#but when she transforms her little hair pin transforms into the hat (crown?) that she wears

[kiwisandpearls]

took a crack at redesigning mabayu

#draw n’ sketch ⌞ 🍒✍️⌝ #I don’t mind her original design #but I just wanted to redesign her because why not #but my design is definitely a first draft #I was trying to take inspo from pictures of old timey filmmakers #but other than the fact her gloves is supposed to look like films #her skirt’s blotches supposed to look like the blotches on older films #and her soul gem looking like a camera lense #I’m gonna be honest she’s giving more maid vibes to me #idk maybe I’ll refine this a bit more later #magia record #mabayu aki #aki mabayu #scene 0 #scene zero #magia record scene 0 #my art #I feel like it’s the skirt #it’s the skirt I’m not liking the most #I really just wanna give her some shorts lol #also I took away her little hair pin #it was cute #but I think I’d have it wear she’d be wearing it when she isn’t a magical girl #but when she transforms her little hair pin transforms into the hat (crown?) that she wears

[windermeresimblr]

Historical Paper Dolls: The Sun King’s Court

Last week, we discussed ruffs. Today, we’re staying in the 1600s, but focusing on a fairly specific niche: the fashions of Versailles between the 1660s and the 1690s. I was inspired to do this by @rennylurant‘s and my discussion of the “Versailles” series. 

Alun and Alasdair and Joyeuse and Guiomar are all sharing center stage today. I simply couldn’t resist getting them all dressed up and making them go on a walk to see and be seen. I originally wanted them to promenade in a “Hall of Mirrors” set, but I couldn’t figure out how to get the pictures to not show the sky instead of the second story, so we have our trusty backdrop instead.

Men’s Fashion

Louis XIV mandated that all men who appeared at Versailles were to wear a long coat, a vest or waistcoat, a cravat, and knee breeches. This ensemble also required a hat for wearing outdoors. Charles II copied these fashion edicts upon his restoration to the throne in the 1660s. Don Draper’s work wardrobe and the trope of the “man in the grey flannel suit” are directly traced back from this style.

The waistcoat often reached to the jacket hem or just above it, buttoning up the front similarly to the modern version. (Earlier in the period, it had been rather shorter.) It was a canvas for embroidery, and could be made of contrasting fabric to add to the opulence of the look. The back of the waistcoat often remained plain, as it was not often seen when the justaucorps was worn; there are some instances of waistcoats having sleeves for winter wear. (Of course, you can then say that it is no longer a vest, and is instead a short coat--but that’s what the early form of the waistcoat was!)

The cravat is the ancestor of the modern necktie. Usually made of lace or fine linen, it was wound around the neck before allowing the ends to fall loose in front. There was a fashion in the 1660s for a ribbon to be tied around the cravat, which Alun is sporting once he’s fully dressed. The ribbons around the cravat were usually red, although other colors such as blue were not unheard of. This fashion trend continued, with the ribbons increasing in size and amount, until the 1690s. Then the cravat was worn without such decoration.

Knee breeches had been fuller (and/or shorter) prior to the 1660s, but with the popularity of the long-line justaucorps and waistcoat, slimmer and longer styles became more fashionable. Breeches were often made in the same fabric as the coat. They could be tied with ribbons or buttoned shut.

Because the new style was meant to emphasize the new-found peace after the turbulent early part of the 1600s, boots were gradually eschewed in favor of shoes. They were usually square toed and decorated with ribbons and bows and shoe-roses (essentially a pompom); there was a trend in the 1680s for red heels on one’s shoes. The heel, of course, became rather high, in order to emphasize the shapeliness of one’s calves, which were shown off by the slim knee breeches.

The long jacket was also known as a justaucorps, and would remain in fashion (with a great deal of change in how it looked) until the 1800s. The sleeve length varied from above to below the elbow, allowing the wearer’s shirt to poke through at the ends. Whether it had deep cuffs or shallow, broad lapels or none, and closed in the front or was worn open, the jacket was longer and more loosely cut than in previous decades. By the 1680s, it reached almost to the knee and remained full through the waist. 

Men wore their hair long, often to mid-back. While some people kept their hair mostly straight, especially in Spain, loose curls or waves were favored. Louis XIV, who had gone bald at an early age, started a wig mania that didn’t die down until the late 18th century. He wanted something that would mimic his natural hair, only, of course, thicker and superior in almost every respect. The men of Versailles soon copied him. This early wig mimicked the wearer’s natural hair color, was not tied back in any way, and was styled with a rather severe and exaggerated center part. 

A variety of hats were worn. The most common was a hat with a wide brim and a moderate crown, often decorated with feathers; your classic “Musketeer” hat. One side of the brim was often turned up; this turned into a brim-turning craze, resulting in the tricorne. 

Women’s Fashion

From the 1660s to the 1670s, the trend in women’s fashion was a broad or off-the-shoulder neckline with full, elbow-length sleeves, a tightly corseted body, and a full skirt. While the gowns shown in portraits may look like a one-piece garment, the trend was actually for a separate bodice and petticoat, which usually were the same color and material. The bodice was attached to the skirt with tabs, which eventually transformed into less obvious hook-and-eye closures. (Terribly fiddly, of course, and essentially defeating the purpose of separates.)

The neckline became quite low in some cases, especially for portraits. In some cases, the breasts were totally exposed; more commonly, a good deal of the breast was shown, pushed up and accentuated by the tight corsetry of the period. It was a look very suited to the deceptively casual, libertine atmospheres of Charles II’s and Louis XIV’s courts. It was of course was frowned upon by the moralists, and was not terribly practical for those who needed to do anything more strenuous than embroider. 

Throughout the period, pearl earrings and necklaces were very popular. The earrings often featured very large, teardrop-shaped pearls; the necklaces were made of the ordinary round, moderately sized pearls. Necklaces were worn very tight and very high, at the base of the throat. This was a look that would continue through the eighteenth century. Pendants were not as popular as they had been in previous years, but were still worn. Gemstones were also still very popular, as Joyeuse shows; I liked the contrast of the sapphires and her pink (salmon?) dress, and took a lot of inspiration from an image of Madame de Montespan I’ve linked in the credits.

Women generally did not openly wear wigs in this period; instead, they wore their natural hair (or someone else’s, if they had the misfortune to go bald). In the 1660s and 70s, the fashion was for curls at the front with buns in the back.

Here’s the fashion trend of the 1680 and 90s, the mantua. The mantua actually began as an “undress” dress, or casual wear; it was meant to showcase elaborate and exotic patterned fabric from overseas. It started as a fairly simple shoulder-to-floor open-fronted overdress (dolman-style sleeves, no fancy seam work, etc.) with a long train However, it soon evolved into the pleated, pinned, and looped style we see showcased here. 

Although this was worn over the wearer’s shift, stays and petticoat, with only a stomacher (a decorative modesty panel pinned to the stays) and a coordinating outer petticoat keeping the underwear from becoming outerwear, the high neckline and longer sleeves were more modest than the somewhat revealing off-the-shoulder look previously popular.

In the 1680s and 90s, the hair was piled up at the front of the head and dressed with the towering mass of wire and ribbons known as the fontange. The fontange was inspired by one of Louis XIV’s “petit maitresses” doing up her hair in a pinch with a ribbon, and gradually mushroomed out of proportion into something involving starch, wire, and a serious amount of hat pins. This is a mere shadow of its extravagance.

Credits

Alasdair

Wig by Cloudwalker Sims | Waistcoat by EA | Justaucorps and Waistcoat (V2) by Fortuna/Irene-Gouret on TSR | Knee Breeches by EA | Stockings by revolution-sims | Shoes by @revolution-sims | Hat by @deniisu-sims

Alun

Hair by @chazybazzy and Anto | Waistcoat and Knee Breeches by EA | Justaucorps, Waistcoat, and Knee Breeches by EA | Stockings by revolution-sims | Bow by s-club | Shoes by revolution-sims | Tricorne by assas-sims-creed

Guiomar, 1660-79

Hair by @aikea-guinea and Sussi | Earrings by Ladesire | Necklace by Vitasims | Bodice and Skirt by EA

Guiomar, 1680-99

Hair by Chazzybazzy and Toksik | Earrings by Ladesire | Necklace by Vitasims | Fontange by Traelia | Mantua by GlorinosaVG

Joyeuse, 1660-79

Hair by Chazzybazzy and Applekisssims | Jewelry by Tankuz | Bodice and Skirt by EA

Joyeuse, 1680-99

Hair by EA | Fontange by Traelia | Earrings by Ladesire | Necklace by Vitasims | Mantua by GlorinosaVG

Poses

Walking Couple poses by Lenina90

A few necessary side notes:

Image 2: The breeches are not quite correct for the period, nor are the lapels. The shoes are also a little anachronistic. However, they look nice.

Image 6: The severe line of the corset in this period is not a look easily achievable with sliders without distorting the clothes, unfortunately. See this wax figure of Madame de Montespan for an idea of how this looked in real life. It’s not really a look for the faint-hearted or prim-and-proper types.

Image 8: I honestly don’t know what’s going on with Guiomar’s hair. It’s not spaniel curls, it’s not really a bun, but she can almost pull it off. 

Image 9: Neither of these are very close to a proper mantua, but I have yet to find a mesh I really love, or one that I can convert without it being a problem.

I’m still really pleased how much of this could be done using EA meshes. I also think I will permanently move these to Saturdays.

#historical paper dolls series #sims 3 historical #sims 3 baroque #sims 3 lookbook #sims 3 content list #sims historical #sims baroque #sims lookbook #sims content list

[kathyprior4200]

Roo (fan interpretation)

Roo profile (fan made)

Roo is a character in Hazbin Hotel.

Character information (fan made):

True name: Roxanne

Nicknames: Trash Queen, Roxy (by her sister)

Date of birth: early 1970s/late 1960s?

Date of death: 1990s?

Cause of death: Burning in incinerator

Likes: Killing demons, working with herbs, singing, playing Australian music, fashion, successful trash days

Dislikes: Her boss, her sister, demons remarking on her ugly appearance

Sexuality: Bi

Species: Human (Previously), Kangaroo Demon

Gender: Female

Age: 20s-30s

Abilities: Trash picking, herbal brewing, weaponry, strong punches/kicks, using her parasite, carrying items

 Occupation: Trash Queen, trash picker, body disposer

Family: Kanga (Older angel sister)

Unnamed Mother

Unnamed Father

Friends: ?

Enemies: ?

Status: Inactive in the show (as of 2020)

Voice actor: N/A.

First appearance: N/A

 Appearance:

Roo is a Kangaroo demon. She has wild aburn hair, partially black and partially brown and curly in the shape of flames. Her eyes are orange with white iris and heavy eyelids. Her skin is pale with orange freckles.

 Roo wears an orange dress with sleeves in spike designs. She wears a checkered pin and chain necklaces, plus black bands on her arms. She also wears a black, magenta like wide brimmed hat with an orange and white checkered design on the inside.

 Abilities:

Natural abilities: Demon Transformation

Like every other demon, Roo possesses the ability to transform into her Full Demon Form and back to her default form with ease.

