#Paranoid Bosses

[xtruss]

Surveillance And The Secret History of 19th-Century Wearable Tech

From Jealous Spouses to Paranoid Bosses, 19th-Century Pedometers Quantified Suspicion and Reshaped the Dynamics of Surveillance.

— By Jacqueline D. Wernimont

An example of the American Pedometer with the decimal face and original packaging. From the author’s collection.

On December 22, 1860, the Vincennes Gazette, an Indiana weekly paper, ran the following anecdote:

A lady who had read of the extensive manufacture of odometers, to tell how far a carriage had been run, said she wished some Connecticut genius would invent an instrument to tell how far husbands had been in the evening when they “just stepped down to the post office,” or “went out to attend a caucus.”

While the Indiana woman seemed not to know that such devices were already available, a Boston woman managed to perform exactly the kind of surveillance she described. According to a report in the October 7, 1879, Hartford Daily Courant, “A Boston wife softly attached a pedometer to her husband when, after supper, he started to ‘go down to the office and balance the books.’ On his return, fifteen miles of walking were recorded. He had been stepping around a billiard table all evening.”

This article is adapted from Jacqueline Wernimont’s book “Numbered Lives: Life and Death in Quantum Media“

Keeping track of individual activity — a kind of close certification or surveillance — was not limited to domestic relationships. Initially markers of wealth and power, pedometers adapted to serve individual accountability, especially in work settings. The Washington Evening Star ran a story in the fall of 1895 in which an admiral gave his junior watch officers what looked to them like a common pocket watch but was really a pedometer. The admiral tracked the junior officer’s night watch activities. To the admiral’s dismay, the morning reading showed just two and a half miles traversed overnight, suggesting that the ensigns had been sleeping or resting during most of their watch. The next night, those same ensigns ordered an apprentice to take the watchful pedometer and “shake it violently for four hours” while the night watchmen took their normal rest. While the hack worked insofar as the pedometer registered more miles traveled, it was a bit too effective: A distance of 89 miles traversed in 12 hours tipped the admiral off to the ruse.

Mrs. Jackson proudly shared her husband’s pedestrian cure with friends one night, only to learn that he shook the pedometer until it read five miles instead of taking his daily dose of activity.

Another story in the Railway and Engineering Review included a similar hack attempt by a Portland night watchman. Having previously been caught mechanically rigging the button-pushing work of his nightly rounds, the watchman was given a pedometer to ensure that he was manually completing his work. Although this use of quantum media — media that count, quantify, or enumerate — to more closely monitor the watchman’s activities seemed to work for several nights, he was eventually found sleeping in the engine room, having attached the pedometer to a piston rod.

These 19th-century hacks presage our own 21st-century example of Unfit Bits, a form of performance hack aimed at subverting corporate and insurance surveillance of human activity. As the pedometer became a vector for surveillance by those in power, people who were able quickly developed hacks designed to frustrate such efforts. Likewise, as the pedometer began to mediate lives rather than survey land, the impacts and risk shifted to the individual being measured who might face domestic discord or the loss of a job.

Consider Hannibal Jackson, a husband being tracked by his wife because she was concerned that he was not following his doctor’s orders. Mrs. Jackson proudly shared her husband’s pedestrian cure with friends one night, only to then hear his close friend report that each day, Hannibal had walked to the corner store, bought a cigar, and shook the pedometer until it read five miles instead of taking his daily dose of activity. When his wife expressed shock and disbelief, Hannibal confirmed his friend’s story and asserted that the joy of this ruse had in fact “cured” him of his previous ennui.

As Hannibal’s story suggests, by the late 19th century, quantum media tracking of human activity was not only tied to a particular body but also remediated these largely white, male elite bodies in ways linked to health and labor activities as opposed to the territory mapping seen elsewhere. By the 1890s, there is a marked uptick in newspaper reports of activity tracking as part of health and recreation. In the last quarter of the 19th century, large outlets like Scientific American as well as more local publications such as the Elk County Advocate (PA) and Lake County Star (MI) all ran stories on the health benefits of walking with a pedometer. Athletic clubs and physicians appear in the papers throughout the last decade of the 19th century, each using the pedometer to track the wearer’s activities for the purposes of self-reporting fitness or health.

Whose Steps Count Redux

While much of the popular discussion in the early 19th century focused on men’s uses of pedometers, in the second half of the century the devices became part of women’s fashion and close surveillance as well. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution announced in 1879 that “a pedometer is now an indispensable feature of every young ladies’ attire.” In a piece titled “A Slap at the Dancing Girl” that ran in the Los Angeles Times in the spring of 1890, a “frail consumptive Connecticut girl who wanted to attend a dance” but pleaded illness when asked to wash dishes was sent to the local dance by her father in a coach with two servants and a pedometer in her pocket. As the paper reported, “When she got home in the morning it indicated that she had danced enough to cover thirty-one miles.” Echoing yet inverting earlier textual accounts of women’s behavior, the paper suggested that the tracking revealed the untrustworthiness of young women.

As the pedometer became a vector for surveillance by those in power, people who were able quickly developed hacks designed to frustrate such efforts.

It was not just dances that were being tracked; the pedometer-monitored pedestrianism of the 19th century included women too. In 1878, Bertha Von Hillern walked 89 miles in 26 hours and reportedly “arouse(d) in women a sort of infatuation to go on the tramp wherever she travels.” According to one report, “Wherever Bertha goes,” women “begin to straighten themselves up and feel the muscles of the calves of their legs.” The “Slap” story and that of Von Hillern stand at two ends of the poles of the rhetoric around women’s pedometer usage. On the one hand, we have close surveillance in the example of the purportedly consumptive girl and a moral evaluation of her based on her activities, which include dancing but not washing dishes according to the story. One the other hand, Von Hillern’s story evokes the growing popularity of pedestrianism as sport along with the conspicuous consumption and performance enabled by wearing a pedometer during sport. Both are also framed by the gendered expectations around health and activity at the end of the 19th century.

In Von Hillern’s story we hear the anxiety and excitement around the increasing relative autonomy of white women in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as well as a suggestion that women’s bodies (the calves in particular) had been dormant and could be improved with physical exercise. In the story of the consumptive girl, domestic duties are reasserted as more valuable to her father than her social or physical activities. In both stories, the pedometer stands in as a technology able to reveal to anxious men the moral status of the woman being surveilled. Von Hillern can “tramp” as long as it is in the service of competitive sport as monitored by the pedometer. The consumptive girl, by contrast, is revealed to be someone more like the sexualized tramp, untrustworthy as a contributor to the household economy and dangerously prolific in physical interactions with men.

White women’s pedometer usage was also ambivalently documented at the turn of the century in the context of elite socialite cultures. The 1908 Washington Times magazine section ran a two-page spread on the pedometer fad at debutante balls that included a full-page graphic that figured the women as elegantly clad, with pedometers discreetly hidden beneath expensive gowns or tucked into bodices.

The top half of a full-page illustration for an article on pedometer-wearing debutantes.

