Stepping up to the front of the Goetia mansion, Mick and Linda felt a surge of dread as they stared up at the majestic manor, now magically free of the gaping hole that Stolas had created earlier that morning. Granted they were both all for Mick's plan to sneak Wimzy into the mansion before the former spoke to the Goetia Prince at first, but now that the moment has arrived, their nerves immediately began to betray them.
"I see Stolas managed to repair the damage," Mick commented, hoping a small distraction would be enough to keep the pair of them from losing their nerve.
"Given how quickly he left this morning, he was probably just as surprised to see the hole as we were when he came home," Linda added, barely even needing to suspect how the Prince made his front entrance look like nothing had ever happened to it. "Gotta love magic, huh?"
"Indeed," Mick replied with a nod. "You doing okay?"
Linda, of course, couldn't help but sigh at that.
"A little nervous," she admitted. "But I think I'll be okay."
"You know you can just pretend not to know anything," Mick pointed out. "No sense in us both getting in trouble if this goes tits up."
However, this was only met with a firm shake of Linda's head.
"No way," she said firmly. "I was in the Human World just as long as you were. I am not going to take the fall for whatever comes next."
Hearing that, Mick couldn't help but smile beneath his mask. Regardless of what happens next, it was nice to know he still had a friend who had his back. Suddenly, the moment found itself short-lived when the front door of the mansion suddenly opened, allowing a familiar Imp to make himself known to the two Demons waiting outside.
"Oh shit, it's Pringles!" Linda whispered, immediately freezing up.
"Keep calm, don't panic, stay cool," Mick uttered in an equally hushed tone, with Snowflake nodding to his every word.
"I'll try," Linda replied with a nod.
"Actually, I was kinda talking to myself on that one," Mick pointed out, earning himself a small pout from the young Imp.
While this small exchange was going on, Wimzy practically had to cover her mouth to keep herself quiet, wrapping her tail around herself inside the bag and keeping as still as she possibly could. While she may have been eccentric on a daily basis, she knew the importance of keeping herself hidden. And this particular scenario was undoubtedly going to be the first hurdle out of many until Mick and Linda could get her safely into their living quarters. For now, all she could do was lie in the bag, wait and listen while her two new friends suddenly found themselves being greeted by the Goetia Family Butler.
"Michael," Pringles greeted with his usual stoic tone after reaching the bottom of the front steps.
"Reginald," Mick greeted back, keeping himself professional and feeling no need to say anything else.
Linda, however, could only raise an eyebrow at Mick's response.
"Oh, are we still calling him that?" she asked out loud, quickly covering her mouth upon realizing her slip of the tongue.
Needless to say, Pringles's eye immediately began twitching upon hearing the question come out of the younger Imp's mouth, after which his gaze hardened and shifted towards the Sinner in front of him.
"I didn't tell anyone, I swear!" Mick quickly stated, feeling no need to be involved in any more unfortunate misunderstandings today.
At those words, Pringles's gaze softened as he let out a frustrated sigh.
"No matter, I believe that I have a strong suspicion about who the true culprit is," he said, desperately trying to bury the urge to murder a certain deranged Gardener deep within him in front of company. "More importantly, Michael, your presence is required in the Prince's study. I am to escort you there immediately."
Hearing the serious tone in the butler's voice, Mick instantly nodded his head in understanding before shifting his gaze down to the duffle bag in his grasp. Now the tricky part has truly begun.
"No wasting any time then," he commented, gently handing the bag to Linda. "Liddy, would you mind taking this to our room? I'll have to deal with it later."
Having known ahead of time what the plan was in case of a situation like this, Linda instantly nodded her head and played along with the ruse. If one of them couldn't get to their room with the other for any reason, then it was up to the latter to continue the trek and get Wimzy to safety before anything else.
"Yeah, sure, I can do that," the young Imp answered. "You just want me to dump it on your bed, yeah?"
"That'll be great, thanks," Mick replied, the pair of them sounding as natural as they could possibly muster in front of Pringles.
At that moment, however, said butler took a moment to clear his throat and give Linda a stern glance.
"Well, once you are done with your… errand, Miss Linda, I would suggest you then take yourself to Princess Octavia's chambers," he instructed, much to Linda's surprise. "As I understand it, the young lady has been requesting your presence since she has returned home. You and her… pet."
