As soon as the Limo pulled up to the large gate, both Linda and Mick's jaws dropped to the floor as they stared in awe at the lush greenery on the other side. Before disembarking the train a mere 20 minutes ago, it didn't take long for Stella to arrange a pickup, after which she and Octavia were seated in the backseat while Mick and Linda were forced in front with the driver. Not that either of them were complaining, of course. After all, it gave them both an excuse not to be in Stella's presence AND it had the unforeseen benefit of giving them the first glance of the resort just as the driver pulled up to it.
"Holy fuck," Mick muttered. "Are we even in Hell anymore?"
A silly question, true, but given the way the Triton Resort looked, it wasn't as if anyone could blame him for asking it. After all, it was a tall thirteen-story building that looked straight out of a tropical paradise, with outer walls as white as ivory that appeared to be composed almost entirely out of mosaic tiles. It also had an intimidating gargoyle on each of the four corners of the roof, all of them looking down at the guests below. The windows were outlined with emerald vine and palm leaf patterns that gave the feeling that the rooms were peaking out of a lush tree. Finally, the front entrance consisted of a large semi-circle road for drop-offs, surrounding a lush centrepiece composed of flowers and a large fountain in the shape of a mermaid, after which guests would step out onto the stone path leading to the front doors. A large walkway covered by a green glass roof, surrounded by white sand and pillars made of polished marble with carvings depicting voluptuous women and tiki statues, before reaching the golden revolving doors at the very end. If Mick had to describe it in a single sentence, it looked like someone had smashed Hawaiian and Greek decor all into one perfectly balanced piece of artwork.
Soon enough, the Limousine drove around the centrepiece and pulled up to the front entrance, allowing Mick and Linda to quickly step out and open the doors for the mother and daughter in the back. About three seconds after they had closed them again, a new individual came strolling from the front doors and greeted everyone with a courteous bow of her head, one of the Bellhops if Mick and Linda had to venture a guess.
"Hello, and welcome to the Triton Hotel!" the new Demon said with a smile. "My name is Bella and I'll be your-"
"Just shut up and get our bags, Imp!" Stella snapped, looking down at the girl with a sneer as if she was insulted that the help even dared speak to her.
"W-well actually, I'm a Suc-"
However, before the girl even had the chance to correct her, Stella was already walking away with her beak in the air. Had the Goetia even bothered to hear her out, or at the very least, look at her, she would have noticed why. While Stella may have called her an Imp, in reality, the Bellhop was simply a small, yet very pretty Succubus. Standing under 5 feet in height, the mistake may have been understandable if that was all anyone was basing the assumption on.
However, one would only need to look at the Bellhop's appearance and attire to know immediately that she was a Succubus. If the wings, shoulder-length white hair and heart-tipped tail weren't enough, then Bella's outfit should have been a giveaway. An outfit which consisted of a simple Bellhop's cap, a pair of green pinstripe bottoms that was missing a leg, showing off her tattooed left thigh… and basically nothing else, considering that both her D-cup breasts were covered by nought but the suspenders of her bottoms. Needless to say, her mere presence immediately brought a blush to Mick AND Linda's faces.
"S-sorry about her, Miss," Linda squeaked sheepishly, only for Bella to seemingly brush the moment off.
"Nah, it's cool," she said casually. "It happens all the time with the richer guests. May I take your bags?"
"Oh, sure," Mick uttered, before clearing his throat and gesturing to the trunk of the Limo. "Right this way."
Before long, Mick and Bella began unloading the multiple suitcases Stella had brought for the trip, along with the few small bags belonging to Mick and Linda, after which Bella ran back to the front door before coming back shortly after with a large luggage cart.
"Here," Mick spoke up, seeing Bella struggle to lift one of the heavier suitcases and offering to take the other end. "Allow me."
"No, it's okay, I-" Bella tried to say, only for Mick to cut her off.
"It's no trouble, Miss," he insisted, refusing to ignore the Succubus's struggles. "I'm happy to help."
Bella wasn't sure why, but the Sinner's act of chivalry instantly brought both a smile and a blush to her face.
"Oh… um… thanks, I guess," she replied, awkwardly scratching the back of her head.
And so the process continued, with Mick helping Bella lift the heavier suitcases onto the cart… all the while trying desperately to avoid staring at her chest. Witnessing the scene from the sidelines, Octavia looked down at her own chest before giving the two of them a jealous pout. Before long, everything was loaded up and the limo driver was given the okay to drive away, leaving Mick to push the cart towards the door.
"Thanks for the help, Miss," Mick said gratefully, giving the Succubus a polite bow of his head.
"Anytime," Bella replied, smiling blissfully at what she now considered a true gentleman.
At those words, the pair parted ways, with Bella hurrying back towards the entrance while Mick lagged behind due to the weight he now had to push.
"You gonna be okay there, Mick?" Octavia asked, unable to stop herself from cracking a smile.
"Yeah… ugh, all good here," Mick groaned between pushes. "Though I think your mom may have intentionally packed the kitchen sink!"
Once again, Octavia smirked in response. It may have been petty, perhaps even childish, but seeing Mick struggle with the luggage felt like the perfect payback for him staring at another girl… at least it did until after the first two minutes.
"Liddy, could you give him a hand?" she asked her second Attendant, earning herself a positive nod in response.
