Chapter Text
“And that’s the very basic rundown.”
IMP surrounded me while I finished explaining what I could to them. They were processing all that information at varying degrees of believability.
“So, in short, you’re like some super elite space hero?” Moxxie questioned.
“If you want to make it that simple, yeah. I suppose.” I replied.
“Sorry if I’m just a little sceptical. While I can believe the whole transforming part, just everything else seems iffy.” He explained.
“I don’t know. You see the words people are saying bout him online? That’s got to be some credibility.” Millie pointed out. She seemed to be the one who was closest to being on my side while Blitz looked confused.
“I don’t know. It just feels weird. It wasn’t even something we’d ever deal with.” Moxxie admitted, scratching his head.
“I’m just surprised we haven’t gotten a hit on you.” Millie mentioned. That thought didn’t even cross me.
“Um, can we not accept those? I rather not have assassins after me.” I asked nervously. Blitz scoffed at my request before placing his arm around me.
“Listen, if we get any hit on you, I'll tell them to take a hike. Even if I’m not going to pay you, you’re one of us now. Whether you like it or not.”
“Even if you get paid a lot?”
“Don’t make me think otherwise.” Blitz remarked before dragging himself off me. “Plus, Stolas said we weren’t allowed to kill you anyway and I don’t need his royal ass on me.”
“Is there a reason why Stolas wants me alive?” I asked curiously.
“No idea. He didn’t say jack.” Blitz shrugged. “Now, what’s on the schedule for today? Mox?”
Moxxie stepped forwards and pulled out a small notepad from his pocket. “Let’s see. We need to restock on ammunition, some clothing now that we have a more permanent member, and just some other general supplies for around the office. If we do this smartly, we should have a few hundred dollars left in our monthly savings.”
“Oh wait, that reminds me.” Blitz smirked at Moxxie. “I’ll need a new phone. I broke my old one a couple days ago.”
Moxxie’s jaw dropped. “Again?! That’s your second phone in the last month.”
“I don’t know what to tell you. They don’t make phones like they used to. Plus, I’ll need it so Stolas doesn’t get his feathers all in a twist. So, by decree of being the boss, I say we add the phone store onto the list.” Blitz declared.
“Really?! I have some paperwork to go over.” Moxxie protested. Blitz cupped his chin before looking at me. An idea crossed his mind before he smiled.
“And that’s why we have an intern for! How about you three go and do the errands and I’ll do that paperwork? I mean, how hard could it be?” Blitz suggested to Moxxie, Millie, and I.
“Sir, you put that work on me for a reason.” Moxxie mentioned.
“Actually, I think it’s a great idea! Me and Mox can give Micheal the low down of Hell and IMP. It can be like a team building exercise.” Millie interrupted. “The two of us can handle training and basic shopping.”
“Yeah, that seems good. Alright M&M, take the van and do whatever we need. Micheal, just help and listen to them. Don’t care what you think you are, they'll rip you a new one.” Blitz ordered with his finger in the air.
“Aw, thanks Blitz!” Millie cheered with excitement from the compliment. Moxxie rolled his eyes before holding out his hand. In one swift motion, Blitz flicked the keys out of his pocket and into Moxxie’s hands. He turned to me and gestured to me.
“Are you gonna, well, you know. I don’t want to leave until you’re ready.” He asked me. It took a moment for my brain to process what he meant. I just nodded and pulled the Omnitrix out. As part of my demonstration, I turned back from Scout into my normal appearance but I don’t think I should have to worry about dropping Cinder at all for however long chores will be.
Once Cinder’s horns appeared on my head, Moxxie led us out. Millie quickly passed me with a skip and walked next to him. We walked down the hallway till we reached the elevator, where a quick wait led us to a slow descent inside.
“So, do you need anything Micheal?” Millie asked.
“Oh, can we just call me Cinder out in public? It’ll just be safer for me.” I asked her. She gave me a nod and a toothy smile.
“Sure buddy, now, do you need anything? I don’t know exactly your financial situation but it doesn’t hurt to do a little shopping while we’re there.” She corrected herself.
“Oh, I don’t actually have any money on me so I guess I’ll just be another body to help.” I told them.