The text at the bottom of the ad reports that “after an evening at a ball the debutante can glance at her little pedometer and say to her escort in all truthfulness: ‘Well, I danced just twenty-one miles … this evening.’” The piece goes on to assert that the “pedometer is all the rage in the large cities,” having been imported from the London debutante scene. Suggesting that “no bud is truly elite unless she has a little ticker attached to her bodice,” and that “if one is close enough to the young debutante … one can hear the merry tick, tick of the little instrument,” the description is clearly meant to titillate. It at once positions a quantum media as a necessary accessory for cultural prominence and promises men an auditory experience that verifies physical proximity to the nation’s elite women. Even in the case of debutantes, the power of aggregated numerical data is lauded. The article goes on to note that “the facts shown by the figures” may well be “incredible,” but true, debutantes can be counted on to travel 900 miles as part of the Washington, DC, dance season. While the presence of the pedometer positions young women as cosmopolitan, “elite,” and desirable even in their labors, a cartoon in the Richmond Times-Dispatch illustrates that the step-counting craze threatened the social networking and partnering functions of the balls as women became more fixated on the numbers than their dancing partners.

A cartoon from the Richmond Times-Dispatch depicting a debutante focused on her pedometer

Lamenting the spoiling of the dance season by the craze, the cartoon and the article to which it was attached suggested that instead of the appropriate work of nation and family building, the pedometer-wearing women are creating a “spectacle” in which the debutante is anxiously monitoring her steps while her dance partner sweats with exertion. While competitive walking helped to frame Von Hillern’s “tramping” in terms of national prestige, the pedometer-driven competition among the nation’s debutantes threatened to transform balls into sporting events that leveraged men’s physical exertion in dancing rather than served their matrimonial or sexual desires.

Animals And Children

The fascination with measuring bodies extended beyond the social realm of pedestrian competitions and dances to include yet another new context: using pedometers as instruments for scientific research involving animals and children. “In the Interest of Temperance,” a story that ran in newspapers in the summer of 1896, relates the work of a “Professor Hodge” who was studying the effects of alcohol on canine activity. Working with two pairs of cocker spaniels, Rum and Tipsey and Nig and Topsy, Hodge uses pedometers worn by the dogs to measure the activity of the animals over the course of the day. According to the article, “The prohibitionist pair are trotting about nearly all day, while the tipplers (who had been given a daily diet of alcohol) were especially active at night.” For Hodge, the pedometer served as a watchful device that could track his canine subjects even when he was away. This scientific use of pedometers was not isolated: Other pedometer studies include one in the American Journal of Society, on children’s playground activity, and one in Animal Husbandry, on bovine menstruation in the first part of the 20th century.

In such examples, the pedometer is assumed to provide accurate knowledge of the hard-to-track phenomena, whether that’s 24-hour canine activity, children’s play, or the mysteries of cow ovulation. In addition to specific studies, leveraging quantum media like pedometers to track the amount of activity that a body performs in a day of work or recreation became widespread. The Pacific Commercial Advertiser, once the largest daily newspaper in Hawaii, ran a large chart in 1900 enumerating the miles women walked in the course of their housework, and the Washington Evening Star ran a similar accounting of an office carrier’s travels in a day.

The early application of pedometers for domestic and social surveillance reveals a broader societal shift, as devices once emblematic of power and prestige became instruments of intimate monitoring and control. From professional oversight to social propriety, the pedometer served as a subtle but powerful mediator, quantifying life in ways that both reflected and challenged evolving norms of individual accountability and public transparency. As these early examples suggest, the tension between surveillance and self-improvement, between control and liberation, is a recurring theme in the history of wearable technology.

— Jacqueline D. Wernimont is Distinguished Chair of Digital Humanities and Social Engagement and Associate Professor of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Dartmouth College. She is the author of “Numbered Lives,” from which this article is adapted.

[annabelle--cane]

fiction podcast nightmare blunt rotation: david ward, gwen bouchard, warren kepler, peter lukas, vespa ilkay, silas the thief, val and press secretary carson, and rudyard funn

[666news-and-horoscopes]

[tranquil-slaughterhouse]

[dragon-spaghetti]

🎶 But titles won't mean shit when they got bullets in their brains 🎶

(Please click for better quality!!)

[rillunax]

Just look my way…. Excuse me while I bawl my eyes out

But fr I’m so excited that one of PARANOiD DJ’s songs is canon that shit slaps

(Yes there are two versions of this piece I’m indecisive)

[dragonhalffreelance]

I wanted to fully render the final scenes of the fan animatic Just Let Me Talk by Paranoid DJ while also practicing a mostly new ish to me shading style.

Also reposted because I wanted to fix Blitzø's eyes!

[ask2ps]

Who's 2p Italy's type in partners?

NORTH ITALY: Grazie lo stesso! [ Thanks, regardless! ] NORTH ITALY: And before you ask, no, I had nothing to do with my boss' death. I still dunno what happened there! I was only gone for a few months..

[looniecartooni]

Honestly- this panel is really scary for me:

Not just because Clutch is a creepy grabby guy or Mimic's the kind of guy where when he's threatened, he'll literally stab you in the back. The fact that Clutch grabs his arm when he's actively frightened and trying to get away. And Clutch is doing it because he knows Mimic is scared and trying to get away. That's scary.

Clutch has a habit of... clutching onto people as a way to build their trust. We see this multiple times. Even strangely with Mimic who actively hates people, let alone them grabbing at him.

And up to this point- Mimic has never seen him mad. Every time he's suggested a threat, this possum's been cool and collected. Almost allowing Mimic- the constantly paranoid backstabber- to lower his guard.

But what we know about Clutch is that you don't want to see him angry. This man will take away the basic care rights of a chao and lock it away with multiple locks in a covered cage. Mimic probably doesn't know that, but chances are that he's been alert this whole time.

And no- I get it. Mimic is no better with chao or wisps than Clutch. We've seen him literally punt one just to make Sonic look bad. Mimic is a bad guy.

Both he and Clutch are manipulative evil men. But like at the same time- this man does not like to get threatened. He goes to extremes to get away from or expose threats. He does not like having an out. And we see how he will react when he's not actively able to find an out.

He panics. He stammers and panics. Which opens up a lot of analysis for his cowardice character and evil motivations, but let's circle back to the point that this man panics under pressure or when threatened.

Clutch is someone who could definitely hurt him if he wanted to. Clutch's hand literally shakes on the gun-cane he's holding. This is the first time Clutch has actively not been calm and collected and Mimic knows its bad news. So he actively tries to leave before he snaps.

But Clutch doesn't snap. He doesn't let him leave. He puts on a fake smile and tries to tell him he's fine- it's not his fault. He can fix this.

I know its two terrible people, capable of defending themselves, probably not that bad. But to be someone that actively does not like being put in danger and having someone you thought you could trust actively becoming dangerous just hold you in place while they continue to rant, telling you "no no- it's okay. Its all just me- not you." And this is seconds before we get Clutch's really creepy angry face (which I forgot to screenshot). He's got a loose grip on Mimic's arm, so it's not as bad, but still... ladies and gentlemen, if someone grabs your arm like this in the middle of them being upset and tries to tell you, "hey it's okay. I'm just upset for personal reasons." That's someone you want to keep your distance from for a while. Clutch knew Mimic was upset and that's why he grabbed his arm. (he did the same to Jewel too btw).

