Chapter 6: New Job Prospect for a Job Prospector
After getting my three cohorts inside the van, I decided to take the wheel and drive everyone home. The demon lord sat in the front with me with his daughter in the back just near us. Just fifteen minutes down the road, Stolas started up a conversation with me again. "So what exactly do you do for Blitzy?"
"Me? Oh I just do the cleaning around the building," I responded, my eyes still on the road.
"Have you ever joined my little imp on any killings?"
My God, this guy was thirsty as fuck for imp! I rolled my eyes but kept calm. "No, I'm just starting out. I'm on a thirty day trial sort of deal. The only downside is that I'm working for free for him, and he could never say no to that."
He gives me a look of disbelief and doubt. "He has you working for free? What ever for?"
"It's complicated. I only tagged along today because the job required almost all of us. So while working my way up, I hope to another job to get my cash flow going. Besides, no one can possibly say no to anything 'free'. "
I felt like Stolas was either playing along with the story I was weaving or just wasn't convinced. "I see, and you are still living with his two other employees?"
"Yeah, Moxxie and Millie are letting me stay with them as long as I'm welcome to. But you already know as much as anyone there comes a point in which a person has to strike it out on their own, whether it's because they want to be self-reliant or because they don't want to overstay their welcome. That's why it's called growing up."
"Why, that's awfully mature of you to say."
"Thanks, but the problem now is trying to find a job that pays well enough for me to get a new place and so far I've had little to no such luck."
"Just what kind of work are you looking for exactly?"
"Anything really. Though I'd be okay with another cleaning job."
Lord Stolas thought for a moment and then I saw a inquisitive look on his face. "Well…, I could use an extra hand at the mansion. Would you be interested? I'll pay you." He sounded like he trying to entice me which kind of made me a little uncomfortable.
"How much exactly?" I asked with a raised brow as I gave him a semi-glance while still driving.
He poofs a piece of parchment and with some quick scribbling, he handed it to me as I stopped at a red light. Quickly looking it over, I gave a low whistle. "You really want to pay me that much for cleaning?"
"Are you any good?" Stolas had leaned on the arm rest of the seat as he asked this, implying that my skill was questionable.
"Gimme a chance to prove it and I'll show you."
"Is it a deal then?" The demon lord extended a hand to me to seal the deal. I was about to shake it and then stopped to ask him sincerely
"This ain't no monkeys' paw deal or anything, right? No catches or anything like that?"
"A member of the Goetian family never breaks his word on a deal. And relax, you'll still be working with Blitzy in your time while working with me," he said in a reassuring tone.
Hesitantly, I shook his big bird-like hands that overlapped my human hand and with a firm grip we shook on it. "So when can I start?"
"Whenever I can pencil you in," he said as he released my hand. I thought about it and tried to recall my I.M.P. schedule.
"I could start tomorrow morning," I suggested.
"Excellent. Be sure to be here at 9 o'clock tomorrow morning and bring any cleaning materials you might have."
"You got it, boss man." We soon pulled into the driveway with Stolas' side facing the door. "See you tomorrow, Lord Stolas. Miss Octavia."
"Mister Townsend." The demon started to get out of the car but then stopped for a moment. "Oh yes, before I forget." He reached into his pants pocket and took out a wad of cash. "For your services," he said.
"Thank you, sir. Pleasure doing business with you," I said flashing a grin at him.
Stolas nodded to me as Octavia just simply waved bye before exiting the vehicle and heading inside. Shifting into gear, I drove away from the house and headed back to I.M.P. headquarters. About ten minutes into the drive, I looked to see my associates were coming around. Blitzo was the first to be fully conscious as he saw me in the driver's seat. "What the fuck happened to our client? And why are you driving the van?"
"Relax, Blitz. I got the money he owed us and since you guys were out, I took the initiative in driving us back. Here's the cash." I handed him the wad of cash as he eagerly took it. Moxxie and Millie soon snapped out of it as they were caught up to speed with happened. We soon got home and we were about to call it a night when Blitzy called me into his office. "You wanted to see me, boss?"
"I do. I just wanted to give you what's coming to you." He into his desk to pull out…some cash. "Your cut for today."
"Wait, you're actually paying me? But what about our deal? I thought I was working for free so you guys wouldn't kill me. Why this?"
"Well I figured you deserve a little something for a good job," he said nonchalant as he leaned back into his chair. "You did drive us back in one piece so why the hell not?" Smiling, I was thinking about not taking up Stolas' offer until I started to count the money.
"Thirty bucks. Great." I said with a fake smile and a sarcastic tone. "Another five years and I should be set."
"Ah it's no problem. Don't spend it all in one place now."
