Author's Note: Salutations one and all. Welcome to the sixteenth installment of Drifters! This chapter's a bit of a fast pace one, so in that spirit let's head right onto the reviews!
JCINNABAR: Velvette's been a really fun character to write. Her and Charlie's effect on one another is legit one of, if not, my favorite character development arc in this story! And so from one random person on the internet to another, thank you for the review!
Gamer of Action 44D: The best part of being able to include the Imp's, even as minor background characters, is they basically write themselves. And the moment I had started writing back and forths between the IMP crew, the chaotic energy they'd produced instantly put the fire scene back in chapter three to shame!
Nester sits in the self pity he wallows in a lazyboy, and Sloth is definitely one of the sins that sent him to Hell. And with the story picking up, I'm excited to reveal more about his character!
Spedyalarm: Thank you so much for the comment! I honestly wish I could say and hint more on Nester's past! It's seriously one of my favorite reveals that I still got locked away. Unfortunately spoilers prevent me from saying more, but I promise there is a chapter in the future I think you're going to like… admittedly it's a chapter that will require some patience to reach, since it's decently far off in the future. (Although we're definitely past the halfway point of the story, so it's not too ludicrously far out… I hope XD)
As always, your reviews are the best guys! But without further adieu, besides my traditional apology revolving around any grammatical mistakes that may pop up along the way, I welcome you back too….
Drifters
A Hazbin Hotel Fanfic
Chapter 16:
Kill'em with Kindness
As Stewie scurried ahead of him, bullets bombarding small craters in the hillside they traversed, Nester assumed the mouse berated himself over the fact his short status produced short strides.
However, he wasn't the only one suffering from his demonic forms design.
For as surprisingly good as the bird's wings had proven themselves, right now they were nothing but deadweight he had to haul up a hill he couldn't jump off.
Still, at least the anchors attached to his back weren't squirming like the one in his arms!
Seriously, why did the devilish creatures trying to turn him into Swiss cheese have to fatten the pet up with water of all things!? The pig was practically sweating the excess weight as grease.
"Stay still and let me have my turkey shoot fuck face!"
A leakage that got significantly worse with each shout the tallest Imp fired their way alongside high velocity rounds.
"You didn't even want the pig- Fucking Hell!" Stewie yelped as a grenade exploded the ground in front of him into a meteor shower.
Whereas the rat had the time to morph his skidded halt into a frantic lateral around the crater, Nester didn't have the reaction speed, nor grip strength on the pig skin, to perform such a manurer.
Trying his best to unlock any hidden roadrunner genes, the bird leapt over the new ravine. And kept his legs churning through the air till they found themselves once again sprinting on land.
"How I deal with my property is my fucking business!"
"Technically it's… Millie's business sir…" the tuxedo assailant heaved down air, "and if you… don't want to lose yours… then I suggest we-"
"Way to bring down the mood of a chase Moxxie." how this Blitzø guy could berate his worker, sprint up a hill, and whiz a cartridge of lead past Nester's ear would be impressive if it wasn't so terrifying, "Like seriously, learn how to read a room."
"Take your own fucking advice!" Stewie yelped back. Crouched down so low, he practically ran past Nester on all fours, "Are you idiots really willing to create beef with us because you want to keep our lost pig?!"
"…" Nester blinked twice in disbelief at the rat. And once his sight proved a bullet hadn't found its way into the mouse's head, he fired off his own panic into it, "They're the ones with the guns Stewie!"
"… We're Sinners!" Stewie reflected the avian's dumbfounded response back at him, "They're Imps!"
Nester cocked his confused head around, instead of seeing the rat's obvious answer… he nearly pissed his pants at the sight of the rabid female devil gaining on them.
Her ax swung at the air in front of her in a berserk rage. As if she was cutting apart the fabric of space itself to reach them.
"So?!" the brunette shift to second gear rattled through the air a high pitched scream.
"So after we skin you alive, we're gonna fry up what's left, and give it to the pig!", Blitzø answer, and Nester hoped the threat didn't enter Fat Nugget's ears a temptation, "Then we'll-"
"High tail it out of Pride before we come back to make it your grave?!" With the hotel drawing nearer, and the hill growing steeper, the mouse's voice ricochet. As the rodent and the avian were forced to trade in their speed for chaotic changes in direction.
"Again, they have the guns we'd need to make that happen!"
"And we have the infinite amount of lives needed to shake off their bullets!" Stewie darted between the crossfire, "We regenerate! They don't!"
"…" Nester's feet slowed when the gun fire did, "… they don't?"
"… oh shit… we don't. Moxxie, why the Hell don't we have a rule about not pissing off Sinners?!"
"It's literally the second one we made!" the tuxedo imp screeched just as all the others' screams died down, "Why do you think I've been begging you to stop!"
"Well maybe if you grew a pair and shouted instead, we would've!" the lead hellborn crossed his smoking gun over his arm, "Honestly, you really crapped the bed on this one Mox's."
If Nester's face wasn't focused on the hotel he strived for, he'd almost feel compelled to adopt the same deadpanned expression the smaller Imp must be wearing.
"Looks like it's up to me to fix your fuck up."
If Imps really were mortal creatures, Nester would think the tall one would be more cautious about turning his subordinate into a ticking time bomb.
"I think we can all agree things have gotten out of hand." Then again, as Blitzø easily switched from carnage to charisma, the feathered brunette began to wonder if the scarred hitman was just unable to process the danger he put himself in.
Neither Nester nor, to the bird's knowledge, Stewie had the immaturity to shove the creature's words down his own throat. But new as he might be, the avian felt he had seen enough of Hell to know most of its inhabitants wouldn't think twice about doing so.
Which made the Imp's decision to talk, as if this simple understanding hadn't been filled with the bullets he aimed at two immortal souls, instead of run rather odd.
"We found your pig, you stole it back, shit happened in the middle, but in the end we've returned your pet. So despite the mistakes made on both sides, I'd say mission accomplished!"
"… seriously, both sides?" Stewie paused to shoot a gaze backwards, "Instead of being pissed, do you expect us to be grateful?"
"Instead of telling us this shit swine was yours, did you think we wouldn't be pissed when you just ran out the door with it?"
"…"
Nester's hand was within arms reach of the door, but he paused to cringe with Stewie at the Hellborn's solid point.
When the bird looked back, and saw the well dressed voice of reason among the Imps mouth close in realization his boss wasn't incorrect, he clenched his jaw in shame.
"But, either way, you've got your pig, and we've got a murder business that needs to be in Pride to function. So in the spirit of fairness, let's just enjoy the fact that nobody's pissed now!" the devilish CEO cracked a wall street smile, "After all, it's not like we want to die for that thing… or worse, willing to trade him for my company-"
"I am." The sole woman hissed, and Nester realized not everybody had stopped in their tracks.
"… Millie… dear," Moxxie's mouth puckered up nearly as much as Blitzø and the pig in Nester's arms when he saw the 'pissed off' aura still existed in the female Imp's eye, "You've haven't even known that pig for a full hour-"
"I don't care if it was one hour or one second, that swine belongs with me. And I'm getting him back…"
Nester gulped when the ax wielder's pace picked up. And for once, Fat Nugget's squirm felt less like an escape attempt, and more the pet's signal for the bird to resume his back pedal towards the hotel.
"Even if it cost me my life!"
"… fuck your life Mill's! What about my business's reputation!" Blitzø began to shake Moxxie, as Nester frantically swiped behind him. Hoping his hand would run into the door handle before the devil's ax met his face, "When I ask you guys to fuck me, I don't mean like this!"
"Seriously man?" Stewie raised an eyebrow over the female Imp to the taller one, "How have you guys not been kicked out of Pride yet?"
"Hey, our inability to handle this situation just goes to show how well we had been at avoiding it." Blitzø clasped his claws over Moxxie mouth before the smaller Imp pointed out the fact he had just been reminded about their policy on the subject, "I'll have you know, you two are the only Sinners we've had issues with-"
Nester felt the sweet cold relief of the door, only to see the horrified steel of Millie's weapon raised above his head. Ready to cut off his neck and her boss's remark in one swing.
"Were… you two were the only Sinner's we've had issues with."
Before Nester or Stewie could even freeze in fear at Millie, let alone be confused by Blitzø's self made correction, the white furred answer came barreling up the hill.
"DON'T MESS WITH MY PIGLET!"
As Nester witnessed an Angel collide with the Devil in front of him.
XxxxxxX
"Charlie," Vaggie sighed, "if you keep this up, you're going to write yourself to death."
