Chapter 22: Under The Umbrella.

Song Recommendation: Highly recommended you play Coldplay - The scientist(Slowed) on repeat for this chapter.

....

The Wrath Ring was cloaked in heavy rain clouds, thunder was rumbling ominously in the distance.

The weather mirrored the depressive atmosphere that enveloped the little town of Gallons Gluck.

Two days had passed since the concert, and Verosika was trudging down the streets. Her face was puffy from crying, and her clothes were dirty from her desperate attempts to find the scum she had once considered her soulmate.

If anyone saw her they wouldn't be able to recognise the popular, she looked completely different.

Though underneath that mess remnants of popstar could be seen if one looked carefully.

....

Forty-eight Hours!

In just forty-eight hours, her life had turned upside down.

Not only had Blitzo run away in the dead of night, leaving her to wake up to a life-sized doll of him made from a fucking blow up sex doll, but he had also taken off with her credit cards.

Without remembering the numbers, she could only pay the motel with the cash she had left. Worse still, she discovered that he had stolen her car and maxed out all three of her credit cards on horse riding lessons.

Verosika's mind had snapped. She had stormed to the ranch where Blitzo was happily letting a horse lick his face.

"Oh yes, right their petunia, who's a good girl who's a good.. Huh OH SHIT VEROSIKA BABY...WAIT I CAN EXPL..

huh what are you doing with that KNIIIIIFE!!!"

The moment he saw her, she was already on him, beating him to within an inch of his life.

Now, she was alone, crying, and covered in horse shit. Her phone battery was dead, and she had no reception.

In a fit of rage, she threw her phone, screaming as she realized she was broke, dirty, smelly, and now homeless with no way to contact her manager, who had also disappeared.

"Things couldn't possibly get any worse." Looking up at the sky, she laughed and cried, asking how things could possibly get any worse.

Ironically, they did, as tons of rain began to fall, drenching her completely. She couldn't keep up a strong facade anymore.

She stumbled into an alley, collapsing to the ground and curling up into a ball, sobbing uncontrollably.

She felt cold, betrayed. And whose of all the person who caused all this didn't even seem remorseful.

.....

Meanwhile, Tucker was walking along the streets when he heard the cry of a demon nearby. He made his way towards the sound and found a surprising sight: Verosika, alone and crying.

'Huh, is that...'

She heard the footsteps approaching and gritted her teeth, shouting, "Piss off! I swear I'll beat you to an inch of your life if you come any closer!"

She clutched her heeled shoe as a weapon, ready to defend herself. The footsteps stopped in front of her, and she noticed the rain wasn't hitting her anymore. Then she heard him—a gentle tone that seemed out of place in Hell.

"Are you alright?" Tucker asked, pretending he didn't know her.

Verosika looked up, glaring at Tucker, but he maintained his gentle expression. He took in her disheveled state and wondered what could have happened to her in just two days.

He had tried finding her yesterday, but her manager had disappeared, and now he found her like this.

"Didn't you hear me the first time, piss off before a cut that thing you call a dick and feed it to you?" she snapped, her voice hoarse from crying.

"..."

"....Ummmmm! My name's Tucker," he said calmly. "I saw you here and thought you might need some help."

"I don't need help from anyone, especially not from a stranger," she retorted, her voice filled with bitterness.

"I understand," Tucker said, still calm. "But it looks like you could use something to eat. There's a dinner not too far from here. My treat."

Verosika narrowed her eyes. "What's your angle, im a Succubus not Slut? You just want to get on my good side so you can take advantage of me later?"

Tucker chuckled softly. "No angle. Just a guy offering a meal to someone who looks like they could use one."

"Like I've say it again I don't want..."

Her stomach growled loudly, betraying her hunger.

"..."

Tucker laughed out loud. "Sounds like your stomach agrees with me."

Verosika's face flushed with embarrassment. She looked at Tucker's outstretched hand, hesitating before slapping it away and standing up. "Fine. But only because I'm hungry."

"Fair enough," Tucker said, still smiling. He held the umbrella over both of them, and they walked through the rain in silence.

He noticed the smell coming off Verosika but didn't mind it, he's smelt far worse.

The silence wasn't as awkward as it could have been. As they walked, the rain continued to pour.

.....

They reached the diner, a small, cozy place that seemed out of place in the Wrath Ring.

Tucker led Verosika to a booth and sat down across from her. A waitress came over, and Tucker ordered coffee and was about to order one for her to....

"I'll have a Venti, half-caff, triple shot, skinny, extra-hot, no-foam, almond milk, caramel macchiato with two pumps of sugar-free vanilla syrup, one pump of hazelnut, a splash of soy, light whip, extra caramel drizzle, and a sprinkle of cinnamon on top. Oh, and can you make it a double cup with a sleeve and a dome lid? And if you could write "Sit on a sand paper Cock Blitzo" on the cup, that'd be great! Thanks!"

"..."

"..."

"She'll have Regular, thank you."

The waitress walked away leaving the two alone. Verosika felt angry and uncomfortable when she saw some demons that were sitting close by move while covering their noses.

"So," Tucker began, "do you want to talk about it?"

Verosika shook her head. " What's their to talk about, I just want my food you promised."

"I see," Tucker said gently. "Talking might help. Sometimes it's better to get things off your chest."