 Skillset:

Hand-to-hand combat: Roo can deliver strong punches and kicks like kangaroos.

 Weaponry: Roo can use guns and knives and is shown to store an angelic blade for emergencies.

 Item hoarding: Roo has the ability to store items inside her natural expandable pouch and retrieve them.

 Parasite Summoning: Though hard to control at times, Roo can summon her parasite to attack demons and dig through trash by opening her mouth.

 Herbal brewing: Roo has knowledge on herbs and uses them for tea, healing and poisoning other demons.

 Music: Roo can play the didgeridoo, the bullroarer and other Aboriginal Australian instruments as well as some other classic European/Western ones.

 Building and recycling: Roo’s house is made of trash fused together and her clothing is made from recycled material.

 Trivia:

Roo is Australian. Her name, “Roo” is Australian slang for kangaroo.

 Roo’s name is also slang for an ugly, clumsy, or idiotic woman in Australian. This is fitting, given her crazed nature and appearance.

 Roo is French for herb,” Rue also means “Street” or “regret.”

 Her sister’s name, Kanga, is the other part of kangaroo. Her name is slang for “police officer,” or “travel bug.”

 Kanga was the more obedient sibling, and thus the favored one. Roo was frequently jealous of her beauty and popularity. The final straw came when Kanga/Kahla almost got her arrested for her body disposing crimes and her rebellious attitude.

 Kanga is an angel and kangaroo humanoid while Roo is a demon. Roo shows no real desire to see her again, but will go into a confrontation if she does see her.

 Roo can play the didgeridoo, the bullroarer and other Aboriginal Australian instruments as well as other classic European/Western ones.

 Cherri Bomb is another character who was originally from Australia.

 The unofficial shipping name for Cherri Bomb and Roo would be RoomerBang (combination of Roo and boomerang)

 All the chapters are trash puns (Down in the Dumps, One Person’s Trash Is Another’s Treasure, Let’s Blow This Dump, etc.)

 “Thank You For The Venom” may be a fitting My Chemical Romance song for her.

  Chapter One: One Person’s Trash Is Another’s Treasure

 Junkyards and landfills were not pleasant places to be at.

 This was especially true in Hell.

 Along with drinking, using drugs, gambling and killing people, the denizens of Hell wasted food and littered like there was no tomorrow. Indeed, it was not uncommon to see broken bottles, cans, paper, and plastic strewn about in the streets. Much of the garbage in Hell ended up in towering landfills…taller than the ones in Australia and the most populated countries on Earth. Nearby, hazardous chemicals flowed into the fiery lakes and oceans, adding to the already torturous experience of the souls trapped underneath. Water, let alone clean water, was a rare concept among the fiery inferno…hence the alcoholic drinks being the most common beverage.

 The rotting overpowering stench steered many demons away from the landfills beyond the wired fence.

 Save for one demon who, more or less, called the vast yard of junk home.

 The woman was currently on her knees on the ground in front of a large pile of rubbish. She wore torn black pants, dark high boots and a jacket made from tanned leather that was originally Hellhound dung. Her undershirt was bright orange and a black and white checkered pin was stuck on the left side of the jacket.

 Her hair was wild and wavy, aburn in color. Her hair was black at the crown of her head and ended in a lighter brown at the ends. Some of the ends of her hair curled up and flowed out like flames. In fact, a few areas of her clothing had peeled apart, the pieces slowly floating away. The demon had white skin with tiny orange spots on it. But it was her bright orange eyes with white pupils and her rows of sharp teeth that made her intimidating. An incinerating fire seemed to crackle throughout her body, remaining sealed in by the demon’s willpower alone.

 Digging her sharp claws into the pile, the demon rummaged through the array of discarded items, before ending up with a handful of trash in her white hands. She placed it on the ground and peered closely at it. She sorted through it, tossing aside bits of plastic with her fingertips. She spotted what looked like the remains of a demon finger. She popped it into her mouth and chewed thoughtfully before continuing her work. Toward the end, she brushed aside some paper and found something glinting…a soul. Not the essence of a being but rather, a form of Hell’s currency. The demon smiled and picked up the shiny black coin.

 “Roo, you’ve done it again,” she praised herself. “Demons just don’t know what they throw away.”

 Roo pocketed the coin in a jean pocket and rummaged through more piles. Unlike the day before, she had gotten lucky in a few hours. She had found a near-empty bottle of whisky, half of a gold necklace, some rope, and some old boots. She pulled down her pants a little, exposing her pale stomach. With several grunts, the area below her stomach jutted out until a large natural pouch was revealed. It looked similar to a pouch of a mother kangaroo and had a similar function to it. Unlike kangaroos though, Roo stored weapons and materials in there. She deposited her treasures inside before retracting the pouch back into herself.

 Time for the next stage of the job.

 Roo was already used to the stench of garbage…her nose was barely there, so she hardly smelled much of anything. As she was already dead, she didn’t have to worry as much about infections and disease. Still, she was always careful about who or what she came into contact with. Like unknown containers, demons could be valuable at first glance but actually be laced with toxicity.

 At last, she made her way back to her home…a trash home fit for a queen.

 The entrance was actually at the top of a temple made of trash, crates, and fused pieces of paper and glass. The temple had five different layers, each getting smaller and narrower toward the top. It was reminiscent of a small Aztec temple. She walked up the stairs until reaching the top. The top was covered by a round mound of trash glued together forming a sort of round roof. She walked into the small open cave and glanced down at a wooden trapdoor. She pressed a button lodged into the wall and the door opened. Without hesitation, she jumped down into the square opening.

 Flop!

 Roo landed safely on a soft bouncy mattress at the bottom. She stepped off the mattress and headed through the first underground opening.

 Roo’s lair was, in fact, underground, the exit consisting of a set of stairs that led up to a spot just outside the junkyard. The walls were made of a combination of rock and trash fused together. There was wiring along the walls to provide light and electricity. The windows were made of multicolored glass set within the walls in each room. Down a narrow hallway, an arched smooth concave area in a wall showed boomerangs of different shapes on display. On another wall were weapons, axes and a few guns. Plus there lay a single angelic spear which she had traded a bucket of opals and souls for on the black market…and nearly got killed getting it.

 The living room and kitchen were small and humble. There was a square wooden table with a checkered cloth for eating, a stove, a sink, a refrigerator, some chairs, and some wooden shelves attached to the wall. An array of potions and herbs stood on the shelves, some pushed further back into shadowed corners. In the living room was an old flowered couch, an orange rug and an old fashioned TV with large knobs off to the upper right. The lights overhead were round, with several air shafts in the ceiling. A small slope of rock with a handle bar led up to the bathroom. Pictures of monstrous kangaroos hopping in fiery fields and demon meat set tastefully on platters decorated the walls of the living room.

 Roo made it into her bedroom, a room with a queen size bed and a tubular fluorescent light over the headboard. 60s and 70s style abstract artwork hung on the walls, while skulls of demons and mythical creatures lined the shelves. Her most prized skull was that of a crocodile demon, whom she had wrestled over a box of gold and opals. Another bastard demon had stolen the box while they were distracted. Roo had promptly killed the crocodile without mercy. She had managed to get several fallen opals, which she kept in a special spot on her dresser. She opened up her closet and found the outfit she was looking for.

 Moments later, she was dressed in a bright orange dress that ended half way up her upper legs. The front collars of the dress by her shoulders had spiked edges as part of the design. A black and white checkered pin was pinned onto the front. Black bands encircled her arms along with a dark choker around her neck. Tall black boots covered her feet, while two chain necklaces dangled and clinked when she moved. Her look was completed with an Akubra style hat with a wide brim, outlined orange. The hat itself was similar to her hair color, black to a brownish color, perhaps maroon. The hat had a small pinkish orange circular design on the top. Once Roo was ready, she made her way up and out the exit door, taking care to lock it. Stepping back into the Hellish heat wasn’t pleasant…her home provided her with brief relief.

 Roo swayed her hips as she walked into the Hell 666 club. The interior was noisy and vibrant. The walls and ceiling were coated in neon pinks, purples and blues, with openings of a large aquarium visible. Eels, sharks and fish swam around in the water, providing a more relaxing atmosphere for stressed out patrons. Several demons sitting at round white-clothed tables stopped and stared at her. Their eyes held a mixture of awe and disgust. Roo ignored the hushed mutters as she passed.

 “Is that the trash lady?”

 “Yeah, the Aussie girl.”

 “She would be hotter if she weren’t so dirty all the time.”

 “A scum living among the garbage. So glad I’m not her. She’s an ugly, clumsy bitch!”

 “If she likes to get down and dirty, then I’ll happily give her a few pointers. Heh, heh, heh.”

 There was a series of “phews” and cat calls that rang in her ears. Roo took a seat at the bar next to a blue muscular dragon with orange tattoos along his arms. The dark blue bull bartender stomped over and noticed her. “Yeah?”

 “Hit me up with a cold one if you please,” she said. “Gores Fight 1969.”

 She reached into her pocket and fished out several soul coins. The bartender took them and marched off.

 The blue muscular dragon turned to a slender light blue dragon next to him. The dragon stabbed a knife into the table and grinned up at a TV overhead.

 The muscular blue dragon turned to his friend and a pink overlord dragon with wild yellow hair. He laughed when he watched Charlie on TV.

 “Is this girl for real? Ha! Does she think…oh she’s haha…oh she’s nuts!”

 Roo glanced up and heard that Charlie was talking about some kind of hotel that was going to be used to redeem sinners. What a joke. Roo perceived her as a secluded princess who decided to make a public joke after being cooped inside for so long. Hell really was a burning madhouse inside a circus. Or was it circus inside a madhouse?

 Roo turned to the blue muscular dragon and put on her most innocent face. “Greetings my fine fellow dragon. Need something to drink?”

 The dragon scoffed and made a face. “If you’re talking about it that way, hell no. You’re not my type.”

 “No, I mean to actually drink.”

 She pulled out the near empty bottle from her pouch.

 “Not from that dirty glass,” scoffed the dragon. “Looks like someone threw it out!”

 “And what fools they are,” she added, already conjuring up a scam. “This is not just any drink. This is liquor from the oldest bar in Hell. This bottle is said to have been full during the last freeze over in Hell…occurs every 100 years or so. Lilith herself drank from this very bottle before storing it away.”

 “Ha! No way!”

 “DNA and spit never lie. Taste it for yourself.”

 The dragon reached for the bottle but Roo held it out of reach. “It’ll cost you…let’s say twenty souls.”

 “Twenty souls?! Nonsense! Even if the queen did drink from it, it’d be worth far less. Like one and a half.”

 “Turning down an opportunity just like that? And they say I’m trash.”

 “I’ll pay you two souls.”

 “Twenty. Nothing more or less.”

 The dragon sighed and handed her twenty coins. Roo greedily stuffed them into her pouch. Her ice cold beer arrived in front of her and she happily gulped down several gulps.

 The dragon hastily spit out the contaminated whiskey. “You conning bitch! Give me back my money!”

 “Finders keepers,” she grinned.

 “I’ll kill you right here and now!”

 She stood up and calmly smoothed out her dress. “How about this? You’ll have to pay me extra if you want to keep your arms.”

