Octavia just couldn't believe her luck. A mere hour ago, she had almost lost hope of ever seeing Mick again, and yet here she was, sharing a small drink with the very same Cat Demon who saved her life. As they both sat there at the bar, Snowflake curling up on the bar itself with a small bowl of milk in front of her, courtesy of Dominique, both the teenage Demons were now finding themselves in deep conversation. After dropping Octavia off with his former employee, Shank, feeling like his job was done, had already headed back to his office, confident that the two of them would be fine on their own, especially considering Stolas still had the vantage point and was able to see them from his booth.
"I can't believe you've been staying here all this time," Octavia said, downing the last of the soft drink she had received on the house. "I mean, no offence, but I wouldn't exactly call this a ritzy hotel."
Mick couldn't help but shrug at that.
"Meh, it's not so bad," he replied. "Shank's a good host if anything else. Plus, the rooms upstairs are actually power-hosed after they're used, so it's pretty clean up there."
"Okay, did NOT need to know that," Octavia retorted with a cringe. "Still, I can't imagine it's been easy."
"Yeah, you're not wrong," Mick admitted with a sigh. "Now that I'm out of a job, I'm basically out of income. I mean, I've asked Shank if he could just rehire me with a different position than I had, but apparently, all the spots he had available were already filled by the time I got back."
At those words, Octavia couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
"Never realised this place was that popular," she commented, earning herself a small chuckle from the Cat Demon.
"Yeah, well as the old saying goes: 'Sex Sells!'" he chuckled half-heartedly.
Despite the amused tone Mick was trying to use, Octavia could easily tell that it was a little forced, noticing the smallest hints of disdain mixed in with each word. Clearly, the Cat Demon was super pissed off. Then again, who wouldn't be? Unable to see him in such a state of anxiety any further, the Goetia Demon took a breath and decided that now was as good a time as any to pay back her debt. This was it. Time to lay her idea on the table.
"Listen, Mick, I need to tell you something," she began, quickly grabbing the Cat Demon's attention. "You see, my father's here and-"
Suddenly, before Octavia could even finish her sentence, Mick spat out his drink in a comical manner all over the bar, instantly startling Snowflake in the process.
"He's what!?" he exclaimed, wiping away the leftover drink from his mouth and reattaching the mouthpiece of his mask. "Please tell me you're joking!"
"No need to be THAT dramatic, Mick," Octavia replied with a deadpan expression on her face, pointing behind her.
Following the Goetia Demon's finger, Mick's eyes suddenly snapped wide open upon seeing who was sitting in the booth towards the other side of the club. It didn't matter if Stolas was far away or if they had never met in person before, as Mick had said himself, the only people who wouldn't recognise one of the Goetia Demons are the recently deceased or the mentally insane.
"Sweet Satan, Octavia!" he blurted out, snapping his masked face back towards her. "Do you have any idea of how Hellish Nobility is seen in a place like this!? Some of these yahoos will try to mug ya for a 20!"
"It's true, I lost two anklets and a nipple ring just down the road from here," Dominique pointed out, having heard the conversation and adding her own piece to it as she was wiping down the bar. "Though I did get them back after Shank sliced the asshole in half."
Octavia didn't know whether that was a joke, an exaggeration, or if the Succubus was being serious, but either way, she thought it best to refrain from asking anything about it.
"The point is I think I have a way to finally pay you back for what you did," she continued more assertively, making sure she got straight to the point of the conversation as quickly as possible. "But you're gonna have to talk to my father first."
The moment those words left the Goetia Demon's mouth, Mick's eyes snapped wide open once more as he swallowed a fearful gulp.
"You want me… to meet your dad?" he asked, every nerve in his body practically vibrating with anxiety.
Octavia couldn't really blame Mick for being nervous, after all, he had every reason to be. In most cases, Sinners whoever had the displeasure to meet Hellish Nobility didn't live to tell the tale … though that was mainly the result of failed attempts of kidnapping or thievery on their part. In fact, it was only on very rare occasions that Sinners actually managed to get in good with the Demons in such a social circle… but even then, that usually led to the Sinner getting personal torment.
