As Buzz chuckled to himself, stuffing his face with junk food as he flipped through the channels on the TV, he couldn't help but revel in the success of his latest antic. Now here he was, in one of the most luxurious rooms in the Triton resort, just one floor down from who he considers his best friend, wallowing in every comfort imaginable… and all on Lady Stella's dime! To think, all he had to do was steal a credit card and kidnap someone! At that moment, said kidnappee came into the main area while wearing a soft white bathrobe, looking pretty refreshed after having a relaxing soak in the tub.
"Okay, I'll admit it. I am NOT hating this whole kidnapping thing anymore," Johnny chuckled, feeling more rejuvenated than even when he was alive.
"See, what'd I tell ya?" Buzz replied smugly. "Maybe I should kidnap you EVERY time I have a great plan like this!"
"Don't push it," Johnny growled, giving the small Imp a deadpan glare, to which he merely responded with a shrug.
"Hey, you wanna check out the pay-per-view?" Buzz asked, gesturing to the remote and the Titanic-sized TV "This hotel has like 20 different channels of porn!"
Once again, Johnny felt the need to glare.
"Call me old-fashioned but I prefer to get a girlfriend and not watch porn," he answered, once again giving Buzz cause to shrug.
YAHAHAHAHA! YAHAHAHAHA!
Suddenly, the room echoed with the most chilling ringtone Johnny had heard in a long time. Unsurprisingly, said ringtone came from Buzz's Hellphone, something which the Greaser was sure the Imp had also stolen.
"City Morgue!" Buzz cried out, answering the phone with gusto the instant he saw the Caller ID. "What's up, Mick?"
"Buzz!" Mick's voice answered back. "Oh thank fuck, I got the right number. Look, I know this is out of the blue, but I need a favour."
Given how the volume on Buzz's phone was turned up a fair bit, Johnny could practically hear the desperation in his fellow Sinner's voice as he spoke. Something big MUST have happened in the hotel that he and Buzz were unaware of.
"Uh-huh, yeah," Buzz replied without any hesitation. "Lay it on me buddy! What can your BEST friend do for you?"
"Excuse me!?" Johnny snapped, quickly covering his mouth when he realized the mistake he had committed.
"What the… is that Johnny!?" Mick suddenly asked, having clearly heard the Greaser's voice in the background.
Both Imp and Sinner instantly froze at that. If Mick found out that the pair of them were currently one floor below him, there was no doubt that he would want an explanation, leading to a potential eviction from the hotel and/or execution at the hands of his boss if she were to discover her credit card in their possession… Fuck that noise!
"Uh… yeah," Buzz uttered, his deranged mind quickly trying to formulate an excuse. "I'm… at the Peppermint Puss! Yeah, I figured I'd stop by for a drink."
It wasn't one of Buzz's better lies, but thankfully it seemed to be enough to fool Mick for the time being.
"Huh… I was wondering why I could hear moaning in the background," causing Buzz to sheepishly chuckle as he looked at what was currently on the TV. "Anyway, how soon can you get to the Triton Resort?"
The moment Mick asked that, Buzz immediately felt a little awkward.
"Uh… I don't know," he lied. "It's a bit of a drive. Even if I get Johnny to give me a ride and leave right now, it'll still be a good few hours."
Of course, while Buzz smirked at his devious lie, Johnny gave the Imp an unamused growl, not liking the deception against his fellow Sinner.
"Okay, whatever, just get your asses over here!" Mick snapped, sounding more irritated by the second."
"Alright, alright! Don't get your panties in a twist!" Buzz retorted, "We'll see you in the morning, bye!"
With that final word, Buzz quickly hung up the phone, letting out a small sigh of relief as he slumped back into the couch.
"Phew!" he exclaimed. "That was a close one, eh?"
Johnny, however, wasn't at all impressed.
"Seriously? 'We'll see you in the morning'?" He growled, throwing the Imp's own words back at him. "We're in the same hotel, for fuck's sake! We should just head up there now!"
"Oh yeah, that's a smart idea, isn't it?" Buzz retorted sarcastically. "You really wanna go up to that hotel room, and run the high risk of running into the boss lady, who will immediately get suspicious, grab you by the throat, and demand answers to how one of the servants and the band she hired could afford to stay in such a nice hotel at such short notice?"
…
"I really hate you."
Smugly smirking over his triumphant win of the argument, Buzz once again relaxed into the sofa and stared at the TV.
"Look, Mick will be fine for tonight," he said reassuringly. "Let's just get some sleep, and we'll head to the lobby first thing in the morning. No one will be any the wiser."
Seeing that there was no other choice but to comply with the Imp's plan, Johnny let out a defeated sigh as he made his way to the minibar for something strong.
"Please… don't fucking jinx it."
The following morning, Octavia let out a small groan as she stared blankly at her reflection in the mirror, the memories of the previous night still fresh in her mind. Resting her head against the glass, she once again couldn't help but wonder how things could take such a terrible turn.
"A-are you sure you're going to be alright today, M'lady?"
Hearing the sound of Linda's voice, Octavia let out a small gasp as she suddenly remembered where she was. Having been in the women's side of the pool's changing rooms for some time, a room far more luxurious compared to the men's side if Gaap had anything to do with it, both the Goetia Princess and her Imp attendant were probably being missed at this point. As such, it didn't make sense to just loiter around now that the pair of them had finished changing into their swimsuits.
"I have no choice but to be, Liddy," the Goetia Princess sighed as she placed her clothes in her assigned locker. "No matter how you look at things, Mick and I are screwed tonight."
"Yeah, the situation might be awkward at best," Linda grimaced, the memory of her failure AND the unexpected guest still just as fresh. "But at least you'd still be able to support each other, right? That's something at least."
Octavia, however, could only let out another sigh.
"I appreciate the words of encouragement, Liddy, but let's face it… we're doomed," she said, hanging her head. "When dinner comes to an end, I'm gonna be that Leopard's concubine and Mick is gonna be Bruce's bitch."
"Oh, sweet Satan, I hope you're exaggerating," Linda muttered with a shake. "Well, at least you'll have the rest of the day to relax a bit. No need to worry about anything until dinner, eh?"
Octavia, despite still feeling uneasy, nonetheless smiled at the Imp's attempts to reassure her.
"I suppose," she uttered, picking up her towel and hanging it over her shoulder. "Come on, Mick should have grabbed us some sunbeds by now."
"Right behind you, M'lady!" Linda stated, quickly grabbing her own towel and running out after the Goetia as she finally stepped out of the changing room.
Soon after, the pair of them found themselves walking along the edge of a large, crystal-clear pool, their swimwear on display for all to see. While Octavia wore a purple two-piece bikini, and a star-patterned sarong around her waist, Linda wore a black maid-style one-piece with white frills around the shoulders and an attached skirt. Needless to say, the pair of them looked absolutely stunning. Walking across the pool area, they both received many adoring looks from bystanders who ogled them from their sunbeds or from within the water, causing Octavia to groan as she tried focusing on her surroundings rather than the perverted idiots currently occupying them.
If there were two words to describe the pool area, they would most certainly be "tropical paradise". A giant, square space smack dab in the centre of the hotel building with an open sky above everyone's head, thus making the hotel look like a hollowed cube if seen from above. Within the area, numerous tropical plants and flowers grew all over the edges of the walls, giving the guests the chance to smell the wonderful aromas as they entered the area to see the giant pool in the middle of the tiled floor. Here, the guests had the option of resting on the sunbeds situated along the pool's edge, being waited on hand and foot by numerous Imps, or enjoying a cleansing dip before swimming up to the poolside bar to get completely sloshed. At any other time, Octavia would have considered this place to be an amazing vacation spot… and if it weren't for the fact that she was still dreading tonight, she may have actually enjoyed it.
"There he is!" Linda spoke up, pointing out someone a few yards away in a spot close to the poolside bar.
Sure enough, Mick was waiting for the pair of them with a pair of reserved sunbeds just as expected, his attire consisted of a pair of blue swim trunks and an open Hawaiian shirt, giving Octavia a pleasurable view of his torso.
"Hey Mick," Octavia greeted. "Hope you weren't waiting long."
"Not at all, M'lady," Mick greeted with a nod of his head, making sure to keep his composure since they were in public… even though he was practically drooling under his mask at the sight of Octavia's swimsuit.
Octavia, however, could tell just from his voice that something was on the Cat Demon's mind.
"Hey… you okay?" she asked, her voice riddled with concern.
"Hmm?" the Cat Demon uttered, looking puzzled for a brief moment. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine! Just a little antsy about tonight is all."
Hearing that, Octavia nodded her head in understanding. Clearly, Mick was having the same worries that she was, though it was surprising that he hadn't said anything about a potential escape plan yet. Despite believing that he'd be able to come up with some kind of idea by now, Octavia could tell that this situation could very well have the Sinner stumped, otherwise he'd be looking a little more smug at this point.
"Well… I can't say that I blame either of you for feeling like this," Linda spoke with a squeak, hugging herself tightly as her gaze shifted in all directions. "To be honest… I-I'm feeling a little on edge myself."
Obviously, the little Imp was referring to the unfortunate fact that the son of her old employer was lurking somewhere in the resort along with them. Ever since the previous night, poor Linda had been unable to step anywhere in the hotel without looking over her shoulder or twitching in fear. Granted, she managed to calm down when she was in the suite and in the changing rooms, but that was only because she knew those were two of the few places Seth couldn't get into. However, being out in the open like she was now… it was a wonder she wasn't throwing up at this point.
"If it makes you feel any better, Liddy, I don't think I've seen Seth anywhere since last night," Mick pointed out, instantly recognising the problem and trying his best to calm her nerves.
"With any luck, that sexist prick has already been kicked out of the hotel," Octavia added. "Knowing what he's like, it was probably over his complaints about the breakfast menu or something."
Hearing that, Linda couldn't help but smile at her friends' attempts to cheer her up.
"You really think so?" she asked.
"You kidding?" Mick chuckled. "Did you see the state he was in last night? The fucker's miserable!"
"Yeah, Daddy Ipos probably cut him off the second he got bored with the belt," Octavia giggled. "Now that the dickheaded duck's got no influence, NO ONE is taking his shit anymore."
At those words, all three of them shared a laugh at Seth's expense. Gaining that extra boost of confidence and reassurance, Linda's pretty smile came back in full.
"Thanks, guys," she said gratefully, giving a small bow of her head. "If it pleases you, M'lady, I'd be happy to go get you a drink."
"A lemonade, please," Octavia replied with a nod.
Thus, with a happy nod, Linda made her way towards the poolside bar with a confident stride, the words of her friends keeping her fear at bay if only briefly… Of course, the fact that said bar was quite close helped a lot too. Now that they were alone together, however, Mick and Octavia immediately felt an awkward silence grow between them. Despite the pair of them sharing a pleasurable view of each other's eye candy, neither of the young Demons had any clue of what they should say right now.