 The two of them made their way to the center of the area. The crowd glanced up at them, some of them eager to see a fight, while others rolled their eyes at the sight of another Tuesday brawl.

 The dragon rushed at her and she dodged, dashing under tables and avoiding his thick fists. The dragon growled and clenched his fists, landing a painful blow to her stomach. Roo grunted out loud and managed to roll out of the way before the dragon slammed a fist into the floor. Roo lacked the dragon’s strength, but her lighter frame made her more agile and faster. Several times, she mocked the dragon, tearing her claws against his skin, which was more of an annoyance than a discomfort.

 “You know, I’ve had a long fucking day,” the dragon grunted. “So how about I take whatever you have in your pouch and be on my way.”

 “I don’t think so, you brute.”

 “Heh, heh, heh, little lady has a death wish!”

 The dragon let out an intimidating roar, but Roo remained unfazed.

 “You hungry? Get ready for a knuckle sandwich!” he called.

  Scratching and sharp moving sensations erupted in her core. It felt like hunger mixed with kicks and sharp pains. If one listened closely, they could hear low growls from inside her. Roo was indeed, hungry.

But she was not the only one.

 Roo grinned, staring down at herself. Her voice grew lower and distorted. “I think it’s time to eat.”

 She opened her fanged mouth wide. Drops of dark colored spit and blood poured down onto the floor, dark magenta in color. Emerging from her mouth was an orange serpent-like creature. It was a slender parasite with white spikes all over its body. The small head had a single white eye on top, with longer spikes jutting from the crown. Smaller spikes were curled in near its mouth like spider pinchers. On its side was another large white eye, outlined in an orange aura.

 In addition, the creature had two kinds of appendages. One were several pairs of metallic legs with little orange spots on them. The ends of the insect-like legs had blades fastened to them. At least a dozen small black tendrils were also connected to the creature, including a larger black clawed appendage with glowing white-orange eyes inside.

 “What the fuck is that?!” the blue dragon yelled, his eyes wide with fear.

 The blue dragon soon found out when the parasite leapt toward him, legs ready. The dragon ducked and promptly ran for his life. A lighter colored blue dragon charged forward, only to have the creature slice a good cut onto the scales of his neck. The dragon roared in pain and tossed the creature away. He stared at the cut in disbelief…almost nothing else save for an angelic weapon could pierce through dragon hide. The parasite landed on the ground, right next to a demon. He was a green man who had catcalled Roo earlier.

 Roo’s brown and black hair flickered wildly, increasing in heat.

 “Still wanna call me hot?” she asked playfully to him.

 Without warning, the parasite jumped and attacked the green demon, tearing his clothes with the bladed limbs. Several demons raced for the exit, only to be grabbed by the creature’s tentacles and pulled back, screaming. The parasite held several demons in its larger black claw. The parasite opened its fanged mouth and took several deadly bites. The green man’s eyes rolled to the back of his head after a high pitched wail escaped his mouth. His blood, energy and life force left him, as the parasite drank it up from the bleeding wound in his chest. The man fell still and appeared lifeless.

 “Hey, isn’t that the guy who could hypnotize people?” one demon asked, holding a knife in shaking hands.

 “That’s right,” Roo said from behind him. Her orange eyes glowed in the dimness of the room. The demon reeled back in terror.

 “Roo continued. “He won’t have his powers anymore if he ever survives.”

 Roo then grinned and pointed upwards. The demon barely had time to look when the parasite landed and bit hard into his face, causing him to stumble and fall. Roo used the opportunity to steal several glasses of beer and stuff them into her pocket. Roo kangaroo-kicked a beetle demon hard, sending her backwards and cracking her ribs. A long spiked kangaroo tail emerged from Roo’s lower back, the appendage swiping away several demons who had tried to reach her. The bull bartender ran for his life. Roo glanced back and the fallen male demon already had his heart ripped out. The last chunks of organs were traveling down inside the parasite in small round bulges. Blood coated the parasite’s orange body and white limbs.

 The unleashed beast began to feast in a frenzy. It leapt from demon to demon, biting into them, sucking out their energy, or in some cases, traveling inside them before bursting out in a shower of blood. There was hardly anyone left in the facility after the parasite was done. The creature consumed and swallowed several of the corpses, not even leaving any bones behind. There were a few unconscious demons left…and those were the ones that the parasite had laid fresh eggs in, shaped like small glowing eyes. Roo herself, feasted on the remaining dead…fresh flesh had never tasted so good. She could see why it was the favorite classic food of demons.

 There would be quite a few sick demons in the near future. Roo laughed at the thought.

 Roo casually pulled off a dead demon’s arm and munched on it. She swung the arm at a demon straining to stand…he was soon knocked out.

 “Another good trash pickup,” Roo said with a sigh as she disposed and burned the rest of the remains. It was as mundane to her as successfully cleaning a house or yard would be to a human. Every year, Roo would be assigned the most horrific jobs in the sewers, having to pick up trash, poop and other waste from careless demons. And every year after the Exterminators attacked, Roo and the parasite would roam the streets, disposing of bodies and consuming them. When she wasn’t paid, which was nearly all the time, she would scam others for money, often posing as a prostitute or dancer. Any lone passerby who intruded on the Trash Queen’s territory was promptly burned or crushed in a landfill.

 Indeed, Roo was often looked down upon due to her roles in Hell. She was a rebel and a delinquent, with a ferocious side that often longed to break free…in this case it did.

 “Satisfied?” Roo asked the creature.

 The chaotic being chittered and rumbled in confirmation. It scurried over to her on its legs before stopping at her feet. The white and black appendages retracted into itself, along with the spikes. Its worm-like body wagged and wiggled, like it was ready to pounce, but it wasn’t in an aggressive way. The eye blinked several times. Roo knew what it wanted. Roo opened her mouth again and the creature sprang back into the mouth of its host. The body and tail vanished down her throat before she closed her mouth. Roo felt more energy and nutrients flow through her. She felt the creature curl up in her core and settle down. Roo’s tail and demonic features retracted as she turned back to her default form.

 The parasite would always need to feed every day, least it start gnawing at Roo’s insides after too long. Fortunately, Roo was diligent in caring for the creature. It couldn’t endure Hell’s heat and dryness for too long, so it lived in the more habitable environment inside Roo. The creature shared Roo’s common diet of blood and meat...the typical demon diet. Roo couldn’t remember when she had first made contact with the thing, but ever since then, it never left.

 A pleased and full Roo made her way out of the club and out onto the street. Blood stained her mouth and clothes but it could easily be washed later on. Nearby, a dumpster exploded from one of the red shaped bombs thrown by Cherri Bomb. Roo casually watched the battle between Sir Pentious and his Egg minions versus Angel Dust and Cherri Bomb.

 “Hell will be mine!” declared the snake inventor villain from inside his ship.  She was dressed elegantly in a gray suit with yellow stripes with a matching gray top hat with an eye and sharp yellow teeth like its owner. “And everybody will know the name of Sir…”

 “Edgelord!” a voice taunted.

 “Pardon?! Who said that?” he demanded.

 He leaned in close to two Egg Bois and hissed. “What did you just say to me, you fried chicken fetuses?!”

 The eggs quivered.

 “Speak up!” he hissed.

 “Um it wasn’t us, Mr. Bossman!” said an egg.

 Just then, a bomb shaped like a red cherry with a black skull on it, crashed through the window, flipped through the air and landed with a few bounces on the floor. The fuse was lit and a spark traveled down the wire. Sir Pentious and the eggs flinched before the bomb exploded into thick red clouds of smoke. Sir Pentious coughed and shook his head.

 “You looking for a fight, old man?” asked Cherri Bomb with a grin.

 She was a white cyclops demon with blonde and pink hair tied back into a long ponytail. She wore a high pink boot with white stripes on it on her left foot and a white and pink sock on her right foot. She had long black leggings with holes in them. Merging into her leggings on top was a pink bottom with white circles on it. Her medium pink crop top was short and was looped over her left shoulder, with a black bra underneath. A black x was shown on the crop top over her left breast. She wore black fingerless gloves that extended to her elbows, black on the left arm, gray with stripes and hearts on her right arm. A large pink eye with a yellow x on it took up much of her face, along with a grin of sharp white teeth. Freckles dotted her pale skin.

 Cherri Bomb was catching another bomb in her right hand.

 “Why don’t you get that pathetic tinker toy bullshit off my turf before I smash it…”

 A barrel crashed to the floor…

 “…more.” She finished.

 “Oh, you wanna go miss?” asked the snake. He flipped back his hood. “Well, I’d be happy to oblige!” He laughed as the Egg Bois marched forward with stun guns.

 “Catch me if you can, snakeman!”

 Cherri dodged the blasts and jumped out of the ship. She landed with a graceful flip on the ground before running off to summon more bombs and explosives.

 “I like my eggs scrambled!” she declared, after brutally stomping on several eggs in her way. Cherri dodged green laser blasts from Sir Pentious’ blaster and threw an egg with a spin into Sir Pentious’ face. An egg held a flag that said “Boss’s number one fan.”

 Sir Pentious threw the egg back but Cherri threw another bomb and caught the egg with both hands. She cracked the egg in half with a swift knee jab. She lifted up the shells and enclosed the bomb inside. The egg flew back at Sir Pentious’ face in a blast of smoke.

 “This woman has some great spunk,” Roo thought.

 Soon, Angel Dust stomped on an egg and joined the fight. A pink explosion went off as Cherri and Angel continued to fight. Cherri held a metal gun while Angel took cover behind a rock.

 “Hey, thanks for the backup, Angie,” Cherri said.

 Angel Dust smiled and threw a bomb over his shoulder. Cherri fired a red blast from the cannon. A pink explosion followed.

 “Haha! Are you kidding? This is the best action I’ve seen in ages!”

 “Where’ve you been, anyway? I thought you up and died or some shit.”

 She removed a fuse with a loop on it from a bomb.

 “Oh I wish,” Angel replied, as he lit another bomb with a match. Cherri took a bomb with a light pink skull on it from Angel.

 Angel continued. “I’ve been staying at this crappy hotel on the other side of town.”

 Cherri threw the bomb and took cover beside Angel.

 “Some boards are letting me stay rent free if I play nice,” Angel said. Both of them covered their ears as the bomb exploded in a column of neon green smoke. They jumped over the rock and out into the open.

  Angel blasted continuous rounds of gunfire at oncoming egg bois.

 “Ya know, no fights, no pranks, no problematic, language. Her words, not mine.”

  He stomped on the ground, sending an egg boi flying into the sky toward the pentagram before it exploded in a yok mess.

 Angel held a club in one of his other hands.

 “These crazy bitches are no fun. I’ve been clean for two weeks!”

 Another bomb exploded in green clouds as Cherri skidded in the background. “Holy shit!” she called as she jumped back into action, with two bombs in her hands.

 Angel Dust was covered in egg yok. He dipped a finger in yok from his cheek. “Well, sorta clean,” he grinned. He smashed an egg to bits with his club.

 “As clean as you can get with a shitload of Bolivian marching powder.”

 Just then, black chains wrapped tightly around Angel’s waist. Cherri gasped as her friend was thrown hard to the ground a distance away by Sir Pentious.

