Chapter Text
Chapter 20: Hidden in Plain Sight
Okay, maybe he overexerted himself just a little bit. But it wasn’t that bad! He just had to take some painkillers and he’ll be fine! It was nothing to worry about! He was fine. Absolutely fine! He can totally make it through the day, no sweat!
He just had to sit up first-
“AH f*ck!!!”
“Nicky, stop trying to move!” Molly scolded. “I told ya it was a bad idea fer ya ta go out wit yer back still all f*cked up. And now look at ya! Can’t even move!”
“It’s not my fault Fang and his croonies fired the first shot!”
Arackniss went to turn to face her, only to let out a cry of pain. She sighed. This was his consequence for not listening to the doctor’s orders. Honestly, what else did he expect after getting into a gun fight with all the jumping around he had to do? And now there he was, stuck in the guest bedroom in pain.
She went to his side with a glass of water and a prescribed bottle of painkillers.
“Maybe, but it didn’t change that yer still injured.”
“I couldn’t just run! They were tryin’ ta kill us and take Val’s sister! I had ta do somethin’!”
The female spider shook her head, setting the items down on the bedside table. She carefully picked up her brother to sit him up a little more comfortably. He let out a soft hiss of pain before settling against the pillows. She grabbed the bottle and poured a couple pills out.
“Here. With luck, these should help ya sleep off the pain too.”
Arackniss huffed at the thought, but accepted the pills anyway. Luckily moving his arms didn’t cause as much pain. It was mainly just trying to move his head or body in general. He downed the pills with the water.
He gagged.
Uhg. Nasty sh*t.
But it was nasty sh*t that he needed. He handed the water back to her, sinking further into the pillows.
Just his f*cking luck.
“Alright. You rest. If you need any, just call. ‘Kay?”
He sighed.
“Yea.”
She then handed him a plush elephant.
“Here.” She teased. “Here’s your precious toy so that you won’t be so lonely here.”
He huffed, snatching the elephant away from her.
“Mr. Peanut isn’t just some toy. Ya know Nonna gave him to me.”
“Oh yes, that’s right. All the more reason why he’s so precious to you.”
“Oh go f*ck yerself.”
“No thanks. Now seriously, rest.”
“Actually, can ya hand me my tablet too?”
She blinked at him before squinting in suspicion.
“Why?”
“So I can get some work done.”
“Nicky-”
“I can’t just sit here and do nothin’. Work’s gonna help me relax.”
“The TV’s right there for ya ta watch.”
“I don’t wanna watch TV.”
Molly frowned at her brother. Then sighed dramatically as she grabbed his tablet.
“Ya know, most people don’t find work relaxing.”
“I’m not most people.” He took his tablet. “Grazie.”
“Uh-huh. Holler if ya need anything else.”
He watched her leave the room. Then turned his tablet on. It wasn’t a lie. Work really did help him relax. The satisfaction of getting work done just didn’t compare to anything else. And with so much to do in his choice of career, he had plenty to keep him busy. Not that he minded.
But after spending time with Valentino... Well, the moth’s past got more and more interesting. He had plenty of questions and not enough answers. And now was a good time to look into the Radio Demon’s claims. Specifically Valentino’s apparent isolation from the public eye. He still didn’t buy that the pimp didn’t parade himself around for all of Hell to see all those years ago. He wasn’t easy to miss now, so why would he be then?
He entered an online archive. Pre-Vox meant very little media to go off of. So newspapers would be the go-to. Azul may still be a mystery, but it shouldn’t be hard to find anything on Valentino. He was sure of it.
“Arackniss~”
That voice.
Soft.
Deep.
Sultry.
Familiar.
“Arackniss~”
The small mobster followed the source. Up the stairs. Down the hallway. His bedroom door left ajar. There. It had to be.
“Arackniss~”
He pushed the door open.
Darkness.
Then a spark of light. Red candles lit up on either side of his large bed. And on the sheets, the very demon he was looking for. With a cheshire grin, Valentino kept his eyes locked on the mobster. He reached to the side where a bowl of cherries sat and carefully plucked one before bringing it to his mouth. He let out a chuckle. And beckoned him forward.
“Arackniss~”
Immediately, Arackniss approached the bed. He pulled himself up and crawled toward the amused moth. Valentino laid back against the headboard, allowing Arackniss to settle himself comfortably along that broad chest. The moth smiled fondly, reaching for another cherry and holding it out for him to take.
Arackniss opened his mouth, accepting the fruit without hesitation.
And another.
And another.
And another.
Content. At ease. Peaceful. Relaxed. That was all he felt. He almost didn’t notice that his bed had disappeared. But the presence of pink water startled him. He clung to the moth, who only held him closer. The urgency to escape the water slowly dwindled as he came to notice it was now a bathtub they were in and not a large body of water.
Strange. Where did his bed go?
“Arackniss~”
His attention returned to Valentino. With a playful giggle, he took yet another cherry. But this time, he gently took it between the points of his front teeth. And leaned forward to offer it.
The mobster didn’t object. Instead, he inched forward as well, ready to receive the cherry in a new, exciting way.
But just as the gap began to close, Valentino suddenly pulled away. His expression melted into one of annoyance and disgust. He turned away.
And plucked Arackniss by the back of his jacket to hold him out over the tub’s edge.
And into the pitch black abyss.
Cold fear shot through him. He tried to grab for the arm holding him. Tried to plead and call though his voice failed him. The moth wasn’t looking his way.
Why? Why would Valentino just toss him away?
The grip disappeared. And the spider fell.
Arackniss jolted awake. Then gasped in brief pain at the sudden movement. He panted, frantically taking in his surroundings. The guest bedroom. His tablet lay just tilted off his lap, still powered on. He then went slack against the pillows as he tried to calm his beating heart.
A dream. Just another damn dream. Stupid painkillers knocked him out.
What the actual f*ck!?
The dream... sh*t that was so weird. What was it about... Valentino. Right. And then something about water... He shook his head. Ow! Okay, nope. Can’t move. Damn it. It was just a weird dream. A weird trippy dream caused by the painkillers.
That was all.
Though...
He couldn’t quite reach his phone at the moment. And he didn’t really want to bother his sister either...
He grabbed hold of his tablet.
Emailing it was for the time being.
Wait... He didn’t have his email.
sh*t!
That meant...
“Molly!!”
A moment later, the sound of footsteps approached and Molly poked her head in.
“Yeah, Nicky?”
“Can.. Can ya give me my phone?”
“Oh, sure! Shoulda asked for it before with yer tablet.”
“Yeah, yeah...”
The female spider went over and grabbed the device laying on the bedside table just out of Arackniss’ reach. Then caught a glimpse of the tablet screen.
She grinned teasingly.
“I thought you were doin’ work.”
“... I was? I just fell asleep.”
“Then why’re you on Sinstagram? Specifically, Valentino’s page?”
What.
Arackniss looked at his tablet properly. Sure enough, the screen displayed just what Molly pointed out. What the hell was he doing on Sinstagram?? That’s not where he was supposed to be! He was in the online archive! f*ck... He must’ve clicked onto it by accident while he was half-asleep. That’s the most logical explanation at least...
“Hey, I thought you said you didn’t have a Sinstagram!”
“Huh? I don’t. You know I don’t bother with social media.”
“Then how come you can see his whole profile? Ya can’t scroll Sinstagram without an account. Plus it says yer followin’ him.”
“I’m... What?”
The mobster followed where she was pointing. And next to the pimp’s username was a little tag saying ‘following’. He stared at it. That… Couldn't be right. He didn’t have an account. Did… Did he make one??? That couldn’t just happen! Right!?
“He... Won’t know it’s me, right? I-I can still delete the account right??”
“I mean, ya can, but it takes like… A month ta go through.”
“A month!?”
“And don’t worry, I doubt he’ll realize it’s you. He’s got a sh*t ton of followers. He won’t notice one random new account.”
Okay. Okay, that brought him some relief. All he had to do was delete the account, never mention it to Valentino, and all would be well.
Molly clicked his account icon.
“Ooooh...”
He looked at her in slight alarm.
“What? What is it?”
“... So, I meant it when I said he probably wouldn’t notice some random new account.”
“... Y-Yeah?”
“But... Ya used yer name, Nick. Instead of a randomly generated one.”
“I what!?”
Sure enough there it was.
AracknissRagno29.
Oh f*ck. Oh sh*t!
No no no!! He needed to delete that! Like right now! Damn it! This is why he doesn't sleep!
A notification appeared on his tablet.
“Holy sh*t...” the female spider breathed. “He followed you back!! He doesn't just follow anyone back!”
He what!? No! No, he couldn't follow back! He was supposed to delete this account! sh*t!
The mobster wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.
No bad. Definitely bad. Valentino will get the wrong idea. He did not need that!
He scrambled to find a way to delete the account.