"So… this is… nice," Mick started, at the very least attempting to bring an end to the silence.
"Y-yes, I suppose so," Octavia agreed, unable to come up with anything else to say.
"We should probably see if we could get a bar for our pool," Mick suggested.
"That does sound nice, yes," Octavia agreed… before she let out a heavy groan. "Tonight's gonna be a fucking nightmare!"
With the walls taken down, Mick let out his own groan in agreement.
"Oh, my fucking god, yes!" he exclaimed. "I mean what kind of sick, twisted sadist could come up with the idea of this double date!?"
"I don't know, but Gaap is SO gonna get it if I have my way," Octavia snapped, calming down just long enough to let out another heavy sigh. "I don't suppose you have any ideas I should know about?"
Now it was Mick's turn to sigh as he straightened himself up.
"I'm hoping to have one in the works pretty soon," he answered honestly, shifting his gaze around the pool as if he were searching for something. "However, that all depends on whether or not the components I need actually arrive on time… Otherwise this is going to be the most awkward dinner since the last supper."
Octavia, of course, couldn't help but roll her eyes at that.
"That pretty much sums it up, yeah," she said in agreement. "Unwanted company, betrayal, and the highly likely potential for bloodshed by the end of the night."
Hearing that, Mick let out a small chuckle with a shake of his head.
"Well, I'll tell you one thing. Your date better keep his prickly hands to himself," he spoke up, cracking his knuckles at the very thought of such a thing. "Otherwise, I might just have to take advantage of my new diplomatic immunity and… make him disappear."
"You have my permission to do what you must," Octavia replied with a smirk, secretly ecstatic that her crush was still so quick to defend her honour. "Still… at least it won't be ALL bad company, right?"
Instantly realizing what the Goetia Princess was implying, a small blush seeped through the cheeks of his mask. Between her kind words and the view of her rocking bikini body, this was definitely one of Mick's favourite moments in his afterlife.
"Uh…yeah… hehe… of course," he replied, giving the back of his head a small scratch just before he suddenly felt something tiny and cold hit the back of it.
"Psst!"
Snapping his head around, Mick quizzically searched for the source of the ice cube, seeing nothing but a few other guests in their sunbeds and the Imps serving them drinks.
"Dude, over here!"
Both hearing that familiar voice speak up, Mick and Octavia turned their heads over to one of the clusters of exotic plants that rested in between every other sunbed. There, much to Octavia's surprise, they saw none other than Johnny and Buzz poking their heads out of the foliage. To their further surprise, the pair of them seemed to be wearing the same type of attire as Mick was, consisting of a pair of swim trunks and vests, with the addition of sunglasses and sun hats. Needless to say, their sudden appearance gave Octavia quite a surprise.
"What are THEY doing here!?" she blurted out, keeping her tone hushed to avoid anyone overhearing.
"THEY are my plan," Mick replied, smirking under his mask as he went over towards the duo just as Linda was coming back with Octavia's drink in hand. "Keep an eye on our lady for a moment, would you, Liddy?"
Though obviously confused by the Sinner's sudden request, Linda nonetheless nodded her head in agreement as she watched him scamper off towards Johnny and Buzz, adding even further confusion as soon as she saw them leave the area.
"Do I even want to know?" the timid Imp asked, her confusion quickly fading into concern.
"I'm not sure," Octavia replied with an honest shrug as she watched Mick, Buzz and Johnny disappear from sight. "I've heard of plans coming in all shapes and sizes… but if they ARE the plan, that's a pretty damn good disguise."
Meanwhile, as soon as they were far enough away, Mick quickly grabbed Johnny and Buzz by the shirts and dragged them behind the poolside bar, so they remained out of sight from prying eyes.
"Thanks for coming, you two," he said with a grateful sigh. "I really appreciate you coming all the way here on such short notice. I can't imagine it was easy getting in here"
At those words, Johnny and Buzz gave each other an awkward glance. Obviously, they weren't gonna tell him that they had already been IN the hotel as guests for the last day.
"H-hey, it's no trouble, my man," Johnny quickly replied. "I mean, I earned some vacation days anyway."
"So what's the big emergency?" Buzz asked. "I mean, you did sound desperate on the phone."
This was it, time to lay out the details.
"Well…"
One explanation later…
"BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Needless to say, Mick IMMEDIATELY regretted telling Buzz anything. The moment he finished telling his story, it took a mere 3 seconds for the diminutive Imp to roll across the floor, laughing.
"It's not funny, you jackass!" the Cat Demon eventually snapped, his eyes aflame with boiling irritation.
"We're sorry, dude," Johnny replied, trying desperately in vain to stifle his laughter. "But you gotta admit, this is pretty funny. I mean, the way you sounded on the phone made it seem like Lady Stella was about to have you crucified or something."
"But all you've got to do is go out on a date with some flying ra-!"
SLAP!
"Ow, man!"
Upon feeling the smack across the back of his head and seeing the stern glare in the Cat Demon's eyes, Buzz's momentary laughter ceased instantly.
"The fuck was that for!?" Buzz demanded, rubbing his throbbing head.
"Do. NOT. Say. That. Word!" Mick growled, his voice riddled with anger and fear.
"What?" Buzz asked with a raised eyebrow. "You mean ra-?
Suddenly, before he could utter another word, Mick's hand quickly slapped tightly over Buzz's mouth.
"Will you fucking SHUT IT!" he snapped through gritted teeth. "The crazy bitch is just on the other side of the pool, and she has the ears of a bat! If she hears you calling her that word, her Hellhound will chew you up and shit you out before you could even scream for help!"
"Oh come on, Mick," Johnny said with an eye roll. "She can't be THAT bad."
And then, they heard it.
DINGALING!
"Bruuuuuuuuce~!"
Seeing no need for any further words, Mick simply gave the duo a deadpan glare and pointed towards the other end of the pool. With a shrug, Buzz and Johnny poked their heads around the bar… only for their jaws to drop in horror upon seeing the giant Hellhound suddenly appear out of nowhere on the other side of the pool.
At Bruce's feet, drinking a cocktail from a mimosa glass, Googoo lounged on her sunbed, wearing a scantily hot pink slingshot swimsuit, along with matching sunglasses, all the while glaring at the struggling Incubus waiter being held up by the neck by her Hellhound.
"This dirty peasant dared to touch my cute ass, Bruce," Googoo said in a shockingly sweet tone. "Be a dear and deliver the appropriate punishment, please?"
"Yeeeeeees, Miss Googoo," Bruce replied in his usual dead monotone voice.
After that, Johnny and Buzz's eyes shrank in horror as they bore witness to the poor Incubus's fate at the hands of the giant Hellhound. Hearing the poor bastard's screams even as they turned away, the pair of them were immediately traumatized.
"Y-yeah, I can see the problem now," Johnny admitted, his whole body shaking in terror.
"And THAT guy got off easy," Mick pointed out. "If anyone calls her the R-word, it is SO much worse.
Hearing that, Buzz couldn't help but gulp.
"Uh… h-how much worse are we talking here?" he asked, only for Mick to shake his head.
"You don't want to know," he said, making the Imp gulp a second time. "Now, as for why you two are here… I need you both to act as my saboteurs for this evening."
The moment Mick said that, Johnny immediately began to feel the beginning of an aneurysm.
"You want us… to SABOTAGE your date?" he asked, his fellow Sinner nodding in confirmation. "Are you NUTS!? What can WE do!?"
Unfortunately, that question turned out to be an explosive trigger for Mick's anger, as evidenced by the Cat Demon grabbing his two friends by their scrawny necks and pulling them close.
"Kidnap my date, murder OCTAVIA'S date, burn the whole fucking hotel to the ground!" he snapped, his eyes once again beginning to ignite in blue flames. "I don't care HOW you do it, but make sure this date does. not. HAPPEN! Are we clear!?"
"Uh…" Buzz uttered, only for Mick to squeeze his throat harder.
"I said are we CLEAR!?" he repeated, giving the Imp a hard shake.
"Y-yeah!" Buzz squeaked, his face going from red to blue. "Crystal!"
It was only then did Mick release the two and finally manage to calm down long enough to douse the fire in his eyes.
"Thank you," he said, sighing in relief. "Sorry about the outburst, boys. It was a LONG night yesterday."
"H-hey, no problem, buddy," Johnny chuckled awkwardly, "We totally get it."
At those words, Mick then gave the pair an odd glance.
"Well, what are you two waiting for?" he asked. "Go on! Get to work!"
"No problemo!" Buzz and Johnny yelp simultaneously before running off, neither of them wanting to face Mick's wrath.
Later in the lobby, the Sinner and the Imp panted and huffed after what felt like running a marathon.
"Sweet Jesus fuck, Micky is fucking TERRIFYING when he's stressed!" Johnny commented, running a hand through his pompadour.
"I know, right!?" Buzz agreed. "Looks like someone didn't take his joint this morning… and I'm not talking about ME!"
"So what do we do now?" Johnny asked, catching his breath just enough to stand himself up properly.
Buzz, of course, could only roll his eyes at such a question.
"Isn't it obvious?" he scoffed. "We SCHEME of course! Micky wants us to destroy this date, and as his best friends it is our duty to do so."
"Oh yeah?" Johnny retorted sarcastically. "So what's the plan, genius? You wanna go up against big, tall and ugly back there?"
With the Snake Demon obviously referring to Bruce, Buzz had to force out a sarcastic laugh.
"Fuck no!" he blurted out. "I'm CRAZY, not suicidal."
"So what do we do then?" Johnny retorted. "You know if we do this, we can't just half-ass it."
At those words, the devious little Imp put a finger to his chin and paced across the floor, the cogs in his deranged mind twisting and turning for some kind of plan.
"Okay, we can't directly interfere because of all the Hellhounds guarding the roof, including that giant one at that bitch's beck and call," he pointed out. "Which means we need a way to sabotage the date without actually being at the scene of the crime. Now as to how…"
Trailing off in his speech, something suddenly caught the eye of the conniving Imp. His eyes shifting to one of the nearby walls, he found himself staring at a group of sexy Elementals, who were flirting with a couple of guests while hanging out of a small water display… However, it was what was BEHIND the Elementals that drew most of his attention. There, sculpted in mosaic tiles was an image of a naked man wrestling with what appeared to be a large cat in a cave… specifically, Heracles and his battle with the Nemean Lion. While most Demons would see this image as nothing more than one of Gaap's many ways to entice the women staying in the hotel… Buzz saw it as inspiration for a fiendish plan… especially when the Elementals seemed to frame it with their translucent bodies.
