By the time Mick managed to open his eyes, he found himself staring up at a wooden ceiling in an unfamiliar room. Feeling every fibre of his body ache like he couldn't believe, he used whatever small amount of strength he could force to slowly lift a hand up to his face. To his relief, the blue flames surrounding his body when he passed out were long gone. For the time being, it seemed like he was completely back to normal.
"Ugh… fuck me," he thought aloud, his voice raspy from his burning throat. "Haven't lost it like THAT in a while… Where the fuck am I, anyway?"
Since moving his whole body seemed to be a complete struggle at present, all Mick could do was turn his head to the left to look at his surroundings. From what he could tell, he appeared to be in a tiny shack with some cots and medical equipment stationed in different places. Most likely, this must have been where the contestants were brought to treat their injuries from the games.
During the short time he was awake, Mick slowly began to feel slightly at ease from whatever soreness was ailing him. Whether it was his natural ability to heal as a Sinner or the painkillers the paramedics might have had him on, Mick couldn't say. But in any case, it allowed him to finally register the literal weight he felt on his chest. Tilting his head down, the Cat Demon smiled in delight as he saw Snowflake snuggling up to him upon his blanket like the loyal little fox she was. As soon as she felt her master stir, the pup's ears immediately perked up and she yipped in delight.
"Hey girl," Mick greeted her, not even remotely disgusted as she began to slobber him with happy kisses. "Okay… okay, I'm happy to see you too."
"Well, look who's awake."
Hearing that familiar voice, Mick smiled in delight upon seeing Granny Magma walking into the shack with a bandage wrapped around her head.
"Glad to see you're doing better, youngin," the elderly Imp chuckled. "Y'all gave us a bit of a scare there."
"Granny?" Mick muttered, trying to sit himself up. "Wha… what the hell's going on?"
"Ya passed out in the middle of the ring after delivering a very satisfying beat down to Scorch from what I hear," Granny explained, somewhat reminding Mick that she wasn't conscious for that particular part. "From what I know, the medics carried you in here about an hour ago."
Mick's eyes immediately shot wide open at that.
"An hour!?" he repeated, practically despising himself for being out for so long as certain memories of what happened during the brawl came flooding back. "What about Ember and Chimp? Are they alright!?"
To Mick's surprise, Granny merely closed her eyes and gave the Sinner a soft smile.
"Why don't ya ask them yourself?" she said, gesturing to the foot of his cot.
Tilting his head down, he was surprised to find the two aforementioned Imps at his very feet. While Ember rested her back against the leg of the cot, Chimp was snoring away while resting her head on the elder Imp's lap. Needless to say, the sight of this brought a smile to Mick's face… and not just because of how adorable the pair of them looked.
"The pair of them refused to leave until y'all woke up," Granny explained with a smile. "Hell, the little one practically passed out from worrying about ya. Such a little sweetheart."
Mick's smile immediately grew after hearing that. Knowing that they were so worried about him practically warmed his heart to no end.
"By the look of it, I'd say the kid's imprinted onto you Mick," Granny chuckled. "Y'all better not let her down."
After registering the Imp's words, now it was Mick's turn to chuckle.
"Oh man, how do I keep attracting you weirdos?" he joked.
"Just lucky, I guess," Granny retorted with another grin before walking over to Ember and Chimp and giving them a small nudge. "Hey kids, wakey-wakey time for eggs and bakey."
Feeling her shoulder being lightly shaken, Ember soon fluttered her eyes open.
"G-Granny?" she yawned. "What's going on?"
"Ya passed out, sweetie," Granny answered with a smirk. "You and the youngin."
"H… huh?" Chimp uttered groggily, opening her own eyes and lifting herself off Ember's lap. "Is it already breakfast time?"
Hearing that, Mick couldn't help but laugh.
"Hey, kid," he spoke up with a smirk, immediately grabbing both their attention "Heard you've been waiting up for me."
"Mick!" Ember cried out, snapping her head towards him in delight.
"You're okay!" Chimp added, instantly diving from the floor to wrap her arms around the Cat Demon's neck.
"Well I was the last time I looked," Mick chuckled, forcefully ignoring any pain in his body to wrap an arm around the Imp child. Whatever the circumstances, this was a moment where the hug NEEDED to be reciprocated. "Don't you worry. It's gonna take more than one A-hole to take me down."
"So we noticed," Ember pointed out, standing up straight before stretching herself out. "I didn't know Sinners could set themselves on fire like that. Gotta say you looked pretty badass."
Mick couldn't help but grimace at that. No one else may have known, but that flaming monstrosity was one of the sides of himself that Mick preferred to keep at bay. It was bad enough whenever he had a normal temper tantrum, but when he was low on weed… well, let's just say that he doesn't just harm the person in front of him if he ever had a bad day.
"Yes, well, I'm a special case," Mick explained vaguely, ignoring Ember's raised eyebrow as he returned his attention to Chimp. "Hey, kid, got something for ya."
It was then that Mick gave Chimp the biggest surprise yet, one that once again brought her to tears.
"Figured you might want this back," he said, pulling Chimp's stolen eyepatch from his front pocket and showing it to her.
