AUTHOR'S NOTE: So the 3-shot is officially over, but being a Yakuza fan, there are some ideas I've been humoring and brainstorming that I couldn't resist making a side story, or an omake. And who could forget about the karaoke songs, especially since Helluva Boss has plenty of musical moments with characters who could sing some appropriate songs in the Yakuza franchise?
For future reference, full disclaimer, there will be no lemons in this fic. I understand that this is a fanfiction, but I try to keep in line with the official source as best as possible, which means both the shows involved in the crossover and the fanfiction by TvFan2244. As such, let's remember that despite Lincoln being able to transform into an adult body, he's still a 12-year-old child mentally, and that is a line I'm never willing to cross. Furthermore, it would do Verosika and plenty of prominent likeable characters a huge disservice in terms of their character development, whether it happens in the Loud Among Demons fanfic or in this non-canon side fic.
TOKYO, JAPAN, Kamurocho District, outside of Karaokekan
Lincoln worriedly watched the scene before him, which involved Verosika, disguised in her human form and adorned in a bright off-shoulder dress, with her arms wrapped around Lincoln, not intimately but protectively. Loona, also disguised as a human, and Octavia, wearing a thick hoodie to fool other humans to think her face is a mask, were across from them, arms outstretched, while being held back by Stolas in his own human disguise. Millie had her knife out while being held back by Moxxie and Blitzø, along with a crowd of people gathering around to witness the spectacle.
It was supposed to be a casual night revisiting a rather interesting locale that seemed like Hell but somewhat safer, especially since his miscast growth spell resulted in a side effect that allowed him to blend in better with both the human and demon crowds. Now? It seemed like he was watching something in rewind because the women he knew closely in Hell were all fighting over him like he was their favorite turn without any parents to reign them in.
"Oh yeah, this is exactly how an argument between Lola and Lana turns out,"thought Lincoln, looking at the readers. "So you might be wondering how I found myself in this situation… well, believe it or not, it's actually not that long of a story, but the fact that everything just spiraled out of control so fast makes it feel like it is a pretty long story. Well, I'll tell you all…"
FLASHBACK
*RING RING* *RING RING*
Lincoln's phone rang as he sat in the lobby, testing out a few more spells from updated tomes to avoid the same mishap previously. Putting down the book, he pulled out his phone and, to his surprise, saw that the caller was the popstar Verosika Mayday herself. After the hitjob in Tokyo, Verosika insisted on giving him her number (followed by her succubi crewmember), much to the displeasure of Millie, Loona, and Octavia. At the very least, Verosika did have the courtesy and decency to ensure that any selfies she and her crew sent were safe for work, just in case his coworkers decided to snoop around on his phone.
Lincoln answered the phone, "Hey, Verosika." With that, Loona's ears immediately stood up, as did her expression before turning to Lincoln's phone with a scowl and growl. At the same time, Millie popped her head out from the meeting room to glare at Lincoln's phone. "Wassup?"
"Hi, Lincy~" she greeted playfully. "I've been doing fine. How 'bout you?"
"Oh, you know. Doing plenty of missions, learning more magic, taking in more of Hell's sights thanks to my power to switch between human and demon form, as well as kid to adult."
"Hmhmhm… sounds like your little transformation is ironically yet unironically a blessing in disguise."
"In many ways, yeah, it's really convenient. Still, it's always weird when I have to switch from kid to adult and back cause I get treated differently and my powers work differently."
"Sounds like it also makes your work pretty hectic. Well… more hectic than usual, I assume."
"Well, you'd assume correctly."
'Hmph,' Millie internally huffed. 'My baby boy's having lots of fun on the job, you hussy!'
"I've got an idea!" exclaimed Verosika, catching the three's attention. "I've been touring that district in Tokyo a few times, and I found plenty of spots to check out. I'd like to invite you, if you're interested."
"Really?!" said a baffled Lincoln. While his mission in Tokyo did get heavy-handed both physically and emotionally, he did see plenty of sights that he was disappointed he didn't get to check out properly. "What's the first place you got in mind?"
"Get this. Apparently, the karaoke bars there give you this wild experience whenever you sing a song, and you don't even need drugs and alcohol to make that happen. I know you don't do either of them, so I figured you'd like this experience. I know I'm interested."
"Hmm… that does sound pretty interesting. Makes me wonder if it'll be any crazier than hitting up an arcade, just to accidentally burn it to the ground."
"… I'm assuming you'd like to avoid that and just enjoy singing your heart out."
"Heh, once again, you assume correctly. Alright, count me in!"
"SAY WHAT?!" shouted Millie.
END OF FLASHBACK
"So I got myself ready to hang out with Verosika and portaled up to Kamurocho," Lincoln continued explaining to the readers. "Unfortunately, I didn't count on Millie and Loona following me with the grimoire while dragging Moxxie and Blitzø along. Then Blitzø ended up texting Stolas, who ended up mentioning this to Octavia, who made her dad create a portal to follow my coworkers to where I'm at. And now, here we are," said Lincoln as he gestured to the catastrophe before him. "I'm starting to think whoever said 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned' had a little too much experience with that."
Lincoln then turned his attention to the feuding women. "Okay, everyone, that's enough!" he shouted, getting their attention. "Look, Verosika and I are just gonna hang out at a karaoke bar and a few other locales. There's no reason for everyone to freak out about this."
"Yeah, hanging out," huffed Octavia sarcastically. "At a karaoke bar conveniently located at the east side of this district where the actual red-light district is."
"Okay, so it looks a bit sketchy, but Verosika and I are not gonna do anything that… gratuitous. We're just gonna sing some songs at the karaoke bar, buy some souvenirs, and try out some food. Oh, and I'm actually gonna try the sweeter drinks since they're supposed to be beginner-friendly," Lincoln added, much to Millie's distress.
"Ah, you're gonna try out the girly drinks first," commented Blitzø. "Makes sense, you've been hanging out with girls your whole life." Everyone shared dirty looks towards him, a brief moment of unity before they turned their attention back to the problem at hand.
"MISSY!" Millie shouted at Verosika. "Lincoln is TOO young for you, and he's TOO young to be drinking!"
"Millie, my adult body can handle alcoholic drinks," defended an exasperated Lincoln. "And for the last time, we're just hanging out as friends!" Verosika's eye twitched slightly at that statement, but didn't lose face in the current situation.
"And you can hang out with friends who aren't slutty cougars," gently reassured Millie, which sparked an outraged expression on Verosika. However, she wasn't the only one outraged.
"MILLIE!" shouted Lincoln hotly, surprising everyone. "DON'T CALL HER THAT!"
Verosika was internally swooning like a lovestruck high school girl upon hearing Lincoln defending her that passionately. Millie, on the other hand, was certainly taken by surprise by her son's outburst towards her, which she felt had nearly broken her heart; her baby boy was growing up too fast to start defying her wishes. Thankfully, that's why Moxxie was there.
"Okay, everyone, calm down!" called Moxxie, getting in between Lincoln and Millie before turning to the former. "Lincoln, I respect your independence and your need to socialize with more friends, but these areas are still new to you, let alone our… hometown." Moxxie was also the only one who was aware that they were drawing a crowd with their drama, hence leaving out the name of their home. "I think it'd be in everyone's best interest if we were somewhere nearby, but we can be far away enough to leave you and Miss Mayday to enjoy the night. Does that sound like a fair deal?"
Though he sighed slightly, he conceded with a reply, "Well, the fact that that sounds like spying on me notwithstanding, I guess I can work with that."
TOKYO, JAPAN, Kamurocho District, inside Karaokekan
"This is your idea of 'far away enough?'" Lincoln asked Moxxie, deadpanned. In front of him, he saw his coworkers, Stolas, and Octavia only two tables away in a karaoke room large enough to cater to a sizeable group for a party. Millie was observing Lincoln and Verosika through a pair of binoculars, one which she had snagged from Blitzø, much to his karmic annoyance. As for the rest, they tried to make themselves look busy by looking at the food and drink menu, as well as the song list, but Loona and Octavia took occasional glances at Lincoln and Verosika, both looking rather displeased by this outcome.