"Ooooooooooooh yeah," Buzz exclaimed, rubbing his hands with a maniacal chuckle as if he were a movie villain. "THEY will do quite nicely,"
As onboard as Johnny was for helping his friend out, he did NOT like the look in Buzz's twitching eye right now.
"Buuuuuuuuuuzz, buddy?" he said, taking a cautious step back. "You feeling okay?"
"Oh, I'm more than okay…" the Imp answered quietly. "…I'm INSPIRED!"
Unprepared for the sudden outburst, Johnny instantly fell back to the floor, allowing Buzz to leap onto his chest and look him straight in the eye.
"Johnny, we have ourselves a mission!" he declared. "And as such NOTHING must stand in our way… We make our move… IMMEDIATELY!"
However as inspiring as that speech sounded, Johnny had to point out a small flaw.
"The date isn't until seven, dude," he said, giving the Imp a deadpan stare.
…
"We make our move... after lunch!"
Meanwhile, back at the pool, Googoo continued to lounge in her sunbed, looking somewhat bored even as she read through her magazine, an image of Verosika Mayday splayed out on the cover.
"Sigh…" she let out, for some reason choosing to use the actual word in her sickeningly sweet voice. "What is a girl to do? Here I am, glammed up in my sexiest bikini, and my date for this evening is nowhere to be found. It's a real shame, isn't it Bruce?"
"Yeeeeeeees, Miss GooGoo," Bruce growled in response as he lurked nearby, freaking out many of the guests as they walked by his otherwise unresponsive statue of a body.
"I mean, if only he knew that he was missing all… this." she continued, gesturing to herself in her revealing swimsuit before putting on a small smirk. "Then again… he may just prefer it if it were splayed out on the bedroom floor instead."
Bruce could only give a low growl at that, having no words to say to that dirty joke. Letting out another small sigh after a small giggle, the daughter of Astaroth laid back in her sunbed and tried to relax… then, as she listened to the tranquil sounds of the pool water and chatter along the edge of it, she suddenly got the urge to sing.
Googoo:
It's all made for me, it's why I was bred,
Goodbye darkened clouds, hello skies of red,
A dip in the pool, a trip to the spa,
Endless days in my chaise,
The whole Ring according to moi,
After that, everything and everyone seemed to just follow along with the winged rodent's sudden musical number, specifically the staff members who walked up to her with trays in hand.
Googoo:
Water imported from Envy,
Lifeguards imported from Lust,
Sloth Ring imported the Sunbeds,
And Pride Ring hooch is a must,
It's time to relax and renew,
You, go, do!
I want fabulous,
That is my simple request,
All things fabulous,
Bigger and better and best,
I need something inspiring to help me get along,
I need a little fabulous, is that so wrong?
Before long, Googoo's song brought her to a hot pink ring floating in the middle of the pool, with Imps and Elementals dancing around her in a synchronized swim routine, all the while poking their heads out of the water now and then to oblige with the Mouse Demon's demands.
Googoo:
Fetch me my Lilith-brand sun hat,
Where is my pink lemonade?
Spike it Beelzejuice quickly,
Tonight I plan to get laid,
A vacay like never before,
I want MORE!
After that, the music became more intense and the staff swimming around Googoo suddenly started doing flips in the water like a bunch of dolphins, all the while singing along to her chorus.
Staff:
She wants fabulous,
That is her simple request,
All things fabulous,
Bigger and better and best,
She needs something inspiring to help her get along,
She needs a little fabulous, is that so wrong?
Fabulous pool, fabulous splash,
Fabulous parties, even fabulous trash,
Fabulous fashion, fabulous bling,
She's got to have fabulous everything.
Nothing to Discuss
Everything's got to be perfect…
Googoo:
For ME!
Watching the entire spectacle from her own sunbed, Octavia had to resist the urge to vomit as she saw Googoo being lifted out of the pool, ring and all, by four large Innucbi before being paraded around like a goddess. With an annoyed huff, all she could do was hide her glare behind a magazine while Linda let out a small sigh beside her. However, as much as they tried to ignore her, Googoo's need for attention continued to ring throughout the entire pool area.
Staff:
She wants fabulous,
That is her simple request,
All things fabulous,
Bigger and better and best,
She needs something inspiring to help her get along,
She needs a little fabulous, is that so wrong?
Googoo:
This won't do, that's a bore,
That's insulting!
I need more!
I need, I need,
I need, I need,
I need, I need
I need fabulous!
Staff:
Fabulous hair, fabulous style,
Fabulous eyes and that fabulous smile,
Then, just as Googoo was placed back onto her sunbed like a Princess, she spotted Mick coming back from across the pool, giving her cause to grin with lustful intent.
Googoo:
Oh, I like what I see,
I like it a lot,
Staff:
Is it absolutely fabulous?
Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous?
Googoo:
Absolutely...
But then… her smile instantly faded when she saw Mick approach OCTAVIA, giving her cause to pout and slump hard into her sunbed.
"…NOT!"
Walking back towards Octavia and Linda, Mick felt a little more at ease than he did earlier, so much so that he even allowed himself the chance to relax on the neighbouring sunbed when he arrived.
"Well, someone's looking a bit better?" Octavia commented, taking note of her attendant's demeanour.
"As much as I can get, I suppose," Mick admitted with a small sigh.
"You really think we can trust those two?" Linda spoke up, her voice riddled with concern after having put together what the Cat Demon was scheming with his invited guests.
"We don't have a choice," Mick pointed out. "In fact, the only advice I can give in this situation is to brace yourselves when the shit inevitably hits the fan."
"What are you three blathering about?"
Hearing the familiar sound of that shrill voice, both Mick and Linda instantly shot to their feet and stood at attention. Stepping aside, they somehow found themselves blushing when they saw Stella walking up to them, wearing a black leather slingshot bikini and her usual scowl.
"I have so many mixed feelings right now…" Linda uttered shamefully.
Mick couldn't really blame the young Imp of course. As horrible a person Stella was, there was no denying that she had an amazing body, with curves in all the right places and no shame in showing them off in such a revealing swimsuit. If it wasn't for the fact that she was such an evil bitch, he'd dare say that she was the very definition of sexy.
"I believe I asked you a question?" she practically demanded, instantly shaking the two attendants out of their stupor.
"W-we were just discussing what we were doing about tonight, mum," Octavia quickly answered. "We want to make sure we are both prepared is all."
Hearing that, Stella's scowl faded into a small content smile as she took a seat on the neighbouring sunbed.
"Very good," she said. "That's probably for the best. As much as I'm shocked that you sold for so much, CAT, I must admit that you have provided this family with a great opportunity. Should things go well tonight, we may just have better relationships with Cray AND Googoo's parents by the end of the week… So I expect you NOT to screw anything up!"
With Stella targeting her glare and her words at Mick in particular, the poor Cat Demon could practically feel the intensity burning through his mask. Of course, that wasn't to say that he appreciated being singled out in such a way.
"Wouldn't dream of it, Lady Stella," he replied through gritted teeth, grateful to have a mouthpiece to hide his snarl.
After that, Stella seemingly chose to drop the subject and laid back into her sunbed before rummaging through the small bag she brought with her.
"Oh, for fuck sake!" she suddenly snapped, quickly grabbing everyone's attention.
"What?" Octavia asked.
"I left my tanning oil upstairs," Stella replied with a huff before once again focusing her glare on Mick. "You, Cat! Make yourself useful and go get it."
Not wanting to have a repeat of what happened the last time he tried to refuse Stella's request, Mick saw no point in arguing and had no choice but to oblige.
"Yes, Lady Stella," he replied, shifting his gaze before muttering to himself. "Hopefully you'll cook yourself."
"What was that, CAT?" Stella snarled, having only slightly heard that last part.
"I said 'Would you be so kind as to remind me where you left it?'" Mick quickly answered, hoping his swift save would do the trick.
Thankfully, Stella appeared to be more interested in what she wanted rather than what she heard at that moment.
"In the bathroom, by the sink," she instructed before once again giving Mick the stink eye. "And if you even think about touching anything else of mine, I'll rip out your spine and beat you to death with it!"
"Understood!" Mick yelped, hurrying away in hopes of never seeing whether Stella would make good on her threat… though not without a few complaints once he was out of earshot. "Why the fuck does she even need oil? She has feathers!"
Seeing her crush and bodyguard once again disappear, Octavia immediately went on edge. In fact, she became so agitated that she started shifting her gaze towards Googoo, all just to make sure she didn't try to sneak away to follow Mick if given the chance.
"Your mother DOES know that the whole point of a bodyguard is that he's always there to guard your body, right?" Linda whispered, leaning to speak in Octavia's ear.
"Personally… I don't think she can tell the difference," Octavia whispered back. "To her, a bodyguard is just another glorified servant."
A little while later, Mick casually stepped out of the elevator onto the floor he and the ladies were staying on. Walking along the corridor with a sigh, he couldn't help but wonder what Buzz and Johnny had in store for tonight. Would he end up regretting his decision to involve those two? Or by some miracle, will they actually manage to pull off whatever scheme they had? While he was mulling this over, the Cat Demon eventually reached the door to the room… However, just as he was about to enter, his feline ears picked up something coming from inside… voices just on the other side of the door.
"Oh, yeah!" he heard one voice giggling. "You like that, don't you?"
"Shh!" another voice spoke up. "Keep it down!"
"I can't help it, baby. I need you so bad."
"You're so greedy!"
"You know you love it!"
Upon hearing this, Mick's eyes snapped wide open in shock. Someone, a pair of women by the sounds of their voices, had broken into the hotel room and were using it for a sexy rendezvous!? Of all the cheek! Granted, Mick was usually one to let lovers love who they like, but not when they were about to leave stains on the couch! How did they even get into the room anyway!? From the looks of it, there was no sign of any forced entry, so maybe they used a key? They couldn't have stolen the original, after all, that was in Mick's pocket at this very moment. Just what was going on here!?
"I'm not sure about this," one of the voices spoke up again, sounding a little familiar now that Mick thought about it.
"This is the only room with the cameras taken out," the other voice pointed out. "Come on, hun, this may be the only chance we have."
"But what if the people staying here come back?"
"Then we will have to be quick. Come on… we can use the BIG bed."
"Oh, HELL no!"
Knowing full well that the bed she was talking about belonged to Stella, Mick instinctively reacted by suddenly kicking the door open. There was no fucking way he was going to give Stella any reason to ruin this trip for Octavia any further. This needs to be nipped in the bud right now!
"Alright!" he snapped, stomping inside with blue flames in his eyes. "Who the hell do you think you… are?"
However, the Demons he found inside were two who instantly froze the words in his throat. There, fully splayed out on the sofa, wearing nothing but a tiny pair of shorts and a red bikini bra, was Kanya! What's more, she was found in a compromising position with her neck being kissed and licked by none other than Crystal, the singing Mermaid Sinner from the previous night! Needless to say, having been caught in the act of passion instantly caused Kanya's eyes to shrink in horror.