As it turned out, while Mick was busy beating the living shit out of Scorch, he had just enough of his sanity intact to yank the eyepatch off the Imp's face and pocket it. Of course, it was only by a mere stroke of luck that he was able to keep his on him this entire time considering that only his pants remained unburnt. Considering the fact that the Cat Demon still wasn't wearing a shirt or shoes, he could only guess that he's been like that since before he passed out. Seeing the small piece of leather in Mick's open palm, Chimp quickly took it back and tackled Mick into another hug.
"Thank you," she whispered, having no other words to say.
Seeing the heart-warming display between the two, Ember was almost brought to tears herself, so much so she had to wipe her face before anyone else noticed. By the time Chimp let go of Mick, the elder Imp couldn't help but voice any concerns she had.
"So how're you feeling, Mick?" she asked. "Ya'll took quite a beating out there."
"Sore, but no broken bones, thankfully," Mick replied honestly feeling a little bit more of his strength coming back. "I think I should be fine after I have a joint."
"Ah yeah, that reminds me," Granny spoke up, grabbing a familiar-looking canister and passing it over to Mick. "These fell out of your pocket as the medics were carrying you in."
Seeing that the small metal box was indeed carrying his marijuana, Mick wasted no time in picking out a single stick and sticking it in his mouth. Before he could scramble to try and find a lighter, Ember quickly beat him to the punch by lighting the tip of the joint with a flame from her thumb. The moment the unique-tasting smoke filled his lungs, Mick immediately sighed with relief.
"Aaaaaaah, yeah, that's some good shit," he muttered, causing everyone else to giggle in amusement. "I don't suppose either of you has my mouthpiece on you?"
"Oh, Champ and Chomp found that," Chimp explained. "Said they didn't want to give it back until they cleaned the mud off it."
"More importantly, you reckon you'd be able to walk now, Mick?" Granny spoke up, causing the Cat Demon to raise an eyebrow.
"I think so," he said, stretching out his arms as he took another drag of his joint. "What's the hurry, though?"
"Well, they're about to announce the winner of the Pain Games," Granny explained, causing Mick's ears to perk up with interest. "If we hurry we can just manage to catch it."
Not needing to be told twice, Mick quickly scooped Snowflake up and sat up in the cot, eager to hear the final results of his entire struggle.
"Oh! Uh… you may want to put this on first," Ember spoke up, offering him a spare shirt. "Don't want them sexy abs getting unwanted attention, eh?"
As curious as he was about Ember's choice of words, Mick nonetheless agreed with her. Given what he experienced when he first arrived in Wrath, he didn't want to risk anyone getting any ideas of jumping his bones as soon as they saw him. Pulling the simple red flannel shirt over his head, he then noticed Chimp struggling to tie off her eyepatch. Having been on Scorch's face for so long, undoubtedly the strap must have been stretched out or adjusted for HIS head. Needless to say, Mick couldn't stand to see the kid struggle like that.
"Here," he said, taking the patch out of Chimp's hands for a moment. "Turn around."
Quickly understanding what the Cat Demon intended to do, the young Imp didn't hesitate to turn and allow Mick to place the eyepatch over her blank eye before gently tying it off.
"There you go," he said, admiring his handiwork. "Not too tight?"
"Nuh-uh," Chimp replied, feeling a huge wave of nostalgia as she welcomed back her mother's last gift to her. "It's all good."
It didn't take that long to find Loona again, along with Chimp's siblings. Having grown worried themselves, they made sure to stay close to the medical area in hopes of running into Mick as soon as he woke up. The moment he stepped out, smiles of relief spread all across their faces.
"Well, it's about time, Mr 'Burning Terror'," Loona greeted with an amused smirk.
As much as Mick wanted to scold Loona for using that new nickname, he'd gladly accept THAT over Crazy Cat any day.
"MICK!" Chomp cried out, jumping up into his chest and tackling him to the ground.
"GAH!" Mick exclaimed before an amused laugh escaped his lips "Hey! Come on, kid! I just got back from a fight!"
Alas, even as Chomp got off him and allowed him to get back to his feet, Mick saw that neither sibling was any less excited.
"You were so cool out there!" Champ cried out.
"YEAH!" Chomp added. "You were like 'no mercy!' And Scorch was all 'please, please no, please!' That was the best fight EVER!"
"Oh, that reminds me," Champ spoke up, reaching for something in his front pocket. "We cleaned this up for you."
Just like Chimp said, the item in Champ's hand was the mouthpiece from Mick's mask, which he gladly accepted and started reattaching to the rest of it.
"Thanks, kid," he said before the ringing of a microphone drew his attention.
"Sounds like they're about to announce the winners now," Ember pointed out, drawing everyone's attention.
Sure enough, as soon as everyone turned their eyes to the main stage once more, Wally Wackford jumped to its centre and spoke into the mic with an excited grin on his face. What's more, Stolas was once again sitting behind him as he made the announcement.
"Well, folks! I say, I say, for the first year ever, we have a tie for winner of the Harvest Moon Pain Games!" he called out.
The instant Mick registered those words in his head, he was immediately filled with worry. A tie? A tie between who? Thankfully the Cat Demon wasn't left in suspense for more than a second due to Stolas once again snatching the mic and making the announcement himself.
"The winners are… Striker, aaaaand my darling Blitzy!"
"JUST SAY MY NAME RIGHT!" Blitzo yelled as he and Striker climbed up onto the stage to receive their winnings. "Fucking dick."
After that, Mick's brain immediately shut down. Even after all that effort, all the bloodshed… he still lost? How!? He was so sure that he added up the points correctly.
"Wait... if those two ranked first… then where am I?" he thought aloud.
Needless to say, Loona and the Imps were just as flabbergasted as Mick was. They thought for sure that Mick would have at least received some bonus points after the final fight. Alas, the Cat Demon's luck wasn't so fortunate. Turning her head towards the scoreboard once more, Granny double-checked to see if everything was as Stolas said. Sadly, when she saw where Mick's name was, she could only let out a defeated sigh.
"Second place, Micky," she muttered. "You were off by one point, sugar."
"WHAT?!" Chimp snapped.
"THAT'S NOT FAIR!" Chomp added.
"YEAH, that's bullshit with a capital B!" Champ snarled. "What, are those judges blind or something!?"
Mick couldn't blame the kids for their outrage, of course. Hell, he was right there with them. One point… one FUCKING point!? Did he miscount the points somehow? Either way, the Sinner was nonetheless screwed at this point.
"Hey, don't worry about it, okay?" Loona spoke up. "I can go talk to Blitz and see if I can't get your Rosario off him."
"And you know Striker well enough," Granny added. "After that fight, I'm sure he'll respect you enough to give the thing back if he has it."
While he was doubtful, Mick nonetheless appreciated the gesture from the both of them. Hell, robbing the winner was probably gonna be his Plan B anyway, so maybe knowing them personally would help in that regard. However, before Mick could even start to ponder on who to approach first, Ember suddenly cleared her throat to grab everyone's attention.
"Uh... you may want to hold off on that," she said, pointing up to the stage.
"Hmm?" Mick uttered, turning his head back to the stage just in time to catch the end of a guitar solo Striker started singing as soon as he was announced the winner.
"… it's just the wind."
The moment the song ended, everyone was in a small uproar until Wackford once again drew their attention by tapping on the mic.
"I say, I say, that was just beautiful," he said as he ushered Striker off the stage. "And now, before we close off for the evening, we have a last-minute prize to award."
Hearing that, many murmurs began to echo through the crowd, even Granny and the kids were raising confused eyebrows.
"Huh… this is new," Granny commented, crossing her arms with intrigue.
Ember, on the other hand, obtained a small grin as time went on. Having a strong suspicion of what was about to happen, she couldn't help feeling a little smug due to the part she played in it without anyone else's knowledge.
"Now I'll admit, we normally don't do shit like this," Wackford continued. "But after today's incredible display and by the suggestion of a lovely lady in the audience, all judges agree that this one Demon's efforts deserve to be acknowledged."
At that moment, the mic was once again snatched from Wackford's hands and brought up to Stolas's smiling face.
"Allow us to present, he who holds the true title of the roughest, toughest bastard in Wrath... MICAHEL NIKOS!"
"AKA… MICHAEL FIRECLAW!" Wackford shouted, desperately wanting to get the last word in.
Hearing this, Mick almost swallowed his joint in shock. A bonus prize… and he WON!? For a brief moment, the Sinner thought he was still in a coma and this was just a vivid dream. However, as soon as he heard the cheering and chanting, he immediately felt otherwise.
"Fireclaw! Fireclaw! Fireclaw! Fireclaw!"
"Is… is this really happening, right now?" he uttered, suddenly feeling Ember's hands upon his shoulders.
"Well, don't just stand there like a dumbass," he said, grinning in excitement as she shook Mick back to his senses. "Get your ass up there!"
"Don't keep them waiting, youngin!" Granny added, looking just as excited as her granddaughter.
Before he realized it, Mick was being ushered by his friends towards the stage. What's more, the crowd appeared to part for him as he made his way over, with every Imp in attendance giving him smiles of respect… in fact, some of the ladies even gave him flirtatious grins on top of that. Before long, the Cat Demon found himself climbing up the steps and walking over to Wackford as he held up a ribbon with a golden disk attached to it while Stolas did the announcement.
"Michael Nikos, for your incredible display of strength and ferocity, we present you with this Satanic medal of honour," the Goetia declared, smiling proudly as Mick bowed his head to allow Wackford to place said medal around his neck. "May you always be remembered as one of the roughest, toughest bastards in Wrath!"
As the air was once again filled with the screams of cheering from the audience, Mick had to admit such an acknowledgement was frightfully overwhelming… then Stolas gave him the most welcomed of surprises when he suddenly leaned in and whispered in the Sinner's ear.
"And I believe THIS is yours," he said, giving Mick a small wink before subtly placing something in the Cat Demon's hand.
Looking down at his palm, Mick suddenly felt like he was going to break down, crying tears of joy. There in his hand, after so much effort and bloodshed to get it back, was his Rosario, looking even shinier than he remembered it. Whether that was because it was recently polished, or because Mick's relieved mind was over fantasizing about its return, the Sinner couldn't care less. Finally… his precious item had returned to him.
Back in Pride, other tears were being shed. Though in Octavia's case, it was tears of frustration, rather than joy. After her conversation with Charlie and Vaggie ended with her storming off, the Goetia Princess ended up rushing into the ladies' restroom and refused to come out. As worrying as it was to see, it was only made worse when an hour passed and she STILL didn't come out.
Hiding away in one of the stalls, Octavia tried desperately to recollect herself. But for the life of her, she was finding it difficult. When Charlie and Vaggie went on and on about her relationship with Mick, all sorts of emotions came flooding through her at once. So much so that she had no idea of how to handle them. She didn't even know WHY their words hit her so hard, of course. After all, Mick WAS just a really good friend… wasn't he?