Surely there must be some way-
Another notification popped up.
“He’s requesting a chat!”
“What!? Why!?”
“... Honestly, he’s probably just checkin’ ta see if it’s actually you.”
“So... So I can just ignore it? I don’t hafta answer?”
“I mean... Technically, no. Ya don’t.”
Oh thank god, a saving grace! Okay, new plan. Don’t answer the chat request, don’t ever mention the account, and just pretend it never happened. It’ll all blow over soon enough.
He then felt Molly’s expectant gaze on him.
He frowned.
“What?”
“Ain’tcha gonna answer?”
“No.”
“Aww, why not?”
“Because I’m not keepin’ the account. I don’t do social media. At all. Havin’ this up is only askin’ fer trouble from rival families.”
“It’s still gonna be up fer a month anyway if ya delete it, Nick. Might as well have some fun with it. Besides, you can change yer username and make it private so no one can see what ya post without followin’.”
“...I can do that?”
“Yea. Here, I’ll show you.”
She made herself comfortable on the bed with him, careful not to jostle him too much. She instantly started to show him how to make it private, how to change his online name, how to post, how to block, and all that jazz.
All while they were doing that, the elder spider’s eyes kept wandering to the notification where the request from Valentino awaited. What could he want? Is he going to tell him why he was angry at him last night before dropping him off? No. No. He wasn’t going to ask that if he brought it up.
He was probably just overthinking it.
He overthinks a lot.
“And that’s how you do Sinstagram!”
Wait... what?
“Huh? O-Oh uh... Thanks.”
She ruffled his hair.
“No prob! You hungry? I know you haven’t eaten since last night.”
The thought of eating caused the spider’s stomach to churn. He shook his head.
“No. I’m good.”
“Nicky...”
“Really Molly. I’m fine.”
She sighed. She had a sneaking suspicion that her brother had anorexia. He was so thin! He barely ate anything. It was really concerning for her. But she knew better than to pester him about it.
“How about something light on the stomach? Some soup? I know you like tomato basil.”
He paused at that. He knew he was still craving blood. And while not actual blood. It was red. And actual food.
He hummed.
“Actually, that does sound good. I appreciate it.”
She smiled. Success! Her brother was actually going to eat!
“I’ll get right to work on it! BRB!”
Arackniss let out a sigh, further sinking into his pillows. He’ll have some privacy for a while. Good. His eyes were drawn back to the tablet. To the notification of where Valentino’s request anticipated his response.
Maybe he should...?
He tapped on the accept button.
The screen changed to show a texting type of page.
Okay... So far so good... What should he say? Should he wait for Valentino to send the first message? Or do so himself? Should he still try to hide that he was the owner of the account? He wasn’t sure how successful he’d be in that regard. It was literally his name…
Well, at least the account was private. Thankfully no one else found him yet. At the moment, Valentino was his only follower. Though he was sure Molly would be his second very soon-
A notification popped up.
Yup. There she was. And knowing her, he’d likely get a few follows from family soon too. Not that it’ll matter. It’ll be gone within the month anyway.
Dots suddenly showed up on the screen.
sh*t, sh*t, sh*t. Okay. Just keep calm. It was just like texting. It wasn’t like they were face to face.
Moth_Pimp: Arackniss?
Moment of truth... He slumped against the pillows.
f*ck it.
AracknissRagno29: Uh... Hey...
Moth_Pimp: Finally got an account?
AracknissRagno29: Won’t be for long. Made this drugged up on painkillers. It’ll be deleted in a month. Why the f*ck does it take so long??
Moth_Pimp: Velvette controls that. She likes to dig through everyone’s profiles for dirt. But since yours is so new...
AracknissRagno29: Oh good. I want this gone as soon as possible.
Moth_Pimp: Aw... I won't get to see any fun stories or pictures from you?
AracknissRagno29: No. I’m not a picture guy. Most likely it’ll be deserted. No pictures or anything.
Moth_Pimp: Aaaawww... And here I was thinking you’d share stories about elephants or guns or some sh*t.
That caused the spider to pause.
Elephants...?
He did like elephants. Though... Damn it. No! He was tempting him! Tempting him to stay on this cursed site!
But... Okay, one video about elephants couldn’t hurt...
AracknissRagno29: ... I guess I can make *one* post. ... But that’s it!
Moth_Pimp: Yay.gif.
Anyways, what are you doing? At work?
AracknissRango29: I wish. No. Fighting Fang f*cked up my back. So I’m stuck in bed. It hurts to move. I’m working from my tablet. I can’t do much. But it’s something to keep me busy.
Moth_Pimp: Oh sh*t, are you alright?
AracknissRagno29: About as alright as I can be considering. The painkillers helped but the pain’s still kinda there.
Moth_Pimp: f*ck... I feel bad now.
AracknissRagno29: ?
Moth_Pimp: I brought up going into Fang’s territory. I should’ve realized if anything happened then it could f*ck up your back injury even more.
AracknissRagno29: Yeah... But me being there led to Fang’s permanent end. And now your sister’s safe from him. I’d say that’s worth it.
Moth_Pimp: Still... Anything I can do to make up for it?
AracknissRagno29: Look, don’t worry about it. Getting injured comes with being part of the Mafia. It’s an occupational hazard.
Moth_Pimp: Still... What if I came over? I can bring cookies. What’s your favorite?
AracknissRagno29: I’m at my sister’s.
Moth_Pimp: So? Oh wait... I forgot that she’s... Angel’s twin, right?
AracknissRagno29: Yep.
Moth_Pimp: ...Still. What’s your favorite cookie?
AracknissRagno29: Oatmeal Raisin.
Moth_Pimp: *grossedout.emoji* EEEEWWWW!!! You like those fake-ass chocolate chip cookies!?!?
AracknissRagno29: Yes. I don’t like the taste of chocolate chip. It’s gross.
Moth_Pimp: No. Oatmeal Raisin is gross. First you hate avacodos, now you hate *chocolate chip*!?!? THE top cookie!?
AracknissRagno29: Chocolate Chip can go f*ck itself for all I care. Why? What’s *your* favorite?
Moth_Pimp: White Chocolate Macadamia.
AracknissRagno29: Eh.
Moth_Pimp: EH!?!? The f*ck you mean “Eh”!?!?!?
AracknissRagno29: Not a fan of nuts.
Moth_Pimp: ... You’re not allergic to nuts, are you?
AracknissRagno29: No. Just orchids.
Moth_Pimp: Oh good.
AracknissRagno29: Why?
Moth_Pimp: Just making sure. Don’t wanna accidentally trigger another attack.
AracknissRagno29: How considerate.
Moth_Pimp: What’s the 29 stand for btw?
The mobster blinked. The 29? Where’d that question come from?
Wait...
... f*ck!
His birth date! He used it in his username! sh*t! Think, think!
AracknissRagno29: Nothing. Just a random number.
Moth_Pimp: That’s not usually how people do it.
AracknissRagno29: What do you mean?
Dots...
Moth_Pimp: There’s usually more in a random jumble of numbers. When people use two or four numbers, it’s usually a year that means something. Like when they were born, when they died, or some other significant event. You were born 1904 and died in the ‘50s. So the 29 has to mean 1929, right? Or is it something else?
He stared at the message.
What... The f*ck? Where the hell did that all come from??
AracknissRagno29: This is... *Weirdly* analytical for you.
Moth_Pimp: *shrug emoji* I just notice sh*t. So which is it?
AracknissRagno29: Can we go back to the cookies?
Moth_Pimp: Tell me first.
AracknissRagno29: It doesn’t mean anything. I just randomly chose that number.
Moth_Pimp: And what do you mean ‘weirdly analytical’?? Are you trying to say I’m dumb??
AracknissRagno29: ...... Nnnnnooooo...
Moth_Pimp: f*ck you. I was gonna ask what cookie brand you like or if you prefer homemade but I’m getting you whatever. What’s your sister’s address? I’ll be by after work.
AracknissRagno29: Wait! Sorry! Just... Yea, 1929 was... The Depression was a bad time for everyone. But good for business for us... It was the first year Pops named me the Underboss.
Not really a lie. As it was true.
But he was not going to let the moth know that it was his actual birthdate!
Moth_Pimp: So you were 25 when you became the Underboss?
AracknissRagno29: Yea. Pops figured I was old enough. So that way if he died in a shoot-out or police raid, I’ll be young and bright-eyed enough to take over. Of course that didn’t happen for another 30-so years.
Moth_Pimp: Hmm.. Alright. I forgive you. What’s your favorite kind of that nasty-ass oatmeal raisin cookie?
AracknissRagno29: There’s a bakery next to Micole’s cafe. The baker’s name is Darby. He’s an imp. He makes *really* good baked goods. Micole and I are the only two who really ordered those cookies from him. See if you can talk to Micole about getting a discount. She and Darby have a brother-sister relationship.
