Snowflake's Diary: Entry 23
Diary! This is a Code-Red emergency! There is an intruder in the house! The day started out so well, I was having my morning tummy rubs and treats, and the next thing I know, Daddy is calling up Octi, saying that another Imp is staying in the house. And now everyone's saying how cute she is, and how much they want to cuddle her.
This is an outrage! She can't stay here! I'M the cute one around this house! This cannot stand! If there's one thing I won't stand for, it's competition. This intruder MUST be terminated… and soon.
"Well, here we are, your humble abode,"
That was the only thing Mick could say as he led Linda through the door of a small room. Unlike most of the other bedrooms in the Servants' Quarters, this one was clearly not meant to be shared since it was only a third of the size of Mick and Buzz's room. With the only furnishings being a small bed in the back, along with a bedside table and trunk underneath, the whole thing looked more like a prison cell than anything else. Still, given the circumstances, this was the best Mick could provide the new arrival.
"I realize it's a little cramped," he admitted, awkwardly scratching the back of his head. "But it's the only single room we have left, and frankly I don't feel comfortable making you share with some of the other workers here… especially the Head Maid."
Linda, however, didn't seem bothered by the size of the room. In fact, she looked… awestruck by it.
"N-no! It's not cramped at all," she said, giving her head a small shake. "Actually, it's bigger than I imagined."
Mick immediately raised an eyebrow at that.
"Wait, seriously?" he asked, earning himself a small nod. "What, did you sleep in a cupboard under the stairs at your last job?"
"How did you know!?" Linda exclaimed, immediately catching Mick off guard.
Wait… she really had to…? Oh dear lord, the poor thing! The more he knew about Linda's situation, the more horrible he began to feel. Just how long has Linda had to go through such hardships? And to top it all off, she wasn't even given a decent place to sleep!? If he hadn't already done so, Mick would have immediately tracked Seth down and beat the living crap out of him for whatever else he did to this poor girl. After taking a moment to calm himself down, Mick quickly returned his focus towards the Imp in front of him to see a look of unease return to her face.
"You okay?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.
At first, Linda didn't say anything back, instead, she simply chose to look around the room for a moment, her face slowly shifting from unease to one of fear. Soon enough, however, given how much patience Mick appeared to have shown her over the last few hours, she decided to indulge his curiosity.
"I'm… I'm just not used to being by myself," she answered honestly, feeling uncomfortably embarrassed to say such a thing out loud.
Now Mick was starting to get the picture. Given how reserved she acted while giving her a tour of the house earlier, he had half-expected something like this. Bad enough she had to live in such a cramped space back at Count Ipos' place, but she had to share too? And now here she was, having no clue who anyone was, and being made to live in an unfamiliar room after getting too institutionalized by her previous environment. If Mick didn't do something to nip this situation in the bud quickly, then the transition is going to be a LOT harder for Linda further down the road… as luck would have it, such a situation suddenly made her grand entrance.
DING!
Turning his head towards the elevator doors about a yard down the corridor, Mick smiled under his mask when a certain Kitsune pup came strutting out.
"Snowflake!" he exclaimed, immediately grabbing her attention. "Perfect timing! Come here, girl!"
Wagging both her tails, Snowflake swiftly ran up to her master, jumping into his open arms and snuggling against his chest. However, as much as the Cat Demon loved his precious pet's cuddles, there was one other Demon in the room who needed them more.
"Here," he said, holding Snowflake out in front of him toward the Imp. "Hold this."
Needless to say, this request immediately brought about some mixed emotions, the first and foremost being a surge of confusion, both from Snowflake at the sight of a stranger, and Linda at the very notion of such an idea.
"Huh?" she uttered, feeling so baffled, she accepted the Kitsune pup and held her in her arms without even thinking. "Why?"
"Trust me, holding her is an instant way to help someone feel better," Mick replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Of course, Linda was understandably sceptical of that, even as Snowflake looked up at her with her big, curious eyes.
"Oh, come on, that's just-" she tried to say, only to suddenly stop mid-sentence when the tiny fox started nuzzling her head against her cheek. Before she realized it, she completely melted into the Kitsune's embrace. "Awww… it actually kind of works."
Seeing the Imp truly smile for the first time since arriving, Mick's heart immediately melted at the scene.
"The Snowflake Snuggle," he stated proudly. "Works every time."
