Charlie came up with a new activity for the day called Show and Tell, where each resident would present something to the group. Angel took a bit to find what he wanted to show so Victoria went first. She showed off some of the artwork that she had done in her living time and even some from her time in Hell. Charlie told Victoria that her artwork was amazing. The next thing she knew, Angel came down with one of his films. He had a VS tape of his best film and ended up playing it for the group. Nifty was the only one in the group besides Angel who was enjoying the film.
Charlie looked like she was going to hurl, Vaggie was grossed out but kept a poker face, both Monty and Victoria looked extremely uncounterable, and even Andy and Kara looked a little concerned with Angel. "You know, this performance, won me a Sex-x-x-i award," Angel said, proudly.
Charlie was just speechless; she had no words to say about this. Charlie had to look away from the TV when she heard Angel's moans during a so-called interrogation scene. Vaggie glared at Angel as she covered Charlie's eyes. "Angel, what the fuck?" Vaggie asked.
"What?! You said it was Show n' Tell day. I'm showin' you my best film, and I'm tellin' you that it scored me a win over that bitch, Tiffany Titfucker." Angel stated.
"Really? Cause it looks like the hellhound is having you for lunch and not pleasure." Andy complains.
"Geez, thanks for the mental image," Victoria muttered.
Just then, Husk decided to add to the trouble. "Ya know, not a very convincing interrogation scene," he stated while shining a champagne glass.
Angel scoffed, "Alright dickhead, what makes you think you have any right to insult my work to my fuckin' face?"
"You really going to sit there and act like these scripts ain't hot garbage?"
Angel gasped, "Fuck you! This is classy art!" he shouted, gesturing to the TV.
Victoria covered her ears and shut her eyes during a part where the hellhound was biting Angel, hard. But Niffty was enjoying the film like it was the best thing ever. "Classy art? Really? That's like saying, Loo Loo Land is better than Lu Lu World." Kara stated.
"See? Even Kara agrees. Besides, you get drunk and bitch about them all the time. Everyone likes to bitch to the bartender. I know everything about you and these motherfuckers at this point." Husk pointed out.
He wasn't lying; if any of the members of the hotel had a rough day, they would go to Husk's bar, get drunk, and share everything with him. Well, most of the hotel members; Kara never got drunk and Victoria always told Husk everything without drinking. Husk let loose everything he knew about the others. He knew that Monty was a lonely snake who still couldn't get over both of his exes. He knew Charlie was a bleeding heart who wanted to solve everyone's problems but her own. He knew Vaggie judged everyone because she hated herself. He knew Andy had regrets about signing a contract with Valentino.
"What about Niffty?" Victoria asked.
Niffty twirled a piece of her hair, kicking her legs, and then grinned at Husk. "You don't even wanna know what her deal is," Husk stated.
But Angel was laughing when he heard Husk reveal everyone's little secrets. Though hearing Monty's little secret, in his mind he was giving Monty death glares. "Wow! Kitten's got claws!" Angel said then did a sexily meow in front of Husk's face.
"And you! Don't get me started. I see right through you and all this bullshit and how fake you are." Husk said, trying to get Angel to back off.
But Angel just laughed and told Husk in the most sarcastic way that he was an actor and he had "no idea" that he was fake. Just then, Angel's phone rang and he took the call. Kara and Andy both could tell from Angel's worried expression and his tone of voice meant that he was on the phone with Valentino. Angel ended the phone call and looked completely nervous. He came up with a lie, saying that Val needed him for an emergency shoot. Charlie tried to convince him to stay for the remainder of the exercise but he just shooed her off. "I know you want to fix everything but unless you can fix my boss, there's nothing you can do," Angel stated and then left.
Charlie looked disappointed at the fact she couldn't get Angel to stay longer. Vaggie reminded her that she is the princess of Hell and she didn't really use the power that comes with it. Vaggie suggested that Charlie could use her title as the princess to help Angel out. Charlie then crafted this idea of talking to Valentino and convincing him to let Angel spend more time at the hotel. Andy immediately told Charlie to not confront Valentino. "Charlie. You don't know Val, like me and Angie do. Talking to him just means more trouble for Angel. Look, we'll find another way but please, do not go to Val's studio." Andy warned.
Charlie just nodded her head at Andy and promised not to go to Val. But then, she asked Victoria if she and her could chat a bit upstairs. So Victoria followed Charlie upstairs then Charlie dropped her backup plan, which was to have Victoria go in Charlie's place. "You want me to go where my deranged sister is working just to talk to Valentino? Charlie, you heard Andy. Val's not one to mess with." Victoria stated.
"But it might help Angel. Come on, Tori. You saw Angel's face when he was talking to his boss. He's scared of him. Maybe it would help if at least one of his friends you know, handles his problems." Charlie stated.