"I'm so sorry, Lincoln," Moxxie apologized. "I tried my best, but there was no stopping Millie, let alone the others."
"Hey, Stolas and I are here only to make sure you don't start plowing our daughters," Blitzø remarked candidly, which Stolas nervously muttered an agreement.
"Why are you making it sound like I'd be the aggressor here?!" Lincoln questioned indignantly. "And for Satan's sake, my lust aura isn't even in overdrive because of Stolas giving me his energy!"
"Believe me, dear boy, I wish I understood the nature behind these odd behaviors," said Stolas. "At this point, I'm almost certain that either your lust aura is far more potent than even I can handle or this isn't the work of the lust aura."
Verosika sat back in her seat, sighing heavily that her little date with Lincoln was already not turning out as great as she hoped before it even started. She even bought out the deluxe room for the whole night so that she and Lincoln wouldn't have had to get kicked out after only two songs before they had to buy another room for another two songs.
"I'm so sorry about this, Verosika," Lincoln apologized. "I didn't realize things would spiral out of control like this. I was hoping for a day between us too."
"It's fine, Lincy," reassured Verosika. Whatever her frustrations, she could never direct any of it towards Lincoln due to the fact that he's the best thing that ever happened to her since her initial hookup with Blitzø, and the initial part ONLY. The best thing she could do is try to salvage this date by indulging in the karaoke songs with some alcoholic beverages; she ordered umeshu for Lincoln, who was grateful that the drink went down a lot smoother than sake, though it still had the slight yet strong bitter taste that made him wince a little.
"I'm still trying to understand how and why grown-ups enjoy this," Lincoln commented to the readers. "So what do we got for our first song?"
Verosika took a look at the menu listing the numerous songs to choose from until she finally settled on one, pointing it to Lincoln.
"'Ring?'" asked Lincoln. "Alright, let's find out what this wild experience is."
RING
Lyrics by Ryosuke Horii
Music by ZENTA
The song started playing as Verosika stood on the stage with a microphone in hand, bouncing slightly to the rhythm before she pulled up her microphone and began singing.
"Congratulations,
I'm so happy for you"
It's not a lie, but inside of me
Oh why do I feel my heart
Tear apart with every word
Thankfully, the karaoke songs had the option to sing them in English, even though Lincoln's universal translation spell was already doing a fine job. Lincoln, along with Moxxie and Stolas, started clapping along with the beat, while Loona and Octavia slightly bobbed their heads and Millie and Blitzø tapped their fingers.
"I think we need to talk"
"It's just not gonna work"
Those memories I'm trying to ignore
They pass you by, ring shining
A symbol of love we lost, forever there on your finger
The ringing bells, cut through the air
Announcing your happiness to the world
Like we're back in middle school
Free at last as the day comes to an end
A gentle kiss to seal the vow
The warming cheers, they spread like wildfire
I wonder what my face looks like
Lost at sea in the depths of my mind
You and her are so good together
I know I should be glad to see it
You and I are in the past, I know
But something won't stop chasing me
As Lincoln, Moxxie, and Stolas clapped along with the beat in support of Verosika's singing (as they were the only ones who could enjoy the song), the whole room was suddenly enveloped in a bright white light. Suddenly, everyone found themselves in a completely new environment; they were in a different district with a river running through the middle, both sides connected by bridges at the far end of the west and east sides. On one of the bridges, Verosika was leaning over the side as she continued to sing, as though she was in a music video while everyone else was the audience, though they seemed to be floating, somewhat resembling a flying theater but with a mix of astral projection.
"Congratulations,
I'm so happy for you"
It's not a lie, but inside of me
Oh why do I feel my heart
Tear apart with every word
As Verosika continued to sing with a melancholic expression, she pulled out a ring box, opening it to find it empty inside.
"I think we need to talk"
"It's just not gonna work"
Those memories I'm trying to ignore
They pass you by, ring shining
A symbol of love we lost, forever there on your finger
She then closed the ring box and started walking away. The whole scene was then enveloped in a bright white light once more before the group found themselves back in the karaoke room in their seats and Verosika on the stage. The next thing everyone saw was a machine next to the stage that displayed a score of 100 for Verosika's performance.
Needless to say, everyone was perplexed by what just occurred, including Verosika herself.
"Okay, what the fuck was that?!" exclaimed Blitzø, voicing everyone's thoughts before looking at his drink. "Did someone spike our drinks?! I'm not the only one who saw that, right?!"
Even Moxxie and Stolas were caught off guard by the spectacle. Though they also sing in their own time as a hobby, and while they experienced something similar, those moments tend to be in their heads, which Blitzø can attest to when he spied on Moxxie and Millie having a duet one night. What just happened here was something beyond out of the ordinary, even for demons and especially since this is a joint in the mortal realm.
"No, Blitzy," answered Stolas. "You're not the only one. And I didn't see any magic being cast by Miss Mayday. I'm led to believe that it has to do with this karaoke bar, but I don't sense any demonic or even heavenly powers from this facility."
"Still, that was actually pretty cool," remarked Lincoln, now even more curious about what else he'd witness from the other songs.
"Well then, Linc, take your pick," suggested Verosika, handing him the song menu.
After browsing for a bit, Lincoln found one that sounded rather somber, but felt that it reached out to him deep into his soul. He selected the song, walked up to the stage with a microphone in hand, and faced his audience. He felt a slight stage fright, but thankfully it wasn't anywhere near Luan's level when she volunteered for a school play for Benny. After all, he liked to put on magic shows, which requires an audience, so with a deep breath, he started tapping his foot as the song began playing.
TONIGHT -restart from this night-
Lyrics by Ryosuke Horii
Music by ZENTA
Back in the day, I thought I was strong, that I was the one who could right every wrong
Years roll on by, time does what it does, so hard to hold on to the people we love
I've lost count of the days, and though I never stop thinking of you, we have gone our separate ways
Just as with Verosika's song, the room was enveloped in a white light before everyone found themselves on the front yard of a two-story house in the middle of a suburban area. In front of the house, there was Lincoln at the center of a large group hug by his sisters, all wearing wide smiles.
So, tonight, let's start again
From this night, rewrite the way it ends
You and I would laugh and sing all night like we'd always meant
The scene changed like a montage, in which the group found themselves watching Lincoln and his best friend Clyde doing their secret handshake. The scene then shifted to other moments in Lincoln's life, such as his sisters giving him a trophy labeled "Most Improved Brother," him with his friends as they tried to get the scoop on the mystery of the missing popcorn, and another with his family as they all wore shades on a stage in an impromptu jazz band with his dad singing the blues to quickly win some cash to fix up the Vanzilla.
So, tonight, you'll find me there
The nights we shared in places drinks would flow
And the sun never rose and life meant living the life we chose
Lincoln's audience watched as several more scenes shifted, which involved him and his family waving goodbye to Lori leaving for college (including their father holding on to the rear bumper of the car), him and Clyde running away from a charging moose, and him and his family singing a Christmas carol.
If I could relive the moment we drifted apart
I'd right every wrong for you
Whatever life asks from me, I will do
Just to see you smile and waste a night with you
The song ended with the scene focusing on a framed family photo with Lincoln, his sisters, his parents, and his pets all standing together and smiling at the camera, a reminder of an innocent time gone by for Lincoln. Soon enough, everything was enveloped in a white light and everyone found themselves back in the karaoke room in the same positions before the immersive experience, followed by the score machine giving Lincoln a score of 94 for his performance; it appeared that Lincoln fumbled a few times, for he was unable to keep his composure during certain points in the song.
Even the rest couldn't help but be overwhelmed by the emotions induced by Lincoln singing from the bottom of his heart, as well as seeing the best moments of his life now gone because of a curse cast by a truly evil man. While Lincoln is still working hard with Stolas and Octavia to find a way to break his curse, this song had forced everyone to start seeing the bigger picture of the ugly reality that Lincoln is living in right now. Lincoln would either break his curse and return to his family, but he'd forever be a changed man who cannot live the innocent life he once had while leaving behind his new friends and family in Hell, or he would fail in his mission and be stuck in Hell, unable to return to his family up top and be at greater risk of being corrupted by Hell's influence. Even if one suggested that he could just go up to his family since the curse only limits his stay on Earth for some time before being dragged back to Hell, there's no telling how much danger they'd be in for learning about Hell, which was a risk Lincoln was not willing to take.