[wysteriaisapenguin]

The Apotheosis is about to ascend and there's nothing we can do...or is there?

(Monochrome variants down below!)

[s4ndg3m]

ohhh yeah loving this guy

[lelelego]

:^)

[an-actual-attack-helicopter]

Amazed. Flabbergasted. Inspired. Entranced. Bewildered. Awestruck. Shocked. Intrigued. Dumbfounded.

[kynni-purri]

Key chain fan art of stolitz!

The inspiration came from MV "Look my way" sung by stolas (original song by paraboid dj)

[blueink01]

Ch. 5: Radio Killed the Video Star

The next day at Hazbin Hotel-

Charlie Is pacing back and forth in panic mode with Keekee walking alongside her owner.

"Okay. So the extermination is coming in six months instead of a year. No big deal. Just a little setback. Nothing we can't handle. Just angels cutting our timetable in half. But who needs a whole year to save souls? Am I right?!" Charlie starts to panic, "And next time when they cut the time in half again, and again, we'll just handle it, right?!"

Vaggie grabs Charlie, calming her down, "Yes. We will."

"This is nothing more than a minor set back." Yn added as she rubs her head, calming her down.

"Oh, please, ya had less than half a chance when you started all this salvation bullshit. And now..." Angel Dust's phone vibrates with violent threating messages such as 'fucking bitch', "Ain't no silver lining this time toots."

"Angel...Come on.. There's always a bright side!" Yn smiled as her phone vibrated with panickeing messages from IMP. "There's..always hope."

The messages on Yn's phone:

Blitz❤️: "Lovey, have you heard to news!?!"

M&M: "Sweety are you okay?! me and Moxxie have been trying to contact you?!"

Tweety Bird👑🪶💙: "Yn when will you come and visit me?, I've been feeling lonely here~"

Big Daddy Ozzie: "Yn by any chance have you seen Felix's favorite earrings?"

+15 More Messages Etc.

"Yn is right! We just...have to look a little harder for it!" Charlie smiled widely.

"Well, while you're lookin', the rest'a hell's goin' nuts." Angel waves his phone in their faces, "People are already freakin' out about the news. Look at what's happenin' in the Doomsday District."

He scrolls down an article with the bottom showing a demon screaming in front of a fire. Suddenly a pink message appears. Charlie gets closer to read it.

"Err, what is a. Donkey Show?" Charlie question.

Angel panics and retreats the phone back, "Aah, heh, nothin'. My boss, Val, is just freaked out about the news too. Like I said, everyone's losin' their shit." Angel Dust laughs nervously.

"Yeah, that's true. Sinners are desperate." Vaggie stated.

"Maybe desperate enough to try anything to escape the extermination?" Yn smirked.

Charlie gasps, "This is the perfect time to recruit more sinners for the hotel!" Charlie squeals.

"Cute idea and all, but you really gonna go out in all of this?" Angel Dust waves the phone with the place still on fire and demons in panic.

"Well, it's not like people are just gonna show up on our doorstep..." Yn texted on her phone as she smirked.

Suddenly, a massive explosion made Charlie scream in a fight from behind, getting their attention. They turn to see a freshly made hole in the wall.

"What the what?!" Yn shouted.

Outside the hotel Sir Pentious him and his Egg Boiz zeppelin armed for battle.

"Show yourself Alasssstor." Pentious slithers.

"Come and face..." Pentious pauses for a moment when he notices Alastor absent from the freshly made hole. He then looks to see him sipping coffee on the balcony of the second floor.

"Oh there you are. Face my wrath!" Pentious exclaims.

Alastor sips his tea, "Who are you?"

"Who am I? Who am I?! I am the great Ssssssir Pentiousssss!" Alastor dissolves into fog as he descends to the ground, materializing aside Yn, Angel, Vaggie, and Charlie who are in the scene watching Sir Pentious's zeppelin.

"Inventor, architect of destruction, villain extraordinaire!" Pentious smirked.

"Ooh you tell 'em boss." The eggs bois cheered on.

Niffty appears on Yn's right shoulder, clearly starstruck, "Ooooooh, he's a bad boy.." Niffty smirks.

Yn pats Niffty's head as Niffty smiles widely and seems so free.

"Ha, well if all that's true, you'd think I'd have heard of you." Alastor crossed his arms.

"I attacked you literally last week." Pentious blankly stated.

Alastor cocks his head, "We've done battle, like... 20 times...once while you were on a date with-" Pentious looked at Yn as his whole demeanor changed, "HI QUEENIE!!!!" Yn wave back.

Charlie and Vaggie looked at her with a confused expression and then change their expression again looking back at Pentious.

"Well, you must have been really bad at this." Alastor noted as his blood slowly boiled due to how Pentious was speaking to Yn.

Sir Pentious' went back to his usual demeanor, "Silence! Now cower! For when I've ssslain you, the almighty Vees will finally acknowledge me as their equal."

Niffty picked up from Yn's shoulder, "Ooh! Wait, who are the Vees?"

"Oh, nobody important." Alastor smirks. Yn nodded her head in agreement.

Vee's Headquarters-

A large crowd is in front of a store as they watch an advertisement on the tvs facing the window showing off a spy drone.

"New VoxTek designer voyeur scopes, Peeping on the neighbors has never been more stylish. VoxTek! Trust us with your money!"

Crowd immediately enters the store and stampedes out with boxes with voyeur scopes. then cuts to random people watching their computers laptops and phones, and reveals their eyes signifying the work of hypnosis.

"This week's episode of "Teah, I Fucked Your Sister, So What?" is brought to you by VoxTek. Trust us with your entertarment!"

A tv demon starts tapping his fingers in a large room with tvs showing off numerous consumers as "trust us" repeats and overlaps. electricity courses as Vox stands up from his chair laughing maniacally from his viewer's consumerism. Vox had a ring around his left ring finger, it had both a sun and moon engraved on it.

"Muhahaha! Now that's good television!" Vox laughed as he heard his phone ding, he checked it as he groaned.

Suddenly his screen-face shifts to reveal an icon of Velvette, another one of them Vees, signifying she's calling, with a clown horn ringtone. Vox puts his phone down. Vox courses the call from his screen to his hands via his electric powers and transfers it to one of his many screens to reveal Velvette in her studio, her hair into a large ponytail. Vox then sits down on his chair.

"Hello there, Velvette! How are you this hellish morning?" Vox crossed his legs.

<Oh, cut the shit, Vox. I need you up here now!> Velvette exclaimed.

Vox looks to one of his screens as he gets his coffee cup and drinks from it, "Whatever could be the problem, my dear?".

<Your little boy toy is wrecking my apartment, while I'm trying to pull together a show and...> Velvette pauses.

Off-screen we see several workers running and screaming, and objects being tossed, as Valentino is heard cussing. "FUCKING BITCH!"

<Just get your ass here! NOW! Damn it Valentino!> Velvette yelled.