The white haired woman said. A frown, for a lack of a better term, written on her face when she saw the stacks of paper scattered about her room.
All of which filled the suite like an ocean. Each wave contained the same script. With only the bare minimum amount of letters or punctuations granting them any semblance of individuality.
"That's fine! If I die then I'll just be sent here to keep writing. God only knows I deserve to be in Hell right now." the blonde's pencil grinded itself from tree to stump in a matter of seconds, "After what I did to Angel, my apology to him needs to be nothing short of perfect."
"First of all, you have nothing to apologize for," Vaggie pinched the bridge of her nose, "and second, the reason you don't is because you've already done the perfect thing for him. He just needs time to see that-"
"It's already evening and he's not back yet! What if we don't have the time Vaggie?!"
'Then we definitely shouldn't be wasting the little we've got transcribing the same letter.' the security guard deadpanned her thought, but didn't dare voice it.
"Then we should spend it on things we can control… not people we have to wait to come around." she offered instead, and placed a hand on her girlfriend's shoulder.
"Easy for you to say, they make so much progress when you're at the helm." Charlie shrugged it off.
And Vaggie frowned seeing the blonde's words had hurt the speaker far worse than her.
"Even on their own, they make more strides towards redemption than through my lessons." Charlie bowed her head into a structured hand, "And that's fine… I just… wish my attempts to help them forward didn't always result in somebody taking two steps back."
"You know that's not what happens Charlie. Without you, who knows what the guests would be doing! Besides, even if they do make progress on their own, you're the only one who can show Heaven that-"
"Can I?! For fuck sake Vaggie!" if the heiress was swearing, then shit really was weighing on her mind, "I've only had one meeting with Heaven, and in it I did more for the Extermination then I did the hotel!"
"That's not true! Those pricks had made up their minds on the schedule before your dad even called you." Vaggie defended.
"If I can't change their minds, then what's even the fucking point?!" Charlie's forehead crashed down onto the table.
Vaggie eyes widened though, as the echo rang a self induced slap to the cheek.
Silence ensued, before the heiress slowly reeled herself back up. Having stamped her face with a frown.
"What if… what if all of this is pointless Vaggie?"
The security guard's mouth opened, only to staple itself closed. Not out of a lack of knowing what to say, rather because she realized what she had to do.
Two quick steps, and two arms wide, she hugged herself into her partner's back. And squeezed a pulse of warmth into Charlie every time she felt the woman's breath catch in her throat.
"Because you can still change things around here Charlie. Because you can change people's view of themselves." Vaggie felt a hand grasp the lock she had formed her two into, "That's the gift you give to people, and the one you need to know you have. Because it's what allows this place, and the people who live here, to regain hope even in Hell."
She leaned out, and smiled when she saw her partner's breath leveled out. Vaggie moved to her side, and shifted her embrace to a shoulder wrap. One she used to lead Charlie away from the desk of misery, and to the window that overlooked her domain.
"After all… you made two of the Vees off all people listen to you. If you can do that in a week, you'd be a fool to think Angel won't come around in the next couple of days… or heck, maybe even by the end of the night."
"Y-you really think so?" Charlie breathed out the last of her stutter through a smile.
"With you in charge, I'd say it's a definite possibility." Vaggie turned her own smirk to the window. And found it level out into a thin line of shock when her gaze drifted downward, "… or a certainty."
"Now you're just sweet talking me." Charlie giggled, and Vaggie wished she could just let her girlfriend continue. But, unfortunately, she had to tap the bottom of their window twice.
"Huh-" Charlie cut herself off, when she saw the chaos that destroyed their moment, and quite literally caused them to have to bolt to the next, "What are they doing to those Imps?!"
"Um… I…" Vaggie for once was dumbfounded. As she watched Angel's hands form multiple locks around a female devil, who herself swung an ax in vain at a panicked Nester and Fat Nugget rather than her tackler. All while two other Imps, a rat, Velvette, and Husk tried to pry at him, or simply pry at one another, in one giant messy pile, "Have no idea."
Her job description wouldn't let such an answer last for long though. As her instincts already had her legs out the room, and into the hallway. If not to find out what the brawl was about, then to ensure it ended as quickly as possible.