KNOCK! KNOCK!
"Go away, Linda!"
That seemed to have developed into somewhat of a routine in the last hour. Ever since Octavia started hiding in the restroom, now and then Linda would try to come in and check on her and/or try to coax her out. As much as she appreciated the sweet Imp's efforts, however, Octavia wasn't in the mood to see anyone. So, of course, every one of Linda's attempts ended in her going back outside. If Octavia didn't know any better, she'd say that Linda was simply waiting just outside the restroom door between each one. This time, however…
"It's Charlie, Octavia," she heard from the other side of the stall door. "Can we talk?"
"Just leave me alone!" Octavia snapped back, hoping Charlie would take the hint.
Just outside the stall, Lucifer's daughter let out a small sigh. In all honesty, she should have expected a reaction like this. Despite both being Princesses, she had to remember that despite being almost an adult, Octavia was still only 17 years old, so emotional outbursts should have been expected. However, given how long it's been already, despite her reservations, Charlie felt it was time for a little tough love.
"I'm not going anywhere, Via," she said firmly. "Not until you come out."
"Then you're going to be waiting all night!" Octavia retorted.
However, Charlie wasn't backing down that easily.
"Via, if you don't come out, then I swear I'm coming in!" she snapped, quickly losing her patience.
"You wouldn't dare," Octavia tried to retort, only for her effort to be in vain when Charlie started counting down.
"3… 2… 1…"
"Alright! Alright!"
Then just as Charlie had hoped, the Goetia Princess managed to slam open the stall door and stomp out.
"There, was that so hard?" Charlie asked, trying her best not to sound smug even as Octavia let out a frustrated sigh.
"I thought I made it clear that I wanted to be left alone," she let out with a huff.
"You did," Charlie acknowledged. "But as your friend, I chose to ignore you for your own good."
Octavia, of course, only let out an irritated groan at that as she leaned up against the sinks.
"Look, I'm sorry if anything we said upset you," Charlie continued, choosing to go straight to the point of the conversation. "We didn't mean to make things awkward."
"You should have just minded your own business," Octavia argued.
"Perhaps," Charlie admitted. "But that's not the WHOLE reason you were so upset, was it?"
Raising an eyebrow, Octavia gave her fellow Princess a quizzical glance. In all honesty, she didn't like where this conversation was going.
"What are you getting at?" she asked, much to her instant regret.
"You're upset because you have no idea what you're actually feeling, do you?"
As soon as Charlie asked that, Octavia immediately put up her walls and snapped her gaze towards the restroom mirror, grimacing at her own reflection as Lucifer's daughter continued to speak.
"Now, I understand that you would get defensive regardless since Mick is your friend," she said. "He's kind, he's thoughtful, and he's helped you through some tough times since you met, so obviously you'd care for him… But it's grown a lot more than that, hasn't it?"
Despite being asked point blank, the Goetia Princess refused to talk back, choosing to keep her walls up even though they were beginning to crumble quickly with every word that came out of Charlie's mouth.
"And I'm not talking about a small crush either, Octavia," she continued, deciding not to beat around the bush and be as blunt as she could muster. "This runs a lot deeper than that, doesn't it? You REALLY like Mick."
That's it! She couldn't take it anymore! If Octavia didn't say anything now, Charlie was going to tell her something she couldn't deny anymore!
"You don't know what you're talking about!" she snapped, only for Charlie to swiftly refute her efforts.
"Don't I, Via?" she retorted. "Let's look at the facts, shall we? He's kind to you, mask aside, he's good-looking, you obviously both care about each other, and you never stopped grinning like a schoolgirl during the whole time Johnny was sharing stories about him. Face it, Octavia... you got it bad."
As much as Octavia wanted to argue, she immediately found herself unable to do so because there wasn't a single thing about Charlie's statement that wasn't true. In fact, the Goetia Princess was so far backed into a corner, she was beginning to stumble over her own words.
"I… I don't…" she tried to say, only for no other words to come out as Charlie suddenly placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Look, I get it," she said with a sigh. "It's hard trying to open your heart when all you know is… well, this place. It makes you feel vulnerable and scared… but that doesn't mean taking a chance isn't worth it when you let the right person in."
Octavia did understand what Charlie was trying to say, no question about that. After all, being all lovey-dovey could even get you SHOT in some areas in Pride. Still, what Lucifer's daughter was suggesting wasn't an easy task as far as the Goetia was concerned.
"Pretty hard to find the right person when most of the people you know are dickheads and rich snobs," she commented with a heavy sigh.
"Does MICK count as either of those things?" Charlie asked with a raised eyebrow, knowing exactly what Octavia was going to say.
"Well, no, but-"
"But nothing, Via," her fellow Princess stated firmly, her face gaining a soft smile as she pulled Octavia's shoulders so that they were face to face. "Look, the reason you called me in the first place was to get advice for your feelings, wasn't it? Well, here's the advice… regardless of whatever circumstances are… sometimes you need to let your heart win over your head."
…
"How long have you been working on THAT cheesy line?" Octavia asked with a light smirk.
"I… might have been working on it during the car ride over here," Charlie admitted, instantly turning a sheepish red and causing both girls to share a small laugh.