As he watched the two of them embrace each other for a good few minutes, Mick was immediately ecstatic at how well Linda and Snowflake were getting along, especially considering how Snowflake sometimes took to strangers. However, if there was one he could depend on, it was his little baby's judgment of character. And from what he was seeing right now, he knew right there and then that his plan was going to work.
"Hey, how about you look after her for me tonight?" he said, quickly grabbing both their attention again. "I think she can use the company right now."
The second Mick said that, however, Linda's eyes shrank in horror.
"I… I don't know if I should," she said, feeling that such a task was already cause for too much trust.
To her surprise, Mick only chuckled at that.
"I was talking to HER," he said, pointing at the smug-looking Kitsune pup in Linda's arms before leaning to her eye level. "What do you say, Snowflake? Do this for me?"
At first, Snowflake gave no response other than a tilt of her head and a curious look up at Linda's face. However, a few seconds later, she gave the best response possible by letting out a happy yip.
"That's my good girl!" Mick exclaimed, happily giving her a scratch behind the ear before returning his focus to the Imp holding her. "Looks like you got yourself a roommate."
"Y-yeah… I suppose so," Linda replied, still somewhat confused as to what just happened.
"Well then, in that case, I guess there isn't anything else left to say," Mick stated, slowly turning to leave before giving Linda one last quick look. "Unless you have any questions?"
At first, the Imp's first instinct was to shake her head and say no, if only to make the Cat Demon leave that much quicker, however, there was something on her mind that had been plaguing her ever since Mick made her that delicious meal earlier.
"I… I don't understand," she confessed, looking up at Mick with so much confusion etched into her face. "I'm a stranger and you're a Sinner. Why… Why are you being so nice to me?"
In all honesty, of all the questions Linda could have asked, that was the most understandable. In fact, Mick couldn't help but wonder why it's only taken her up till now to ask. After all, most Sinners aren't exactly known for being nice to other Demons, especially to Hellborns like the Imps, whether it was because they were already assholes to begin with, or because their time in Hell had turned their hearts cold over time. Granted, there are some exceptions like Shank and Vaggie, but good Sinners like that are usually too far between down here. Luckily, Mick just happened to be one of the good ones.
"Do I really need a reason to help someone who needs it?" he asked, immediately making Linda feel even more flabbergasted.
"I… I suppose not," she answered, unable to think of anything else to say.
"Okay then," Mick replied, once again turning to leave. "In that case, goodnight, Liddy. I'll be by to wake you in the morning"
As soon as Mick closed the door behind him, Linda was once again left completely astounded. Not because she was left alone with only a tiny fox for company, but mainly because of the one little word the Cat Demon used to address her before he left.
"Liddy?"
Snowflake's Diary: Entry 24
I was wrong! I was SO wrong! She's too pure! It's official, diary, I love this girl! How could I ever think she was an intruder!?
I mean, I originally wanted to come down to the basement to make sure she knew who was the top dog around this house, but she's the most adorable little cinnamon roll I have ever seen! If Daddy says to look after her, I'll gladly do it. And if anyone dares to hurt her, I will DESTROY them!
The following morning, Linda still couldn't get over the nickname Mick gave her the previous night. It's not as if she didn't like it, it's just that not one of her previous coworkers had ever taken to doing so before because normally that would have been a sign of respect or affection… and needless to say, Linda didn't ever receive much of either before now. Still, she had to admit, Mick's idea for her first night in the Goetia Household did work to an extent. While she was scared and miserable at first, having Snowflake to cuddle up to during the night did help her relax just enough to have a decent amount of sleep.
After all the other employees finished their breakfast and went about their business that morning, Linda was asked to remain behind with Mick so that she could receive her first round of instructions. Finally, it was time for her to begin her training.
"Okay, so, the letter Count Ipos sent with you mentioned you had experience in all departments," Mick pointed out, looking over said letter as he laid it out on the counter in front of him. "Could you elaborate on that?"
"Oh… W-well my last job was mostly helping everyone with THEIR jobs," Linda explained, trying her best to give the Cat Demon as clear a picture as possible. "Giving them their tools, cleaning with them, stuff like that."
"So basically… an assistant?" Mick asked, unable to come up with a better term for the description she gave.
"I think that's what you can call it, yes," Linda confirmed, giving Mick reason to nod his head.
It was a simple question followed by a simple answer, but it nonetheless gave Mick enough clarity to begin figuring out the best course of action to take. Had Linda been already assigned to a certain department in her last job, he would have brought her to that specific head in the household. However, since she was basically in the same boat as Mick was when he first started, the most obvious conclusion to the dilemma was quite clear.