 Angel landed and grinned.

 “Oh, harder daddy,” he teased in a flirtatious tone.

 Sir Pentious’ eyes teared up. “Son?!”

 Angel Dust raised his eyebrows and stared in disbelief.

 Cherri Bomb drop kicked Sir Pentious, knocking him to the ground. He hissed in anger and stood up.

 “You whores have no class! In war, the side remembered is the side with the most…style.” He sprang his bow tie for emphasis.

 “Or the side that ain’t dead,” Cherri retorted, breaking an egg boi in half and tossing it aside. Angel stood beside her, now free.

 “Speaking of style, is your hat like, alive or something?” Angel asked, wiggling his glowed fingers.

 “Well that’s none of your goddamn business, now is it?!” Sir Pentious retorted.

 “Wouldn’t that make your hat the top and you the bottom?”

 Angel and Cherri burst into laughter. “Ooooh,” said one of the eggs. “That’s one hellish burn.” A sign reading “loser” was pointed at Sir Pentious. Sir Pentious slapped the minion.

 “I’m gonna blow you to bits!” he declared at them.

 “Oh, kinky,” Angel grinned.

 “Not like that, pervert!” Sir Pentious yelled, pointing a finger.

 Angel Dust suddenly pushed Cherri out of the way as an Egg Boi behind him shot four black claws with eyes at Angel from a gun. The claws grabbed Angel’s wrists, preventing him from escaping.

 Sir Pentious grinned. “Not so cocky now, are we?”

 “Ya know, you really need to watch what comes out of your mouth,” Angel remarked. “I’ve been making these sex jokes this whole time.”

 Angel Dust narrowly dodged a metal spike coming out of the ground.

 “And it’s obvious you ain’t catching on. I mean it’s just sad!”

 Angel Dust grew two extra arms and there were guns in his hands. He blasted at Sir Pentious, freeing himself. Sir Pentious’ hat fell off.

 “Don’t you think you’re gonna get into a lot of trouble for this?” Cherri asked, walking sideways.

 Angel shrugged and retracted his extra arms. “Eh. What’s one more little brawl gonna cause?”

 “Glad you haven’t changed!” Cherri said, playfully elbowing him. “You know you’re my favorite guy to party with!”

 “You know it, sugar tits,” he replied.

 Cherri Bomb rolled another bomb over her shoulders before catching it. “You ready to finish this?”

 Angel clicked his gun. “Born ready, baby!”

 The two of them yelled as they charged at Sir Pentious. Sir Pentious eventually fled and Angel went off to ride in a white limbo to the hotel. Cherri sang as music played from her Walkman: “Hello, dad, hello mom, I’m your ch-ch-ch-ch, cherry bomb!”

 A few days later, Roo saw Cherri Bomb again and hid behind a wall to watch. This time she didn’t appear to be as happy and wild.

 Cherri Bomb thought back to when she comforted Angel Dust in bed after he had a rough night with Valentino. After that had happened, she blew up an advertisement sign with Valentino’s face on it. The face of her ex boyfriend would often come back to her: a man wearing white overalls, him having a gray face with a single hypnotizing eye, white hair, a spiked hat and an evil stitched up grin. The critical eyes of her brother and father also stared at her in her mind.

 Like other sinners, Cherri had been former human as well, having been born in the 60s in Australia and dying in the 80s at young adulthood from an explosion. Her sexuality was rumored to be bi, and she had been a radical rocker redhead feminist as a human.

 Cherri had fallen in love with another guy, who promised her money and power. But instead, he took advantage of her. Her father disapproved of both her rebellious behavior…and her bisexuality. Cherri’s boyfriend had kept the money for himself, while her father criticized her for her behavior and the friends she hung out with.

 It was all pretty much a repeat of what had happened in her living life…except without the dying by explosions bit.

 Cherri wondered how Angel Dust was faring with his Italian mafia family. Angel got along with his bubbly pink spider sister Molly, while he remained distant from his authoritative grey father Henroin and recluse black colored brother Arackniss. His white spider mother, Aranea, was in Heaven. Angel and his family had previously lived in New York when they were alive. Angel’s father did not approve of Angel leaving the mafia to pursue his porn star career and living life (and death) as a gay man. With being stuck under a contract from the moth pimp Valentino plus his addiction of drugs, drinking and the angel dust drug that had previously killed him, it seemed like the white spider had no way out.

  Cherri sat down on a ledge and opened up her laptop. She wished she could do more to help out her friend. Roo peered off, hidden by the wall. She crept forward to get a closer look. The VoxTube video on the computer read “Addict: Angel Dust At Peep Show/Cherri Bomb In Action.” The video had been filmed by officials at Hell Club 666.

 Angel and Cherri’s voice came from Cherri’s laptop, showing Angel Dust performing at a strip club, Valentino greedily watching. Angel stood as a silhouette against a glowing pink web with a heart on it. Angel spun several times around the pole.

 Angel’s voice came first as he sang:

 “’Till death do us part, but we’re already past that phase

This is a brand new start and I think I deserve some praise

For the way that I am

Despite having overdosed and ending up comatose

I don’t give a damn”

 Valentino eagerly watched the show from a couch, two furry women beside him. Valentino’s red smoke from his cigarette morphed into a hand that stroked Angel under his chin. Angel walked down the stairs and strolled down the aisle.

 “I’ve let my emotions go,

Fuck being a sober hoe

This is my mantra, this is my life

You’re playing with now ‘till the end of the night

Surrounded by fire, the passion ignites”

 Angel kicked a drooling Travis in the face with his boot.

 Valentino’s red smoke turned into manacles around his wrists and neck for a brief second. Angel inhaled the hearts in the smoke, then lay down and posed some more. A crowd of imps and demons watched, throwing money at Angel.  

 The video did not show Cherri Bomb comforting Angel in his room, though she remembered that clearly.

 “A hint of that Heaven and Hell, a helluva high”

 “I’m addicted to the madness

This hotel is my Atlantis”

 Hotel? What hotel? Roo was confused.

 “We’re forever gonna have a fucking reason to sin

Let me leave my soul to burn and I’ll be breathing it in”

 Angel pushed a beer bottle off the aisle. The camera moved to a ground burning with green flames. Cherri stood up on the roof, tossing a metal bomb in her hand. She leapt from roof to roof in the rain, throwing bombs to her heart’s content. She spun around and fired a bomb at a Valentino sign after flipping the bird.

 Cherri Bomb then sang in the video next, Cherri cringing at hearing her recorded voice:

 “I’m addicted to the feeling…”

 Then the video skipped to Angel Dust climbing the pole:

 “…getting higher than the ceiling

And we’re never gonna want this fucking feeling to end”

 Skipping back to Cherri swinging from a pole on the roof…

 “Just concede and give in to your inner demons again.”

 “This video editing is marvelous,” Cherri breathed. “Though I’m gonna blow the person who spied on me to bits.”

 The video then showed Valentino’s red limo driving in the rain. The one who filmed the video did not know what went on inside the limo. Valentino’s female clients kissing. Angel sitting next to Valentino, holding just enough money to get by. Valentino counting his money and grabbing Angel’s hand hard, forcing him to look up. Valentino gripping him hard by his chin. His tongue was out in front of Angel. He wanted Angel to kiss him, but Angel flinched away. Valentino forcefully pulled him in closer as the car kept driving.

 Only Cherri knew of Angel throwing his wine glass against the wall in his room, then collapsing in a tearful heap against his bed.

 The video switched bold letters read at the bottom: “Cherri captured singing on roof.”

 Roo listened as Cherri sang next, her eyes widening in admiration. Despite Cherri’s tendency to blow stuff up and be vicious, she had a kind side to her. And oh was her singing voice beautiful!

 “Yeah, you fell in love, but you fell deeper in this pit

While death rains from above, so count your blessings ‘cause this is it”

 Cherri leaned against a ledge as it rained. She walked over a puddle among broken green bottles. That day, Cherri had imagined her father’s face in the water…the memories not leaving. She fiddled with a bomb before flicking it to the ground. It exploded in a flash of pink. For some reason, Roo hated seeing this stranger sad.

 Cherri turned around and twirled on the roof.

  “You’re not letting it go

So what if I misbehave? It’s what everybody craves

You already know

So, come if you’re feeling brave and fancy yourself a mate

You want it, I got it, see what you like

We could have it all by the end of the night

Your money and power, my sinful delight

A hint of that Heaven and Hell, a helluva high”

 Cherri twirled around in front of a green neon sign that read Addict. TNT crates, round bombs and bundles of red fuses wrapped up surrounded the sign. Cherri loved seeing all those bombs everywhere. Already, she had felt more powerful and confident. She took out a lighter switch, pressed the button and everything blew up in pink smoke. Cherri dove off the roof, belly first, arms out with a grin on her face and spun as the video faded to white.

 “Don’t worry, she ain’t dead!” read the words against the screen. Cherri had to laugh a little at that part.

 Cherri and Angel would often imagine themselves dancing at an aquarium club, themed blue and pink before running out together and blowing it up. They would get ready in their dressing rooms before going on stage. She would be wearing a single yellow star over her eye, a cyclops version of sun glasses.  Cherri imagined herself twirling around, throwing bombs at the tables and chairs. A pink coat would be over her shoulders, reading “Cherri” on it and decorated with red cherries. And Angel Dust would be dancing beside her in tall boots, glasses, pink gloves, and a tight black corset outfit. They would spin around the poles and have a blast…immersed in pure freedom.

 But both Angel and Cherri knew…that it was all a dream.

 Cherri could almost hear her and Angel singing together.

 “I’m addicted to the madness

This hotel is my Atlantis

We’re forever gonna have a fucking reason to sin

Let me leave my soul to burn and I’ll be breathing it in

I’m addicted to the feeling, getting higher than the ceiling

And we’re never gonna want this fucking feeling to end

Just concede and give in to your inner demons again”

 “Just concede and give in to your inner demons again.”

I’m addicted to the feeling, getting higher than the ceiling

And we’re never gonna want this fucking feeling to end

Just concede and give in to your inner demons again”

 There was something else that only Angel Dust knew. The moment at the hotel when Charlie tried to comfort him, but he declined and turned his back on her. Other than Cherri, he had no reason to risk trusting anyone else. In addition, he had only known Charlie for a short time. He walked into his bedroom, and there was his pet pig, Fat Nuggets, looking up at him, his spots briefly glowing pink in the dark. A neon “love” sign was on the wall, along with clothes and porn magazines. There was a poster of fat Nuggets on the wall. His room had wigs on stands and several mirrors with round lights around the frames, like those at the studio. Angel picked up the pig and stared into the mirror.

 Helpless…

 A horrible flashback seared into Angel Dust’s mind: him wearing fluffy handcuffs and being anally raped by a grinning Valentino in the porn studio dressing room. Angel froze in fear before walking toward his bed. He threw away a partially used cigarette into an ashtray. The angel dust, the drugs, the porn, and money…all were highs that he had been addicted to for years…but the pleasure was only temporary. The pleasure only masked the pain for so long, until it came back with an aching soreness. The smoke revealed a broken heart.

