respond to the old "Shave And A Haircut" trick. Their curiosity now piqued, both Mick and the Chef gave each other a knowing nod, the both of them sharing the same thought… whatever was in the box, it was now time for them to come out.
At first, Mick was about to take out his multi-tool and cut the box open with the new blade he had attached to it, however, after thinking it over for a minute, he realized that may have been overkill for this scenario. After all, he didn't want to scare what was in the box by stabbing a knife near their head. With that in mind, he eventually chose to unsheathe one of the claws at the tip of his finger and gently run it over the tape at the top of the box. With the top flap now free from its binding, the Chef took the next step and cautiously lifted the flap before reaching inside the box… only to instantly recoil his hand a second later.
"GAH!" he yelped, instinctively putting his finger in his mouth in pain.
"What!?" Mick exclaimed. "What is it!?"
"The wee bugger bit me!" the Chef snapped, taking his injured finger out of his mouth and blowing on it.
Now Mick was both nervous AND intrigued. Whatever was in this box did NOT want to come out… and of course, that only made the Cat Demon wonder what was inside even more. Before he could try his own luck with it, however, something suddenly poked out from the flaps of the box… a tail. A long, red, spiked tail that clearly belonged to an Imp. What's more, the tail appeared to be holding a rolled-up piece of paper and offering it up to the Demons outside the box.
With curiosity overwhelming his unease, Mick accepted the paper as the tail offered it before said tail suddenly shot back inside the box like a bullet. With a curious eyebrow raised, Mick then unrolled the paper and looked over the message written in it along with Chef, who read the same message over the Cat Demon's shoulder.
Dear Prince Stolas
Please accept this token of apology for my son's actions. While my wife has been in an uproar since the event, I, however, bear no ill will against you or the servant who originally dealt with my son.
Therefore I have sent you one of my finest servants. She is a little on the shy side but she is nonetheless one of our hardest workers. Her wages have already been paid for the next three months so all you have to do in the meantime is house her with your other staff. She has experience in almost all departments, as such, you may do with her as you please EXCEPT send her back.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to phone me.
Sincerely, Count Ipos Ayperos.
As soon as they both finished reading the message, both Sinners were completely flabbergasted.
"Is this guy fucking serious?" Mick exclaimed, feeling more appalled than anything else.
"It would seem so, lad," the Chef replied, letting out a heavy sigh. "We're gonna have to inform the Prince about this."
However, letting Stolas know what's going on was the least of Mick's concerns. Did Ipos seriously think that dumping one of his own servants on another Demon's doorstep was remotely okay!? Granted, he may have known about the rankings of all the Demons down here, but even so, one can't just ship someone off to Lucifer knows where like they were just an object in their possession!
All that aside, Mick also couldn't help but feel horrible for the poor Imp inside the box, not just because she was shipped here like an Amazon Package as an "apology", but also because HE was the one who caused her to be here in the first place. He didn't regret his actions, obviously, after all, his friend was in trouble and the bastard hurting her had it coming for ages. But even so, the consequences for what he did was now coming back to bite him in a way he would NEVER come to expect.
"Hey guys, whatcha doooooin?"
Suddenly, Mick found himself once again jumping in fright when a certain roommate of his popped his face from out of nowhere, seemingly curious as to why the two resident Sinners were standing around outside.
"GAH!" the Cat Demon yelped, clutching his hand over his head. "Fuck, Buzz! How many times have I told you not to sneak up like that!?"
"Uh… twelve, I think," Buzz answered, genuinely trying to think about it as if it were a legitimate question. "So what's in the box?"
Rolling his eyes at the Imp's question, Mick couldn't help but feel amazed at how easily Buzz was able to brush off other Demons' concerns as if they had no effect on him whatsoever. Still, his question was an understanding one.
"Our newest coworker, apparently," Mick eventually answered with a heavy sigh, having a strong gut feeling that the arrival of this box was only the start of all the shit about to occur today.