Charlie did have a point though. Regardless of how the evening turned out, the reason Octavia called her in the first place was to get help recognising her emotions. Remembering that, she instantly felt a little stupid about the way she reacted with her and the others. Once the two managed to let out a few small giggles, Charlie's face eventually regained its serious expression, albeit with a gentle smile this time.
"Look, just promise me you'll give it some thought, okay?" she asked.
Octavia, of course, let out yet another sigh at that.
"That much I can do," she said. "Thanks, Charlie… and sorry about all this."
At those words, Charlie's smile grew.
"It's no problem, Via, I understand completely," she replied, stifling another small laugh, "Hell, you should have seen what I was like when Vaggie and I first started going out. Woo, talk about drama."
Hearing that, even Octavia had to stifle a laugh.
"I can imagine," she said. "I'll rejoin you guys in a minute, okay? I, uh… just gotta freshen up first."
"Okay, but don't take too long, or I'm coming back in here," Charlie chuckled as she finally left the restroom.
Though Lucifer's daughter meant it as a joke, Octavia had a sneaking suspicion that she would still make good on that warning if she took too much longer in here. Turning back towards the sinks, she quickly turned on the taps and splashed some water on her face. Grabbing some tissues, she then began to wipe away any makeup that had been smeared during the whole piece of drama she just went through.
It was at that moment that Octavia noticed something in the mirror. Looking down at her neck, she found herself letting out a small surprised gasp. In her efforts to get ready for tonight, she had inadvertently chosen to wear the choker necklace Mick gave her for the banquet. Now that she thought about it, this was actually the first present Mick had ever given her… along with the dress that went with it, of course. Taking this along with everything else, including Charlie's assertions into account, Octavia couldn't help but ask herself the million soul question… Did she REALLY like Mick that way?
Back in Wrath, said Sinner was feeling like Christmas had come by several months early. Staring at his medal in one hand and his Rosario in the other, it was no surprise that his spirits were completely lifted.
Sure enough, it was a time for celebration. Not just for Mick, but for everyone who had attended the Harvest Moon Festival that day. With the Pain Games finally over, Mick and the others decided to head back to the Snakeskin Saloon for a round of celebratory drinks. The only one who sadly couldn't attend was, of course, Loona, who reluctantly had to rejoin her coworkers after Blitzo came to find her. Still, as far as Granny was concerned, it was the Hellhound's loss.
"Three cheers for Michael Fireclaw!" the elderly Imp cackled, holding up a large bottle of whisky from behind the bar.
Needless to say, Granny was quite the party animal when she was feeling ecstatic. Laughing from his seat at the bar, Mick pocketed his prizes and raised his own drinking glass.
"Down the hatch!" he called out, downing a large gulp of booze along with everyone else.
At that moment, a small yip drew the Cat Demon's attention to the bar. Seeing Snowflake playfully wag her tails while hopping across the bar with joy, he found himself laughing even harder.
"What a day, eh, girl?" he said, scooping the little fox up and giving her a scratch behind the ears. "And I hear YOU were the little hero today too, hmm?"
Hearing that, Snowflake instantly held her nose in the air with a smug grin on her face. If there was one thing the Kitsune pup adored, it was getting praised by her master.
"She ain't the only one, sugar," Granny chuckled, having calmed down just enough to have a decent conversation with the Sinner. "I tell ya, after today, there ain't no one who's gonna forget this year's festival."
"I wouldn't be surprised," Mick chuckled back, recollecting the events that brought him to this moment with mixed nostalgia.
At that moment, Granny's smile faded a little and her tone quickly turned serious. Despite the cause for celebration, there was still one thing that she and Mick needed to talk about.
"So… you're finally heading back to Pride huh?" she asked.
Though caught off guard at first, Mick nonetheless nodded his head with a sigh.
"Mhm," he uttered before reaching into his pocket and holding up a small folded-up piece of paper. "Prince Stolas gave me this after my medal. Said that I could have tonight to relax and recuperate… then I have to be on my way tomorrow morning."
Given what Mick told her before, Granny didn't need any hints to figure out what was on the paper. Since it was a written spell that brought him to Wrath, then it only made sense that the same method would get him back to Pride. Still… despite knowing that this moment was inevitable, Granny personally felt that it arrived far too quickly.
"That soon, huh?" she asked.
"'Fraid so," Mick replied, sharing in Granny's moment of sorrow. Despite everything that's happened, including the circumstances of his arrival, the Cat Demon had to admit that there will be a lot of things he will miss in Wrath.
Looking over to one particular table in the far corner, Mick let out a small sigh as he watched Ember laugh the night away with Chimp and her siblings. He never would have thought it at first, but sure enough, Mick had managed to make a good few friends here. Friends that he would always cherish even when he's gone. Sensing the cause for Mick's shift in mood, Granny once again gave the Sinner a small smile.
"Y'all be sure to give proper goodbyes to them youngins, ya hear?" she said, shifting her gaze towards Ember and the kids. "They've actually grown quite fond of you, ya know?"
Mick immediately gave a firm nod at that.
"Oh, you won't have to worry about that," he stated assuringly. "I'll NEVER be one to just up and leave without a word… you will look after them, right?"
Once again, Granny couldn't help but chuckle.
"As if they were my own flesh and blood, sugar," she replied, giving the Cat Demon a thumbs-up.