 “I’m addicted to the sorrow, and the buzz ends by tomorrow

There’s another rush of poison flowing into my veins

Giving me a dose of pleasure that resides by the pain

I’m addicted, I’m dependent

Looking, awesome, feeling helpless”

 He knew he would have to face a terrible decision: stay in Hell with Valentino, or stay at the Hazbin Hotel and try to redeem himself. Risk disappointment from his boss, or painfully change his habits for a promise of unknown freedom. But giving up violence, porn and drugs, the major parts of his life? Easier said than done. Giving up two of his arms surely sounded easier.

 Angel wasn’t sure what caused him to throw away the cigarette early. Perhaps he knew that it was somehow “wrong” and decided to give his body a break.

  Hopefully, he would be safe at the hotel for now, with some new friends. Fat Nuggets sensed his distress and licked him under his chin. Angel smiled. At least he had his pet with him too.

 “And I know I’m raising cane by every highway in hell

Maybe things won’t be so terrible inside this hotel.”

 Cherri Bomb sighed, closed her laptop and walked away. This just left Roo awed by her appearance and full of more questions in her mind.

 Where was she from? What was that hotel…could it be the same one that the princess talked about?

 Roo sighed and headed back home. “Hopefully, I’ll find out.”

     Chapter Two: Let’s Blow This Dump

 Back in her underground lair, Roo relaxed in her rectangular swimming pool of blood. In the room stood a wide array of plants, many of them with drooping leaves in multiple layers. The window consisted of glass shards of multiple colors fused together in a scattered design. On the white brick wall flanked by round lights was a large painting of the Australian outback. In it, the sky was blue and under it were tall signature red rocks on a dessert ground.

 Roo sank her head of wild hair into the lukewarm liquid, the strong metallic scent filling her nose. Like other swimming pools in Hell, the “goreine” chlorine in the water made the blood undrinkable. Her white freckled legs and body were barely noticeable in the murky liquid.

 Her mind was reeling over the events of the last several days. She had seen Angel Dust and Cherri Bomb fight Sir Pentious in an action-packed turf war without being noticed. Then again, not many demons wanted to notice her in the first place…or worse, get noticed by her. Like the kangaroo, Roo appeared strange and exotic at first glance. But whoever got too close was in for a rough beat down, and a most certain second death if she so wished.

 Just the other day, she had glimpsed at the video on Cherri Bomb’s laptop. She had no reason nor real desire to waste her time, but she stayed nonetheless. Roo figured out that Charlie’s hotel, was indeed, taking in clients for free to try and get them on the right path. Though Roo overheard Angel Dust saying that he was only staying because it was free. Would this Cherri Bomb person stay there as well?

 Roo kept asking herself why she had been so curious about Cherri. Perhaps it was the spunky, rebellious side to her that was hardly seen in many women…at least in her previous life. To be able to just summon bombs from her hands like magic…Roo wondered why she couldn’t create balls of fire or gold from hers. Then again, she did have a bottomless pouch and a parasite, so she wasn’t one to complain.

 And the video left her with more questions. Could a rehab hotel actually work, or was it just a rubbish rumor?

 Roo decided to brush the issue aside. True or not, it was of no concern to her. Demons could choose what they wanted to do and live their lives…provided they did not interfere with hers.

 Sighing, Roo stepped up the concrete stairs, shook off the blood drops from her skin, and wrapped herself in a black towel. She walked through the arched tunnels and climbed up the small slope to the dunny to wash up and do her business. She walked back down, dressed in thick brown clothes and a face mask.

 It was time to go to work.

 Roo strode toward a factory building, which was spewing endless black smoke out from a group of tall towering chimney pipes. She made her way to the double doors, which opened up in a cringe-worthy screeching sound.

 Roo took her place among other demons dressed in brown clothing, masks and gloves. In front of them was a conveyer belt and in the wall were large black pipes. A buzzer sounded and loads of trash fell through the holes and landed in a heap in front of the workers. The demons got busy, rummaging through the piles for items of value. There were boxes off to the right of each worker with different labels: precious metals, gems, weapons, recyclables, demon remains. The rest of the plastic and trash were pushed to the left into a slot where a lever would be pulled, sending it to the incinerator.

 “Come on, come on, you filthy sinning fetuses! Keep working!” called an employee with clapping claws. Adama. She was a tall woman with skin made of diamonds. She wore a long green skirt and a white top with her name tag and the company logo. Her coal-colored hair was pulled back into a tight bun. She was Hell Born, and loved treating sinners as the second class citizens they were. “You still have thirteen more hours to go! But don’t worry, your ten minute break will be in half that time.”

 Every hour, burly horned demon guards would patrol the area, some of them whipping the backs of the workers who slacked off. Roo herself got a few lashes when she found herself daydreaming. She tried not to cry out, for that would only elicit more whips and taunts. Her claws and hands were grimy and dirty, almost losing their usual whiteness.

 Between this job, prostitution and homelessness, Roo had chosen this laborious task in order to survive when she first manifested in Hell. Her hard work and a few lucky times allowed her to build her underground home and buy clothes, food and other necessities.

 Hour after hour Roo trudged and rummaged away. When her fellow employees weren’t looking, she opened her mouth, allowing the minion to peer through and slither out silently. It used its bladed legs and mouth to dig through big piles of trash. The creature opened its mouth to reveal several bullets. Roo grinned and placed them in the weapons box. She slurped the creature up before anyone noticed…though her boss shot her suspicious looks and narrowed eyes.

 “Unruly piece of scum,” Adama muttered, as she walked along, just loud enough for Roo to hear.

 The heat in Hell was unbearable enough, but having to stand near burning incinerators was almost torture. Sweat coated Roo’s forehead and under her arms…the heavy clothing wasn’t helping much. After several hours, the parasite pushed and kicked at her insides, begging to be let loose and to feed. She used her willpower to hold it down for as long as she could. She needed a smoke break, bad. After a brief lunch break of rotten meat and overcooked vegetables, the workers took their positions again.

 The boss wandered over to a small demon, who glanced at her nervously.

 “What have you got?”

 The demon pointed at the boxes with a shaking finger.

 “Hmm,” Adama said, observing the findings. “Only one piece of metal and a smelly old container? Those aren’t going to be worth selling in a blizzard. Give me more results at once.”

 “But…I’m tired,” the demon complained.

 The boss snickered and leaned in. “You’re tired? Is that right?”

 Adama mentioned to the other workers. “You hear him, he’s tired!” She spoke to him. “You were hired, you’re now tired. You know what comes next?”

 The demon gulped.

 The woman took out a coin. ”The answer: you will be fired! But how will that go, exactly?”

 She rubbed the coin in-between her fingers, everyone looking nervous.

 “Heads for you, tails for your home. Same goes for all.”

 One other worker had her home burned down after she tried to run away during her shift. The guards had caught her and brought her before Adama. The boss had flipped the coin to tails and she became homeless…resulting in working more hours.

 The coin flipped in the air, all eyes watching it. The coin landed in the boss’s clear palm. She grinned rows of glassy teeth.

 “Heads up!”

 Oh no.

 Two horned guards wearing gas masks over their faces picked up the demon by his arms, his screams and struggling doing him no good.

 Don’t panic. Don’t panic. Don’t panic.

 A lever was pulled and a metal hatch opened up to a low shaft. A shaft of flames. A steep fall into a burning pit with nothing in the walls to hold onto.

 “No, no, no, stop!” the demon begged, as he was dragged forward. In swift motions, the yelling demon was thrown by the guards through the opening, his yelling growing fainter as he fell into the fiery pit. The hatch closed with a clang of finality.

 “Fuck,” Roo breathed, clutching at her stomach and head. She ignored the staring eyes around her.

 Roo’s heart appeared to stop (again). She hunched over, her body and arms shaking. The windowless room and heat appeared to suffocate her, the walls appeared to close in. The flashes burst into her head as she stared at the flames through another opening.

 Running like crazy from police footsteps. Maneuvering her way through a factory. The yells of her sister as officers closed in. Jumping onto a pile of trash to avoid being arrested. Her feet slipping on paper and junk, sliding down into a lower level. A man shoving her further away among the junk, for her dumping his girlfriend’s body. Her sister screaming her name as she struggled to free herself. The metal and scraps cutting into her skin as she struggled to free herself. Being pinned down by the crushing debris. Screaming for her family as she was moved mechanically into an incinerator and burned alive…

 “Is there a problem here, Miss Roo?”

 Roo jolted back up, and stared into the stone cold grey eyes of her boss.

 “N-n-no mam’,” she responded.

 “Let me see the boxes and your pouch.”

 Roo moved aside as the woman looked through the boxes.

 “Several bullets, containers with no toxic elements. Lots of steel scraps. Not too bad.”

 Roo pulled out the part of the gold necklace, some souls, an old box of cigarettes and several empty beer cans in reasonable condition.

 Adama scrutinized her findings, placing a finger to the smooth surface of her chin.

 “You got lucky this time,” she said, as she gathered the objects into a larger box. “These items will do at the market. But one of these days, you or your home will get burned to a crisp. Not that anyone else would care, seeing as you’re a dessert dwelling lowlife who got lucky.”

 “Bitch,” Roo seethed.

 “What was that?”

 “Nothing, mam’.”

 A growling sound rumbled in Roo’s throat. She could feel the slender body of the creature trying to climb out. She gripped her own throat, pushing it back down.

 The boss grit her teeth. “I’ve see you with your creature friend. Don’t even think about attacking me or anybody else with it. My skin can withstand sharp objects and teeth.” She took the half gold necklace and stuffed it into her shirt.

 Then she mentioned to everyone, “Remember, anyone who finds an angelic weapon will receive a double raise and a higher position. Count yourselves lucky that you don’t have to slave away in the mines…yet! Now get back to work.”

  Roo’s legs and back were throbbing and sore by the time she arrived back home. It had taken her months to create it. To imagine it being burned away…gut-wrenching. She’d have to start all over. Scratch that, it would be all over for her. Trash piles could only help hide her so much. She would be homeless and at the mercy of predatory demons. Single homeless demons were pretty much fresh meat. She wouldn’t let that happen…she couldn’t. But how much longer could she keep working, when her boss practically wanted her to fail?

 Roo climbed up the stairs and freely fell onto the dirty mattress. It was the one where she briefly had sex with another male demon, before using her minion to devour him. It had been a most wonderful night.

 She stripped herself of the sweaty uniform before putting it in a hamper to wash later. She went to the bathroom to take a shower, before putting on some looser, lighter clothing: a torn black ACDC t-shirt, ripped jeans, and a spiked collar around her neck. More chain necklaces were draped around her neck. On her couch, she casually played an Australian didgeridoo decorated red and black like a snake. Traditionally only men would play the didgeridoo in ceremonies but in Hell, she was free to do as she wished. Feeling a gnawing in her stomach, Roo placed the instrument down and raced outside through the exit door.