"Huh…" Buzz uttered, raising an eyebrow. "Neat."
Before long, news of the new arrival spread to every member of staff in the Goetia household. As soon as the word got out, everyone was curious about what the new arrival would be like. Would they be a hard worker? A lazy worker? A maniac like Buzz? A deviant like Jewel? The possibilities were endless. Needless to say, as soon as everyone finished eating breakfast, they couldn't wait to meet the newest member of their team. Unfortunately…
"She won't come out of the box?"
Despite Jewel being the one to voice it, just about everyone had the exact same reaction when they heard the explanation from the Chef's mouth.
"Aye," he said with a nod of his head. "Won't say anything either, she just… sits in there."
Mick couldn't help but roll his eyes at that. Of course, the Chef wanted to save face by conveniently forgetting to mention the numerous attempts to pull the new Imp out of the box, all of which resulted in a bitten hand, before he eventually decided to take the whole box and dump it in the middle of the kitchen floor for the rest of the staff to see.
"And this box was sent by Count Ipos you say?" Reginald, or rather Pringles inquired, raising an eyebrow.
"According to this message, it would appear so," Mick explained, handing the Butler the piece of paper he had read earlier.
Giving the message a quick glance, the Butler scratched his chin in thought.
"I see…" he sighed. "Well, I'm sorry to say that this raises quite the conundrum."
"What do you mean, Reg?" Jewel asked, sharing everyone's curiosity at that remark.
"I mean that despite the Count's intentions, we simply cannot take on any more staff," Pringles elaborated, much to Mick's further confusion.
"And why not?" he asked.
The Butler couldn't help but let out an irritated sigh at that,
"Well, we've already filled the spots that were available," he further elaborated. "Plus, we have no idea of this girl's capabilities."
"Did the message not say that Ipos voices his confidence in her capabilities?" the Chef pointed out.
"He may have only been exaggerating to pawn her off here so he could clear what counts as his conscience," Pringles retorted, his monotone voice gaining the smallest surge of irritation. "No, no, I'm afraid we cannot keep her here. She will have to leave at once."
The moment the Butler said those particular words, Mick was instantly appalled. How could he just dismiss this poor girl so easily!? He may not have been able to see her face at present, but he was sure the Imp in the box was frightened out of her mind at the idea of being jobless as soon as she heard him. In fact, just imagining such a thing was enough to make his stomach turn, so much so that he suddenly started having flashbacks to when HE first started working here… and of the harsh reality of being unemployed beforehand. No! He won't just let it end like this. Granted, this may have been Hell and as such, this sort of thing was a common occurrence, but still, he refused to let someone get chucked out without being given a chance… not as long as he could help it.
"We can't just throw her out!" he protested, much to everyone's surprise. "That's not fair!"
The Chef couldn't help but smirk at that, if there was one thing he appreciated, it was seeing a bit of backbone. Pringles, on the other hand, wasn't impressed in the slightest.
"Believe me, I sympathize," he replied with a heavy sigh. "But we simply cannot-"
"The Cat's right, Reg," Buzz butted in, much to Mick's appreciation and everyone else's intrigue. "Besides I think it would be a little insulting to the Count if we dismissed his precious gift without even testing it out, don't you?"
Seeing the smug grin on the deranged Gardener's face, the Butler immediately felt his left eye twitch with irritation. Needless to say, he didn't appreciate being talked back to like this. Especially from Buzz of all Imps. To make matters worse, every other member of staff seemed to be jumping on the bandwagon.
"Aye, were you not saying just a few days ago how lucky we were to avoid repercussions for the incident with Seth?" The Chef pointed out, much to Pringles's further irritation. "Surely you must realize that getting rid of the girl without giving her a chance would likely bring about those repercussions?"
"I know I wouldn't wanna drive up to his house to give him the bad news," Jessie added, with Jewel nodding her head in agreement.