"I see," the Cat Demon said, scratching the back of his head. "Well, in that case, your training routine looks pretty simple. As I'm currently suspended for another few days, and you're starting the same way I was, you can begin work by picking up the slack left behind in my absence. Sound fair enough?"
"I… I suppose," Linda replied hesitantly, unsure whether or not such an idea was the right move to make. "What would I have to do exactly?"
"Oh, don't you worry," Mick assured her. "I'll make sure to make things as simple as possible, okay?"
As soon as Linda nodded her head, Mick cracked his knuckles and took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself for what was to come.
"Alright then," he said. "In that case, first stop: The garden!"
The moment Linda saw the multitudes of flowers and exotic plants decorating the vast garden of the Goetia estate, her eyes immediately widened with wonder. Since she was stuffed into a box around the time she arrived, the young Imp had no idea that such a sight was just a few yards away from where she was dumped. As such, she could find no other words to say other than:
"It's so beautiful,"
Needless to say, Mick couldn't help but chuckle at Linda's delight.
"I know, right?" he said, also admiring the scenery. "Say what you like about him, but Prince Stolas does know his way around a trowel and spade."
Of course, such a description was an understatement. As a Demon of botany, Prince Stolas was a MASTER when it came to gardening, and all gardeners that have ever been under his employ, not excluding Buzz, could only dream of living to his example in such line of work. From the rose bushes to the pool, the terrace to the climbing vines, and the exotic flower beds to the well-kept lawn, not a single blade of grass was out of place… and it was of great importance that Mick taught Linda to make sure of that.
"Now, while I may not be allowed to work alongside you, I can, however, watch over you while you receive your instructions from each department head," Mick explained, giving the small Imp a thorough understanding of what to expect as the two of them casually strolled across the grass with Snowflake at their feet. "If there's anything you find confusing, don't be afraid to ask me about it. Okay?"
Still anxious at first, Linda wanted to shake her head and run back inside to hide under the bed. However, all it took was one look from Snowflake to give her all the confidence she needed to nod.
"O-okay," she said, earning herself a smile from Mick and a proud yip from Snowflake.
"Very good," the Cat Demon declared, his demeanour slowly shifting to a more serious one as he began scanning the area for something. "Now… where the hell is that roommate of mine?"
BOOM!
As if suddenly adding the punchline of a sad joke, the very Imp he was looking for suddenly burst out of the roof of the nearby garden shed, due to a small explosion erupting from the inside. After being airborne for a good 5 seconds, Buzz quickly fell back down, immediately creating a small crater in the ground at Mick's feet. While Linda was understandably shocked by what just happened, letting out a frightened gasp at the scene, Mick, on the other hand, rolled his eyes with exasperation, as if this was too much of a regular occurrence, which considering it was Buzz, it probably was.
"WOO! That was a big one!" Buzz exclaimed, a goofy grin plastered on his face as he sat up with small streams of smoke leaking from the singed ends of his hair.
Mick, of course, wasn't impressed.
"Oh for fuck's sake, Buzz," he groaned, smacking a hand to the forehead of his mask. "Were you trying to jury-rig the lawnmower again!?"
Linda felt even more shocked at that. Again!? Just how often does this sort of thing happen!?
"I'm telling you, buddy, I'm SO close to tripling its speed," Buzz tried to explain, hoping it was a good enough excuse for his actions.
"Just take your joint!" Mick snapped, his left eye already beginning to twitch.
Seeing that he wasn't going to win the argument, Buzz quickly relented and let out a defeated sigh.
"Okay, fine!" he grumbled, taking a roll of weed from his pocket and lighting it up with his thumb.
As she watched the smaller Imp puff on his joint, letting out a relaxed sigh as he released the smoke from his lungs, Linda's anxiety practically skyrocketed within seconds.
"Th-this is…?" she began, unable to finish her sentence due to the thought of her suspicions possibly being true, giving her more tension than she felt she could handle.
"The Gardener, yes," Mick confirmed, much to Linda's dismay. "Sorry about him, he does get a little too… excitable if he doesn't take his weed."
"So says my dealer!" Buzz chuckled, coughing out a few more puffs of smoke.
"You can only call me THAT as soon as you start paying me!" Mick snapped, already feeling like he has had his fill of Buzz's antics today.