Within moments Linda quickly rushed over to Mick's side and tried her best to aid him. Given her size, she obviously didn't add much strength, nonetheless, it did help as they both followed Octavia towards the door.
"So…" Linda whispered, a small smirk appearing on her little face. "Done flirting with the Bellhop, are we?"
As soon as she said that, Mick instantly gave the Imp a deadpan glare.
"Oh, shut up, I was just trying to be nice is all," he retorted, knowing exactly what Linda was implying and why she was.
His fellow attendant, of course, couldn't help but giggle at that.
"Uh-huh," she replied, "I don't suppose that it ever occurred to you that you're TOO nice sometimes?"
"Never," Mick answered almost instantly. "Not once."
Though somewhat taken aback by how quickly Mick answered her question, Linda was nonetheless impressed by his conviction.
"Touche," she replied with a shrug, scratching the back of her head awkwardly in silence for a moment before she spoke again. "So… Can I have her then?"
At those words, Mick had to suddenly stabilize himself AND the cart due to the sudden shock causing him to stumble.
"You wha!?" he exclaimed, however, he was unable to receive any answer due to something else ringing in his ears.
BEEP! BEEP!
At the sound of that severely loud, high-pitched car horn, Linda, Mick and Octavia's attention was immediately drawn to the direction they came. At that moment, another limousine pulled up, one that had a paint job so pink and sparkly, it was as if Strawberry Shortcake had thrown up all over it after chugging down a barrel full of glitter. The moment that particular vehicle came into view, Octavia's eyes immediately shrank in horror.
"Oh no…" she uttered, her voice barely audible yet still managed to catch Mick's attention.
"Friend of yours?" he asked despite the grimace on Octavia's face giving him exactly the answer he expected.
Before long, the Hellhound Poodle driving the limo stepped out and opened the passenger door, revealing the Demon who Octavia was seemingly unfortunate enough to be acquainted with.
If there was one word either Mick or Linda could use to describe the new arrival, it would be PAMPERED! A petite Mouse Demon who clearly indulged in the most expensive of clothing, with light blue fur, long blonde hair, a cute face that had WAY too much makeup and sported a pair of large wings with hot pink feathers. If they had to guess, this Demon had to be yet another member of the Goetia family if Octavia's reaction was anything to go by. One that suddenly spotted Octavia before a smile spread out on their face
"Octavia, darling!" she happily cried out in a high, almost shrill, feminine voice, approaching the Owl Demon as quickly as her high heels would allow, "How have you been!?"
The moment the giant rodent came running towards them, both of Octavia's attendants instantly went on the defensive. While Linda instantly flinched and took a few steps back, Mick, on the other hand, took it upon himself to step between the two Goetias in an attempt to become Octavia's Demon shield.
"That's far enough!" he snapped, causing the Mouse Demon to stop in her tracks, causing her to give him a glance that could only be described as being filled with a mix of confusion and insult.
Thankfully, Octavia was there to quell the situation before things escalated.
"Relax, Mick! She's harmless," she said, giving him a stern glare before he reluctantly stood down. The moment the Cat Demon took a step back, she then let out a small sigh and forced a smile on her face. "Hi… Googoo. Been a while, huh?"
As much as Mick and Linda wanted to laugh at the name they had just heard, there was something about this Demon that immediately made them think otherwise. As prim and prissy as she looked, this mouse did not look like someone one should mess around with.
"Oh, it has been FAR too long, darling!" the Mouse Demon, Googoo, replied with a sweet smile that was so fake that it was almost like saccharin. "As I recall, the last time I saw you was my graduation from Brimstone Prep. How have you been? Life treating you well?"
"Oh, well I-" Octavia tried to reply, only for Googoo to instantly cut her off.
"And who, pray tell, is THIS hunk?" she said, drawing her attention towards the Cat Demon at Octavia's side, causing the pair of them to cringe.
"Oh, this is Mick Nikos," Octavia answered. "He's my new bodyguard."
The moment Googoo heard the word "bodyguard", the look on her face spoke serious volumes. From her perspective, it appeared as though Octavia had just told her the most scandalous of secrets… one that she just HAD to take advantage of.
"Oooooooooooh! So the dark Goetia Princess has finally found herself a proper man!" she exclaimed, causing both Mick AND Octavia to blush, neither of them wanting to give Googoo the satisfaction of what she was implying. "I must say you do have an interesting taste in men, I'll give you that."
Then Googoo did something that shocked Octavia and both her attendants to their very core.
"Care for a little game of cat and mouse in my room later, kitty?" she asked, licking her lips and giving the Sinner a sultry smirk while placing a finger under his chin.
Needless to say, Mick's response to such a terrifying request was… understandable.
"Feeny, fanny, floopy, oodawawah!?" he uttered, his mind practically broken after the winged Mouse Demon blatantly came onto him in front of his crush, something which caused said Goetia Princess to turn a furious shade of red.
"Ooh, I like a man who has a way with words," Googoo retorted playfully before shifting her gaze from the dumbfounded Cat to the snarling Owl. "How much do you want for him, Octavia?"
"EXCUSE ME!?"
"For your boy toy," Googoo elaborated, completely ignoring Octavia's look of pure rage. "I wanna buy him."
That was it! The final nail in the coffin! Not even five minutes of interaction and Octavia wanted to pluck Googoo's wings before shoving the feathers down her throat and then burn her alive! In fact, it took Linda and Mick suddenly snapping back to reality and blocking her path with serious shakes of their heads to stop her from actually following through with such urges. After taking a moment to calm down, Octavia then took a deep cleansing breath and gave her fellow Goetia her answer.
"I'm sorry Googoo, but none of my staff are for sale," she said calmly, desperately resisting the desire to spit in Googoo's face for even THINKING of taking her Mick away. "Now if you would excuse me, it's been a long trip over and I'd like to check in and get settled. Tata!"
Then before Googoo could even say another word, Octavia quickly turned around and hurried over to the front door, followed swiftly by Mick and Linda as they used every ounce of strength they had to push the luggage cart as fast as their legs could carry them. Seeing her potential new toy suddenly slip through her fingers, all Googoo could do was pout as she watched the three leave her behind.
"Oh, I'm gonna get that kitty," she muttered, a small smirk creeping its way across her face.
Turning back to her Hellhound driver, Googoo returned her focus to bringing her luggage into the hotel… However, had she paid more attention to her surroundings, she would have noticed yet another limo pulling up behind hers. At that moment, another Bellhop, a fancy-looking Imp, ran from the door and welcomed the newest guest as their driver opened the door.
"Welcome to the Tri…ton?" he said, the smile on his face turning into pure horror as the new guest's webbed feet stepped out of the limo, and his pants swiftly getting wetter as said guest brandished a hook in his face.
Stepping inside the lobby, Mick and Linda stared in awe at how beautiful the place was. Having seen it all before, Octavia may not have been that impressed, but to her two Attendants, it was as though they had suddenly stepped into another realm of the afterlife, one that the commercial clearly lacked when compared to the real thing.
It was a gigantic, luxurious hall composed of different shades of blue and green. With shimmering bronze wood floors, walls covered in multiple paintings and mosaics, along with fish tanks containing all kinds of tropical fish, exotic plants stationed in every other corner, and a large fountain in the very centre of the floor, one that appeared to double as a koi pond and had a statue on top depicting a gorgeous mermaid pouring water out of the mouth of what looked like a dragon's skull. Between the decor and the colour scheme, it looked as though someone had robbed the city of Atlantis and stuck everything in this one large room.
"Wow…" Mick uttered, taking everything in with wonder in his eyes. "This Gaap fellow must have some interesting tastes."
At that moment, Linda's face suddenly turned a deeper shade of red than it already was when something caught her eye.
"Y-you can say that again," she said, pointing towards a particular piece of artwork stationed near the door.
Turning their heads, Mick and Octavia gasped when they were faced with a marble statue of two nude women caught in an embrace and open-mouth kissing each other. Needless to say, this image brought a blush to both Mick and Octavia's faces as well.
"Okay, some REALLY interesting tastes," Mick corrected himself, not sure how else he could describe his opinion.
Choosing to ignore the… tasteful artwork, Octavia proceeded to lead her two Attendants over towards the check-in desk at the other end of the room, where she spotted her mother standing in line. However, just as they were passing by the fountain, Mick suddenly felt something impact the back of his neck.
"GAH!" he yelped, suddenly feeling a damp patch for some reason. "What the fuck!?"
Reacting to the commotion, Octavia couldn't help but let out a sheepish chuckle when she quickly realized what had happened.
"Sorry," she said with a small smile. "I should have warned you about her."
"Her?" Mick repeated, raising an eyebrow.
Then, as if to provide clarity to Mick's confusion, something emerged from the water in the fountain… or rather, the water itself emerged. Poking their head out of the fountain with a playful smirk, a strange creature made entirely of clear water rose out and took a seat at the edge. Once again, Mick and Linda found themselves blushing when the water took the shape of a beautiful woman, one that appeared to rival any Succubus in terms of body shape. What's more, she was soon joined by two more of the same woman. In a way, it was like looking at triplets made out of flowing crystal.
"Wha… what are they?" Linda uttered, voicing both her and Mick's bafflement as neither of them had seen such a creature before.
"Elementals," Octavia answered, which only brought her Attendants even more confusion before she chose to elaborate. "They're creatures Gaap's able to summon at will. Since his magic has strong ties to water, he uses a lot of them here as attractions."
As if to illustrate Octavia's explanation, all three of the Elementals then beckoned some of the guests over to them, allowing them to giggle in delight as they watched them drool like giddy puppies.
"Huh… well, that explains the theme of this place," Mick commented, only to suddenly yelp once more when one of the Elementals squirted another stream of water at his chest. "Playful, aren't they?"
"You can say that," Octavia agreed, stifling yet another laugh as the guilty Elemental blew a raspberry at the Cat Demon after her little joke.
"Why, you little-" Mick tried to say, only for a familiar scream to cut him off.
"OCTAVIA!" Stella's shrill voice cried out. "Hurry up, will you!?"
