A Trip to Hell

Chapter 5: Growing

It was another day in hell and another day closer to the extermination that seemed to happen every year. Husk got out of his bed as usual, trying not to fall over the empty bottles that were just laying here and there on the floor. He grumbled to himself already imagining that Angle Dust was going to be a pain in his neck while he still had to do as Alastor said. He looked back at his past and almost smiled remembering the time when he used to be an overlord of hell. Remembering the times when he would claim soul after soul as he ruled games in bars and casinos like poker. Everyone seeing him as the overlord of gambling in the circle of greed, until the day Alastor beat him and he lost everything he had to the radio demon. The cat demon's head pounded from another headache making his mood start to go downhill even more, yet as he tried to make sure he didn't fall from one of the bottles of dry booze on the floor. His eyes landed on the bottle of whisky that Teo had got him. He decided to take it with him and put on his top hat before leaving his room. Part of him wishing that things from the past had ended up going differently. "Morning whiskers" Angle said as he went down the stairs and saw the winged bartender again. Husk let out a growl before he went to start cleaning bottles and the counter of the bar. His mind wanting to already start drinking more booze as he saw it as too early for being given grief by the porn demon.  "if Angle is going to be annoying then can I make myself forget today already?" Teo asked as she went down the stairs. The brunette wearing her new dress with black leggings and black sneakers making it somewhat more casual. Her hair and face looking a lot better thanks to her being able to shower and do her own morning routine quite easily in the hotel. "Somebody is putting in effort. I think I might have a rivel or a new friend when it comes to style" Angle said as both him and Husk looked at her. The brunette just rolling her eyes before everyone had breakfast and Charlie told everyone that the latest workshop wasn't ready quite yet.

Teo went over to the bar and looked at her only funko pop. Husk looking a little confused before he asked her if she was going to just look glum at his bar for the whole day. The brunette said it was nothing before quietly admitting that she was starting to miss small things with her life, yet thought others would call it stupid. Teo explained that she used to play video games with her favourite being animal crossing, explaining how in the video game she got to be the mayor of a town and rule over the residents souls with an iron fist. Husk wondering if he should tell her more about his own past yet decided against it for now. She said that her town didn't have much, yet she made her town flag have a glass of chocolate milk on it and kicked out any villager who dared move too close to her giant mansion with candy walls surrounded by barbed wire. Then talking about other small hobbies before she said she sometimes wrote stories ever since she was a kid in school. Husk being slightly interested as he wondered if it really was someone from her family that made her end up in hell. Yet before he could ask, Charlie said that she was ready for the day's exercises. She asked all of them to take a seat and the brunette sat in the middle of one of the sofas with Husk on one side and Angel on the other. Angle asking why Charlie and Vaggie had a stage in the middle of the lobby before Teo stated that if they were expected to sing in front of them, then the princess could forget it, adding that she didn't sing and that she wasn't going to make her, even if it meant staying in hell for even longer. "I bet all your friends loved to see you do karaoke at the bar" Angle said. "Tried friends once. Didn't like it, so good luck trying to get me to trust you enough to be friends. Porn spider" Teo replied already looking annoyed. Charlie said that hopefully she'd change her mind and want to have friends again, before she revealed that they were going to be doing trust falls.

"Meh, beats singing. So lets get this shit over with before I want to start drinking vodka again" Teo said. Charlie said that they would each share something personal before falling off the stage backwards and soon demonstrated it with herself and Vaggie. Angle went up first yet even though he was smiling he looked like he'd rather be doing something else like most of the others. "Are we supposed to tell stuff we already know?" Angle asked. "Nope. Something different" Charlie replied with a smile still on her face. "Something new about myself...I know. I love to suck..." "Don't you dare even think about saying dicks" Angle said before the brunette interrupted, already thinking he was going to say something about sex. "popsicles. gees get your mind out of the gutter" Angle replied before he fell into the brunette's arms. Teo grunting a little because of how heavy he was before the spider demon said he was sometimes willing to go both ways when it came to sex. Giving her a wink before she dropped him on purpose.  "Woops" Teo said making Husk chuckle a little and smirk before Angle said it was her turn up next. "Sometimes I wished that things in my life went differently. But I know they can never change. I hate some of my family" Teo said before she fell off the stage. Husk quickly going over to catch her and he did. The brunette flailing a little in his arms before she wrapped her arms around his neck and soon mumbled out a 'thanks' to him. "Can we do something else? I think this is boring and dumb" Teo asked as Husk set her down. Angle said he had an idea and Charlie said she was up for it if it was going to make her want to still give the workshops a shot. The spider demon soon taking them all to a strip club and Vaggie complained while Charlie looked uncomfortable, saying he was only making the workshops more appealing for himself. The fallen angle and the demon about to continue bickering until they heard Husk purring and Charlie spotted the brunette on a stage giggling. "I think I'm enjoying this" Husk said as he was getting a massage  close to his wings before Teo's giggling caught his attention and he looked behind him.