Needless to say, the friendly exchange between the two Demons did next to nothing to quell Linda's anxiety, in fact, one could say it somehow escalated it.
"D-do I really have to work with him?" she asked, practically begging for a possible switch in instructors even if she didn't say it outright.
"'Fraid so," Mick answered bluntly, not even bothering to sugarcoat things. "But don't worry, I'll be close by in case you need anything."
With that final word, Mick then picked up the little fox at his feet and started walking away, but not before giving Buzz a stern glare.
"Go easy on her, okay?" he told his roommate, hoping his tone alone will be enough to get the message across.
Thankfully, despite now being a little high from his joint, Buzz understood the Cat Demon's intentions clearly.
"Righty-dokey, buddy!" he declared, tapping out the joint on one of his horns and eating the remains. "You can count on me."
As much as he liked the Imp, Mick was still a little hesitant to trust Buzz's word, given past experiences. Still, he knew he was a decent enough guy if given the chance, so hopefully Linda will be of the same opinion. Walking away towards the nearest garden ornament with Snowflake in tow, all he could do now was stand around and wait.
"Right!" Buzz declared, snapping Linda to attention. "Let's get to work!"
After that, Mick spent the next hour in a state of constant vigilance, keeping his eyes on Linda and Buzz at all times while they worked. All things considered, the new arrival seemed to be doing quite well. From what the Cat Demon could make out, Linda's personal method of learning consisted of watching and learning from her instructors without much need for direction. If Mick had to guess, Linda has had to use such a method for so long that it practically became second nature to her. From trimming the rose bushes to weeding the flowerbeds, she made sure to copy Buzz's movements inch by inch. As curious as it was at first, Buzz actually found himself chuckling in delight at being copied so casually. So much so that before long, while he was tossing raw steaks to the carnivorous plants lining the south wall, he eventually started to sing.
Buzz:
Everyone loves flowers,
Except for when they bite ya,
The Goetias love their gardens,
But they underpay just to spite ya,
If anyone else can see this job,
They'd run at the first chance,
But though the risk is very high,
Someone's gotta feed the plants!
Not used to being so in the presence of such a lively individual, Linda understandably had no clue as to how to respond to such energy. In fact, she looked so nervous, Mick almost jumped in to help her as she carried the bucket of meat for Buzz. However, he knew that doing so would only do more harm than good in the long run. If she was going to work here, she would have to get used to the Gardener's antics sooner or later.
Buzz:
No, the Imp Workers' work is never done,
We toil and sweat out in the sun,
The Imp Workers work to keep the House in check,
So do your job, or else it'll be your neck!
As unnerving as that song was to Linda, that was still nothing compared to what happened next as he brought the chorus to a close. Turns out, the worst mistake you can ever make while gardening… is to tease the carnivorous plants by holding the steak right in front of it and dancing around without feeding them. About 3 seconds later… a large, violet-coloured vine suddenly wrapped around the Gardener's neck.
"URK!" he choked out, his face quickly turning blue. "Ooh, crap."
Before either Imp realized what had happened, Buzz was suddenly hoisted high up into the air, screaming through choked breath as he was then dangled over one of the Goetias' most dangerous plants. A large, blue pitcher plant that had violet vines with blood-red barbs sprouting from its base, along with a dozen red demonic eyes all over its blotchy tube, and several rows of sharp teeth protruding from the edges of its salivating peristome and lid, both of which were snarling like a savage animal while the foul stench of its digestive fluid leaked out and gave Buzz even more reason to gag. Needless to say, the situation looked really bad.
"Get the shears!" he screamed, gasping for air. "GET THE SHEARS!"
As soon as she heard that, despite her fear, Linda immediately snapped her head in all directions, looking for said gardening tool. Luckily, she managed to spot it pretty quick as it rested in a nearby wheelbarrow with many other gardening tools… unfortunately, as soon as she had her hand wrapped around the handle of it, she suddenly felt something else wrap around her ankle.
"EEP!" she squealed, suddenly being hoisted in the air along with Buzz.
Having witnessed everything from the sidelines, Mick immediately put Snowflake down and made a mad dash toward the scene, knowing he had to do something quickly to prevent the two Imps from becoming plant food. Unfortunately, despite her predicament, Linda seemed a bit occupied with something else.
"Gah! Don't look up my skirt!" she screamed, her face flushed with embarrassment as she hung from the vine and tried desperately to keep her work skirt from folding up over her head while hanging onto the shears with the other.