 She couldn’t lose her home. Not the place where she was free to be herself and alone. Sure, Roo had her minion with her if she became homeless, but if it were to be captured, it would eventually die. If her minion were to die…she knew that she would get very sick. Her minion did more than just kill other demons and dig through trash…it helped defend her and keep her alive. With Roo having a compromised immune system, the parasite healed her wounds and attacked any viruses that entered her body. In exchange, Roo provided the creature with her body, a portion of her energy and daily food. The creature would reluctantly remain still and let Roo’s food be digested…most of the time.

 In the past, Roo had tried keeping the creature in her pouch…but it didn’t like the dry, cluttered environment.

 And speaking of which…

 “Urgh! Stop it!” Roo seethed as the beast racked through her body and squirmed from within her gut. The beast’s thick fur and spikes prevented her gut bacteria from absorbing it. The creature began eating up the walls of her stomach, and some of the stomach bacteria. The long hours of work and the hunger of the beast were coming back with a vengeance.

 She doubled down on her knees, nearly throwing up. The beast was hungry and wanted out. Having no choice, Roo opened her mouth wide, spewing out the creature in streams of dark spit and blood. The orange slick body grew white spider-like legs and the rough black clawed appendages with the eyes blinking in them. With shrieks and a clanking of its legs, the monster scurried off and attacked several demons nearby.

 The monster came back around ten minutes later, satisfied and coated in blood. Roo opened her mouth and the creature dashed inside before disappearing down her throat.

 Roo arrived home and began to play her didgeridoo again on the couch, this time playing an Australian Aboriginal tune she had learned when she was alive. She was amazed that she could still remember the song, let alone her past life.

 Arranged on a shelf in the kitchen were bottles of different herbs she used for cooking, healing, and make-up. Roo walked over and ground up several green leaves after removing them from the shelf, making a tea. The warm finished liquid was soothing for her stomach. Tucked in a shadow corner of a shelf were bottles with poison ivy, wormwood, and other deadly herbs to use on enemies. Lacing demon’s drinks with poisonous substances was a favorite pastime. There were even some fan shaped marijuana leaves in a jar that she occasionally used when smoking.

 Many outsiders, both on Earth and in Hell only saw Roo as a trash picker and vicious killer. But many did not know that Roo had other hobbies: singing, dancing, playing Australian instruments and working with herbs. She also enjoyed alternative fashion and art. Although Roo was somewhat clumsy in her dancing and screechy in her singing, she still enjoyed them very much. After taking several sips of her tea, Roo played a nearby guitar as she sang:

 “The downtrodden at the mercy of their fates

Burning in inferno, alone with no mates

Surrounded by rubbish, stuck in a bin

Living a life of sin, but no way to win”

 “What determines our new lives from the start?

Who would’ve thought my behavior could drift others apart?

I can feel my afterlife slowly burning away

Yeah there’s no other way, but to pray and stay”

 Roo, oh Roo

Whatever must you do

To keep your belly full and your mind intact

What to do, Roo, it’s all up to you

You’re stuck here forever, that’s just a fact”

  Roo had learned a quick lesson once she arrived in Hell: in order to survive, demons would have to know how to kill and use weapons…plus know how to sing, dance and/or play music. One had to be good at self-defense while also finding a way to get their points across, a.k.a. singing. Slaughtering and entertainment were the two essential things that would get demons further along in Hell. One had to be good at both. One could look at such examples as jazz loving Alastor, Angel Dust, Cherri Bomb, the ever musical Charlie and her parents to see how important these skills were.

 Perhaps the reason why the majority of demons killed, sang and danced were due to Lucifer himself. He enjoyed polka music and his family were also experts in the creative arts. Music and song, along with fashionable dress were excellent ways to both pass the time and to display a higher status. The two songs and dances that Charlie performed, along with the Alastor one, were just the beginning.

    A rumbling sound was soon heard from overhead. There were sounds of scurrying and the sounds of metal and plastic being scrapped around from outside.

 “Who the hell decided to visit me?” Roo thought, her claws extending into sharp black points.

 From the footsteps coming from many directions, it appeared to be more than one person.

 Blast. It was probably her boss and her cronies arriving to punish her. Could she never catch a break?

 Roo stepped outside and squinted into the sudden red light. She couldn’t believe her eyes.

 What she saw wasn’t her boss, but rather…round moving eggs? They were dressed in small pinstriped suits around their lower halves along with mini black top hats on their heads. The eggs had eyes and large mouths with jazzed edges that served as teeth. They moved on small legs and had small arms. Roo punched one of the eggs and it exploded in a yok mess around her.

 “Yuck,” she muttered.

 The Egg Bois were currently digging through the trash piles nearby, and carrying scraps of metal with them!

 “Hey! That stuff is not your own! The fuck are you doing on my turf?”

 She heard laughter from nearby. There was Sir Pentious himself holding a gun with a green electricity inside it. He was flanked by a dozen Egg Bois holding stun guns.

 The Industrial Revolution snake turned and looked at her, his fangs bared in a sinister smile.

 “Well, well, well, look what the rat dragged in today! What’re you doing in this filth, worm?”

 “FYI, I live here, bastard. Why are you so keen to barge into my turf?”

 Sir Pentious made a face and scoffed. “You call this your turf? I’ve seen homeless scum have more class than you. And to answer your question, I’m in need of some more metal and parts to repair my blimp. The one that cursed Alastor managed to destroy.”

 Alastor…she had heard his name before. Thankfully, she had never encountered the infamous Radio Demon.

 “You’re an inventor right?”

 “Why yes I am,” Sir Pentious replied, puffing his chest. “Only the greatest of my time! What’s it to you?”

 “Can’t you just gather parts somewhere else?”

 “I could, but I’m in a bit of a hurry, and a bad mood after what happened earlier,” he seethed, revealing a chipped fang and a swollen eye.

 “Ouch,” Roo remarked.

Sir Pentious hissed. “You mock me while living in this dump? What a filthy whore you are.”

 “The fuck did you just call me?”

 “Would you like me to say it again, in case you didn’t hear me?”

 “Boss,” said Egg #22. “I think the trash lady heard you just fine!”

 “Never you mind,” he spat, giving his minion a glare.

 “No need. You’ll be saying nothing after…this!” Roo declared, her mouth opening wide.

 “Bring it, missy!” Sir Pentious hissed, turning to his minions. “Get her!”

 The eggs scrambled towards her on their little feet and legs. Roo took hold of a nearby pipe and swiped several times at the eggs. The Egg Bois were sent flying into the air forwards before rolling on the ground as they fell. One egg trued to bite her leg but she kicked it away with a powerful roundhouse. Her fists shot through several more eggs before white and yellow egg yok splattered all over her face and clothes. Roo’s long tongue licked off the goop with a slurp.

 “You know, I’d much prefer meat. And I’d be more than willing to try snake!”

 One egg watched as he waved a flag in his hand that read “Boss’s #1 fan.” Roo’s parasite helped with attacking the eggs and keeping them at bay. Several eggs were lifting up a shiny piece of metal and scurrying toward their boss.

 “Oh no you don’t!” She whirled around and threw a rock in their direction. The stone clanged against the metal, causing the eggs to fumble with the piece. The Eggs and metal were sent flying with one swipe of Roo’s powerful tail. One egg managed to bite down into her tail and another fired a blast that impacted her foot.

 “Damn it!” she cursed, swishing her tail around to get the egg off. A jet of green energy narrowly missed her as it created a smoking hole in a trash pile next to her head.

 “Come out and face me, missy,” Sir Pentious called. “Or are you just gonna scurry back into your hole?”

 Another blast shook the ground, causing Roo to almost lose her balance. In fury, she raced out and attacked other eggs around her. The turf war went on for what seemed like hours. More and more eggs kept arriving and Roo was already starting to get worn out. Even her parasite was having trouble killing so many eggs at once. Sir Pentious shot a blast at the orange creature and it shrieked in pain, releasing the captured Egg Bois.

 “Not so tough now, huh?” he grinned, tongue flickering out as he advanced.

 “No, no, no, no,” she thought in frustration as she saw several more eggs carry off metal and tools back to the remains of Sir Pentious’ ship. They threw the scraps into a large cart before wheeling it away. Roo punched more Egg Bois and scurried behind more trash piles to avoid blasts from the Egg Bois’ guns and Sir Pentious’ blasts. Roo jumped high into the air to avoid a larger blast from Sir Pentious’ gun. The trash pile she had been taking cover behind, exploded in a flash of green smoke. One of the Egg Bois shot a claw from another gun. Roo managed to avoid several of the traps in midair before a third cable made her trip. She fell to the ground and rolled over as the Egg Bois closed in. Her arms were suddenly held back by more clawed cables. She struggled to free herself before a brief shock of electricity made her flinch back. Nearby, her parasite was also trapped in the black cables.

 The serpent villain slithered over to her, yellow eyes glowing, fangs showing against his menacing shadow figure. Fear was evident in her eyes as Sir Pentious aimed his blaster at her not too far away. There was no way he could miss now.

 “Any last wordssss?” he grinned.

 Roo lowered her head before opening her mouth. “Edgelord!” was spoken.

 “What did you just say to me?!”

 “I didn’t say anything…”

 Just then, a familiar slender cyclops woman did a graceful leap over the barbed wire fence, landing gracefully on the ground between Roo and Sir Pentious.

 “Still looking to fight, old man?” she asked. She threw a pink bomb in his face, pink smoke spreading in the air. Sir Pentious coughed through the smoke and waved his hand to clear it away. The woman kicked the eggs away and the cables fell away from her hands, freeing her.

 “Thought you could use some help,” she said.

 Roo didn’t have the chance to reply before the smoke cleared.

 “You again!” Sir Pentious yelled. ‘You really don’t know when to give up, do you?”

 “Giving up’s not in my vocabulary. I must ask, is being a lord of shit in yours?”

“Arugh!” he growled in anger. “Both of you are dead!”

 “I know,” Cherri smirked. “How about we find out if you can die again!”

 “I’m better than you at words and lifestyle. I’m quite the epic dabber!” Sir Pentious exclaimed before his Egg Bois collectively groaned in response.

 “Man, ego inflation much?” Roo shook her head.

 Cherri summoned more bombs in her hands, tossing them at oncoming Egg Bois. Roo and Cherri exchanged smiles and knowing looks. It was time to heat things up.

 Roo jumped and bounced in the air like a kangaroo over toward her minion. A few swipes of her claws snapped the cables in half, freeing her parasite. The creature roared aloud before scurrying on its metal legs in the path of several Egg Bois. The blades and tendrils contacted with the eggs, slicing them, squishing them or biting them.

 “I like my eggs scrambled!” Cherri exclaimed as she beat an egg to death with a nailed filled club in her hands. “Seriously, does Sir Pentious shit you guys out or does he have a chick for that? No matter, I’ll juts poach more of you eggs!”

 “I could do for some fried eggs myself,” Roo grinned as she barreled into more eggs and stomped several into the ground. The good news was that no more eggs were stealing any more metal and useful junk.

 “Ha! I haven’t seen this many dying eggs since that sperm bank got robbed!” Cherri danced around the Egg Bois trying to shoot her. “You really think you can take me with your pea-cock shooters? Get it?”

 “Hey,” Roo called to Cherri. “Thanks for the backup!”

 “Don’t mention it,” she replied. “That Edgelord manic has been invading my territory for a while now. He almost got it as well. But even if he does…I’ll make sure he doesn’t get yours.”