Neither Mick nor Linda could really put their finger on it, but if they didn't know any better, they would have sworn that Pringles sounded a lot more… annoyed. More than usual, anyway.
If either of them were to guess why, it might be because of Linda's absence from the house while Octavia had been gone. After all, while Mick may have been the one to get the sack, technically speaking, Linda was still under the Goetia's employ. Given how uptight and strict Pringles was in regards to the staff and the household rules, of course, he'd be agitated that one of the staff members was abandoning their duties, even if he refused to show it on his face. That being said, it was pretty clear that he couldn't reprimand Linda for her actions at present no matter how much he wanted to. Whatever the Princess wants still takes priority it would seem.
"I'll be as quick as I can, sir," she said with a respectful bow of her head, hoping her little slip-up regarding the Butler's real name would be forgotten quickly.
"Off you go then," Pringles replied with a nod. "Don't dawdle."
"Yes, sir!" Linda replied, quickly hefting the duffle bag over her back and carrying it like a rolled-up carpet. "Come on, Snowy!"
With that, both Linda and Snowflake hurried up the front steps and rushed towards the front door, disappearing in mere moments and leaving Mick alone with Pringles.
"So… to his Highness's study then?" Mick asked obviously, earning a roll of the Butler's eyes.
"I don't know how you accomplished this, Michael, but I have never seen a former staff member earn a second chance to work again in this household," he pointed out, giving the Sinner a stern glare. "If it were up to me, such an opportunity would be incredibly difficult to earn."
Mick didn't know for sure, but he could have sworn Pringles's stoic expression faltered a little in place of a hidden threat when he said that. That being said, Mick didn't want to make any accusations that could cause trouble, not when he was so close to being back under the same roof as the girl he loved.
"Understood," he said simply, choosing to let Pringles keep whatever grievances he had to himself and move on.
Seeing that there were no further words to be said, Pringle merely nodded his head and turned back towards the front door.
"If you would follow me, please," he said, graciously making his way up the steps.
Just as Mick had followed the Imp about halfway towards the door, however, Pringles suddenly came to a stop and briefly turned his gaze towards the masked Sinner for a moment.
"Oh, and before I forget, you have a guest waiting for you in the drawing room," he said, much to Mick's surprise. "Apparently they were unaware of your dismissal and have been waiting for you since the early afternoon. Once you've finished your meeting with the Prince, I suggest you attend to them post haste."
"A guest?" Mick repeated. "Who?"
"A woman from your current social circle, I imagine. Who's to say?" Pringles replied with a clear hint of disinterest. "I have Jewel tending to them for the time being, but I would suggest you say your piece and send them on their way as soon as you can."
After that, Pringles once again turned around and continued to lead Mick into the foyer, even though the latter was somewhat annoyed that Pringles couldn't even be bothered to give a name for this so-called guest. Not that it was all that surprising, of course. From what Mick had witnessed over the last few months, Pringles clearly didn't have much of an interest in the family lives of his coworkers. Rather, he was more interested in their efficiency in their work. As such, the only guests he would bother to remember the names of were those of the Nobility and Royalty that came to the house. That being said, now that their presence had been brought to his attention, Mick couldn't help but wonder just who this guest could be.
Little did Mick realize, said guest was someone he had only met once in the last few months… someone he had encountered during the big fiasco back at the Triton Resort.
It had been a good few hours now since Clara had arrived at the mansion, but even so, she had continued to wait. After all, so far none of the staff have given her a reason to leave just yet. True, when she first came here, she ran into a bit of a roadblock in her intended task, but if there was one thing she had learned over the years, it was the value of patience. So until either Stolas or Mick comes in to talk to her she will continue to sit in this drawing room until given a reason not to.
"Another cup of tea?"
Of course, despite the long wait, it was nice to be greeted with a friendly face once in a while. Between the crazy Gardener and the stuck-up Butler, the Maid, Jewel, seemed to be the only one Clara could have a conversation with while she was in the drawing room. She did make the odd sexual remark and innuendo during their chats, but given how long she had been working with Succubi, she practically considered her NORMAL in comparison to the other staff members.
"Oh, no thank you," Clara replied, smiling at the perverted Maid as the latter began to clear away the cups and teapot they were both using for the last hour.
KNOCK! KNOCK!