"Come on, you'll be fine. I swear he's not as intimidating as he looks," Octavia pointed out, trying to calm the Cat Demon's nerves a bit. "Actually, if I'm being honest, he's pretty much a big fucking dork."
However as much as he appreciated the attempt, Mick still wasn't sure. If anything, his gut was telling him to run for the hills and hope for another passage down to the river of blood… No! Octavia had gone through so much effort to find him and had gotten Snowflake back to him on top of that, so the very least he could do was comply with her request. Looking back down at Snowflake, he gave a small nod as the little fox gave him a happy yip.
"Alright, fine," he sighed. "Let's get this over with,"
"Great!" Octavia replied with a smile as they both got up from the bar. "Come on then."
As Johnny and Dominique watched the two young Demons walk away, the both of them couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at Mick's expense after seeing the look of anxiety in his eyes.
"Good luck Mick!" Johnny called out, before turning back to Dominique with a look of unease. "…he's gonna need it."
Despite the Snake Demon's comment being somewhat of a joke, Dominique couldn't help but agree with it. As they too watched her friend walk away with his pet Kitsune in his arms, she started to feel a little worried.
After about three drinks and a lot of eyefuls of the Jaguar Demon serving him, Stolas almost forgot the reason he was here in the first place due to being so giddy, such as the effect the Peppermint Puss had on most of its patrons from time to time. It was only when he saw his daughter climb back up the stairs to his booth that the Goetia Demon finally snapped back to reality. Upon seeing the masked Demon walking up behind her with the white fox in his arms, all four of his eyes narrowed in suspicion. Undoubtedly this was the supposed saviour Octavia had spoken of, though whether or not he deserved the Goetia Demon's respect or gratitude was still up for debate as far as Stolas was concerned.
As for Mick, the closer he got to the Goetia Demon's table, the more a large lump seemed to form in his throat. Octavia may have given him her assurance, but even so, the Cat Demon was instinctively wondering if he could get to the door if things got ugly. After all, all that the head of the Goetia family needed was one glance at him, and Mick would be torn to shreds or turned into their latest lawn ornament.
"Dad, this is Mick Nikos," Octavia said, stepping aside and introducing him to her father.
"A... pleasure to meet you, sir," Mick gulped, bowing his head in respect the moment the Goetia Demon came into full view.
In response to this, Stolas couldn't help but scratch his chin in thought. The Cat Demon seemed harmless enough, however the fact that he was wearing a mask was enough to warrant suspicion all by itself. Just what is it that he could be hiding?
"Ah yes, the infamous Mick," he said, rising from his seat, allowing Mick to get a full view of his height. "I've heard quite a bit about you."
"All good things I hope," Mick joked, almost completely flabbergasted at how tall the Demon was.
"That remains to be seen," Stolas replied with his eyes glowing a bit as they gave Mick a hard glare.
Thankfully, before Mick's nerves managed to get the better of him, Octavia came to his rescue by elbowing her father in the gut.
"Dad!" she snapped. "Be nice!"
Quickly recovering from his daughter chastising him, all Stolas could do was force himself to calm down. After all, Octavia had the idea, it's not like he actually knew what this Mick character was like, so perhaps now would be the best time to find out.
"Sorry, fatherly instincts and all," he said, quickly diffusing the situation. "You understand, yes?"
"In a manner," Mick replied, unsure of how else he could respond to that.
"Please sit,"
Taking that as a sign of approval, Mick slowly followed Octavia right up to the booth all the while protectively clinging to Snowflake and sat down on the opposite side of the table, while Octavia sat next to her father. Seeing the Cat Demon cling onto his pet, all the while keeping his mismatched eyes on him the entire time, Stolas couldn't help but feel a little intrigued.
"You don't seem to be that intimidated by me, young man," he pointed out. "I have to say it makes for an interesting change. Most Demon would either be running away or pissing themselves at this point."
"Yes, well you wouldn't be the first Upper-Class Demon I've had the pleasure of meeting, sir," Mick retorted, hoping his answer would make Stolas seem a little less hostile.