"Yeah, I think you have bigger problems at the moment, Liddy!" Mick exclaimed, giving the Imp a deadpan look as he made an exasperated gesture towards the killer plant in front of him.
"What do I do!?" Linda yelled, the vine suddenly flailing her and Buzz about as if they were dolls.
In any circumstance, this was a good question, luckily Mick knew exactly what he had to say.
"Okay, just calm down!" he called up reassuringly. "You already have everything you need to get out of this!"
Needless to say, Linda had no idea what the Cat Demon was talking about.
"The power to believe in myself?" she asked, immediately receiving a deadpan glare in response
"No, shears!" Mick called back. "Stab the vine!"
Though she was sceptical of that, as she had literally no other options, Linda immediately fought through her fear and followed Mick's instructions to the letter. Holding tight to the handle of the shears, she brought them up and jabbed the blade straight into the vine wrapped around her ankle. To both her confusion and relief, the plant instantly dropped both Imps to the ground while letting out a painful yelp. Picking herself up, Linda was astounded to see the plant whimpering like a wounded puppy, all the while being scolded by Mick.
"Bad boy!" he snapped, giving the plant a good slap to its tube. "You should know better!"
To Linda's further shock, the plant actually seemed to cower under the Cat Demon's glare, almost as if it really were an unruly pet being disciplined by its master. At this display, the poor Imp had no idea how to react even as Mick helped her back to her feet.
"You okay there, Liddy?" he asked, only to receive a flabbergasted mumble in response from her.
"W-wha…?" she babbled, still unable to fathom what had just happened. Thankfully, it didn't take a genius to figure out why.
"Oh yeah, sorry about that," Mick said, his voice filled with instant regret. "I should have warned you that this particular plant gets a little rowdy if he doesn't eat for a while. Sometimes you have to show him who's boss to make sure he leaves you alone."
Given the way he spoke, Linda could tell that Mick was indeed apologetic for this oversight. Of course, what he didn't tell her, of course, was the fact that this usually happened once every other week. Something that Buzz was primarily the cause of whenever he got too bored. Still, that didn't excuse the lack of preparation on Mick's part and he knew that. If he was going to be in charge of this new arrival, he was going to have to do a better job than this.
"Ugh… man, that sucked!" Buzz groaned, gasping for air he too pulled himself back to his feet. "Lucky we didn't panic, eh?"
Mick and Linda could only give him yet another deadpan stare at that statement.
"It's lucky SOMEONE actually pays attention to the job," Mick retorted bluntly. "How's your neck?"
"Wrung to the point of becoming a length of string, but what else is new." Buzz chuckled, picking up the dropped pair of shears and taking them back to the wheelbarrow, picking it back up since it was tipped over by the plant.
Feeling a little guilty over her part in spilling out all the gardening tools over the lawn, Linda quickly walked over to the barrow and began helping Buzz pick everything up. Watching the new Imp instinctively try to help her coworker, Mick couldn't help but smile underneath his mask… at least until he saw the sly grin forming on Buzz's face.
"You know, you're kinda cute, newbie," the Gardener pointed out, wiggling his eyebrows in a sad attempt to be flirtatious even though Linda was clearly looking both confused and uncomfortable with the sudden advance. "What're you doing later?"
"Not YOU!"
CLANG!
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"
Before Buzz could even turn his head, he suddenly found himself flying in the air, courtesy of Mick stamping his foot on the other end of the shovel he just so happened to be standing on. Mere moments later, the Imp suddenly landed in the pool a few yards away.
SPLASH!
It was a recklessly impulsive decision, Mick wasn't too proud to admit that, BUT as much as Mick liked Buzz, he also knew him well enough by now to know just how bad he was when it came to interacting with others Demons, ESPECIALLY the female ones. Given his height complex, he tries to overcompensate by acting like a Casanova whenever he meets a new lady. Granted, Mick had never seen such an interaction before now, but given what he already knew and the stories he had heard from the other staff members, cutting Buzz off before he could potentially traumatise Linda seemed like the right decision to make.
"Okay, next department!" he declared, quickly ushering the still-baffled Linda away with Snowflake in tow, just as Buzz what dizzily pulling himself out of the pool.
Buzz:
No, the Imp Workers' work is never done,
We toil and sweat out in the sun,
The Imp Workers work to keep the House in check,
So do your job, or else it'll be your neck!
Those were the last words Buzz would sing before passing out and falling face-first into the grass.