Suddenly both their attentions were drawn to the doors leading to the adjoining room. Quickly heading over, Jewel carefully pulled the door open, allowing Buzz to poke his head in with a shit-eating grin. Kneeling down via the Gardener's request, Jewel allowed the latter to whisper something into her ear before she smiled and nodded her head in response. After that, Buzz gave the Maid a quick thumbs up before disappearing from sight, allowing her to shut the door behind him.
"Looks like we have some good news, Miss Clara," she then announced with a smile. "You'll be happy to know that Mick's finally made his way back."
The moment she heard that, Clara immediately got so excited that she rose from her chair.
"Really?" she exclaimed, earning herself a small nod from the maid.
"Mhm," she replied. "He just needs to speak with the Prince and then he'll be right along."
With that confirmation, Clara let out a small sigh of relief. After hours of waiting, the moment she had been waiting for was at hand. While it was true that she came here claiming to want a talk with the Prince, it didn't take her long to tell Jewel that it was actually MICK she wanted to see. As such, the lecherous Maid was more than happy to keep the horned Wolf Demon informed so long as she was allowed to stay in the room once the two of them could talk. After all, the only thing she liked as much as sex was good gossip. Plus, given how nice Clara was to talk to, Jewel, of course, felt no need to stand so much on ceremony when it came to her. Given her pleasant attitude thus far, it was hard to believe this girl used to be a member of Hellish Nobility.
"I'm sorry for putting you guys out like this," Clara said, a light tinge of guilt riddling her voice. "I know I've probably worn out a lot of my welcome at this point."
Jewel, however, only laughed in response to Clara's apology.
"Oh, it's fine," she replied casually. "I'm just sorry you had to wait so long."
"Well, hopefully, I won't be waiting much longer…"
DING!
Meanwhile, on the upper floor, Linda and Snowflake quickly poked their heads out into the corridor before stepping off the Servant's Elevator. Granted, the young Imp would have preferred using a method that wouldn't have the risk of running into one of her coworkers, but discretion was key in the task she had been given, and struggling to carry a duffle bag up the stairs would have looked more suspicious, especially considering said duffle bag was almost as big as she was. Thankfully, everyone else seemed to be on duty right now, so at the very least she and Snowflake could use the elevator without anyone else getting on. Looking towards each end of the hallway to make sure they were alone, both the young Imp and the Kitsune pup let out an exasperated sigh and continued towards their destination.
"Okay," Linda muttered, looking down at Snowflake with an anxious hesitation. "We just need to get in, dump the payload and get out."
Nodding in agreement, Snowflake took the lead and cautiously led Linda down the corridor like a guide dog, using her little nose to navigate the shortest route to Mick and Linda's room. Unfortunately, the young Imp's words weren't quiet enough to keep Wimzy from hearing her inside the bag.
"I'm not a pile of garbage, you know!" she blurted out, her voice was hushed and muffled by the fabric but still audible enough for Linda to hear her.
"Shh! Keep it down!" the young Imp scolded, lightly elbowing the bag. "Do you want someone to hear you!?"
"Sorry," Wimzy whispered, desperately resisting the urge to smack herself for such a mistake.
Thankfully, no one else was around to hear Wimzy's voice, muffled or not, giving Linda cause to let out a small sigh of relief as she and Snowflake kept going down the hall. Thankfully the place Pringles was sending them was right next door to where they needed to go so it wasn't too out of the way and Linda could drop Wimzy off quickly without raising suspicion… that being said, she wasn't really looking forward to what happens when she finishes her task.
Knowing that Octavia wishes to speak to her shortly after coming home, and after speaking with Mick in the Human world no less, it couldn't possibly be a coincidence. What's more, given how often the subject had been brought up between her and her fellow Attendant ever since the Triton Resort, it didn't take much to have a rough suspicion of what the intended conversation would be about. It wasn't as if Linda didn't WANT to speak to Octavia, of course, but after so long of giving her the silent treatment, it was most assuredly going to be almost as awkward as the situation she found herself in now. That being said, it wasn't long before Linda eventually reached the last turn she needed to take before it was a straight shot to her bedroom door.
"Okay, just a little further and then- oh crap!"