"Oh really?" Stolas asked, raising an eyebrow. "Anyone I know?"
At those words, Mick couldn't help but smile under his mask as he recalled the memory.
"Believe it or not, Great Earl Furfur is a monthly regular in this club," he answered. "Quite the pleasant fellow."
Then, much to the shock and surprise of everyone at the table, Stolas let out a small laugh. It would seem that mentioning the Noble Demon's name seemed to spark some pleasant memories for him.
"Ah yes, dear Furfur," he chuckled, wiping away an amused tear from the corner of his eye. "Nice man, but a bit of a weirdo."
At those words, even Mick couldn't help but chuckle.
"Yeah, no arguments there, sir,"
Seeing the ice had finally broken between her father and the Demon who saved her life, Octavia couldn't help but let out a small sigh of relief. If she were being honest with herself, she had thought there was a strong possibility that she would have to have talked with her father a lot more before he gave Mick a chance… or at the very least not fillet him on sight. However, seeing her father actually laughing at Mick's sense of humour certainly put her mind at ease. Now that the two of them were talking, it was now time to put her plan into action.
"Tell me, young man, where did you get such a charming little creature?" Stolas asked, scratching Snowflake under the chin and earning himself a small purr. "Given how rare Kitsune are in this part of Hell, I imagine it must have been quite tricky to get your hands on one."
"You'd be surprised what you can find in the city's underworld markets, sir," Mick replied, giving Snowflake a scratch behind the ear. "About two years ago, I was looking for a few materials to fix my apartment, when I came across some shady animal dealer named Mr Zitbag. Seeing how cruelly he was treating her I… liberated the poor thing."
"And by liberated, you of course mean stole, yes?" Stolas replied, giving the Cat Demon a knowing smirk.
"It's not my fault the idiot left the key to the cage out," Mick retorted, not even bothering to deny the accusation. After all, it was Hell, who HASN'T stolen something at some point? "In any case, after I managed to sneak the poor thing home, she's never left my side since. Ain't that right my little precious?"
Seeing the Cat Demon fawn over his beloved pet as if she were his baby with next to no restraint, the little fox loving the affection with every second, Stolas couldn't help but chuckle to himself. The mask may hide his face, but it was clear that this Sinner seemed to be open enough with his emotions at least. At that moment, Octavia chose to speak up.
"Hey, Dad, Mick, now that you two now seem to be getting along, do you mind if I say something?" she asked, grabbing both their attentions.
Curious as to what his daughter was talking about, Stolas raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean, sweetie?" he asked, taking a small sip from his drink.
That was it. No turning back now.
"Dad," Octavia said, sharply taking a breath. "How would you feel… about giving Mick a job at our house?"
The moment those words left Octavia's beak, the eyes of everyone else that sat around the table snapped wide open with shock. In fact, her question was so unexpected and outlandish that Stolas instantly spat out his drink all over the booth, coughing up every drop as he smacked his hands on the table.
"Wait, what!?" he exclaimed.
"Yeah, what!?" Mick added, sharing in the Goetia Demon's concerns.
In all honesty, Octavia had expected a reaction like this, as such, she was quite prepared to answer the two Demons' queries as they came.
"Okay, I know this is a little out of the blue, but hear me out," she said, turning her head towards the Cat Demon across the table. "Mick, you need a new job and a place to stay, right?"
"Obviously," Mick answered honestly, seeing no other answer he could give.
"Dad, you said we need new members of staff for the house, right?" Octavia continued, this time turning her gaze towards Stolas.
"Well, yes but-"
"Well then this solves both issues, doesn't it?" Octavia proclaimed, cutting her father off mid-sentence. "We get a new employee, and Mick gets a new job with room and board as a reward for saving my life."
However, as good a point as that was, Mick still wasn't so sure about the whole idea.
"Look I appreciate the offer, but returning Snowflake to me was more than enough," he said, trying to reject the offer as gently as he could.