Moth_Pimp: Huh. Okay. I’ll swing by.
AracknissRagno29: Thank you. I’ll let my sister know that you’re coming by. Do NOT hit on her. If you do, I can’t stop her from cutting your dick off.
Moth_Pimp: Oh she couldn’t possibly be able to do that... Right?
AracknissRagno29: Women may not have been allowed to participate in the business in my time, but that never stopped her. She’s not as sweet and innocent as she likes to portray. We just kept it discreet on our end. Her address is 1232 Silk Rd. Look for the giant-ass butterfly fountain. It’s going to be another big house like Nonna’s.
Moth_Pimp: ... You Mafia families really like to show off your wealth, don’t you?
AracknissRagno29: You’d be surprised how much we make. Anyway, I’ll see you in a bit. My sister should be here with my soup soon.
Moth_Pimp: Alright, see you soon.
The sniper let out a sigh. He was so tired... No! No! Not tired! He just woke up from an unexpected nap! He did not need more sleep!
Especially not another weird dream...
“Nicky! I got your soup for ya!”
Molly walked into the room, balancing a tray with a bowl of soup and a glass of milk. She placed it on his lap.
“There ya go, Nicky! Tomato Basil and some milk. Ta help heal yer spine faster!”
“Thanks, Molls.”
“Let me know if ya have trouble feedin’ yerself, ‘Kay?”
“Uh-huh. Don't worry, I got it.” He blinked. “Oh uh, by the way, ya might have company later.”
“Company? Who?”
“... Valentino,” The mobster uttered hesitantly. He expected her to react negatively. Shock. Outrage. Refusal. After all, who in his family would think it a positive to get a visit from the pimp? But he had to warn her before he showed up on her doorstep.
But rather than a look of horror on her face... A mischievous grin took place instead.
“Oh~? You invited him over?”
“No! I did not invite him! He invited himself! He has a bad habit of doin’ that...”
“What’s he comin’ over for?”
“Told him how the fight yesterday f*cked up my back, so he wants ta check on me and see how I’m doin’... And bring cookies as an apology.”
“Awww! He’s bringin’ ya cookies? How sweet!”
“I... Guess...”
“He gettin’ kinda soft on you, ain’t he?”
Arackniss gave a grunt, reminded of how Valentino supposedly did like him. Entertaining the pimp still wasn’t ideal, but it’ll help get Anthony out from under him. At least being around him wasn’t that bad...
A thought came to him.
“I think it’s kinda cute he-”
“f*ck!!”
Molly jumped.
“What?! What!?”
“I forgot ta ask him if he’s upset with me! Dammit!”
She blinked in surprise. Valentino was mad at him? What for!? What did her brother do??
Oh no.
If they don't make up then they won't get together!
Maria would be devastated!!
She had to save their potential relationship!
“What happened?? Tell me everything.”
Micole's Killer Cafe, now rebranded to Death After Coffee, was a cafe with a loyal fanbase from what Valentino was reading.All the reviews said the same thing.
Amazing coffee, but the owner was batsh*t insane.
And stabby.
Arackniss always praised the imp. Or was she a succubus?
Whatever.
Point was, Arackniss liked her. And if they were close like he was thinking, maybe he could convince her to give Arackniss a cup to go. She had to know his usual, right?
The limo came to a stop.
“We’re here, sir.”
He got out. Glancing around, he noticed what he assumed to be the bakery Arackniss mentioned. Simple enough. He headed into the cafe. It was busy just like the first time he came. So the reviews were definitely legit.
Let’s see... The owner should be... At the counter taking orders apparently. Actually, looking around, he didn’t see any other employees. All this foot traffic and she was working on it herself? Weird choice not to hire any help, but that’s on her. He went up to the counter. The last customer in line just finished. Perfect.
The moth gave a charming smile as he approached the counter, idly placing his hand on the surface.
“Hi, I’m-”
The owner took one look at him and, without warning, pinned his hand to the counter with a knife.
“No! No! No! And it’ll always be no!”
Valentino gawked at his new hand injury, too caught off guard to react immediately. He remained frozen for a good moment, though the shock was quickly wearing off as the pain made itself known.
“Ah. Ahh! Ahhhhh, what the f*ck!?!”
“I don’t know why you’re here but I’d sooner drown myself in coffee than even breathe in that f*cking Lust knock-off you call work!”
“I just wanted to ask about cookies!? Arackniss sent me!!”
“Oh.” She removed her knife, now calm and not at all insane as she was just a moment ago. “Why didn’t you say so?”
The moth gripped his hand to stop the bleeding.
“You didn’t give me a chance! All I said was hi!”
“With your reputation, can you blame me?”
Okay actually no, he couldn't. But she could’ve waited for him to finish his sentence! Damn it.
Deal with his hand first.
“You said Niss sent you for cookies?”
“Yeah. Do ya have a first aid kit? To you know, stop the bleeding stab wound that you gave me?”
She huffed, then turned her head towards the back.
“BUTTONS!!! FETCH ME EMER!!”
Huh.
So she did have an employee.
Wait... Emer? Who the hell was Emer??
A moment later, a Robo-Fizz came out. It had a dark gray body. With light purple eyes and blue pupils. They had large bat-like ears, wearing a purple outfit with a green neck-garb with stars, and hooked from its arms to its side was a pale purple cloak-like cloth with a glow-in-the dark galaxy-like pattern.
They looked like bat-wings.
The cafe must make good money for her to afford such a highly customized Robo-Fizz...
In their hands was the first aid kit.
“Here he is, Micole! He was busy chatting up, Miss Scarlet!”
Who the f*ck was Miss Scarlet!?
“Thank you. Hello Emer. Thank you for your service. I'm needing a large bandage and an anti-disinfectant wipe.”
The box popped up. Without her touching it.
What the hell!?!?
“Buttons, run the register and make the orders while I deal with Arackniss’s cookie order.”
Buttons immediately brightened up, saluting.
“Y-yes ma’am!”
She turned her attention to the Overlord, watching him with a critical eye.
“So you said Niss sent you for cookies?”
Valentino huffed as he took the bandage and wipe.
“Yes. He’s not feeling so great so I offered to bring him cookies. He said to talk to you about a discount or something.”
The cafe owner narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
“I call bullsh*t.”
“... What?”
“Arackniss never just feels ‘not so great’ so I call bullsh*t on that. Me and him are the same. Nothing, and I mean nothing, can stop us!”
Valentino stared at the little demon. She continued before he could say anything.
“Buuuuuut he does like Darby’s oatmeal raisin cookies. And if he told you to come to me specifically then it must be legit.”
“O... Kay...?”
“On we go on an adventure to next door!”
She marched out the door, leaving a bewildered Overlord behind. What the f*ck was going on? Did he step into crazy town or something?? Shaking his head and following, Valentino did his best to clean his wound and wrap it up. It wasn't much, but it was something for now. At least until he could treat it properly later.
Entering the bakery next door, the cafe owner went straight for the counter and started obnoxiously ringing a bell.
“Darby! Darby! Darbyyyyyyy!”
Valentino came up next to her. He glanced over the many sweet treats in the display case. Damn, it all actually looked pretty good. Maybe he should get something for Vox and Velvette too.
A huskier male imp then came in from the back doors. He sent a laidback grin at the cafe owner.
“Hey Micole. What can I get you?”
“My usual. A dozen of your freshest oatmeal raisins, but keep half separate, and don’t forget my discount. And uh...” She mindlessly waved toward Valentino. “Whatever he wants, full price. He’s paying.”
Darby only nodded and got together the separate orders of cookies.
“And you, Mr. Overlord?”
“Um... Three white chocolate macadamia, two of the apple turnovers, and two of the cheese danishes. One strawberry, one chocolate.”
“You got it.” He boxed up half the cookies and handed it over to the cafe owner. “Here ya go, Micole.”
She snatched the box and held it above her head.
“Success! Cookies acquired! Thanks Darby!”
“No problem.”
Valentino blinked as the little demon raced out of the bakery with her cookies. What a weird imp. Succubus. Whichever she was. How Arackniss found a friendship with her was beyond him.
“Alright, anything else for you?”
“No, that’s-” A colorful plate of sweets caught his eye. “Actually, a couple of those butterfly cookies too.”
“You got it.”
He watched as Darby packaged up the order and rang him up. He handed his card over.
“I’m curious. How much is her discount?”
“Oh, Micole always gets a dozen, but I charge her for half a dozen.”
“... So she got the free half of that dozen.”
“Yup.”
Okay.
Whatever.
It wasn’t like some cookies were gonna burn a hole in his pocket.
After paying, Darby just started to hand over the box. Then blinked noticing something.
“Oh, hey Jade.”
“Yoink.”
Valentino blinked as the box was snatched just out of his grip.
“What- hey!”
He spotted an imp just as she rushed out the door with his order.
“See ya, Jade.”
“Wait, what the f*ck! That was my order!”
“Oh, she probably went back over to Micole’s. Probably. Just let Micole know to tell her to give it back. Don’t confront her. It won’t end well.”
In utter disbelief, the pimp wasn’t sure what else to do other than head back over to the cafe. What kind of bullsh*t...?
As he was entering, he could see Micole making a cup of coffee. The box of cookies for Arackniss, along with the rest of his order, was on the counter.
She placed the drink in a to-go cup.
“Here. Two Bummed-Bumblebee mochas for him. One iced, one hot. This is on the house.”
“Bumblebee Mocha?”
“Espresso with orange juice. AKA the Bumblebee. It's his usual.”
Weird. He didn't realize orange and coffee was a popular flavor. Arackniss was the only one he knew who liked his coffee that way.
Seemed more people did than he realized.
“Uh... Thanks?”
“No problem.”
“... Hey, what was up with that other imp, just now?”
“I asked her. Don’t worry about it.” She then pulled out her knife once more. “And the next time you come in, it better only be for coffee. You try the sex sh*t and I will cut off your dick and shove down your throat. I don't allow that sh*t in my cafe. I. Hate. Sex.”
He gaped at her.
Who the f*ck could hate sex!? Wasn't she like... A succubus or something?? Everyone knew succubi loved sex!
He thought about arguing but decided now wasn't the time. He could get into a debate about that some other day.
He forced a smile.
“Sí senorita. I understand completely. Thank you.”
“Yea, yea. I only did it for Arackniss. Tell him to call me later. He has an appointment with Madame Mimi.”
Who the f*ck was Madame Mimi??
Nevermind. He has cookies to deliver.
“Uh... Alright. Bye.”
He shook his head. What a weird succubus-imp... Whatever she was. She was f*cking nuts.
He was glad to get away from her finally. Now to get to the person he actually wanted to be with.
Molly stared at her brother, unsure of how exactly to give the - technically - good news. After listening to the recounted tale of their surprise trip to Cannibal Colony, she was actually sort of... Amused.
“Nicky... He’s not mad at you.”
“How can he not be!? No one gives the silent treatment unless they’re angry or upset! And that’s what he did! He’s pissed about somethin’, I just can’t figure out what!”
The female spider held back a giggle. Her older brother was always so calm and collected even in the face of danger. So to see him so panicked over a simple misunderstanding was actually kind of endearing. And it definitely cemented her belief that Arackniss was crushing on Valentino big time. Why else would he be so worried about what the Overlord thought of him?
“Nicky, Nicky. Ya asked him for a quiet ride back ta work. And he obliged. He’s not mad at you. He just listened ta you, that’s all.”
“But-But what if-”
“Nicolas. If he were mad at you, why would he be bringin’ ya cookies? Or comin’ ta check on ya? He's worried for ya and wants ta make sure yer okay.”
He gave a small whine.
“Ya think so?”
“I know so. Yer overthinking again. You’re both perfectly fine.”
Oh, she was definitely calling Maria after this.
Arackniss sighed as he sunk into the pillows. Personally, he still wasn’t convinced. He’ll for sure ask Valentino about it later to get a proper answer. If only it wasn’t face-to-face...
Ugh. Why was he so worried about it anyway? So what if the pimp was upset with him? It wouldn’t be his fault! ... Well, maybe a little, whatever it was he did... But still! It wasn’t like he hadn’t upset the f*cker before. At least... Not enough to make him shut up...
The dream came to mind again...
Being tossed away so easily...
Valentino was the temperamental type. That much was obvious from second-hand stories alone. So far, the only time he ever saw him pissed... Or at least close as possible to it... Was that day at the studio before he took the hit for Anthony. Someone explosive like that suddenly going quiet... It only happened that one time when he tagged along for some jobs.
But this was different from that.
The doorbell rang.
“Oop, sounds like that could be him!”
Panic instantly shot through him. He wasn’t ready!! If he could move, he probably would’ve hidden under the bed. Molly left the room, leaving him alone with his spiraling thoughts. No! No! Not now!!
Why did he come now!?!?
Okay... Okay, calm down Arackniss. Just... Calm down. Maybe Molly was right. Maybe he wasn’t mad at you. Just.. Just a totally nice quiet drive like he wanted.
There was no need to overthink such an encounter... Right??
He grabbed his plush elephant, basically squeezing the life out of the poor thing.
It was going to be okay. Everything was going to be fine. He’d be fine.
He could hear voices coming down the hall. He felt his heart leap into his throat.
He wasn’t ready!! He wasn’t ready!!!
He stilled when he saw the familiar face of the Overlord. The moth flashed a smile at him.
“Hey there.” He held up a box and two cups of coffee. “I brought you a present~”
The mobster forced a weak smile, trying to calm his beating heart.
“He-Heeeeey...”
Molly peeked in as Valentino headed for the bed. She giggled to herself.
“Call me if ya need anything, Nicky! I’ll give you two some privacy~”
f*ck! Arackniss tried to signal with his eyes not to leave them alone, but the female spider was gone as soon as she appeared. sh*t, sh*t, sh*t! Okay. Just relax. Just keep calm and try to slip the question in naturally at the first opportunity.
“Your sister’s very excitable. She practically dragged me in before the door was even fully open. Caught me so off-guard, I almost forgot to give her-”
“Are you mad at me?”
The pimp blinked at him. Arackniss was looking away, almost ashamed of how small and meek he sounded. He doubted the image of him in bed helped. Dammit, what was wrong with him!? He was supposed to stay calm! To wait for the right moment! And it slipped right out in the worst way possible!
“Am I... Mad at you? For what??”
Oh, great. Now the pimp was mocking him.
“I dunno... You tell me...”
“I’m... Not? I... I don’t know why you think I would be?”
The bed dipped from extra weight. But the small spider kept his gaze away.
There was a moment of silence.
“Arackniss? Are... You okay?”
f*ck. Why was he acting like nothing was wrong? Why was he playing dumb? To mess with him? To taunt him before he broke things off? Well... Fine! He didn’t need the pimp anyway! The whole fake friendship or whatever they had was a waste of time anyway!
His vision started to blur. He shut his eyes.
f*ck! f*ck! f*ck!
“Arackniss?”
“Just tell me what you’re angry about and go the f*ck away already!”
That... Was very rude. But the moth knew that apparently, something was brewing in the small mobster’s mind since yesterday. Someone must’ve put some thoughts into his head.
He bet it was his asshole father.
f*cker!
“I’m not angry at you! Why do you think I’m angry at you? Did someone tell you that I was?”
The spider started to shake his head, only for him to flinch in pain. The moth frowned. Why was the mobster acting this way? This wasn’t like him.
Was it the painkillers? Maybe his sister gave him too big of a dosage. A drugged Arackniss was probably more emotional and irrational when doped up. Looks like he was going to use his infamous charm in hopes of luring the spider into opening up.
You do catch flies with honey rather than vinegar after all.
Or in this case, a spider.
“Arackniss~ Why don’t you tell me when you first thought I was... Upset with you? Hmm? Because on my end, I don’t feel angry at you. So why do you feel that I am?”
The tiny demon bit his lip.
f*ck. What was wrong with him? Why was Valentino playing these mind games on him? Why couldn’t he admit that he f*cked up and just tell him what he did wrong!?
“Ya stopped talking.”
“When?”
“Yesterday... In the van before ya dropped me off.”
Valentino furrowed his brow, glancing away in thought. Was he remembering incorrectly? Didn’t Arackniss ask for quiet? He only listened to the spider’s request!
He set the coffee cups and box of cookies on the bedside table. Then scooted a little closer.
“But Arackniss, baby~ You wanted a quiet ride, didn’t you?”
“... Y-Yeah...”
“So why would I ignore your request? I wanted to talk with you. I enjoy our talks. But you had a long day. Wouldn’t you have rather I listened than annoy you further?”
Arackniss said nothing. But his panic and irritation started to ease. Was... Was Valentino really not upset with him? A gentle lift to his chin caused him to open his eyes.
The moth smiled sweetly at him, his hand quickly retreating before it lingered a second too long.
“There you are. I promise I’m not upset or angry with you. I wouldn’t be here if I was. I’m happy to see you again. I even brought you treats, remember?”
Warmth spread to the spider’s cheeks. Likely out of embarrassment from his little outburst. What was he thinking? Of course Valentino wasn’t angry. He just... Listened to him. That was all.
Huh... He really did overthink it.
Well, now this was awkward.
He shifted his gaze away.
“‘M sorry... Sometimes I... I get stuck in my head over stupid sh*t... Overthinkin’...”
Valentino waved him off. He knew what that was like. ... Okay not really. His mind often didn’t linger on thoughts much. But he wasn’t going to let Arackniss know that.