Alas, nothing can ever be so simple. Just as Linda and Snowflake rounded the corner, they suddenly came across an unexpected roadblock… a roadblock named Buzz! Diving behind the corner once more, barely avoiding tripping over their own feet, Linda and Snowflake quickly tried to keep out of sight. Thankfully, Buzz seemed too occupied with whatever he was doing and singing to himself to take any notice of their presence.
Buzz:
Everybody thinks I'm crazy!
Yesiree, that's me, that's me!
When I go off on a killin' spree!
The masses all get panicky!
Find that house!
BAM! BOOM! SMASH!
Buzz:
Burn it down!
FWOOOOOOOOOOSH!
Buzz:
So I'm loony, wha-wha-what can ya dooooo?
You're all screwed!
Linda barely understood Buzz on a normal day, but from what she could hear from his little tune, this seemed to be one of his more… hectic ones. Not that it was really that surprising. Between all the mayhem this morning, and Mick once again disappearing from the house, it was amazing to see that he wasn't doing anything worse than trashing that particular area. Alas, since the Gardener was currently blocking the only path towards Mick and Linda's room, Linda was left with very few options. Gulping with unease, she eventually gave Snowflake a firm nod and they both stepped out of hiding.
"H-Hey, Buzz," she greeted, trying to sound as casual as she could without raising any suspicion.
Hearing the sound of his name, Buzz grinned and dropped the broken pieces of china he was tossing into a plastic bag upon seeing the younger Imp walk over to him.
"Liddy!" he cackled. "What's up?"
"Not much," Linda replied, keeping her response quick and simple to speed up the exchange so she could get out of it just as quickly. "Keeping busy I see."
Buzz, of course, only gave her a light shrug at that.
"Meh, just throwing out some of the leftover garbage," he commented… before suddenly picking up a large portrait of Stella and another Avian Demon with blue and white feathers and literally throwing it out of the nearby open window.
At those words, Linda's eyes immediately widened with realization. So THAT's why Buzz was trashing this particular area of the hallway. It was because there was still some of Stella's junk that the movers had left behind still hanging on the walls… Well, technically Stolas DID say he was allowed to break whatever he had to, and it's not like anyone was going to complain… though did he REALLY need to set one of the ornaments on fire? Bah, it didn't matter anyway, so long as Buzz was distracted with his "work" that meant that he didn't have time to ask too many questions.
"So… how was the Living World?"
And then he just HAD to ask the one question that made both Linda and Snowflake freeze in their tracks before they had the opportunity to take another step.
"H-how did you-!?" Linda babbled, unable to even fathom how Buzz could have gotten his grubby hands on such information.
"Hehe, I shall never tell," the Garder retorted with a smirk and a snicker. "So come on, how was it?"
Seeing that there was no point in trying to hide the truth from someone who clearly knew more than she originally thought, all Linda could do was let out a defeated sigh and try to hurry the conversation along as much as she could.
"It was… an experience," she replied honestly yet awkwardly. "We got lost in L.A. if you can believe it."
"Wow, Los Angeles, huh?" Buzz replied, sounding impressed. "The City of Angels… HA! What a laugh!"
"Y-yeah, I'll bet," Linda awkwardly chuckled in response.
Hearing all of this from inside the bag, Wimzy couldn't help but feel a little unnerved by the sound of Buzz's voice. She couldn't quite put her little finger on it, but there was just something about his voice that made the little Cherub want to stay in the duffel bag and not come out for the next year or so. At that moment, all she could do was wait and pray that Linda and Snowflake could get her as far away from Buzz as possible within the next couple of minutes before she shook in the bag and gave herself away.
"You know, I'VE been to the Human World once," Buzz continued, catching both Demons and the Angel by surprise once more.
"Wow, really?" Linda asked, raising a curious eyebrow.
"Oh yeah," Buzz snickered with a giddy nod. "Accidentally fell through one of Stolas's stray portals a few years ago and landed on some tropical Island. And then I got captured by these tribesmen who wanted to sacrifice me to their volcano god for a fruitful harvest."
Whether Buzz was making this story up or not, Linda had to admit, she did find herself a little curious about how such a story would end… oh, how she regretted being so curious a mere moment later.
"So… how did you escape?" she asked, only to suddenly grimace upon hearing the answer.
"Oh, I didn't," Buzz chuckled. "The volcano spat me back out around three seconds after the tribesmen threw me in. After that, they all had 3 years of pestilence and plague."