As Lincoln opened his eyes and looked at his audience, he saw Moxxie, Millie, Verosika, and Stolas wiping the tears from their eyes, Loona and Octavia looking slightly downtrodden with the former's ears drooping, and even Bltizø looking uncomfortable as he averted his eyes. Lincoln didn't realize how much of an effect this song would have on everyone else.
"Maybe I should've picked a less sad song," remarked Lincoln. "Anyone else want a go?"
Moxxie was the first to recover and scanned the song menu before picking a suitable one, one in which he and Millie can sing together. As responsible surrogate parents, he felt the two needed to sing a duet that wasn't as depressing, especially since their child needed something uplifting.
"Millie, how about this one?" Moxxie asked her, showing the song on the menu.
"Ooh! This looks like a good one!" exclaimed Millie, immediately perking up.
The duo took the stage as Lincoln took his seat back with others, although he noticed everyone else sitting closer to him (Blitzø only took a seat closer from his original spot). Lincoln watched his surrogate parents in anticipation, eager to see more of their singing that he enjoyed in their off-duty times. Blitzø especially was eager to watch, pulling out a video camera to record this moment for posterity.
Pure Love in Kamurocho
Lyrics by Ryosuke Horii
Music by Yuri Fukuda
As the song started, both Moxxie and Millie slightly bounced to the rhythm with smiles on their faces. Moxxie especially was enthusiastic, for he was planning something similar but greater for Millie down in the Lust Ring at a later date.
Moxxie:
Aaahhhh, I can't believe it
My love she has a darker side
She'll spread her wings, into the night
Clinging to any man that she can see
Millie:
This must be a mistake, I can't believe it
My love he has another baby
Moxxie and Millie:
So now it's time to move on
I've found a brand new someone, this time
Things'll be different
The white light encompassed the room once more before everyone found themselves in the middle of some street in Kamurocho. Both Moxxie and Millie aimed their free palm that wasn't holding a microphone before curling all but their pointer fingers, which they touched each other's tip as they continued singing.
The neon city shines upon our rendezvous
Weaving a destiny, for only me and you
Millie:
Is this a lie?
Moxxie:
Truer than true
Millie:
Some kind of joke?
Moxxie:
Not funny
Moxxie and Millie walked back to opposite sides of a street light post behind them, of which they grabbed with their tails and slowly walked around in opposite directions like a carousal.
Moxxie and Millie:
Our love is never gonna end
Together smiling, together wandering
Together worrying, together through it all
Millie:
Will you be mine?
Moxxie:
Yours forever
Moxxie and Millie:
Kamurocho's purest love story
Moxxie:
The flower growing in my lonely heart blossoms in your light. This neon city shines, bright as our love. Now together let's write Kamurocho's purest love song.
Moxxie finished his last dialogue while closely holding Millie, who was leaning into his embrace. As the song ended, the white light covered everything once more before everyone was back in the karaoke room. Verosika and Stolas watched with envy as they thought about how much they wished to be in a relationship as strong as Moxxie and Millie's. Octavia looked away with a mix of envy yet uncertainty, for even though she felt similar feelings towards Lincoln, she didn't know if it was in her best interest to pursue those feelings, yet she couldn't just let go of them.
Loona was downing her drink in disgust, as she never enjoyed any displays of affection between her coworkers. Blitzø, on the other hand, was enjoying every single second of recording his employees' display of affection. Normally, Moxxie would've avoided any chance at giving Blitzø this kind of mileage, but he was more concerned about uplifting Lincoln's spirit after the previous song, and both he and Millie were touched to see that Lincoln was happily clapping for them, especially with their score of 100.
"Alright, who's up next?!" called Lincoln, looking to his left and right for any volunteers. To his surprise, Loona stood up after scanning the song menu and finding one particular song that required two backup vocals.
"Fuck it!" declared Loona. "I'll show you a real song! Linc! Octi! You're helping me with this!"
Both Lincoln and Octavia looked at Loona in utter surprise, then to each other, then back at her. Loona took the stage as Lincoln and Octavia took seats close to it before the next chosen song played.
Judgement -Shinpan-
Lyrics by Ryosuke Horii
Music by Hyd Lunch
We're starvin dogs runnin' the rail lines
Just gettin' by on any scraps we can find
The hand that feeds means nothin' to me
This tail don't wag for no one else
Blitzø couldn't be any happier and proud to watch his adopted daughter singing her heart out that continue to record with his video camera. It's probably likely that Loona would hunt down that camera after tonight and destroy it, as well as any backup files Blitzø would try to make, but making and keeping a memento of one of his daughter's best moments would be worth the effort.
A yes man has his day, that day is dead and gone
Lincoln and Octavia:
Woah, woah, woah! Woah, woah, we are bad boys/girls!
Both Lincoln and Octavia had no idea what compelled them to add the backup vocals like that nor did they understand how they knew exactly what to sing, but chose not to question it and instead chalk it up to the additional properties of this karaoke bar that can somehow subject its occupants into an immersive music video.
Loona:
A young man left to meet his maker
Cries out "No!" to say "Justice!"
The room was consumed by the white light once more before everyone saw a rock concert stage occupied by three performers: Loona, Octavia, and Lincoln. Both Loona and Octavia were wearing punk rock outfits from the 80s while strapped with an electric guitar and bass guitar, respectively. Lincoln, on the other hand, wore his suit while manning the digital keyboard.
We're breakin' the law!
Breakin' the world, together!
Lincoln and Octavia:
Breakin' the world
Loona:
Throwing out all tenderness!
As Loona and Octavia sang, they both converged to where Lincoln was positioned.
We're breakin' the rules!
No cause, no choice, no going back to how it was!
Lincoln and Octavia:
Breakin' the world
Loona:
No slowin' down because
Loona and Octavia dispersed from Lincoln as the former was closing the song, complete with her fist in the air that she slowly brought down in front of her, as though she was flexing her bicep.
We'll keep our heads high, our fists raised 'till we die
We're livin' by our own judgement!
Loona and Octavia finished the song with a final guitar riff before posing after playing the last note. The room was consumed by the white light before everyone appeared in the karaoke room with singers back in their original attire.
"YEAH! THAT'S MY LOONEY!" cheered Blitzø, clapping like a maniac, much to Loona's annoyance. Unfortunately, his good mood dropped like a rock when he saw the score of 95. "WHAT?! INTERN, YOU BETTER NOT HAVE HELD HER BACK! THAT'S ANOTHER PAY DEDUCTION!"
Rolling his eyes, Lincoln turned to see Loona making her way back to the seats. He noticed that while she was irritated by her adopted father's praise, she bore a small smile when she thought no one was looking. Lincoln couldn't help but smile, for even though he has his own misgivings with Blitzø's… eccentric personality, he always liked it when he saw that there was a legitimately good connection between the father and daughter.
Nobody knew what song was next until Octavia spoke up, "Hey Linc, you wanna help me with this one?"
Lincoln took a look at Octavia's selection, "Like a Butterfly," only to raise an eyebrow as he looked at the lyrics. "Huh… interesting pick there."
"Yeah, I actually kinda dig the lyrics on my part, but I'm morbidly curious how your part sounds."
"Well, here goes something."
Like A Butterfly
Lyrics by Ryosuke Horii
Music by Hyd Lunch and ZENTA
Octavia and Lincoln stood at the stage as the song played. After the opening instrumental, Lincoln suddenly felt the compulsion to sing his lyrics like a rapper, though the strength in his voice made it sound like he was almost growling his lines.
Lincoln:
Be reborn, climb out of hell born again
Let's fly high like a butterfly
Octavia:
It's drowning in its greed, the wicked trap was sprung
Tangled in the threads of its deeds
Lincoln:
Tangled in its crimes!
Octavia:
Like fate scoops up a fish, struggling in a net
Its brittle wings are torn by the tears
as it trembles in cold sweat
Lincoln:
You tore your wings now cry!
