"Ah, the sweet, rejuvenating air of freedom," Buzz sighed as he took in a deep breath through the nose. "There's nothing like it,"
At that moment, one of the Bellhops came rushing to the van with a concerned look on her face.
"Um… can I help you, sir?" she asked, her voice filled with caution as she felt unnerved by Buzz's twitching eye.
"Ah yes," Buzz replied with a grin. "Do you provide parking for this hotel?"
"Of… course," the Bellhop replied, raising an eyebrow at the Imp as if the answer was obvious.
Buzz, of course, smiled again before throwing the keys to the van up in the air for the Bellhop to catch.
"Great!'' he declared. "In that case would you mind parking this baby somewhere close? Don't wanna tell the original owner that I lost it so soon."
Before the Bellhop could question that last part, a loud noise suddenly came from inside the van.
THUMP! THUMP!
Upon hearing that, Buzz almost burst out laughing.
"Oop, sorry! Let me just get my luggage first."
At those words, all the Bellhop could do was watch as Buzz casually walked towards the back of the van and opened the sliding door… allowing none other than Johnny to fall out while bound and gagged in duct tape!
"Hey, Johnny boy!" Buzz cackled, "Have a nice sleep?
This question, however, only earned the Imp a furious glare from the imprisoned Sinner. Choosing not to question what she was witnessing, the Bellhop then decided to brush off what she saw and got into the driver's seat of the van. After all, this wouldn't be the FIRST kidnapping she had seen pass through this resort. Before Johnny knew it, he saw his van being driven away to be taken to the nearest parking lot, causing him to glare at Buzz once more.
"Okay, Johnny, I'm about to remove your gag," the Imp said as softly as he could muster. "And when I do you are gonna sit and be quiet, okay?"
Rather than wait for a response from the Sinner, however, Buzz then reached for the tape over Johnny's mouth and gave it a good pull.
RRRRIIIIIP!
"AAH!" Johnny yelped, immediately feeling the sting around his lips and kissing his chances of ever growing a moustache goodbye. "What the FUCK, Buzz!?"
"Woah, hey, no need for hostilities, buddy!" Buzz retorted, his amused grin never once leaving his face. "You're acting as if I did you dirty."
However, Johnny only gave the Imp a baffled scoff at that.
"You KIDNAPPED me!" he pointed out, fully agitated that he needed to state the obvious.
Buzz, of course, denied the accusation immediately.
"No, I didn't…"
Flashback - A few hours earlier:
It took a while, but eventually, Johnny managed to find the spot outside the wall of the Goetia estate where Mick had asked him to meet via text message. By the sound of things, he wanted to discuss something important.
"Mick? I got your text," the greaser called out, confused as he stepped out of the van before checking his phone to see if he had the right time, "Where are-"
CLANG!
"Urk!"
Alas, Johnny had no idea that he was being led into a trap concocted by a scheming little Gardener who had seized the opportunity to steal Mick's phone, send a fake text message and lie in waiting inside a nearby trash can with a frying pan in one hand and a roll of duct tape in the other. Before Johnny even had the chance to go into unconsciousness, he was being taped up and dragged back into his van like a slab of hunting meat.
"Doo-do-do-doo!" Buzz sang to himself as he opened the sliding door with some difficulty. "Okay… now how the fuck am gonna reach the pedals?"
"Okay, maybe I DID," Buzz scoffed. "But it was for a good reason."
"Oh yeah?" Johnny challenged with a roll of his eyes. "Like what?"
At this question, Buzz merely responded with an indifferent shrug.
"I needed the wheels,"
…
"You… are a dead man!"
With that one declaration, Johnny instantly began thrashing against his bonds, much to Buzz's further amusement.
"Hey, now!" He eventually chuckled. "Before you get TOO angry, just take a looky at where you are!"
It was only then that Johnny removed his focus from the target of his anger and gave his surroundings a quick glance. Needless to say, given the amount of time he had spent living in the cesspool known as Pentagram City, he was shocked to find himself somewhere so… nice!
"Wha… Did you seriously knock me out and smuggle me to a different Ring!?" the greaser exclaimed, unable to fathom any other explanation.
Buzz, of course, once again couldn't hold in his laughter.
"Fuck no... I knocked you out, stole your van and smuggled you to a different CIRCLE!" he corrected the Sinner with his signature smirk. "Technically still in the Pride Ring."