Over the next few hours, while not as dramatic as her little venture in the garden, Linda's experience with the other departments weren't that much better. When Mick brought her down for kitchen duty, the Chef's demeanour was so intimidating that the poor girl practically wet herself and fainted five minutes into washing the dishes. When she was eventually revived, Linda was practically shaking like a leaf under the Chef's gaze until she was finally allowed to leave. Despite Mick and Snowflake continuously trying to assure her of her safety, Linda continued to stay on the brink of tears for the next 20 minutes after that.
Now here she was, mopping up the foyer under Jewel's instruction, all the while being watched over by Mick and Snowflake as they sat on the stairs. As he watched the small Imp handle the mop with the utmost care, Mick couldn't help but sigh as he saw the solemn look on Linda's face. Clearly, her opinion of working in this house wasn't any better since yesterday. In fact, given how things went this morning, one could argue that it had gotten worse. Of course, it didn't help that her instructors were all lunatics that no other royal would hire even if THEY were paid.
"How're you getting on, sweetie?" Jewel asked, taking a moment from her own mopping to look over towards Linda.
"Huh?" she uttered, clearly lost in her thoughts when the Head Maid's voice reached her ears.
When Linda turned around, however, she was completely unaware of the handle of her hop suddenly catching on the hand of her water bucket. The moment she twisted her body, a small pool of dirty water spilt out onto the floor.
"EEP!" she squealed, suddenly slipping on the wet floor and falling on her backside before her face twisted with fear. "Oh no! No! No! No! No!"
As soon as she saw the mess she had made, the small Imp immediately went into a state of utter panic, worse than anyone else had seen all day, in fact. Quickly getting back to her feet, she frantically tried re-mopping the floor to undo some of the damage she caused. However, no matter how much she tried, two Demons had already seen what had happened.
"Liddy!" Mick called out, running up to the Imp along with Snowflake.
"Is she okay?" Jewel asked, her voice riddled with concern.
At first, no one said anything back to her. As Linda tried mopping up her mess, all the while mumbling to herself like a madwoman, Mick, on the other hand, looked the small Imp over with a gaze filled with anxiety. Despite how frantically Linda tried to correct her error, it was pretty obvious that slipping on the wet floor had caused her some kind of injury in her right elbow, one which was clearly hurting her as she moved her arms to push the mop. And frankly, Mick just couldn't bear seeing such a thing.
"I'm not too sure," Mick replied, turning his head back towards the Maid. "Looks like she hurt herself."
"NO!" Linda yelled, seemingly even more terrified. "I'm fine, I swear!"
Mick, of course, wasn't fooled in the slightest. Given the way Linda was wincing between each word, it was pretty obvious she was in pain, and neither Mick nor Jewel liked seeing her in such a state.
"Right," Jewel said with a nod, snatching the mop out of Linda's grip. "I'll take care of this mess, you take care of her, okay?"
Giving the perverted Maid a nod in return, Mick then wasted no time in ushering Linda to a different room, much to her chagrin.
Mick may not have been a doctor, but he had seen his fair share of injuries during his time in Hell. As such, when he gave Linda's elbow a quick look over after ushering her into a seat in the nearest drawing-room, he felt somewhat confident in giving his own diagnosis. Thankfully it only looked like Linda gained a minor bruise that would heal in no time. Then again, even if it wasn't, given the way Linda acted, Mick doubted she would have seen a real doctor even if he placed one at her feet. In fact, she looked practically ashamed of letting someone see her getting hurt.
"I'm so sorry!" she pleaded, tears quickly welling up in her eyes. "Please forgive me!"
Mick may not have had any idea of what was going on in the Imp's head, but from what he could gather, it appeared as though getting hurt on the job was something to be punished at Linda's last job. Given how Seth is, Mick assumed that probably wasn't far off from the truth. He had better put a stop to THAT line of thinking right here and now.
"It's alright, it's alright!" he said reassuringly, putting his hands on her shoulders in an attempt to calm her down. "You're not in any sort of trouble, okay? For crying out loud, you're just starting out. Mistakes are inevitable for ANYBODY."
Hearing those words coming out of Mick's mouth, Linda somehow managed to calm down just enough to obtain a fresh look of bafflement on her face. In all honesty, she had been expecting a beating or at least a scolding from her supervising Cat Demon, and yet… and yet he didn't even raise his voice. In fact, now that she thought about it, Mick didn't berate her all day, even as she made mistake after mistake. Was he REALLY so understanding?