“Don’t worry about it. We all have those kind of days. I’ve had them myself. Here.” He grabbed the box of cookies. “I brought your favorites. Your icky little oatmeal raisin cookies. You can eat the imposter chocolate chips to your heart’s content. Plus your barista friend gave you some free coffee.”
Arackniss blinked in surprise. She did?
He went and grabbed hold of the hot cup of coffee. He was instantly drawn into the relaxing aroma of orange and caffeine.
Oh sweet, sweet caffeine.
That’s probably why he was acting so off. He just needed his coffee. He took a sip. Feeling the semi-warm liquid travel down his throat. He immediately felt his frazzled nerves start to relax. Yea... This is what he needed.
Micole always knew how to deliver.
“Thanks. I needed that.”
“No problem.”
The two sat in silence for a moment as they ate their treats. Arackniss took notice of the second coffee.
“Ain’t ya gonna drink that?”
The taller demon blinked at him.
“Huh?”
“The iced coffee. You’re not gonna touch it?”
The moth’s face curled in disgust.
“Ew, no! It’s that weird coffee-orange mix you like so much. Your freaky imp-succubus friend made two drinks for you. Crazy bitch even stabbed my hand!” As if to emphasize his claim, the moth lifted up his bandaged hand. “All I did was say ‘hi’!”
“Oh. Yeah, Micole’s kinda stab crazy. Especially to jerks who try to flirt with her.”
Valentino huffed.
“Thanks for the warning. She even said I couldn’t blame her with my reputation.”
“Well she’s right.”
“f*ck you, I didn’t even go in to flirt! I went because you told me to!”
The sniper snickered. To which the pimp stuck his tongue out in response and got one in return. Arackniss nibbled on his cookie. Then realized his gaze had drifted to the injured hand. He quickly looked away.
“You should uh... Give the coffee a try.”
“What? Why? I already did.”
“That was just my usual coffee with orange juice. This-” He motioned to both drinks. “-is art.”
“... Excuse me?”
“Just try it. Besides... I thought ya said you were gettin’ partial ta orange and coffee.”
The moth gasped.
“Don’t use my words against me!”
“Too late. Just give it a try. Trust me, it’s different.”
Valentino gave a skeptical look. Then glanced at the forgotten iced coffee. After a moment, he rolled his eyes and grumbled an ‘ugh fine’ as he grabbed the coffee, swirling it to mix in the melted ice.
“If this is just as gross, I’m taking those cookies back.”
Before Arackniss could respond, the moth sipped the drink. He waited for a reaction. Valentino stared at the cup.
“What the f*ck...?”
The spider grinned.
“It’s good, right?”
“... It’s decent.”
“f*ck you mean ‘decent’? It’s good!”
“It’s fine.”
“You’re drinking it!”
“Am not.”
“You are too! You’re sippin’ it now!”
Valentino glared, sending the middle finger as he continued drinking the coffee-orange mix. Rather than annoy Arackniss, it actually made him giggle. The brat was such a goof sometimes.
His gaze caught on the bandages.
“... Is your hand okay?”
The pimp looked at it.
“Probably not. Pretty sure she would’ve gone clean through if it wasn’t on her counter. The bandage is just for now. I’ll dress it properly once I get home. It’s gonna be a bitch to deal with, but at least I’ve still got three uninjured hands.”
A thought crossed the spider’s mind.
A bad thought.
A very bad thought.
A very tempting bad thought.
He shouldn’t. He really shouldn’t. The soup Molly made him did its job sitting in his stomach, but it wasn’t what he wanted. What he craved. And getting up close and personal with a fresh, bloodied wound…
“… Can I see it?”
“… Huh?”
“Check on it. Is-Is what I meant to say. I’ve seen my fair share of injuries. I could… Determine how bad the damage is.”
Huh. Okay, Valentino couldn’t really fault his logic. Arackniss had plenty of knowledge dealing with these types of injuries. Reluctantly, he offered his hand to him. The sooty-furred sinner carefully pulled the bandage apart.
Once it was off... Oh… Oh the smell.
Sweet, sensational blood.
He knew he shouldn’t. Oh but it was tempting…
No! No! Focus Nick! Inspect the wound. Give the diagnosis. Rewrap the hand. Simple. Easy-
He licked the injury.
The blood.
Oh… Yes! Just as delicious as last ti-
“Did you just lick my hand!?”
f*ck!
Arackniss pulled back.
Quick! Think of something! Anything!
“Oh uh… Y-yea sorry. I… I should’ve asked… um... Sp-spider saliva actually has… healing properties. So I thought- Sorry. I won’t do it again.”
Healing properties? That… was new. He didn’t realize spiders had that. He knew cats did. But only because Vox once mentioned a cute video with a cat licking a shark.
“It’s… okay… Maybe a warning next time?”
The spider only nodded, relieved his bullsh*t excuse worked. At least he hoped so. Because that either meant Valentino was dumb enough to believe it or he was just allowing him a way out. Either way, he was taking it.
He cleared his throat.
“R-Right, yeah…”
“Did… You still wanna look it over or…?”
f*ck. f*ck, no, he shouldn’t. But if the pimp was offering… No! No more blood! It was too risky! But he did say he’d look it over…
It should be fine. Right? He got a lick. He should be good.
Hopefully.
“Uh, right, yeah. I-If you’re fine with that.”
“You’re not exactly the first to put his mouth on me.”
“Don’t make it weirder.”
The moth snickered and offered his injured hand again. Arackniss carefully took it. Okay, serious this time. No licking the blood! Focus on the injury. Just… Don’t breathe. That’s it. If he didn’t smell it, it couldn’t affect him. Just hold his breath and examine the injury. It shouldn’t take long anyway.
Taking a quick breath, Arackniss brought the hand closer. Okay. So far so good.
Holy sh*t, his hand was huge… Such long fingers… And smooth skin… A strong pulse…
Nope, nope, focus!
The wound was just before the knuckle and clean through muscle, so no broken bones at least. Still had function of his fingers so no important nerves were cut. Possibly got a blood vessel though…
“So? How bad is it?”
Arackniss started wrapping his hand back up.
“I’d say you got lucky it wasn’t worse. Nothing broken, possibly minor nerve damage, and obviously some bleeding. In other words, you’ll live.”
“Aww, thank you for the reassurance. Shall I give my hero a kiss?”
The younger demon’s face contorted in disgust.
“Don’t you dare.”
Valentino snapped his fingers.
“Darn. And here I was going to see if I can turn this ugly spider into a prince.”
“This ugly spider is still bandaging your hand. Push your luck and I’ll insert venom in you.”
“Oh very well. You may stay the ugly spider, with his nasty cookies, and his…” He finally took notice of the plush elephant sitting next to him. “Stuffed elephant?”
Arackniss stiffened, then quickly grabbed the toy, stuffing it under the blankets.
“It’s nothing. Just… Just a stupid toy from Molly’s collection. I-i-it’s nothin’!”
The pimp quirked a brow at him. Well that was a very sudden turn of attitude. Why was he so nervous over some stuffed toy? It wasn’t like…
Oh.
Oh.
Oh that was hilarious!!
Was it really his??
Valentino smirked playfully.
“Oh? Then shouldn’t it be in her room?”
“… She just tossed it in here with me. She knows I like elephants.”
“So she has a special stuffed elephant just for you when you come over?”
“… Yes.”
“How sweet of her. Maybe I’ll ask where she got it from.”
Arackniss froze.
“W-what? Why?”
“It’s cute. I wanna see what other animals I can find. I know Vox loves sharks and Angel likes pigs.”
“Don’t ask her.”
His smirk grew.
“Why not?”
“It… It was a gift ta her. So she doesn’t know where it’s from.”
“From who?”
“Family. Dunno who exactly.”
“Funny. Why would a family member get her an elephant plush when she likes butterflies and you like elephants?”
The mobster fell silent, trying to think of another excuse. Crap. How does he answer that? Distract, distract! Wait!
“How do you know she likes butterflies? Maybe she likes elephants too.”
“No. That’s just you.”
“And how do you know that for sure?”
“Process of elimination.”
The spider blinked. That… That wasn’t an answer he was expecting.
Valentino continued.
“I’ve known Angel loves pigs for years. Why, I dunno. He just does. I’ve learned since we started talking that you love elephants. Your sister has a butterfly fountain in front of her home and loved the butterfly-shaped cookies I brought for her. Your abuela has a liking for pigs, elephants, and butterflies in her home. She obviously loves her grandchildren and knows what they like. Pigs for Angel, elephants for you, and butterflies for your sister.”
The arachnid stared at him. This… That... Motherf*cker!!! He was not supposed to figure that out! He was supposed to be the stupid one in the Vees! Not… Not be smart! f*cking sh*t!
“....Th-that doesn’t mean anything.” He let out an indignant squawk when the moth suddenly snatched the elephant out from under the covers. “H-h-hey!! Put him back!”