Of course, Octavia had expected Mick to say something along those lines after hearing her suggestion, after all, he basically said something similar before they parted ways after they escaped from Lulu World. As such, she also had both the words and the resolve to counteract the Cat Demon's rejection accordingly.
"Perhaps… but as I recall, you saved my life TWICE down in those tunnels," she pointed out. "As far as I'm concerned, I've only paid my debt for the first time by reuniting you with your pet. so, consider this my way of paying you back for the second time."
Once she said that Octavia's gaze then turned to said pet, shaking off some splattered drink off her soft fur, causing the Goetia Demon to release a soft giggle.
"Then again, let's be honest here," she said, raising a hand a scratching Snowflake behind her ear. "When it comes to this little cutie, there's probably a strong chance I would have done the same thing for free anyway."
Mick couldn't help but sigh at that. If there was one thing to admire about the Goetia Princess, it was definitely her assertiveness. However, Mick wasn't the only one who had his objections.
"Via, I understand where you're coming from with this, but it's not as simple as that," Stolas pointed out, trying his best to assert his authority over his daughter in the nicest way possible. "There is a process we have to go through, an application system. No offence to the young lad here, but I can't just pick up some rando off the street."
"SOME offence taken?" Mick commented, not having any idea how else to respond to that since the comment did feel a little insulting.
"Oh, come on Dad, we can trust him," Octavia protested, clearly not having any of the excuses either Demon in front of her had to say. "AND he's got a lot of useful skills with the work experience to back it up."
"Via…"
"Dad, my mind is made up about this… please."
Seeing the assertive gaze in his daughter's eyes, Stolas knew in an instant that once again he was NOT going to win against her. Sighing in defeat and pinching the gap between his eyes, he took a moment to think of the right words to say.
"Alright," he muttered. "If you're so insistent upon it, I'll give him a chance."
"Really!?" Octavia gasped, feeling like this truly had become the best thing she has heard all day.
Mick, on the other hand, wasn't so enthusiastic.
"Sir, you don't have to-" he tried to say, only to be once again cut off mid-sentence by the younger Goetia Demon.
"Mick, come on, do you really have any better options here?"
Once again, Octavia had a good point. Furthermore, it looked as though she was not going to give up her proposal, no matter how many times Mick tried to resist. Taking everything into account, he had no choice but to concede. However, if he was going to do this, then it was only fitting that he did it properly. Rising from his chair, he then placed one hand over his chest, pointed the other off to the side and kept his head low, presenting what Octavia recognised to be quite the familiar regal bow.
"Prince Stolas…" he said, never so much as lifting his head to show his respect. "If you will have me, I would very much like to work for you… please?"
Surprised by the Cat Demon's show of decorum, Stolas couldn't help but smirk in response. Whoever Mick was, it was clear that he wasn't lying when he said that he's had some experience with Hellish Nobility if the way he was acting was anything to go by. But even so, that didn't mean that Stolas was simply going to roll out the welcome wagon just yet.
"Very well," he said, much to Octavia's delight and relief. "However, I must insist on a small interview before we bring you into our workforce. Is that fair to you?"
"I have no objections, sir," Mick replied, giving the Goetia Demon an understanding nod.
At those words, Stolas nodded back and rested his elbows on the table, leaning into his hands in a serious manner as he focused all four of his eyes on the Cat Demon sitting across from him. Seeing the hard glare in the Goetia Demon's eyes, Mick couldn't help but gulp as he mentally prepared himself for whatever it was Stolas had planned.
"Very good," Stolas began. "Now, since we are short on paperwork at the moment, I'm only going to ask you a series of questions and all you have to do is answer yes or no. Understood?"
"Yes," Mick replied, nodding his head and quickly following along with the Goetia Demon's instructions.
With both parties on the same page, Stolas then began his series of questions. As the exchange continued back and forth, all Octavia could do was watch and hope that her father didn't ask Mick anything he couldn't answer.
"Alright, now do you have experience in household cleaning?"
"Yes."
"Can you drive?"
"No."
"Can you be flexible when handling certain tasks?"
"Yes."
"Have you ever worked for any of the so-called Overlords?"