Seeing that he was immediately outvoted in this decision, the Butler eventually sighed in defeat before trying to rack his brain for another solution to this conundrum… suddenly, a small smirk appeared on his face as the gears in his head turned at full speed.
"Very well then," he said." In that case, YOU shall be in charge of her, Michael."
…
"Huh?"
Needless to say, this declaration immediately took everyone by surprise, none more so than Mick himself. Of all things Pringles could have suggested, this was by far the least Mick could have expected.
"Since you're the primary reason she's here at all and you're so willing to come to her defence, then it only makes sense that you should be the one to make sure she fits in here," the Imp elaborated. "I'll be sure to inform the family of this development, of course, and you'll have the rest of the day to familiarize her with the house. But starting tomorrow, whatever happens, she shall be YOUR responsibility."
Mick just couldn't believe what he was hearing. Did the Butler really believe that he was fit to be in charge of another employee!? Even when he was alive, he always tried to avoid such a task. Just what was the Imp's game here!?
"But I'm suspended for another four days," the Cat Demon pointed out, fearing that this may very well be a violation of the contract he signed.
"True," Pringles admitted with an indifferent shrug. "But then again this doesn't fall under any of your normal duties… does it?"
Mick could only let out his own defeated sigh at that.
"Technically no," he admitted.
As much as he hated that this fact was being used against him, the contract DID say that he only couldn't do his normal duties for the week… which meant that any other kind of work was still technically doable. Give this Imp credit, he can be crafty when he wants to be.
"Then it's settled," he replied with a nod. "Until she adjusts, she shall be under your care, Michael."
Looking around the other staff members, Pringles couldn't help but smile in satisfaction upon seeing the bandwagon take a different turn.
"It makes sense," Jewel admitted with a light shrug. "I mean you haven't been fully assigned to a single department yet, so who better to show her the ropes?"
"She'd basically be getting the full tour with you, man," Jessie added, the Chef nodding in agreement.
Mick, however, just gave them both a deadpan look.
"Yeah, why am I still not in a specific department again?" he asked, only to have his question completely brushed off.
"I wouldn't worry about it too much, luv," Jessie replied with an indifferent shrug.
"I kinda feel like I should!"
"Ahem!"
Snapping their attention back to the Butler as he cleared his throat, everyone ceased their chatter immediately. Meanwhile, Mick felt a small shudder of dread wash over him once Pringles began speaking again.
"Now then, with this matter taken care of, I see no further reason to discuss it any further," he said. "While the rest of us resume normal duties, YOU, Michael, shall take care of the new arrival however you see fit. Your first task will be, of course, getting her out of the box. Can you handle that?"
"Do I have a choice?" Mick asked bluntly in response, only to be once again brushed off.
"Excellent," Pringles stated, straightening himself out before heading towards the door. "I shall inform the Goetias at once. Do make sure she doesn't cause too much trouble, will you?"
NOW Mick was starting to see what was going on. This didn't have anything to do with responsibility or consequences, this was Pringles's subtle revenge for finding out his real name! He couldn't prove it, but the Cat Demon could have sworn he heard a slight hint of smugness in the Imp's tone when he said that last sentence. It was like he was basically saying that if the newcomer screws up then MICK will get into shit for it… Crafty little bastard.
"Well, I suppose that is that then," the Chef commented with a small shrug. "Come on, we'd better step to it."
At those words every other member of staff began to disperse, each of them heading off to begin their duties for the day. Though some of them not leaving without giving their condolences to the bamboozled Cat Demon.
"Good luck, buddy," Buzz said with a small grin before immediately scurrying off.
"Yeah, you're gonna need it," Jessie added, lighting up a cigarette before heading towards the door.
"But I-"
Alas, before Mick could say another word, everyone else had already gone, leaving him standing in the kitchen with the box at his feet. After a few moments of baffled silence, he crossed his arms with a small huff and looked down at the box with a look that screamed annoyance.