Realizing they had been dawdling for too long, Octavia and her Attendants once again picked up the pace and made their way over to the check-in desk. Once there, they once again couldn't help but stare in awe, for it was a large mahogany structure that stood in front of a large waterfall that had curtained Prince Gaap's demonic seal as it flowed into a small pool surrounded by more tropical plants. However, the moment of awe was quickly short-lived when all three Demons noticed that Stella, now standing at the front of the line, was in the middle of a heated argument with the Demon behind the desk, a fairly tall female Hellhound resembling a golden Cocker Spaniel, wearing square-rimmed glasses and an emerald green dress suit with a golden badge attached to her jacket.
"Look, you worthless mutt!" Stella snapped, slamming her fist hard against the desk. "How hard is it to understand that I wanted the POSEIDON Suite!? Do you have any idea of who you're speaking to!?"
To everyone's surprise, however, the Hellhound wasn't the least bit intimidated by Stella's rants. If anything, she merely looked annoyed.
"Oh, I know, I just don't CARE," she stated sternly, bringing further shock to all who witnessed. "And I've already told you, the Poseidon Suite is already occupied, and there is nothing you can say or do to change that."
Despite doing her best to stay composed, Linda nonetheless trembled at the sight before her. Never in her young life did she ever expect anyone, much less a Hellhound, to stand up to Lady Stella without so much as flinching. What's more, even as the argument went on, her expression didn't change even once.
"Bullshit, there isn't!" Stella snarled, pointing an accusing finger in the Hellhound's face. "Now, I don't care if you stick those current occupants in the basement or in another fucking hotel, you are going to kick them out and give me what I paid for!"
However, once again the Hellhound showed not an ounce of fear and only gave the Goetia a dismissive scoff.
"Yeah... no," she said bluntly. "You see, the Poseidon Suite's current occupant is Princess Kanya, and her daddy is the one who OWNS this hotel and signs my paycheck. So as the Manager, I must respectfully say… either get another room or get the fuck out."
As if the back talk wasn't bad enough, the Hellhound chose to put a cherry on the cake in the form of a middle finger in Stella's face. Her left eye twitching with rage, the Goetia responded to this with a beastly snarl. If there was something Octavia's mother hated, it was being told "no" whenever she wanted something, especially if the one denying her request was a Demon that she deemed inferior and chose to insult her on top of it.
"Octi… I think your mom is about to have an aneurysm," Mick whispered in the Princess's ear.
In all honesty, an aneurysm would have been WELCOMED at this moment. Seeing this situation multiple times, Octavia knew what her mother looked like just before she ended up going into "Bitch Mode", a state of blind rage where her mother furiously screamed her lungs out and threw random objects at the target of her frustrations. More often than not, said target was usually Stolas. However, whenever it wasn't, the Goetia Prince was almost always caught in the middle and often had to fix things after she was done… but this time, Stolas wasn't here.
"I'd better go stop her before we're blacklisted," Octavia spoke up, quickly getting in between her mother and the Manager before the argument escalated any further. "Please, forgive my mother, ma'am. We've had a very stressful couple of weeks and are in need of some good rest and relaxation. If you would be so kind as to give us our new room keys we'd be very thankful."
The moment Octavia opened her beak, Stella was left in a state of shock and anger. Not only did her daughter blatantly undermine her, but she also conceded to the whims of an inferior Demon!? She was definitely going to have a LONG talk with her later. The Manager, on the other hand, finally changed her expression from an annoyed glare to an amused smirk as soon as she saw the look on Stella's face.
"Very well, young mistress," she said, her tone now a little more friendly than before. "It's nice to see that not ALL of Hell's Nobility has the personality of a bag of burning dog shit."
Once again, Stella's eye twitched with rage. How DARE this woman, this MUTT speak to her in such a manner!?
"Why you little…" she snarled, only for a brand new voice to cut her off.
"Hey, hey, hey, what's all the hullabaloo, here?"
Snapping her eyes wide in recognition, Stella then turned her head to the source of the voice before she groaned in disgust. Following the elder Goetia's example, everyone turned to see a familiar figure stepping up to the desk from behind the line of guests. A large, tanned Demon with huge ears, carrying a cane and a smirk so sharp it could cut glass… Prince Gaap himself.
"P-Prince Gaap!" The Manager exclaimed, her face immediately flushing in his presence. "Y-you're back!"
"Yep and happy to be home!" Gaap replied, his grin somehow looking smugger by the minute.
Needless to say, seeing Prince Gaap himself standing before them brought many mixed feelings amongst those within looking distance. Some of the guests and staff quivered in fear, and others simply stared at him in awe, with Mick and Linda being among the former. Stella and Octavia, on the other hand, merely rolled their eyes in indifference and disgust. And there was the Manager… who appeared to be flustered under Gaap's gaze.
"S-so how was your trip down to Sloth?" she asked with a sheepish smile, twirling her hair a bit, to which Gaap responded with an indifferent shrug.
"Oh yeah, just fine," he replied. "Little dark, little gloomy, and as always FULL of lazy people, what are ya gonna do?"
"Hehe, can't argue with that, sir," the Manager replied, practically wiping the steam away from her glasses.
It was only then that Gaap turned his attention towards the situation at hand and gave Stella a quick glance before speaking up again.
"So, what's the issue here, Mags?" he asked. "I come back from a business trip and find unhappy guests in my hotel? That ain't what I like to see."
Once again the manager blushed at the Goetia's words, only this time it was due to embarrassment.
"Please, don't call me that, sir," she pleaded, only for Gaap to chuckle in response.