Octavia:
The spider comes, a thirst in its eyes
Lincoln:
A butterfly with no wings is a moth in the flame!
Just a rat on the floor with another name!
Octavia:
The venomous fangs sink into the soul
Lincoln:
The world is dead, no light left to find
It's too late
Octavia:
Too late now, to mourn its punctured wings,
to take to the sky
Lincoln:
Take to the sky!
The white light encased everything before revealing Octavia and Lincoln in a black room with smoke spreading across the floor. Another notable change was that Lincoln was wearing some kind of sunglasses as he now started dancing to his rap.
Octavia:
If only it could be, just one more time
Lincoln:
To the bitter end in overdrive!
Octavia:
Engrave the beat, flap your wings
'til you feel you are complete
Lincoln:
Fly high!
After Octavia and Lincoln danced for a bit, Octavia suddenly summoned a glowing white butterfly in her right palm, slowly bringing it close to her heart as it grew brighter and shone a bright white light. It appeared that the butterfly transitioned the whole scene, as the next thing everyone saw was Octavia and Lincoln standing back-to-back in a room that looked like a pure white disco floor that was also on the ceiling. Both Octavia and Lincoln slowly looked up as the former continued singing.
Octavia:
Oh you tragic butterfly
Despairing, craving it, that singular last
ray of light still shining down on bitter wings
Lincoln took the spotlight at this moment as he continued his rapping, but this time his dance movements and hand gestures and swinging were more up close to everyone's faces.
Lincoln:
Be reborn, climb out of hell born again
Let's fly high like a butterfly
You've dreamed long of this day, dream again
Octavia:
So fly high again
Lincoln:
And fly high like a butterfly
The scene transitioned with a white light once again, this time showing the white butterfly flying upwards toward the entrance gate of Kamurocho's Tenkaichi Street.
Octavia:
Like a butterfly
Lincoln:
To the bitter end overdrive
Burning out in an endless drive
Octavia:
Soaring in the sky like a butterfly
The scene transitioned back to Lincoln as he finished his dancing and gestures before walking back to Octavia until they stood side-to-side, finishing the song by looking down away from each other.
Lincoln:
To the bitter end overdrive
Burning out in an endless drive oh yeah
Fly like a beautiful butterfly
Fly like a beautiful butterfly
The environment changed back to the karaoke room as the score displayed a 95 as well. Stolas, unlike Blitzø, had a more positive response. "Ooohoohoohoo!" hooted Stolas, clapping then hugging Octavia, much to her embarrassment. "That was wonderful, my owlet! Maybe we should redo this song together. Perhaps we can achieve that 100-point score."
"Daaaaad!" whined Octavia, pulling her beanie down on her eyes. She had no idea how much Loona sympathized, as she was watching her with pity.
"Well, that just leaves you and Blitzø," noted Lincoln. "Have you found a song you'd like to try out?"
"Pfft, you can count me out," Blitzø answered dismissively. "This ain't my kind of scene."
"Another reason why you sucked when we dated," remarked Verosika with disdain.
Sensing another outburst from Blitzø that would most likely end with the place burning down, Lincoln quickly interrupted before his boss would offer his own rebuttal, "Iiiinnn that case, Stolas, have you picked out a song you'd like to try out?"
"Hmm… as much as I would like an encore with the previous song with Octavia, I believe I have one that speaks to me," said Stolas, activating the song before taking the stage.
Baka Mitai
Lyrics by Ryosuke Horii
Music by Mitsuharu Fukuyama
Stolas was never one to sing in front of an audience, so he was nervous, to say the least. Nevertheless, if his own daughter could work up the nerve to sing in front of strangers, then he should set an example by doing the same. Supposedly this song is about unrequited love, and he'd like to believe he and his precious Blitzy were doing well, but there was a nagging thought very deep down telling him that what they have is not as two-sided as he hoped.
I've been a fool, and you've been childish
You fell down, you got hurt chasing sweeter dreams
Never could hide the truth in your eyes
That's how I knew that smile was a lie
I love you is something you never say
Couldn't get it out, always just pulled away
So then why, please won't you tell me why
You could find the words to say goodbye
The scene shifted so that Stolas was sitting at a bar with a glass of absinthe in front of him.
I'm such a mess, I'm lost, I'm no good at this
Stolas looked down on the bar, where he saw a photo next to his glass. On the photo was a child version of him, sleeping with a large imp plushie.
I'm in love, still in love, still in love with you
Hard as I try, I can't even drink this pain away
Stolas took one last drink as he was brooding about how his relationship could've possibly failed.
Memories of you, twisting my view, I've been a fool
Stolas then laid his head on the bar, quietly sobbing as he lamented at the loss of his relationship with the imp plushie in the photo. Soon, everyone was back in the karaoke bar, as the score machine awarded Stolas 100 points. As much as Lincoln wanted to applaud his teacher, he, along with everyone else, couldn't help but be very perplexed (and perhaps slightly disturbed) by what they had just witnessed.
"Uh… dad… you wanna tell us something?" asked Octavia.
"Um… I honestly have no idea what had transpired…" answered an equally confused Stolas. "Why would I be shedding tears over something I only treasured as a child but later grew out of?"
"Hmm…" pondered Lincoln, thinking about a pattern with the songs that they sung so far. The moment everyone sang their song, he noticed they, including himself, were almost controlled by the flow of the music, most of which came naturally while others not so much. Additionally, once the scene changed to something akin to a music video, the singers played a specific role with no control over their actions, yet none ever batted an eye during the segment until it was over. "Maybe it has to do with this specific song," defended Lincoln, wanting to give his teacher the benefit of the doubt. "Do you all mind if I try this song too, just to test a hypothesis of mine?"
When everyone gave their approval, Lincoln chose the same song and took the stage, singing the same lyrics until the scene changed to him at a bar, though he was drinking a soda instead. As Lincoln sang the part where he looked at the photo next to his drink just like Stolas, he saw that the photo was of an Ace Savvy comic. Just as with Stolas, he drank the last bit of his soda before resting his head on the bar, sobbing quietly at the loss of his relationship with a comic book.
Needless to say, everyone was just as perplexed that Lincoln would end up crying over that of all things, but none more so than Lincoln himself. Everyone can agree that he had far many other things he's currently missing a whole lot more than a comic book, but Lincoln's volunteering did show everyone that the absurdity was simply from the song itself. With that out of the way, Lincoln turned his attention to Verosika, who he felt he had been neglecting.
"Hey, Verosika, you wanna pick out a last song for the night?"
Now Verosika was happy that she could at least end the night on her terms. She still couldn't forget the solo that Lincoln gave at the beginning, which had given her even more perspective of what Lincoln had truly lost, so she figured that she could at least end the night on a high note.
Otomeiro My Life (Love is Changing My Life)
Lyrics by Ryosuke Horii
Music by Hidenori Shoji
Go! Go! Ready, GO!
Go! Go! Ready, GO!
Hi! Hi! HIGH!
Love is changing my life, 3, 2, 1, GO!
Hearing your voice
Saying "good morning" every day
My heart's beating fast
Why won't it stop? I just can't say
I can't look away
From the shy boy right in front of me
You don't even try, but you amaze me
Every day
Is this what love feels like, could it be?
Me and you should get together
Figure out what we've been missing
The scene changed to show Verosika on a different stage, one that was bright yellow with the day sky in the background.
Every step I take, is one more inch closer to love
Faster, faster, my heart won't stop beating for you
I finally realize just what you mean to me
Verosika danced as she sang, which included drawing a heart with a finger and then jumping for a freeze frame before continuing her song and dance.
There's no stopping this emotion
I can't help it, but the truth is
I love you more than you know
As the song ended, Verosika continued her dance with the final instrumentals, with movements befitting of a pop idol. Finally, Verosika ended her dance to the song with a two-fingered salute before the environment changed, bringing everyone back into the karaoke room. As usual, Lincoln was the loudest to cheer for Verosika, followed by Moxxie and Stolas. Loona and Octavia followed suit, albeit half-heartedly, while Millie and Blitzø didn't so much as raise a hand or voice. Still, Verosika took what she could get, and she was more than happy to be receiving such praise from Lincoln himself. She did wonder, however, whether or not he understood the meaning behind the song she sang.