“Really? Why didn’t you ask Blitz for any form of payment? I know he’s boasting about being an unpaid intern but we could probably find a way to get you minimum wage.” Moxxie asked me.
“I was just really desperate. Plus, I don’t really care I suppose. I haven’t really needed money before. Although, I guess finding a way to get a new razor would be nice.” I mumbled the last part to myself but Millie caught it.
“Oh, a razor? What kind? Disposable, I presume?” She asked as the elevator hit the ground floor.
“Disposable. I think the one I’ve been using is running dull. But don’t worry. I can figure out how to juryrigg my own. Probably with Shard.” I mentioned as we walked out into the lobby.
“Don’t worry about that. We gotta do some shopping anyway, right Mox?” Millie asked him.
“Yeah, I suppose we do. Are you thinking about getting one for Cinder? Maybe we should buy a two pack to save money-” Moxxie began to plan as we left the lobby and went to the parking lot. Alarms were blaring in my head with how the conversation was going.
“Oh! Don’t worry about me. It’s nothing major. I just use the razor to shave off my body hair.” I tried to decline them as we passed the entrance.
“That’s a little embarrassing to mention at work, don’t you think?” Moxxie said embarrassed.
“Oh, like you haven’t done it.” Millie joked to Moxxie’s embarrassment. I was slightly confused at that remark.
“Done what?”
My question got Moxxie to look away in shame and Millie to smirk knowingly. Beyond the conversation, we finally reached the van parked crooked in its lonely spot. Moxxie unlocked the doors and climbed into the driver’s seat. Millie took the passenger and I took the backseat. It was immensely more comfortable than just the back. An actual seat cushion and seatbelt? Yes please.
“Well then, what do you really need to shave for? Swimming? I know swimmers shave.” Moxxie asked curiously. He inserted the key into the ignition and started the van as my embarrassment rose.
“It’s kinda stupid but I just don’t like body hair.” I admitted. Millie perked up and twisted to me while Moxxie checked his mirrors.
“Really? But you were a hellhound when we got back.” She pointed out.
“Well, yeah but that isn’t me I guess.” I said. “Seeing the hair on my human body just feels off. I don’t know how to explain it. If I don’t shave, I just get really antsy and conscious that I have it. It really messes with me.”
“Like just the feeling, sight, or both? Don’t you wear long clothing?” Moxxie asked. He had pulled out of the spot and now was driving on the main road. All the establishments I had applied to whizzed past as we headed further out.
“Yeah but it’s just a weird thing to explain. I just feel weird about my human body? Probably because I’ve spent so long with other limbs and such.” I theorized.
“Interesting. Well, maybe being here will help you become comfortable.” Millie said. "You've been a wanderer for most of your life, right? Maybe actually settling down will do wonders for your head.”
There was something about that that felt off. I don’t think I should settle down.
After that, we rode in silence to our first stop. It was a very blatant gun shop that was weirdly inviting for customers. Moxxie pulled into the curb and parked alongside the street in front of the store.
“Alright, first stop. Everyone ready?” Moxxie asked.
“Uh, do I need anything? Isn’t there an age requirement to go into one of these?” I asked the two of them.
Millie waved me off. “Nah, as long as you don’t cause issues, they don’t really care.” I reluctantly nodded and followed the two into the store. It was about what I expected, just with more visuals of killing other imps than just camo or animals.
I just lagged behind Millie and Moxxie as they wandered throughout the shelves, studying the displays of firearms. It was strange to see so many normal firearms again. I was used to seeing them with extra gizmos, strange shapes, and more lights.
Moxxie seemed to pick up on my strange affliction. “Something wrong?”
“No, it’s just weird to see normal firearms again. I’m used to another genre of firearms.” I said.
“Oh, lasers? What are they like?” Millie curiously asked.
“Well, it depends on the type. They can either feel like someone threw a brick at you, someone hit you with a taser, or someone stabbed you with a branding iron.” I told them quickly. Millie seemed content with that answer while Moxxie looked really concerned.
“Um, is that from experience?”
“Yeah? Why?” I asked.
“I'm going to be very concerned about what you consider an “injury” or pain, right?” He nervously chuckled.
