The Sin Hunter: Double or Nothing

Threads to be Cut

Vestress flew down the hallway in a flurry of wild, exotic and even somewhat erotic portrayal of a peacock, gorgeous flakes of gold and peach violet flowing from her deep scarlet dress as she stormed toward a door at the end of the hallway. Lust's Biotropical Bash was expected to be one of the largest fashion shows of the times, and Vestress needed everything to be perfect for Asmodeus. The walls and their beautiful shade of pale teal with beige skylights illuminating the hallway from above warped and twisted around the flashing spray of reds, purples and pinks as Vestress stormed through the doorway.

Her hands gripped the coarse, roughened surface of the door frame as she shoved into the warehouse filled with threads, rolls of exotic and beautiful cloth, studded jewels and only the rarest of accessories. Vestress' hair bobbed back and forth in its curled, frilly little bun on her head as she seized a megaphone from the holster of her associate, raising the speaker to her Bomb Rush Blushing lipstick frosted lips as she barked, "ATTENTION, ALL YOU FASHION BITCHES!!" The pressing of fabrics and the stamping of bead studding paused near instantaneously as everyone in the warehouse paused to receive the news from their higher up.

Vestress returned the megaphone to its worker with a swish of her wrist and a snap of her glistening, ruby red nails as she mounted the railing with her heels, snapping into place and grinding with glittering purple sparks down the railing surface. Vestress twisted and bent around corners, under railings and leapt from path to path, performing a full facing twist flip before landing in front of her facility in a straightened, dignified posture many Overlords would give everything for. But Vestress directed herself toward never staying still for longer than a second.

Take a pause, recollect yourself in as few moments as possible, then continue forward with every other step. The deeply tanned Demoness struck the floor with her silver white heels before sliding them apart, taking a stance on the table in the center of the room. "The Biotropical Bash is in full swing! Don't forget to celebrate, queens, we are working hard!" Applause and clapping like rain on the roof bounced around the warehouse when Asmodeus' finest lowered her hands, a wide, patient smile on her face. Curls of deep, vibrant purple fluff draped over her blazing pink eyelashes when she swayed in the breeze.

"Now, now, then. I've got word from the Queen Bee that we have some new shipments coming in! And unfortunately, the budgeting we've been supplying your pals in other areas is dragging thin over these sewing tables." There were hushed and hastened mutters while Vestress continued, her hands consistent with her hips. "But we can pull through this! I may not know your struggles, and frankly, I wanna change that more than anything." There were playful boos and laughter while the fashion jewel herself laughed with them. It was comforting, knowing she could be seen as a friend without having to lift a well manicured finger.

"But I want to appreciate and congratulate all of you for your hard work. These past few weeks have been rough, no doubt, and I hope you will enjoy every ounce of those fancy schmancy paychecks your lovely Ruler of Lust has drafted to you!" Cheers were thrown like confetti while Vestress bowed deep, the tips of her curly violet hair draping on to the edge of a table when she rose with a smile and a great, hearty laugh. Suddenly, her phone began to buzz. Vestress removed the phone from her pocket, swiping past flashy photos of selfies with supermodels and "friends" of Asmodeus.

It was from a number Vestress hadn't called in a very long time. Her expression weakened when she saw it, but Vestress smiled and waved, stepping down from the table and maneuvering through the aisles while she swept upward with her nails, raising the sparkly phone to her gold hoop earrings. "What do you want, you undignified man child?" The voice which answered came cool and collected, with a splash of tipsy on the corner of the tone. "Vestress, my dear. Thank you ever so dearly for calling." The fashion icon propped herself against a table where sewing machines and bead presses stamped into fabric while chewing a piece of hot pink gum.

"Mm-hmm," he mumbled, popping her bubble, "so what's up now? Why are you calling this number?" The voice chuckled, then hiccuped before speaking again. "I have a, ah, a bit of a proposition for your employer. And I'm especially curious to see if she would hear it." Vestress laughed and laughed, striking the handrail of the staircase to the second floor with squeals of overjoyed enthusiasm. "Ha!" She smiled, tilting her head back to the air, "and what makes you think anybody past me would want an audience with you? You're an unsophisticated, dirty, bloody pile of mass, I doubt anyone would want a piece of your sassy red suit within twelve miles!"

"You'd be surprised. Bile would be, too, if I told him that he's walking right into a trap." Vestress felt the corners of her gold jewelry jangling, shaking at the mention of the especially established shark bodyguard who had helped her with freedom from the chaos in Pride. Vestress shuffled the phone to her ear while she carefully, silently grabbed a notebook and pen from the counter beside a dispenser. "A trap? What has that old fish swam into now?" She laughed coyly, playing through the tone while her fingers trembled and battled for control of the pen.

"Bile tells himself that his procedure will succeed, that everything will work just right and he'll have the biggest, baddest army Hell has ever seen. In truth, I intend to damage his dreams from the inside and wrap a tight, intangible leash around his soul." Vestress nodded, keeping her voice perfectly trimmed and tasseled to fit the conversation. "Oh, my! What a devious plan you have in store, you old bastard!" Vestress chuckled while her eyes squeezed shut with every painful breath she took. Sweat stained the paper beneath her when the voice continued speaking. Every sentence was agony in her ear.

"However, the old tiger shark does have some benefits. Benefits I'm sure you could partake in as well, provided you do me one small favor." The fashion icon stopped her scribbled handwriting, pausing to move the phone down toward the table. The fashion jewel kicked back against the wall, balancing on her heels while a deep, matted gray tail flickered out from behind her dress and jacket. "A favor? What could I possibly do to help you any further?" The voice clicked silent, ending the conversation. Vestress dropped the phone now, her hands shaking with every breath.

He was there with her. Somewhere in this room, yes. Vestress felt the edges of her nails tearing through the wall while her eyes began to blaze with deep orange power. And then his voice spoke, and everything shattered in fear. "You will lure Bile into Lust where I will kill him in front of all your live television. And if you refuse my offer..." Silence rang in her ears as Vestress swung her talons, a great bladed limb tearing through the wall as the sound of snipping scissors filled the air after it. Chunks of debris and crumbling stone fell out onto the floor while Vestress pulled her arm back, clutching her trembling wrist with a hammering chest.

The fashion icon stepped back into the break room, the broken wall reflected in pooling tears at the corners of her makeup. They fell and splashed to the carpeted floor as the scared, infuriated runway goddess crashed into a chair, clutching herself in gasps of air and whimpers. "God...dammit, Bile. Why'd you hafta be such a good Demon?"