At that moment, Johnny had to resist the urge to start banging his head against the nearest pillar.
"Okay, next question," he growled. "WHY am I here!? I mean you had the van, why bring me?"
Somehow Buzz's smirk grew even wider at that.
"Because you're my plus-one, buddy boy!" he declared, much to the Snake Demon's confusion and annoyance. "This place is one of the best resorts in all of Hell, and since I'm due some vacation time, I decided to indulge myself. And since we're pals, I figured you'd be up for it."
Johnny, of course, only responded with a deadpan glare.
"Okay, first off: I don't remember us EVER being pals," he pointed out. "Second: why not just ask Mick? He seems to be the only one capable of tolerating you."
"Well, kinda hard to do that, since he's already here," Buzz retorted, blatantly ignoring Johnny's jab at him.
"Wait, what?" Johnny uttered, raising a confused eyebrow.
"Oh yeah, he and Liddy are accompanying the Goetias for the weekend," Buzz elaborated. "So, of course, once I found that out, I had to do the most rational thing… book a second room in someone else's name and follow the whole lot of them over here!"
Oh, sweet merciful fuck! This guy really DID have some serious attachment issues! Johnny may have seen an example of how badly Buzz missed Mick back in the Rustler's Retreat, but this was some serious stalker-level bullshit here! Fearing what Buzz might do if left on his own, the Greaser had no choice but to sigh and go along with the tiny Imp's scheme, lest he ends up doing something even MORE insane.
"Wait…" he spoke up, a thought suddenly occurring. "How were you even able to afford a room in a place like this?"
Of course, Buzz had a simple answer for that too, specifically in the form of a smug grin and a flick of his wrist, revealing a shimmering gold credit card. Needless to say, Johnny was once again baffled upon seeing it.
"Wha… where the fuck did you get THAT!?" he demanded, recognising the quality of the credit card almost immediately.
"Swiped it from Lady Stella's purse," Buzz answered with a snicker. "With this baby, we'll be living in style, my friend."
"You know that if she finds out, it'll be your funeral, right?" Johnny pointed out, knowing how scary the aforementioned Goetia was firsthand.
Buzz, however, only dismissed the very idea.
"Nah, she'll never miss it!" he chuckled. "The bitch hasn't used this thing in years… always prefers to steal Stolas's card just to make him suffer."
Surprisingly enough, Johnny found that very easy to believe.
"Now come on, our deluxe suite is awaiting," Buzz continued. "You can either spend the weekend up there in luxury, or down here in the parking lot. It's up to you."
With such an ultimatum at his feet, Johnny could only let out one final sigh and make the most rational decision.
"Okay… fuck it."
Meanwhile, back in the hotel's garden, Mick, Linda and Octavia poked their heads out from behind the last hedge of the maze, looking back towards the gaggle of guests talking among themselves as if Bruce had never made his appearance. As sickening as their indifference was, however, the three of them knew that they only had to bear with them just a little longer. The sooner they got this enforced mingling over and done with, the better.
"Now remember," Octavia whispered as the three of them finally stepped out of hiding and glided into the crowd of Demons. "Whatever happens, we stay away from-"
"YOOHOO! Octavia!"
The moment they heard that voice, all three of them instantly tensed and their eyes shrank. Snapping their heads around, they indeed saw, to their horror, the Mouse Demon known as Googoo walking up to them with a sickening smile on her face and Kanya Snowdrop at her side. As gorgeous as Kanya was, however, Mick and Linda's attraction was immediately overshadowed by their fear of the feathered rodent swiftly approaching.
"Let me do the talking," Octavia whispered quickly, earning understanding nods from her two attendants.
As soon as Googoo was within two feet of them, Mick, Linda and Octavia were immediately battered by the Mouse Demon's annoying voice.
"Octavia, darling!" she greeted. "We were wondering where you've been hiding."
"Oh, yeah, I just needed to step away for a bit," Octavia replied, using the first excuse that came to mind. "Drink went straight to my head."
Googoo couldn't help but giggle at that.
"Wow, Via, never took you for such a lightweight," she said, taking a large sip from her champagne glass and believing Octavia's lie without a second thought. "By the way, have I introduced you to my dear friend: Kanya Snowdrop?"
Taking that as her cue, the swimsuit model in question gave Octavia and her two attendants a warm smile as she raised her sunglasses, revealing her seductive green eyes and giving Mick and Linda cause to blush.