Hearing the deranged Imp actually laugh and reminisce about the whole ordeal with a grin on his face, Linda, of course, immediately felt awkward.
"Riiiiiiight," she uttered, taking a nervous step back from the deranged Imp.
"Well anywho, it's a good thing you guys came back when ya did," Buzz continued, changing the subject faster than one can blink without a second thought. "I'd hate to think what would have happened if you guys got caught."
Linda knew she probably shouldn't have asked this next question in front of Buzz, but given how big a deal Coco, Apple and Shank had made their trip to the Living World sound, her curiosity easily won her over in an instant.
"Wh-what would have happened?" she asked, only to receive a small shrug for her trouble.
"Well, I don't know for sure, but I hear there's a BIG punishment for Sinners who get caught trying to make it topside," Buzz replied honestly, much to Linda and Snowflake's chagrin. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I knew my best bud was gonna be okay. That's why I wasn't that worried while you guys were gone. But if you guys were ever caught… Oh man, they'd probably send you down to one of those Prisons that specialize in ball removal."
To see Buzz actually shudder at such a thought, Linda knew instantly that both she and Mick seemed to have dodged a massive bullet. Whatever punishment was in store for Mick if anyone were to find out what he did… it must have been REALLY bad. Even Snowflake gulped at such a thought and curled herself a little closer to Linda's leg. Needless to say, she was going to need to sit Mick down and have a long chat with him later… for now, however, curiosity once again seemed to spark up in Linda's mind as she picked up on a certain detail Buzz let slip.
"Wait… there are PRISONS here in Hell!?" she exclaimed, genuinely surprised considering that she had never heard of anything like that in the Pride Ring.
"Well, mostly just in Greed," Buzz elaborated with yet another shrug. "You'd be surprised what goes on in the other Rings. Hell, I sent my cousin to one as a prank!"
"You have a cousin?" Linda asked, genuinely shocked at such a revelation, only to grow even more fearful once she received her answer.
"Not officially… anymore,"
Before Linda even had the chance to ask what Buzz meant by that, she was then suddenly cut off by a faint scream echoing from outside.
"HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!"
Upon hearing that, Buzz, for some reason rolled his eyes in annoyance, stomped over to the open window and leaned out of it.
"Shut up, guy I don't know and appreciate my prank!"
Needless to say, if Wimzy and Linda weren't disturbed before, they sure as hell are now! So much so that when Snowflake pulled on the little Imp's skirt in fear, Linda immediately felt the urge to run away as quickly as possible.
"Well, anyway, it was nice seeing you, Buzz," she said, trying to excuse herself as politely as possible as she tried to take a few steps past the Gardener. "But I really should-"
"Hey, what's with the bag anyway?"
And once again, Buzz asked one of the few questions that made Linda instantly freeze up. Luckily, she had an already prepared answer to give him this time around.
"Oh it's just some dirty clothes," she said, giving the bag a light pat. "Mick didn't really have a chance to do laundry before the Prince asked him to come back so-"
"Oh, well then give it here!"
Before Linda even had the chance to blink, Buzz suddenly yanked the bag away from her and lifted it over his head before running a little further down the hall.
"No, wait, Buzz!" Linda protested, with Snowflake barking alongside her.
But it was too late. Even as Snowflake bit down on his tail, the small Imp barely even acknowledged the little fox's presence, dragging her across the floor like she was using skis on a lake before he ran up to one of the remaining paintings on the wall. Mere moments later, the Imp pulled at the frame, opening the painting up like a small door and revealing a large, square hole that served as the entrance to a large metal tube.
"Aaaaaaaaand down the shoot!"
With that final declaration, Buzz casually and swiftly tossed the bag into the tube, before slamming the painting shut and dusting off his hands.
"Phew, that felt heavier than I thought it would," he commented with a chuckle. "Guess Mick must have had more dirty clothes than you let on. I always told him he shouldn't bother changing his underwear on a daily basis."
Linda, however, couldn't even give a real response to that, the very shock of what Buzz had just done leaving her in a frozen state with her left eye twitching and nothing more than babble escaping her lips.
"You… bah… WHA!?" she managed to force out, causing Buzz to smile with pride.
"You're welcome!" he replied, with a smug expression, seeming oblivious to Linda's terror and Snowflake's angry growls.