Mind shifted to combat mode, Vaggie made for the elevator. Outside of jumping out the window, which unfortunately ceased being a tactic for her three years ago, the lift was the fastest way down. Even taking into account the seconds she had to wait holding the door open for Charlie to stumble in as well.
"W-why are those Imps attacking us?!" the heiress heaved.
Vaggie unsheathed her spear to respond.
"I'll be sure to ask them when they come too."
"Come too?-" Charlie gasped in realization, and suddenly Vaggie wished she had just taken the stairs. At least with that message, she could have left the heiress behind under the guise of outpacing her, "You can't knock them out!"
"Would you prefer I stab them instead?" Vaggie shot back rhetorically.
"I'd prefer we defuse the situation in a peaceful way!"
"Charlie, I love you. But there's an ax wielding maniac currently wrestling one of our guests." Vaggie turned from Charlie, and loaded herself a bullet in a chamber when she took a crouch stance pointed towards the lift's door, "Me kicking their lights out rather than their brains is the peaceful way."
The arrow inside the box fell with the edges of Charlie's lips, and her feet backed away from the track. An act Vaggie took as her girlfriend's acceptance to her point.
"… just try to be gentle-"
The elevator grounded to a halt. And when the doors cracked open, Vaggie choice to see the light coming through as green.
In some regards, the gray hued woman had taken Charlie's advice and ran with it. In other regards, she simply left the rest of it in the dust.
Either way, she turned the floorboard beneath her to glass speeding across the lobby. And nearly created a compression wave with how fast she threw open the door.
A closer view of the situation merely added detail to the absurdity taking place. With the frantic squeal of the pig currently scurry around the war zone somehow being the least crazy part.
In the span of thirty seconds, Angel's skirmish with the female Imp had evolved from wrestling match in the dirt, to the furred demon trying to swat her off as the smaller creature scurried around his body like an ironic spider. Scratching, clawing, and biting the actor in some sort of blood fueled rage.
Her ax desperately seemed like it wanted to join in the carnage. But currently the tail she had wrapped around the handle was fighting for possession over the weapon with Nester and a puffed cheeked mouse demon.
Whose frantic faces seemed to be begging their fingers to not slide from the groove of the ax's to its edge, all while they heaved to keep said wedge away from Angel's head.
Meanwhile, Velvette's digits held an even stronger grip around the white haired Imp's neck. Whose panicked eyes seemed ready to be squeezed out of their sockets.
His open mouth was unable to let loose the crushed pleas in his throat. Although, given the rage in the Vee's pupils, his words would be about as useless as the third unlucky Imp's sidearm.
Which currently was pointed down at the ground in his holster, and not at the aerial cat carpet bombing him.
"Christ on a Stick Millie!" he yelled as his run from the explosion quickly turned into him being rag dolled around the hill by their shockwaves, "Let them have the stupid pig!"
"Never!" The female Imp decreed, her spear tail flexing her defiance as it yanked Nester and the rodent off their feet and onto the end of Hell's sharpest yo-yo.
Their white faces turning green each time Angel had to frantically swat at the gnat chomping down on his skin.
Truly, the scene before her was impossible to mentally work through. Luckily, missile's didn't have to analyze a target, only prioritize which ones they'd hit first.
Vaggie's good eye sharpened itself into a stare. And where her iris darted, her body rapidly followed.
Catching a fly with a bat, the enforcer all but teleported next to the blade spinning around Angel. A quick flick of her hand around Nester's ankle was enough to halt the weed whacker.
"Huh?" the bird said, choking down his lunch. His eyes widening when they followed his gulp to her, "Vaggie-"
Three cracks interrupted the Doorman.
The first was the light speed whip of the butt of the security guard's spear into the first Imp's head, the second was the unconscious devil's impact to the ground, and the third was the rodent's and Nester's crash to the dirt when the tension of their human line went lax.
And before Angel's pain receptors realized the fly had been swatted, Vaggie was gone.
Her lightning feet outpaced thunder itself as she traversed to the white haired imp.
"What the-"
The gray hued woman pushed Velvette's shock away. Quite literally, as the hinge of her forearm and bicep locked itself into place beneath the tuxedo devil's chin. Allowing her feet to shove the creature out of the Vee's amateur strangle, and into her efficient choke hold.
The air in his lungs hissed out, as Vaggie halted the flow of blood to his brain instead. And within a handful of seconds, the second target was dropped to the ground just in time to applaud the pinkette's own landing.
But before said Overlord wannabe could realize her show had ended, Vaggie was onto the final act.
"I swear, if I have to fuck that rich prick to get us out of this-" the taller Imp's anger quite literally blew up in his face.
But when the fireball that scorched his brows had faded, it was the angel of death that ran through the ash that had shut him up.
Spear head rotated flat, yet nonetheless cocked and loaded a hockey stick. Ready to hit a sprinted slap shot.
"Shit-"
The Imp's teeth made it farther than his words. Vaggie's metal had whiplashed the creature's brain to his skull so fast, the horned devil slept soundly on his descent to the ground.
Threat neutralized, Vaggie shut her eye, took in a deep breath, then spun her spear till it disappeared.
"Alright," she turned back towards the entrance of the hotel just in time to see Charlie's bewildered face exit, "now let's handle this in a calm manner."
A series of creaked necks and loud blinks echoed her way.
"After we tie them up that is."
XxxxxxX
"It was just a misunderstanding!" Normally Charlie would yell such a declaration in joy. But with three unconscious Imp's currently tied to the waiting room's couch, Nester's detailed explanation of the accident left her on the verge of a panic attack, "Oh my God… Velvette was right. The hotel does hate Hellborn!"
The blonde honestly felt like crying, and nearly strangled her bangs gray.
Nester and Stewie's aversion to the color change only added more speed to her rapid train of thoughts.
"If it makes you feel," the Vee folded her arms, "I'll be the first to say your hate crime against these three was justified."
"Okay, us knocking out kidnappers hardly classifies as a hate crime." Angel scoffed, all his hands currently cradling Fat Nugget.
If one had told Charlie the actor would be sending her his dual eye roll as if nothing had happened this afternoon, she would have been thrilled…. Until she found out the price for this brief moment of normalcy between the two was class warfare between her guests and three Imps.
"All of which were attacking us!" the spider continued.
Much to Vel and Husk's nodded agreement, and regretfully for Charlie, Nester and Stewie's neck scratches.
"Well… Millie-" Nester was demanded clarification from a rough sea of eyebrows, "T-the one with the ax was. The other two, sort of, had already agreed to a ceasefire."
"Ironically, I think this guy," the rat's eyes trailed to the tuxedoed imp, "was trying to stop the fight the whole time. Kind of feel bad… for him that is. The con artist and that sociopath can go fuck themselves."
Charlie heard something rip, and soon saw what it was. When her hand revealed a barbershop worth of follicles.
"Alright." Vaggie slowly squeezed Charlie's hand and led it away from degrading anymore of her hairline, "You two definitely fucked up recovering the pig, but it's not like stealing your own live stock is a crime."
"You mean rescuing a beloved member of the family." Angel corrected.
"But if they had known that, all of this could have been avoided..." Charlie nearly dragged Vaggie to her knees.
"I wouldn't go that far…" Stewie squeaked out, "The girl was gonna fight tooth and nail to keep Fat Nugget no matter what. And in the beginning, the tall one seemed like he would rather shoot the pig,"
Angel nearly turned as pale as Charlie.
"then give it back to us."
"A-and he probably would have until you jogged his memory on the whole Sinner Hellborn… imbalance." Nester added, although his words wobbled, unsure of how much weight they actually held.
"God, how the Hell can these guys be dumber than their customers?" Husk grumbled.
Multiple mouths opened to answer.
"The fuck you say?!"
Only for all eyes above to shift onto the one that did. With the taller imp's impulsive anger revealing he had already come too.
"… shit." and if the creature's follow up curse was anything to go off of, he had been conscious for some time.
"Oh my God, I am so sorry!" Charlie tried to dart her apology forward, but the helping hand that reached for the knot was snatched by Vaggie's.
"Oh you're going to be storm drain." The Imp narrowed his eyes onto her polka dot cheeks, before he scanned them across the room. "Cause lieutenant bitch knocked me so hard into last week, it reminded me who I fucked that day."
The Imp's gaze landed on Stewie of all people. For a moment, Charlie thought the rat's similar height might act as a comfort to the mini devil… until the man's fork tongue flickered out a lance.