Victoria sighed, "I don't know…"
"And I know for a fact it'll be easy to blend in because you and your sister are completely identical!"
"Charlie. Just because we look the same, doesn't mean we have matching abilities. I don't dress like I'm at a nightclub twenty-four/seven. Plus, I can't act to save myself, and need I remind you that I'm still pure so Val's gonna know."
"It's for Angel. He needs this." Charlie pulled out her biggest weapon, the puppy dog eyes.
"Ok, ok. I'll do it. But please, don't follow." Victoria stated.
At the studio, Angel was preparing for the scene that was being shot for the day. He figured as long as he didn't make Valentino angry then he might just get to leave early. But just as they started the scene, Angel saw out of the corner of his eye, Victoria walking into the studio. He quickly cut the scene short and ran over to her, trying to keep Val from seeing her. "What in the ever-loving fuck are you doing here?" Angel asked in a hushed tone.
"Charlie told me to talk to Val on her behalf," Victoria answered.
"Have you lost your fucking mind?!" Angel quietly shouted at Victoria.
"Look I didn't want to either but you know she's not going to stop. And I know for a fact that you are scared of Val. But I'm not." Victoria stated.
But before Angel could shoo her out the door, Valentino had already seen her and Angel. He pushed Angel out of the way and then proceeded to lick Victoria's arm and call her a lovely specimen. Victoria almost wanted to slap Valentino for calling her a specimen but she didn't. She then made it clear to Val that she wasn't interested in what he was going to offer. She looked over at Angel's terrified face and then back at Valentino. "I wanted to talk to you on the Princess's behalf. But I can see that you are busy so I am willing to wait until Angel is done filming."
For a second, Val glared at Angel which sent shivers down his spine. Valentino then told Victoria to make herself comfortable and enjoy the show. Victoria just took out her sketchbook and started drawing to distract herself. But during the shooting, she noticed multiple plugs and cords jammed into the same outlet. They started to spark a bit, and this got Victoria to worry about Angel. She tried to warn Valentino but he didn't listen to her, Soon the set caught fire causing everyone to freak out and panic. Angel was still on the bed, half naked as the flame drew near. Victoria rushed over to him, not caring about the flames, and managed to get him out of danger.
Valentino's coat doubled as his wings so when he opened them, a large gust of wind helped put out the fire. Victoria was making sure that Angel didn't have any injuries from the fire and thankfully he didn't. As Angel covered himself up in his robe, Valentino then asked to see Angel in his dressing room. Angel couldn't refuse so he obeyed and followed Valentino into his dressing room. When Val closed the door, he switched into the monster that everyone feared. Angel couldn't get a word out before Valentino smacked him hard across the face, leaving a bruise on Angel's eye.
Angel was then roughly grabbed by Valentino, "You really think you can get Lucifer's little bitch to fight your battles for you?" he stated, throwing Angel towards a chair.
Angel panicked and tried to back away from Valentino. "You bring the Princess's pet to protect you? To fuck with me?" He slammed Angel against the wall and then grabbed him by the neck and then slammed him onto the sofa. "You think she can get you out of work?"
"No! No, that's not what I'm trying to do." Angel begged.
But all his begging was all for not. Valentino growled and then threw Angel across the floor. His smoke formed into a chain which was clamped onto Angel's neck and then he reminded Angel about their deal and how he owns him. "When I say come, you say"
"Yes, Valentino," Angel answered in fear.
"When I say, you are fucking twenty guys before lunch, you say?"
"Yes, Valentino."
"When I say, you better get that fucking pussy cat out of my studio! You say?"
Angel didn't answer him; he was so scared that Valentino might hurt Victoria. He tried to just tell Val that he'd get her to leave as long as she wasn't harmed. But Valentino didn't like Angel's answer; he wouldn't kill Angel since he makes him money. So instead, he threatened Angel that if he wanted his friend to leave unharmed, then Angel would stay in the studio all night filming. Angel agreed to it and then Valentino roughly grabbed him by the hair and dragged him out of the dressing room. He threw Angel onto the set without even caring that Victoria was there. She saw what Val did just now and even heard the conversation in the dressing room.
She clenched up her fist and snarled, "What gives you any right to treat Angel like that?!" she screamed, "You're no Overlord! You're just a spoiled whiny brat!"
She wanted to say more but Angel jumped in and told her to leave. She was hesitant to leave Angel with this monster. But when she saw the fear in Angel's eyes, she decided to leave. After Victoria left, Angel was forced to film different shots all while Valentino was there, watching. The makeup crew did cover up the bruises Angel had but nothing could hide the pain he was in.
Angel:
I'm not above a love to cash in
Another lover underneath those flashin' lights
Another one of those ruthless nights
Yeah, yeah, yeah
I shoulda guessed that this would happen
I shoulda known it when I looked in your red-hot eyes
Spewin' all your red-hot lies
Yeah, yeah, yeah
What's the worst part of this hell?