The call ends, and Vox's smile fades away as he gets up, sighing, fixing up his bowtie. He quickly texted on his phone before shoving the phone into his pocket.

"Oh god. Here I go, Valentino. Just another fucking day with Val." Vox walked to a platform with a forced smile, "Hey hey hey. Fuck my life." Vox had a dead expression as the platform raised up.

An elevator with a smiling Vox with the world bubble saying trust us!', before opening to reveal a frowning Vox sighing, and putting on a smile for a crowd of reporters that overlap one another before pointing their microphones to him.

"Mr. Vox! What are your thoughts about the new extermination deadline?" A reporter asked.

"When is Yn coming back on the program? People miss her fashion show & competitions!" Another reporter asked.

"My dear people! We at VoxTek Enterprises have always been at the forefront of innovation. And now, with this new oncoming threat, we are shifting our focus, to your protection. We are pleased to announce..." Vox ignored the second question, answering the first.

The screen zooms to him and an ad featuring the VoxTek logo, now gold and with angelic wings, with the tagline reading.

"VoxTek Angelic Security is coming soon! Trust us, with YOUR safety." Vox forced a smile.

Vox uses his left eye to hypnotize the crowd the same way as his consumers. Vox's manager quickly rushed up to Vox.

"Uh sir, when did we begin working on Angelic Security?" The Manager asked in a soft voice.

"30 seconds ago." Vox speaks in a strained voice as he walks off, "Try to get that bitch Carmilla on the books and cancel all my appointments today. I have a fire to put out upstairs." Vox noted.

He then morphs his body into electricity and generates itself into the security camera on the wall.

Velvette's Studio-

The staff cleans everything up as she looks to four designers holding up dresses to show her.

"Ugh. No. Unacceptable. You're fired. What is this? WRIST RUFFLES?! Is this 1750?! Burn it like the witches who wore it!" Velvette groaned, "UGH I miss babycakes.. She was the best fucking designer I ever had." Velvette rolled her eyes.

As she sends the designer away, Vox appears next to her, "Velvette! I can see you're busy. Tell me, where's our hot headed friend now.?" Vox looked around.

"Up in his room, waiting for a flat-faced prince to calm him down!" Velvette noted.

Vox sighs, "And uh, what's got him so out of sorts today?"

"Who knows?! But he tore up my second best model! And you know, the show can't wait for that unlucky bitch to pull herself back together! Melissa! Get over here!" Velvette yells.

Melissa gets onto the platform, and Velvette uses her overlord powers to change her outfit one after another until she spots the one she wants. "No. No. Hideous. I want to die. Eww." Velvette gasps, "Yes! That's the one."

"Ahh, looks like you have everything under control here." Vox noted.

"Of course, I do! Fuck you!" Velvette flips him off, "Now shoo! Take care of the piss baby!" Vox goes upstairs and is greeted by two moth demons who open the door for him. Once he enters.

He finds Valentino sitting on his couch surrounded by a fog of red smoke. When Val notices Vox, he sits up with fury in his eyes.

"Fucking FINALLY!" Val throws his drink, "Kitty! Another drink!" The Robo Fizzie next to him nods as it quickly heads off screen and reappears with the drink.

"Ugh! Can you believe what that piece of shit did? THE UNGRATEFUL WHORE!!!" As he speaks, he tosses the drink at Vox, who moves away making the drink, hits the door, and shatters on the floor.

"Uh, which whore are we talking about this time?" Vox questioned, crossing his arms.

Valentino gets up, "Fucking Angel Dust!” He walks up to Vox, "Who the hell else would I be talking about?!.." Val walks past him, "..fucking SLUT walked out on me!" He turns to Vox, "ME! I fucking made him!" Vox walks a little way away, "Without me, he's just a bag of meat with some mildly entertaining holes."

"Oh! Angel quit?" Vox sounded surprised.

"NO! He didn't fucking quit! It's worse!" Val takes Vox's phone, "He MOVED!!!"

As he says that, he tosses Vox's phone to the wall making it shatter in half. Vox seemed pissed about that, that being his only communication to his girl.

"He thinks he can just walk in here, work, and then go home somewhere else? Can you FUCKING believe that?!?!?!?!" Val walks to the closet, "He thinks he can run off and shack up with Lucifer's BIMBO daughter!"

"Angel is living with Lucifer's daughter?.." Vox paused and smirked.

"YEAH! That BITCH Chuckie or Chandler, or I dunno. Something manish like that, she's got this hotel and..." Val stopped.

As he speaks, he opens the closet full of guns, drugs, and pictures including a poster of himself. Valentino brings up two long pistol guns: a long revolver and a semi-pistol.

"Which of these makes me look sexier?" Val turns to the closet. (The pink one obviously)

"Heh. What are you doing, Val? You're not going over there." As Vox speaks, his left eye starts its hypnotizing spell, but Valentino is busy loading his guns.

"That slippery twink is gonna remember who owns him. I'm gonna FUCK everyone *except Yn* in that rancid shit hole, I swear to god!" Val starts.

Before he finishes, Vox grabs him by the collar and shoves him to his face, clearly furious.

Vox's voice was distorted, "VAL..." He calms down, "Hehe. Think about it." Vox then walks Valentino towards the window, taking one of his guns, "Our brand is... perfection. And what do you think chasing whores around town will... do for our image?"

"Um....fuck it up?" Val replied.

"Right! Do you want people thinking you can't control your employees?" Vox questioned.

"No!" Val exclaimed.

"Exactly! And hey, you still have him under contract. He isn't going anywhere! SO.. you should.." Vox waited for Val to get it.

"Do nothing?" Val questioned.

Vox smirked, "Great idea! Now that's why they pay you the.." He pinches Val's cheek on his face, "Big bucks."

"Ugh. But I really wanted to shoot someone." Val whined.

As he speaks, Valentino gets a cigarette holder, and Vox lights it with his electricity powers.

"Well, lemme call up the lowest earners this month." Vox walks to TVs.

"Ohh, you know me too well." Val chuckles and blows smoke, "Ya know.... Angel isn't the only one spending time at this Ratty Hotel with the devil's princesa..." Val smirked.

"Oh? Who else is there? Someone who, owes you money?" Vox smirked.

Valentino chuckles, "Someone who owes us much more than money and someone very dear to us... the Radio Demon and babycakes is there..." Val smirked.

Upon hearing those words, electricity courses through Vox's head, and he scratches the desk so hard it leaves scratch marks. Vox made small ominous chuckles before turning to Valentino, two red lines appearing on the left side of his lower lip.

Vox's voice was distorted, "What did you just say?"

"You heard me." Val smirked.

"Alastor.." Vox walks to Val, "came back..and he is with Lucifer's..." Vox glitches, "..daughter and and not only that, but he's with our Yn? And that wasn't the..." He grabs Val by the collar, "FIRST FUCKING THING YOU TOLD ME?!!"

Valentino frees himself from grip, "Hey! killing Alastor is your kink and Yn existence is all of our kink."

As he speaks, he walks to the desk and turns on the television. Vox teleports to the center screen, which is a recording from a VoxTek Voyer scope.