"So don't think you can pull this whole hierarchy crap on me. Cause you dipshits may be Sinners, but I'm personal fuck buddies with a Goetia!" his crackled laugh pulsated the ropes, "And I know more than anybody how much that masochist can fit down his throat. So unless you've got one of the Seven Sin's hidden up your ass, prepared to be picked apart then upchucked by the world's sluttiest owl-"
"Don't know a Sin." Stewie shrugged, and Charlie could take some comfort in the fact the mouse kept a level voice at the insult, "But Miss storm drain over here is Lucifer's daughter's."
She could also have it taken away when the rodent cocked his head towards her.
"Nice try, like I'm gonna believe we've been tied up by the Hotel Bitch-" when the Imp's taunt followed Stewie's motion, his words were cut off by his disappearing pupils. When his eyes scanned the blonde a second time.
"… H-hello." Charlie meekly waved. And offered a smile that tilted on the situation's thinning balance beam, "Glad to know you've heard about us, but don't worry, the ropes are just a precaution. Nobody here is going to hurt you…"
On autopilot, the horned man turned his disbelief towards Vaggie.
"… anymore." Charlie gulped. "Isn't that right everybody."
Nester's nod came first, with a reluctant Stewie and Vaggie coming in second, while under the weight of their eye rolls, Velvette and Husk took third.
"Fuck that!" Unfortunately, Angel got last place through a forfeit, "I say we let Alastor take out the trash like normal."
Charlie turned to Angel with pleading eyes. She really didn't want to get into another disagreement with the actor, especially since the previous one hasn't even been resolved.
"Are you fucking kidding me!" luckily, the large horned Imp batted away that disagreement. As his neck snapped back. Striking his frustration atop his associates skull till it cracked their eyes open.
"W-what's going on?" The well dressed one slowly came too, while the female's shaking head created aftershocks.
"What's going on is that your wife's country lifestyle keeps finding ways to fuck us!"
Charlie opened her mouth to intervene, but did not have enough of her own context, let alone the three strangers', to let loose any actual words.
"Country lifestyle?" the female stated, while trying to blink her gaze away, "What are y'all hollering about-"
Her eyes came into focus on the treasure in Angel's hand.
"My swine!" She bucked out… quite literally as Angel had to take a step back when the woman whipped her head towards him. The momentum of her murderous determination scooched the three captive Imps forward at an unstable snail's pace.
"Your swine?! He's my Fat Nugget!" Angel clutched his pet tighter with both his arms. Which regretfully left his other two sets free to unholster a pair of Tommy gun's into the fork toothed Imp's face.
"Holy shit! Millie, just let the Sinner have his pig!" The barrel's threat worked well on the white haired Imp they didn't point to. Whose shrill voice at least provided an anxiety ridden Charlie a name.
"Oh, but they're not just Sinners." the tall one mocked his own despair, "That wouldn't be sadistic enough for this shitstain of existence we live in! No, somehow that four legged piece of bacon shit-"
One of the Tommy gun's shifted, and demanded the long horned Imp change his own aim.
"That pig led to us pissing off not only Lucifer's kid, but the host of my jerk off podcast as well!"
The tuxedo Imp's eyes furrowed in confusion with Charlie's. Though shot up in understanding far before her's.
"The Radio Demon! Oh my God!" The man's panic scream rang everyone's ear, and his newfound fear replaced his wife's inertia fueled rage. "P-please don't kill us your highness! We didn't know the pig belonged to you!"
"And we don't care! Finders keepers-"
"For the love of fuck Millie! Shut up!" the taller Imp cracked his horns down again.
"Or don't." Angel pressed the barrel further in Millie's forehead, "I'd personally like you to keep talking till you give me a good enough reason to shoot."
"Just keep the splatter away from the couch." Husk grumbled.
"W-wait, we aren't actually going to kill them, are we?!" Nester panicked, and the guilt he produced at his part in this whole debacle only added to the chaos erupting in Charlie's mind.
"Not unless provoked!" and Vaggie's addition offered no clear path out.
"Fucking do it! I dare y'all!" Millie hissed back, helping Charlie just as well as she helped herself.
"She does not speak for the group!" The tall one's panic finally added a third engine to the rope bound tectonic plate.
"I always knew I was going to die like this!" the white haired one wailed.
"Bitching and screaming?" Velvette muttered rubbing her temples.