I can only blame myself
'Cause I know you're poison, you're feedin' me poison
Addicted to this feelin', I can't help but swallow up your poison
I made my choice, and every night, I'm livin' like there's no tomorrow
Oh-oh, oh-oh
Anyway you want me, baby, that's the way you got me
I'll be yours
My story's gonna end with me dead from your poison
Soon some of the scenes Angel was forced to do became just plain torture and abuse.
I got so good at bein' untrue
I got so good at tellin' you what you wanna hear
I disassociate, disappear
Yeah, yeah, yeah
So far beyond difficult to resist another gulp
Yeah, I know it's poison, you're feedin' me poison
I'm chokin' from the taste and I can't help but swallow up your poison
I made my choice, and every night, I'm wasted like there's no tomorrow
Oh-oh, oh-oh
Anyway you want me, baby, that's the way you got me
I'll be yours
My story's gonna end with me dead from your poison
Angel was done with the scenes but he locked his dressing room door to avoid Valentino. It was all just a poison that he couldn't seem to get rid of.
Poison, I'm drownin' in poison
I'm fillin' up my glass, but it's always hollow
Full of poison, I'm sick of the poison
Wish I had somethin' to live for tomorrow
By the time Angel returned to the hotel, the poor guy was a hot mess. He slumped himself to Husk's bar and asked for a strong drink. Husk could tell that Angel looked like shit but Angel put up his mask and pretended that it wasn't too bad. When Husk served Angel his drink, he gulped it down within seconds. But he asked Husk for a really strong drink so he could forget today. "Look, if you got a problem, you're not going to find the solution at the bottom of a bottle. I should know, I've been looking there a long time." Husk stated.
Angel then tried to get Husk to have a fun night with him but Husk refused. "Oh, c'mon, I bet I can make those wings flap!" Angel sexily said.
Husk shoved Angel off himself, making the spider demon drop the bottle he was holding and it shattered into pieces. "You can cut the act already. It's never going to work on me. So all you're doing is makin' an ass out of yourself with this fake bullshit." Husk said.
It pissed Angel off, his eyes glowed bright pink and the little dots under his eyes opened to reveal six other eyes. "Call me fake one more time, motherfucker!" he shouted. angrily. "I dare you."
Husk did call Angel a fake which pissed him off. He was about to attack Husk when he hit his head on the bar ceiling and ended up on the floor. Angel began to have a mental breakdown, "You know what? You would be fucking lucky to get a chance to fuck me! Ya know how much I'm worth? Ya know how many people would kill to have Angel Dust come onto them?! Fuck you!" Angel screamed.
He then made a run for the door, bumping into Alastor and Vaggie. "What the…? Angel? Where are you going?!" Kara asked.
"Out!" Angel screamed, slamming the door.
"Husk, what did you do?" Vaggie asked Husk.
"Made him a drink," Husk answered.
Andy, Charlie, and Victoria saw the whole thing. Charlie felt guilty for sending Victoria down to the studio for her. Somehow Andy knew that Charlie had planned for Victoria to be her spy. Husk figured that Angel was fine and he'd come running back to the hotel in no time. "I'm not so sure about that." Victoria spoke up, "When I was with Angel, I um, I overheard Valentino threatening him in the dressing room. And he got… It just wasn't good."
"Anything else? Come on, I know you are holding out on us." Andy smirked.
"I may or may not have called Valentino, a spoiled whiny brat," Victoria muttered.
"Seems our kitten here has grown her claws," Alastor stated.
"What about Angel?" Vaggie asked.
"Simple. Someone shall go after him." Alastor said, then eyed Husk. "Someone named Husk."
"Oh, you gotta be fucking kidding me. Why don't you go if you're so worried?" Husk asked Alastor.
"For one, I didn't cause him to run out of the hotel! You're gonna go out there and drag him back!"
"No, no. Don't force him back. Just make sure he's safe." Charlie stated, "Look, he'll come back when he's ready. I just don't want anything to happen to him until then."
Hush grumbled but he agreed to go look for Angel. Moments later, he saw Angel walk into a club and followed him inside. When he did, he saw the spider sitting with a bunch of shark demons, laughing and having drinks. Husk sat at the bar which was near Angel and the sharks so he could keep an eye on them. One of the sharks came to the bar and ordered two drinks. Husk was quick to notice the shark pull out a bottle of Velvette's Love potion. The shark poured some into the second drink that was meant for Angel. Just as the shark was about to hand Angel the drink, Husk grabbed him by the collar and threw the shark into the jukebox.
He then grabbed Angel, used the cards that he threw at the other sharks, slicing their guns in half, and dropped a net onto them. Husk dragged Angel out of the club and told him that he was taking him back to the hotel. Angel squirmed and yelled at Husk to let him go. "That fucker put somethin' in yer drink," Husk stated.
"You don't think I can tell if someone spikes my drink? I do this all the fuckin' time." Angel answered.
Husk was surprised that Angel would allow people to drug him all the time. Angel didn't ask to be what he is but he was dead set against having anyone save him including Husk. He stated to Husk that he can handle himself. But all Husk saw was someone who was about to self-destruct. "It seems like… I don't know. Ya might need a bartender to talk to." Husk said.
Angel scoffed, "Oh, so now you're going to act like you give a shit about me? You think after how you treated me, I'm gonna open up to you? Please." Angel began to walk away.
"Maybe I'd treat you better if you were real, and not some bullshit version of yourself. Always pushin' my boundaries. Lemme tell ya, nobody in that hotel cares who you are. How famous. How hot. So you might as well just cut the act."
Angel turned around in tears, "It's not an act!" he shouted, sobbing. "It's who I need to be. And this… This is my escape! Where I can forget about it all! How much I hate… everything. A place where I can get high and not think about how much it hurts. And maybe… if I can ruin myself enough in the process if I end up broken, I won't be his favorite toy anymore. And maybe he'll let me go. And then maybe, just maybe I won't be a burden to Al or Kara."
Angel sat down on the sidewalk, burying his head on his legs to avoid Husk's face. Husk took a seat next to Angel. He knew Angel's pain, he had been there himself. He sighed and then said something that surprised Angel, "I was an Overlord once, you know."
Angel looked up at Husk, "Yeah, and uh... It was nice to have that power. But when you're dealing in souls, while also being a gambler, the stakes are pretty high. And losing a few hands can be more than a little dangerous. So when you're down on your luck, you turn to anything to... keep you afloat, even making deals yourself. So I know what it's like to... regret the choices made and... knowin' ya can't take it back."
For a moment, the two were sitting in silence until Husk decided to break that silence.
Husk:
So things look bad, and your back's against the wall
Your whole existence seems fuckin' hopeless
You're feelin' filthy as a dive bar bathroom stall
Can't face the world sober and dopeless
You've lost your way, you think your life is wrecked
Well, let me just say you're correct
Angel looked up at Husk when he said that. "Wait, what?"
You're a loser, baby
A loser, goddamn baby
You're a fucked-up little whiny bitch
Angel:
Hey!
Husk:
You're a loser, just like me
Angel flipped him off. "Thanks, asshole."
You're a screws-loose boozer
An only one-star reviews-er
You're a power-bottom at rock bottom
But you got company
Angel:
This supposed to make me feel better?
Husk:
There was a time I thought that no one could relate
To the gruesome ways in which I'm damaged
But lettin' walls down, it can sometimes set you straight!
We're all livin' in the same shit sandwich
Angel:
I sold my soul to a psychopathic freak
Husk:
Haha! And you think that makes you unique?
Get outta here, man!
We're both losers, baby
We're losers, it's okay to be a
Angel:
Coked-up, dick-suckin' ho?
Husk:
Baby, that's fine by me
Angel:
I'm a loser, honey
A schmoozer and a dummy
But at least I know I'm not alone
Husk:
You're a loser
Both:
Just like me
Husk:
I got an appetite for gamblin'
Angel:
I got an appetite for samplin' every drug and sex toy I can find
Husk:
Go ahead baby, sing that song, come on!
Angel:
I got no holes left to deflower
Husk:
I sold my soul to save my power
Now I'm on that demon's leash
Both:
I'm trapped and it gets worse with every hour
Angel:
You're a loser, baby
Husk:
A loser, but just maybe if we
Both:
Eat shit together, things will end up differently
Husk:
It's time to lose your self-loathin'
Excuse yourself, let hope in, baby
Play your card, be who you are
Both:
A loser,
Just like...
They were interrupted by the same demon sharks that wanted to kill them. Both of them made a dive for the closest car to dodge the bullets. Husk jumped into the fray, taking down a few sharks with exploding dice and sharp cards. One of the demons jumped onto Husk's back and he was trying to shake him off. A gunshot was fired at the shark demon, Husk saw that Angel had his Tommy gun with them. The two went on a full kill spree and turned those sharks into a bloody mess. Both of them ended up with scratches and blood from the sharks at the end of the fight.
"Well, that was somethin' I didn't expect to see," Husk stated.
"Well, being raised in a mafia, you learn how to deal with dickheads." Angel stated.
"Good to know. Cause this guy, he's not that bad. And for the record, Alastor seems to like that person." Husk stated.
The two returned to the hotel moments after, but those two had become close friends. Alastor and Victoria were waiting for them. Victoria apologizes to Angel for making things difficult for him at the studio. But Angel was fine with it, he knew that Victoria was just looking out for him. "We'll leave you two to it," Husk stated then he and Victoria walked away.