From Drone POV-

Yn chuckles softly and Alastor using his powers to attack Sir Pentious zeppelin, laughing as he hears Pentious screaming.

"Arrgh! Oh! Please! Stop!" Pentious cries.

"Um...Alastor! I think he's had enough." Charlie noted.

"Nah. He's got a few more hits in him." Angel added. As much as it was entertaining, Yn whispered in Alastor ear, "I think he's had enough Al." He looks at her than back to Sir Pentious who falls from the zeppelin in front of Alastor, face first on the ground. Alastor twirls his staff.

"Thanks for another forgettable experience." Alastor smirked.

An Egg Boi falls and breaks into pieces in front of Charlie.

"Thank you... for letting your guard down!" Using his tail, he grabs a bit of Alastor's suit, "Haha! Yah! Oh, shit..." Pentious' eyes widened.

"That was a mistake little snake~" Yn warned. Sir Pentious looks up to see Alastor's shadow transform in front of him. The next shot shows a massive green explosion as Sir Pentious is seen flying off to the city screaming as he disappeared from sight.

"Well, it looks as though I need a visit to the tailor! Would you care to join me my dear Yn?" Alastor asked extended his hand to her.

"Of course and maybe we can get some tea." Yn takes his hand, "Best of luck, chums." Alastor waved. as he holds Yn's hand.

"Wait, you're LEAVING?! Alastor! We need your help! We need you to do your job." Vaggie yelled.

Angel Dust gestures to the hole on the wall, "We need a wall."

Alastor sighed, "Of course! Can't let my new project fall into disrepair already. What would the papers say?!" With a snap of his fingers, black ink demons appear with construction tools as Alastor walks away. Angel takes an interest and looks at one of the larger muscular demons, shoving Vaggie away as he walks up to him.

Angel Dust giggles, "Hey, sweet cheeks. Whatcha doin' later? I love me a man with a giant...tool."

The screen zooms out to reveal Valentino scowling at the current events, leaning his face against the screen.

"See?! Look how he flirts with that guy, and he's not even paying! Who is that? I'm gonna fucking kill his whole fucking family while fucking Yn in front of them! Vox?" Val slams his fist on the table, "VOX!?"

Vox was paying little attention, as his left pupil turns into a tilde as he eyes Alastor leaving, his appearance static and out of focus as the screen becomes a bit static. He glitched rapidly at seeing Yn with Alastor.

Vox glitches, "That FUCKER is back! AND HE'S WITH YN?!"

Valentino grins as he realizes the situation and walks to him, "Yeah! I thought he was gone for good too!"

"It's been 7 years!" Vox clenched his fist.

Valentino leans up to him and pinches his cheek, Vox clearly pissed to care.

"You still pissed that she almost beat you and "took" Yn from us that time?" Val smirked.

Vox grumbled, "Uh, FUCK YOU."

"Just saying." Val walks around him.

"Things have changed a lot since he left town!" Vox clenched his fist, "THAT'S for sure." Val smirked.

"I gotta send a message of who's REALLY in charge of things now!" Vox's face fills the screen as Valentino laughs in the background.

Vox grins as he marches to his chair.

"~Welcome home! I'm gonna make you wish that you stayed gone!~" As Vox sang, electricity courses through his arm as he sat down, and turns to face the numerous screens.

"~Say hello to a new status quo.~" Vox presses a button, and cords latch themselves to the plug-ins on the back of his head, connecting himself with the tv networks. "~Everyone knows that there's a brand, new daren, turn the TV ON!~"

"Camera, speeds, rolling in three, two..." The director counted down.

Chorus: "Welcome to the Show!"

"~Top of the hour and we're discussing a certain had-been who has been spotted cavorting around town after a seven-year absence.~" Vox had a horrible drawing of Alastor as he snapped to be on a night-late tv show with himself.

"~Did anybody miss him, did anybody notice? More on tonight's program. So, the Radio Demon is back in town! Why is he hanging around? What does that mean for your family? Well, handily, I've got good news!~" Vox appeared in front of a red curtain now.

"~He's a loser, a fossil, and I don't mean to sound hostile~" Vox now appeared on multiple TV's and each dressed like a gospel choir. With the words 'Obey N' Pray'.

"~But the demon is a coward! You can take that as gospel. Pulling my viewers? Impossible! I'm visual, he's barely audible! Stop giving him the time of day! Don't listen to a word he'd say. Hope he had a nice vacay! But he should have stayed away!~"

While Alastor finishes getting his coat tailored. He notices the crowd watching the advertisement of Vox. Yn noticed as well as she frowned a bit, Alastor noticing this. He smiles and walks away with an idea, pulling Yn along. as Vox continues singing.

"~While he hid in radio, we pivoted to video! *pulls out a deer head* And now his medium is getting bloody rare! Hell's been better since he split. Where's he been? Who gives a shit?!~"

Guts to Alastor making his reappearance, as he starts his radio broadcast from the Hazbin Hotel as he puts YN on his lap.

"~Salutations! Good to be back on the air. Yes, I know it's been a while since someone with style treated Hell to a broadcast. Sinners rejoice!~"

"~What a dated voice!~"

"~Instead of a clout chasing mediocre video podcast.~"

"COME ON!" Vox exclaimed as he paused hearing Yn's laugh, "YOU FUCKER..."

"~Is Vox insecure, pursuing allure? Flitting between this fad and that. Is nothing working?~"

"IGNORE HIS CHIRPING!" Vox yelled.

"~Every day he's got a nere format!~"

"YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE FUTURE! HE'S THE SHIT THAT COMES BEFORE THAT!~" Vox exclaimed.

"~Is Vox as strong as he purports.? Or is it based on his support? He'd be powerless without the other Vees!~"

"Oh, PLEASE." Vox crossed his arms.

"~And here's the sugar on the cream. He asked ME to join this team!~"

Vox grumbled, "Hold on!"

"~I said no, and now he's pissy! That's the tea.~" As Alastor continued with his radio broadcast, Vox was getting so pissed that his screen face was starting to glitch with anger rising.

"~You old timey *Glitches* PRICK! I'll show you suffering!~"

"~Uh oh, the TV is buffering!~" Vox couldn't handle his anger, causing him to overload his circuits with static electricity.

"~I'LL DESTROY *Signal breaking up* Y0000U LITTLE.....~" The camera head could not get anything loaded, and Vox lets out an outburst that overloads everything from the TV screens to Valentino and Velvette's phone to everywhere in Pentagram City, causing a citywide blackout with the exception of the Hazbin Hotel.

"~I'm afraid you've lost your signal. Let's begin.~" Alastor smirked as he slowly turned into his true demon form with every sentence. His arms wrapping around Yn.

"~I'm gonna make you wish that I stayed gone! Tune on in. When I'm done, your status quo will know it's race is run! Oh, this will be fun!~" Alastor makes one last evil laugh before cutting off Vox's signal throughout the city, leaving the Overlord dismayed that Alastor is still popular and powerful than last time plus he had Yn on his side.

"FUUUUUCK!" Vox yelled.

Vee's Meeting-

Vox, Velvette, and Valentino are at a table together discussing a matter about Alastor as a Robo-Fizz, Kitty, passes out drinks to each of them.