Hearing that, Mick let out a relieved sigh. Despite the arrangement for Chimp and her siblings originally being good for only a couple of days, after talking it over with Granny when the games were over, it was eventually decided that they would stay in the Snakeskin Saloon permanently. Granted, Chimp, Champ and Chomp had no idea about the new arrangement just yet, but nonetheless, it was more than a relief for Mick to know that those kids will be okay even after he leaves.
"Hey! Why do you look so glum, eh!?"
Being so lost in his own thoughts, Mick suddenly found himself surprised when Ember suddenly wrapped her arm around the back of his neck and gave him a side hug while Chimp and her siblings sat on the stools next to him.
"What!? I'm not glum!" the Cat Demon denied. "No, I was just reflecting is all."
"Yeah, I get that," Ember chuckled. "I suppose y'all must be pretty overwhelmed after today, huh?"
At those words, Mick couldn't help but chuckle.
"Well, that goes without saying," he admitted. "But honestly, I don't think things could have gotten better. I had a fun day, I got my Rosario back, AND I got to beat the living shit out of someone who deserved it."
"Hear! Hear!" Chimp giggled, taking a sip from her glass of soda.
"Frankly, I'm ecstatic," Mick continued. "Hell, today has made me so happy, I feel like singing."
All three of Chimp, Champ and Chomp's eyebrows instantly shot up at that.
"Singing?" Champ repeated, uncertain that he heard right.
"You sing?!" Chimp added with an excited gasp.
Having let such a thing slip out, Mick immediately felt a little awkward.
"Well… I used to," he admitted, scratching the back of his head. "I even dabbled in a little piano back in the day. The thing is I really haven't done much of that in years."
A statement that was more or less true as far as the Wrath Ring Imps were aware. The only other time Mick played any sort of instrument in recent years was when he tried to cheer Octavia up after the incident with Seth. However, his reluctance was nothing more than a fragile border as far as Granny was concerned.
"That so?" she said, giving Mick a playful grin.
"Uh... why are you looking at me like that?" the Sinner asked awkwardly.
Having a rough idea of what her Grandmother was plotting, Ember quickly gasped in shock.
"Granny… no," she said firmly, only for her words to fall on deaf ears.
"Granny, yes!" the old Imp cackled before she suddenly grabbed Mick's arm and pulled him towards the stage. "Let's see what y'all can do, youngin!"
Now having a clear picture of what the old lady had in mind, Mick's mind quickly went into a state of panic.
"Granny, no!" he begged. "Please, I can't!"
"Oh, hush up and grow a pair," Granny retorted, shamelessly pulling him onto the stage and tapping the mic to get everyone's attention.
"How're y'all doing this evening!?" she called out, instantly gaining the ear of everyone in the saloon and receiving a light cheer in response. "I thought as much. Now, tonight we at the Snakeskin Saloon have a special treat for y'all. You know him from today's Pain Games as the Burning Terror, but tonight, he comes to soothe your souls with his musical prowess. Who's up for a musical number by none other than MICHAEL FIRECLAW!?"
As soon as that name was uttered; everyone in the saloon cheered even louder for the Sinner in their midst. Not only that, but a few female imps even started giving him sexual glances as soon as they spotted him. As embarrassing as it was, Mick had to admit the praise was rather enticing.
"Now I dunno about y'all, but I'm more than curious to hear him play, aren't you!?" Granny continued, ushering Mick towards the large wooden piano onstage as more cheers rumbled from the crowd. "All yours, darlin'."
Seeing that he apparently didn't have a choice in the matter, all Mick could do then was let out a small sigh, sit at the piano and indulge the request of apparently everyone in the room as Granny stepped off the stage. Feeling the ivory keys beneath his fingertips, the Cat Demon felt a surge of nostalgia as he and the house band prepared themselves for their performance. After taking a few cleansing breaths, he then spoke into the attached mic.
"Uh… hi?" he said, surprisingly gaining everyone's silence instantaneously. "I, uh… I'm not sure if any of you will know this one. But this song is a personal favourite of mine all the way from the living world… a little something I think seems appropriate for this particular occasion. Now, I'm a little rusty but I hope you all enjoy it anyway."
At those words, everyone in the audience gave him a light chuckle followed by a small applause. Without any reason to delay any further, Mick then let out one final breath and began strumming his fingers against the keys of the piano. The moment the first note rang in his ear, it felt like everything else in the room blew away in the wind. Almost immediately getting caught up in his own tune, Mick then gave everyone in the room the biggest surprise of the night with the sound of his voice.
Mick:
I've paid my dues,
Time after time,
I've done my sentence,
But committed no crime,
The moment the first verse reached their ears, the jaws of Chimp, Champ, and Chomp instantly dropped. What made the display even more amazing was when tiny balls of blue flames started spitting out of Mick's fingertips, the sounds of voices emanating a small chorus of voices that sang with him in the background.
Mick:
And bad mistakes,
I've made a few,
I've had my share of sand,
Kicked in my face,
But I've come through…
"You have…" Ember started.
"gotta be…" Champ uttered.
"fucking…" Chomp squeaked.
"… kidding me!" Chimp concluded, her smile never leaving her face for a second.
Even Granny couldn't help but smirk in delight as Mick's voice reached her ears. In fact, almost everyone in the Saloon was mesmerized by how wonderfully he sang, especially when the chorus came along.
Flames:
And we mean to go on and on and on and on…
Mick:
We are the champions, my friends,
And we'll keep on fighting till the end,
We are the champions,
We are the champions,
No time for losers,
'Cause we are the champions of the World!
At that moment, half the Saloon couldn't resist cheering despite the song barely being half done, among them were, of course, Ember and the kids. In fact, so many patrons were getting so into the music, a good chunk of them were already swaying their arms in the air while waving ignited lighters as if they were at a real concert.
"Yeehaw!" Ember cried out. "Sing it, cowboy!"
RING-RING! RING-RING! RING-RING!
Suddenly Granny's attention was drawn to the large rotary phone she kept behind the bar. Groaning irritably at the interruption from Mick's performance, she stomped over to it and picked up the receiver with a scowl.
"Snakeskin Saloon," she answered. "If this ain't important, I'll hunt ya down and… huh… uh, yeah, she's here. Ember, it's for you!"
Raising an eyebrow at her grandmother's announcement, Ember then went behind the bar with a confused look on her face.
"Who is it?" she asked curiously.
"Fuck if I know," Granny replied with a shrug. "Some guy with an uppity accent."
Though hesitant at first, Ember nonetheless accepted the receiver and put it to her ear.
"Hello?" she said, intrigued by the voice on the other end of the call. "Yes, this is she… huh? … a job offer? But… you have a recording of my song? I… I see… alright, maybe I'll stop by on Monday. Yes, Mr Calico… Thank you."
As soon as the call ended, Ember looked even more confused than ever.
"What's wrong, darling?" Granny asked, quickly noticing her granddaughter's anxiety.
"He… he said that he heard a recording of one of my songs and wants me to meet him at his place in Pride to talk about a job opening," Ember explained, much to Granny's surprise as well as her own. "But how did-"
At that moment, Ember's eyes snapped wide open in shock as a small gasp escaped her lips. How could a Demon in Pride even hear her song if she had never left Wrath? The only way she could think of was if someone FROM Pride managed to record her voice during the last day or so and send it over. But that couldn't be right… After all, most would rather just keep the recording for themselves or post it on the internet. But this Calico person said the recording was sent to him directly. Taking all of that into account, there was only ONE Demon that could have been responsible… The Sinner currently singing the final chorus of his song.
Flames:
And we mean to go on and on and on and on…
Mick:
We are the champions, my friends
And we'll keep on fighting till the end
We are the champions
We are the champions
No time for losers
'Cause we are the champions… of the Wooooooooooooorld!
"WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
When that final note rang through the Saloon and the flames around Mick's head dissipated into nothing, the entire audience roared in admiration. Even Chimp, Champ and Chomp were jumping in their seats while Snowflake let out a happy howl along with their cheers. Soon enough, the whole room began to chant.
"Fireclaw! Fireclaw! Fireclaw!"
Whether it was for his skills in hand-to-hand combat or his musical talent, there was no shortage of respect and admiration for the Cat Demon now. In fact, one could argue that he was now one of the most popular Demons in Wrath… and if he was being honest with himself… Mick loved every second of it.
"Thank you!" he called out, standing up from the piano and giving a small bow. "Thank you very much! You're all too kind!"
The only Demons who seemed to remain silent at that moment…were Ember and her grandmother. Not because they weren't happy for the Sinner, far from it. If anything, the only thing that was keeping their mouths shut was the confusion that spawned from that one phone call.
Up in Pride, the night was pretty much over as far as Octavia was concerned. After managing to pry herself out of the restroom, all she could muster was a single drink before deciding she was ready to go home. Neither her head nor her heart seemed to be into it any longer. Given everything that had happened, rather than argue the matter, Charlie and Vaggie agreed that they shouldn't keep her if she didn't want to stay. So now here she was, sitting in the passenger seat of Johnny's van with Johnny himself at the wheel, Linda sitting in the middle of them, and Buzz sleeping off his drunken haze in the back.
Granted she could have taken the limo back, but Jessie had already downed a few strong drinks and it was bad enough experiencing her insane driving when she was SOBER. Besides, she didn't want to ruin the Hellhound's night any further so she wasn't going to force her to drive her home if she didn't want to. Thankfully, Johnny was nice enough to offer a lift in his van for not just her but for Linda and Buzz as well. Given the fact that he had already made the trip to Octavia's home before, he didn't see it as any trouble.
"Well, here we are ladies," the greaser declared as he pulled up in front of the Goetia house. "Home sweet home."
"Thanks, Johnny," Octavia replied with a sigh. "Sorry for the trouble."
"Hey, it's no trouble at all, Missy," Johnny insisted before shifting his gaze towards the Imp in the back of the van. "Though you may want to get HIM out of my ride before he throws up on the rug."
Both Octavia and Linda groaned at that.
"I'll grab him," Linda volunteered, quickly heading towards the sliding door.
While the little Imp struggled to pull her drunken colleague out of the van by his tail, Johnny took a look at Octavia and couldn't help but notice the sombre look on her face.
"Hey… um… you sure you're gonna be okay?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.
Octavia couldn't blame the Snake Demon for asking such a question, of course. While he may not have been at the table for the initial outburst, he more or less got the picture of what happened after he and Linda got the details from Vaggie.
"Oh, yeah, I'm fine," the Goetia Princess insisted, trying to brush the whole thing off. "Don't worry about me."