"Well… I hope YOU'RE happy,"
If there was one word Mick would use to describe this newcomer, it would be STUBBORN! No matter what he tried, she continued to stay in the box without any concern for anything else. He tried pulling her out, shaking her out, even ripping the top off, but before he even came close to success, the Imp inside always found a way to halt his efforts. By the end of the second hour, Mick's hands were sore and riddled with teeth marks that could rival a German Shepherd's.
Before long, Mick found himself slumped over one of the kitchen counters with a look of defeat riddled all over his mask, and a mug filled with strong tea in his bandaged hand. Letting out an irritated groan, he gave the box still sitting on the floor next to him a hard glare.
"This isn't exactly a picnic for ME either, you know!" he complained, staring at the now beaten-up cube of cardboard like it was a disobedient puppy.
As if his utter failure to complete his task wasn't bad enough, the Cat Demon could have sworn that he heard the Chef chuckling at him in the background, thus pouring even more salt in the wound. Suddenly, he was snapped out of his huff by a loud vibration coming from his pocket.
"Hmm?" he uttered, quickly reaching for his Hellphone with damaged fingers before his eyes suddenly widened at the sight of the caller ID.
Quickly resting the phone against a nearby blender, the Cat Demon smiled in delight under his mask as soon as he answered the video chat, seeing none other than Octavia on the screen.
"Hi Mick," The Goetia Princess greeted, giving the Cat Demon a small wave.
"Hey, Octi!" Mick replied, waving back at her in surprise as he recognised the Goetia Demon's bedroom in the background. "You're home early."
At those words, the Goetia Princess immediately rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, some twat set a fire to the chemistry lab," she explained, much to Mick's further surprise and intrigue. "The whole building had to be evacuated because of the fumes."
"Oh, how terrible," Mick replied sarcastically, dramatically putting on a traumatic act, much to Octavia's delight as she let out a small laugh.
Obviously, Mick knew how little Octavia cared for her school, after all, she said so herself in one of their many conversations over the last few weeks. Hell, he wouldn't be surprised if the Goetia wished that the whole building would burn to the fucking ground. Either way, it was both a relief and delight to see her right now. Hell knows how much he needed something nice to take his mind off the morning he had.
Needless to say, Octavia felt the same way as soon as she saw Mick on her phone. The very instant she walked into her bedroom, the first thing she did was dump her bag in the corner, give Snowflake a small scratch behind the ear as soon as she woke up in her little basket, and set up her phone for a small video chat, hoping Mick would be able to answer without any problems. Luckily for her, that turned out to be the case.
"So, is it true?" the Owl Demon asked. "There's a new Imp on staff?"
As abrupt as that topic selection was, Octavia couldn't help but ask after overhearing her parents argue about it on the way in. As soon as Reginald informed Stolas and Stella of the matter, both of them were immediately at each other's throats about what they should do in response, with Stella opting to throw the Imp out immediately while Stolas tried to find a more reasonable solution. As much as she hated the fighting, the topic of said fight did pique Octavia's interest, thus she couldn't help but ask the one person she knew who could give her a straight answer to her question.
"Well, there IS a new Imp here," Mick clarified. "Whether or not she's a member of staff depends entirely on your parents though. Either way, I can't say I'm having much luck with her myself."
Octavia couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at that.
"What do you mean by that?" she asked.
After that, Mick proceeded to explain everything that had happened from the moment he discovered the box and what he and the other staff members found out about it afterwards. Throughout the explanation, Octavia remained silent aside from the occasional small question for clarification on certain details. By the time the Cat Demon was done, she eventually found herself just as baffled as he was.
"So… she really won't come out?" she asked, making sure she was 100% sure on that specific detail.
"Nope," Mick replied, with a shake of his head.
"And she was just dumped here as an apology for what Seth did?" Octavia further enquired, once again making sure she got all the details straight.
"That's what the letter says," Mick sighed, scratching the back of his head with irritation.
Needless to say, as soon as she learned that, Octavia was just as appalled as Mick was, even more so, probably, all things considered.
