Chapter 32: The Scorpion's Orchestra (Garden Party Arc, Part 2)
Monday, December 20th. Day of the Hazbin Hotel's garden party. Precisely 30 min before the main events of the last chapter.
Alastor couldn't deny how impressed he was with the turnout of events. More demons had shown up than expected.
The initial guest list included two Overlords (him and Rosie as the main catering providers), two Ars Goetia (Stolas and his daughter), and a dozen of Hellborns and sinners of South American and European roots that Queenie and the other volunteers could track. The Radio Demon and Vaggie had expected a quarter of the invited to come. What they didn't expect were the crowds.
The demons primarily came for the flowers. Several did leave after a quick visit and buying a souvenir bouquet from Mad Mats. Another several stayed longer for the fine, non-cannibal cuisine and left after buying a Hazbin Hotel memorabilia T-shirt featuring the self-proclaimed mascot, Fat Nuggets. However, time flew quickly and demons stayed much longer. They took pictures of the hotel's garden, the social media shared pics and hashtag attracting more last-minute passerby's. They stuck around for the free food and tour. When some dared to sit down with Charlie, they actually got to listen to her ideas and plans for the hotel. Some DID shrug, laugh, and leave. Some DID stay longer after they heard her better.
Another thing Alastor didn't expect, but could anticipate, was the arrival of Paimon.
But the arrival of August Aglais? THAT, he certainly didn't expect.
The second King of the Ars Goetia nobles AND Leviathan's youngest grandson? Charlie made the fortunate decision of inviting the two at a separate table, distant enough to not alarm the commoners. Rosie and Alastor invited themselves to the discussion, so did Vagatha. Stolas, preferring to admire the garden's floral beauties rather than sit with his father, moved around the party.
"It is… surprising to see you," Charlie politely addressed Paimon.
"Well, who can resist royal garden parties?" Paimon stared at the partying commoners in contempt. "At least my granddaughter isn't associating with them. Which reminds me…"
Paimon waved his hand. In a cloud of bluish red smoke, Charlie's letter to him appeared. As it floated onto the table, they could all see Charlie's royal stamp… crushed by the larger, burned stamp of the royal apple and snake. Paimon then summoned another, but shorter, letter bearing the same stamp.
Alastor clenched his fists under the table.
"You had Charlie's dad revoke her order?" Vaggie scowled.
August Aglais picked up Lucifer's letter, straightened his new cat eyeglasses, and quickly examined the context. "If I'm understanding this… Paimon approached the Devil to revoke Charlotte's demand to cease harassment towards the sinner known as Indigo Caligo. Charlotte has the right to order an Ars Goetia king, two ranks beneath her in our hierarchy, to stay away from her property's patrons. However, as he is higher than her, Lucifer revoked her order, granting Paimon the royal permission to invite the sinner to any Goetia or high-ranking event of his choosing. Her pleasant presence at the Seventeenth Brunch… further reinforced the King's decision." August Aglais put down the letter.
"Why would you do that?" Charlie frowned at Paimon.
"Do what? Allow my granddaughter a fine companion? Provide my fellow Goetia with a fresher, more decent comrade?"
"Indigo isn't merchandise!" Vaggie snapped.
"And this table isn't for servants…" Paimon smugly drank his snake wine.
Before Vaggie could rant something in Spanish, Alastor took the reins. "Oh, how she jests! But can we truly blame Vagatha? As the princess' consort, she is as equally worried about the patrons. Perhaps you could entertain us with your rational reason behind having the Devil revoke his daughter's wishes?"
"Of course. But entertain me first… how's Miss Caligo's rehabilitation going?"
The smug question had rendered Charlie, Vaggie, and Alastor silent.
"As impossible as it sounds, redemption might take a long while," Rosie intervened. "Hellish or commonly evil, Indigo is a sweetling."