"Oops," he said. "Sorry, Margaret. You know me, can't stay professional for very long. But seriously, babe, what's the haps here?"
At those words, the Manager cleared her throat and tried her best to give her employer a decent explanation.
"W-well, sir, Lady Stella here is requesting, if not demanding, the Poseidon Suite," she said, causing Gaap to raise an eyebrow. "But unfortunately, that's the room where Princess Kanya is staying."
Hearing that, Gaap's face lit up with realization.
"Ah, I get it," he uttered before turning his attention towards the aforementioned Goetia. "Sorry babe, but my baby loves that room and I'm not the type of guy to disappoint his little girl, okay?"
"But-" Stella tried to argue, only to growl with irritation when Gaap didn't give her a chance to speak.
"Did you offer them some manner of compensation?" he said, turning his focus back toward the Hellhound behind the desk.
"I was just about to, sir," Margaret stated assuringly, giving Gaap cause to smile.
"Perfect!" he declared. "Then if you don't mind, please set the whole party up with a different room while I have a little talk with Stellary, 'kay? Put them in, say, the Nammu Suite."
At those words, the Manager gave her employer a grin and a proud salute.
"Right away, sir!" she declared before she began typing away at her computer.
Witnessing the whole exchange from the sidelines, Mick, Linda and Octavia were completely floored. Never before had they ever seen Stella actually rendered speechless in an argument, but this Goetia Prince somehow managed to win said argument without so much as raising his voice.
"S-s-stellary?" Linda whispered in Octavia's ear, only for the Owl Demon to shrug her shoulders.
"Fuck if I know," she whispered back, being just as clueless as everyone else seemed to be.
Unfortunately for Stella herself, she knew full well of the meaning behind that nickname… and as such she wanted to strangle Gaap for even daring to bring it up.
"I thought I told you not to call me that!" she snapped, her left eye twitching as she pointed an accusing finger in Gaap's face.
Gaap, of course, wasn't phased in the slightest.
"Oh, get a grip, babe," he said dismissively. "We're old pals, aren't we? No need to be so stuffy about what happened back in boarding school."
"Oh, don't you even go there!" Stella snapped back, causing Octavia to groan in embarrassment.
Seeing where this whole scenario was going, Mick quickly cleared his throat to grab the two Goetias' attention before their little disagreement escalated into a full-fledged battle in the lobby.
"Uh... forgive me for interrupting," he said, instantly receiving a death glare from Stella for his trouble. "But would the Lady prefer it if we took the Princess to the room while you two catch up? I imagine she would want to freshen up after such a long trip."
Hearing that, Octavia gave her bodyguard a grateful smile. The last thing she needed was to be in the same vicinity as her mother while she was on a rampage. Thankfully, Stella also seemed on board with the idea.
"Fine," she said with a huff. "Just grab the key and I'll-"
"Hold the phone!" Gaap suddenly spoke up, once again cutting Stella off and giving her cause to snarl. "You, kid!"
"Uh… me, sir?" Mick asked worriedly.
"Yeah, you," Gaap confirmed. "Come a little closer, will ya?"
With a fearful gulp, Mick was unable to disobey the Goetia's request. Much to the anxiety of Linda and Octavia, he took a few cautious steps forward, allowing Gaap to take a closer look at him. After a few moments of tense silence, Gaap suddenly grinned and lifted Mick up by his shoulders.
"AHA!" he cried out. "I KNEW I recognised you! Michael Fireclaw! From Voxtube!"
Hearing that nickname come out of the Goetia's mouth, Mick's eyes immediately shrank. Once again, his internet fame has reared its ugly head to bite him in the ass, only this time he was being called out on it by one of Hell's most elite Demons! Well… at least he wasn't recognising him as "Crazy Cat".
"Y-yes, sir," Mick croaked, not seeing any point in hiding anything now. "That would be me."
It was only then that Gaap casually dropped Mick to the floor with glee, not even acknowledging his sore back even as Linda ran to help him up.
"Well, I'll be a hooker's daddy," the Goetia chuckled. "Talk about a small underworld, huh?"
Before Mick even had the chance to respond, Gaap then suddenly thrust his hand in his masked face.
"Glad to meet ya," he said. "Name is Gaap, lord of the ladies. Hey, how're ya doin'?"
Being put on the spot like that, Mick didn't know whether it would be worse to actually shake the Goetia's hand or politely decline, because either option felt like it would have ended badly. Eventually choosing to bite the bullet, he decided to avoid being rude and cautiously accepted the handshake.
"Uh… pleasure to meet you, sir," he said, once again earning himself a chuckle from the big-eared Goetia.
"Gaap, please," the Goetia Prince insisted. "And believe me, kid, the pleasure's all mine. My baby girl has shown me many of your videos, and hey, I can respect a man who can take a hit. So tell me, was that whole fire thing real? Come on, thrill me, chill me."
Before Mick could even respond, however, Stella once again decided to include herself in the conversation.
"AHEM!" she blurted out, making sure her voice was loud and clear. "If you don't mind, Gaap, perhaps you can stop fraternizing with the help and allow my daughter's bodyguard to return to his duties?"
This statement, of course, earned Stella a glare not only from Linda and Mick, but her daughter as well. Once again, she couldn't help but put down those she believed were beneath her. Gaap, on the other hand, looked all the more intrigued.