Given the look remaining on Octavia's face, Johnny knew that the Owl Demon was trying to avoid any more awkward conversations for the night. Choosing to respect her wishes, he quickly decided to keep his mouth shut. Once everyone was out of the van, the greaser let out a heavy sigh of his own.
"Well, I'll see you gals around then," he said, saying his goodbyes before driving his van back towards the front gate, leaving his passengers alone in front of the house.
After a few moments of awkward silence, Linda eventually cleared her throat.
"Do… Do you need anything else, M'lady?" she asked nervously, carefully trying to keep the sleeping Buzz hanging on her shoulders as she tried to anticipate what was going to happen next.
Octavia merely shook her head at that,
"No, just dump that idiot somewhere and head on to bed," she instructed before pointing a thumb towards the side gate. "I'm just going to get some air in the garden for a bit."
As much as she didn't want to leave her friend alone after what happened back at the Rustler's Retreat, Linda nonetheless gave a respectful nod in response.
"I understand," she uttered, soon turning to walk away. "Goodnight, Octi,"
"Night," Octavia replied, watching with amusement as Linda carried Buzz over to the fountain before throwing him in it and making her way over to the servant's entrance.
Now left completely alone, Octavia walked in the opposite direction towards the side gate. Once through, she let out a small frustrated groan as she entered her family's garden. Now surrounded by the tranquil scenery of her father's plants and garden ornaments, along with the sound of water from the pool, she soon began to mull over everything.
Taking off her shoes to feel the soft grass between her toes, the Goetia Princess allowed the atmosphere to wash over her as she walked further into the garden. She'll admit that she never saw the appeal of her father's fascination with botanical wonders during the first few years of her life, but despite preferring her corner of the library, the calm wonder of the garden did have its perks when one wanted to just walk around and think. However, the more she thought about what Charlie said to her in the restroom, the more she began to feel frustrated with herself.
"Ugh… What is the matter with me?" she thought aloud, once more looking down at the choker around her neck. "You'd think I could at least admit it to myself."
Feeling lost in her own thoughts, it wasn't long before Octavia allowed the garden's tranquil atmosphere to take hold of her completely. Feeling the mystical elements from each of her father's Hellborn plants that surrounded her, she didn't even realize it when she started singing to herself.
Octavia:
If there's a cure for Hellborn heartache,
I guess I'm in need of one real bad,
No man is worth the aggravation,
It's never gonna happen, so too bad, so sad,
In fact, Octavia was so wrapped up in everything that was going through her head that at some point during her musings, she imagined Charlie, Vaggie, Jessie and Linda appearing behind her in place of a few garden statues, all of them singing along with her while lecturing her at the same time.
Charlie, Vaggie, Jessie and Linda:
Who'd you think you're kidding?
He's the entire seven to you,
Try to keep it hidden,
Honey, we can see right through you,
Girl, you can't conceal it,
We know how you're feeling,
Who you're thinking of!
Of course, no matter what her mind kept telling her, Octavia continued to deny what was right in front of her.
Octavia:
No chance no way,
I won't say it, no, no!
Charlie, Vaggie, Jessie and Linda:
(You swoon, you sigh, why deny it? Oh! Oh!)
Octavia:
It's too cliche,
I won't say I'm in love!
After that, Octavia walked further into the garden in a vain attempt to escape the voices in her head. However, even that was proving to be difficult as she continued letting everything out.
Octavia:
I thought that love was just a story,
A myth that losers randomly blurt out,
My head is screaming "Get a grip girl!
Unless you're dying to cry your heart out!"
Then once again, the voices of her friends rang around her again, this time seemingly coming from the lights in the luminous flowers around her.
Charlie, Vaggie, Jessie and Linda:
Girl you can't deny it,
Who you are is how you're feeling,
Baby, we're not buying,
Hon, we saw you hit the ceiling,
Face it like a grown-up,
When you gonna own up,
that you got, got, got it BAAAAAAAD!?
At this point, Octavia tried one more attempt to run away from her own thoughts, only to end up standing at the edge of the family pool.
Octavia:
No chance no way,
I won't say it, no, no!
Charlie, Vaggie, Jessie and Linda:
(Give up, give in,)
Linda:
(check the grin, you're in love!)
Octavia:
This scene won't play,
I won't say I'm in love!
Charlie, Vaggie, Jessie and Linda:
(You're doin' flips
Read our lips, you're in love!)
Soon enough, Octavia found herself collapsing at the edge of the pool, dipping her feet in the water as she stared at her reflection while the images of everyone appeared in the water with her.
Octavia:
You're way off base, I won't say it!
Get off my case, I won't say it!
Then, at that moment, the images of Charlie, Vaggie, Jessie and Linda disappeared… only to be replaced by the one Demon Octavia WANTED to see.
Charlie, Vaggie, Jessie and Linda:
(Girl don't be proud, it's okay you're in love)
Seeing Mick's mismatched eyes staring back at her in the water, whatever defences Octavia had left crumbled immediately. With a smile filled with joy and longing, she then gripped her choker like it was a precious treasure. Finally… it was time to admit her own feelings.
Octavia:
Oooooooooooooooh,
At least out loud… I won't say I'm in loooooooooooooove.
As hard as it was to say aloud at first, there was no denying it now… Princess Octavia of the Ars Goetia had fallen in love with Mick Nikos.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
The Featured Song(s):
We Are The Champions - sung by Queen and
I Won't Say I'm In love - from the movie: Hercules