"Yes… a sweetling who easily humiliated Stella Goetia and charmed half of our court just by fluttering her eyes. The sweetling also enamored Lucifer, his Queens, and most of the Goetia and Overlords at the brunch. Velvette was enveloped in enraged envy." Paimon crossed his hands. "I don't seek to purchase or to own her. I merely want to give the Goetia the presence of their sweetheart."
"Yeah, no. Angel Dust is already the whore at the hotel, and even he is not for sale!" Vaggie pointed at Paimon. "We don't sell our patrons!"
August Aglais pulled out his tablet and did some typing. "Honestly, when you look at the sin poll stats, they increased by 5% when Indigo attended the Goetia events and the brunch. A few hours ago, I noticed the surge of stats in the neighborhoods surrounding the hotel…"
"It's a hotel for demons…" Charlie began.
"They didn't rise HERE!" August emphasized. "If anything, all the sinners and Hellborns here have sin rates beneath the preferred average. However, ever since your little garden party started, the sin polls have risen for local businesses. With the lesser stats roaching about here, the demons with higher sin stats are mooching about the local businesses."
"I didn't mean to damage the sin polls!" Charlie waved her hands.
"No, they're IMPROVING!" August turned off his tablet. "And that's why I'm here! With this little evidence, you can be guaranteed proper sponsorship from the Deadly Sins themselves!"
They looked at the prince as if he had spoken a dead language.
"How fascinating! Sponsorship from your kin, your Highness? Truly, the Deadly Sins wouldn't waste their time with our risky project!" Alastor laughed.
"I do agree with the buck here." Alastor wished he could bite that cocky bird.
"The higher-ups have been worried that this hotel could affect their resources, but I can now prove that this project will improve the quality of their resources!" August tapped his finger against the table. "Think of it. Bring the least appealing or less lust-prone demons, the porn industry will increase in seductive demons and lustful desires. Expel the least addictive slackers and crazier addicts will fall for Sloth. Bring here the first-timer cannibals and Rosie and Alastor's businesses would increase with gluttonous products. Expel the least materialistic people to this hotel and Hell's banks would explode from the purchases of the most materialistic demons. Bring the newer sinners here and this ring glows with pride. Allow my grandfather to pinpoint the least envious demons and he can be left with the most envious products and demons. The less sinful demons come HERE, the more sinful evolve OUT THERE!"
"So, the unwanted demons go here while resources improve in sinful quality?" Paimon smiled under his mask. "What a novel idea!"
"The point of the hotel is to find a humane way to decrease the overpopulation crisis without the need of Exterminations," Charlie firmly spoke. Alastor was quite surprised by her unpleased frown. "I didn't create it to be exploited for the sin polls."
"Even if you didn't want to, it's something that would benefit both parties," August said.
"Which parties do you specify, Your Highness?" Alastor asked.
"Businesses of the higher-ups. You Overlords, the Ars Goetia, and naturally the Deadly Sins. That's one party. The other party is just Charlotte." August looked over the table. Alastor followed his stare and saw his target.
Angel Dust, chuckling while Jinx splashed whine at a sinner who tried to poke Queenie. Indigo's succubus assistant was quite enamored by the imp's chivalry.
"Take lust." August gave an example. "If Asmodeus and the mosquito pimp have more seductive demons in their business and more lustful customers to attract, they wouldn't need their less seductive slaves. Knowing the porn star who is currently your patron, newer, BETTER demons might satisfy his pimp into ceasing his ownership out of boredom. Valentino's lust polls have been dropping ever since Angel Dust started frolicking between this hotel and his workplace."
"Valentino doesn't truly care as long as he keeps gaining money," Rosie pointed out.
"Yeah, but my Uncle Ozzie doesn't want a rise in cash. He wants a rise in the spirit of lust," August bluntly responded. "The mosquito pimp can have the seductive demons he needs if the hotel conceals the least lustful. Look at it this way, Charlotte. You'd be sparing the dignities of don't-wannabe-whores so better-performing-whores can get higher salaries for their best-suited skills."
Alastor caught Charlie's shoulder before she could storm at him.