"A Sinner as a bodyguard to the Goetia princess, huh?" he said, scratching his sharp chin in thought, before turning his attention to Octavia. "Now that is something to write about! Ya gotta tell me where you found this guy, little bird. I mean did you find him in an agency or what?"
"Well, I-" Octavia tried to answer, only for her mother to once again cut off the conversation before it began.
"This mangy street urchin is nothing to get worked up over, Gaap!" she snapped. "If you must know, my pathetic excuse of a husband was the one who hired him. If it were up to me, I'd have already thrown him back to the gutter, where he belongs."
Though she didn't physically hurt him, Stella's words nonetheless cut Mick deeply. So much so, that he wanted nothing more than to take her by her scrawny neck and shove her face-first into the fountain. Needless to say, Stella's blatant insult brought about some boiling blood from Linda and Octavia too. Despite wanting to tell her mother off for such a statement, however, Octavia would never get the chance at present. Snapping her head towards Mick, who quickly froze in fear, Stella leaned in close and gave the Cat Demon a glare filled with pure malice.
"Take my daughter to the room," she ordered, her voice oozing with disgust. "And do it quick, before I decide to use your hide as a RUG!
Not wanting to invoke the Bird Demon's wrath, Mick gave Stella a frantic nod.
"R-right!" he replied. "As you wish, Lady Stella!"
With his feet moving faster than he could even think, Mick then rushed over to Octavia and Linda, who both proceeded to blush as he grabbed the pair of them, sat them down on the luggage cart and quickly pushed them away from the desk, snatching the room key from the Manager and putting it in Octavia's hand on the way to the nearest elevator.
Watching all three of them disappear into the nearby corridor, Gaap looked back at Mick with intrigue as a sly grin spread across his handsome face as an idea suddenly popped into his head… one which was sure to be very entertaining if things went smoothly.
"Hmm…" he uttered, turning to his fellow Goetia, who in turn gave him another one of her hateful glares. "You know, Stellary, I believe I just had a thought that you may find quite interesting."
Stella, of course, only scoffed at that.
"I find that VERY unlikely," she stated dismissively.
"Now, hold the phone, and hear me out," Gaap insisted. "But first tell me… You don't happen to have plans for the evening, do you?"
DING!
Soon enough, Mick, Octavia and Linda found themselves on one of the top floors of the hotel. Exiting the elevator onto the green-carpeted corridor, Mick continued to push the luggage cart with Octavia and Linda on it, much to their unease.
"Uh… Mick?" Octavia eventually spoke up, with a light cough and a blush. "I think you can let us off now."
Hearing Octavia say that, Mick's eyes snapped wide open with realization. In his haste to get himself and the girls out of Stella's sight, he forgot to take into account how embarrassing this whole situation must have been for them.
"Oh, sorry!" he yelped, quickly rushing to help the two down from their perch. "Here, allow me."
It was easy enough to help Linda down, with her being so light, it was basically the same as lifting a loaf of bread. However, Octavia was a different story. Not that she was heavy, far from it, but given that she was almost twice the height of Linda, it took a little more effort to gently lift her off the bags despite her insistence that there was no need. Alas, it didn't take long for Octavia to end up in Mick's arms as he held her up bridal style. From Linda's perspective, it appeared as though the Goetia Princess was playing her role as the maiden, and Mick was her shining knight… needless to say, it brought a smirk to Linda's face, and a blush to theirs.
"Th-thanks," Octavia said, both gratefully and awkwardly as Mick eventually placed her on her feet.
"O-one is glad to be of service, M'lady," Mick replied, feeling just as awkward.
If this display wasn't so adorable to her, Linda would have smacked herself in the forehead because of how dense these two were. The only way things could have been even more obvious between them was if Mick wore a T-shirt saying "Octavia's Bitch" on the front. Regardless, the moment seemed to quickly pass and the two were able to casually speak again.
"Once again Mick, you don't have to be so formal," Octavia pointed out, looking down the empty corridor. "Looks like we're alone up here for the moment."
"Sorry, Octi," Mick replied with a heavy sigh as he scratched the back of his head. "I guess that whole thing with your mother kinda shook me up."
Octavia, of course, gave the Sinner a sympathetic look and a small hug at that.
"I'm sorry she said that, Mick," she said. "She was completely out of order that time."
"Oh, don't be silly, Octi," Mick replied, putting on a brave face as he returned the hug before looking Octavia straight in the eye. "You weren't the one putting words in her mouth. Besides, what kind of bodyguard would I be if I let mere words get to me?"
As much as she didn't like what her mother said to her crush, even less so given how Mick tried to play it off, she nonetheless couldn't help but smile with admiration at the Cat Demon's maturity.
"Though I will admit, it does seem like she hates me even more lately," Mick continued as he proceeded to push the luggage cart while leading Octavia and Linda towards their new suite. "Hell, it's been like this ever since I got back from Wrath."
"Well… um, actually I think I think it's BECAUSE you came back from Wrath," Linda spoke up awkwardly. "Given her reaction, it didn't seem like she was expecting you to be back in the house."
"Leave it to my mum to forsake the help," Octavia commented with a sigh. "I really am sorry, Mick."