"Y-you're not mad?" she dared to ask, wiping away any tears she had in her eyes.
"Of course not," Mick scoffed, making it sound as if such a thing was nothing more than a bad joke. "Come on, no one expects you to do a perfect job straight away. That's just asking too much. It's only when you repeat the same mistake that shows just how little you're paying attention. Besides, no job is worth doing if you're needlessly getting hurt over it."
Linda just couldn't believe it. For the first time, someone was taking her feelings into account and treating her with respect. If she was being honest with herself, the poor Imp had absolutely no idea of how to react to this after being treated so badly for so long. Still… the way Mick spoke to her with such care in his voice… almost made her want to cry tears of joy.
"Th-thank you," she whispered, unable to stop herself from smiling.
As soon as Mick saw her reaction, he too couldn't help but smile, even if no one could see it from under his mask. Even Snowflake nodded her head in approval as she sat on the nearby sofa watching the whole exchange. Suddenly, the tiny fox's ears perked up at the sound of a small click. Snapping her head towards the nearby door, both her tails gave a happy wag as soon as a certain Goetia Princess came walking into the room while listening to music on her phone… something which Linda immediately reacted to with more fear in her eyes than Mick had seen all day.
"Y-your Highness!?" she yelped, suddenly jumping from her seat before collapsing to her knees and bowing her head so low to the floor, it looked as though she were trying to headbutt it.
Startled by the sudden appearance of an Imp she didn't recognise bowing at her feet, Octavia quickly took her earbuds out and turned off her music. At first, she was going to ask just what the hell was going on, but quickly instead found herself smiling in delight as a certain Kitsune walked up and pawed at her shoes with a happy yip.
"Ah, Snowflake, there you are!" the Goetia Princess greeted, scooping the little fox up in her arms and giving her a tickle under her chin. "How's my little girl doing, huh?"
Mick had no idea how such a thing could be possible, but the moment Linda saw Octavia gushing over Snowflake the way she did, the poor Imp looked more terrified than ever. With her pupils shrinking to the size of pinpricks and her entire body shaking like a leaf, all she could do was look up at Octavia with a face filled with bafflement and dread.
"Sh-she's yours?" she asked, earning herself a small nod that instantly put her into a panicked frenzy. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! Please forgive me! I swear, I didn't know!"
Seeing Linda bash her head against the floor in a series of bows, Mick immediately realized what the cause of her current state was. Obviously, Linda had no idea that Snowflake had any sort of connection to Octavia, but if she did, she more than likely wouldn't have had anything to do with her the previous night. If Mick had to venture a guess, he would say that Linda's last place of employment must have had a "look but don't touch" policy, basically meaning if you even put a finger on the employer's personal property, it meant a SEVERE form of punishment… and Snowflake was likely the WORST thing Linda could have possibly touched if she believed the same policy applied in this house.
"Woah, hey, calm down!" Mick cried out, swiftly rushing over and forcefully lifting Linda back to her feet before she hurt herself even more. "I can explain this!"
"Oh Satan, please have mercy on me!" Linda cried, fiercely fighting against the Cat Demon's grip to get back to the floor.
Watching all of this happening in front of her, Octavia could only stare in complete astonishment.
"Oh… wow," she muttered, unable to even think of any other words to say as she continued to witness Mick's minor struggle with the Imp.
"Liddy!" the Cat Demon continued to exclaim. "Shh! It's okay! She's not gonna hurt you, I swear! She's a friend!"
It was only when Mick said that last part that Linda suddenly ceased in her struggle against him, looking up at the Cat Demon as if he had told her she had just been evicted without warning.
"W-what?" she asked, making sure she heard him correctly.
Seeing that Mick needed some assistance in this situation, Octavia felt no hesitation in stepping into the conversation.
"It's true," she said, trying to be as gentle as possible. "You don't have to worry about me, I promise."
It felt odd, speaking to an Imp in such a friendly manner, given her status. Still, Octavia knew she had to make some kind of effort in this situation if only to quell any possible hostility, something which Mick was certainly appreciative of.
"Y-you're really friends?" Linda asked, still trying to wrap her head around such a ridiculous notion. "Th-that's impossible."
Obviously, neither Mick nor Octavia could blame Linda for believing such a thing. After all, in most cases, with few exceptions, Demon Royalty tends to stick with their own kind while grinding all lower classes of Demon into the dirt… especially if it was someone like Seth, on which Linda is most likely basing her opinion.