"Your theory is very rational, Prince August. It may clash with the Princess' goals, but you made quite a valid point on how her goals and Hell's resources must compromise. However, today might not be an ideal day. After all, the garden party must… lure in the least needed demons. Perhaps we could discuss this in a more appropriate time, and perhaps more privately?"
"Sure!" August got up from his chair. "By the way, since Paimon brought it up, how's Indigo doing?"
Vaggie and Charlie gave Alastor one of those 'you-withdrew-information-from-us-again' stares.
"Terribly fatigued." Alastor gave a foul look to the fowl that was Paimon. "She was very out-of-place during her unnecessary stay with the Ars Goetia. Poor thing inconvenienced them. She was like a kitten trying to entertain the alligators before they could drag it into the bayou for dinner. Her friend is currently keeping her company."
"My granddaughter is her friend." Paimon emphasized.
"Yeah, I don't care. Your family problems are a mere grain compared to the sack of flour that's my family's bullshit." August shook hands with Alastor, completely ignoring the Ars Goetia. "Do tell Indigo that I said hi."
"But of course."
"As for Lucifer revoking Charlotte's order, there is ONE loophole."
"There is?" The higher-ranking demons and Vaggie gasped.
"Just one." Out of the blue, August pulled out the heavy red book of HELL'S HIERARCHY PROTOCOLS, which as twice the thickness of OVERLORD PROTOCOLS. The prince opened the book, straightened his glasses, and read the page. "'Hell's Higher-Ups Incorporating Commoners In Upper-Crust, Subsection 6, Article 6, Written 666 days following the first Bubonic Plague. Should the Ars Goetia desire to expand their consort resources due to inbreeding issues within the aristocracy, a high-ranked Goetia king may introduce a demon commoner into their ranks, mold them into the celebrity lifestyle, and present them as an Ars Goetia candidate Goetia to King Bael. The commoner's affiliation may be further encouraged if said commoner has been promoted to the Overlord ranks during the modeling period. Encouragement may be doubled if the commoner gained the Overlord status via the recommendation of no less than two other Overlords. The high-ranked Goetia king may choose a new member among the commoners so long as the commoners isn't one of the following:
A demon already affiliated with the House of Leviathan.
A cannibal.
A demon intent of stopping global warming.
A sinner descending from an Exterminator's direct descendants.
A sin-devourer.
A demon secretly harboring an Exterminator.
A cambion.
A fan of country music.
'Should #2, 3, and 8 be found within the candidate, both parties will receive a permanent association ban. Should #1, and 4 through 7 be met, the commoner will be executed and the Ars Goetia and the rest of the Goetia nobles will face eternal humiliation as aristocratic traitors.'" August snapped the book shut. "Have fun now! Bye!"
As Leviathan's prince left, both Charlie and Vaggie smiled smugly at Paimon.
"At her age, Indigo's probably against global warming. Who knows, she might get into country music after Extermination Day!" Charlie boasted.
"Perhaps…" Paimon proudly got up. Something about his air seemed… too confident, to Alastor… "Perhaps she meets the criteria. Oh! And, good luck redeeming your first demon, Princess. I'm positive the other Goetia nobles are dying to prepare Miss Caligo's… permanent accommodations among us."
The moment Paimon teleported away, the brighter the party's ambience seemed. Alastor, on the other hand, felt the environment darkening. Despite his smile, the static around him agitated as he walked off. The cruelty of that Ars Goetia really got to him. He ignored Rosie calling after him.
Alastor hated Vox.
Alastor hated Paimon.
Alastor hated that Indigo… wasn't his child.
Why can't I have MY CHILD to protect?
The eternal wrath and newfound envy started stirring… and suddenly slowed down when he felt a comforting hand touch his shoulder. He turned, expecting Rosie, only to find the spider.
"Hey, Al! How are ya enjoying the party?" The spider was deep in his festive joy, he failed to see Alastor's distress.
"I'm… alright. Angel, are you drunk?" Alastor asked.