However, the Cat Demon only rolled his eyes at that.
"You don't have to keep apologizing, Octi," he insisted. "All things considered, it wasn't so bad down there."
If only she knew just HOW good a time he had… not that Mick was planning on telling her about his… rendezvous with Ember any time soon. Quickly deciding to shake those thoughts out of his head, Mick chose to return his focus to the task at hand.
"Soooooo, which room was it again?" he asked.
At those words, Octavia proceeded to pull the room key out of her pocket and read the number on the side.
"Room 666," she said, a deadpan expression quickly spreading across her face. "Yeah, that's not cliche at all."
Sarcasm aside, the number was more than enough for Mick to navigate the corridors with ease. After passing by several more doors, the three young Demons found themselves in front of one in particular, a large mahogany door with brass numbers seamlessly screwed onto the front. Upon unlocking the door and opening it, Mick was once again staring in awe as he stepped into the room first.
Upon first glance, it was a large, jungle-themed suite with polished wooden floors with soft runner rugs, which were surrounded by a dining area, a minibar, and luxurious leather sofas sitting in front of a 50-inch flat-screen TV that somehow hovered over a huge fireplace without any attachments to the wall. Not only that, but there appeared to be connecting doors that undoubtedly lead to three luxurious bedrooms and one equally amazing bathroom. To finish it all off, two sliding glass doors lead to a large balcony, giving everyone a grand view of everything outside. Needless to say, both Mick AND Linda were once again in awe.
"Okay, your mother needs to get her standards sorted out," Mick commented, briefly thinking back to earlier. "How could she not be happy with this room too? This is fucking awesome!"
Octavia couldn't resist letting out a small chuckle at that.
"Yeah, I suppose this would be pretty awesome for anyone else," she admitted before a sigh escaped her beak. "Sadly, my mom only wants to be the top bird of the 1%."
After taking another minute or two to admire the room, Mick then quickly shook his head and regained focus.
"Well, in any case, we'd better unpack before Lady Stella bursts in and starts reading our rights," he said, unloading all of the luggage of the cart before pushing it back outside once it was empty. "I assume Linda and I will be sharing the smallest room?"
Obviously, Mick didn't mean any offence with his choice of words, but regardless, Octavia couldn't argue with his assumption, especially if her mother had anything to say in the matter. Regardless of how harsh it sounded, it was nonetheless the reality of the situation.
"I-I don't mind," Linda spoke up, immediately seeing the look of unease on Octavia's face. "I'm pretty small so I can fit almost anywhere."
Given the fact that Linda literally arrived at her home via cardboard box, Octavia immediately believed that statement.
"Well, no one's going to shove you into a pet carrier if that's what you're thinking," Octavia pointed out, giving the Imp a reassuring pat on the back. "I mean, I know you two may have to share a room, but I won't allow either of you to be uncomfortable."
"Given that this one room is practically bigger than the entire servant's quarters back home, I'd say that won't be a problem," he said with a smirk, gesturing to the dining area as he received yet another stifled laugh.
Taking one last look at the room, Mick then grabbed one of the larger suitcases and proceeded to make his way towards the bedrooms.
"I won't be a moment, ladies," he said. "Just gotta… scope out the perimeter."
Once again, Octavia had to stop herself from laughing as Mick went into what she considered his "Professional Mode". No matter how many times he tried to act all proper and refined, it was always a little funny to the Goetia Princess considering how well she knew the real him by this point.
"He's really getting into this, huh?" she commented, not even taking her eyes off Mick as he ventured into the nearest room.
However, now that the two of them were alone, Linda's innocent demeanour dropped in place of a small smirk,
"Y-yeah," she replied, looking up at the Goetia Princess and enjoying every second she saw the blush on her otherwise pale face. "I suppose he really wants to do a good job for you."
"Yeah…" she sighed, "He's kinda sweet like that, isn't he?"
Quickly realizing what she had just said, Octavia slapped a hand over her mouth as her blush intensified, her embarrassment ever-growing as she finally caught sight of Linda's toothy grin.
"W-what?" she asked, not liking the look she was getting one bit.
"Sweet, is he?" she asked playfully. "You must really be fond of him huh?"
"Uh… w-well, I…" Octavia sputtered, seemingly at a loss for words as her brain seemed to be suddenly going into shock.
Then Linda asked the one question that would turn everything on its head.
"Sooooooo… when are ya gonna tell him?"
"T-tell him what?" Octavia retorted, trying in vain to feign ignorance.
Alas, Linda wasn't at all fooled. With another grin, she gestured to the room Mick was in and made a heart shape with her hands and tail in an overly sweet manner… Oh fuck, she KNOWS!
"I…I, um, I'm not!" Octavia eventually exclaimed, losing all of her defences at once with a heavy sigh before she muttered to herself. "N-not yet anyway."
As embarrassing as it was for the poor owlette, her confirmation was nonetheless out in the open now… and Linda was now the happiest Imp in Hell because of it.
"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" she squealed, her smile bigger than ever before as she bounced on the spot like a giddy schoolgirl. "I knew it! You really DO like him!"
At that moment, Octavia's embarrassed flush was instantly accompanied by a look of fear as she suddenly slapped her hand over Linda's mouth.
"Shh! Keep it down, will you!?" she exclaimed, keeping her voice as low as possible.