"Wow… just wow," she uttered, having no other words to say.
"I know, right?" Mick replied with an exasperated tone. "I mean Reginald said that Count Ipos was understanding of the situation with Seth, but this is just insane!"
Once again, Octavia couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
"Understanding?" she repeated. "Is that how he put it?"
Now it was Mick's turn to raise an eyebrow.
"How would YOU put it?" he asked, receiving an awkward frown in response as the Goetia Princess thought back to the event in question.
"Well…"
Flashback - Three Days Ago:
"You dared to raise your fucking hand to a lady!?"
"No, Daddy! NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Those were the last words Stolas would hear Count Ipos and his son say before the loud snapping of a belt followed by Seth's whimpering screams rang through the receiver of his telephone. Awkwardly staring wide-eyed at the phone, all the Goetia Prince could do was slowly place the receiver back down and hang up. And so ended Stolas's explanation to Count Ipos.
"After that, we never heard back from him," Octavia concluded, giving Mick a small shrug. "I guess we assumed that would be the end of it."
"Evidently not," Mick retorted. "What's more, of all the Imps he could have sent over, he had to give us the fucking recluse in a box who's also a notorious biter!"
Hearing that, Octavia couldn't help but shake her head in disapproval at Mick's choice of words.
"Don't you think that's a little harsh?" she asked, causing Mick to let out a small sigh.
"Yeah, you're right, sorry," he said, feeling a small migraine coming on. "I'm just a little frustrated at the moment, that's all. It's not the poor girl's fault is it?"
"Exactly," Octavia stated, nodding her head in agreement. "I mean think about it. The poor thing gets shoved into a box after being plucked from a familiar environment… one that she had to share with SETH no less, and then shipped off to who knows where. Never mind being shy, she must be absolutely terrified!"
Hearing Octavia put it like that, Mick began to feel like a right dick for being so aggressive before. Of course, the poor girl would be terrified! The thought had originally crossed his mind, and yet he still allowed his frustrations with both Pringles and his current situation to get the better of him. If he ever did get this Imp out of the box, he will have to find a way to make it up to her later.
"I don't suppose YOU have any suggestions on how we can get her out, do you?" he asked the Owl Demon onscreen. "As I said, she's a stubborn one."
"Well… in that case, why not just COAX her out?" Octavia suggested, receiving a small sigh from Mick for her trouble.
"You really think that would work?" he asked, feeling a little stupid for not thinking of such an idea himself already, but also feeling that his previous actions could very well have ruined the chances of it succeeding before he even started.
Octavia, however, merely smiled in response.
"If anyone can do it, trust me when I say it's you," she said, bringing a smile to Mick's own face beneath his mask.
"Thanks, Octi," he said, his voice filled with genuine gratitude as he felt his confidence return to him.
Suddenly, he heard a small noise coming from the background of Octavia's end of the call, seemingly one which the Goetia Princess also heard given how startled she looked.
"I better go before my Mum catches me," she said hurriedly, giving Mick a small wave as she prepared to end the call. "Talk to you later."
"Bye," Mick replied before finally pressing the red phone icon to hang up the phone.
As soon as his screen went black, Mick let out a heavy sigh and leaned onto the kitchen counter with a look of deep thought flooding his eyes, his mind continuously thinking over the advice Octavia just gave him.
"Coaxing her out, huh?" he muttered to himself. "How the hell am I gonna do that?"
"We could try smoking her out instead,"
The moment Buzz popped himself up from behind the counter with a lit match, Mick instantly jumped with a scream.
"NO MORE FIRES!" he snapped, slamming his fist against the counter and causing the Gardener to run away in fear.
After Buzz scurried away, disappointed that he couldn't grab a snack like he wanted, Mick gave himself a moment to calm himself down a bit. If there was one thing that confused him to no end, it was how he was able to become friends with someone so deranged… who knows, maybe it's the fact that he can get good shit. In any case, the Cat Demon remained uncertain as to how he was going to-
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
The moment he heard that little tummy rumble, Mick got himself a wonderful idea.
