Fannish Friday
Apr. 18th, 2025 11:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cornerofmadnessSince no one wants to hear about the depression and crap and my day was boring. that said I DO hope taking iron will fix some of this for me. I am getting tired out by going shopping. I don't want to go on like this if I can do something about it. I feel 90 not 50something
And let me say, HAPPY BIRTHDAY tolordgloria Hope it was a good one.
But I did write today and I'm happy with this story. It's silly and hopefully fun and I hope you enjoy it if you read it.
Title: My Own Pink World
Fandom: Hazbin Hotel
Summary: Arackniss didn’t think his brother would set himself up as an overlord once he killed Valentino but he had. Now he needed to see his brother’s new castle but he wasn’t prepared for this much sensory overload.
Rating: teen
Author Note - Written for spikesgirl58’s six word challenge. The words were Asset, Crude, Undermine, Lean, Respectable, & Common.
It's pink
Good enough to drink
We like other colors, but
Pink just looks so good on us
Before Arackniss knocked on his brother’s door, he glanced over his shoulder at his father. “You’re going to behave, right? Tony is still nervous about his place as an overlord. He doesn’t need you adding to it.”
Henroin snorted. “He took over Valentino’s porn empire. What’s that common whore worried about? He knows how to be a slut. What else does he need?”
Arackniss hadn’t wanted to bring Henroin along. This was exactly why. “Papà, don’t antagonize Tony. That’s not what I’m here for.” Arackniss wasn’t a hundred percent sure why he was here. When he helped Tony kill Valentino for good, he hadn’t imagined his brother would grab the reins of power. Sure, they had talked about it but Arackniss had thought that was pie in the sky. He’d only wanted to free Tony from his abuser but now a couple of months into this, Tony was making his mark. He couldn’t be more proud of him, even if Tony’s territory was the porn industry. It was what his brother knew, fucking and fighting and the fighting side of things had more than enough spider sinners running it.
“You’re here because you’re being nosy.”
“I was invited,” he ground out. Tony had said “come see my new digs.” Arackniss hadn’t said yes right away but he did want to see it.
Henroin raised his eyebrows. “Did you tell him we were coming?”
“No, but his personal assistant said he was off today.”
“If he’s got some fucking house party going, I’m going to punch you before I punch him.”
“He won’t, Papà.” Arackniss wished he was as sure of that as he pretended to be. All he needed was to walk into an orgy with their father in tow. He had tried to ditch Henroin but his father was in ‘let’s be a big asshole’ mode.
He parked in front of the house, a large three story thing that would have been at home back when he had been born. It was on the ass end of the entertainment district, away from the hustle and bustle which had surprised him when Tony said that’s where he chose to move once he left Arackniss’ own compound. Tony had lost his home when he had burned down Vee Tower. This Victorian-esque home was hardly defended. Tony was taking a stupid risk. The front door, under a massive portico looked like it had art deco leaded glass but it was actually security bars. He knocked on the door and immediately tried the knob. It was locked but someone, a cute bunny girl, opened it quickly.
“Oh, you must be Angel’s brother. You look exactly how he described you,” she said, shooting a nervous glance at their father who didn’t bother to introduce himself. The less people who knew he had fathered Tony the better as far as Henroin was concerned.
“Is my brother here? I was hoping to surprise him.”
“He is. He’s entertaining a guest but he left standing instructions to bring you in if you came.” She beckoned for him to follow. Her heels clicked over the marble flooring, more art deco resembling ostrich plumage in green, silver, and black. The walls were painted emerald as well.
“I don’t need to bother him if he’s uh…busy.” Arackniss hated that he flushed with that.
“Not that kind of entertaining.” She grinned at him.
“Do I know you? You look familiar.”
“I acted under the name Bun Bun but your brother let me semi retire. I enjoy keeping his house for him. He’s a sweetie but good at housekeeping he is not.” She laughed.
“Ah, okay.” Yep, he knew her movies. He was not saying so in front of his father.
Once they left the foyer the house took a decided turn. Gone was the somber green and they stepped into a key lime hallway covered in white daisies. Arackniss didn’t have to look to know Henroin’s eyebrows were higher than his own. They passed by a living room that was pale pink with gold flowers everywhere. The couch was a shade darker than the walls, half lost behind the mountains of purple, gold, pink and white flower shaped throw pillows. Henroin grew roots and stared at it.
“Isn’t it wonderful?” Bun Bun bubbled. “I could sit by that fireplace and read all day and if my duties are done, Angel doesn’t mind if I do.”
“It’s….something.”
“It’s Molly’s,” Henroin grunted, which give all the things he could have said that was pretty mild.
“He’s actually in the parlor though. Wait til you see it. Oh, and have him show you the theater room.”
“Can’t wait.” Arackniss pretended not to be terrified.
Bun Bun led them to a parlor in lilac and lavender. Angel’s suit matched the walls and his shirt was Pepto pink. His tie was a more subtle shade of pink. To Arackniss’ shock, Angel’s guest was Rosie, both of them having tea and cakes. Angel lit up when he saw Arackniss and his expression flickered when he spotted Henroin.
“Papà, Nissy, this is a surprise. Join us. You don’t mind do you, Rosie?”
“Of course not. Nice to see you.” Rosie tipped her teacup to them.