With that, everyone wrapped things up and left Karaokekan, although Moxxie and Stolas held most of the group back in order to let Lincoln and Verosika leave first, despite the protests of Loona, Octavia, and Millie. Lincoln and Verosika were in a particularly good mood, even though the initial setback changing their night together into an impromptu group hangout.
"Thanks for the night out, Verosika!" said Lincoln. "I actually had a lot of fun. In fact, I don't think I ever heard of any karaoke rooms that can do that, even in Hell."
"No problem, Lincy!" Verosika responded. "It's why I wanted to invite you. I figured we could have some fun with something we've never seen in Hell. Although… I definitely could've done without the… entourage."
"I'm so sorry about that. I guess we're all just used to me being under their supervision except for when I have to sleep at the office."
"Wait, what?!" yelped Verosika, doing a double take. "How is that any safer?! Why aren't you bunking with any of them?!"
"Scary landlords and lease contracts," replied Lincoln, deadpanned.
"Ah… fair enough…"
"Yup… I gotta live up to my boss's motto: you gotta take what you can get."
"… Just making sure here, but you know your boss is Blitzo, right?"
"Yup. Anyways, where to next?"
"I was thinking about checking out a nearby restaurant. How's ramen sound for you?"
"Well, we are in Japan, might as well get a country's delicacy."
"Ooh! There's Kyushu No. 1 Star! Apparently, it's one of the longest running joints here in Kamurocho, and considering how fast these businesses come and go, that's really saying something."
It was amazing just how casual the two were conversing when Verosika wasn't trying to make any intimate advances, something everyone else noticed as they watched from a fair distance behind. In fact, the others appeared to have different personal reactions to this relationship they were witnessing.
Stolas was definitely the most impartial yet mixed about Lincoln's closeness to Verosika. While he found it slightly amusing that his student was attracting many others due to both the lust aura from his miscast growth spell and his charming personality, he noticed how it was also affecting his daughter despite their friendship being closer to siblings at best. In fact, Stolas had half-joked previously that he wouldn't have minded if Lincoln did indeed marry Octavia in the far future, for he couldn't name anyone else besides himself he trusted with Octavia more than Lincoln, especially because of the end result of their first day together. Stolas even considered the fact that adultery and polygamy were common in Hell, and while he couldn't see Lincoln being unfaithful, he pondered the possibility of Lincoln being in multiple relationships, which would include his daughter and the popstar.
Moxxie also didn't mind too much about Lincoln befriending Verosika, but he was slightly more cautious since he had grown close to the young ward. While he wasn't fond of the fact that Verosika and her crew had assaulted Lincoln by smothering him with kisses, he was also relieved that that was as far as they took it, though the implications of their advances didn't reassure him that much. Still though, he was willing to let Lincoln grow on his own, especially since the boy tended to display maturity beyond his years on numerous occasions, but kept a close enough eye on him to protect him when he needed it. And if the relationship with Verosika didn't work out for Lincoln, then he'd be there to help pick him back up.
Millie, on the other hand, wasn't nearly as open-minded. She had already seen and even experienced a relationship gone sour because of her partner being extremely unfaithful, and considering Verosika's race, it was practically inevitable that Lincoln would suffer the same fate, and she'd be damned as a Sinner if she let that happen. She might've liked and even idolized Verosika much early on, especially with her question to Blitzø about her bed skills out of curiosity, but the moment the pop idol had set her sights on Lincoln like a predator in the jungle, she had dedicated her time and life to ensure Lincoln didn't experience the same heartbreak. Unfortunately, it seems even her own baby boy was against her, maybe because he was just growing up too fast. She couldn't help but feel very frightened and desperate, especially since Lincoln's defiance was starting to slightly resemble Loona's behavior, and she'd never tolerate that kind of behavior in her family, but she didn't know how to lay down the law on her baby boy without pushing him away further, especially if there was a risk of her laying a hand on him.
Loona and Octavia were of a similar mindset, where they felt unnaturally jealous at seeing their youngest best friend chatting up with another woman who was more… mature-looking than either of them. However, therein laid the keyword: unnatural. Before Lincoln had miscast his growth spell, neither Loona nor Octavia would've cared about him catching the attention of a famous popstar like Verosika Mayday. In fact, Loona would and should be giving Lincoln a lot of props for catching her attention just by being his usual self, but ever since that stupid botched spell, neither she nor Octavia couldn't stop these unnatural feelings from making her very clingy towards Lincoln.
Blitzø, however, had a very complicated perspective. He could very easily write off Lincoln's taste in women to be "lower than bullshit," especially since he and his team had worked so hard to win that bet against his ex to both win back their parking space and keep the intern out of her clutches. As a matter of fact, he could even accuse Lincoln of being a two-timing simp for falling for his ex's feminine wiles while he got out before the going got rough. However, seeing even Lincoln be a little more successful in the romance department made him believe he really was taking after Moxxie and Millie, so much so that he even contemplated the idea that were the intern's partner not an old fling of his, he'd have dedicated some time to spy on Lincoln instead of his long-time employees… eh, scratch that, if Lincoln ever did break that curse and return to his family, he'd spy on his home life to see how he was able to live with his ten sisters successfully.
Even still, as Blitzø watched Lincoln and Verosika make their way to the district's best ramen shop, he couldn't help but notice the smiles on both the intern and his old ex's faces as they simply chatted, a reminder of old times that pitfalled so hard, thanks to his last actions. He not only felt envy towards the intern for seemingly succeeding where he failed, but also resentment… not towards his intern, or maybe not even towards his ex, but rather…
He looked to his side at Stolas, now pondering about where he stood with him. The fact that Stolas made the effort to rescue him and his team from the D.H.O.R.K.S. agents in such a magnificent and terrifying display of power flustered him, especially with how they spent the following night, which turned out to be far more intimate and… dare he say it?… romantic than their monthly get-togethers. And this dumb karaoke night with the batshit karaoke magic and the gay-ass karaoke songs sung by the others forced him to see where everyone stood, some part in relation to him. Oh, how he now wished to vent these dumb feelings, but they're in the human world and they can't kill people without raising a fuss, especially in the part of the world where they can't even use guns. Oddly enough, the chance came from a very unlikely source as Stolas tried to usher all of them to return home.
"I think it's best we leave young Lincoln to spend his time with Miss Mayday," suggested Stolas, walking into an alleyway where he could open a portal away from prying eyes.
"Oh no, we are NOT leaving my baby boy with that slut!" objected Millie.
"Millie, that's enough!" shouted Moxxie in a very rare display of resolve. "We've already spoiled part of Lincoln's night! How about we NOT be like our boss by ruining it further?!"
"HEY!" shouted an indignant Blitzø.
"Mox, you are not gonna stand there and tell me to back off of protecting our baby boy!" argued Millie angrily, glaring at her husband dead in the eye, which Moxxie surprisingly didn't back down from.
"Well, I am!" challenged Moxxie fiercely. "Because he needs time for himself to cope with what he's lost! And I believe Verosika, initial impression notwithstanding, can actually be another friend he needs in Hell!"
"He's got us!"
"And you haven't noticed how big his family is and how numerous his friends are! Now tell me: how many other friends has he made outside of this particular group?"
"Uh… um… well…" stuttered Millie, caught off guard not only by the question, but also Moxxie's firm objection against her. "My family…?"
"Uh-huh…" said Moxxie, arms crossed impassively while nodding sarcastically. "And how often does he interact with them?"
"… That's not fair, Mox."
"No… what's not fair is smothering Lincoln when he has the chance to befriend others and spend time with them outside of our office."
Loona didn't say anything since she felt it would literally kill her to do so, but Moxxie had no idea how much she agreed with that sentiment.
"Um… hey! I think Lincoln's in trouble!" Octavia spoke up, pointing to where Lincoln and Verosika were. The others looked to see three random street punks approaching the duo, obviously with ill-intent.
"Lincoln can handle them. In fact, he might want an excuse to vent after we ruined his night out with Miss Mayday," Moxxie justified before turning back to Millie. "Furthermore, we are not done with this conversation."
