Chapter Text
The drums began to rumble, the crowd becomes awake...those expectant eyes and thundering hearts echo within the large venue. Painted in all golden and deep red, giving the place an elegant look far extravagant than its unusually unruly streets that goes beyond these doors. The tinkering clanks of the glass, the buzzing servers moving hastily around to tend the guests, as the crowd mutters in delight at the upcoming show.
"I've sold my hell mortgage for this show!!"
"Just your mortgage!? I sold my family!!"
"—Fuck that! I sold my soul!!"
This show...a one in a life time opportunity to witnessed a spectacle of music and dancers in elegant settings. One night, every year...both sinners and hellborns do not wish to miss.
—The lights begin to dim down, the crowd immediately hushes.
Show lights spot the stage, and on cue colorful dancers emerge elegantly from within, spinning as they matched the groovy sound of jazz. In all shapes and form the dancers come along, but despite these differences they flowed in sync. Like petals of flowers, blooming all around the venue as the orchestrated music grew louder at each wave.
Amongst the merry crowd, demons with high rankings remain silent and still in the shadows of the venue. One types on her smartphone with an irritated look, glancing over at the overly grinning picture box that was seated beside her. She would have conjured her boredom with their other fellow partner, but he wasn't present at the very moment.
She could only scowl away, voicing out loud her annoyance with that posh accent of hers, "This is a waste of time Vox—"
But she was interrupted by his flashing grin, his face like screen flickering with warning, "—Enough Velvette. Let's just enjoy the show~"
She visibly rolls her eyes, focusing her attention back to her phone while the sinner named Vox takes and sips on the drink offered by the servers. His face statics, demonstrating a satisficed grin.
The grand opening will always remain iconic & unforgettable for these hellborns and sinners...but there was only one thing that had them sitting on the edges of their seat. They await for the Star of the Show...
Light surrounds the main stage again, various dancers dressed in gentlemen suits all align with large feathered fans in hand. The opening music goes into a quiet hum, a soft piano begins quietly.
"Alas...the Star of the Show is finally making her grand entrance~" The grinning picture box, Vox, hums with a flick of his glass. His eyes glow in static, staring through his glass at the main stage that soon will be taken place by the one he awaits.
The piano blooms slowly but loudly, cue the soft blues of jazz. The gentlemen with the feathers motion them quickly, fluttering open to reveal the one everyone had been dying to see for this one night.
The female choirs and the trumpets all sync upon her arrival;
"♫♪𝄞 MARIA ♫♪𝄞"
The sole light and only light seizes before the main stage; illuminating her glowing and extravagant figure that had been molded into a perfectly fitted showgirl outfit. Her hazel hair and ears drip down behind her back, almost appearing golden due to her accessorized jewels. Her tainted red lips perk up in a proud smile.
She poses once, the jazzy groove follows. She poses again, the music syncs. That endearing smile never falters, a sweet little wink with a hint of tease throws the crowd into a frenzy.
She begins to sing, going down the steps slowly as the gentlemen behind her follow pursuit with the feathers. With each pose and move, they halt to illuminate her further. The jazzy groove and her voice echo within this realm, the type of beauty that was hard to look away. Her sheer presence draws them in like a magnet, a sweet voice chanting like a siren.
The heat of the light makes her sweat glisten, creating this phantom sparkle and illumine her silhouette with each dance. She nears closer to the crowd, close but far enough for them to not touch. Playing coy with a sweet smile. It was quite charming.
Her dancers follow her heed, matching her footwork and rapid moves without any doubt. She strings along with the music of her team, singing the notes she had wrote, demonstrating a year worth of dedication to this on night show. Not once does she miss a beat, not once does she make a mistake...not once does she stop. She continues to show this unworldly hell that she was the sole star of tonight's rigid realm.
The show must go on...until every second is worth dying for.
.
.
.
.
"Have all our guests received their farewell gift?"
After hours of the show had pass, the sole Star is still seen with her extravagant showgirl ensemble. She walks backstage of the venue, in mind planning to rest in her dressing room for the remainder of the night. Ushered behind her were her fellow imps, all dressed in the matter of what can assume were professional managers. One of them offers her rose colored robe, hugging her body with warmth.
The other imp responds her previous inquiry;
"Yes if course Miss Maria! Oh before I could forget there's—"
—Maria halts, pale pink eyes narrowing, her ears twitched as she stared down at the very end of the hall...her dressing room, her very space she valued for privacy. There was a lingering presence within that space, and she recognized it from where she stands.
"I was sure I had specifically instructed for him to wait in the guest room if he were ever to show his face," Maria murmurs, glancing over at her imps. They nod eagerly at her heed.
"We had tried to guide him to the lobby, but he simply ignored us Miss..." They say with worried looks.
This urges Maria to sigh, going over to rub the frown crease of her forehead. It was as expected, that man never acknowledged those he deems below him, naturally so he does what he wants without a second thought. But that type of attitude can only be applied in his turf, and currently he doesn't stand there. This was her side of the town, no one other than her had authority within this space of area.
"He's grown audacious these past couple of years..." Maria sighs once again, peering over her team of imps. She waves them off, in which they acknowledged immediately with a nod before scurrying away.
She was left alone to frown in these halls, and she was already dreading the headache that lies within her safe space. Clearing her mind, Maria opens her dressing room, maintain that cool façade as she walks through the dim room. She doesn't acknowledge his presence just yet, finding her place in front of the mirror that illuminates her luminous face. Once seated, Maria disregards her robe and letting it lay over the chair. Before she could reach to undo the accessories hair piece when a spark of electricity perks behind her.
"Allow me to help you out of that my dear~" His sharp blue claws purr just above her head, as his familiar televised head comes into view in the mirror. As always, putting up that show of a smile that flickers brightly. Maria allows him, knowing very well Vox wouldn't dare touch a strand of her hair. Ironic enough since he was quite the handsy fellow. But Maria was a Showgirl, no one was allowed to touch her without the consent.
And he knew that too...perhaps that's why he's grown this daring. Close enough but far.
Vox hums in satisfaction when he takes the head piece carefully, his smile beaming with delight. He places the jeweled pieces onto the vanity, "You were incredible as always! The amount of effort & passion can be seen through these shows are worth the yearly wait!" His compliments are as endless as always, but there weren't just mere flattery, not under the surface the very least. There was truth in them, especially the way his bright blue pupils glimmer at his own words.
Unless he was a good liar.
Maria goes to massage the place where the heavy accessories were placed. She seemingly chuckles, peering at him through the mirror, "Thank you Vincent. But don't flatter me too much I'll become spoiled,"
"Nonsense! You deserve only the best!" Vox chides, now within his claws a glowing bouquet of flowers emerge from within his being. He leans forward, showing off the extravaganza with a proud smirk. Maria blinks, a bit surprised to witness such a spectacle.
"My...now that's a first," Maria reaches out to grab the electrifying bouquet, "...Never thought there would be a day where I would received a voltaic gift,"
"As I said earlier, you deserve only the best," He grins, seemingly proud of his parting gift. It was to be expected of him, a gift solely reproduced by his very hands could be considered the best in his standards. He was quite the prideful man after all.
Maria knows this too, going over to place the gift in an empty vase that was lying around the dressing room. She could sense his body stiffen when his gift had been downgraded into an old vase, but he doesn't comment on it. Only a slight sulk is displayed on his picture box head.
"Before I forget, I must remind you that it's quite impolite to be in a showgirl's dressing room without proper consent, Vincent," Maria reminds, fixing the sparking roses that flicker at her touch. He stiffens again, coughing onto his claw as he fastens that red bow tie of his with a sheepish grin.
Vox straightens his back as his gaze follow the movement of her gloved claws. He silently admires the delicacy of her touch as she arranges the roses, "...Which is why I informed those imps that I would be paying you a visit here instead of wherever they intended to," He jests, flicking his claw away when he worded the later.
A lie.
But Maria decides she would let this slide, she wasn't quite in the mood to pick a fight, not tonight the very least. He was also someone who found it difficult to find his very own faults. Once again, a prideful man he is.
"Besides, I only came here for a quick stop," He clasps his claws behind his back, "Just wanted to congratulate you for this wonderful night and—"
He leans forward, but there was a respectable distance he puts despite his breaking boundaries. His screen glows, a smile altering softly. It was as if he was trying to regard himself as a harmless being. His eyes glimmer gingerly her way.
"—That my offer is still up,"
This was the main reason why he had come here, as he had done so many times for years. The offer he had proposed to Maria, always trying to convince the fellow Overlord to join his side of town.
And her answer remains the same.
"And always I am grateful you have me in your full interest Vincent, but I would have to decline once again," Maria smiles, going back to face herself in the mirror, the remainder of her jewels growing heavy on her self, "I'm not quite suited for you young folks with this progressive future of yours,"
"Nonsense my dear! With our modern inventions and your charming personality, you'll be much more than a Star~! Someone like you deserves to shine in a brighter stage, a bigger world awaits for you in VoxTek...!" Vox projects with a grin, hovering around Maria who begins to take off her jewelry. Unlike his excited state, she seemed calm with a soft smile.
He had always reminded her that, he's persistent...but he's quick to pull back to not seem desperate. He's seemingly patient.
Vox clears his throat, offering a slight courtesy bow as if her were a gentlemen. His eyes glow ever slightly, as a smirk displays across his screen, "If you ever change your mind...VoxTek will always receive you with open doors~"
And in a zap, the TV Overlord disappears out of her sights, urging the roses to flicker at his absence.
Maria let's out a heaving sigh, letting the jewels fall from her palms...she expects to hear the clanks of the rocks hit the floor...but the sound never comes. Her eyes widen, sensing another lingering presence hiding in the shadows of her dressing room. That familiar lurk, the quirk of the static of a radio...
'Impossible...'
She stands, and the robe she had draped over the chair falls upon her abrupt standing. She stares at the void that lurks in the corner of the room, that sheer presence familiar to the core. There was no mistaking it.
The void finally makes his appearance, the silhouette smiling at her. A black shadow claw emerges, placing the falling jewelry gently over the vanity, then going over to pick the fallen robe. It dusts the small lint before hovering the robe over Maria's shoulders, securing her with warmth. She watches with a bewildered look at these familiar acts of service, the shadow with that infamous Cheshire grin bows before manifesting a bouquet of flowers.
She accepts the gesture, the flowers as the color of crimson blood, quite befitting for the one who bares the gift. Before she could speak when the shadow disperses from within with one final gentlemen bow.
She could only stand there in disbelief, her voice is hushed out...almost breathless.
"He's back..."
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Thank you for reading!!