“Oh, don’t worry. I usually shrug stuff off. I’ve only broken my bones a few times!” I reassured him but Moxxie just became paler.
“Oh my Satan…”
It was relatively quick from there on out. Millie and Moxxie went to the counter and purchased the ammo they needed. Moxxie had mumbled something about figuring out how to just order the ammo and get it shipped to them so they didn’t need to do these runs but I didn’t pay too much attention to it. From there, we left and went to a tech store nearby. It was just as brief, we went in, Moxxie found a cheap enough smartphone and purchased it for Blitz, saying he could do the rest of the set up.
Then, clothing shopping.
“Oh, a thrift store.” I realized as we walked in.
“Yup, not a bad place to shop if you know how to look. Now, why don’t we find you something presentable. I’m not expecting that a suit is going to be here but maybe we can find you some dress shirts and some ties.” Moxxie took charge, leading the three of us deeper.
“Um, is there a specific dress code?” I paused. “I don’t know exactly what I want but I do know that I’m not really looking forward to a tie. I’m not a big fan of those kinds of things.”
“Oh. Well then, I guess we could find you a clip on-”
“Let me handle this Mox. I think I might find something they like.” Millie interjected. Moxxie turned to her and softened.
“You sure? Would you like any help from me?” He asked. Millie shook her head. “Nope, I think I can handle it.”
He nodded and smiled. “Alright then, I’ll wait in the van. Just don’t take too long and be careful.”
“Pfft, please. I can handle myself in a damn thrift store. We’ll be out in a bit.” Millie chuckled at Moxxie’s concern before pecking him on the cheek. He melted from the gesture and left the two of us at the entrance of the store.
“So, uh, are you two dating?” I asked her.
“Oh, we were but then he proposed.” Millie joked, grabbing my hand and heading to the rows of shelving. “Now, let’s find you some clothing.”
“Oh! I’m sorry, I didn’t pick up that you two were married. I never really seen married couples I guess.” I apologized to her while she skimmed miscellaneous pieces of clothing.
“Not even with your parents?” She asked.
“No, I don’t really remember how my parents acted with each other. Usually one or both of them were always working.” I told her as I politely declined a t-shirt she found.
“I see. Well, it ain’t too far from using normal couples as a baseline.” Millie compared the two but I remained confused.
“Uh, I’ve never really seen normal couples either.” I said.
“Not even with yourself?” I shook my head.
“No, not really. I didn’t really interact with people long enough to really reach that point I guess.” I mentioned, looking over another shelf as we turned into another aisle.
“Oh, well, maybe that’s something you can look for while you’re here.” She pointed out to me.
“Oh, maybe? I don’t know. How do you even start with that?” I asked her. She brought me over to the back of the store where there were a series of bins filled to the brim in clothing. She leaned over one and started to comb through it. Not wanting to double down, I picked the bin next to hers.
“Well, I suppose it would start with figuring out what your type is. What would you want in a partner?” She asked me.
I had to think about it for a moment. It wasn’t something I really knew or had thought of before.
“I’m not entirely sure. Someone strong in all senses of the word. Oh, someone with a heart of gold or just someone who can care and support others when the going gets tough. I guess, I don’t really know beyond that.” I felt embarrassed mentioning that but it was all I could think of off the top of my head.
“Hmm, I see.” She seemed to pick up something with that but that was likely because she was far more knowledgeable in whatever love is than I.
“I ain’t finding shit in here, why don’t we switch? See if you can find something you like in here.” Mille told me. I looked down into my bin. Nothing really caught my eye.
“Alright.” We shifted over into each other's bin. I began to dig through the various clothing, noticing a very distinct theme among everything. It was all punky male clothing. Ugh, not my style. I know some of my forms are more punky than others but I like coats more than that.
“I don’t know Millie, this stuff doesn’t seem very enticing.” I told her.
“Hmm, oh! How about this?” I turned to her as she pulled out what I assume was a deep red knitted shirt. As I looked closer, I realized it must have been something else. It was just a sliver too long to be a shirt.
“Oh, I see.” I mumbled. I reached out to feel it and it was soft. Warm. And just the right amount of fuzzy.