"Oh… fuck," she said with a gasp.
This was bad. This was VERY bad. If this were any other Demon, Mick would have gladly thrown the two lovebirds out in a millisecond, however, this was Gaap's DAUGHTER! In other words, the one Demon who can bring down vengeance from the owner of the hotel! Quickly snapping out of his shocked stupor, the Cat Demon chose to do the most sensible thing he could think of… leave the room and pretend he didn't see anything.
"Uh… sorry, wrong room," he blurted out, turning around to make a break for it.
However, before he could take a step through the doorway, he felt a vice-like grip clutching down on his wrist. Daring to snap his head around, he gasped upon seeing Crystal's furious snarling face glaring back at him,
"Don't even move!" the Mermaid growled, her grip on Mick's wrist tightening with each passing second.
"Crystal what are you-" Kanya tried to speak up, only for Crystal to cut her off.
"He. SAW. us!"
Having a gut-wrenching feeling about where this scenario was heading, Mick instantly began to panic. True he may have been able to stick up for himself in a fight, but when it came to the opposite sex… let's just say it's one of the few times he cursed his chivalry.
"No I didn't!" he tried to deny. "I didn't see anything! I saw NOTHING!"
Of course, Crystal wasn't at all convinced by that.
"Get in here!" she snarled, grabbing Mick by his skinny neck and pulling him further into the room, daring to check the hallway outside before slamming the door shut.
Before Mick knew it, he was strapped to a wooden chair with multiple belts from the closest, sitting helplessly in front of the two women. Had he not been wearing a mask, they would have seen the look of terror on his face.
"Oh god, please don't kill me!" he pleaded. "Seriously, I've got a date tonight and… actually on second thought, getting killed by two beautiful women sounds a lot better than what's in store for me later. So- Urk!"
It was only then that Mick was silenced by Crystal once again grabbing him by the throat.
"Shut. up."
Daring not to test the Mermaid's patience, all Mick could do was whimper and nod his head.
"Besides, we're not going to kill you," Kanya interjected, suddenly looking a little nervous as she turned to her lover. "We're NOT gonna kill him, right?"
"Well, we can't just let him go!" Crystal pointed out. "What do you think will happen if he tells Gaap!?"
"So our only options are to kill him or hold him hostage!?" Kanya retorted. "He's not exactly someone who won't be missed, Crystal!"
"Uh… may I say something here?" Mick cautiously spoke up, flinching a little under Crystal's gaze.
"What!?" the Mermaid snapped, her glare so sharp it could cut glass.
Not wanting to piss his fellow Sinner off, Mick made sure to choose his next words carefully.
"Look, I'm not going to pretend I know anything about what's going on here, but I'm no snitch," he explained, giving Crystal cause to raise an eyebrow. "I realize that in this circumstance I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, BUT given that this just so happened to occur in MY hotel room, you should consider yourselves lucky that it was ME who walked in and not who I work for."
"Is that supposed to be a threat?" Crystal growled. "You wanna blackmail us or something? You want us to pleasure you in a three-way in exchange for your silence? Is that it?"
"What!? NO!" Mick exclaimed. "Jeez, I'm not some sick deviant."
"Then what's your point?" Crystal retorted, rapidly losing patience by the second.
At those words, Mick let out a heavy sigh.
"My point is that aside from your choice of location, NONE of this is any of my business," he elaborated. "As hard as it is for you to believe, I have neither reason nor interest in ratting either of you out."
"Oh please, everyone's after something in this pit," Crystal argued. "What makes you any different than any other backstabbing bastard in the Ring?"
"Well, the fact that I work for a crazy bitch who'd sooner skin me than believe me for one," Mick replied with a shrug. "Secondly, I happen to be a hopeless romantic so it's against my nature to break up a couple. I mean Kanya Snowdrop and the hotel lounge singer? How in Hell did that happen?"
Crystal, however, only hardened her gaze at that question.
"That's none of your-" she tried to say, only to be silenced by Kanya placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"Babe, come on," she pleaded. "Be nice, please?"
As much bravado as she wanted to put up, Crystal was practically helpless against Kanya's touch, melting like putty in her hand as soon as the model's skin touched her own.
"Alright, honey," she said, giving Kanya a quick peck on the cheek. "Only for you."
"Aww," Mick uttered, unable to contain his admiration.
After that, the room fell into silence for a brief moment, the two women's heads rushing with what they should do next. Do they trust Mick's word? Or should they not take any chances and find another solution? Either way, the two lovers found themselves in a complicated dilemma. Finally, Crystal let out a heavy sigh.
"If we let you go, do you PROMISE not to say anything about this?" she asked, her tone somewhat softened yet desperate.
Mick, of course, grinned under his mask.
"Throw in a little backstory to what's going on and you got yourself a deal," he said, much to Crystal's chagrin.
"Why would you even want to know about us?" she demanded, baffled that anyone would even care.
"Call it curiosity," Mick replied, seeing no point in saying any more than that.
Hearing that, Crystal let out an exasperated sigh.
"You do know what they say about curiosity and cats, don't you?" she pointed out, trying once again to sound intimidating.
"Well, I'm already dead so…" Mick retorted, his fear practically vanished by this point.
As much as Crystal wanted to argue on the matter, clearly not wanting to share any personal information, she was once again silenced by Kanya's hand on her shoulder.