"Hmmmmmmmmm,"
Making sure he had everything he needed, the Cat Demon wasted no time in bringing his plan to fruition. Grabbing numerous meats, vegetables and spices from the cupboards before snatching up the cooking knife, he soon began to work on a meal that was sure to draw the newcomer out of her box, a meal he himself was particularly fond of. After about 20 minutes, a boiling pot filled with bubbling red sauce began to fill the kitchen with a mouthwatering aroma, one which only grew even more intense as Mick continued to add more spices to the mix. Before long, the smell became so strong that it began to seep through the cardboard folds of the box, prompting the Imp inside to sneak a small peek by opening the top flap ever so slightly. Witnessing this from the corner of his eye, Mick smirked from beneath his mask and continued cooking.
By the time he was done, the Cat Demon had produced two bowls filled with the most aromatic pasta recipe he knew. With large streams of flat noodles coated in thick, red, herby sauce and orbs of hell meat, all topped with a small hill of white, powdered cheese. With any luck, the sight and smell of it alone would be enough to bring the new Imp out of hiding.
"Alright, little lady, if THIS doesn't get you out, nothing will," Mick declared, feeling somewhat proud of himself as he placed one of the bowls about a yard away from the box. "Linguini a la Meatball, heavy on the basil with extra cheese."
Sitting back down at the counter with his own bowl, all the Cat Demon could do now was take off his mouthpiece, have a small lunch and wait. As he sat there, eating his pasta with anticipation, the Cat Demon never once took his eyes off the box. Staring intently, he practically shook with subtle excitement as he saw the box edge a little closer to the pasta as if the Imp inside was shoving herself against the walls to make it move.
"That's it, go get it," Mick muttered under his breath, shovelling another mound of pasta into his mouth as if he were snacking at the movies.
Suddenly, the entire box tipped over, causing the top flap to land mere inches from the bowl. At that moment, a small red hand poked out and began feeling across the floor for it. Continuing to watch the display with intrigue, Mick couldn't help but compare it to a kitten poking her paw out of a shoebox looking for its toy. When the Imp's hand finally reached the bowl, Mick held his breath, waiting for the inevitable moment when the rest of her body followed… Unfortunately, that was when the plan immediately backfired.
Mere moments later, the Imp snatched up the bowl with so much force, that it knocked the box back up straight, allowing her to eat the pasta in peace. About 2 minutes later, when she was done, the Imp let out a tiny burp and used her tail to lift the now-empty bowl back out of the box and lower it back to the floor before finally snapping back into the box. His left eye twitching with rage upon seeing his plan completely fail, the Cat Demon finally snapped.
"You know what? Fine!" he roared, finally having enough. "Be that way! Guess we have yet another spoiled princess to deal with!"
The moment he yelled that, however, Mick could have sworn he heard a small gasp coming from inside the box. Did she actually find that statement… insulting? Aside from the sounds of hunger and the biting, this was the first non-passive reaction she seemed to utter since she arrived. At that moment, another idea popped into the Cat Demon's head, one that may actually work this time… time for some reverse psychology.
"You know, I'm starting to think Reg might have been right about you," he continued. "Maybe Ipos WAS trying to pawn you off. I mean, if THIS is how you are regularly, I can't say that I blame him. Tell me, did you come prepackaged or did he order special shipping?"
"Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!"
This was it! She was getting angry now! Only one more push should do the trick.
"Maybe we should just use you as a footrest," Mick finally declared. "At least then you'd be contributing!"
"SHUT UP!"
WOOSH!
Finally, with one great leap, the newcomer burst out of the box, finally allowing Mick to see her in full detail as she climbed up onto the counter. She was a small Imp compared to most, only a few inches taller than Buzz was, as a matter of fact, with a glow of messy black hair that reached all the way down to the knees of her animalistic legs, two small back horns that barely curved at the top of her head, and a pretty little face with large yellow eyes. If she hadn't been such a hassle earlier, Mick would almost say she was pretty cute.