Then as if the moment wasn't humiliating enough, Lady Luck once again decided to be a bitch and give Mick the worst timing ever.
"You two say something?" he asked, poking his head out of the bedroom.
"Nope!" Octavia quickly replied, not even giving Linda the chance to reply as she stepped in front of her. "Just boring girl talk!"
Mick, of course, only raised a confused eyebrow at that. Nonetheless, he chose not to question the matter any further as he made his way into the next room.
"Alright, cool," he said, peering inside before stepping in. "Sorry to interrupt."
As soon as Mick stepped inside the next room, Octavia immediately let out a sigh of relief before looking Linda straight in the eye and giving her a stern glare.
"What did I say?" she questioned, somewhat intrigued by the Owl Demon's reaction.
"Look, I'd rather not have Mick find out about this, okay!?" Octavia retorted. "If he realizes that I like him, I'll die of embarrassment!"
Now it was Linda's turn to raise an eyebrow.
"That's a bit of an overreaction, don't you think?" she pointed. "Besides, wouldn't it be better to tell him sooner rather than later? In my opinion, you two would make a GREAT couple."
Before, Octavia could reply to that, however, Mick once again exited the room he was in. Falling silent, all she could do was give Mick a smile and a small wave as he walked across the dining area and made his way over to the next room. Just as he was poking his head through the door, her eyes ventured to the seat of his pants, once again bringing a blush to her face once he entered. As soon as Mick was once again out of sight, the Goetia Princess let out another small sigh.
"I appreciate your encouragement, Liddy, but I… I'm just not ready yet," she said, finally choosing to be honest with the Imp for once, her face filled with unease as all her guts came spilling out. "Besides… What if he rejects me? We have a good thing going with our friendship, I don't wanna ruin it by making things awkward. And that's not even mentioning what my parents would say if they ever found out!"
As much as she wanted to argue, Linda had to admit that Octavia's fears were understandable. Obviously, she would react like this. Not only was this a whole mess involving different classes of Demons, but given the fact that Octavia was still a 17-year-old girl who has never had a boyfriend in her life thanks to her overprotective father, of course, she would have no idea how to handle her feelings. Nonetheless, it was Linda's duty to help her out, both as her attendant and as her friend.
"Well…how do you KNOW he would reject you?" she asked, her question immediately stumping the Goetia standing before her.
"W-well I-"
SLAM!
"Octavia!"
"EEP!"
Once again, Octavia was unable to even get a word out, and all because of her mother bursting in through the door with an annoyed huff, bringing an abrupt end to the discussion and frightening the daylights out of Linda in the process.
"Uh… tough time with the owner, Mum?" Octavia asked, unsure if there was any other way to respond to Stella's dramatic entrance.
"Honestly, that fucking man!" the elder Goetia snapped. "I swear he couldn't stop staring at my tits the whole time we were talking. If he hadn't given us free spa treatments, I would have clawed his throat out!"
Given the murderous aura around Stella's person, it took every ounce of willpower for Linda to avoid wetting herself in her presence. Not wanting to be on the receiving end of the Goetia's outrage, she quickly made up an excuse to leave.
"I'll, uh… go help Mick check the rooms," she said, scampering away as quickly as her little legs could carry her.
Obviously, Octavia couldn't blame Linda for being afraid, so she didn't hold her departure against her. Though it still meant that she was left alone with her mother for the time being, something she did not look forward to whenever she was in one of her moods.
"So it was that bad, huh?" she asked with a sigh, bracing herself for the inevitable surge of screaming.
"Tiresome, to say the least!" Stella snarled, letting out a small huff as she at least ATTEMPTED to calm herself down for once. "But it'll be worth it to have a somewhat bearable vacation. Fuck, any vacation without your father is already an instant upgrade compared to the alternative."
Once again Stella's slander against Stolas came pouring out like it was second nature. As much as she hated her saying such things, however, Octavia chose not to dignify that last part with a response lest she end up giving her mother more ammo to work with.
"Oh, by the way," Stella continued, once again grabbing Octavia's attention. "Gaap brought up an activity for later, involving that bodyguard of yours."
Needless to say, Octavia didn't like the sound of that.
"An… activity?" she repeated. "Exactly what kind of activity are we talking about."
"Can't say," Stella replied with an uncaring shrug as she suddenly began checking herself in the nearest mirror. "Gaap insisted that any information be withheld until this evening. All I know for sure is that it's supposed to be taking place sometime during dinner tonight."
"He… didn't say anything else?" Octavia further inquired, hoping to get SOME kind of information to help her and Mick better prepare for what was coming.
"Nope, so we'll just have to wait until then," Stella answered, once again unconcerned over the whole thing as she continued to stare in the mirror. "In the meantime, you and I are going to mingle with the other guests. The manager has arranged for a small reception for Gaap's return this afternoon and we'll be attending it in an hour. So I suggest you go and freshen up."
At those words, Octavia's face obtained a solemn frown.
"Oh… goodie," she commented sarcastically.
At that moment, Mick and Linda nervously came back into the room, the latter carrying a small box full of what appeared to be wires and smashed lenses.
"Uh… begging your ladies' pardon," Mick spoke up. "But… What do you want us to do with all these spy cameras we found?"