…
"Mick is going to kill me."
Given the circumstances, in Linda's mind that was only the bare minimum of what was to come.
Meanwhile, just outside Stolas's office, Pringles escorted Mick to the door with his usual stoic expression while the latter felt like his lunch was just about to come back up his throat.
"Good luck in there, Michael," Pringles stated just before he turned to leave. "You may very well need it."
"Gee, thanks," Mick uttered with a sarcastic roll of his eye before turning towards the door with a light gulp.
KNOCK! KNOCK!
"Enter."
Hearing Stolas's voice from the other side of the door, Mick gulped once again and hesitantly reached for the knob. Had the circumstances been different, the young Sinner probably wouldn't be so nervous as he was now, but knowing that there was an Angel just a stair climb away quickly put him on edge. Since the last time he and Stolas were face to face was when the latter burst out of the house in a frenzy, coming home with a Cherub in tow was definitely not the best way to make a good impression when the subject matter is about getting his job back. Taking a moment to take a calming breath, Mick eventually plucked up his courage and made his way inside the study.
"Prince Stolas?" he said, making his presence known.
Looking up from the book he was reading behind his desk, Stolas immediately greeted the Sinner with a warm, welcoming smile.
"Ah, Michael," he said, shutting the book. "Glad you could make it. Have a seat, please."
Taking another calm breath, Mick closed the door behind him and proceeded to comply with the Goetia Prince's request. As he made his way over to the empty chair in front of Stola's desk, the Sinner couldn't help but notice the sheer amount of clutter that was scattered around the room. From scattered documents on the desk to books scattered across the floor, at first glance, it appeared that the whole room had been turned over.
"Ah, yes, do forgive the mess," Stolas spoke up, quickly noticing Mick's observation of the room. "Apparently Stella believed I had something of hers in here and had the movers try to find it while I was gone. Though to be honest, I think she just wanted to steal whatever she thought was valuable just to spite me."
"She does seem the type," Mick commented, fully agreeing due to seeing Stella's pettiness first-hand. "I hope she didn't get anything too precious."
Stolas, however, merely responded with a shake of his head.
"No need to worry about that," he said reassuringly. "Anything even remotely important is always stowed safely in the safe under my desk. And NO one is getting into it unless they share my bloodline."
"Blood Magic?" Mick asked with a raised eyebrow, earning a small nod in response. "Nice!"
"I wasn't aware you were familiar with the concept of such things, Michael," Stolas pointed out, sounding genuinely surprised.
"Well, you don't have to be a Goetia to imagine the things one can do with magic, sir," Mick pointed out. "Just ask any fantasy nerd and you'll see what I mean."
Stolas, of course, couldn't help but chuckle at that.
"Fair enough, I suppose," he replied, only to let out a small sigh. "That being said, it appears as though the movers left quite the disaster in their wake."
"I know what you mean, sir," Mick replied with a sigh of his own. "If I didn't know any better, I would have said your house had been burgled while we were gone."
Mick was, of course, referring to the disastrous state the house appeared to be in due to the number of decorative items missing from the walls. Whether it was paintings, weapons, or clothes, every room from the hallways to the drawing room had looked like someone had ransacked the entire building, with only a small handful of rooms being left untouched.
"Yes, well, believe it or not, a good chunk of those decorations did belong to that heartless harpy," Stolas bitterly remarked. "The day I inherited the mansion from my father, she wasted no time in putting her personal touch on everything despite my objections. Always claimed that 'image was everything'. Can you believe that?"
"That does sound like her," Mick said in agreement.
"BUT, I didn't bring you in here to discuss gossip regarding my soon-to-be ex-wife," Stolas pointed out, choosing to change the subject before he developed a migraine. "Let us talk about you."
This was it… the moment of truth. The very reason he was brought into this office to begin with. Bracing himself for what was to come, Mick once again took in a calming breath and allowed Stolas to continue.
"I won't beat around the bush, Michael," the Owl Demon said with a heavy sigh. "Today was… difficult, and in my anger and panic, I took everything out on you. And once again, I wish to apologize for it."
Hearing the regret in Stolas's tone, Mick knew instantly that the Goetia was being genuine in his words, so much so that he nodded in understanding. After all, Mick wasn't one to hold a grudge against someone whom he felt didn't deserve it.