"Oh trust me, I don't plan to." I said through gritted teeth. I walked out of the office and as soon as the door closed, I groaned as I put the thirty bucks in my pocket and walked out of the building with Moxxie and Millie waiting for me.
"There he is." Millie said as she saw me walk out of the building and waved to me. "Hey there, so what did Blitz want with you?"
"Oh, nothing special. Just wanted to give me a little bonus for today." I said a little disgruntled.
"Oh? How much of a bonus?" asked a puzzled Moxxie.
"Like thirty bucks for today." I replied annoyed.
"Thirty bucks? You're kidding."
"I wish I was. The cheapskate."
"I didn't think he'd pay you at all," said Millie looking confused about the ordeal and why Blitz would do such a thing.
"It doesn't matter anyway." I sighed as I leaned against their car. "I got me a job that should help me get through."
"Oh, what job is that?" asked Moxxie.
"Cleaning job. Still have to work out all the details in terms of hours."
"Well that's great sweetie," said Millie, patting my arm. "Who's the clientele?"
"Just anyone who needs any cleaning done here in Hell." I lied, though it might just happen in time I hope. "I plan on going freelance and charge customers depending on the job and how long it takes to do it, you know in case I get one of those rich demons as a client. It's a long shot but you never know."
"It doesn't really sound all that solid of a plan," said a doubtful Moxxie.
"Yeah I know. It's only a work in progress. I can make this work, just doing this as I go. Plus, here it seems anything but professional."
Moxxie shrugged in agreement. "That's kind of true."
"All that matters is that you be careful not to let it slip that you're still human okay?" Millie advised.
"Don't worry, Mills. I'll be sure to be super extra careful when it comes to keeping my secret identity secret. Besides, with this disguise I'm practically normal."
The next day came as I arrived at the gates of the Goetia family with a folder in hand and cleaning gear in the other. I ran the bell at the gate as it buzzed me in, the black iron gates swinging inwards welcoming me in. The mansion was a regal burgundy colored building that turns into a deep blue with violet tones during the night mimicking a night sky. Its windows were elegant and tall with pink stained glass.
I walked up to the door and rang the doorbell. The door opened and there was the smallest looking imp I've ever seen. "Hi, I'm here to clean house for the Goetian family?"
"Ah yes, Lord Stolas is expecting you," said the small imp in a squeaky voice. "Please come in, sir." He opens the door for me and leads me inside. "May I take your coat, sir?"
"Uh yeah. Sure you can." Handing him my coat, the little guy went off to hang my coat. Looking around I could see long, lit corridors filled with plant vases, which are probably carnivorous given Stolas' possible interest in gardening. A common theme I was seeing was astrology with many star and moon patterns along with night sky imagery on the ceilings. There was also Stolas's glyph carved in several places such as the balconies. I got startled as one of the supposedly carnivorous plants took a snap at me as I unknowingly got close to it. I groaned in disgust as I never really cared much for plants, especially ones that could eat me.
"Can I get you anything, sir?" asked the little imp who just returned from hanging up my coat.
"Uh, just a water actually. Or tea if you got it. Oh and additional cleaning supplies if that's okay."
"Very good, sir. Please make yourself comfortable and wait here whilst I inform Lord Stolas that you're here." He gave a little bow and scurried on to find his master. I sat on the plush sofa and waited his lordship to show up. Not even five minutes in and I was starting to get bored.
In a matter of moments, in came his demon-ship dressed in a bath robe thankfully covering his pajamas. "Ah hello, Mr. Townsend. So nice to see you again. Can I offer you something?"
"No need, your butler's got it covered. In fact, the one thing you can do for me is your signature on this." Curious, Stolas leaned over to see what I was doing as I placed down my red folder upon the coffee table. "It's a little contract that I constructed myself so that it would be strictly business between us and nothing along the lines of Weinstein. You can look it over if you wish." The demon lord picked up the said contract with his long slender hands and read over every detail as I continued. "It's probably not as air-tight but I hope it's not too vague either."
"Hmm," was the response I first heard from Stolas as he rubbed his chin being careful not to overlook anything. "Not too bad. A little amateurish but I'm rather impressed that you planned this out. Unusual for someone of the lower class to think up something this honest." He gave me a suspicious look as his eyes looked right at me.
"I think having brains matters more than having class," said I without hesitation.
It seemed at first he wasn't quite convinced, but he then shrugged and said "I suppose so."
"Can we get started then?"
"Yes you can." With a snap of his fingers, Stolas summoned a quill pen and signed his John Hancock along the line. I took it from him and signed where it said that I understood and consented to the terms of employment under him.
"Thank you. Now all I have to do is make a second copy and you can have it as yours to keep. Uh, you got a copy machine somewhere?"