"No."
"Are you able to keep secrets for your employers?"
"Yes."
"Have you ever indulged in cannibalism?"
"No."
"Do you think my daughter's pretty?"
"Yes."
It was at that moment, Mick's dead heart practically stopped all over again. His eyes snapping wide open in terror as he ran that last question over in his head over and over again, all he could even think about doing now was to try to recover from his blunder.
"Wait, no… yes! No! YES! GAAAAAAH!"
Alas, no matter how many times he tried, he just couldn't figure out the proper answer for such an unexpected question. As a rush of humiliation and regret began to flood his mind, Mick's eyes then snapped over towards Octavia, who after hearing Mick's first answer, had a face that was flushed beet red with as much embarrassment as Mick had, if not more.
"DAD!" she exclaimed, her own mind reeling at how her father could just embarrass her like that.
"What?" Stolas retorted, giving the pair of them an indifferent shrug as though he did nothing wrong. "It was an honest question."
"A trick question!" Mick snapped, his attitude doing a full 180 as any respect he showed the Goetia Demon before disappeared in an instant. "That was a lose-lose and you know it!"
At that moment, Mick once again froze with disbelief at his own words, only this time it wasn't so much due to embarrassment, rather it was regret, which was evident by the unamused glare Octavia was shooting his way.
"And what do you mean by THAT?" she asked, her eyes narrowing with a mix of curiosity and suspicion.
Quickly realising that he was about to get into some serious shit if he didn't explain himself within the next few seconds, Mick tried his best to diffuse the situation he got himself into as best he could.
"Sorry, I meant no offence!" he said, frantically waving his arms in front of him. "But come on, what am I supposed to say to a question like that!? I say you're hot, your dad kicks my ass, I lie and say you're ugly, he STILL kicks my ass!"
However, merely repeating his opinion about her looks only appeared to make Octavia blush even harder, he may not have done so intentionally but even the young Goetia had to admit that hearing such a thing was quite flattering… even though it was still completely embarrassing! As for Stolas, watching the two young Demons act all flustered in such a manner, he once again felt the need to tap his chin in thought. Taking everything he had seen and heard into account, he finally made a decision.
"You know, Via," he said. "I think I like him."
Needless to say, given the circumstances, both Mick and Octavia were instantly confused upon hearing that.
"Huh?" they both uttered simultaneously.
"It's quite interesting actually, no matter what question I asked, you didn't even bother trying to lie," Stolas elaborated. "You don't often see such honesty down here, and that speaks volumes in my book."
At those words, Stolas then rose from the table and walked around it until he was standing over Mick with an accepting smile on his face, much to the Cat Demon's confusion as he bent his head all the way back to keep his vision focused on the Goetia Demons face.
"Well done, Mr Nikos, you've made a somewhat good first impression," Stolas congratulated, giving Mick quite the surprise by offering out his hand. "You begin first thing tomorrow."
Mick just couldn't believe it. He got a job. After only a week of being basically homeless, he actually got a new job! And with room and board to boot! At that moment all he wanted to do was get down on his knees and cry out in thanks for sending Octavia back to him with this grand stroke of good luck.
"Oh, thank you, sir!" he exclaimed, standing up and taking Stolas' hand, giving it an appreciative shake. "Thank you so much!"
Then things suddenly took a turn for the scariest when the tall Goetia Demon suddenly pulled Mick's hand hard enough to pull him close, allowing him to lean in and whisper something into the Cat Demon's ear… something so horrible and terrifying that no one else would even dare put it into words.
"But I'm warning you now, boy. If you EVER touch my daughter, I will rip off your (BLEEP!), shove it up your (BLEEP!), then slice up every (BLEEP!) (BLEEP!)and boil them down in (BLEEP!) (BLEEP!) (BLEEP!). All before (BLEEP!) everything in a(BLEEP!) (BLEEP!) and (BLEEP!) them while you watch. Are we clear?"
At first, Mick couldn't really answer… mainly because the Goetia Demon's threat was so soul-crushingly horrific, that the poor Cat Demon was literally turning white as a ghost and frozen stiff. In fact, he was so scared his testicles practically shot right back up into his body, making his voice all high and squeaky when he finally gave a reply.