“Oh? It’s a him?? How very intriguing…”
Arackniss let out a frustrated cry. There was no way he was going to be able to get Mr. Peanut back when he could barely move!
“Does he have a name?”
“I am not playing into your manipulative mind-games bullsh*t!”
The Vee let out a hum. He could see the Underboss was starting to get irritated. The last thing he wanted was for his teasing to send him into a rage. He didn’t want to cause him anymore pain than he was already in.
“Alright. I’ll give him back under one condition.”
The other gave him a suspicious look.
“What?”
“Tell me his name.”
“No! f*ck you!”
“Then I guess your little friend stays with me.”
This f*cking zuia!!!
“… I hate you.”
“Aww, I hate you too. His name?”
Arackniss glared before looking away. His jaw grinded a bit in irritation as the name lay on his tongue. God f*ckin’ dammit…
“…… It’s Mr. Peanut.”
There came a giggle, causing the spider’s cheeks to warm up.
“Mr. Peanut??”
“Yeah, yeah, that’s his name, can ya give him back now!?”
“Alright, alright. Here. As promised.”
The mobster looked to see Mr. Peanut held out for him. He quickly snatched the stuffed elephant back and held it close, glaring at the moth with distrust.
“So what? What’re you gonna do?”
“Do?”
“With the information you just got. Are ya gonna blackmail me? Share it with your creepy friends or rival families? Hold it over my head?”
Valentino tilted his head.
“Why would I do any of that?”
“Why not?”
“… Because I’m not planning to use it against you? So you have a stuffed animal. Big deal.”
Arackniss narrowed his eyes.
“Very big deal. I’m… I’m an adult. A grown man. If this gets out, I’ll be a laughing stock!”
“Arackniss. Relax. I’m not gonna tell anyone. Your secret’s safe with me. I promise.”
He didn’t trust him. At all. But the damage was already done. It wasn’t like he could just make Valentino forget. All he could do was take his word for it and hope- no, pray it never got out. At least he knew who was at fault if anyone gave him sh*t for having a stuffed toy after this…
“Hey, can I have my hand back?”
Arackniss blinked.
“What?”
“My hand. You’re still holding it.”
He immediately let go. f*ck!
“Oh uh… Sorry.”
Valentino chuckled.
“You’re good. I really am serious that having a stuffed toy isn’t a big deal.”
“How do you know?”
“Cuz Vox has like... A million shark plushies that he hoards.”
The smaller demon stared at him.
“He does not.”
“He does. So trust me. You’re not alone like you think you are. Thousands of adults have plushies. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
Arackniss nodded.
Okay… Not exactly as helpful as the moth thinks it is, but it did bring him some slight ease.
“So you said he was a gift? Or was that a lie?”
The sniper sighed. He didn’t want to answer… But he couldn’t not give him a response.
“Nonna gave him to me. From an elephant sanctuary here in Hell that she took me to when I first arrived... Pops was gonna throw him out, but he and Nonna got inta this big fight… She said that if he threw Mr. Peanut out, she’d make sure he’s disowned from the Family… So I got to keep him… I make sure he stays safe in my room. Hidden to where Pops can’t find him unless he… Gets in a mood.”
The Overlord frowned at the information.
Is that what he calls them when Henroin gets abusive? He’s just “in a mood”? What was with the arachnid and making excuses for his father? Why? What was the point in not holding the scorpion for his actions?
“Oh…” He knew better than to bring up his relationship with Henroin. “Well… At least Mr. Peanut is still here. He’s… Cute.”
Arackniss snorted.
“He is not cute. He’s handsome.”
Valentino bit back a laugh.
“Oh is he now?”
“Yes. Very dashing. As one should be when he’s my future consiliage.”
“Is that right?”
“It is.” Arackniss set Mr. Peanut back beside him, wrapping a lower arm around to keep it close. A thought came to him. “Hey, I just realized, shouldn’t you be with your sisters? For Día de los Muertos?”
“Oh, that’s tomorrow. It’s a two-day holiday. The 1st is spent celebrating children and the 2nd is for adults.”
“Ah.”
“Yeah. Izzy likes to get the last-minute stuff on Halloween to avoid the rush today for tomorrow.”
“Fair enough. The family all meets tomorrow too. Hopefully my back won’t be as much of a problem by then…”
“That’s what rest is for. Which I’m glad to see you’re taking seriously.”
He huffed.
“Not by choice. It just hurts to move. I wouldn’t be in bed now if I could. I can’t wait ta get this brace off. It’s annoying.”
“Just a couple more weeks and you’ll be free. Be patient.”
Arackniss grunted. Thank f*ck for that at least. The regeneration process for Sinners was useful, but it didn’t change the initial feeling of getting injured. At least it wasn’t by a holy weapon. Being permanently stuck in a back brace would not be ideal.
He glanced toward the Overlord’s hand injury. That one should be healed by their meet-up next week. As if it never happened. Much faster than his back injury. His gaze went up. And caught on the moth’s antennae. One fully intact. And the other…
Huh…
“Hey, can I ask somethin’?”
“Uh… Sure?”
“What happened to your antenna?”
The moth frowned. He looked away, taking a sip of the not-so-gross coffee-orange drink.
“... Alastor is what happened. Seven years ago.”
Oh… Sensitive subject.
“I see... I’m… Guessing it had something to do with one of Vox’s and Alastor’s battles?”
“Something like that. Same thing with Vox’s antenna. I dunno, but... I think something inside of him broke that day when he won the fight.”
Something broke... In Vox?
“What do you mean?”
Valentino shrugged.
“I dunno. I know he and Alastor had a past. I think he was really in love with Alastor at one point but... Nothing happened. He struck up a business deal with me in the 70s. He and Alastor were still on good terms back then. After our business deal though... It went downhill. I think that fight seven years ago broke his heart. He was really pissed at him. They both were. I dunno. But sometimes, when I hook up with Vox... I can’t shake that he’s only using me for a rebound cuz the Radio Demon rejected him. We’re friends but... I don’t think we’re ever gonna be more than f*ck-buddies. Ya know?”
Arackniss nodded.
How curious. But that wasn’t any of his business. Vox’s relationship with Alastor was his own mess to sort.
“Not really... But let’s not focus on them. That’s their sh*t to deal with.”
The moth nodded.
“Oh! Since I’m here, can I get another guess?”
Arackniss looked amused.
“You’re still gonna be wrong... But sure knock yourself out.
“February... 9th?”
“Nope.”
“f*cking sh*t!”
“And that means I get a question.” He paused to think. “Did you make any friends while under Septhis?”
The moth snorted.
“I had some I would call friends, but they weren’t really. There was one I considered my best friend... Then she decided she was going to use me for her own gain. She’s no longer around.”
The spider paused at how sinister that last sentence sounded. Did he... Did he kill his former friend? There was a story behind that. But now didn’t seem like a good time to push. The moth continued.
“Yea. So tell me more about Mr. Peanut’s oh so important job as your consiliage...”
Multiple screens flickered in a dark room. Many focusing on different locations. Cannibal Colony, the Princess’s joke of a hotel, different locations in Pentagram City...
All focused on one demon in particular.
The Radio Demon.
Alastor.
That f*cking prick...
Look at him. Still holding that ever-permanent smile. Going about his day and acting as if all was right in the world when it wasn’t. As if nothing before these last seven years mattered!
Damn him.
Damn him to extermination!
Why...
Why was he so damn content with everything?
“You f*cking enigma piece of sh*t...”
Alastor suddenly faced him through one of the screens, the glitching rippling through the rest of the monitors.
“Sad, pathetic excuse of an Overlord who hides behind his millions of picture boxes.”
Vox growled, his claws embedding into the arms of his chair.
He was just asking for him to confront him. March up to the hotel. Demand to see the demented deer-demon.
Go up.
And-
Another flick of red came across the screen.
Another flick of him!!
That’s it! He was going to give him a piece of his mind!!
In a flash, he turned into a bolt of electricity, disappearing into a nearby camera. He was going to get his answers from the stag once and for all!
The residents of the Hazbin Hotel were once again going through another one of Charlie’s redemption therapy techniques. The game was called Two Truths and a Lie. Basically, it was to see if they could detect what was a lie as well as learn more about each other.
“Alright, my turn!” Charlie told the group. “Uh... I went through a goth phase in high school. I’m on good terms with my ex-boyfriend. I once tried to convince my dad to make our family crest strawberries instead of apples.”
Everyone shared a look between each other.
Angel laughed.
“Well, we all know the goth phase is a truth.”
Charlie giggled.
“Yeah... The goth bar really was nostalgic for me.”
“I say the strawberries is a lie.” Husk spoke up. “I can’t see you asking your parents to change the iconic apple for strawberries.”