The waitress came back with two coffees and he thanked her before she tended to other customers.

Verosika stared at her coffee, her hands trembling slightly. "He left me. Stole my money, my car, everything. I don't even know where to start."

Tucker nodded, letting her continue at her own pace.

"We were supposed to be partners," she said, her voice breaking. "I trusted him. And he just… ran away. Took everything from me. I don't even have a way to contact my manager. I'm alone."

"You're not alone now. We'll figure this out. One step at a time."

Verosika looked up at him, her eyes red and puffy from crying. "Why are you being so nice to me? You don't even know me."

Tucker smiled softly. "Because sometimes, everyone needs a little help. Even if they don't think they do."

.....

"Oh you never told me your name." Tucker asked wondering if she would tell him her real name.

"...V! You can call me V." She said, even if Tucker did seem nice, the moment she said her name he could use here current image against her, or worse otheres could recognise her if she tells him and then she would be trending all week, as a laughing stock.

"So, V, what brings you to this part of Hell?" he asked, genuinely curious but pretending he didn't know her story.

She glanced at him suspiciously but decided to answer. "Just...for a job." she said, her voice guarded.

"Same here," Tucker replied with a smile. "I'm on a bit of a sightseeing trip. Well, that and some work for my boss. But nothing too exciting."

Verosika raised an eyebrow. "Sightseeing? Here?"

Tucker chuckled. "Yeah, I know, sounds weird, right? But there are some interesting places even in the Wrath Ring. Ever been to the Lake of Lava? It's quite sight."

"I guess," Verosika said, slightly intrigued despite herself.

Their food arrived, and Verosika immediately dug into her burger. Tucker took a small bite of his pie, savoring the taste.

"So, what kind of work do you do?" she asked between bites, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Oh, a bit of this, a bit of that," Tucker said vaguely. "My boss sends me on all sorts of errands. It keeps things interesting."

"Sounds...like she's a total bitch!" Verosika replied with a hint of a smile.

Tucker couldn't help but pause, that was your future boss you were talking about.

Tucker countered. " Its nothing like that, its actually quite fun. You'd be surprised at the kinds of things I get into. Like, did you know there's a whole underground society of demons who collect vintage video games? I stumbled upon them last week. They were having a tournament for the original Doom."

Verosika blinked, trying not to laugh. "Seriously? Video game tournaments."

"Yup," Tucker nodded enthusiastically. "And those guys are hardcore. It was kind of creepy, but also impressive."

She couldn't help it; a small laugh escaped her lips. "You're such a nerd."

"Guilty as charged," Tucker said with a grin. Thoug he didn't quite know what a nerd was. "What about you? Any hobbies?"

"Not really," Verosika said, her guard still up. "Been too busy with work."

"Work, huh? What do you do?" Tucker asked, genuinely interested.

"Entertainer," Verosika replied shortly, not wanting to get into details.

"Cool, like a singer or dancer?" Tucker asked, trying to keep the conversation light.

"Something like that," she said, not wanting to divulge more.

"That's amazing. I always admired people who could perform in front of others. Takes a lot of spirit," Tucker said sincerely.

Verosika shrugged, focusing on her food. "It's just a job."

"Still, it's impressive," Tucker said, taking another bite of his pie.

They then fell into a comfortable silence, eating their food. Verosika found herself oddly at ease with Tucker's presence. He was goofy, nerdy, and somehow made her feel a bit better despite everything.

"So, what's your favorite movie?" Tucker asked suddenly, breaking the silence.

Verosika looked up, surprised by the question. "Uh, I don't really watch movies."

"Really? Not even the classics? Like Star Wars?" Tucker teased. During her break Valentina had been forcing Tucker to as she puts it" Experienc the Culture".

"I've seen Star Wars," Verosika admitted grudgingly. "It's... okay."

"Okay? Just okay?" Tucker feigned shock. "Come on, it's a masterpiece!"

She rolled her eyes, but the corners of her mouth twitched up. "Alright, it's pretty good."

"There we go, theirs a smile." Tucker said, smiling. "See, we're making progress."

Verosika shook her head, unable to suppress a small smile.

They continued talking, the conversation flowing more easily as they ate. Tucker told her about some of the places he'd visited and the odd jobs he'd done, making her laugh more than once.

Eventually, Tucker asked, "So, where are you staying tonight?"

Verosika's face fell. "I don't have anywhere to stay."

Tucker thought for a moment. "Well, my boss owns a condo near here. I was going to stay there for the night before heading back to Pride tomorrow. If you're not uncomfortable with me sleeping in the same house, you could stay with me for the night to get yourself sorted."

"..."

Verosika looked at him skeptically. "Why....look I appreciate all this but, what are you really after, if its sex then..."

Tucker shook his head "Because you look like you could use a break. And maybe a friend."

"..."

She was silent for a moment, contemplating his offer. Finally, she nodded. "Alright. But don't think I trust you completely."

"Fair enough," Tucker said with a smile. "Let's get out of here then."

They left the diner, sharing the umbrella as they walked through the rain. It was still pouring, but under the umbrella, it felt a little less overwhelming.

As they walked, Verosika couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe, things might start to get better.

She still had her guard up, but Tucker had been the best thing to happen to her in these hellish two days.

And for now, that was enough.