"He DID already find us out, babe," the model pointed out. "Might as well give him some context."
Unable to resist the look in her lover's big green eyes, Crystal immediately relented.
"Alright, but we're only giving you the abridged version, okay?" she sighed in defeat, her gaze hardening for one final threat. "And I swear to Lucifer, if you even think of going back on your word, I will personally hunt you down, rip your heart out and eat it right in front of you."
"Huh… not the worst death threat I've had recently, but noted," Mick replied with a gulp. "Besides I shouldn't really keep the royal harpy downstairs waiting too long anyway,"
With nothing else to do after that, Kanya proceeded to take a seat on the nearby sofa while Crystal reluctantly started unbuckling the belts binding Mick to the chair. With a heavy sigh, Gaap's daughter began her tale.
"Well, it's like this…" she began. "Ever since I was a little girl, I've always been my dad's most treasured possession… and that's just putting it mildly. Sure, he can flirt and bang any woman HE wants but when it comes to me, no one was ever good enough to even breathe the same air. He's always been so obsessively possessive that no man was ever allowed to even come near me."
"But as it turned out, Kayna actually shared her father's love for the ladies," Crystal added, unbuckling the final strap. "It didn't matter how many men came her way, she ALWAYS turned them down,"
"Something that my father was all too happy to accept," Kanya concluded. "For some reason, he never even considered the possibility that I might be gay. I guess he was too wrapped up in his own affairs to think about it. In any case, I've never told him about it, otherwise, he'd never let me see ANYONE."
The more Mick listened, the more intriguing the story sounded. The overprotective father he understood, but even Octavia's father wasn't THAT bad.
"So… how did you two meet?" he asked, giving Kanya cause to smile for a moment.
"It was actually during the first year of my modelling career," she answered. "I was coming here for a short break and I met Crystal while she was auditioning for the singer role at the hotel. After that, we sort of… clicked."
Upon that final word, Mick could have sworn she saw the Mermaid turn a deep shade of purple as Kanya almost swooned at the memory. Seeing this, he couldn't help but smile under his mask.
"You're not telling me it was love at first sight?" he asked, earning a small laugh from Gaap's daughter.
"Not exactly," she admitted.
"Yeah, I'll be the first to admit that at first, I didn't really like her," Crystal added with an embarrassed tone. "When we met, I first thought that she was just some spoiled, conceded rich girl leeching off daddy's money."
"But then I secretly asked her out, and to my surprise, she said yes," Kanya continued. "We talked, we got to know each other, then one thing led to another…"
"And before you know it, I got myself a smoking hot girlfriend with the curves of a goddess," Crystal concluded, practically drooling at that last part."
Blushing at the Mermaid Sinner's flattery, Kanya couldn't help but smile to herself as she played with a strand of her hair. However, that smile soon faded as quickly as it arrived, only to be replaced by a heavy frown.
"But as you can probably guess, neither of us can be open about our relationship," she said with a sigh. "If my dad ever found out about us, he'd be furious. And when Prince Gaap gets mad, he gets… well…"
"…violent," Crystal concluded, gently caressing Kanya's hand to comfort her. "Which is why it's all the more important that you DON'T tell anyone. I don't think either of us could bear the consequences Gaap could cook up."
Hearing that, Mick fully began to grasp the situation and the importance of its secrecy. If Gaap was as bad as they say, then Crystal and Kanya had every right to be so defensive. It would also explain why they chose THIS room, in particular, to get together. Being the daughter of the Demon running the place, Kanya could have full access to any spare room keys AND the knowledge that any cameras in here had already been torn out… something that he himself was responsible for. With all this in mind, Mick firmly nodded his head and made a zipping motion near his mouth.
"You don't have to worry about that with me," he stated reassuringly. "Word of your forbidden romance will neither leave this room nor my lips. I'll even swear it in blood if you wish."
Seeing Mick readily unsheathing a claw and pressing it into his own palm, Crystal and Kanya found themselves staring in awe at the Cat Demon's sincerity. Needless to say, while sceptical at first, neither of them could deny the honest look in Mick's eyes.
"Thank you," Kanya sighed softly. "Really, we appreciate it."
"It's no problem, miss," Mick said with a light bow. "Well… I'd better grab what I came for and head back downstairs. Don't want to keep the royal bitch waiting."
After that, Mick quickly made a run to the bathroom, grabbed the tanning oil he was sent to get and made his way back over to the door.
"Have fun, you two," he said with a chuckle, giving the two a small wave. "Just make sure to clean up after you're done."
At those words, even Crystal couldn't help but laugh.
"Go on, get out of here," she said playfully, for the first time not giving Mick any sort of aggression in her tone.
"Seriously, Mick… Thank you," Kanya added. "You're… you're actually okay."
"Well… I do try to be," Mick replied, giving the two one final glance before heading out the door. "Ta-ta."
With that final word, Mick left the room and closed the door behind him, leaving the two lovers to their own devices without any reservations.
"Cute couple," he thought aloud, chuckling to himself as he made his way back down the hall.
However, lurking around the corner behind him, a certain someone poked his head out with a smirk across his beak… someone who just so happened to catch a glimpse of Mick as he was being pulled into the room, before choosing to listen through the door and hide as soon as he heard the Cat Demon coming out… someone who's been known to hold many a grudge.
"Well, well, well," Seth chuckled as he caressed his hook. "Isn't THIS juicy…"
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
The Featured Song: "Fabulous" - From the Movie: High School Musical 2