"I'm sure any decent parent would have done the same in your situation, sir," Mick replied respectfully. "Despite everything, I don't hold it against you."
"My reasons are still no excuse for my rash decisions, Michael," Stolas insisted, barely able to look Mick in the eye from the guilt he was feeling. "During your short time here, you've gone above and beyond for this family, and in my moment of fear… I had forgotten that."
It was at that moment, that Stolas rose from his desk and gazed out of the window, almost as if he were deep in thought.
"And even after I fired you… you still risked everything for my daughter's sake," he continued, not even turning his head. "More so than I ever thought anyone would."
Hearing that last part, in particular, Mick suddenly began to feel a little nervous. Just what was Stolas implying here?
"Sir?" Mick spoke up, only for his words to immediately die in his throat after hearing Stolas's next sentence.
"Michael…" he said, finally turning to face him. "I know what you did… up top."
The instant he heard that, Mick froze in terror. He KNEW! Despite all the efforts to keep their activities a secret, Prince Stolas KNEW that Mick and Linda had gone to the Living World… but HOW!?
"Fear not… it wasn't Octavia who told me," Stolas said reassuringly, sensing that was going to be the question the frightened Sinner wanted to ask. "That said, you may want to make sure Buzz eventually learns how to keep his mouth shut after he discovers certain secrets."
All of a sudden, Mick's fear was immediately replaced with a desire to visit Buzz in his room that night… with a very heavy pillow!
"Yes… he does seem to have the habit of shit-stirring lately," he uttered with gritted teeth.
At that moment, however, Mick suddenly noticed something, or rather the LACK of something. Taking another hard look at the Goetia Prince's face, the Sinner found himself shocked to see that there was no sign of anger on his expression, no rage, no disappointment… not even a hint of disbelief. And somehow that scared him even more than he would have been if there was.
"Permission to speak freely?" he asked, earning himself a small nod for the Owl Demon. "You… seem to be taking such news a bit better than I would have thought."
Stolas, of course, having anticipated such a question, gave the Sinner a gentle nod.
"Don't get me wrong, Michael, when I first heard about what you and Linda did, I was… for lack of a better word, mortified," he said honestly, causing another lump to form in Mick's throat. "BUT… after I had calmed down, and took a moment to recollect my thoughts, I've come to understand your reasoning for committing such an act. Add the fact that Octavia immediately spoke up in your defence when she realized how much I knew, and it was pretty clear what I needed to do."
Once again taking a seat at his desk, Stolas gave Mick a serious glare, to which the Cat Demon responded by practically shaking in his seat.
"Now, I have no idea how you accomplished this without being caught, but frankly… I don't care," Stolas continued. "But the fact that you were willing to go so far as to break Demon Law to find my daughter speaks volumes in my book."
At that moment, Mick's shaking quickly stopped, his gaze now filled with surprise and intrigue upon hearing the Goetia's last sentence.
"It… it does?" he asked, almost fearing the answer he would receive.
"It does," Stolas confirmed with yet another nod. "So, I'm willing to look past your… exploits and say that my daughter returned home because she listened to the advice of a dear friend. And should this situation ever be brought up again in conversation, I'll be sure to speak on your behalf and see that any consequences against you are minimized to the greatest extent."
Needless to say, when he heard those words come out of Stolas's beak so easily, Mick felt at a complete loss.
"You… you'd do that, sir?" he managed to force out despite still reeling from the shock.
This, of course, earned him yet another nod in response.
"Despite everything that has happened today, Michael… I suppose I've grown rather fond of you as well… enough to see you as family," Stolas continued, every word he spoke from then on driving itself deeper into Mick's heart. "And more to the point, I know that if anything happened to you, I know my daughter would be dreadfully upset, and I just can't have that… I know I screwed up badly today. But… I always want you to see this mansion as your home… us, your family. And I would be more than honoured to welcome you back. What say you, Michael?"
At those words, Stolas actually allowed Mick a moment to wipe away the couple of tears that had managed to leak out of the corner of his eyes due to feeling so moved by the Prince's words. One didn't have to be a member of Demon Royalty to know that certain Laws in Hell are absolute, whether you are Hellborn or Sinner, and that breaking any one of them is considered a great taboo, and yet… Stolas was more than willing to keep Mick's venture up on Earth… because he actually sees the Sinner as family? How could he NOT cry after hearing that!?