"Transparently,"
"Excellent!" Stolas announced, his smile once again returning to his face as he let go of Mick's hand and straightened himself out. "In that case, let's be on our way."
Watching her father take one last gulp of his drink and make his way down the stairs, Octavia turned her head back over towards Mick, who remained frozen. She may not have been able to hear what it was Stolas whispered into Mick's ear, but she knew her father all too well enough to realise it must have used some of the foulest language imaginable. Even Snowflake was so concerned that she felt the need to prod him with her paw.
"Hey Mick, you okay?" she asked, tapping him on the shoulder… only for him to instantly collapse and fall face down on the floor. "Oh, great, dad! You broke him!"
It took about ten minutes to help Mick recover from his traumatic warning… enough for him to stand up and walk anyway, after that it was only a matter of taking him to the limo, where he spent the entire ride back to the Goetia home muttering to himself while curled up in the fetal position. Seeing the Cat Demon in such a state, Octavia gave her father a stern glare throughout the entire trip, to which he only responded with a sheepish smile. It was only when the limo finally started pulling up the driveway that Mick finally managed to snap out of his stupor long enough to admire the sheer size and majesty of the palace that made up the Goetias' home, his eyes wide in awe at every constellation-shaped stone carving and elegantly pink stained-glass window.
As the Imp who drove the limo opened the doors for the Goetia Demons and stood at attention as they walked inside (undoubtedly the Butler of this house, given his attire) Mick's mind was flooded with so much awe, his jaw practically dropped so low that it poked from under his mask. Even Snowflake was amazed by the new place they found themselves in, given how excited she seemed to be as Mick held onto her while she wagged both her tails and gave a happy yip.
"Snowflake, we have definitely traded up," Mick muttered in his pet's ear, causing the Kitsune pup to lick his mask in agreement.
"Yes, remarkable, isn't it?" Stolas asked, instantly picking up on Mick's sense of wonder. "One of the finest homes in all of Hell, built over a millennia ago by some of the greatest architects the abyss will ever know. Each one losing digit, limb and life in the process of building it."
"It truly IS remarkable, sir," Mick agreed. "One could almost lose themselves in its magnificence."
At those words, Octavia had to stifle a small laugh. Seeing Mick act so "proper" after getting to know him was certainly a complete turnaround. Still, she knew he was only acting like this because he wanted to make a good first impression for those who were still in the house, which would also include… her mother.
At that particular thought, Octavia couldn't help but grimace. If there was one person in this house who'd be a problem, it would definitely be her. Octavia had told Mick plenty about her during their little boat ride, so he knew what to expect when the two would eventually meet, but even so, he needed to be careful. Stolas may have been the family head but Stella most assuredly had him beat in terms of pure unfiltered aggression. One wrong move and she could have both Mick AND Snowflake literally thrown out of the building in the most painful way possible.
With this in mind, Octavia needed to make sure she spoke to her mother first, BEFORE she and Mick were introduced. The Cat Demon may have been the one to save her daughter's life, but that won't stop Stella from looking down on him from her classist point of view. Meaning Octavia had to ease her mother into the idea of having Mick work in the mansion, preferably before the two of them get the chance to even interact.
"Now, you will receive all the instructions you need first thing in the morning, at 8 AM sharp," Stolas began, quickly grabbing Mick's attention as he relayed the details of his upcoming first day of employment. "Normally the work shift starts a little earlier, but since you're new, you will need time to learn the ropes. As such, I think I'll have you work under a few different members of my staff so that we can establish what role you'll be best suited for. After all, efficiency is key in any work environment, wouldn't you agree?"
"I see no reason why it shouldn't be," Mick replied, giving the Goetia Demon an understanding nod of his head.
"Excellent," Stolas exclaimed, happy that the conversation was going so smoothly, only for his face to falter slightly. "Now then, before we show you to your quarters... perhaps you'd like to wash up?"