As the married imps argued, Lincoln looked at the obvious punks who were obviously trying to either harass, violate, assault, and/or steal from them. Therefore, there could only be an obvious response that Lincoln could provide.
"You know, this kinda works well for me," Lincoln said to the readers, much to Verosika's confusion. "I'm really annoyed by how my night with Verosika got somewhat ruined, and the universe hands these punks to me on a silver platter. Thank you, universe!" Lincoln then turned to the punks, cracking his knuckles with a rather unsettling smile on his face, not too dissimilar to how Lynn would on some occasions.
The only thing the others could hear outside of the argument between Moxxie and Millie was the sound of fists and feet meeting flesh, along with the screams of Japanese men as their bones cracked and teeth were punched out. Even still, that didn't deter Moxxie and Millie from their argument about the welfare of their adopted child.
"Mox, what if that hussy gets her hooks on him and has her way with him?!" asked Millie frantically.
"She had plenty of other chances to do that, but didn't!" disputed Moxxie, as one of the punks landed next to the group, unconscious.
"What if that floozy gives him reasons to wanna stay with her?!"
"He gave up a comfortable life with the Goetias to stay with a ragtag group like ours!" Moxxie disputed once again as another one of the punks landed next to the first, also unconscious.
"What if that whore breaks his heart?!"
"We'll be there for him when he needs us," argued Moxxie, this time calmly as the last punk landed on top of the other two, rendering all of them unconscious; it was amazing how far Lincoln managed to launch them without turning them into vegetables or a bloody paste.
Millie couldn't offer any other rebuttal after striking out three times, instead hugging her own arms in silence. Stolas took the awkward moment as a chance to open a portal back to Hell, in which everyone slowly and just as awkwardly made their way through. All except for Blitzø, that is.
"Blitzy?" Stolas called out. "Are you coming?"
Blitzø stayed silent for a bit, which unnerved Stolas and Loona since he was not immediately making an innuendo from that question alone. After a few moments, Blitzø simply answered, "Nah. I'mma unwind here a bit. Just… just portal me back when I text, 'kay, Looney?"
Loona, caught off guard by Blitzø's uncharacteristic melancholy, answered, "Uh… sure…"
The portal closed, leaving Blitzø by himself in the alleyway. He then made his way to the three unconscious punks, rummaged their bodies, and pulled out their money before making his way back to Karaokekan. What nobody realized during their stay in the karaoke room was that while they picked and sang their songs, Blitzø was skimming the song menu on his own to see what songs would suit him, and he did manage to find two that somewhat grabbed his interest. He paid for a temporary room where he could only sing two songs, which was just enough for him and also cheap enough to afford with the money he pickpocketed.
TOKYO, JAPAN, Kamurocho District, Kyushu No. 1 Star
"This is really good!" exclaimed Lincoln after swallowing a mouthful of noodles from his Kyushu tonkotsu ramen.
"I know, right?!" agreed Verosika, eating from her bowl of chashu tonkotsu ramen. "I can only imagine you don't get to enjoy a lot of food like this down below."
"Well… there are some restaurants we go to, but not many of them or grocery stores or convenience stores are that reassuring. Especially when some of the meats are apparently imported from Cannibal Colony."
"Ugh, please don't remind me, especially since we're eating right now."
"Yeah, good point, but my point still stands."
The two shared a laugh as they made some more small talk, mainly pertaining to some of their recent experiences in Hell. Of course, that didn't stop Verosika from sneakily segueing the conversations into one that focused on Lincoln's life on Earth before he got stuck in Hell, though she did her absolute best to be socially conscious enough and focus on the parts that didn't make him feel too homesick, especially one she felt was juicy enough.
"So what's the story behind your first two kisses?" she asked with lidded eyes, prompting Lincoln to spit-take the water he was drinking.
TOKYO, JAPAN, Kamurocho District, Theater Square
After touring a bit more of Kamurocho, such as a clothes and accessories shop at La Marche, a souvenir shop at Don Quijote, and even an arcade shop where Lincoln managed to win a crane game prize for Verosika after a few attempts, the two ended up at Theater Square since it was a fairly crowded place where very few criminals would dare try to harass them in the open with so many prying eyes.
"You know, I kinda wish I did get to watch your performance," said Lincoln. "I mean, I could watch it on Voxtube, but it just doesn't match the experience of being there in person."
"Heh, you said it," said Verosika, slightly flustered. The more she had interacted with Lincoln as simple friends who were spending the night together, the more she was surprised at just how cool Lincoln was. If he wasn't being flustered when she used her feminine wiles, he came across as a very confident, multi-faceted, and experienced jack-of-all trades, which meant she could actually enjoy some fun activities with another person that wasn't strictly designated in the bedroom.
In fact, this was becoming eerily similar to her past fling that ended disastrously. So much so that she felt more afraid the longer she thought about the similarities. Despite her fears, a large part of her was still encouraging her to keep this connection going, but she didn't know whether it was out of desperation or necessity. She looked at Lincoln as they were walking, her arms wrapped around his left arm, around Theater Square with no real destination in mind. With his new transformed state as an adult, currently in human form, he stood a few inches taller than her, and though he was blushing at his closeness to her (particularly with his arm brushing up against something very soft), he still carried a confident air about him with the kind of determination in his eyes that said he'd do right by others, no matter what. When she looked into his eyes as he was smiling at her, she finally made her decision.
"Hey, Linc," Verosika started. "I… I don't wanna be a bummer while we got a good thing going… but if it's not too much, I really wanna ask… why are you still sticking with that limp-dick Blitzo?"
Lincoln stopped in his track at this question. For a brief moment, she was afraid that she fucked everything up so hard and so fast, but then Lincoln slowly turned to her with a nervous look instead before stuttering, "W-w-whyyyy do you ask that?"
Verosika looked down for a moment, took a deep breath, then responded, "I just can't make heads or tails of that, no matter how many times I rack my brain. If you'd known how we were like and how we broke up… and how much kinder you are and how you're a much better person than that shitwad…!"
Almost immediately, Verosika had almost shed a tear, something Lincoln noticed all too well and was alarmed by. This was definitely a sensitive subject for the both of them, but now that Verosika initiated the question, it was on Lincoln's pride as a man to be strong and open up to her as she was doing to him.
"It… it actually has to do with how I got stuck down in Hell," said Lincoln, looking down as well before guiding her along down the streets, ensuring that they were still blending in a small crowd to avoid some rather pushy barkers in addition to any thugs who might think of them as easy targets.
"Shit…" said Verosika, worried that she really did fuck this up. "I'm sorry, I—"
"No, it's okay," Lincoln quickly interrupted. "It's not a day I like to remember. But you deserve to know." He thought about his next words for a moment before finally offering a compromise. "How about I tell you everything… if you tell me about your time with Blitzø?" He then thought about what he just asked before stammering, "Errr, without the gratuitous details, of course!"
Verosika couldn't stop herself from snickering. Of course, leave it to Lincoln to somehow find a way to lift her spirits during a tender and sensitive moment. But it definitely did the job of easing her worries, which also helped lessen the pain of sharing a rather painful experience with an unfaithful imp who sent a clear message in the shittiest way possible.
TOKYO, JAPAN, Kamurocho District, Karaokekan
Back in the karaoke joint, Blitzø was in a smaller room that was clearly designed for a few people at most. He was in the middle of a rather flamboyant song that made him question why he even chose it in the first place.
24-hour Cinderella
Lyrics by Ryosuke Horii
Music by ZENTA
Let me tell you I LOVE YOU! And send it to you
Cuz surely YOU LOVE ME! Please know it's conveyed
Let us look for a glass slipper that fits no one else but you
Both of us now STEP AND GO! Til the very end
Even if 12 has passed, I will never leave
Because our love magic will be here and will never wear off
He had no idea what he was even doing with his life as he sang the opening verse. So hard he questioned himself that he barely sang the song halfheartedly. Supposedly the song is meant to be dedicated to a particular special someone to the singer. A love song, one befitting the likes of Moxxie or Millie due to the romantic undertone based on the Cinderella name.