 “You don’t know me,”Roo inquired. “Why stop to help anyway?”

 “I figured, why not? Angel Dust helped me out during the last one. Figured I could pass the time and shit.”

 “What do you do for hobbies?” Roo asked.

 “Blow stuff up, obviously,” Cherri answered. “Plus go shopping with Angel Dust, maybe go for a drink. You?”

 “I work with herbs of all kinds. I sing, play music, murder, feast, you name it.”

 “Sounds pretty rad. I’m Cherri Bomb by the way.”

 “Roo,” Roo smiled.

 The parasite lunged at Sir Pentious, but the snake managed to avoid it, sending it away as it avoided more blasts.

 “Ready to finish this?” Roo asked.

 “You bet!” Cherri responded.

 Cherri Bomb and Roo both charged at Sir Pentious, all three of them (plus the creature) yelling at the top of their lungs.

 Roo and the parasite attacked more Egg Bois at a rapid pace, sending them into a retreat. They scurried over to the last cart before driving it away. Sir Pentious was fuming in anger.

 “Don’t get confident, whores. You may have sent us back, but I still got enough parts to do the job. You won’t be so lucky next time!”

 Sir Pentious took one look at Roo and his eyes glowed and spiraled. Roo was so entranced that she didn’t notice the hiss, snap and strike until it was too late. Yellow fangs sank into her neck and Roo cried out with wide eyes. Cherri gasped in concern, throwing several bombs at Sir Pentious. Sir Pentious laughed again as he fled the scene yelling, “Bye, bye bitches!”

 Roo felt her body go numb. Spots danced before her eyes as dizziness took hold. Cherri Bomb held her in her arms, Roo collapsing to the floor, her body suddenly heavy.

 “Oh Isabella!” Roo smiled deliriously.

 “That’s not my name,” Cherri said, taken aback.

 “Roo!” Cherri called in concern as Roo gasped for breath. Roo weakly smiled at Cherri’s beautiful face. She never imagined that a single large eye could hold so many secrets. She had saved her life…a true angel hidden in disguise. Thank Lucifer Roo had left the door unlocked.

 She saw Cherri’s concerned face for a few more seconds before unconsciousness took her.

    Chapter Three: Down In The Dumps

 Roo groggily opened her eyes and found herself staring at the rocky ceiling of her bedroom. Nothing seemed to be out of place. Nothing save for a tall white skinned cyclops casually catching a pink bomb in one of her hands. There was a concerned look on her face.

 “Would ya mind not blowing up me or my house, mate?” she asked, slowly sitting up.

 Cherri’s look of concern vanished, turning into relief. “Oh thank goodness.”

 “What the fuck happened?” Roo muttered. She almost climbed out of bed.

 “Whoa take it easy,” Cherri said, holding out her hands, the previous bomb vanishing. “The venom may have left your system but I don’t think you’re ready to rush out just yet.”

 “How did you…”

 “Thankfully your door was unlocked. I saw you pointing a shaking finger at it between consciousness.”

 She held up an empty jar and a note scrawled on a piece of paper. The paper had directions for crushing a herb to counteract the effects of venom.  

 Roo blinked in disbelief.

 “Yep, your note saved your ass.”

 Roo smiled, staring at her hands, memories rushing back to her. “Wow that was some fight we had!”

 “I know, wasn’t it awesome?! That Edgelord snake thought he could take us down, but he miscalculated as usual.

 “He still managed to knack some of my stuff,” Roo grumbled.

 “It’s no big deal. More trash will arrive here anyway, right?”

 “Good point.”

 Roo slowly stood up, stretching her arms.

 “You good?” Cherri asked. Roo nodded and followed her out to the living room. Roo noticed that she felt…empty.

 “Have you seen…”

 “Oh, that creature of yours?” Cherri asked. She mentioned off to the left of her.

 A banging and clanging sound filled the small kitchen. The parasite was scurrying along the countertops, knocking several items down in search for food.

 “Yeah, that freaky beast tried to enter inside of you…I think the venom may have discouraged it to go any further. I tried to pull it away…”

 The creature suddenly roared when it spotted them and shot itself at Cherri’s face. Cherri screamed, stepping back and flinching. Roo sunk her clawed fingers into the creature, pulling it back with her hands.

 “Hey! Stop that!”

 The creature shrieked in protest.

 “What the fuck is that thing?!” Cherri exclaimed, terrified at have it so close to her.

 “I don’t actually know myself,” Roo admitted. “But I do know that it can get very tempermental if left outside too long with no food.”

 “Then leave it in here for a while,” she suggested.

 “That’s not what I…enough!”

 Roo’s eyes glowed and she spoke in a low demonic voice. The creature shot up its spikes and curled its head in terror. Roo pulled it away from Cherri.

 “Jeez, that was close,” Cherri mentioned. “Now please put that thing back where it came from!”

 Roo nodded and picked up the creature. Her mouth opened wide and she helped slide the creature inside.

 “No, what the fu…oh god!” Cherri made a face at the disgusting display. She closed her one eye until the creature had vanished down her throat.

 Roo looked apologetic. “Sorry about that.”

 Cherri shook her hands and took a breath. “Well, I’ve seen worse sights in my life, so something like this is nothing.”

 Cherri stood up and walked toward the exit door.

 “Where are you going?” Roo asked.

 “I have to get back and check on my bestie Angel Dust,” Cherri explained.

 “Can I come too?”

 “Well, I’d rather not let anyone else see my territory and do know I can still blow you to bits if you try anything.”

 Roo shrugged, looking unfazed. “Even if I did, I would only have my life to lose.”

 “Fair enough.”

 “How about this? Thanks for saving me back there, Cherri. You’re welcome to come back here anytime. I have herbs, some instruments if you like to play sometime.”

 A small smile appeared on Cherri’s face. “Nah I’m good but thanks for the offer.”

 Cherri was about to walk out the door but stopped and stared at the display of boomerangs in the hall. It seemed to trigger some lost memories.

 “Where did you get these?” she breathed. She glanced down and picked up a long tube shaped instrument.

 “Where else but in Australia?” Roo replied with a grin.

 “You mean that’s where you were from?”

 Roo nodded.

 “Same here.”

 Both their eyes grew wide in surprise.

 “Wait, you’re an Aussie too?” Roo asked in disbelief.

 “It’s true though,” Cherri replied. “I remember my last days being in the good old 80s.”

 “I never would’ve guessed. You have no accent!”

 “Not everything is what it seems at first glance.”

 Roo could sense explosive power brewing in this woman. This confident fiery individual who so happened to be a former human from Australia just like she was. Was it coincidental that she was having these strange feelings? The desire to learn more about her was swaying through her mind like tall grass on a windy day.  

#Roo #Hazbin Hotel #Trash Queen

[swanqueeneverafter]

After The Sunset, Pt.21

Camelot. Present. (Regina and Emma walk through the castle grounds talking animatedly.) Emma: "How could you just forget?" Regina: (Innocently:) "It must've slipped my mind." Emma: "Uh huh. All right so what exactly are we here for?" Regina: "Queen Guinevere asked me at our wedding reception whether I'd be happy to judge Camelot's annual tournament for the knights of the round table and beyond. Apparently you have to be of noble birth to compete." Emma: "And why wasn't I invited?" Regina: (Defensively:) "You were... sort of. (At Emma's look:) Oh come on, Emma. You're my wife, of course you were invited." Emma: "Hmm." Regina: "All right, fine. There may be those in Camelot who still believe you're the Dark One." Emma: "What?!" Regina: "These are simple people, Emma. While the realms may be joined, news still takes time to travel. There is no WiFi or telephone poles out here." Emma: (Folds her arms:) "Okay, I'll give you that. So what are your duties as judge?" Regina: "Well, I'm told there are many events, from sword fighting to jousting." Guinevere: (Approaching:) "But the most prestigious event is the horse race. (Smiles as she joins them:) It takes place across the length and breadth of the gardens." Emma: "So that's what the hay bales are for?" Guinevere: (Nods:) "Yes, to be used as hurdles for the race." Regina: "So what does the winner of the race receive?" Guinevere: "The tournament's highest honour. The winner is declared tournament champion, is presented with a trophy and gets to dance and have dinner with our guest judge." Emma: "Woah, wait a minute. (To Regina:) Did you know about this?" Regina: (Wide-eyed:) "I had no idea." Guinevere: (Stepping in:) "It's true, Emma, she did not. I'm afraid this is a recent development. You see, I usually dance with the winner myself but, everyone was too intimidated by Lancelot to enter." Emma: "So you promised them a date with my wife? (Emma and Regina exchange glances:) Well there's only way out of this." Regina: (Nodding:) "Absolutely, I'll-" Emma: "I'm entering the race." Regina: "...Step down. (Upon realising what Emma has just said:) You're what?" Guinevere: "I-I don't think that's possible. We already have a full field of twelve entrants." Emma: "Then that makes me lucky thirteen. Look, the rules are that you have to be of noble birth to compete, right? My parents are Prince Charming and Snow White, so I'm god-damn royalty. Sign me up." Guinevere: (Nods:) "I'll inform the attendants." (She turns and leaves.) Emma: (To Regina:) "There's only one person who's dancing with you tonight, and that's me." Regina: (Beams:) "My hero."

Wonderland. Past. After The First Curse. (Tiana stands at her window looking out at the night's sky when her mother approaches.) Eudora: "So, are you ready to don your crown and meet your subjects as their queen?” Tiana: “Yes. (Eudora reaches up and places the crown on her daughter’s head:) But on one condition. You come out to meet them with me. You’ve served these people so well in these dark times, I can't think of anyone I’d rather have at my side to continue to protect them.” (Mother and daughter leave arm in arm to face their subjects.) Courtyard. (Tiana smiles and motions for the crowd to quieten their applause.) Tiana: “Thank you all for coming to celebrate the beginning of a new era for Wonderland, and to remember how lucky we are to live in a time of peace and prosperity.” (Suddenly, lightning splits the sky and Gothel appears beside the stone statue that used to be Drizella.) Gothel: “Look at all this. Did you really think this would be a day of celebration?” (Thunder cracks and the rest of Gothel’s coven appear behind her. Raising their arms, they use their combined powers to free Drizella from her confinement.) Tiana: “That's impossible. Blood magic can't be broken.” Gothel: “Not by any single person, but together, this family can do anything. (Kneels beside her protege:) Come, Drizella. Soon the prophecy shall be fulfilled. The suffering shall begin.” (Drizella manages to give a wicked smile before disappearing with Gothel and her coven of witches.)