"Look, it's not like I'm sitting in this box because I want to!" she yelled, getting right into Mick's face. "It just takes me a while to-"
However, that was when the Imp suddenly realized what she had done. Her face flushing with a mix of embarrassment and fear at the sight of Mick's smug grin, she immediately turned around and tried to dive back into the box. Unfortunately for her, Mick was too quick on his reaction time.
"Yoink!" he exclaimed, quickly grabbing the box with his tail and flattening it before the Imp could even make the jump.
Left without her cardboard refuge, the one place she knew she could hide, the Imp was left with only one choice.
"EEP!" she squeaked, immediately running deeper into the kitchen.
Mick, however, didn't bother to give chase. Even as the Imp tried to hide among the pots and pans along the counters, there was no way he was going to risk trashing the kitchen and earning the Chef's wrath to try and look for her… besides, he had a better idea.
"It's too late, sweetie, I've already seen you!" he called out, slowly walking through the kitchen like a jungle cat stalking its prey. "Now come on out, and let's talk, eh?"
As luck would have it, the Imp didn't choose to respond with silence this time.
"No!" she exclaimed, a strong sense of fear oozing through her little squeak of a voice. "You can't make me!"
Mick, of course, took that statement as a personal challenge.
"I've got Choooooocolate," he announced, pulling out a small bag of chocolate chip cookies from his pocket, a little something he snagged from the cupboard while looking for ingredients earlier.
While he doubted the Imp was stupid enough to fall for such a creepy trick, he was banking on her sense of curiosity to make her want to at least peak to see if he was telling the truth… which of course, she did. Hearing her scuffle by one of the nearest countertops, Mick couldn't help but smirk as he crept over towards the other side of it, each of his footsteps as silent as the grave as he drew closer and closer. The moment the Imp distracted herself by peering over one side… Mick immediately went on the attack from behind her.
"GOTCHA!" he declared, grabbing the Imp by the back of her shirt and lifting her a couple of feet off the ground.
"AAAAHH!" she screamed, understandably terrified by what was happening. "Let me go!"
Of course, Mick refused to do so. In fact, he didn't even say a word as the Imp struggled to break free from his grasp. Alas, no matter how much she thrashed about or tried to bite Mick's hand again, the Imp's efforts eventually proved to be in vain since the Cat Demon had no intention of letting her go until she had calmed down. Eventually, after about five minutes or so, the thrashing ceased and the Imp just continued to hang in Mick's grip, trying to catch her breath.
"You done?" Mick asked, hoping she had finally worn herself out enough to finally get a decent conversation out of her.
"You… dirty cheat," she huffed, finally letting her arms hang limply at her sides and looking down at the floor in defeat.
Seeing that the Imp had finally given up the struggle, Mick couldn't help but let out a sigh of his own before a smirk spread across his face.
"I've been called worse, sweetie," he pointed out, unable to resist feeling a little triumphant. "Now… are you finally ready to play nice?"
"Hmf!"
The moment she let out that huff and turned her head away, Mick knew immediately that he had a few things to make up for. Given how he spoke to and about her since she arrived, he couldn't blame her for not liking him. Letting out a small sigh, he then pulled out a stool and gently sat the Imp down, giving her shoulders a small dust-off, before taking a seat in front of her and giving her a gentle look to show her he meant no harm.
"Okay, look, I'm sorry for what I said earlier, but you were pushing my limits," he said, immediately catching the Imp's attention once more. "That said, I know it was uncalled for, and I apologize. You of all people didn't deserve it."
Half-expecting such an apology to be filled with sarcasm and spite, the Imp was understandably sceptical at first. And yet, when she looked into Mick's eyes, she couldn't sense the slightest piece of either. Somewhat surprised by that, she actually found herself allowing Mick to continue speaking.