"Hey, how're you doing?" she greeted, somehow even getting a blush from Octavia too.
"Oh, um… yes, Kanya," Octavia greeted back, quickly recollecting herself after her momentary lapse in sanity. "How's… how's the modelling career?"
Looking as though she had never been asked a more flattering question, Kanya's smile grew even wider.
"Oh, fantastic," she answered. "Every day it's another great moment of being me. Hell, I'll bet I could give that has-been, Verosika Mayday, a run for her money at this point."
"Sounds like that puts a pep in your step," Octavia replied, once again forcing an interested smile despite not having any real interest.
"Oh, you know it," Kanya laughed. "And let me tell you, all the studs and babes just can't get enough of me."
"Oh, I know the feeling, darling," Googoo added, another smug grin spreading across her lips. "Of course… girls of MY calibre are way too good for any of those losers. I mean, why bother with the peasantry, when there's plenty of good quality stock elsewhere?"
Feeling another shiver down his spine, Mick did NOT like the way Googoo looked at him when she said that last part. With the way she spoke, it almost sounded like she saw Mick as a slab of meat ready to be devoured.
"Yeah… what could they possibly be thinking?" Octavia replied, choosing to play along despite being just as unnerved as Mick was.
"By the way, Via, did you hear about that special event my father was planning for tonight?" Kanya suddenly asked, quickly changing the subject.
Octavia's eyes quickly snapped wide at that. In all the drama with Bruce, she had almost completely forgotten all about it.
"Um… yeah, my mum mentioned something about it," she answered, unsure of what else she could say. "However, she said she couldn't give me all the details. All I know for sure is that it's supposed to take place during dinner."
"I don't suppose YOU have any hints you could give us, Kanya?" Googoo added with a mischievous smirk, her mind always itching for a little gossip.
Alas, Kanya only shook her head at the question.
"Sorry," she said. "I promised I wouldn't spoil the surprise."
It was only at that moment that Octavia and Googoo shared a similar expression in the form of a disappointed pout.
"Oh, poo!" Googoo huffed. "Spoilsport."
Octavia, of course, had to resist the urge to roll her eyes at her fellow Goetia's overreaction. After that, she feared that she would once again be trapped in a seemingly endless cycle of gossip and complaints. Given how Googoo was acting, it would probably take a good 10 minutes before she was done ranting… Thankfully, Octavia had someone on hand to spare her from that.
"Um... forgive me, M'lady," Mick suddenly spoke up after clearing his throat. "But time stands still for no Demon."
Taking that as her cue to play along, Octavia once again seized the opportunity her attendant was providing her.
"Oh, right," she said, feigning an annoyed sigh as if she had just remembered something she had forgotten. "Sorry girls, but I have something I need to take care of. But we'll see you tonight, okay?"
Before Kanya and Googoo could say another word, Octavia then turned away and proceeded to walk away with Mick and Linda in tow. Seeing that their conversation was over, all they could do was bid their fellow Goetia a temporary farewell.
"Oh… okay, we'll see you at dinner then!" Kanya called out with a smile.
"See you later, sexy!" Googoo added, obviously directing her voice towards Mick in particular while following it with a playful, seductive growl.
Hearing that, Mick froze in place for a moment, feeling yet ANOTHER chill go down his spine while his long tail seized up and stood on end. Not wanting to give Googoo the satisfaction of knowing that she got to him, Octavia and Linda quickly pulled Mick away before she could say anything else that would inevitably give him an aneurysm.
As soon as they were sure they were out of earshot from the two upper-class Demons, all three of them eventually let out an anxious sigh. After taking a moment to calm themselves down, Octavia in particular couldn't help but snarl over what just happened.
"I swear, this weekend cannot END soon enough,"
Later that evening, while she may have escaped the annoying clutches of enforced mingling, Octavia found herself in yet another dilemma, albeit not quite as nerve-wracking, but irritating nonetheless… choosing this evening's dinner wear.
Normally such a thing wouldn't be all that important to her. If anything, she would have gladly gone downstairs in her usual star-printed dress and shawl. However, considering that she was now in a fancy hotel with her MOTHER, the Goetia Princess had no choice but to comply with whatever was expected. Thus, she now found herself standing in a satin bathrobe in front of the mirror in her room with Linda at her side, a red dress in one hand and a black one in the other.
"Hmm... I dunno, I do think the red one looks nice," Linda said, offering her opinion when she saw Octavia having difficulty choosing.
"Really?" Octavia replied, raising an eyebrow as he held out the red dress in front of her and took another look in the mirror. "You sure I can't go with the black?"
Linda could only give a small shrug at that.
"I guess that one's nice too," she admitted. "But it kinda blends into your feathers, depending on the light… it, um… it kinda makes you look topless from a distance."
"Seriously!?" Octavia grimaced, holding up the black dress in front of her to be sure. "Damn it, you're right! Red one it is then."
With a heavy sigh, Octavia gladly tossed the black dress onto the bed and once again held the red one in front of her. Looking at her reflection in the glass, she couldn't help but pinch the bridge of her beak.
"Ugh… I swear, my mum can't pick out good clothes worth a shit," she commented, shuddering at the memory of when Stella came in and picked out the two dresses barely half an hour ago. "I just hope I don't end up regretting putting this thing on."
"I'm sure you won't," Linda said, trying to be as reassuring as she could muster… only for her face to suddenly gain a playful smirk as an idea popped into her head. "I know MICK won't."
Upon hearing her crush's name, Octavia immediately became a little flustered, a small hue of red radiating from her cheeks.
"Uh…wh-why wouldn't he?" the Goetia replied, trying desperately to regain her composure. "It's just a stupid dress, it's nothing too serious."
However, Linda wasn't going to let Octavia off that easily.
"I don't know, from what I hear, a dress is what brought you two closer in the first place," she pointed out, stirring up some choice memories for the Goetia. "Didn't he have the one your mother forced on you altered for that banquet a while back?"
The moment the Imp mentioned that, the blush on Octavia's face intensified, spreading all over until she looked like a beetroot.
"W-well… y-yeah," she admitted, not seeing any point in trying to hide the fact. "But that was JUST a friendly gesture, I'm sure."
"Mhm…" Linda uttered, raising an eyebrow since she was not convinced in the slightest.
Seeing that she wasn't going to win this debate, Octavia could only sigh and bury her face in the dress.
"Look, why don't you go help Mick or something?" she requested, her voice slightly muffled but clear enough for her attendant to hear. "I… I think I need a bit of privacy, please."
Seeing that she had indeed gotten under Octavia's skin, Linda merely gave the Goetia Princess a smile and a small shrug before heading over to the door. Before she left the room, she took a quick glance over her shoulder and could have sworn she caught Octavia holding the dress in front of her… this time with a smile due to a certain someone now being on her mind.
Soon after, when Linda entered the room she was sharing with her fellow attendant, the aforementioned someone was currently in front of the mirror himself. However, in this case, it appeared as though he were trying to pick out a tie.
"Having trouble, Mick?" Linda asked with a smirk, instantly making her presence known to the Sinner.
"Oh, Linda, didn't see you there," Mick greeted, turning his head to acknowledge her arrival. "Everything okay with Octi?"
"Mhm," Linda replied with a nod of her head. "She's getting dressed as we speak."
At the very mention of Octavia changing her clothes, Linda could have sworn she saw steam rising from the cracks of Mick's mask as it turned a light shade of red.
"Y-you don't say," the Cat Demon replied, quickly shaking those thoughts out of his head. "So… um… What dress did she go for? I want to make sure my tie matches."
Once again, Linda felt the urge to raise an eyebrow. After Mad Munn gave the pair of them their new uniforms, the red-headed Sinner was also kind enough to provide certain additions to the original after the presentation, hence why Mick had so many coloured ties for certain occasions. Of course, knowing that the Sinner wanted to adjust his ties in accordance with what Octavia was wearing… a giddy smile instantly spread across her face due to finding the gesture so adorable.
"Oh, really?" she said playfully, once again deciding to have a little fun at the Sinner's expense. "Is there any particular reason why?"
As Linda expected, Mick immediately became flustered at such a question.
"Oh… n-no reason," he replied. "I just figured that people should be clear on who a Goetia's employee is contracted to, that's all."
Of course, this answer only seemed to add more fuel to Linda's already-growing flame of excitement.
"Oh, I see…" she said, casually placing her hands behind her back and trying desperately to hold back her giggles "You want everyone to know that you're ALL hers?"