"Huh?" Mick muttered, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, no offence, young man. But you see, my wife is quite particular when it comes to… riffraff in the house. Again, no offence."
Mick didn't know whether he should be confused or just plain insulted by the remark, however taking a look at himself, he could probably understand the reasoning behind the Goetia Demon's words. He may have had the chance to shower since his little dip in the river of blood, but even so, his clothes definitely weren't in the best condition. Since they were literally the only set of clothes he had left, he didn't have much of a choice but to keep wearing them all week, granted he could have gone clothes shopping with whatever money he had left but since it was still early days after the extermination, he thought it best to wait until the local shopping districts were a LITTLE bit safer from the turf wars. As such, despite being washed a couple of times, the clothes on Mick's back were tattered, crinkled, and still severely stained from the blood he literally swan in. If he were being honest, it was as if he were dressing the part of a homeless guy the second he actually BECAME homeless.
"No offence taken sir," he eventually sighed. "I will admit my appearance is… less than desirable.
Hearing this, Octavia decided to step in.
"In that case, it'll probably be better if you used one of our bathrooms," she said. "You can grab a shower or something and we can sort some stuff out for you."
The Goetia may not have been able to see it, but the smile underneath Mick's mask had stretched so wide upon hearing that it practically matched the Cheshire grin carved into it.
"I appreciate it," he replied.
"In the meantime, I'll see that Snowflake gets cleaned up too," Octavia continued, pulling the tiny fox away from the Cat Demon and giving her a small hug. "You just look after yourself, alright?"
Mick just couldn't believe what was happening right now, just a week ago he would never have imagined he would even get the chance to meet a member of the Goetia family, now here Octavia was, offering her hospitality and assistance in getting him back on his feet and care for his pet on top of that. In all honesty, he was half-expecting everything that was happening to be a cruel over-extended joke at his expense.
"Thank you," he said, deciding to put those thoughts out of his head for the moment. "Just be gentle with her, please. She gets a little fidgety whenever I try to give her a bath."
Octavia couldn't help but giggle at that.
"Noted," she replied.
Watching the two young Demons interact with each other from the sidelines, Stolas couldn't help but cross his arms and pout, for in his mind, the Cat Demon he had only just met today was getting a little TOO friendly with his daughter for his liking. Deciding to break up the exchange, he quickly turned to the Imp in the room and spoke loudly enough for both Mick and Octavia to hear.
"Reginald," he said. "While our new guest is washing up, do be a good chap and see if you can find some spare clothes for him. He'll need something to wear while his clothes are being washed."
Mick couldn't help but cringe at that. As much as he appreciated the hospitality, that didn't mean he was comfortable with someone else handling his clothes. Still, he couldn't wear the same tatty clothes forever, plus the laundry service for Hellish Nobility MUST be a lot better than what the rest of Hell was accustomed to, so of course, he had no choice but to accept the idea.
"So do ALL new employees get this kind of treatment, or am I just lucky?" he joked, earning himself an unamused sigh from the Imp, Reginald.
"Believe me, young man, it is most definitely the latter," he said, his eyes bearing very dark, tired rings under them.
"Oh, do ignore him," Stolas chuckled, brushing the Imp's comment off. "Consider this a smaller thank you for what you've done for my daughter. If you're going to work for us too, the very least we can do is make sure your transition is comfortable. Now then, I-"
RING! RING!
"Oh bother!"
At that moment, Stolas was cut off mid-sentence by the loud ringing of his house telephone. Quickly reacting, the Goetia Demon moved over to the two younger Demons and ushered Mick over towards the stairs.
"Just head up to the second floor, third room on the left," he said quickly, before suddenly rushing into a nearby room, the sounds of objects being shuffled around coming out after he went inside. "Oh, where is that fucking phone!? Ah! Hello? Oh Maxus, it's you… yes, I am aware that you've been ringing everyone… No, I-"
Deciding to ignore her father's loud voice as he finally accepted the phone call, Octavia merely gave a shrug and a smile to Mick, before turning away and walking into a different room herself with Snowflake in her arms, leaving Mick alone in the main foyer with Reginald.