"Why don't we start over, hmm?" the Cat Demon said, offering the bag of cookies in his hand to her as a peace offering. "Sound good?"
At first, the Imp thought the Cat Demon was trying to pull some kind of cruel trick, but once again, she couldn't pick up any malice coming from him whatsoever. For some reason, she actually felt like she could trust him… and the thought of such a thing was absolutely terrifying.
"O-okay," she eventually whimpered, accepting the bag and giving Mick reason to let out a sigh of relief.
"Fantastic. In that case, let's start with names then shall we?" he said, offering his hand to the Imp. "I'm Mick, it's a pleasure to meet you."
Needless to say, the Imp was a little scared to accept the handshake. However, when she did, she was surprised to find how gentle it was. There was no tight grip, no claws digging into her flesh, it was… friendly. In all honesty, she had no idea what to make of it.
"L-Linda," she eventually said, deciding to finally bite the bullet by introducing herself properly.
At those words, Mick once again gave the Imp a gentle smile.
"Linda, huh?" he repeated. "That's a nice name. Kinda suits you, actually."
After that, the Imp now known as Linda was left completely speechless, having no idea what else to say. After spending all morning hiding in a cardboard box, dreading the unimaginable horrors that awaited her in her new enforced roll of employment, having this Cat Demon act so nice to her just felt… weird. Luckily, Mick was quickly able to pick up on her uncertainty and tried to keep the conversation going in an attempt to provide some form of comfort.
"Look, I know this whole thing is a massive mess, but I can assure you, you'll have nothing to worry about here," he said gently. "Hell, you may actually like this place better than your last job if you give it a chance."
It may have been the blandest and most cliched thing he could have said, but given how Mick knew next to nothing about this girl, he couldn't really think of anything better off the top of his head. Either way, Linda didn't seem convinced by his choice of words considering the look of scepticism she was throwing his way.
"I doubt it," she mumbled, bringing her legs up onto the stool and burying her face in her knees. "All royalty are assholes."
Linda's reply may have been blunt, but it was nonetheless accurate as far as many lower-class were concerned. Hell, even Mick was of the same opinion up until he met Octavia and her father. But Linda… she had to deal with SETH and his family for Lucifer knows how long. One didn't need to be a genius to figure out that her experience with them must have left her with such hatred for royalty that she couldn't bear to even think about one without trembling in fear or resentment. Still, that doesn't mean opinions can't be changed if one is put in the right scenario.
"Well, yeah, you're not wrong with over 90% of them," Mick admitted, scratching the back of his head as he thought back to most of the guests that had attended the banquet. "Hell, when I first got here, the Lady of the house tried to shoot me with a crossbow because of a small misunderstanding with the bathroom."
She may have only gotten the briefest of details with that last sentence, but the very mention of such an event was still enough to make Linda turn her head in surprise.
"Really?" she uttered, raising an eyebrow as she tried to fill out the context of the Cat Demon's choice of example in her head.
Seeing that he had gotten Linda's full attention now, Mick then decided to get straight to the point.
"Look, I'm not saying it's gonna be all flowers and rainbows. Far from it," he said bluntly. "But that doesn't mean there's no chance of things being better than they were before. If you're willing to let me, I'd like to help you be as comfortable here as possible. What do you say?"
The moment Mick said that, Linda's mind instantly began to reel. Could she really trust this Demon? So far he didn't give her any reason why she shouldn't, at least none that she could see right off the bat. Still, to just blindly allow this stranger to lend his aid after all that she's been through just by coming here, was horrifying, to say the least. Then again… what other choice did she have?
"Okay," she finally said, finally nodding her head in acceptance.
"Alright then," Mick replied, fully satisfied with the response. "In that case, we'll start with a small tour and we'll begin training first thing in the morning. But first…"
At first, Linda dreaded what it was that Mick wanted to do, but then that immediately changed when she saw him get up and pull out two cans of soda from the nearest fridge.
"Would you prefer a regular, or diet?"