“I’ll wager on that.” Vaggie added, casting a glance at her not-yet-father-in-law. “I can’t really see you going against apples either.”
Lucifer laughed.
“Put me down for the ex-boyfriend.”
Husk raised a brow.
“I don’t know if he’s giving us a hint or if he’s switching it to fake us out.”
“Well I say the good terms with the boyfriend is bullsh*t,” Angel interjected, “Royalty relationships always end in drama.”
Charlie turned to Alastor and Niffty.
“What about you two? Do you wanna join the ‘strawberries is a lie’ team or the ‘end on good terms ex-boyfriend’ team?
Niffty raised her hand excitedly.
“Oh, oh! Strawberries!”
The princess giggled.
“And you Al?”
“Hmm, I’ll pass.”
A chorus of complaints was sent his way.
“C’mon Smiles, we all guessed!”
“We all need to play along, Alastor.”
“It ain’t gonna kill ya to just choose one.”
“Al, it’s okay if you get it wrong.”
“Oh leave him, Charlie. He clearly doesn’t wanna embarrass himself with the wrong answer. Especially when I know the real lie.”
Alastor’s ear flicked irritably as he shot a glare at the King of Hell.
“I am simply here because Charlie asked me to be present. I made no such promise to participate.”
“She didn’t have to beg me to be here. And I’m happy to play along.”
“Dad. Al. Come on, this is just a fun little exercise. I’m glad you’re both here. There’s no need to make it a competition.”
Unfortunately, the silent exchange happening between the King and the Radio Demon through facial expressions told Charlie everything. She loved her dad and appreciated Alastor’s help, but sometimes they took their little rivalry too far...
“ALASTOR!!! COME TALK TO ME YOU OLD TIME CAPSULE!!!”
The doors slammed open to reveal the television demon. Electricity sparking around him.
Alastor's smile sharpened as he stood up.
“Well, that is certainly quite a way to disrupt our night.” He summoned his cane, casually sauntering over. “Evening Vox. Is there a reason why you're showing your unflattering face at my hotel?”
“You know why I’m here asshole!!”
Alastor tilted his. Humming as he pondered what his rival could mean. After a minute he shook his head.
“Nope! Not a clue.” He tapped the other’s head with the tip of his cane. “It might be time for an upgrade, my fine fellow. I think your wires are becoming quite faulty.”
“Your f*cking fight with Adam!! That's what I'm talking about!! I saw what the f*cker did to you!”
Alastor's eyes narrowed. A flash of anger danced across his eyes before vanishing. He let out a laugh.Cane disappearing.
“Oh, my dear Vox. You really do have a flair for the dramatics. Getting so worked up over such a trivial thing. Why don't we take this up to my quarters shall we? That way we have some privacy. Hmm, old pal?”
Before anything more was said, the two were suddenly engulfed in shadows, disappearing from the room entirely.
Vox blinked away the darkness as he found himself in entirely new surroundings. A simple room with a 1920’s aesthetic. Minus the presence of a glowing, green bog taking up half the room. Figures.
A shadow tendril suddenly slammed him against the wall. Alastor slowly approached, a dangerous aura to him.
“You have nerve trespassing here. And not only that but daring to make a mockery of me like that.”
“A mockery!? Are you serious?!”
“Quite, actually. You know I hold myself in high regard and I don’t take kindly to being treated otherwise. Especially by those beneath me.”
“Asshole, you’re bleeding through your suit! You think they wouldn’t have noticed eventually!?”
The Radio Demon blinked. Then glanced down at himself. Ah... So that’s why his suit felt damp.
“Crap...”
“Yeah! Let me go so I can help you dammit!”
With an irritated huff, Alastor turned away.
“No.”
“No!?”
“I don’t see why you’re suddenly so concerned. Clearly, you’ve known about this little issue of mine since that day and yet only now you’re attempting to make an effort for some reason or other. Can you blame me for refusing your misguided offer of help?”
“What was I supposed to do? You don’t even let me near you anymore! And yeah! I do know you! I knew you’d be too damn proud to accept help from me! Not be stupid enough to not take care of an angelic injury! That sh*t isn’t gonna heal on its own!”
“I’m handling it.”
“Clearly not! Just... f*ck Al, just let me help. Then I’ll leave. Alright?”
“You think I want your hands on me? After they’ve been all over that whor* you call a business partner?”
“Oh for f*ck’s sake, this isn’t about Val! You haven’t done anything with your wound and haven’t told anyone else about it! So either you wait until one of them notices or you let me help. What’s it gonna be, Al?”
There was a tense silence between the two. Red eyes staring each other down.
Pain shot through stag, causing him to instinctively grip his chest. He huffed in irritation.
“Oh very well. But you will wash and disinfect those hands of yours. I know where they have been. I don't want that perverted friend of yours's fluids on me. Understand?”
The shadow tendrils dropped the media Overlord, who instantly helped him over to his bed.
“Yes, yes. You stubborn old coot.”
“We’re the same age.”
“No, you died twenty years earlier than me. That still makes you older.”
“You never did like obeying your elders, now did you?”
“Not when they’re unreasonable jackasses. Like you.”
“Last I checked, I was a stag. Not an ass.”
“Could’ve fooled me.”
Alastor winced lightly as he sat on his bed. He watched as Vox rushed for the bathroom to wash his hands. Ignoring the realization that the TV-headed demon knew where to go, Alastor reluctantly started removing his coat. As much as he hated being even minimally underdressed in the presence of others... Vox needed access to his wound. And that required some clothing to be out of the way.
Damn that Adam for inflicting such an unfortunate ailment on him...
Carefully setting aside his coat and shirt, the Radio Demon took a breath. Bandages across his chest and midriff were bled thoroughly through. It was a miracle he hadn’t passed out even once from blood loss yet.
Vox returned, a clean set of bandages in hand. He paused at the shirtless sight on the bed, his screen briefly becoming a hint of purple, then quickly shook his head. He cleared his throat as he settled on the bed.
“Alright, I’m just gonna fix you up and I’ll be outta your hair.”
“And never mention this to anyone.”
He rolled his eyes.
“Yeah, yeah, that too.”
“Vox-”
“Relax, your secret’s safe with me.” He started removing his own jacket.
“What are you doing?” Alastor asked in alarm.
“This jacket is expensive and I’m not looking to get it covered in blood. Just chill, alright? f*ck, it’s not like I’m gonna strip for this.”
The Radio Demon huffed and looked away. Then glanced back to see Vox folding up his sleeves. He stared briefly before shifting his gaze away.
“Alright, let’s get these old bandages off you.”
The crimson sinner took a breath to calm himself down.
It was only Vox.
Vox, who swore that they were enemies.
Vox, who was the leader of the Vees.
Vox, who he had known since the 50s.
Vox, who used to be his friend.
Vox, who loved h-
“Alright, this is gonna sting. Thank f*ck I bought this from Belphagor after Val got stabbed by a holy knife. sh*t was expensive as f*ck.”
He summoned up a medium-sized jar, opening it. Looked like one of those medical creamed jars. White, blue with a bit of gold.
He took some glowing white goo into his hand.
“I'm going to slab this onto your chest now. It's going to hurt like a bitch. Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.”
Vox nodded and quickly started applying the ointment over the wound. Which immediately made Alastor jolt and slam himself backward on the bed in agony. A grating radio frequency suddenly erupted, making Vox flinch and glitch out. Still, he pushed through to make sure the wound was covered entirely. Any part of it that wasn’t in contact with the serum wouldn’t heal.
Alastor started to convulse from the pain, his body arching in response. He clawed at his bed sheets. His horns grew. Shadows started lashing out around them.
“Fu-f*ck, f-f*ck, fu-uck... Th-There! There! Fin-n-ish-shed!”
But the pain didn’t stop. So the very intense reaction didn’t stop. Not that Vox thought it would. The ointment basically burned the holiness out of an angelic wound so it could eventually heal on its own. He remembered it took a few minutes for Valentino, but that was for a little stab wound. Alastor’s was practically over his whole chest.
“Pr-Probabl-ly should’ve wa-warned that-that it’d ta-take a whi-ile.”
“WHAT!?”
Alastor suddenly reared up and lunged for Vox.
“Oh sh-sh-sh*t!!”
Back down in the lobby where the rest of the Hazbins remained, the increasingly grating frequency disrupted their trust exercise. Much to their confusion and panic.
“What the f*ck is going on?!” Angel called out.
“That TV asshole must’ve pissed him off!” Husk answered.
Charlie started to rise from her seat.
“Maybe I better go check on Alastor. Make sure it's okay.”
Before she fully stood up, her father was quick to his feet, pushing her back down.
“No, no! Let me! It might be a pretty nasty fight. If they’re creating such a ruckus, I’ll straighten them out!”
“You sure, dad?”
He waved her off.
“Of course apple pie! Your daddy can handle this! No problems!”