Oh won't you come down and eat, my lovely princess
You seem like you would eat a poison apple and fall asleep now
The way you're so straightforward to me
It is so very sweet
Normal things equal treasure, I will always cherish
Every day our Earth revolves, and the sun rises
And today you smile for me!
Despite half-assing the song, the scene changed for Blitzø, in which he found himself on a bright stage while wearing a silver double-breasted satin jacket and pants with pink star-patterned lapels and cummerbund, along with an orange feathered headband and white boot roller skates. He then started dancing just as flamboyantly as the song itself, along with his backup dancers wearing similar outfits as him, in which the dancers consisted of Moxxie and an adult-bodied Lincoln on his right and Millie and, to his utter shock, Fizzarolli on his left.
Let me tell you I LOVE YOU! And send it to you
Cuz surely YOU LOVE ME! Please know it's conveyed
Let us look for a glass slipper that fits no one else but you
Both of us now STEP AND GO! Til the very end
Even if 12 has passed, I will never leave
You will still be and always will be my beloved 24-hour Cinderella!
Hey! Hey! HEY!
Blitzø and his backup dancers continued their dance choreography on roller skates before ending the song with one last pose. The scene then shifted back to Blitzø in the karaoke room, where he could only stand frozen in shock at what he had just experienced. The machine next to him generating a score broke him out of his stupor, in which it finally awarded him a score of 75.
"Okay, I take it back. THIS is the gayest shit I've ever seen in my life!"
TOKYO, JAPAN, Kamurocho District, Tenkaichi Street
"Oh, Blitzø, you… you… hare-brained idiot," was all Lincoln could say once he heard Verosika's side of the story. He remembered overhearing what Blitzø did to her, possibly in an aftermath, but now that he got better context as to what prompted him to do that, he was at a total loss of word and could only muster up a very simple, innocent, yet blunt insult. Verosika wasn't kidding when she said that he truly did send a message in the shittiest way, and it was in response to a moment of vulnerability for her. Of course, Lincoln did know that Blitzø had some kind of issue in his past that shaped him into the kind of imp he is today, but now he was curious as to what drove him to be the kind of person who would offer that kind of response so heartlessly, especially since that wasn't the kind of imp he'd known throughout his internship at I.M.P.… at least, not to that level.
"Yeah… that's putting it lightly," remarked Verosika bitterly. "Which brings me to my question: how and why are you sticking with that shit-stain?"
In all honesty, Lincoln's thoughts and feelings towards Blitzø were very complicated. More often than not, his boss was very infuriating to work with, a sentiment he shares with Moxxie. Add on top that, Blitzø is really hard to get a read on, often doing things his own way with the pedal to the metal. But then other times, Blitzø throws him a bone every now and then, which only perplexed him further. For the longest time, he always believed that Blitzø did all that to keep him on his toes to better prepare him for Hell's environment, but then there are times where his boss reveals that it was for a selfish goal, such as that gambling fiasco at the gym/shooting range joint.
However, he remembered the number of times his own family back home infuriated him to no end. In fact, his boss, at times, feels like all the frustrations he has with all ten of his sisters rolled up into one guy. But just like with his sisters, there are moments where he does legitimately get along with Blitzø, particularly whenever Lincoln does get to show off his penchant for planning, and the plan goes off without a hitch. There were even smaller moments when Blitzø would take selfies with Lincoln without warning when he was studying and practicing new spells, both to his annoyance and amusement.
Even still, Lincoln couldn't ignore the negative aspects of his boss, yet he couldn't discard the good that came from meeting and staying with him. He carefully thought about his answer to Verosika before responding, "It's really complicated, but like I said before, it has to do with how I ended up down here…"
One difficult explanation later…
Verosika stood frozen in her spot, eyes wider than dinner plates with both her hands covering her mouth in pure horror as she processed everything she heard from Lincoln. Lincoln, on the other hand, was very solemn as he wrapped up his tale. While he was still uncomfortable about repeating his story of that fateful day, he was starting to become numb to that memory, especially after his weird hallucination back at the D.H.O.R.K.S. headquarters where he confronted his inner demons, both figurative and literal.
"Yeah… now you know the whole story…"
"Oh… oh, Linc…" breathed Verosika, completely lost for words. After hearing the whole story knowing how good a person Lincoln is, everything connected and made perfect sense. Now even more than before, she understood just how much Lincoln was suffering, even more than how much she suffered from her ex's betrayal. So much she pitied his plight that she was currently racking her brain for any possible solutions, even though she was told that he was currently working with Stolas to develop a way to break the curse. When she thought about the people he'd been living with, she couldn't stop herself from asking, "Lincoln, why aren't you living with Stolas? You could do so much better and be much safer!"
"… I can see Stolas and Octavia any time during our magic lessons. But I.M.P.? Ever since they rescued me… twice, I might add, they've been looking after me and taking care of me. So much that… I can't help but see them as my family, even Blitzø, as crazy as that sounds. I can't just abandon them."
"Linc, it's only gonna be a matter of time before Blitzo pulls off some kind of stupid bullshit where he kicks you to the curb and leaves you behind to suffer," said Verosika imploringly.
"I'll cross that bridge when… if the time comes," Lincoln corrected himself. "But right now? I've already been taken away from one set of friends and family. I'm not looking to ditch another, and that includes Blitzø."
Verosika had no rebuttal to that. As much as she wanted to argue, she knew Lincoln being trapped in Hell had left a huge void in his life, and the only ones who were filling it right now were her ex and his employees, as well as the Goetia father and daughter. The only consolation she got was that, judging by the way Lincoln was treating her, she was possibly another person who was helping fill that void, which made her feel both flustered and honored.
Unfortunately, the two didn't have long to ponder on that train of thought, as well as spend the rest of their night on this date. Verosika did learn from the story that the curse would bring Lincoln back to Hell, which sounded like a very unsavory way to end their night together.
"Hey, Linc, thanks for spending the night with me," Verosika said to Lincoln with a smile. "How about I take you back? You haven't traveled the way we succubi and incubi do, right?"
"Oh?" Lincoln said. "You know, now that you mention it, I wonder how you do travel to Earth and back…"
"Follow me, I'll show you." Verosika guided Lincoln in the back alley of a building which led to a bar called New Serena inside. After ensuring the coast was clear, the two went into the back alley, where Verosika pulled out some kind of crystal and started rubbing it, rather sensually, prompting Lincoln to blush and slightly avert his gaze. Verosika giggled at his reaction, once again finding him and his innocence cute. After a few more rubs, a pink light shot out from the crystal, opening a diamond-shaped portal that appeared to lead to the inside of the building that included the I.M.P. office. The two stepped inside before anyone could see them and the portal closed behind them.
They stood a few feet away from the door to the office of I.M.P. Before Lincoln made his way in, Verosika held his hand as she looked him in the eyes. "Thank you for the night," she said before closing the gap, placing her lips on his.
Lincoln stood in his spot, frozen and flustered. Verosika didn't use her tongue, but she still made it sensual and intimate as she kept the physical contact until she separated her lips from his with a pop. All that was left as proof was her black lipstick on his lips combined with a slightly goofy expression as he stuttered his reply, "N-n-no p-problem, V-Verosika."
"Please, call me V. Or Ver, whichever you want," said Verosika with a warm smile before activating her crystal once more, summoning a portal as she left to her dwelling, no doubt.
PRIDE RING, I.M.P. Headquarters
Lincoln entered the lobby, though he made sure to wipe off the lipstick and transform back to his child body beforehand. There at the reception desk sat Loona on her phone while Moxxie and Millie were on the sofa close her, although Millie was rocking and twiddling her thumbs in anxiety.
"Hey, guys! I'm back!" Lincoln called to them, only to suddenly feel constricted the next literal microsecond.
"OH, MY BABY BOY, YOU'RE SAFE AND SOUND!" cried Millie, holding Lincoln in a death grip.
"*GRACK* Choking! Not breathing!" Lincoln choked out, turning blue and his vision fading.
"MILLIE!" shouted Moxxie, prying his wife from Lincoln with an actual crowbar. As Lincoln leaned on Moxxie while catching his breath, Moxxie asked him, "So… how was your night?"
After a few deep breaths, Lincoln responded, "Honestly, it went pretty well. Tried out their number one ramen, got to win a prize for Verosika in a crane game, and I even got myself a souvenir." Lincoln pulled out a model of a mascot called Ono Michio, with his charming hassaku face, steaming Onomichi ramen hat, cute fish pouch, cool boots vital for any fisherman, and his bold and trendy Ono shirt as the pride of Onomichi.
"Well, I'm glad you had a good time," said Moxxie, smiling at Lincoln reassuringly.
While he was glad for Moxxie's support, Lincoln couldn't ignore the devastated look on Millie's face. Recalling his last interaction with her, he felt horrible that it came to metaphorical blows with him yelling at her, even if it was in defense of a potential new friend. He realized that she was trying to protect and look out for him like always, although it was in a similar vein to how Blitzø treated Loona. In fact, this situation seemed to be very reminiscent of their blowout during the spring break mission, but this time, Lincoln was going to do things differently.
"Hey, Millie," he greeted awkwardly. "… Crazy night, huh?" While everyone knew Millie wouldn't lay a finger on Lincoln out of anger, even Moxxie and Loona couldn't help but tense up in anticipation of how this interaction will play out.
"Yeah," Millie quietly replied. "Sure was."
"Millie… I'm sorry for yelling at you like that… You were only trying to look out for me and… I guess I was being selfish—"
"No!" Millie suddenly interrupted. "Don't say that. I was the one being selfish." She looked down, unable to look at Lincoln out of shame. "I was… I was scared of losing you. And I don't just mean by you dying or getting kidnapped. I mean… I was scared you'd… that you'd grow up too fast. That… maybe you wouldn't need me and Mox one day." As she finished her sentence, she suddenly felt arms being wrapped around her. She looked to see Lincoln hugging and holding her close.
"Millie. I promise you. No matter what happens. No matter where I'm at and what I do. You and the others are still my family. Nothing will ever change that."
Unable to hold back her emotions, Millie hugged Lincoln back as she let loose her tears like waterfall. Soon enough, Moxxie joined in on the hug, shedding tears of his own. Loona still sat at her desk, but even she couldn't stop a few tears leaking from her eyes, which she quickly tried to wipe without messing up her makeup. She didn't join the hug though since she still had her pride, which wouldn't allow her to show any affection to Moxxie and Millie, even if it concerned Lincoln… she did make a mental note to hug Lincoln big time when it was just the two of them.
As he continued hugging Millie, he remembered his last words and realized that there was one person missing in this group. "Oh, Blitzø, how're you holding up now?" whispered Lincoln in contemplation.
TOKYO, JAPAN, Kamurocho District, Karaokekan
Little did the others realize that Blitzø was on his second and final song for the karaoke. The first one was a total shitshow for him, but he really didn't put any heart in it, so it was honestly a miracle he even scraped a 75 on that first song. The second one sounded far more solemn, so he hoped that he could also half-ass this and get something out of it.
As Long As You're Happy
Lyrics by Ryosuke Horii
Music by Yuri Fukuda
If I could shape the whole wide world
And then transform it into anything I wanted
If I could, I'd have it so that there's beautiful women as far as the eye can see!
But then I'd drop it, just like that, if you're sad
If I had to live out in the middle of nowhere
In a musty old den with the wind always at my back
And if that meant that I slept on a rice cracker-like bed with a pillow as hard as a tombstone
It's okay as long as I know you're happy
No matter how cruel, awful, and unforgiving
A pit of Hell that I am thrown into
It's a thousand, no, TEN thousand times better than
EVER SEEING YOU SAD!
The scene shifted to him standing next to Loona, who was wearing a red sweater. She had a very disgruntled expression while he was very jovial, holding a certificate in hand. He then held up the certificate while smiling for the camera, wanting the viewers to see very clearly that it was an adoption certificate.
As long as you're happy, it's all fine
I don't care all the same
All the suffering, all the hatred,
Come and bring it!
What followed next was a montage of past events pertaining to his life, such as buying a birthday gift for Loona.
If you're happy, if you're happy,
As long as you're happy, it's fine
So hey! Don't be worried, wipe those tears
Him hugging Loona along with his employees. Him and Loona arguing on the beach. Him hugging Loona after another successful kill outside a mall.
As long as you're happy, it's all fine
I don't care all the same
Your being said is such a waste of your rare beauty
However, Blitzø was not prepared for the scene to change, where he'd be face-to-face with the last person he ever thought he'd see again: his mother. He had changed too, looking to be about an adolescent age as he and his twin sister were sitting on the knees of their mother, who looked at them with a satisfied expression.
If you're happy, if you're happy, then I'm all good!
Then I'll pray to the heavens above just for you
He didn't know how he managed to sing still with this unexpected turn of events, nor was he prepared for the montage revealing other memories he had of his mother, including him kneeling next to his mother's bed as she was resting and another where he was handing her a birthday card.
I love you
I love you
You will never hear me say, "Don't forget me"
I love you
I love you
All I want is for you to be happy into tomorrow
Now go and be happy… forever and ever
The final nail in the coffin was, as he as finishing the last few lines, when he stood face-to-face with his mother, then the both of the started glowing. They were both consumed by the light until Blitzø was returned back to his normal state, but the light that covered his mother shrank. Soon, the light disappeared, revealing Lincoln. The boy looked up at him, smiling that same smile his mother had always given him, where Blitzø could only stand there, looking down at the boy, so lost and confused.
He then found himself back in the karaoke room, all alone except for the machine that awarded him a score of 91. Apparently, he didn't half-ass this nearly as much as he thought, but his mind was racing with too many thoughts to even gain an inkling of an insight as to why he was shown all of this. Even the acid trip he endured from the D.H.O.R.K.S.'s truth serum didn't have this profound of an effect on him. His head started throbbing almost painfully as he stood there to process what he had just witnessed, so he opted to do what he would always do in moments like this: pretend it didn't happen, get the hell out of there, and never look back.
As soon as he got out of the joint, he pulled out his phone and sent a message as he made his way into an obscure alleyway.
PRIDE RING, I.M.P. Headquarters
Loona's phone vibrated, prompting her to pick it up and open it to see the message. That was her cue to open the grimoire and activate the portal spell, which allowed Blitzø passage back into their office.
"Hey, Blitzø," greeted Lincoln. "So… how was your unwinding?"
Blitzø remained silent for a few awkward seconds before replying, "Eh, really boring. I couldn't find any horse figurines, I couldn't find anyone to kill with a gun, and I couldn't find any good assholes or pussies to plow since that place was way too prudish for a red-light district."
"BLITZØ!" shouted everyone else but Lincoln.
"Anyhow, I'm gonna turn in. Come on, Looney, we're going home!"
"Ugh, finally!" said Loona, relieved to end the day.
As everyone made their way out while Lincoln prepared to sleep in his room in the office, the intern noticed Blitzø being the last to leave. Remembering what he said about his boss earlier today, he took his chance to say something to him that he realized he had neglected since day one.
"Blitzø!" Lincoln called to his boss, stopping him in his tracks. "I… I guess I totally forgot to say this since the beginning. But… thanks. Thank you for saving me. Seriously."
Blitzø was taken aback by what his intern had just said to him. He saw and heard no sign of any irony or sarcasm on his face and from his voice, instead seeing the boy smiling at him genuinely. In any other scenario, he'd be yucking up that gratitude as an excuse to boast how great of a boss he is, but it was just the two of them in the lobby, right after he had experienced some very confusing emotions induced by what he had witnessed from the karaoke's weird acid-but-not-acid trip.
As such, all Blitzø could utter was, "Uh… yeah… s'what I do…" With that, Blitzø left the office and locked up, leaving Lincoln alone in the office while he left to his van, uncertain about the near future.
-THE END-
Hope you all enjoyed this extra chapter. This actually turned out to be way longer than I had anticipated. There might be more to come, so please stay tuned.
As for some of the songs, for any Yakuza fans, you might notice that they don't have any actual official English lyrics. Songs like "Pure Love in Kamurocho" and "As Long As You're Happy" I found the English lyrics from fan covers on Youtube. If you can and want to, please check them out.