“I just wanted to see the new place. Tony said he had it redone.” Arackniss fought to keep his tone neutral.
“I did. This place was a wreck. We shot a few films here but otherwise it had been abandoned. No one messed with it because it was Val’s and he was nuts and I thought this would be perfect for me.”
“Or your sister,” Henroin mumbled and Tony’s features pinched. “I’m going to explore upstairs.”
Both of his sons blinked at him. Henroin exploring? Nothing about that computed but Henroin didn’t wait for commentary. He left the room.
“I’ll be right back, Rosie. I’ll keep an eye on, Papà.”
“If he sees something he shouldn’t up there, tell him it’s his own fault,” Tony said.
Arackniss nodded and hurried after Henroin. He hadn’t had to scurry far because the big man was stopped at the bottom step. The walls going up ombred from green to white to pink to nearly neon pink at the top. The entire staircase was painted two tone pink accented with black. It took a moment for it to sink in.
“Oh, it’s Fat Nuggets’ skin pattern.”
Henroin jerked his head around. “That the fuck is a Fat Nugget?”
“His hell pig, remember?”
Henroin curled his lip. “He still has that walking ham?”
“Don’t call him that in front of Tony, please. I’m not in the mood for the explosion.”
Henroin started climbing without a word and took the steps two at a time. Arackniss struggled to keep up on his little legs. Fuck this body. The first bedroom they found up there was in a room covered in orange, pink, red and gold flowers.
“If Tony had lived to see the 60s, he’d have become an old Flower Child,” Arackniss moaned, recognizing the color scheme and pattern. His youngest daughter had fallen in with that crowd, happier than he’d ever seen her.
“Your brother is an idiot.”
The nearby bathroom kept the theme with pink and white tiles sporting daisies. Where in hell did Tony find such whimsical patterns in hell? They found the main bedroom, which had to be Tony’s because Fat Nuggets was curled up in a pet bed, snoring softly. This room was pink and fuchsia covered in hearts, everywhere and the bedposts formed a neon heart overhead with fish tanks in them. The enormous walk-in closet stood open, the back wall a trophy rack with more penis shaped awards than Arackniss was comfortable staring at with his father standing next to him.
“Puttana,” Henroin muttered.
“Papà…. Okay I can’t quite argue but that’s not nice.” Arackniss moved around him to the en suite bathroom straight out of a Greek bath in gold and black with naked men statues roaming around, very well-endowed statues.
“You can’t argue he’s not a whore because-” Henroin gestured to the statues.
“I don’t think he put those in. I’m pretty sure I saw this bathroom in a movie.” No, he knew he did but again, admitting to watching porn wasn’t what he wanted to do with his father. “Come on, lets go back down and talk to Rosie. We’re being rude.”
“Why is she even here? She usually has more sense.”
“Obviously, Tony is cultivating her as an asset. He could do worse than the queen of Cannibal Town,” Arackniss pointed out as he chivvied his father from the room. Fat Nuggets woke up and followed them down the stairs, his little hooves clicking.
Henroin regarded the small pig. “Hmm, you’re right, he painted the stairs to match his stupid pig.”
“Told you.”
Tony hadn’t pulled up any more chairs once they got back down to the lavender lounge. Rosie was on her feet, kissing Tony’s cheek.
“It’s been nice catching up. You need to come by the Emporium next time, Angel,” Rosie said. “You have a delightful son, Henroin.”
He grunted. “At least he looks respectable today. Usually, he’s dressed like he’s ready to trade five dollars for a hand job in a back alley.”
“Hey!” Tony’s eyes flashed fire.
“Papà, don’t be crude,” Arackniss scolded pointlessly. It wasn’t as if Henroin gave a shit what he said.
“And I was never that cheap,” Tony growled. “Sure, you can’t stay longer, Rosie?”
“Not leaving on account of us, are you?” Arackniss didn’t want to be on her bad side.
“No, no,” she tutted. “Sorry, Angel. I have another appointment today. I do have to get going.”
“I’ll walk you out,” Henroin said. “Let’s go, Arackniss.”
“I’m staying. We have barely said hello,” he argued.
Henroin yanked him over and pulled the keys out of Arackniss’ jacket pocket. “Have the sissy drive you home.”
He walked out with Rosie, ignoring her annoyed look. Arackniss sighed and sat down in Rosie’s vacated chair.
“Sorry about that. I tried to sneak out without him but he overheard me talking to the boys.”
Tony huffed. “Try harder next time. I could do without Papà embarrassing me in front of guests.”
“Sorry. I didn’t think you’d bring potential allies here instead of your office.”
“Rosie is a friend and why not? I can entertain them better here than at the studio,” Tony replied.
“You don’t think all this…décor undermines your status as an overlord,” Arackniss blurted out and a second later wished he’d bitten his tongue.
“Fuck you, Giovanni. This place has come alive. I did a great job,” Tony replied, hotter than hell on a bad day.
“It’s just so…God, I’m glad you weren’t there for the Barbie craze. My granddaughters would have been swimming in them with you around. You’d have loved it. You’ve nailed the Barbie aesthetic.”
“I’m pretty sure that’s an insult but I’m letting it slide.”
Arackniss jumped on the opportunity to change the conversational tide. “Bun Bun said to be sure you show me the theater room.”
Angel stood. “Let me finish the tour. He didn’t go digging in my drawers, did he?”
“Nah, pretty sure the pink gave Papà hives. That’s why he fled so fast.” Arackniss snorted.
“Testa de merda.”
“Stronzo,” Arackniss countered.
“He’s both.”
He followed Angel downstairs into the most purple theater room he’d ever seen, the carpet a plush amethyst swirled with hot pink. The theater seats were all big enough to seat two and a mini bar dominated one wall.
“Now this I like,” Arackniss said.
“This is nothing. Here’s the hidden gem I really wanted when I laid claim to this place. We shot one movie here before Val decided this place wasn’t worth his time.” Angel beckoned him to follow.
They went through the theater and down a hall which opened into an Italian grotto. It was pure art deco private swimming pool done up to look like that grotto, all the windowless walls painted to be a villa and Roman bath. Arackniss recognized some of the gods and goddesses ringing the vast room. The pool was filled, crystalline and inviting.
“You have to be fucking kidding me! You have a pool?”
“I have the best pool.” Tony waved his arms wide to take in the wide steps at the shallow end, naked men and women pouring currently empty amphorae into the pool toward the middle and the waterfall from the ‘mountains’ at the deep end. “I’m totally going to be shooting more movies here, including one with Jody. He’s half the reason Rosie was here.”
“Is Jody a cannibal?” Arackniss blurted out before he thought better of that. “Never mind, don’t wanna know.”
“He is. We’re making a detective series together. If you want, you can be the dead body in the pool.”
Arackniss shot him the gimlet eye. His idiot brother was dead serious about the offer. “If I were ever to be in a porno, it sure as fuck wouldn’t be as a dead body with you standing over it with a cannibal in tow.”
“So, you do know the movie series.” Tony smirked.
“I’ve heard you were in a series playing a detective who teams up with a cannibal psychologist or some shit. I didn’t realize he was a real cannibal. Your life choices terrify me, Tony.”
“Afterlife choices,” Tony corrected. “Don’t knock it til you’ve tried it. That said I only let Rosie bring me meat-free cookies.”
“Are there meat-filled ones?”
“I’ve heard of Spam cookies.” Tony made a face. “Sounds gross. Spam was gross.”
“I can’t imagine it being used in cookies.” Arackniss shot the pool a longing look.
“Go on, get in unless you’re in a rush.”
“I don’t have a suit.”
“I have some back there. You should fit into one of mine.”
He swept his gaze over his brother’s lean form. Granted, he wasn’t exactly buff himself, both of them wiry and strong but lacking their father’s muscled body. He was terrified by what Tony considered a suit. “I’m better off naked.”
“That’s fine too. Mostly I swim here naked myself. It’s just us and these guys.” He jerked a finger to the statues. These ones were well endowed too, something he knew was not normal in Greek and Italian statues. They were a bit more honest or even undersized. “Come on, let’s get in. I have big heat lamps over there.” Tony pointed to lounge chairs. “So, we’re not taking a year of Sundays drying off.”
Tony stripped off his jacket and gloves, putting them over a chair. He fetched two giant beach towels – pink and white hearts naturally – and put them by the loungers.
“Oh, wait, you’re serious.”
“Yeah, why not? You’re here, ain’tcha?” Tony undid his tie and started unbuttoning his shirt. He picked up a house phone and made a call while Arackniss stood there deciding.
What the hell? It’s not like they both hadn’t gone skinny dipping whenever the family hid out in Wisconsin’s forested beauty when things got too hot back in the city. The North Woods had become a gangster hideaway. Arackniss stripped and walked to the shallow end, trying not to think about whatever movies might have been filmed here or would be in the future. It looked clean after all.
He walked down a couple of steps bracing himself but the water was perfectly warm and somehow flavored a bit like pineapple to hide the chemical taste. Of course it wouldn’t be awful. Tony tasted with his fingers and toes just like Arackniss did. His brother strode across the room on those ridiculous legs of his. How had Tony ended up with legs to the sky while he had tiny pipe cleaners?
At least you don’t have a big stupid pink heart on your chest, pink pubes, and God, look at those pink feet?
“Quit looking at my feet,” Tony ordered as he splashed into the pool. “They’re ugly, I know. You don’t have to stare.”
“Ugly? I was thinking more that you matched all your house paint to those feet. You want ugly?” He raised one leg showing off his miniscule foot. He couldn’t even really wear shoes. He had reenforced socks more like the things people put on their pets these days just so his hell wouldn’t be tasting the roads he walked on daily.
Tony made a face. “Seriously what happened to you? Me and Henroin at least have feet.”
“Exactly how would I know? I woke up in hell in this body same as you.” Arackniss waded out deeper into the pool before starting to swim. He wasn’t as good at it as his brother was. Tony glided past him like a merman.
He surfaced near the statues pouring the empty jugs into the pool and beckoned Arackniss over. “Try this out. It’s a massager.”
Arackniss paddled over and found he could barely stand with his head out of the water at this depth. Tony hit a button and water geysered out of the amphorae. It beat on Tony’s back and damn near drowned Arackniss. He broke water, sputtering as Tony held him up in the stream. Massager his ass! Water beat against him like a sledge. Tony let him go and Arackniss was knocked back down. This time he frog-swam away from the wall.
“For fuck’s sake, Tony!”
Tony laughed too hard to talk. He wiped his eyes, stepping away from the stream. “Sorry. That was too funny.”
“Any more hidden secrets you wanna kill me with?”
“Nah, but you better stay away from the waterfall. It’s deep over there. You might drown.”
Tony glanced over as a door opened and Bun Bun strolled in with a serving cart covered with glasses, a cigar box, pink bottles of something and a meat board. Arackniss swam to the side and pressed his stomach against the side wall, glaring over his shoulder at his brother. Tony leisurely swam back to the shallow end where his assistant parked the cart. So that’s who he had called.
“Thanks, Bun.”
“No problem.” She put an ashtray on the edge of the pool and put everything else from the cart also within easy reach. She walked off with a little wave to Arackniss.
“Tony, warn a guy before you have women strolling in unannounced!”
“Why? Embarrassed, Giovanni?” Tony parked his skinny ass on a step and lit up a cigar.
“No!” Of course he sort of was. How many dicks had Bun Bun seen? Where did he stand in that crowd? Did she even care? She seemed to like him or maybe she was just friendly. He pushed through the water and grabbed his own cigar. He sat next to his brother. “You know how to live, don’tcha?”
“And you don’t. I mean, you’ve been an overlord for a long time. How come you never live it up?” The question seemed honest, without judgement.
Arackniss shrugged and peeled a piece of salami off the board. “Guess Papà didn’t encourage frivolity and I picked up that work ethic.”
“I ain’t lazy either but I know how to relax.”
“I see that.” What he didn’t see was a baggie of drugs on the cart and he was glad for it. Would there have been some if he wasn’t here? Probably but Tony knew it upset him. He had never dealt with the trauma of finding Tony dead, the guilt he had over pushing his brother too hard. He could never escape feeling Tony’s early death was partly his fault. “Guess I ain’t cut out for pink and purple, flowers and hearts.”
“I love my own pink world,” Tony replied defensively.
Arackniss held up a hand. “You should. It suits you. It just ain’t for me. Maybe it’s about time I find out what does suit.”
“Past time,” Tony replied.
Arackniss let that pass him by. He couldn’t exactly argue it. He’d been in hell nearly a half a century and he still lived like everything would be taken from him at any second. Because it can. “I want to steal your pool.”
“You can come over when you want to relax. Just don’t invite Papà. I don’t want his naked ass floating in here.” Tony snorted, smoke curling around his head.
“There’s an image I could have done without. You’ve done good, Tony. This isn’t what I thought you’d do once Valentino was a pile of ash but you made his empire yours. You deserve it. I hope you don’t hate being an overlord.”
“I don’t like the responsibility much if I’m honest but better me than some of the others. I’m at least fair. If anyone hurts my people, well you and Papà taught me well.” Tony grimaced. “You know how I can fight.”
“You’re good, no matter what Papà always used to say. He knew you were good; he just didn’t want you getting cocky.”
“He hated me.”
“That too. Nothing’s changed there. I’m not sure if he ran home to tell his brothers about your pink paradise or if he’d never mention it under threat of death.”
Tony laughed. “Let’s have the next family reunion here. I wanna see how many heads explode.”
“We don’t have enough fingers and toes to count that high.” Arackniss wiggled all his hands. “If things get to be too much or you need backup, you know you can come to me, right?”
“I was hoping but it’s good to hear.” Tony sunk deeper into the water until just his shoulders and head were above it, keeping his cigar dry.
“Always, Fratello.” Arackniss sighed. “ Sarò sempre lì per te.”
Tony smiled. “ Grazie, anch'io.”
Something tugged in his heart. It had been so long since he and his brother had been at peace with each other. Helping Tony kill Valentino had been the right thing to do. Maybe they’d be close again like they’d been when they were young. Arackniss would love that. He nodded at the bottle next to Tony before he got too maudlin and cried or some shit.
“What’s the pink shit?”
“Kinky Pink. It’s fruit infused vodka.” Tony heaved himself up and poured two glasses over ice. “Mango, blood oranges, some others.”
He took the glass from his brother and sipped. “Sweet.”
“Just like me.”
Arackniss snorted. “More like Molly. She would love your house.”
“I love my house and if I’m honest, the flowers are for her. I miss her.”
“Me too, Tony. Me too.” He couldn’t know what it felt like to be forever separated from his twin but he’d witnessed Molly’s pain for decades while alive and Tony’s ever since he’d been killed. It was painful enough to watch. Then again he felt so much pain being separated from a woman he had loved and children who had been his whole world.
Tony sighed and drained his glass before pouring another. When he settled back down, he had pulled on his Angel Dust persona; Arackniss could see it in his eyes. “Wanna hear about my new movie project?”
Truthfully no but he couldn’t deny the excitement on Tony’s face. “Sure.”
Arackniss settled back in the water, settled into his brother’s pink world and had to admit, it wasn’t half bad.
Welcome To The World The Owl House
A Night For Velvette Hazbin Hotel
Green And Gold Torchwood
A Tasteful Easter Egg Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Welcome to Pacific Tech Stargate Atlantis/Stargate SG-1/Real Genius
It’s A Breeze Torchwood
Far Too Long Torchwood
Standards Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Promises Batman
When the Scream Subsides Oxventure
Decisions have Consequences Teen Wolf
And let me say, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to
lordgloria Hope it was a good one.But I did write today and I'm happy with this story. It's silly and hopefully fun and I hope you enjoy it if you read it.
Title: My Own Pink World
Fandom: Hazbin Hotel
Summary: Arackniss didn’t think his brother would set himself up as an overlord once he killed Valentino but he had. Now he needed to see his brother’s new castle but he wasn’t prepared for this much sensory overload.
Rating: teen
Author Note - Written for spikesgirl58’s six word challenge. The words were Asset, Crude, Undermine, Lean, Respectable, & Common.
It's pink
Good enough to drink
We like other colors, but
Pink just looks so good on us
Before Arackniss knocked on his brother’s door, he glanced over his shoulder at his father. “You’re going to behave, right? Tony is still nervous about his place as an overlord. He doesn’t need you adding to it.”
Henroin snorted. “He took over Valentino’s porn empire. What’s that common whore worried about? He knows how to be a slut. What else does he need?”
Arackniss hadn’t wanted to bring Henroin along. This was exactly why. “Papà, don’t antagonize Tony. That’s not what I’m here for.” Arackniss wasn’t a hundred percent sure why he was here. When he helped Tony kill Valentino for good, he hadn’t imagined his brother would grab the reins of power. Sure, they had talked about it but Arackniss had thought that was pie in the sky. He’d only wanted to free Tony from his abuser but now a couple of months into this, Tony was making his mark. He couldn’t be more proud of him, even if Tony’s territory was the porn industry. It was what his brother knew, fucking and fighting and the fighting side of things had more than enough spider sinners running it.
“You’re here because you’re being nosy.”
“I was invited,” he ground out. Tony had said “come see my new digs.” Arackniss hadn’t said yes right away but he did want to see it.
Henroin raised his eyebrows. “Did you tell him we were coming?”
“No, but his personal assistant said he was off today.”
“If he’s got some fucking house party going, I’m going to punch you before I punch him.”
“He won’t, Papà.” Arackniss wished he was as sure of that as he pretended to be. All he needed was to walk into an orgy with their father in tow. He had tried to ditch Henroin but his father was in ‘let’s be a big asshole’ mode.
He parked in front of the house, a large three story thing that would have been at home back when he had been born. It was on the ass end of the entertainment district, away from the hustle and bustle which had surprised him when Tony said that’s where he chose to move once he left Arackniss’ own compound. Tony had lost his home when he had burned down Vee Tower. This Victorian-esque home was hardly defended. Tony was taking a stupid risk. The front door, under a massive portico looked like it had art deco leaded glass but it was actually security bars. He knocked on the door and immediately tried the knob. It was locked but someone, a cute bunny girl, opened it quickly.
“Oh, you must be Angel’s brother. You look exactly how he described you,” she said, shooting a nervous glance at their father who didn’t bother to introduce himself. The less people who knew he had fathered Tony the better as far as Henroin was concerned.
“Is my brother here? I was hoping to surprise him.”
“He is. He’s entertaining a guest but he left standing instructions to bring you in if you came.” She beckoned for him to follow. Her heels clicked over the marble flooring, more art deco resembling ostrich plumage in green, silver, and black. The walls were painted emerald as well.
“I don’t need to bother him if he’s uh…busy.” Arackniss hated that he flushed with that.
“Not that kind of entertaining.” She grinned at him.
“Do I know you? You look familiar.”
“I acted under the name Bun Bun but your brother let me semi retire. I enjoy keeping his house for him. He’s a sweetie but good at housekeeping he is not.” She laughed.
“Ah, okay.” Yep, he knew her movies. He was not saying so in front of his father.
Once they left the foyer the house took a decided turn. Gone was the somber green and they stepped into a key lime hallway covered in white daisies. Arackniss didn’t have to look to know Henroin’s eyebrows were higher than his own. They passed by a living room that was pale pink with gold flowers everywhere. The couch was a shade darker than the walls, half lost behind the mountains of purple, gold, pink and white flower shaped throw pillows. Henroin grew roots and stared at it.
“Isn’t it wonderful?” Bun Bun bubbled. “I could sit by that fireplace and read all day and if my duties are done, Angel doesn’t mind if I do.”
“It’s….something.”
“It’s Molly’s,” Henroin grunted, which give all the things he could have said that was pretty mild.
“He’s actually in the parlor though. Wait til you see it. Oh, and have him show you the theater room.”
“Can’t wait.” Arackniss pretended not to be terrified.
Bun Bun led them to a parlor in lilac and lavender. Angel’s suit matched the walls and his shirt was Pepto pink. His tie was a more subtle shade of pink. To Arackniss’ shock, Angel’s guest was Rosie, both of them having tea and cakes. Angel lit up when he saw Arackniss and his expression flickered when he spotted Henroin.
“Papà, Nissy, this is a surprise. Join us. You don’t mind do you, Rosie?”
“Of course not. Nice to see you.” Rosie tipped her teacup to them.
“I just wanted to see the new place. Tony said he had it redone.” Arackniss fought to keep his tone neutral.
“I did. This place was a wreck. We shot a few films here but otherwise it had been abandoned. No one messed with it because it was Val’s and he was nuts and I thought this would be perfect for me.”
“Or your sister,” Henroin mumbled and Tony’s features pinched. “I’m going to explore upstairs.”
Both of his sons blinked at him. Henroin exploring? Nothing about that computed but Henroin didn’t wait for commentary. He left the room.
“I’ll be right back, Rosie. I’ll keep an eye on, Papà.”
“If he sees something he shouldn’t up there, tell him it’s his own fault,” Tony said.
Arackniss nodded and hurried after Henroin. He hadn’t had to scurry far because the big man was stopped at the bottom step. The walls going up ombred from green to white to pink to nearly neon pink at the top. The entire staircase was painted two tone pink accented with black. It took a moment for it to sink in.
“Oh, it’s Fat Nuggets’ skin pattern.”
Henroin jerked his head around. “That the fuck is a Fat Nugget?”
“His hell pig, remember?”
Henroin curled his lip. “He still has that walking ham?”
“Don’t call him that in front of Tony, please. I’m not in the mood for the explosion.”
Henroin started climbing without a word and took the steps two at a time. Arackniss struggled to keep up on his little legs. Fuck this body. The first bedroom they found up there was in a room covered in orange, pink, red and gold flowers.
“If Tony had lived to see the 60s, he’d have become an old Flower Child,” Arackniss moaned, recognizing the color scheme and pattern. His youngest daughter had fallen in with that crowd, happier than he’d ever seen her.
“Your brother is an idiot.”
The nearby bathroom kept the theme with pink and white tiles sporting daisies. Where in hell did Tony find such whimsical patterns in hell? They found the main bedroom, which had to be Tony’s because Fat Nuggets was curled up in a pet bed, snoring softly. This room was pink and fuchsia covered in hearts, everywhere and the bedposts formed a neon heart overhead with fish tanks in them. The enormous walk-in closet stood open, the back wall a trophy rack with more penis shaped awards than Arackniss was comfortable staring at with his father standing next to him.
“Puttana,” Henroin muttered.
“Papà…. Okay I can’t quite argue but that’s not nice.” Arackniss moved around him to the en suite bathroom straight out of a Greek bath in gold and black with naked men statues roaming around, very well-endowed statues.
“You can’t argue he’s not a whore because-” Henroin gestured to the statues.
“I don’t think he put those in. I’m pretty sure I saw this bathroom in a movie.” No, he knew he did but again, admitting to watching porn wasn’t what he wanted to do with his father. “Come on, lets go back down and talk to Rosie. We’re being rude.”
“Why is she even here? She usually has more sense.”
“Obviously, Tony is cultivating her as an asset. He could do worse than the queen of Cannibal Town,” Arackniss pointed out as he chivvied his father from the room. Fat Nuggets woke up and followed them down the stairs, his little hooves clicking.
Henroin regarded the small pig. “Hmm, you’re right, he painted the stairs to match his stupid pig.”
“Told you.”
Tony hadn’t pulled up any more chairs once they got back down to the lavender lounge. Rosie was on her feet, kissing Tony’s cheek.
“It’s been nice catching up. You need to come by the Emporium next time, Angel,” Rosie said. “You have a delightful son, Henroin.”
He grunted. “At least he looks respectable today. Usually, he’s dressed like he’s ready to trade five dollars for a hand job in a back alley.”
“Hey!” Tony’s eyes flashed fire.
“Papà, don’t be crude,” Arackniss scolded pointlessly. It wasn’t as if Henroin gave a shit what he said.
“And I was never that cheap,” Tony growled. “Sure, you can’t stay longer, Rosie?”
“Not leaving on account of us, are you?” Arackniss didn’t want to be on her bad side.
“No, no,” she tutted. “Sorry, Angel. I have another appointment today. I do have to get going.”
“I’ll walk you out,” Henroin said. “Let’s go, Arackniss.”
“I’m staying. We have barely said hello,” he argued.
Henroin yanked him over and pulled the keys out of Arackniss’ jacket pocket. “Have the sissy drive you home.”
He walked out with Rosie, ignoring her annoyed look. Arackniss sighed and sat down in Rosie’s vacated chair.
“Sorry about that. I tried to sneak out without him but he overheard me talking to the boys.”
Tony huffed. “Try harder next time. I could do without Papà embarrassing me in front of guests.”
“Sorry. I didn’t think you’d bring potential allies here instead of your office.”
“Rosie is a friend and why not? I can entertain them better here than at the studio,” Tony replied.
“You don’t think all this…décor undermines your status as an overlord,” Arackniss blurted out and a second later wished he’d bitten his tongue.
“Fuck you, Giovanni. This place has come alive. I did a great job,” Tony replied, hotter than hell on a bad day.
“It’s just so…God, I’m glad you weren’t there for the Barbie craze. My granddaughters would have been swimming in them with you around. You’d have loved it. You’ve nailed the Barbie aesthetic.”
“I’m pretty sure that’s an insult but I’m letting it slide.”
Arackniss jumped on the opportunity to change the conversational tide. “Bun Bun said to be sure you show me the theater room.”
Angel stood. “Let me finish the tour. He didn’t go digging in my drawers, did he?”
“Nah, pretty sure the pink gave Papà hives. That’s why he fled so fast.” Arackniss snorted.
“Testa de merda.”
“Stronzo,” Arackniss countered.
“He’s both.”
He followed Angel downstairs into the most purple theater room he’d ever seen, the carpet a plush amethyst swirled with hot pink. The theater seats were all big enough to seat two and a mini bar dominated one wall.
“Now this I like,” Arackniss said.
“This is nothing. Here’s the hidden gem I really wanted when I laid claim to this place. We shot one movie here before Val decided this place wasn’t worth his time.” Angel beckoned him to follow.
They went through the theater and down a hall which opened into an Italian grotto. It was pure art deco private swimming pool done up to look like that grotto, all the windowless walls painted to be a villa and Roman bath. Arackniss recognized some of the gods and goddesses ringing the vast room. The pool was filled, crystalline and inviting.
“You have to be fucking kidding me! You have a pool?”
“I have the best pool.” Tony waved his arms wide to take in the wide steps at the shallow end, naked men and women pouring currently empty amphorae into the pool toward the middle and the waterfall from the ‘mountains’ at the deep end. “I’m totally going to be shooting more movies here, including one with Jody. He’s half the reason Rosie was here.”
“Is Jody a cannibal?” Arackniss blurted out before he thought better of that. “Never mind, don’t wanna know.”
“He is. We’re making a detective series together. If you want, you can be the dead body in the pool.”
Arackniss shot him the gimlet eye. His idiot brother was dead serious about the offer. “If I were ever to be in a porno, it sure as fuck wouldn’t be as a dead body with you standing over it with a cannibal in tow.”
“So, you do know the movie series.” Tony smirked.
“I’ve heard you were in a series playing a detective who teams up with a cannibal psychologist or some shit. I didn’t realize he was a real cannibal. Your life choices terrify me, Tony.”
“Afterlife choices,” Tony corrected. “Don’t knock it til you’ve tried it. That said I only let Rosie bring me meat-free cookies.”
“Are there meat-filled ones?”
“I’ve heard of Spam cookies.” Tony made a face. “Sounds gross. Spam was gross.”
“I can’t imagine it being used in cookies.” Arackniss shot the pool a longing look.
“Go on, get in unless you’re in a rush.”
“I don’t have a suit.”
“I have some back there. You should fit into one of mine.”
He swept his gaze over his brother’s lean form. Granted, he wasn’t exactly buff himself, both of them wiry and strong but lacking their father’s muscled body. He was terrified by what Tony considered a suit. “I’m better off naked.”
“That’s fine too. Mostly I swim here naked myself. It’s just us and these guys.” He jerked a finger to the statues. These ones were well endowed too, something he knew was not normal in Greek and Italian statues. They were a bit more honest or even undersized. “Come on, let’s get in. I have big heat lamps over there.” Tony pointed to lounge chairs. “So, we’re not taking a year of Sundays drying off.”
Tony stripped off his jacket and gloves, putting them over a chair. He fetched two giant beach towels – pink and white hearts naturally – and put them by the loungers.
“Oh, wait, you’re serious.”
“Yeah, why not? You’re here, ain’tcha?” Tony undid his tie and started unbuttoning his shirt. He picked up a house phone and made a call while Arackniss stood there deciding.
What the hell? It’s not like they both hadn’t gone skinny dipping whenever the family hid out in Wisconsin’s forested beauty when things got too hot back in the city. The North Woods had become a gangster hideaway. Arackniss stripped and walked to the shallow end, trying not to think about whatever movies might have been filmed here or would be in the future. It looked clean after all.
He walked down a couple of steps bracing himself but the water was perfectly warm and somehow flavored a bit like pineapple to hide the chemical taste. Of course it wouldn’t be awful. Tony tasted with his fingers and toes just like Arackniss did. His brother strode across the room on those ridiculous legs of his. How had Tony ended up with legs to the sky while he had tiny pipe cleaners?
At least you don’t have a big stupid pink heart on your chest, pink pubes, and God, look at those pink feet?
“Quit looking at my feet,” Tony ordered as he splashed into the pool. “They’re ugly, I know. You don’t have to stare.”
“Ugly? I was thinking more that you matched all your house paint to those feet. You want ugly?” He raised one leg showing off his miniscule foot. He couldn’t even really wear shoes. He had reenforced socks more like the things people put on their pets these days just so his hell wouldn’t be tasting the roads he walked on daily.
Tony made a face. “Seriously what happened to you? Me and Henroin at least have feet.”
“Exactly how would I know? I woke up in hell in this body same as you.” Arackniss waded out deeper into the pool before starting to swim. He wasn’t as good at it as his brother was. Tony glided past him like a merman.
He surfaced near the statues pouring the empty jugs into the pool and beckoned Arackniss over. “Try this out. It’s a massager.”
Arackniss paddled over and found he could barely stand with his head out of the water at this depth. Tony hit a button and water geysered out of the amphorae. It beat on Tony’s back and damn near drowned Arackniss. He broke water, sputtering as Tony held him up in the stream. Massager his ass! Water beat against him like a sledge. Tony let him go and Arackniss was knocked back down. This time he frog-swam away from the wall.
“For fuck’s sake, Tony!”
Tony laughed too hard to talk. He wiped his eyes, stepping away from the stream. “Sorry. That was too funny.”
“Any more hidden secrets you wanna kill me with?”
“Nah, but you better stay away from the waterfall. It’s deep over there. You might drown.”
Tony glanced over as a door opened and Bun Bun strolled in with a serving cart covered with glasses, a cigar box, pink bottles of something and a meat board. Arackniss swam to the side and pressed his stomach against the side wall, glaring over his shoulder at his brother. Tony leisurely swam back to the shallow end where his assistant parked the cart. So that’s who he had called.
“Thanks, Bun.”
“No problem.” She put an ashtray on the edge of the pool and put everything else from the cart also within easy reach. She walked off with a little wave to Arackniss.
“Tony, warn a guy before you have women strolling in unannounced!”
“Why? Embarrassed, Giovanni?” Tony parked his skinny ass on a step and lit up a cigar.
“No!” Of course he sort of was. How many dicks had Bun Bun seen? Where did he stand in that crowd? Did she even care? She seemed to like him or maybe she was just friendly. He pushed through the water and grabbed his own cigar. He sat next to his brother. “You know how to live, don’tcha?”
“And you don’t. I mean, you’ve been an overlord for a long time. How come you never live it up?” The question seemed honest, without judgement.
Arackniss shrugged and peeled a piece of salami off the board. “Guess Papà didn’t encourage frivolity and I picked up that work ethic.”
“I ain’t lazy either but I know how to relax.”
“I see that.” What he didn’t see was a baggie of drugs on the cart and he was glad for it. Would there have been some if he wasn’t here? Probably but Tony knew it upset him. He had never dealt with the trauma of finding Tony dead, the guilt he had over pushing his brother too hard. He could never escape feeling Tony’s early death was partly his fault. “Guess I ain’t cut out for pink and purple, flowers and hearts.”
“I love my own pink world,” Tony replied defensively.
Arackniss held up a hand. “You should. It suits you. It just ain’t for me. Maybe it’s about time I find out what does suit.”
“Past time,” Tony replied.
Arackniss let that pass him by. He couldn’t exactly argue it. He’d been in hell nearly a half a century and he still lived like everything would be taken from him at any second. Because it can. “I want to steal your pool.”
“You can come over when you want to relax. Just don’t invite Papà. I don’t want his naked ass floating in here.” Tony snorted, smoke curling around his head.
“There’s an image I could have done without. You’ve done good, Tony. This isn’t what I thought you’d do once Valentino was a pile of ash but you made his empire yours. You deserve it. I hope you don’t hate being an overlord.”
“I don’t like the responsibility much if I’m honest but better me than some of the others. I’m at least fair. If anyone hurts my people, well you and Papà taught me well.” Tony grimaced. “You know how I can fight.”
“You’re good, no matter what Papà always used to say. He knew you were good; he just didn’t want you getting cocky.”
“He hated me.”
“That too. Nothing’s changed there. I’m not sure if he ran home to tell his brothers about your pink paradise or if he’d never mention it under threat of death.”
Tony laughed. “Let’s have the next family reunion here. I wanna see how many heads explode.”
“We don’t have enough fingers and toes to count that high.” Arackniss wiggled all his hands. “If things get to be too much or you need backup, you know you can come to me, right?”
“I was hoping but it’s good to hear.” Tony sunk deeper into the water until just his shoulders and head were above it, keeping his cigar dry.
“Always, Fratello.” Arackniss sighed. “ Sarò sempre lì per te.”
Tony smiled. “ Grazie, anch'io.”
Something tugged in his heart. It had been so long since he and his brother had been at peace with each other. Helping Tony kill Valentino had been the right thing to do. Maybe they’d be close again like they’d been when they were young. Arackniss would love that. He nodded at the bottle next to Tony before he got too maudlin and cried or some shit.
“What’s the pink shit?”
“Kinky Pink. It’s fruit infused vodka.” Tony heaved himself up and poured two glasses over ice. “Mango, blood oranges, some others.”
He took the glass from his brother and sipped. “Sweet.”
“Just like me.”
Arackniss snorted. “More like Molly. She would love your house.”
“I love my house and if I’m honest, the flowers are for her. I miss her.”
“Me too, Tony. Me too.” He couldn’t know what it felt like to be forever separated from his twin but he’d witnessed Molly’s pain for decades while alive and Tony’s ever since he’d been killed. It was painful enough to watch. Then again he felt so much pain being separated from a woman he had loved and children who had been his whole world.
Tony sighed and drained his glass before pouring another. When he settled back down, he had pulled on his Angel Dust persona; Arackniss could see it in his eyes. “Wanna hear about my new movie project?”
Truthfully no but he couldn’t deny the excitement on Tony’s face. “Sure.”
Arackniss settled back in the water, settled into his brother’s pink world and had to admit, it wasn’t half bad.
Welcome To The World The Owl House
A Night For Velvette Hazbin Hotel
Green And Gold Torchwood
A Tasteful Easter Egg Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Welcome to Pacific Tech Stargate Atlantis/Stargate SG-1/Real Genius
It’s A Breeze Torchwood
Far Too Long Torchwood
Standards Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Promises Batman
When the Scream Subsides Oxventure
Decisions have Consequences Teen Wolf
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Date: 2025-04-19 02:12 pm (UTC)