"Work that poll baby" Angle said, yet the brunette seemed to be zoned out and too focused on something else as music played on in her head. Her eyes closed shut. "Fucking poll dancing. Are you kidding me? This isn't going to get Teo redeemed into heaven or get back to earth" Vaggie complained, looking like she was close to wanting the spider demon set on fire for his actions. "This isn't poll dancing, It's just dancing on a different dance floor. I was the queen. I was the boss. I Ruled" Teo said, not really noticing what she was doing, slowly making herself dizzy before she started to fall off the stage. The brunette waiting to hit her head on the floor, yet instead opened her eyes to find herself in Husk's arms again. "ooh. Me think kitty likey" Angle cooed and Husk growled before saying that he didn't. Storming out of the club and already feeling like wanting to get drunk again. "Husk? can you put me down now?" Teo asked. The cat demon only now realising she was still in his arms and quickly set her back down. "Want to get drunk back at the hotel? I think I want to with all Angel's bullshit already" Husk asked. The brunette asked if they could do something other then drinking and Husk decided to show her something else from his past, guessing that it could also pass the time. He took her back to the bar and she asked if the new activity was going to involve booze. Husk letting out a small smirk before saying that it wasn't, revealing that they were going to try poker and see if she was any good at it. The game started and Teo asked what they were going to have as the prize. The cat demon saying it could be whatever she wanted and explained how the game worked. "Why do you seem to tolerate me more?...I snatched your booze the first day we met" Teo asked. The former overlord said that he didn't before saying she was just somehow different when it came to being around others. The game continued and both tried to keep their cards hidden. Teo starting to get more competitive and even tried to steal a glance at his cards, yet he just chuckled and said 'no cheating'. "Is there something from your past you'd want to change. Maybe marry that girl who liked you?" the brunette asked. "...sometimes. But I know I can't go back, even if I wanted to...she probably found someone else to love. Moved on with her life without me" Husk replied.

"So how many friends did you have back on earth?" Husk asked. The brunette asking why in return, and he just replied saying he was only curious. "Growing up I always found it difficult to make friends. most people gave me dirty looks and chose to stay away" Teo said, starting to look a little glum again. She then said that after she got tricked she quickly closed herself off from others, ending all her friendships. Saying that she guessed if no one was around her then she wouldn't get hurt again. "How did that work out for ya? I did the same thing and even though I drank I felt miserable as shit" Husk said. "It worked" Teo protested, saying she had everything she could ever need. Yet her eyes for a second showed how she really felt about things. Husk seeing it and seeing that she was a loser on earth like how he was in hell. Part of him thinking that she didn't deserve to be down there. Yet he wasn't sure if even he could change things. "We're back guys" Charlie said and Vaggie spotted what the two of them were doing as the two came back to the hotel. Angle having done to work. "Quiet please Charlie. I'm trying to concentrate" Teo said, trying to focus on the game. Vaggie started to complain saying what Husk was doing was only encouraging sin, but the brunette just rolled her eyes and put all of her chips in front of her. "Whatever Vaggie. I think I won this game...now what's my prize?" Teo said revealing her cards. "Actually I think you'll find I won" Husk replied before revealing his own cards to be the winning set. "...if the prize I have to give you is singing then forget it Husk" Teo said as she started to sulk. The cat demon replying that it wasn't before he pulled out a bottle of chocolate liquor along with two glasses. Saying it was for the both of them since he felt like being nice to her. Vaggie let out a frustrated sign muttering things were going just as badly with Teo as they were with Angle. Teo liking her drink of defeat before saying he was nice company.

"Good to know. I might want to be friends with you some day" Husk said. "Still not gonna happen, Husky" Teo said before she started to try and drink from the bottle. Husk raised an eyebrow silently asking why before she decided to give him a riddle as her parting words for the day. Her mind deciding to keep the bottle of chocolate liquor for herself. "Let's see if you can work out this Husk. I'm always behind you, and I sometimes haunt you. Who am I?" Teo asked. The cat demon trying to think of an answer even though he wasn't really interested in riddles. "I don't know. I'm not really into this shit" he replied wanting to know the answer already. "...the past" the brunette replied. Leaving Husk alone as she took the bottle with her to her room. The bartender wondering if it was really something to do with her friends that had her end up in hell, while Charlie wondered what else she could do to try and get her out.