"Nope! I just won a bet against Queenie!" Angel Dust laughed. He pointed at a magnolia tree several feet from the buffet. Sitting on one of its thick branches were the recognizable succubus and imp that volunteered at the hotel. Jinx, having the audacity to vandalize, plucked a small branch flowering with the pinkish flower, creating a rustic circlet like the braided daisies girls made when Alastor was alive. Jinx carefully placed his craft over Queenie's hair. Whatever he was saying, the imp looked… shy and insecure. He lowered his head when he was done. Almost as if he expected her disdain.
Just as Jinx prepared to get off the branch, Alastor and Angel Dust witnessed Queenie pull him into a quick, but gentle kiss.
Whatever she told him back, it caused both imp and succubus to blush.
It felt… oddly nice, seeing that scene. After another, quick kiss, Queenie and Jinx jumped off the tree. They casually went to a table, almost as if nothing happened. The hand holding, however, said otherwise.
"Queenie's got some… born-condition that made her unable to seduce people the way her peers are supposed to." Angel Dust grabbed a beer can from an ice box and squeezed the alcohol evenly into small glasses. "You know how demons are around succubi. Expecting to fuck whoever. Whenever. She's been… quite interested in him. First, she told Carman, then she told me. She… started actually liking him LIKE THAT. Not a guy to fuck, not a guy who drools over, not some… weird imp fetish…"
"I get what you are implying, Angel." Alastor accepted a whiskey glass. "So?"
"I bet her a week of changing Fat Nuggets' litter to go sit on a tree with Jinx. See what happens." Angel Dust waved his cup at the distant couple. "Jinx's not like my clients. And from what I'm seeing… Queenie ain't gonna have a problem changing my pig's litter."
"Huh… Hats off to you. I never anticipated you as an ideal matchmaker!"
"Yeah, well, ya meet a lot of people when ya work in porn…" Angel Dust chugged down his glass. "Hell's got a fucking million johns and all of them just want to be near me for my ass. It's more fun to root for others' snuggly, cliched love stories… after you've given up on that for yourself."
Alastor's eyes widened.
How… how was he so stupid?
For months, he thought the porn star could have any lover he desired. He thought Angel Dust would want nothing to do with a monster like him. Not to mention that in a world like Hell, where sexually active demons were rampant, who truly considered an asexual's feelings?
Alastor had no preferences in the carnal performances. He thought romance was an illusion.
So… what exactly did… he and Angel Dust have? Besides their mutual affection for Indigo, obviously.
The jazz orchestra Alastor and Rosie had hired were taking a break, so now, much to Alastor's displeased preferences, Vaggie's selected playlist echoed in the speakers. Whatever it was, it sounded like a slow dance song in Spanish.
"Hey…" Angel Dust's hesitation caught Alastor's full attention.
"Yes?" He lost his static.
"I… I'm sorry if it's too awkward for you… and I know you don't like touch or Vaggie's shitty music! But…" The spider nervously tapped his fingers. "You… Would you be OK with just one dance? This one time only?" The spider looked so nervous, probably frightened that Alastor would eat him. As if offering a blowjob on day one wasn't bad enough.
"Well… I suppose ONE quick dance won't change our usual dynamics!" Alastor gallantly took the spider's upper hand and escorted him to the dance floor.
His cheeks felt less stretched as he smiled.
A real smile, this time.
At the same time, probably around the same time the girls met Anqa
At this rate, nobody knew what Scrunchy's mistress and the mistress' companion were doing. Except Scrunchy.
Nobody really needed to explain the secret psychic link that connected the mistress to her creations. Whatever secret his mistress found, Scrunchy concealed it. And the foolish hotel owners could probably care less what he did in the hotel while the real event was outside.
After checking his watch, Scrunchy went to the round mirror and lifted it up. Placing his hand on the wall, the seal of the Von Ouroboros family glowed, opening his magical vault. Scrunchy pulled out an icy container and put the mirror back in place.
The small, cold hearts glowed from the effects of the Sentiency Schnapps.