“Well, you seem like a cardigan kind of person. Figured you might like this.” Millie said, passing over the cardigan. It looked to be my size, at least for Cinder. It might be a little small for me normally but it seemed alright. Long sleeves and it can be closed?
It seemed perfect.
“Uh, should I try this on or wait?” I asked her. She waved me off and smiled.
“You can if you want. Is there anything you would really like to try while we’re here? Any articles of clothing you particularly want to try? I know you said you would prefer stuff that covers you up.” Millie asked me. I thought about it for a moment while I rolled my thumbs over the cardigan.
“Not off the top of my head I think.”
Millie nodded. “Alright, I’m kinda curious to see what they have for women. You wanna join or go meet up with Moxxie?”
“Uh, I guess I’ll follow you for a bit.” I told her. She smiled again and I followed her as she went to another part of the store. The clothing became increasingly more interesting as we passed racks and shelves. I couldn’t help but stare and look at the clothing in the same manner Millie was.
“Anything caught your eye?” Millie asked.
“Uh, I guess. Why are these clothes so much cooler than the ones before?” I asked her. She just smirked like she knew something I didn’t.
“You know, you can pick something out if it interests you.” My head snapped to her, cheeks growing red in embarrassment.
“Huh?? But- But isn’t this female clothing? I’m a guy.” I blurted out. She came in close to me and put her hand on my shoulder to soothe.
“Aw hun, don’t think about that. Whose to say what clothes belong to who? Wear what you want and express yourself as you want. You want to wear a t-shirt and slacks? You go. You want to wear a dress and heels? Who’ll stop you?” Millie said.
“Look, Cinder. If you really are curious about trying on women's clothing, it’s not the absolute end of the world. With how you described your life, you’ve done more wild shit than just dress in drag.”
I thought about it. I remembered the conversation I had with Vaggie a couple of days ago about something similar. I technically had already worn feminine clothing before with R.E.M, right? Maybe there is a long sleeve dress here. Those exist, right? Maybe I could wear one with my cardigan?
I reached towards the shelf. I mean, why couldn’t I? As Millie said, I’ve done more wild things than wear a dress. The rebellion on Revonnah, going to Anur during Halloween! I can handle it, I’m Micheal Shar-
I paused before I could skim for something I liked. Is it normal to want to try this? I mean, wouldn’t I have seen more people doing this? What if people judge me for it?
What if it just makes me more uncomfortable in my own body?
“Um, I don’t know. Is there anything I guess less feminine? I guess something a little more neutral?” I nervously chuckled.
“Alright, let me see. How about a long skirt? Don’t some human men wear those?” I didn’t feel super confident with Millie’s answer. I just couldn’t shake the lingering thoughts in my head.
“I- I think I’m going to pass. I’m probably just going stir crazy.” I attempted to reason. She didn’t try to push me any further. She just smiled and nodded slightly.
“Alright. That’s your choice. If you ever do want to try though, just let me know. I can hook you up with my sister who is, well annoyingly, better at fashion than I.” She told me with annoyance.
“Oh, is that a bad thing?”
“Oh nah. It’s just annoying, ya know? Sibling rivalry and all.” She explained as if it was so obvious to me.
“Well, I guess all I’m getting is this cardigan. Is that alright?” I asked Millie.
“Ah, that's fine. On the plus side, I think your other buddy is small enough to fit in that. Just might be a little tight around the shoulders.” Millie said.
“Oh, that’s good. My friends wanted to take me clothes shopping but something came up so they couldn’t-”
I froze.
“What did you forget to do?” Millie quickly caught on to what I realized.
“I’ve been out cold for a few days, right?” I cautiously asked. She slowly nodded. Everything hit me like a sack of bricks at once.
“Oh god, I haven't spoken to them in days. And they know about my buddy.” I panicked.
“It’s alright, we can just drop you off after we finish this. Where do you live hun?”
“At the Hazbin Hotel in the Pentagram.” I replied.
“Oh, that place the princess was promoting a week ago or something? I know where that is. It shouldn’t be any issue to get you back there.” Millie reassured me. The sudden burst of panic quickly died down as fast as it had come.
“Thank you. It hopefully should be alright. Both with me and the actual hotel. It’s not like the entire place erupted into chaos just because I was gone!”