The Princess wasn't fully convinced. But she could see he wanted to help.
“Alright. Let us know if you need help.”
He patted her head.
“Don't worry your pretty little ray of sunshine, my dear. I totally got this covered!”
With a puff from a gold cloud, he was gone.
And now standing in front of what was Alastor’s room. The screeching was even worse with the source of it right on the other side. It was loud enough to make even him wince. He considered knocking but he probably wouldn’t be heard over the noise.
Oh well.
“Welp, time to play king once again.”
Not wasting another second, Lucifer opened the door and stepped in.
“Alright, you two, that’s enough! What’s all this-”
He froze. As did the two figures on the bed.
Vox was currently straddling Alastor’s waist, pinning the deer demon down. One was shirtless and the other’s shirt barely clinging on though ripped to shreds. Both looked like deer - pun unintended - caught in headlights.
“-about... Message loud and clear, sorry for the interruption. I’ll leave you both to your activities.”
“Wa-ait! It’s not wh-what it lo-ooks-” Vox deflated as the door closed. “-lik-ke... Fu-f*ck.”
“Off... Me!”
The media demon looked down at the deer. Seeing that the ointment was finally settling, he quickly got off.
“Right! Sorry!”
Once the other was no longer in pain, and the screeching frequency now gone, he turned towards the younger demon.
“Wonderful! Thanks to you, Lucifer is probably going to let everyone know that we did... That!”
“It’s called sex.”
“I know what it’s called and I don’t like saying it!!”
“Alright, alright calm down. We just... Got to explain that it was a misunderstanding. ... We were wrestling.”
The Radio Demon scoffed.
“They’re not going to believe that bushwa!”
“Well, do you have any other ideas on what to tell them?”
Silence.
Yea. That’s what he thought.
“Look just... I’ll go speak with Lucifer.”
“Yea, you do that.”
Vox grabbed his jacket. Thank f*ck he put it to the side. Alastor f*cking tore his shirt apart. Dammit... and it was one of his nicer ones too.
“You’re buying me a new shirt.”
“Yes, yes, of course. I’ll make sure it’s delivered post-haste.”
There was a small silence. A bit of awkwardness settled between them. Unsure of how to continue.
Then Vox spoke.
“Where have you been for the last seven years?”
Alastor hummed.
“Away.”
“I know that! But just... Where!? Where did you go!? Why did you stop responding to me!? Where were you!?”
The deer looked at his former friend.
“I’m afraid I can’t tell you that. But trust me... If I could, you’d be the first to know.”
That... Didn’t make Vox feel any better. But he was certain that was the best he was going to get from him. They had seven years to make up for. Seven years of lost time.
... Seven years of an argument turned into a deadly fight that still lingered in the back of the TV demon’s mind.
There were many questions. Many mysteries. So much left unsaid by his old colleague.
“I see... Then... I will bid you goodnight Alastor.”
The other hummed.
“You as well Vox. And... Thank you... For tending to my wound.” He then started to contort, the air started to glitch as his eyes turned into dials. “And if you breathe a word of this to anyone, I will make sure that screen of yours is disconnected. Forever.”
Vox snorted, a small smile on his screen.
“I hear ya Al.”
“Good.”
The Media Overlord fixed his jacket on, doing his best to hide his torn shirt, and grabbed the fallen jar of ointment as he left the room. Now alone, Alastor reverted back to normal. He let out a sigh. Finally, that was over with. His hand drifted to his wound. It no longer felt as fresh as the day he received it. A relieving thought. He grabbed the fresh wrap of bandages and started wrapping himself back up. Once done, he snapped his fingers and found himself fully dressed.
Much better.
As he prepared to leave, there came a knock at his door. He blinked. Strange. Who would that be?
He strolled over and opened the door.
And there stood Vox.
“Why is your room separate from the rest of the hotel? How the hell do I get back down to the lobby??”
Ah, right, that little detail.
“Not to worry, you aren’t trapped here unless I desire you to be! Down we go!”
With another snap of his fingers, they were once again engulfed by shadows. In seconds, they reappeared in the lobby.
“I’m telling you, they’re f*cking each other! I saw it!”
There came a sudden record-scratching screech.
“Vox...”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m on it,” The TV-headed demon grumbled as he went to straighten things out. Alastor watched him go. His irritated smile softened. Though only slightly. He shook his head. No use dwelling on things long over.
Still...
It was nice to have a somewhat cordial interaction for once. He did miss those times. Even if he’d never admit it...
With the misunderstanding straightened out - much to a certain p*rn star’s disappointment - Vox left the hotel as soon as he arrived. And with him, Alastor’s secret, as promised.
The Radio Demon turned toward the group.
“Well! Now that that’s all over and done with, where were we with our little exercise before being so rudely interrupted?”
“Right. And now that we’re all here, what was the lie, hun?”
The princess grinned excitedly.
“I did have a goth phase! Aaaaaaand... I once tried to convince dad to change the family emblem from apples to strawberries! I did not end on good terms with my ex!”
Angel then whooped.
“Called it!”
Valentino had finally left Molly’s house. He and Arackniss had talked for hours. Which surprised him.
As well as his sister.
He would see her out of the corner of his eye constantly peeking behind the door to see how everything was.
At first, he assumed that she was making sure he was behaving himself. But as time went on, he soon realized that she was on the phone.
Strange... He assumed that she was updating either her father or abuela on the situation. While a little insulted that they didn’t fully trust him, he knew that with his reputation, as well as Arackniss’s current injury, that they would be protective of the mobster.
As the limo was driving back, he caught a very familiar face.
Vox.
The f*ck was he doing out walking?
“Xavier! Pull up next to Vox! See if he needs a ride!”
The driver did as he commanded, pulling up next to the Media Overlord. Once the vehicle came to a stop, the moth rolled his window down.
“The f*ck you doing all the way out here, Voxxy?”
Vox blinked in surprise seeing his friend.
“Oh uh... N-nothing important just... Taking a stroll.”
Right...
Liar.
“Uh-huh. I take it you don’t want a ride back to the tower then?”
“Uh, n-no, no! I’ll take the ride.”
“You sure? I don’t wanna interrupt your stroll.”
Vox frowned at him. Not just any frown though. A frown that said he knew what Valentino was trying to do. Whether he was in the mood to deal with it was the question. It would mean he’d get back to the tower a lot sooner though...
He let out a sigh.
“Just let me in before I make you.”
“Ooh, someone’s feisty tonight~”
The door opened, allowing Vox to climb in. And the limo took off. Vox barely settled down in his seat before Valentino laid it on him.
“So what were you really out for, hm? Some fun without me? I can see your shirt’s ruined from here.”
“Just... A run-in with Alastor, that’s all.”
“Voxxy, it’s never just ‘a run-in’ between you two.”
“Look, don’t worry about it, alright?”
Valentino frowned, then rolled his eyes with an irritated sigh.
“Fine. Should’ve just left you on the street.”
“Uh-huh. Where are you coming from?”
“A visit to Arackniss.”
Vox blinked.
“Wait, seriously? Didn’t you two just meet up yesterday?”
“The fight from yesterday f*cked up his back. So I went to cheer him up with some of his favorite cookies.” He then reached over to the bar and picked out a box from the cooler. “And don’t worry, I got something for you and Velvette too.”
The TV-headed demon peered into the box and perked up.
“Ooh, apple turnovers! Nice!”
Valentino grinned proudly.
“I know what my two favorite people like~”
Vox happily munched on his treats.
“Mmmmm, so good... So, what? You just went to drop some cookies off?”
“No, we talked too. Did you know he likes oatmeal raisin? Ugh, so gross! He doesn’t like chocolate chip at all! It’s so weird. Who doesn’t like chocolate chip!? Oh, and he thinks my favorite are just ‘eh’. Can you believe that!? White chocolate macadamia as just ‘eh’?! I swear, his taste buds are f*cked up. First the no avocado, then orange juice in his coffee, and now oatmeal raisin? Like, what the hell??”
The Media Overlord silently listened. He was used to Valentino’s rambling. And when it was something as inconsequential as talking about his day, well, it was best to let him keep going until he questioned what his point was.
As the moth continued, his eyes drifted out the window. Towards where he could barely see the hotel in the horizon.
It was... Nice to talk to Alastor again.
And Valentino was also making way with Arackniss.
It seemed for both of them, they were in need of some leeway on their relationships.
He could only imagine what Velvette’s day had been like.
The two was then interrupted by a phone going off.
Vox quickly answered, revealing it was their missing member.
“Hello Velvette. Val and I are on our way back. How was your day?”
“Nothing like you two will believe. Oh and Val, you won’t guess who’s here with me~”
The pimp raised a brow.
“Who?”
A familiar voice cut in.
“Hey Valo!! Guessed who just got done f*cking your best friend???”
“MIA!?!?!”