"Thank you, Prince Stolas," he said, bowing his head with boundless gratitude. "Thank you."
With that final word, the matter appeared to have been settled, and Stolas allowed himself to sit back into his chair and let out a sigh of relief.
"No, Michael… thank YOU," he said, giving Mick a fond smile before it faltered. "I mean it, Michael… if you had never entered my daughter's life… I'm not sure what could have happened if you weren't there for her."
"Sir?" Mick uttered, his mind curious as to wonder where Stolas was going with that.
"Most Sinners wouldn't want anything to do with Demon Royalty unless it's solely for their benefit," the Prince continued. "But you… everything you have ever done was to help my daughter, and you never cared whether she was Royalty or not. That is a quality... no, a virtue that one doesn't often see if at all in Hell… I'm just so happy that my daughter has someone in her life that she can actually look up to for once."
Mick couldn't tell for sure, but he definitely thought he heard a pained strain in Stolas's voice when he said that last part. Even now, he seems to feel the need to put himself down to the point where it actually hurts him. As such, as per his long-established instinct to aid those suffering, Mick couldn't simply sit in silence after hearing such words.
"She has YOU, sir," he pointed out, only to receive a light scoff for his trouble.
"Me?" the Prince uttered in disbelief. "What good have I been to my daughter lately? Having an affair to escape my sham of a marriage? Throwing the mother of my child out of the house? Forgetting promises that meant so much to her because I was so wrapped up in my own problems? What sort of father does that make me!?"
Had Stolas been describing anyone else, Mick would have agreed that those would have been prime examples depicting a selfish, neglectful parent… but the Sinner knew this Demon long enough by now to know that each of those examples can all be traced back to the cancer simply known as Stella. If anything, Stolas was just as much a victim as Octavia was, and Mick HAD to make sure he realized that.
"If I may be so bold sir," the Sinner spoke up. "From my personal experience, I've come to realize that NO parent is perfect… especially those who think they are."
Stolas, of course, only shook his head at that.
"I do agree with you on that one, Michael, but-" he tried to say, only for Mick to immediately cut him off.
"Sir, from what I've seen, you have been subjected to every type of misery you can endure even before you said the words 'I do'," he said firmly, instantly catching the Goetia off guard. "But despite EVERYTHING that was thrown at you, you've always tried to do what was best for your daughter even at the cost of your own happiness… From what I can tell, sir… you are a better father than you realise. Fuck, I wish MY father was half as decent as you are."
Hearing that, Stolas found himself momentarily speechless. He never could have imagined that Mick had thought so highly of him… He truly was too good a soul for this pit, wasn't he? As a small smile crept its way across his beak, the Goetia Prince pulled open one of the drawers in his desk and took out a small flat object before sliding it across the desk.
"Here… to replace the one I unintentionally destroyed," he said, revealing the object to be a shiny new Hellphone, seemingly fresh out of the box. "I'm told that it's the latest model from Voxtech. The numbers of both Octavia and myself are already logged into, of course, but you'll need to add the rest yourself."
On top of everything he had said, now Stolas was giving him a gift on top of giving him his job back? Now Mick REALLY could feel the knot tightening in his chest. True, the Hellphone he originally had was nothing more than a stolen piece of tech he managed to con out of the thieves who stole it in the first place, but the gesture Stolas was trying to make nonetheless made the Sinner feel a surge of guilt.
After all the times Stolas had praised him for all of his best qualities, including his honesty, here he was sitting in front of him, plotting behind his back. Granted, it wasn't as if he had intended to bring harm to the tall Owl Demon in any way. As he had already claimed, he had grown quite fond of him since he came to work in this house. But even so, the secret he was currently carrying was a deliberate insult to the Goetia Prince's trust and could potentially disrupt the peace that could finally find its way back to this house because of Stella's departure. Looking down at the generous gift bestowed upon him, Mick let out a defeated sigh and came to a decision… Despite the original plan, it was time to tell the truth sooner than intended.
"Sir," he eventually said, clenching his fists with a mixture of hesitance and terror. "There's something you should know…"
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
The Featured Song: Parody of "Everybody Thinks I'm Crazy" - Sung by Woody Woodpecker