"Even better." Stolas took the sheet of paper from me and his eyes glowed as I saw the contract become two. I was rather impressed, but calmly responded with "Well, I mean, if you wanna do it that way." In a ribbing way of course. I looked it over and when it all looked good to me, we shook hands on it. "So, where can I start first?"
"Before that, I believe it's best to give you a tour of exactly where to go if you are to clean for me." Stolas suggested.
And so on went the tour. From the kitchen to the upstairs level I was shown everything in this large demonic mansion. Sure it's nice and fancy to have a house this big, but honestly I'd settle for just nice looking house. Something simple and doesn't break my wallet. After an hour of touring the house, we finally came to a finish back to where we started. "So when are you available to start?" asked the demon lord.
"I can start now if you want." I offered, my case of cleaning supplies still in my hand.
"Can you?"
"Only with your permission as long as it's not an inconvenience."
Stolas towered over me in an inquisitive pose as I saw a beaky smile took shape upon his face. "My, you're a very eager young thing aren't you?"
"Well I…just wish to make a good impression as a hard worker." I admitted, feeling a little concerned about what that smile meant. "Is that so wrong?"
"Not at all," he reassured me. "I appreciate someone that is eager to do a good job." He added to this by patting my head that felt a little weird. "You can start with the upper levels if you wish."
"You got it, boss man." With a nod, I got to it. It was a good thing I brought my phone with me so I could listen to tunes while working from top to bottom. Took me about six hours to get halfway done with the house as I took a break. Fortunately, Stolas was kind enough to offer me lunch in appreciation of what a good job I was doing so far for a one-man crew. Nothing fancy just a meat sandwich with some cold iced tea. We chatted for a while as I ate. Just little things like where the best places to tour were or what cuisine he suggests for me to try. Once I was finished, I thanked him and continued after he took the tray from me.
By the end of the day, it was about 6:20 pm when I finally got done with everything. Exhausted, I was ready to head for home as I packed up everything. I was brought over to Stolas by his midget servant in his study, filled with books and instruments of study like star charts. Letting out a low whistle, I was impressed by everything this guy had. "Nice little setup you have here," I said as the imp took leave, the two of us alone. "A guy can spend most of his life in a room like this."
"Oh yes, I do find it most enjoyable. And most satisfying." Stolas responded. He was reading a scroll of some sort as he leaned back in a chair, a wine bottle accompanied by two glasses on his desk. "A drink for your troubles?"
Now I have drunk a little bit of wine myself so I wasn't any stranger to it. But still… "I don't normally drink wine, mostly because I don't care much for it. But for the sake of courtesy, I'll make an exception."
I took a seat next to him as the owl demon poured a quarter of it in one glass and handed it to me before pouring some for himself. With a small clang of the glasses, we took a sip of the wine. I took a sniff of it and it smelled a bit strong than the last kind I tried a couple of years ago. I took a small sip just to be safe, and it was a good thing too because it tasted a little strong yet almost intoxicating. I licked my lips as Stolas took two gulps from his. "Tell me, Mr. Townsend, what did you say your parents were again?" he asked suddenly.
I suddenly had a feeling like the wine was either tainted with truth serum or this was a ploy to get me drunk enough to talk. Even so, I was too cautious to be trapped into either one. "As I said before, sir, my father was an imp while my mother was a demon. I only figured it was the case based on how I looked."
"How do you know it may not be the other way around?" he inquired with an raised brow.
Thus begins the game of verbal chess. "Because I vividly remember somewhat my mother looking like a demon. I can't explain it, but I believe she was a demon."
"Uh-huh." Stolas sipped his wine again. I was unsure what was going on in the demon lord's mind. "Do you happen to know what our jobs as a demon lord is?"
I shook my head. "Can't say that I know. I'm guessing it depends on which realm you're assigned to?"
"You are partially correct. I, as head of the Goetian family, I'm in charge of astronomy and history. I also possess knowledge various poisonous plants, herbs and precious stones. That being said, I am in possession of knowing almost every demon and imp within this part of the realm and it tells me-"
I suddenly felt something wet poured on top of me. "Hey, what the hell are you…?!"
Unbeknownst to me, Stolas was using telekinesis to move a watering can over my head and spilled the water on me. And sadly, the truth about me revealed itself as it washed off most of my makeup. I didn't stop for a moment to realize I made it worse by wiping the water off of my face. I came to the said realization the moment I saw the wet paint on my hand, my eyes widening. "Ah, fuck."
"-that you're not possibly who you say you are." Stolas finished with a satisfied smile, setting his wine glass down. He then folded his hands together and leaned into his chair with his legs crossed. "And now, my young friend, I believe it's time that you come forth with the truth. And please, don't leave anything out. Because I'll still find out either way." Busted. Well, the cat was out of the bag. What other choice did I have?