"Right this way," he said, gesturing a hand up the stairs.
Following the Butler up the stairs and through the upper corridors, Mick's eyes continued to wander over every nook and cranny of the house. At first glance, he quickly noticed a LOT of star-themed furniture, which made sense considering what type of Noble the Goetia Family was. Then of course there were large assortments of… unique decoration choices. Seriously, just how many plants and weapons does one family need!? All of a sudden one particular item caught his eye, namely a large display case that held what appeared to be assorted bladed weapons made from a ruby red metal, almost as if they were forged from solidified blood and polished to a shine.
"Woah," he gasped, edging a little closer to the case. "Are these… Forge Master Weapons?"
Surprised by the Cat Demon's question, Reginald couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Still, as a member of staff, he was more than willing to indulge the young Demon's curiosity.
"Indeed, they are," he said. "The Goetia Family Head received them as a gift from Duke Zepar about 200 years ago… You know of these weapons?"
In all honesty, Mick expected such a question in response to his own, after all these types of weapons aren't typically seen among the Lower-Class Demons. Luckily, he had an answer for the Imp's inquiry.
"Oh… yeah," he replied. "Some crackpot tried to sell a bunch of knockoffs of these things a few years back. Almost bought one until I saw the paint chip."
"I see," Reginald uttered, tapping his chin in thought but accepting the answer, regardless.
Continuing on, the two eventually arrived at a large white door with a gold plaque nailed to it. Mick may not have been able to understand the language used to engrave it, but given the circumstances, he assumed it was some sign to say that this was the bathroom.
"Just in there," Reginald announced, gesturing his hand towards the door and confirming Mick's suspicions. "You need only leave your clothes outside the door and I'll bring the replacements along shortly."
Before Mick could thank the Imp for his help, however, he suddenly heard smashing and cackling coming from one of the doors just down the hall, one that appeared to have planks of wood nailed across it.
"Please ignore that," Reginald quickly spoke up. "Just a simple pest issue we have yet to deal with at present."
…
"You don't get paid enough for some of the shit you've had to deal with, do you?"
With that one question, Reginald's composure faltered, if only for a brief moment, allowing himself to let out a small sigh in response. After that, he simply straightened himself out and walked away. Giving an indifferent shrug, Mick then turned towards the door and opened it with a gentle push, allowing him to see the majesty of the room within.
"Holy crap," he uttered.
Out of all the bathrooms he had ever seen, none of them could even compare to what he was seeing before him. Tiles of finely polished marble neatly placed in every corner, a large stone sink, carved into the wall adorned with golden symbols representing a zodiac constellation, and most impressive of all, literal stars of light floating in what looked like the night sky in the ceiling just above the Cat Demon's head. As if all of that wasn't impressive enough, the crown jewel HAD to have been what was in the centre of the room.
There, as though it had been growing out of the floor itself, had to have been one of the most beautiful bathtubs Mick had ever seen. When seen from above, it appeared to be in the shape of a crescent moon, made from polished marble from base to rim, and surrounded by the most gorgeous of crystal panels, making the whole thing appear as if it were a giant gem. What's more, when Mick opened the sliding door on one of these panels, he was instantly smacked in the face with the sweetest smelling vapours he had ever smelt since he died, with a distinct aroma of lavender that was so strong that even while behind a mask his nose could catch the full extent of it.
"Holy shit, they have a STEAM Bath!?" Mick exclaimed, a look of pure glee glimmering in his eyes as he took a closer look. "SCORE!"
Looking further down into the tub, Mick was then met with a series of large foamy bubbles floating upon a pool of thick blue water. If Mick had to describe this tub in any way, he would say that this wondrous find was the very definition of luxury! Was it really okay for him to use this? Then again, Stolas did direct Mick to THIS bathroom in particular so it must have been. After all, the tub was already filled up and ready to go. Hell, Stolas probably meant for this to happen before Mick even arrived at the house… he must have been a lot more grateful than he let on… However, little did Mick know that even as he began to strip down and slide himself in, not all was as he had originally assumed.