"Exactly!" Mick replied with a nod, his eyes suddenly going wide when he realized how Linda had worded that statement. "Wait, no! I-"
"Such a bold statement, I must say, Mick," Linda interrupted, her grin never once wavering. "Almost as if you were trying to… assert your claim, shall we say?"
Mick instantly gave the Imp a suspicious glare at that.
"I'm sure I have no idea what you mean," he said, trying in vain to feign ignorance.
"Oh, really?" Linda retorted. "It's just that you REALLY seem to be putting in a lot of extra effort when it comes to Octi as of late. Waiting on her hand and foot. Matching your outfits to hers. Why, it's almost as if you had a sudden… obsession with the Princess."
With the way Linda worded that, it almost sounded like Mick was some kind of creepy stalker. Worse still, it sounded as though she KNEW something that he had hoped to keep a secret a little while longer.
"I… I… I don't know how to respond to that," he muttered, his brain failing to come up with an explanation.
"Miiiiiiiiiiiiick?"
Seeing that Linda's playful persistence was winning over, Mick eventually let out a heavy sigh of defeat and slumped down onto the nearest bed.
"It's that obvious, huh?" he asked despite having a strong suspicion of the answer.
Hearing her friend all but admit everything, Linda was immediately over the moon.
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
The instant Linda's loud, high-pitched squee rang through the room, Mick had to quickly cover his ears just in time to see the mirror obtain several cracks. By the time he got his hearing back, the Cat Demon was witnessing his fellow attendant hop and dance around the room like a giddy little bunny.
"I KNEW it!" she cried out. "You LOVE Octi!"
However, instead of feeling relief that his secret was out and that one of his dear friends was the first to know, Mick instantly cringed in horror.
"SHH! Keep it down!" he snapped in a hushed tone, not trusting the thickness of the walls to block out their voices any more than he trusted Buzz to not set things on fire. "Do you want Stella to hear you!? Worse still, do you want OCTAVIA to hear you!?"
"Hmm, good point," Linda replied, seemingly complying with the Cat Demon's request… only to suddenly make a break for the door. "HEY OCTI! MICK'S GOT SOMETHING HE WANTS TO- OOF!"
Before she even made it two feet, Mick fearfully tackled the poor Imp to the ground and quickly slapped his hand over her mouth.
"Seriously, Liddy?!" he exclaimed in a hushed tone, only to be met with muffled giggles as he slowly removed his hand.
"Sorry, I just can't help it," Linda apologized giddily. "My best friends are getting together! OOH, this is so exciting!"
Unfortunately, Mick didn't share in his fellow attendant's enthusiasm.
"Yeah, well, you can turn that ship around right now," he said sternly as he helped Linda back to her feet. "I'm not saying ANYTHING just yet."
"WHAT!?" Linda gasped, understandably shocked. "Why!?"
"I'm… I'm not ready to confess yet, okay?" Mick explained awkwardly. "I wanna ease into it. And until then, you can't say anything about this, okay?"
"But Octi-" Linda tried to argue, only to immediately be shut down.
"Liddy, I mean it," Mick asserted firmly. "Promise me you won't say a thing to Octi about my feelings… Please?"
As much as Linda wanted to say otherwise, the desperate look in Mick's eyes proved too strong for her to resist. With a heavy sigh of defeat, she gave her answer with one simple word.
"Fffffine…"
Hearing Linda's reluctant promise, Mick took his turn to sigh with relief.
"Thank you," he said gratefully, giving the Imp a joyful pat on the back. "You really are the best. You know that?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm SO awesome," Linda grumbled sarcastically, wallowing in the mess she now found herself in.
This was absolutely insane! Both Mick and Octavia liked each other… both of them are either too stubborn or nervous to come clean about it… and here Linda was right in the middle, keeping quiet for the pair of them! As if she didn't have enough drama in her life! The only thing she could do now was to wait and hope her promises don't come back to bite her in the ass.
Soon after, everyone stepped out of the suite all dressed in formal wear, with Stella wearing a backless black silk dress with a split up to her thigh, Octavia wearing the shoulderless blood-red satin piece she selected earlier, Mick wearing his usual three-piece suit with a matching red tie and Linda wearing a formal maid's dress. Despite the circumstances they now found themselves in, all four of them couldn't deny how good they all looked.
"Right, let's get going," Stella spoke up, snapping her compact mirror shut after touching up her makeup. "We don't want to miss the drinks."
"Oh no, wouldn't that be a shame?" Mick sarcastically muttered under his breath.