I told him all that happened in the time that lead up to this moment, sparing no details whatsoever. I finished my tale, and sighed as I waited for his response. "And that's all I have to say about it. The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth."
Stolas just sat there, absorbing all that was said as he twiddled his long fingers. I was getting a little nervous as I felt the anxiety building up inside me. After three long agonizing minutes, he finally spoke. "So you are still human, hm? Answer me this, just what is your opinion of Hell?"
Well, that was a question I didn't think I'd hear. I paused to think about what to honestly say. "Well, to be honest with you, I didn't expect Hell to look anything like this. As I said before, I'm only here to find who wanted me dead. I'm just lucky that I'm still alive for the moment. That is…unless you plan to do otherwise."
"You are right about that, Mr. Townsend." Stolas rose up out of his chair, making me nervous if not squirm a little in my chair. "After all, no living human has ever stepped into Hell and lived."
"Well, save for maybe that one kid." I muttered to myself. I watched as the gangly bird demon walked over to one of the shelves, looking for something. He pulled out what I assumed was a spell book, looking for who knows what to use on me.
"Ah, here we are. This would do just perfectly." I nervously swallowed and fidgeted as I braced myself for what he had in mind. With a few words of magic, a pendant formed into his hand. Puzzled and curious, I tensed up and prepared for the worst with eyes shut. I soon felt something draped over my neck. "There, this should do it."
I opened my eyes and looked down to see the pendant around my neck. My fear gone, replaced with confusion. "Wait, I…don't understand."
"This pendant will serve as a better replacement for that paint job done on you," said Stolas as he put the book away. "All you have to do, Mr. Townsend, is keep it on you if you wish to be in the guise you're in now." I looked at my hands and saw that they were completely different from before; red hands with claws instead of nails. As if reading my mind, Stolas held a mirror in front of me so I could take a look.
Looking into the mirror, I saw that I looked more like a definitive mix between an imp and a demon while still at my normal height. I had slightly curled horns, small and looped, out the sides of my head; along with red skin (no affiliation at all with the stereotypical Native American), and my outfit was still the same with an addition of…a tail? "Weird. Freaky weird." I said as I looked myself over.
"How does it look? Does it not appease you?"
"Oh no, I do like it. I do. I'm just…confused. I thought I was to be killed or sent back home."
"I will be straight with you, Mr. Townsend," Stolas admitted as he put the mirror away. His voice went mellow and somber as he explained. "I don't get many visitors , and it gets so lonely here when you have an enormous place like this. I do admit, I do wish I had more pleasant company than the usual upper class rubes that I had to associate with. And my wife seems to want nothing to do with me. The only one that ever wants anything to do with me is my beloved Via."
"I see." I felt a pint of sympathy for the guy. I don't know why but something in his voice told me there was a little more going on than led on. "And…is that why you're letting me live? You're wanting a friend?"
"I suppose that's one way of seeing it."
"Well, why me though? What is it that you see in me that makes you think I'm possible friend material?"
Stolas looked at me and had a wry little smile on his pus now. "You strike me as the kind of man that's subtle, but honest, blunt and to the point about what and who you are. And I must say, I do know of your little secret now so I believe that we can come to some sort of deal."
"What are you proposing exactly?"
"Simply this." Stolas offered me to sit and hear him out to which I did so. "All I ask is just some quality time for us as chums, as acquaintances. Friends even. To get to know each other as people of intellect. In return, I can provide you with whatever information I can find on the person who wanted you dead and still pay you for a job well done here. That, and I promise you that your secret will be safe with me if you don't wish for Blitzy to know of this little revelation."
Yeah, not too sure how he would feel about it. "How do I know you'll keep your word about this and not blab about who and what I am?"
"My dear fellow, I am a demon lord of my word. And as the head of the Goetian family, I never go back on my word. I do wish to abide by our contract to the best of my abilities unless you do otherwise. And I'm certain you're probably thinking the same thing right now." Wow! He's good. Really good. It's like he knew. "So what say you, Mr. Townsend? Do you agree with this little proposal?" He extended a hand out to me.
Thinking it over, it didn't seem that bad of an idea. I mean, how often do you get an opportunity to say you made friends with a demon prince of Hell? He seemed like a good guy, as long as he didn't come on to me. Nothing personal, just a personal choice. Ah, hell with it! "You know what? Fuck it! Why the hell not? You got yourself a deal, Stolas." I gave his hand a hearty handshake.
"Well done. I look forward to this friendship, Mr. Townsend."
"Just call me Barry, sir. If it'll help."
His smile widened. "Very well. As you wish, Barry."
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone