Chapter 18: Answers of our own.

After dinner Briskette took up the dishes, so she could clean them. She sighed as she stacked the used plates together. Allison had stayed to eat this time but the doe seemed a bit more quiet than usual. She looked troubled as if she were thinking of something deeply. She couldn't figure out for the life of her, what was wrong. This was the second time she found her blueberry acting strangely withdrawn. Before Briskette could even ask her about it, the doe disappeared from the café. It made the cat feel so helpless, to not be able to help her dear friend. How could she make things better if Allison wouldn't even talk to her.

She walked to the kitchen, dishes piled up in both hands. She pushed the door open with her shoulder and walked in to find Allison leaning over the stove, baring the same look she had during dinner. The chimeress put down the dishes and walked over to the distracted doe.

Allison was too busy staring at the blood soaked box, that contained the demon heart, to notice her friend's presents. Her mind was racing with questions about what Alastor really wanted to have her cook the organ for. Was it part of some kind of voodoo ritual? Was it a trap? She puzzled over the secrets the box held, wondering if she should just do as he asked or toss it. The deer left before anything could be clarified.

'Why did he leave so suddenly?' She thought. 'And what did he mean by, wanting to know more about me? What more is there to know?'

"Allison?" The doe jumped and immediately snapped the box out from view. She quickly turned to find Briskette looking at her in worry. It made her heart sink to see such an expression but she tried to keep her composure. "H-hello B-Briskette...I-I..." she was cut off rather harshly. "Allison, please. Just stop it." She said, Allison didn't expect her friend to be so blunt, it wasn't like her. The blue dame fell into a startled silence as the chimeress continued speaking.

"You've been acting so strange lately, it's scaring me and I want to know exactly what's wrong." Brisk said sternly. Allison was silent for a few moments. She didn't know how to answer. "I-I..." She started. Briskette walked over and took the doe's hands.

"Is someone threatening you?" The cat asked. "W-what? N-No of course not!" Allison replied. "Is it that Radio Demon, did he do something to you?" Brisk pushed on. She was determined to get some answers.

"N-no h-he didn't." Allison didn't want to get the cat involved. Even though there was nothing going on between them, she was still afraid of how the chimeress would react to her feelings toward Alastor. "H-he h-hasn't hurt m-me o-or anything. H-he really helped me t-today." She stammered.

"I w-would have p-put us s-so far behind if he hadn't..." Allison was cut off by Brisk grabbing her face to look at her. The feliness gave the doe a hard look and spoke with a serious tone. "Sweety, you don't owe him anything, you're not to blame for what you had to do and he mostly certainly shouldn't expect anything from you." She said. Allison looked down sadly and nodded.

"I just..." suddenly the kitchen doors opened and Vaggie popped in. "Hey you two, we need some help with resetting the table." She said. Without thinking Allison volunteered. "I'll do it!" She said a little too hastily. The doe blushed, embarrassed by the two ladies looking at her with wide eyed shock. "I-I mean I can h-help miss Vagatha." She said before walking out the kitchen door. Vaggie watched the doe speed walk past her in confusion. "Okay?" Briskette tries to follow after her friend but Vaggie stops her. "Hey Brisk could you give Husk a hand with the bar?" The moth asks. "There's a few drunk patrons he's trying to get rid of." Brisk's brows furrow in worry, not for Husk but for Allison. Why was she being so evasive, was something going on between her and Alastor? Was he threatening her? Blackmailing her? Vaggie gently pulled Brisk by the paw and lead her out of the kitchen, and back towards the bar.

The whole time Brisk wondered what was going on, if Alastor had anything to do with her friend's behavior and if so, what? She didn't trust the overlord to tell her the truth or anything for that matter so who else could she go to?

Her worried pink eyes looked over to Vaggie as she asked, "Vagatha do you know anything about the Radio Demon?" She asked. Vaggie looked at the chimeress in surprise at her question. "Not much except the basic stuff that most demons already know about him. Why're you asking?" She wondered.

"N-no reason really just curious. I mean after what Allie told us about how he helped her, I was wondering if there was any reason why he'd come to her aid like that, if he's such an awful guy." She said. Vaggie hummed in understanding then stopped walking, prompting Brisk to do the same. By this point Vaggie had let go of the other's paw and folded her arms in thought.

The lady cat waited patiently as the moth processed what she wanted to say. "Look I don't particularly like or trust that shitlord but I do get that he's got somewhat of a moral code when it comes to women being in danger, I'll give him that much." She started. "However I don't exactly see him treating her afterwards. Unless he was trying to get something out of her, I don't know why he'd comfort her." Vaggie finished. Briskette looked down concerned and thoughtful.

She wondered if there was more to what happened than Allison was willing to share. If so she had to know. She promised herself that she wouldn't neglect another loved one's plight, ever again. Allison was her second chance to correct her mistakes as a mother and if the poor thing was suffering from being threatened or anything, she needed to be there for her.

"Hey, don't worry. I trust Allison will be careful around him." Vaggie assured while putting a hand on the cat's shoulder, comfortingly. "You don't always have to worry so much. She'll likely let you know herself if something's wrong." The moth finished. Brisk raised her head to the co manager sadly. She knew she was right, Allison wasn't stupid nor would she allow any problems she might have, to get out of hand. The chimeress nodded in understanding, prompting Vaggie to do the same before they decided to continue on to the bar. Briskette let Vaggie's words sink in as they walked on. She wondered if maybe Allison's troubles weren't really as serious as she imagined, maybe she was just blowing things out of proportion. It wouldn't be the first time she did that.

If Allison wasn't going to tell her anything now maybe she'd tell her in due time. Briskette had no choice but to...vroooooom! There was a sudden blur of pink and yellow dashing off past the two ladies. Vaggie yelled in shock while Brisk just looked back with concern. "What the...! Was that Niffty?" The moth questioned. She then groaned with a palm to her forehead. "I better go make sure she's not up to something. You don't mind going to help Husk do you?" Vaggie questioned Brisk. The winged feliness gave a blank look as her mind processed for a moment. 'Husk?...Husker-- of course!' She thought excitedly. Her previously worried expression turned into manic excitement as a thought hit her.

She smiled and gave a playful salute to the moth demoness. "No worries Miss Vagatha! Husker and I can handle those brutes." Brisk said a little too cheerily, earning a perplexed look from Vaggie. However the cat was already gone before she could question anything.

The confused moth just shook her head in exasperation. She already had one strange situation to deal with. Whatever madness Briskette had cooking would have to wait.

...

At the bar Husk was trying to clear out the place for the night but many of the patrons were being incredibly stubborn. Geez, here the cat thought it was bad when people were all horny and shit but now it was just a bunch of scaredy bitches whining about the escalating chaos outside. He used his most vicious methods for evicting the drunken bastards from throwing beer bottles, to downright fist fighting the lot of them. It was getting ridiculous as the patrons were getting more rowdy and though Husk had them somewhat under control. He was still overwhelmed by the more violent drunks who were looking for a fight from the start. As he held a tenacious patron by the throat keeping him from tearing him apart, Husk raised a bat ready to beat the shit out of him.

However before he could bring it down a clawed hand gently wrapped around his wrist. The chimera whipped his head around to see Brisk smiling but not her normal smile. She almost resembled a maniac with how she stared off at the rowdy patrons. It somewhat reminded him of Alastor which scared the old feline a bit. His fear only rose when she accompanied her strange deranged demeanor with a chilling sentence that made everyone in the bar want to high-tail it out of there.

"No worries Husker, I've got it."

With that she proceeded to remove her hat, filled with multicolored candies. She took hold of a few between her claws then threw them at the patrons who didn't expect them to explode. The pieces dispersed into particles of a dusty, powdery substance that blinded the demons as though they'd been attacked with pepper spray. The chimeress flew up and continued launching her little "treats" at the degenerate drunks immediately causing them to either retreat back to their rooms or cease their drunken tirade.

Husk looked at the grinning owlish female in awe of how ruthless and somewhat scary she could be. He soon tore his eyes away from winged feliness and looked around for any more funny business. Thankfully everyone was too busy rubbing the powder from their eyes.

Brisk noticed the patrons' shift in behavior and settled herself to a more docile state as she glided back down to the ground still smiling maniacally at the brutes with her paws folded together neatly. "Alright everyone the bar is closed, so please make your way out. Thank you for your choosing our services and have a nice evening." She announced. The patrons who's eyes were less pained looked to each other, uncertain. However one look from Briskette's unsettling gaze and they were out of there. The rest got up and staggered a bit toward the exit cautious as to not bump into anything as they wiped their eyes.

Brisk waved after the departing patrons adding, "Bye bye everyone! Feel free to book a room if you'd rather not go outside!" She called out cheerfully. Husk watched the questionable woman in disbelief. 'The fuck?' He thought as he picked up his bat. He wasn't planning on using it anymore but considering how unpredictable Brisk could be he wanted it close, just in case.

"Uh...thanks fluff." He said as he made his way back behind his bar. He put his bat away under the counter and grabbed himself a bottle of booze. When he stood back up he jumped back with a fright. Brisk was inches from his face staring at him with a creepy-ass smile that almost made him scream. "FUCK! The hell is wrong with you?" He questioned irritated and a bit freaked out.

However when the pink-eyed chimeress dropped her smile to something more serious, Husk found himself even more afraid.

"Husker I need to talk to you." She said with a dark tone that made the drunk's fur stand on end. The last time she exhibited such a massive shift in behavior she was all sad and gloomy. This however was something...scary. Was she angry? Did someone upset her? Did he himself upset her? Husk gulped as he unscrewed the cap from his bottle still watching the strangely uncharacteristically cryptic cat.

"Uh...y-yeah okay, about what?" He responded before taking a slow cautious swig of his drink as she said simply and somewhat delicately.

"About Alastor."

So sorry for the hiatus everyone! 😞

I've had a lot of things going on along with some massive writers block! But I finally have the chapter done and an outline for the 19th one. I actually have some crazy but doable ideas for this AU so please be patient and thank you for all your support! I do plan to continue this story so don't worry 😉

I ain't done yet!

Anjie-Kun Out!