"What was that?!" Stella snapped, seemingly hearing the Sinner's mutter.
"On the double, your Grace!" Mick quickly replied.
Having neither the patience nor the interest to dig any further, Stella only let out a small, irritated sigh and began walking down the hall towards the elevator, with her daughter and her attendants following close behind.
Bringing up the back of the group, Mick couldn't stop staring at how lovely Octavia looked in such a form-fitting dress. While he dared not say anything while Stella was still within earshot, the Sinner felt himself completely mesmerized by how the dress accented Octavia's form in all the right places. From how it gracefully framed her bare shoulders, to the way it clung to her waist just enough to see how her wondrous body was… Nope! Bad thoughts! Must not think of such things right now!
"You okay there, Mick?" Octavia asked, raising an eyebrow as she noticed the Cat Demon suddenly shaking his head behind her.
"Oh, y-yes," Mick replied awkwardly, realizing he had been caught in the act. "Perfectly fine, M'lady. Just a mere twitch is all."
Unable to ask anything further due to the presence of her mother, Octavia chose to remain silent for now. Stepping into the open elevator, the young Goetia and her attendants couldn't help but feel a surge of dread as the doors closed behind them. Whatever this upcoming event was, it may actually be the best excuse to start drinking… the HARD liquor.
Soon enough, all four of them arrived just outside the main dining room. Soon after, they were all escorted to their table by another one of the Imp employees, allowing Mick and Linda to take a good look at their new surroundings. It was a large room, maybe two-thirds of the size of the ballroom back at the mansion, filled with small circular tables in front of a large stage, where multiple demons were already sitting down and enjoying their evening meals.
Of course, it was who was sitting AT those tables that caused the door attendants to snap their heads away. At one of the larger tables, Kanya was having a light dinner while surrounded by a pair of Hellhound bodyguards, and at the table a short distance away, Googoo was indulging herself in a large meat dish, somehow managing to pack everything away despite having such a slim figure. Thankfully, neither of them appeared to have noticed Octavia and the others making their entrance. Better yet, BRUCE didn't even appear to be in the room. So at least they had that in their favour.
Eventually, they were all escorted to a table fairly close to the right side of the stage. However, while Stella and Octavia were able to take their seats, Linda and Mick were forced to stand behind Octavia's chair. Not that either of them expected otherwise, of course. After all, technically speaking, they were still on duty. Thankfully, Octavia promised to order them room service later.
"Ladies and Gentlemen," a voice suddenly spoke up from the speakers above the stage. "The Triton Resort is proud to present the pearl of the seven seas… the lovely Miss Crystal."
As it turned out, all four of them had managed to enter the dining room just in time to catch the beginning of the night's entertainment. At that moment, the curtains of the stage parted, revealing a beautiful Sinner Demon with a band playing soft music behind her. Mick may not have been much of a believer in myths and legends when he was alive, but being in Hell for 14 years did tend to give one a more open mind. As such, he wasn't at all surprised when the Sinner on stage looked almost exactly like a gorgeous Mermaid, with blue skin, sharp fin-like ears, and a flow of lavish magenta hair that matched the fin of her tail. And as if her looks weren't enough to charm the crowd, her voice did the rest of the job the instant she started to sing.
Crystal:
Bobbing along, bobbing along,
On the bottom of the beautiful briny sea,
What a chance to get a better peep,
At the plants and beauties of the deep,
We glide, far below the rolling tide,
Each glance, bubbles over with romance,
It's lovely,
Bobbing along, bobbing along,
On the bottom of the beautiful briny sea,
What if Leviathan, Cthulhu, and Vepar,
Come from near and far,
It's perfect where we are…
Bobbing along, singing a song,
On the bottom of the beautiful briny sea!
The more they listened to the Mermaid's enchanting song resonating through the room, the more everyone fell in love with the Sinner's voice. They couldn't explain why, but the way she emitted each note felt like she was breathing new life into every Demon in attendance. As a lover of music himself, it took every ounce of willpower Mick had to keep himself from crying.
"Wow…" Linda uttered, unable to help herself as she practically swooned in the clutches of the Mermaid's voice.
"Well… they certainly have good entertainment here at least," Octavia added, feeling relatively calmer after hearing the song herself.
Stella, of course, was one of the few Demons in the room who wasn't impressed.
"Please," she scoffed. "It's just another screeching fish in the ocean. Nothing remotely special."
Needless to say, Mick, Octavia and Linda all shared a look of disdain at that, knowing full well that Stella would only say such a thing against a wonderful singer because she was biased against Sinners. Of course, none of them dared to call her out on it, if only for the sake of their health.
But Stella's biases aside, it was pretty obvious almost everyone else was enjoying the show. Some Demons raised their drinks and waved, others hummed along while they ate, even Kanya looked at the Sinner with a smile and a… blush? Mick couldn't tell for sure from where he was standing, but if he didn't know any better, he would have sworn that Gaap's daughter was flustered from watching Crystal sing.
Suddenly Mick was snapped back to the sound of a strange-looking Imp clearing his throat as he walked up to the table. An Imp who appeared to have fish-like features including a dorsal fin between his horns, an elongated face and pale green skin that appeared to be partially covered in scales. If Mick had to guess, he was most likely an Envy Ring Imp, since that place was supposedly mostly ocean, it would make sense for the residents to have marine-like features.
"Bonjour," he greeted with a heavy French accent as he laid out some menus on the table. "I am Francois, I am ze head waiter. May I start you two Mademoiselles off with an offer of our House Special wine?"
At those words, Mick once again felt the urge to roll his eyes and lean down to whisper in Linda's ear.
"And so it begins…" he muttered, earning a small nod from the Imp.
"Bring me the strongest bottle you have," Stella all but demanded before gesturing a hand to Octavia. "My daughter can have a soft drink."
Though she was irritated by the fact that her mother had spoken for her, Octavia chose to keep her mouth shut. Despite currently wanting to get so pissed she would forget the entire night, she had to remain clear-headed for now. After Francois was finished taking the drink order, the Goetia Princess seized the moment to press her mother for information.
"So mum," she began. "I don't suppose you can tell me more about what's supposed to be happening at this dinner? Now that it's pretty much here, I mean."
Alas, Stella merely shook her head.
"Afraid not," she replied. "Even if I did know anything, Gaap insisted upon keeping quiet until the event started."
Needless to say, Octavia pouted upon hearing that. Among the things she couldn't stand, being left in the dark about something was nearing the top of the list.
"Oh, that reminds me," she suddenly spoke up, her head snapping in Mick's direction. "Cat!"
"Uh… yes, Lady Stella?" Mick nervously replied, choosing to ignore the fact that the Goetia was once again refusing to call him by his name.
It was then that Stella pointed over to the opposite end of the stage, where Margaret was currently looking over something on a digital tablet.
"You are to head over there and give the Hellhound your name," the Avian Demon instructed. "After that, she'll give you your next set of instructions."
Once again, Mick was left completely dumbfounded, along with Linda and Octavia, who only looked at Stella with confused disbelief. Just what was going on here?
"But I'm supposed to-" Mick began, trying to point out that as a bodyguard, he shouldn't leave the side of who he's protecting.
"NOW!"
"YES, MA'AM!" he squeaked, instantly crumbling under Stella's terrifying gaze and running off, somehow leaving a cloud of dust in his wake.
As soon as Mick was gone, Octavia could only give her mother an annoyed glare.
"Was that REALLY necessary?" she asked, only for Stella to scoff in return.
"Octavia, he is the HELP," the elder Goetia venomously pointed out. "He must do what he's told or else he'll be fed to the sharks… if he's lucky."
Given the way her mother spoke about her crush like that, it was clear to Octavia that she truly did have a lot of resentment towards Mick in particular. Most likely because he had been a thorn in her side ever since he first started working for the family.
"Are you seriously still pissed about that?" Octavia asked, obviously referring to the incident surrounding Mick and Stella's first encounter. "It was an accident, Mum. Let it go already."
"The fact that the little bastard is still walking UPRIGHT should be considered a show of mercy," Stella argued, feeling no guilt whatsoever for her choice of words. "Honestly, I don't know what your idiot father sees in keeping him around."
Fearing that responding to such a blatant attack on both her father and her friend could result in an all-out shouting battle in the main dining room, Octavia didn't dignify such a remark with an answer. Instead, she chose to remain quiet for the time being, her mind now thinking about the two people Stella had just brought up. Obviously, her worries were directed more towards Mick at present, but knowing Stolas, he would probably find some way of keeping himself busy back home. Hell, he probably WAS having a better time than Octavia at the moment.
Crystal:
Bobbing along, singing a song,
On the bottom of the beautiful briny sea!
Bobbing along, singing a song,
On the bottom of the beautiful briny, shimmery shiny, beautiful briny sea!
Of course, little did Octavia realize, her father wasn't having as good of a time as she initially thought. Granted, he wasn't having that bad of an experience now that Stella was no longer in the house to verbally abuse him, but the frustrations were still there.
"Fuck me, where is that fucking remote!?" the Goetia Prince snapped as he flipped over the couch, wearing his night robe. "I swear, the ONE night I get to watch my soaps without-"
"SoS!" he suddenly heard, the voice somewhat muffled. "sOs!"
Suddenly snapping his head around 180 degrees, Stolas soon gasped upon seeing a small pair of bushy tails struggling to wiggle free from the giant pile of sofa cushions he had casually thrown over his shoulder. Quickly snapping his fingers, all of the cushions were levitated upward, revealing Snowflake looking both dishevelled and annoyed at the Goetia Prince.
"Sorry, girl," he said, scooping the little fox up in one hand. "Got a little carried away there."
However, Snowflake only gave the Owl Demon a deadpan glare, not even bothering to give him a verbal response with her new tablet. Suddenly, the Kitsune pup's little nose perked up, taking a few little sniffs of the air before she turned her head and let out a small yip.
"Hmm?" Stolas uttered, following the tiny animal's line of sight.
To his surprise, the very remote he had been searching for had been casually kicked under the nearby coffee table, sticking out only by a small fraction.
"Oh, you found it!" Stolas gleefully said, giving Snowflake a scratch behind the ear as he kneeled down to put his hand under the table. "Well done, little one. Well done in-"
However, he suddenly found himself cut off mid-sentence when he felt something else under the table aside from the remote.
"Hmm?" he uttered, pulling out what appeared to be a crumpled piece of paper. "What's this?"
At first glance, the paper appeared to be a receipt of some kind… for a tombstone!? Snapping all four of his eyes wide in surprise, the Goetia Prince quickly put them to work on reading the details of it, including the chosen words for engraving.
"'The cheating twat is dead!'" he read aloud. "'Hooray! Piss here.'"
…
"Oookay," he said, quickly igniting the paper in his hand and reducing it to ashes in seconds. "Not even going to TOUCH that one!"
About half an hour after the food had arrived, a small meat dish consisting of three different types of veal, Octavia continued to worry about Mick, who still had not returned from wherever her mother had sent him. After all, whatever task Stella had him do should be over with by now… right?
Suddenly, everyone in the room cheered in delight as the Mermaid up on stage finished up her final song of the evening, taking a small bow before someone else took her place… Prince Gaap himself.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the lovely Crystal!" the big-eared Demon declared into the microphone, instigating more cheers as the Sinner casually slithered off the stage with her band. "And good evening to you all. Sorry to keep you waiting, but I was in the bathroom earlier and well, I just couldn't stop looking at my penis 'cause, ya know, it's so fantastic."
As the Prince had hoped, his joke earned many a laugh from the audience. Of course, those at Octavia's table didn't even crack a smile.
"Ugh, kill me now…" Octavia muttered under her breath.
"But real talk here," Gaap continued. "I am SO glad to be back in the Triton, I tell ya nothin' beats the sight of all you lovely ladies out there… Especially my beautiful daughter! Yoohoo! Hey honey!"
Turning her head, Octavia saw Kanya awkwardly waving back to her father with an embarrassed smile. It was one of the rare occasions where she could actually relate to a fellow Goetia… and then… Gaap made his announcement.
"And because I am so happy, I've decided to give all of you ladies a very special treat!" he declared, gleefully spinning his cane before pointing it towards the audience like a showman. "Whether you swing one way, the other or both, this little surprise is sure to get ALL your juices pumping. It is time… for the Triton… STUD AUCTION!"
Hearing those two words ringing in her ears, any trace of decorum Octavia had was instantly gone as she spat out her drink.
"The WHAT!?"
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
The Featured Song: "Beautiful Briny Sea" - From the Movie: Bedknobs and Broomsticks
A special shoutout and thanks to JP- Ryder and BuckJohnson for recently including both OC and Location from this fanfic into their own story… Luz Clawthorne: Two Worlds, One Family
Specifically in chapter 103: Friends in Lower Places.
Many thanks and keep up the great work.