"We have a problem. Alastor is getting close to Yn and little princess Morningstar, so our main concern now is ensuring that no deal is ever struck between Lucifer's.." Vox slams the table, "BRAT, and that smiling freak! AND HIM STEALING OUR BABYCAKES!"

Velvette paused before taking a deep breath, "Well, how exactly are we supposed to stop them?" Valentino was putting so much glue on his revolver to decorate with glitter and marbles.

"Put something inside them. That's how I get the bitches to behave." Val smirked.

"Well, maybe someone on the inside isn't such a bad idea. Do you think Angel would?" Vox crossed his arms.

"That lanky prick won't even return my calls." Val sighed.

"We need someone who Little Miss Bleeding Heart would take in." Vox grumbled.

"Someone... pathetic, desperate, with no direct ties to us?" Velvette noted.

"I employ every down on their luck loser this side of Hell. Who the fuck is left?" Val questioned.

Vox scoffs, "I think..I have JUST the one."

As Vox slowly turns around, his right-hypnotic eye gleams with a sinister grin for a plan he has in stored but before they could do anything one of Vox employees comes into the room.

"Sir!, The crimson queen is here she is waiting for you in the guest room." He said out of breath informing the Vee's.

After hearing that all three stand up wasting no time and sprints towards Yn.

While the Vee's were on their way. Yn is smiling and hugging old friends and coworkers who work or used to work for her. Every demon there loves seeing her when she came by to the studio, she would always bring gifts for them and I mean ALL of them.

"How have you been?!" "What is it like living in that Hotel?" "How come you don't come so often?" "Did you come here to see us?" A lot of questions were thrown at her. She couldn't decide who to answer first.

Doors slammed open revealing Velvette who makes it there before Vox or Valentino. She scans the room until her eyes land on Yn's.

"BABYCAKES!~" she shouted.

"Hi Velvet-" Velvette jumps on her with a tight hug.

"It's so great to see you again! It hasn't been the same without your lovely presence." Velvette held on to her tightly.

Yn chuckled hugging her back signaling everyone in the room to leave them alone for a moment.

"It's nice to see you to Velvette." Yn chuckled hugging her back, signaling everyone in the room to leave them alone for a moment, "Did you get the new clothes I've been sending you? I hoped you like them."

"Like them? I LOVE them!" She smiled. She lets go Yn and hold her arms.

"Sit down sweety, I've been dying to see you again, how you've been? Did you come to see us?" Velvette gestured to the couch, as the sat across each other "or did you come here for something more~" she said teasing as she ran a hand on her on her leg under her dress. Yn blushed that the thought but clear her throat.

"No~, I just came here to bring you guys some gifts and have a word with-" the same doors Velvette came though slammed opened again with Vox and Valentino finally showing up.

"Vox." Yn frowned as she crossed her arms. Velvette looks at her for a moment wondering why she looks upset. Vox notice her expression change when she sees him.

"Hey Yn! What brings you-" He is cut off as glowing fc with fancy chain appears around his neck with a lock. Vox grunts as he falls onto his knees, Velvette takes a photo while Valentino bites his lip with a blush. Yn yanks the chain causing Vox to get dragged up in front of Yn, he chuckles nervously and looks up at Yn.

"Sit." She order him with glowing eyes. He does as his told not wanting to upset her more.

"Val, Velvette, could you two please wait for us outside, i like to talk to Vox alone for a moment." Yn said with her tone sounding dark at the end of her sentence. This made Vox nervous hearing her say it like that.

Valentino and Velvette do as she said, looking back to see a now frighten Vox looking at them with a 'please don't leave me' expression, Velvette took another picture with a thumbs up and Valentino had a sweat come down his forehead and both the Vee close the doors behind them.

Both of them put a ear on the door to hear what's happening inside. Now it was just Vox and Yn in the room.

"Do you know why I came?" Yn asked

"Ummm... No...? Heh..." Vox replied.

"Because of yours and Alastor's little "fight", all electricity across the Pride Ring has cut off!" She tightens her grib on the fc chain..

"Your screw up has cost me alot of money! These little shits will soon start complaining and rioting because of what you did, flat face! And we do not want that." Yn lectured him.

"Baby relax, look if money is the problem here don't worry about. Whoever you are getting your money from I can give you-" Yn interrupt him. Not letting him finish his sentence.

"You know I never take your money, nor will I ever. You are missing the point of this conversation Vox, your little 'fight' cause me money and I'm not okay with the fact that you still pick fights with Alastor." Yn said. Vox seemed annoyed hear the Radio freak's name coming from her mouth. He then gets up and pass back and forward in front of her.

"Ah here we go again with Alastor, you know  ever since you moved out, all I hear from demons is how 'close' you and that radio freak are getting. you know how that makes me feel?!" Vox argued. His screen glitches at bit as he looks at Yn with a distasteful look.

"Don't go pointing fingers on me Vox, I wouldn't have moved out if you and those two didn't try to put a 'spell' on me 3 months ago" Vox flinched with guilt at hearing her mention that, but he didn't make it noticeable to her. Val and Velvette had the same guilt look on the faces outside the room hearing their conversion further.

"Oh please, it's wasn't like the end of hell, it would have been great for us and knowing you,-" Vox claimed crossing her arms. He takes out his phone looking at something but is soon broken by a fc fly hair pin thrown his way.

"you would have liked it. It wouldn't have been that bad.-" Vox looks back at her to see a now teary Yn, Vox froze didn't say another word.

"Here I was hoping maybe we could fix our relationship and start over, but I guess nothing changes." Yn said, her head hanging down not showing her face. Vox tries to get close to her. But she stops him by holding her hand in front of him, stopping him on his tracks.

He wanted to hold her, apologize, anything to comfort her. But Vox was one who didn't know when to admit his wrongs or apologize at all so it was no surprise that he didn't dare show that to her. For someone who is a dangerous powerful and deadly overlord. Only he, the Vee's and anyone that's part of her harem are the only one who can see this side of her, her vulnerable side.

Yn got up from the couch, walk towards the door, not looking at Vox as she passed him. She stops in front of the door, "I'm leaving now, I'll be back in 2 weeks with the next transfer." She than opens the door seeing a guilty ears dropping duo trying to pretend they weren't listening.

Valentino walks over to Yn and caresses her whole body. Sensing his Babycakes is hurting, "There, there Babycakes~ I'm sure someone like you can forgive and forget our little problem~" Valentino in his weird way trying to stop her from leaving.

"As I said I won't be back until 2 weeks so take care of things here, yourselves as well." Yn said getting out of Val's grasp walks out of the building.

Vox, Valentino and Velvette stand there watching Yn walk away and out of the studio without looking back but not before she said her goodbyes to everyone she came across.

After she was gone from view, Velvette expressed changed to a pissed look, "Damn it Vox! Yn sure as fuck won't bang any of us any time soon because of you and that smiling ass!" Velvette groans loudly.

Vox just stood there wondering, why do I always fuck shit up, first he lost a fight with Alastor, and now he just hurt the love of his afterlife.