"Just what do you intend to do with that?" His master's reflection suddenly appeared on the mirror's glass.
"An idea, master."
"Better be a good one. You're not exactly doing a good job at keeping an eye on my stepdaughter's powers. It's bad enough that Paimon's figured out the Great Underdweller's secret. We're being blackmailed by a Goetia, do you understand how pathetic that is? My son just informed me that Paimon's using Lucifer to ensure my stepdaughter's affiliation with the Goetia nobles."
"It still amazes me that you still choose to lie to the prince about his connection to my mistress…"
"Don't start questioning what I think is best for my kids."
"Of course. As for the bitch-ass Goetia king… What's the big deal? The mistress and her companion view each other as equal friends. You must admit, Octavia Goetia would make a nice stepdaughter-in-law."
"And would it be nice if I reverted you back into dismembered pieces of astral ingredients that you once were before I created you? No? Then spare me your sarcasm!" Cain snapped.
Scrunchy sighed. "Yes, master."
"Now, what are you doing with those… did you kill rat demons to make that?"
"Well I couldn't just steal the Radio Demon's demonic organ stash, so I had to resort to local dumpster vandalizers!" Scrunchy felt frustrated. "Besides, it's part of my current plan."
"Which is?"
"My mistress's power surge is hard to handle, so I'll put on hiatus. The main concern right now is her sanctuary. I have no belief in the cause, but if the sanctuary failed and shut down… Either Paimon or the mistress' true family will get their claws on her. To ensure her safety, I must ensure the sanctuary's safety, and to ensure the sanctuary's safety…"
"You need to make sure the Hazbin Hotel gets patrons." Cain Adamson gagged in the mirror. "What are you going to do? Brainwash the party guests to sign up?"
"Nope! Inspire them with entertainment! After all, causes get better promotions from actors, comedians, and singers putting themselves out there!" Scrunchy put his hand proudly against his chest. "I entertain the guests in the name of my mistress, and her butterflies will aid me."
Cain scowled in the mirror. "You've gotten arrogant since pulling tricks for the Goetia nobles' amusement. Do you view yourself as a professional clown?"
"More like my mistress' Puss in Boots."
"Well, if you can somehow entertain demons to keep this hotel going to keep Ines safe, I won't turn you into a stuffed cat for the sea monsters to chow!" And just like that, Cain's reflection disappeared from the mirror.
It irked Scrunchy that his creator had close to no faith in him, but no matter.
The scorpion closed his eyes and popped them open. Inside his mind, he started getting kaleidoscopic visions coming from the eyes of every single butterfly created by the mistress. The hive mind showed him everything going on from the bugs' perspectives.
The drinking demons.
Husk vomiting behind the bar.
Nifty cleaning a toilet.
The demons admiring the flowers.
The Radio Demon and Angel Dust slow dancing.
His mistress and her companion… was that a zombie angel with them?
As the visions continued, his mistress's singing echoed.
Scrunchy blinked himself back to normal.
He whistled sharply. The windows broke and butterflies flew in. 3 red admirals, 3 mangrove skippers, 3 gaudy commodores, 3 Cleopatras, and 3 batesia butterflies fluttered before him. He popped the container open for them.
"Eat up, my friends. We got business to take care off."
Later
Alastor was having a nice, quiet slow dance with Angel Dust for, like, five minutes, when Rosie suddenly pulled him aside.
"The jazz players came down with a stomach virus!" She hissed.
"What?" Alastor gasped, the spider demon catching up to them. "But they're supposed to pull a final song before the princess makes her speech!"
"I could sing for them," Angel Dust offered, "but the guests might expect me to strip."
Rosie and Alastor gave a silent glare.
Screams came from nowhere. They saw the guests panicking as fifteen rats scurried onto the stage. The rodents aligned themselves in rows of four, with three at the back.
Nifty ran with her feather duster. "Rats! Rats!"
Fantastic. A health hazard would be a very quick way for the hotel to go down the drain.
