My DA is EmeraldOverlord is you wanna check out my art! Feel free to look since I've got some art on this story over there.
Sorry for taking so long, I didn't get a chance to write so I decided to make this chapter long to make up for that. PS, Credit for the song belongs to Years and Years and MNEK. I also was inspired by Paranoid DJ's version of the lyrics so be sure to check him out too. And credit for Raphilelle for their 'Valentino' animatic and their dance sequence was what inspired this chapter.
Also : Vox singing is in bold. Angel is in italics and both is in bold and italics.
The group were traversing through the Land of Sloth in pursuit of Gluttony. They found that said journey was far longer than they thought and going by foot was definitely not the quickest way of transportation.
As of now, they were trudging over the rocky terrain that Sloth had to offer, doing their best to stay on track while following Alastor's lead in hopes of finding the civilization that they had plans on passing through the forest.
"Are we there yet?" Velvet whined.
"Velvet, this is the seventh time in an HOUR that you're asked if we're there yet…" Vaggie grumbled, her eye twitching with fury.
"I know…but I'm bored. It doesn't feel like we're getting anywhere and we've been walking for well over a week and we still haven't found that damn civilization already. Are you sure we're even giving in the right direction?"
"You should ask Bambi that," Vox muttered,"We're following his lead despite the fact the fucker can't see for shit. I'm impressed he hasn't led us off a goddamn cliff at this rate."
"I may be blind, but I still have my senses about me," Alastor retorted sarcastically towards his hated rival,"Besides, I haven't led you wrong yet, have some faith in me.."
"Faith isn't enough for someone like me…" The former TV Demon snorted,"It's only a matter of time before you screw us up. I can feel it in my bones…"
"That's probably your superstition if anything…" Al shot back at his rival, dismissing Vox's worries as something under paranoia.
"Hardly superstition to not trust your ass, Alastor. The others may have blind faith in you, but I don't…"
"It's not blind faith, Vox," Charlie assured,"I know you and Al don't get along, but please just have some faith in him. He hasn't steered us wrong yet and it's not fair to judge him just because of your different views on technology. I know it's a bit much to ask you to put your complete trust in him, but try and give him the benefit of the doubt, will ya?"
Vox scoffed,"Whatever, Princess. Just don't say I didn't tell you so when this fucker leads us to an early grave…"
Charlie frowned at Vox's lack of faith. It was disappointing to see that after all this time he and Al couldn't quite get along and while she didn't expect them to be friends, she would've preferred if they saw eye to eye occasionally.
She knew it was foolish to expect the two to be friends, but as naive as it sounded, she truly did believe that if Vox and Al weren't so prideful, the two men could've grown to be great friends in a different world.
"Why can't those two just be friends?" She asked herself,"They know they don't have to fight all the time, don't they? It'd be so much easier if they just got along…"
Angel gave her a glance, having heard her question,"Don't work yourself up over it, sweet cheeks. It's just the way those two roll. They've had hate-boners for each other for decades and their obsession over which tech is better is basically just a never ending dick-measuring contest solely driven in an effort to stroke their own egos."
"You think they'll ever stop?" She asked as she saw how Vox and Al were bickering amongst each other like children up ahead, her eyes filled with disappointment. They weren't tearing each other's throats out, but it was abundantly clear neither could stand one another.
Angel shrugged,"I wouldn't hold your breath over it. Those two have been at each other's throats for ages. If they ever do decide to put aside their little rivalry, it'll be on their terms, not yours so I suggest ya let them be…"
"Fair enough, Angel…" She admitted,"I was just hoping that them being in proximity with each other would eventually ease tensions though it seems I'm too optimistic on that note…"
"Ya think so?" He laughed,"I tell ya, Charlie,I doubt I ever will fully understand it, but I do respect that despite all the challenges and shit thrown at you, you don't. No doubt your parents are disappointed in your choices and yet you still follow your dreams…I guess we both have that in common," The former Porn Star smiled wearily,"Pop's never seemed to like having a 'Fag' in his house as he would say and I was pretty much in the closet my entire life. I never got to do any of the fun shit, couldn't wear makeup, put on dresses or anything like that, at least not in public. My twin sis, Molly, sometimes let me use her makeup kits and wear her dresses. She seemed to be the only one who approved of my lifestyle and did her best to accommodate me while I was around, though it wasn't enough…"
"What about your Mom? Mine was…a bit more supportive than my Father, but not enough to where she understood me…"
"My Ma?" Angel asked before numbly admitting,"I wouldn't know. She died when I was young…"
"Oh…Angel, I'm sorry I asked. I should've have-"
"It's fine," He assured,"It's not like I remember her that well anyway. She passed so long ago I can only remember a few things about her and they're pretty foggy if I'm being honest."
"Do you remember anything about her in particular?"
Angel frowned, as if trying to concentrate,"Eh…I know she was an excellent cook. Made a mean pasta if you know what I mean. Sometimes I saw her and Molly cooking together and I wanted to join them but my old man wouldn't let me, claiming that cooking was for women and that I needed to be a 'real man'. Whatever that meant," He said with rolled eyes as he used quotations with his fingers,"I never got what a 'real man' was,especially since at that age all Niss and I were doing was hoarding carts of drugs into the car. Didn't seem all too manly to me but the last time I questioned him I got a hit for my troubles so I learned to bite my tongue. I spent most of my time with my Father and I had little interaction with Ma outside of family dinner…"
She winced,"Your Father sounds like quite the piece of work…"
"You have no idea," He grumbled,"He was one of the most controlling fuckers in my entire life. Had a short fuse and if you pissed him off, you'd be receiving the back of his hand even for minor offenses. I was fucking miserable and when I accidentally overdosed, one of the few positives Hell gave me was a sense of freedom. Without Pop's breathing down my neck, I could finally dress how I wanted, fuck who I wanted and cook what I wanted."