Back at the hotel-

Yn and Alastor make it back to the hotel while Alastor went upstairs satisfied, Yn sat next to Angel Dust laying her head on his chest fur while he was on his phone and he rap his arms around her.

the ink demons are currently fixing the hole in the wall as Charlie and Vaggie than returns. Charlie throws herself onto a couch, exhausted.

"Soooo? How'd it go?" Yn smiled nervously.

Vaggie sighs, "Not a single new recruit."

"'Yeah well, who would wanna use their last days not fucking and fighting?" Angel Dust groaned.

As Angel checks on his phone, Vaggie hears a knock on the front door. She walks over to it and opens the door, only to find Sir Pentious holding his hat.

"Why, hello my dear.." Sir Pentious is cut off by Vaggie punching him in the face.

He falls when Vaggie brings out her spear at him. Sir Pentious cowers in fear with the tip barely at his neck, and holds a peace sign gesture.

"Wait, wait, wait! I come in peace." Pentious cried.

"What are you doing here?" Vaggie asked. Charlie and Yn appears behind Vaggie, "Vaggie, what's the problem?" Charlie gasps, "Oh! Hello again!" "Pentious?"

"I didn't come looking for a fight. I uhh.. I heard that you're helping people, people who want to be better?" Pentious questions.

Charlie lets out a gasp and runs over to grab his hand and leads him to the door of the hotel.

Charlie gasps, "You heard right! Welcome to our home of healing, our resort of restoration, our..." Angel Dust appears from the door and cuts off Charlie, "Are you fucking nuts? This chump was trying to kill us like literally 6 hours ago! And now you wanna bring him in here to live with us?"

"Absolutely! This place is about second chances, and who deserves one more than this slithery... slippery. special little man!" Charlie forced a smile.

Angel turns to look at Yn and Vaggie, "Aren't you two supposed to protect this place?" Charlie gives Yn and Vaggie puppy-dog eyes, begging Yn and Vaggie to give Sir Pentious a chance to live in the hotel. Yn and Vaggie gives in as she sighs.

"I guess he's not much of a threat without the war machine." Sir Pentious' cobra head lifts with anticipation, "Or even with the war machine. Plus I guess Yn is here to make sure he doesn't do anything." Sir Pentious' cobra head flaps down with depression, sighing.

"Sure! I don't mind looking after him." Sir Pentious smiled.

Charlie was so happy that she hugged Vaggie, lifting her up in the process and twirling around once.

"Oh! Thank you thank you thank you thank you! Sir Pentious! Welcome to the Hazbin Hotel!" Charlie leads Sir Pentious to the door inside of the hotel.

"Oh no darling! Thank you! You won't regret this." He smiled sweetly as he slithers next to Yn.

Angel follows soon afterwards, "Eh, I give you a week, tops."

Charlie gives Sir Pentious the tour of the hotel, introducing Husk to him, the wall he blew up before it was fixed.

"So, this is the bar and the bartender. This is the curtain, and this is the new wall after you broke the last one, heh, and oh! Oh! This is the-" Charlie paused as Vaggie grabs Charlie to calm her down again, "Babe, you don't have to show him every detail."

"No." Charlie squealed.

Angel Dust put his arm around, "Uh, what the hell are I then?"

"you're an important part of our family here too, Angel, but you uhm, uh..." Charlie thought.

"Constantly make us look bad, sexually harass the staff, and have literally never once tried to improve?" Vaggie bluntly said.

"What she means is, it's just nice to have someone interested for once." Yn smiled.

As Charlie comes back to Sir Pentious, Angel Dust was having doubts, looking a bit upset at everything Vaggie described him to be. Nifty was playing Keekee with a string when Charlie and Sir Pentious approached them. Keekee hissed at the sight of Sir Pentious and scatters away while Niffty turns around to meet him.

"Over here we have our maid Niffty." Charlie gestured to Niffty.

Niffty gasps, "The bad boy is back!"

Niffty gets up on Sir Pentious and holds his collars, looking at him with insanity in her red eye and a very sadistic smile, which creeps out Sir Pentious.

Niffty spoke in a creepy whisper, "Never leave me again."

"We're about 80% sure she's harmless, and over here we have..." Charlie nearly bumps into Alastor, "Oh! Uh, Alastor! Our gracious facility manager! You've met our newest guest Sir Pentious... hehe.."

"Ah yes! You're the one who ruined my coat!" Alastor's eyes glow red in the dark with a violent temptation to rip him apart as Alastor spoke in a sinister tone, "I definitely remember you now."

Sir Pentious gulps nervously.

"Well, I guess this is a great time for your first lesson!" Charlie clears her throat, "How to apologize!'... The first step to becoming a better person is to admit when you are wrong, why don't you give it a try?"

Sir Pentious took a minute, "Yes. uhm.. Mr uhm.. Radio Demon sir, please forgive me for attacking you and ruining your very lovely coat.. uhm.. Here." As a token of apology, Sir Pentious hands back the small fabric he tore from Alastor's coat.

Alaster takes it and inspects the damage, "Ah-Ho! Not many people have been able to take even this much off me, it must have meant quite a lot to you."

Despite being generous, Alastor burns the fabric tear in green flames, leaving Sir Pentious and Charlie stunned.

The group gather around for a introduction with Sir Pentious. "You obviously know Yn, somehow, but that's not important! Yn is also our facility manager and entertainer along with Angel Dust." Charlie smiled, "Now, with a new resident, I think it's important we all get to know each other! So we are going to play a little game. Everyone, follow me."

"My name is Charlie!" Charlie claps twice, "I like to sing!" She claps twice, "and when we get to know each other it's the greatest thing!" She claps twice.

"My name's Sir Pentious" He claps twice, "I like to build." He claps twice, "and despite my stupid Egg Bois, I think I'm very skilled!" Pentious claps twice.

"My name is Yn." Yn claps twice, "I like to dance," She claps once again, "And if an Angel dares to hurt you..." She clapped twice again, "They will meet their end." Yn clapped twice more.

When it was Angel's turn, he looked disinterested, looking up from his phone, "This is stupid." Angel Dust stated.

"This is not stupid!" Charlie claps twice, "It's just a game!" She claps twice, "Sir Pentious did it well so now please try to do the same!" Charlie claps twice, seeming annoyed.

"I am too sober for this." Angel Dust groaned.

"Well, get used to it and learn how to play, this is gonna be your whole day!" Vaggie smirked and clapped twice.

Next the group try role-playing with Angel Dust wearing a trenchcoat and a hat while he reads a script. Sir Pentious was also role-playing as an innocent child wearing a sailor suit, licking a lollipop. As Husk was an unattentive parent for some reason. Husk didn't mind, he'd got to drink with Yn as she pet his fur.

"Oh, I'm a bad man on the streets who never got enough hugs, now, where's an innocent kid I can sell crack to?" Angel Dust paused, "Wow, who wrote this.?" He whispered.

"Who do you think?" Yn question Angel.

"It's great right? Keep going!" Charlie squealed.

"Hey you." Angel called.

"Who, me?" Pentious pointed to himself.

"Yeah, you look like a kid who could use some... devil's dandruff??" Angel groaned, "Oh, for fuck's sake."