"Improbable, but it's true," Octavia stated, sticking to her honest opinion on the matter. "As hard as it is to believe, Mick and I've been through a lot together since we first met and I do consider him a dear friend."
Mick couldn't help but chuckle at that.
"Oh stop, you're gonna make me blush," he retorted playfully, earning himself a small laugh in return.
Linda just couldn't fathom it, this Cat Demon… this Sinner… he's really FRIENDS with a Goetia!? How could it be so!? All members of Demon Royalty are nothing but selfish and cruel to all those they deem are beneath them… aren't they? Her entire body trembling in shock, the small Imp brought her hands up to her face to wipe away her tears. It was then that Mick noticed Linda suddenly freezing up when she felt something just below her right eye, namely the small white scar marking her otherwise flawless face.
If he was being honest, Mick had noticed the scar before now but thought it too inconsiderate to ask about it, though given Linda's reaction to it, he knew instantly that the circumstances around it had to have been bad. So much so that when the very notion of a Goetia and a Sinner being friends finally sunk in, Linda gave Mick the nastiest face he had seen on her thus far. A face that showed just how hurt and angry she truly was.
"Y-you shouldn't be friends with Demon Royalty…" she said, her voice trembling with every syllable. "It's not natural!"
Those were the last words the poor Imp snapped before she turned and ran out of the room, tears streaming down her face.
"Liddy!" Mick called back, running up to the door. "Come back!"
Alas, it was too late for Linda had already disappeared around the corner of the corridor. Letting out a dismayed sigh, all the Cat Demon could do now was sit back on the sofa and reel over what had just happened.
"What the fuck did Seth's family do to her?" Octavia asked, feeling utterly perplexed over the same event.
Now THAT was the question of the century. One that seemed the most obvious thing to ask given what info both Demons had on the new arrival's particular circumstances on top of what just happened. Linda made it no secret of how much she despised the upper classes of Demon, and the fact that Mick was friends with one made it all too clear as to why she reacted the way she did. After all, that wasn't just any look she gave Mick before she ran out… it was the face of betrayal. Knowing that, Mick now felt he was at a total loss.
"I don't know," he answered honestly, letting out another sigh. "But now I think my job of helping her has just become a whole lot harder."
By the time the workday ended, everyone was as exhausted as they could possibly be, most of all Mick. After trying in vain to talk Linda out of hiding in her bedroom for a good hour, he eventually had no choice but to give up and leave the upset Imp alone until she calmed down. Now here he was, standing with his head in the fridge looking for a drink to take the edge off.
Around this time, most of the other members of staff were currently chilling in the kitchen, finishing off the last of their dinner and letting out sighs of relief. Among them, Jewel and Jessie sat across the table from each other with a glass of booze each, the pair of them engaging in idle chatter until they saw Mick walking by with a can of soda in his hand.
"Hey Mick," Jewel spoke up, immediately grabbing the Cat Demon's attention. "How's she doing?"
Obviously, Mick didn't need to think hard to know who the Maid was talking about. After all, the subject of Linda's outburst became an instant subject of gossip as soon as Jewel told some of her coworkers what she heard from Mick himself, which of course, didn't help the situation in the slightest.
"Still won't come out," Mick answered with a sigh. "Won't even let Snowflake in."
"Can you blame her?" Jessie pointed out. "Given what I've heard about that Seth prick, I can only imagine what the rest of his family's like at home."
"Well, his dad's pretty indifferent as far as I know," Jewel clarified, taking a sip of her drink. "His mom, on the other hand, it's basically like having another Lady Stella around."
Mick couldn't help but shudder at that, knowing all too well what the Lady of the house was like in her foulest of moods.
"As if one wasn't bad enough," he commented, earning himself a light chuckle from the two women.
"I wouldn't worry about it too much, luv," Jessie said as she lit up a cigarette. "Sooner or later, she'll get used to how things work around here."
"Yeah, just give her some time, Mick," Jewel added. "She'll come around."
At those words, the Cat Demon let out a heavy sigh. As perverted as Jewel was most of the time, he counted himself lucky whenever he actually encountered her more serious and sensitive side. If anything, it allowed him to look past certain inappropriate advances and see her as someone he could talk to… sometimes.
"I hope you're right,"
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
The Featured Song: A parody of "The Rift Workers' Work" - from the show: Centaurworld