"Cook when you want?"
"Well yeah. When Mom kicked the bucket, Molly's designated duty was to cook for the family. Sis tried to replicate Ma's cooking for me,especially since she knew I loved to eat it while she was around. The meals were fantastic, but they weren't the same. I never told her that obviously, it would've broken her heart so I just lied through my teeth for her sake if anything. Molly had a load on her shoulders as it was and I didn't wanna make her job harder than it had to be."
"You sounded like a caring brother, Angel. I bet you two really cared for each other."
"We did…But our relationship didn't last. Over the years, Molly grew a distaste for the family business. I think all the years of seeing bloodshed got to her at one point because one day she was there…the next she wasn't. I was the first to know she was gone because when I went to wake her up, her room was empty. We searched for her but we couldn't find a trace of her. Pop was furious, he was barking orders like a mad dog and was yelling for someone to find her. We tried..we really did but it's like she just vanished into thin air."
"What happened to your sister, Angel?"
"I couldn't tell ya. We never heard from her after she ran. If I had to guess, she skipped town and started a new life in California. She always said she wanted to go there if she was given the chance. Whether it worked out for her or not is something I couldn't tell ya but considering I haven't seen her in Hell after all these years, I think her life ended on a happier note than mine and was rewarded graciously in a peaceful afterlife…"
"Do you miss her, Angel?"
"More than anything, Charlie. Sometimes I wished I could've gone back, maybe convinced her to let me come with her to wherever she ran off to. Maybe I could've turned my life around too…"
"Would you do it if you could?"
"No…"
"Why not?" She asked,"You seemed pretty sad not to see your sister. Why wouldn't you go back?"
"Cuz I'd never have gotten the chance to meet you if I had. Hell has put me through the wringer, especially with Val, but for as shitty as it had been, that night where we were whisked into this strange timeline was the best thing that could've happened to me. That day changed all our lives and look at where it's brought us…Together…And I prefer it that way…"
"Aw thanks, Angel..You're such a sweetheart," She giggled, visibly flattered by his words. It was likely unintentional but she felt charmed that he cared for her even after everything they had been through.
This moment was abruptly interrupted when everyone noticed a strange noise beneath their feet as the ground shook ferociously.
Vox hissed as he gave Alastor a death stare,"Bambi, if this is your idea of a sick joke, know that none of us are fucking laughing. Knock it off!"
Al matter of factly stated,"I didn't do anything, Vox…"
"Then what the hell is causing the ground to move!?" He snapped.
Vox's question was answered when the ground beneath their feet started to crumble. Their eyes became wide with horror as the once solid foundation became undone within seconds. Everyone screamed in terror as the ground beneath them gave way and everyone began to tumble downwards.
Panic ensued as everyone was sent tumbling down the cliff-side, screaming in terror and agony as their bodies skidded against the rocks.
After what felt like an eternity falling downwards, they were approaching the ground at a worrying rate. The landing would no doubt be painful and there was little time to react and each second was precious.
Niffty saw the ground approaching and quickly improvised as she saw her pigtailed friend panicking, using her rope-spear to grab Velvet and Bombproof before summoning a web underneath them to soften their landing.
She wasn't the only one who thought of this, Husk using his staff to project himself into the air before gently levitating himself to the ground. Alastor forced his gauntlets into the ground to slow his skidding down until he came to an abrupt stop and Vaggie summoned a spear to bring herself to a halt in a similar fashion.
Angel Dust's eyes wilted as he saw Wiggles and Charlie falling. He grabbed Wiggles in one hand and used his lasso to pull Charlie to him and used a blanket of flowers to cushion the fall…
Vox and Helsa were tumbling downwards, the last to plummet. Vox braced himself for impact, knowing his powers wouldn't help him and prepared for the worst only to gasp when Helsa grabbed him,"W-What are you-"
He didn't get a response, instead Helsa used her powers to encase them in a large snowball that rolled down the hill, trapping the two in a cold ball of powder snow. The large compact snowball protected the two from any serious damage before eventually giving way once the two collided with a nearby tree, breaking the protective casing once and for all.
The man shivered as he was freed from his icy prison, his head dizzy as though he had been thrown head-first into a whirlwind. The trip downward was a woozy one and his eyes took some time to adjust to his surroundings.
"Ugh…my head…" He growled, clutching his head in agony from the fall. He then heard a feminine groan on top of him and saw Helsa struggling to pick herself up, clearly woozy herself from the landing.
For some strange reason, his chest felt rather heavy, like something was weighing him down.
Only then had he noticed that she was laying on top of his chest and his face flushed up with a deep red. His pale blue eyes widened at the sight of the Princess on top of him.
"Hey…uh…are you OK, Helsa?" He asked awkwardly, his gaze averting after realizing how stupid those words sounded in their current predicament,,'Shit…why the fuck did you ask her that, Vincent? You just fell from a large height and that was the best you could do? She's going to think I'm a goddamn idiot!' He berated himself bitterly, mentally hating himself for saying s
It was a dumb question considering what they had just endured but he couldn't think of another question in order to break the ice between them.
Helsa gave him a quizzical look and he could feel his face becoming redder with each second. It was probably a good thing she couldn't speak else he would've been insulted for asking such a foolish question.
Fortunately for Vox, another was there to break the ice on the situation as Husk approached the stumbling over pair with a raised eyebrow as he joked,"Getting awfully cuddly over here with Frost Queen, aren't you, TV?"
"Husk, if you don't shut your goddamn mouth, I'll show you the real meaning of pain in a shocking way if you catch my drift," He groaned in annoyance, clearly not in the mood for Husk's mockery of their compromised position.
Husk rolled his eyes at Vox's threat, dismissing it without much thought,"Don't kill the messenger for making an observation, Vox…"
"Take your observation where the sun doesn't shine because I don't wanna hear it," He huffed irritably.
The elder man snorted,"If you want to stop hearing about it so badly I suggest improving your position since it's not helping your case…"
Vox scoffed before gently pushing Helsa off of him and regaining his footing.
Both he and Helsa stood up and took the time to remove whatever dust and dirt they accumulated during the fall off of their outfits. After dusting themselves off, they eventually approach Husk as Vox asked,"So…how is everyone?"
"Outside of nearly dying, we're all doing just fine,"Husk admitted.
"You don't seem all too shaken up by it…"
Husk shrugged,"I've been through worse. Besides, if you think some unstable rock is gonna strike the fear of death into me, you clearly haven't been paying attention…"
"Hmph. Fair," Vox sighed, knowing all too well that Husk wasn't a scaredy cat despite his Demon Form previously being a furry critter. He could have the barrel of a gun pointed at his forehead and Husk would probably ask why you're taking so long to shoot instead of pleading for his life like most would.
That didn't mean he wouldn't fight for his life, but you'd be hard pressed to see him crying or begging to be spared when it came down to it and that was something Vox could never fully understand.
'Maybe that's why Bambi likes him so much…' He thought to himself,'He's one the few fuckers who won't hightail it the other direction at the mere sight of him..'
"You're done staring out into space or what?" Husk questioned,"Come on, the others are probably waiting for us to re-group ourselves."
"Fine. Come on, Helsa. Let's get going…"
Helsa nodded her head before following her male comrades. Husk led the two to where the rest of the group were, however as they approached, it became apparent there was arguing amongst them as Vaggie and Al were butting heads.
"Why the fuck would you take us here if you could sense there was fucking unstable ground!?" Vaggie screeched, her hair raising like a flame about to explode.
"I didn't know it would happen while we were there!" Al exclaimed,"Just because I can control the ground doesn't mean I can sense the exact time when a rock-slide is about to occur!"
"But you should've known better than to take us here while you knew the terrain was this dangerous! If we didn't react in time, all of us could've fucking died!" She snapped.
"What the hell happened here?" Vox whispered.
"Apparently Al neglected to tell us that this place had rock slides when he said he could get us to civilization quickly," Husk said,"As you can see, not everyone is all too happy about this if the banshee's screeching isn't telling you that already…"
Vox's eyes narrowed,"Of course he fucking did. I knew that the bastard leading wherever he wanted would come to bite us in the ass and yet nobody listened to me. Figures…"
"Not like it matters now," The former veteran said,"What really concerns me is how this is gonna end because those two don't seem to be backing down. It's only a matter of time before someone gets tired of the other's shit and decides to make the first move into an ensuing fight…"
"That doesn't sound all too bad honestly," Vox snickered,"I'd pay good money to see that woman give Bambi an ass-beating. It's such a shame this timeline is so primitive, what I would kill for a good camera. The headlines the feed would have would be a ratings booster in more ways than one. I can just see the headlines now,'Radio Bastard gets his ass beat by hot-headed Latina.' That'd be something, wouldn't it, Helsa?"
Helsa nodded her head though Husk didn't seem to share their gossipy excitement as he quickly put his foot down,"Will you two quit being childish? This isn't the time to be thinking about headlines…"
"You're no fucking fun, Husk…"
"I know, I'm a mood-killer," Husk admitted without a hint of shame,"What are you gonna do about it?"
The TV Demon didn't grace him with a reply. It was pointless after all and truthfully, Vox didn't wish to engage in a pointless argument. They both knew they wouldn't change the other's minds and while he didn't admit it, Husk was one of the few people who was somewhat respected.
He had his back for a while despite him being a sketchy fucker, the least he could do was not rock the boat with him while they were together.
Instead, he turned his attention back to the quarrel before them. Vaggie was screeching like a banshee at All while Charlie was desperately attempting to reign order back within the group.
"Vaggie, there's no need to be so hostile! I know what Al did was dumb but we made it did we not? Isn't that what counts?"
"By the skin of our teeth!" She snapped,"Al's lucky we didn't fucking die because of his negligence!"
"Vaggie, I'm sure he didn't mean to-"
"It doesn't matter! He could've got us all killed and you're trying to brush this off just because we got lucky and didn't die from the fall! I told you we shouldn't be so trusting of him! I told you and yet you didn't listen to me! I swear, he shouldn't even have those powers if he's not even going to inform us of the dangers we're in!"
"As if you'd do a better job," Al scoffed,"I'd like to see you try using these powers in my how easy it is…"
"If I had your powers I would be far more responsible than you are,"
"Easy words when you don't have any feasible way to back it up,my dear," He growled.
"Don't call me dear, shitlord…" The former Moth hissed as she grabbed his collar threateningly and pulled him down to meet her at eye level,"Consider yourself fucking lucky we didn't die because if anyone, especially Charlie had died, it would've been your head, you hear me?"
Al didn't respond to her, instead abruptly punching her right in the jaw. Despite Al's lanky stature, he was far stronger than he looked and his hit managed to knock Vaggie to the floor instantaneously.
"Vaggie!" Charlie quickly descended downward and rushed to her friend's side in a panic with Ange following after.
"Smiles,what the fuck was that!?" Angel shouted.
"She invaded my personal space by touching me. I followed suit by responding to such hostility with my own defense," He remarked calmly.
"You didn't have to hit her like that!" The Princess of Pride remarked as she helped her friend to her feet and ushered her comfortingly,"You alright, Vaggie? That was a hard hit…you gonna be OK standing on your own?"
"I'll be fine, Hon. I've been through worse," She admitted as she stood up and gave Al a death stare as she seemed ready to charge at him, only for Angel to hold her back,"Let me at him, Angel! Let me see him!"
"Toots, I understand your anger, I really do, but considering how you just landed flat on your ass five seconds ago I suggest not picking a fight with him…Besides, I don't think you two strangling each other is gonna do us any favors and it certainly ain't gonna solve anything…"
"But he-"
"We know," Charlie said,"But it's not worth fighting over. What's done is done and no amount of arguing is gonna change that. What matters now is what our next move is going to be…" She sighed,"Speaking of which…where are we exactly?"
"That is a good question," Velvet admitted,"Does anyone know where the fuck we landed? Because it seems like Sloth is endless forests and terrain from what I can tell.."
"We have to be heading somewhere," Angel said,"While the rock slide certainly fucked up our sense of direction a bit, civilization can't possibly be that far ahead. It's gotta be around here somewhere…"
Niffty paused as she sniffed the air,"Hey guys…you smell that? It smells like…"
"Smoke," Husk finished,"Like the smoke from a chimney. It's pretty faint, but it's still there…
"That must mean that we're nearing civilization! Maybe we're on the right track after all!" Charlie exclaimed,"Come on everyone, I'll lead the way!"
Everyone followed Charlie's lead, however Vaggie sent a death glare at Al and creepily enough, despite the man lacking his sight, he seemed to return the glare, the two sharing mutual contempt for each other.
She muttered under her breath,"Maldito bastardo…"
"Pas de bonne chienne," He shot back in a whispered voice, turning his nose up at her as he walked past her with a pretentious grin. That never-ending smile on his face struck fear in many, but Vaggie wasn't afraid…
No…she was angry.
'He has the most punchable face imaginable,' She thought furiously to herself. Charlie patted her friend's shoulder and said,"Don't fight with him, Vaggie. Let it go, it's not worth it. After all, we're allies and fighting isn't going to solve anything…"
"Why do you trust that bastard, Charlie? His negligence almost got us killed and he couldn't bother to inform us of the danger. This isn't something we can just brush off…"
Charlie winced,"Vag, I get it. You don't trust Al…"
"No shit I don't, that bastard is just screaming danger and this situation proves it…"
"I know I can't change your mind, but can you at least try to avoid engaging in conflict with Al until we're outta this mess. We've been through enough trouble as it is and the least we can do is tolerate each other…"
"For you Hon, I'll do it. But that doesn't mean I wont keep my eye on him…" She growled.
"I figured you'd say that…" Charlie sighed,"No matter, let's just try and get a move on shall we?"
"Lets…"
The group managed to make their way towards civilization soon enough and they were a bit underwhelmed by what they said.
It was a medium sized village, not too small but it wasn't too big either. From the looks of things, they were in a middle to lower class area. A few lavish buildings but other than that, it was fairly mundane.
Still, this wasn't to say being underwhelmed was a bad thing, as Charlie reminded Velvet when she complained about how dull things were, the less aesthetically pleasing views meant that were far enough away from Belphegor's castle, which was littered with luxury and aesthetically pleasing towns nearby.
It seemed that so far, nobody paid too much mind to them. Then again, most of the people in this town were middle-class and likely had their own affairs entirely separate from their existence to deal with.
However, this wasn't the same for everyone.
A pair of children soon noticed the group, one a boy and another a girl. The girl had ginger hair with the rest tied in a bonnet. She had freckles on her rosy cheeks, wearing a frilly purple dress with red frills and brown boots.
The boy had blonde-orangish hair, a button nose and beady eyes. On the top of his head was a bear-skin hat over his head and a pair of brown overalls with a white long sleeve shirt underneath.
The girl tugged on her mother's dress, a woman who resembled a southern Belle with long poofy blonde hair and a red polka dot pioneer dress with an apron on top. She had a coating of lipstick over her lips and a mole under her right eye. Her figure was busty, having an hour-glass figure with a large bosom and curvy hips that outlined her figure.
"Mommy! Mommy!" The girl whined as she tugged on her dress.
"What is Samantha? Mommy is a tad busy trying to pick out what our little inn needs for our hungry customers."
"Mommy you have to see this! Those strangers look so weird! Look at them!"
"Oh Ok..I'll look…" The woman said, turning her attention to them before her eyes widened at the sight of them,"My…don't they look like fresh meat out of the shop? They don't seem to be from here.." She said, examining their outfits closely as she eyed them up and down,"I've never seen anything like it…I do wonder what they're here for. Timmy, Samantha, Mommy want to pay these kind strangers a visit. Do be on your best behavior, we wouldn't want to scare off any potential guests, understand?"
"Yes Mommy…"
The two children followed their mother eagerly as the woman approached the group. The group took notice of the woman, some immediately becoming on guard and tense at her presence.
Her eyes were filled with intrigue at all of them, however her eyes seemed to immediately zoom in on Vox. His hood had since fallen off during the fall and he had neglected to put it back up, revealing his rather handsome face to the public eye.
"My, my, what do we have here?" She asked with a teasing tone,"It seems we've got a group of newcomers on our hands! I've never seen a group like you before! Are you on vacation?"
Vacation was definitely not the word they'd be using but Charlie went with the flow as she said,"We're just traveling through to get to Gluttony. You know, for the sights and all…"
She gasped in an exaggerated fashion, placing her hand over her mouth,"To Gluttony? My, don't you know how far that place is on foot? It'll be Winter by the time you all get there! Haven't you at least taken a break?"
"I mean, we rested but we got back on the move shortly after…Why? Is there something wrong with that?" Charlie asked.
"Yes there is, it's quite dangerous out there,especially during the Winter! You all should at least try taking a break, it's not healthy to constantly walk and I know that you've got to be sore by now. You all look quite tired, perhaps taking a rest would do you some good…"
"The concern is appreciated, ma'am but it's not necessary. We're really just passing through and it's not like there'd be any place for us to stay anyhow-'' Vox admitted only to be cut off.
"Oh don't worry, I've got plenty of space in my little inn for you all."
"Uh, that sounds nice and all, but we don't really have a lot of money," The TV Demon explained,"Thanks for the offer but we probably should get going-Gnngh!"
"Aw, don't be so quick to leave, sugar-cube," She giggled as she grabbed Vox's chin flirtatiously,"I know ya don't have a lotta money, but that doesn't mean we can't work something out between us…"
The woman then let out an 'oof'' sound when Helsa suddenly shoved the woman off of Vox and pulled him away, gritting her teeth at the woman with utter disdain.
"Oh," She said,"I didn't see you there, young lady…Is there a problem? "She asked in a far too sugary tone.
"Helsa can't speak," Vox informed,"Don't pay her any mind, I don't know what's gotten into her ma'am. She's never usually this hostile."
"Don't worry about it, it's all water under the bridge," She chuckled,"By the way, my name is Martha and these two little munchkins over here are most children, Samantha and Timmy. They're my pride and joy and they just love people!"
"Hi!" The two kids exclaimed with a giant smile on their faces.
"Aw, they're so cute!" Charlie cooed, gushing over the cuteness of the children.
"I know," Martha chuckled,"They're just the most precious babies you'll have ever laid eyes on! They just adore company and they're always happy to help out! Ain't the right kiddies?"
"Yes Mommy!"
"Aw, see? They're just the sweetest little munchkins a parent could ever ask for!" She mused with pride,"And speaking of hard workers, I think I know just the way you all could be of use! After all, since you don't have a lotta money, the best way of easing off the debt would be physical labor in exchange for a comfy place to stay before you head off on your journey? Help out around the Inn and I'll let you all stay without any sort of fee! How does that sound?
There was a massive pause as the others began to debate, entering a huddle to discuss the situation.
"So what do you guys think?"
"I don't know about this, Hon…Something is off about this woman and I don't like the idea of staying here too long…" Vaggie admitted.
"She doesn't seem all too bad," Al said,"At least, not from what I what of her…"
"But should we trust her? She seems a little kooky honestly…" Velvet replied.
"Coming from you that's saying something," Angel remarked mockingly.
"Angel, that's not nice," Niffty whispered to Angel Dust, who rolled his eyes in response to her claim.
"Whatever."
"I'm not too big of a fan of staying," Husk started,"But we could use a break. Especially after that fall…Besides, she might have drinks…"
"Is that seriously what you're thinking about?" Vaggie asked in a dead-panned tone.
"Been sober way too long and I've been itching for a beer for a while. If this inn has anything decent in it, I wouldn't mind working if it meant I could get my hands on some alcohol…"
"Besides," Vox admitted,"She is offering us a place to stay and it would be rude to decline such a generous offer. Compared to our other living conditions, this is basically a steal. And it's not like we're planning on staying here forever, just long enough to rest up before continuing where we left off. Does that sound good to everyone?"
Most seemed to agree, though Vaggie and Helsa seemed rather uneasy at the situation. When Vox turned, he spoke to Martha with a small smile,"Well Martha, we've talked it over and we decided that we're interested in staying at your place.."
"That's just fantastic! I knew you'd come around! Oh, I almost forgot to ask you, what was your name again? I should've asked earlier but I got so caught up in meeting new people that it just slipped my mind…"
"My name is Vincent."
"Ooh, Vincent, huh? What a beautiful name with such an equally handsome face…" She said this while placing her hand on Vox's chest.
Vox's face flushed, stammering as he said,"Uh…thank you, Martha…"
"Come on now, don't be shy! I'll show you around! My inn is nearby and we've got lots of ways to entertain our guests! I'm sure you'll all love it!" She exclaimed, holding Vox's hand as she dragged him away.
As everyone followed after, Helsa's eye twitched at the sight of Martha parading around with Vox as if he were a prize. Her fist was clenched, her lip twisted into a pout as jealousy pricked her right in the side.
Martha smiled as she lead Vox and his friends forward, a plan already brewing up within her wicked little mind. She knew just what to do, but first, she'd have to have her fun first. After all, an opportunity like this didn't just fall out the sky everyday ya know? She had to exploit it for all it was worth and there wasn't anything a little charm and sweet-talk could've fixed…
You know, when Martha said she needed ways to 'entertain' her guests, she and Vox had different visions on 'entertaining' guests and Martha's definition included strippers.
Yeah. There were literal stripper poles in the goddamn inn. Apparently the Inn was not only a place for people to pay for a room to last the night, but it was also a palace for where you could drink, party and have sex with others…
As you could imagine,by the time Vox had been informed of this, he had been in too deep and when Martha was especially asking HIM to go up, he was a bit…reluctant to say the least. It was only when Angel Dust intervened and claimed that he'd join in on the fun to ease that Vox seemed less hesitant and even then, it wasn't by much.
Of course, when Angel Dust volunteered, he knew there was some other motive to it and he found this out rather quickly when Angel was telling him to put on one of the spare dresses in the backroom.
"Why the fuck do I have to wear a dress!?" Vox exclaimed.
Angel Dust rolled his eyes as he pulled out one of the dresses in the spare room and held it over his chest,"Because dumbfuck, we're trying to entertain an audience full of mostly guys and if we want to appeal to them, we gotta up our femme sides."
"But why!?"
"Vox, I'd think you of all people would know this, but in case it hasn't gotten through your skull, sex fucking sells and considering we're at an Inn that services adult entertainment, if we want to shoulder off this debt asap, we gotta act the part…"
"But is that really it? The debt can't be the reason you're going this far just to try and pester me. There's another reason, isn't there?"
"Who's to say there is any?" He asked,"After all, who says I can't speak with my cell-mate?"
"We're not in prison anymore, Angel…"
"I'm not talking about that prison, Vox," The former Star stated,"We may have escaped that lazy oaf's asylum, but we haven't escaped his prison…"
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb with me, Vox!" He snapped at him,"You know I'm talking about him…"
Vox grit his teeth,"This isn't ground you want to tread on, Angel…Do not speak on subjects you know nothing about…"
"Know nothing about?" Angel hissed,"Know nothing about!? I've known Val longer than you have you piece of shit! I've known that bastard for years before you came into the picture and you think you have any right to lecture me on speaking about shit I don't know about?"
Vox winced at Angel's tone, taken completely off guard by his screeching.
"Finally you quiet down," He sighed,"About time. I've always wanted to speak to you about this but you always shut me up before I ever got the chance. Now that we're on more equal footing, I suppose I can finally say what's on my mind without getting fucking punished for it."
"What is it then? He growled,"What is that you want?"
"Nothing much. I just wanna ask something that's been on my mind for so long yet I never had the chance to ask you until now. I just wanna know something…why'd you stay with him?"
"Why do you ask?"
"You know why!" The former Porn Star growled,"You had the chance to leave countless times and yet you chose to stay with Val. You weren't bound by contract, ya could've left anytime ya wanted and yet you didn't! I just wanna know why because for the life of me, I can't understand why you put up with that bastard for so long…"
"Because I loved him, Angel…" Vox admitted,"I loved Val despite his…inclination towards violence. I know it wasn't healthy and our relationship was far from stable, but I don't want to lose what we had. Not like a skank like you would understand anything about loving someone…"
"Oh I understand plenty, Vox," Angel sneered,"I was head over heels for Val when I met him. It was hard not to be with him offering me a lavish life of star-dom under his wing. That was the most anyone had ever offered me in either life and I was so dumbstruck over someone 'accepting' me for who I was that I ignored the signs, ignored that this was Hell and that no deal was ever that clean-cut. Course by the time Val showed me his true colors, I had already signed the damn contract and there was fuck all I could do about it."
"Shouldn't have known better than to sell your soul to someone stronger than you?"
"Shouldn't you have?" He struck back,"You're not in any position to judge me, Vox, not after you sold yourself to Mammon. And for what? Someone who was just using you the whole time? It's almost like you're letting yourself get played at this point…"
Vox didn't respond to Angel Dust's claim, though his silence said everything that his words couldn't. There was a lingering sense of shame in him and Angel knew that his words hit hard even though the former Overlord didn't dare admit it.
As Angel looked at him, he struggled to see this as the same person that controlled Hell's Multimedia as a whole.
The corrupt all-powerful CEO facade he had presented to those around him had more or less crumbled and without all the bravado and tech, Vox just didn't strike fear into him anymore. The silence was telling as Vox didn't bother to respond to him, seeming ashamed of where he was.
"Vox…I want to ask you something else…" He said,"I know it was a while ago, but I'm certain you remember back in the villa when we were recording our latest number. I remember it like it was yesterday, only a day prior and I was bitter at my existence, once again reminded of how trapped I was. Only when I found a steak knife in Val's quarters did I think of an attack. I knew wit wouldn't do much, but the satisfaction I would've got from stabbing that fucker in the throat would've been worth it to me. Course that didn't happen because you told him about the knife…"
Vox's eyes widened and Angel smirked,"Yeah, I know you told him. I'm not fucking stupid, Vox. It doesn't take a genius to realize the walking TV with cameras positioned everywhere was spying on me. But that's not what gets me, it's why you took so long to say it?"
"What?"
"Val only seemed to be aware of the knife when he got right to the door. You texted him at the last second…You knew I had the damn thing on me that whole time yet you took your sweet time informing him. Tell me…did you do it because you cared or were you jealous that I was the one who was gonna stab him, not you?"
"I would never-"
"You say that, but your hesitancy speaks far louder than your words do. You don't gotta hide it from me Vox, we both know the truth deep down. You're jealous that Val paid more attention to me than you and it just made you furious…"
"As if I'd ever be jealous of you, Angel Dust…" He said, denying the obvious.
"Denial ain't a good look on you, Vox," He mocked,"And it's not like you hid it that well. Whenever Val made me accompany your little dates, I could tell you were pissed. It must've been embarrassing, right? To find yourself upstaged by a spider whore?"
"How could I not be embarrassed!?" Vox snapped,"You were all Val talked about and I never understood why. I had the multimedia empire, I was one of the most powerful Overlords with more money than most could dream of and yet I was competing for Val's affection with an arachnid with false tits! Do you not see how fucking belittling it is to have your boyfriend not show up to your date ten times in a row because he'd rather play with his spider whore!? I couldn't understand it, what did you have that I didn't!? I was richer, stronger and had far more resources and yet…he favored you and I could never understand why."
The way Vox said it, he sounded hurt and bitter, years of resentment and hatred finally rearing its head.
"That makes two of us," He said,"But you wanna know something. I was jealous of you too…"
"What? Why? Because I was powerful?"
"Nah, I ain't that big into political hierarchies,"He admitted,"No…What I was jealous of is your freedom of choice. You could choose to tell Val no. You could choose if you wanted to fuck him or not. Sure, it was never when you wanted to be fucked, but at least he bothered to ask. None of us ever had that luxury. Not that you'd know anything about being powerless as someone stronger than you took advantage of you, would you?" He asked in an equally bitter tone.
The TV Demon flinched, vivid memories flooding back to him in a flash as recalled how Mammon was upon him previously, reducing him to nothing more than a whimpering, sobbing mess by the end of it…
"You assume far too much, Angel…" He mumbled as he rubbed his wrist where that damned mark was imprinted on his skin,"You assume far too much…"
"And what exactly does that mean? Got another secret to hide, Vox?"
"None of your business," He growled,"Just don't act like you know everything, because you don't…"
"I may not, but I know that the two of us are nothing more than pawns in Val's little game. Val wanted us to fight over his affection since it'd be easier to control us that way. After all, if we were both jealous of one another, we wouldn't take the time to realize he was just playing us the entire time. So how about a truce? Assuming we ever get out of this world, we're inevitably gonna run into Val back in that pit, so why don't we team up?"
"Are…are you suggesting we be friends?" Vox balked in utter disbelief,
"Woah woah, I didn't say anything about friendship, Vox. Don't get too ahead of yourself. All I'm saying is that if we ever get outta here, we should focus on getting back at that bastard not get at each other's we're done, we go our separate ways and act like it never happened. Capeesh?"
Vox narrowed his eyes,"Why are you asking for my help?"
"Because I know that you can beat his ass," Angel said flatly,"Besides you can't tell you've never wanted to hurt him. I know you have and considering we both share a common enemy, it would be in our best interest to work together, just to ensure that he doesn't slip through the cracks or anything. What do you say?"
Vox remained silent before saying,"Fine. I'll do it…" He then outstretched his hand and reluctantly shook Angel's,"But know this…if I find him first…the kill is mine, got it?"
"Tch, you sound too confident about that bucko…"
"I intend to keep my word, Angel. I do not make empty promises and those I want dead will embrace death one way or another…"
"I ain't gonna doubt your word, Vox…" He admitted,"But I'm just gonna say it here, don't be surprised if the shoe lands on the other foot if you're gonna play that way."
He scoffed,"That will never happen, Angel…"
"Never say never, baby.." He teased,"Now come on, turn that frown upside down. We've got an audience to 'wow' and I know just the look that'll drive them wild."Angel then pulled out a dress.
The dress was mostly blue at the top but when it got down to the ends, it turned a more black color. It was Vox's color but it did seem like it would need a bit of work to fit given Vox's frame.
"Hmm…it'll be a tight fit I think we can make it work…"
"You're still insisting about the dress aren't you?"
"Yup. There's no two ways about it, Vox. You're getting in this dress whether you like it or not…"
Vox groaned,"There is no way that thing is going to fit me…"
Angel laughed,"Vox, you realize you're talking to Hell's Number 1 Drag Queen and Porn Star, right? I can make a lotta things happen and trust me, this is gonna fit ya when I'm done."
"This is so stupid…"
"Quit complaining, you're in good hands aren't you? Then can it be because we're gonna make this work and you're gonna look like a star by the time I'm done…"
By the time Angel was done, Vox was having a hard time looking at himself in the mirror.
Not only was he wearing the dress, but the dress was a little..showy compared to what Vox was used to, showing off a lot of chest and shoulders.
It wasn't helping he was wearing long arm sleeves and a blue wig on top of his head that was tied in a crown bun style and he had lipstick and mascara over his face.
But that wasn't the worst of it. Oh no..That was only the beginning.
The hardest and most uncomfortable part was the bloody heels. If there was one thing Vox didn't like, it was having to walk in heels.
"How do people do this!?" He growled as he had to stop himself from stumbling over,"It's like walking on bloody stilts!"
"You get used to it,"Angel admitted as he applied a layer of pink lipstick over his lips in the mirror, checking himself out as he did so.
In contrast, Angel was wearing a green and brown dress. The dress had sleeves though it showed off a lot of his cleavage. Unlike Vox, Angel was wearing a corset underneath and his dress was up to his knees.
On his face was a fair share of makeup and on top was a long-haired wig with light brown hair(do not ask how he fit those horns under the wig). He had brown heeled boots underneath and white stockings,clearly going the extra mile to put himself out.
"Angel, do you really need to put this much makeup on?"
"A lady's gotta look her best.."
"You're not even a girl…"
"Doesn't mean I can't look my best. Now quit being impatient, I'm almost done, see?" He said as he applied the final coating of lipstick.
"Took you long enough. Now are you sure this is going to work?"
"Very. So long as you follow my lead, it's gonna go just fine.." He said before motioning Vox to follow him.
Angel and Vox soon got out of the dressing room and had a little discussion with Martha about their performance saying they needed a few backup-dancers and what not along with some guys to play the music, something that Martha readily agreed with, claiming she was already on it.
As they were making their way back to stage, Angel said,"I think that Martha lady has a thing for you, Vox."
"Excuse you?"
"What? You heard me. She was literally staring at you the whole time and she just lit up when she saw you walk in. I think she's got a crush on you or something with how much she was flirting with you…"
"I uh..don't know what you mean.." He said in the most unconvincing way ever.
"Uh-huh, sure you don't. Look, just don't get in the way of the performance. Understand?"
"I'm not stupid, Angel…" He scoffed,"I can do my job without being distracted."
"Just making sure.."
The two men then got on stage and everyone's attention was directed at them. Husk was manning the bar and talking with Al only for his jaw to drop,"Holy fuck, what happened to him?"
"Angel's doing no doubt," Velvet said,"Vox would never wear a dress without outside influence, he always said he would be too uncomfortable wearing such a thing. Wonder what changed his mind…"
"They look really pretty honestly," Niffty said,"I wonder how they did all of that in such a short span of time…"
"Whatever they did, I sure as hell ain't complaining," Husk said as he eyed the two, though mostly at Vox,"I ain't gonna lie, he makes a pretty attractive woman. Wouldn't mind spending the night with him if he were dressed like that."
"Times like this makes me glad I'm blind," Al admitted after hearing Husk compliment his rival in such a vulgar way.
"What the hell are those two doing?" Vaggie asked blankly.
"They're performing. What exactly I couldn't tell you," Charlie said as she covered her face to hide her blush,"But Angel does look…interesting…"
Vaggie cocked an eyebrow,"Is 'interesting' your way of saying a man is attractive?"
"VAGGIE!" She hissed as she buried her head in her hands.
"What? I'm just saying you're doing a pretty horrible job at hiding your lecherous gaze…"
"Vaggie, can you please stop talking? You're making it worse," She whined.
"Whatever. Let's just see what those two end up doing. Hopefully they don't make a fool out of themselves…"
On stage, Vox glanced at Angel, the brunette saying,"You know how this song goes, Vox?"
He nodded,"Yes..Though as for the movements,I'm not too confident about that. My memory is a bit hazy and it's not like I did the routine myself."
"It ain't easy, but it's doable,"Angel admitted honestly,"Just follow my lead and you'll do fine."
Vox took a deep breath as the music started up from behind them and there were two female performers on stage with them. Angel Dust took a deep breath before he began to sing an all too familiar tune, knowing that all their eyes were on him.
I think I must have met him yesterday
Waltzes in with just a smile down the play
Seems to be the name on everybody's lips
So I told myself I wouldn't fall for it
But then
The dance was meant to be provocative and seductive to those who watched. It was slow yet deliberate and the movements were controlled in every way and the dancers seemed to follow his movements to a T.
Quicker than a flash, he had me at hello
He took me by the hand, we started dancing slow
I didn't wanna get attached but now, I'm far too close
And he knows just what he's doing
I didn't know, when I met Valentino
I was giving him control over me
Now I'm stuck in his melody
Let me go, let me go Valentino
You're not getting anymore out of me
I don't want your cruel melody
Vox knew it was his turn to sing and frustration took over on his face. He was slowly getting the hang of it, though his expression was very much irritated not only at his current situation, but of the many conflicts that were taking place around him.
He knew what to say to sweep me off my feet (Ah)
I should've never heard a word he said to me
I was comfortable with ignorance is bliss (Ah)
'Cause I told myself I wouldn't fall for it (Fall for it)
But then
Quicker than a flash, he had me at hello
He took me by the hand, we started dancing slow
I didn't wanna get attached but now, I'm far too close
And he knows just what he's doing
I didn't know
I didn't know when I met Valentino
I was giving him control over me
Now I'm stuck in his melody
Go, let me go, let me go Valentino
You're not getting anymore out of me
I don't want your cruel melody (Don't want it, oh)
I don't want your cruel melody, (oh, no)
Oh no, no, ooh yeah (Don't want it)
Ooh, oh, oh (Don't want it)
Yeah, yeah
The backup singers did wonders for them as they danced, the crowd seemed to be eating up judging from all the money being thrown at them. If they bothered to let their eyes linger on the crowd, they would've noticed the two children picking up whatever money had landed on the ground for keepsake.
I should have known not to trust Valentino
I should have known not to trust Valentino
Tonight we're saying goodbye Valentino
We know just what you're doing!
We didn't know when we met Valentino
Everyone on stage put their hands up where their chests were before spinning around with one arm above their head as they continued to dance.
We were giving him control, control over us
Angel led the ground as he put his hands on his thigh before whipping his head up in the air with a cocky smirk.
Now we're stuck in his melody
Let us go, let us go Valentino (Let us go Valentino)
You're not getting anymore outta us
We don't want your cruel melody (We don't want)
Everyone was moving in a coordinated motion, clapping their hands together as they shook their hips to the sound of the beat. They then stuck one leg out before making their way onto the ground before getting back up once that sequence was finished.
Angel Dust narrowed his eyes, even without Valentino present, he couldn't' help but remember this part with hateful went as far as to point to where Valentino had been standing when they first recorded this song/
The memory burned fresh and had to be held back when he tried to lunge at the hallucination of Valentino in his mind. Vox sent him a look as the former Star regained his composure before continuing the song.
We should have known not to trust Valentino
We should have known not to trust Valentino
Go, let us go, let us go Valentino
You're not getting anymore outta us
We don't want your cruel melody
It then all ended when they formed themselves into a heart and once they were finished, they received a huge round of applause from the ground. The two men were drowning in praise and cheers and people seemed to adore the show they put on.
Everyone was happy for them and after they got down, some were even offering drinks to the boys(likely because they thought they were girls). They accepted the drinks because who would deny free beer, though Vox made it apparent to the strangers who flirted with him that he wasn't interested.
"Hey Helsa, what'd you think of our little performance up there?" He asked as he approached the table the Princess was sitting at.
The Princess gave him a thumbs up as a sign of approval. Given she couldn't speak, this was basically her way of saying,'You did great' and Vox seemed grateful for this since it didn't look like she was saying this because she felt bad this time.
"I'm glad you thought so because I was fucking dying up there. Dancing with heels is not fun and I swore I was one step away from tripping on my face. God that would've been so embarrassing…"
They both snickered and talked some, however Vox noticed Martha calling him and said,"Hold on, Martha's calling me for something. I'll be right back.."
Helsa watched from afar as Vox and Martha began to talk. From where she was, she couldn't tell what they were saying, but whatever it was, The Princess of Envy didn't like it one bit. Her eyes bore hatefully at the back of Martha's skull who was painstakingly oblivious to her hateful glare.
"Helsa, you seem mad," Charlie said, looking at her rival with unease,"Did Martha offend you somehow?"
"Her mere existence offends me,'' She thought slowly to herself.
"Helsa, there's no need to be jealous. I'm pretty sure Martha's being friendly," Charlie tried to assure the Queen of Mean, though this did little to ease Helsa one bit as her eyes refused to tear themselves away from Martha and Vox's position.
She don't trust that woman…she didn't know, but something about her overly friendly vibe just didn't sit right with her and the fact she was flirting with Vox was enough to anger the Princess.
Still, she knew she couldn't really do anything as much as she hated to say it. Everyone seemed to like Martha and without any concrete evidence that she meant harm, the others would likely dismiss her claims as her just being jealous over her.
Not that she was…she just didn't like how she looked at Vox. She could tell she was planning something with them, but she couldn't pinpoint exactly what.
Whatever it was, she was intent on finding out what exactly Martha had in mind because she knew it was nothing good.
Thanks for 17,620 views, tell me what you think below! Any support is welcome!
Enigmus-288: Yeah, you can tell the negative consequences are rearing their head right about now. Seviathan legit said 'fuck being a victim' and deciding to go full on retribution mode.