Yn paused her petting Husk's fur, looking at Angel with a chuckle. Husk stopped his drinking looking at Yn waiting for her to let him again.

"Not me! I have to go home and study!" Pentious stated. Husk twitch his ear touching Yn hand, Yn catching on what he wanted she had a small smile on her face and continue to pet him, which caused Husk to purr quietly.

"Come on kid, it'll make you cool like me...the crackhead." Angel dully said.

"The only cool thing here is to say no to drugs! Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to not have sexual intercourse before marriage!" Pentious smiled.

Charlie stands up and claps, "Yes! Oh bravo! Bravo!" Charlie chuckles, "Wow Pentious! At this rate, you'll be redeemed in no time."

"I... I'm going to bed." As Angel heads back up to his room, he overhears Charlie congratulating Sir Pentious.

"I am so proud of you Sir Pentious! That was amazing!" Charlie cheers.

"Thank you! Thank you! You like me! You really like me!" Pentious smiled.

"Good Job, Pentious." Yn smiled.

"Awwww!! Thank you!!!" Pentious hugged Yn.

Yn backed up from the hug and rushed Husk who was drunk, thinking about Yn petting him again later.

In Angel's room, Fat Nuggets is asleep on his bed until Angel accidentally throws his coat on top of him. Fat Nuggets grunts and crawls out of the coat as he watches Angel lie down on his bed. Angel looks at his phone and sees all his voice mails from Valentino. Angel sighs and begins to play them. Valentino's voice mails switch back and forth between a friendly, apologetic tone and a barrage of screams threatening violence.

Valentino's Voice Message:

"Angel baby, come home! It's not the same without you here, I miss you! Come back-"

"ANGEL, YOU BITCH! IF YOU DON'T COME HOME, YOU'LL BE FUCKING GREASY TRUCKERS FOR THE NEXT YEAR-"

"Hey, amorcito, I didn't mean to yell, but you know hore crazy you make me-"

"YOU FUCKING SLUT!"

"Hey; Angie! About earlier-"

"-KILL YOUR WHOLE FUCKIN' FAMILY!"

"Work's really stressful!"

"-LITTLE COCKSUCKING PIECE OF SHIT!"

"[dead serious] You actually think you can change? Addict trash like you doesn't change. I'll see you soon, baby."

Angel sighs as Fat Nuggets gets on the bed next to him.

"Sorry, not now, Fat Nuggets." Angel sighs sadly.

Angel gets up and leaves his room with Fat Nuggets looking worried. Angel goes to Husk's bar and starts drinking alcohol. Then he notices a slithering noise. He finds Charlie's office door opened, and takes a peek inside.

There, he discovers that Sir Pentious is setting up a small camera in one of the bookshelves, a camera that belongs to Vox. Angel realizes what he was doing and slams the door open.

"You slippery little shit!" Angel yelled.

Sir Pentious screams.

"You're working for the Vees? I fucking knew there was something shitty about you." Angel Dust narrows his eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about!.. whore bug!" Pentious shots back.

Angel was ticked off, and tackles Sir Pentious on the ground. He punches him in the face before wrestling with him.

"Get your aggressively average body...OFF OF ME!" Sir Pentious's eyes spiral hypnotic powers to him.

Angel becomes hypnotized, "Fuck!"

Angel backs away. He then quickly snaps out of it. He now has Sir Pentious cornered. Right then, Yn, Charlie and Vaggie woke up after hearing the scuffle.

Charlie yawns, "What's going on?"

"It's too late for anything." Yn said who was still a bit sleepy.

"This little bitch is a traitor!" Angel Dust gestured to Pentious.

"Preposterous! I would never betray you. You... are my best friends!" Sir Pentious hugs the three girls.

"Uh huh, then explain this!" Angel Dust smirked. Angel lifts off one of the books to reveal a camera, much to Charlie's shock. Sir Pentious realizes that his cover was blown scurries away.

He brings out his wrist watch to make contact with Vox.

"Ah! Ah! Abort! Abort! S.O.S! Agent Pentious in need of immediate evacuation!" Pentious sounded nervous.

Vox immediately picks up.

"Pentious? Wait... you were caught?!? It hasn't even been a day!" Vox laughed.

"Please! You've got to get me out of here!" Pentious begged.

"I can't believe we thought you could handle even something this simple. Do us a favour, if they don't kill you, go ahead and do it yourself! You miserable failure!" Vox hung up.

Sir Pentious was crying, "I... I... just make it quick I guess.. not that I deserve it." Sir Pentious lies on the ground, with Vaggie holding a spear ready to pierce the skull.

"Gladly." Vaggie smirked.

Right before Vaggie could put him out of misery, Yn stops her. "Whoa. Let's not jumps to murder straight away."

"Yn's right. We're not killing anyone." Charlie smiles and starts singing.

"Pentious?" Sir Pentious looks up to see Charlie reaching out for him.

"~It starts with sorry, that's your foot in the door~"

"~One simple sorry, spoken straight from your core.~"

"~The path to forgiveness is a twisting trail of hearts!~"

"~But sorry is where it starts!~"

"~Who could forgive a dirtbag like me?~"

"~I don't deserve your amnesty.~" Angel comes with dual Tommy submachine guns in both hands with Vaggie tailing behind with her spear.

"~Can't we just kill him?~"

"~Shoot him and spill his blood?~" Yn stand in front of Pentious. As Pentious' eyes sparkle.

"That's an option you could choose." Yn answered.

"~Works for us.~" Yn puts her hand out to Pentious who takes it immediately.

"~But who hasn't been in his shoes? It starts verth sorry.~" Charlie added.

"~Sorry.~"

"~Dig down deeper and say one sincere sorry!~"

"~I'm so sorry!~"

"~And your journey's underway!~"

"~It'll take time to cover your/my vast multitude of sins, But sorry is where it begins.~"

"~It starts with sorry.~"

As the song ends, Niffty was also awake, but she was disappointed that Sir Pentious isn't whom she thought he would be: a bad boy.

"I hated that song! Why are you so lame?!" Niffty kicks him on the body and walks away, 'Not a bad boy'."

Charlie happily sighs, "Good first day! Let's get some rest!"

As Charlie and the others except Yn leave with a wrist watch communicator still in the office, Yn looks back at the watch and then to the dark hallway.

"Alastor be a dear and please get rid of the trash in here, goodnight." Yn said as walks away to head back to sleep.

Alastor appears from the shadow of the dark hallway with a smile. He comes and picks up the watch before contacting Vox on the watch.

"WHAT?!?" Vox yelled.

Vox paused when he realized that it was Alastor who was calling him, showing fear in his screen face as Alastor laughed evilly.

"You'll have to try harder than that next time ol' pal!" Alastor smirked.

With a maniacal laughter, Alastor crushed the watch with his bare head, and the only sound Vox makes was a raging scream before Alastor retreats back into the darkness.

Previous Page: Ch. 4: Overtune

Next Page: Ch. 6: The New Sinner in Town (CS)

Beginning: Front Cover

[jim-jams-posts]

JUST LOOK MY WAY......