Camelot. Present. (Queen Guinevere and Lancelot stand applauding at the judges table while the last few riderless horses cross the finish line. Even those who managed to remain mounted upon their horses show signs of foul play. Carrying the trophy towards the victor, Regina smiles sweetly at the runners up, many of whom sport black eyes, bloodied lips and bruised egos.) Regina: (Reaching her wife:) "You brute." Emma: (Smiling down:) "Hey, if they couldn't handle a little friendly competition they shouldn't have entered." Regina: "I'd hardly call some of those kicks friendly, Emma." Emma: (Shrugs:) "I won, didn't I?" Regina: (Grins, holding up the trophy:) "Yes, you did." Guinevere: (Calling from the dais:) "Ladies and Gentlemen, your tournament champion: Lady Emma!" (There is a mixed response from the crowd, some cheering and applauding as others boo Emma's tactics.) Regina: (Dryly:) "I see you've made some more friends." Emma: (Disregarding the trophy:) "Leave it here, I've already got the prize I want, and I intend to collect." (Taking her wife's outstretched hand, Regina allows herself to be pulled up into the saddle behind Emma, leaving the trophy on the ground.) Regina: (Chuckles:) "Emma, the castle's that way." Emma: "Oh, we're not staying here." Regina: (Confused:) "Then where are we going?" Emma: "There." (Regina looks to where Emma is pointing and smiles, wrapping her arms tightly around Emma's waist as they head towards the Dark Palace.)

Storybrooke. Present. Mayor's Office. (Hook explains to David and Zelena what's happened.) Hook: "I was transformed into an ogre, I couldn't get anyone to understand or help me." Zelena: "An ogre? (Looks him up and down:) Okay, I can see that. But how did that happen?" Hook: (Hesitates:) "That doesn't matter right now. The point is, just before I was transformed, I got a message from Henry. He was calling for help." David: "What did the message say exactly?" Hook: "Just that he was in trouble and he asked for me and his mothers to come save him." Zelena: "That's it? He didn't give any indication as to where he was?" Hook: "No, and it wouldn't matter anyway. I received the message weeks ago. There's no telling where he could be by now." David: "Well, what about a locator spell?" Zelena: (Shakes her head:) "Locator spells are best used over a limited area like a town or small city. With the realms united, you could be walking for days trying to find him." Hook: "She's right mate, besides, Rumplestiltskin was headed back to his shop to fetch that globe of his. With that, we'll be able to pinpoint exactly where Henry is." (Snow White enters.) Snow White: "Oh, Hook, thank goodness. We've been trying to reach you." Hook: "Reach me? For what?" Snow White: (To David:) "You haven't told him?" Hook: "Told me what?" David: "It's Lily. She was injured while trying to track down a murder suspect." Hook: "Track down a- What the blood hell's been going on?! I’ve got to go see her." (Before Snow can stop him, Hook leaves the room to go check on his daughter.) David: “Was there any change in Lily’s condition?” Snow White: (Nods:) "Yeah, she’s completely fine.” David: “Oh, so Maleficent cured her?" Snow White: “She may have, but I didn’t see her. David, you’ll never guess who I saw Lily leave the hospital with." Arendelle. Night. Queen's Chambers. (Having successfully avoided being seen by any of the palace guards, Lily and Elsa make it safely to the queen's chambers.) Elsa: (As Lily kisses her neck and backs her towards the bed:) "I really should heal your wounds more often. (Thinks:) Not that I ever want to see you injured again." Lily: (When they reach the bed:) "Shh. (Lowering them onto it:) Just consider this my way of saying thank you." (Elsa smiles and kisses Lily, pulling her down on top of her, before reaching up and running her fingers through Lily's hair. Breaking their kiss to remove her top, Lily surges forward to claim the queen's lips once more when the double doors burst open.) Anna: "Ah-ha!" Elsa: "Anna!" Anna: (Shocked:) "Elsa?" Lily: (Reaching for a blanket to cover them both:) "Get out of here!" (Shaking herself from her stupor, Anna quickly turns and runs from the room. Sitting back on her haunches, Lily looks to Elsa.) Elsa: (Grimacing:) "Well, I guess that was one way for you two to meet."

Storybrooke. Mayor's Office. Continued. (Zelena and the Charmings discuss Henry.) Zelena: "Enough with the dragon drama, what are we going to do about Henry?" David: "Well we have to tell Emma and Regina." Snow White: "But we don't know where they are either." David: (Calling:) "No, it's no good. It's going straight to voice-mail." Zelena: (Rolls her eyes:) "If only you hadn't shamed them into taking a vacation, they'd be here and I'd be at home. If they're off traveling the realms, it could be weeks until they get your message. There aren't too many cell phone towers lining the yellow brick road, you know." Snow White: "Oh, David, she's right. What are we going to do?" David: "Our priority has to be Henry. He's the one we know is in trouble, so we have to save him." Robin: (Enters the office, followed closely by Will, and slams Alice's letter on the desk:) "Alice left on some secret mission by herself and didn’t tell us where she's going." Zelena: "Ugh, there's a lot of that going around lately. I'm sorry, darling, but I can only handle one missing person at a time." Robin: "I'm not asking you to handle it. The only reason I'm here now is because Will begged me to tell you first." Zelena: "Tell me what?" Robin: "That I'm going after her." Zelena: (Stands:) "Oh no you're not young lady." Robin: (Groans:) "We can't keep having this same argument. I'm going after Alice and that's all there is to it. (Robin turns to leave but Zelena grabs her by the arm. Taking a pin from her hat, Zelena pricks Robin's finger with it then her own:) Ow! Mom, what the hell?" Zelena: "I'm sorry about this, sweetie, but I just can't cope with the idea of you traveling across realms without a clue as to where you're going." (Zelena holds up the pin and it begins to glow green before fading away.) Robin: "What the hell was that?" Zelena: "Blood magic. Now, you're free to search every last nook and cranny of Storybrooke for Alice, but that's all. If you try to cross into another realm, the blood magic will keep you here." Robin "I don't believe you. This is so unfair!" (Robin furiously storms from the room.) Zelena: (As he turns to follow:) "Oh, Will? (Will turns to face her:) Thank you. (Mutely, Will nods, then follows after Robin:) So, now that's settled, how do we go about finding my nephew?" David: (Thinks:) "Actually, Alice’s secret mission just reminded me of something. I may have a way to find exactly where Henry is." Enchanted Forest. Past. (Anna is walking to a farmhouse. She knocks on the door and David opens.) David: “Can I help you?” Anna: “I hope so. Are you David?” David: “Yes. Yes, I am.” Anna: “Great! So, I got your name from an old friend of yours... From Arendelle.” David: “Arendelle? You know Kristoff?” Anna: “What makes you think it's Kristoff?” David: “He's the only person from Arendelle I know.” Anna: “Okay. He didn't tell me that. Hard to be on a secret mission when you don't have all the facts.” David: “What's the mission?” Anna: “I just told you it's secret. But he told me I could trust you... Just not with the mission.” David: “Okay. What's your name?” Anna: “Joan.” David: (Suspiciously:) “Your name's not Joan.” Anna: “You're smart, too. That's good. See, I have to give a false name for your safety.” David: “You're wanted?”

Anna: “Look, I don't know if I can be more clear... Secret mission, your safety. Let me start over. I'm Joan. Can I sleep in your barn?” David: “Sure, Joan. Anything for Kristoff's fiancée. (At Anna’s look:) The ring. Congratulations.” Anna: “Thanks.” David: “Well, I guess I'll find out your name at the wedding. Uh, the barn's out back. You can stay the night. (Notices somebody is coming:) You should hurry and get inside. This is a bad time.” Anna: “Who's that?” David: “That is someone you don't want to mess with. They call her Bo Peep.” (Bo Peep steps out of her carriage and approaches while Ruth joins David and Anna outside.) Bo Peep: (Walking with swagger:) "Do you want a glass of tea, Bo Peep? How about a cookie, Bo Peep?" David: “You're not here for tea.” Bo Peep: “Well, the boy's got that right. Who's that?” Anna: “My name is Joan.” Bo Peep: “Adorable. You know me, Ruth. You know what I want. My payment.” David: “Your extortion.” Bo Peep: “Call it what you like, but you and your flock are safe as long as you pay me what's due.” David: “It's... It's been a slow month.” Bo Peep: “How about this... You just figure out how to pay me what you owe me by tomorrow at noon.” David: “We... You've got to give us more time.” Bo Peep: “I don't give anything. But perhaps if you hand over your steed, I'll allow another day.” David: “No. No deal. That... That horse never leaves my side.” Bo Peep: “Then tomorrow, when I come back, if there's no payment, you keep the horse, and I take your farm. (Slamming her crook into the ground:) And you can work off your debts as my slaves.” David: “Mother, we don't need this. Let's go. We can leave this place and start over...” (Bo Peep uses her magic on David and Ruth, sending them crashing to the ground.) Bo Peep: “You can't go anywhere. You're branded now. This stick is how I find my flock, and you're now one of my sheep. And if you don't like it, pay me what you owe me, or this farm and your lives are mine.” Enchanted Forest. Present. The Dark Palace. (Regina looks at herself in the mirror and chuckles at her full length ball gown.) Regina: (Turning to her wife:) "Emma, what are we doing?" Emma: (Approaches, wearing her own matching gown:) "I... kinda have a confession to make. When I told you that 'Rapunzel' was my favourite fairy tale, I wasn't being totally honest." Regina: "Oh?" Emma: "Well I mean, it's partly true. Growing up I did feel as though I was trapped, waiting for someone to come rescue me from the group home. A-and you were right, I did enjoy climbing that tower. But if I'm being honest, I kinda related more to... Cinderella." Regina: "Ashley?" Emma: (Smiles:) "Well no, not her specifically, but her story, I guess. When I saw all the other kids getting chosen and adopted over me, I felt just like Cinderella never getting to go to the ball."

Regina: "Oh, Emma, I'm so sorry." (She turns away.) Emma: "Hey, wait, what are you sorry about?" Regina: (Turns back:) "All your life you've dreamed about going to your ball, and here I am with two left feet. Even at our wedding, I kept stepping on your toes." Emma: (Soothingly:) "That was because you were nervous. All the realms of story were gathered to watch our first dance, there was way too much pressure to-" Regina: "But I'm a Queen-" Emma: (Putting her finger to Regina's lips:) "You forget that I know you, too. The night we married, it wasn't about the Savior and the Queen. It wasn't even about Madam Mayor and the Sheriff. It was about us, Emma and Regina, and that's all that mattered. That's why you stumbled and stepped on my toes a few-" Regina: "Twelve. Twelve times." Emma: (Smiles:) "You were taking your first steps, not as Queen, but as my wife." Regina: (Nods:) "I never wanted power. I wanted to be free, and you gave me that." (They kiss.) Emma: (As they part:) "So, I was thinking, now that we're both getting the hang of this marriage thing, that we'd try again with our first dance?" Regina: "Oh Emma, there's nothing that would please me more but-" Emma: "Shh. (Holding her hands out:) I'll lead you through. (Regina places her hands in Emma's and allows herself to be pulled into hold:) Just breathe, relax, you've got this." Regina: "We don't even have any music." Emma: "Not a problem." (Emma clicks her fingers and, magically, the room is filled with music. They begin to dance, swaying to the music and never taking their eyes from each other.) Regina: (Frowns a moment then smiles as she recognises the melody:) "You were singing this in the Wish Realm." Emma: (Beams:) "I know. When you came and rescued me." Regina: “It’s perfect.” (They laugh and continue dancing. Spinning and swaying to the tune of 'Some Day My Prince Will Come'.)

#sq #swanqueen #swan queen