Citrine smoke with purple sparkles shrouded the stage. Some demons coughed. When the dust cleared, they gasped in amazement at the sight before them.
The fifteen rats were gone. Instead stood fifteen humanoid musicians in jazz uniforms and rat tail scarves. Rat-faced plague masks covered the musicians' eyes, leaving their smiles visible. To Alastor's surprise, all the musicians had straight hair… with colors matching the wing patterns of Indigo's butterflies.
Musical instruments appeared in their hands, clearly in the formation of a jazz orchestra. In a small puff of purple smoke, Scrunchy appeared, bowing to the applauding guests.
"OMG!" Somebody squealed. "It's the scorpion of that popular butterfly!"
"Dude, I heard he performed for the Goetia!"
"His boss is super popular!"
"AH!" A demoness screamed. "The super popular butterfly demon is sponsoring this place!"
Demons didn't hesitate to pull out their Hellphones to start filming. The crowd hurdled towards the stage as the orchestra of humanoid butterflies started to play.
"Uh… is there something I'm not aware of?" Angel Dust asked Alastor.
Scrunchy scatted before finally singing.
Scrunchy: So many go up, while so many go down.
They play the dangerous game, and they still never got the crown!
Poor forgotten angels, in need of a second chance!
Vile, forgotten angels, trapped in my eternal dance!
In my arms, they cry their little hearts out as if I'm Marie.
But they saw, they danced with a devil like me!
They tried to play with me, but I got to pull their strings!
The saints don't forgive their pride, so I got to eat their wings!
Creatures of vice and virtue, they've got to pay my fee!
Forgotten angels danced with me!
Ooh… I'm the leader in this flamenco that is death.
Damas y caballeros, I just stole out your breath!
Amis et rivaux! Nobles y puta! Stay some more on my dance floor!
And once y'all start to scream, I'll ask ya to stay for more!
They tried to play with me, but I got to pull their strings!
The saints don't forgive their pride, so I got to eat their wings!
Creatures of vice and virtue, they've got to pay my fee!
Forgotten angels danced with me!
They danced with a devil like me!
Danced with a devil like… MEEEEEEEEEE!
Scrunchy took a dipping pose, microphone and hat stretched out after the last note escaped the beat. The garden party was silent. The demons were all staring at him.
"Wow!" Some greyscale, rubber hose-flexible demon said.
It would turn out just like last year…
The demons shouted their applause so loudly, you couldn't hear their clapping. Some even fainted. They were throwing cash at him.
"SCRUNCHY! SCRUNCHY! SCRUNCHY! SCRUNCHY!"
"People, people!" Scrunchy laughed. Smoke poofed over the musicians and they reverted back to their butterfly forms, amazing the audience further. "Thank you so much! But please, don't give me so much credit!" He held out his arm. Over his head, butterflies sprinkled glowing pollen to spell out his mistress' name. "Your last-minute was brought to you by none other than Hell's newest evolution, Mistress Indigo Caligo! The butterflies call her queen and I call her 'Miss C'. Or for you, the one who can't match up to her standards of sins!"
Alastor and Angel Dust gasped. Somewhere, Charlie was spitting her drink.
"You heard it, folks! This hotel's goal of redemption may be impossible! But here's the catch! Only the best of Hell can make it out in our cruel world! With overpopulation issues, there's only room for THE MOST sinful in Hell! And Ms. C is THE person to reach out to, but only if you give a 2 month-trial at the hotel! So sign up! Explore the programs! Check out the therapies and temptation resistance or whatever! If ya get redeemed and go to Heaven, great for you! No more taxes for you or street bitches who judge your dick's size! If not, that's OK! Ms. C is THE only newfound model you need to become a better demon! Oh, and I'm booked for performances at the hotel every Saturday night, so that's all you need to pay for while you're here! Any questions?"
And just like that, Charlie drowned in the dozens of demons requesting to sign up.
Flashforward to an hour and a half after the last chapter ended
"OK, OK! Let me quickly rewind this!"
It had taken a few minutes for Charlie to gather the 'essential demons' in her office. Stolas had quickly summoned one of his homemade herbal teas and was pouring hot water in everyone's cups. It had taken at most AN HOUR for each demon to give their perspectives. And Octavia did the recaps.
"My grandpa was being an asshole."
"Yes," Charlie and Vaggie groaned.
"Queenie and Jinx hooked up… finally."
"Yep!" Angel Dust nodded.
"Husk was drunk."
The cat just needed to burp to give his answer.
"And thanks to YOU feeling the need of acting all Fizzarolli, you musically convinced a lot of demons to sign up… by branding Indigo, the VERY same demon who brought you to life, as a super powerful influencer." Octavia motioned to Scrunchy with her teacup. The scorpion eagerly nodded.
The adults didn't quite like the way Indigo's eyes were twitching. Even Charlie knew it wasn't a good sign.
Indigo was starting to make the same, angry face that Katie Killjoy had made before going full-demon over being called a bitch on live-television.
Indigo was really trying to hold her explosive anger in. No one needed to ask. The red admiral popping its head out of her hair had eyes as big as Alastor's smile.
"You want me to take of it?" Octavia asked.
"Yes…" Indigo hissed.
"Sure." Octavia snapped her fingers again. Before he could protest, Scrunchy found himself shrunk and trapped in an empty jam jar, the lid above him tightly shut. Octavia tossed the jar to Indigo.
"Indigo… what are you doing?" Angel Dust got up.
"Hey Via? Any chance you can open a portal to Lethe?"
The adults immediately began to panic when Octavia opened the portal. When they tried to catch the jar, Indigo and Via just tossed it to one another. Alastor and Rosie didn't move a muscle, but they were… concerned.
Hell wasn't without the actual components of pagan underworlds. Naturally, the rivers of the Greek underworld were part of the components. One of them was Lethe, the river legendarily known for giving eternal amnesia to the dead souls who drink from it. In Hell, the river's amnesic magic and atrocious cotton-candy pink coloring was due to the river's source originating from the Sloth Ring. Unlike traditional rivers, the 5 Hellish rivers circumnavigated the rings of Hell vertically, like 5 dangerous waterfalls. Anyone who saw the Lethe river cascading from the sky above the Sloth Sector would make an automatic U-turn and head to the next sector. Not to mention that the river's murky, pinkish substance made you wonder if there was even actual water in it.
Indigo uncorked the jar. With just her pinkie hooked to the opening, she dangled the jar holding the scorpion over the portal.
"Mistress! Please!" Scrunchy begged. For the first time in a while, the scorpion looked terrified.
Indigo exhaled calmly, the red admiral flying out. "Via, how long do you think my pinkie will take before letting go?"
"Mistress! I won't do it again!" The scorpion looked down at the pink cascade awaiting him.
"Indigo, stop!" Charlie ran towards her. "Put him down, now!"
"Mistress! I just wanted what was best for you! I just wanted to help keep this hotel going!"
Indigo glanced at Octavia, who proceeded to close the portal. Stolas angrily pulled Octavia aside. Indigo thoughtlessly dropped the jar on the ground. Scrunchy gained his height back, but the cuts exposed his bones and stuffing. Nifty helped Scrunchy up and checked his injuries.
"Indigo, what the Hell?" Vaggie exclaimed.
"You can't just go around doing shit like that!" Angel Dust angrily loomed over the butterfly. "You realize ya almost dropped Scrunchy into the one river that could have made him forget everything? He should have asked before doing what he did, but it's not acceptable for you to just act like some egotistic bitch just because he hurt your feelings!"
"Big whoop, Angel Dust! Scrunchy's just a toy! He and my fucking bugs mean nothing to me since I fell here for no valid reason!"
That…
Was…
Not…
Good…
Really, the worst thing that Indigo had possibly ever said.
Enough to trigger Angel Dust.
Even Alastor was appalled when, out of instinct, the spider demon punched the butterfly demon in the face.
