youbeautifulidiot | Inbox for Heckin' Game

[It's like looking into the sun, ugh, it makes Angel wince a little, holding up a hand and only partially pretending to shield his eyes.] Fuck me, it's bright in here. Got any stuff that ain't gold or shiny, Baby V?

[But he steps inside, shoves his hood back as he sits down heavily on the nearest seat. Like this, he's lower than Veneer's eye level, and he knows damn well how visible the bruises on his neck are, the shadows under his eyes, the frazzled, frizzy look of his fur. Angel sighs, rakes his fingers backwards through his hair.]

Yeah, Ven. It's really bad.

[Even if it's an eyesore, it's still somehow the most comfortable chair in the world. Everything is, it's Heaven. There is simply no such thing as an uncomfortable chair.

And yet, Angel looks anything but comfortable. There's a hushed gasp as the hood goes down and Veneer's hands do everything but stay still as he begins to fret. Sure, they're just bruises, they'll heal, but something had to happen to get them there in the first place.]

WhatdoIdo whatdoIdo whatdoIdo... Okay, um! [He can't even defend his shiny crap right now, Angel looks so...sad. And why shouldn't he be?!] Um, just stay...right there!

[Veneer zips over to the little kitchen area and grabs something out of the freezer, only to zip right back and just ignoring every and all personal bubbles as he....slaps an ice pack on Angel's neck.

Yes, it absolutely looks like a tiger and was probably made for babies, but this is Baby V we're talking about. It was cute and he wanted it.]

Alright.

Tell me what happened.

[Angel's about to try to calm Veneer down when he's just -- nyooming on over to the kitchenette and grabbing things and even though he's some sort of catsnake now he's just as nimble and zippy, ain't he. It's almost funny and Angel almost laughs, but then there's something icy-cold being smacked onto his neck.

There's a bit of a hoarse, squawking sound, and Angel reaching up to yank the ice pack away to figure out what it is.] What -- where'd you get this? [And why does it immediately feel better?

Oh, Heaven, right. Anyways.

Angel presses the ice back against the bruises with a wince.] With yer sister or with my neck?

[Watching the tiger ice pack work its magic is enough to keep Veneer from getting any worse, in fact he might even be calming down. ...A little. Like, the tiniest smidge of calm his brain will allow.]

It's nice, right? I almost got a matching frog one, buut then I told myself if I got too many, it'd only be a matter of time before Vel finds one and tries to eat it and then she'd blame ME-

[Wait, no, right, Vel! She's in trouble! And being a bitch to their friends! Veneer takes a seat next to Angel, right on his bed.]

See, I wanna say...both? It feels like they're connected somehow. N-Not that I'm saying Vel did that, she's not like that! I mean...I really hope she didn't do that, or else I owe you way more than just a cute ice pack.

[Well, at least there's that -- both the calming and the by-now-familiar rambling. Angel has to soften a little, vaguely reminded of Charlie again, though his fondness for her is much more sibling-y. Veneer -- he feels something different about Veneer. Protectiveness, maybe. Affection, almost definitely.

It kinda sucks to take the wind out of his sails, but at least one of them's gotta know. So Angel exhales, presses the ice pack to his bruises with a slight wince.] Nah, it wasn't her. Doesn't seem to be her style. I pissed Val off earlier, so he knocked me around a little. He does that.

[It may not have been Velvet, but it was still someone who hurt him. If it was just a clumsy mistake, like he fell weird and got a bad bruise, that's one thing, but SOMEONE. DID THAT. ON PURPOSE. Veneer frowns, drawing little circles on his blanket with his finger.]

Well, I'm sure you noticed by now Vel is really good at pissing people off. She's...she's in trouble, isn't she? I-I don't know how to get that through to her, she just doesn't listen.

[Before he can start rambling again, Veneer stops himself with a small huff. Velvet's future is terrifying, but Angel is hurt now. The ice pack seems to be helping, but that's just physical...

Scooting over, Veneer pats the spot he suddenly made available.]

You wanna sit on the bed? If you like that chair, you'll love this.

[Angel frowns, reaching up and pressing the ice pack a bit more firmly against his neck and letting out a slow, measured exhale.]

Yeah. She is. Not -- right away, it's always good at the beginnin'. The trips and the parties and the gifts n' stuff. The attention. [Angel's gaze is faraway, haunted, hollow. It takes him a moment to register that Veneer's motioning him closer.

A moment of blinking, then Angel stands slowly, crossing the hotel room to plop onto the bed. It means it's harder to hide how scared he looks. How sick to his stomach.] Then he starts askin' you for more in return. He starts not lettin' you say no. To anything. No matter how much it hurts. No matter how much ya don't wanna.

[Veneer gets a slow, pained twist of a smile, a raw, agonized thing.] You think I wanted to be a porn star? I liked -- music. Like you guys. That's what I wanted.

[Shit. He really thought the bed would help Angel somehow, like the comfort Heaven has to offer would just wash away his pain, but that's...stupid. Veneer can see that now, with Angel right next to him like that. What he would do to just...hug him and tell him everything is going to be okay, but it's not. Everything Angel says only makes it clear that everything is NOT okay. You can't just wish everyone's problems away with positive thinking.

Still, it sucks that the last person to lay a hand on him did so to cause pain. Angel shouldn't HAVE to end his day dwelling on his bruises. Veneer wants to do something, ANYTHING, but he's still winging this whole comforting thing. Hell, he can't even get a hug from his own damn sister, what is he supposed to do when someone he cares about looks so...so scared?

Small. He can start...small. Angel has every reason to reject anyone touching him again, but Veneer wants him to know he's here for him. So he just takes one of his hands, plays lightly with his fingers, just something to know that he's not going to feel that sort of pain here. Not from him. If he doesn't like it, then he can just use that same hand to push him away. Just something to say everything without saying anything at all.

Because what Veneer HAS to say is pretty big on its own.]

Okay...Angel, I need to be so honest with you right now. It's going to be really hard to pry Velvet away from him, because he's giving her more than just attention.

["You think I wanted to be a porn star? I liked -- music. Like you guys. That's what I wanted."

That hurts more than Veneer wants to admit. No wonder Angel supports his vanilla lifestyle, he's living the life HE wanted. ...But Veneer has a feeling Angel can actually sing, that he actually deserves the spotlight. And here he is, just...playing pop star without having to work for it.]

We're.........frauds. We are big, stupid, talentless frauds and this Valentino guy is using his hell magic to give Velvet her voice. She's not going to give it up without a fight.

[Angel glances down as Veneer takes his hand, going momentarily tense, but -- it's nice. Those fluffy, clawed fingers gently toying with Angel's own, pale fur against pink, the warmth of someone touching him in a way that doesn't hurt or feel bad. Angel can count on one hand how many times that's happened in the last few decades.

So he doesn't pull away, keeps his head low, letting out a slow exhale.] That's -- what I was afraid of. He doesn't have the same kinda power here he did in our Hell. He had to have given her somethin' good.

[There's the twist of a wry smile at the confession.] So, you guys lipsync? Most famous people fake it in some way, yaknow. Ain't the worst thing ever. Guessin' your sister doesn't feel the same way, though.

Ugh, what, no. We'd never stoop as low as lip-syncing.

[Veneer's reaction is so kneejerk, he doesn't even have time to enjoy the fact that Angel didn't pull away from his unprotected handholding. All he does is regret answering so quickly, because Angel is......so forgiving over the whole fraud thing. Maybe if he was a less honest person, he could totally play it safe and let Angel believe it was just harmless lip-syncing. He'd still want to hang out with him! He'd still think he's sweet, innocent Baby V and not some horrible talent-sucking monster!

But he caaaaaaan't.]

What am I saying....we stooped way lower than that. [Deep breath.] Weeeeee might have captured this cute little troll and...maybe magically syphoned his talent? D-Don't ask me how, I'm honestly not sure. It just...worked. Aaaand it was also hurting him. A lot.

B-But I couldn't keep doing it. Vel didn't care, but I don't have it in me to kill cute little guys, soooooo I stopped it. I mean, should I have stopped it sooner? Yes. Totally. It's just that after our parents kicked us out, and we were forced to live at the bottom of the mountain where it SUCKS and you live paycheck to paycheck, you just get so...lost in all the money and fame and oh my god Angel I am not a good person.

So all of this?! This...this is nothing new for her! Except now there's no trolls, so I guarantee she doesn't see anything wrong with it. ...And she didn't see anything wrong with it before!!

....huh. [Angel takes a moment to just kinda...turn that mental image around in his mind. Then, because he's sort of awful that way, he laughs.] You, what, soul-sucked a little troll guy? For his magic talent? That's -- yeah, that's a new one for me, V.

[Still laughing, Angel flops back onto the bed, splaying out with a heavy sigh. Damn it, the Heaven beds are amazing, too.] Hey, ya aren't a good or bad person based on a buncha shitty mistakes you made. You feel bad about it, doncha? [One knee moves, nudging at Veneer's leg, and Angel folds a set of arms behind his head.] That's more of a sign you're a good person than anythin' else. Everyone does shitty stuff.

Includin' me. Includin' your sister. Doesn't mean we can't start makin' good choices instead.

[He's laughing?

Veneer just spilled what horrible, nasty criminals he and his sister were and he's laughing? If Veneer was a smarter person, he might realize that perhaps Angel "actually from Hell" Dust has seen and heard faaaaaaar worse. It's quite possible that he's even DONE far worse. Veneer is truly Baby V in a sea of sinners.

But he isn't, so he doesn't. Instead he only sees his really cool buddy smoothing over all his morality-related fears, like none of that even matters now that he's trying to do better. And he IS trying to do better! And he can't believe people are already acknowledging it. It's tough when all he has to go off of is Velvet's opinions, all that second guessing she's been making him do, all those comments about betrayal...but no! He IS right and now he can always come back to this moment whenever she makes him doubt himself again.

Overwhelming emotions well inside him, causing him to shake his wrists to get some of that nervous energy out.]

Oooohhh my goooddddd, Aaaanngeeeell!!

[...Fuck it. He knows he wanted to show Angel he was here for him in small ways, but now Angel's being here for him in HUGE ways and he needs to return that somehow. Not even in the way he just laughed off his confession, but the way he wants to help his sister, the way he continues to watch over him. Veneer can't contain himself any longer and just throws himself on top of the spidery demon, wrapping his arms around him in a big, noodly hug. With half of Angel's arms behind his head already, it was the perfect opportunity.]

Oh, but what about you?! Here you are being all reassuring and stuff, but I'm not even the one who got hurt. You should- wait. Maybe I shouldn't have jumped on you...

[He's about as light as a marshmallow, but that's not an excuse.]

My bad.

[God, he's like Charlie. The flailing, the groaning, the eager, doe-eyed way of looking at the world. Except -- he's not, at the same time. There isn't anyone like Veneer in Hell, either one, and that's something that makes Angel smile a little more genuinely, in spite of himself. He hadn't really thought he could get surprised, not anymore. Not after being around for more than a century.

This version of Hell keeps tossing the surprises, though, for better or worse. Angel lets out a soft "oof" when Veneer flops on him, but it's mostly for show. The hug is -- nice. After the shitty few days Angel's had, it's really nice. He's still got some level of persona to uphold, though, so he just pats awkwardly at Veneer's back.]

Okay, okay, keep yer tails on. I ain't made of glass, you ain't gonna hurt me. [Angel even wiggles his eyebrows, cheekily.] Maybe I ain't made'a rubber, but I'm still pretty hard to hurt.

[Not getting shoved off is all the excuse Veneer needs to rest his head on Angel's hoodie-covered chest floof and snuggle in aggressively. After all, it's the very same floof that kickstarted their ridiculous friendship. He's so used to being the fluffy one, it's kind of nice using someone else as a pillow.]

I don't think you should be getting hurt at all. I dunno...I know you've been dead for awhile, but I'm still new to this...y'know? And after what we did right before we died?! I'm just kinda done with hurting people... and hurting... and everyone I like getting hurt. I just wish people would fucking chill.

[A beat.]

...Sorry. I'm not big on talking like that, it's just how I feel right now, I just...! I feel really powerless...

[Another pause as he siiiiighs into Angel's hoodie. He really thought he had the perfect plan to at least keep Velvet safe, to just let her stay up here in Heaven with him and they could avoid Hell altogether! But....if they did that, they'd be missing out on all the wonderful people they've met, the sweet gig at the Nest. Not everything in Hell is terrible and he can admit he was wrong about that, but when it's bad.....it sure is bad.

Removing one of his arms from his hug, Veneer reaches over and grabs the TV remote, casually flipping it on and letting the noise drown out all his nervous thoughts. He may not have control of the situation, but he can control...the TV.]

Do yoooouuu like trashy Heaven TV? Because I could use some trashy Heaven TV right now.

[Angel raises and lowers the shoulder Veneer isn't currently cuddled against, one hand coming up to absently pet at the stretchy lil guy's tail. It's kind of soothing, like snuggling Nuggets would be. That's -- essentially the only other cuddling frame of reference Angel has, okay.] It ain't anything new for me, Ven. I barely feel it anymore, yaknow?

[The swear word gets a grin, an arched eyebrow, though Angel waits until the TV is on and blaring before he responds.] Yeah, but say "fuck" again. That was amazing. No, no, wait, say "shit" next. Or "ass". Yeah, "ass".

[He's so obnoxious.]

[Veneer looks up at Angel with his big doe-eyes, exhaling aggressively out his nose while his tail gets stroked. It feels so good, but it does nothing to ease his fears. Ears fold back in worry, but he lets the TV be the only sound in the room for a bit. Being used to "it" only means "it" happens a lot, and he'd rather "it" not happen at all! To Angel OR his sister.

He could easily whine or protest, buuuuuuut he is such a slut for approval. Angel doesn't realize the gift he just handed him by egging him on.]

Well that I can say no problem, because I have a cute little ass.

[As if to emphasis his point, Veneer lifts his butt in the air and sways it back and forth like a cat ready to pounce. Thanks to his bizarre body, the momentum doesn't even disturb his upper half and he can waggle like the world's smoothest slinky with little to no rocking. Get noodled.]

Or did you want me to be super aggressive about it? Liiiiiike wow! That Valentino guy is such a fucking ass, I wouldn't mind if he choked on shit~

[There's a version of this conversation where Angel talks more about how used to being hurt he is, how scared and helpless and dirty he feels, even now, even without Val's chain on him. How he still feels some kinda fucked up connection, how he can't really ever be free, not while Val's still around, and how petrified he is to watch something similar happen to Velvet.

But there's also a version where Angel laughs, at the swearing, at the sinuous, slinky-like way Veneer can wiggle and move, at the tickle of those big fluffy tails under his many hands. Angel chooses that version, this time, tosses his head back and laughs through the hoarseness and the bruising.]

I gotta get that on film next time, fuckin' a-plus cussin', Baby V~ [And a-plus cuddling, while they're at it.]

Inbox for Heckin' Game

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cw general valentino warnings throughout this whole thread tbh

cw: that moth bitch

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