Which at this point may as well have just been mixing all the noise in Charlie's ear into one giant bomb. Set to go off at the slightest-
"Excuse me, isss everything alright-"
"THAT'S IT!" Charlie's horn's burst out the top of her head with enough force to turn the confused snake at the top of stairs around.
"ANGEL!" the heiress marched up to the frozen stick figure first, "Take Fat Nugget up to your room, before you and this woman tear yourself to pieces over him!"
Charlie whipped her bloodshot eyes around, but doubled back just before the furred demon left his state of shock.
"In other news, I am very happy you are back! And I am willing to talk about my actions earlier today and how we can resolve them when, and if, you feel comfortable to do so!"
The heiress did end her point to him with that, leaving it hanging in the air much like the actor's jaw.
"VAGGIE!" Her girlfriend's feet clapped into place beneath a straight spine when Charlie addressed her, "I love you, but would really appreciate it if you would not threaten people with violence right after I've assured them safety!"
Her partner, more shocked at the pseudo authoritarian position, gave a small crisp nod.
"VELVETTE AND HUSK!"
The namesakes raised their eyebrows.
"Thank you for going after Angel and making sure he was okay! That was very kind of you!" she yelled out her parental glare, hands glued to her hip.
"Um… you're welcome?" Husk questioned his and Velvette's response.
"AND THANK YOU TWO FOR BRINGING FAT NUGGET HOME!" she turned her shout to a stuffed bird and rat, "Next time please try to do so with words instead of thievery! And Stewie!"
"Y-yes ma'am!" the mouse squealed.
"It is really good to see you again, and tell Roadie I look forward to the upcoming shoot!" Charlie barked, "But please don't use your privilege as a Sinner to boss around Imps and Hellborn. Such a viewpoint perpetrates an archaic and harmful caste system that we all must do our small part to abolish!"
Stewie jackhammered his chin up and down. While Charlie marched up to her last students, and dug her hands into their rope chains.
"AS FOR YOU THREE!" The heiress hefted them up, forcing a gulp from the two males, "I am so sorry about how far out of control things have gotten!"
She snapped the bonds in two, and watched as the three devils plopped into a pile on the couch. Their shocked eyes rose to meet her before their bodies even thought to follow suit.
"Without knowing Fat Nugget belonged to somebody else, you had a right to go after him! I ask in the future you do not try to shoot yourself a solution," Charlie turned her vision towards Millie, "and respect the bond between Angel and his pet now that the situation is cleared up!"
The white haired and longed horned Imp processed the words through slow nods of their heads. While the female one merely narrowed her vision onto Charlie's in silence.
"Now, if you would like to discuss our sincerest apologies further, please stay as long as you want!" the heiress dug a hand into her pocket, "If not, then I completely understand, and hope you will take this reward for keeping Fat Nugget safe as a peace offering!"
She held out a stack of cash before the Imps. All three stared at it without a word. But eventually, the tallest one swiped the bills from her hand, and with his others grabbed one of Millie's shoulders. The white haired fiend grasped the other, and to the sole sound of their own footsteps, dragged the female Imp out of the hotel.
Their slow backtrack machine like in its execution, and their eyes never left Charlie's till they crested the hill. And even then, she felt they were so bewildered they may just keep starring in this direction all the way home.
After a minute of returning it, Charlie finally turned her back to the crowded lobby. The passion of her words let loose a deflated sigh.
"Um… good job Hon." Vaggie's statement quietly echoed the shock everybody felt.
"Thank you." the blonde replied, and had just enough energy to stand before the couch, "Now if you'll excuse me… I'm going to pass out."
"Alright- wait what?!" Vaggie's yelp faded just as the strength in Charlie's knees wobbled away.
Her eyes rolling in the back of her head at the same speed multiple pairs of hands reached out to grab her.
But before she could find out if their hands had caught her fall, or if her back hit the sofa instead, she drifted away.
XxxxxxX
Thank you to all those who have read through the sixteenth chapter of Drifters!
I will try my best to upload a chapter every Friday. But until next week, please feel free to leave a comment! Criticism is always welcomed, so long as there's an attempt for it to be constructive. If you need an example of what constructive criticism looks like, please refer to Charlie's dialogue… minus the part where angrily asserting her kindness caused her to pass out.
As of this moment I am still looking for a beta reader, so to anyone interested please feel free to shoot me a PM.